Thanks to a thread on our MMA Forum, or I wouldn’t have known that Donruss is producing a MMA trading card set.

Here is the article from Beckett Media:

Donruss Enters the Octagon

Feb 22 2008 3:29PM

Donruss officials on Friday announced the latest in a string of non-traditional trading card developments, and this one should have mixed martial arts fans across the country fighting glad.

The July release of Donruss Americana II will include a Ring Kings insert featuring some of the top superstars of MMA, a cultural phenomenon that has supplanted boxing as the combat sport of choice for most fans.

Headlining the insert will be such notable names as former UFC Heavyweight champion Randy Couture, UFC Welterweight champion Matt Serra and former UFC Welterweight champion Georges St.-Pierre. Other stars slated to appear include Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, Houston Alexander and WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

“Everyone in Ring Kings represents one of the fastest-rising superstars in the world of sports based on the country’s overwhelming fascination with mixed martial arts,” says Donruss’ Scott Prusha. “We’re thrilled to be able to create what, for most of these guys, will be their first trading cards and autograph cards; and we’re truly excited about the future possibilities.”

Prusha says that Donruss plans to creatively sample Ring Kings early this spring at various trading card and mixed marital arts events throughout the country before unveiling an extensive promo-card rollout – with autographs – in an upcoming issue of the new Beckett Sports Card Monthly.

On a sidenote, here are some other MMA trading cards and various collectables.

Damn. I was pulling for a rare Tank Abbott victory in this one. Seriously, the dude has only won 1 fight in the last decade, right? Oh well, I was still giving him a punchers chance, and at least he came out swinging. He looked frustrated after his first few punches didn’t do what he wanted them to do, then he started getting connected on. Tank went to the mat after a Kimbo Slice punch, but Tank kept hold of Kimbos ankle, so Kimbo started raining down punches to the back of Tanks head. The referee stopped the fight to warn Kimbo of the illegal punches. The fighters started back on their feet, but Tank took more punishment, and fell flat on his face. KIMBO SLICE, Knockout, Round 1.

The Ricco Rodriguez/Antonio Silva fight was good, although it went all 3 rounds to a split decision. I had Ricco winning rounds 1 and 3, and Silva winning round 2. However, the judges decided differently and the victory went to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

w00t! Tank Abbott and Kimbo Slice are due to fight in about an hour or so, this should be entertaining whether it’s a good fight or not. I would like to see Tank Abbott KO Kimbo, but I really don’t see it happening. I figure Kimbo will score a takedown and submit or TKO Tank, or, Tank will gas out.

I’m also hoping to see Ricco “Rehab” Rodriguez win his match against Antonio Silva.

Be sure to sign up on our MMA Forum if you haven’t already!

It’s not mixed martial arts, but still in the realm of “combat sports”, I just saw this posted from the Texarkana Gazette:

Toughman contestant dies
By: Lori Dunn – Texarkana Gazette – Published: 02/15/2008

A man who was hospitalized after competing in a local Toughman Contest last weekend has died.

Brandon Twitchell, 23, of Elkhart, Texas, died Thursday at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System in Texarkana, hospital spokesman Francine Francis said.

Twitchell fought Friday night and Saturday night in the annual Toughman Contest at the Four States Fairgrounds. His family said they believe he sustained brain injuries during the competition.

After the fights on Saturday, Twitchell was taken from the fairgrounds by LifeNet ambulance to the hospital, where it was discovered he had brain injuries.

Twitchell’s parents said he had been in critical condition and on life support since being hospitalized.

“He died today around 11 a.m. on his own without the assistance of machines,” Brandon’s father, Mike Twitchell, said Thursday.

Hundreds of contestants sign up for the Toughman fights every year in 44 states and abroad. The fighters are separated into several weight classes and by experience, according to www.toughmancontest.com.

All fighters must be 18 and in good physical condition, according to the Website.

Also, fighters submit to drug testing and Breathalyzer testing prior to the fights.

In a previous interview, Lydia Robertson, spokesman for the Toughman Contest, said the dangers of boxing are explained to contestants in detail and they must sign a release from responsibility with the understanding they are participating in a dangerous event.

Mike Twitchell said funeral arrangements for his son were pending.

“He will be buried … in his hometown of Elkhart,” he said.

Mirko CroCop annouced today at a press conference in Japan that he has resigned from the UFC and joined a new fight organization called DREAM. It is said that his first fight with the new organization will be on March 15 in Japan.

The company behind the new fight promotion is the Fight Entertainment Group, which is the also the company behind K-1, and employs former executives of extinct PRIDE Fighting Championships, which was sold to the UFC last year.

Mirko has had a tough time in the UFC, losing two out of three fights. This gave new arguments to the “Pride vs. UFC” debates that had been raging for years.

This new DREAM company also announced a few other big name fighters that will be part of the organization, including Shinya Aoki, who will fight Gesias “JZ” Calvancante at the March 15 event. Other popular MMA fighters competing for the company are rumored to be Kazushi Sakuraba and Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto.

As usual, Nogueira took a beating throughout the fight, Tim Sylvia dominated the stand up game and showed phenomenal takedown defense until the 3rd round, when Nogueira snuck in and dropped for Sylvia’s leg. Nog swept Sylvia and took side control. When Tim Sylvia tried to stand back up, Nog locked in a guillotine choke and forced Tim Sylvia to tap.

Minotauro Nogueira is the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Brock Lesnar came out and took Frank Mir down, and commenced dropping jackhammers on Frank Mir’s head, and I wondered a few times if Mir would survive the attack. The referee took a point away from Lesnar for punches to the back of Frank Mir’s head. After they stood back up, Lesnar drops Mir with a punch to the grill, and Lesnar goes to the mat with and keeps dropping hammerfists on Mir’s dome. Frank Mir goes for an armbar but Lesnar breaks free. Lesnar ends up in Frank Mir’s guard and then stands back up and leaves his leg there for Frank Mir to crank. Lesnar taps out.

Click Here to see results, but don’t open it if you don’t want to know who wins the preliminary fights. Props to Firepowr.net for keeping us updated on the preliminary fights.

CLICK HERE TO SEE UFC 81 RESULTS

I’ll be posting these up whenever I get them. Once again, thanks to Firepowr.net for sharing the photos with me!

While watching the UFC 81 Countdown show on Spike TV, I noticed how much Brock Lesnar likes to refer to himself in third person. He uses the words “Brock Lesnar” quite often, and for that reason alone, I hope he gets tapped out by Frank Mir. When Brock kept referring to himself as “Brock Lesnar” it seemed really WWE to me, I kept expecting him to bust out with “Can you smell-l-l-l-l-l, what The Rock,errrr.. I mean, Brock Lesnar is cooking?!?!”

Anyway, I’m thinking Brock will probably be able to win this fight tonight, but I’m hoping for Frank Mir to walk away with a victory.

Another UFC 81 Weekend photo from FirePowr.net, courtesy of Huy Nguyen.

“Hollywood” Dan Henderson at LAX Nightclub at the Luxor, Las Vegas

Thanks to Firepowr.net for sharing his photos from UFC 81 and the weigh-ins. I’m jealous that he is attending the event, it should be a fun weekend in Las Vegas. Hopefully he’ll be able to email results of the undercard fights as they happen!

 Photographs below are courtesy of Huy Nguyen:

(Joe Lauzon watching Kenflo pose for a fan)

Kenny “Kenflo” Florian

Heath Herring

People waiting in line for autographs

Evan Tanner

The Mickey’s Girls

The Mickey’s Girls ass shot

Keith Jardine aka The Technoviking

Frank Trigg

People waiting in line to see the weigh-ins

The scale and bigscreen

Nakamura

Rob Emerson & Nakamura

Emerson & Nakamura