Nick Thompson

Evening News and Notes: May 8, 2008

Jonathan Goulet, who recently knocked out Kuniyoshi Hironaka in Canada last month, has reportedly pulled out of his upcoming scheduled bout against Paul Kelly next month at UFC 85: Bedlam in London, England.

The circumstances concerning Goulet’s withdrawal differ however. In a recent interview with MMA Weekly, Goulet apparently stated that he was pulling out of the Kelly bout due to health reasons that he wished not to discuss. However our friends at TKO Xtreme have learned that Goulet may have backed out of the fight at the request of his training partners at the Tristar Gym, of which the Victoriaville native recently aligned himself with.

WVR Announces Thompson-Costa for ‘Sengoku III’

With the fight card for it’s upcoming May 18th event completed, World Victory Road officials today announced the first fight for the promotion’s third event on June 8th via their official website: Nick Thompson vs Michael Costa. Thompson, the current BodogFight welterweight champion, won a unanimous decision over Fabricio Monteiro at Sengoku I in March. Costa, a Chute Boxe product, is currently riding a two-fight winning streak.

Additional fighters being advertised as competing at the event include Hidehiko Yoshida, Rodrigo Damm, Kazuyuki Fujita, Fabio Silva, and Marcio Cruz. Former PRIDE lightweight title holder Takanori Gomi has also stated that he intends to return to action at the show.

Talks Between WEC, Alessio Stall

Contract negotiations between veteran welterweight John Alessio and World Extreme Cagefighting have reportedly come to a halt according to a report by The Fight Network.

“I’m actually wondering myself what’s going on,” Alessio said in the report. “I figured I would have heard something by now. They offered me the rematch with Larson, but it’s now up to my manager to negotiate. It’s going to come down to money and if they want to sign me long-term or not.”

Alessio also went on to say that he had been offered a bout against the above-mentioned Nick Thompson by Hardcore Championship Fighting officials. However it’s key to note that Thompson has stated in the past that he is not locked into any sort of contract with HCF to date.

MTV’s “True Life” to Feature Kit Cope

UFC and WEC veteran Kit Cope will reportedly be featured on MTV’s “True Life” series for the second time according to a report by our friends at MMA Junkie.

Cope, who was originally featured in “True Life: I’m a Muay Thai Fighter” back in 2004, will now serve as one of the featured fighters in “True Life: I’m an MMA Fighter”. Filming for the show is currently being done and cameras will also accompany Cope to his next scheduled fight for World Fighting Championships against Dave Cochran later this month.

Report: HCF Close to Inking Nick Thompson

Current Bodog Fight welterweight champion Nick Thompson is reportedly close to signing with Alberta-based Hardcore Championship Fighting.

The news comes from a report by The Fight Network.

Thompson, a Minnesota Martial Arts Academy product, has won eleven straight fights since losing to Karo Parisyan in April 2006. He last defeated Fabricio Monteiro via unanimous decision at World Victory Road’s inaugural show titled “Sengoku” earlier this month.

It’s still unknown whether or not Thompson is now a free agent after fighting overseas. Thompson fought outside of Calvin Ayre’s project for the first time since October 2006.

Thompson’s potential signing comes just one week after Hardcore Championship Fighting CEO Keith Crawford announced that the promotion has been purchased. ProElite, the parent company of Elite Xtreme Combat is rumored as the potential buyer.

An official announcement regarding the purchase is expecting to come sometime before the organization’s next event in May.

WVR: Sengoku Quick Results

A full recap of the event will come later today…

Nick Thompson def. Fabricio Monteiro - Unanimous Decision
Ryo Kawamura def. Antonio Neto - Unanimous Decision
Evangelista Santos def. Makoto Takimoto - Submission (Heel Hook)
Kazuyuki Fujita def. Peter Graham - Submission (North-South Choke)
Kazuo Misaki def. Siyar Bahadurzada - Submission (Guillotine)
Takanori Gomi def. Duane Ludwig - TKO (Cut)
Josh Barnett def. Hidehiko Yoshida - Submission (Heel Hook)

“Sengoku” Begins a New Era for MMA in Japan

For those of you in North America, a new era of mixed martial arts will take place over in Japan while you are sleeping Tuesday night. World Victory Road will hold it’s inaugural show titled “Sengoku” Wednesday at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

The show will feature a main event between former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett and former Olympian Hidehiko Yoshida. Former PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi and one-time K-1 kickboxing standout Duane “Bang” Ludwig will clash. Kazuo Misaki will also compete on the card.

A definite mix of former PRIDE veterans and other notable fighters that have competed in various organizations around the world make this event intriguing.

Main Card

As far as the main event goes, both Barnett and Yoshida will be attempting to shake of a good amount of ring rust as neither fighter has competed since PRIDE: Shockwave 2006 on New Year’s Eve two years ago.

Barnett lost a unanimous decision to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a rematch of their Open-Weight Grand Prix bout at the event. Yoshida was stopped with strikes by heavyweight slugger James Thompson.

While Barnett has been staying in shape thanks to a regular schedule involving professional wrestling appearances and grappling matches, Yoshida is a complete question mark conditioning wise. In reality though, it won’t matter very much in this fight.

Even though the two are former training partners, it shouldn’t be much of a chess match. Look for Barnett to dominate Yoshida and pick up an easy win.

Continue reading "“Sengoku” Begins a New Era for MMA in Japan"

WVR Announces Gomi-Ludwig, Two More Bouts

World Victory Road has announced the addition of three more bouts for it’s inaugural event entitled “Sengoku” on March 5th at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

The biggest one has to be a lightweight battle between former PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi and one-time K-1 kickboxing standout Duane “Bang” Ludwig.

Gomi has not fought since he took on Nick Diaz at PRIDE 33 in February of last year. Diaz submitted Gomi with a gogoplata in an exciting fight but the decision was later overturned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after it was found that Diaz had tested positive for marijuana at the conclusion of the event.

“The Fireball Kid” had been courted by multiple organizations since PRIDE was purchased by Zuffa last March, including the UFC. Speculation had him headed over to K-1 Hero’s at one point but a deal between the two sides never came to fruition.

Ludwig was originally slated to take on Steve Berger at the upcoming “Strikeforce at the Dome” event later this month but MMA Weekly reports that Ludwig will pull out of that fight.

Additional bouts that were announced include current BodogFight welterweight title holder Nick Thompson going up against Fabricio Monteiro and Pancrase veteran Ryo Kawamura taking on Antonio Neto. Also mentioned at today’s press conference was the signing of legendary PRIDE heavyweight Kazuyuki Fujita, who will take on a yet to be announced opponent at the show.

Thompson Discusses Troyer Fight and More

BodogFight welterweight champion Nick Thompson discusses his successful title defense over John Troyer this past weekend as well as his thoughts on the differences and similarities between the top MMA promotions around the world with RawVegas. Jens Pulver, Dean Lister, Troy Mandaloniz, and Dave Terrell chime in with their take also.

Thompson Submits Troyer; Retains Title

Nick “The Goat” Thompson continued his impressive winning ways Friday night as he overcame a brutal first couple of minutes to ultimately end up submitting opponent John Troyer and successfully retain his BodogFight welterweight title.

The lively crowd inside the Las Vegas Sport Center saw Thompson land two stiff jabs to start the main event off. Troyer was able to dodge another flurry and closed in on Thompson, who quickly became the victim of a highlight-reel slam that sent Thompson face-first into the canvas.

Thompson’s nose was immediately broken and blood began to flow onto the mat.

Troyer swiftly took Thompson’s back and then switched to attempt a rear naked choke after his tries for a rear naked choke weren’t working. A scramble allowed Thompson to move into top position, where he unleashed an effective ground and pound assault that bloodied Troyer.

With Troyer visibly fatigued, Thompson literally dragged his opponent to the middle of the ring and proceeded to deal out even more punishment. Troyer had decided that he wanted to get away from the shots so he rolled to his back, which ended up being a fatal mistake as Thompson secured a choke from behind and forced Troyer to tap out.

Thompson stated that he wasn’t even sure how his nose was even broken during the first minute of the bout.

“ I honestly have no idea how my nose was broken,” said Thompson during a post-fight interview. ““I think he may have busted my nose during one of the slams but I’m still not sure. All I know is that it hurt”

A total of seven bouts took place at the event. The rest of the night’s results include the following:

Aaron Simpson def. Scott Dingman - TKO (Strikes)
Bryan Humes def. Ryan Murray - TKO (Strikes)
Angela Magana def. Lynn Alvarez - Submission (Armbar)
Chad George def. Rick Screeton - TKO (Strikes)
Seth Baczynski def. Chris Kennedy - TKO (Strikes)
Sara Schneider def. Kaitlin Young - Submission (Armbar)

Thompson vs Troyer Features Four-Man Tourney

Mixed martial arts fans in Las Vegas can expect to see something different when Bodog Fight rolls into town on Feb. 1.

Make that two things: Women’s MMA fights and a much-anticipated four-man tournament.

Given Sin City’s undisputed reputation as the fight capital of the world, it is hard to believe these two fan-favorites have been a rare sight on the Strip.

Incredibly, it was just last April that the Nevada State Athletic Commission sanctioned its first MMA tournament. Not coincidentally, the promoter was Tuff ‘N Uff’s Barry Meyer, who is also co-promoting Bodog Fight: Nick Thompson vs. John Troyer at the Las Vegas Sport Center next month.

“Fans really seem to love the tournament format,” says Meyer. “It’s popular in amateur boxing, karate, wrestling and kickboxing, and we’re starting to see more of it now in MMA.”

As a veteran of the first-ever sanctioned MMA tournament in California, Bodog Fight Middleweight Champion Trevor Prangley says it’s exciting for the fighters too.

“I won’t lie; it isn’t easy,” says Prangley. “If you get banged up in the first fight, your body can stiffen up going into the next fight. But as tough as it is physically, I think the real test is mental. Physically, most fighters can do it, but not everyone has the mental toughness to do it. I like the challenge of pushing myself to the limit, both mentally and physically.”

Continue reading "Thompson vs Troyer Features Four-Man Tourney"

Thompson Defends Against Troyer in Feb

Bodog Fight Welterweight Champion Nick “The Goat” Thompson will defend his title against hard-hitting John Troyer on February 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“It’s always exciting when ‘The Goat’ steps into the ring,” says Bodog Fight’s billionaire founder Calvin Ayre. “Nick is a larger than life character, so it’s fitting that this fight will take place under the neon lights in Las Vegas.”

Bodog Fight: Nick Thompson vs. John Troyer will take place at the Las Vegas Sport Center. Doors open at 6:30p.m., fights start at 7:30p.m.

Thompson (39-8-1), who suffered a shoulder injury in November and was forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout in Indiana, says he’s back to 100-percent and will be at his best for this title match with Troyer (8-0).

“From what I hear, Troyer’s a tough guy,” says “The Goat”. “He is undefeated and recently beat three guys in one night to win an 8-man HOOKnSHOOT tournament, so I’m expecting a tough fight.”

Continue reading "Thompson Defends Against Troyer in Feb"

Report: Alvarez-Thompson Cancelled

Fight World is reporting that the scheduled rematch between BodogFight Welterweight Champion Nick Thompson and Eddie Alvarez for this weekend has been cancelled.

The fight was slated to take place at a BodogFight sponsored Hook N’ Shoot show this weekend at the Evansville Coliseum in Evansville, Indiana. The report states that Thompson will be unable to make the 170 lb required weight limit.

The two fought earlier this year at BodogFight: Clash of the Nations in April where Thompson stopped Alvarez with strikes in the second round of their bout.

Update 6:30 PM: The Fight Network via BodogFight has confirmed that Thompson actually injured his shoulder during training over the weekend and the cancellation has nothing to do with weight cutting.