Shark Fights 21 is set to take place November 11 from the Fair Park Coliseum in Lubbock, Texas. The event will air via tape-delay on FUEL TV on December 23.

Lashley (6-1) was originally set to meet Darrill Schoonover, but a shoulder injury knocked the former Ultimate Fighter cast member out of the fight. It was also rumored Lashley would meet Tim Hague, but Shark Fight officials denied those reports.

Huckaba was to be the first of three signed fights for Lashley with the Texas-based promotion. He last won while competing for Titan Fighting Championships, defeating John Ott.

News of the change was first reported by MMAJunkie.

A replacement for Huckaba, assuming the organization is seeking one, has not been announced.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Hague-Lashley will serve as the main event of Shark Fights 21 on November 11 from Lubbock, Texas and, regardless of the replacement, will still feature the organization’s heavyweight strap as a prize to be had by the winner.

In Hague, Lashley gets a former UFC fighter perhaps known best for his submission win over Pat Barry while competing inside the Octagon. At 13-5, Hague has meet some of the biggest names in the sport and has finished eleven of his foes. However, as intriguing as the fight may be in terms of a test for Lashley, the 28-year old Canadian said on his Twitter account Monday that the fight is not 100% set yet.

Lashley (6-1) rebounded from his first career loss to defeat John Ott at Titan FC 17 earlier this year. Lashley, a former WWE superstar, signed a multi-fight deal with Shark Fights a few months ago and will be making his debut under the company’s banner. In his seven professional appearances Lashley has already picked up wins over veterans Wes Sims and Bob Sapp.

No other match-ups have been announced for the show but are expected to be revealed over the coming weeks.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

Lashley revealed the news in an interview with MMAFighting.com.

The former pro wrestler is still spending time in a wrestling ring, having wrestled earlier this year in Japan and planning on wrestling a match in Canada later this year. The last time he was in a MMA cage, he picked up an uninspiring decision over natural middleweight John Ott. Prior to that bout, Lashley suffered his first MMA loss to Chad Griggs when he was unable to continue after the second round. He holds victories over Bob Sapp and another TUF 10 alum, Wes Sims.

Schoonover is coming off a victory over Adam Padilla in July, winning by TKO in the first round. He was released from the UFC following a loss to James McSweeney at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale and went on to lose three more fights before the victory against Padilla.

*PHOTO CREDIT – ESTHER LIN/STRIKEFORCE*

The news comes courtesy of FoxSports.com.

“It’s going to be big for us,” said Shark Fights CEO Bud Brutsman. “When you’re a little organization you need to make some noise, and Bobby is the perfect one to make some noise. There is nobody better than him right now that’s out there. By signing Bobby were saying we’re willing to put our money out there to make it happen, and bring in and sign the bigger-name talent, and not just has-beens and nobodies.”

After losing to Chad Griggs at Strikeforce: Houston back in August 2010, Lashley returned to action this past March at Titan FC 17. Although he picked up a decision victory against John Ott, the former WWE champion was criticized for failing to put away a natural middleweight who entered the fight with a 8-7 record.

The 35-year-old heavyweight enlisted the help of fellow heavyweight Josh Barnett this past July in order to take his game to the next level.

According to an official statement from Titan FC head Joe Kelly, Lashley’s withdrawal was related to undisclosed “personal reasons” and added that the 35-year old was expected to be back in the ring when the company returns to the airwaves in late August. The July 29 show will now feature veteran female competitor Tonya Evinger taking on undefeated Olympic wrestler Sara McMann, as well as a 160-pound catchweight fight between Clay French and James Krause, at the top of the card.

Lashley was victorious in his promotional debut last March, albeit in inauspicious fashion after a sloppy outpointing of usual middleweight John Ott. The performance marked the second career win via decision for the powerful grappler with four finishes in his previous victories including stoppages of Bob Sapp and Wes Simms.

Titan FC 19 will be broadcast live on HDNet.

PHOTO CREDIT – TITAN FC

News of the match-up was revealed through a statement from HDNet where the card will also be broadcast live come showtime.

Sanchez will be making his promotional debut after compiling a 12-5 overall record including wins in the UFC as well as Bellator. He has finished eleven of the twelve total opponents he’s beaten including eight by way of TKO meaning Lashley should certainly have his hands full considering his last few performances.

The 6-1 physical specimen struggled to put John Ott, normally a middleweight, away in his last outing at Titan FC 17 and showed suspect conditioning once again after gassing out against Chad Griggs in his previous fight. However, Lashley has also shown flashes of brilliance in his young career with four first frame stoppages under his belt.

Titan FC 19 will also feature Rob Kimmons battling Bubba McDaniel in co-headlining action with Alonzo Martinez taking on James Krause earlier in the evening as well.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

Stepping in for Jack will be John Ott, a middleweight most of the time who walks around at 225-pounds between fights based on an interest in bodybuilding. Ott is 8-7 overall but has won three of his last four fights including a win over Brian Imes at Bellator 26.

Lashley has not been seen in the ring since August 2010 after dropping his first professional fight to Chad Griggs at “Strikeforce – Houston” by way of an inability to continue beyond the second round. Prior to the loss he had compiled five straight wins to open up his career including victories over Wes Simms, Jason Guida, and Bob Sapp.

Titan FC is set for a live HDNet broadcast on March 25 and will also feature the debut of newly signed Phil Baroni who fights Nick Nolte in addition Abe Wagner taking on Aaron Rosa.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Ariel Helwani Interviews Dana White in England After Oxford Address (MMAFighting.com)

Bobby Lashley Surprises Strikeforce Officials with Decision to Fight Outside Organization this December (MiddleEasy.com)

Frank Shamrock Cuts a Promo for EA Sports MMA on Why Retirement Sucks (Heavy.com)

Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin Rumor Heats Up (Versus.com)

Bellator Middleweight Hector Lombard Wants to Fight Josh Barnett for Personal Reasons (CagePotato.com)

MMA Agent Gives Readers a Look Behind the Scenes (WatchKalibRun.com)

Strikeforce Scott Coker Waxes Poetic on “Diaz vs. Noons II” and More (FIGHT! Magazine)

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Gets Animated! (MMAScraps.com)

Jon Jones is Tired of Wrestlers and Explains Why (MMAConvert.com)

In a tactical co-feature, world-class submission specialist Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza captured the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship with a unanimous decision over American military hero Tim Kennedy.

In an all-action fight, Mo (7-1) was the aggressor in the first, scoring a body slam in the opening minute of the round. But, Feijao (10-2) was unfazed by the take down and got to his feet without suffering any significant damage.

After trading punches in the second, Feijao came out swinging in the third. He landed a few strong combinations and caught Mo with a powerful knee. Clearly wounded, Mo tried to take his opponent to the ground to minimize the damage but, while locked up standing, Feijao battered Mo with a series of brutal slashing elbows to Mo’s head, knocking him out at 1:14.

“I hit him hard with the right hand and the knee,” Feijao said. “I saw he was hurt, but I was just going to continue to hit him. I felt his grip loosening and knew that he was done.

“I have a new coach in boxing and Muay Thai that made the difference. “I just made my dream. I saw in his last fight he wanted to get inside. My strategy worked perfectly.”

A wounded Mo was disappointed but not dejected in his performance.

“I just got to make a few adjustments,” Mo said. “He fought a hell of a fight, but I’m not worried. I’ll come back stronger.”

Jacare (13-2-1) wasn’t able to get Kennedy to the ground, but his effective and relentless counterpunching was the difference maker in the fight.

A deep gash opened up over Kennedy’s left eye early in the third round. Kennedy (12-3) tried taking the fight to the mat, but it was ineffective against Jacare, who was the superior striker landing the harder, crisper punches.

Kennedy continued to attack Jacare throughout the fight, never giving up, but was unable to land anything that hurt his opponent.

“I felt through the fight that he felt my hand,” Jacare said. “I was landing some big punches and I thought I was winning the fight. I was ready to fight everywhere in the cage, but I was surprised how strong he was. He was strong, but I was the one connecting and landing the damaging punches.”

Kennedy, who landed more punches with a higher percentage, was a bit surprised in the unanimous decision loss.

“I was really frustrated with the end result,” Kennedy said. “Jacare is an amazing contender and now a champion. I was humbled that I was able to go five rounds with him, but I think it goes without saying that I’d like another five rounds with that guy. It’s going to be different.

“We’re talking about the most decorated grappler in the planet. I expected him to want to grapple. He countered with me the whole time and I was surprised. I should have put more pressure on him. The only time anyone got dropped in the fight was when I dropped him, but he’s got the belt.”

In a featured lightweight bout, KJ Noons scored a second round KO (:19) over fearless brawler and BJJ blackbelt Jorge Gurgel in a short, but spectacular match.

The two exchanged powerful punches in the first, but a powerful and controversial blow from Noons a split second after the sound of the closing bell for the first round proved to be the difference. Noons (10-2) came out swinging in the second, landing an overhand right followed by a left hook that sent Gurgel (13-7) flying to the canvas. He followed it up with punches on the ground, but the fight was clearly over as Gurgel could not recover.

“By any means am I a dirty fighter, no,” Noons said. “I was just going in there to try to engage and get the round. I was in the heat of the moment and I couldn’t stop my hands as they were going. It wasn’t cheap and I’m not trying to be dirty – I’m just trying to finish the fight. I didn’t’ intentionally do it, it’s just the rush.

“I thought it was a great fight. He had a really good game plan. He was moving around the ring and was trying to get me to engage more. I just knew I had to not over commit on my punches and my kicks and I’d be able to keep standing. I’m not surprised he didn’t take me down.”

Gurgel didn’t make any excuses or complaints in losing.

“I apparently got hit a couple of times when the round was up, but it’s not KJ’s fault,” Gurgel said. The referee is responsible for separating the fighters. I’m not taking anything away from (KJ) He landed a good right hand and a left hook. I have no excuses whatsoever. I came up short in my performance and I’m really upset. I thought I had his number. I’ve never been rocked before. I’ve had 20 professional fights and I’ve never felt that. KJ is a world class fighter.”

In the opening fight of the Showtime telecast, Chad Griggs won an upset, TKO victory over previously unbeaten Bobby Lashley at the end of the second round.

An experienced and talented wrestler, Lashley immediately took the fight to the ground in the first round. He expended a lot of energy trying to hit Griggs (9-1) while on the ground, but Griggs was able to counter and opened up a gushing cut over Lashley’s left eye.

Once again, Lashley (5-1) took the fight to the ground in the second, but his punches didn’t do enough damage to the more experienced Griggs. The cut worsened with Lashley apparently gassed in the closing moments of the second round and the referee called the bout immediately following the conclusion of the round.

“This is a dream come true fighting for Strikeforce. I got offered a big fight right off the bat and I’m super pumped I got the win,” Griggs said. “I know he was bleeding all over me. I think he was tired and he was hurt already. I think it was a good call to end it.

“I felt him starting to fade a little bit at the end of the first round. I could hear him breathing really hard and could feel him using a lot of muscle to land punches. I was comfortable because he wasn’t really catching me and he was using a lot of energy. I don’t think that he’s really been hit before or been tested. I could see it in his eyes that the fight was changing. He was still hustling, but I think he was losing some heart in there.”

A full list of results from “Strikeforce – Houston” can be found below:

Artenas Young def. Chad Cook via Unanimous Decision
Chad “Robo” Robichaux def. Humberto DeLeon via Split Decision
Reynaldo “The Truth” Trujillo def. Jose Santibanez via TKO Round 1
Adam Schindler def. Kier Gooch via Submission Round 1 (Rear Naked Choke)
Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes def. Rocky Long via Unanimous Decision
Andre Galvao def. Jorge Patino via TKO Round 3
Daniel Cormier def. Jason Riley via Submission Round 1 (Strikes)
Chad Griggs def. Bobby Lashley via TKO Round 2
KJ Noons def. Jorge Gurgel via KO Round 2
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza def. Tim Kennedy via Unanimous Decision
Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. “King Mo” Lawal via TKO Round 3

PHOTO CREDIT: Esther Lin / Strikeforce

In attendance were Strikeforce fighters “King Mo” Lawal, Bobby Lashley,KJ Noons, and Tim Kennedy (a former Army Special Forces sniper and Green Beret). Also attending and talking to patients was MMA fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who is in town this week with Lawal’s camp.

Saturday’s fights will take place from the Toyota Center in Houston LIVE on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

In the main event of a World Championship Doubleheader, undefeated Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight Champion “King Mo’’ (7-0) will make the first defense of his crown against highly touted Brazilian Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (9-2). In the co-feature, Kennedy (12-2) and world-class submission specialist Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (12-2-1) will battle for the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight (185 pounds) title. Kennedy has served six tours of duty in the Middle East and is one of MMA’s fastest rising stars.

Unbeaten heavyweight Lashley will take on MMA veteran and Tucson , Ariz. , firefighter Chad Griggs in a featured bout. In another televised fight on Showtime, Noons (9-2) will face BJJ blackbelt Jorge Gurgel (13-6) in a lightweight (155 pounds) match.

Photo Credit – Esther Lin / Strikeforce

Bobby Lashley

January 2008: Announces he will leave the WWE, and will make the jump to MMA.

December 2008: Makes MMA debut, fights exclusively in MMA until March.

April 19, 2009: Signs with TNA Wrestling.

December 11, 2010: Signs with Strikeforce.

January 30, 2010: Defeats Wes Sims in Strikeforce debut.

February 10, 2010: Profile removed from TNA site. Leaves the promotion to focus on fighting.

Bobby’s Strikeforce debut was supposed to be against upcoming star Shane Del Rosario, but the fight was either scrapped or a rumor. Then Yohan Banks was scheduled to be the first victim, but the Florida Athletic Commission scrapped that. Next up, it was Jimmy Ambriz being talked about, but that was also shot down. Finally Wes Sims came in and served his purposed: To be demolished.

Now, at 5-0 it would be good time to put Lashley against a guy like Del Rosario or even a fighter like Brett Rogers. A true test of his skills, right? According to Lashley himself: Not at all.

On a recent episode of Inside MMA, a poll was created by MMAJunkie to gauge the fan’s interest on who should Lashley fight next. Here was his response when Rogers won the poll:

“I don’t understand this,” Lashley said. “Brett Rogers isn’t the champ. You’ve got Fedor [Emelianenko] who is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter and you’ve got [Alistair] Overeem who’s the champ. If they want me to go up to that level let’s go all the way up to that level and fight the champ.”

“I want Overeem,” Lashley said. “Either let me fight the way I want to build up - get a few fights under my belt, work my way up - or let me fight the champ. If it’s fighting the champ, I’ll fight the champ.”

This response needs translation. Translation: “Give me more cans to fight, or put me against Fedor or Overeem.”

Now, I’m sure that a fight against an experienced fighter is something that Lashley is hopefully considering in the near future, but to go from fighting the Bob Sapp’s and the Wes Sims’ of MMA to a fight with Fedor or Overeem? Lashley is saying that he has no interest in fights against guys like Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, Del Rosario, and Antonio Silva. So those fighters who have to pick up two or more victories to be even be considered for a title shot aren’t worthy of facing Lashley, but a guy like Tank Abbott or Jimmy Abriz is.

We all know what the likely outcome of Lashley facing either Fedor or Overeem would probably be, but if Lashley loses, it’s not that big of a deal. Strikeforce can play it off as Lashley not being ready, and that some day he could be at their level. If he loses to a guy like Rogers, and then loses again, it’ll be hard to build Lashley as a top contender and a guy who people would buy tickets to see.

Lashley has beaten most of his opponents with ease (with the exception of Jason Guida) and at 5-0, it’s time to at least take a small step up in competition. It doesn’t have to be Lesnar-sized steps, but still it would be good if he wants to be taken seriously as a fighter.

So, how about this for an opponent: Tim Sylvia. A well known name, downside of his career, and is enough of a challenge so if Lashley wins, he can get some credibility. It’s not a big step, but possibly a step in the right direction.

The possibility of the match-up was first reported by MMAWeekly.com, and FiveOuncesofPain.com has since been able to confirm through Strikeforce Director of Communications, Mike Afromowitz, that Banks has in fact been approved through the promotion as the next opponent for Lashley, but is currently awaiting the official stamp of approval from the athletic commission and the Showtime network to seal the deal.

“Strikeforce: Miami” will take place on January 30 from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, while airing live on Showtime.

A decorated amateur wrestler, this will be Lashley’s first bout back since putting a first round mugging on Bob Sapp back in June of 2009, while the 2-1 Banks was last seen knocking Michael Diaz senseless during “Strikeforce: Young Guns 3″ back in September of 2009.

Below is a full list of the bouts expected to take place during “Strikeforce: Miami”:

Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis

Cristiane Santos vs. Marloes Coenen

Melvin Manhoef vs. Robbie Lawler

Herschel Walker vs. Greg Nagy

Bobby Lashley vs. Yohan Banks

Jay Hieron vs. Joe Riggs

Craig Oxley vs. David Gomez

Sabah Homasi vs. John Kelly

Pablo Alfonso vs. Marcos da Matta

The 6-foot-3 inch, 250-pound Lashley, also a former collegiate wrestling star for Missouri Valley College and member of The United States Army, will face an opponent that has not yet been determined during the live SHOWTIME® telecast of STRIKEFORCE: Miami, the historic, first-ever STRIKEFORCE event in the state of Florida.

In his last MMA start on June 27, 2009, the 33-year-old pulverized and scored a first round (3:17) TKO over 6-foot-5 inch, 350-plus-pound goliath Bob “The Beast” Sapp with a barrage of punches in Biloxi, Miss. The win upped Lashley’s MMA record to 4-0.

“I’m looking forward to fighting for STRIKEFORCE and challenging myself by taking on some of the top heavyweights in MMA,” said Lashley, a native of Junction City, Kan., and resident of Denver, Colo.

After competing in several matches in both the WWE Raw and SmackDown! shows in 2005 and 2006, Lashley captured the WWE United States Championship by defeating rival “JBL.” During this stint with the league and another in 2007, Lashley wrestled several top superstars, including The Big Show and John Cena.

Lashley made his MMA debut on Dec. 13, 2008, earning a 41-second TKO over Joshua Franklin after Franklin sustained a cut and could not continue.

Earlier this year, Lashley joined Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling. In his first appearance with the league on July 30, he helped tag team partner Mick Foley defeat superstars Kurt Angle and Kevin Nash.

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE: Miami officially go on-sale tomorrow/Friday, Dec. 11, at the BankAtlantic Center ticket office as well as online at www.Ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800)745-3000.

Doors at BankAtlantic Center open at 7 p.m. The first non-televised, preliminary card fight will begin at 8 p.m.

According to a recent report on MMAFanhouse.com, Lashley is currently in talks with the San Jose based organization.

Rumors of late have Lashley fighting for Strikeforce as early as the scheduled November 7 card featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

Lashley, who is currently under contract with Prize Fight Promotions, has two fights left on his contract, so it remains to be seen if he can make a deal prior to completing his contractual obligations with the organization.

The undefeated prospect hasn’t fought since his first round destruction over Bob Sapp back in June. He currently holds a 4-0 record, with only one fight going past the first round.

Lashley has recently been active working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, but his manager, Greg Bloom, had this to say, “Bobby’s will to fight has never gone away. He’s been ready to fight since June 28. It’s just getting the promoters to get their ducks in a row. Bobby Lashley is as committed to MMA as he’s been since he stepped in the cage. He’s always training; he’s always in the gym; he’s always ready to fight. Him being in TNA more than in MMA at this point has nothing to do with Bobby Lashley. We’re just waiting for the promoters to let us know when and where.”

The two faced off as the headlining bout of “Ultimate Chaos” that took place in Biloxi, Mississippi.

There was no question as to what Lashley’s intentions were as he immediately started the fight out with a successful double leg takedown which he followed with a steady stream of punches that forced the eventual tapout with just 1:42 remaining in the first round.

When asked about his gameplan following the bout, Lashley said he knew there would be other bouts in the future that he would be able to showcase some of his other skills, but with Sapp he just wanted to “Go in there and ground and pound, get a quick win, and get out of there.”

The bout with Sapp was Lashley’s fourth in about six months and his second in the just over a month with his last bout being a lightning quick 24 second guillotine choke over Mike Cook at MFC 21 on May 15.

Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley takes a big step up in competition tomorrow when he takes on Japan’s most famous fighter, Bob Sapp. The two main event the Ultimate Chaos PPV from the Gulfport Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. Five Ounces of Pain’s Jonathan Snowden had a chance to talk to Lashley about his transition to MMA, why it was smart to take it slow, and what he would do if he was a betting man.

Five Ounces of Pain: Tell me about your time in the service. You had already finished college. How did you end up in the Army?

Bobby Lashley: Well, first I was recruited to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. Olympic coach Kevin Jackson offered me a residency. But I had already graduated from college and been out for a year. I had bills and just couldn’t afford to do that. But the Army World Class Athletes Coach called me and told me about that program. So I went in to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and picked my MOS (Military Occupational Speciality) which was 11- Bravo (Editor’s Note: Infantry Grunt) went to Fort Benning, Georgia, and went to Basic and AIT (Advanced Individual Training). My orders after that were to go to Fort Carson and report to the World Class Athlete Program.

5 OZ: And then it was all wrestling.

Lashley: Yeah. But at WCAP they always said ‘Soldier first.’ Even though I was an athlete we still had to report and had formations in the morning.

5 OZ: You did pretty well there, winning the Armed Forces Championships and doing well in the International meets. What made you decide to get out of the Army and give up on your Olympic dreams?

Lashley: That’s kind of a long story, but I’ll give you the short version. I was in for four years, but in my last year I was having some difficulty. My knee was bad and we weren’t sure I could finish out my last year with my knee the way it was. I tried to keep my knee in somewhat good shape and I was getting it drained, but my bursa sack was very inflamed. It would get better and then had to be drained again. It got to the point that it was going to have to be removed, but I just wanted to get through the year because it was the Olympic year. I went to team trials and placed third and was moving up the ladder at 211 pounds. I only lost one match in that tournament, in double overtime by criteria point. So I was real close to beating the top guy in the weight class. I was gearing towards having a big year in 2004 and making the team but that summer I was in a bank and the bank got robbed. I got shot at. I took a dive down to the ground and landed on that knee one last time. And that sparked surgery. Then they botched the first surgery and I had to get surgery number two. After surgery number two, the guy told me I was pretty much done for a year.

5 OZ: That’s crazy. How many fighters have been injured in a bank robbery?

Lashley: (Laughs). And after my second surgery I was laying on my couch with a leg brace on and I can’t do anything at all because they cut my knee up pretty bad. It was just a botched surgery. If it had been the civilian world I would have been able to sue for millions. But in the military you can’t really do anything but say ‘Oh well.’

5 OZ: I’ve been there. I had a botched wrist surgery in the Army. I haven’t been half the writer since.

Lashley: (Laughs) You’re right with me there.

5 OZ: This isn’t a good advertisement for military doctors.

Lashley: So, then they wanted to medical me out of the Army. At that point the WWE was calling and I thought ‘Man I can make this move.’ Amateur wrestling was out and I rehabbed hard for the WWE tryout. It just went from there. Went to WWE, and I had a great time there.

5 OZ: You put on a lot of muscle for professional wrestling.

Lashley: I trained for the WWE like I was training for the Olympic championship. If you saw any of my stuff in the WWE you know I was in amazing shape. Incredible shape all the way around.

5 OZ: How did you go from the Army to professional wrestling? Did they have scouts everywhere, even in the foxhole? What’s the process like? Do you just get a call one day from Vince McMahon saying ‘Son, we want you in the business.’

Lashley: Well, Kurt Angle was in the WWE at the time and he came to Colorado Springs to the Olympic Training Center. He was doing a little vignette, a promo, and they were talking about his amateur days. That was the first time I met Kurt. And Kurt said ‘Have you thought about it? You have a great look for the WWE.’ At the time I was still wrestling, but I had watched it as a kid. I enjoyed it, but I had never seen myself doing it. We exchanged numbers and talked from time to time. Then I got a call from (WWE Executive) Gerald Brisco because they were discussing me again. This time when they said ‘Come out and we’ll have a look at you’ I did.

5 OZ: How hard was it to go from amateur wrestling to what the WWE does? So much of it is personality and charisma and connecting with the audience. How did you go about creating a character?

Lashley: It was probably the most fun I’ve had in my whole life. Professional wrestlers aren’t actors, so we can’t really play a character. Very, very few are good enough actors to play a character. Vince would say ‘We just want you to be yourself, but with the volume turned up. Think about who you are, and then turn the volume up.’ It was actually a fun transition, because you get to find out who you are.

5 OZ: I talked to Ken Shamrock about this and he told me his time in professional wrestling was way harder on his body than fighting. Did you find it hard taking all those falls night after night?

Lashley: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. At first you’re in your honeymoon period. You don’t realize the toll you are putting on your body because you are just so happy to be there and are having so much fun. but as the years go on, man… We’re doing four shows a week. That’s every week, because there is no down time. Your body is going to suffer because of it, but when it breaks down you can’t quit. Because the show must go on. It’s extremely tough on the body. If there was some way they could regulate it a little bit more, so the guys got a little more time off, it would be great. Because it really is fun.

5 OZ: When you came into MMA you became a heavyweight. How has that transition been for you? In college you were 177 pounds and in the Army just over 200 pounds. Now you’ve got some big boys you are trying to toss around. And no one is bigger than Bob Sapp.

Lashley: I think it helps me. Because heavyweights are used to what we used to call dancing bears. They would just hug each other and you’d see one move or two moves. The lighter you go, the more action you see. Since I was a lower weight guy, I was accustomed to going fast. Moving quick. Now that I’m a heavyweight, I’m doing the same things I did when I was a smaller guy. And it’s going to give these heavyweights trouble. Because they can’t move the way I can move.

5 OZ: What’s been the hardest thing for you about MMA? Obviously, you have the wrestling down pretty well, but how are you progressing with your striking and submissions?

Lashley: I had kind of messed with a lot of it before. I had messed with a little bit of boxing. The biggest obstacle is just getting in there. Getting in there and applying what you learned in practice to a real world situation. I don’t think people realize, a lot of these guys like your Anderson Silvas and your GSP’s , your Rampages, and the list goes on and on, they’re at the top of their games now. But if you rewind the hands of time back to their first or second match, you won’t see those guys fighting then like they fight now. Because through the years of getting out there and doing it, they’ve learned their bodies and what they can and can’t do. And they’ve adapted their game accordingly. That’s what I’m still doing. I’m just trying to collect all the pieces so I can put it all together.

5 OZ: Is that why you’ve started in smaller promotions and have worked your way up, now to pay per view and Bob Sapp?

Lashley: A lot of people don’t realize how many tough fighters there are out there. You can’t just come in and say ‘I could beat the champ.’ People don’t understand MMA if they think they can just go out there and beat the champ. There are people who have never wrestled before who are high calibre wrestlers. People who have never boxed professionally who are high calibre boxers. There are so many tough fighters out there that I believe you have to start off the right way and build yourself up. Then, if you have the ability, you can become a super superstar. As opposed to trying to scratch that lucky lottery ticket and win it all. I think the way I’m doing it is the way most people do it. People come in and think you can bypass the developmental stages. You can’t bypass that.

5 OZ: It’s hard to learn when you are at the very pinnacle of the sport.

Lashley: Exactly. You can’t go to Strikeforce, or Affliction, or the UFC and learn there. Because the fighters there are masters of their game.

5 OZ: I see there being two Bob Sapps. There’s the Sapp that beat up Nogueira and Ernesto Hoost and the Bob Sapp that lost to Jan Nortje. Which Sapp are you ready for?

Lashley: I’m prepared for the best Bob Sapp that makes it out here. We trained for a Bob Sapp that is like Anderson Silva at 350 pounds.

5 OZ: How did you end up choosing Sapp as your opponent?

Lashley: I just train. I let my manager do all that stuff. He comes to me with the different offers and we decide together which ones work and which ones don’t.

5 OZ: Speaking of training, you changed camps and went up to Colorado to work with Nate Marquardt and some other guys up there. Di you just want to stick close to home?

Lashley: Right. I went there because I wanted to start training in Colorado. Nate’s a good friend of mine, but Nate was pretty busy doing his own thing at the time. But he introduced me to a lot of good guys up there and a good camp to train with. I didn’t so much switch camps as go up there and train with some different people.

5 OZ: Who in the world do you bring in to play the roll of Bob Sapp? There aren’t many human beings that large on the planet.

Lashley: I had a guy named Ron Sparks, a big guy out of Louisville. And when I went down to ATT, I had “Bigfoot” Silva there. And Bigfoot’s a way better athlete than Bob Sapp. I had Scott Anthony Johnson, who’s kind of a new fighter, but an extremely talented kid. He’s weighing in at about 340. I used them for weight, but used other people for different things. When I get down to the ground, it doesn’t matter what they weigh when we get there.

5 OZ: A lot of fighters get nervous in front of the big crowds and the pressure of Pay-Per-View. That’s just a day at the office for you though isn’t it?

Lashley: Oh yeah. I don’t worry about that stuff at all. The big crowd doesn’t bother me. I just breathe in the energy from the crowd.

5 OZ: I’m thinking about putting money on this fight. You’re going to beat the crap out of Sapp aren’t you?

Lashley: You can bet your house on it.

5 OZ: If you beat Sapp, where do you see yourself fighting next. There are several options out there to choose from now.

Lashley: I just see myself back in the gym next week. Japan might be next. Who knows? With Bob involved there will be plenty of attention there. We don’t have anything big lined up. We’re keeping our options open.

5 OZ: Everyone wants to know: will we see you in the UFC?

Lashley: You’ve got to have respect for the UFC, because they are kind of the pioneers of the business. If given a chance to go to the UFC down the road, I’d definitely like to get in there and display my skills with some of the best in the world. But you know, at heavyweight, you have some of the best fighters in Affliction or Strikeforce. So, there’s not one organization that is clearly in my sights. But whenever the right door opens, I’m going to step in.

You can find Bobby on the web at http://www.bobbylashley.net/

Five Ounces of Pain will be covering the Ultimate Chaos event live and will have updates all evening long, including a liveblog of both the undercard and Pay Per View portions of the card.

Lashley will collide with K-1 powerhouse Bob Sapp in the main event of “Ultimate Chaos” which is scheduled to take place at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The bout between the two has been dubbed as “The Battle of the Giants” by none other than Lashley himself in a press release issued earlier this afternoon.

“Most heavyweights (in MMA) weigh 230-240 and that’s the size of guys I’ve fought,” Lashley was quoted as saying in the release. “But I’m fighting a huge opponent in this coming fight. This guy must have weighed 370 at the press conference. Even if he gets down to 340, he’ll still outweighs me by around 85 pounds. Sapp’s really aggressive and I know he’s going to come out hard. He won’t be able to go through me, though. He’s strong but his weakness is in the gas tank, even though I know he’s training hard for this fight. It’s going to be a good fight.

“We liked this fight when it was first offered. When I fight there’s always been a ‘but’ after it. It was a good fight but …….fill in the blank. Well, I’m fighting a bigger guy who’s popular overseas. I don’t think this fight will go long. It certainly won’t be a long, drawn-out fight. There will be a lot of heavy blows, lots of banging – ‘Battle of the Giants!’ I’m training right now back home in Colorado. I like working in the altitude but I’ll probably make a brief trip to train (with the American Top Team) in Florida where there are a lot of big guys at our fight club. I may have to stack three guys up (to simulate Sapp, Bobby jokingly said). I have some big guys here I’m training with. They not be quite as big as Sapp, but they’re big, very strong and have heavy hands like Bob.”

Also expected for the card is a heavyweight slugfest between Gilbert Yvel and Pedro Rizzo with notable talent such as Chris Horodecki, Din Thomas and Affliction VP Tom Atencio rounding out the star studded card.

A full list of bouts expected for the event are listed below:

Bobby Lashley vs. Bob Sapp
Gilbert Yvel vs. Pedro Rizzo
Din Thomas vs. Javier Vazquez
Chris Horodecki vs. William Sriyapai
Tom Atencio vs. Randy Hedderick
Brett Cooper vs. Waachiim Spiritwolf
Danny Abbadi vs. Lance Thompson
Colby McMahan vs. James Orso
Eric Bradley vs. Colin McKee
Drew Wallace vs. Eric Graham
Greg Maher vs. Wes Shivers
Mark Kergosien vs. Shawn Hayes
Shilo Pisarich vs. Jonathon Mackles
Weldon Galle vs. Trent Billiot
Jacob Leckich vs. Jim McLemore

The bout took place at MFC 21: Hard Knocks from River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and aired live on HDNet.

Lashley threw a humongous right hand to start things off in the first. The punch connected flush and Cook attempts to shoot in on Lashley to no avail. Lashley caught him in a north south position and sinks in a guillotine choke that put him to sleep just 24 seconds into the contest. Cook’s legs began to jerk violently just seconds after the choke was applied, and although the action wasn’t stopped for a second or two after the apparent convulsions started it was clear that he was out almost immediately from the stranglehold. Lashley improves his overall MMA record to 3-0.

The fight stats from the bout tell volumes about how the fight went down. There was one strike thrown and landed by Lashley during the fight, and one submission attempt that ended up being successful. Complete and total domination.

Marvin Eastman picked up a TKO over Aron Lofton last evening, John Alessio returned to action with a rear-naked choke over Andrew Buckland while Trevor Prangley captured the MFC light heavyweight championship from Emanuel Newton in a decision.

A full list of results from last night’s card are listed below:

MFC Light Heavyweight Championship:
205 lbs.: Trevor Prangley def. Emanuel Newton via unanimous decision

Main Card:
265 lbs.: Bobby Lashley def. Mike Cook via submission (front naked choke – R1)
205 lbs.: Travis Galbraith def. David Heath via split decision
170 lbs.: John Alessio def. Andrew Buckland via submission (rear naked choke – R1)
205 lbs.: Ryan Jimmo def. Mychal Clark via unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Marvin Eastman def. Aron Lofton via TKO (strikes – R2)

Undercard:
265 lbs.: William Richey def. Ryan Fortin via split decision
170 lbs.: Jason Heit def. Jeremy Combrink via TKO (strikes – R1)
205 lbs.: Dwayne Lewis def. Jay Whitford via TKO (strikes – R1)
170 lbs.: George Belanger def. Nolan Clarke via TKO (strikes – R1)

“We needed a main event that appealed to the average fight fans, something that would attract the casual person that just likes to be entertained by an intriguing match…It [Lashley’s WWE fame] will definitely help,” promoter Ricky Derouen said in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com. “Anything that draws the attention of ‘other’ fans is a positive thing because it exposes MMA to a different group of people and gives them a little taste of what it’s all about. Let me tell you, if Tiger Woods started competing in MMA, every single golf fan in the world would start watching and take an interest.”

Derouen comes from a family of boxers and promoted shows for years on the Gulf Coast. But like many boxing aficionados, he saw a bright future in MMA. In 2007 he stopped running boxing and toughman cards to concentrate on MMA. He and his brothers used their vehicles for collateral and started putting on events for the rabid local fans. Fourteen shows later and Fight Force International feels confident that they are ready for the big time.

“We have promoted 14 events in South Mississippi with 7 of them being at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum,” Derouen said. “We have entertained over 50,000 fans during those events. That is something I am very proud of. I was born and raised in Biloxi. I went to my very first concert in that building in 1978 and now we are bringing the biggest MMA event and first Pay-Per-View event ever to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. I can’t describe how that feels!”

This PPV is more than a one-fight show. A solid semi-main event features former PRIDE and RINGS standout Gilbert Yvel duking it out with former UFC title contender Pedro Rizzo. It’s an interesting contrast in styles. Yvel is one of the sport’s most aggressive fighters, sometimes aggressive to the point of breaking rules and assaulting officials. Rizzo is a notoriously cautious counter puncher. Matchmaker Russell Schenk is confident that Yvel pressing forward into Rizzo’s devastating counter attack will make for an exciting action fight.

“I think Yvel will bring it and Rizzo will give it right back,” Derouen said. “These are two of the best strikers of all time in MMA history. Yvel is a veteran of Pride with 35 victories and 30 of those were by knockout. Rizzo has knocked out an impressive list of some of the biggest names in the sport. I asked Russell [Schenk] what his thoughts were on this fight, he just grinned, shook his head and said ‘It’s gonna be fireworks!’”

The undercard includes former UFC star Din Thomas and IFL wunderkind Chris Horodecki, but the most talked about fight will feature an outspoken MMA executive trading the boardroom for the training room. Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio will battle Randy Hedderick, a matchup that has led many to speculate that Affliction is co-promoting the show.

“Affliction has no involvement in this event as a promoter. This is a co-promotion between Fight Force International and Prize Fight MMA,” Derouen said. “Tom is passionate about this sport, you can hear it in his voice when he speaks. He truly loves MMA and just wants to train and compete and this is his opportunity. How many people are sitting around talking about doing something and they never do it. I have much respect for Tom and for anybody that steps in the cage.”

Although Sapp and Lashley have each headlined successful MMA shows, they are both coming off of disappointing performances. In March, Lashley went to a decision against lightly regarded journeyman Jason Guida, quieting comparisons with fellow WWE refugee Brock Lesnar. Sapp’s American MMA debut last year saw him last less than a minute against handpicked opponent Jan Nortje. Lashley realizes he needs to prove he can do more than rack up victories. To be a success financially in MMA, he has to entertain as well as win.

“I’m going to try and be good this time,” Lashley said. “Let’s be honest, this fight is going to be a train wreck. It’s two guys going out there to bang and it’s not going to take three rounds to do it, either. One, maybe two. The fans are going to get what they want.”

According to the release, Lashley will make his MFC debut vs. Mike Cook on Friday, May 15 at the River Cree Resort & Casino. The event will be televised live in the United States on HDNet.

“Bobby Lashley is a phenomenal athlete and a very impressive fighter who wants to make a big name for himself in mixed martial arts,” MFC Owner and President Mark Pavelich is quoted as saying in the release. “He is a very exciting prospect and he will get a monumental opportunity to break into the spotlight at MFC 21.”

Lashley, who rose to national prominence following a multi-year stint while competing for World Wrestling Entertainment, is 2-0 since transitioning to MMA. The former ECW heavyweight champion required just 41 seconds to earn a TKO victory over Joshua Franklin in his MMA debut during a Mixed Fighting Alliance event in Florida. He then returned to the cage in March during Square Ring Promotions’ “March Badness” PPV event and defeated Jason Guida via unanimous decision.

His opponent, Cook, is 6-3 lifetime and trains under Frank Shamrock. Cook competed for EliteXC during its “Unfinished Business” event this past July in Stockton, Calif. Facing Carl Seumanutafa, he knocked himself out at 1:21 of round 1 following an errant slam. He is 1-1 since the victory, losing to Ruben “Warpath” Villareal via unanimous decision this past January but submitted former K-1 standout Carter Williams at Pure Combat 17 this past March.