| Date: 06/14 | 11:03 PM |
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Who's going to the UFC Ultimate Finale on June 23rd? Manny Gambaryan defeated Joe Lauzon in the first semifinal via three round unanimous decision, and in the second semifinal Nate Diaz applied a guillotine choke to Gray Maynard in R2 for the tapout win. This makes the finale an all Team Pulver fight, with both fighters having already expressed that just because they were teammates during the season doesn't mean they won't pummel each other to get the six figure contract. Meanwhile BJ Penn will have something to prove to Jens Pulver, having lost to him in their first fight years ago and having lost to him in the team competition this season. Penn even lost a game of ping-pong during Ultimate Fighter 5 with $10,000 on the line and a thousand dollar bonus for each fighter on the winning coach's team. Can Penn break Pulver's winning streak and prove that he is a superior fighter? Visit www.UFC.com for more information and watch the Ultimate Finale on June 23rd live at 9;00 PM EST, 8:00 Central.
In the last 24 hours www.Sherdog.com has reported that both Royce Gracie and Johnnie Morton have failed their CSAC drug tests from the K-1 Dynamite PPV. Gracie tested positive for traces of Nandrolone, a common anabolic steroid, and was subsequently fined $2,500 and suspended by the CSAC. Morton, who had already refused his post-fight drug test, had his pre-fight sample split in two and one sample tested positive for elevated testosterone levels at a ratio of 83.9, whereas the more normal (but still elevated) level for fighters is consider to be 6. CSAC's Armando Garcia stated that the second sample confirmed the results of the first but the specific drug which caused the elevated levels has yet to be determined. Disciplinary action is being held over until then but he too faces a $2,500 fine and the suspension of his license, on top of already having his $100,000 fight purse held up for refusing his post-fight drug test.
K-1 can't be happy with the continued drug failures of fighters from their Dynamite USA show, but according to www.FightOpinion.com it hasn't dimmed their enthusiasm for running cards in the U.S. Currently they plan to run the Asia World-Expo Arena on July 29th in Hong Kong with Badr Hari defending the K-1 Heavyweight title. Hong-Man Choi is listed as being on the show which is interesting given that Armando Garcia told the Sherdog Radio Network he didn't want to see Hong-Man participate elsewhere in fighting unless he filed a successful appeal with the the CSAC after failing medical requirements for his fight against Brock Lesnar. Perhaps that's why K-1 announced their U.S. return date as Las Vegas on August 17th, as they may be trying to avoid future dates in California, but any medical or drug suspensions in California are likely to be upheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission as well.