This week’s announcement that Forza, LLC, a subsidiary of Zuffa, LLC (which owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand) purchased Strikeforce has stunned the mixed martial arts community.  The move is arguably the most significant development in the sport since Zuffa’s acquisition of PRIDE in 2008, and solidifies Zuffa’s position as the largest MMA company in the world.

This week’s “Inside MMA” covers all the angles on this major breaking news story, including interviews with all the principals involved in the deal.

First, Mike Straka talks to UFC President Dana White about the acquisition and what it means for the sport then Bas Rutten and Strikeforce President Scott Coker discuss how the deal came together and where the promotion will go from here.

Also, Ron Kruck takes a look back at the two organizations and gathers reaction from the fighters about what this consolidation will mean for them.

“Inside MMA” is committed to giving viewers more insight into the top stories than any other outlet,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “Bas’ exclusive interview with Scott Coker goes deeper than anything you have seen so far.  You’ve read the headlines and heard the sound bites, now tune in this Friday to go inside the story and find out what it means for the fighters, fans and the sport.”

“Inside MMA” airs this Friday night at 9:00 p.m. ET on HDNet.

And, HDNet will post a special ONLINE ONLY edition of “Inside MMA” which will be available at http://www.hd.net/blogs/2011/03/inside-mma-511/ immediately following the telecast.  Dominick Cruz, Phil Baroni, and Trevor Whitman will join Kenny and Bas to breakdown UFC 128, plus Ron Kruck has comments from Jon Jones and Shogun Rua.

Tequila CAZADORES and UFC invited fans (21+) to decide the Tequila CAZADORES Spirit Award winner for UFC 123.  Consumers had the opportunity to vote online at UFC.com for the fighter they thought demonstrated social responsibility, dedication to their art form, and good sportsmanship; the core values behind the Tequila CAZADORES brand and its sponsorship with UFC.

Miguel’s win was announced LIVE on February 5, 2011 , at UFC 126 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada as well as on Pay-Per-View during the fighter’s walk out to the Octagon™.  Tequila CAZADORES congratulates Miguel on his win and would like to thank the increasingly growing number of fans for voting and supporting the Tequila CAZADORES Spirit Award.

A graduate of Purdue University, Miguel Angel Torres has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and specializes in Muay Thai Kick Boxing.  Prior to his career in Mixed Martial Arts, he worked as a Radiologist’s assistant for five years.  His experience working in a hospital setting inspired Miguel to raise awareness for breast cancer.  As the winner of the Tequila CAZADORES Spirit Award, Tequila CAZADORES presented Miguel with a plaque and a check for a $1,000 donation made in his name to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Miguel’s work-ethic in and out of the Octagon are an inspiration to us at Tequila CAZADORES,” said Fannie Young, vice president and brand managing director, Tequila CAZADORES,  ”Miguel’s dedication to his craft and strong, competitive spirit make him the perfect recipient of this award.  We are proud to honor such a talented fighter who embodies the core values of our brand.”

Tequila CAZADORES is the Official Spirit Sponsor of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).  UFC is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization (MMA) that offers a premier series of MMA sporting events.  The Tequila CAZADORES Spirit Award is an honor that is presented to the UFC fighter who best exemplifies social responsibility, commitment to the MMA art form, or good sportsmanship.  Each month the winning fighter is presented with a plaque and a $1,000 check from Tequila CAZADORES to the fighter’s charity of choice.

Past winners of the Tequila CAZADORES Spirit Award are:

• Forrest Griffin – May 23, 2009
• Rich Franklin – June 15, 2009
• Randy Couture – July 13, 2009
• Kenny Florian  – Aug. 7, 2009
• Nate Marquardt – Aug. 28, 2009
• Tito Ortiz – Sept. 19, 2009
• Brandon Vera – Oct. 23, 2009
• Cain Velasquez – Nov. 20, 2009
• Frank Mir – Dec. 11, 2009
• Brian Stann – Feb. 5, 2010
• Brian Stann (culmination award) – March 25, 2010
• Diego Sanchez – May 27, 2010
• Kurt Pellegrino – July 1, 2010
• Clay Guida – Aug. 4, 2010
• Kenny Florian – Aug. 28, 2010
• Matt Serra – Sept. 25, 2010
• Brendan Schaub – Oct. 21, 2010
• Tim Boetsch – November 20, 2010
• Miguel Angel Torres – February 5, 2011

In front of assembled media and fans at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, White broke the news that former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and UFC Hall of Fame member Chuck Liddell, a true pioneer and legend in the sport, is retiring from competing in the UFC.

White’s announcement however, was not about the end of a career, but rather just a change in Liddell’s future, because White also announced that Liddell is UFC’s new Executive Vice President of Business Development.

“Chuck is the perfect example of a UFC athlete, someone who is smart inside the Octagon and smart in business,” White said. “With his background and expertise, Chuck is exactly the guy we need to work with regulators in existing and new jurisdictions, and work with all of the UFC athletes, as we grow this business around the world.

“Many people helped get us to where we are today,” White continued. “But there has been one guy that really stands out, as a great fighter, a great champion, a great partner, and a great friend.  So I am thrilled to announce that Chuck is now one of our top executives.”

At today’s live press conference for UFC 125, Liddell took to the podium to express his gratitude for the support shown by the UFC, his fans, family, and friends during his career. He also spoke of his desire to make an immediate impact in his new role by helping UFC continue its global expansion.

“I love the sport and I’m excited to go into a new stage in my life and keep promoting something that I love,” Liddell said. “I’ve enjoyed everything about being a professional athlete and a UFC champion. At this point in my life though, the real challenge for me is to continue helping the UFC become the global powerhouse that we all know it will become. I look forward to working with everyone at the UFC, especially all of the fighters, to make the UFC the biggest and most successful sports organization.”

UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta noted that Liddell’s duties will include work on fighter relations and government regulation throughout the U.S. and internationally, but that Liddell’s main focus would be on developing new business for the company.

Liddell began fighting in the UFC in 1998 and is a legend in MMA with a career that has included a stellar run as a world class athlete, gym owner, trainer, and Coach on Seasons 1 and 11 of The Ultimate Fighter.  In addition, Liddell graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with an Accounting degree.  So, Liddell’s combination of business acumen and athlete spirit makes him perfectly suited to work at UFC, the fastest growing sports organization in the world.

Competitors of all martial arts styles will be given an opportunity to represent their city or state team and compete for the National Championship — The Kumite.

“For over sixty years, martial artists have honed their skills in one-on-one combat in hopes of being the best of the best, or becoming the next Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee,” said Dexter Kennedy, President of the National Martial Arts League (NMAL). “But so far no one, including investors, has yet to reap the rewards this sport can generate when it breaks out of its current limitations.”

The NMAL is poised to propel this exciting sport to a new level by bringing the fragmented martial arts world into organized events culminating in city/state championships across the nation. It provides a controlled scoring environment to standardize competition for male and female martial artists, ages 18 and over.

“This is a true ground-floor opportunity in sports team franchising,” Kennedy said. “Franchises may be owned by an individual, partnership, corporation or existing martial arts school, and each franchise operates autonomously within the NMAL. This is one of the most affordable franchises to own and operate in professional sports today.”

The NMAL is making a powerful move toward professionalizing the sport into state and national-level recognition. It offers the masses another venue choice for spectator entertainment. And, it creates niche market advertising and sponsorship opportunities for corporations and franchises.

Each team develops its own identity and logo, and owns team tryout rights for its defined and protected territory to secure team members, coaches, trainers, etc. The teams compete locally, regionally and nationally with other NMAL teams, like other major league sports.

As a team owner, franchisees are required to support The Kumite’s mission of “making people better for life,” by either establishing a new Kumite Fightclub martial arts studio or converting their existing school to a Kumite Fightclub martial arts instruction and training facility.

Like most martial arts schools, Kumite Fightclubs offer traditional structured white-to-blackbelt certification programs. But, Kumite Fightclubs also provide solution-based programs designed to resolve real community issues, including stress, domestic violence, bullying and obesity.

The Don’t Bully Me Program empowers children and teens who feel threatened by bullies to take a stand by learning positive solutions to resolve conflicts. Other programs include onsite self-defense for businesses, courses that educate women on how to fight back and regain control over domestic violence, health and fitness solutions for child/teen/adult obesity, and a teen social network called TeenScene.

“The NMAL recently conducted a full review of its business model, molding new strategies to better serve the long-term success of the league and franchises,” said Kennedy. “Each year of operation and success will enhance the overall team operation and add value to the teams and franchises.”

http://www.thekumite.com/

Source: National Martial Arts League

Krav Maga can be learned by anyone, quickly and easily. Around 2 years ago, partners Lee Rivnay and Amir Student took Krav Maga training online by launching KravMagaBootCamp.Com.

“When we started this site almost 2 years ago, internet experts were telling us that people wouldn’t subscribe to a video site when there was already so much material out there on Youtube and DVDs. Apparently they were dead wrong, as our traffic has doubled in the last year, and more and more folks (some of them Krav Maga instructors themselves) are turning to our site for their Krav Maga training. What we offer, that DVDs just can’t offer, is the fact that we are constantly striving to keep our materials updated and up to speed with the current methodologies and best practices of Krav Maga.”

“It’s great to see that others have followed in our footsteps, and are offering MMA training online, as well as other forms of online self defense training. What I think sets us apart from the pack is our attention to detail in production, coupled with the best Krav Maga instructors out there. Ran Nakash – our first instructor – headed up the Krav Maga training division of the Israeli Army, and was featured on the Discovery Channel.”

In upcoming months we are planning to launch a second Krav Maga training site, which will feature more great training and we are planning on celebrating Imi Lichtenfeld’s (the founder of Krav Maga) 100th Birthday with some special events soon to be announced.

Bare Knuckle Brawlers features no-holds-barred combat in an interactive venue where viewers will not only determine which fighters are matched but also who ultimately wins each contest. In addition, viewers can chat with other viewers live during the broadcast, making the experience truly interactive.

Bare Knuckle Brawlers is ushering in a new era in human combat, with un-sanitized, no-holds-barred fights between highly skilled fighters. The broadcast will also feature between-fight entertainment, including a ring-girl bikini contest where the viewers will vote for the winner, and a rock concert.

Bare Knuckle Brawlers will deviate from the current “mainstream” Mixed Martial Arts product in a number of ways. First, there will be no preference given to any one style of fighting, MMA or otherwise. All styles of fighting will be welcomed with separate rules governing each style. Second, the past several months have been spent previewing some of the top bare knuckle fighters in the country in an attempt to find the twenty best. Many of these exhibition bouts have taken place in warehouses and backyards, with video posted online. The voting public will then match these fighters up for the live broadcast. Finally, because the broadcast will be live over the Internet, anyone anywhere is the world with internet access can watch the event for the low price of $9.99.

Gregg Geddes, spokesman for MatchFights, explained, “The intent of MatchFights and its Bare Knuckle Brawlers property is to take fighting back to its roots — the way grandpa used to do it on the docks to scrape up enough cash to feed his family. While we applaud the efforts of the major MMA organizations to become recognized by the mainstream, we appreciate that there is a segment of the population that has no interest in sanctioned fights between contract fighters. We want to offer the fights that fans want: karate vs. tae kwon do, street fighters vs. professional boxers — the matchups are limitless. MatchFights will provide a clear alternative to the existing product, with true human combat presented in the highest quality high definition format. Viewers will not feel left out and short changed since they will have the ability to choose the match-ups that are broadcast and even help to determine the winners with their votes.

“We look forward to presenting our first live broadcast on September 25th and encourage those interested in real, bare-knuckle combat to visit our website and register for the events at our low introductory price. Visitors can also see some preliminary demo fights, which do not have the production values or film quality that the live events will have, but they do showcase some of the fighters we expect to see on September 25th,” he added.

To register for the inaugural Bare Knuckle Brawlers events, or to try out to fight for Bare Knuckle Brawlers, please visit http://www.bkbfightclub.com/.

Source: MatchFights, LLC

HDNet to broadcast “HDNet Fights Presents HEIWA DREAM 10 Welterweight Grand Prix 2009, Final Round,” Monday, July 20, 12:00 a.m. PT. The event airs LIVE from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. HDNet will also air an encore presentation on Friday, July 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

The event features the conclusion of the Dream Welterweight Grand Prix as the legendary Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (35-8-2) meets Marius Zaromskis (9-2) and Andre Galvao (3-0) meets Jason High (7-1) in semi-final action with the winners advancing to face each other in the final later in the evening.

And, in what Sergio Non of USA Today calls “from a stylistic point of view, the most interesting fight of the summer,” Shinya Aoki, widely regarded as the number one lightweight in the world, faces Vitor “Shaolin” Riberio. And, the always exciting Melvin Manhoef (23-5-1) meets former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (16-1).

WHEN: Monday, July 20, at 12:00 a.m. PT (early morning Monday) with an encore presentation on Friday, July 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET

Classes and Demo Also Available at Jewish Community Center

The Israeli Krav Maga Association (IKMA), the teaching organization founded by Krav Maga creator Imi Lichtenfeld, announced today the opening of the first studio in New York City dedicated to teaching the officially-sanctioned system of hand-to-hand combat of the Israeli armed forces. Once known only to Israeli commandos and secret agents, Krav Maga techniques have been adopted by the Department of Homeland Security (air marshals), metropolitan police departments, the U.S. Marine Corps and Secret Service.

The IKMA studio at Madison Avenue and 33rd Street now offers classes for men, women and children taught by James Sherman, one of only six Americans certified to teach the legendary fighting art. James also teaches at the Jewish Community Center on the Upper West Side. The first 100 people to register at www.kravmagaikma.com will receive a free lesson. See full schedule of classes below.

Krav Maga, which means “close combat” in Hebrew, is ideal for self defense regardless of the student’s size, strength or fitness. Techniques are simple and practical, emphasizing natural reflexes in realistic training scenarios e.g., multiple attackers or defense against a bat, knife, gun or other weapon. Krav Maga teaches simultaneous defense and attack as well as threat de-escalation and avoidance. It’s a great way to get in shape by building awareness, speed, strength, power, endurance, body conditioning, balance, coordination and flexibility.

IKMA Israeli Krav Maga Comes to New York

“This is bad news for street criminals because Israeli Krav Maga is the ultimate form of self-defense,” said James Sherman. “It’s simple, effective and is changing the way people are training — kravists feel fit, confident and deadly.”

James is a four-time graduate of IKMA’s grueling training camps for elite instructors in Israel and was trained by Grandmaster Haim Gidon, who succeeded Krav Maga founder Imi Lichtenfeld as head of IKMA. James is a former investment banker, Boston University football player and New York Sevens Rugby Champion.

The Amazing Story of Israeli Krav Maga

Krav Maga was born on streets of Bratislava in pre-World War II Czechoslovakia when an accomplished boxer, wrestler and gymnast named Imrich “Imi” Lichtenfeld came to the defense of Jewish neighbors menaced by fascist gangs. Lichtenfeld escaped the Nazi occupation and taught combat fighting to the forerunners of Israel’s Special Forces in the Jewish underground army. When the state of Israel was formed, Lichtenfeld became the Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the Israeli Defense Forces School of Combat Fitness.

Over the years, the historic exploits of its practitioners made Israeli Krav Maga famous for deadly efficiency. In 1978, Imi and his top students founded the Israeli Krav Maga Association (IKMA), the Israeli Government’s officially-recognized Krav Maga organization. When Imi died in 1998, Haim Gidon, his student of 28 years and a veteran of the Yom Kippur War, was elected IKMA Chairman and Grandmaster. Today, Grandmaster Gidon and the IKMA continue to develop new techniques and provide training to armed forces, law enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world.

Schedule

At IKMA Association Studio (Madison & 33rd Street: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 PM and every other Saturday at 11:00 AM. At the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan: Tuesdays at 7:00 AM and 9:15 PM and Thursdays at 7:00 AM.

Private instruction also available. The first 100 people to register at www.kravmagaikma.com will receive a complimentary lesson. Note: James will present an interactive demonstration at the Tikkun at the JCC of Manhattan on May 29th.

Contact: Andrei Bogolubov  Andrei.bogolubov@newprgroup.com

Source: Israeli Krav Maga Association

HDNet will broadcast exclusive LIVE coverage of “HDNet Fights Presents: XFC 8: Regional Conflict” from the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. The main event features a highly anticipated showdown between two military veterans as undefeated Bruce “The Noose” Connors of Orlando, Florida goes against Jarrod “The Wild Card” Card of Jacksonville, North Carolina for the XFC Featherweight World Title. Former pro wrestling superstar and undefeated heavyweight Bobby Lashley will be on hand to present the winner with the title. Also on the card, Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira faces off with John “Mulatto Mauler” Mahlow and former University of Tennessee football player Ovince St. Preux will take on Ombey “Kryptonite” Mobley in a special light heavyweight showdown.

LIVE – Saturday, April 25 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HDNet.

“The UFC 100 magazine will highlight the 15-year history of the UFC in a way that no other medium could,” said UFC President Dana White. “And with unrestricted access, this issue will truly capture this symbolic moment in our sport. We’re happy to do this special issue with AMI because they’ve believed in UFC’s potential since we bought the company in 2001. We’ve worked successfully with them in the past, and many of their best-selling issues have featured our fighters on the cover.”

The UFC 100 commemorative edition magazine will arrive at newsstands on June 29, 2009 and is timed to coincide with a pay-per-view event that is expected to be one of the biggest in UFC history on July 11. In the special issue, fans will get a preview at what’s ahead for this event, and it’s intended to be a keepsake that will provide a memorable look back at this UFC milestone.

“When you combine UFC, great stories about its fighters and put practical information about the sport of mixed martial arts into the readers’ hands, you have their undivided attention,” said AMI Chairman David J. Pecker. “These readers speak the language of UFC and this commemorative magazine will be about them and their relationship with the fastest-growing sport in America.”

AMI titles, including Men’s Fitness, Flex and Muscle & Fitness, have featured top UFC fighters, as well as UFC President Dana White and UFC(R) All Access(TM) show host Rachelle Leah, on past covers and enjoyed a surge in newsstand sales, with several UFC covers breaking all-time sales records for AMI. “We’ve enjoyed working with Dana and his team and look forward to taking our association to the next level,” added Mr. Pecker.

With a diverse, loyal fan base of millions of customers in the United States and abroad, the UFC 100 Special Commemorative Issue is expected to be an instant collector’s item and one of the most popular, best-selling titles of the year for AMI’s magazine unit.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com, GERMANY.UFC.com or UFCespanol.com.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship(R)

The Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC(R) produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, BellTV, SaskTel Max(TM), Shaw Pay-Per-View, Viewers Choice, and WOWOW in Japan, and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship(R), Ultimate Fighting(R), UFC(R), The Ultimate Fighter(R), Submission(R), As Real As It Gets(R), Zuffa(TM), The Octagon(TM) and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.

Source: American Media, Inc.