Athletic Commissions

CKA: May 14, 2008

Kenny Florian will reportedly serve as the temporary host of ESPN’s newly-planned online mixed martial arts magazine show that will appear exclusively on the company’s official website and on mobile phones according to Adam Swift of MMA Payout.

According to Swift, Florian will serve as the show’s host at least for the first two weeks of tapings. However it’s unknown whether the show will be UFC-based, something that apparently delayed the launch of the program, or if it will cover the entire world of the sport.

Affliction-HDNet Deal Still Possible

While it was previously reported that a potential deal between Affliction and HDNet that would have the clothing brand hold it’s first MMA show at the Dallas-based American Airlines Center fell apart, HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon says that the event could still possibly be televised on the digital cable network.

According to MMA Weekly, the event would not be permitted to take place at the home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks due to a lack of time to substantially promote the show. However the potential of at least part of the event airing live or on tape-delay on HDNet is not out of the realm of possibility.

“We talk to everybody and I wouldn’t say that any conversation is dead yet,” Simon said in the report. “You just never know. You know how this sport works, one day you think you’re not working together and the next day you might announce something. Affliction… I would say, never say never.

ASU Shuts Down Storied Wrestling Program

Arizona State University has decided to shut down it’s storied wrestling program along with men’s swimming and men’s tennis as part of a financial cutback at the school according to MMA Weekly.

Normally this wouldn’t be the type of news to be reported on this site, but the school’s wrestling program has produced a slew of highly-touted MMA prospects in recent years, including current UFC fighters Cain Velasquez and C.B. Dollaway. Shoe-in hall-of-famers Dan Severn, Don Frye, and Dan Henderson all competed for the school as well in the past.

There may still be hope for the program. NCAA President Myles Brand is expected to hold a meeting later this month to discuss the possibility of protecting school sports that also take place in the Olympics, wrestling being one of them.

Bush Tests Positive for Marijuana

Heavyweight prospect George Bush has reportedly tested positive for marijuana following his first-round tournament loss to former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez at YAMMA Pit Fighting’s inaugural show last month in Atlantic City, New Jersey according to Sherdog.com.

“I just found out a few days ago, and needless to say, I’m very surprised and disappointed,” Bush said in the report. “I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I assure the fans that this will never happen again.”

While there won’t be any official announcement from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, (they don’t release drug-testing information to the media) Bush has confirmed that he has not been fined but has been suspended by the commission for 90 days.

Sherk Tests Negative in Nevada

Former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk, who is still feeling the after-effects of a positive test for steroids under the watch of the California State Athletic Commission last summer, tested negative for steroids and any drugs of abuse during a recent mandatory pre-fight test under the state of Nevada.

The news comes from MMA Weekly, which confirmed the results of Sherk’s submitted sample with Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

“The NSAC received Mr. Sherk’s steroid and drug test results this morning and they were all negative,” Kizer said in the report, also dispelling previous rumors that Sherk had also passed a test as part of the commission’s newly-instituted procedure to test fighters randomly throughout the year.

While Sherk’s upcoming title bout against B.J. Penn late this month will mark the fifth time that Sherk has fought in the state of Nevada throughout the course of his career, the Minnesota native was merely required to send in a sample as part of licensure policy. However it’s key to note that fighters who have tested positive for a certain substance in the past or are under suspicion of doing so may also be tested under the new regulations.

Sherk was only officially released from his suspension under the CSAC last month. At the time, he had not paid his $2,500 fine ccording to CSAC official Bill Douglas.

CSAC Close to Approving Amateur MMA

The California State Athletic Commission is now moving closer to approving legislation that would make amateur mixed martial arts legal in the state.

The commission held their second-ever meeting concerning the non-professional side of the sport since the state began regulating it over two years ago. CSAC executive director Armando Garcia handed out a proposed set of rules that included quite a few changes compared to the regulations currently used by the state for professional events.

The amount of rounds during the course of a fight would be dependent on the experience of the competing fighters. There would be eighteen separate weight classes. Heel hooks, up-kicks, and neck cranks would all be prohibited as would slamming your opponent, hammer locks and elbows/forearms to the head of a grounded opponent.

If all goes well, the final draft of the rules could be submitted for approval as early as next week and if passed, amateur mixed martial arts events could start being held as soon as the end of this year. However Garcia points out that the legislation could have been passed long ago if it wasn’t for the lack of enthusiasm of his fellow members.

From MMA Weekly:

“It’s been slow in coming,” Garcia said in the report. “I’ve been pushing this thing left and right, and there’s little to no feedback at all. People just sit there and they look at me and hear me talking, and go ‘great, great, great,’ and I’m asking (for feedback) and nobody says anything.”

Evening News and Notes: April 14, 2008

Despite being scheduled to challenge B.J. Penn at UFC 84: Ill Will next month, former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk was only officially released from his suspension under the California State Athletic Commission earlier today it was announced. Sherk had not paid his $2,500 fine until this afternoon according to CSAC official Bill Douglas.

Fisher-Stephens Signed for TUF 7 Finale

A lightweight bout between Iowa natives Spencer Fisher and Jeremy Stephens will likely take place at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale according to our friends at MMA Junkie. Both fighters were offered the bout last week and bout agreements are expected to be signed shortly.

Fisher is coming off of a unanimous decision loss to Frankie Edgar in November. Stephens, who last stopped Cole Miller with strikes in January, was originally slated to take on Terry Etim next month but was forced to pull out of the bout due to a reported minor legal situation.

Carano Speaks Out

Ariel Helwani of the newly created MMARated.com, a good friend of the site, has a very interesting interview with Gina Carano up. Carano claims that she will attempt to balance tapings for the second season of American Gladiators and training for her upcoming fight against Kaitlyn Young on May 31st at the same time. Interestingly enough, she also states that despite being advertised for EliteXC: Street Certified in February, she was never approached about fighting at the event. It’s a must listen, so check it out.

In Defense of Jake O’Brien

Fight Opinion‘s Iain Liddle has an interesting piece up today discussing the UFC’s decision to release heavyweight prospect Jake O’Brien, who was given the boot despite winning three out of his four bouts with the organization, including an upset over current title contender Heath Herring.

While Liddle bashes the UFC for their decision to let such a promising young fighter like O’Brien go, I believe it was really in O’Brien’s best interest. His wins over Shockman and Midoux were victories over fighters that shouldn’t have been in the UFC in the first place. He was nearly stopped by Herring, who was fighting injured, during the third round of their fight. A non-wrestler in Arlovski also dominated him.

We have to remember that O’Brien hasn’t even been in the game for three years yet. He has a lot of time to develop. Fights against top-ranked heavyweights have certainly helped him and using that experience while sharpening his skills in smaller shows will make for a quick return to the UFC. I don’t buy the notion that the UFC released him because he was a boring fighter. If that was the case, Lyoto Machida would have been sent packing a long time ago.

Sherk Required to Submit Additional Sample

Former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk, who is still feeling the after-effects of a positive test for steroids under the watch of the California State Athletic Commission last summer, will be required to submit an additional drug test one month prior to his showdown with B.J. Penn at UFC 84: Ill Will.

Caleb of MMA Predictions reports that Sherk was informed of the mandatory pre-fight test via a tele-conference with the Nevada State Athletic Commission yesterday. It’s interesting to note that Sherk hasn’t even been licensed to fight in the state of Nevada as of yet. Passing his assigned test in two weeks will go a long way in getting approved I’m sure.

Something that can be filed as ‘WTF’:

One staff member also asked Sherk to explain an assault charge that Sherk received in 1994. Sherk explained that he was at a bar with friends, and one friend got into a fight with another group of men. Sherk got involved as the fight moved to the parking lot but claimed it was “a mistake… something I wouldn’t do again”.

This will be the fifth time that Sherk has fought in the state of Nevada throughout the course of his career and the NSAC is just now asking him about this? Maybe they’re just going with a zero-tolerance policy but asking him about things that have nothing to do with steroids doesn’t make much sense to me.

HT: MMA Mania

Report: Kerr Cleared for YAMMA by NJSACB

Despite speculation that Mark Kerr would not be approved to fight by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board because of an existing suspension by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation, it seems that the former two-time UFC heavyweight tournament winner will be permitted to fight after all.

The news comes from Sam Caplan and Five Ounces of Pain, who report through an official with the NJSACB that Kerr has been taken off of his suspenison in the state of Connecticut and will be cleared to fight Oleg Taktarov at this weekend’s YAMMA Pit Fighting event, assuming he passes all necessary medical exams.

Kerr was suspended after failing pre-fight tests before a scheduled bout against Sean O’Haire last year. Kerr will essentially be replacing an injured Don Frye against Taktarov. Frye was forced to pull out of the bout after suffering a shoulder injury during a recent training session.

He will now be required to undergo surgery but will be at the show do to do commentary on the pay-per-view broadcast.

In addition, Ron Waterman has reportedly been tapped to serve as an alternate for the one night, eight-man heavyweight tournament that is slated to take place at the event. 

CSAC Blocks Reis from ShoXC Fight

Update 5:49 PM: ProElite.com has since confirmed that Quach will indeed replace Reis. Still no word on why Reis was not permitted to fight.

MMA on Tap has learned that the California State Athletic Commission has not approved featherweight prospect Wilson Reis for tomorrow night’s ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series event at the Table Mountain Casino and Events Center in Friant, California. An official reason as to why the CSAC pulled Reis from the event is still unknown.

Five Ounces of Pain originally reported earlier this afternoon that Reis has been removed from his scheduled fight against Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Doug Evans and will be replaced by Shooto veteran Bao Quach.

Quach last won a unanimous decision over Bobby McMaster at a ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series event in January. The Team Oyama product is currently riding a six-fight winning streak and has not lost since being knocked out by Wagnney Fabiano in June 2006.

Quach will be challenging Evans, who will be making his Elite Xtreme Combat debut after losing his only two fights in the UFC.

The event will be headlined by a light heavyweight clash between Jared Hamman and Poai Suganuma. King of the Cage lightweight champion Joe Camacho will also go up against Fabricio Camoes.

“Shamrock vs Le” Fighter Salaries

The California State Athletic Commission has released the official list of fighter salaries stemming from this past weekend’s Elite Xtreme Combat and Strikeforce co-promoted “Shamrock vs Cung Le” show, which took place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

The event featured a total of nine fights and was highlighted by a main event showdown between Former UFC middleweight champion Frank Shamrock and undefeated former Sanshou kickboxer Cung Le. Le defeated Shamrock by TKO after Shamrock broke his left arm at the end of the fourth round.

Remember that this is only the base salary that a fighter received. Bonuses, deductions, and other undisclosed fees are not included.

Cung Le ($200,000) def. Frank Shamrock ($300,000)
Gilbert Melendez ($50,000) def. Gabe Lemley ($7,000)
Drew Fickett ($10,000) def. Jae Suk Lim ($3,000)
Wayne Cole ($10,000) def. Mike Kyle ($10,000)
Joey Villasenor ($36,000) def. Ryan Jensen ($6,000)
Tiki Ghosn ($8,000) def. Luke Stewart ($6,000)
Billy Evangelista ($10,000) def Marlon Sims ($2,500)
Darren Uyenoyama ($4,000) def. Anthony Figueroa ($2,000)
Jesse Jones ($2,150) def. Jesse Gillespie ($1,200)

WEC 33: Marshall vs Stann Medical Suspensions

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released the official list of medical suspensions stemming from this past week’s WEC 33: Marshall vs Stann, which took place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The event featured a total of ten fights. Brian Stann knocked out Doug Marshall to claim the World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight title. Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen dominated Bryan Baker over three rounds en route to an easy unanimous decision win.

Marshall could be medically suspended until September if his right foot is not cleared by a doctor. If he passes the examination, he is suspended until May 11th with no contact until April 26th. Bryan Baker and Brock Larson received similar suspensions for a facial laceration and a possible broken jaw respectively.

Tim McKenzie is suspended until April 26th with no contact until April 17th due to precautionary reasons. Sergio Gomez and Richard Crunkilton are also shelved for the same amount of time.

The following fighters also received medical suspensions: Blas Avena until May 26th, Chris Manuel until April 3rd, and Scott Harper until his left eye is cleared by an ophthalmologist.

WEC 33: Marshall vs Stann Fighter Salaries

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released the official lists of fighter salaries stemming from this week’s WEC 33: Marshall vs Stann event, which took place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The event featured a total of ten fights. Brian Stann knocked out Doug Marshall to claim the World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight title. Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen dominated Bryan Baker over three rounds en route to an easy unanimous decision win.

Remember that this is only the base salary that a fighter received. Bonuses, deductions, and other undisclosed fees are not included.

Brian Stann ($18,000) def. Doug Marshall ($10,000)
Chael Sonnen ($34,000) def. Bryan Baker ($5,000)
Brock Larson ($24,000) def. John Alessio ($15,000)
Richard Crunkilton ($20,000) def. Sergio Gomez ($4,000)
Marcus Hicks ($10,000) def. Ed Ratcliff ($7,000)
Steve Cantwell ($8,000) def. Tim McKenzie ($6,000)
Hiromitsu Miura ($8,000) def. Blas Avena ($6,000)
Chris Manuel ($3,000) vs. Kenji Osawa ($5,000)
Alex Serdyukov ($12,000) def. Ryan Stonitsch ($3,000)
Logan Clark ($12,000) def. Scott Harper ($3,000