Local MMA personality Ray Flores has been named the cage announcer for the upcoming Shine Lightweight Grand Prix, which takes place at The Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia on September 10th.

Flores will be introducing some familiar names to MMA fans at the event. The combatants:

• Former WEC contender Rich Crunkilton
• Pride and UFC vet Marcus Aurelio
• Duneland Vale Tudo fighter Josh Shockley
• MFC and WEC vet Carlo Prater
• Art of War vet Hector Munoz
• UFC vet and submission specialist Drew Fickett
• KO artist and XFO vet James Warfield
• Pride and KOTC vet Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett

The tournament format is having success in Bellator and now Strikeforce. Shine’s lightweight Grand Prix looks like it will continue that excitement.

“I think Shine bringing back the tournament format is exciting for a variety of reasons”, Flores told Chicago’s MMA. “There are so many things that can happen and so many scenarios which can play out. The fighters in this tourney are world class. You have guys that are looking to get back to the UFC and have experienced big fight situations.”

“Then you have guys who are up and coming, solid fighters looking to make a name for themselves. I also think Shine is very fortunate to have Chicago native Jason Chambers at the helm as the COO. Here’s a guy who has a vision, brings excitement and energy to this product. He knows what fans want and it’s great to be along for the ride with Shine.”

It’s an especially great opportunity for Duneland Vale Tudo’s Josh Shockley. He was supposed to fight Mark Miller at Bellator 25, but Miller had to withdraw due to an injury. A killer knockout or sub could make Shockley or any of the other combatants a “You Tube Hero” a la Toby Imada’s inverted triangle. It could be a great career boost.

You can watch the tourney on Friday, September 10th at 8pm Central on pay per view.

The Chicagoland area will get treated to plenty of MMA this week. Here’s a rundown of the events.

Bellator 25, Thursday, Chicago Theatre

Bellator returns to Chicago for Bellator 25. The exciting Zoila Frausto (7-1) will battle the undefeated, #6-ranked flyweight Jessica Pene (7-0). Damian “The Polish Pitbull” Grabowski (12-0) will take on Scott Barrett in a battle of heavyweights. Bellator Season 2 Welterweight Tournament runner-up and local favorite Dan Hornbuckle will face off against UFC veteran “Bad” Brad Blackburn. Undefeated Division I NCAA Wrestling Champion Cole Konrad takes on submission specialist Rogent Lloret in another heavyweight tourney showdown. “Mr. International” Shonie Carter will take on Torrance Taylor, a one time Strikeforce fighter. Brian Gassaway will battle Kevin Knabjian in a match of two local fighters. Mark Miller was supposed to fight on the card, but he has been forced to withdraw due to injury. Keoki Cypriano will face Eric Kriegermeier in the promotion’s third show in the Windy City. Visit Bellator.com for ticket info.

G2 Fight Night Live, Saturday, Tinley Park Convention Center

The Gilbert Grappling produced event is back with another card full of promising amateur fights. Here’s a great fight video from the last G2 featuring Jon Reed vs. Kenny Jordan.

For more information contact 630.479.6304 or send an e-mail to g2fightnight@live.com.

American Predator FC, Saturday, Lithuanian World Center

The second event produced by APFC will once again be held in Lemont. You can buy tickets and check out the full fight card at the American Predator FC website.

Bad Boy Pro Series Handwraps 3-Pack w/Wash Bag

Results for XFO 33 January 23, 2010, Copernicus Center, Chicago, IL

Amateur Results
Martin Villafuerte defeated Steve Bingham by unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28
Josh Estrada defeated Jesse James Love by guillotine choke :46 of round 1
Joey Diehl defeated Jake Gilski by rear naked choke :51 of round 1
Chris Miller defeated Casey Irvin by guillotine choke :26 of round 1
Jeff Lavallee defeated Arty Hong by technical knockout at 1:38 of round 1
Blain Podkowa defeated Craig Pineo by technical knockout at 1:47 of round 2

Pro Results
Chris Garcia defeated Bryan Neville by rear naked choke at 1:19 of round 1
Matt Tobie defeated Jake Meyer by technical knockout at 1:49 of round 2
Ryan Sturdy defeated Dan Bolden by rear naked choke at 3:50 of round 1
Bobby Reardanz defeated Bruce Johnson by verbal submission at 1:58 of round 1
Yusup Saadulaev defeated Chris Clark by keylock at :55 of round 1
Boban Simic defeated Alex Rozman by arm triangle submission at 2:07 of round 2
LeVon Maynard defeated Mark Miller by knockout 4:14 of round 1
Daniel Straus defeated Gideon Ray by unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27

XFO 33 will take place on Saturday, January 23rd at the Copernicus Foundation Theater. Veterans Mark Miller and Gideon Ray headline the card, which also features some of the best local fighters.

Yusup Saadulaev will take on Jeremy Pender in a 135lb. bout. Saadulaev was impressive in his June fight at Total Fight Challenge 16 in Hammond, Indiana, where he defeated Jeff Charlebois. Here is the video from that bout:

Ryan Sturdy (12-3-1) will take on Dan Bolden at 185lbs. Sturdy is currently on a 5-fight win streak, his last win coming against veteran local fighter Bill Hill at XFO 31: Outdoor War 5. This will be Sturdy’s 9th fight in the XFO.

Bobby Reardanz (2-0) will fight in the XFO again, but it will be his first pro bout for the organization. Reardanz is known locally for being the 145lb. champ for “Kaos in Kankakee”. He fought as an amateur at XFO 30 and defeated Tony Rayburn via submission. He most recently fought at HFC 2 in Hammond, beating Norman Alexander by TKO via strikes.

Mark Miller (9-4) finally gets back into the cage and takes on LeVon Maynard (8-5). Miller hasn’t fought since appearing on “The Ultimate Fighter” season 9. He was supposed to fight at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers in November, but that fight never took place. Maynard fought in November at “Art of Fighting 6″ and lost to Delson “Pe de Chumbo” Heleno in a fight that was for the welterweight title.

Veteran Gideon Ray (17-11-1) will battle up and comer Daniel Straus (7-2) at 155 lbs. Ray is coming off a December win against Luke Caudillo at “Raw Power MMA”. Straus is riding a 4-fight win streak, with his last loss coming at XFO 29. Pat Curran knocked him out in round 2 of that bout.

Here is the complete card:

PRO

155-Daniel Straus  vs. Gideon Ray

170-Mark Miller vs. LeVon Maynard

135-Yusup Saadulaev vs. Jeremy Pender

185-Ryan Sturdy vs. Dan Bolden

HVY-Boban Simic vs. Alex Rozman

170-Kevin Nowaczyk vs. Matt Tobie

155-Whitney Waddel vs. Chris Garcia

145-Bobby Reardanz vs. Bruce Johnson

Amateur

135-Joey Diehl vs. Jake Gilski

145-Casey Irvin vs. Chris Miller

170-Blaine Podkowa vs. TBA

185-Craig Paneo vs. TBA

145-Jeff Lavallee vs. Arty Hong

HVY-Josh Estrada  vs. TBA

155-Steve Bingham  vs. Martin Villafuerte

Copernicus Theater

5216 W.Lawrence Ave

Chicago, Illinois 60630

Buy tickets here

Bad Boy Kimura 2-Tone Long Sleeve Rash Guard

The Mark Miller Interview by Rea Frey

Chicago native Mark Miller looks like a typical fighter. With a myriad of tattoos on his arms, a solid build, and his nose and ears marked by his relentless pursuit on the mat, this laid back fighter approaches everything with ease. He’s just as likely to make you laugh as he is to put up his thick fists in a mock old school boxing style and land a quick left hook to your chin. With a record of 14-5, Miller will make his Strikeforce debut November 7 against local fighter Deray Davis (5-1-1) in one of the preliminary bouts. Best known for his stint on season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter, this heavy-handed fighter is heralded for his strength and his stand-up game.

Fighting

“Coming up as a kid, I was always a boxing fan,” Miller says. “I always liked watching Mike Tyson smash people in the face. Then, Ultimate Fighting came out, and I thought, ‘Man, that’s some cool shit. I want to do that one day.’ I remember telling one of my friends, ‘One day, I’m going to fight on TV like those guys.’ And I did.

“I started boxing in high school for fun. When I joined the military, I saw some guys training MMA one day on base at the gym. I asked them if I could start working out with them and they let me. I picked up everything pretty fast. I ended up training with them all the time while I was there. Six months later, they asked me if I wanted to fight. A promoter in Florida had a guy drop out of a fight, and they needed a replacement. With a week’s notice, I took the fight. I won in the first round by submission, which doesn’t happen often with my fights. I’m not really a submission guy. From there, I kind of fell in love with fighting, and I’ve been fighting ever since.

“I fought on and off for fun for a couple of years. I was working construction and got laid off for the winter, and in order to make extra money, I just started fighting more often. I kept winning fights. I won some Midwest titles. People were just telling me, ‘You should do this instead of working full-time. You only have a window in your life where you’re able to fight.’ So, I kept fighting, and I kept winning. Then, I got offered a fight for the IFL. That was three years ago. Since then, I’ve been fighting full-time. I like fighting in front of big crowds. That’s a rush.”

“Stand-up is definitely my favorite part of MMA,” he continues. “I love boxing. I never really wanted to be a boxer, though. The whole idea of getting punched in the face the whole time didn’t really appeal to me that much with boxing. I like having the options of kicking and kneeing. I like the stand-up, because I think it’s more exciting for the fans, and it’s more exciting for me. I never really shoot takedowns, but I have the option, if I felt like it.” He shrugs and laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever shot a takedown in my life.” Then why not be a boxer? “I’m too short to be a boxer,” Miller says. “If I was a boxer, I’d have to fight at 147. That’s not happening. Not as long as Taco Bell exists.

“I think the future of MMA is that it’s going to be the biggest sport around. I have mixed emotions about it, actually. As the sport grows, it means better money for the fighters and a better way to make a living, but it also means a massive influx of douche bags. It’s already started. You can go out to any bar on any given weekend and see guys with their MMA shirts on who ‘fight’ UFC. It has its pros and its cons. So, if I had to give local fighters any advice, it would be to take your time. Really learn the sport before you just jump into it. It’s not always about sparring everyday. Take the time to learn the techniques. Evolve as a fighter. Don’t just jump into it. Especially if you’re young. You’ve got all the time in the world. Don’t just take a couple of classes, fight in a local show, win a fight and then tell everybody you’re a UFC fighter. Take your time. Keep your mouth shut. Work hard in the gym. In time, if you dedicate yourself, it will all pay off.”

The Ultimate Fighter

“I never had any desire to go on that show. The idea of living with fifteen guys in a house was so erotic – I mean, no, it never really appealed to me to be on a reality show,” he laughs. “But, I remember they had the tryouts here in Chicago, and a couple of my buddies were going. Me and my friend Kevin, who I ended up fighting on the show, we actually went together. I don’t know how many times we said to each other, ‘Dude, let’s just get the hell out of here.’ It was a fifteen-hour day, there were over 1,000 people there. It was a long, boring process for maybe five minutes of exposure the whole day. We stuck it out, though, and we both ended up getting calls for second interviews. They flew us out to Vegas. We did our interviews and our physicals, and then we both made the show, and lo’ and behold, we both fought each other, which was pretty stupid, I thought. But, I guess if you’re looking for good television, that’s a good way to go about it. Overall, in the house, it was boring as hell. There were no books, no radio, no TV, no music, no anything. And I’m not a kid. I’m a grown man, so I don’t really get into the drama. I don’t sit there and talk about people and play pranks on people and complain and cry. A lot of guys complained a lot and said they couldn’t take it. I was like, ‘Come on, you knew what you signed up for. Deal with it.’ I pretty much kept to myself, but I was close to a couple of guys there. But, I didn’t get involved in any drama.

“I learned a lot of good things from the coaches out there, so it definitely helped me,” he says. “I think certain things I’ve learned will help me – but they aren’t things my coaches haven’t told me before – now, I’m just starting to realize them. Like, I need to relax. I want to turn every fight into a brawl and a street fight, and that’s when I end up doing stupid things and rushing into things. Whereas if I just relax and use my skill, instead of trying to rely on piss and vinegar, I feel like things will turn out a lot better.

“Unlike most fighters, I really don’t have a goal, though. I never set out to be a fighter. I kind of fell into it. I know I said when I was little that one day I would fight on TV, but it wasn’t something that I worked for and worked for. I just kind of fell into it when I lost my job and kept fighting. So, I really don’t have any goals, I just like to fight.”

Training

“My training is usually the same formula: conditioning in the morning and training at night. Depending on the opponent, I try and focus on certain things a little more. It varies from fight to fight. For this upcoming fight, I’ve been focusing a little bit more on my wrestling and not even my defense, but my takedowns too. I’ve been getting a lot of good wrestling work in, and I’ve actually been taking people down, which is not something I’ve done in the past. People get pretty surprised, even in practice, when they see me taking people down. I’m not saying I’m going to shoot a takedown or anything in this fight,” he jokes. “That’s not going to happen. I guarantee it’s not going to happen, but if I could get a body lock slam, I’m taking it. I want to slam somebody,” he says, pounding his fist into his open hand.

Cutting Weight

I’d like to go back in time, find the first person who cut weight, and punch him right in the face. You’re just making life miserable for the future! I don’t cut too much weight, as compared to most guys. I don’t want to win fights because I’m bigger than someone. I fight at 170, but I don’t walk around more than 15 pounds heavier. It’s a pretty easy cut. A lot of guys walk around at 190 and up if they’re fighting at 170. I’d rather just worry about getting better as a fighter than making weight.”

“I just want to say thank you to my friends, family and training partners,” he concludes. “Team Dino Costeas and West Loop Gym. If it wasn’t for all my coaches and training partners, I wouldn’t even be where I’m at today, so I think they deserve all the credit.”

Watch the action Saturday, November 7 on CBS when Mark Miller joins Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers, Jason Miller, Jake Shields, Gerard Mousasi, Thierry Sokoudjou, Antonio Silva and Fabricio Werdum on what promises to be an exciting card at the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois.

On his Vlog for MMA Fighting, Miller takes us through the last episode and the fight. He talks about Hendo, his health and why it all turned out like it did.

Welterweights, training partners and friends, Mark Miller and Kevin Knabjian had to battle each other for a spot in the house on episode 2 of TUF9. Miller emerged the victor.

From UFC.com: “After a competitive first round, the action kicked into gear in the second when Knabjian dropped Miller to the mat and went for a submission. Miller escaped, and moments later, he tagged Knabjian and hurt him. Miller didn’t let his friend off the hook, and referee Steve Mazzagatti halted the bout.”

Check out our interview with Mark Miller from last summer, when he was preparing for the debut of “Adrenaline”. He talks about his cage approach and the MMA scene in Chicago. Miller is also a veteran of the now defunct IF and trains with Dino Costeas MMA.

Check out this fight from Kevin Knabjian, from the debut of PFC last May against Mario Stapel. Knabjian trains with Gilbert Grappling.

Keep visiting Chicago’s MMA as we follow Miller’s progress on TUF and find out what’s next for Knabjian

Southside product Mark Miller is not a newcomer to fighting.  He came up through the ranks as part of Gilbert Grappling and now trains with Dino Costeas MMA and Team Toro Muay Thai.  Hardcore MMA fans will remember him from the International Fight League, where he challenged Jay Hieron for the Welterweight Crown.  The hard-hitting Miller is a cast member of the latest installment of  The Ultimate Fighter.

The ninth season of TUF will feature an international flavor as Team USA faces Team U.K.  Former Pride Fighting Championships Champion Dan Henderson coaches the Americans and Season 3 winner Michael Bisping heads the British team.  Miller will be a welterweight contender on Hendo’s team.  The show debuts April 1, 2009 at 9 P.M. CST on Spike TV.

Miller discusses his approach to the cage as well as his thoughts of the thriving Chicagoland MMA scene in this unbroadcasted interview with ChicagoMMA.com’s L.J. Tabano done last summer.  At the time of the taping Miller was preparing to compete in the debut of Monte Cox’s Adrenaline MMA promotion.

The potent lightweight pair has agreed to meet in the headlining bout of “The Ultimate Fighter 9” finale on June 20 at the Pearl inside the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, according to sources close to the fighters. The bout will anchor a night of final deciding bouts for the Spike TV reality series, which begins airing in April.

Guida (25-9) has won his last 3 matches against Nate Diaz, Mac Danzig and Samy Schiavo, and trains out of MTC in Schaumburg.

Season 9 of the The Ultimate Fighter pits a team from United States against a United Kingdom team. Dan Henderson coaches the Americans while TUF 3 winner and British standout Michael Bisping will head the one from England. Local fighters Mark Miller (Dino Costeas MMA) and Kevin Knabjian (Gilbert Grappling) are cast members this season, which showcases lightweights and welterweights.