“King of the Cage’s” first official show in Texas will be in Lubbock, TX on April 16, 2011 at the Lubbock Civic Center.

This show will be King of the Cage’s 223rd official show! Out of the hundreds of MMA promoters all around the world, no company on earth has promoted more professional MMA fights than “King of the Cage” with 2,419 official professional bouts to its credit. King of the Cage promotes shows in America, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Singapore, United Kingdom, New Zealand and South America.

The show will consist of 11 matches with the main event featuring current 170 lb. Welterweight World Champion Quinn Mulhern challenging Anselmo Martinez. Both fighters come to the cage with a history of serving up knock outs and killer submissions. Also featured is UFC champion and hall of famer Dan “The Beast” Severn challenging Lubbock native Aaron Garcia. This looks to be a strategic war of talent and experience between two top MMA pros.

In addition to the main events, some of the area fighters to watch on this epic fight card are: Josh Luna, Bill Albrecht, Zach Haney, Josh Hill, Adenilson Clementino, Aaron Cantu, Ulpiano Malachias, Eric Rodriguez, Jerry Hinojosa, Donnie Frye, Javier Rubio, Mark Martinez and Josh King.

Doors open at 6:00 PM CST and the first fight starts at 7:00 PM CST. The Lubbock Civic Center is located at 1501 Mac Davis Lane. You can catch older KOTC events on pay-per-view or On Demand.

Former King of the Cage Champion and polished wrestler Tony Johnson Jr. has found a home with Bellator Fighting Championships and will make his promotional debut on April 16 at Bellator 41 in Yuma, AZ against undefeated heavyweight Carlos Flores. Bellator 41 will air live on MTV2 starting at 9pm EST.

“Tony is a fighter we have had our eye on for quite some time,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He’s one of the top heavyweight prospects in the world right now, and will make a great addition to our already impressive heavyweight lineup.”

Johnson, pictured above in the very unflattering photo, began his combat career early, completing a decorated four year run in high school. After moving onto Iowa State and wrestling collegiately, Johnson’s competitive juices were still flowing upon graduation, and like many of today’s top mixed martial artists, turned to MMA. Now holding an impressive 5-1 record with a King of the Cage Championship to his name, Johnson is eager to compete for the Bellator Heavyweight Title.

“I definitely want to be a part of the next Bellator Heavyweight Tournament,” said Johnson. “I think it would be a great opportunity for me. It would mean everything to me to become the next Bellator Heavyweight Champion,” said Johnson. Even with a championship title to his name, Johnson knows his career is just beginning, and is ready for the challenges that await him inside the Bellator cage. “I can only improve,” Johnson said. “I plan on getting better and better every time I enter that cage. I feel in my heart like I’m able to compete with the best heavyweights out there, and now it’s time for me to prove it. I’m ready for it. I’m ready to take that next challenge.”

The Fight Nerd caught up with Bellator FC veteran and current reigning King of The Cage flyweight champion, Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera, who was fresh off his five-round decision victory over Jared Papazian in his first defense of his KOTC title. The Tiger Schulmann’s MMA student is looking ahead to a rematch with the previous KOTC flyweight champ and the man he took the belt from in October, Abel Cullum, in his home turf of New Mexico in May. We talk about his performances in his last two fights and strategy for this upcoming bout, as well as what he expects from Cullum after their first five-round war.

A few months ago, I shot some fights at King of The Cage: No Mercy, expecting to see Ron Sparks batter Ray Mercer into a bloody pulp. Instead, we got weeks of Mercer trying to duck out of the fight, ultimately promoting Abel Cullum VS Jimmie Rivera to main event status, and what a fight that was. Also on the card was Noah Weisman, a 4-1 fighter I had never heard of at the time. Can you blame me with all the fights I go to?

Fast forward to weeks later, I receive an email from a newspaper in Vermont, the state where Weisman resides in, inquiring about some photos of the Burlington native. Lo and behold, this turned out to be my first cover shot ever for a magazine, and I knew that Noah was going to be something special for sure. Noah, who is being shadowed by “Broke in Burlington” to create a short documentary while he trains and prepares to fight Joel Ly (2-1) in New England’s first ever “Friday Night Fight” on February 25th in Burlington, VT, took some time to speak with The Fight Nerd about this fight and some more info on this rising star.

The Fight Nerd: How are you getting ready for this fight?

Noah Weisman: I’ve been doing my regular fight preparation which consists of BJJ/ Wrestling/Grappling, and Striking. I attend classes during the week with Tom Murphy and have private mitt sessions with Orlando Quiroz.

The Fight Nerd: What do you know about your opponent Joel Ly?

Noah Weisman: Honestly, I don’t know too much about him. I know he trains with Guy Chase who is known for studying multiple martial arts. As I understand, they teach something like 13 styles at his academy so I expect him to be a versatile opponent.

The Fight Nerd: The last time we saw you in action was at King of The Cage back in September. Any reason for the delay between fights? Will ring rust be a factor here?

Noah Weisman: I had separated my shoulder the week before the KOTC fight. I let my shoulder completely heal as I didn’t want to make it any worse. I continued to train but really modified my exercises that I did. I’m been fully healed and ready for action for a while now but was waiting for the right opportunity to arise. “Friday Night Fights” called me and it looked like the right fit for me. You won’t see any ring rust on me. I’m good to go.

The Fight Nerd: You went the distance in your last fight with Sean Wilmot, and despite dominating the fight you were unable to finish the wily veteran off. Were you surprised by Wilmot at all? And what did you think of your performance?

Noah Weisman: I was definitely surprised that Wilmot kept coming. He took some good shots. I think I would have finished the fight after one of those knockdowns had it not been for the shoulder injury. All good though, I give him a ton of credit because those knees were hard. To be able to keep his composure after them shows that he is a warrior. I was happy with some aspects of my performance but I’m eager to show the rest of my arsenal to the world.

The Fight Nerd: For this fight, “Broke in Burlington” ( a Vermont-based website) is following you for a documentary, which I assume is a first for you. What’s it like being followed around like this for a fight?

Noah Weisman: I’m actually really having a good time with them. They’re good kids that are excited and enthusiastic about the whole thing. It’s also great exposure for our gym, RailCity MMA! It’s also allowing me to get used to having the cameras on me. Thanks! !

The Fight Nerd: You’ve gotten a lot of attention in the past year from various media outlets in Vermont. What has attracted them to your story?

Noah Weisman: I’m a guy that really had a rough time as a kid and I think they like the turn-around that my life took. I’ve really embraced MMA into my life and think that it’s helped me grow into the person that I am now.

The Fight Nerd: Are you a full-time fighter or is this a part time thing for you?

Noah Weisman: I aspire to be a full-time fighter. I’m doing everything that I can to achieve that goal. In the meantime, I sell cars as well.

The Fight Nerd: Vermont is not the first place I think of when I think of MMA. What is the fight scene like there?

Noah Weisman: Well, it’s attracting the likes of “Friday Night Fights NYC” which is a big promo. This is their first time in VT and I’m proud to be a part of it. I started with a great amateur promotion called “The Burlington Brawl”. I think they are a good way to get your feet wet and have a competitive level of fighters. There is also an event called the “The Mayhem” so we have some good stuff going on as far as the fight scene goes.

The Fight Nerd: Is there a pro fighter you try to model yourself after?

Noah Weisman: I really just want to be a professional in life in every aspect. Whether it’s a fighter, sales associate, role model. I want to be the best person I can be. Although, my head instructor, Tom Murphy, is what I would consider to be a professional in life…

The Fight Nerd: What drives you to be a fighter?

Noah Weisman: I love the fact that I can put my all into something and see the direct results. It’s also a great way to stay in shape and be competitive. It’s truly an amazing sport.

The Fight Nerd: If you had to describe yourself and what you do in the cage to someone, what would you tell them?

Noah Weisman: I am coming in there to show my skills and win the fight. I don’t stop. I’m there to win, so be ready.

The Fight Nerd: Go ahead and thank any sponsors or anyone you want.

Noah Weisman: I’d like to thank my sponsors: Ake’s Place, Ragin-Bull MMA, Turnbaugh Insurance Company, Kell and Family Realty, The Rehab Zone, Jivana Spa, Mimmo’s Pizza, Warrior Roots, and the whole RailCity MMA Team. I also want to thank my family and friends for all the support!

The Fight Nerd: Any last words for Joel Ly?

Noah Weisman: Joel Ly – I hope you’re ready.

This time on Weekend Warriors, we take a look at a battle in the historic King of The Cage company with Abel Cullum taking on Ryan Diaz for the KOTC Flyweight title. These two 135 lb. warriors leave it all in the cage, as for the nearly five rounds on May 17, 2008 at “King of The Cage: Reckless”, Cullum and Diaz fight their hearts out for the championship belt. Since this fight, Cullum also fought in the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix in 2009 and against Wilson Reis for the EliteXC Bantamweight title, which he lost. Diaz has slowed down considerably compared to Cullum, who fought three times since this fight. Most recently, he lost to Chris Gruetzemacher on a Strikeforce Challenger show in August, 2010.

Quick spoiler alert – this is the match where Cullum wins the flyweight title, which he held for over two years with four successful defenses. He lost the belt in September 2010 at “King of The Cage: No Mercy” against Jimmie Rivera in another five round war, and it looks like the two will be going at it again soon to see if it was a fluke or if Rivera is the real deal!

Hit the jump for the conclusion to this fight!

Durban, South Africa has successfully secured a first, not only for South Africa, but also for the African Continent. On November 25th, 2010, the ICC Durban will host one of the most highly anticipated Mixed Martial Art shows in 2010. “Platinum” will feature International and National fighters, including Ken Shamrock, Donovan Hawkey, Abjul Hussain, Craig Fourie, Tyson Chelin, Donald Nziwara and Mike De Bruin to name a few. The poster you see above is not for the event Shamrock is fighting in, but one this weekend. Besides, this is more like a page from “Where’s Waldo?”, except you replace Waldo with Shamrock.

This event is part of the International fight promotion “King of the Cage” which continues to promote hundreds of shows throughout the world, including 17 in the United States and far-reaching countries such as, England, Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada, and Australia. You might remember them most recently for their first East coast event in years, which featured Jimmie Rivera VS Abel Cullum in a spectacular five-round war for the flyweight title, and also for Ray Mercer causing a nationwide police search to locate his missing self.

Ken Shamrock will be featured as the main event on the “Platinum” card, fighting Mike “The Rhino” Bourke. Bourke is a 6’0’’ heavyweight that has been in the cage against fighters such as Tank Abbott and Mike Whitehead. Shamrock, when asked about the fight and the upcoming event, “It’s an honor to go to South Africa – its home to the African Lion – the reason for the name Lion’s Den. This is going to be one of the best things I’ve been a part of and it’s going to be fun!” The question now is if Africa tests for steroids or not.

This is interesting news for the globalization of MMA, and I hope the event does well so the sport can continue to spread all over the world to other untapped markets. KOTC puts on some good shows and who knows how much untapped MMA talent is in Africa! Want to see more of Ken Shamrock’s opponent? Hit the jump for a vid of his bout with Tank Abbott!

The news just keeps on coming! Yesterday, I announced the latest prize to the already massive prize pool to this Saturday’s Fight Nerd Video Game Open: Fall Brawl 2010 event, that being tickets to the MMA World Expo next month! Today, I can announce that Klutch Wear will also be contributing shirts to the event, and Jakks Pacific has sent us action figures as well now for the winners to receive! Add that in with the rest of the stuff already announced, and that is a ton of stuff for a very low entrance fee.

In addition to the prizes, I am also very pleased to announce that I have two guests coming for the event as well! King of the Cage flyweight champion Jimmie Rivera and Bellator FC veteran & current WEC figher, fresh off his battle with Demetrious Johnson at WEC 51, will be coming down towards the start of the event to hang out with attendees and play some video games! Hopefully, some more fighters will be coming through the day and I will let you know once I know!

In the meantime, if you are going to be in Manhattan this Saturday afternoon, come down to 8 Bit & Up Gaming and play some games with The Fight Nerd! The throw down begins at high noon and ends when the last man falls! Check out the full rules and event info at this link here!

Turns out that one of the fighters who competed on that particular event, Noah Weisman, is a native of Burlington, VT, and the zine was doing a feature on him which centered around his fight against Sean Wilmot. They needed some action shots and I was the right nerd to deliver the goods! Mostly because I was awake on a caffeine binge from two nights of MMA in a row and ended up editing a few hundred photos in a very short amount of time. Chocolate is a helluva’ drug.

As if that was not cool enough, as I always enjoy being printed, one of my shots would grace the cover of their magazine. I have been published in many different magazines before, but never the cover! It might not be the cover of the UFC Magazine, but I am more than grateful that “Seven Days” found my photos and decided they were worthy of the cover!

Thanks to Lauren Ober for writing the very comprehensive piece on the fighter and finding me, and also thanks to Noah Weisman for being an excellent subject to shoot! To see my entire photo gallery from KOTC: No Mercy, just hit this link, and to check out the great article from “Seven Days” with my photos, head to this link. And if you just happen to be a citizen of the fine state of Vermont, grab me a copy!

The Fight Nerd travels in style to King of The Cage: No Mercy! On September 17, 2010, we made the trip to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, we being the nerd, Peter Lampasona of MATCombatSports.com and Luis Toledo, writer for thefightnerd.com and organizer of meetup.com’s MMA in NYC group. Enjoy our harrowing journey from point A to point B and back again, all in the name of MMA! And don’t forget to check out the full photo gallery from the event at this link here!

Sleep is for the weak. I proved that this weekend by traveling to Connecticut on Friday night then to New Jersey the following night to cover King of the Cage: No Mercy and M-1 Global Selection Americas 4 respectively.

If you recall, KOTC: No Mercy was supposed to be headlined by Ray Mercer vs Ron Sparks, but Ray had gone missing and was found, and hours before showtime, Ray was pulled from the car due to “a thirteen year old injury.” Instead, Jimmie Rivera VS Abel Cullum for the flyweight title was moved up to the main event, and what a main event it was! Five intense rounds of back and forth action led to a split decision win for the TSMMA fighter, Jimmie Rivera, and led him to his first national title. Oh, and in case you were wondering, we found Ray Mercer sitting ringside and was physically fine for an injured man, so much so that he turned down an interview by saying “Nah!” and hastily walking away.

Over in New Jersey, M-1 Global put on another excellent show as they wrapped up their selection series. Fighters who moved on included Tom Gallicchio, Kenny Garner who knocked out the iron-headed Pat Bennett, Jose Figueroa (via verbal submission thanks to Jose punting George Sheppard’s testicles into his stomach), Byron Byrd who picked up a dramatic win with a triangle choke after being powerbombed by his opponent and Tyson Jeffries. It was their best night of fights since they started coming to Jersey, and for those in attendance, the stigma of being an M-1 show was definitely wiped out of their mind.

Hit the jump for my photo highlights from both events!

Check out the full King of The Cage: No Mercy gallery at this link and the full M-1 Global Selection Americas 4 at this link here!