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Post by shady1 on Mar 11, 2016 9:50:17 GMT -5
With MMA as popular as it has ever been thanks to breakthrough stars such as Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor. It is no surprise out there that more and more networks are willing to welcome the sport of MMA onto their programming. This includes the Showtime network who have long been around in the promotion of Boxing. Showtime have partnered up with a former boxing promoter turned MMA enthusiast Andrew Ryan to form the Xtreme Cage Fighting Association (XCFA) where it has been promised that fans of the sport will not only get to witness some established veterans as well as former champions looking to carry on their successes but also get so see the development of hopefully some of the next breakout stars in the sport of MMA.
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Post by shady1 on Mar 11, 2016 9:51:30 GMT -5
Fighter Roster Heavyweight Karol Bedorf (14-3) Curtis Blaydes (6-0) Tanner Boser (9-1) Dillon Cleckler (10-1) Christian Colombo (8-1) Randy Couture (20-11) Mirko Cro Cop (32-11-1) Philip De Fries (11-5) Fedor Emelianenko (36-4-1) Denis Goltsov (17-4) Peter Graham (12-9) Heath Herring (28-15-1) Shawn Jordan (18-8) Vitaly Minakov (18-0) Matt Mitrione (10-5) Serhey Pavlovich (6-0) Mariusz Pudzianowski (10-4) Jared Rosholt (14-2) Eddie Sanchez (14-8) Dmitry Sosnovskiy (10-0) Brandon Vera (14-8-1) Rico Verhoeven (1-0) Alexander Volkov (26-6) Light Heavyweight Karl Albrektsson (6-0) Artur Alibulatov (16-2) Rafael Cavalcante (13-7-1) Paul Craig (9-0) Maxim Grishin (22-6) Clint Hester (11-6) Guto Inocente (7-4) Vinny Magalhaes (14-7-1) Fabio Maldonado (22-9) Tomasz Narkun (13-2) Viktor Nemkov (24-6) Jacob Noe (12-3-1) Maro Perak (25-6-1) Wagner Prado (13-2) Stephan Puetz (14-2) Moise Rimbon (23-10-3) Thiago Silva (16-5) Renato Sobral (37-12) Chael Sonnen (29-14-1) Tyrone Spong (2-0) Josh Stansbury (7-2) Oli Thompson (18-8) Vagab Vagabov (20-0) Attila Vegh (29-6-2) Middleweight Brett Cooper (22-12) Ramazan Emeev (14-4) Xavier Foupa-Pokam (32-22) Riki Fukuda (24-8) Phil Hawes (4-0) Jack Hermansson (13-2) Cung Le (10-3) Tyler Manawaroa (10-1) Drew McFedries (13-7) Stanislav Nedkov (12-3) Max Nunes (16-4) Khalil Rountree (5-0) Rodney Wallace (26-11-1) Tim Williams (13-3) Welterweight Ben Askren (14-0) Phil Baroni (15-18) Eddie Gordon (7-4) Joe Riggs (41-17) Amir Sadollah (6-5) Sai Wang (13-5-1) Lightweight Cosmo Alexandre (6-1) Yan Cabral (12-3) Daron Cruickshank (16-8) Mac Danzig (21-12) Efrain Escudero (24-11) KJ Noons (13-9) Norman Parke (21-5-1) Colton Smith (6-4) Andre Winner (20-10-2) Featherweight Freddy Assuncao (9-1) Niklas Backstrom (9-2) Damon Jackson (9-1-1) Demarte Pena (11-0) Mike Wilkinson (9-2) Bantamweight James Brum (18-3) Masanori Kanehara (25-13-5) Dustin Kimura (11-3)
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Post by shady1 on Mar 11, 2016 9:54:18 GMT -5
XCFA Champions
Heavyweight: Defenses
Light Heavyweight Defenses
Middleweight Defenses
Welterweight Defenses
Lightweight Defenses
Featherweight Defenses
Bantamweight Defenses
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Post by shady1 on Mar 11, 2016 9:55:00 GMT -5
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Post by shady1 on Mar 11, 2016 14:45:37 GMT -5
Crowning a champion!
"When I was a young man all me and my friends would argue about is who was the toughest guy in school or the neighborhood. Whose dad could beat whose and so forth. Which is why when it comes to our champions in the XCFA I want there to be no doubt that they are the baddest mother ****** in their division."..... Andrew Ryan.
This was a quote taken in a recent press release with XCFA president Andrew Ryan. At the time many wondered just what the promoter was referring to in regards to his thoughts on crowning champions in the XCFA. It can now be confirmed in some exciting news that the champions for every weight class will in fact be decided by 16 man tournaments with the first two rounds being held on seperate shows and the semi finals plus finals being resolved in one night tournaments. Whilst no names have been revealed for any of the tournaments yet it is believed that very soon the participants for the Heavyweight tournament will be announced.
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Post by shady1 on Mar 12, 2016 19:42:19 GMT -5
Introducing The Heavyweights!
With the first tournament confirmed as being for the XCFA Heavyweight Championship. The 16 men set to challenge for the title have now been unveiled. They are as followed
Pat "HD" Barry Height: 5'11 Weight: 231 pounds Record: 8-7 Notable victories: Antoni Hardonk Bio: Probably one of the most likable men in the game. Pat Barry has shown despite his likability that he is a very dangerous competitor once the bell rings. A highly respected as well as decorated kick boxer Barry has brought with him to the cage some lethal striking which includes devastating leg kicks. Unsurprisingly with his background Pat is a finisher by trade with 7 of his 8 victories coming by way of knockout which includes 3 stoppages because of his leg kicks.
Karol "Coco" Bedorf Height: 6'2 Weight: 257 pounds Record: 14-2 Notable victories: James McSweeney, Peter Graham Bio: A dark horse in this tournament without a doubt is Karol 'Coco' Bedorf. The Polish native who is currently in possession of the KSW Heavyweight championship has quietly built up an impressive 14-2 record with 8 of his 14 wins ending by either stoppage or submission. A grappler by trade Beforf is a multiple time BJJ champion but do not be fooled in thinking that it is only his ground game you need to be concerned about as Bedorf has shown some nasty stand up as of late including a crushing TKO thanks to body kick of Rolles Gracie.
Mark "The Hammer" Coleman Height: 6'1 Weight: 235 pounds Record: 16-10 Notable victories: Don Frye, Mauricio Rua Bio: A former UFC Heavyweight Champion and legend of the higest order. There are not many fighters held in as high regard as Mark Coleman. Although nicknamed the Hammer some like to call him The godfather of Ground and Pound as Coleman was one of the first powerful wrestlers in the game to utilize such a punishing style. Although his last fight was in 2009 the decorated wrestler has still been in training and will be looking to add another title to his collection here.
Randy "The Natural" Couture Height: 6'0 Weight: 225 pounds Record: 19-11 Notable victories: Mark Coleman, Tim Sylvia, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell Bio: Speaking of legends with impressive wrestling backgrounds. One of MMA's most beloved figures in Randy Couture will look to step back into the cage and turn back the clock yet again in what has some ways been a Cinderella career for him already. This of course includes his Heavyweight title win at the age of 43 again Tim Sylvia. Since his retirement in 2011 Couture has been focused on acting including his appearances in the Expendables series but he is said to be fully committed to a comeback here as he'll look to shock the world once more.
Mirko Cro Cop Height: 6'2 Weight: 232 pounds Record: 31-11-2-1 Notable victories: Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva Bio: Another decorated legend but this time not with a wrestling background but instead a brutal highlight reel of knockouts is Mirko Cro Cop. The K1 champion as well as former Pride GP winner is of course best known for his brutal headkick knockouts of the likes of Wanderlei Silva among others. Despite some claims that he is past his prime Cro Cop has turned the clock back recently winning his last three all by stoppage including a rematch against Gabriel Gonzaga. With some past rivals in the tournament not to mention a chance to recapture some past glory expect to see the best Mirko Cro Cop possible here.
"The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko Height: 5'11 Weight: 235 pounds Record: 35-4-1 Notable victories: Antonio Nogueira, Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia, Mirko Cro Cop, Bio: In some minds the greatest Heavyweight fighter of all time if not the greatest fighter of all time. Fedor Emelianenko is about as decorated as a fighter can be. This includes multiple titles and awards to his credit as well as many big name victories on his resume. Following a three fight skid it appeared that the man hailed by many as the greatest of all time was past his best. But since that time he has won four straight with his last three all ending in the first round. Can Fedor carry on this streak and cement his legacy in the XCFA?
Peter "The Chief" Graham Height: 6'2 Weight: 251 Record: 12-9 Notable victories: Alexander Emilianenko, Mariusz Pudzianowski Bio: When it comes to striking there are few men in this tournament with as impressive a background than Peter Graham. A decorated kick boxer who also has experience when it comes to boxing. Graham has looked very impressive so far in his MMA run. This of course is shown with 11 of his 12 victories coming by way of stoppage due to strikes. But Graham is no one trick pony as he has worked hard to round out his entire MMA game and become a well rounded fighter. With an impressive KO win in his last fight can Graham carry on his momentum in the XCFA Tournament?
"The Texas Crazy Horse" Heath Herring Height: 6'4 Weight: 251 pounds Record: 28-14-1 Notable victories: Cheick Kongo, Gary Goodridge, Mark Kerr Bio: After an eight year lay off from the world of mma fans will finally see the return of "The Texas Crazy Horse" Heath Herring. A longtime veteran of the game with an impressive collegiate wrestling background. Fans will best remember Heath for his time in Pride as well as the UFC not to mention his battles with the likes of Antonio Nogueira as well as his usual walkout attire of duster coat and cowboy hat complete with varying hairstyles. Despite his time out of the game Herring has still been in the gym training and is promising to come back here as the best Texas Crazy Horse we have seen to date.
Shawn "The Savage" Jordan Height: 6'0 Weight: 265 pounds Record: 18-7 Notable victories: Pat Barry, Lavar Johnson Bio: When it comes to Shawn Jordan appearances can be deceiving. As Jordan has quickly proven himself to be a well rounded fighter as well as an impressive athlete capable of performing backflips on occasion. Training under Greg Jackson Jordan has worked to improve in all aspects of MMA following his impressive college sporting career. Although if you was to look at Shawn's record one thing above all else becomes apparent and that is the power he possesses with 14 of his 18 wins ending by way of stoppage.
Vitaly Minakov Height: 6'2 Weight: 249 pounds Record: 17-0 Notable victories: Cheick Kongo, Alexander Volkov Bio: On paper one of the heavy favorites in this tournament is Vitaly Minakov. The current reigning Bellator Heavyweight Champion who has been forced to fight outside of his promotion has built together an impressive 17-0 pro record with only two of his opponents making it the distance. A gold medalist in Sambo Minakov has shown himself to be comfortable wherever the fight takes place this includes stoppages of Eddie Sanchez and Alexander Volkov as well as submissions over Josh Copeland and others.
Matt "Meathead" Mitrione Height: 6'3 Weight: 249 pounds Record: 9-5 Notable victories: Gabriel Gonzaga, Shawn Jordan, Kimbo Slice. Bio: Hands down on paper one of the best athletes in the Heavyweight tournament despite his general lack of experience is Matt Mitrione. A former pro football player who has played for the likes of the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings. Mitrione has since moved from the football field to the cage with relative success. With his game still improving and a black belt in Shotokan Karate Mitrione's best when the fight is on the feet with 8 of his 9 wins coming by way of knockout.
Jeff "The Snowman" Monson Height: 5'9 Weight: 238 pounds Record: 59-25-1 Notable victories: Roy Nelson, Sergei Kharitonov, Ricco Rodriguez Bio: A true veteran of the game Jeff Monson has fought across the world and in some of the top organisations both past and present at times with multiple fights in the same month against the best the world has to offer. This includes fights with the likes of Daniel Cormier, Fedor Emelianenko, Roy Nelson and Sergei Kharitonov. A decorated grappler with multiple ADCC titles in jujitsu. Monson's best served when the fight hits the mat but do not be fooled as "The Snowman" has worked diligently to round out his game.
Dmitriy "Wicked Machine" Sosnovskiy Height: 6'3 Weight: 244 Record: 10-0 Notable victories: Alexander Emilianenko Bio: Probably the least established or well known of the group it is safe to say that there maybe a few people sleeping on Dmitriy Sosnovskiy. Also one of if not the youngest fighter in the group at 26 Sosnovskiy brings youth and a whole heap of potential with him into the fold making him a potential sleeper in the tournament. Physically strong with a punishing top game Dmitry despite his lack of experience and big fights could very well be the one who keeps his unbeaten streak in tact.
"The Maineiac" Tim Sylvia Height: 6'8 Weight: 265 pounds Record: 31-10-1 Notable victories: Andrei Arlovski, Brandon Vera, Ben Rothwell Bio: A former two time UFC Heavyweight champion who has fallen on rough times as of late. Tim Sylvia is coming to the XCFA in what he hopes will be a bit of a redemption story for his career as he will look to turn the clock back once more. Best known for his rivalry with Andrei Arlovski as well as battles with the likes of Randy Couture. Sylvia is one of the more experienced fighters in this tournament and it not to mention the biggest with his imposing 6'8 frame and long reach which he uses to great effect.
Brandon "The Truth" Vera Height: 6'2 Weight: 241 pounds Record: 14-7-1 Notable victories: Frank Mir Bio: There was a time several years ago when Brandon Vera was regarded as the next big thing in the Heavyweight division. This of course came following Brandon's impressive TKO finish of Frank Mir. Unfortunately following a long lay off the previously unbeaten Vera entered a rough patch going 4-6 in his next few fights. That was at least until Vera showed up in One FC returning to the division he once had great promise in. Since that time Vera has gone 2-0 with both fights coming by way of knockout in the first round.
Alexander "Drago" Volkov Height: 6'7 Weight: 235 pounds Record: 25-6 Notable victories: Blagoi Ivanov Bio: One of the young guns in the tournament Alexander Volkov is of course best known for his 6-3 run in Bellator which of course included a stint as their Bellator Heavyweight Champion following a tournament win. A proven finisher by trade the Russian standout has ended 20 of his 25 wins before the final bell with 17 of those coming by way of KO/TKO which tells you not to blink when Drago fights as any shot he throws could bring an early end to his opponent's night.
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Post by Joey on Mar 12, 2016 20:30:29 GMT -5
Looking like a solid tournament, picking Mitrione/Couture finals with Couture winning. Can't wait!
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Post by shady1 on Mar 13, 2016 14:48:31 GMT -5
Rico Verhoeven signs with the XCFA!
After he made his MMA debut late last year. Many wondered whether Glory Heavyweight Champion Rico Verhoeven would step in the cage again. It can now be confirmed today that the 26 year old Netherlands native has signed with the Xtreme Cage Fighting Association. Boasting an impressive 48-10-1 pro record Rico has spent time training with the American Kickboxing Academy in lieu of his MMA career which has seen him win his debut in the first round by KO. Whilst a timeline for his debut has not yet been announced it is believed that the XCFA do have a potential debut opponent already in mine for Verhoeven.
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Post by shady1 on Mar 15, 2016 6:29:11 GMT -5
Four Big XCFA Signings revealed Today
In some huge news confirmed today. It was announced that Four more high profile fighters had in fact signed with upstart promotion Xtreme Cage Fighting Alliance. The fighters who have signed with the promotion are as followed
Tyrone "King of the Ring" Spong (2-0) One of the most exciting prospects in the Light Heavyweight Division. Tyrone Spong is of course best known for his decorated kick boxing career, Training alongside the Blackzilians Spong has recently made the crossover into MMA and has won his first two pro fights. Unfortunately since then Spong has had to sit out due to injury but is now fully ready to make his return to the cage once more.
Renato "Babalu" Sobral (37-12) A long time veteran of the game. Renato Sobral retired from MMA in 2013 following two straight losses. Since that time the man known as Babalu has continued training and is said to be more focused then ever on making a comeback. With wins over the likes of Shogun Rua, Chael Sonnen and Jeremy Horn to his credit. Sobral is a highly skilled competitor and should be an exciting addition to the Light Heavyweight Division.
"The American Gangster" Chael Sonnen (29-14-1) One of the most notable not to mention outspoken fighters to ever grace the sport. The peoples champ, The American Gangster, The Bad Guy Chael Sonnen will return to the cage again but this time under the XCFA banner. The decorated wrestler has fought some of the best fighters around including Anderson Silva, Rashad Evans and Shogun Rua and has some very impressive names on his resume including Shogun, Michael Bisping, Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami to name a few.
"Funky" Ben Askren (14-0) Lastly one of the top Welterweight fighters in the world has signed with the XCFA. As it can be confirmed today that Olympic Freestyle Wrestling standout Ben Askren has joined the promotion. A former Bellator Welterweight Champion as well as current One FC Champ Askren will look to continue his reputation as the best fighter in the 170 pound division outside of the UFC.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2016 13:05:41 GMT -5
Chael Sonnen has some mileage on him, so he'd be a great guy to (wrestling term) "put over" the next big thing. I hope you pit him against a young stud who can be the future of XCFA.
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Post by shady1 on Apr 2, 2016 17:11:07 GMT -5
Two new XCFA signings revealed today
"The Big Show" Jared Rosholt (14-3) A recent controversial release from the UFC despite holding a 6-2 record in the organisation. Jared Rosholt will not have to wait around for long to get a chance to go on the winning track once more as he has joined the XCFA. A highly skilled All American Wrestler Rosholt boasts a 14-3 pro record with 7 of his wins coming by way of decision. Despite his lack of finishes as of late do not be fooled as Jared has in the past shown himself to be very heavy handed as well as skilled on the ground. To his credit Jared has victories over the likes of Stefan Struve and Soa Palelei on his record showing that he is a more than capable fighter in his own right and will be a great addition to the promotion.
"Stormin" Norman Parke (21-5-1) The first ever TUF Smashes winner Ireland's Norman Parke will be joining the XCFA as he attempts to rebound from a decision loss in his past outing to Rustam Khabilov. The 29 year old Parke is very much a grappler by trade with a black belt in Judo as well as being a former national wrestling champion. Of his 21 wins Parke has won 12 by submission with his most notable wins being over Naoyuki Kotani as well as Reza Madadi.
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Post by shady1 on Apr 3, 2016 16:03:50 GMT -5
XTREME CAGE FIGHTING ASSOCIATION XCFA #1 'The Heavyweights'
Prelims Heavyweight Bout: Cody East (12-1) vs Eddie Sanchez (13-8) Kicking off tonight's event on the prelims was probably the biggest fight of Heavyweight prospect Cody East's career to date. As he found himself matched up with a former UFC veteran in Eddie Sanchez. The fight started out with East very much the aggressor as he threw bombs right from the off rocking Eddie at least twice before securing a powerful takedown. The rest of round one would see East very much in control as he was able to maintain top position and punish Eddie with brutal ground and pound strikes even opening up a nasty cut over Sanchez's right eyebrow with an elbow. Unfortunately as the second round came out it appeared that East had suffered an adrenaline dump. This allowed Eddie Sanchez to open up with some power striking of his own and all it took was a couple of hard as well as precise punches to drop Cody before several punches on the floor finished the fight for a comeback TKO victory for Sanchez Result: Eddie Sanchez (14-8) defeated Cody East (12-2) by TKO at 2:12 in the 2nd round
Heavyweight Bout: Mariusz Pudzianowski (9-4) vs James McSweeney (15-14) After a thrilling comeback in the previous fight fans where unfortunately forced to endure a tentative bout in the next contest of the evening. As Strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski used his grappling game to control kickboxer James McSweeney for the duration of a fight. When the fight was standing neither man appeared interested in engaging either in what was a dull victory for the polish native. Result: Mariusz Pudzianowski (10-4) defeated James McSweeney (15-15) by unanimous decision.
Heavyweight Bout: Dillon Cleckler (9-1) vs Tyler East (14-5) With his brother losing earlier on in the evening the pressure was on for Tyler East in the next battle of the evening. Unfortunately for East his night didn't last long as seconds into his fight with Dillon Cleckler a big overhand was enough to drop East and allow Cleckler to follow up with more strikes for a KO finish. Result: Dillon Cleckler (10-1) defeated Tyler East (14-6) by KO at 0:14 in the 1st round
Heavyweight Bout: Curtis Blaydes (5-0) vs Chase Gormley (12-5-1) Highly touted prospect Curtis Blaydes quickly proved himself to be worthy of the hype in the next contest of the evening as he quickly brought UFC veteran Chase Gormley down to the mat before finishing him off with some heavy ground and pound. Result: Curtis Blaydes (6-0) defeated Chase Gormley (12-6-1) by TKO at 0:57 in the 1st round
Main Card Heavyweight Bout: Pat Barry (8-7) vs Alexander Volkov (25-6) Kicking off the main card portion of the card was the first Heavyweight title tournament match of the evening and it would see a battle of two strikers in Pat Barry and Alexander Volkov. Although it may have been expected that a stand up clinic would be witnessed here. Instead the power of Alexander Volkov was put on display as he rocked a tentative Pat Barry in the early stages with a flying knee. From there all it took was a flurry of punches to put Barry down for a quick knockout victory. Result: Alexander Volkov (26-6) defeated Pat Barry (8-8) by knockout at 0:41 in the 1st round
Heavyweight Bout: Tim Sylvia (31-10-1) vs Peter Graham (11-9) Looking to regain some of his past glory former UFC Champion Tim Sylvia found himself matched up against kick boxer Peter Graham. Unfortunately for Tim as well as the fans in attendance what we saw instead of a former champs revival or a blistering finish for a kick boxing specialist was a sloppy affair which saw both men gas out quickly and spend the majority of the fight against the cage. Graham however was able to land the cleaner shots of the two which led to him taking a disappointing unanimous decision verdict Result: Peter Graham (12-9) defeated Tim Sylvia (31-11-1) by unanimous decision
Heavyweight Bout: Dmitriy Sosnovskiy (9-0) vs Jeff Monson (59-25-1) Unbeaten prospect Dmitriy Sosnovskiy faced his toughest opponent to date in his first round match up in the tournament as he took on veteran Jeff Monson. But you wouldn't have thought it as in less than a minutr Sosnovskiy had put The Snowman away with a nasty combination of punches ending with a right uppercut for a definitive knockout finish. Result: Dmitriy Sosnovskiy (10-0) defeated Jeff Monson (59-26-1) by KO at 0:56 in the 1st round
Heavyweight Bout: Karol Bedorf (14-2) vs Matt Mitrione (9-5) Considered by some to be a dark horse in the tournament grappling ace Karol Beforf very much had a great start to this fight with Matt Mitrione. As he was able to press Mitrione up against the cage before slowly forcing him down to the ground. From here Karol worked some ground and pound before nearly forcing a tap with a arm triangle choke but to his credit Matt Mitrione was able to survive until the next round. As round two came out Bedorf looked to be moving a lot slower thanks to his heavy out put in the previous round and this cost him as Mitrione was able to sprawl on a takedown and punish Karol with punches and elbows to the head and body for a TKO finish. Result: Matt Mitrione (10-5) defeated Karol Bedorf (14-3) by TKO at 0:56 in the 2nd round
"Coming to the XCFA soon! With the first round of the Heavyweight tournament being decided tonight it can be confirmed that the next time round we will see the Heavyweights will be at XCFA 8 and not only will the next round of the tournament be decided by the following fights will take place!" Bob Sapp (11-18-1) vs Dan Severn (101-19-7) Tank Abbott (10-15) vs Herschel Walker (2-0) Rico Verhoeven (1-0) vs Mighty Mo (8-5)
Heavyweight Bout: Vitaly Minakov (17-0) vs Shawn Jordan (18-7) Regarded as one of the favorites in the whole tournament Vitaly Minakov quickly showed why as he stunningly steam rolled through Shawn Jordan rocking him early on with a left hook before throwing him down to the canvas and finishing him off with some hard shots on the ground for a TKO finish. Result: Vitaly Minakov (18-0) defeated Shawn Jordan (18-8) by TKO at 1:09 in the 1st round
Heavyweight Bout: Randy Couture (19-11) vs Heath Herring (28-14-1) Two veterans looking to get back on the winning track after previously retiring did battle in the next contest of the evening and it was clear early on that one of the veterans was very much able to turn the clock back. As Randy Couture returned to form using his wrestling to pressure Herring up against the cage before working him down to the canvas and beating him up with ground and pound over the course of the three rounds for a unanimous decision verdict. Result: Randy Couture (20-11) defeated Heath Herring (28-15-1) by unanimous decision
Heavyweight Bout: Mirko Cro Cop (31-11-1-2) vs Brandon Vera (14-7-1) In the co-main event of the evening fans were treated to a battle between two of heavyweight's most talented strikers and they were not disappointed as it didnt take long for either man to engage here as both Cro Cop and Vera threw shots full of bad intention. After a few close calls Vera looked to change things up as he tried to clinch with Cro Cop but as he moved in a short right hand by Mirko dropped Vera and allowed Cro Cop to land another shot before the ref stepped in for what possibly may have been an early stoppage/ Result Mirko Cro Cop (32-11-1-2) defeated Brandon Vera (14-8-1) by TKO at 4:46 in the 1st round
Heavyweight Bout: Fedor Emelianenko (35-4-1) vs Mark Coleman (16-10) Finally in the main event of the evening two of the heavyweight division's most decorated fighters of all time did battle as Fedor Emelianenko took on Mark Coleman. This fight of former world champions unfortunately for one of the legends was not pretty as from the opening bell it was all Fedor as he stalked Coleman down and grazed him with several powerful shots before finally connecting with a heavy right hand for a knockout victory. Result: Fedor Emelianenko (35-4-1) defeated Mark Coleman (16-11) by Knockout at 1:25 in the 1st round
Press Conferences Notes ~ Mark Coleman following his KO loss announced his retirement from MMA ~ Andrew Ryan revealed that Brandon Vera, Karol Bedorf and Heath Herring will definitely be fighting again for the XCFA despite their tournament losses. ~ Despite a disappointing fight in his first tournament match Peter Graham urged for a fight with Mirko Cro Cop in the next round citing both men's striking pedigrees as a potential for a fun battle
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Post by shady1 on Apr 4, 2016 15:36:46 GMT -5
Introducing The Light Heavyweights!
With the first tournament confirmed as being for the XCFA Light Heavyweight Championship. The 16 men set to challenge for the title have now been unveiled. They are as followed..
"The American Psycho" Stephan Bonnar Height: 6'4 Weight: 205 pounds Country: United States Record: 15-9 Notable Victories: James Irvin, Keith Jardine Bio: One of two men involved in quite possibly the most watched and most important fight in MMA history. Stephan Bonnar is without a doubt one of the most popular names in MMA not too mention one of the toughest. To his credit Bonnar has fought a whose who of competition in MMA including the likes of Jon Jones, Mark Coleman and Anderson Silva. A well rounded fighter Bonnar is skilled no matter where the fight goes but it is clear from his 7 submission victories that he is most dangerous should the fight hit the ground.
Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello Height: 6'3 Weight: 205 pounds Country: United States Record: 34-16 Notable Victories: Gary Goodridge, Sokoudjou Bio: Hands down one of the most experienced fighters in this tournament. The Headhunter Paul Buentello has had a career in the sport of MMA since 1997 which has seen him compete in multiple organisations from UFC, Bellator, Affliction and Strikeforce against some of the biggest names the sport has to offer including Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeerm. A finisher by trade Paul has finished 30 of his 34 wins with 21 of those being by way of knockout showing that the 42 year old has the power to put anyone who steps in the cage with him away.
Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante Height: 6'1 Weight: 205 pounds Country: Brazil Record: 12-7-1 Notable Victories: King Mo, Yoel Romero Bio: A more recent addition to the tournament following his UFC departure is former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael Cavalcante. The Brazilian who trains with such luminaries as the Nogueira brothers and Anderson Silva is very much a finisher by trade with 11 of his 12 wins coming by way of knockout. But do not let the vicious power fool you as Cavalcante also boasts an impressive jujitsu background making him a big threat in this tournament to anyone no matter where the fight goes.
Paul "The Bear Jew" Craig Height: 6'4 Weight: 205 pounds Country: Scotland Record: 8-0 Notable Victories: N/A Bio: Although he may not boast the name value or opponent quality as many of his potential opponents in this Light Heavyweight title tournament. Scotland's Paul Craig has in only eight fights earned the hype worthy of being an entrant in this tournament. The Scottish submission artist has in his eight fights not once gone to a decision or even made it past the first minute in the second round. The question is how will he fare against the step up in competition here in the XCFA?
Roger Gracie Height: 6'4 Weight: 205 pounds Country: Brazil Record: 7-2 Notable Victories: Keith Jardine, Kevin Randleman Bio: Part of the legendary Gracie family it is no surprise when you look at the credentials of Roger Gracie that it is his submission game which is his overall bread and butter. A third level black belt who has finished 5 of his 7 victories by way of submission Roger has shown that he is definitely a gracie. But do not be fooled as Roger has also shown some significant improvement in his striking which includes his first ever TKO victory scored in his last fight against James McSweeney.
Maxim "Maximus" Grishin Height: 6'1 Weight: 205 Country: Russia Record: 21-6 Notable Victories: Trevor Prangley Bio: Despite not having the name value of many of his opponents in this tournament there are many out there who are tipping 31 year old Russian standout Maxim Grishin as the dark horse to win this tournament. A proven finisher who has put away 17 of his 21 opponents with 12 of those being by way of knockout. Grishin has a wave of momentum on his part going into this tournament as he has won his last 9 fights against the likes of Rodney Wallace and Trevor Prangley.
Matt "The Hammer" Hamill Height: 6'1 Weight: 205 pounds Country: United States Record: 12-6 Notable Victories: Tito Ortiz, Keith Jardine, Mark Munoz, Tim Boetsch Bio: One of the more inspirational stories in MMA is that of Matt Hamill. The deaf greco roman and freestyle wrestling medalist first burst onto the scene on the ultimate fighter season 3 where he had only had 2 mma fights to his name. Despite his inexperience and lack of skills Hamill went on from the Ultimate Fighter to become a very respectable fighter in his own right as he picked up wins over the likes of Tito Ortiz and Keith Jardine whilst also holding his own against Rampage Jackson, Rich Franklin and Thiago Silva. Although wrestling may be his bread and butter Hamill is a proven finisher with 7 of his wins coming by way of knockout.
Keith "The dean of mean" Jardine Height: 6'2 Weight: 205 pounds Country: United States Record 17-11-2 Notable Victories: Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin Bio: A very respected fighter of the game who also come from the ultimate fighter. Keith Jardine may not have reached the successes of long time training partner and friend Rashad Evans. But that is not to say he has not had success in his MMA career as to his credit Jardine has picked up some big wins in his career over the likes of Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin whilst also having notable battles with Rampage Jackson and Wanderlei Silva. With an unorthodox style to his credit Jardine will be returning to Light Heavyweight after a brief stint at Middleweight and a long lay off as he pursued a career in acting. The question is how will Jardine fare in the XCFA tournament?
Ryan "Big Deal" Jimmo Height 6'1 Weight: 205 pounds Country: Canada Record: 19-5 Notable Victories: Wilson Gouveia, Anthony Perosh Bio: Without a doubt when it comes to strikers in this tournament Ryan Jimmo may have the most impressive pedigree of the bunch as he boasts a 2nd degree black belt in karate to his credit. Whilst in the past Jimmo was known as a point fighter he quickly burst on the scene in the UFC with a record tying KO of Anthony Perosh and later picked up a vicious knockout of Sean O'Connell to his credit which shows you not to sleep on the power of the Big Deal Ryan Jimmo.
Vinny "Pezao" Magalhaes Height: 6'3 Weight 205 pounds Country: Brazil Record: 13-7-1 Notable Victories: Matt Hammil Bio: When it comes to submission specialists there aren't many as acclaimed as Vinny Magalhaes. The multiple time Jujitsu world champion has shown constantly that he is without a doubt one of the most dangerous fighters in MMA when the fight hits the ground. Which has been proven in his finishes over the likes of Matt Hamill, Viktor Nemkov and Jason Brilz. Although to his credit the Jujitsu ace has also taken some time as of late to strengthen his striking game which has long been a weakness for the brazilian. With a 4 fight win streak to his credit can Vinny continue his momentum here?
Tomasz "Giraffe" Narkun Height: 6'3 Weight: 205 pounds Country: Poland Record: 12-2 Notable Victories: Goran Reljic Bio: A recent addition to the tournament it was believed that originally Goran Reljic was being lined up for the XCFA Light Heavyweight tournament that was until he suffered a shocking KO defeat to submission specialist Tomasz Narkun. Despite being small for the weight class in some aspects Narkun who is a long time training partner of the likes of Gegard Mousasi has been highly touted as one to watch in the Light Heavyweight division making him one to keep an eye on here.
Viktor Nemkov Height: 6'1 Weight: 205 Country: Russia Record: 23-5 Notable Victories: Stephan Puetz Bio: Regarded as one of the best fighters not in the UFC it is safe to say that a lot of people are mentioning Viktor Nemkov as a potential winner of this entire tournament. Despite being small for the weight class Nemkov has been impressive thus far in his career thanks to his impressive Sambo and Judo game. Although not primarily a finisher Nemkov has shown himself to be highly skilled especially when a fight hits the ground where he has finished 10 of his wins by way of submission. Well rounded and capable of fighting wherever the fight goes Nemkov has more than earned his touting as one of the favorites in this tournament.
"The fighting pride of South Africa" Trevor Prangley Height: 6'1 Weight: 205 pounds Country: South Africa Record: 34-11-2 Notable Victories: Keith Jardine, Emanuel Newton Bio: A long time veteran of the sport Trevor Prangley has been active in the sport of MMA since July 2001. Prangley has competed in many of the top organisations in the world both past and present including UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, Bodog, Dream and King of the Cage which includes championship reigns in King of the Cage, Shark Fights and MFC. A well rounded fighter Prangley has finished 22 of his 34 victories with 14 of those finishes coming by way of submission. Coming off a draw in his last fight at Heavyweight Prangley will be returning to the Light Heavyweight Division for this tournament as he looks to turn the clock back and add another title to his resume.
Stephan "T-800" Puetz Height: 6'6 Weight: 205 pounds Country: Germany Record: 13-2 Notable Victories: Marcin Tybura, Viktor Nemkov Bio: Without a doubt the biggest Light Heavyweight in the tournament. 6'6 German native Stephan Puetz is also one of the highest touted Light Heavyweight prospects in the game. Well rounded and a proven finisher Puetz has put away 10 of his 13 victories by either knockout or submission. This includes a win over unbeaten heavyweight Marcin Tybura. What makes Puetz inclusion in this tournament interesting is his current series with Viktor Nemkov who is also in the tournament. With both men each having a win over the other will they get their third fight in the tournament?
Moise "The Swamp" Rimbon Height: 5'10 Weight: 205 Country: France Record: 22-10-3 Notable Victories: Peter Graham, Anthony Perosh, Michal Materla Bio: Although he is one of the smaller competitors in the tournament not to mention one of the oldest at 38. Moise Rimbon is not one to sleep on going forth here. Rimbon has also fought some of the biggest names in the sport including Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem and Ricco Rodriguez with only 2 of his losses coming by way of stoppage. Meanwhile on the wins side Rimbon is very much a finisher having put away 17 of his opponents by either KO or submission making him one of the more dangerous men in this tournament.
"The African Assassin" Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Height: 5'10 Weight: 205 Country: United States Record: 16-14 Notable Victories: Jan Blachowicz, Ricardo Arona, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Bio: There was a time when Sokoudjou was one of the most sough after prospects in all of MMA. After going 2-1 in his career the Judoka shocked the world with back to back quick knockouts of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira as well as Ricardo Arona. But it seemed after this he was never able to quite maintain that momentum as after a short UFC run Sokoudjou went from 5-3 in MMA to 16-14 with 9 of his losses coming by way of knockout. That is not to say there has still not been some high points as even today the 31 year old is capable of showing flashes of brilliance. The question is will he have one of these flashes in the tournament?
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Post by shady1 on Apr 5, 2016 12:02:39 GMT -5
Many new XCFA Signings revealed today Earlier today the XCFA revealed quite a few new fighters who had signed with the promotion. The fighters who range in weight class from Heavyweight to Bantamweight are as followed
Heavyweight Tanner Boser (9-1) Christian Colombo (8-1) Philip De Fries (11-5) Denis Goltsov (17-4) Serhey Pavlovich (6-0) Light Heavyweight Karl Albrektsson (4-0) Guto Inocente (7-4) Fabio Maldonado (22-9) Thiago Silva (16-5) Josh Stansbury (7-2) Attila Vegh (29-6-2) Middleweight Brett Cooper (21-12) Xavier Foupa-Pokam (32-21) Riki Fukuda (23-8) Phil Hawes (3-0) Tyler Manawaroa (10-0) Stanislav Nedkov (12-2) Khalil Rountree (4-0) Welterweight Phil Baroni (15-18) Eddie Gordon (7-4) Amir Sadollah (6-5) Sai Wang (13-5-1) Lightweight Cosmo Alexandre (6-1) Daron Cruickshank (16-8) Mac Danzig (21-12) Colton Smith (6-4) Andre Winner (20-10-2) Featherweight Freddy Assuncao (9-1) Niklas Backstrom (9-2) Demarte Pena (11-0) Mike Wilkinson (9-2) Bantamweight James Brum (18-3) Dustin Kimura (11-3)
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Post by shady1 on Apr 8, 2016 5:23:30 GMT -5
Next Round of Heavyweight Tournament unveiled.
Earlier today on the official XCFA website the second round of the Heavyweight title tournament was revealed for the XCFA 8 card. The second round looks as followed.
Randy Couture (20-11) vs Fedor Emelianenko (36-4-1) Mirko Cro Cop (32-11-1) vs Peter Graham (12-9) Matt Mitrione (10-5) vs Alexander Volkov (26-6) Vitaly Minakov (18-0) vs Dmitry Sosnovskiy (10-0)
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