Haselrig Defeats Ott Amid Controversy

Ex-NFL player Carlton Haselrig defeated IFL veteran Shane Ott at BCX 4 on Saturday night in Atlantic City, with Haselrig pounding out an impressive TKO win in only his first MMA fight. But the victory wasn't without controversy, as the former Pittsburgh Steeler was permitted to wear a football helmet and shoulder pads in the cage - something which may have given him an unfair advantage. "We're looking into it," said an official with the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board. "If we find that Haselrig's hard plastic helmet with facemask and full shoulder pads did in fact give him a competitive edge, appropriate action will be taken." No word yet on what that action may be, although it would likely mean the bout would be ruled a "no contest" and Haselrig would have to take back his touchdown victory dance.

BodogFIGHT: Where Did It Go Wrong?

Recent reports indicate that billionaire Calvin Ayre's BodogFIGHT is in its final death throes. This news - while disappointing - doesn't come as a shock, as industry insiders have been witnessing the promotion hemorrhage money since its inception in 2006. Where did BodogFIGHT go wrong? Some may point to the dismal pay-per-view buy rates for their "USA vs. Russia" and "Clash of Nations" shows, the poorly-attended "Alvarez vs. Lee" event, or the ill-conceived reality TV series broadcast on the barely-watched ION Television network. However, one thing above all else was the biggest nail in BodogFIGHT's coffin: the size of the food and drink spread backstage. At their event in Trenton, New Jersey, a hot buffet of sliced roast beef, roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables complimented a large selection of fresh fruit, juice and granola bars - an offering that, though appreciated, was both excessive and unnecessary. Is there a direct correlation between the success of an organization and the free grub it provides? During Zuffa's early years of UFC ownership they went overboard with their backstage fingerfoods; they have since mended their ways and now thrive. Conversely, Pride's own catered spread was legendary. Where are they now? Even the IFL has wised up, offering up a stack of pizzas to the press and nothing more. When an autopsy is performed on BodogFIGHT, analysts will no doubt claim that losses outstripped profits or similar financial mumbo-jumbo. But smaller promotions succeeded with far less in terms of resources - and they only handed out bottles of water.

Bisping Talks Trash. I Think.

Although the welterweight title bout between Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre headlines UFC 83 this weekend, the middleweight match-up of TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping and TUF 4 veteran Charles McCarthy has garnered quite a bit of attention - due in no small part Bisping's knack for trash talking. MMA Journalist caught up with the articulate Brit to get his thoughts on his upcoming fight. "My read and write? I'm telling you, mate, the bloke's brown bread." Is Bisping concerned at all with McCarthy's jiu-jitsu? "Ha! E's a vertical bacon sandwich, e' is. Always rabbitting on about something, but the ginger will quiet up once I punch 'im in the mincer and give 'im an ocean liner. Know wha' I mean, geezah? Now excuse me, but I 'ave one in the departure lounge and 'ave to float a sausage to the seaside."

St. Pierre Out to Prove There's More to Canada Than Snow and Maple Syrup

Georges St. Pierre will finally get his rematch against welterweight champ Matt Serra at this Saturday's UFC 83 in Montreal, but to the young Canadian there's more to the bout than simple revenge. For on April 19th, St. Pierre intends to show the world that he's the best 170-pounder out there - and he wants to prove that there's more to his native country than just snow and maple syrup. "We are a proud people full of culture and refinement," said the former champ from his log cabin in the Yukon. With his pet moose "Matilda" grunting in the background, St. Pierre continued. "We do not sit around and speak French and wear fur hats all the time. We also train very, very hard in the mixed martial arts. You will see. At UFC 83, I will put down my poutine - which is a popular Quebecois dish consisting of french fries, cheese curds and gravy - and reclaim the belt that was mine."

An Honest Review of YAMMA Pit Fighting

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Proving Grounds: The New Kid on the Amateur MMA Block

"Proving Grounds" is the latest amateur MMA promotion to sprout up, and it's the child of veteran promoters Lou Neglia & Ray Longo. On Saturday night, representatives from some of the top fight teams in New York and New Jersey stepped into the cage at the Recreation Center in Rahway. A good time was had by all.

An Ode to MMA's Mystery Men

They come out of nowhere to headline a local event or appear on some big show undercard. They possess enough raw talent and skill to kick serious ass, and when the dust settles fans are left scratching their heads, wondering where the hell these guys came from. They are MMA's mystery men, and whether they've spent the last few years mixing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai or toiling on the mats in some isolated Russian conclave, they have always been the X-factors of the sport. On this week's "Iron Ring", Northeast mystery man and jiu-jitsu brown belt JoJo Guarin got royally screwed out of a submission win but looked great in process, while sambo specialist Oleg Savitsky will step into the cage to throw down at this Friday's YAMMA event in Atlantic City. And though they might not be carbon copies of the sport's greatest mystery man in BJ Penn (who emerged from the shadows at UFC 31 to dominate and become one of the best), fighters like Guarin and Savitsky - and Billy Craparo, Shannon McGee and countless others - will always be the secret ingredient in MMA's recipe for success.

A Very Brief Interview with Randy Couture

Wayward UFC champ Randy Couture was at the IFL's "New Blood, New Battles" event in New Jersey on Friday to corner Jay Hieron, and while holding the door to the front entrance of the arena open for the fighting legend, MMA Journalist conducted this very brief interview before the show.

MMA Journalist: "Hey man."

Couture: "Hey stud."

MMA Journalist: "How you doing?"

Couture: "I'm doing good."

MMA Journalist: "Cool."

Jim Miller Makes IFL Rue the Day They Signed Him

If the International Fight League is a parade, then Jim Miller is rain. At the IFL's "New Blood, New Battles" event at the IZOD Center on Friday, incumbent star Bart Palaszewski - one of the organization's top 155-pound fighters - stepped into the ring against Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu representative Miller and was completely handled for all three rounds. How badly was he handled? After the event, four crates of "Bartimus is #1" giant foam fingers were found in a dumpster behind the arena, and it's rumored that IFL founder Kurt Otto approached Palaszewski backstage and demanded the Midwest Combat fighter repay all the money the organization had spent on promoting him. Yes, Miller is a definite monkey wrench in whatever works the IFL had in mind for their lightweight division, and with champ Ryan Schultz taking on Miller's teammate Deividas Taurosevicius (a bout that Schultz will likely lose), the only logical match-up left for Miller is Chris Horodecki - which means the value of another heavily-pushed IFL star will be reduced to zero. Miller, with his seamless wrestling and jiu-jitsu, is destined to make the IFL rue the day they signed him.

Official EliteXC/Strikeforce Salaries

MMA Journalist has obtained a list of the official salaries paid to competitors for Saturday night's EliteXC/Strikeforce event in San Jose, California. As was reported to the California State Athletic Commission, the Frank Shamrock/Cung Le-headlined show drew a "shitload" of fans (a "crapload" of which paid for tickets), making this one of the company's most successful outings to date. The total payroll was listed as "a pittance". The salary figures are as follows:
-Cung Le (who defeated Shamrock): $10,000 in gold doubloons, a signed copy of Stephen King's "It" and the soundtrack to "Grease-The Original Broadway Cast" on 8-track tape. -Frank Shamrock: $3,000 worth of strippers. -Drew Fickett (who defeated Jae S. Lim): 1,000 pesos, an electric moustache trimmer and a gigantic wheel of aged swiss cheese. -Jae S. Lim: one square meal. -Gilbert Melendez (who defeated Gabe Lemley): $40.67 and the complete "Lord of the Rings" DVD box set. -Gabe Lemley: a pack of smokes. -Wayne Cole (who defeated Mike Kyle): $800 worth of food stamps plus the respect and adulation of the MMA community. -Mike Kyle: Rorion Gracie's "The Basics of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Volume 1" on Betamax. -Joey Villasenor (who defeated Ryan Jensen): a red 1982 Volkswagon Bug with tinted windows. -Ryan Jensen: a Team Quest T-shirt. -Billy Evangelista (who defeated Marlon Sims): the leadership position in Sim's underground-dwelling band of mutants known as the "Morlocks". -Marlon Sims: the right to add five more streetfighting victories to his record. -Tiki Ghosn, Luke Stewart, Darren Uyenoyama, Anthony Figueroa, Jesse Jones and Jesse Gillespie weren't paid anything, and actually gave EliteXC/Strikeforce officials money to compete on the card.