Uchi

"BC Fighter Training With Nogueira and American Top Team in Preparation for May 26 Event

By Mike Russell

Canadian Kalib Starnes (7-1-1) will face fellow “The Ultimate Fighter” alumnus Chris “The Crippler” Leben (16-3-0) at UFC 71 “Liddell vs. Jackson” May 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

TUF 3 vet Starnes, 31, confirmed the middleweight match-up from American Top Team’s Coconut Creek, Florida training facility where he is preparing for his upcoming fight, indicating that the contracts have been signed and he is raring to go.

“Leben’s a good striker,” said Starnes of his Oregon-based fighter’s unconventional style. “Obviously, working with Team Quest he’s a really decent grappler and his submission skills are getting better all the time,” said Starnes. “His stand-up is really unorthodox and unpredictable. I’ve been working my kickboxing two hours every day since my loss to Yushin Okami and I’m now to the point where I can hang with anyone sparring.”

A member of highly regarded Canadian Revolution Fight Team, which recently added journeyman Brazilian fighter Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons to its roster, the Surrey, British Columbia native felt that moving his camp to Florida would pay off in Octagon dividends come May.

“The guys here at American Top team are great,” said Starnes. “This is the best camp I’ve ever had preparing for a fight. I’m working with [BJJ coach] Ricardo Liborio, [boxing coach] Howard Davis and sparring with guys like Marcus Aurelio, Wilson Gouveia, Thiago Alves, Denis Kang and Minotauro [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira]. I get up and come here and spar with Minotauro. It doesn’t get much better than that. Our gym [Revolution Fight Team] is great but I’m the top fighter there and you don’t get better unless you train with better fighters so this has been great for me. Pele just joined our team which has been excellent but I knew coming here would really help my game.”

Although some fighters might consider a seven-month layoff from fighting to be a detriment to their training, Starnes’ body told him that it would need to repair before allowing him back into the Octagon – he suffered a broken nose in his Oct. 2006 UFC 64 fight with Okami and harbored another serious injury coming into the match that hindered his training. Part of his absence was ordered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission as a result of his loss.

“Even though I wasn’t unconscious they ruled it a TKO and I was put on a mandatory three-month medical suspension. I was fighting with another injury that didn’t allow me to train 100% so the time off allowed me to heal up,” Starnes explains “I’m not making any excuses for the loss, I’m just glad to be training 100% healthy this time. It makes a real difference.”

Leben is coming off a submission loss to Canadian Jason MacDonald at Dec. 30’s UFC 66. Starnes defeated Alberta’s MacDonald in a 2005 bout by first round TKO"

source-http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=3708

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"Omae wa mou shindeiru"
-You're already dead

Chrisl972

Does anyone else think he's a d*ck for saying he's the "top fighter" at his Canadian camp??

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kds13

Nog should not worry about teaching Starnes anything about fighting cause he'll still lose to Leben.

Now if Nog taught him to have some heart...he may have a chance.

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wukkadb

Chris Leben is training with team quest....... i don't think hes at a disadvantage as far as training partners goes.

silvawand

He won't lose to leben....and I guess your judging his heart by that one fight with Grove, which is absolute bullsh!t....he loses one fight and all of a sudden he has no heart, even though that was probably the first time you ever saw him fight.

He got into the 3rd round with Okami who is an excellent fighter and now a top contender, training with ATT will only making him better and he will submit leben, maybe even KO if he's kickboxing has improved significantly.

DropKick

Oh man, I hope Nog finds a better training partner than Starnes before his UFC debut or we might another upset.

JawShattera

if kalib had any heart id give him a good shot against leben

cabby

Good maybe Nog will teach him not to be a ***** after getting hit. Leben has good hands???? His hands are sloppy and wide, I'd box with Leben and probably hit him more than he would hit me.

JawShattera

allot of fighters say leben has good hands like rivera,starnes, silva even said he had dangerous hands.


c'mon cabby leben's a pro fighter, unless your a good boxer id have to think that comment came without thinking.



oh and btw everyone you cant teach heart even if your training with big nog.

Chrisl972

Sure you would. That's why he's 6-2 in the UFC. He's not know for his ground game getting him there.

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