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Zack Micklewright vs. Muhsin Corbbrey

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:38:01 -0500

Zack Micklewright vs. Muhsin Corbbrey

Corbbrey had a golden opportunity to end the bout when he trapped Micklewright in a tight, deep armbar in the first round. But the moment slipped away as Micklewright stood up and shook his arm free. For much of the remainder of the bout, Micklewright was the aggressor, controlling the clinch with elbows and knees and tagging Corbbrey with crisp left hands and opening a gash on the Georgian�s right eye. Despite professional boxing and Muay Thai experience, and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Corbbrey never found his rhythm and never showed a sense of urgency.

The judges award Micklewright, a Marine, a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27 across the board.

Marine Motto Spurs Unbeaten Micklewright

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:08:40 -0500

Marine Motto Spurs Unbeaten Micklewright

Dec-10-2009

By Frank Curreri

On a whim, and with zero training, Zack Micklewright leapfrogged into his first fight several years ago � an amateur bout at an Iowa club. Then, when he decided mixed martial arts might be his calling, the U.S. Marine started training � at a local church.

�The pastor was cool with us being there,� Micklewright said. �A bunch of guys would get together � we had some wrestling mats donated to us from a junior high school and we would go in there and learn by fire, basically learning from each other.�

The fun did not last long. Days after his 21st birthday Micklewright was deployed to Iraq, where he served a 7-month tour working as a mechanic. Nobody who knew him well was surprised by his chosen path. Military service runs in the Micklewright family. His mother had served in the Navy, his father in the Army. An older brother enlisted in the Marines the day after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Micklewright, 23, says he didn�t see gunfire or bloodshed in Iraq, but credits the Marine ethic with changing his psyche and laying the foundation for his 8-1 start as a pro mixed martial artist. His impressive record will be on the line when he faces Muhsin Corbbrey (13-4-1) on Dec. 19 at WEC 45.

�The Marine Corps was a big step and brought a big increase in maturity, and I think that�s what gave me my killer instinct,� Micklewright said. �Because if you talk to people that I went to high school with � even if I get on Facebook and I post videos, people say, �Who would have ever thought that Zack would be a fighter?� Because I was a people person, I liked everybody and never had problems with anybody. I don�t beef with people. I don�t hate Mushin Corbbrey-- it�s not that type of killer instinct. But the Marines showed me what determination is. If you want it, you can go out and get it yourself. You do what you set forth to do. Mission Accomplishment is goal number one of the Marine Corps. So I�m coming to Las Vegas to accomplish my mission.�

Known as an aggressive and free-swinging puncher, Micklewright has finished five of his past six foes. The former high school baseball player spoke explained his passion for his profession like this:

�I just think it�s the most pure and honest sport that you can be in,� he said. �I think it�s the people�s sport. There�s no better test of being a man than going in there and fighting another grown man. Nothing�s better to watch � there is no better feeling than beating somebody. There really isn�t, you know? If you know that you can dominate somebody, that�s a good feeling. That�s what I get out of it. And being able to win and know that I won because of the hard training that I put in and the things that I�ve learned.�

Micklewright, a native of Davenport, Iowa who trains under Pat Miletich, has lived in the same house with his family since birth and is proud of his blue-collar lineage. Given Micklewright�s Iowa roots, many outsiders would presume he grew up in a small town atmosphere, perhaps on a farm, milked cows, shucked corn and grew up wrestling. In fact, none of those stereotypes applies to him. Davenport, with an estimated population that recently rose above 100,000, is Iowa�s third-largest city. Plenty of iron workers, including Micklewright�s father, are counted among the city�s residents. A John Deere factory across the Mississippi River also has a lot of locals on its payroll. And there are plenty of steel workers nearby.

�It makes me kind of humble living in Iowa as opposed to New York and stuff like that where all the material stuff is important to people,� Micklewright said. �I�m happy with what I have and a lot of people around here are, they�re happy with what they got, you know, they don�t have to have a high paying job to be happy. I had a happy childhood and my dad never made more than $35,000 a year. And I�m happy with everything I got as a kid. And I don�t think we ever had trouble with money. We were just happy with what the world gave to us and some people just take that stuff for granted. That�s the kind of stuff I don�t like.

�I�d be happy if I lived here my whole life. But I�m going to go where my career takes me. If I have to move to become successful in MMA then I�m going to have to move. I�ve thought about maybe moving to Vegas or Florida, they got ATT (American Top Team) in Florida, and then you got Xtreme Couture and the TapOut Gym in Vegas. But as of now I like my camp, I like what I�m doing here and I�m happy with it. I could stay here forever.�.

Training injury forces Jeremy Stephens to withdraw from UFC Fight Night 20 bout against Nik Lentz

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:12:02 -0500

Training injury forces Jeremy Stephens to withdraw from UFC Fight Night 20 bout against Nik Lentz

The injury bug has bitten again, this time afflicting lightweight standout Jeremy Stephens, who has officially withdrawn from his UFC Fight Night 20 bout against Nik Lentz on January 11 in Fairfax.

MMAmania.com confirmed the injury with Stephen's camp earlier today.

While the undisclosed injury will not require surgery, "Lil Heathen" is expected to be out of action for a couple of months to heal up.

Stephens recently improved his record to 5-4 in the UFC. He was last seen pounding out Justin Buchholz at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City back on Sept. 16 after dropping two straight to Hermes Franca and Gleison Tibau, respectively.

Despite those back-to-back losses, fans have not forgotten his "Knockout of the Night" at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" when he sent Rafael dos Anjos back to Brazil with a thundering uppercut that he threw from what appeared to be the center of the cage.

It was among the most devastating finishes of 2008.

Stephens had really stepped up his training in anticipation of this event, calling on Josh Neer and Diego Sanchez to help refine every aspect of his offense and defense.

Unfortunately it may have cost him the Jan. 11 fight.

Lentz, who may still have time to receive a replacement fighter, is on a eight-fight win streak that dates back more than two years. He is a Minnesota Martial Arts Academy product who has competed primarily on the local circuit for most of his career.

"The Carnie" recently scored a unanimous decision win over Rafaello Oliveira in his Octagon debut at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort" back on Sept. 19 and also outpointed UFC veteran Drew Fickett at SNMMA: "Beatdown at 4 Bears" to make a name for himself earlier this year.

An announcement on his fate in Fairfax is expected soon.

UFC Fight Night 20 features a rematch between Ultimate Fighter rivals Gray Maynard (8-0) and Nate Diaz (11-4), who will duke it out in a possible number one contender bout for the 155-pound title. Undefeated lightweights Efrain Escudero and Evan Dunham are also scheduled to hook 'em up.

For more on UFC Fight Night 20 click here.

Maximum Fighting Championship boss starts fight manager blacklist

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:18:44 -0500

Maximum Fighting Championship boss starts fight manager blacklist

By Chris Parry, Vancouver Sun

The Maximum Fighting Championship light heavyweight belt is safely back in the hands of the man who forged it, MFC boss Mark Pavelich, after he successfully stripped belt-holder Trevor Prangley of his first and only piece of championship silverware last month.

And the outspoken Edmonton promoter has made a public vow in the wake of Prangley's contractual dust-up: "I'm gonna blacklist about three or four guys who have been extremely dishonest."

Speaking in a YouTube live-blog, Pavelich launched into what he called "people thinking they're managers when they're not", adding, "I can't take it no more."

"All fighters in 2010, go get proper management, that's my recommendation to you," said Canada's most successful fight promoter. "If you want to fight in one of the premier MMA organizations in North America, you need to go get proper management."

A press release from the MFC described the decision to cut Prangley from the organization, saying, "The move was required when Prangley violated his contract by signing with two smaller organizations while under contract with the MFC. Prangley�s management was informed of the violation after the first offense, but Prangley agreed to fight again outside of the MFC in blatant disregard of his signed exclusive contact.�

The fighter would later explain that he had asked for dates to fight on other cards "but we just never got it back from them."

The Prangley saga was just one of a series of recent personnel disappointments for the MFC, which has otherwise gone from strength to strength on the back of some high-profile signings of former UFC fighters such as Trevor Lutter, Jason MacDonald, Marvin Eastman, and Thales Leites. Grappling champ Dean Lister is another recent signing, and will take on Leites in the main event of MFC 23 on December 4. The event will be broadcast by HDNet.

Pavelich says he has a good relationship with many managers at the high and mid-level of the fight game, even going so far as to name Florida-based Mickey Dubberly - among others - as being a high quality fighter handler that young grapplers could do well being affiliated with.

But those at the other end of the 'respectrum' didn't get a mention.

"I won't mention their names - I won't give them any validity," he said.

"Too many scumball managers out there are just lying and cheating. You know what? Go back to carrying the bucket for your fighter. Be his buddy. Carry his towel for him, but please don't think that you're a manager."

Pavelich Sports Inc., the parent company of MFC, is planning a February 26 super-show with its feeder promotion, HeatXC. Lineups have not yet been announced, but Pavelich has said he is looking to sign some recognized Korean and Japanese fighters going forward as well as "four big names."

One of those has been rumoured to be recently-released UFC lightweight Josh Neer, who is managed by Dubberly.

Watch the video blog of Mark Pavelich below

Mark Palvich CEO of Maximum Fighting Championship breaks down the importance of MMA Management and recommends KO Dynasty.

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:28:42 -0500

WEC 44 ratings: "Brown vs. Aldo" scores 414,000 viewers on Versus

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:08:16 -0500

This
past week's broadcast of "WEC 44: Brown vs. Aldo" on Versus scored a
0.5 household rating and averaged an audience of 414,000 viewers.

MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the ratings information with Versus officials.

WEC 44 took place Nov. 18 at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Jose Aldo topped WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown in the night's main
event, and Manny Gamburyan edged Leonard Garcia in the co-headliner.

The WEC 44 ratings were similar to those for WEC 43, which drew 419,000
viewers. The Oct. 10 event, which took place at the AT&T Center in San
Antonio, featured Benson's Henderson's decision victory over Donald Cerrone in
the night's main event.

Of course, the WEC and Versus set a ratings record in June 2008 for WEC 34. The
event, which featured a WEC featherweight championship bout between
then-title-holder Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver, scored a 1.4 rating and
averaged 1.54 million viewers. However, the WEC traditionally has drawn
audiences of 400,000 to 500,000 on the cable station.

Versus, though. has been in a bit of a state of flux in recent months after it
was dropped by DirecTV.

However, the WEC bolstered its audience soon after thanks to a recent offering
from the DISH Network, which was announced in September (after the WEC
rescheduled WEC 43 from Sept. 2 to Oct. 10). DISH Network, which boasts
approximately 13.6 million subscribers (compared to DirecTV's 18 million), is
offering Versus for free through Dec. 2 to all new and existing customers.

The WEC also recently expanded its international audience with deals in Australia
and Brazil.

For more on WEC 44,
including the night's official
results, check out the MMA
Events section of MMAjunkie.com.

KO DYNASTY INVADES RENZO GRACIE INVITATIONAL

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:19:01 -0500

KODynasty's fighters gather for a photo opportunity at the October 24th RENZO GRACIE INVITATIONAL and to be featured in an upcoming GRACIE magazine issue.

UFC champ Lesnar has bacterial infection

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:13:36 -0500

- UFC President Dana White said Monday that heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is recovering from a bacterial infection in his intestinal tract.
"He's in stable condition and should be released soon," White said.

Brock Lesnar announced last month he was withdrawing from his Nov. 21 UFC title defense match because of an unspecified illness. (Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images)
Asked if Lesnar was in a Bismarck hospital, White said, "I think he is," but did not want to say which hospital because he wanted to protect Lesnar's privacy.

White said he is encouraging Lesnar to check into the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for further treatment. He also said he did not know if the 32-year-old South Dakota native will fight again.

"It depends on how serious this is," White said.

Bismarck's St. Alexius hospital said Lesnar was not a patient there. The other hospital in the city, Medcenter One, would not confirm or deny he was there.

Lesnar, who grew up on a dairy farm in Webster, S.D., is a former wrestler at Bismarck State College. He lives in Alexandria, Minn.

Lesnar was an NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion, and later wrestled professionally with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. He failed at a bid to play for the Minnesota Vikings.

Lesnar announced last month he was withdrawing from his Nov. 21 UFC title defense match because of an unspecified illness.

White said Monday that Lesnar wanted to thank his fans for support. But he said it's tough to tell how 6-foot-3, 265-pound Lesnar is feeling.

"He's never in good spirits and he's not in good spirits now," White said.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)

Iraq veteran, Marine, and undefeated lightweight phenom Zack Micklewright signs with the WEC

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:48:35 -0500

by Mark Peel on October 29, 2009

Zack Micklewright confirmed today that he has signed a multi-fight contract with the Zuffa owned World Extreme Cagefighting. Although no details were released, Micklewright will likely debut Dec. 19 at WEC 45: Cerrone vs Ratcliff. No opponent has been named.

The undefeated Micklewright is an exciting addition to the lightweight division. The current Marine and Iraq war veteran served as as a mechanic in the armed forces. Since returning to the states in 2008, Micklewright has trained out of the Militich Fighting Systems camp, with famed trainer Pat Miletich. Micklewright is undefeated as a pro at 9-0 after winning the Glory FC: Showdown lightweight championship against Ryan Bixler.

Josh Neer's manager confident about UFC return

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:36:13 -0500

Josh Neer has already had three separate tenures in the UFC. Most likely he will be back.

Nov 1st, 2009

by promma.

ProMMA.info recently spoke with KO Dynasty CEO Mickey Dubberly regarding the UFC’s release of his client Josh Neer (25-9-1) following a unanimous decision loss to Gleison Tibau at UFC 104. Since his UFC debut in 2005, Neer has had ten fights inside the Octagon, and his manager is confident the 26-year-old will have the opportunity to return after a few wins.

Dubberly issued the following statement:

Unfortunately Josh was matched up with fighters that wanted to take him down and lay on him to grind out a victory. If you are going to take Josh down then at least try to finish him, just don�t lay on him and hold him down. Most fighters are not going to want to stand and bang with Josh, and they just want to play it safe, hold him down, and get the win. Josh wants to put on exciting fights, and there is nothing more frustrating to Josh than not to put on an exciting fight for the fans. Right now we have a few offers from different organizations that want to sign Josh immediately so we are just weighing our options, and going with the best opportunity for Josh. Josh will be back in the UFC after he wins a few fights outside the UFC. We appreciate all the support Josh�s fans have given him.