Despite giving up 66.8 pounds in the super-heavyweight bout, former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (picture) ground and pounded his way to victory over former Chicago Bears lineman Bob "The Beast" Sapp at "Ultimate Chaos" Saturday night at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Lashley right away went for the takedown to wear down his 322-pound opponent with punches from Sapp's half guard. Sapp grabbed Lashley's arm to limit Lashley's punches but never attempted to escape to a better position.

Lashley continued working on punches to Sapp's head. A flurry of punches hurt Sapp and the former PRIDE Fighting Championships competitor had to tap in pain. Sapp actually had to tap on two occasions because the referee did not notice it the first time.

Sapp, who once received a broken orbital bone fighting kickboxer Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, received enough punches to impair his vision.

"I got a good shot in the eye and was unable to see," Sapp said. "He got me in the eye. No excuses, He got me down today and controlled it. Give it up to Bobby Lashley."

The fight was called at three minutes and 17 seconds of the opening round.

Lashley explained afterwards why he went against his word that he would stand and box with Sapp.

"The first thing is to win," Lashley said. "Ground and pound to wear the big man down. He has a big punch. I used my ground and pound and got out of there."

In the night's co-main event, Gilbert "The Hurricane" Yvel won a shot at Paul Buentello at the August 1 Affliction: Trilogy card by defeating Pedro "The Rock" Rizzo. Yvel punished Rizzo for a failed takedown attempt and knocked Rizzo unconscious with right hands to finish the fight.

Here are quick results from the event:

• James Orso def. Danny Abbadi by unanimous decision

• Brandon Harder def. James Harris by submission (arm triangle choke) at 4:31 of Round 2

• Tom Atencio def. Randy Hedderick by TKO (stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2

• Waachiim Spiritwolf def. Brett Cooper by KO at 3:41 of Round 1

• Chris Horodecki def. William Sriyapai by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:02 of Round 1

• Javier Vazquez def. Mark Kergosien by submission (guillotine choke) at 0:59 of Round 1

• Gilbert Yvel def. Pedro Rizzo by KO (punches) at 2:10 of Round 1

• Bobby Lashley def. Bob Sapp by submission (punches) at 3:17 of Round 1

Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley made quick work of Mike Cook at Maximum Fighting Championship 21: Hard Knocks Friday in Alberta, Canada. Lashley dismantled the Californian fighter in just 24 seconds.

Cook came to the ring wearing a pro wrestling lucha libre mask while taunting Lashley with popular WWE poses. Lashley was annoyed, denying Cook of a glove touch seconds before the start of the fight. As soon as the bell rang, Lashley charged at Cook and applied a guillotine choke. Lashley held on to the guillotine choke and took Cook to the ground, forcing Cook to go limp. Referee "Big" John McCarthy called the fight off just 24 seconds into Round 1.

His opponent, Mike Cook, didn't have any major wins on his record. Cook also lost to former WWE Tough Enough contender Daniel Puder by a rear naked choke.

In the post fight interview, Lashley stated, "Now he can put back on the mask and have fun with himself."

The former WWE US Champion and ECW Champion improved his MMA record to 3-0, but it's apparent that his pro wrestling background will stick with him for quite some time.

Lashley doesn't have much time to rest, as his next challenge is just around the corner in MMA veteran Bob Sapp on June 27 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) had posted the statement below on their official website regarding Bobby Lashley rumor:

From XFC president John Prisco:

“It’s come to our attention that a rumor has started circulating that Bobby Lashley will be fighting Marcus Jones at XFC 8: ‘Regional Conflict’ on Saturday, April 25 – a show featuring the fastest-rising young prospects and top emerging superstars from Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina in contender-versus-contender bouts, airing exclusively nationwide on HDNet. That rumor is false, and no such statement was ever issued by the XFC, Bobby Lashley, or Bobby Lashley’s manager.

“It is true that the XFC and Bobby Lashley have had numerous conversations, and both parties hope to find a way to work together in the very near future. Bobby has publicly stated his interest in fighting for the XFC, and we can confirm that the interest is mutual. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship.

“The XFC hopes Bobby Lashley – and MMA fans nationwide – enjoy XFC 8 ‘Regional Conflict’ on April 25, as it airs live from the 21 thousand-capacity Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, exclusively on HDNet. For more information, please visit www.mmaxfc.com.”

Last Saturday night, former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley was victorious in his second professional mixed martial arts fight, defeating Jason Guida by unanimous decision at the "March Badness" MMA & boxing pay-per-view event. Lashley was a guest on the Pro MMA Radio show last night and told the host, Larry Pepe, that his ultimate goal is to be a player in the UFC.

"I've had dialogue with (the UFC) over the past few days. They know where my mind frame is. I hold the UFC in high regard and I believe the UFC is a place where you have to be at a certain level before you get there. I want to be a serious contender for a title before I go in there. When I get to the UFC, I want people to say 'Bobby is good enough to go for the title'. I would like to be holding a 5-0 or 6-0 record, somewhere around there before going into the UFC. If I can take what I do in practice and put that into a match — then you'll see a whole different Bobby than what you saw the other day," he said.

"March Badness", the combined boxing and mixed martial arts show promoted by Roy Jones Jr., is underway. The event took place on Saturday night in Pensacola, Florida. The main card of the hybrid boxing/mixed martial arts event was broadcast live on pay-per-view.

In the main event of the night, the event's promoter Roy Jones Jr. defeated Omar Sheika in a light heavyweight bout to win vacant NABO Light Heavyweight title.

In MMA action, former UFC heavyweight title contender Jeff Monson defeated former IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy Nelson. Nelson seemed to have earned the victory but the judges saw it different as Monson was awarded the controversial decision win. Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (picture) defeated Jason Guida. Lashley put on a very lackluster performance in a unanimous decision win. Former UFC lightweight Din Thomas impressed the crowd by defeating Gabe Lemley by TKO in a featherweight bout. 12-year veteran Dennis "Superman" Hallman also competed on the card, as the very savvy veteran defeated Danny Riaz by a rear naked choke tap out.

Below are the official results for "March Badness" event:

MMA results:

• Jeff Monson def. Roy Nelson by unanimous decision

• Bobby Lashley def. Jason Guida by unanimous decision

• Din Thomas def. Gabe Lemley by TKO (strikes) at 4:13 of Round 1

• Dennis Hallman def. Danny Ruiz by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:50 of Round 1

• James Freeman def. John Mowry by KO (punch) at 2:38 of Round 1

Boxing results:

• NABO Light Heavyweight Championship: Roy Jones Jr. def. Omar Sheika by TKO at 1:45 of Round 5

• NABO Cruiserweight Championship: BJ Flores def. Jose Luis Herrera by unanimous decision

• Eric Clinton def. Richmond Dalphone by unanimous decision

• Kieyon Bussey def. Robert DaLuz by split decision

• Kelvin Price def. Kevin Howard by split decision

Bobby Lashley recently spoke to The MMA Digest. Here are some highlights from interview:

On Ken Shamrock being ousted as his opponent:

"I was a little disappointed in the fact that I didn't get to fight him...we train specifically for our opponent. I was going through two pretty tough practices everyday and we were staying afterwards, after the final practice in the evening and going for an hour and a half to two hours on just what Shamrock was going to do -- some of his tricks, some of his key moves and everything like that."

Thoughts on his new opponent Jason Guida:

"I think he's a decent opponent, I think he's a decent fighter. It's my second fight; he has one advantage -- he has had so many fights under his belt...so we're not going to take him lightly at all, he's a vet, he knows a lot of tricks, he has been in there before, he's going to be comfortable, he's going to be ready to bang and really he has nothing to lose. So we're just going to go in there really aggressive, we're going to stay on him, and we're going to force the issue and see if he can take it."

"World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock has apparently tested positive for three separate steroids following his February 13 victory over the 350-plus-pounder Ross Clifton at the WarGods-Ken Shamrock Productions "Valentine's Eve Massacre" event in Fresno, California. The California State Athletic Commission announced that the 45-year-old mixed martial artist tested positive for Norandrosterone, Noretiocholanolone and Stanozolol.

The former WWE wrestler has been suspended through February 1, 2010 and fined $2,500. Shamrock was to fight another former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley on March 21 at the "March Badness" MMA/boxing event headlined by Roy Jones Jr. vs. Omar Sheika.

Shamrock has the right to appeal but will not be able to in time for the fight.

That will be the second straight high-profile fight Shamrock has been forced out of. Last October at EliteXC "Heat", Shamrock pulled out the same day of the fight due to a cut suffered while warming up.

Shamrock was also looking forward to a fight against fellow UFC old schooler David "Tank" Abbott at the next WarGods-Ken Shamrock Productions event to take place in Reno, Nevada.

Meanwhile, Bobby Lashley will remain on "March Badness" card. The Square Ring Promotions will find a replacement for Shamrock against Lashley.

"The show will go on," Square Ring Promotions CEO John Wirt said. "Ken said he was taking over-the-counter products and has requested an expedited appeal. We're working with his group but, just in case, we are also looking for a possible replacement to fight Bobby Lashley. We have identified some great replacements for Shamrock and have been in contact with them. A press release will be issued very soon as to which direction we will be going."

Eight-time world boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. is moving into mixed martial arts, albeit on the promotional side of things.

His Square Ring Promotions will put on "March Badness", a mixed boxing/MMA card on March 21 at the Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida. A light heavyweight boxing match between Jones (52-5) and Omar Sheika (27-8) will be the main event, Jones said at a news conference Wednesday at the venue, where the show will be broadcast live on pay-per-view for a price tag of $29.95.

In an interview, Jones said he decided to test the waters of MMA promotions "because I respect all kinds of fighters. People are always saying, 'Boxing this, MMA that.' But both of those are hand-to-hand combat man-to-man. Anyone who will fight another man straight up like that, I got nothing but the utmost respect for."

"So to cure the stigma that we don't like MMA or that we're against it, to prove my point, I'm going to start promoting them too," Jones said. "And they have a huge fan base too. They love fighting. Boxing. Ultimate fighting. It's all still fighting."

Jones said he does not understand the boxing-versus-MMA mentality.

"Why do people keep trying to pull us apart?" he asked. "Why not come together and make for an even bigger situation and make it better for both sports? MMA has something that boxing doesn't have, which boxing needs to acknowledge."

Jones said he believes the audience is there for a promotion combining boxing matches with MMA fights.

"I know there is because a lot of times, the only time people get disappointed in MMA cards is when they don't give them enough rounds," he said. "In boxing, you always get enough rounds or a little more than you really want. So how about mixing the two and make it good for everybody? You get enough rounds, plus you get enough action too."

Jones said the boxing skills of several MMA fighters are good enough for them to compete against professional boxers.

"Some of them can," he said. "But you have to remember, not all of them have a boxing background. But boxing is only one of the components that make up MMA. You have to be good at at least two components: either boxing, either wrestling, or some form of jiu-jitsu or something like that."

One such MMA fighter whose boxing skills Jones respects is UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, who has said he would like to fight with Jones.

Jones said he would relish the fight.

"That would be a wonderful fight," he said. "He is a good fighter and a good boxer and he's quick and he's tall and he's left-handed. So he's the kind of guy that really, in boxing, creates a problem for me."

Jones said the UFC should allow Silva to fight him.

"They won't, but why not allow us to come together?" Jones asked. "That's a fight the people would like to see."

Jones said the "March Badness" undercard will feature three MMA bouts: Seth Petruzelli (10-4-0) vs. former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Doug Marshall (9-3-0) in a light heavyweight fight, Roy Nelson (13-3-0) vs. Jeff Monson (27-8-0) in a heavyweight fight and former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley against an as-yet unnamed opponent. Petruzelli will be fighting for the first time since his spectacular 14-second TKO victory against Kimbo Slice at Elite XC: Heat last October 4.

In another boxing match on the card, IBF No. 2-ranked cruiserweight BJ Flores (22-0-1) will fight another as-yet unnamed opponent.

Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley won his mixed martial arts debut Saturday night at Mixed Fighting Alliance's inaugural show "There Will Be Blood" at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

Lashley took down and rained down right hands against fellow MMA newcomer Joshua Franklin, opening a cut that led to the fight being stopped 41 seconds into the fight.

Lashley, who trains with the American Top Team, is a former National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Wrestling Champion.

In the main event of the card, ten-year MMA veteran Jeff "The Snowman" Monson avenged a TKO loss to Ricco Rodriguez from UFC 35: Throwdown in 2002 by winning a unanimous decision against the former UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley's December mixed martial arts debut was in jeopardy because the company he is signed to -- the American Fight League (AFL) -- announced it is ceasing operations until the first quarter of 2009.

But, a local radio ads running in Miami, Florida are now advertising that Lashley will compete in his first official MMA bout on December 13th at an event promoted by Mixed Fight Alliance called "There Will Be Blood". The show will take place at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. No opponent has been announced yet.

Lashley signed a two-fight deal with an option for a third earlier this year, but like most of the other fighters under contract with the fledgling AFL promotion, he still has the freedom to fight in other organizations so long as it doesn't interfere with any AFL obligations.

From MMANews.com:

After making a name for himself in the world of professional wrestling, Bobby Lashley is now ready to test himself in the confines of the MMA world. At 6'3" and 250 lbs, this monster of force brings a wrestling background with him that has seen him capture 3 national titles and also have the honor of being a four time All American.

With his first fight on the horizon, Lashley talks to Chris Howie about how his training has gone and where he wants to see himself in this sport in this MMANews.com exclusive interview.

Chris Howie with MMANews.com: How has your transition into the MMA world been working out for you?

Bobby Lashley: I'll tell you what man, it's been going very well. Things have been going very smoothly. I've been training at different place but most recently I've been at American Top Team and running the gauntlet down there. When I am home in Denver I have been training my jiu-jitsu with people here. I wrestled for several years so the transition wasn't too bad because I was familiar with that level of training. Things have been working out really well.

MMANews.com: How have you adapted to adding striking and jiu-jitsu to your arsenal?

Bobby Lashley: From my evaluation at ATT I think it showed I have adapted very well. Wrestling and jiu-jitsu, to me, kind of goes hand in hand. If you have a good wrestling background, going to jiu-jitsu is not the most difficult thing to do. There is a level of learning the submissions which I have been working on but I think it has come along well. I have been working on my striking for about 7 months now, so that is coming along very well also. I'm pretty comfortable with where I am at now but I know there is another level that I can go to. But right now I am comfortable with what I have learned and comfortable with where I am going.

MMANews.com: You have been training with ATT, which is one of the best teams in North America, how have things been going for you there?

Bobby Lashley: I love it down there man. The trainers are really hands on. Marcus "Conan" Silveira has kind of taken me under his wing down there and been like a personal mentor of mine. He really has been showing me a lot and working with me on every aspect of the game. He really wants to see me do well. He was one of the first people to evaluate me down there. He liked what he saw and seen a tremendous amount of potential so that is not a bad person to have as a mentor. It's a great place to be with a great group of guys. Everybody is rooting for you to do well down there.

MMANews.com: What are the plans for your first fight?

Bobby Lashley: It's looking like December 13th will be the date. We have the contract on hand right now and we are just working out all the details but December 13th will be the date.

MMANews.com: Which organization will it be with?

Bobby Lashley: I am originally signed with the AFL but as everyone knows they have been going through some troubles right now in getting everything together and I have been waiting and put on the back burner a little bit. It will be in Miami, FL with one of the bigger MMA promotions there. Not one of the real big organizations like the UFC, EXC, or Strikeforce but it will be held at the American Airlines Arena so I can tell you that if it is being held at a venue like that it will be a big show.

MMANews.com: Are there any opponents lined up for you yet?

Bobby Lashley: It is all in the works right now. I have the contract but am waiting for approval from the AFL. We should have the approval today and then we will sign the contract.

MMANews.com: With the AFL running into the problems that they have along the way, which has meant your MMA debut would be put on hold, did you find that situation disappointing or was it a blessing in disguise so that you could continue to train more and learn new skills?

Bobby Lashley: Yeah it was good to be able to work on things a little bit more. I have no ego coming into this sport and I am a student of the game. I have a wrestling background which is my martial art but I have so much that I can learn. Like Brock (Lesnar) who had a name from being in a different business, there will be a lot of people coming around to watch me fight, when I do fight, so it is going to be harder for me to work my way up. I'm going to be pushed harder and higher a little quicker than a normal person coming into MMA. Getting to train for six more months was a blessing.

MMANews.com: What are your thoughts on the crowd atmosphere you will experience? You have been in front of huge crowds during wrestling events like Wrestlemania but do you think the MMA crowd will be different than that of pro wrestling?

Bobby Lashley: I'm sure the crowds will be a little different. When I was in the WWE I loved being in front of the crowds, the bigger the better. At Wrestlemania I was in front of 85,000 people and at my first WWE match I was in front of 17,000 so I'm sure things will be different but being in front of the crowd isn’t something I will be nervous about.

MMANews.com: What does have you nervous going into your first fight?

Bobby Lashley: Just the competition. I wrestled for 18 years and there is a level of nerves that go into every match. My coaches always told me if you are not nervous you are not ready. So, I'm completely confident going into the fight but there are going to be some nerves. It will be my first MMA match and it's not going to be just wrestling it is going to be everything. There will be a lot of pressure on me as well because a lot of people will be watching saying "Oh this is Bobby Lashley, will he sink or will he swim?" So, that is in the back of my mind but I welcome all of this and I am really confident because of the training I am getting. So I will be a little nervous but after I get in there and throw a couple punches and get fired up a little bit and get some contact those nerves will be gone and I will be in the right mind frame.

MMANews.com: Does the pressure of having a name coming into a sport like MMA get to your head?

Bobby Lashley: Yeah I definitely think I have some pressure but that comes with the territory and I knew that coming into it. I knew that with the wrestling background a lot of the fans I had with the WWE are going to want to see what I can do and I know that the MMA fans are going to question me because I do have the pro wrestling background. I don't mind it. I am going into this as a MMA fighter so there will be wins and losses and I know that is going to happen. What I am going to do is prepare myself for this and I am going to be ready for every fight that I have.

MMANews.com: What is your amateur wrestling background?

Bobby Lashley: In High School I won the High School Championships. When I went to college I was a three time National Champion and a four time All-American. Afterwards I went to the Olympic Training Center and I trained there for a little while. I wrestled on the Army team and I was an Armed Forces Champion a couple times. I also went to the World Championships and won a silver medal there.

MMANews.com: So you got game..

Bobby Lashley: I am bringing a tremendous amount of thunder.

MMANews.com: What are your goals in MMA?

Bobby Lashley: I want to hold the title and be a champion. Everyone knows the UFC is the elite of MMA and if that is where I end up that is where I want to be a champion. I see myself with the athletic ability I have and the mind frame that I have and everything I else I bring to this sport I think that I am going to be there and I will be one of the top guys in the sport at heavyweight no matter what organization I am in.

MMANews.com: How big will you be coming into your fights?

Bobby Lashley: Well my weight has been fluctuating because of my training but right now I am around 255 lbs. The lightest I will come in at is 250 lbs and the heaviest will be around 260 lbs.

MMANews.com: So cutting weight will not be an issue for you?

Bobby Lashley: No not at all. That was one thing I did kind of think about when I started going in and training because my training has been really tough. I'm the type of person to over train. I do my boxing and kickboxing and my grappling and then I am doing my cardio and watching submission tournaments and MMA at the same time so I am always training. When I got into it I thought about making it down to 205 lbs because I used to wrestle at 211 lbs and that wasn't a hard cut for me. Right now I'm eating everything in site to stay at 250 lbs but I feel comfortable at heavyweight because I feel I am strong enough and I am quick enough for heavyweight. If weight does keep shedding off me than I may possibly look at 205 lbs.

MMANews.com: Do you feel that with the credentials you do have people should not be overlooking you because of your WWE background?

Bobby Lashley: Some of the hardcore MMA fans, and I don't want to bad mouth anyone but they can be kind of…I don't know, ignorant. Sure, I took my time and I went to the WWE but would I take that back? No because I made a lot of money and was able to do a lot of things for my family that I never thought I would be able to do. I think the MMA fans are not realizing what I did before that. I busted my ass for years in wrestling and have accomplished things that not a lot of people have accomplished in the sport of wrestling and they can't take that away from me. Some of the MMA fans go and take a jiu-jitsu class and they think they have more credibility than someone that spent there life around a sport like wrestling. I think with me going to ATT I am showing the dedication I have to this sport and when I start fighting I will show people that I am not just a WWE pro wrestler coming to this sport and that I am actually a student of the game trying to win titles.

MMANews.com: Is Brock Lesnar helping to change people's perception on a former WWE wrestler making the transition to MMA with a solid amateur wrestling background?

Bobby Lashley: I think Brock is just that kind of guy and you have to respect him for it. He came in there and knew he had the WWE stigma on his back but he took on tough competition right off the bat and I think people are starting to realize that. Yeah he is a big guy, but he is learning and doing really well and with this title fight against Randy Couture he has another chance to prove himself.

MMANews.com:Who do you see winning that fight?

Bobby Lashley: Brock is a big dude man. Randy is a really really great fighter but if he comes in at around 220 lbs you are looking at a 60 lbs different. That is hard to even out. It is going to be hard to beat Brock if you are that small. Brock is an athlete and he isn't a slouch. You are facing a 280 lbs athlete when you fight Brock.

MMANews.com: With a couple of solid victories on the independent shows, do you feel the UFC could come calling?

Bobby Lashley: The UFC won't come calling me, I will come for the UFC. I am going to prove myself and I am going to show them what I can do. If they want me that is where I will be going.

MMANews.com: Great Bobby, I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me today and I am looking forward to your MMA debut.

Bobby Lashley: Thank You.