The Future of Fighting Blog

Details released by the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office describe a frantic effort to save the life of Justin Eilers, who was fatally shot late Christmas night at his mother and stepfather’s residence.

Eilers was wounded once in the chest by his stepfather James Robert Malec, a former deputy sheriff, during a domestic dispute. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:36 p.m. MST after emergency medical technicians could not revive him with CPR.

Canyon County Coroner Vicki DeGeus-Morris confirmed that the single shot had punctured Eilers’ lung before it exited his back.

Canyon County sheriffs were the first to arrive at the residence at 11:00 p.m. MST, and found Eilers on his back in the living room. Eilers’ mother and ex-girlfriend were over the body, attempting to apply pressure to the wound until paramedics arrived around 11:15 p.m., confirmed Capt. Dana Maxfield.

An argument between Eilers and an ex-girlfriend, who have a son together, had broken out earlier and she had left the residence, according to Capt. Maxfield.

Tensions continued in the kitchen between Eilers and Malec, said Maxfield. Unverified reports suggest Eilers was asked to leave, but refused. Maxfield said glass and other items were found on the kitchen floor, knocked over by Eilers in protest.

“He [Eilers] was verbally challenging Malec,” said Capt. Maxfield.

Eilers was shot with a large caliber handgun standing in the doorway adjoining the kitchen and the living room and fell back into the living area.

Maxfield said Eilers’ mother witnessed the shooting. Earlier reports that Eilers’ 8-year-old son was also present in the room were false, though he was on the premises with other family members. Eilers’ ex-girlfriend was not present at the time of the shooting, but returned afterward, said Maxfield.

Maxfield confirmed that both Eilers and Malec had been drinking.

“Alcoholism was a contributing factor to the entire incident,” said Capt. Maxfield. “This is a good example of how, in many instances, firearms and alcohol don’t mix.”

Malec, 48, was arrested at the scene for second-degree murder and arraigned Friday. He is being held at the Canyon County Jail on $1,000,000 bond.

Malec served as a Canyon County deputy sheriff from April 1996 to July 2000. Malec had been assigned to the detention center and also worked as a canine handler. Numerous firearms were found in the home, said Maxfield.

Malec exercised his Miranda Rights and declined to be interviewed at the sheriffs’ office, according to Maxfield.

A former Iowa State middle linebacker, the well-liked Eilers was a member of the Miletich Martial Arts team and fought for the UFC and EliteXC heavyweight titles in 2005 and 2008.

A viewing for family and friends will be held on Jan. 1 from 2-6 p.m. at the Alsip Funeral Home in South Nampa, Idaho. Funeral services will be held on Jan. 2 at 10 a.m. at The Church Of Latter Day Saints, also in Nampa.

A benefit dinner and auction, as well as a trust fund for Eilers’ son are being organized by friends and family, according to FullContactIdaho.com. More information on donations is available at the site.

Preparing for their main event light heavyweight title fight at UFC 92 “The Ultimate 2008” this Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, champion Forrest Griffin and undefeated challenger Rashad Evans are a study in contrasts.

Griffin (16-4), training to defend his belt for the first time, still hits the gym with that same sobering sense of purpose he first displayed some six months ago as he readied for his first title shot against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. A unanimous decision victory made him champion at UFC 86. Griffin’s trademark sense of self-deprecating humor is still checked at the door, according to Shawn Tompkins, Griffin’s mixed martial arts coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

“There’s a new Forrest,” Tompkins said. “He’s hungry … just the fact that he’s got that belt and he has to prove something. And Forrest loves to have to prove something to people.”

A hundred eighty degrees away, metaphorically speaking, Evans (12-0-1), preparing for his first title shot, views Saturday’s bout as just another day at the office, to hear his camp tell it.

“It’s just another fight to us,” said Evans’ trainer, Greg Jackson, who runs Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, N.M. “If we were fighting Forrest and there was no belt involved, it would all be exactly the same. That’s how we come at it to deal with those pressure situations.

“We never look at it in that Rocky Balboa way, you know, ‘It’s my one shot at the title,’” Jackson added with a decent Stallone impression. “That’s for the movies.”

Griffin, 29, is a durable, hard-hitting boxer and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. Evans, also 29, comes from a wrestling background — he amassed a 48-34 record while wrestling for Michigan State University — but has developed into a well-rounded MMA fighter with explosive strikes. Both fighters are winners of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Griffin in season one and Evans in season two. Oddsmakers favor Griffin at UFC 92.

Another contrast between the two fighters is that Griffin’s camp is considerably more willing to discuss its game plan for Evans, while Evans’ coaches prefer not to tip their hand quite so much.

Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Tompkins said Griffin plans on utilizing a good boxing guard and hopes he will not chase Evans around the Octagon like Chuck Liddell did in Evans’ last fight on Sept. 6. In a definite “Knockout of the Year” contender, Evans crumpled Liddell with a devastating overhand right at 1:51 of the second round at UFC 88.

“Obviously, we have to make sure Forrest’s hands are up nice and high and not get caught into a game where we chase Rashad around,” Tompkins said. “I think that’s really where Chuck went wrong. And so we have to be smart with that ’cause Forest has a bit of a habit of just wanting to fight so badly that he’ll fall into that. Make Rashad come to us and really just do what Forrest does, and that’s really make the fight as tough as possible, because he’s such a durable guy.”

Because Griffin is known for his monster cardio, the longer the fight goes, the greater advantage he has, Tompkins said. At 6-foot-3, Griffin also has a considerable height and reach advantage over the 5-foot-11 Evans, Tompkins noted.

“What I think makes Forrest so durable is that thickness, that muscle density that he has,” he said. “So I think that’s what we really have going for us. When it comes to Rashad in those fourth and fifth rounds, that weight and that thickness is really going to weigh on him. Forrest is a mountain to deal with.”

When asked to elaborate on Evans’ gameplan, Jackson laughed.

“We want to win,” he said. “Seriously, I can’t go too much into specifics, but we’re expecting a really, really tough fight from Forrest. He’s an amazing fighter, a super tough guy. We expect him to try to wear us down and use a lot of kicks and body shots, so we’re trying to be ready for that.”

Evans’ striking and kickboxing coach, Mike Winkeljohn — a former ISKA champion — was equally reserved.

“Our gameplan would be to avoid anything that can tear Rashad down and put Rashad in position to take Forrest out of his gameplan,” he said.

Winkeljohn said that since he and Jackson believe Griffin will try to take Evans deep into the fight in an attempt to make fatigue a factor, Evans’ cardio training has been a priority. Evans also has been working on adding new weapons to his MMA arsenal, according to Winkeljohn.

“He’s not all about overhand rights, that’s for sure,” he said. “I mean, I hope that’s what people think.”

When pressed about Evans’ new weapons, Winkeljohn pointed to his brutal head kick knockout of Sean Salmon at UFC Fight Night 8 in 2007.

“Rashad can kick,” Winkeljohn said. “We’ve seen that with Sean Salmon. Rashad has become much more comfortable when he’s out there standing up. That’s about all I can tell you as far as the new stuff goes. You guys have seen each fight he gets better.”

Griffin and Evans are not completely about contrasts in priming for their title clash. Both are healthy and injury-free, the result being strong training camps for each.

While keeping intact his reputation for a second-to-none work ethic in the gym, Griffin has matured as a fighter and thus has learned to train more intelligently, said Ron Frazier, one of his Xtreme Couture boxing coaches.

“From the day he started to the day he ends, he’ll always be that guy who works harder in the gym than anybody,” Frazier said. “But one thing he’s a little bit smarter about now is that if his body tells him he needs to take a day off or a session off, he will do that. And now that he’s champion, he knows that some of the things he got away with earlier in his career, he just can’t do anymore ’cause it weakens him as a fighter.”

Besides Tompkins and Frazier, Griffin’s other main coach is muay Thai specialist Mark Beecher, based at Warrior Training Center in Las Vegas. One of Griffin’s primary sparring partners has been fellow light heavyweight Wanderlei Silva — who will fight Jackson for the third time at UFC 92.

“It’s been perfect,” Tompkins said. “The two of them are very intense guys, and to have both of them be able to help the other get ready for the exact same night is great.”

Evans’ training is going well, too, Jackson said.

“He’s on point, and he hopefully should peak at the right time, so everything is going well,” Jackson said, noting that Evans’ close friend, Keith Jardine — a light heavyweight who holds a TKO win over Griffin — is his main sparring partner, as well as “a great strategist with a lot of good insights.”

“And Rashad is very healthy, other than being mentally insane,” Jackson said with a laugh. “Actually, he’s one of the sanest people I know.”

Winkeljohn, meanwhile, said Evans plans to make the most of his first crack at the light heavyweight crown.

“He’s gonna make his dreams come true and become the biggest thing out there,” he said.

Less than a week stands between interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and his title defense against Frank Mir at UFC 92 “The Ultimate 2008” on Dec. 27 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The two men spent six weeks coaching against one another on season eight of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. Now they prepare to meet inside the Octagon to determine who will face Brock Lesnar for the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship sometime in 2009.

Nogueira (31-4-1), who has never been finished in 36 professional bouts, believes his training camp has gone according to plan.

“I’m getting in good shape,” he told Sherdog.com in an exclusive video interview. “I’ve been training very hard. My game on the ground is very tight, my muay Thai’s getting better, [and] my boxing’s good, too.”

One of the most decorated heavyweights in mixed martial arts history, Nogueira will carry a three-fight winning streak into his showdown with Mir. The 31-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has not competed since February, when he submitted two-time heavyweight titleholder Tim Sylvia with a guillotine choke to capture the interim belt at UFC 81. Outside of Fedor Emelianenko, Nogueira has defeated every man he has faced in his storied, decade-long career, having avenged losses to both Dan Henderson and Josh Barnett.

Mir (11-3), meanwhile, has won back-to-back fights since his brutal loss to Brandon Vera at UFC 65. He welcomed Lesnar to the Octagon in February, as he weathered an early barrage from the monstrous former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar and submitted him with a first-round kneebar.

“I’ve got to pretty much be ready for everything … use my muay Thai, my ground, my wrestling,” Nogueira said.

Check out Marcelo Alonso’s full interview and see Nogueira profess his hope to finish Mir and discuss training alongside Vitor Belfort, Junior dos Santos and his twin brother, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, in Brazil.

In the world of fight sport you rarely are privy to a trilogy where the first two fights have gone in one direction. But fans will see just that at UFC 92 this Saturday when Quinton Jackson takes on Wanderlei Silva in their third bout face-to-face. While the first two fights went decidedly in the direction of Silva, Jackson thinks Silva will have his hands full on Saturday.

“I really think Wanderlei is in a world of trouble,” Jackson said on Sherdog Radio’s “The Savage Dog Show” on Monday. “I punch harder. I’m faster. I have better footwork. My boxing is a lot better. I actually know what I’m doing. My defense is on point. Forrest (Griffin) opened up a new world to me with that whole low leg kick thing that he did to me last fight and I’ve been working on that. I’m hoping Wanderlei tries to low kick me this time. I’m well prepared for this fight. I know Wanderlei’s game plan. He’s going to tire himself out in the process of tiring me out. I dissected those two fights and I was doing great until I got tired. This time the cardio isn’t even an issue.”

Not only did Jackson (27-8) say he’s a different fighter for his third bout with Silva (32-8-1) but The Memphis native believes viewers should also consider the circumstances behind the first two defeats.

“Honestly, the first time I fought him I had to fight Chuck (Liddell) the same night and that would be hard for anybody,” said Jackson. “The second time I fought him I probably should’ve backed out of the fight considering what was going on with me but I still took the fight. This time I’m in better shape. I’m more mature and quite frankly back in those days I really sucked. I’m a better fighter now.”

Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com

The man who knocked out Liddell at UFC 71 in May 2007 to become a UFC champion has undergone quite the transformation since last July when he lost his light heavyweight title to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86. A week after the event, Jackson was arrested for a much publicized ride through the streets of Newport Beach, in which the 32-year-old fighter bob and weaved his lifted truck through traffic and sent pedestrians diving for safety. Jackson was charged with felony counts of hit and run, evading and reckless driving. Temporarily placed under mental evaluation following the arrest, Jackson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and will return to court in January.

While Jackson refused to go into detail about what’s transpired since the incident, he offered a more definitive statement addressing whether or not it’ll be a distraction come fight time.

“What’s going to happen is going to happen,” Jackson said. “There’s no sense in worrying about it. All I have to do is go in there and train hard and fight my fight. I don’t have to worry about what’s going on outside the Octagon or whatever. I always have something going on — I just usually don’t talk about it whether it’s relationship problems, kid problems or whatever. It’s not hard to focus at all. I have to deal with Wanderlei, then after that I have to focus on other things. One at a time.”

After the fight with Griffin, Jackson also changed fight camps. Going from Big Bear to the Wolfslair Academy in Widnes, England, Jackson has spent his entire training camp abroad. So far the change has gone well for a fighter renowned for complaining during training.

“It’s a lot better,” Jackson said. “I didn’t b-tch and moan that much this time. How can I b-tch and moan after my last performance? It lit a fire under my a– and made me want to work harder. No one had to push me that much this time. I was self-motivated. You guys don’t understand. The last fight I blamed on myself because I didn’t prepare enough. I didn’t take Forrest lightly. But I didn’t train as hard as I should’ve and I learned from that. I’m pushing myself now. I’m taking supplements and being serious about that. I’m doing all sorts of new things. I’m eating right. My nutrition is good. I’m acting like a professional athlete.”

Even with the big changes, Jackson knows only one guy will be stepping into the Octagon.

“The coaches don’t fight for you, do they,” said Jackson. “I still have to be the one to go out there and fight. All my coaches didn’t change. I’ve trained with these people before. I knew them so I went to the UK and worked my butt off doing new things I haven’t done before and I think it’s good for me. We’ll see on Saturday. I think I’m in excellent shape. I think that I can really do a good job.”

And what would be a really good job for Rampage?

“I walk out there and I knock him the hell out,” said Jackson. “One punch knockout. Walk out the cage without even doing an interview and go have me a few beers that night. That’s the perfect night.”

Light heavyweight Justin Levens and his wife Sara McLean-Levens were found dead Wednesday from gunshot wounds in their home in Laguna Niguel, Calif., the Orange County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed to Sherdog.com. Levens was 28 years old.

“Preliminarily, until they finish the investigation, it is being looked at as a murder-suicide,” said Lt. V. Wilson.

Initial evidence suggests Justin Levens was the shooter, said O.C. Sheriff Coroner’s Office spokesman Jim Amormino, though ballistics and residue testing is still pending. No suicide note was found at the scene.

The bodies were discovered by Sara McLean-Levens’ mother, who notified authorities. Deputies and investigators arrived at the home on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. PST.

“Sara’s mother hadn’t heard from her for five days, so she entered the residence and found them both dead in bed,” said Amormino.

Amormino said it appeared that the bodies had been there a couple of days. Authorities also took into custody what appeared to be prescribed painkillers and anti-depressant medication, though they were not found in the standard-marked pharmaceutical containers denoting whom they belonged to.

Levens had tested positive for the painkiller oxymorphone in pre-fight testing for a bout against Ray Lazama at Affliction “Banned” on July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., according to the California State Athletic Commission. The bout had been cancelled that night due to time constraints.

Autopsies were to be conducted on both bodies Thursday, as part of an “open, ongoing” investigation, said Amormino.

A standout on the central California circuit, Levens found early success in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion and went undefeated in his first seven fights.

Levens made his Octagon debut against Evan Tanner at UFC 59 in September 2006, but lost to the seasoned veteran via a first-round triangle choke submission.

A stint with the IFL followed, where Levens fought for his mentor Marco Ruas’ Southern California Condors team and went 0-3.

In his last bout, Levens (9-8) was submitted in the first round by Kenny Ento at the Palace Fighting Championships in Lemoore, Calif.

Jeff Sherwood contributed to this report.

Note: This article was updated at 1:10 p.m. EST to include new information regarding the crime scene.

For anyone who doubts the power of MMA to unify the masses, simply look at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night “Fight for the Troops” benefit show airing on SpikeTV. What other sport could bring together latte-sipping literati and Budweiser-pounding brewmeisters all in the name of supporting our fallen and wounded soldiers?

So while the focus is rightly on the fine folks who’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty to make sure I can sit behind a keyboard and make blithe comments about big dudes in short shorts, there is some quality MMA to mouth off about and I can’t pass up that opportunity.

In other words, put down the latte and/or Budweiser and read up on the exploits of MMA’s favorite heel while engaging in a serious debate on just how “Quick” Mike Swick really is. All that and more brought to you by a paranoia-inducing diet of Red Bulls and raw sugar. Try it sometime.

Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Josh “Kos” Koscheck Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’10/170 lbs.
Age: 31
Hometown: Waynesburg, Pa.
Fighting out of: Fresno, Calif.
Record: 11-3

The stakes: After going big and going home in a short-notice bout against Thiago Alves that left his body every shade of the blue and purple color spectrum, Koscheck’s welterweight title aspirations are in serious danger. Rebuilding his status as an elite contender is all Koscheck can do in the mean time, and taking out the upstart Yoshida would be a good start.

At this point, it’s the only start Koscheck can afford to make unless he’s planning on taking a vacation in the preliminary portion of upcoming UFC cards. Considering Koscheck has more heel heat than Mike Tyson at a couple’s therapy session, it won’t take much for that imposed vacation to happen.

The breakdown: While Koscheck’s love affair with striking clearly cost him his bout with Alves, it may save his golden-tressed dome against Yoshida, whose savvy submission game and penchant for creating scrambles make him a dangerous proposition for Koscheck’s still-suspect grappling game.

As long as Koscheck can impose his will on the feet and keep Yoshida at arm’s length, he is at a distinct advantage. What remains to be seen is if the short turnaround time from the Alves loss and Yoshida’s canny clinch throws blow up Koscheck’s hopes like that botched volcano from your third grade science fair.

Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’11/170 lbs.
Age: 34
Hometown: Kashiwa, Japan
Fighting out of: Tokyo
Record: 10-2

The stakes: Already one of the welterweight division’s premier prospects thanks to a skull-crushing showing at the Cage Force welterweight tournament, Yoshida became an MMA folk hero after choking War “Jon Koppenhaver” Machine into unconsciousness. With his people’s champion status cemented, Yoshida now has a chance to launch his welterweight contender status at Koscheck’s expense. With no clear contender lined up behind Thiago Alves, Yoshida could easily walk away from this bout next in line for a title shot. That, or Yoshida gets to play Hideki Irabu to Koscheck’s major league average hitter.

The breakdown: If Yoshida is going to have any chance of stopping Koscheck, it starts with keeping the boisterous one from turning this into a midweek wrestling meet. That means closing the pocket in a hurry, as the bulk of Koscheck’s wrestling game is predicated on landing quicksilver single- and double-legs. From there, Yoshida can use his strong judo background while mixing in his nasty clinch game to stifle Koscheck.

This fight boils down to Yoshida’s ability to get in Koscheck’s grill and maul him from bell to bell. Luckily, Yoshida’s flesh-flaying elbows and old-school judo style make him more than up to the task. Whether or not he can get past Koscheck’s barrage of power punches and technical takedowns is another story.

The bottom line: As much as Koscheck’s prodigious physical talents have made him an MMA phenom, the struggle to grasp the multiple facets of MMA in a limited period of time have come to the fore with alarming regularity. Whether it be his inability to alter a failing game plan or a troubling propensity for getting himself in trouble on the mat, Koscheck just doesn’t have the polish in his game that other top-flight contenders enjoy.

That will haunt him yet again Wednesday. Koscheck’s loopy boxing style will lead to Yoshida going straight to the clinch and turning this into a close-quarters clash where the Japanese fighter’s elbows end up serving as scalpels. A surprisingly flat Koscheck, likely not aided by his brief respite between fights, goes down via TKO early in the second round.

Everybody loves some midweek MMA, and all you closet bantamweight fans out there get some extra love this time around as WEC 37 airs live Wednesday on the Versus network from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The treat for bantamweight fans of course is the title tilt featuring incumbent champion and wolfcut connoisseur Miguel Torres against the bleached dome of Manny Tapia. Also on tap is the WEC debut of two of the world’s premier featherweights as Akitoshi Tamura and Wagnney Fabiano will lock horns in a suddenly wide-open division.

All that and more, so strap in and tune out for another round of on-point prognostication. If you disagree with anything, just make sure to send some hate mail. I spent most of today just basking in the hate-filled glow of my inbox.

Miguel Torres vs. Manny Tapia

Miguel Torres Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’10/135 lbs.
Age: 27
Hometown: East Chicago, Ind.
Fighting out of: Hammond, Ind.
Record: 34-1

The stakes: The obvious prize here is Torres’ WEC bantamweight strap. But as the UFC’s kid brother continues to come into its own, holding the WEC 135-pound title means being the face of the division, a pound-for-pound luminary and, potentially, the division’s standard-bearer for future generations. Think of it like being the Pope, except you regularly have to make a Cardinal scream uncle or risk losing the funky wardrobe.

If anyone deserves to play pontiff, it’s Torres, who spent years on the local circuit while forum diehards championed his cause. The irony of Torres becoming champion is that after years spent searching for worthy opponents, he now has an entire division of fighters from the world over looking to pilfer his magic clothes. For Torres, this is about reminding the Cardinals who runs Sunday mass.

The breakdown: Hands down one of the sport’s most feared grapplers, Torres’ penchant for stringing together submissions makes Tapia’s usual ground-and-pound approach a risky proposition. What Torres will have to be mindful of is Tapia’s powerful boxing, as Yoshiro Maeda had some success mixing it up on the feet against the champion.

The key difference is that Tapia’s striking lacks diversity while Torres’ muay Thai allows him to deal on even terms on the feet while keeping the luxury of pulling guard. The vast difference in grappling acumen is an advantage that Torres must pursue to be assured a win over his garishly coiffed adversary.

Manny “The Mangler” Tapia Scouting Report
Ht/Wt: 5’5/135 lbs.
Age: 27
Hometown: Riverside, Calif.
Fighting out of: Chino, Calif.
Record: 10-0-1

The stakes: After a knee injury derailed an earlier bout with Torres, Tapia’s nearly 11 months away from the cage will end with a bout against the man who has come to embody the bantamweight division. With the growing stable of fighters gunning for the same opportunity, Tapia must realize that this may be the only chance he gets to carve out a place atop one of the sport’s most exciting weight classes.

While the days of the bantamweights serving as the butt of ill-conceived midget jokes are hardly over, the surging popularity of the WEC has at least legitimized the division in the eyes of many fans and turned the division’s champion into a true commodity. For Tapia, this is a chance to transcend the artificial limitations of being a small man in a big man’s world.

The breakdown: “The Mangler” is a fitting moniker for Tapia, who relies on winging powerful, if not entirely accurate, punches before closing the deal with a ground-and-pound blitzkrieg. Unfortunately, attempting to ground and pound Torres is like rolling into the Thunderdome with nothing but a “Sesame Street” DVD. Pain is sure to follow.

Tapia’s best hope is to keep Torres at bay with his boxing and draw him into a slugfest where he lands combinations and then creates space. Constantly repeating that cycle would certainly frustrate Torres and likely keep him from turning this bout into a jiu-jitsu seminar.

The bottom line: As much as Tapia’s straightforward style has endeared him to fans, he has yet to face the best the division has to offer and jumping in line to fight Torres represents a Scott Bakula-level quantum leap in competition. Watch for Torres to use his clinch game early to set up a takedown or guard-pull that will inevitably lead to an absurd string of submission attempts before Tapia is left with no recourse but to tap out for the sake of leaving his appendages intact.