Confirmed by longtime RAW manager and coach Rico Chiapparelli today, UFC veteran Vladimir Matyushenko has dropped from the event’s main event due to a dislocated toe he sustained ten days ago in training. According to Chiapparelli, Matyushenko’s big toe was at one point perpendicular to his foot and the bone did pierce through the skin, but he expects the Belarusian back to training in two to three weeks. Matyushenko was to have squared off against Leopoldo Montenegro, a veteran of the Jungle Fight’s inaugural September 13th event.

The catch to it all? It hasn’t been confirmed that Wiuff is actually replacing Matushyenko on the card, only that he will be fighting come Saturday. The quiet former college wrestler, managed by Monte Cox, says he has learned to keep his body and mind fine tuned for occasions just like these. "I enjoy staying active," the Team Extreme fighter said, having just come off a dominating victory over Red Devil fighter Roman Zentsov at March 13th’s Mixed Fighting Championship, another fight he took on only two days notice when ATT rep Jeff Monson had to resign last minute. "I’d rather have it this way than fighting every three or four months. I guess the opponent doesn’t really bother me unless his name’s Minotauro or Silva," he laughs.

CRO COP, NEWTON, GRACIES VS. JAPAN
FOR BUSHIDO VOLUME 3

The first match features Croatia’s Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic against Japanese fighter Hiromitsu Kanehara. Fresh off of his devastating elimination from the 16-man heavyweight Grand Prix (via a KO loss to Kevin Randleman), "Cro Cop" has re-dedicated himself and is looking to begin the road to title contention once again. His last victory was at BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 on February 15th, when he earned a TKO victory against PRIDE FC veteran, Norihisa Yamamoto. "Cro Cop’s" opponent, Hiromitsu Kanehara, is a RINGS veteran and last fought in PRIDE FC at CHAMPIONSHIP CHAOS 2.

Also on the card … UFC/PRIDE FC veteran Carlos "The Ronin" Newton returns to Japan to take on Japanese mixed martial arts star and grappling expert, Daiju Takase. Newton’s last appearance in PRIDE FC was at the inaugural BUSHIDO show in October of 2003. Fighting for Team Japan that night, Newton earned an impressive decision victory against Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend, Renzo Gracie. Takase is also a UFC/PRIDE FC veteran and is coming off of a decision victory at BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 against American fighter Chris "The Westside Strangler" Brennan.

In addition to these matches, BUSHIDO VOLUME 3 will feature the second edition of Team Gracie versus Team Japan. At the inaugural BUSHIDO show, Team Gracie was victorious over Team Japan, 3-2. For this latest edition, Ralph Gracie (6-0) makes his second PRIDE FC appearance, taking on one of the best middleweights in the world in Takanori Gomi (14-2). In the next match, the "bad boy" of the Gracie family, Ryan Gracie, makes his return to the ring, going up against another "bad boy" in Ikuhisa "The Punk" Minowa. In the third match team match, representing his instructor, Renzo Gracie, highly decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu star, Ricardo Almeida (7-2) faces Japanese star and U-File representative, Ryo Chonan (6-3).

Mark Weir, Ewin & Promoter Dougie Truman

A packed house were thrilled by the talent on display as Cagewarriors "Showdown" lives up to the "All Thriller, No Filler" promise. Cutting the amount of fights down to 8 from a usual 16 but booking high level athletes and offering sub and ko bonuses seems to have done the trick as the promotion set the Barnsley Metrodome alight. Full details are to come in Full Contact Fighter Magazine but the main talking points were:

Gerald Strebendt’s twister submission that took him only 58 seconds to land, the first one in MMA history. Strebendt was like submissions answer to Mike Tyson as he came out hunting the submission from the get go. Audience members asked "what?", we said "wow"!

Matt Ewin defending his title against tough as hell Greg Bouchaleghem in a four round war. Within minutes of the fight starting Bouchalegham had Ewin’s back and was raining down elbows and punches with alarming force and accuracy. Ewin dug deep though and proved that great conditioning and a lot of heart wins through as he turned the tides on the Frenchman and managed to get the stoppage in the 4th to retain his title.

Dave Roche smashing into Gav Bradley before tapping him out with a guillotine against the fence. Roche was like a man possessed in this one and the fans went crazy for his aggressive style.

Dorski finishing off Walker

Full Results

Mark Chen vs Frederick Fernandes (F/W)
Fernandes via unanimous decision (round 3)

Andy Walker vs Lee Dorski (W/W)
Dorski via verbal submission (armbar) 3:06 round 1

Gav Bradley vs Dave Roche (L/W eliminator)
Roche via submission (guillotine) round 1

Matt Ewin vs Gregory Bouchalegham (M/W Title)
Ewin via ref stoppage (towel) 2:25 round 4

Paul Daley vs Ressa Moradi (k1 rules; 3×3 rounds)
Daley via cut stoppage round 1

Dave "Speedy" Elliott vs Gerald "The finishing Machine" Strebandt (L/W eliminator)
Strebandt via submission (twister) 0:58 round 1

Tengiz Tedoradze vs Andy Ryan (H/W Title)
Tedoradze via GnP 2:05 round 1