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Ninja Out, Villasenor In...

T-Bone

Posted 9:04 am, 04/23/2008

Mulla

Ninja explains absence from EliteXC

Looks like EXC werent to blame for this one! Hopefully Ninja will get to fight the winner of Baroni/Villasenor.



Yeah, I'd like to see Ninja fight either one of those guys.

Thanks for the update.

Mulla

Posted 6:55 am, 04/23/2008

Ninja explains absence from EliteXC

It would be the dream of any MMA athlete to participate in the May 21st Elite XC show, when an MMA event will be broadcast live on network television (CBS) in the United States to over 30 million people. Unfortunately for Murilo Ninja, the only Brazilian on the event�s historic card, the dream turned into a nightmare.

An injury to his foot during training caused the Southern Brazilian fighter to contact the organization to cancel his fight against American fighter Phil Baroni. Besides missing his chance of putting himself at the top of the list of challengers for the belt belonging to Robbie Lawler, Mauricio Shogun�s older brother will also be set back for this event being considered the biggest of all times in terms of market and sponsorship for fighters.

In a chat with GRACIEMAG.com, Ninja showed his experience as a fighter in making it clear he will not be put off, and he will be back shortly.

�I hurt my foot training, it�s very swollen and I can�t step properly. I�ll be going to the doctor tomorrow, I don�t think it�s too serious, but I should go 15 to 20 days without training. It would surely have been the most important fight of my life, as it will be seen by over 30 million people, a landmark for MMA. I was very sad, but all I can do is get back to training for my next fight when I can. Sooner or later I�ll face Baroni, as this will be a good fight. EliteXC treated me really well and gave me all the support it could, also saying they will try and fit me in the next event. Soon I�ll be fighting,� said the Universidade da Luta athlete.



Looks like EXC werent to blame for this one! Hopefully Ninja will get to fight the winner of Baroni/Villasenor.

jyd94

Posted 2:33 pm, 04/22/2008

I just met Phil at extreme coture in vegas, he was pumped about coming back east, said he hadn't been back in a long time.

GeorgeXVX

Posted 1:43 pm, 04/22/2008

i was so bummed by this.. war ninja

FightFan76

Posted 7:52 am, 04/19/2008

Gygax

Don't make it like Ninja never takes the fights to the ground. 8 of his 15 wins have come via submission, including a heel hook and a variety of chokes. Rua would easily outclass Baroni on the ground and would have little problems getting it there when he wanted to. I like Joey, but he's a step down in competition level. Rua would have been a decent favorite over NYBA, whereas the line will likely be a Pick'em.

It will be interesting to find out why Ninja was removed. Was it an injury, or was it that Gary Shaw was worried that Ninja might take this fight to the ground, something he clearly abhors. This wouldn't be the first time Shaw has pulled the rug out from under the legs of a fighter who agreed to a bout. Ask Gary Turner how he feels about Shaw.



I have seen Joey fight about 5 times and he always takes his opponents to the ground and GnPs the hell out of them. I actually think this is a tougher opponent for Baroni even though he always has a punchers chance; I am startin to think that is all he has anymore.....

AllTrac

Posted 5:30 am, 04/19/2008

Gary Shaw strikes again, i doubt ninja is going any but rather this move is to put a fighter into the cage with Baroni that will keep it standing up.

MMA is just that, mixed martial arts. If people want to see fighters using only their fists they should watch boxing and maybe that is where Shaw should return too.

dsver1

Posted 10:12 am, 04/18/2008

Speaking of brothers, I'm still wondering when they're going to sign Little Nog.

Jasp

Posted 2:53 am, 04/18/2008

Drewplata

Do you think Ninja would be a "major announcement"? Don't get me wrong, it would be to me, but I don't think that signing Ninja would mean anything to 80% of people watching the UFC. I can see it now "Shogun's brother? The guy who lost to Forrest?"



Agree! Signing Shogun was a major announcement signing Ninja, not so much.
If Shogun had gone out and just ripped forrest apart then it would have been a major announcement to sign Ninja aswell.

Drewplata

Posted 6:20 pm, 04/17/2008

Do you think Ninja would be a "major announcement"? Don't get me wrong, it would be to me, but I don't think that signing Ninja would mean anything to 80% of people watching the UFC. I can see it now "Shogun's brother? The guy who lost to Forrest?"

MTKrav911

Posted 3:49 pm, 04/17/2008

LIke I said, and on Inside the MMA they were talking about this a few weeks ago about The UFC having a crazy ability to get whichever fighter they wanted when they wanted except Fedor.

The UFC just makes you not able to say no. And with that press release today that all UFC fighters make at least 100k a year? That's insane marketability.

So who knows? Maybe Ninja is on his way. We just can't know I guess until After UFC 83 pro or con

dsver1

Posted 3:27 pm, 04/17/2008

MTKrav911

You think maybe Dana's

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

this UFC is that Rua is being signed?



that would be some crazy ****! I'm more amazed that no MMA media outlet is making a bigger deal about this. Everyone seems to be reporting it in a matter-of-fact sort of way. Usually, when any fighter is replaced without a reason, there's major speculation. Through in the fact that he's a Rua brother and I'm even more amazed at the silence.

MTKrav911

Posted 3:21 pm, 04/17/2008

You think maybe Dana's

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

this UFC is that Rua is being signed?

Flying Triangle Choke

Posted 2:24 pm, 04/17/2008

As much as it would suck for anyone who bought tickets, I think Carano should stay away from this card. I hate to say that, but I don't see how she can balance the show and the training. If she can pull it off though, major props to her.

Gygax

Posted 1:35 pm, 04/17/2008

Drewplata

I have a great idea- why not ruin my day?



LOL.

Okay, the Mohegun Sun just banned MMA from this day forward. Thus the IFL event is gone.

And the Prudential Center just banned all spectators named Drew!:eek:

Drewplata

Posted 1:31 pm, 04/17/2008

I have a great idea- why not ruin my day?

Gygax

Posted 1:28 pm, 04/17/2008

Drewplata

Of course they had to wait until after the pre-sale to announce this. Can't say I'm not disappointed. Maybe the idea was to give the NYBA a better (if still a very long) shot at winning in his bad-ass area; NJ will be as good as it can get for Baroni until NY allows MMA. Next thing you know, they'll replace Gina Carrano with Janet Reno.



I hate to say this, but it wouldn't surprise me even slightly if Gina Carano drops out. She said she will be training for the fight and filming a new season of AG at the same time. While she thinks she can do it, she doesn't sound 100% sure. This interview with Ariel Helwani is pretty enlightening regarding this.

Drewplata

Posted 1:20 pm, 04/17/2008

Of course they had to wait until after the pre-sale to announce this. Can't say I'm not disappointed. Maybe the idea was to give the NYBA a better (if still a very long) shot at winning in his bad-ass area; NJ will be as good as it can get for Baroni until NY allows MMA. Next thing you know, they'll replace Gina Carrano with Janet Reno.

Drew Shayze

Posted 11:23 am, 04/17/2008

Ninja really needs to start using his ground game more, as that's his best weapon. Why he doesn't is beyond me. Azeredo's another guy with a solid ground game, but he uses it more.

More past Chute Box guys need to start tapping instead of scrapping.

Don't make it like Ninja never takes the fights to the ground. 8 of his 15 wins have come via submission, including a heel hook and a variety of chokes.



Have you seen Ninja lately? The guy barely uses his ground game anymore, and is constantly getting into slugfests with guys he shouldn't be slugging with. Does he have sub wins? Sure he does, that's where the underrated ground game thing comes from.

Gygax

Posted 11:22 am, 04/17/2008

Drew Shayze

lol at Ninja displaying his ground game. You know that guy likes to use his sloppy stand-up and not his underrated ground game.

I like this replacement, as Villasenor is actually a solid fighter. He's hit or miss, sure, but at least he actually has a chance to win this fight instead of being brutally KO'ed.



Don't make it like Ninja never takes the fights to the ground. 8 of his 15 wins have come via submission, including a heel hook and a variety of chokes. Rua would easily outclass Baroni on the ground and would have little problems getting it there when he wanted to. I like Joey, but he's a step down in competition level. Rua would have been a decent favorite over NYBA, whereas the line will likely be a Pick'em.

It will be interesting to find out why Ninja was removed. Was it an injury, or was it that Gary Shaw was worried that Ninja might take this fight to the ground, something he clearly abhors. This wouldn't be the first time Shaw has pulled the rug out from under the legs of a fighter who agreed to a bout. Ask Gary Turner how he feels about Shaw.

T-Bone

Posted 11:18 am, 04/17/2008

Drew Shayze

lol at Ninja displaying his ground game. You know that guy likes to use his sloppy stand-up and not his underrated ground game.

I like this replacement, as Villasenor is actually a solid fighter. He's hit or miss, sure, but at least he actually has a chance to win this fight instead of being brutally KO'ed.



Sloppy stand-up...:)

For Baroni, I figured we might see some of the ground game.

Yeah Villansenor isn't bad at all. Smokin' Joe.

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