MMAmania.com

Props: Sherdog.com

“I think my wrestling ability will match up very well with his. I wrestle with Division I wrestlers all the time, like Gray Maynard and Johny Hendricks. I came a long way since I started training MMA. My wrestling may be even better than his. I don’t know for sure — we’ll find out. He’s got good hands, too. I think I have better standup, though. He (tends) to throw only arm punches where he doesn’t really commit. I’d like to stand out of his range and pick him apart like BJ [did].”

-UFC lightweight contender Tyson Griffin (12-1) compares himself with former lightweight champion and UFC 90 opponent Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk. While I’m all for self-confidence, Sherk is a very experienced 32-3-1 and probably one of the best wrestlers in the game today. Good luck Mr. Griffin.

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UFC lightweight contenders Joe Stevenson (29-8) and Kenny Florian (10-3) are reportedly set to do battle this November at a yet-to-be-named UFC event that could determine whether or not Florian gets another shot at the 155lb title.

MMAmania.com has been able to confirm with credible sources that the proposed fight has indeed been offered to each fighter and while they are expected to sign, have yet to do so.

Stevenson is coming off an impressive rebound victory over Gleison Tibau at UFC 86 after watching his title hopes fade away under the tightly wrapped choke of current lightweight champion BJ Penn in their title bout at UFC 80.

Penn of course is taking a second crack at welterweight deity Georges St. Pierre this December in an attempt to avenge his controversial loss to the Canadian back at UFC 58.

As for Florian, he seems to be able to do no wrong as of late, steamrolling the competition since his decision loss to then-champion Sean Sherk at UFC 64. “KenFlo” is the winner of five straight and eight of his last nine.

Florian will likely face Penn if he can successfully get past Stevenson (once “The Prodigy” comes back from his vacation at 170lbs).  While exciting for fans, Joe “Daddy” will be a dangerous test for the Boston native and could possibly interfere with his plans to go for the gold.

Tyson Griffin has been penciled in to oppose former lightweight champion Sean Sherk at UFC 90. A Florian loss coupled with a Griffin win and we could be looking at Penn vs Griffin in early 2009.

Stay tuned over the next few days for an official announcement from the UFC regarding the details of this fight, including its location. The November 15 event has recently been rumored to be taking place in Portland, Oregon.

We’ll keep you posted.

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Now is your chance to relive the match that everyone is talking about - including its participants BJ Penn and Georges St. Pierre! These two are set to collide in an epic rematch from UFC 58 that will prove once and for all who is the world’s top welterweight!

Also on the card, UFC middleweight champion Rich “Ace” Franklin defends his title for the second time against top-ranked contender David “The Crow” Loiseau before a packed house at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Fight card:
Tom Murphy vs Icho Larenas
Jason Lambert vs Rob MacDonald
Yves Edwards vs Mark Hominick
Joe Doerksen vs Nate Marquardt
Sam Stout vs Spencer Fisher
Mike “Quick” Swick vs Steve Vinegault
BJ “The Prodigy” Penn vs Georges “Rush” St. Pierre
Rich “Ace” Franklin vs David “The Crow” Louseau

NOW AVAILABLE AT THE LOWEST PRICE POSSIBLE!

UFC 58: USA vs Canada is now available for purchase in our DVD store for $13.99 by clicking here.

To check out our massive library of MMA DVD titles, including PRIDE DVD and UFC DVD click here. We also have Elite XC, WEC, Cage Rage, IFL, King of the Cage and other products for sale in our store. Looking for a title but don’t see it in our store? Email us and we’ll be happy to check its availability. Please keep in mind that we are only able to ship within the continental United States at this time.

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At just 21 years old — and only four months of professional mixed martial arts experience — it’s safe to say that UFC light heavyweight fighter, Jon Jones, has some serious upside. He knows how to handle himself with class outside the cage, too:

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A middleweight bout between Terry Martin (17-5) and Cory “The One” Devela (9-2) was announced today for “Strikeforce at the Mansion II” at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., on September 20.

We last saw Martin getting flattened by Vitor Belfort at Affliction: “Banned” in July. He’s also remembered for his less than stellar (2-4) record inside the UFC Octagon.

The truth about Martin is that he’s pretty much all or nothing. Either he’s going to knock you out, or he’s going to sleep himself. His balls to the wall approach doesn’t always result in his hand being raised, but it usually makes for an exciting fight sans the Marvin Eastman snorer at UFC 81.

He’ll come into this fight having lost three of his last four. In his defense, he has been fighting some decent competition lately, but things certainly won’t get any easier when he faces Cory Devela.

“The One” has reeled off seven straight wins, including a win against Joe Riggs at “Strikeforce at the Dome” in February. His only two losses were to UFC fighters Ed Herman and Matt Horwich.

Here’s what he had to say about the match up:

“I know he’s a short little brick house and a good wrestler, but I’ll have a lot or reach on him and I don’t think anybody’s wrestling compares to mine. People underestimate my wrestling. Joe Riggs did and got thrown because of that. I’m going to do the same thing to Terry if he wants to wrestle with me.”

He’s right about the reach — Martin is giving up a a good six inches in height to the 6′ 2″ Devela. He’ll have a definite advantage in the reach department, but Martin has plenty of experience against bigger, taller guys.

Remember he used to be a light heavyweight, so he’s used to giving up some height at 5′ 8.”

This will be a very competitive match up, and a solid addition to an already impressive fight card being put together by Strikeforce for its second trip to the Mansion.

Josh “The Punk” Thomson is expected to defend his lightweight title in the main event of the night, and Bobby Southworth will put his light heavyweight championship belt on the line against the dangerous Brazilian, Renato “Babalu” Sobral as well.

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On the heels of Sengoku 4 on August 28, World Victory Road has already begun finalizing its fifth installment that features a middleweight grand prix and a couple of grappling all-stars. Sengoku 5 will take place on September 28 at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

Confirmed participants include Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8), Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (16-11), Siyar Bahadurzada (13-3-1), Yuki Sasaki (21-14-1) and UFC veteran Jorge Santiago (17-7). Nakamura is making his debut with World Victory Road after a 0-2 run in the UFC.

Long criticized for carrying a few extra passengers in the caboose, Nakamura is finally shedding the freshman 15 in order to participate in September’s tournament.

Both Bahadurzada and Sasaki are looking to rebound from their recent Sengoku losses while Santiago and Santos took victories in their Sengoku debuts.

Also scheduled to appear are American Top Team’s Jorge “GameBred” Masvidal (13-3) as well as jiu-jitsu all-stars Alexandre Ribeiro (0-0) and Roger Gracie (2-0). A four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, “Xande” rocketed to the top of the grappling food chain after defeating Gracie at the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world championships absolute divisions in 2006 and 2008.

While the match-ups have not yet been assembled, one has to wonder if this will this be Gracie’s chance to exact revenge. Ribeiro is making his debut in MMA while Gracie has already pocketed two wins over MMA veterans Yuki Kondo and Ron Waterman.

Stay tuned for more updates as the Sengoku 5 card continues to come together.

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Strikeforce will put on the third event in its “Young Guns” series at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, Calif., on September 13.

Two 145-pound up-and-comers — Jose Palacios (3-1) and Alvin Cacdac (4-4) — will scrap in the main event of the evening. Both fighters are coming off losses at Strikeforce: “Melendez vs. Thomson” in June.

Palacios dropped a fight for the first time in his career to Bobby Stack (5-1) in a three, three-minute round unanimous decision. Cacdac was submitted by a very tough Bryan Caraway (9-3) in the first round of their match.

Both will look to get back in the win column after sustaining their first defeats under the Strikeforce banner.

“Young Guns” was initiated in 2006 by the San Jose-based mixed martial arts organization with the hopes of giving some of the younger talent in the area a chance to develop their skills and talents in a minor league setting.

Here’s the full fight card for “Young Guns III:”

145 lbs: Jose Palacios (3-1) vs. Alvin Cacdac (4-4)
185 lbs: Luke Rockhold (2-1) vs. TBA
135 lbs: Andrew Valladarez (3-2) vs. David Barrios (0-4)
145 lbs: Evan Esguerra (1-2) vs. Gabby Solorio (0-1)
170 lbs: Eric Meaders (2-8-1) vs. Ron Kesler (2-1)
205 lbs: Jorge Interiano (1-0) vs. Chris Bostick (2-2)
265 lbs: Yohan Banks (1-1) vs. David Ashkinaz (1-0)
130 lbs: Adam Antolin (1-0) vs. Hugo Govea (0-1)
170 lbs: Justin Holdaas (1-1) vs. Jaime Rodriguez (0-1)
155 lbs: Genaro Strangis (0-0) vs. Alexander Trivino (2-0)
155 lbs: Mike Davis (0-0) vs. OJ Dominguez (0-0)

This will be one of three events set to take place for Strikeforce in a span of less than one month. “Strikeforce at the Mansion II” is set to go down on September 20 and “Payback” is scheduled for October 3 in Denver, Colorado.

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World Victory Road is back and has finalized its fourth installment featuring a lightweight grand prix and the return of its prized acquisition Takanori Gomi. Sengoku 4 will take place on August 24 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

“The Fireball Kid” is looking for his second straight win under the upstart promotion after stopping Duane “Bang” Ludwig at Sengoku: First Battle back in March.

Opposing him will be current DEEP lightweight champion Bang Sueng Hwan. The South Korean debuted in 2007 and is the winner of five straight.

Also headlining the card will be former UFC welterweight Frank Trigg. “Twinkle Toes” last competed at HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon back in December when he submitted Edwin “Babyface” DeWees by kimura.

Here’s the official card for Sengoku 4:

Main Card:

Takanori Gomi (28-3) vs Bang Sueng Hwan (5-1)
Makoto Takimoto (4-4) vs Frank Trigg (16-6)
Peter Graham (0-1) vs Moise Rimbon (12-7-3)
Takahashi Kazuo (0-1) vs Valentijn Overeem (25-22)
Pawel Nastula (1-3) vs Yang Dong Yi (2-0)

Lightweight GP:

Clay French (16-2) vs Satoru Kitaoka (20-8-9)
Rodrigo Damm (8-1) vs Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2)
Bojan Kosednar (6-1) vs Kazunori Yokota (6-1-3)
Mizuto Hirota (9-2) vs Ryan Schultz (20-9-1)

The GP may not have any household names, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on Clay French, who has wins over some tough competitors like Jason Ireland and Mac Danzig. Also watch out for Brazilian black-belt Rodrigo Damm, winner of eight straight including his last match at Sengoku: Third Battle.

Making his return to MMA is Olympic judo gold medalist Pawel Nastula, last seen competing at PRIDE 32 back in 2006. While his 1-3 record is nothing to brag about, three of his four fights were against some of the world’s best including Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Aleksander Emelianenko and Josh Barnett.

That’s pretty stiff competition for anyone, let alone a fighter new to the world of mixed martial arts. Now he’s on the main card matched against a more suitable opponent in Yang Dong Yi, the young and dynamic DEEP fighter who has two straight first round TKO wins to start his career.

It will be interesting to see how fans receive the Sengoku lightweight grand prix considering how soon it’s being held after the DREAM lightweight GP.

While I’ve yet to hear any fans complain about having too much MMA, there may be an unspoken expectation for the Sengoku participants to try and outshine their crosstown rivals.

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It’s Jason mania.

Jason MacDonald (20-10) will fill-in for an injured Jason Day and take on Jason Lambert (23-8) in a middleweight bout at UFC 88: “Breakthrough” at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on September 6, according to Sherdog.com.

“Dooms” apparently hurt his biceps muscle while training for the fight and was forced to withdraw, opening the window of opportunity for another Canadian to claim redemption.

“The Athlete” is coming off a third round submission loss to Demian Maia at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” earlier this month. It marked the third loss in his last five attempts inside the Octagon — quite a departure from his early success that earned MacDonald the nickname “TUF Killer.”

Lambert appears to be making the drop to middleweight after competing most of his career in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. Perhaps back-to-back losses to 205-pounders Wilson Gouveia and Luis Arthur Cane, respectively, convinced Lambert to try his luck in the 185-pound division.

“The Punisher” — like MacDonald — has three losses in his last five attempts within the eight-sided cage.

To checkout the latest UFC 88 card and rumors click here.

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There have been numerous reports recently that suggest that the cancellation of a September 20 event in New Mexico and a Cage Rage “Contenders” show in London — along with the resignations of company President (Gary Shaw) and CEO (Doug DeLuca) — indicate that Elite XC is all aboard the Pro Elite sinking ship.

We hesitated to write anything on the matter since it’s mostly speculation; however, it’s a fact that Elite XC’s parent company (Pro Elite) is in financial trouble, which could mean there is some truth to the possible demise of the promotion down the round if things don’t change … fast.

In fact, recent company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show that Elite XC has lost somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million since its inception in 2007. That’s not too shocking — the mighty UFC lost millions at one point before becoming the well-oiled money machine it is today.

These days the UFC is able to survive and prosper primarily because of its bread and butter — pay-per-view (PPV) sales. No other mixed martial arts company has ever come close to consistently matching the Zuffa-owned promotions PPV prowess … yet.

Elite XC’s plan was to build a solid fan base via exposure on CBS and Showtime with the intentions of one day leading the masses to their PPV screens sometime in early 2009. And after a major success on May 31 with a record-breaking nationwide television audience tuning in to see the network debut of mixed martial arts it seemed like Elite XC was well on its way.

However, company and network executives were likely gutted to learn that they lost more than half of those viewers during the second CBS event on July 26.

In all fairness, a drop off was expected heading into the second show. There was no Kimbo Slice or Gina Carano for Elite XC to hang its hat on. And the initial appeal of the whole thing had worn off, leaving mostly just the hardcore fans left to watch.

And even some of them were too disappointed with the first event’s early stoppages and controversial outcomes to watch the encore presentation.

Despite not being a success ratings-wise, the second event was certainly an improvement as far as the over all quality and production were concerned. Elite XC hopes to have won back those hardcore fans and that Kimbo and Carano being back on the card will attract the big numbers again for the all important third show.

If these recent rumors of the demise of the company are true, it will need as many viewers on October 4 as it can muster. If Elite XC can’t prove to CBS that it can provide consistent ratings then it’s unlikely a contract renewal will be offered up after the fourth and final show wraps.

If Elite XC were to lose CBS right now it would all but put the nail in the coffin for the mixed martial arts promotion. It hasn’t been able to build that fan base as easily as originally thought. And the promotion still needs to attract (and retain) more loyal viewers before it can even think about making the jump to the land of milk and honey (PPV).

Elite XC has made several recent improvements, getting rid of the dancing girls and the mafioso-like front man. Right now, the majority of the complaints coming from the fans regarding Elite XC is that it protects its stars (see Kimbo Slice) and the overall roster is solid yet thin.

Justin Eilers is no heavyweight title contender.

Elite XC is obviously trying to build these stars like Kimbo Slice and Antonio Silva so it can eventually sell them on PPV. The problem is that people are getting tired watching these guys beat up hand-picked cupcakes.

If the survival of the company really is riding on the October 4 CBS event in Sunrise, Fla., then it’s time for Elite XC to put its best foot forward with a competitive and marketable fight card.

It’s pretty simple.

People believe Brett Rogers can beat Kimbo. And there is obvious marketability present with the post fight altercation from the May 31 event. It’s time for that next step. It’s time for Elite XC to finally take a chance on Kimbo losing if it wants a chance at winning as an organization.

The way Elite XC has handled Kimbo — by essentially giving him wins — has created this massive group of hardcore fans who want to see the guy lose. It’s not just about him getting tested anymore — they really want to see him lose, which is a perfect opportunity for Elite XC to add even more lore to Kimbo.

The reward is worth the risk if Kimbo can beat Brett Rogers and start to change these opinions of him … and the promotion.

But it’s a catch-22 because the risk of Kimbo losing is perhaps a nightmare scenario. Then — good ratings or not — Elite XC more than likely will not survive if its biggest stars can’t win.

For Kimbo it’s simple. All he needs to do is keep winning and his star power will continue to shine bright. He can beat up the Tank Abbott’s and Bo Cantrell’s forever and there will still be Kimbo Slice followers, but for the company that signs his checks, it’s not just about him winning anymore.

It’s about who he beats and how much money they can make off it.

Elite XC has shown it belongs at the table. Now it’s time for them to start playing some hands. Fortune favors the bold … just ask Dana White.

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The “ultimate” productivity smasher:

Props: Spike.com

(Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “Shaolins Finest” for the assist.)

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World Championship Fighting (WCF) — a budding Boston-based mixed martial arts promotion — today announced the full fight card for its next event at Aleppo Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington, Mass., on September 19.

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alum and UFC veteran, Sam Hoger, will headline the show against Braden Bice in a heavyweight match up. It will be the first fight for the “Alaskan Assassin” in more than 16 months.

Several local up-and-coming prospects such as John Benoit, Dan Bonnell and others will also be in action.

Here’s the full fight card (subject to change):

Sam Hoger (MFS) vs. Braden Bice (Bice MMA)
Dan Bonnell (Renzo Gracie NH) vs. Joe Cushman (Aggression)
John Benoit (Renzo Gracie NH) vs. Davin Wesinger (USMMA)
Matt Smith (Renzo Gracie NH) vs. Ethan Kean (Ravenous)
Glenn Brown (Green Mountain Boys) vs. Jon Bermudez (Anubis)
Scott Rehm (Sit Yod Tong) vs. Ryan Verrett
Nik Patnaude (Burgess) vs. Matt Martin (USMMA)
Chad Beane (Green Mountain Boys) vs. Kirill Sementsov (Chase MMA)
Wayne Harnois (Bruteforce) vs. Kevin Corrigan (USMMA)
Joe Keane (Fenix Fight Club) vs. Barry Liseno (MMATC)
Rodrigo Almeida (BMAC) vs. Jose Lopez (Ravenous)
Mike Varner (Boneyard) vs. Joe Kavey (Wasteland)
Justin Hammerstrom (Tengu) vs. Matt Johnson (SSSF)
Stephen Stengel vs. TBA

Remember that local UFC fighters Marcus Davis, Kenny Florian, Joe Lauzon and Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera, as well as Sean Gannon and Mark DellaGrotte, will be in attendance to take in all the action. Of course, these special guests will all be on hand to promote the event and meet with fans and sign some autographs.

To check out the latest WC4 fight card and to purchase tickets click here.

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Props: Sportsnet.ca

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As we’ve already mentioned, UFC President Dana White is featured in the September edition of Playboy magazine, which is now on newsstands.

To purchase a copy online today — for less than $5 — click HERE.

The good folks over at Playboy Enterprises Inc. were kind enough to provide MMAmania.com with several copies of the latest installment of America’s most coveted men’s magazine to giveaway to our readers FREE.

We’ll keep this latest contest simple: Tell us the reason we should send you a free copy of Playboy magazine. Keep it relatively clean and somewhat mature and it could be yours. Childish responses will be ignored and likely moderated (to the best of my ability). Three winners will be crowned.

I’ll be that judge, jury and executioner to ensure that Jesse Holland does not bungle another contest.

Go nuts in the comments section below. And remember that if you can’t wait until the end of the contest to check out the spread interview go buy Playboy right here.

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UFC 90 tickets for “Silva vs. Cote” at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on October 25 are selling fast, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

In fact, more than 80 percent of the nearly 19,000 seats have been gobbled up for the first-ever UFC show in the Chicago area just hours after tickets went on sale. The gate, according to the report, has already topped the $2 million mark with “only about 3,000 of the higher-priced tickets remaining.”

It’s not UFC 83: “Serra vs. St. Pierre 2” type movement, which sold out the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, during an exclusive presale, but it is impressive nonetheless.

The good news does not come as a surprise to UFC President Dana White.

Here’s a snip mash:

”This is a bold statement in a town with the White Sox and Cubs and the Bears, but I guarantee you this will be the most exciting live sporting event you have ever seen. I can’t explain it to you. You have to experience it. Chicago is the biggest pay-per-view market for us, and ratings for Spike TV’s ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ reality show are huge in Chicago. We’re going to beat WrestleMania as the highest-grossing event ever at Rosemont.”

For those who may have missed our post last month, here’s the UFC 90 tickets sales schedule:

UFC Fight Club presale: Friday, August 15 at 10 a.m. CT
UFC Newsletter presale: Sunday, August 17 at 10 a.m. CT
General ticket sale: Monday, August 18 at 10 a.m. CT

UFC 90 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com. REMEMBER: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is “sold out.” That will likely come into play for this event.

To check out the latest UFC 90 card and fight rumors click here.

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Two great movies, one great price!

The Scorpion King:
Adventure rules! Watch as the spectacular Mummy series explodes into a new realm of breathtaking, non-stop action in The Scorpion King! Unleashing WWE superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the most feared warrior of the ancient world, The Scorpion King plunges you into a sweeping tale filled with stunning fight sequences, awe-inspiring battles and pulse-pounding thrills. It’s the ultimate special effects-powered epic and the must-see-and-see again adventure of the year!

The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior
See how the legend of The Scorpion King began! When a young Mathayus witnesses his father’s death at the hands of the King (UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture), his quest for vengeance transforms him into the most feared warrior of the ancient world. From the director of Resident Evil: Extinction and Highlander comes a heroic adventure filled with heart-stopping action and thrilling visual effects!

Scorpion King ‘Warrior Pack’ is now available for purchase in our DVD store for $29.99 by clicking here.

To check out our massive library of MMA DVD titles, including PRIDE DVD and UFC DVD click here. We also have Elite XC, WEC, Cage Rage, IFL, King of the Cage and other products for sale in our store. Looking for a title but don’t see it in our store? Email us and we’ll be happy to check its availability. Please keep in mind that we are only able to ship within the continental United States at this time.

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Props: Fanhouse.com

Quoteworthy:

“I hope I’m alive to see it. I don’t think it’s going to happen soon, but then again I thought it was going to take longer than it did for us to get where we are today…. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but seeing mixed martial arts in the Olympics would be incredible…. If you combine boxing, judo and wrestling, what do you have? That’s what mixed martial arts is.”

UFC President provides a realistic (and unfortunate) assessment of the possibility of mixed martial arts becoming an Olympic event one day soon during the UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” press conference today in Chicago. We can dream, can’t we? That’s apparently all we can do … for now.

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Do you wanna be a F’ing magician?

UFC President Dana White will appear on an episode of Criss Angel’s Mindfreak, Wednesday, August 27 at 10 p.m. ET on the A&E network. While the details of his role are still under wraps, UFC fans are sure to be intrigued by White’s cameo.

Criss Angel is sort of an anti-Copperfield — an entertainer who takes magic far beyond pulling rabbits out of hats and regurgitating colorful scarves. Angel looks to blur the line between reality and illusion while maintaining a darker, edgier feel.

Here’s a quick summary of the show from A&E:

“Mindfreak takes viewers into the world of Criss Angel — called the ‘postmodern Houdini’ by MTV — whose distinct blend of magic, mentalism, and dazzling pyrotechnic effects has made him the hottest young magician in America today. In past seasons, he has astonished fans with such incredible feats as hanging suspended by hooks from a helicopter over the Nevada desert and splitting a woman in two in a public park.”

Angel is probably best known for “mentalism,” which I always thought was the reason Dana was unable to sign Fedor Emelianenko back in 2007. Now I know it actually refers to the use of psionics as it relates to magicians.

Fans of the show may also be surprised to learn that Dana’s interest in magic comes from his prior experience in the mystical arts. How many times over the past year have we seen his ability to make a fighter’s contract disappear before our very eyes?

For now we can only speculate as to what level of participation White will have. Perhaps Angel will attempt a new illusion for UFC fans? Hopefully he doesn’t repeat the one from 2006 where he walks on water.

Dana’s been doing that for years.

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