Brett Okamoto

Story Archive

Locomotives hand Omaha Nighthawks first franchise loss: Friday, Oct. 8, 2010; The Las Vegas Locomotives handed the Omaha Nighthawks their first franchise loss Friday, nailing down a 22-10 win in front of a crowd of 9,767 at Sam Boyd Stadium. After a slow start on both sides of the ball nearly allowed the Nighthawks to jump to an early two-possession lead, the Locomotives settled down and scored 19 unanswered points to finish the game.
Athletic Commission makes small amendments to drug testing policy: Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010; The Nevada Athletic Commission Tuesday made several small changes to its policy for administering drug tests.
Roy Nelson waiting on knee, Lesnar before agreeing to Carwin fight: Heavyweight contender says he hasn't resumed training on injured knee; Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010; UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson confirmed to the Las Vegas Sun on Tuesday the organization is looking to set him up against Shane Carwin at the UFC 125 event on Jan. 1 in Las Vegas. Nelson, however, added he’s not ready to commit to any deal at this time, as he has yet to resume training since undergoing knee surgery in August.
Jose Aldo takes out another featherweight, but there's plenty more: WEC General Manager Reed Harris says lots of fights still for Aldo at 145 pounds; Friday, Oct. 1, 2010; Jose Aldo may very well become the third fighter in UFC/WEC history to win titles in two separate weight classes. But according to WEC general manager Reed Harris, he still has a lot to prove in his own division before he gets that chance.
Grudge match brings out best in Donald Cerrone: Properly motivated, Cerrone delivers performance of career against Jamie Varner; Friday, Oct. 1, 2010; Jamie Varner had expected to face Donald Cerrone in the co-main event of Thursday’s WEC 51 card at the 1st Bank Center. What he got was something else.
Live Blog: Jose Aldo KOs Manny Gamburyan: Donald Cerrone decisions Jamie Varner, Miguel Torres gets back on track; Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010; The last time WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo defended his title, it came on the company’s first ever pay-per-view event. Although tonight’s WEC 51 card from the 1st Bank Center is available free on the VERSUS network, it certainly boasts the talent of a pay-per-view card.
Weigh-in blog: All fighters make weight for Aldo vs. Gamburyan: Donald Cerrone, Jamie Varner exchange final words before Thursday showdown; Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010; All 22 fighters set to compete on this week’s WEC 51 card came in on weight during Wednesday’s official weigh-in at the 1st Bank Events Center.
Paul Daley, Scott Smith added to Strikeforce event in December: Daley's first matchup under new promtion announced for St. Louis event; Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010; A welterweight matchup between Paul Daley and Scott Smith has been added to the Strikeforce event on Dec. 4 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Strikeforce officials released the news Wednesday afternoon.
Mark Hominick rides wave of confidence into Leonard Garcia matchup: Canadian featherweight says time to make title run is now; Monday, Sept. 27, 2010; Mark Hominick has strung together plenty of win streaks throughout his mixed-martial-arts career. None of them, however, ever felt quite like the one he's on right now.
Ben Henderson, Dominick Cruz to defend belts Dec. 16: WEC announces two title fights for December show in Arizona; Monday, Sept. 27, 2010; The city of Glendale, Ariz., won the right to hold a WEC card on Dec. 16 through an online voting competition held by the promotion earlier this year. It’s turning out to be some kind of prize.
Frank Mir knocks out Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic at UFC 119: Despite an otherwise lackluster fight, Mir delivers stunning finish in comeback win; Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010; Frank Mir spent the first 14 minutes of his heavyweight fight against Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic Saturday in Indianapolis lulling his opponent to sleep. With 58 seconds remaining in the fight, he finished the job.
Super Six Tournament back on track for Nov. 27: Friday, Sept. 24, 2010; The Super Six World Boxing Classic has rescheduled two of its third round bouts for Nov. 27.
Breaking down UFC 119: Frank Mir vs. Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic: Whether Filipovic is ready, Mir looking to dominate heavyweight fight; Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010; When Frank Mir heard that Mirko "Cro Crop" Filipovic had commented he likely wouldn't be fully prepared for their heavyweight fight at UFC 119 in Indianapolis, he figured one of two things was happening. Either Filipovic was offering an early excuse in case he lost the fight or the mixed-martial-arts veteran was trying to pull a fast one.
Evan Dunham on Sean Sherk: He's had what I want: Las Vegas-based lightweight looks to take another step closer to title contention; Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010; Following a decision win over Tyson Griffin in June, UFC lightweight Evan Dunham had planned on spending the rest of the summer relaxing with his fiance in their recently purchased Las Vegas home. The UFC had other plans for one of its hottest prospects.
Vitor Belfort out of UFC 122, moved to title fight with Anderson Silva: With Chael Sonnen suspended, Belfort steps into title contention; Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010; Vitor Belfort will get the next shot at dethroning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, according to a tweet from president Dana White.
Injury forces Luke Rockhold to withdraw from October fight: Rockhold, Matt Lindland fight replaced with welterweight bout; Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010; Rising Strikeforce prospect Luke Rockhold has been forced to pull out of a middleweight fight against Matt Lindland on Oct. 9 because of a shoulder injury he sustained while training. A welterweight bout between Tyron Woodley and Andre Galvao will replace the Rockhold-Lindland bout on the main card of the Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II event in San Jose, Calif., which will be aired on Showtime.
Size doesn't matter anymore to Frank Mir: After losing twice in three fights, Mir embraces wrestling style leading up to UFC 119; Monday, Sept. 20, 2010; Frank Mir had his entire training camp laughing during a recent grappling session at his private gym in Las Vegas. The goal for Mir was to keep his training partner, Danny Scolari, on the mat as long as possible — which he ended up doing easily the entire length of the drill.
Paul Daley signs multi-fight deal with Strikeforce: Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010; British welterweight Paul Daley has signed a multi-fight deal with the Strikeforce organization. The news was released by Strikeforce officials Wednesday morning.
Meet the cast of 'The Ultimate Fighter' 12: A closer look at the 14 members of this season's reality show; Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010; With the premiere of the 12th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series in the books, here’s a closer look at the 14 contestants making up the official cast.
Dane Sayers shows heart, wants to show skill next: Sayers opens up 12th season of 'The Ultimate Fighter' with a bang; Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010; At the beginning of filming for the 12th season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ reality series, UFC President Dana White told 28 athletes he was looking for someone willing to fight. None of them listened as close as Dane Sayers.
Nate Marquardt stops Rousimar Palhares in first round: Marquardt takes advantage of opportunity; Charles Oliveira stuns Efrain Escudero; Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010; UFC middleweight Nate Marquardt scored a first-round TKO victory over Rousimar Palhares Wednesday at UFC Fight Night 22 in Austin, Texas. In a bizarre main-event fight, Palhares stopped fighting and began complaining to referee Herb Dean from his back in the middle of the first round when Marquardt slipped out of a heel-hook submission.
Josh Koscheck on Montreal: They need a guy like me: Opposing TUF coaches fail to agree on multiple topics during conference call; Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010; Josh Koscheck either loves the fact his Dec. 11 welterweight title fight against Georges St. Pierre is going to be held in Montreal, or he hates it. The true answer depends on who you believe.
UFC light heavyweight Brian Stann releases autobiography: Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010; An autobiography written by UFC light heavyweight and former U.S. Marine Brian Stann is scheduled for official release Wednesday.
Yuriorkis Gamboa defends belt in foul-plagued fight: Gamboa claims IBF title over Orlando Salido, continues on path toward Juan Manuel Lopez; Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010; Featherweight title-holder Yuriorkis Gamboa defended his WBA belt for the fourth time Saturday, defeating Orlando Salido by unanimous decision at The Pearl at The Palms. The win also earned Gamboa the IBF belt, which was previously held by Salido.
Jared Hamman says he has nothing to lose at UFC Fight Night: UFC light heavyweight misses coaching college football but says he's fully committed to MMA; Friday, Sept. 10, 2010; Truth be told, UFC light heavyweight Jared Hamman could have spent his entire life working as an assistant college football coach and been happy doing it. Only thing was, he found out he had a knack for this mixed martial arts thing.
At 39, Shane Mosley says biggest fights still ahead of him: Mosley and Sergio Mora will be looking for same thing on Sept. 18 - a ticket to big fights; Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010; At 39-years-old, Shane Mosley believes he still has what it takes to beat the best boxers in the world. Whether or not he’ll get the chance to prove it will be decided Sept. 18.
Yuriorkis Gamboa wants to show he's the top champion of them all: Gamboa looks forward to proving he's the best, would welcome a featherweight tournament; Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010; Yuriorkis Gamboa believes he's the best featherweight boxer in the world. Now, he'd just love the opportunity to prove it. Gamboa (18-0, 15 KO) will look to keep his perfect record intact Saturday when he meets IBF champion Orlando Salido (34-10-2, 22 KO) at The Pearl at The Palms.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. delivers online rant against Manny Pacquiao: Friday, Sept. 3, 2010; A 10-minute video posted to YouTube on Thursday featuring a racist rant by Floyd Mayweather Jr. against rival boxer Manny Pacquiao has quickly caught the boxing world’s attention.
After watching fights fall apart, Wladimir Klitschko just happy to have opponent: Klitschko's search for challenge brings him back to Sam Peter five years after their first meeting; Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010; Wladimir Klitschko has had so much trouble finding an opponent this year that just having one show up at a press conference is enough to excite him. The current WBO and IBF heavyweight champion praised his upcoming opponent, Samuel Peter, during a conference call Wednesday for simply agreeing to a rematch with him on Sept. 11 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Juan Manuel Lopez, Rafael Marquez rescheduled for Nov. 6: Monday, Aug. 30, 2010; A featherweight title fight between Juan Manuel Lopez and Rafael Marquez has been rescheduled for Nov. 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Even in an easy fight, Randy Couture finds a way to impress: With his latest ground skills, Couture appears to be evolving just as fast as the sport; Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010; A heavyweight title fight at UFC 118 showed everyone that professional boxer James Toney still has a lot to learn in mixed martial arts. It also demonstrated that, at 47, Randy Couture might know just about everything there is to know.
There is no doubt, Frankie Edgar is for real: With second win over B.J. Penn in four months, Edgar should finally get credit he deserves; Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010; Only time will tell if Frankie Edgar’s performance against B.J. Penn Saturday will finally prove to the masses how good of a mixed martial artist he is. One thing is for sure, though — it certainly proved it do Dana White.
UFC 118 Live Blog: Frankie Edgar upsets B.J. Penn again: Randy Couture submits James Toney, Gray Maynard decisions Kenny Florian; Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010; Frankie Edgar proved his first win over B.J. Penn was no fluke Saturday, winning every round of their lightweight title fight at the Bston TD Garden. Earlier in the night, Randy Couture welcomed boxer James Toney to mixed martial arts by submitting him in the first round of their heavyweight fight.
Weigh-in blog: James Toney comes in at 237 for UFC 118: All 20 fighters make weight for Saturday's card at Boston TD Garden; Friday, Aug. 27, 2010; All 20 fighters set to compete at Saturday’s UFC 118 event came in on weight during Friday’s official weigh-in at the Boston TD Garden. One of them did so for the first time.
Breaking down UFC 118: B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar: With back-to-back wins over Penn, Edgar could start his own legacy; Friday, Aug. 27, 2010; Frankie Edgar's two young sons probably won't remember the year their dad fought mixed-martial-arts legend B.J. Penn in back-to-back fights. But Edgar hopes that some day they'll be able to look back on it and smile.
Texas grants Antonio Margarito boxing license: Margarito to face Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium; Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010; The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation granted Antonio Margarito a boxing license Thursday, which will allow him to fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Breaking down UFC 118: Randy Couture vs. James Toney: Fight promoted as boxing vs. mixed martial arts, but rarely seen that way to those involved; Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010; If this weekend's heavyweight fight between Randy Couture and James Toney truly is boxing against mixed martial arts, everyone is being pretty nice about it. While the marketing campaign for Saturday's UFC 118 focused on the idea of the two sports competing against one another, the reality is few on either side are viewing it that way.
Breaking down UFC 118: Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard: Looking more dominant than ever, Florian says he doesn't feel pressure of another title run; Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010; Kenny Florian has fought for the UFC lightweight title twice. But as far as he's concerned, only one of them counted.
Muay Thai championship fights hit Primm this weekend: Las Vegas-based Shawn Yarborough looks to defend light heavyweight title; Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010; Las Vegas resident Shawn Yarborough would be a welcome guest at this week’s UFC Fan Expo in Boston, Mass., considering he’s the Muay Thai coach for several fighters on the company’s roster. However, Yarborough has his own fighting to do this weekend.
Nick Diaz, K.J. Noons rematch scheduled for Oct. 9: Strikeforce welterweight championship bout to headline fall card in San Jose; Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010; A welterweight championship bout between Nick Diaz and K.J. Noons will headline a previously announced Strikeforce event on Oct. 9 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The event will be co-headlined by the women’s welterweight championship fight between Sarah Kaufman and Marloes Coenen.
Gilbert Yvel, Jon Madsen to meet at UFC 121: Heavyweight bout added to Oct. 23 event in Anaheim; Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010; A heavyweight clash between Las Vegas-based Gilbert Yvel and "The Ultimate Fighter" alum Jon Madsen has been added to the UFC 121 card Oct. 23, according to sources close to the event.
Gray Maynard says focus is on Kenny Florian, not lightweight belt: Maynard says he still won't call for the belt, but shouldn't have to after UFC 118; Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010; Gray Maynard doesn’t stand in the octagon after his fights and make demands. But after watching Frankie Edgar take the UFC lightweight belt away from B.J. Penn in April, he pulled out his phone and sent a request to matchmaker Joe Silva.
Despite loss, Brandon Vera says he still doesn't believe Jon Jones hype: Vera plans late 2010 comeback, admits he was 'overconfident' in his last fight; Monday, Aug. 23, 2010; Every time Brandon Vera washes his face in the shower, he presses his hand against the area near his right eye that was wrecked by Jon Jones on March 21. The day still hasn’t come where it doesn’t hurt him to do so. When it does, Vera says he will be back.
Muhammed King Mo Lawal falls to Rafael Cavalcante: Jacare Souza claims vacant middleweight title, Chad Griggs upsets Bobby Lashley; Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010; Saturday’s main event bout between Strikeforce light heavyweights Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal and Rafael ‘Feijao’ Cavalcante was a fairly technical affair through the first two rounds. A straight right from Cavalcante in the third round put an end to that.
Randy Couture will look to submit James Toney but won't take him lightly: Couture in the market for interesting fights; that doesn't include any in a boxing ring; Friday, Aug. 20, 2010; Randy Couture remembers what it felt like to receive little credit for all he had accomplished in wrestling when he first transitioned to mixed martial arts. It’s part of the reason the UFC legend is giving former world champion boxer James Toney a chance to beat him in their heavyweight fight on Aug. 28 — even when few others are.
BJ Penn: I don't want to let the sport pass me by: At 31, Penn believes he's only now entering the prime of his storied career; Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010; B.J. Penn has spent the better part of his nine-year mixed-martial-arts career at the absolute top. If the younger athletes flooding into the sport are to take that position away from him, he’s not going to give it up without a fight.
WEC officials declare Phoenix as winner of online contest: WEC headed to Phoenix in December, Ben Henderson likely to headline; Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010; WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson will likely make his next title defense on Dec. 16. Thanks to the good people of Phoenix, Ariz., he’ll get to do so in his own backyard.
Dominick Cruz says he's among world's best, hard to argue with him: Cruz shows well rounded skills over Joseph Benavidez, wins seventh straight; Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010; Dominick Cruz successfully defended his WEC bantamweight title for the first time Wednesday, posting a split decision win over Joseph Benavidez in front of a hostile, sellout crowd at The Pearl at The Palms. Following the fight, Cruz frankly stated what some members of the pro-Benavidez crowd were probably thinking but refused to admit.
WEC 50: Dominick Cruz defends belt over Joseph Benavidez: Pettis submits Roller, Jorgensen decisions Pickett, Mendes dominates Swanson; Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010; In a back-and-forth battle every bit as entertaining as the first time they met, Dominick Cruz and Joseph Benavidez went the distance in their WEC bantamweight championship fight Wednesday. Once again, Cruz emerged the victor, this time by split decision.
Weigh-in blog: Sacramento fighters bring along home crowd: All 20 fighters make weight for Wednesday's card at The Palms; Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010; The official weigh-ins for Wednesday's WEC 50 event took place Tuesday at The Palms. While the 20 fighters on the card came from all over the world, the crowd seemed to come primarily from Sacramento, Calif.