TUF 14 Rumors and Preview

The Ultimate Fighter 14 debuts tonight, September 21, 2011, with head coaches Jason "Mayhem" Miller opposite Michael Bisping. The show will be the first to feature the lighter weights, with tournaments for the 135 and 145 pound divisions.

(Michael Bisping pictured)

After multiple complaints, the show will again feature an elimination round to get into the house. As such, there will be 32 fighters starting out, with 16 in each bracket. In addition, there will not be a wild card fight. With injuries a constant in the show, that also is a good move.

(Jason "Mayhem" Miller pictured)

Listed below are the contestants which have been confirmed on numerous MMA websites and seen in the teaser videos.

The obvious front-runners in the 145 division are Micah Miller and Eric Marriot, each of whom have big show experience with solid overall skills. Hopefully Dana White doesn't match them up in the opening match-ups. The featherweight division has some interesting prospects as well, including KOTC's 135 pound champ Jimmie Rivera, undefeated fighter Stephen Bass, Jesse Newell and Team Alpha Male's Bryan Caraway.

The 135 division seems more open, with experienced John Dodson likely being the favorite, though he normally fights at 125. TJ Dillashaw is an interesting fighter, having wrestled for Cal Sate and training under at Team Alpha Male. Brandon Merkt is an undefeated fighter at 11-0, but really has faced only sub-par competition.

There always seems to be a well traveled veteran that rises to the occasion and notches some wins on the show. With it being the 135 division, several bantamweight fighters have usually fought up one or two weightclasses to get experience. We'll see how 24+ fight vets Matt Jaggers, Paul McVeigh and Johnny Bedford do in the tournament.

135 - Bantamweight

John "The Magician" Dodson (11-5)- Team Jackson trained fighter who normally fights at 125, only losses due to decision. Last fights were victories over John Moraga (7-1) and Jessie Riggleman (10-2). Record also listed at 14-5.

T.J. Dillashaw (4-0)- Based out of Team Alpha Male, Dillashaw was a collegiate wrestler at Cal State Fullerton. Was victorious over then undefeated Taylor McCorriston (5-1) in his last bout via TKO.

Paul McVeigh (18-6)- A BJJ brown belt, owned the Cage Warriors belt in the UK. Enters the tournament on 3 straight wins, his last over Andreas Bernhard (7-2).

Brandon Merkt (11-0)- Fighting out of Wisconsin, Merkt has steamrolled regional competition. Best win over Billy Jochum (10-5).

Matt "Jagger Bomb" Jaggers (20-7)- An Indiana fighter who has fought for Sengoku, Bellator and ShoXC, Jaggers has 17 finishes on his resume. He defeated Orville Smith (11-3) in ShoXC and Peter Dominguez (2-2) in Bellator.

Carson "Little Juggernaut" Beebe (6-1)- Younger brother of former WEC champ Chase Beebe. Training out of the Midwest Training Center, has four stoppage wins out of 6.

Dustin Pague (9-4)- The current Ring of Combat 135 pound champ, Pague has 5 straight wins. Pague, who has delivered all nine of his wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Louis Gaudinot (5-1)- This New York based fighter from Team Tiger Schulmann has fought exclusively in the Ring of Combat organization. Defeated Jesse Riggleman (10-2) in last bout via guillotine.

Johnny Bedford (17-9, also seen 22-9)- A five year fight veteran, Bedford won via rear naked choke over WEC vet Frank Gomez (10-4) in his last bout. All-American wrestler has won belts for the Superior Warrior Championship and Elite Combat League.

Bruce "BJ" Ferguson (6-2)- Won his only big fight against TJ Barber at Bellator 30. Has a KO win over Jeremy Pender (7-2).

Orville "Pooh Bear" Smith (12-3)- Once held the Legends of Fighting 135 pound belt. Fought in ShoXC. Holds a split decision win over castmate Josh Ferguson.

Roland Delorme (6-1)- Fighting out of Winnepeg, Canada, Delorme was 6-0 with 4 subs and 2 TKO's before a split decision loss to Eric Wilson (5-1) in his last fight.

Josh "Taz" Ferguson (7-3)- Younger brother of BJ Ferguson, all seven wins have come via submission. He has not fought since a split decision loss to Jessie Riggleman on 10/3/09.

John "Prince" Albert (6-1)- Was 6-0 with 3 subs and 3 TKO's before last bout, where he lost to Roy Bradshaw via guillotine choke. Fights out of Washington's Victory Athletics.

Casey Dyer (6-1)- A ridiculously tall 6'1" and 135, Dyer has never gone the distance in his MMA career with 3 KO's and 3 Sub wins. Lost his last fight via triangle to Jeremy Pender.

Tateki Matsuda (6-3)- Fighting out of Boston, Matsuda lost to Saul Almeida in his last bout at Bellator 48.

145 - Featherweight

Micah Miller (17-4)- Younger brother of UFC's Cole Miller, Micah last fought at Tachi Palace 7, defeating Isaac DeJesus (9-3) with a neck crank. Has career wins over Diego Saraiva (21-15), Bruce Connors (8-3), Anthony Morrison (16-10) and Jesse Moreng (9-1).

Eric Marriot (20-5)- A Bellator and M-1 veteran, Marriot is a well traveled Midwest fighter. Holds 2 wins and 1 loss against Ryan Roberts (16-9), submission win over Demi Deeds (15-10) and a decision win over Chris Mickle (28-15).

Jimmie "El Terror" Rivera (8-1)- Reigning KOTC 135 pound champ after a 5 round split decision victory over Abel Cullum (18-5). Defended the belt with a decision over Jared Papazian (13-6). Possible that he is in the 135 pound bracket, but everything I've seen has him at 145.

Bryan "Kid Lightning" Caraway (15-5)- A Team Alpha Male fighter based in California, Caraway has fought in the WEC, Strikeforce and Elite XC. Caraway defeated Marlin Weikel (7-2) in his last fight, and has Strikeforce wins over Alex Zuniga and Alvin Cacdac.

Jesse Newell (6-1)- A BJJ purple belt under BJJ master Fabio Leopoldo, and kickboxing instuctor at Gracie Ventura. Newell is the only fighter to beat Diego Grijo (7-1). Only loss to Brandon Bender (8-0). 3 TKO's and 3 submission wins in his career.

Stephen "Bigfish" Bass (10-0)- Fighting out of Champions Training Center in Georgia, Bass is undefeated with 5 submission wins. Has wins over Bellator vet Bryan Goldsby (13-13) and ShoXC vet JC Pennington (21-12).

Hamid "Akira" Corassani (9-3)- Fighting out of Sweden, Corassani has done well on the European MMA circuit with career wins over Graham Turner (17-6), Ivan Buchinger (16-3), and Peter Mettler (7-2).

Marcus Brimage (3-1, incomplete)- This will be the second reality show for Brimage, who was on the worst MMA reality show of all-time, BET's "Iron Ring," where he made the finals. Fighting out of Alabama, Marcus defeated UFC veteran Kyle Bradley (15-8) in his last bout.

Steven "Super" Siler (18-9)- Fighting out of Victory MMA, Siler has fought almost all of his bouts on the Utah circuit. He has defeated well traveled veterans Enoch Wilson (16-7), Nick Mamalis (17-7) and Olly Bradstreet (35-11) once, after dropping three to him.

Josh Clopton (4-0-1)- Training out of San Francisco with Gilbert Melendez, Clopton last fought in November of 2009, taking a split decision over Mike Baskis (3-3).

Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez (7-2)- Began career 7-0, before being subbed in his last two fights. Has a win over UFC veteran Shannon Gugerty.

Diego "Ceara" Brandao (13-7)- Tough 6 year fight veteran currently of Team Jackson MMA and riding a 3 fight win streak, he has compiled 8 KO's and 3 submissions in his career. Originally from Brazil, Diego's big wins have come over Fabiano Silva (16-4), UFC veteran Brian Foster (15-5) and James King (15-10).

Brian Pearman (7-1)- Fighting out of Missouri while training mainly with TUF 12 runner-up Michael Johnson, Pearman notched his biggest win in his last fight with a decision over then undefeated Mike Richman (9-1).

Karsten Lenjoint (7-1)- Fighting out of Wolfslair gym in the UK, Lenjoint's only loss came to TUF 9's Jeff Lawson (14-5). 4 TKO's and 3 subs on his record, with last win a TKO over Dean Reilly (5-2).

Bryson Hansen (5-1)- Fighting out of Hawaii, Hansen has 3 TKO's on his resume. Last bout was a submission loss to Russell Doane (5-0).

Dustin Neace (22-16)- Indiana based fighter has fought exclusively in the Midwest, compiling 18 submissions wins and 4 TKO's. Wins over Corey Mahon (9-4) and Johnny Bedford (17-9) highlight his resume.

Video of the Day - Miller v. Trigg

Here is the end of Frank Trigg versus Jason "Mayhem" Miller at Icon Sport - Trigg v. Mayhem which occured on 12/1/06 at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Video of the Day - Mayhem v Shibata

Here is video from Jason "Mayhem" Miller in his fight against Katsuyori Shibata. Miller is in the zebra pants.

Miller has been selected as a coach opposite Michael Bisping for TUF 14.

Proposed Punishments Excesive Following Strikeforce: Nashville Brawl

By MMA Blaster

The Tennessee Athletic Commission is still investigating the post fight brawl that occurred on April 17, 2010 after the Strikeforce main event in Nashville, Tennessee. Following current Jake Shields’ defense of his belt, which saw him pull off an upset against former Pride champ Dan Henderson, fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller broke up the post-fight interview, getting on the microphone and asking for a rematch.

What ensued next was Shields pushing Miller, then Shields training partners Gilbert Melendez, Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz jumping into the fray, throwing wild kicks and punches. By the time the action stopped, it looked like every staff member from Strikeforce was breaking the brawl up. As per usual, announcer Gus Johnson was yapping like a crazy person to the television audience.

The rumored punishments for the brawl participants stands at a nine month suspension with a $20,000 fine ranging to a three month suspension with a $5,000 fine. These punishments are overly excessive. Fighters Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez and Nick and Nate Diaz were caught in the heat of the moment and regret their actions. But what damage was actually done? Everyone was healthy afterward and apologized for what occurred.

Mayhem Miller acted inappropriately for interrupting the champion mid sentence after he had just started his post fight interview. Obviously, the Cesar Gracie trained Shields, Melendez and Diaz brothers reaction was over the top. But, Miller should have known that type of reaction would follow if he got in the cage at that time. Likewise, Strikeforce employees should not have allowed Miller into the cage.

While I would agree with a thirty day suspension and $5,000 fine, hampering the fighters ability to earn a living for potentially nine months is overly excessive. I have seen worst displays in boxing weigh-ins and press conferences. Look up the Hopkins vs. Wright, Khan vs. Malignaggi or Mayorga vs. Vargas brawls on youtube.com for examples.

Recently, Paul Daley sucker punched Josh Koscheck following the bell at UFC 113. While Daley was released from the UFC following the incident, the athletic commission has not issued a fine or suspension.

Why draw further attention to a minor black eye in MMA history? The casual fan and mainstream media have completely forgotten about the incident. The Tennessee Athletic Commission should give the participants of the brawl a reduced punishment and move on.


(Jason "Mayhem" Miller Pictured)

Check out Joe Show contributor mmablaster.com for additional MMA coverage

Strikeforce on CBS Preview

Strikeforce will bring its second card to CBS this Saturday, April 17, 2010. CBS has been pushing the Strikeforce card since the NCAA tournament with spots featuring Dan Henderson, Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez and Shinya Aoki. The fights will take place in Nashville, Tennessee at the Bridgestone Arena.

Here is a look at the match-ups:

MAIN CARD

Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson- This fight could be a quick one for Jake Shields if he doesn't have his takedown game working. Dan Henderson is an olympic level wrestler with a nasty right hand. Look for Henderson to sprawl and brawl, throwing his trademark overhand right.

Henderson (25-7) is a legend of the game, coming off his UFC run where he had three consecutive victories over Rousimar Paulhares, Rich Franklin and Michael Bisping. Prior to that, Henderson competed in Rings and Pride, scoring big wins over Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Renzo Gracie and Akhiro Gono.

(Dan Henderson pictured)

Jake Shields (24-4, 1-0 SF) is the current Strikeforce 185 champ and is the former Elite XC 170 pound champ. The BJJ blackbelt has victories over Mayhem Miller, Paul Daley, Carlos Condit and Yushin Okami.

Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal- This fight is for the Strikeforce 205 pound title. Mousasi took the belt from Babalu Sobral, then subsequently crushed Sokoudjou in his first defense. King Mo, a NCAA champion wrestler, has gone 6-0 in his young career with 5 KO's.

Expect Mousasi (28-2) to utilize his precision kickboxing game and slick submissions to finish this fight before the final round. While Lawal has the clear advantage wrestling, his striking is unrefined. In addition, Lawal's submission game really hasn't been tested.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki- This bout is for the Strikeforce lightweight title. Gilbert Melendez (17-2)was able to get the belt from Josh Thomson after dominating the takedowns and boxing game. Comparing Aoki's submission game to Thomson's is just something you cannot do.

Aoki (23-4) is by far one of the slickest submission artists in the game. He has pulled off some crazy subs, including a standing armlock, 2 gogoplatas, hammerlock arm breaker and flying triangle. While Aoki won't have his trademark rainbow pants, he will be prepared for his American debut.

(Aoki almost tapping JZ Calvancante)

SWING BOUT

Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Tim Stout

UNDER CARD

Zach Underwood vs. Hunter Worsham
Josh Schockman vs. Cale Yarbrough
Dustin Ortiz vs. Justin Pennington
Andrew Uhrich vs. Dustin West
Chris Hawk vs. Ovince St. Preux
Thomas Campbell vs. Cody Floyd

Strikeforce - Fedor v. Roger Preview

On Saturday, November 7th, the number 1 MMA fighter of all-time Fedor Emelianenko will be fighting rising top 10 heavyweight Brett Rogers. Rounding out the card is a 185 pound title fight between Jake Shields and Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Gegard Mousasi, Fabricio Werdum and Jeff Curran. The card unfolds at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois and will be broadcast live on CBS.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers- Finally we get to see Fedor fight after he was MIA from MMA action since a KO win over Andrei Arlovski in January. Also, Brett Rogers will be returning since his June beatdown of the aforementioned Arlovski.

Fedor (30-1) is an absolute beast, dismantling former UFC champs, massive brawlers and NCAA champs at ease. He owns wins over a staggering group of fighters including everyone from Antonio Nogueira, Tim Sylvia, Mark Coleman, Matt Lindland, Kevin Randleman and Ricardo Arona.

Look for Fedor to bring Rogers to the mat and take him to school with his amazing grappling aresenol. If the fight stays standing, I would expect Fedor to look to use his quickness against Rogers power punching.

(Fedor Emelianenko pictured)

Brett Rogers (10-0) is a rising star in the mixed martial arts world. He started his career training working full-time in Sam's Club's tire department and training in a 5 car garage. He has awesome power, standing 6'5" and weighing 265+ pounds. Expect Rogers to keep the fight standing, hunting for a knockout.

During his brief MMA career, Rogers has finished every fight with 9 TKO/KO's and 1 submission, albeit via a punches. Besides Arlovski, Rogers has taken out James Thompson, Jon Murphy and Ron "Abongo" Humphrey.

(Brett Rogers pictured)

Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Jake Shields- After the extremely entertaining Cung Le decided to vanquish his middleweight belt, Strikeforce has handed the title shot to two of the best American fighters outside the UFC. The grappling wizards will be fighting five rounds to determine the new champ.

Mayhem Miller (22-6) has used his "unique" personality to host the show Bully Beatdown and launch various other endevors. With an underrated submission game, Miller will look to defend Shields submission attempts while looking to punish the jiu-jitsu blackbelt.

Miller has fought in Hawaii, Japan and the continental US during his long career, with wins over Kala Hose, Robbie Lawler, Niko Vitale, Tim Kennedy and Ron Jhun.

(Mayhem Miller pictured)

Jake Shields (23-4) was the first and only Elite XC 170 pound champ, a Shooto champ and two time Rumble on the Rock tournament champ. He is currently riding a 12 fight win streak. Shields grappling has looked flawless during that stretch. Expect Shields to look for takedowns early and often, and then try for a submission.

Shields won the 170 pound Elite XC belt over Nick Thompson and defended against Paul Daley. He would then beat Robbie Lawler at a 182 catch weight in his first Strikeforce fight. Shields has other career victories over Carlos Condit, Mike Pyle and Dave Menne.

(Jake Shields pictured)

Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou- Gegard Mousasi (26-2), the Strikeforce 205 pound champion, will be taking on the uber athletic Sokoudjou in this non-title match. Expect Mousasi to use his precision kickboxing to neutralize Sokodjou's power. Mousasi is on a 13 fight win streak with victories over Babalu Sobral, Melvin Manhoef, Denis Kang and Jacare.

Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum- The winner of this heavyweight clash will find himself in a potential showdown with the winner of Fedor v. Rogers. Both fighters are excellent grapplers, and this fight will likely be determined on the ground. Werdum is coming of a 2009 ADCC HW championship.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Marloes Coenen vs. Roxanne Modafferi- CBS Swing Bout
Jeff Curran vs. Dustin Neace
Shamar Bailey vs. John Kolosci
Deray Davis vs. Mark Miller
Nate Moore vs. Louis Taylor
Jonatas Novaes vs. Christian Uflacker

Video of the Day - Mayhem v. Sincaid

Here is Jason "Mayhem" Miller v. Lodune Sincaid from WFA - King of the Streets which took place on 7/22/06. Shortly after the show, WFA was heading towards bankruptcy and purchased by the UFC. Thankfully, the move brought Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida and Martin Kampmann to the UFC.

Dream 9 - Super Hulk

The first round of the "Superhulk" tournament kicked off with Gegard Mousasi earning yet another victory, this time against super-heavyweight Mark Hunt. Ikuhisa Minowa and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou were also able to topple their respective giants in Bob Sapp and Jan Nortje.

Jose Canseco's black pajama pants couldn't stop a Hong Man Choi beating, as Canseco crumpled to the canvas after attempting a kick and ate numerous punches before tapping. Apparenty Canseco had injured his knee before training. The final four of the Super Hulk tournament are Sokoudjou, Minowa, Mousasi and Choi.

The Dream FW tournament also wrapped, with three upsets, and a final four of Tokoro, Fernandes, Takaya and Warren. Joe Warren toppled the seemingly untouchable Kid Yamamoto for his first loss since 2002. The Mayhem Miller v. Jacare MW championship was not determined, as Miller struck Jacare in the head with a kick while Jacare was grounded. The bout was declared a no contest.

Results:
Ikuhisa Minowa def Bob Sapp Sub (Achilles Lock) R1, 1:15
Hong Man Choi def Jose Canseco Sub (Punches) R1, 1:17
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou def Jan Nortje TKO (Punches) R1, 2:29
Gegard Mousasi def Mark Hunt Sub(Armbar) R1, 1:19
Tatsuya Kawajiri def Gesias Cavalcante Dec (Unanimous)
Hideo Tokoro def Abel Cullum Sub(Rear-Naked Choke) R2, 1:38
Hiroyuki Takaya def Yoshiro Maeda TKO (Punches) R1, 9:40
Bibiano Fernandes def Masakazu Imanari Dec (Unanimous)
Joe Warren def Norifumi Yamamoto Dec (Split)
Ronaldo Souza no contest Jason Miller (Illegal Kick)


(Ikuhisa Minowa, now with a 42-30 record, pictured)

Video of the Day - Miller v. Hose

Here is Jason "Mayhem" Miller v. Kala Hose from Kingdom MMA - Miller v. Hose. The fight was for the Kingdom MW belt. Mayhem's next match will be against Jacare Souza in the next Dream show.

Mayhem has gained increased popularity for his MTV show Bully Beatdown. There have been varying opinions as to the shows authenticity that has featured former Elite XC fighters Jake Shields and Jon Murphy.


*Thomas "Wildman" Denny was the only pro fighter not to get the majority of the bully's fight purse. The bully basically stalled for three minutes during the grappling round, then took a 3 minute beating in kickboxing.

*Jon Murphy probably laid the biggest beatdown on his opponent, getting all $10,000 to go to the "victim." The bully got worked over in the grappling and dislocated his shoulder after eating a few punches during kickboxing.

HDNet Fight Reckless Abandon Results

Results HDNet Fights II - MMA Blaster

Marcus Lanier def Lee King via Sub (Armbar) R2, 2:58
Liam McCarty def Jason House TKO (Cut) R3, 3:00
Jay White def Patrick Castillo Sub (Armbar) R1, 0:50
Nissen Osterneck def Freddie Espiricueta Sub (Verbal) R1, 2:37
Corey Mahon def Chris Bowles Sub (Armbar) R2, 4:22
Pete Spratt def Tristan Yunker TKO (Cut) R1, 1:38
Krzysztof Soszynski def Robert Villegas DQ (Refusal to Fight) R2, 3:15
Yves Edwards def Alonzo Martinez Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R2, 3:04
Frank Trigg def Edwin Dewees Sub (Kimura) R1, 1:40
Jason Miller def Tim Kennedy Dec (Unanimous)

The results went squeaky clean for HDNet Fights. They were banking on being able to stage a Trigg v. Miller showdown, and lucky for them both won. Also, ex-UFC fighters Edwards and Spratt won, as well as IFL vet Sosynski. Sosynski was a ripped heavyweight in the IFL and apparently went to 205 for this fight. I'm still trying to track down most of the fights on the internet. Unfortunately, like many out there I don't have HDNet, but my girlfriend and her roommates have it. I covertly set a recording for it, but to my disappointment, it was deleted.

My guess for the HDNet plans
155 title- Yves Edwards (1-0 HDNET, 31-13) v. Corey Mahon (1-0 HDNET, 8-0)
170 title- Pete Spratt (2-0 HDNET, 17-10) v. Drew Fickett (1-0 HDNET, 31-5)
185 title- Frank Trigg (1-0 HDNET, 16-6) v. Mayhem Miller (1-0 HDNET, 20-5)
205 title- Soszynski (1-0 HDNET, 13-8) v. Liam McCarty (2-0 HDNET, 7-4)
HW title- Justin Eilers (1-0 HDNET, 18-6) v. Fedor Emelianenko (26-1) (Mark Cuban can get the deal done) (After Fedor wins he can fight Randy Couture for the belt)


*Frank Trigg promo pic

HDNet Fights Part II

HDNet Fight Preview by the MMA Blaster

HDNet has a pretty good card is set for December 15th in Dallas. For those unfamiliar with HDNet, it is a television channel owned by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. The promotion is based out of Dallas and uses the Maverick's arena for the show. Ten of the fighters are from Texas. Here is the fight card:

Jason "Mayhem" Miller (19-5) vs. Tim Kennedy (8-1)
Frank Trigg (15-6) vs. Edwin Dewees (34-10)
Yves Edwards (29-13) vs. Alonzo Martinez (20-8)
Pete Spratt (18-10) vs. Tristan Yunker (12-6)
Chris Bowles (7-1) vs. Cory Mahon (6-0)
Patrick Castillo (3-1) vs. Jay White (1-5)
Krzysztof Soszynski (12-8) vs. Robert Villegas (7-1)
Jason House (7-4) vs. Liam McCarty (6-4)
Lee King (7-11) vs. Marcus Lanier (5-2)
Freddie Espiricueta (5-2)vs. Nissen Osterneck (4-0)

Mayhem v. Kennedy is the match I want to see the most. This is the rematch from their previous fight that Kennedy won by decision. Kennedy explained on 5 Ounces of Pain that it was an extremely bloody fight that was very entertaining.

Overall, this is a great non-ppv card. Five UFC veterens (Spratt, Edwards, Trigg, Dewees, and Miller), IFL vet Soszynski, and other highly touted prospects should make it entertaining.

Mayhem Pic Collage from Photobucket


Kennedy kick pic taken by the MMA Blaster

Tim Kennedy v. Mayhem Miller II scheduled for HDNET Fights

Story by MMA Blaster

While Tim Kennedy should have been placed in the IFL Grand Prix, I am happy to see that he will take on Mayhem Miller on December 15th for HDNet Fights Part II. I haven't been able to track down the footage of the previous Tim Kennedy v. Mayhem Miller fight but it did occur during a tournament hosted by Extreme Challenge on 2/23/07. Miller had fought Denis Kang (23-9) prior to the Kennedy bout and Kennedy had just beat Ryan Narte (1-3). Kennedy won via decision versus Miller and then won the finals bout against Cruz Chacon (11-12).

Kennedy is stepping in for Sean Salmon who was suspended following a devastating knee strike from Jorge Santiago in the Strikeforce tourney. Kennedy is still listed as fighting in the IFL Grand Prix finals on the under card, but I'm guessing that bout may be canceled.

**Sweet action pic taken by the MMA Blaster

Check out a great exclusive interview of Tim Kennedy on Five Ounces of Pain's website.