BCX3 to Feature First MMA Death on US Soil

Watching Carlos Moreno fight is like watching a clip from "World's Scariest Police Chases". Why? Because no matter what happens, you know someone is about to get fucked up. This Saturday, at Battle Cage Xtreme III in Atlantic City, Moreno will turn on the siren and flashing lights, and his DWI-speeding-riding around in a pickup truck with two tires blown out and sparks cascading off the rims-opponent will be UFC vet Kevin Jordan. How's this one going to end? Well, Moreno's only loss was to a Matt Serra-trained submission specialist - and Jordan is no Serra-trained submission specialist. You can bet the dangerous Rhino Fight Team slugger won't be the one rolling his vehicle six times before it crashes into an embankment and bursts into flames.

Couture to UFC: "Don't Tase Me, Bro."

Randy Couture, legendary competitor and current UFC heavweight champ, announced today that he is resigning from the promotion - a move that includes giving up his title, his gig as a commentator, and foregoing the last two bouts on his contract. It's a turn of events that comes as a shock to fans worldwide, and coupled with the news that the highly sought-after Pride champ Fedor Emeliankenko signed with M-1 and not the UFC, it's undoubtedly a blow to the uber-popular MMA organization. However, Couture's departure is neither unprecedented, nor entirely unexpected. In 1998, he left the organization (then owned by SEG, not Zuffa) over a contract dispute, returning to the Octagon in 2000, and he retired briefly in 2006 only to return in 2007. Also, at a recent press conference, Couture attempted to ask UFC president Dana White a question, but was assaulted by security guards wielding tasers. Besides acting and coaching, what's next for Couture? Where does this leave the UFC and how will they fill their now-vacant heavyweight champion slot? Sadly, for fans of the athlete and the promotion, only time will tell.

IFL Grand Prix Becomes Petit Prix

Contract renegotiations can be a real bitch, as the IFL found out recently when it came time to re-sign heavyweight star Ben Rothwell and light-heavyweight Mike Whitehead for the 2008 season. Apparently, this Monte Cox character is a tough customer in terms of managing fighters, and Rothwell and Whitehead did not sign on the dotted line at the appointed hour - prompting IFL head honcho Kurt Otto to go to "Plan B" and proclaim that he wouldn't let his November 3rd IFL Grand Prix event be held hostage. Mr. Otto, welcome to the business of mixed martial arts. With the loss of Rothwell and Whitehead, as well as the announcement that Andre Gusmao and Mark Miller are out with injuries, the much-anticipated Grand Prix has become more of a Petit Prix. Here's hoping the live one-hour broadcast goes off flawlessly.

New York State Athletic Commission Remains Powerless, Impotent: Part 2

The latest edition of the Underground Combat League - NYC's only MMA event - was last night. A film crew from Channel 2 News was there to capture all the fun.

New York State Athletic Commission Remains Powerless, Impotent: Part 1

Like the Galactic Empire, the New York State Athletic Commission has done its best to rule with an iron fist, quashing upstart MMA events wherever they can with Unconsolidated Law 8905(2) - the statutory equivalent of the Death Star. But the Rebel Alliance has survived thanks to the few promoters who have kept up the fight. Their efforts have helped countless aspiring fighters test themselves, as well as enabled jiu-jitsu black belt Emerson Souza, IFL heavyweight Bryan Vetell and UFC rising star Frankie Edgar get their first tastes of combat. How soon until the Death Star explodes while a million Ewoks watch and cheer? Sadly, that will take some wrangling in the Imperial Senate. But if the MMA event that took place on an Indian reservation in Upstate New York last weekend is of any indication, the NYSAC continues to remain powerless and impotent in the face of those who are truly passionate about mixed martial arts.

Kimbo Slice is Not Dead

Despite what you might have heard, Kimbo Slice is not dead. After the Cage Fury Fighting Championship released a fight poster containing the image of a barefoot Kimbo walking with a priest, an undertaker and a gravedigger (see inset), rumors began circulating that the legendary streetfighter had passed away. However, MMA Journalist has confirmed with a CFFC spokesman that Kimbo - who is scheduled to face David "Tank" Abbott at the promotion's October 12th Atlantic City show - is indeed alive and kicking. The event, to air live on the Internet, features the "Kimbo vs. Tank" marquee bout as well as the long-awaited return of Ricardo Almeida and the MMA debut of kickboxing stars Duke Rufus and Derek Panza.

Frank Shamrock Still Totally Edgy and Relevant

Frank Shamrock, hot on the heels of a dominant performance against Renzo Gracie and a victory over an injured Phil Baroni, dazzled fans with his razor-sharp wit at Saturday's "Strikeforce at the Mansion" - and proved he's still every bit as edgy and relevant as he was years ago. The old-school UFC champ pulled no punches when he declared Josh Thomson to be the first "openly gay fighter" in the sport. It was a remark that was comedic gold, and it enriched what would have otherwise been a mediocre Internet broadcast of the MMA event held at the Playboy Mansion. MMA Journalist tips its hat to Shamrock, a man who continues to be beacon of class in a sea of douche bags.

MMA Paparazzi Zack Lynch Not Afraid to Run You Off the Road for a Good Photo Op

Zack Lynch did not sneak into a dressing room before a show to slip crystal meth into Jerry Spiegel's water bottle, nor did he hide in the bushes outside Joe Lauzon's house for three days or set fire to a hotel and snap pictures of the fleeing fighters. Lynch, part-time FCF lensman and full-time camera-ronin, did not do any of these things for the sake of a good photo opportunity. Yet. But give the man - who's a cross between Ansel Adams, Dennis Hopper's photojournalist character in "Apocalypse Now", and the paparazzi that may or may not have played a role in Princess Diana's death - some time. Until then, check out his work at mmaphotography.com.

Nakamura's Failed Drug Test at UFC 76 Raises Important Question

Controversy continues to dog mixed martial arts. Earlier this week, the California State Athletic Commission announced that Pride veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura tested positive for marijuana for his UFC 76 bout, resulting in a three-month suspension and a $500 fine for the colorful judoka. However, the failed drug test has done more than just polarize a sport already in turmoil over allegations of steroid abuse and witchcraft. The Nakamura incident has shined a spotlight on the sport's dark underbelly, and raised an all-important question: how good is the weed in Japan? I mean, is it like the legendary grass they have in Hawaii? Does it compare to the grade-A herb of Amsterdam? I doubt it, because when I think of Japan, I picture stodgy businessmen drunk on sake and Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson wandering through back alleys - not epic doobers of Cheech and Chong-level ganja. Stay tuned while MMA Journalist chases down an answer.

Uproar as TUF 6 Coach Matt Hughes Practices Witchcraft on Show

The second episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Season Six", which aired last night on SpikeTV and featured coach Matt Hughes practicing witchcraft, has left the MMA world up in arms over what many perceive to be a gratuitous mixing of sports and religion. In the episode, the former welterweight champ sacrificed a goat in the Octagon while chanting over a smoking cauldron. Did Hughes go too far? By encouraging his team to dance around a bonfire blazing within the UFC Training Center, was Hughes imposing his beliefs on the aspiring fighters? "I felt a little uncomfortable but I didn't have a problem saying no," said TUF 6 competitor Mac Danzig in a phone interview. He was seen foregoing the rituals, and in a subsequent training session was forced to wear a crown of thorns. "Yeah, that sucked," said Danzig. With last night's episode, Hughes joins former TUF coaches Ken Shamrock (who suggested his charges eat babies) and Randy Couture (who led his team on a Las Vegas crime spree that resulted in two bank robberies and a carjacking) as controversial reality TV personalities.