It’s been nearly half a year since Kalib Starnes stepped into the Octagon in Montreal against Nate Quarry at UFC 83; time that the Surrey, British Columbia native has spent healing, reflecting, and now preparing for a Nov. 15 match against Kala "Kolohe" Hose in Hawaii.
The result wasn’t pretty. In addition to the loss to Quarry, Starnes received an amount of scorn and verbal abuse from fans and pundits alike rarely seen in MMA. They accused him of avoiding confrontation and called him a coward.
“People like to be on the side that’s winning, said Starnes. “They’re supportive when you’re winning and critical when you’re losing. I still get some sweet hate mails pretty regularly. There are some gyms with guys who begged me to come in there and train and do seminars before that fight and who wouldn’t return my calls or talk to me afterwards.”
It was a difficult time for Starnes, who weathered the storm and remains sage about the experience.
“It’s good. It separates people who are really supportive and back you from people that are just trying to jump on your wagon while you’re successful,” he said. “Such is life. It’s more a learning experience and I don’t find it particularly motivational or that depressing, it’s just learning how people are.”
Starnes couldn’t walk on his foot for three months and took the time to rest, spend time with his daughter, and take some online courses. Once he was able to, he started training at the Suitela Fitness and Defence Centre in Surrey.
“Right now I’ve been doing a lot of strength and conditioning with an excellent personal trainer named Adrian Crowe at least four days a week doing power-lifting and heavy circuits,” he said. “I’m a lot stronger than I’ve ever been. Now I’ve been drilling a lot with a fighter named Andrew Pederson and he’s been my main training partner.”
In the aftermath of UFC 83, Starnes said he asked to be released from his contract, to which they agreed.
“It was something I’m happy about,” he said. “I’m glad I’m not fighting there and will be fighting independently where I want and for whoever wants to pay me.”
Since UFC 83, Starnes said he’s been offered fights everywhere from New York to Florida to New Jersey, but the one he’s decided to accept is against Hose on Nov. 15 in Hawaii’s fledgling Destiny promotion.
“He’s a good, tough opponent who has some good wins. His win over Phil Baroni was real impressive and he’s definitely a good, solid, tough opponent,” Starnes said.
Starnes’ standing with his two previous clubs, the Revolution Fight Team in British Columbia and American Top Team in Florida might still be a question for fans. Starnes credits Revolution and Rob Velek for much of his success. He’d also like to return to ATT someday.
“I really liked training there and all of the people were great to me and I have no complaints or anything negative to say about ATT,” said Starnes. “I really liked [Ricardo] Liborio, Howard Davis Jr., and a lot of other people there like Dan Lambert and [Andre] Benkei, who were all great to me, so maybe one day.”
GSP joins the club
UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre experienced what he called “the high point in my career” last Saturday, as he received his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from Bruno Fernandes at the Tristar Martial Arts Academy in Montreal.
The report, which comes from Graciemag.com, says that St. Pierre was taken by surprise with the promotion and said that along with achieving his black belt in karate and winning the UFC title, this was one of the three happiest moments of his life.
Canada’s most established and beloved mixed martial artist, the 25-year-old St. Pierre (17-2) recently signed a deal with talent agency CAA Sports, joining the ranks of Derek Jeter, LeBron James and Tony Hawk.
And what did Fernandes say when affixing the belt around the widely admired welterweight’s waist?
"Welcome to the club."
Grant on the rise
TJ Grant (12-2) may just be the best fighter that you’ve never heard of – but hopefully not for long. The well-rounded welterweight and Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native is coming off an impressive win over five-time UFC veteran Forrest Petz (14-6) at TKO 35, and he hopes that this was the win that will finally get him some recognition from big eyes south of the border.
TKO President Stephane Patry told Sherdog.com that the winner of the Grant-Petz bout would get a shot at welterweight champ Jess Bongfeldt in December. However, the Petz fight was the last fight of Grant’s TKO contract.
“Hopefully my manager can figure out what’s next and best for me,” Grant said. “I’d definitely like to fight Jesse again. He beat me last time and obviously I want to get another shot at it. I feel like I was winning that fight and I could continue where I left off and hopefully this time it will be a different outcome.”
That rematch may or may not happen, as Grant’s manager Scott MacLean thinks that he’s definitely ready to do some damage in the UFC. Getting into the world’s leading promotion can be difficult unless you know the right people, though Grant should be all right in that regard. His team, Fit Plus, is an affiliate with UFC regular Jorge Gurgel, which has afforded Grant the opportunity to roll with the likes of Gurgel, former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin, and fellow welterweight Dustin Hazelett, who have all reportedly been impressed with the young Nova Scotian.
Jimmo out of RAW Combat
Although it had not yet been announced, Calgary’s RAW Combat had signed a light heavyweight match between Victor Valimaki (12-5) and Ryan Jimmo (7-1) as the co-main event for their next event scheduled for Oct. 25 at the Stampede Corral.
Valimaki and Jimmo are two of a small handful of fighters vying for status as Canada’s top 205-pounder, but recent “Ultimate Fighter” entry Jimmo withdrew from the bout last Sunday due to illness.
Jimmo had just fought Chris Fontaine at X-Fights in Moncton on Oct. 4 and was already in good shape, but a recent flu and only 13 days between bouts has prevented him from training to the level that his manager Scott MacLean feels is required to prepare for a quality fighter like Valimaki.
Kaufman-Young Locked for Elite XC
Victoria, British Columbia’s Sarah Kaufman (7-0) has spent the past several months keeping Sherdog.com appraised of her travails in finding fights and her recent signing with EliteXC.
In a previous edition of MM-Eh, Kaufmann revealed that she’d been offered a bout against hard-hitting Minnesotan Kaitlin Young (4-2). This 140-pound contest will now join the roster of EliteXC “A Night of Champions” on Nov. 8 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev. The evening will be headlined by a middleweight title bout between champion Robbie Lawler and Joey Villasenor.
Young won’t be an easy task, as she has a lot to prove coming off of a brutal doctor’s stoppage loss to the undefeated Gina Carano last May at EliteXC “Primetime.” But Kaufman does as well, as she’ll try to prove that her undefeated record in Canada warrants the hype that surrounds her.
Skidmore suspended one year
Tim Skidmore was suspended for one year by the Calgary Combative Sports Commission on Sept. 15 for disregarding a required two-week “rest period” following his bout for the Venom at the Snake Pit event on Aug. 29.
Middleweight Skidmore (3-10) fought at UGC 21 against Cory MacDonald in Quebec, just six days after he fought in Calgary.
As part of the process to get licensed in Calgary, Skidmore signed a Notice of Mandatory Rest Period/Suspension that said he was prohibited from competing for 14 days worldwide following his fight. The Calgary commission states that this rest period is given to all fighters even before they engage in combat and is designed for their protection.
Skidmore told Sherdog.com that he acknowledges understanding the contract that he signed in Calgary, but decided to honor the second fight.
According to Skidmore, he had agreed to fight Macdonald at UGC about two months previously, but after repeated unanswered emails, coupled with seeing a fight card two weeks out from the event that listed Shawn Marchand as MacDonald’s opponent, he assumed that he was off of the card and booked the Calgary event.
“While I was on my way to Calgary I got an email from Ali [UGC promote Nestor Charles] while I was in the Toronto airport saying that they expected me in Montreal on the fifth of September,” he said.
Skidmore said he was willing to face the consequences –- he just didn’t think they would be so severe.
“I can’t justify it,” he said. “I went against the contract I signed. I did it out of sympathy or compassion I guess for Cory and Ali because they were in a tough spot. I said I’d take the fight and pay the consequences. I didn’t think it would be a year suspension -- maybe thirty days or two months or maybe a thousand dollar suspension.”
Commissions across Canada are not required to enforce the decisions of their counterparts, and Skidmore had held out a slim hope that he’d be allowed to continue to fight in his home province of Nova Scotia. However, Nova Scotia Boxing Authority Chairman Mickey MacDonald and head referee Hubert Earle both told Sherdog.com that they would be upholding the Calgary decision.
Skidmore will appeal the suspension before the Calgary commission on Nov. 20.
Canadian calendar
Oct. 18: KOTC - Frank Crane Arena - Nanaimo, British Columbia
Oct. 25: Raw Combat - Stampede Corral - Calgary, Alberta
Nov. 8: XMMA 6 "House of Pain" - Colisée de Laval - Laval, Quebec
Nov. 14: KOTC - Edmonton, Alberta
Nov. 15: X-Fights 2 - Quebec City, Quebec
Nov. 22: Phoenix Fight Promotions 5 – Dartmouth Sportsplex - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Nov. 28: KOTC - Calgary, Alberta (pending commission approval)
Nov. 28: Colloseo Championship Fighting - Edmonton Events Centre - Edmonton, Alberta
Nov. 29: Unnamed Jason MacDonald (Pictures) Promoted event - Red Deer, Alberta
Dec. 5: MFC 19 "Long Time Coming" – River Cree Resort and Casino - Edmonton, Alberta
Dec. 5: TKO 36 – Bell Centre - Montreal, Quebec