This should be interesting…Former amateur boxer and boxercise instructor Dana White to “spar” with Tito Ortiz in boxing:

Beating Up His Boss – Calgary Sun

It’s every working stiff’s dream. A chance to punch out the boss without getting summarily turfed.

Tito Ortiz, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flamboyant motormouth, plans to do just that.

“I’m gonna try to take his head off,” Ortiz said of UFC president Dana White.

Former friends Ortiz and White had a parting of the ways early last year over Ortiz’s contract.

The ‘Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ left the UFC in early 2005 after the simmering feud between him and White boiled over.

But in the world of fight promotion, profit potential tends to trump bad blood every time. Late last year, White announced Ortiz had been re-signed to a three-fight contract and would become the Season 3 coach of the ultra-popular reality-TV show The Ultimate Fighter.

But before Ortiz signed on the dotted line, he had a special clause added to the contract.

“We have a little agreement in the contract that we’re going to spar boxing for three three-minute rounds,” said Ortiz.

White, an amateur boxer and fight manager before buying the UFC in 2000, said in a recent Playboy interview he gave up on his dream to be a pro boxer because he “didn’t have it.”

Ortiz is hopeful a little spilled blood between the two will help mend fences.

“Me and Dana were best of friends before this company took off,” said Ortiz.

“He was my manager and he was a good friend of mine. It’s someone who I love but at the same time I hate him and I think that after we punch each other in the face a few times we might be able to fix that bridge between us and let bygones be bygones.”

Continued…

There’s nothing like good ol’ fashion physical violence to settle differences!

Kimo will be fighting Bas Rutten at the WFA on July 22, 2006.  I was looking at Kimo’s fight record and seen that he actually fought pro wrestler Bam Bam Bigelow!  He also fought and won against Sakuraba, but I’m pretty sure that fight was fixed.  This fight however, looks very real.

Here’s a video clip of the Kimo and Bam Bam Bigelow match up.

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Here’s a video of the wild and wacky Genki Sudo fighting Muay Thai legend Ramon “Diamond” Dekker in K1 Hero’s 1.

Ramon Dekker is a monster in Muay Thai, with many epic battles in the Muay Thai ring…but this is MMA, and it’s essentially a classic match up between a striker and a grappler.

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Nobody likes to gas out, or watch fighters gas out during a fight.

A lot of people think that to train for endurance for any sport, you have to run…long and steady.  I’m talking about running for 10 or more miles at a slow and steady pace.
Well, according to Chad Waterbury (and just about every strength and conditioning coach) this sort of training probably won’t help you too much for a sport like MMA, and will actually make you weaker overall.

Waterbury developed a system called the Hammer Down Endurance (HDE) Program designed specifically for MMA.

Check out his article on T-Mag.

It seems as though this year a lot of the “old school” UFC fighters are returning to the MMA fight scene.  There’s Frank Shamrock, Royce Gracie, and now it’s Bas Rutten!

He’ll be fighting Kimo at WFA: King of the Streets on July 22, 2006.

I’m sure he’ll beat Kimo, hopefully by a liver shot.

Check out the World Fighting Alliance press release below:

Kimo Makes it Personal, Reacting to Rutten’s Decision to Target Him For His Return

LOS ANGELES, May 30th, 2005 – Following months of public speculation regarding a potential comeback to the sport he once dominated, the World Fighting Alliance (WFA) today announced the return of mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Bas Rutten. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion and 3 x King of Pancrase has officially signed to fight for the WFA and will make his return to the cage at WFA: King of the Streets on July 22nd at the Forum in Los Angeles against infamous Huntington Beach street-fighter Kimo in a bout that’s nothing short of personal.

After more than a six-year hiatus from competitive fighting, highlighted by work as a color commentator and network studio analyst for FOX Sport’s Pride fighting broadcasts and his involvement as a coach in the newly formed IFL, Rutten began to feel the competitive itch to get back in the cage. The recent announcements of the revitalized WFA, its impressive list of MMA stars and its first event at the Forum in Los Angeles on July 22nd provided Rutten the added motivation to make his comeback official.

“Speaking with WFA CEO Jeremy Lappen about his plans for the WFA and seeing the incredible fighters that are signing with the WFA had me very motivated about returning to the cage,” said Rutten. “I’ve managed to stay pretty close to “fighting shape” amidst my involvement with the IFL and my broadcasting work, and I’m confident that my skills will be sharp as ever when I face Kimo on July 22nd.”

Rutten will return to face a formidable opponent in Kimo, in a fight fueled by animosity, stemming from rumors over the past month of Rutten’s return and his specific decision to target Kimo as his first opponent fresh out of retirement. In an interview during a WFA production day in Los Angeles, Kimo was outspoken regarding his feelings about Rutten’s decision.

“I’ve helped this sport come from bare knuckles, no rules and no excuses to where it is today, and for this man to select me specifically as the target for his comeback is an insult to everything I’ve accomplished,” said Kimo. “This will be the shortest comeback of all time, and Bas will regret the day he chose me for his return to the cage.”

According to those present at the WFA production day, Kimo and Bas had a heated discussion away from the rest of the group. Both Bas and Kimo seemed noticeably upset throughout the afternoon and avoided being around each other for the remainder of the day.

“The day of the production shoot, I was pretty sure I wanted to return to fight for the WFA, but I had yet to make a final decision,” said Rutten. “Kimo’s comments and behavior certainly made that decision an easy one, providing me a whole new level of motivation.”

Rutten’s return to fight for the WFA is yet another in a recent series of announcements, reinforcing the WFA as a legitimate force to be reckoned with in MMA. The announcement comes on the heels of the WFA’s signing of MMA superstar Quinton “Rampage” Jackson – the man who destroyed reigning UFC Champion Chuck Liddell. The WFA also announced the WFA: King of the Streets on July 22nd at the Forum in Los Angeles, an event featuring arguably the greatest U.S. fight card ever assembled.

“A recent MMA fan poll showed that fans preferred our King of the Streets fight card over the UFC 60 card, and this was before we announced Bas’ return to fight Kimo,” said Lappen. “With this incredible fight and the incomparable fight card we’ve already announced, this will clearly be a historic evening for the sport of mixed martial arts.”

Tickets for “WFA: King of the Streets” at The Forum are available at all Southern California Ticket Master outlets (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernadino and Ventura Counties), online at Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at (213) 480-3232, (714) 740-2000, (661) 322-2525 or (805) 583-8700. The event will also be shown live on pay-per-view television via iN Demand (additional details for satellite television pay-per-view to be announced). For more information on the WFA, WFA fighters or WFA: King of the Streets, visit www.wfa.tv.