Sources at MMANEWS.COM have reported that Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell was planning to step into the octagon and fight Rashad Evans, as scheduled, in spite of his torn hamstring injury. And that it was Dana White who apparently saved Liddell from himself and fans from a match that could've been a snoozefest. The news goes on to state the following:

 "I was going to fight, too," Liddell says. But then White called and said to forget it, to heal up and come back 100 percent."

So first of all, a deserved kudos for Dana and his looking out for something besides the bottom line. And for likely saving us all from watching Chuck lose and then, afterwards going into that mode a lot of fighters in combat sports go into, "I'm not making excuses but...(INSERT EXCUSE HERE ANYWAY)..." - blaming it on his injury. Fighting through a migraine, yes, that's acceptable. Fighting minus an appendage? Come on Chuck!! How long have you been an athlete? It's differences like that which separates the athlete from the tough guy wannabe fighter guy. A distinction that MMA continues to work towards making clear.

	WATCH THIS CHUCK LIDDELL HIGHLIGHT REEL
	CHECK OUT THE CONTROVERSIAL CALLING OUT OF CHUCK LIDDELL, BY ELITEXC'S KIMBO SLICE

Yacman

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Just when you may have been thinking, "Damn. Josh Barnett is fighting again but it's in Japan and I can't go watch live." BAM! He's back, slated to fight on American soil shortly after his bout against Jeff Monson, at the World Victory Road’s Sengoku II event in Japan.

In what is clearly a rematch most MMA fans would welcome, Barnett looks to even the score by grabbing a rematch win over Pedro Rizzo - keeper of a very heavy right hand.

Barnett admitted Rizzo caught him with one of those 'stop a buick' strong shots, but stated he remains willing, since that loss, to mix it up with Rizzo once again. But this time, Josh noted, he (Barnett) will be knocking Rizzo's ass out.

This could prove to be the fight of the night on the difficult to launch "Affliction" fight card, and if you ask Barnett, he is certain it is. Buddies or not, Josh Barnett says he'll be stealing the spotlight from Fedor Emelianenko on this one.

Ok, they've got my attention now. Here's to hoping Josh Barnett demolishes The Snowman so we get a high spirited, super confident Josh Barnett in the rematch with Pedro Rizzo.

	THE YACMAN INTERVIEWS JOSH BARNETT AT SHOXC
	THE YACMAN INTERVIEWS JOSH BARNETT AT FATAL FEMMES FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP: CRYSTAL BRAWL

Yacman

hyp·o·crite  Pronunciation Key - [hip-uh-krit]

Ok, so with the closing in on the first MMA event to hit network TV, there are tons of opinions swirling around about what it should be, could be, might be, etc. I honestly believe EliteXC has paired up some well-matched fighters in some great fights that will be criticized by some mainly out of their still being skeptical of EliteXC as a brand, not because of the fights themselves. The other guys, while absolutely reliable in putting on great events too, have sold some PPV's that made 102 Dalmations seem worth renting - and it received less criticism, again due to the perceived status of that brand.

Another point you see a lot is the impact of MMA amongst the fringe and casual fans who are being exposed to it the first time. Many, such as CBS (Seems to not)shareholder Sumner Redstone criticise the sport of MMA, deeming it such a brutal thing too harsh to be put on TV. A lot of bloggers online responded stating how violence oriented the CBS line of shows like CSI are, shining a light on what they feel is hipocrisy.

Here's an aspect of the hipocrites that I find beyond odd. And in all fairness, most of them don't think things through for consistency that in-depth so...

Ok...so here's my beef with it.

Parents ALL over America, including my own nephew, go to karate class, study various martial arts and NO ONE says, "Hey, hold on! Why are we teaching them to be violent and fight?" - Instead the general consensus is, "It's a great thing that little Billy learns the discipline, physical and moral values instead of getting in with the wrong crowd." They break boards, yell, "Keeyah!" and all is well in Hipocri-City. But then it happens...and things go bad.

That's right, I'm talking about the mix...as in Mixed Martial Arts. No one wants the thousands of little martial artisits to apply and use their skills in an athletically commissioned event, maybe make some money at it. These combat skills are only acceptible if they're segregated from one another and saved for life-threatening moments on the street.

My big question here is: Where did all of the reverence for the discipline and honor that all of these martial arts academy's instill in the students, go? How did it go from that to brutal, cockfighting?  

This is one way MMA creates a path for thousands to avoid a less desirable path in life, whereas normally this 'out' is only available to our youth if they want to box professionally. Boxing, which I love, has Olympic acceptance - as does wrestling - but that's it. No other combat sport has a path to continue it, with the discipline you are taught and thrive financially. Well ok, pro-wrestling somewhat - but even that's not so great an option, is it?

That's not right to me. If fighting full-on is a bad thing for those to practice any martial arts, then why aren't these 'it's too violent' people protesting Hockey - where fights break out a lot and have nothing to do with the sport. Why not fine them? Cancel games? Exile athletes from the sport? - you know, BE CONSISTENT with the same values you preach elsewhere.

I've said it before and will continue to repeat it - the level of respect, sportsmenship and discipline you see in MMA is almost certainly unparalleled in any other sport. And while I do work in the MMA industry, I am not a fan from the start. I came from boxing, got talked into giving it a chance to see what it's about and then saw the excitement, honor and potential it encompasses.

I'll consider changing my feelings on this when I see folks who send their kids to karate class boycotting and protesting it because they break boards...boards that come from trees...trees that we need for our environment and they're killing the Earth by enabling all of this board breaking!

Ah, what a world.

YACMAN

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lim·it    (lĭm'ĭt)  Pronunciation Key  n.

1. The point, edge, or line beyond which something cannot or may not proceed.

In the past few months of attending and working MMA events around the American Southwest, hearing the words "Team Oyama" and "No Limits" has become unavoidable.

Amidst Southern California;s pleasant weather sits Coach Colin Oyama's huge MMA and Gym facility called NO LIMTS. Imagine a COSTCO bulk products-like store filled with MMA and gym gear...tons of it, and all top quality stuff.

Then imagine a quality coaching staff and crop of talented fighters. Well, ok, no need to imagine that last thing...they've got those, just go and see.

The one thing I could not help but notice is that this camp is making it a point to do two things at all of these events.

1. Represent their gym and the sport of MMA in a disciplined and respectable way.
2. WIN!

In recent events, No Limits Team Oyama has racked up a 12 wins and 1 loss record as a whole. And not just wins when they are the victors. They score serious KO's and submissions too.

Among the win-streak entourage are Bao Quach, Brent Cooper, Giva Santana and Shane Delrosario.

Giva Santana is one of the most humble of MMA fighters you'll see. And what makes it more surreal is his 11-0 record with 10 of those wins coming by way of Arm Bar. Now add more amazement to it...those 10 arm bars came consecutively. He actually said to me, "I'm just Giva Santana. Not sure why they call me The  Arm Collector" - I think I know why!!

It seemed beyond deserving of a write up to note how successful this team, one that  is always media friendly and professional,  has been leading into and going forward in 2008.

Their camp and gym goes by the bold name, NO LIMITS - and so far, they're doing a damn good job at seeming like they just may not have any.

13 QUESTIONS FOR ELITEXC STAR JOEY VILLASENOR

By: Ron 'The Yacman' Yacovetti

WATCH CBS & ELITEXC "SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS" LIVE ON CBS MAY 31st AT 9PM ET/PT!

1. Your career started out at 15-0 – Do you feel you received the respect that kind of start deserves?

Well yeah and actually my career didn’t start at 15-0, I was 3-3 then I won 16 to 17 straight or something like that. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and I’ve been in this sport for a long time, so yeah I think I’ve earned it.

2. You’ve fought for a few of the other guys before signing with EliteXC - how important is the personal and professional treatment of the fighters to you?

I think it’s probably the most important thing - how you're treated by a company and by people in that company.  We’re not a dime a dozen, we’re MMA fighters and we need to be treated with respect in all facets. It sucks when you feel treated like a robot or something.

3. What role do spirituality, family and moral values play in the career and life of Joey Villasenor?

This question is pretty easy, I think that’s why I do it.  I fight, not just for the passion and the love of the sport, but for the love of my friends and my family. I want to share these things with these people. It’s the number one thing. I ain't makin' millions, ya know?

4. At what point in your career did you come into contact with Greg Jackson and how did you know you wanted to work with him?

Early on in my career - about 7 years ago. 7-8 yrs ago I heard about him, met him, then started cross training with him. The rest is history. I moved down to Albuquerque like 5 years ago and I've been with him consistently since then.

5. What changes in your work ethic, style, conditioning do you feel might not be as fine-tuned as they now are, if not for working alongside Greg Jackson?

I would have to say that the biggest thing is my mental game, then being exposed to a lot of great athletes, the physical training and the conditioning.  Nutrition is something that each individual athlete does himself… its not run by the gym, it’s what works for them.

6. Of all the highly talented fighters in your camp, who pushes you the hardest and makes you dig deep during training for a fight?

I think all of us would have the same answer - Mr. Keith Jardine. He’s an animal and the team captain.

7. Which fight taught you the most, good and bad, about yourself as a fighter?

I would have to say the Ninja fight. The Ninja fight really was the biggest fight mentally and physically. I learned a lot from it. We changed my training program and added different conditioning programs. I found out where my limits were and overpushed them in that fight. Similar things happened with the Jensen fight. I think the Ninja fight helped me prepare for the Jensen fight and for these types of fights mentally.

8. Which fighter(s) do you look up to the most and why?

My girlfriend, Holly Holm. She’s a pro boxer and a two time ring magazine female boxer of the year. She trains very hard and she motivates me because she trains so hard.  That makes me feel like I have to go out there and match her. She's young, tough and beautiful. She carries around the weight of being a star athlete in Albuquerque. She’s regarded as the number one female boxer in the world and she handles it great. She’s very inspiring.

9. How important is being the right type of athlete in the eyes of kids, in and out of the cage?

I think it's very important. I think it's one of the most important things out there. I think it's where the word professional comes into play as an athlete - greatness in and outside of the cage. Kids want to be champions, on TV and to do all the things the athletes want to do. We need to show them the right way to carry themselves outside of the sporting event.

10. What’s your favorite joke? – be it a joke book joke, a comedian’s joke you watched, etc.

My favorite joke…hmm, that's hard...one joke that I always tell is this:

A bear and a rabbit are taking a dump next to each other, outside in woods. The bear looks down at the rabbit and asks, "Do you have trouble with shit sticking to your fur?" The rabbit says, "No. Not at all." So the bear grabs the rabbit and and wipes his ass with him.

(A pause - then Joey Laughs Out Loud (LOL)

11. You’ve been called “Smokin’ Joe” and “The Dream-Smasher” – if you were legally allowed only ONE nickname, which would you go with 100% of the time, and why?

Well legally, if I was allowed just one, I’d have to go with 'Smokin Joe' because that is what most people know me as. The Dream Smasher will always be with me in my heart. He will always be my “aka” - but legally it'd be 'Smokin' Joe'.

12. Greg Jackson is respectfully referred to as ‘Yoda’ – if you had to liken other guys in your camp to other Star Wars Characters, who would they be?

Oh shoot let me see....um...(slightly long pause)

Keith Jardine would have to be Chewbacca.
Nate Marquardt would be C-3PO
Mike Winkeljohn (my coach) would be Darth Vader
Rashad Evans would be Jar-Jar Binks
I would be Wicket W. Warrick the little E-wok. The coolest, nicest E-wok.

13. If you could appear in ANY horror movie or franchise like Nightmare on Elm Street (a dream horror movie), which would you want to be in and what would you be doing in it?

Hands down, hands down Friday the 13th. I would be making love to a girl and then just killed, slashed. You know how Jason does it...those damn teens and their makin' love.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH 'A MUST SEE' JOEY VILLASENOR AND GREG JACKSON INTERVIEW

13 QUESTIONS FOR MMA STAR GINA 'CRUSH' CARANO 

WATCH CBS & ELITEXC "SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS" LIVE ON CBS MAY 31st AT 9PM ET/PT!

1. If Gina Carano wasn’t a full-time fighter, what would she likely be doing for a living?
Maybe a journal photographer across seas, possibly a race car driver, a stunt woman, a writer, an artist.. ha who knows.

2. If you could be on any other reality show other than American Gladiators, which one would it be?
I wanna do Dancing with the Stars.. haa I know big surprise there huh.

3. One thing about the world you’d love to change if you could?
Tradegies.

4. What would you say is the most common mistake any fighter makes in preparation for an MMA fight?
Being mentally messed up.

5. If you could do a fight scene in a blockbuster feature film, what genre of movie would it be (Sci-fi, Action, Horror, etc) and what actor/actress would you love to do the fight scene with?
A Braveheart, Apocalypto, type movie..  fight against Steven Seagal... 

6. What about a male or female fighter would make you want to train them if they asked you to?
I asked to train with Randy Couture and it happened Im pretty set. I think it would be awesome to train with Buakow the Thai fighter also and definetly more females.

7. What sports do you enjoy watching outside of MMA or Muay Thai?
I don’t really.. the X Games are cool though.

8. Where is one place you’ve always wanted to visit but haven’t yet?
Prague… Australia… South Africa

9. If you could go back in time and kick the ass of any bad person in history, at any time period, who would it be?
Hitler

10. What part of training do you look forward to the most?
The learning part. Physically, mentally, spiritually.

11. If you could dictate what three words people used to describe you as a person and fighter, overall, what three words would best do the job?
Unpredictable, Focused, Silly

12. In real life, if you come across a Freddy Krueger/Jason Vorhees from Friday the 13th monster – would your fight training make you feel any less scared then most people would?
Ya, I’de be a little freaked out but Id drag Freddy back into my world and choke him out.

13. Would you kick a monster like that even once just to see if it worked, then run?
Yeah. I don’t like to feel fear that’s why I fight, I like to get it out of my system that way.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THIS HISTORY MAKING EVENT on CBS MAY 31st!

It happens in combat sports more often than fans of MMA or Boxing would like. A fight just starts getting good, just starts heating up, or in some cases...just gets started and BAM - we hear that phrase even the fighters don't like, "...the ref calls a halt to this bout"In the moment nothing could irritate you more - but it wouldn't be fair to go any further with this greivence before pointing out that (A) there are stoppages fans will boo until they pass out from loss of air...and they're wrong. Some fights are best stopped. And (B) despite the ugly rumors and statements you may read online and in print, promoters like Gary Shaw DO care about the well-being of the fighters and that influence may cause some officials to stop a fight before realizing that they shouldn't have at all yet.Could be many referees don't want to see fighters hurt as well as not wanting to be associated with the 'should've been stopped' fight that ended up in an untimely death.

In the past few weeks there have been at least three fights that could have been allowed to go on, yet the official in the cage saw it differently.  Each of the three instances saw the crowd on hand very much, dissatisfied by the end being declared. And what are the three fights?

Parisyan vs. Alves (UFC)
Malaipet vs. Denny (ShoXC)
Hamman vs. Suganuma (ShoXC)

Of these three it appeared Parisyan was the best candidate for being declared beaten against Thiago Alves, though he did seem ok to go on shortly after it was done. It just left you feeling incomplete because at the time, Karo had controlled the fight entirely until that moment, so suddenly it looked like this would be a nice back and forth match-up and it's done.

Thomas "the Wildman" Denny dominated the hell out of Malaipet, who was reminded Muay Thai isn't a ground fighting style, then threw in the towel due to strikes behind his head. Many thought it was BS, many agreed a hurt fighter should not fight on - but it may have been Denny's mixed message that did him the greatest disservice.

Just after the stoppage he told Stephen Quadros he was ready to go, wanted to fight but the lumps behind his head, he couldn't turn his head, etc - All people heard was his saying he was ready to go and wouldn't. Was Denny so hurt he couldn't fight on? Only he really knows but the stoppage sure did leave a near orgasmic audience with an unfulfilled feeling.
 

Lastly is Jared Hamman against Po'ai Suganuma. Clearly Po'ai saw Hamman's aggressive game plan and raised him one. Wow what a fast start! And Po'ai is very accurate, quick and attuned to his defensive needs when letting loose with such fury. He rocked Hamman with a right, then a flying knee that made Croching Tiger's special effects look weak. Jared Hamman hit the canvas, covered up...Po'ai pounced on top of him and before letting a single shot off, the referee waived him off - it was over.

What bothered many of us cage-side was the face that this ref, who has done a lot of boxing, didn't appear to look at Hamman at all. A stoppage is an assessment based on the opinion that a fighter cannot continue, defend himself, etc - so how do you make that call without looking at who it is you're considering unable to continue??

It also didn't hurt to see a clear minded Hamman on his feet and pissed off because the fight was over. Po'ai Suganuma should NOT be looked at unfavorably in any way because of this. The one thing he did to contribute to this stoppage was to beat down Hamman incredibly fast and extremely undaunted. But again, Jared Hamman never had a chance to show he couldn't protect himself from guard, lay and pray, rest...then scramble and fight on, possibly scoring his own KO to win.

To quote someone who says it the best, "You must protect yourselves at all times" - Oh wait...that's the ref who says that. I wonder if sometimes he isn't just talking to himself.

Wasn't it fairly recent when Paul "Semtex" Daley retired in his 20's, at the pinnacle of his impressive rise into the upper echelon? Wasn't it not too long ago that the question mark and TBA in this adjacent image would've ALL be placed upon the photo of Paul Daley?

So what's all this coming back business then??

Ok, if you like dynamic strikers in MMA, you cannot dislike Paul "Semtex" Daley. He's a guy you look at and wonder how far his potential goes, because you cannot realize his limits as of yet. Then coming off an impressive win at ShoXC in Atlantic City, NJ, where Paul scored a sweet KO via stand up elbow strike, he announces his retirement.

Everyone was like, "What??!" And everyone seemed to also include Paul now...

Suddenly he's defending his Cage Rage Belt on CRC 26 in London. And while his opponent is yet to be announced, one thing is for certain...Paul Daley's retirement is going to be a bitch. Apparently it includes a lot of fighting, cages, fans, training - phew! Maybe he can book a trip on Carnival Cruises and play some shuffleboard like veteran retireees do.

I for one am so, so glad to see his return. He's exciting and a tremendous athlete that commands respect from his conduct in and out of the cage. I'm just so over this whole 'retired' back in a flash crap. Ok, ok, we get it - you need a break. When my wife irritates the crap out of me I don't get a divorce, then cool down, think things through and arrange a whole new wedding - and then REPEAT!

Just to put an end to guys who do not discern between a BREAK and RETIRING, how about a mandatory time off and penalty to come back in less time than that, so we can at least get the terminology straight.

Yacman

PS: Welcome back Paul. Welcome back...

ShoXC Main Event succumbs to Clerical Error?

In what turned out to be a on- sided bout, Thomas 'The Wildman' Denny got the WIN he was after...he just happend to win by not fighting on.

In a single round of action that had Malaipet slightly more involved than the fans in the audience, Thomas Denny shined a spotlight on the one foreseeable flaw in the Thai fighter's incredible game...no ground offense.

It is quite noteworthy how Malaipet was able to maintain his breathing in what appeared to be a deep choke. And how he defended himself enough to avoid a ref stoppage via TKO while eating elbow after elbow hurled at him, compliments of the Wildman.

But it was the outcome that had fans angry, disappointed and stunned.

Some felt Denny 'could' fight on and didn't, subscribing to the notion that he was unnerved by the face Malaipet took all of that abuse, only to sieze an opening and get back to his feet as the round closed. That's what had everyone there at Chumas Casino wanting more!

Malaipet was the Jason Vorhees of MMA - just when you think he's been pummeled into oblivion - BAM - he's back for another round.

So with that kind of action, what went wrong? Malaipet siezed Thomas Denny's mistake then in true casino fashion, upped the ante and made a few of his own. His knee to Denny's head, then 3 strike in a north-south manner - 2 of which landed behind the Wildman's head - cost him any chance to continue. In his post fight interview with Stephen Quadros, Malaipet uttered the words, "...didn't know the rules" - THAT is not only a bit absurd, but totally unforgivable.

Malaipet is a cool and honroable guy - no question. But you have to know the rules when you enter a different sport. You have to. So a great night of fights was capped off with some anti-climax because he didn't know the rules. Too bad for all of us. Round 2 would've been nice to see.

And if you think for a minute the whole 'not knowing the rules' makes it ok - just imagine Michael Jordan coming back into the NBA after playing MLB and incorporating the use of a wooden bat on the court because he didn't know the rule difference between the two unique sports.

You gotta READ THE RULE BOOK before you play the game. Ignorance is not a free pass for a violation.

YACMAN