It was only five months ago that the Brazilian slugger Thiago Silva took a dominant unanimous decision victory over fellow light heavyweight Brandon Vera at UFC 125. Many felt Silva’s performance was an assertion of his standing among the very best in the 205-pound division. Weeks later, Silva’s performance would be shrouded in controversy following urinalysis test results indicating that he had submitted fake urine to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

“Well this kind of thing goes all the way back to Kevin Randleman where he basically used a fake penis, put on a pair of bike shorts, had a cup and came in to take pre-fight urine,” says Keith Kizer, NSAC executive director. “He lifted up the leg of shorts, took out the fake penis and did the test. We checked on temperature, sent it to a lab, and we found it was fake urine. We said ‘look, now you guys have to pull down your shorts so that whoever is administering the test can see everything.’

“When Thiago Silva came in he pulled down his shorts and showed his actual penis, but as he turned towards the toilet he palmed a bottle, grabbing his penis in the other hand, pretended like he was urinating but was really putting the contents of bottle into the sample. We know now that Thiago’s sample was fake urine. It took him until the B sample to fess up to that.”

The decision win over Brandon Vera was changed to a no contest and Kizer claims the incident prompted a change in the commission’s testing policy:

“So the changes that we’re making are -- and it’s unfortunate we have to go to this level because guys like Thiago Silva and Kevin Randleman ruined it for the bunch -- that you need to see the urine coming out of the penis and into the cup. All fighters will be shirtless, and they shouldn’t have a problem with that since they fight shirtless in front of thousands of people anyway, and they will pull their pants down to the knees and then urinate right in front of the inspector. They have to see the urine actually going into the vial.”

Kizer and the NSAC have recently come under fire from Travis Tygart, chief of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), for what Tygart claims are lax standards regarding drug testing in mixed martial arts. Tygart would go on to state that the commission’s rules are ‘horrific’ in comparison to his own USADA rules and that they have fought ‘tooth and nail’ to oppose standardized blood testing in the sport. Kizer said while there is no urine test for human growth hormone (HGH), there are some serious concerns with the blood test for HGH. Kizer states that the method is too disruptive and points to recent hypocrisy on the part of USADA:

“We disagree on that point – the blood testing for HGH. He [Tyler Tygart] does this in a way that isn’t the most professional way of debating the issue and makes us all look bad – that is par the course for him and that is fine -- but first off, it is too invasive. Sticking a needle into the arm is more invasive than having a guy pee in a cup and we know that. We made a big deal at a previous NSAC hearing about taking blood too close to the fight and the risks involved, which include developing a hematoma, nicking the vain and so on.

“What’s telling is that USADA took no blood from Shane [Mosley] or Floyd [Mayweather] a week from the fight. They make a big deal about it and when they had their chance, they didn’t do it. That speaks volumes to who has the right attitude about blood testing.”

Additionally, Kizer says that the accuracy of the blood testing method pales in comparison to urine testing for steroids, masking agents and diuretics.

“There’s also the issue of whether it’s accurate or not. Urine testing is the best test for those substances as steroids are out of the blood very quickly. Travis Tygart has even testified before us about this. As for the HGH blood test, they’ve done thousands of tests and they’ve only caught one guy. Either he is the only guy doing HGH or there are a lot of false negatives.  In fact, the guy they caught had just used it so it was circulating in his system and he admitted it immediately."

According to Kizer, the use of blood testing would be superfluous for steroids, if not altogether unnecessary, given the literature on the method.

“The testing results from the HGH blood testing has not been peer-reviewed. So if an athlete got caught and they went to court, they would not get convicted because the test hasn’t been validated by the scientific community. If you do catch somebody but the results are going to get thrown out of court, then why would you test? For those reasons, I don’t know anyone, unless they have an agenda or are trying to get funding, who would say this is the thing to do right now.”

Not only will Gray Maynard answer any question that’s thrown his way, but he’ll answer it in a refreshingly real way. Gray addresses whether or not he’s a ‘boring’ fighter, if Anthony Pettis deserves a crack at the title and if Frankie Edgar possesses comparable wrestling to his own. Some fans may take objection to Gray’s candor, but he even has an opinion on that, too. Gray took time out of his busy schedule to talk with MMAFA.tv about his upcoming rubber match bout against the UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. 

Jon Luther: Thanks for the time, Gray. You’re coming off of the first exciting fight of your career. How does it feel?

Gray Maynard: [Laughs] It feels good. But that’s what people say, right? Ever since I fought Edgar almost 3 years ago, I’ve only fought lefties. It’s a different style, a slower pace, and if you watch boxing a lot you know that. And nobody wanted to fight these guys because they were bad style match-ups.  I took those fights.

For a lot of guys a lefty like Nate Diaz is a bad match-up, Florian and Miller are both bad match-ups, and I also fought [Rich] Clementi at a time where he was on point. For me, I didn’t have an agent at that time to talk for me and decide what’s a good fight for me and what isn’t. I fought who they wanted me to and I asked for the top guys. If you look at it now, in the top ten, I’ve fought about four of them: Miller, Edgar, Nate, Siver. I’ve never had an easy fight. I don’t like to explain that because either you know it or you don’t.

JL: You were pretty emotional at the press conference after your last fight. Some people were wondering if you were crying. Not because it brings your masculinity into question, or because grown men aren’t supposed to cry, but did you actually cry?

GM: I probably didn’t at the time just because I don’t want to show emotion. It all hit me hard and I think afterwards I cried a little bit. But at the press conference, I don’t want to show any emotion. I want to keep it under control -- that’s the business. But I did cry afterwards.

JL: What was the main talking point you read on the internet following your last fight that drove you nuts?

GM: I don’t read the internet. I’m being dead serious about that. One, I don’t read anything on forums because those are all just opinions. When you’re a positive person and you do what you love and you’re trying to accomplish your goals… you can’t look at that negative s***. No disrespect, but those are from people who don’t do s***. They aren’t doing anything with their lives anyway. So why would you try to deal with that? You have to live a happy life and know what you’re doing.

JL: So you don’t even bother with it.

GM:  I listen to the people who count: the people in my camp and the people who are truthful. I will listen to bad criticism and good criticism if I know that the person cares about me and counts. I’m my own rock. I am the hardest guy on myself. Out of all the wins, I change my camp every f***ing time. I break down my tapes. It’s easy to win and say, “That’s a win so I’m going to keep on doing what I’ve been doing.” But go ahead and ask anyone at my gym who switches it up and they’ll say me. I want to know what’s wrong, so I can change it up. I feel that every time I fight I bring new stuff. I’ve evolved.

JL: How much sleep do you lose at night knowing that Anthony Pettis has to fight Clay Guida because of you?

GM: I sleep better. I mean, who has he fought? I’ve been in the trenches this whole time fighting the toughest guys. He throws one kick and then he’s the greatest in the world?

Let’s look at who he’s fought. Ben Henderson is the best name. And I don’t mind fighting him; I don’t care if I win the belt and then I have to take him on. But for me, guys like Miller, Melendez and all of these guys who have been on the f***ing grind, fighting the best competition for the past few years… that’s what I look at. Who have you fought? I don’t care about how good you looked when you fought a scrub. That doesn’t matter. If a guy isn’t good then you’re supposed to look good. And for me, [Pettis] has fought one good guy in Ben, and he isn’t proven yet. He’s tough as hell, but we’ll see.

JL: Who has better wrestling, you or Frankie Edgar? Pretend we’re back in college and we’re looking at your guys’ resumes. In a straight-up wrestling match, who wins?

 GM: I have the better wrestling, guaranteed. He was a 141 pounder and I was two weight classes above him. I think he went to NCAAs, I was a three-time All-American.

JL: If you have better wrestling than Frankie Edgar then why was he the one taking you down in the rematch?

GM: It’s not that I was tired, but I had an adrenaline dump in the rematch. The first round really was an adrenaline dump. All of your goals and dreams are right there in front of you, you think you’re done, and then you’re drained. My cardio was great, but my arms were f***ing zapped. So I fought the last four rounds and that was probably half of what I was capable of. But I did screw the whole thing up. It was my fault.

The way the sport is going now, a guy gets groomed through small shows. It’s like boxing, where guys get blown up to where they are 18-0, 12 knockouts and some TKOs, then they start to get some big name guys. But for me, I fought two guys who are professionals in my first amateur fights. I fought Evan Dunham in my first amateur [fight], I fought professional in my second fight, and then Brent Weidman for my third, then the TV show. I’m still kind of new to all of this. What happened when I caught Frankie [Edgar] in the first round, that’s never happened to me before so I didn’t know what to do. Next time I will. It’s a learning process and I’m still learning.

JL: So you were roommates with Rashad [Evans] when you were in college. Was he the crazy one?

GM: What do you mean?

JL: I mean did he come into the dorm in the middle of the night on a weekday, surrounded by all of these girls, just getting back from some wild party?

GM: S*** man, a lot of people have Rashad wrong. He’s the most down-to-earth guy, unbelievably nice. Here’s an example: My mom loves horses. She will talk your friggin’ ear off about horses if you let her. Most people try to get out of it when she starts talking about them. [Rashad] has talked to my mom, and she brought up horses. He sat there and talked to her for two hours about horses, asking her questions and stuff. He’s one of the coolest guys I know. In college he was really cool, one of my best friends.

The ‘problem,’ though, is that Rashad likes to tell the truth in the media. Everyone likes to go the politician-route, the mother f***er who lies. People need to realize that if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. People who are real, they don’t like that. They like Hollywood these days. They like s*** that isn’t real. They get mad at him because he talks from the heart.

JL: Some people have noticed that Jon Jones has really taken after Rashad Evans. He’s been accused of taking Rashad’s title shot, his training camp, and apparently his style. Some people think he’s taking over Rashad’s life.

GM: Well, like I said, if it’s too good to be true then it usually isn’t. I mean, I’m not going to say nothing about nobody, but Rashad is my boy and he’s a real person. I like real people. I hate fake people. Absolutely hate them.

JL: Thanks for your time Gray.

GM: Anytime.

Many fans would identify Vladimir Matyushenko as a staple in the sport of mixed martial arts. The forty-year-old Belarusian has been in the sport for over a decade and fought some of the most notable fighters it can offer. But make no mistake, Matyushenko claims he is far from done and is eyeing his next bout. Speaking with MMAFA.tv from his ‘VMAT’ gym in El Segundo, Matyushenko shared his plans.

“Nothing is official and I would like to fight before Summer, but I want to fight the winner of Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Noguiera. It is a common sense fight for me. Both of those losses still bug me. It would be a way to redeem myself and it would be a great fight for Tito or Noguiera.”

It would appear that redemption is big motivator for Matyushenko, who lost at the hands of up-and-comer Jon Jones 6 months ago and went on score a stoppage win over Alexandre Ferreira only three months later. The stoppage win would be the first for Matyushenko in five years.

“I didn’t get hurt in the Jones fight. Well, my ego got hurt I guess [laughs]. But that was good for me, and I was healthy enough that when the UFC called me up shortly after I immediately took the fight against Ferreira. I never like walking around with a loss on my shoulders.”

Being a veteran of the sport, Matyushenko has seen his fair share of paradigm shifts. Yet Matyushenko claims the rise of younger fighters throughout the years wouldn’t have been possible without the groundwork laid down by him and his contemporaries.

“There are plenty of new guys coming up like Bader and Jones and they deserve a chance at the spotlight. But older guys like Randy Couture and I have proven that we’ve still got it. The new guys, like Jon Jones, have learned from us. I think Jones saw so much of my tape and what I do to people and he did it to me.”

With UFC 126 taking place tomorrow, Matyushenko offered his prediction for the main event:

“Anderson against Vitor is a very interesting fight. It depends on what state of mind the fighters are in. Lately, Vitor Belfort has been very good and has had some exciting wins. Anderson Silva is looking kind of lazy. Maybe he has burned out. I wouldn’t be surprised if Belfort takes it.”

Matyushenko also offered a prediction for a light heavyweight tilt between Jon Jones and Ryan Bader.

“I think Jon Jones will take him. I think he’s going to play the same game he always has. He’s going to be explosive, unpredictable… He is unpredictable for the guys he faces but he knows what he’s doing. I’d like to learn his game a little bit. I know he’s watching a lot of tape on other fighters and studies them. I’ll put my money on Jon Jones.”

When it came to the co-main event between Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin, Matyushenko insisted it was in his best interest to keep mum.

“No comment there. For you media guys it is easy to make predictions whenever you want because you don’t have to fight them after! I don’t want to look like I’m saying bad things about them, ‘You’re this and you’re that,’ then have them trying to beat me up!”

Fedor Emelianenko, considered by many to be the greatest heavyweight -- and perhaps mixed martial artist -- of all time, is a man of few words. Rather than fruitlessly guessing at the unknowable, he will admit he doesn’t know. Instead of pondering the future, he will focus on the present.

 Emelianenko will bring that same practical mindset into battle on February 12 when he takes on top 10 ranked Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva in the opening round of the highly anticipated Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament. Speaking with MMAFA.tv, Emelianenko reflects on his training and opponent.

 "I can’t wait to compete again. Silva is a great athlete who is skilled in many areas. He has proven to be a very worthy and dangerous opponent. My training camp has been very strong. I feel proud to be representing my country in the tournament. I’m training to win the tournament.”

 Eight of the top heavyweights in the world will participate in the tournament, leading many to believe that the eventual tournament champion should be in the running for the title of best heavyweight alive. To Emelianenko, his opinion on the matter is irrelevant.

 “The tournament participants are all highly skilled athletes. As for whether the winner should be considered number one in the world, it is not for me to say. That is something left to the media and to the fans.”

 In Fedor’s last outing he suffered the first blemish on his record in a decade when he lost via submission to Fabricio Werdum, one of the best heavyweight grapplers in the world. Werdum will fight Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in a separate tournament bout and the winner is scheduled to face Emelianenko should he defeat Silva. Emelianenko claims he remains as motivated as ever after the loss and welcomes a challenge from either competitor.

 “I enjoy the competition of sport very much and that is what motivates me. I will continue to compete for as long as my health and God allow me to. I look forward to getting back in the cage and performing to my highest level. For me, it does not matter which I compete against. I will prepare my best and everything else is God’s will.”

 Explaining his loss against Werdum, Emelianenko states it was due to a basic error.

 “I wanted to finish the fight with Werdum early and I made a mistake. I have moved past this and have been training hard. If we were to face each other again, I will approach this in the same way I do for every contest.”

 Emelianenko recently started his own Twitter account, showing the kind of tech-savvy most fans wouldn’t have expected from a fighter they associate with an ascetic lifestyle. Although many fake accounts claiming to be the real Fedor Emelianenko have sprouted up in the past, Fedor’s account was followed by over 2,500 people the first day it was activated. Emelianenko explains the move to Twitter in his usual, laconic fashion.

 “I was advised it was a nice way to communicate with my fans around the world. I have no message for those people [who have pretended to be me]. I only look to be myself.”

If one was to refer to Gegard Mousasi as ‘jack of all trades,’ they wouldn’t be far off. Mousasi has an accomplished and ever-evolving career in mixed martial arts and recently nabbed a victory over a top-ranked kickboxer in Kyotaro at a K-1 rules fight in Japan.

And it appears that Mousasi is looking to compete at the highest level of yet another martial arts discipline. Sources close to the fighter have informed MMAFA.tv that Mousasi has started the qualification process to compete in boxing at the Olympics in 2012 in London. Mousasi is training in Holland and plans to represent the country at the events, should he qualify.

Apy Echteld, Mousasi’s manager, says that his success in the sport of boxing could only help his career in mixed martial arts.

“[Gegard] is getting better each and every time, so let’s see what this brings. All of us are very excited about the idea. He’s done well with every other thing he has taken up so far. If he does well with this, it could have a huge impact on his mixed martial arts career. This is a wish of his.”

Mousasi’s quest for national glory should not be a cause for concern among mixed martial arts fans; the former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion is targeted for a fight against American Kickboxing Academy product Mike Kyle in April, 2011. A venue for the event has not been set and there is recent speculation that it could take place in Japan as an installment of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament. Mike Kyle is currently rehabilitating a broken hand sustained in a bout against heavyweight Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva in December, 2010. Although Kyle looked impressive and dropped the 265-pound Brazilian in the first round, he went on to lose the fight via TKO in the second round.

On a night few are soon to forget, Fabricio Werdum did the impossible: in only 69 seconds he submitted Fedor Emelianenko, who was the consensus top-ranked heavyweight in the world of mixed martial arts for nearly a decade. The sport was turned upside down and its schema was forever altered.

Oddly enough, many rankings listed Werdum as the second-ranked heavyweight in the world behind Brock Lesnar, who later went on to lose and abdicate his ranking to Cain Velasquez. Yet Raphael Cordeiro, Werdum’s trainer and close friend, says that none of this ever led Werdum to question his sense of being the best in the heavyweight division:

“When Werdum beat Fedor he knew he was the number one guy. Of course there is Cain Velasquez, who is very good, but being in different promotions that is what it is. Now, when we beat Overeem, everyone will say Werdum is number one.”

Although many fans questioned the legitimacy of the rankings at the time, Cordeiro claims it barely crossed Werdum’s mind.

“It never bothered Fabricio when some people said he wasn’t the top guy after beating Fedor. Mixed martial arts fans all over the world know who he is. They know what he has accomplished and contributed to the sport. That is the most important thing to him. He is a humble guy.”

The stakes are unquestionably high for Werdum going into his next fight. He faces off against Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ Alistair Overeem, who many believe to be the most talented heavyweight in the division following his victory at the K-1 World Grand Prix, in the first round of a the highly-anticipated Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament. Although Overeem has looked almost invincible in his recent performances, Cordeiro states that Werdum is very confident about the fight.

“There are ways to beat Overeem and we know how. It’s been done before. People forget all the time that Werdum has already beaten Overeem. We have a strategy and we are working on even more than that in order to be prepared. When you see Werdum fight, you’re going to say ‘wow.’”

Werdum is coming off of a recent elbow surgery and rehabilitation, a process he delayed for nearly two years. Though he fought impressively through the pestering injury, Cordeiro expects to see an improved and invigorated Werdum come time for his next fight.

“The belt is what Werdum is after. He wants it very much. Winning a world-title means a lot and that is something he is ready for. Now that he is healthy and past his injury, you are going to see even greater things from him. You’ll see.”

Ryan Ford, a top welterweight in Canada, is in discussions to sign with Aggression MMA. The announcement was made today following a press release from Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC), where Ford was accused of painting MFC owner Mark Pavelich as a racist. MMAFA.tv spoke with Pavelich just two days before the statement was released and Pavelich denied that there was any dispute going on at the time. MMAFA.tv learned today from sources close to the fighter that Ford is pursuing legal action against the MFC for allegedly refusing to pay him a percentage of ticket sales he did for the promotion. Ford claims he sold more than $21,000 in tickets for MFC 27 and is owed $2,695 per a percentage clause contained in his contract.

Speaking to Mark Pavelich, one would believe that Ford is out to lunch and not capable of making rational decisions regarding his career. Responding to such remarks, Ford claims that if anyone is to be deemed crazy in the matter it is Pavelich.

“He says I’m the one who is crazy? Well that is because I’m not living in his little world. I’m living in the real world. He’s just being Mark Pavelich: the weirdo, bipolar, schizophrenic… you name it.  The reason I signed on my manager and my agent in the first place was because Pavelich was taking advantage of me. He was trying to be my friend and be my promoter at the same time. At the beginning of my career he was my manager and up until my eighth fight he had only gotten me one sponsorship deal. He took all of the other sponsorships for himself.”

Pavelich also painted the relationship between himself and Ford as amicable. Yet if you ask Ford, it couldn’t be any more different. Ford claims their relationship ended when he re-signed with MFC in July of 2010. Ford describes his current relationship with Pavelich as comparable to Tito Ortiz’s relationship with Dana White.

“There is no real friendship. I fought for his promotion so obviously I had to see him and appear friendly, but it’s a business relationship. He was the one who tried to pretend I was a friendship.”

When MFC re-signed Ryan Ford to the promotion in 2010, Pavelich released a video blog where he was visibly excited about the deal. This led many to believe that no hard feelings were shared between himself and Ford. Ford states:

“It’s funny. You look at that video blog and you see Mark Pavelich so happy that he signed me again, but the reason why he was so happy about the re-signing is because I left a different organization to come to him. He was happy because he got me away from a competing organization that was making money.”

Sources close to the legal dispute between Pavelich and Ford confirmed that Pavelich is not only refusing to pay the money Ford is allegedly owed, but he claims Ford is the one who owes him money.

“I owe him money? For what? He is the promoter and I am the fighter. I don’t pay him; he pays me. People don’t understand that I know Mark Pavelich, but I know him. We had a close relationship at one point and I was at his house all of the time. And yeah, he’s crazy. The guy is crazy.”

It would appear that Ford’s case is a unique one. Not only does Ford have a history with Pavelich, but he also lives in Edmonton and was incentivized to sell tickets for the promotion. Most fighters come to simply fight for the MFC and collect a purse. With the large influence Ford has in the area, he was able to sell more than $20,000 worth of tickets for a single event.

“Watch on February 25th, and look at the crowds. It is funny how they stopped selling their tickets with ticketmaster and now they just sell the tickets themselves. If you look at the crowd I guarantee you, unless he comped a bunch of tickets, it will not be as packed as it is when I fight there. I helped him build his brand in Edmonton, and that’s where he does his shows.”

Ford also claims that an unavoidable problem in his dealings with Pavelich was the promoter’s pride. Ford was also perturbed by Pavelich’s statements following his release from the promotion.

“Before I left MFC, he said I was the best athlete in the world. He said I was the guy to beat Georges St. Pierre. As soon as I left him he said, ‘Ryan Ford ain’t going to be sh--.’ His problem is that he has way too much pride. Guys who are successful in the business are able to put their pride down at times, but Pavelich can’t.

“He says he is the third best promotion in the world, but he only gets 1,200 people to come to his venues. You drive two hours away from here and you can find mixed martial arts shows that have 3,000 people in attendance. The only reason he thinks he is better is because he has a deal with HDNet and picks up fighters who were let go by the UFC. His head is stuck so far up his a-- that he can’t see that.”

Although Ford claimed once before that he would never fight for the MFC before re-signing in mid-2010, it appears as though he means it this time. If Ford were to impart words of wisdom on those who are either currently signed by or in the process or working with the MFC, it would be the following:

“Watch your back, period. Make sure you have an agent and someone looking after you. Don’t trust Pavelich as far as you can throw him… well, most people could probably throw him pretty far.”

MMAFA.tv has learned from sources close to the situation that a legal dispute between fighter Ryan Ford and Mark Pavelich, owner of Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC), has gone on for some weeks. This is in stark contrast to a press release statement from the promotion claiming that "The Maximum Fighting Championship and its legal representation have received no letters, emails, phone calls or communication of any kind in any attempt to resolve this matter."

Ford’s representatives have made more than ten attempts to resolve the dispute with Pavelich and his representatives, dating back to October 30, 2010, including more than 4 formal letters and a draft of a settlement agreement.

Pavelich released a press release today just prior to arbitration claiming that Ford has accused the promotion of racism and is likely sidelined with the MFC until his contract expires. Ford’s camp claims that the relationship between Ford and Pavelich is contentious and has disintegrated for reasons beyond business.

The dispute between Ford and Pavelich originated from Ford's claim that he was not paid sums due and owing under a promotional agreement with the MFC. According to the agreement, Ford was eligible to sell tickets for MFC events and in turn receive a percentage of the tickets sold.

Ford alleges he sold tickets totaling $21,560 for MFC 27 which took place in late November, 2010. Ford claims the promotion has refused to pay him his due amount of $2,695, a percentage of his ticket sales guaranteed to him in his contract. Additionally, Pavelich now claims that Ford owes the promotion money.

Speaking with MMAFA.tv, Pavelich claimed that he is not allowing Ford to fight with any other promotion until contract expiration. Sources have confirmed to MMAFA.tv that Pavelich has allowed other Canadian mixed martial arts promotions make offers on Ford’s contract but has demanded unreasonable and exorbitant amounts, making the purchase impossible.

Ford’s camp claims that he has no intent to fight for the MFC in the future and that all trust with the promotion is broken. Representatives from both groups will convene in an attempt to settle the matter via arbitration in the following days.

Welcome to the wacky world of mixed martial arts, where contradictory information bounces around the news cycle like the metal orbs in a pinball machine.

Halo PR, the British Public Relations company who does work with Paul Daley, put out an odd press today release saying that Paul Daley was in advanced negotiations to headline a BAMMA card on February 26th at the Manchester Evening News arena in the UK, a venue with a capacity of nearly 23,000. This news arrived at approximately the same time as Daley's facebook alarmed the world that he was signing his next fight contract and was very pleased with his opponent. He also stated he that the announcement would make fans "in  the UK Division" very happy.

MMAFA.tv contacted BAMMA officials, who claim that Paul Daley was a lock for the BAMMA card. However, officials declined to give the name of Paul Daley's opponent. They assured that the opponent had been "penciled in" and no other names were being considered.  In fact, an opponent had apparently been settled on nearly 2 weeks ago. BAMMA claims a press release is on the way.

Strikeforce's PR head Mike Afromowitz stated that Strikeforce officials had not heard a word about the proposed BAMMA bout.

Paul Daley claims that he is not fighting for BAMMA and is instead remaining under the Strikeforce banner. Daley doesn't know what prompted the announcement from the Halo PR team but assures that a correction will be made in the coming days.

Still, sources in the UK MMA scene confirmed to MMAFA.tv that an agreement between BAMMA and Daley has been known about for weeks and that an opponent has been aggressively sought in that time. 

Daley was caught in the cross-hairs of a promotional dispute in late 2008 when he fought under the Cage Warriors banner despite being the Cage Rage champion at the time. Cage Rage was under ownership of ProElite. Daley cited mistreatment from Cage Rage as well as not being technically under contract as reasons for fighting in the alternate promotion. Vitriol was exchanged between the competing promotions and a cease and desist was ordered yet ignored.

Finding a young fighter who anticipates the inevitable end to his combat career and acts accordingly is a rare thing. This is especially true when the fighter comes from a humble background and has to deal with the shock of newfound fame and fortune.

Kendall Grove knows the story well. Winning the TUF3 season and looking invincible in his first two UFC outings propelled him to a position that would make anybody in the fight industry envious. However, Kendall describes it as a time where he could have acted more wisely.

“I’ve been an idiot with my money ever since I got with the UFC up until only a few years ago. It wasn’t until I had my daughter that I said to myself, ‘Oh shit, this isn’t about me.’ I need to support my daughters, my son and a baby that is due in April. So I need my job with the UFC for two more years. After that, I can sit back and be a fan again.”

Kendall admits that raising a family, running a gym and punching in a career with the premier Mixed Martial Arts organization is a tall task, and it is one he has done well with so far. Yet as time goes by and his family grows, Kendall eyes the prospect of retirement with increasing consideration.

“A job is a job. I want to retire with the UFC because we have a fantastic relationship. But me, personally, I don’t want to do this shit forever. I love it because I love it right now. But once I get enough of a cushion to where I can live and be happy, that will be the end. I want to retire when I’m 30 years old. That is the plan.”

Kendall is currently 28 years old.

In 2010, the UFC merged with World Extreme Cagefighting, a promotion of lighter-weight fighters also under the Zuffa banner. Though the move was a highly anticipated one, it promised an increase in fighter releases in order to make room for those in the new divisions. Kendall, who has been faced with the possibility of being released by the promotion in the past, has his own opinions regarding the merge and the walking papers that accompany it.

“If you come to fight, don’t worry. You’ll be recognized by the UFC or someone else. Right now I am performing, but I’ve come up short. You need the win. Some guys will get pissed off when they lose fair and square, but I don’t care. It is a job. It is a hurt business. We’re going to get hurt. And if you can’t perform, go get another job. This is their company and they can do whatever the hell they want.”

Kendall states that if he was released by the UFC he would try to work his way back to the promotion prior to his anticipated retirement. He was recently tapped to fight at UFC 130 on May 28, 2011 and is currently in talks with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to find an opponent.

Kendall also supports the idea of a union for fighters, though he finds the chances of one materializing in the near future very slim.

“I support a union that gets us medical and looks out for us. It makes it a little more fair for the fighters. We will see if it happens. What about the guys who get paid big dollars, like Georges St. Pierre, Chuck Liddell – why would they sign on to something like that and get paid less? We can get it, but it is pretty far out of reach right now. We need some serious uniting.”

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