The Canadian lightweight fighter is gearing up to fight in familiar territory: he faces American Jeremy Stephens at UFC 113 in Montreal, one of the more notoriously loud and energetic crowds in sports. But the Montreal fans don’t intimidate Stout, as he is well known in the metropolis. Early in his career, “Hands of Stone” fought in the Montreal-based league TKO, undefeated in 11 fights in the now-defunct organization. He is also no stranger to the bigger octagon scene in Montreal – namely, the UFC. He has fought in all three Canadian UFC cards (all have taken place in Montreal, Quebec), winning Fight of the Night in one of those fights.

A lesser person might crumble under the pressure; Stout is cool, calm and collected. “It’s a pretty cool feeling, having 22,000 people chanting your name. It lights a little fire in you and helps you push through the fatigue in the end of the fight.”

Stout has certainly been lighting it up, coming off two straight victories, one of which was his impressive win over Joe Lauzon at UFC 108. Despite the decisive win, Stout suffered criticism from those claiming that Joe Lauzon wasn’t at his best. Stout remains positive about his fight: “I think I fought him the right way”, claims the 26-year-old Canadian. “I hit him in the body, wore him down, and imposed my superior size on him. He never made any excuses. If he didn’t come in at 100% that’s not my fault.”

Nevertheless, thanks to “a spring in my step and snap in my punch” as a result of a few changes in his training camp, notably not overtraining, Stout secured the win and is now ready to face another tough challenger in the lightweight division, Jeremy Stephens. Stout deems his next opponent powerful and, though he will respect that power in the fight, feels confident he’ll find the openings to lock his third consecutive victory.

Stout remains grounded and focused a fighter. Despite a decent record of 15-5-1, he knows the recent pace in his last fights has to be maintained and the wins, more decisive. Of his last seven fights, six have gone to decision. Thus, vis-a-vis his position in the lightweight division, Stout remains modest: “I still need a few more strong performances. It’s not only winning but winning in impressive fashion.”

We will most likely see him deliver yet another strong and exciting performance for his legions of Canadian fans Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal. There are many reasons Sam aims to be the best and put on an amazing show, and we can expect him to honor all 22,000 of them.

Full weigh-in results:

Championship fight Ringside MMA 155 lbs
Ryan Machan (10-3) 154.4 lbs  v. Guillaume de Lorenzi (7-1)155 lbs.

Championship fight Ringside MMA 145 lbs
Mitch Gagnon (5-1) 144.2 lbs v. Guillaume Lamarche (6-2) 144.8 lbs.

Derek Gauthier (5-1)  155 lbs  v. Jason Rorison (6-1)  154.8 lbs.

Pierre-Étienne Marcoux (0-2) 138.4 lbs v. Guillaume Fortier (1-1)139.2 lbs.

Kevin Morin (2-1) 155.6 lbs. v. Jeff Royer (2-0) 154.2 lbs.

Tim Wadsworth (4-0) v. Dwight Sutherland (3-1) both fighters weighed in at exactly 145 lbs.

Daylin Logan (3-0) v. Sebastien Deroy (0-1) both fighters weighed in at exactly 179.8 lbs.

Dany St-Gelais 145 lbs. v. Sam Laverrière 145.6 lbs.

Alex Garcia (2-0) 170.4 lbs. v.  Jaret Macintosh (2-0) 169.6 lbs.

Dave Bédard 185.2 lbs. v. Roben Helou 187 lbs.

by Julie V with Ringside Report staff

Full Results for FightQuest 11

(155-160) Marco Cabezas (Zahabi MMA) VS Bruno Pierre Dubois (Juvaldo): Dubois by unanimous decision.

(195-200) Ryan Deere (Tristar) VS Robin Helou (Independant) *This fight did not take place.

(145-150) Greg Carpenter (Zahabi MMA) VS Luigi Laselva (Wolfpack MMA): Carpenter by submission (armbar) at 1:30 of the 1st round.

(165-170) Jonathan Lefebvre (Zahabi MMA) VS Yohan Gariepy (Team Legion): Lefebvre by unanimous decision

(200-205) Evan Deere (Tristar) VS Martin Trempe (Team Xtreme): Deere by submission choke (rear naked) at 1:44 of the 1st round.

(175-180) Jason Courchesne (Kanreikai) VS Pierre Olivier Braney (FightSport): Courchesne by submission at 2:00 of the 1st round.

(185-190) Eric Bissonnette (Juvaldo) VS Harley David O’Reilly (FIT MMA): O’Reilly by unanimous decision.

(155-160) Andy Zamora (ZAHABI MMA) VS Aiman Zahabi (Zahabi MMA) (Exhibition fight)

(140-145) Maxime Fecteau (Kanreikai) VS Eric Daigno (Longueuil Fight Club): Daigno by split decision.

(160-165) Dominik Andrew (Zahabi MMA) VS Minh Nguyen (FIT MMA): Andrews by unanimous decision.

(155-160) Maxwell Henry (BULL SQUAD) VS Samuel Desruisseaux (UltimAction Drummondville): Desruisseaux by KO at 0:45 of the 1st round.

(170-175) Mario Zamora (Zahabi MMA) VS Alexandre Arseneault (Spartan FightClub): Arseneault by submission choke (rear naked) at 0:49 of the 2nd round

CO-MAIN EVENT
(185-190) Cody Gibbons (way of life martial arts)VS Ian Perron(Scantlebury Thai jitsu): Perron by submission choke (triangle) at 1:10 of the 1st round.

MAIN EVENT
(195 et plus) Dave Bédard (Force Extreme)VS Guillaume Vigneault (Zahabi MMA): Vigneault by submission (arm triangle) at 1:37 of the 2nd round.

1. Pierre-Étienne Marcoux (2-1-0) weighed in at 139 lbs and his opponent Lyndon Whitlock (1-0-0) weighed in at 142 lbs.

 2. Joey Gambino (3-0-0) came in at 145 lbs while Louis-Philippe Gauthier (1-0-0) came in at 144 lbs.

3. Daylin Logan (2-0-0) weighed in just over 185 lbs with an official weight of 186 lbs while Eon Shirley (0-3-0) came in below, at 183 lbs.

 4. Jason Cecil (5-10-0), who came in at 206 lbs, will fight Yan Pellerin (9-12-0) who weighed in at 228 lbs.

5. Fighters slated for number 5 fight in the middleweight division did not weigh in. Justin Primmer (1-2-0) vs Nordine Taleb (1-1-0).

6. Louis-Philippe Carle (6-1-0), weighing in at exactly 170 lbs, will fight Chris Vorano (3-5-0), who weighed in at 169 lbs.

 7. Mark Fraser (1-4-1) weighed in at 134 lbs and his opponent Dimitri Waardenburg (3-4-0) weighed in at 138 lbs.

8. Sebastien Garguier (5-2-0) came in at 153 lbs and will fight Martin Grandmont (9-4-0) who came in at 158 lbs.

 9. Hosier Bruno (4-0-0) weighed in at 222 lbs and his opponent Thomas Murphy (5-0-0) weighed in at 233 lbs.

 10. Steve Bossé (6-1-0), who came in at 203 lbs, will fight Marvin Eastman (16-12-1), who weighed in at 205 lbs.

11. David Loiseau (18-9-0) weighed in at 198 lbs and will fight Chester Post (6-18-1) who weighed in at 202 lbs.

For the first time ever, two UFC Hall of Famers will do battle at UFC 109, this Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Randy “The Natural” Couture vs. Mark “The Hammer” Coleman have been pioneers in the sport of MMA: Couture has held two titles in two weight classes and is a dominant Greco-Roman wrestler, while Coleman was once an authoritative heavyweight and is credited with inventing the ground and pound. Both fighters have already made their mark in MMA, yet this fight is critical for them, as both are well into their forties and are looking to stay relevant and worthy of a main event. Indeed, their glory days are behind them, as both have won just half of their last 10 fights. They show similar records (Couture is 17-10 while Coleman is 16-9), and these two warriors have much to prove and still have a lot to show thanks to diligent training and the desire to make what will perhaps be their final attempt at a comeback.

Ringside Report caught up with Mark Coleman and discussed the craze surrounding this long overdue fight. “This sport is all about being in the right place at the right time”, Coleman states. “During our prime, I was fighting for Pride in Japan, and he was over here, and injuries prevented it from happening.” Coleman says the question he is asked the most is, “When will you fight Randy Couture?”, and he looks forward to settling the question once and for all this Saturday. Coleman realizes the impact this fight can, and most certainly will, have on his career. “It’s a huge opportunity to put myself back on the map. I don’t want to be a gatekeeper. The opportunity fell into my lap and I feel fortunate that Randy accepted the fight.” Coleman also understands he needs to be ready if he wants another shot at greatness in the UFC. “The talk is that the winner will get a title shot. If Randy wins, he deserves a title shot because of who he is. I have to win impressively. ”

Mark Coleman is well aware that the odds appear to be against him in the match-up, he is a +300 underdog according to Las Vegas odds-makers. “It’s to be expected. I brought that upon myself with my inconsistency over the years. I’ve had an up-and-down career and I haven’t given this sport 100% over the last 10 years.” Coleman cites being a doting father and lack of funds to get the adequate training as the main reasons for his undoing over the last decade.

In order to beat the Coture, Coleman admits he needs to resist the urge to follow his instincts and go back to wrestling. “I’m always looking to knock out somebody. I go out there with a game plan to throw punches but my instincts are too strong and I go back to wrestling. I’m going to try to avoid that. I want to throw punches. I think I hit harder than him and can take a better shot than him. Hopefully I am stronger than him and can counter his aggression and nullify his clinch.” The match-up between these two wrestling warriors is anyone’s game, and Coleman predicts we will see some stand-up, as it won’t be an easy task to take either man down. 

If Coleman is successful in neutralizing Couture’s conditioning, he could be well on his way toward another title shot against the winner of the Light Heavyweight Championship fight taking place in Montreal at UFC 113 between Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. In light of Coleman’s two previous fights against Rua, he feels a rematch would be ideal. “If Shogun wins, my chances (at a title shot) are better.” The two fighters are tied at 1 fight apiece: Coleman won their first encounter via TKO at Pride 31: Unbreakable in early 2006, then went on to lose his next fight against Shogun at UFC 93 three years later, and is eager to fight him again, regardless of whether Rua wins his rematch against Machida in May or not. 

However, Coleman looks forward to Saturday and the chance to beat one of the biggest names in UFC history. “The main reason I want to fight him is nothing personal. I have nothing but respect for him. Just his name is such a big name and he is such a legend, and I only want to fight fights that have importance.” Another fight of lesser importance but of equal value in Coleman’s eyes is one that would pin him against The Huntington Beach Bad Boy and upcoming coach on The Ultimate Fighter Season 11. “One guy I do have a problem with is Tito “Douchebag” Ortiz”, Coleman calls the former UFC light-heavyweight champ. “I don’t like him. He talks a lot about everybody and doesn’t respect too many people. That’s the guy I’ll be waiting for until I’m 60 years old. We can fight in the cage or in the street, I don’t care.”

Before a potential fight with either Ortiz or Rua, Mark Coleman will take on Randy Couture in the main event at UFC 109: Relentless this Saturday, February 6.

by Julie Veilleux (quotes courtesy of Ringside Report Radio)

Listen to the entire interview with Mark Coleman HERE

Against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Thiago Silva, Evans felt he should go back to basics and wrestle his way to a victory. “With Thiago, it was a no brainer with the takedowns because he really doesn’t have good takedown defence so I really worked that a lot, making it a point to try and finish every combination with a takedown.” 

He succeeded in executing his game plan, despite all the distractions outside the octagon, notably with TUF Season 10 rival coach Quinton Rampage Jackson. “It was difficult to focus on the fight, but at the same time Thiago for me was definitely a worthy challenge because of the simple fact that the guy is a great competitor and he beat a really good friend of mine.” 

The rematch between Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson is slated to happen sometime in the first half of 2010. Just exactly how badly does he want to beat Jackson? “To be honest, I want to fight Rampage, but he’s not the champion. He doesn’t hold a victory over me.” Evans feels he is at the point where he was before even winning the belt for first time, and claims that what counts now is just enjoying the ride until he gets another shot at the championship title. “There are some things I want to work on my game that I want to get better at, and I’m in no hurry.”

However, following all the animosity between the two Season 10 coaches, Evans is eager to come out fighting. “I’m just ready to fight and look forward to getting in the cage with him. I just want to get into a scrap because I know he’s been talking trash, so let’s do it. There’s no better venue than in the octagon.”

(quotes from interview on Ringside Report Radio)

Listen to the Rashad Evans interview on Ringside Report Radio here

Here are the results:

(165-170)Jacob Miller(zahabi mma) vs Chad Petepiece(FIT MMA) Petepiece by submission (armbar) at 1:16 of the 2nd round

(195-200)Martin Trempe(FightSport) vs Cody Gibbons(Hill MMA) Gibbons by submission choke (rear naked) at 1:54 of the 1st round

(140-145)Maxime Fecteau(Kanreikai vs Greg Carpenter(ONKI Extreme) Fecteau by submission choke (guillotine) at 1:24 of the 3rd round

(160-165)Sebastien Simard(zahabi mma) vs Shawn Beauvais Mcdonald(Bow) Simard by unanimous decision

(HW) Jean Francois Grault(team bergeron) vs Randy Maracle(ACE-1,Nancy’s) Grault by unanimous decision

(165-170)Mandel Nallo(zahabi mma) vs Samuel Charbonneau(Fight Club) Nallo by unanimous decision

(155-160)Max Henry(ace-1,nancy’s) vs Samuel Desruisseaux(team Ultimaction) Henry by unanimous decision at 1:11 of the 3rd round (medical stoppage)

(180-185)Pat Colvey(FIT MMA) vs Jason Courchesne (Kanreikai) Courchesne by unanimous decision

(155-160)Matthew wetstone(zahabi mma) vs Gavin Ward(FIT MMA) Wetstone by unanimous decision

CO-MAIN EVENTS

(170-175)Jonathan Lavigne(LionHeart MMA) vs Ugo St-Onge(Team Menjivar) Lavigne by unanimous decision

MAIN EVENTS

(215 and Under)Pascal Gosselin(FORCE EXTREME) vs Guillaume Vigneault(zahabi mma) Vigneault by submission choke (rear naked) at 1:02 of the 1st round

Thomson expects Melendez to be a different fighter than he was in June of 2008 and their upcoming fight to be a different one. “I haven’t really watched the last fight. History is done, it’s over. I don’t expect him to fight me that way. If he does, it’s a replay. I think he’ll change up the game plan. If he tries to be overly aggressive he’ll be in a lot of trouble. I think he’ll probably be a little bit more patient and counter-punch a little bit more and have me come to him.” While the last fight went to decision, Josh maintains “Every fighter looks to finish a fight. He’s got a good chin and he’s super hard to finish submission-wise. I don’t see it happening but if the opportunity presents itself it’ll happen.”

Thomson is riding an eight-fight win streak and is unbeaten since June 2006. His most recent loss was in March 2006, when he found himself on the losing end of a decision in his fight against The Carpenter, Clay Guida, with whom he does not foresee a rematch. On avenging his loss to Guida, Josh says, “He’s a tough fighter, but he can’t seem to beat the big dogs. I’ve beaten the guy that beat him. He’s on a losing streak and I’m on a winning streak, so I don’t see the point in going back and fighting him again.”

What about UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn? Josh maintains, “If BJ Penn wants to fight the best guys he needs to leave UFC and come over to Strikeforce, then he can fight the best lightweights and test himself. The top 10 guys at lightweight are not in UFC. The best fighters are outside the UFC; they’re with Strikeforce.” Thomson claims he is the top fighter at 155 lbs and wants to prove that further by testing himself against those who, in his opinion, are currently the top lightweights: Joachim Hansen, Shinya Aoki and Eddie Alvarez to name a few. He adds “It’s a shame that the guys in the UFC are going to be left out.”

(Josh Thomson quotes courtesy of Ringside Report Radio)

Listen Here to our exclusive interview with Josh Thomson