Articles tagged as fighter
Get Ready Vegas, Edson Barboza is Coming to Town
It may be cruel to point out, especially if you’re on the receiving end, but when it comes to knockouts, the ones produced by a kick to the head are always a lot more spectacular. But then came Edson Barboza’s spinning head kick finish of Terry Etim at UFC 142 in January, and the bar was set even higher, as he delivered a move that required speed, power, agility, technique, and timing, all at the same time. If you’re a fan of the art part of mixed martial arts, you could not help but be impressed.Want to be even more impressed? Barboza admits that it isn’t even something he practices on a regular basis.“To be honest, no, I don't train that kick much,” he said. “I like to train the basic things like body kicks or low kicks. But I’ve known how to do that kick since I was eight years old, when I started training Muay Thai. I think I have been keeping it inside of my mind, and when I need it I throw it out.”That’s scary, and just another reminder that no matter how quickly a fighter has picked up another discipline of MMA, he will still be at a disadvantage when facing someone who has practiced that particular aspect of the sport since he was a child. For Barboza, that discipline was Muay Thai, and his teacher from the time he was eight years old was Anderson Franca.“Anderson is more than just a coach to me,” said Barboza. “He is like my father. He is with me since the beginning of my career. He knows me more than any other coach. So, it means for me more than just a good training, what it truly is. But, it is more confidence, more stability. I trust him and I know he will do his best for me. He passed a lot of confidence to me. And it's a big blessing for me to be able to have him in my camp and at my corner.”Now 26, Barboza is at a good time in his life and career. He is one of the top fighters in a stacked lightweight division, he’s picking up bonus checks with alarming regularity, and he is settled in Jupiter, Florida with his wife Bruna. And as of late last year, he even has Franca – the man who taught him the head kick, among other things - back with him.“He always supported me throughout my career,” said Barboza. “When I had to give up on my Muay Thai career he was by my side, and though when I came to the US and we stayed away from each other for almost one year, we kept talking to each other, and before my fights over here, I used to call him to ask for advice. We have a great relationship. Last year I had a fight at the end of the year and he came to the US for my training camp, he stayed here on Christmas Day, away from his family, and when he did that for me, I could realize how much I was important to him and how much he was important for me. Yes, he is my master, my coach, my example as person, and also as a fighter.”And though Barboza’s first three UFC wins were impressive, as he stopped Mike Lullo and then earned two Fight of the Night awards in decision victories over Anthony Njokuani and Ross Pearson, with Franca in his corner, the finish of Etim was a reminder of just how good the native of Nova Friburgo is. And how scary.“I felt that I got the knockout as soon as he fell down,” he said. “But I just realized that it was a nice knockout a few minutes later when I could hear the people screaming and my coaches were jumping. So I thought ‘Man, I did it.’ It was great.”On Saturday, Barboza returns to action at UFC 146 with a bout against former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner. “He is a tough guy,” said Barboza. “Good wrestler, he has a good boxing. I think it will be a war and I am ready for that.”Originally scheduled to face Evan Dunham before the Las Vegan was forced out of the bout due to injury, Barboza wasn’t too rattled by the switch in opponents. In fact, he wasn’t rattled at all. “I had to change a little bit on some points,” he said, “But nothing changed too much because I am focused on my game and what I want to do.”And what Barboza wants to do is leave an impression on fight fans watching at home and also in Las Vegas, where he will be making his debut. It’s his first bout in the States since March of 2011, as he’s won his last two fights in Brazil, and he’s eager to get back to business in his adopted home and show how he’s changed since UFC 128.“Yes, I was missing being able to fight in US,” he said. “I love my American fans, and they are always supporting me, leaving me messages, talking to me on Twitter and on Facebook, and also sending me letters. They are awesome. As a fighter I think I've been learning a lot, improving my game on the floor and my standup game. I’ve seen my mistakes in my last fights and I am trying to correct them. But I know one thing that I didn't change was my will to do my best inside the Octagon. I've been training really hard for this fight and I want to do my best inside the Octagon for my fans.”As mentioned earlier, Barboza’s best has resulted in several post-fight bonuses thus far, four in his last three matches to be exact. But the Brazilian banger doesn’t have the burden of expectations weighing him down as he heads into the fight capital of the world.“I want to do a good performance inside the Octagon no matter the bonuses,” he said. “I love my job. I love what I do. And inside of the cage I want to always do my 100%. I think that was the way I was able to get those bonuses, but I am not worried about getting bonuses. I am focused on doing a good fight.”Another good (read: winning) fight would make Barboza 5-0 in the UFC and 11-0 overall. And even though there’s a logjam at the top of the division ruled by Benson Henderson, with Frankie Edgar, Nate Diaz, and Anthony Pettis all jockeying for position, another heart-stopping finish could accelerate Barboza’s ascent into the title picture. It’s a trip he’s ready for.“I can see myself as one of the best fighters in the world,” he said. “I know my division is tough. There are a lot of great fighters in it, and that brings me more motivation to train every day harder and harder. But there is no fighter who I watch him and I think ‘I can't fight against him,’ you know? I can fight against any fighter in my division. There are only tough fighters in the UFC, and any fighter who they put in front of me I will be ready to fight against. No matter who it is, it will be a war. And I will be ready.”TO GET READY FOR THE BIG EVENT, CHECK OUT THE UFC 146 E-PROGRAM BY CLICKING HERE
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, barboza, year
Read the full article at UFC
14 Awesome UFC Fighter Celebration Photos
Not all wins are created equal. Some are much, much sweeter. Check out this awesome photo gallery of fighters after they secure victory inside the UFC Octagon.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, photo, octagon, photo gallery
Read the full article at Heavy MMA
Arnaud Lepont Is Preparing for War When he Takes on Eddie Ng at ONE FC: 'Destiny of Warriors'
The name Arnaud Lepont is very well known in South East Asia as he has trained in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia and been one of the stars of the Bangkok based promotion DARE Championship.
It's not surprise that Asia's biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion should take an interest in one of the most flamboyant fighters in the region and Lepont will be making his ONE Fighting Championship debut when he takes on Eddie Ng next month.
That fight will be one of the most eagerly anticipated on the ONE FC: 'Destiny of Warriors' card which is taking place at Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur on June 23, 2012. Ng is one of the stars of the world renowned Evolve MMA camp and should bring a few fans from Singapore but Lepont is a member of the fight team at Muayfit and is fighting in his adopted hometown.
It will be a big test for Ng, who is coming off a win against Lepont's team mate Jian Kai Chee, but it will also be an opportunity for the Frenchman to showcase the sort of power and aggression which has helped him run up an 8-1 MMA record.
He recently spoke to MMAmania.com about how happy he was to have signed for ONE FC and to have the opportunity to take on a rising star in Asian MMA.
Check it out.
How excited are you to be fighting for One FC?
I am pumped ! OneFC is for me the UFC of Asia. I am welcome by one of the best young guns of the division, so yes, I am pretty excited. I can’t wait to be there, to be in the cage, in front of my hometown. It’s gonna be huge. I went to the last two OneFCs and they were amazing. I am a DareFC fighter. I like to fight in DareFC cause it’s a unique experience, it’s something you have to live to understand. But OneFC, is the UFC of Asia.
Do you think you will have any problem making 155?
It will be the most difficult part. I am always at 165 but these couple of years, I work my ass to put some muscles on cause guys at 170 were bigger than me. Now, I have to lose weight and muscle to go to 155. It will be really difficult. But it’s my decision. I will feel that I already won 50% of the fight when I will be at 155.
Why did you come to Asia and how has training here helped you as a fighter?
I come to Asia because I am in love of the mood and the way people live here. I feel that all is easier here. I was a good grappler when I arrived in Thailand. Working my stand up has improved me as a mixed martial artist. I feel well rounded now.
After seeing Eddie beat your team mate Jian Kai Chee are you looking for revenge?
No, I am not. I am just looking to make a great fight for the fans. A fight that people will remember. I want to show my heart and will to the crowd. I want to be like a Chris Lytle at the top of the OneFC division, someone you have to bet to prove the world you are on the top.
What do you think of Eddie as a fighter?
I think Eddie is a great fighter. He will be one of the top fighters of the division soon, maybe he is already. Even if we pump up the fight a little, I think both of us have respect for each other. He is part of one of the top teams in Asia, he has great coaches. It’s a great opponent.
Have you signed a multi fight contract with One FC?
Thanks to Victor Cui, yes. I want to thank him for his trust in me. I will not disappoint. I always go for the kill, I prefer to lose a bloody fight than win a boring one. I think that’s what he like in me. I come to put a show at every fight.
What was the scene like in France when you were training and fighting there and how has it changed since?
When I was there, there were no pro MMA events. I was moving to Germany or England to be in an MMA fight, I was underground. Now, there is some event like "100%Fight Paris" with great champions like Nayeb Hezam or Patrick Vallee. Things are changing and I would not be surprise to see a UFC in Paris for 2013.
Who are your training partners and trainers?
My training partners are also my trainers. I have Piotr Lieb, Luc Rousseau, Eric James Kelly, Allamurad Karayev. We share experience, roll and spare. Now, it’s my turn to be ready, so I listen and do the job. I am lucky to train at MuayFit in Kuala Lumpur. The gym is great. I think it’s the best gym in Malaysia.
How excited are you to be fighting in KL which is your home at the moment?
Even if I am not from Malaysia, this is the place where I train and live. So yes, I feel excited. I will just enjoy fighting with a great fighter in a great event.
Do you have any predictions for this fight?
It’s gonna be a war. I think we both want to make a statement in this division…so here we go.
ONE Fighting Championship 4: Destiny of WarriorsJune 23, 2012 -- Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Renato Sobral vs. Tatsuya Mizuno- Masakazu Imanari vs. Leandro Issa- Eddie Ng vs. Arnaud Lepont- Gregor Gracie vs. Adam Kayoom- Peter Davis vs Kim Hock
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, fighter, eddie, asia, itrsquo
Read the full article at MMA ManiaHeavy’s Pound-for-Pound MMA Rankings
HeavyMMA's pound-for-pound rankings are back. The top four fighters remain the same – but who moved where on our list?
Posted in: fighter, ranking, list, heavymma, poundforpound
Read the full article at Heavy MMA
Episode No. 9 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" marks the first-ever international
version of the long-running reality-competition series, and the eighth
episode debuted tonight.
Featuring Brazilian coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, "TUF:
Brazil" sees 16 middleweight and 16 featherweight fighters all vying
for a UFC contract.
Check out MMAjunkie.com's Episode No. 9 recap, which features the season's eighth and final quarterfinal bout.
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, fighter brazil, mmajunkiecoms episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieVinc Pichel, Al Iaquinta Move Into Semifinals on ‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’
Al Iaquinta, Urijah Faber's top pick, and Dominick Cruz team member Vinc Pichel moved into the semifinals with wins Friday on "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" on FX.
Posted in: fighter, iaquinta, al, pichel, vinc
Read the full article at Heavy MMA
Former Fighter Dan Quinn Threatens To Put A Bullet In Dana White’s Head
Many fighters have said nasty things about UFC president Dana White over the years, but to my knowledge, none of them have ever threatened his life. Well, until now. According to TMZ, former fighter Dan Quinn obtained Dana White’s private number and left death threats on his voicemail. TMZ released the audio this morning of [...]
Posted in: fighter, dana, death threats, knowledge none, ’s head
Read the full article at MMA Convert
With K-1 and Glory's 70kg tournament coming up, who's missing?
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
K-1 and Glory are both bringing top notch 70kg kickboxing tournaments to the world very soon. They've compiled most of the best 70kg fighters from around the world, despite the talent being split down the middle as K-1 and Glory competed for fighters. Familiar faces from the old K-1 MAX days are still here, along with many fighters that are getting their first opportunity in a massive 70kg tournament for a big promotion. As I said before, K-1 and Glory got most of the top 70kg fighters, but I feel that there's a few who were left out, and I'm going to run them down. Click 'Read more' to see eight fighters who I believe are missing from K-1 and Glory's 70kg tournaments.
Read More...
Posted in: fighter, tournament, glory, kg, liverkickcom part
Read the full article at Middle Easy
Chael Sonnen graces the cover of the latest issue of Fighters Only, and has an exclusive interview...
Chael Sonnen graces the cover of the latest issue of Fighters Only, and has an exclusive interview with Gareth A Davies, basically saying to Brazil 'Come at me, bro'.
Posted in: fighter, issue, interview, sonnen, chael
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 episode 11 post-fight power rankings
We're down to four!
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 15, episode 11, showcased the last two quarterfinal match ups, as well as the revealing of who will fill the shoes of injured TUF coach and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in the UFC 148 co-main event versus Urijah Faber.
The first quarterfinal bout saw Vinc Pichel of "Team Cruz" win a very close decision victory over "Team Faber's" Chris Saunders. The decision was somewhat controversial, as everyone in the building seemed to think a third, sudden-death round was coming, before UFC President Dana White entered the Octagon to make it know that the fight was done.
In the last quarterfinal pairing, two members of "Team Faber" went to war, as Al Iaquinta was simply too much for Andy Ogle, en route to a first round KO victory that proved he is deserving of being "The California Kid's" first overall pick.
After the jump, we'll take a look at the ramifications of this latest offering of TUF 15, as well as the post-episode 11 power rankings:
The big news of the episode hinged on Urijah Faber's new opponent for UFC 148. It was announced by Dana White that Renan Barao will step in and fill the void and will take on Faber for the newly minted interim bantamweight title belt.
As far as the rankings go, I don't want to toot my own horn, but "beep, beep." The rankings held up, and the bottom two fighters on the totem pole were eliminated.
With that said, everything essentially stayed the same. The only change being that Saunders and Ogle have dropped off from the bottom.
It will be interesting to see if that's a statement that can be made after next week. There is no great disparity in talent between any of the final four.
If you think it sounds like I'm setting up an excuse, I can neither confirm nor deny that sentiment.
At any rate, here are the TUF 15 power rankings as they currently stand:
(Note: The numbers in parenthesis indicate each fighter's ranking from the previous week.)
1) Michael Chiesa (1)2) Al Iaquinta (2)3) James Vick (3)4) Vinc Pichel (4)Chris Saunders, Andy Ogle (RIP)
The semifinal match ups were announced by Dana White. The pairings make for some intriguing stylistic bouts. They also allow for the possibility of our #1 and #2 ranked fighters to see each other in the final.
Here are the fights that we can look forward to for next week:
Michael Chiesa vs. James Vick
Al Iaquinta vs. Vinc Pinchel
It should end up being a dynamic night of MMA combat as the final four battle it out for the right to fight for the UFC six-figure contract.
If you weren't able to catch all the LIVE action, no worries. Read a complete recap of TUF 15: "Live" episode 11 right here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, tuf, ranking, faber
Read the full article at MMA Mania
Fedor Emelianenko Set to Retire After June 21 bout with Pedro Rizzo
Fedor Emelianenko has decided to hang it up after an illustrious thirteen-year career in MMA. MMAFighting reports the Russian fighter’s June 21 bout with Pedro Rizzo will be his last.
In an interview translated by Ukranian MMA journalist Artem Yalansky, Fedor states:
“My previous fight was in Moscow and my last fight will be in St. Petersburg on June 21st,” Emelianenko says. “It will be the last fight in my career.”
“Is this your final decision?” the interviewer asks.
“Yes,” Emelianenko says, “I think it’s time to end my career.”
Fedor has officially stated he is retiring to spend more time with his family but the 35-year-old fighter has also alluded to lingering injury issues after his last several fights.
Fedor has wrestled with the choice to retire for several years now, mentioning that he began thinking of retirement prior to his first loss in ten years to Fabricio Werdum.
The humble Ukrainian-born fighter was one of the most controversial fighters in MMA history due to his rabid fanbase and detractors. What cannot be argued is that Emelianenko is one of the most decorated heavyweights in MMA history and that his ten year unbeaten streak is one of the longest in MMA history. A fact made even more impressive since he fought at heavyweight.
While his detractors harp on matchmaking and his confrontational management team, and many of his fans lived in the past, it cannot be denied that Fedor was one of the best heavyweight fighters in history. Fedor was a PRIDE and RINGS tournament champion, in addition to being a three-time SAMBO World Champion, and two third place finishes in Judo.
Fedor’s career began nearly 12 years ago on May 21, 2000 in Yekaterinburg, Russia and it will end June 21 in St. Petersburg.
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: mma, fighter, mma history, fedor, emelianenko
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyAt 33, Duane Ludwig is Just Warming Up
Duane “Bang” Ludwig is just like you, with one exception: he’s a world renowned kickboxer and mixed martial artist.The Denver, Colorado native is a husband, a father, a small business owner (303 Training Center in Westminster, CO), and simply a guy who wants to own a house. On the other hand, he is also the proud owner of the fastest knockout in UFC history, but that title nor the litany of Muay Thai belts that he refers to as “closet stuffers” have not altered the down-to-Earth individual he is outside of the cage, regardless of how popular he is in it.“I still have a mortgage and car payments,” tells Ludwig. “I still live fight to fight. It's not like I'm anything different. People who get popular in the UFC and change when they get famous, I'm not famous, but there are people who change when they get more popular, per se. Maybe it's because they're a fake person and they're allowing other people’s vision to change them. Maybe I would change if I was given a million dollars, but I would doubt it. I am the same person I have always been. I sell more shirts, I sell more shorts, I have more students at the gym, I get more interview questions, and I guess it's just a busier lifestyle than what it's been. But it's fun. Being more popular, I'm able to connect with more people and help out a lot more people, which is nice. I like to help out people and help out animals. It's not about collecting more dollars and being the ‘man’. It's about connecting with more people and spreading the martial arts knowledge and I'm happy the more I can do that.”The 33-year old Ludwig has spent over half his life in pursuit of martial arts excellence. At 15, he began training Muay Thai as his passion, with expectations of being an electrician as his job. After tearing through the amateur circuit, Ludwig became a professional kickboxer and cagefighter in 2000 and hasn’t looked back ever since. 12 years later, he has traded fists and feet around the world with the best fighters both sports have to offer, is raising a family, aspires to open an animal rescue, and is having a blast competing with the razor sharp talent of the UFC welterweight division. “My motivation has always been that I'm a natural fighter, I love to fight, and I love to train,” says Ludwig. “Things have changed now because I know my athletic performances in the cage directly affect my financial responsibilities, so that is a pressure that sometimes has hurt me and sometimes has helped me. But I try not to let that distract me. At the gym, I still have to train to get better and go out there and fight and have fun. It's about exploring yourself and the self-development of who you are and your dream. There's a win bonus and I have a family and that's all a reality, but, at the end of the day, I have to go out there and have fun. I'm a husband and father first before I'm a fighter, but I definitely love to fight and it's fun for me. I'd rather help somebody than punch somebody, but I don't mind punching somebody either.”The last person fight fans saw “Bang” sock in the kisser was the granite chinned Josh “The Dentist” Neer in the co-main event at UFC on FX in January. “I definitely felt good and definitely felt that I was getting the better of everything because I was,” remembers Ludwig, who landed shots at will before Neer scored a takedown and, shortly thereafter, a guillotine choke. Neer caught Ludwig’s exposed neck in the fight ending submission as he was pushing his way back to standing. “He got the takedown too easy. Looking back, I wish I had sat back and waited for the referee to separate us. I was too eager to fight; I'm too impatient when I fight.”The first round loss is Ludwig’s first at 170 pounds in the UFC following two exciting decision wins over The Ultimate Fighter alum Nick Osipczak and season 7 winner Amir Sadollah. With an overall record of 29-12, “Bang” has appeared physically at his best in these past three performances, looking faster, stronger, and more dangerous than he has in years. “It's definitely great focusing on training to be a martial artist and not just cutting weight,” says Ludwig, who walks around at 190 pounds and used to stubbornly cut down to 155 pounds for lightweight. On Memorial Day weekend at UFC 146, the next challenger for Ludwig is a showdown with British slugger Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy, which has the proverbial “guaranteed fireworks” written all over it. “He's a really good opponent and always comes to fight,” asserts Ludwig, who isn’t underestimating the heavy-handed Hardy because of his recent four fight losing streak. “The whole win/loss ratio is idiotic as long as you come to fight, case in point with Dan Hardy. They want you to put on a good show and that's what he comes to do and that's what I always come to do. Of course, everyone wants a winner, but you want good shows and we put on good shows.”On paper, this is a matchup between standup fighters with a prodigious amount of KO/TKO victories to their name. Although true, that rough estimation severely undercuts Ludwig’s elite level kickboxing experience, which he has honed, as mentioned, for more than half his life. “Bang” didn’t win the I.S.K.A. World Title from Mongkhon Wiwasuk because he likes to grip and rip punches; Ludwig won because he’s a great and technical kickboxer. It’s a distinction that was quite evident in Ludwig’s outclassing of Sadollah last August, and he anticipates a similar result against Hardy if the fight stays on the feet. “I'm a striker,” affirms Ludwig. “I'm one of the best strikers in all of MMA. I'm a very good striker in the striking world. I did K-1. I think overall if you matched me against not just mixed martial arts strikers, strikers in general, I would grade myself as a B+, A- of the best. That's against the best like K-1 Max level guys. Anything can happen and I am a mixed martial artist and not just a striker. If it goes to the ground, I will be prepared. I do a lot of wrestling, a lot of jiu-jitsu. It's in my blood to stand up and fight, so I prefer that. We'll see what happens when the bell rings. I feel superior to most guys in striking, but Dan can take a shot and he can chuck some bombs, so I have to be alert and be on my game for sure. I'm just naturally fast and I hit hard. I've been doing this for a while, so you can see what's going on before, during, and after shots to see if there are any openings going on in there. I am good at reading telegraphic keys is what I call them - I have good ‘counter eyes’. There are mistakes done before, after, and during shots and I can pick them up. I felt that in the Sadollah fight and I think I will feel that again in the Hardy fight.”In preparation for his bout with his 23-10 (1 NC) opponent, Ludwig splits his training between two gyms: his own and Grudge Training Center. At the latter, “Bang” works with gym owner, operator, and boxing coach turned MMA coach Trevor Wittman while sharing mat time with MMA notables like Nate Marquardt and Brendan Schaub. At his own gym, Ludwig brings in Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts, solid wrestlers, and has the personnel who can help keep his striking tight. No matter where he trains, Ludwig has himself, who he’s relied on most to cull his own talent by his own instincts as a fighter. “I have to give myself the most credit in being able to just see these things,” explains Ludwig. “It's just naturally been in me and been a part of me of being able to see shots, shots coming. I do have specific drills that I do to kind of slow things down visually and read the telegraphic keys. I would say 80% of this has been self taught from watching videos and doing what I feel like I should do. I have learned quite a bit from Trevor Wittman and I have learned quite a bit from Bas Rutten. I have been able to pick things up and pick and choose things and that's how my fight game has evolved. I have adapted my own style or created my own style from that, so that's been good instead of having someone tell me what I should or shouldn't do. I just go by feeling and who I truly am instead of having someone tell me what I am. I go by what I feel, which is more natural.”On May 26th in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, two MMA welterweights will collide inside the Octagon, but everyone watching will have their fingers crossed that “Bang” and “The Outlaw” keep it standing and just throw. “I think I'm better at wrestling and jiu-jitsu than him, but when that bell rings and I get hit, I bite the end of my mouthpiece and I chuck bombs - that's just what I do,” states Ludwig, who remains true to himself as a fighter in the cage or ring, and as a nice guy outside of it. In conclusion, “Bang” is a typical family man trying to make ends meet seeing the shots coming and firing back with a mean counterpunch. Sort of like all of us.
Posted in: fight, fighter, im, that, ludwig
Read the full article at UFC
The Ultimate Fighter: Live Recap: Semifinals Are Set
Two more fighters advanced to the semifinals and the semifinal match ups were revealed on the eleventh episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live.
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Posted in: fighter, semifinals, bull, instapaper, recap semifinals
Read the full article at MMA Weekly‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Episode 11 Recap and Live Results
Tune in to Heavy.com for "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Episode 10 recap and coverage, including running updates from tonight's two live quarterfinal fights.
Posted in: fighter, episode, recap, heavycom, results tune
Read the full article at Heavy MMA
Point-counterpoint: What's next for J-Mac?
Two guest sportsnet.ca MMA bloggers debate the Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks decision at UFC on FOX and what's next for both fighters.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, what, johny, pointcounterpoint whats
Read the full article at sportsnet.ca
Jessica Aguilar vs. Megumi Fujii: Different Roads to the Same Goal
As the cage door shuts behind Jessica Aguilar and Megumi Fujii tonight at Bellator 69 it is the culmination of different roads traveled entwining to bring two of the sport’s greatest ambassadors together to battle.
For Fujii, the chance at retribution inside a Bellator cage. Fujii’s only career loss came at her last Bellator appearance in a split decision to Zoila Gurgel. Fujii returned to her native Japan, and. after looking unbeatable in three appearances since, returns to the United States to face Aguilar.
For Aguilar (or “Jag” as she is known otherwise,) the consensus #2 strawweight fighter in the world, a dream comes true on Friday - The opportunity to become recognized as the world’s best.
“My goal is to become #1, and that’s where I’m going. That’s my goal. That’s all I see.”
That was Aguilar speaking to Fighters.com prior to her November 2011 fight against Lisa Ellis. That night saw both fighters bloody and batter each other for 15 minutes straight. Ultimately, Aguilar, draped in the familiar flag of American Top Team, saw her hand raised victorious by unanimous decision. A similar unanimous decision followed against Patricia Vidonic, putting Bellator 69 and Fujii in her sights.
The fight was hinted at as early as the end of February. Fujii replied to fan on Twitter that her next fight would likely be “May 18th in the United States,” however, it went fairly noticed until rumors circulated in March and were confirmed later in the month.
Bringing to a close a whirlwind 75 day period for mainstream women’s MMA (starting with Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate, carrying into Invicta FC‘s inaugural event, and now closing with this) Aguilar and Fujii haven’t built a rivalry based on heated exchanges, trash-talking and disdain. Rather, their rivalry is formed from mutual respect for each others’ talents, and cultivated by the same goal – being the best. At a time where fighters engage their fans for support and proverbial battle lines get drawn, Fujii and Aguilar regularly exchange pleasantries, even stopping to wish each other a Happy Birthday (both celebrate their birthdays within two weeks of each other which coincidentally fell during their training camps for this fight.)
It’s rare to see either fighter without a smile on their face, and both fighters work feverishly to acknowledge their fans and engage with them through social media, rarely leaving a fan without a response. This is one of the few things they both share in common.
Both fighters debuted in professional Mixed Martial Arts later than most. Fujii was 30 when she took her first fight, the first of 22 straight victories over a six-year span. At 38, she shows no signs of slowing down, having defeated Karla Benitez in under 90 seconds at her last outing on New Years Eve. The fight was a historic one, marking the first women’s fight in a DREAM ring.
Aguilar was nearly age 24 when she accepted short notice bout in 2006 against Ellis. Since then, Aguilar has won 13 of 16 including just a single loss in the last three years. She and Fujii both have never been stopped in her careers, losing only by decision.
Both Fujii and Aguilar are immensely skilled, high energy grapplers. Fujii’s ability to overwhelm an opponent with her skills are second to none, and Aguilar has proven in recent fights that her mix of methodical, yet relentless, grappling and wel-timed strikes are game to derail any game plan conjured up against her. Neither fighter is known for powerful striking, preferring to test their skills on the ground the majority of the time. Their combined 26 career submission victory are testament to that. In comparison, Aguilar only has one TKO win in her career, as does Fujii. This surely will not be a slugfest. Rather, a test of high level skills that go down as one of the greatest single bouts in women’s MMA history.
Whether you smile and believe with Aguilar, or are one of Fujii’s Mega Megu Cats, when that cage door closes and the introductions begin, make sure you are in front of your television or computer when they touch gloves and fight to prove who is #1 in the world.
Bellator 69 begins at 8:00 PM EST, 5:00 PM Pacific on MTV2 in the United States. Since Bellator no longer airs live in Canada, Canadians will have to catch the online feed at Spike.com.
PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR
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Posted in: fight, bellator, fighter, aguilar, fujii
Read the full article at Fighters.comJosh Barnett - The Warmaster's Journey Continues
Looking over Josh Barnett’s resume, the list of men he’s faced in his career is a mix of heavyweight royalty and tough, talented fighters a notch below the elite. After accumulating 31 wins over a 15-year career, you might be tempted to think that getting motivated is a challenge or that the end of the road is within sight for the 34-year-old catch wrestler.Think again.“I really like the sport, and I like training,” explains the articulate, well-spoken heavyweight. “When I’m not training for fights, I’ll often play with other martial arts like Silat or Panantukan, whatever I can get my hands on. I enjoy the movement, and the challenge of learning something new, and adding to the skills that I already possess.“When it comes to the fighting, the prime motivation is that I want to be the best in the world. I’ve still got years left to do this, and I’m not gonna stop until I can’t do this anymore. When that athletic window is over, I’ll know it, and I’ll at least be able to say that I have no regrets.“And (it’s also) because I really enjoy fighting,” adds Barnett with a slight laugh, echoing the sentiments shared in the “I Am A Fighter” video he recently filmed for Showtime. “I enjoy the violence, the combat. I like being in there having this guy trying to hurt me, and having the free rein to do whatever it takes to put this guy into the floor.”Saturday night in San Jose, the guy he will be trying to put through the floor is undefeated former Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier, as the pair square off in the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. Having already dispatched both Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov in dominant fashion, Barnett is one more win away from being the last man standing in the Strikeforce heavyweight ranks.Achieving that feat will be no easy task.Brought into the tournament as a replacement for Alistair Overeem in the semifinals, Cormier earned his place opposite Barnett with an impressive first round knockout victory over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Many viewed the Brazilian heavyweight as the favorite following his opening round dismantling of Fedor Emelianenko and Overeem’s removal from the competition, but Cormier used his superior movement and improved striking to rock the former Elite XC champion before earning the stoppage just ahead of the four-minute mark of the opening round.It was the type of performance that elevates a fighter from prospect to contender, and while Barnett is acutely aware of the dangers Cormier presents, defeat is not an option when your mission is to establish yourself as the best heavyweight in the sport today.“I’ve gotta win this tournament, and I’ve gotta beat Daniel, but it’s not just Daniel — I’ve gotta beat everybody that I get into the ring with. I can’t really allow for…”Barnett’s voice trails off as he stops to put his thoughts on losing together.“Not that I ever allow for losses to have any precedent or any sort of space in my life — I know that that is something that you have to accept — but I really try my utmost to keep that so far from even acceptance because I don’t want to allow the concept of losing, anything other than complete and utter victory to be foremost in my mind at all times.”Save for Barnett and Cormier, the Strikeforce heavyweight division has been boarded up, though the Grand Prix champion will remain in the organization for at least one more fight after Saturday night.For the most part, the best of the best in the big boy ranks reside in the UFC. It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of seeing Barnett return to the Octagon seemed impossible, but UFC President Dana White has said that he’d be ready to have Barnett join the rest of the former Strikeforce fighters on the UFC roster at the conclusion of the Heavyweight Grand Prix, win or lose.Barnett last fought in the UFC more than a decade ago, departing after being stripped of the heavyweight title he won from Randy Couture following a positive post-fight drug test at UFC 36.While most would assume returning to the UFC would be one of the chief goals of a fighter determined to establish himself as the best in his weight class, Barnett says not so fast.Though he allows the current MMA landscape makes it very difficult for a fighter to considered the best in their respective weight class while competing outside the UFC — “Yes, to a degree, this is true.” — Barnett’s focus is on who he beats, not where he beats them.“To beat all those guys is very important, and this may seem contradictory, but it’s not important to get back to the UFC. It’s important to be the best fighter I can be, and be as confident and devastating in the ring as possible, and the rest will work itself out.”Comments like that are part of why Barnett remains an intriguing figure in the heavyweight ranks 15 years into his career. Not only does he deliver entertaining fights and pile up victories, the part-time pro wrestler also isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind, before he’s stepped in the cage or after he’s had his hand raised in victory.“The inherent similarity is there, and it’s plain for all to see,” says Barnett of the relationship between wrestling and mixed martial arts. “It’s just that most fighters don’t have much personality or lack the ability to put it out there in a very interesting way. Not my fault.“I’m gonna go out there and put my feelings out there, let the world know what I’m thinking, create interest, and give them something to hate or love, but nonetheless care about, and I don’t see any other way to really be the best I can be without bringing that part of the equation into play.“I don’t think it’s for everyone — everyone’s going to find their own way to do it — but just gimme a mic, gimme a camera, and a room full of people, and that’s all I need. The stage is set.”It is for Saturday night in San Jose, where Barnett will look to add another name to his impressive list of vanquished foes, and take another step towards reaching his goal of conquering the heavyweight division.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, heavyweight, ’t, barnett
Read the full article at UFCBellator's Jessica Aguilar Comes Out As Bi-Sexual: 'This Is Who I Am'
Jessica Aguilar faces the legendary Megumi Fujii at tomorrow night's Bellator 69. The two are pretty much universally acknowledged to be the #2 and #1 115 pound women's mixed martial artists in the world but there's no belt on the line.
Both fighters lost very debatable decisions to Zoila Gurgel in the Bellator season 3 women's 115lb tournament in 2010.
Aguilar spoke to Sports Illustrated's Loretta Hunt and the conversation focused more on Aguilar's personal life than the upcoming bout. Including this acknowledgement of her bi-sexuality:
"I don't put it in any titles," said Aguilar, "but I'd say when I've found the right person -- whether it's a man or a woman -- I'd be happy."..."It's always been something I had to be very conservative about and it's something I've had to get more comfortable talking about," she said. "If somebody doesn't agree with my choices, with all due respect, I just don't feed into it because that's negative energy. I'm sorry -- this is who I am."
Aguilar is not the first professional female MMA fighter to come out as gay or bisexual -- Tonya Evinger, Liz Carmouche and Michelle Ould immediately come to mind and I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting -- but it's interesting that there has yet to be an openly gay male professional fighter at the highest levels of the sport.
Posted in: bellator, fighter, aguilar, im, zoila gurgel
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowPenn to Koscheck: 'Not returning anytime soon'
Retired UFC fighter B.J. Penn declined a potential matchup with Josh Koscheck, saying in a tweet that he's not coming back anytime soon.
Posted in: fighter, josh koscheck, koscheck, penn, tweet
Read the full article at sportsnet.caBellator 69 Weigh-In Results; Falcao Overweight on First Attempt
Today at the L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana, all fighters competing on tomorrow night’s Bellator 69 fight card stepped on the scales for the event’s official weigh-ins.
Three fighters failed to make weight on their first attempts. Among them was Maiquel Falcao, who is scheduled to meet Andreas Spang in the main event of the evening for their middleweight tournament final bout. Preliminary card fighters E.J. Brooks and Josh Quayhagen also missed their marks. All three fighters will have an additional two hours to make the contracted weight, or forfeit a percentage of their purses to their opponents.
Bellator 69 takes place tomorrow at the L’Auberge du Lac and will air live on Spike.com and then MTV 2 (and EPIX in HD). In addition to the middleweight final between Falcao and Spang, the fight card will feature a welterweight semifinal between Karl Amoussou and David Rickels. Also on the main card, highly-ranked women’s strawweight Megumi Fujii makes her return to Bellator after suffering a controversial split decision defeat to Zoila Gurgel back in 2010.
Check out the weigh-in results below:
Main Card (MTV2)
Maiquel Falcão (188*) vs. Andreas Spang (185.8)
David Rickels (170.6) vs. Karl Amoussou (170)
Megumi Fujii (116) vs. Jessica Aguilar (115.6)
Ron Sparks (264.6) vs. Kevin Asplund (239)
Preliminary Card (Spike.com)
Josh Quayhagen (158.2)* vs. Cliff Wright, Jr. (155.6)
E.J. Brooks (156.6)* vs. Kalvin Hackney (156)
Shanon Slack (146) vs. Booker Arthur (145.4)
Andrey Koreshkov (170.8) vs. Derrick Krantz (170.8)
Richard Hale (205.5) vs. Josh Burns (206)
Abe Wagner (248.8) vs. Mark Holata (250.6)
*Falcao, Quayhagen and Brooks have two hours to make the weight.
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: bellator, fighter, vs, card, falcao
Read the full article at MMA Frenzy
UFC Fighter Diary: Team AKA with Cain Velasquez and Kyle Kingsbury
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, mattyblayze, kyle kingsbury, mattyblayze link
Read the full article at Reddit‘UFC Tonight’s’ Chael Sonnen, Ariel Helwani Sound Off On Most Underrated Fighter In UFC
This is a question that gets posed several times a year: who is the most underrated fighter in the UFC today? While many prefer to talk about the most overrated fighter, it’s easy to forget about the opposite side of that fence. Chael Sonnen, the No. 1 contender in the UFC’s middleweight division, and ace [...]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, sonnen, ufc today, ‘ ufc
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC 148: Urijah Faber's new opponent announcement date set
It looks like you've got some extra incentive to tune in for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Live this Friday night (May 18, 2012).
During today's Ultimate Fighter quarterfinals conference call, it was announced that UFC President Dana White will make the official announcement of Urijah Faber's next opponent, who will be stepping in for the injured UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
The announcement will be taking place during Friday's episode of The Ultimate Fighter on FX during the 10-11 p.m. ET window, likely during the live portion after both quarterfinal bouts have taken place.
It's widely accepted that with Cruz's extended layoff due to a knee injury, Faber will be battling for the interim title, so this opponent selection will be very important in terms of the future of the bantamweight division and the title picture.
Faber has been coaching against Cruz throughout this entire season of The Ultimate Fighter in what was expected to be a perfect build to their UFC 148 trilogy fight as both men have split the first two bouts, but the injury bug got in the way.
There are plenty of potential candidates for the title shot. Youngster Michael McDonald is coming off an emphatic first round knockout of former WEC champion Miguel Torres just one month ago and is poised to take the leap to the big time.
Other possible challengers include Renan Barao, who's already fighting on the UFC 148 card against Ivan Menjivar and has gone unbeaten in 29 straight fights which includes a recent dominant decision victory over former title challenger Scott Jorgensen.
Fringe candidates include Brad Pickett, who took home "Fight of the Night" at the UFC on Fuel TV 2 show or even Barao's current opponent Ivan Menjivar, who's quietly gone 3-0 in the UFC at 135 pounds.
Who do you think will get the shot? Got anyone else in mind?
Posted in: ufc, title, fighter, opponent, faber
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Ultimate Fighter conference call LIVE updates today (May 16) for quarterfinals part two
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will today (May 16, 2012) hold a media conference call to promote this Friday's (May 18, 2012) The Ultimate Fighter episode, which will air live on the FX television network at 10 p.m. ET nationwide.
The conference call will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET. Scheduled to attend will be the second half of the quarterfinalist fighters: Vinc Pichel, Chris Saunders, Al Iaquinta and Andy Ogle.
Al Iaquinta was the first pick of Team Faber and lived up to his billing by winning a pair of decisions, most notably defeating Myles Jury after having a third round forced. Chris Saunders pulled off a huge upset, sneaking past Sam Sicilia via split decision to advance to the quarterfinals.
Vince Pichel of Team Cruz had perhaps the best fight of the season thus far, earning a late submission victory over John Cofer while his opponent, Andy Ogle, also pulled off a huge upset, defeating the heavily favored Mike Rio via submission in their sweet 16 bout a few weeks ago..
We'll have complete updates of The Ultimate Fighter Live conference call after the jump:
Brian Hemminger here. The conference call is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. ET.
4:38 p.m. - They just came on the line and said the fighters aren't back from training yet, the call won't be starting until about 4:50 p.m. ET.
4:56 p.m. - Still haven't started, ughhh.
Posted in: fighter, conference, pm, championship ufc, quarterfinals part
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWith this glitch, all of your UFC Undisputed open weight dreams can become a reality
Bob Sapp, if you're reading this I want to let you know that thousands of fans are about to use Jose Aldo to make your legs pay for your latest outings in the ring and cage. I know Bob Sapp Vs. bantamweight/featherweight X will be my first order of business once I can peel myself away from Diablo 3 and pop on my Xbox to make this super easy UFC 3 exploit my new offline mode of choice. For conversational purposes, I made a handy list of a few other interesting matchups we could potentially enjoy with this awesome glitch someone out there happened to stumbled upon.
Anthony Johnson Vs. Joseph Benavidez (roleplayed like AJ made the cut to 135)
Brock Lesnar Vs. Hendo
Hendo Vs. anyone
Let BJ Penn rematch Lyoto Machida
Nick Diaz Vs. Mayhem Miller
Ben Henderson Vs. GSP
The Korean Zombie Vs. Cro Cop
Roy Nelson Vs. Vitor Belfort
If you don't want to watch the well put-together video below, here is a simple written tutorial on how to pull of this glitch from Wilson-Freak on the UFC forums:
1. Open event mode (Any name, venue, number of fights works)2. Hit the A button on any particular match to edit the specifics of it.3. Select the weight class of the first fighter that you want to select. Then, pick the fighter that you'd like under that particular weight class in either the red or blue corner (doesn't matter).4. Hit confirm before selecting the second fighter. The match should show only the competitor you selected.5. This is the part that allows you to pick ANY other fighter in the game. Hit the A button on your match again to open it up, however, make sure that you immediately hold your left analog stick to either the left or right as soon as you hit the A button. By you holding the left analog stick, the weight class for the fight will change, but the first fighter will not be removed. Normally, changing the weight class in a match within event mode will also remove the original fighter you selected, but holding the analog stick before the fight comes up ensures that your selected fighter remains there.6. Now, you have to get lucky in holding your analog stick to land on the desired weight class for the second fighter. When you release your analog stick, it will land on the weight class that you can now pick for your second fighter. Go to the other corner and pick the fighter that you want.The most random aspect of this process is which weight class you land on while holding the analog stick. You can somewhat control it if you have a quick eye. If you don't get the desired weight class though, you can always start the process from step 2 again. You can even set up an entire event with 8 different open weight fights!
Here's THQ's official response:
“The team is aware of this issue, but it’s unlikely it’ll be patched. We know you guys dig this “bug” and we don’t want to delay the patch any further.”
[Source]
Posted in: fighter, vs, class, weight, weight class
Read the full article at Middle Easy
Ross Pearson, George Sotiropoulos rumored as coaches for TUF: Australia vs. UK
The next season of The Ultimate Fighter will feature the United Kingdom vs. Australia and it appears a pair of TUF alumni are being talked about as team-heads. The series is slated to start in the fall, and when it does Ross Pearson and George Sotiropoulos may very well be the coaches.
The Telegraph was first to report Pearson-Sotiropoulos were being targeted to lead the squads.
Pearson (13-5) is a former TUF champion, claiming the crown in Season 9. He was recently arrested for DUI in Las Vegas, but the UFC doesn’t appear to be punishing him for the offense. The Brit is currently set to face Cub Swanson at UFC on FX 4 in June.
Sotiropoulos, who is Australian, was looking like a future title-contender but is now on a two-fight losing streak after defeats to Dennis Siver and Rafael dos Anjos. He is also former Ultimate Fighter, reaching the semifinals on Season 6, and has racked up wins inside the Octagon against Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino, and Joe Lauzon.
TUF: Australia vs. UK is holding tryouts for fighters between 135-170 pounds.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: fighter, pearson, tuf, sotiropoulo, june sotiropoulos
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainBreaking It Down: UFC on Fuel 3 (Main Card)
It’s fight day, fight night, fight week, whatever. Tonight, some of the best mid-tier fighters in the UFC will go toe to toe in Fairfax, Virginia, as the Patriot Center hosts UFC on Fuel 3. Headlined by an intriguing match-up between Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung, tonight’s card is highlighted by a number of fan favorites and features a few fighters who are fighting to stay relevant in the promotion. The preliminary portion of the event has been subject to a breakdown, so now it’s time to do the same for the main card.
Tom Lawlor (7-4) vs. Jason MacDonald (25-15)
“Filthy” Lawlor is back after he took a nap in the cage at the hands of one Chris Weidman. The always-funny wrestler has had a rough time lately inside the Octagon and needs a win here tonight. MacDonald is nearing the end of his career so he’ll the Canadian submission specialist will be out to close things out with a win tonight followed by an even bigger win at UFC 149 in Calgary.
Unfortunately for “The Athlete”, I think his opponent has other plans. I expect Tom to impose his will and use his wrestling to grind out a decision.
Winner – Tom Lawlor defeats Jason MacDonald via Unanimous Decision
Fabio Maldonado (18-4) vs. Igor Pokrajac (24-8)
This fight could be fireworks. Maldonado hits hard and man does he loves to throw rib roasters. While he’s not necessarily the most consistent fighter, he’s tough and can bring the pain. Pokrajac hits hard as well – just ask Krzysztof Soszynski. The tough-as-nails Croatian fighter hopes to be the next big thing to come out of that country but he has mighty big shoes to fill.
The biggest factor in this fight, for me, is that fact that of his eight losses, Pokrajac has lost by TKO four times. When facing a heavy handed foe such as Maldonado that spells trouble.
Winner – Fabio Maldonado defeats Igor Pokrajac via TKO Round 1
Jeff Hougland (10-4) vs. Yves Jabouin (17-7)
Jabouin looks for his third straight win tonight, hoping to make a splash in the always-changing bantamweight division. He takes on Hougland, who, despite a rough start to his career, has put together one hell of a winning streak. This bout could set one of these men up for a Top 10 opponent and put said individual one step closer to fighting for the coveted UFC belt.
I like both of these fighters, but this fight seems pretty clear cut to me. Hougland is good, but in Jabouin he faces an experienced, solid fighter who is likely to have his way with him even though it could be very close.
Winner – Yves Jabouin defeats Jeff Hougland via Unanimous Decision
Jeremy Stephens (20-7) vs. Donald Cerrone (17-4)
I don’t imagine I have to say too much about these men. Cerrone likes to kick some ass. Stephens likes to kick some ass. Both men need to get back on track and this fight is sure to be violent.
It will likely be the best fight of the night, and I imagine a brawl is what we’re going to see, but Cerrone is just too good and Stephens does not fair well against the upper echelon of the division. As such, Cerrone will pick him apart and finish him late in the fight.
Winner – Donald Cerrone defeats Jeremy Stephens via Submission Round 3
Amir Sadollah (5-3) vs. Jorge Lopez (11-2)
TUF winner Sadollah returns to the Octagon for his ninth career fight. You’d think he’d have more, but we all seem to forget how green Sadollah is. While he has some good and bad fights in the UFC, he’s really coming into his own and he’s doing pretty well for himself in one of the toughest divisions in the sport. Lopez was touted as the next big thing though the Wanderlei Silva protege underwhelmed in his most recent appearance. While he’s still young, and the sky may very well be the limit, to quote Georges St-Pierre I have not been impressed by his performance.
For those reasons, I have to pick Sadollah. He has faced plenty of adversity, and I just don’t see what Lopez can throw at Amir that he can’t handle. This one isn’t going to be pretty.
Winner – Amir Sadollah defeats Jorge Lopez via Unanimous Decision
Chan Sung Jung (12-3) vs. Dustin Poirier (12-1)
“The Korean Zombie” enters the octagon after starching Mark Hominick back in Toronto. The skilled Korean Top Team fighter, who often throws caution to wind in favor of a brawl, is a surprise success story in the division and looks to keep up that momentum tonight. He takes on one of the hottest featherweight prospects in 23-year old Poirier. Poirier came onto the scene and immediately started making his opponents look silly. Simply put, the young, ever-improving future title contender has the skills to end any opponent’s evening whether standing or on the ground.
Jung is about to be just another name on Poirier’s record. Personally, I don’t believe the hype surrounding “The Korean Zombie”. Is he tough? Yes, yes he is. Is he a great fighter? Far from it. Beating Leonard Garcia and knocking out a guy who gets dropped by any glancing blow are not enough to make me believe he stands a chance tonight. Poirier will dominate this fight from start to finish.
Winner – Dustin Poirier defeats Chan Sung Jung via Submission Round 2
The main card gets started at 8:00 PM EST on FUEL TV and Rogers Sportsnet in Canada. If you happen to miss any of the action, the 5 OZ family has you covered, as we’ll have live results as the fights happen.
Enjoy the action!
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, winner, poirier
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainDiaz injunction denied; hearing set for Monday
UFC fighter Nick Diaz didn't get a reinstatement to fight again but his case did set a precedent Monday that may benefit fighters in future.
Posted in: diaz, fighter, monday, precedent monday, diaz injunction
Read the full article at sportsnet.caRenzo Gracie on Nick Diaz no-show: 'If there’s someone to blame, it’s me'
Jits, lies and videotape.
There's been a lot of finger-pointing in the wake of last weekend's World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, one that was marred by a canceled "superfight" between Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight Nick Diaz and his opponent, famed grappling stud Braulio Estima.
Diaz, who failed to appear in the main event, took his ball and went home after getting played by a Brazilian crony, according to his official statement.
The man behind the expo, longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Renzo Gracie, wants to be the guy to take the blame for the breakdown in communication, as well as his decision to let an "amateur" deal with the fighters scheduled to attend.
His comments from "The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo" (transcribed by The Score) after the jump.
"I have to be honest, if there’s someone to blame, it’s me. Even though it was my expo, I had one guy working on it and he was good at organizing it and putting it together. The only thing he’s not good at is dealing with fighters. From what I understand, Junior called Cesar Gracie’s room the night previously at midnight and said Braulio Estima would be 10 pounds overweight. You have to understand, Nick Diaz was already giving up too much fighting that caliber of fighter in BJJ. For Nick to take the match, it shows the kind of guts he has. It ended up turning out the way that it did because the guy dealing with the fighters is an amateur, and he didn’t understand the emotions the athletes go through."
Weigh ins, fables and scales, oh my!
While Renzo is (kind of) taking responsibility for last weekend's fiasco, there is a long list of culpable parties. Diaz's temper, Estima's weight cut, Junior's lies and Gracie's leadership make for a volatile mix. And Dana White can't believe you're even shocked!
For more fallout from the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo click here.
Posted in: diaz, guy, nick, fighter, expo
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fuel TV 3 Main-Eventer Chan Sung Jung On Poirier, Aldo, Hominick
Starring as one-half of tonight's UFC on Fuel TV 3 main event, the widely adored Chan Sung Jung will tangle with Dustin Poirier to determine the next challenger to face featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
Affectionately known as "The Korean Zombie" for his inhuman ability to trudge through a hail of punches, we've seen Jung evolve leaps and bounds with each of his dramatic stateside performances. First, the combat sports world was infected with Zombie Mania after his consensus "Fight of the Decade" against Leonard Garcia in his WEC debut. Then, he was criticized for the very trait that defined him when George Roop became the first fighter to ever -- in competition, training, or life in general -- part Jung from consciousness.
Exciting or not -- Jung was 0-2 at this point and in desperate need of a win. Following the WEC caravan over to the Octagon, he rematched Leonard Garcia and not only exacted vengeance by tapping the Jackson's MMA brawler, but finagled the UFC's first submission by Twister. Jung learned the technique just like every other high-level fighter picks up submission technique: he watched a Youtube video. Finally, everyone admitted they liked Jung and felt bad for being so logical, but were firmly convinced he had no chance against technician Mark Hominick. 6-seconds into their UFC 140 match, Hominick was crumpled on the canvas.
Myself and a few of the Bloody Elbow staff bounced some questions off "The Korean Zombie" leading into his showdown with Dustin Poirier. It went something like this ...
Dallas Winston: What can you share as far an update on the Tri-Coasta debacle?
Chan Sung Jung: We got a recommendation from the UFC and have hired the same lawyer that Junior dos Santos uses. Hopefully things will be resolved soon. Unfortunately, I can't really go into detail beyond that. I will say that if you want to buy a Korean Zombie shirt, please get it from Traumma Combat!
Dallas Winston: Tell us about TKZ's new sponsor, Traumma Combat, and how that deal came about?
Chan Sung Jung: We got connected by Oren Hodak at KO Reps. We really wanted to get a new Korean Zombie shirt out there for the people who were wanting to buy something but not support Tri-Coasta and Traumma Combat reached out to us. They've been great to work with and have gone out of their way to be accommodating to me.
Continued in the full entry.
SBN coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 3
Josh Nason: After that first fight with Garcia, it was Zombie Mania. Dana was wearing his shirt and people knew him more than ever before. Was that overwhelming? Too much attention too soon?
Chan Sung Jung: It was really unexpected. I don't know if it was too much too soon, but it did take me by surprise. I appreciate all the support and interest that I've gotten from the fans worldwide!
Ben Thapa: Do you have any words for Hominick who is currently going through consecutive losses? Did you do anything specific to get through your two losses and come back strong for the Garcia re-match and the Hominick victory?
Chan Sung Jung: Mark is a gentlemen. He's a real sportsmen and I'm sure he'll get back on track soon. I'm sure he knows that he just needs to stay confident and not give up. After my loss to George Roop, I was forced to re-evaluate my whole game. Ultimately, it was a good thing for me. It has allowed me to grow a lot as a fighter. I had been relying too much on my chin and my "zombie" fighting style, but that KO loss changed all that. It made me realize that I have to keep developing as a fighter and be more technical, as opposed to a brawler. Ben Thapa: In terms of Korean judo, do you train with any of the champions or also-rans in preparation for your clinch work?
Chan Sung Jung: Bu Kyung Jung was a member of Korean Top Team and he has been a role model to me and I've learned a lot from him. He won a silver medal in judo at the 2000 Summer Olympics, so obviously his judo is top notch. He definitely helped me improve my clinch work. My clinch work really developed a lot after working with Bu Kyung. We also have a lot of other guys on our team that are experienced Judokas, so that helps too.
Anton Tabuena: Who do you think is the next Korean fighter we can look out for, and expect to be signed by the UFC in the near future?
Chan Sung Jung: There are a lot of talented fighters in Korea right now. If I had to choose one guy, I'd say it's Hyun Gyu Lim. He's another member of Korean Top Team who fights at welterweight. He's really big and long, especially for a WW. He's huge and really skilled all around. He's probably the best all around fighter on our team, myself and Dongi Yang included! His fights are always exciting and he's had 4 straight 1st-round KOs. Hopefully he'll get the call from the UFC soon.
Dallas Winston: How was your training camp for Poirier? Are you 100% healthy and injury-free?
Chan Sung Jung: It's been a good camp, but I've had my share of injuries. It all part of the game. Injuries, and fighting through them, are all part of being a professional fighter. My shoulder and my knee have been giving me problems, but regardless, I'm 100% ready to go.
Dallas Winston: You've typically had an advantage in either striking, grappling or height and length over your WEC and UFC opponents. Poirier excels in the same areas you do. Is this how you see the match up?
Chan Sung Jung: Yeah, we're similar in that regard. I think that's what is going to make this fight exciting for the fans.
Dallas Winston: Did your similar styles make it tougher to game-plan for him? Can you share what you did to prepare for him specifically, and what you think your advantages are against him?
Chan Sung Jung: No, I think it's made it easier, actually. I've worked on my all around game and my stamina, since it's going to be a 5-round fight. While we have similar strong points, I feel that I have the edge over him in all areas.
Dallas Winston: You and Poirier engaged in a little Twitter beef. Would you say that was playful jousting, or is there even a tiny bit of animosity or dislike for one another?
Chan Sung Jung: I don't know how he feels, but I think of us as being co-workers. We're all professionals and we work for the same company. Part of our jobs is to get fans interested in the fight. That's what the whole thing on Twitter was about. I have absolutely no bad feelings towards Dustin.
Dallas Winston: You're both vying for a shot at Jose Aldo, who's almost built an aura of invincibility. What fighter traits do you feel it will take to unseat Aldo? How do you think that both you and Poirier would fare against him?
Chan Sung Jung: I'm not looking past this fight. My focus is winning this fight, first and foremost. As far as what it will take to beat Aldo, I think it depends on the particular fighter. Aggression and confidence would be a must. Allowing him to dictate the pace and being intimated by him would be a disaster for any fighter.
Dallas Winston: As always -- what should we expect from The Korean Zombie against Poirier? Any more dramatic finishes or clever submissions that you've been working on or have up your sleeve?
Chan Sung Jung: It's going to be a great fight. My prediction? I'll win by KO. There are lots of things that I've been working on, but I don't get stuck on those things because you never know what's going to happen once the fight starts. You have to be ready for anything ... and I am!
Dallas Winston: The floor is all yours for final comments.
Chan Sung Jung: As always, I want to thank the fans and my sponsors. In particular, I'd like to thank Sseda, Monster Zym and Traumma Combat. Also, the Korean American community here in the northern VA/DC area has been really great. They've really given us the red carpet treatment since we arrived.
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Read the full article at Bloody Elbow
‘The Ultimate Fighter 15’ Episode 10 Attracts 948,000 Viewers to FX
Episode 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter 15” drew an average of 948,000 viewers to FX, according to an industry source.
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Read the full article at SherdogUFC on Fuel TV 3: By the Numbers
Welcome to another edition of By the Numbers. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the mid-week UFC event headlined by Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung. It was no less than 18 months ago Jung was looking like a mid-card fighter following a knockout loss to George Roop and Poirier appeared a stepping stone to prepare Josh Grispi for Jose Aldo. Today, Aldo still rules the roost at featherweight while Poirier and Jung are right behind him. This headlining fight will likely determine the next #1 contender, or at worst, put the winner in position to fight for it (depending on what the UFC wishes to do with Hatsu Hioki should he defeat Ricardo Lamas).
UFC on Fuel has become an interesting attempt at carrying on the mid-week tradition on a B-Network left behind by WEC events. With ratings slowly declining for UFC’s Fox events, and Fuel TV still unavailable in many markets, however, we’ll have to see if this carries on. Until then, here’s a look at UFC on Fuel 3 by the numbers.
0 – The number of UFC losses for both Poirier and Jung. In the six outings between them since the UFC/WEC merge, they share three submission victories (Poirier over Pablo Garza and Max Holloway; Jung over Leonard Garcia.)
1 – Since his quick submission victory over C B Dollaway at UFC 100 in 2009, Tom Lawlor has won only once in an injury riddled 34-month span. In fact, Lawlor has fought only once since his 2010 victory to Patrick Cote in a losing effort to Chris Weidman last November. Lawlor will be seeking redemption and building toward his previous success when he faces Jason MacDonald.
2 – The number of teased retirements coming into this event by Jeff Curran and MacDonald. MacDonald has been vocal about the possibility of retirement, previously citing UFC 149 as the event in which he’d like to retire given his Canadian heritage and the show’s location in Calgary. Curran has hinted that this run in the UFC is his last attempt at “big show” success. Curran has had one of the toughest runs to the UFC, previously fighting Matt Serra on less than ten days notice and taking tough fights in the WEC while he was trying to establish Curran MMA in Illinois. Win or lose, if this is the last time we see both of them in the cage, it will be the end of two eras full of entertaining moments, and undeniable achievement.
3 – A strange fact, but three of the fighters on this card (Rafael Dos Anjos, Lawlor and Amir Sadollah) were on the last UFC card held at the Fairfax Center in Virginia. The venue was been kind to them all. Dos Anjos and Sadollah walked away with unanimous decision victories, while Lawlor earned Fight of the Night honors, his only one to date.
4 – Though we are almost at the halfway point of 2012, only four (Poirier, Carlo Prater, Kamal Shalorus and Francisco Rivera) of the 24 fighters have fought in this calendar year due to various means (injury, inactivity, etc.) Even Donald Cerrone, one of 2011′s most active fighters took a small step back after his loss to Nate Diaz and has yet to fight this year after his 45 day medical suspension from UFC 141. Despite the increased number of UFC events, a larger roster has allowed fighters to enjoy full training camps, and those previously injured are able to properly rehabilitate without the possible pressure of having to rush back. A rib injury has made Fabio Maldonado the longest layoff. He has not fought since the Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, resulting in a 347 day absence overall.
5 – The number of non-debuting fighters on the card seeking their first victory. While Curran, Shalorus, Alex Soto, Johnny Eduardo and Jorge Lopez have all tasted victory (often in dominating fashion) outside the UFC, a win inside the Octagon still eludes all of them.
6 – Following suit with the previous two UFC on Fuel cards, this one will also feature a six fight main card. In his headlining spot, Poirier continues to be a trailblazer of sorts for the UFC. After being in the first live televised featherweight UFC bout the UFC’s history (UFC 125 against Grispi) and in the first fight ever booked for a FOX card (against Garza at the first FOX show) Poirier will be in the first featherweight TV headliner in the seventeen-month lifetime for the division.
7 – Of the 23 UFC vets on this card (Marcus LeVasseur is debuting,) only seven are coming off victories – a staggering 29%. Only Prater and Poirier’s wins fall within this calendar year. However, TJ Grant and Jeff Hougland‘s returns have been delayed due to injury. Prater’s win was a quick controversial disqualification win over Erick Silva following strikes to the back of the head. Rivera returns to the UFC after a one fight stint having won two in a row.
8 – Different hailing countries represented by the 24 fighters on this card from Mexican born Soto to Iran’s Shalorus. UFC on Fuel TV’s cards have proven to be amongst the most, if not the most, multiculturally diverse of the UFC series’ in their history. In the first three Fuel TV cards alone, fighters born in 20 different countries have fought on the card.
14 – The highest number of knockout victories of any one fighter on this cardheld by Jeremy Stephens. Stephens, a three-time recipient of the Knockout of the Night award, has yet to submit anybody in his lengthy UFC tenure. His opponent Cerrone is a near polar opposite. Cerrone has thirteen submission wins to his name with just one knockout (his victory over Charles Oliviera at UFC Live 5 in August 2011). Cerrone also carries a three-fight bonus streak, being one of the only fighters to obtain Knockout, Submission and Fight of the Night in successive fights. In all, every fighter appearing has at least one career knockout stoppage victory and all 24 fighters combine for 111 wins overall.
15 – This is the fifteenth appearance in the Octagon for Stephens, the most by anybody on this card.
19 – The number of submission victories in the careers of Curran and MacDonald. Both accomplished grapplers with BJJ pedigrees, MacDonald and Curran have employed a variety of submissions to subdue their opponents. MacDonald holds a Submission of the Night performance against Jason Lambert as well. This card has seven fighters with more than ten career submission victories, and of the 22 fighters with at least one, they combine for 157 career submission wins. Only Lopez and Rivera have yet to win by submission.
39? – Shalorus’ true age is still shrouded in mystery. Shalorus was born in a rural region of Iran without a birth certificate, and his parents gave him his older brother’s who had passed away before Shalorus was born. Shalorus’ age on the UFC website and shown during the tale of tape is 39, as it’s the only verifiable age attached to his name.
155 – The incredible win streak of LeVesseur in his NCAA Wrestling career. A four-time national champion, LeVesseur’s win streak stretched back another 141 times including a high school win over current Bellator champion Ben Askren. After turning pro, LeVasseur won his first eight MMA fights before an injury loss in 2007. Fighting upwards three times times a month while an up and comer, LeVesseur replaces Aaron Riley to face Guillotine phenom Cody McKenzie on the Facebook prelim card.
As a reminder, this card is free and will air on Fuel TV starting at 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST. Facebook prelims will kick off a few hours earlier. Canadians can watch the event on the Rogers Sportsnet network.
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Read the full article at Fighters.com‘The Ultimate Fighter ’ Season 9 Winner James Wilks Announces Retirement From MMA
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 winner James Wilks recently announced that he has been forced to retire from mixed martial arts.
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Read the full article at Sherdog
Ultimate Fighter Season 9 Winner James Wilks Retires
James Wilks, a British welterweight who won season nine of the UFC's Ultimate Fighter just three years ago, has elected to retire after seeing his career set back by a slew of injuries.
The 34-year-old made the announcement on Twitter over the weekend.
Wilks, who is from Leicestershire, England, represented his home country in a 2009 season with international flavor, dubbed TUF: United States vs. United Kingdom.
During the competition, he beat recent UFC 145 co-main event fighter Che Mills, Frank Lester twice and then tapped out DeMarques Johnson with a rear naked choke in the final to win the trophy.
He went 2-2 in four official trips in the octagon. Aside from his victory over Johnson -- the final is the only TUF bout to be sanctioned as an "official" fight -- he won a UFC 115 bout against Peter Sobotta, but lost matches against Matt Brown and Claude Patrick.
Wilks' last time in the cage was well over one year ago, when he fell to Patrick at UFC 120 in October 2010.
He was supposed to fight against Amir Sadollah last March but was forced out due to a serious knee injury.
Wilks retires with a 7-4 career record.
He has said he will spend his future concentrating on his gym, Lightning MMA in Laguna Hills, California.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, wilk, official trips
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseBrad Tavares Looking to Get Back on Track at UFC on Fuel 3
Interview by Bryan Levick
Now that he has experienced losing for the first time in his professional career Brad Tavares is more focused than ever and looking to insure that the feelings that are associated with losing is not something he becomes accustomed to. At just 24 years old Tavares still has a way to go before he truly hits his physical peak. The Kaiula, Hawaii native was a contestant on season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter and was one win away from fighting on the season finale. Although he would lose to the show’s eventual winner Court McGee, Tavares had shown the UFC that he had what it took to make some noise in the UFC.
Tavares is looking to bounce back from the loss to Aaron Simpson and wants to make an example of Dongi Yang this Tuesday night at UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier. It will not be an easy task as Yang himself is coming off of a loss and does not want to run his UFC record to 1-3. Tavares has found a home at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and knows that if he puts in the necessary work he has the talent to have a long, successful career. First he needs to get back in the win column and he is very confident that the loss will not linger.
“It was a lot easier to deal with the loss because Aaron is a good fighter and a really good guy,” said Tavares. “I got up and got right back in the gym and started training again. I know what I needed to fix from that fight and I also knew that you are bound to lose in this sport. It’s difficult to go throughout your whole career undefeated. You’re always going to come across a fighter that’s better than you in some aspect of the sport. You can’t just be a good striker, a good wrestler or have good jiu-jitsu. You have to be able to put it all together and be well rounded. I know I’ll lose a few more times, I don’t want to and I’ll work my butt off, but it’s going to happen. When it does I’ll make the necessary adjustments and get right back on the horse.”
By surrounding himself with such a high level group of fighters at Xtreme Couture, Tavares has insured that the mistakes he has made will be worked on again and again until he stops repeating them. That’s just one of the benefits of training with such a great team. Another is the fact that they will push you harder and harder day in and day out to help you realize your full potential.
“Training at Xtreme Couture has been a great experience,” Tavares told Five Ounces of Pain. “I train with guys like Jay Hieron, Martin Kampmann, Evan Dunham, Vinny Magalhaes and John Alessio every day. That’s a lot of talent to help keep me prepared and on my toes. I have been taught that when you work hard and put the time in good things happen.”
Tavares will take on the South Korean Yang this Tuesday night in Virginia. With both men coming off losses the fight could be very exciting or very cautious. Each fighter has only seen two of their fights go to the judge’s scorecards so fans will have a good chance at seeing one of them get finished.
“I don’t know too much about him other than his record and what I’ve seen in his UFC fights,” admitted Tavares. “He’s a very tough guy who likes to go for the finish just as much as I do. I know he has a bunch of wins by TKO or knockout so hopefully he will look to keep the fight standing. I think he has a good Judo background, but he likes to brawl. It should be a really fun fight.”
Being a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter can be extremely difficult both physically and mentally. Fighters are confined to a house with no contact with their family, no newspapers, television or contact with the outside world. Some fighters can’t handle the pressure, some use the time to grow as a fighter and then there are fighters who not only thrive in that type of situation, but actually enjoy it. Having a UFC Hall of Famer as your coach is one perk that you may never have again in your career. Tavares was pretty open about his time on the show and his relationship with coach Liddell.
“The best part about being on The Ultimate Fighter was just being able to train for six weeks straight,” Tavares offered. “We trained practically all day every day. Getting to know Chuck Liddell and be around one of the great legends of the UFC was a great experience. Overall I would say it was a good experience for me. I actually enjoyed it. It’s the type of situation where you make the best of it and you might as well get the most out of it. I would definitely do it again, it’s not hard being away from home, but you are responsibility free and everything is 100% paid for. All you have to worry about is being ready to train and then fight.”
“I really liked Chuck Liddell. He is a very approachable guy and he allowed me to pick his brain about fighting and training as well as being in the UFC. He was so helpful and to this day if I call him he answers the phone. It’s not like he pretends he doesn’t know me, I can call him just as a friend and ask him for his advice. If he’s in Vegas I will call him and see what he’s up to, he’s always made me feel really comfortable around him and I’ve never been ashamed to ask him anything. It’s something that I would have never had if I wasn’t on the show.”
Tavares has handled himself in and out of the cage as a complete professional. He realizes that he has a responsibility as a UFC fighter to carry himself a certain way and that his fans will want to get his attention when he sees them. He enjoys the fact that people actually want to talk to him and he relishes the opportunity he has to help teach people that fighters aren’t animals locked inside of a cage looking for blood.
“Now that the UFC and MMA have become more mainstream and we are on television all the time there are so many more eyes on us,” Tavares said. “Some people still think that we are barbarians and that all we want to do is beat each other up. It’s great to hear stories about fighters and how they are nice guys and just normal every day human beings. Most fighters I know don’t shy away from their fans, they want to sign autographs and take pictures. It trips me out that people want my autograph or that they want to take a picture with me. I find it pretty cool that someone wants me to sign a piece of paper for them.”
As much as Tavares loves competing he loves watching the sport just as much if not more. He has a group of fighters that he really enjoys watching and it’s no surprise who he has at the top of the list.
“One of my favorites would be Jose Aldo, I really enjoy watching him fight,” Tavares said excitedly. “The guy I really idolized growing up and I still enjoy watching compete is Wanderlei Silva. I watch that guy fight and he’s one of the reason I became a fighter. He is also one of the coolest guys in the world. I have met him and for someone who is so vicious in the ring I was really thrown for a loop by his personality. He is such a nice guy and although he is such a huge star he makes sure to make time for every single fan. I like watching Anthony Pettis, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva and BJ Penn. I hope he comes back he is one of the most talented fighters to ever compete. Of course there are the Diaz brothers, those guys always bring it.”
As he matures both physically and mentally Tavares will present more and more problems for his opponents. For now he focuses on Yang and their fight on Tuesday night. Based on our conversation this is a fight everyone should be looking forward to.
“The fans can expect me to put on a fun fight,” said a very confident Tavares. “I will definitely be looking for the finish no matter where it may come. It can be on the feet or if I have to take him down and submit him, I will be looking to finish the fight. I will be pushing the pace and see how hard he’s been training because I know what I have been doing in the gym and I know I will be ready for anything.”
MMAFrenzy.com
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Read the full article at MMA Frenzy‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Episode 8 Results and Recap
"The Ultimate Fighter Brazil" continued Sunday night on TUF.tv with the seventh fight of the season. Get full results and an Episode 8 recap here at HeavyMMA.
Posted in: fighter, sunday night, brazil, recap, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Heavy MMA
James Wilks announces retirement from MMA: spinal injury
UFC welterweight and "The Ultimate Fighter 9" alumni, James Wilks, has officially announced his retirement as an MMA fighter.
Wilks made this announcement on his Twitter feed:
A few of you have been asking when my next fight is. Unfortunately, I have had to retire due to injury. Now coaching @lightningmma
— James Wilks UFC (@lightningwilks) May 13, 2012
The British fighter began his pro-career in 2003 after he moved from England to the U.S. At that time, he was suffering from a neck injury caused
Posted in: fighter, injury, jame, wilk, twitter feed
Read the full article at Low KickChan Sung Jung and The Year of The Zombie
There are a growing number of fighters in the UFC that can be classified as ‘must see’ performers. Then there’s Chan Sung Jung, a fighter with a category all of his own.That’s not hype for his UFC on FUEL TV main event against Dustin Poirier on Tuesday either, though by the time you hear his qualifications you will most certainly tune in for this highly-anticipated featherweight bout.Exhibit A) April 24, 2010 – Jung showed why he is nicknamed “The Korean Zombie” in a 2010 bout with Leonard Garcia that was dubbed by commentator Joe Rogan as “The Fight of the Decade.” Exhibit B) March 26, 2011 – Jung meets up with Garcia again, but instead of tucking his chin in and going to war again, he takes the “Bad Boy” down and submits him with the first Twister ever pulled off in the UFC.Exhibit C) Seven seconds. It’s all Jung needed to knock out longtime contender Mark Hominick in one of the more surprising results in recent history.Need I say more? So, Chan Sung Jung, what do you do for an encore tomorrow night?“I don't really plan to do something or another,” he said through manager / translator Brian Rhee. “If it happens, it happens. But in MMA, you can't plan things out like that, or else you'll get it stuck in your head that you have to do it. I just like to go with the flow and let things unfold naturally.”That strategy seems to be working. Sure, he lost the decision to Garcia in their first fight, and he got knocked out by a head kick from George Roop five months later, but in the ‘what have you done for me lately’ world of mixed martial arts, all that matters are his last two fights, bouts that have cemented his place as a legit 145-pound contender on the verge of a title shot if he beats Poirier. That’s a big if though, considering the fact that the Louisianan is on an even more impressive run than Jung, having won five straight. “The Diamond” even called Jung out after his February win over Max Holloway, something that didn’t surprise the Seoul, South Korea resident.“Not really. In the featherweight division, there are a few top guys and they're all shooting for each other. I think a lot of people underestimate me as a fighter, so that leads to people wanting to challenge me, because maybe they think it will be an easy win. I'm out to prove them wrong.”It’s hard to fathom anyone looking at Jung as an easy out. But what they may be seeing is a fighter who has taken some significant risks in the past in order to deliver the fights fans crave. And while the rewards are great if he’s successful, if not, he can be leaving himself open for the kind of countermoves that can lead to defeat. He says this type of attitude in the Octagon isn’t by design though.“I don't have that sort of thing in mind. Like I said, it just sort of "happens". More than anything, I think I've been lucky in my fights to have things go the way that they have. “Everyone has a different style of fighting, so I guess most guys just stick to what works, or what's most comfortable for them,” Jung continues. “For me, I have more of an aggressive style, and generally speaking, it's worked out for me.”That’s an understatement. Despite not speaking English, Jung has a dedicated following in the United States, most sporting “Korean Zombie” t-shirts. But it’s back home in South Korea where things have really taken off for him.“Chan Sung's popularity in Korea has increased a lot over the past year,” said Rhee. “The UFC's growing popularity, combined with prominent wins over Leonard Garcia and Mark Hominick have done a lot for his public profile in Korea. For a while, he had a good sized fanbase in the US, but was relatively unknown in Korea. But now, he's been on the cover of Maxim magazine and has been featured in GQ, as well. It's been good for us as well as the UFC, and Korean MMA, in general.”As Rhee explains, the mixed martial arts explosion isn’t just limited to the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Europe. Korea is rapidly getting up to speed, and with fighters like Jung, Dongi Yang, and Dong Hyun Kim leading the way, the sky’s the limit.“MMA in Korea is at an all-time high right now,” he said. “There was a time when it became popular with PRIDE and some of the other Japanese promotions. Guys like Fedor and Rampage were pretty well known, but things died down for a while when PRIDE was bought by the UFC and other promotions folded. This new wave of popularity is directly connected to the rise of the UFC around the world. Korean MMA - both the fans and the fighters - have developed a lot since those early years. The younger fighters are getting better and better, and there's more of a foundation now then there was before.”Jung, as is his personality, won’t take any credit for this. He doesn’t even see himself as one of the country’s top fighting stars.“I don't really think of myself as being famous,” said the 25-year old. “So, in that regard, I haven't really had much to adjust to. I have a long way to go as a fighter and a person. The UFC is becoming more and more popular in Korea, so I've got more exposure along with that. I think it's mutually beneficial... The more Korean fighters do well in the UFC, the more the Korean fans will get interested in it.”So if you’re thinking Jung will start rolling into town with a 20-deep entourage and referring to himself in the third person, that’s not happening.“He's taking it in stride,” said Rhee. “He's always been a good kid. He's well grounded and doesn't get too caught up in it. I can honestly say that it hasn't gone to his head at all.”What is keeping Jung occupied is this upcoming fight, his first five rounder. For most, that’s stressful enough. For a hard-charging battler like “The Korean Zombie,” it has to be even more of a concern that come round four and five, the tank may be empty if he fights at his usual pace.“The biggest thing is working on conditioning and stamina,” he said. “You've got to make sure you have enough energy left to keep fighting and be aggressive all the way through the last seconds of the final round. I'm really just waiting to see how things unfold once the fight starts. If there are openings, I'll take advantage of them as they come. I'm not going to push the pace too early, but likewise, if an opportunity presents itself, I won't hold back because I'm worried about the later rounds.”Sounds like another Chan Sung Jung fight. Only this time, the stakes are a lot higher. Just don’t tell him that, because as far as he’s concerned, Dustin Poirier is his first, last, and only fight. “There's no point in thinking about the next match before I win this one,” he said. “I have to take things one step at a time.”
Posted in: fight, fighter, jung, thing, korea
Read the full article at UFCEpisode No. 8 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
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Read the full article at MMA JunkieYang Gets His Opportunity to Put the TUF Curse to Rest
In three UFC fights thus far, South Korea’s Dongi Yang has met up with two members of The Ultimate Fighter season 11 cast, Chris Camozzi and Court McGee. This Tuesday, he faces Brad Tavares, who, you guessed it, was on season 11 of TUF. Is “The Ox” tired of seeing these guys yet?“No, I don't really care about that,” said Yang through manager / translator Brian Rhee. “I'll fight whoever the UFC matches me up with.”It’s one of the more bizarre coincidences you’ll find in the fight game, and while trying to get an accurate current read on anyone from a show that took place two years ago can be difficult, Yang has pulled out the old DVDs in his bouts with the aforementioned trio.“They didn't show TUF in Korea back then, even though they do now,” he said. “But I did watch some of the fights from that season when I was getting ready for my fights.”Unfortunately for Yang, he dropped decisions to Camozzi and McGee which count for the only two losses on his 10-2 record. Both were close and competitive, which could make things even worse for a fighter’s psyche, knowing that a slight break here or there might have changed the outcome. And the 27-year old southpaw, breaking from convention, doesn’t look at the defeats as being a necessary evil in his growth as a fighter.“I guess it depends on the fighter, but for me, I think I learn more from my wins,” he said. “Or maybe it's just that losing sucks.”Now that’s more accurate than what you usually hear. And if not for the queries from reporters, Yang wouldn’t even be thinking about what happened around his lone UFC win against Rob Kimmons in March of 2011. For him, all that matters is what’s next.“My first loss was a little tough, because I hadn't experienced it before,” he said. “But I don't really dwell on those losses. I'm just looking forward to my next win.”He’s expecting it to come this Tuesday. Tavares is no slouch though, having shown a maturing game since coming off TUF11. And though the Hawaiian is coming off a tough decision loss to Aaron Simpson in July of last year, what may be tougher for him to overcome is the long layoff since that bout. Yang is aware of such an issue, but as he explains, he’s had a lengthy break himself.“I've been off for about eight months, myself, so I'm just looking to keep the fight at my pace,” he said.And that pace involves moving forward at a steady clip and delivering the kind of pressure that can keep any opponent from getting into a steady rhythm. Add in heavy hands and a southpaw stance, and you can see why he’s a tough out for anyone at 185 pounds. And he’s not done building on his existing foundation just yet.“I'm always pushing myself to be stronger and develop my game,” said Yang. “It's my goal to improve, in some way, every time I train.”Speaking of training, Yang has been aided this time around not just by his Korean Top Team squadmates, especially Hyun Gyu “Ace” Lim and Doo Hwan Kim, but by visiting UFC stars Benson Henderson and Dong Hyun Kim. And to make the long trip from Seoul to Fairfax, Virginia even easier to deal with, he has teammate Chan Sung Jung fighting in the card’s main event against Dustin Poirier.“It's definitely been a good thing,” said Yang. “We brought a lot of guys from Korean Top Team here (to Virginia) and that helps out with timing our training and for morale. It's a lot more comfortable being in the US with a larger group.”On Tuesday, it’s just going to be Yang and Tavares in the Octagon though, and both are hungry to get back in the win column. Yet in breaking down the final result “The Ox” has no doubt as to who will get the “W” and how. “The fans can expect to see me win by KO.”
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Read the full article at UFCUltimate Fighter headed abroad with TUF: Australia vs. U.K.
A rivalry dating back more than a hundred years will play out later this year inside an Octagon overseas when fighters from Australia collide with those from the United Kingdom on an upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter.
Nicknamed “The Smashes”, the show is currently casting competitors who measure in between 135-170 pounds indicating the program will feature lighter weights as opposed to larger athletes.
“The popularity of MMA has exploded in Australia and the U.K., with gyms opening all over the respective countries. There is an athlete in one of those gyms who hasn’t had the chance to show the world what he can do – The Ultimate Fighter is going give to him that opportunity,” said UFC’s Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik. “We’re going to discover the UFC’s future stars, you can bet on it.”
No coaches have been announced at this point though bantamweight stand-out Brad Pickett has mentioned an interest in taking the reigns of a U.K. team. Other Brits who could emerge to fill the role include Ross Pearson, Dan Hardy, and Michael Bisping. Meanwhile, a handful of Australians currently call the UFC home such as Kyle Noke and George Sotiropoulos.
Posted in: fighter, michael bisping, uk, australia collide, smashes ”
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode 10 Recap: Two Semifinalists Emerge
On the tenth episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, two fighters advanced to the semifinals and the teams were informed of Dominick Cruz’ knee injury that will prevent him from facing rival Urijah Faber as scheduled.
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Read the full article at MMA Weekly‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Episode 10 Recap and Live Results
Tune in to Heavy.com for "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Episode 10 recap and coverage, including running updates from tonight's two live quarterfinal fights.
Posted in: fighter, episode, recap, heavycom, results tune
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Ultimate Fighter Live Episode 10 Discussion Thread
Join Bloody Elbow for live coverage of The Ultimate Fighter Live episode 10, featuring the recently-injured Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as coaches. The Ultimate Fighter airs live on FX Friday night at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Fraser Coffeen offered a preview for the show earlier today:
Tonight, we get an exciting change in the UFC Ultimate Fighter Live format. Because for the first time, we are entering the quarter-final round, and that means two fights a week from here on out. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, as the potential for 6 rounds of action means they'll need to set aside a lot of time for the fights, but if the first fight ends in seconds, they'll need to fill that time. Which likely means less time for wacky shenanigans. Tough challenge for the editing team this week, and I look forward to seeing how they handle it.
Our two quarter-finals this week both pit Team Faber vs. Team Cruz, and both have an easy favorite. Dominick Cruz #1 pick Justin Lawrence will face Urijah Faber #5 Michael Chiesa, while Cruz #5 James Vick fights Faber #4 Joe Proctor.
Join us tonight and we'll see what happens!
Posted in: fight, time, fighter, cruz, faber
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 live results for episode 10 TONIGHT (May 11) on FX
Only a couple episodes left.
Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) reality television baby The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), has nearly completed season 15 with nine episodes in the books and and the elimination fights inside the house completely done with.
Last week's broadcast showcased the final elimination fight with Team Urijah Faber's Andy Ogle overcoming his own personal demons to vanquish Team Dominick Cruz's Mike Rio, who battled through a knee injury all season only to see his dream come to an unsatisfying close.
Tonight's show will feature the first two quarterfinal fights, as Justin Lawrence is booked to throw leather with Michael Chiesa and James Vick will do battle against Joe Proctor.
Oh, and don't forget we're likely going to get plenty of fallout from Coach Cruz having suffered a knee injury that knocked him out of his UFC 148 bantamweight title defense against Coach Faber.
MMAmania.com has a live blog of all the night's action, starting at 10 p.m. ET, after the jump.
ULTIMATE FIGHTER EPISODE 10 LIVE BLOG
Geno here. See you tonight, folks.
Posted in: fight, fighter, episode, knee injury, joe proctor
Read the full article at MMA ManiaSean Sherk: 'I still consider myself one of the top fighters in the world'
Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk?
"The Muscle Shark," who still has two bouts remaining on his ZUFFA contract, had just one fight since losing a unanimous decision to Frankie Edgar nearly three years ago, a controversial split decision win over division upstart Evan Dunham at UFC 119 back in Sept. 2010.
But he's still one of the best fighters in the world, according to his conversation with MMA Fighting, he's just waiting for the right match-up to complete his "legacy."
"I'm not ready to walk away. I consider myself still one of the top fighters in the world, I just want to get the right fight, get the right fight for my legacy. I don't want to fight up and comers. I don't want to fight guys trying to make a name for themselves, I want to fight guys who have been there and done that, guys who I feel like have something to offer me just as much as I have to offer them. It's big fights, is what I want. A rematch would be nice, one of my losses. I'm always game for trying to avenge a loss, or maybe just another contender, someone who's exciting, someone who's fast-paced. Off the top of my head, take your pick, the lightweight division is stacked with so many great fighters out there."
Sherk (36-4), along with fellow ex-straphangers Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell, ruled the championship roost in the early days of the promotion's popularity boom. Dominant at 170-pounds, he was virtually invincible as a lightweight.
Until B.J. Penn decided to crash the party.
Since then, his appearances have been sporadic at best and produced mixed results. At 38-years-old, the clock is definitely ticking, but his experience, coupled with his outstanding wrestling pedigree, still makes him a threat to anyone in the 155-pound division.
Who do you have in mind?
Posted in: fight, world, fighter, right fight, fight guys
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC announces The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK
Sydney, Australia – London, UK - The Ultimate Fighting Championship® has confirmed it will film an Australian edition of its hit reality television series, The Ultimate Fighter® (‘TUF’), giving Aussie and British mixed martial artists the opportunity to secure a lucrative contract with the world’s preeminent mixed martial arts (MMA) organization.
Posted in: fighter, uk, australia, championship ®, australian edition
Read the full article at Low KickUFC Announces The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK Edition
The Ultimate Fighter is coming to Australia. UFC officials announced Thursday night that the rumored series The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK will go into production later this year. This marks the second international edition of TUF following this year's TUF: Brazil, which wraps up in June.TUF: Australia vs. UK will feature bantamweights and welterweights. Tryouts will be held June 12 in Sydney and June 15 in London. Australian fighters hoping to try out must register here, while English fighters must sign up here. The reality show will be filmed in Australia; however, the promotion did not announce whether it will air in North America. TUF: Brazil aired on TV in Brazil and on UFC.com for international viewers. This marks the second country vs. country matchup on TUF. TUF 9 featured US fighters vs. UK fighters with coaches Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping leading the way. The UFC will announce the coaches for this series at a later date. The tag line for TUF: Australia vs. UK is "The Smashes," which is a play on the 130-year old cricket rivalry between the two nations.
Posted in: fighter, vs, tuf, uk, australia
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUltimate Fighter heading abroad again with TUF: Australia vs. United Kingdom
After the success of TUF Brasil the UFC will continue the international expansion of the Ultimate Fighter brand with a stop down under for an upcoming season pitting Australia against the United Kingdom. Nicknamed “The Smashes”, the show will start taping later this year and is currently in the process of screening talent.
No coaches have been named at this point though it’s likely each will hail from his team’s respective region. Weight-classes are also up in the air at this point though the UFC’s casting call states the company is looking for fighters between 135-170 pounds.
“Australia and the UK have a fierce, long-standing rivalry, and where better to settle the score than in the UFC’s Octagon,” said UFC’s Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik. “The popularity of MMA has exploded in Australia and the UK, with gyms opening all over the respective countries. There is an athlete in one of those gyms who hasn’t had the chance to show the world what he can do – The Ultimate Fighter is going give to him that opportunity. We’re going to discover the UFC’s future stars, you can bet on it.”
Notable competitors on the UFC’s roster from Australia include Kyle Noke and George Sotiropoulos while a number of British Mixed Martial Artists also call the promotion home such as Brad Pickett, Dan Hardy, and Michael Bisping.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC Announces ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K.’ for Fall
The UFC's international expansion of "The Ultimate Fighter" franchise will continue this fall with a version squaring off fighters from Australia and the U.K.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, uk, australia, fighter franchise
Read the full article at Heavy MMAMorning Report: King Mo Double Dips For Spike, Sonnen Cooks Pizza on the Mean Streets of West Linn
It's pretty rare to see a fighter turn his back on the UFC in his prime. If anything, it's usually the other way around.
But that's exactly what Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal did yesterday, eschewing a likely contract from Zuffa in favor of a double-pronged deal with Spike TV, which will allow the affable light heavyweight to compete in both Bellator (starting in 2013) and TNA Impact Wrestling (starting this summer).
While news of the signing was somewhat surprising at first -- it's not often a world-class fighter flips the bird at the big leagues and signs a deal to fight in an organization whose world champion is Christian freakin' M'Pumbu -- it does offer an intriguing upside that could (eventually) make it the right call.
Ultimately, in the UFC, there's a very real chance Lawal would have just been another top-10 205-pounder. Good enough to stay relevant, but not quite at the level of a Jon Jones. But with Spike, King Mo can become something more. With his supreme combination of talent and charisma, Lawal has the potential to be the posterchild for a network that, like it or not, is still widely associated with mixed martial arts to the general public.
It's a bold move, but one that could pay dividends for both parties. By hitting the TNA circuit this summer, Lawal can become the star of Spike, and eventually serve as a transitional face to introduce a new audience to Bellator in 2013.
It's not quite UFC glory. In fact, I'm not exactly sure what it is. But regardless, it's something we have yet to see in the modern era of western MMA, so it'll probably be an fascinating experiment.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
"King Mo" signs with Bellator, TNA. Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal signed side-by-side deals to simultaneously fight and wrestle professionally. Lawal is set to begin competing for Bellator Fighting Championships in 2013, and will join TNA's Impact Wrestling as early as this summer.
The Ultimate Fighter: U.K. vs Australia. UFC President Dana White officially announced the next international season of The Ultimate Fighter, which will feature a country vs. country battle between the United Kingdom and Australia. Nicknamed "The Smashes," the show is set to open tryouts in Sydney on June 12, and London on June 15, for all fighters between the flyweight and welterweight classes.
Kazushi Sakuraba to fight retirement match against Shinya Aoki. Japanese MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba has agreed to fight top lightweight Shinya Aoki an at upcoming DREAM event. Sakuraba will reportedly retire following the match.
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy. Luke Rockhold is slated to defend his Strikeforce middleweight belt against former Army special forces operator Tim Kennedy at a Strikeforce show in Portland, Oregon on July 14th, 2012.
Bellator 68 weigh-in results. All fighters met their required weight at Thursday's official Bellator 68 weigh-ins, included featherweight finalists Marlon Sandro and Daniel Straus.
MEDIA STEW
If you've ever had a strange fantasy about Chael Sonnen cooking you a personal pizza on the mean streets of West Linn, Orgeon -- well, you definitely need better fantasies, but you're also in luck. (HT: MiddleEasy)
We're setting the over/under of hurling your phone into the wall at roughly 3 minutes for Rampage Jackson's new iPhone app. (HT: Reddit)
To commemorate the end of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Showtime has uploaded every single tournament fight for our viewing pleasure. And what better way to start off than with the one that broke all of our hearts.
If you're itching to get hyped for Saturday's Nick Diaz vs. Braulio Estima superfight, look no further than this official countdown film by Stuart Cooper.
IGNITING A RIVALRY
It's official!!! Ultimate Fighter is going to Australia. TUF Australia vs TUF UK "The Smaches" in Fall 2012 :)
— Dana White (@danawhite) May 11, 2012
HOLY CRAP LOOK AT HIGH-SCHOOL RASHAD
Senior yr 98'.. I thought I was the cats meow!Lol #throwbackthursday instagr.am/p/Kd2Ronk1PL/
— Rashad Evans (@SugaRashadEvans) May 11, 2012
CHECKING IN
Good to be home in Montreal for a few weeks. Almost 5 months since my surgery, rehab continues but I see light at the end of the tunnel!
— Georges St-Pierre(@GeorgesStPierre) May 9, 2012
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Thursday, May 10, 2012):
- UFC 148: John Alessio (34-15) vs. Shane Roller (10-6)
- Strikeforce: Luke Rockhold (9-1) vs. Tim Kennedy (14-3) announced for July 14
- Strikeforce: Lorenz Larkin (12-0, 1 NC) vs. Robbie Lawler (19-8, 1 NC) announced for July 14
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day comes from Sweet Scientist, who offers a encyclopedic videosplosion you could easily sink 45 minutes into: Traditional striking arts
KYOKUSHIN:
Kyokushin Karate was founded in 1964 by Masutatsu Oyama. It was the first Jissen style of Karate.
Rules: 1x2 minute round (3 minutes in the semifinals and finals of a tournament) with a possibility for 2 extra 2 minutes rounds in case of a draw. Full contact (KO allowed). Punches and elbows to the chest allowed, kicks and knees allowed on all striking levels. If a contestant is knocked down for more than three seconds, his opponent scores an Ippon and wins the fight. If a contestant is knocked down for less than 3 seconds, his opponent scores a Waza Ari (half point), if a contestant scores 2 Waza Ari, he wins the fight.
So, what does it look like?:
Notable fighters: Ryu Narushima (that lead high kick), Lechi Kurbanov (P4P best spinning shit thrower in the world), Andy Hug (RIP, incredible Kakato geri), Francisco Filho (one of the few to have completed the Hyakunin Kumite, 100 man kumite), Glaube Feitosa (popularized the Brazilian Kick), Kenji Midori, Ewerton Teixeira, Nicholas Pettas.
Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in Monday's post.
Posted in: fight, bellator, strikeforce, fighter, vs
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseRenato Sobral, others announced for action at ONE FC 4: Destiny of Warriors
The first four fights for ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors, a show taking place in Kuala Lumpur on June 23, were announce this week; Renato Sobral vs. Tatsuya Mizuno, Masakazu Imanari vs. Leandro Issa, Arnaud Lepont vs. Eddie Ng, and Adam Kayoom vs. Gregor Gracie.
Sobral is a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and fought Chuck Liddell for the UFC title on two separate occasions. He will be looking to bounce back from his most recent loss to Dan Henderson when he takes on Mizuno in the main event. The Japanese fighter, who is has notched back-to-back wins in his last two outings, has faced more than his fair share of world class opponents like Mirko Filipovic and Melvin Manhoef.
The co-main event is also a battle between Brazil and Japan with leg lock wizard Imanari taking on BJJ world champion Issa. Both men are coming off ONE FC wins and the winner will be a strong contender to challenge for the bantamweight belt when it is introduced.
Meanwhile, Ng is one of the most famous fighters in South East Asia and has had a remarkable twelve months in which he has won two fights for ONE FC and seen his reputation soar. He will be up against France’s Lepont, a highly aggressive fighter who recently made a name for himself fighting for DARE Championship in Thailand.
Finally, the fourth fight announced is the one which will be of most interest to Malaysians because it features one of their own, Kayoom, going up against BJJ legend Gracie. Kayoom might not be as well known internationally as his opponent but he has a black belt in BJJ and is a former Muay Thai world champion who will have the overwhelming support of the crowd in the 10,200 capacity Stadium Negara behind him.
Fighters such as Phil Baroni, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Rolles Gracie, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Manhoef have all appeared on recent shows meaning a card of this caliber can only cement ONE FC’s status as Asia’s leading MMA promotion. More fights are expected to be announced over the course of the next week.
PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE
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Posted in: fight, fighter, vs, fc, bantamweight belt
Read the full article at Fighters.comNext Season Of The Ultimate Fighter To Feature Australia Vs. United Kingdom
After several weeks of rumors, the next international season of The Ultimate Fighter will feature fighters from Australia going up against fighters from the United Kingdom. The UFC confirmed the news Thursday in a press release. The series will be called “The Smashes,” taking a play on the 130-year-old cricket rivalry between the two. Tryouts [...]
Posted in: fighter, press release, australia, kingdom, news thursday
Read the full article at MMA ConvertThe Ultimate Fighter: United Kingdom Vs. Australia Now Official
The Ultimate Fighter is set to expand once again. After fourteen seasons in Las Vegas the reality show decided to give Brazil a try, and now they're going to go with a country vs. country format. BE's Josh Nason reported about the potential show last month, and now it's official: The Brits will take on the Aussies. UFC president Dana White tweeted about it a little while ago (he misspelled Smashes):
@danawhiteDana White It's official!!! Ultimate Fighter is going to Australia. TUF Australia vs TUF UK "The Smaches" in Fall 2012 :) May 11 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply
The name of the show is a play on The Ashes, a cricket match between England and Australia steeped in history (info via K.J. Gould). Tryouts will take place in Sydney on June 12th and London on June 15th, and are open to anyone from 130 pounds (between flyweight and bantamweight) to welterweight (170 pounds). It has been rumored that Brad Pickett might be a coach for the UK side but nothing is set in stone yet. A lot of the details will be ironed out over time, but this should be exciting news for UK and Australian MMA fans.
Posted in: fighter, vs, official, australia, smashes danawhitedana
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Officially Announces ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K.,’ Tryouts to Be Held in June
The next international version of “The Ultimate Fighter” will eventually be heading Down Under.
Posted in: fighter, fighter ”, australia, version, tryouts
Read the full article at Sherdog"The Ultimate Fighter: U.K. vs. Australia" official, tryouts slated for June
As expected, the second international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" will feature Australia vs. the U.K.
UFC executives today announced the launch of "The Ultimate Fighter: Australia vs. U.K.," which airs later this year.
Tryouts for the show, which are open to fighters weighing between 61 and
77 kilograms (approximately 135 to 170 pounds) are scheduled for June
12 in Sydney and June 15 in London.
Posted in: fighter, vs, uk, year tryouts, australia vs
Read the full article at MMA JunkieBellator 68 Weigh-In Results; Tournament Bouts Official
All fighters competing on tomorrow night’s Bellator 68 fight card tipped the scales today, with all but two fighters hitting their mark.
Main card competitor Waachiim Spiritwolf missed weight for his welterweight bout against Marius Zaromskis and Don Carlo-Clauss showed up heavy for his lightweight tilt on the preliminary card. Both fighters will have two hours to drop the extra pounds.
The card will feature the promotion’s sixth season bantamweight tournament semifinals and featherweight tournament finals; all four tournament competitors made weight.
It should be noted that Marrero-Petruzelli is being contested at a 230lbs catchweight, and Nsang-Martinez at a catchweight of 175lbs.
Today’s weigh-ins took place at the Palladium Ballroom in Caesar’s Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Check out the full results below.
Main Card (MTV2)
Marlon Sandro (145.8) vs. Daniel Straus (146)
Marcos Galvao (136) vs. Travis Marx (135.4)
Carmelo Marrero (230) vs. Seth Petruzelli (225.5)
Waachiim Spiritwolf (172.4)* vs. Marius Zaromskis (169.8)
Preliminary Card (Spike.com)
Aung La Nsang (175.2) vs. Jesus Martinez (175.5)
Claudio Ledesma (134.5) vs. Anthony Leone (136)
Marcin Held (155.5) vs. Derrick Kennington (154.5)
Don Carlo-Clauss (156.5)* vs. Jacob Kirwan (156)
Francois Ambang (183.5) vs. Gregory Millard (186)
*Both fighters have two hours to shed the excess poundage.
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: fighter, tournament, card, atlantic city, tournament competitors
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyBellator 68 weigh-in results: Co-headlining tourney fighters on weight
Official Bellator 68 fighter weigh-ins are in the books, and all four co-headlining tournament fighters successfully made weight.
Today's weigh-ins took place at Palladium Ballroom in Caesars Atlantic City in New Jersey.
The same venue hosts Friday's event, which includes a pair of tournament bouts and notables such as Seth Petruzelli, Marius Zaromskis, Carmelo Marrero and Waachiim Spiritwolf.
Posted in: fighter, weight, weighin, palladium ballroom, tournament bouts
Read the full article at MMA JunkieVIDEO: 'The Ultimate Fighter LIVE' Cast Grills TUF Fighters of the Past
Watch as contestants on the current season of "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" get a unique opportunity to grill past TUF fighters about their time in the
Posted in: fighter, season, tuf, tuf fighters, grill
Read the full article at Low KickUltimate Fighter: Australia vs. UK Announced
London, UK - The Ultimate Fighting Championship® has confirmed it will film an Australian edition of its hit reality television series, The Ultimate Fighter® (‘TUF’), giving Aussie and British mixed martial artists the opportunity to secure a lucrative contract with the world’s preeminent mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Registration is now open to all aspiring UFC fighters from Australia and the UK. Prospective competitors should visit http://au.ufc.com/TUFForm (Aus) or http://uk.ufc.com/TUFForm (UK) for registration forms, rules and qualification criteria. The live tryouts, scheduled for June 12 in Sydney and June 15 in London, will be open to fighters ranging in weight from 61kg to 77kg. Participants must be between 21 and 35 years of age and have had at least three verified professional fights (having won two). The Australian series, dubbed The Smashes™ – a play on the 130 year-old cricket rivalry, will see undiscovered professional MMA fighters from Australia and the United Kingdom live together in The Ultimate Fighter House in Australia and compete against each other for a prized UFC contract. This is only the second time in TUF’s seven-year history that teams will represent their country of origin, the first taking place in 2009, during the ninth series, as Team USA took on Team UK. “Australia and the UK have a fierce, long-standing rivalry, and where better to settle the score than in the UFC’s OctagonTM,” said Marshall Zelaznik, UFC’s Managing Director of International Development. “The popularity of MMA has exploded in Australia and the UK, with gyms opening all over the respective countries. There is an athlete in one of those gyms who hasn’t had the chance to show the world what he can do – The Ultimate Fighter is going give to him that opportunity. We’re going to discover the UFC’s future stars, you can bet on it.”The Smashes marks the second international edition of The Ultimate Fighter® franchise. The first, currently airing in Brazil, brought in record viewership numbers, recording 12 million viewers for the Premiere episode and attesting to the successful global expansion of the series. With its continued worldwide success, the UFC hopes to one day host several tournaments in different countries, crowning one unanimous winner across an international format.The series, The Ultimate Fighter, which debuted in 2005, is the longest running and most successful sports reality shows in the United States, and has been a springboard for some of the UFC’s most renowned fighters. Two of Australia’s best UFC talents, George Sotiropoulos and Kyle Noke, broke into the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter. Geelong’s George Sotiropoulos was featured in Season 6, eventually making the semifinals, while Dubbo’s Kyle Noke made it through to the quarterfinals in season 11. Two of Britain’s finest athletes also entered the UFC by winning The Ultimate Fighter. Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping, one of the UFC’s best and most recognized fighters, won Season 3 in 2006 under the training of UFC legend Tito Ortiz. Ross ‘The Real Deal’ Pearson then followed by winning Season 9 in 2009, when the United States met a team from the United Kingdom. His coach was none other than fellow countryman, Bisping, who built a 6-1 record during his first stint as a mentor. Bisping once again took on a role as coach in season 14, becoming the first fighter to make three appearances on the series. The show exploded the UFC’s popularity amongst American audiences. The first season, featuring UFC original legends Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture as coaches, included famed UFC names such as Forrest Griffin (light heavyweight winner), Josh Koscheck, Stephan Bonnar and Kenny Florian. The first finale, which took place on April 9, 2005, featured the iconic three-round battle between Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin, and is remembered as one of the most important and famous bouts in UFC history.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, series, australia
Read the full article at UFCVIDEO: ‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’ Cast Grills TUF Fighters of the Past
Watch as contestants on the current season of "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" get a unique opportunity to grill past TUF fighters about their time in the house.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, tuf fighters, video ‘, grill
Read the full article at Heavy MMAChad Robichaux has opened an MMA gym for military veterans, and it's rawesome
Brian Stann is probably America’s most well known mixed martial artist who’s past involves multiple deployments in Iraq under the United States Marine Corps oversight. He was awarded a Silver Star in recognition of his valor in combat. Upon his arrival to the WEC, Stann instantly became a fan favorite, as do many former Marines. Unfortunately, many former members of our military return from combat with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Chad Robichaux is another Marine turned MMA fighter who recognizes that his brothers in arms sometimes need a hand when returning from the battlefield, as he did when he returned from over a decade of service in the Middle East. Ten of Chad’s eleven MMA wins have come by submission, and now he is using his experience in the cage to help Marines overcome PTSD at his new gym in Westcliffe, Colorado. We're fans of fighters who do things that make us laugh on a semi-frequent basis, but we're even bigger fans of fighters who do stuff like this. Props to Ron Kruck at Inside MMA for this awesome video and be sure to follow him on Twitter.
Posted in: mma, fighter, fan, chad, marine
Read the full article at Middle EasyShanon Slack Signs with Bellator, to Face Booker Arthur Next Week
Undefeated featherweight fighter Shanon Slack has signed on with Bellator Fighting Championships and will make his debut with the promotion next Friday at Bellator 69.
Slack (3-0) is a former Olympic alternate for the U.S. wrestling team, having cultivated his grappling skills as a collegiate wrestler at Old Dominion University. The 28-year-old is currently serving as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter for Team Cruz.
For Slack, an opportunity to fight in Bellator brings him one step closer to his ultimate goal: winning a belt in a major promotion.
“The Bellator featherweight division is tough as hell, and it was a huge reason why I decided to join Bellator,” Slack said (props to MMAWeekly for the quotes). “The tournament format is something that really stood out to me as well. There aren’t any politics involved, and like any fighter, I want my title shot. Any fighter can say they want to take things one fight at a time, but if you aren’t in this to become a champion, then you’re in the wrong sport.”
Pointing to the standout wrestlers that currently hold titles in the promotion, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney predicts that Slack has the ability to enjoy similar success.
“When you look at the roster, you’ve seen former wrestlers have an incredible amount of success with Bellator,” said Rebney. “Michael Chandler, Ben Askren, and Cole Konrad have all earned titles with a core wrestling base, and Shanon brings that same pedigree into the organization.”
Slack will take his first step next Friday at the L’Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he’ll meet 2-1 Booker Arthur.
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: bellator, fighter, aren ’t, wrestler, bellator ”
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyVideo: Daily Show with Jon Stewart's John Oliver calls MMA 'the gayest thing he's ever seen'
"TV has never been gayer! You've got Smash, you've got Glee and you've got that sport where guys roll around and punch each other in the (expletive). What is not gay about that, Jon? I think that might be the the gayest thing I've ever seen. That is 'Ancient Greek' gay. I don't want to argue about this, that's a fact!"
British comedian John Oliver argues with host Jon Stewart over whether or not mixed martial arts (MMA) is gay in a recent episode of The Daily Show. Homosexuality has been a sensitive topic in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as of late. Boxing bigot Bob Arum slams the "guys rolling around like homosexuals on the ground," Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira refuses to train with gay fighters, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White wants gay fighters to come out of the closet and Dakota Cochrane subjects himself to a divided fan base on this season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15. So can homosexuality be a laughing matter? Perhaps it all depends on context. What's your take on Oliver's attempt at gay humor? Lighthearted or mean-spirited?
Posted in: jon, fighter, championship ufc, youve, oliver
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJon Stewart: President's views on gay marriage informed by gay shows like... the Ultimate Fighter
submitted by insickness [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: fighter, president, insicknes, stewart, marriage
Read the full article at RedditThe Ultimate Fighter Live Quarterfinals Conference Call Audio
Audio from Tuesday’s TUF Live conference call, featuring the quarterfinalists from the reality show. Thanks to MMA H.E.A.T. for the audio.
Posted in: fighter, conference, mma heat, thank, quarterfinals conference
Read the full article at MMA ConvertLeandro Issa ready for challenge of Masakazu Imanari at ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors
Leandro Issa is 9-2 and riding a six-fight winning streak but the Brazilian has had to bide his time since defeating Soo Chul Kim last September. That wait came to an abrupt end this week when it was announced that he would be facing the legendary Masakazu Imanari in a co-headlining clash at ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors next month.
Imanari is the number one bantamweight in Japan and is coming off a first round submission victory over the previously undefeated Kevin Belingon at ONE FC’s most recent show, the seventh heel hook win of his career.
He has well and truly earned his ‘Master of Leg Locks’ nickname and is a second degree BJJ black belt with sixteen submission wins to his name. Issa is also packing a BJJ black belt and the Brazilian has won numerous competitions, most notably the Mundials. He has seven submission wins in MMA to his credit as well.
However, he has never faced anyone of Imanari’s caliber but still believes he is ready for the challenge and is looking forward to what will be the biggest fight of his career in front of 10,000 fans at Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur,
“He’s a great fighter, very dangerous on the ground and I am very happy to have this chance to test myself against such a famous fighter. I saw him fight at the last ONE FC and he is very dangerous with submissions so I will have to take care,” said Issa in an interview with Fighters.com.
As chance would have it, the two actually share a teammate in common as Issa has been training with Shinya Aoki in Singapore and Imanari used to be part of the same team as him in Japan. The Brazilian believes that having such highly skilled training partners at Evolve MMA could make the difference for him in this fight,
“At Evolve MMA we have BJJ world champions, Muay Thai word champions and now we have Heath Sims who is many times wrestling national champion. All in the same place so it is easy to train, in Brazil it would be maybe impossible to find different trainers like this and you would have to travel to many different places,” explained Issa of his camp.
In his last fight he showed some much improved stand up, which he attributed to the decorated team of Muay Thai trainers at Evolve MMA, but was disappointed not to be able to finish Kim after dominating much of the fight,
“To be honest I didn’t like my last fight because I lost some positions. but it was a great experience for my career to fight three round on such a big show with so many people there. I have fought on many different shows in Brazil and the US and China but I never see so many people watch MMA before,” he admitted.
Although Issa has not competed for a while he has not been taking any time off and is constantly training and looking to improve as a fighter even when he doesn’t have a fight. The trainers and athletes at Evolve MMA are all full-time, salaried staff meaning they continue to work together all year round, and as a result he thinks he thinks that come June 23 he will be a different fighter from the one who scored a decision over Kim.
“I am eight months without a fight but during that time I always training at Evolve Academy to improve my techniques and get better everywhere,” stated the 28-year old. “I’m always training to be able to improve because I think we learn new techniques when we are off season but but I can’t wait to fight again.”
Without having the ability to dictate where the fight takes place it is difficult for a BJJ practitioner like Issa to impose his ground game on an opponent and he says he has been working hard on his wrestling recently, saying, “I believe the wrestling is very important in MMA and will help me a lot to work my ground game. Heath Sims is very good coach and he has a lot experience in MMA and wrestling so he help Evolve Fight Team a lot. I’ve been training hard at Evolve MMA everyday and trying to improve on all my weaknesses.”
After spending most of his career at featherweight Issa recently made the drop down to 135 pounds and will have a significant size advantage against Imanari who is four inches shorter than him. It could be that in this contest he chooses to use that wrestling ability to try and keep the fight standing because he probably has superior stand up skills to the Japanese fighter but regardless of the outcome he says he will be staying in the bantamweight division.
“It is not very difficult for me to make the weight but I have to have discipline. I always fought for the featherweight but it was very easy to make weight and I felt small for featherweight so now I will make my career in bantamweight and I want to be champion, if ONE FC give me a chance I’m going to try to get the belt.”
Issa’s Evolve MMA team mate Yodsanan Sityodtong, a former WBA Super Featherweight champion, suffered the first defeat of his career when he was submitted by Jiang Long Yun at ONE FC: War of the Lions this past March. Issa already holds a 2010 win over the Chinese fighter and says he has been working with the Thai fighter to help him improve his ground game, revealing, “Me and Jak (Yodsanan) fight in same weight and we train together so he help me a lot doing Muay Thai and boxing and I help him on the ground game. Life here in Singapore is great, I live here three years and a half already and I feel at home. The training at Evolve MMA is amazing and I can learn so much, mark my words Evolve MMA will be the best MMA academy in the world soon.”
The bantamweight division is dominated by Brazilians with anything from three to five in the top ten depending on which set of rankings you use. After fighting in three different continents this is Issa’s opportunity to make his presence felt among them by beating the best bantamweight in all of Asia.
PHOTO CREDIT – ONE FC
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Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, training, issa
Read the full article at Fighters.comAsk the Fight Doc: Why do you think UFC's Pat Barry should take a year off?
As doctors learn more and more about the devastating effects of brain injuries, MMA fighters have more and more to consider about their chosen profession.
In fact, MMAjunkie.com medical columnist and consultant Dr. Johnny Benjamin has some advice for fighters who have experienced two knockout losses in a fairly short amount of time. That includes UFC heavyweight Pat Barry.
In our latest installment of "Ask the Fight Doc," Dr. Benjamin explains why a little time off could help not only the fighters' health, but also their winning percentage.
Posted in: fighter, ufc heavyweight, fight doc, knockout losses, fact mmajunkiecom
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTUF:Live fighters discuss fighting, Cruz's injury and competition
The UFC and FX hosted a media conference call with four of this season’s The Ultimate Fighter® Live quarterfinalists on Tuesday, May 8, 2012: James Vick (Team Cruz) vs. Joe Proctor (Team Faber) and Justin Lawrence (Team Cruz) vs. Michael Chiesa (Team Faber).
The panel of fighters were asked who they thought would come out on top. Justin Lawrence said that all the fighters were great and that every one of them has an opportunity to make it.
Michael Chiesa agreed that they were all there to
Posted in: fighter, team, cruz, season ’s, michael chiesa
Read the full article at Low KickBloody Elbow News Roundup - Strikeforce's New Webpage, Michael Bisping Isn't Happy
There's a lot happening in the world of MMA, and Bloody Elbow prides itself on being your one-stop news source for everything that's going on in the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, and everywhere else. There's only so much time in the day though, and some stuff slips through the cracks. This new daily feature is an attempt to fill those cracks, will keep you up to date on all the little news you might have missed otherwise. Here we go.
You might not have noticed, but Strikeforce's webpage has been wonky for the last few months. It was usually just a splash page of their next event lineup, if it worked at all. Well they've debuted a new version of the site and you'll quickly realize that it looks...kind...of...familiar. Here's a tidbit of info regarding the fighters they have listed - there 92 total. 13 women fighters (nine at 135, four at 135 including Gina Carano but not Cristiane Santos), 19 lightweights, 24 welterweights, 18 middleweights, 16 light heavyweights (including Muhammed Lawal at the very bottom, even though he's not with the promotion right now) and two Heavyweights (Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier, who meet on May 19th).
Bellator 69 is set for next Friday, May 18th. The card includes the middleweight tournament final bout between Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang, a welterweight tourney semi-final between David Rickels and Karl Amoussou, and a women's feature fight between Megumi Fujii and Jessica Aguilar.
In the most shocking news of the day, Josh Koscheck thinks he beat Johny Hendricks at UFC on Fox 3. He turned to twitter to ask Hendricks for a rematch (even if he couldn't spell Hendricks right):
@JoshKoscheckJosh Koscheck Just watched the fight again.1&3rd round where mine. Maybe a rematch 5 round fight this time? What U say Hindricks? May 08 via Twitterrific Favorite Retweet Reply
While the fight wasn't that bad, somehow I doubt we'll be seeing a five-round rematch anytime soon.
After the jump you can see what Gabriel Gonzaga has to say about why he pulled out of UFC 146, check out how badly the UFC on Fox 3 prelims ratings were on Fuel, and listen to Michael Bisping complain about Hector Lombard.
Gonzaga apparently had to pull out of his UFC 146 fight because of a lower back injury. He explains the deal to Tatame.
Fuel TV has been touting some record numbers for the network lately, but the ratings were not good for the UFC on Fox 3 prelims (via MMA Weekly). The 86,000 average is the lowest of the four preliminary cards shown on Fuel thus far.
Finally, we've all heard Michael Bisping complain about stuff before. Jorge Rivera's a jerk, the world's against me, and so on. This time he's complaining about new UFC signee Hector Lombard and the fact that he might get a title shot with a win over Brian Stann at UFC on Fox 4 in August. Here's the quote (transcription via MMA Mania), and the video is below.
"It does piss me off a little bit, you know? I've been slugging away in the UFC for six years now, fighting the best guys in the world and just because Hector Lombard's been knocking out little part-time fighters who probably hold down jobs full-time and he's been knocking out people that I haven't got a clue who they are, I haven't even heard of them, you know, while I've been knocking out the best fighters in the world and fighting the best consistently for six years and he's going to come in from knocking out John the baker from around the corner and you know, he gets a title shot?"
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, he, i havent
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowEddie Ng vs Arnaud Lepont Added to ONE FC 'Destiny of Warriors' In Kuala Lumpur
Another fight was today (May 8, 2012) added to the card for ONE Fighting Championship: 'Destiny of Warriors,' a lightweight clash between Hong Kong's Eddie Ng and French fighter Arnaud Lepont.
Lepont has been training and fighting in Asia for several years, moving from Vietnam to Thailand and he is now a member of the fight team at Muayfit in Kuala Lumpur. He was a welterweight champion of German promotion Gods of War and has an 8-1 record, none of his nine fights have been the distance.
Ng is one of the stars of ONE FC and has a huge fan following in Singapore. In his last fight he made short work of Lepont's Muayfit team mate Jian Kai Chee and he has a record of 5-1. Just like his opponent he has never been to a decision in his professional career.
The French fighter is one of the top fighters to emerge from Thai promotion DARE Championship and is currently in the semifinals of their welterweight tournament. He will presumably be moving down to 155 pounds to fight Ng who has won two fights out of two for ONE FC.
Lepont is the more experienced fighter and will represent a serious test of Ng's credentials, although it is often overlooked that the man from Hong Kong consistently faced strong fighters earlier in his career, beating an opponent with a win over Dan Hardy on his MMA debut and facing Joakim Engberg, best known for being Alistair Overeem's head coach, in only his third fight.
They actually have an opponent in common as Lepont beat Kai Chee in the quarter finals of the DARE tournament last June, before they became training partners at Muayfit. You can see that fight here and you can see Ng's more recent fight with the Malaysian Muay Thai specialist here.
Ng trains full time at Evolve MMA, the most successful martial arts academy in Asia, while Lepont is based at Muayfit which is the fastest growing facility in Malaysia. A lot of Ng's supporters are likely to make the short trip from Singapore while Lepont should have the home crowd behind him which could make for a good atmosphere in the 10,200 capacity Stadium Negara.
Lepont has a strong ground game and submitted highly rated Polish fighter Krzysztof Hajtalowicz (who incidentally holds a win over Ng from a BJJ competition last year) with a guillotine in his most recent outing. However his biggest weapon is his punching power and he has promised to go looking for the knockout right from the opening bell.
Although in possession of a blue belt Ng's No Gi grappling is probably at a black belt level and he reportedly has no problem rolling with the BJJ world champions at Evolve MMA. He also has heavy hands and has won his last two fights with ground and pound but the word coming out from his camp is that his Muay Thai is also at a very high level, he just hasn't had a chance to showcase it yet.
This is a fight which will definitely appeal to local fans and will also give the international audience an opportunity to see two of the top lightweights in the region go head to head.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, fighter, ng, lepont, muayfit
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMA fighters talk about the latest developments in the UFC Heavyweight division
MMA fighters shared their thoughts about the recent change of landscape in the UFC Heavyweight division, and the upcoming UFC 146 main event bout between Frank Mir and Junior dos Santos. Fighters also discussed Mark Hunt's cinderella story, and the whether "The Super Samoan" should be considered as one of the top heavyweight contenders.
UFC 146 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 26th. You can submit your picks for UFC 146 via our events
Posted in: ufc, fighter, event bout, mma fighters, cinderella story
Read the full article at Low KickThe Ultimate Fighter conference call LIVE updates today (May 8) for quarterfinals part one
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will today (May 8, 2012) hold a media conference call to promote this Friday's (May 11, 2012) The Ultimate Fighter episode, which will air live on the FX television network at 10 p.m. ET nationwide.
The conference call will begin at 2:00 p.m. ET. Scheduled to attend will be the first half of the quarterfinalist fighters: Justin Lawrence, James Vick, Michael Chiesa and Joe Proctor.
Vick started the season with a tremendous upset, knocking out Daron Cruickshank in the first round. His opponent, Justin Lawrence, is one of the season's favorites and has destroyed both of his opponents, the highly talented James Krause and Cristiano Marcello thus far.
Chiesa has had to endure the death of his father during the season and was able to outwrestle Jeremy Larson to advance. His opponent, Joe Proctor, a teammate of Joe Lauzon, tapped out Chris Tickle to get here.
The call was originally planned to include coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, but both have been pulled after Cruz's recent injury which forced him out of his planned title defense.
We'll have complete updates of The Ultimate Fighter Live conference call after the jump:
Brian Hemminger here. The conference call is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Posted in: fighter, conference, title defense, urijah faber, daron cruickshank
Read the full article at MMA ManiaIt hurts, but here's Ryan Couture talking about his win over MiddleEasy sponsored fighter Conor Heun
Since Strikeforce fights are so few and far between, we like to talk about them as if they just happened less than a week ago. We also like to pretend Jason High fights, but despite being undefeated in his last six bouts, the guy can't even buy a fight. You can follow him on Twitter and express your extreme disappointment that Strikeforce fails to book him for fights, or you can watch this video of Ryan Couture talking about his win over Conor Heun at Strikeforce's last event. You can also follow Jason High on Twitter and watch this video, but at some point you have to make important decisions -- and this is one of them. Fine, go ahead and do both, but we'll remember this.
Sure it's unpleasant to have a fighter you sponsored be defeated via TKO and then interview the fighter that defeated your branded fighter -- but sometimes these things happen in MMA. We're cool with it. It's the ebb and flow of the sport we all love. Taoism dictates that one must not disrupt the natural order of the planet, and just align ourselves with the forever-moving wave of nature. At least that's what I told LayzieTheSavage just before he filmed this interview with Ryan Couture this month.
Posted in: fight, strikeforce, fighter, ryan, heres ryan
Read the full article at Middle EasyMy thoughts and a recap from NAFC: Colosseum in Milwaukee last Friday
I made the trip up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin late last week and it wasn't for the Bellator event, the UFC on Fox 3 show or even MFC. It was for a local show called the North American Fighting Championship which has become a hotbed for up-and-coming talent out of the Roufusport Gym.
The night was headlined by a welterweight bout featuring Duke Roufus product Rick Glenn against journeyman Charon Spain. Glenn looked in control, scoring multiple trip takedowns and barring a big flurry from Spain at the end of the first round, was never in any trouble.
In the second stanza, Glenn started quickly, hurting Spain on the feet and then pummeling him on the canvas to score a quick technical knockout (TKO) victory to improve his record to 10-2-1. Glenn is now unbeaten in his last eight fights and could be getting a promotion in the near future.
I've got plenty of other highlights of the action including a HUGE upset as well as comments on the Sergio Pettis fight after the jump.
Not every Roufusport fighter was victorious on the evening. Dustin Ortiz, a worldwide top 10 ranked flyweight took on Toledo area fighter Josh Robinson at a 130 pound catchweight and things didn't go as planned whatsoever.
Despite having a huge wrestling edge, Ortiz seemed intent on showcasing his striking skills and he allowed "Shortstack" Robinson to dictate the action. Robinson showed no fear despite the apparent mismatch and was clearly outlanding and outperforming Ortiz on the feet.
Ortiz was getting reamed by his corner for not utilizing his wrestling, only taking Robinson down briefly in the second round and he clearly lost both the first and third to the upset-minded Robinson, who was dressed to impress with matching pink water bottles, ankle wraps, shorts and mouthguard. In the end, Robinson was awarded a much-deserved split decision victory, something that stunned hardcore fans of the flyweight division as Ortiz had only previously lost to current UFC fighter Ian McCall.
The other heavily-promoted bout for the evening was a flyweight battle between Sergio Pettis (Anthony Pettis' 18-year old brother) and 3-3 fighter Chris Haney. It was by far Pettis' stiffest test to date and he was given all he could handle in a very tough first round which could have gone either way.
Pettis had stopped all three of his prior opponents, but in this fight, it was his conditioning that made the difference. He got stronger as the fight wore on while Haney slowed down drastically. While he still looked raw, that's to be expected in just your fourth professional fight especially at such a young age. Pettis' very untechnical escape from a heel hook (ripping his leg out instead of twisting free) was a notable example of this.
In the end, however, his offensive wrestling and superior kickboxing allowed him to win a unanimous decision, the first such outcome of his young career.
Other highlights of the evening were a pair of major bloodbaths in which Matt Gauthier remained undefeated by defeating Roufusport fighter Isreal Lozano via decision and Robert Coulliard's come-from-behind submission against Aaron Carter.
My favorite fight of the evening was an amateur bout featuring two undefeated fighters in Roufusport's Elias Garcia and 5-0 Iowan Dillon Woods. Woods started very strong showcasing his superior striking and some awesome sweep and submission skills on the ground but Garcia was relentless.
Garcia also was a great listener, adapting his style while listening to everything that his cornerman Ben Askren shouted from the side of the cage and was able to come back and win the fight via TKO in the third round.
Some personal observations:
- Ben Askren is an amazing cornerman. Rich Hansen from MMA Torch pointed it out as he was seated right next to him during the action but I could hear every word Askren said from the opposite side of the cage and he was handing out terrific advice. It seemed that as long as his fighters were listening, they were winning. Askren could make a ton of money as a cornerman/trainer once his fighting career is over but that's still a long ways away.
- Erik Koch was interviewed in the cage center during a break in the action and he called out UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Everything hadn't been made official yet so he couldn't talk specifics, but he seemed confident about his chances. He can definitely test Aldo in the striking department if the bout stays standing at UFC 149.
- Casino + fights is a bad idea for me. I lost $75 before the event started so I wasn't in the best mood at the beginning of the event. My own fault though. Should have put it all on red instead.
- Duke Roufus really tests his fighters. He's not bringing in complete cans for his fighters to crush during these events. He brought in guys that are expected to push his team and make them better. It was nice to see that he's not just padding records. By making his students earn their wins, they'll be more prepared once the UFC comes calling.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, petti, robinson
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMamed Khalidov vs Rodney Wallace at KSW 19 could be 'Cannibal's' coming-out party
In the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), there are many fighters all over the world who are talented, skilled and full of potential, yet, are not too well known to the mainstream media and your casual every day fan.
Such fighters are just waiting for an opportunity to shine and display their skills stateside, where MMA has exploded into the heart of mainstream outlets thanks in large part to the popularity the sport is enjoying at the moment, and is only increasing by the day.
Big time national television deals like the one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) struck with the FOX network, as well as the Bellator and Spike TV partnership are just a few examples of just how far the reach of MMA has in today's mainstream exposure.
Fighters who are still fighting and clawing their way overseas to one day get the opportunity to strut their stuff on such huge platforms are plenty, and the Chechan-born fighter, Mamed Khalidov, is one of them. One the most talented international fighters they you may not have heard of, Khalidov is inching his way back to the states in hopes of one day earning a shot in the big leagues.
After the jump, we'll take a closer look at Mamed, and see why soon you may be hearing a lot more of this talented middleweight.
Sporting an overall record of 24-4-2, Khalidov, who is the current KSW Light Heavyweight Champion, has competed once before in the US, at ShoXC on Oct., 10, 2008 defeating Jason Guida via technical knockout (TKO), but has otherwise spent his entire career overseas in Poland under the Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, (KSW) banner and Japan's World Victory Road (WVR).
Now competing in the 185-pound division, Mamed has won his last four bouts, including three consecutive submission victories, in the very first round against the likes of former UFC vets Jesse Taylor, Matt Lindland, James Irvin and international star Yuki Sasaki.
Not wanting to bore his fans and spectators, Khalidov always aims for the early finish, and more often than not, he gets it. In fact, of his 24 victories, 20 of them have not made it past the opening round. His last four wins have barely totaled just over six minutes of ring time for the Polish pugilist.
Having lost only once in his last 24 bouts to Jorge Santiago for the Sengoku middleweight title, Khalidov is truly one of the best 185-pound fighters on the planet and he will look to raise his stock even higher as he takes on yet another former UFC fighter in his next fight.
"Cannibal" will face Rodney Wallace on May 12 at KSW 19 from Lodz, Poland, as he looks for his fifth consecutive win. Wallace, who has not seen action since April of last year, when he defeated Cale Yarbrough at Scrap Live 7, lost his three fights in the UFC.
Two of those, however, were against top contenders Brian Stann and Phil Davis.
The 31 year-old Khalidov states he is currently comfortable fighting in front of his home crowds in Poland, and doesn't feel there is reason to leave a great promotion such as KSW and bolt for the United States of America (USA). However, should Zuffa come knocking at his door with an offer that he can't refuse, don't be surprised if you see the Pole fighting under the Strikeforce or UFC umbrella, sooner rather than later.
Here's a look at the trailer for the upcoming KSW 19 event for May 12, 2012, in Lodz, Poland:
For more on KSW 19 click here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ksw, khalidov, mamed
Read the full article at MMA ManiaEpisode 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter 15” Averages 954,000 Viewers on FX
The ninth episode of “The Ultimate Fighter 15” drew an average of 954,000 viewers to FX, according to an industry source.
Posted in: fighter, fx, episode, viewer, source
Read the full article at Sherdog'The Ultimate Fighter: Live' ratings: Episode No. 9 draws 954K viewers
This past weekend's episode of "The Ultimate Fighter" rebounded
ever-so-slightly following the lowest-rated episode in the series'
seven-year history.
Ratings for the ninth episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" resulted
in average of 954,000 viewers on FX, MMAjunkie.com
today confirmed with an industry source, up from 929,000 the previous
week.
Friday's show, which featured the season's eighth and final
opening-round matchup, was the fifth straight "TUF: Live" episode to
draw one million viewers or fewer.
Posted in: fighter, episode, viewer, openinground matchup, weekends episode
Read the full article at MMA Junkie‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Episode 7 Results and Recap
"The Ultimate Fighter Brazil" continued Sunday night on TUF.tv with the sixth fight of the season. Get full results and an Episode 7 recap here at HeavyMMA.
Posted in: fighter, sunday night, brazil, recap, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Heavy MMAIs Another Ultimate Fighter Comeback Season on the Horizon?
UFC President Dana White has promised that they aren't done tweaking and changing the new Ultimate Fighter Live until they get it just right.
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Read the full article at MMA WeeklyNate Diaz after he became the first fighter to ever finish Jim Miller.
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Posted in: fighter, miller, nate diaz, jim miller, zpogzt link
Read the full article at RedditFrom Writer to Fighter: The Matthew Polly Story
Typically Mixed Martial Arts journalists are labeled as little more than “keyboard warriors” – individuals who talk about the sport without having any real understanding of what fighters go through in and out of the cage. While in many if not most cases that may be true but when it comes to writer Matthew Polly such a label couldn’t be further from the truth.
Polly, an accomplished author, recently wrote a book called Tapped Out where he documented his experiences traveling to a variety of notable gyms, working his tail off, and ultimately taking to the cage despite being 36 years old and having no previous training.
A familiar face at MMA events still, Polly recently took some time to chat with Five Ounces of Pain about his journey from writer to fighter including his family’s reaction to the decision, what got him through the tough times, and what he learned about himself in the process.
Where did your initial motivation come from to not only cover the subject matter you did but also put yourself through such a physically demanding journey?
It was the same reason most men put themselves in dangerous situations – I was trying to impress a girl. When my girlfriend’s male cousins found out I had written a book, American Shaolin, about the two years I had spent training kung fu with the Shaolin monks in China, they asked if I would fight Chuck Liddell for a million dollars. With false bravado I said I’d do it for a lot less than that. So when my editor suggested that my next book should not only be an investigation of MMA but also involve me training for a MMA fight, I realized I had talked myself into a corner. My ego had written a check my body would have to cash.
Did you run into a lot of resistance from friends/family/colleagues based on the health risk involved?
At the time I was 36-years-old, weighed 250 pounds, and hadn’t done any martial arts training in fifteen years. When my mother heard what I planned to do, she cried. My father tried to talk me out of it saying, “Son, I know I didn’t give you much of a body, but I did give you a pretty good brain. Why risk one for the other?” Only my girlfriend was positive about the idea. She said, “Given long term health considerations, a broken nose is better than a beer gut.”
What were some of the major differences you noticed between training in the various locales you did? For example, a place in Russia to one in Las Vegas.
I trained in New York City, Bangkok, Rio, St. Petersburg (Russia), and Las Vegas. The biggest difference is the UFC has its headquarters in Las Vegas, so it is the center of the MMA universe. It was like being on Broadway as compared to doing dinner theater in Orlando. The fighters in Vegas are like rock stars. When I trained other places, it still felt like an underground activity.
How close did you come to quitting? What kept you going?
The most embarrassing moment happened during one of my first jiu jitsu classes. I ended up paired with a hefty female. She shifted to a north south position and then sat up, smothering me with her ample backside. For a moment as I was thrashing, unable to breathe, I thought to myself, “My God, what are they going to write for my obituary.” After I finally threw her off, I started laughing. My sense of humor kept me going.
How would you say you’ve changed as a result of writing this book and enduring/experiencing what you have?
I got my swagger back. I dropped 65 pounds and fought at 185. In the process I regained a great deal of confidence I had lost over the years. That’s the thing about putting yourself through something incredibly difficult. When it is over, other life challenges seem much easier to handle.
What did you learn about yourself after the entire process?
I learned that I’m a gamer. I wasn’t always the best in practice. I had many bad days. I was often a nervous wreck right before a match began. But when it came time to step into the ring, I always calmed down and gave my peak performance.
Based on your experience, what one piece of core advice would you give readers who might be interested in giving martial arts training a shot (albeit not in the same manner as you did)?
For casual fans interested in learning a little MMA, the best advice is just find a local gym, go easy, and have fun. It is one of the best ways to get back into shape and gain self-confidence. For serious athletes who are hoping for a career in MMA, I would advise them to go train at one of the top flight gyms producing UFC stars: Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, NM; American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, CA; American Top Team in south Florida; Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, NV; TriStar in Montreal, Canada. It is the best way to gauge your potential and learn what you need to compete at the highest levels.
Finally, is there any sort of pride in knowing you are one of the very few MMA writers who can actually say they know what it’s like to be in an actual sanctioned fight?
I was honored that the other MMA fighters at Xtreme Couture treated me like a junior member of the team after I fought and won my first MMA fight. Before I was just this overweight, middle-aged writer hanging around the gym, but afterwards Randy Couture told some local reporters, “Polly earned my respect. He’s got a ton of heart. He did the work and played the part.” It put a big old smile on my face when I read that.
Tapped Out can be found at any number of major retailers including Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.
PHOTO CREDIT – MATTPOLLY.COM
Posted in: mma, fighter, vega, training, polly
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainEpisode No. 7 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" marks the first-ever international
version of the long-running reality-competition series, and the seventh
episode debuted tonight.
Featuring Brazilian coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, "TUF:
Brazil" sees 16 middleweight and 16 featherweight fighters all vying
for a UFC contract.
Check out MMAjunkie.com's Episode No. 7 recap, which features the season's fourth and final featherweight-tourney bout.
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, fighter brazil, mmajunkiecoms episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieCall me crazy, but.. (Spoilers, obv)
With his rapid rate of improvement and absolute dominance over his last few opponents in every way, i think Nate is a better fighter than Nick at this point. Or at least he will be in another fight or two. Anyone agree? submitted by brettawesome [link] [7 comments]
Posted in: fighter, way i, spoiler, brettawesome, spoilers obv
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox 3 Results Recap: Sunday Perspective
A fantastic Cinco de Mayo filled with combat sports action has passed. Between Bellator, the Ultimate FIghter, MFC, UFC on Fox, and boxing action this was a very busy 48 hours for fight fans.
After two shows on Fox that fell short of expectations this was a clear effort by the UFC to get some action oriented fights on network TV. However, some fans said they did so at the sacrifice of star power, and initial numbers have shown that ratings were down.
The Fox production continues to be good and professional. I know parts of the production annoy fans, like the Fox trumpets, which makes me start salivating for football like Pavlov's dog at a bell, or the MMA fighting robots using a takedown that doesn't actually exist in real fighting. But, I feel that the Fox deal is moving the UFC towards being more professional in terms of broadcasting. Against that background the missteps of Mike Goldberg and the screaming of Joe Rogan just become that much more obvious.
At the end of the main event, when Rogan began screaming about how Jim Miller's tongue was sticking out of his mouth, this gap in professionalism and the understanding of the platform the UFC is on became very obvious. Saying that a fighter is biting his tongue off, yelling about how disgusting it is, and not being able to move on from that would get an eye roll from most fans on a Pay-Per-View broadcast; on Fox in prime time it is totally unprofessional. This is a stark contrast to when Johnny Knox of the Chicago Bears got his back broken in a NFL game on Fox last season, and announcers Chris Myers and Tim Ryan kept a calm, respectful demeanor in the face of a far more gruesome spectacle.
This isn't to say that Joe Rogan needs to be kicked off the UFC broadcast team, but perhaps his usual demeanor isn't the right fit for the Fox cards.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
Thoughts on the fights this weekend are after the jump...
Nate Diaz was excellent last night. At this point I consider Nate to be the better fighter of the Diaz brothers. His punches are a little straighter, crisper and harder than Nick's. Nate has moved beyond being a "volume" puncher and is just a great boxer. Nate's footwork is more fluid than Nick's flat footed stance, and seems more able to stick and move than his older brother. Both fighters are excellent on the mat, but again, I feel like Nate is slightly better in the clinch. At this point Nate is legitimately a title contender, and I think Joe Silva would be crazy not to get this Diaz brother in a UFC title shot.
Jim Miller is a victim of the constant rematches of Frankie Edgar's title reign. Going into the this fight, Miller had won eight of his last nine fights, including a fight that was supposed to be a title eliminator with Melvin Gulliard. But as said so often in this sport, title shots are a matter of winning at the right time and the last two years have not been a good time to be a Top 10 Lightweight. Edgar has seemed unable to fight for the title without it turning into a two fight series and as a result the deepest division in the sport has basically been frozen for the last two years. And fighters like Jim Miller are paying the price.
I had Johny Hendricks winning that fight but fully expected the judges to give the fight to Josh Koscheck based on the takedown towards the end of the third round. But, New Jersey is the home of the best and most progressive State Athletic Commissions in the nation, and the judges didn't fall into the classic traps of MMA judging. It was a very close fight, but I think the judges made the correct call in the end. It is a good sign that all MMA judging may indeed be able to catch up with the rest of the sport some day.
Hendrick's win continues a trend at Welterweight of a surge of young talent that has been going on for the last two years. Along with Interm Welterweight Champion Carlos Condi, Jake Ellenberger, Rory MacDonald, and to a lesser extent Rick Story, Charlie Brenneman, Siyar Bahadurzada, John Maguire, and few others combined with Hendricks, are the future of that division. MMA fans are aware that the stars of 2005 have faded, but a fighter like Koscheck, who was an up-and-comer back in that era, has now past his contender-ship days. Koscheck will keep fighting and likely get big fights with young fighters, and will win some, but expect it to be in more of a gatekeeper or stepping stone role than as a contender.
Speaking of Koscheck, he is consistently is caught up in eye poke controversy. This is mostly because he is always pushing on his opponent's face with his lead hand. I can't say he is aiming for the eye, but it seems like he is using the threat of the eye poke to keep opponents at bay. The amount of times Koscheck has poked opponents in the eye, and the impact it has had on fights cannot be ignored. It had a clear impact on the first round of his fight with Hendricks and something needs to be done before a fighter is able to weaponize the eye poke in the way that Bernard Hopkins has done with the head butt in boxing. Eye damage can have a lasting impact on careers, so perhaps quicker warnings for accidental eye pokes and serious consequences for repeat offenses, including fines, might help discourage the open lead hand to the face.
I respect anyone, to a certain degree, who is willing to step into a cage, but Alan Belcher earned a whole new level of respect from me last night. He showed had no fear of Rousimar Palhares' leg lock game. Not only did Belcher survive the leg locks, he attacked it and eventually ended up on top. Palhares faded badly towards the end of the round, which isn't shocking and something we've seen in past fights. I don't think this exposes anything about Palhares we haven't known. If you survive the early leg lock assault, you can start to go to work against Toquinho. That said, Palhares' leg locking ability will mean he is never out of a fight and is still a very dangerous fighter moving froward.
Fans were treated to some great grappling on this card. High points included Nate Diaz working a Marcleo-tine on Jim Miller, and Belcher working an excellent leg lock defense with classic escapes, a wrestling style guillotine, and even some 50/50 guard. It was fantastic to see high level grappling taking place on Fox, and it was a lot of fun to watch as a fan.
Lavar Johnson and Pat Barry delivered the rock-em, sock-em action that was expected of them. In the end Barry was trapped on the fence and made no real effort to escape the position, as Johnson just unloaded heavy shots. This loss puts Pat Barry at 4-5 in his UFC career, and it is very possible the UFC will let him go at this point.
John Hathaway got a much needed win. While just 24 years-old, and with a 16-1 record, his struggles with Mike Pyle and Kris McCray have tempered expectations since his win over Diego Sanchez. Hathaway still has skills, and with his youth could develop into a solid welterweight, but this was not an easy victory for Hathaway, and it will be interesting to see who the UFC gives him next.
The Flyweight division got its second set of UFC fights last night, and the division continues to be exciting. Louis Gaudinot stopped hot prospect John Lineker, and John Dodson got a competitive win over Tim Elliot. It will be some time before we get a clear hierarchy at Flyweight, but it seems clear that the UFC intends Dodson to be the first challenger for the Flyweight title after the tournament is concluded, as he has an extremely marketable personality.
The Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto fight was a very entertaining match, and the most fun I've had watching boxing in a while.
Bellator also had a good card. Bryan Baker looked excellent against a very game Ben Saunders, and Michael Chandler blew the doors off a shopworn Akihiro Gono.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, fox, eye
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowLeo Krishna is Leading the New Generation of Indonesian Mixed Martial Artists
MMA in Indonesia has a long history, perhaps more so than any other country in South East Asia with the possible exception of the Philippines. There have been well over 50 MMA events held there in the last ten years but this figure does not tell the entire story.
TPIFC was the Indonesian equivalent of the URCC and put on televised cards almost every other month but unfortunately concerns about the brutality of the sport led to its demise in 2004 leaving a vacuum which has never satisfactorily been filled.
Despite the lack of competitive opportunities Indonesian fighters have continued to practise the elements of MMA, in particular BJJ which black belt Niko Han has done much to develop with his chain of Synergy schools.
The most successful fighter in the country, Fransino Tirta, has only fought four times in the last seven years despite having a world class record. However opportunities are starting to arise with ONE FC, Asia's most prestigious MMA promotion, electing to hold its second ever card in Indonesia in a show which was witnessed by 4,500 people and featured a handful of homegrown fighters.
Legend FC looked to capitalize on this momentum by putting on a card of their own in Jakarta in March but things did not go according to plan and it was moved to Hong Kong at the last minute. At least there are now international organizations taking an interest in Indonesian fighters which gives aspiring mixed martial artists an incentive to train that they might not have had in the past.
Leading the way is 24 year old Leo Krishna, a BJJ blue belt who is a veteran of numerous grappling competitions and has a perfect MMA record both at an amateur and professional level, with all his wins coming by way of submission.
He trains alongside Tirta at Synergy Jiu Jitsu and is hoping to make his international debut for ONE FC later this year,
"I used to only train BJJ and MMA just for a hobby, I never thought that I would get offer from ONE FC to become one the professional fighter but to become a successful professional MMA fighter I need to change everything to the whole different level."
This process is already underway and Krishna proved his potential by submitting three separate opponents to win the Syena MMA Welterweight Championship last year. Although the event was on a very small scale he showed the type of potential which could make him a future star of Indonesian MMA and you can see the final below:
Syena MMA Welterweight Championship June 11, 2011 (via fightentiger)
"I was very happy to win and I think that winning the SYENA MMA is a good way to start my MMA career. It's difficult for Indonesian MMA fighters because you can't improve more if you just training and sparring with your training partner you need to fight regularly so you have more experience and are ready to fight in the bigger event when you will be against a better opponent."
Krishna got to witness first hand a big event when he was cageside for ONE FC ' Battle of Heroes' at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta.
"I was there to watch the show live, it was spectacular and I think events like this will also boost the spirit of Indonesian fighters to have a successful career in MMA and there will be more successful Indonesian fighters."
Although so far he has only had a handful of actual fights Krishna is constantly training and improving and preparing himself for the moment he gets a chance to make his ONE FC debut,
"I start learning Aikido when I was 5 years old with my Father as my Sensei. I learn martial arts because I want to but maybe it's in my blood! Now I train six days a week and two or three times a day. with my students and my coach Fransino Tirta."
The Syena MMA Championship took place almost a year ago and Krishna, who could have improved considerably since then, will have benefited from the experience of fighting three times in just over a month with the qualifier an amateur fight and the semi final and final both under full pro rules.
Krishna wants to drop down to 155 lbs and on the basis of his performances last year he looks more than ready to try his luck in ONE FC's lightweight division but he prefers to take a patient approach,
"I was very happy to get the One FC contract but I also have a little bit of pressure because my life style and my training programs must change and become very serious. I need to train like a pro, it's not just a hobby anymore and I won't fight until my coaches (Fransino Tirta and Niko Han) think I'm ready, maybe end of this year or next year."
MMA is growing at a phenomenal rate in Asia and much of this impetus can be attributed to the rapid growth of ONE FC which has formed a network of numerous camps and promotions including Krishna's camp, Synergy Jiu Jitsu.
New events, camps and websites seem to be springing up almost every week but with so much excitement surrounding Asian MMA some fighters are rushing to grab the sort of opportunities which weren't around 12 months ago.
In a sport which puts so much emphasis on maintaining a positive record this can be counter productive and it is good to see Krishna and his team taking a more patient approach. As the cream of the current crop of young Indonesian mixed martial artists he looks set for a long and prosperous professional career in MMA and with every passing month he becomes a more dangerous fighter.
In the past great Indonesian fighters have somehow slipped under the radar unable to achieve international exposure or earn enough to make a living out of MMA. Slowly but surely that situation is changing and Krishna could be one of the first young fighters to capitalize.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: mma, fighter, year, indonesian, krishna
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on FOX 3 Day After: Third Time Is the Charm
E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- UFC president Dana White still gets miffed if you try to suggest the first two UFC on FOX events were anything other masterpieces. He was at it again at the UFC on FOX 3 postfight press conference Saturday night, sending out zingers when asked to compare the event at the Izod Center to the previous two cards.
"On the previous FOX cards, I know people were [expletive] about it, they've got nothing to [expletive] about," said White. "It's free, and they were great fights, so shut up."
Regardless of what you might have thought of the first two events, there's no disputing the UFC hit an artistic home run in their third live network television event.
The matches were designed, stylistically, to produce maximum action. But they also weren't just haphazardly thrown together for sake of a thrillfest.
Each main-card bout had significance in its division: Nate Diaz-Jim Miller was there to put someone on the short list for a title shot; Josh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks was a classic "cagey veteran vs. up-and-coming star" meeting; Alan Belcher-Rousimar Palhares had major middleweight ramifications; and Pat Barry-Lavar Johnson ... OK, that one was probably put together simply for the sake of a thrillfest. But it still served to boost Johnson's profile as a heavyweight on the rise.
According the the overnight ratings, the event drew an average of 2.25 million viewers, down from the first two FOX cards. But regardless of the numbers, there's no doubt that with the third event, the UFC got the format down pat, and the fighters delivered the goods.
"You know, when you put on live fights or live sporting events, you never know how the fight is going to go," said White. "Tonight was one of those nights when, if you looked at the card, you knew the fights were going to be exciting, and these guys delivered."
UFC on FOX 3 Notes
*Excuse me for stating the obvious, but how gutsy was Belcher's performance in defeating Palhares? Not only did Belcher escape the sort of deep leg lock that has sent previous opponents home on crutches, but after escaping, rather than try to get back to his feet, he stayed in the danger zone and put Palhares out.
"My game plan was to stay out of a grappling situation and stay safe," said Belcher. "I did the best with what was given to me. I was forced to get into a grappling situation, I messed up a little bit and I was in a leglock, but I got out and I just went with what was there."
That's the sort of fortitude that makes future champions. At this stage, Belcher should be no more than one win away from a crack at the gold.
*I'm coming around on the notion Nate Diaz deserves a lightweight title shot ahead of Anthony Pettis. Yes, Pettis owns a win over champion Ben Henderson. But title shots are based on who most deserves it now. Pettis' past three fights include a loss to Clay Guida and a split decision over Jeremy Stephens. Diaz, since going down to lightweight, has dominated an aging Takanori Gomi, derailed the runaway Donald Cerrone hype train, and defied conventional wisdom by manhandling Jim Miller in front of his hometown crowd. If you're looking at who most deserves a title shot at 155 pounds as of May 6, 2012, and not based on what happened in 2010, Diaz simply has a stronger case.
*Speaking of Diaz, he's closing in on Chris Lytle's UFC record of 10 postfight awards. His submission of the night against was his ninth bonus: he has four subs of the night and five best fights.
UFC on FOX 3 Quotes
"They're both tough fighters. I feel very blessed just to be in the same Octagon as them." -- Johny Hendricks, on what it's like to defeat both Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, a feat only equalled by Georges St. Pierre
"I don't think I can compete with these guys at 135, especially at the highest level. Some of them in the cage are 165, 170, it's like I'm fighting a welterweight. I never thought I'd be in the UFC, this is crazy, this is surreal, juts sitting at this press conference." -- Louis Gaudinot on life in the UFC flyweight division.
Good Call
To referee Kevin Mulhall, who called Koscheck vs. Hendricks. Several times over the course of the fight, the action slowed as the fighters clinched, usually with Hendricks pinning Koscheck along the fence. Mulhall put on a clinic in how to handle these situations which aspiring officials should follow: He gave both fighters ample time to make something happen, but as soon as it became crystal-clear there was a stalemate, he re-set the fighters in the middle of the cage. Mulhall's sense of judgment on when to pull the trigger was key to keeping Koscheck-Hendricks an intriguing, back-and-forth fight.
Bad Call
You know what? There really wasn't anything that happened over the course of the night that you could flat-out call a bad call, so I'm not going to name a bad call of the night just for the sake of having one. There were no bad stoppages, no bad restarts, and no judging robberies. The closest thing to a controversy was the Koscheck-Hendricks decision. I personally had Koscheck winning rounds one and three, the latter via a slim margin. But the fight was close enough that I can't complain about Hendricks getting the nod, or much of anything else. And nor should you, because we don't have nearly enough nights like this in mixed martial arts.
Stock Up
Louis Gaudinot and John Dodson. In case the first round of the UFC flyweight title tourney wasn't enough of an indicator, Gaudinot and Dodson proved once again that the time is right for a 125-pound weight class. Both fighters were gutsy but undersized bantamweights competing on The Ultimate Fighter 14. Both fighters impressed at flyweight Saturday night: Gaudinot in rallying for a submission win over John Linkeker in the Fight of the Night, and Dodson for toughing out a broken hand in a unanimous decision win over Tim Elliott. Both the winners and losers in these fights proved there's plenty of depth at 125 pounds.
Stock Down
Pat Barry. Look, everyone loves Pat Barry, and for good reason: He's a funny, engaging, gregarious guy. But he's also pretty clearly regressing as a fighter, and he's taking a lot of damage from guys who are in some cases significantly larger. If Barry's serious about progressing as a fighter, it might be in his best interest to cut him from the UFC and let him work his way back against lesser competition.
Fight I want to see next
Lavar Johnson vs. Shane Carwin. After watching the slugfest between Johnson and Barry, the first thought that popped into my head was that it would be great to see "Big" and Mark Hunt exchange haymakers. And while the inner lover of pure violence deep down inside me would still love to see that one, realistically, it's time to find out where Johnson stands in the heavyweight division. His fights with Barry and Joey Beltran before him showed Johnson's more than capable of holding his own against fellow sluggers. Now it's time to see how he fares against fighters with more tools in their kit. Of course, Carwin has heavy hands as well, but he also has a wrestling base like no fighter Johnson has faced. And a fighter on the upswing like Johnson would make for a good first fight back for Carwin after back surgery and coming off consecutive losses. Carwin-Johnson seems a win-win proposition.
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fighter, johnson
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseSlew Of Fighters Handed Medical Suspensions Following UFC On FOX 3
A total of 10 fighters from Saturday night’s UFC on FOX: Diaz vs. Miller card were handed indefinite suspensions by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board. In all, 14 fighters from the event were given a suspension of some kind. Co-main event fighters Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck were each handed indefinite suspensions following [...]
Posted in: fighter, josh koscheck, suspension, jersey state, control board
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDo they only allow ignorant idiots in to see the fight in person?
During all of the fights tonight, all I hear from the crowd is boos whenever the fighters are on the ground/doing anything other than throwing wild punches. Is it the audio editing by the production or is the crowd really that bad. Usually crowds wait until a significantly boring stretch to boo. submitted by legit_panda [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: fight, fighter, crowd, grounddoing anything, editing
Read the full article at RedditThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode 9 Recap: The Quarterfinals Are Set
The quarterfinals are set following the ninth episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live.
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Posted in: fighter, episode, quarterfinal, bull, stumbleupon
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 episode 9 post-fight power rankings
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) kept the good times rolling, as The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 episode nine took place last night (May 4, 2012). In the episode, the preliminary match up round concluded with a bout between "Team Cruz's" Mike Rio and "Team Faber's" Andy Ogle.
The match up pitted two of the lesser known fighters on the show, as well as the two gentlemen who have toiled at or near the bottom of our power rankings all season long.
Based on the rankings and some of the behavior we've witnessed from both fighters this season, the viewers may have been justified in assuming that this fight would leave something to be desired as far as fireworks.
That prediction would be incorrect, however, as Ogle proved that he's more than just the cast member most likely to be mistaken for a hobbit or a melancholy leprechaun. He's got some real power in his hands, and now Rio can testify to that first hand.
After the jump, we'll talk more about episode nine, as well as the up-to-date TUF 15 power rankings:
In this week's episode, fans got to witness the seasonal "Coaches Challenge," as coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber went toe-to-toe in an obstacle course that included some fitness challenges, as well as the firing of explosive weapons.
After getting out to an early lead, Cruz got hung up on the grenade launcher leg of the race, when he had quite a bit of trouble hitting his second target. The slip up was all Faber needed to take the lead and never look back.
The victory gave Faber and his team the opportunity to not just enjoy a few extra bucks, but also to rub it in and celebrate as ungraciously as possible. Par for the course, really.
After nine wild episodes of TUF 15, we're finally down to the final eight. Here's how I have the fighters currently ranked:
(Note: The numbers in parenthesis indicate each fighter's ranking from the previous week.)
1) Justin Lawrence (1)2) Al Iaquinta (2)3) Joe Proctor (3)4) James Vick (4)5) Michael Chiesa (5)6) Vinc Pichel (6)7) Chris Saunders (7)8) Andy Ogle (9)
Mike Rio (RIP)
The first two quarterfinal match ups were announced, as UFC President Dana White that the following bouts would be taking place next week in episode 10:
Joe Proctor vs. James Vick
Justin Lawrence vs. Michael Chiesa
It should make for a very interesting night of fights as the competition continues to build to a crescendo of violence. Make sure to tune in next week and catch MMAmania.com's LIVE coverage of TUF 15 episode 10.
If you weren't able to catch all the LIVE action, no worries. Read a complete recap of TUF 15: "Live" Episode 9 right here.
Posted in: fighter, week, tuf, episode, ranking
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFloyd Mayweather vs Miguel Cotto Preview Round Up
Boxing's biggest star Floyd Mayweather faces off against Miguel Cotto tonight on the HBO pay-per-view boxing event of the young year. "Money" Mayweather is, of course, the undefeated, undisputed pay-per-view champion of the sport and Cotto is no slouch himself.
Mayweather and Cotto are fighting for Cotto's Super Welterweight (154 pound) belt in Las Vegas, Nevada's MGM Grand Garden Arena. They are headlining one of the more stacked boxing PPV cards of recent years as Saul Alvarez faces Shane Mosley in the co-main event.
More Mayweather-Cotto Coverage From SBNBad Left Hook | SB Nation | MMA Mania | Bloody Elbow
Bloody Elbow's own Brent Brookhouse is covering the fight for SBNation and here's some of his insight:
At 35-years-old, Mayweather isn't quite as fleet of foot as he once was but remains as dedicated to his training as ever. He has traded footwork for increased shoulder-rolls and an improved willingness to stand (still nearly impossible to hit clearly) in front of his foe, picking the perfect spot to unleash his straight right hand. Floyd utilizes that weapon the way a 14 year-old abuses a broken, unstoppable play on the latest edition of the Madden franchise. His opponents know the punch will come, they prepare for it, but it happens and it lands with such speed as to leave his foe unable to respond with a return shot.
The unstoppable simplicity of his offense (Floyd doesn't really dabble in elaborate combinations) combined with the brilliant subtle complexities of his defense set him apart from not only his contemporaries, but practically every human being to ever set foot in a boxing ring. Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo (twice), Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley are just some of the elite names to have stepped in the ring with Floyd only to end up another number on Mayweather's record.
Standing across from Floyd, looking to avoid becoming "43," is Miguel Cotto. The latest in a long line of great Puerto Rican fighters, Cotto has a resume that would be looked at as fairly incredible against any other opponent. Winning titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and now sitting alone atop the junior middleweight division, Cotto has been one of the most successful boxers of his era. The holder of a 37-2 record, one of his losses is questionable at best, a crushing TKO loss to Antonio Margarito who was discovered to be loading his gloves against Shane Mosley and the other was to a once-in-a-lifetime type of fighter in Manny Pacquiao, at a catchweight.
We'll hear from Bad Left Hook's Scott Christ and MMA Mania's Luke Nelson after the jump..
Here's Scott Christ from Bad Left Hook:
Miguel Cotto's best wins have come over the likes of Shane Mosley (when he still had it), Margarito in the rematch, Zab Judah, top junior welterweights like Ricardo Torres and Paulie Malignaggi. He's had a terrific career. If I had a vote for the Hall of Fame, he'd have been stamped a while back. When you add it all up -- Cotto's wins, his valiant losses against top opponents, his willingness to face the best, his titles in three divisions, his popularity, and his character -- you have what I consider a Hall of Fame fighter. A guy who deserves to be immortalized.
Mayweather is another story. When you think Floyd Mayweather, you could say "Money" is the first thing that comes to mind, but that's unfair since it's a (self-appointed and later earned) nickname. For me, I think of words like "winning," and "greatness," even "genius." Mayweather is such a brilliant tactician in the ring, always so well-prepared, so ready for anything that comes his way, and so calm, cool, and confident between the bells, that I see him as playing a different game than anyone else has in his generation, even the great Manny Pacquiao. There is an aura to Mayweather that nobody else has, and part of it is that he's never been defeated, and really has only had one debatable fight in his 16-year professional boxing career.
This is a man who has personified excellence in the ring over his time in the sport. He's won titles from super featherweight to junior middleweight, and despite some complaints about his level of opposition, he has faced great fighters, top fighters, at-the-time elite fighters, and he has beaten them all. From Genaro Hernandez to Victor Ortiz, with the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, and Ricky Hatton in between, Mayweather has earned his place in rare air. He may have no true peers in the sport as stands today.
Luke Nelson has a nice write-up at MMA Mania as well:
(Mayweather) won his first world championship at 130 pounds in 1998 and since then, he has won four more world championships at 135 pounds, 140 pounds, 147 pounds and 154 pounds. He's beaten such great fighters as Oscar De La Hoya, Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley.
...
(Cotto's) professional record stands at 37-2, with his only two losses coming to Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito. The loss to Margarito was marred by a loaded hand-wraps controversy and when the two men met in a highly anticipated rematch, Cotto stopped Margarito in the tenth round, avenging his honor and giving even more credence to the theory that Margarito was only able to beat him because of the hardened plaster he placed in his gloves.
Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more coverage of tonight's big boxing bout.
Posted in: mayweather, fighter, floyd, cotto, shane mosley
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 episode 9 results recap from last night (May 4) on FX
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was back on cable television last night (Fri., May 4, 2012) with episode nine of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 "Live" on FX.
And after nine grueling and sometimes terribly difficult to watch episodes, we've finally whittled the competition down to eight.
That's because the final elimination fight of the season took place last night with Andy Ogle and Mike Rio meeting in the center of the Octagon to decide who advanced to the quarterfinals. After almost two full rounds of what looked to be a stalemate, Ogle wore his opponent down by getting on his bicycle and gassing him out.
Which made it all too easy to lock on the fight ending rear-naked choke. And to think, Rio had a shot on the scorecards if he could have held out for just 40 more seconds.
Alas, it was not to be, despite the fact that Rio was a heavy favorite. The knee injury that was played up throughout the season didn't appear to faze him at all, nor did Ogle crack under the pressure as was teased he might.
In the end, we just got 10 minutes of two somewhat talented fighters in a war of attrition that saw the Brit overcome good old fashioned American wrestling. Whoda thunk it?
The rest of the episode was uneventful to say the least. It featured the annual Coaches Challenge, which saw Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz complete an obstacle course with various target shootings to determine who would walk away with $20,000.
Not to mention $1,500 for each member of his team.
The only truly interesting aspect of it was that it mirrored the way the first half of the season has played out. Cruz got out to a quick start and looked as though he would cruise to ultimate victory before Faber came storming back to eventually earn the crown in an extremely tight call.
I wonder if their rubber match on July 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at UFC 148 will play out the same way.
The really big news borne of last night's episode, however, was the end of the elimination fights and the introduction to the quarterfinals round. And thanks to the two fights UFC President Dana White selected, it should be a damn good one next week.
On tap first is Justin Lawrence vs. Michael Chiesa followed by James Vick vs. Joe Proctor. With the promise of two fights like this, next Friday night on FX has turned into a bookmark worthy time.
That's all we've been asking for all along, isn't it?
For complete results and the running live blog of TUF 15, episode nine click here.
Posted in: fight, night, fighter, season, episode
Read the full article at MMA ManiaPat Miletich Not Afraid To Question Judges, Greg Jackson At MFC 33
It's not every announcer that is a former UFC champion. It's not every announcer that coached multiple former UFC champions and even a Hall of Famer. It's not every announcer that built one of the sport's most legendary training camps. It's not every announcer that was one of the first well-round martial artists in the history of the sport with mastery of striking, wrestling and submissions. And it's certainly not every announcer who tells the truth no matter who it might offend.
I'm referring, of course, to Showtime and HDNet announcer Pat Miletich who called tonight's MFC 33: Collision Course on HDNet.
That card featured some skilled and spirited performances by fighters Luke Harris, Adam Lynn, Muaki Moromo, Nathan Coy and Ryan McGillivray. It also featured some remarkably bad judging by the Alberta judges and some very troubling corner-work from one of MMA's biggest names, Greg Jackson.
And Pat Miletich didn't mince words.
When the judges inexplicably gave Muaki Maromo a split-decision win over Adam Lynn, Miletich said it was the worst call he'd ever seen.
And then superstar coach Greg Jackson literally told a fighter "Wake up, wake up" and shoved his face and shoulder to try to get defending champ Ryan McGillivray to snap out of his stupor. The next words out of Jackson's mouth were "You can still win this fight" to the unresponsive fighter and sending him back out for a fourth round against Nathan Coy.
Pat was quick to identify the issue and suggest that the corner throw in the towel rather than send a dazed and bleeding fighter back out there to take more punishment.
Fortunately the ringside doctor stopped the fight and protected an out-on-his-feet McGillvray.
In Jackson's defense, it was a title fight and McGillvray clearly wanted to continue. In fact it was only when the doctor stopped the fight that McGillvray responded to him at all. Nonetheless, a coach needs to keep a close eye on the safety of his fighter and Jackson was clearly aware that McGillvray was out (you don't say "wake up, wake up" and shove someone who's clear eyed and alert) and yet willing to send him back out there.
Miletich also did a stellar job calling the action throughout the event. He ably dissected a slick guillotine choke to mount set up that Luke Harris pulled off to finish UFC veteran Edwin Dewees. Later he explained the subtle nuances of the Lynn vs Moromo bout.
I hope we'll be seeing Pat Miletich calling more MMA for a long time to come.
Posted in: jackson, fighter, miletich, announcer, mcgillvray
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Episode 9 Recap and Live Results
Tune in to Heavy.com for "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Episode 9 recap and coverage, including running updates from tonight's live fight between Mike Rio and Andy Ogle.
Posted in: fighter, episode, recap, mike rio, results tune
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC Ultimate Fighter Live Results & Discussion Thread: Episode Nine
Join Bloody Elbow for live coverage of The Ultimate Fighter Live episode 9 featuring as coaches Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and his UFC 148 challenger Urijah Faber. Tonight's live Lightweight fight pits Cruz' fourth pick Mike Rio against Faber's seventh pick Andy Ogle. The Ultimate Fighter airs live on FX Friday night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Both fighters have 8-1 records as professionals but Ogle at age 22 is eight years younger than the 30 year old Rio. In the elimination round to make the season's cast, Ogle defeated Brendan Weafer by unanimous decision and Rio defeated Ali Maclean by rear naked choke submission.
Rio has been struggling with some knee pain during the season and Ogle has struggled with the rigors of living in the TUF house and the distance from home. We'll see you at 10 p.m. ET for the live discussion of the show.
Related Stories: UFC Ultimate Fighter Live Preview: Mike Rio Vs. Andy Ogle | UFC Ultimate Fighter Live Results & Discussion Thread: Episode Eight
Posted in: ufc, fighter, pm, rio, ogle
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC: Diaz vs. Miller set as fighters make weight
Saturday's UFC Live: Diaz vs. Miller is set to go as all fighters but one made weight Friday at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Posted in: fighter, miller, weight, weight friday, izod center
Read the full article at sportsnet.caFriday Link Club: A Humorous Look At UFC on FOX 3
Comedian Adam Hunter pokes fun at some of the UFC on FOX 3 fighters. Nate Diaz, not Jim Miller, in line for a title-shot with win at UFC on FOX 3 | Five Ounces of Pain Ranking the UFC on FOX 3 Main Card Fighters |
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, miller, jim miller
Read the full article at MMA ConvertTrainer Believes Miller-Diaz Could Be FOX's Version of Griffin-Bonnar I
NEW YORK -- Most trainers hope and pray for a quick win when their fighters step into the arena of combat. Mike Constantino is no different. His ideal scenario would see his AMA Fight Club charge Jim Miller walk into the cage at Saturday's UFC on FOX 3 and knock out opponent Nate Diaz with his first punch. That's what he'd like to see happen. But he's also a bit of a realist, and looking at the way the two main-eventers stack up against each other, he can't help but think the fight could end up going in a completely different direction. That it could result in a five-round war of attrition, the kind of epic fight that audiences talk about for years.
It's been a feeling that's been nagging at him as Miller makes his final preparations for the bout.
"For some odd reason, deep down inside I feel like it’s going to be the second coming of Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar for the masses," he said. "The first wave of the crazy ‘wow’ was Ultimate Fighter. Now you have FOX television, and something is telling me it’s going to be one of those great type of fights.
"It just has all the makings to be one of those fights," he continued. "They’re both hard to submit, they both have good standup, they both have good cardio, teams, coaching, everything. It’s a great fight, so competitively matched up."While it's not necessarily something he wants to see for the sake of his fighter, it would certainly be a welcome development for the UFC, given the reaction to the first two FOX main events. In the first, Junior dos Santos captured the heavyweight title with a KO of Cain Velasquez, but given the relentless leadup to the fight, the 64-second win seemed anticlimactic. Then, in January, Rashad Evans and Phil Davis went to a somewhat uneventful five-round decision.Few other sports are so critically judged on entertainment value, but such is the state of MMA in 2012. Even UFC president Dana White alluded to it a bit when asked about some of the backlash from the two previous FOX main events.
"If this fight sucks, I don't know what to tell you, man," he said.Constantino's reference to Griffin-Bonnar I is practically a sacred one when it comes to the company's history. Back in April 2005, the bout essentially changed the UFC's fortunes forever. At the time, the organization was finishing up the first season of The Ultimate Fighter but had no guarantee of another. Literally minutes after the heart-stopping three-round fight concluded in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White and Spike executives walked outside the Cox Pavilion and hammered out the basic details of an extension that ensured the promotion's survival and ultimately led it to thrive.While concerns around the company's long-term health no longer exist today, the UFC would certainly like to showcase a wide range of MMA skills to a huge audience on free television in an effort to widen its audience base.This week, even Diaz and Miller were bluntly honest in their assessments of each other as a venerable opponent."He’s a very resilient guy," Miller said. "He's dangerous from bell to bell. You can’t sleep on him for a second. I’m definitely going to have to fight on point the whole time and never let him get the upper hand.""There’s all kinds of things that could happen," Diaz added. "He could come in, try to punch his way in and work on the inside. Body locks, takedowns. He could stand there and box with me. I figure he’s got good standup and he hits hard. He’s a good fighter. He can do a lot of different things, but so can I."The even nature of matchup is what has Constantino thinking we could be in for something special on Saturday, even if he hopes he's wrong.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, fox, griffinbonnar i
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC Ultimate Fighter Live Preview: Mike Rio Vs. Andy Ogle
This week marks a big point in this season of UFC The Ultimate Fighter Live. Because tonight's fight brings our opening round to a close with the winner joining the other seven fighters in the quarter-final round. Closing out this round will be Dominick Cruz #4 pick Mike Rio against Urijah Faber #7 pick Andy Ogle. The Ultimate Fighter airs live on FX Friday night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Perhaps it's because they have had a number of weeks, but I feel like both of these men have seen their personalities emerge on camera. Ogle is a tough but cerebral fighter who is struggling with the pressure of TUF and the distance from home. Meanwhile, Rio is the older, more world-weary wrestler who is taking this whole thing in stride. Their personalities form an interesting clash, but how will they match up inside the cage? Let's break it down, with some background and fight footage on each man.
One other note for this week - the UFC announced that this episode will also include the announcement of next week's two quarter-final fights, so look forward to that.
Breakdown of Rio and Ogle, plus fight video and prediction in the full entry.
ANDY OGLE (8-1)5'8" | 22 years old | 71" reachTUF record: def. Brendan Weafer (UD)
At only 22 years old, Ogle is one of the younger fighters in the house. The UK fighter trains at Yasamasu MMA - a small gym that shows his modest start in MMA. A 3 year pro, Ogle lost his 2nd pro fight, but has gone undefeated since. He's fought entirely in the UK and has never faced an opponent of particular note. He is more of a well-rounded fighter as opposed to a specialist, and is capable both on the feet and the ground.
In the prelim round, Ogle honestly did not show much against Weafer. He spent a lot of the fight defending a triangle attempt, and overall, his offense was very limited. Rewatching, I'm not sure I would give him the decision. In the stand-up, Ogle tends to carry himself a bit stiff, with his shoulders too tight. He has a nice inside trip that he uses for takedowns. Once on the mat, he looks more comfortable. I would describe him as primarily a grappler who shows strong submission defense. The only downside to that defense is that he shows it a lot as he has a tendency to get himself into bad positions.
For this fight, Ogle's best bet is to avoid the takedown and keep things standing, trying to outstrike the wrestler Rio.
MIKE RIO (8-1)5'10" | 30 years old | 70" reachTUF record: def. Ali Maclean (Sub)
Miami native Mike "The Wolverine" Rio is a four year veteran. He's put together a solid 8-1 record, with his only loss coming against former TUF champion Efrain Escudero. He was a state champion in wrestling in high school, and that wrestling background forms the basis of his MMA game.
On the feet, Rio's skills are still in development. He has a nice jab, and a good chin, but has some defensive issues. Mainly, he tends to keep his hands out too long after throwing a punch, not bringing them back to protect his chin, which leaves him open. He also brings his head up when getting hit, and against a strong striker, this could cause problems.
But where Rio really shines is on the mat. He has a fast double leg takedown, and once he has control on the ground, he really works for the finish. He's very controlling on the mat, using wrestling to keep his opponent down and move himself into dominant positions. Rio tends to work towards back control, where he will either look to sink in a rear naked choke, bring punches down for the stoppage, or throw his opponent back to the mat if he tries to regain his feet. This is a smart use of wrestling, and Rio is very good at it - once his opponent is down, Rio does not let up and almost inevitably he will get the stoppage.
Against Ogle, I expect him to employ his strategy of choice - trade shots to get Ogle thinking stand-up, then shoot the double, take him down, and work to the finish.
Prediction: Mike Rio, TKO, round 2
Rio may have the best ground game in the competition at this point, and that wrestling is going to be just too good for Ogle. Ogle's a decent grappler, but that tendency to get into bad positions is going to really hurt him here. Look for the Team Cruz fighter to control the ground game until he has a strong enough position to bring down the ground and pound for the stoppage.
Video Footage:
Andy Ogle vs. Phil FlynnSeptember 4, 2010Nice finish from Ogle, who shows good submission technique on the rear naked choke here.
Mike Rio vs. Zach JuusolaOctober 9, 2011Dominant performance here from Rio
Mike Rio vs. John OrtolaniDecember 17, 2011Another great performance from Rio here, using his wrestling to dominate
Mike Rio Wrestling HighlightsSomething a bit different , but worth a look - this is a highlight reel of Rio in amateur wrestling.
Poll
Who will win this week?
Mike Rio
Andy Ogle
2 votes | Results
Posted in: fight, fighter, rio, mike, ogle
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Top 5 Fighters the UFC Needs to Put on FOX
For hardcore fans this weekend marks a live UFC event featuring a pair of tilts with title-contendership potentially on the line, yet when it comes to the fight likely to play the best to average viewers it is the least divisionally relevant rumble in the bunch – Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson. As great as Nate Diaz-Jim Miller and Josh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks are for true MMA enthusiasts, both involve fighters who can certainly stand but are also a risk to take things to the ground and may even stall each other out based on how well-rounded their attacks are. However, the bout between Barry-Johnson is essentially guaranteed to deliver a highlight-reel knockout to the delight of folks who understand pure entertainment rather than polished technique.
Based on that principle, I’ve compiled a list of five fighters the UFC needs to put on FOX next year in hopes of keeping the casual people happy (while hopefully educating them on how amazing the entirety of the sport is rather than the occasionally devastating finish):
UFC on FOX 3 Press Conference Notes
1. Anderson Silva – One of the greatest fighters of all time who has style and substance; an amazing striker with a ton of memorable wins under his belt
2. Jon Jones – Already a proven PPV draw, one of the most unique talents MMA has ever seen and probably the posterboy for years to come
3. Quinton Jackson – Even if he’s on his way out he’s a mainstream draw and there’s always the chance he’ll reconcile with the UFC; even if not his rematch with Mauricio Rua would be perfect given each man’s preference to stand and bang
4. Wanderlei Silva – Not only is he a legend but Silva’s aggressive approach to fighting would make most newcomers moist in the britches, especially if paired against an equally dangerous foe
5. Donald Cerrone/Anthony Pettis – This is a tie since both are similarly stupendous when it comes to putting on exciting fights, plus both would be hits with the female viewership and that can’t hurt ratings
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, highlightreel knockout, weekend marks, talents mma
Read the full article at Fighters.comUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 live results for episode 9 TONIGHT (May 4) on FX
I can't believe we've come so far.
Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) reality television baby The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), is deep into season 15 with eight episodes in the books and and the elimination fights inside the house almost completely done with.
In fact, just one more remains.
Last week's broadcast showcased a hell of a scrap pitting Team Dominick Cruz's Sam Sicilia taking on Team Urijah Faber's Chris Saunders, who was a heavy underdog coming into the bout. No matter, though, he gutted his way to a gritty victory and knocked out one of the early favorites to win the entire competition.
Tonight's show will feature the final quarterfinal match-up between Andy Ogle, who still can't seem to get comfortable in his new digs at the TUF house and Mike Rio, who we know next to nothing about. We'll learn all about both tonight.
Before one of them gets sent packing from the competition.
MMAmania.com has a live blog of all the night's action, starting at 10 p.m. ET, after the jump.
ULTIMATE FIGHTER 15 EPISODE EIGHT RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG:
Geno here. See you tonight, folks.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, episode, fighter tuf, blog geno
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC president to address fighter behavior at upcoming summit
NEW YORK CITY - Concerns recently voiced by UFC sponsor Anheuser-Busch
over the behavior of fighters has prompted Dana White to address the
issue at a fighter summit to take place in the next month.
"Same stuff that all the other organizations go through," White said
following Thursday's pre-UFC on FOX 3 press conference. "NBA, NFL - they
all go through the same thing."
At the heart of White's upcoming talk with fighters: Getting them to use common sense.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc president, thursdays preufc, fighter summit
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMMA isn't safe: Concussions, brain injuries and what can be done about them
Like most people tapped into social media, I get a lot of my breaking news from Twitter. A tweet from CNN or a retweet from another news source usually fills me in on the latest big -- and sometimes inconsequential; looking at you, any headline with the word ‘Kardashian' in it -- story.
Yesterday, the story was Junior Seau's apparent suicide, unfortunately.
When it comes to someone taking their own life, it usually goes one of two ways. Either the signs were there -- depression, financial or personal turmoil -- or the act comes completely out of left field. In Seau's case, it was the latter.
While purely speculation at this point, yesterday's tragedy brings up memories of Dave Duerson's suicide from February 2011. A member of the vaunted 1985 Chicago Bears squad, the former safety also took his life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest.
But unlike Seau, he implored his family before his death to donate his brain to the Boston University School of Medicine almost as if he knew something wasn't right upstairs. They've concluded concussions led to Duerson suffering from a neurodegenerative disease.
Football is a tough -- and dangerous -- sport. Any sport, really, has its share of dangers but a game like football, in which men are constantly crashing into each other with as much force as they can muster trumps just about all the others.
Except for maybe mixed martial arts (MMA).
Proponents can trump the safety measures in the sport all they want, be it the lack of a standing eight count or the mandatory medical suspensions following a knockout. But the fact remains, these men and women are punching, elbowing and kneeing each other in the head and body. And they're doing it as many times as they can to win the fight.
That is the exact opposite of safe.
I'm not calling for a boycott of the sport, obviously. I love it. I spend a large chunk of my time -- perhaps too much -- watching, analyzing, writing and talking about MMA. It's a huge part of my life. And there are some of you who know an equally large amount of time is devoted to professional wrestling. The difference between the two is obvious on the surface but on a personal level, the two are separated by innocence.
In 2007, Chris Benoit murdered his wife and seven-year-old son before taking his own life. Later studies revealed his brain resembled that of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient and he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result from massive brain damage in all four lobes.
Since then, I've been able to enjoy pro wrestling but there's a small pang of guilt knowing I am supporting a business which helped produce such an unspeakable tragedy. And the amount of damage some of these MMA fighters I cheer on can't be all too dissimilar from what Benoit's body and brain went through.
Beyond head injuries, broken bones from submissions wear down on a body. Bones aren't meant to be broken and when they are, it's a shock and trauma to the system. Champions like Tim Sylvia, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mauricio Rua know this all too well. While snapped limbs are the exception rather than the rule, it's always in the realm of possibility.
Imagine a job where violently losing consciousness or have your arm broken in to are not only credible occurances but to be expected depending on who your co-worker is on a certain day. MMA isn't safe, it's the most dangerous sport on the planet.
The simple fact is, a fighter's mind and body are forever and irreversibly changed. It goes beyond what we see inside the cage. Fighters get rocked in practice while preparing for a bout, sit out a few minutes and then hop back in, not wanting to lose precious training time.
Wanderlei Silva has gone on record he spars at full speed and force and has been knocked out more times than any MMA fan has seen inside a ring or cage. That sort of damage takes its toll. You see it in the eyes, seemingly always glassed over, of ex-boxers and fighters and hear it when their mumbled words leave their mouths. Punch drunk isn't just a throwaway term for over the hill fighters, it's often the result of traumatic brain injuries.
When a fighter's journey ends, they are wholly different from the person they were when it began. That doesn't mean it has to be for the worse.
One solution could be mandatory yearly CAT scans to determine any damage and keep track, if any, of its progress. Another would be to encourage and offer psychiatric help to any fighters who might feel they need it. Beyond this, the brass at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) need to be proactive in their support for further research into CTE and other brain trauma issues. They need to be the gold standard in this fledgling industry if they hope to avoid the stigma which is has seeped into boxing and beginning to do so in football.
UFC President Dana White has said plenty of times he has forbidden his young sons from strapping on a helmet and heading onto a football field while championing the safety of the sport he represents.
But MMA isn't all that much safer.
There's an exhilaration from watching two fighters stand opposite one another, everyone knowing only one can leave the cage as the winner. It's beautiful but violent art. And the sooner we accept this, the sooner we stop comparing and contrasting MMA to other sports, the sooner we can actually take steps to help avoid tragedies like Seau's, Duerson's and especially Benoit's.
If I'm lucky enough to still be covering this sport I love so much in 10 or 15 years, I don't want to write this story about Chuck Liddell, Jens Pulver, Rory MacDonald, Alexander Gustafsson or anyone else I've enjoyed fight over the years.
Posted in: mma, time, fighter, sport, brain
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAmateur Fighter in TN admits to taking a dive
submitted by Umbra29 [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, dive, amateur fighter, umbra, tn
Read the full article at RedditDana White Would Like to See More Ex-Fighters Become Officials
NEW YORK -- Former UFC, PRIDE and Pancrase fighter Ricardo Almeida will make his major-event debut as a judge at Saturday night's UFC on FOX 3 card at the Izod Center in E. Rutherford, N.J.
And UFC president Dana White hopes Almeida will start a trend.
Speaking to reporters Thursday at the Beacon Theatre on Manhattan's Upper West Side, the UFC boss said that having those who have experienced what it's like to be in a fight would be ideally suited to take MMA officiating to the next level.
"I would like to see the fighters ref and judge," said White. "It makes all the sense in the world."
He used the man he considers the best referee in the business, Herb Dean, as an example. Dean has several pro MMA fights to his credit.
"The guy trains, he knows the sport," White said. "You see guys out there like [Steve] Mazzagatti, he's sitting there, he's thinking, ‘I gotta get some milk and eggs after the fight.' I don't know what the [expletive] this guy's looking at, what he's thinking. Meanwhile this fighter's getting elbows dropped on his [expletive] head for 2 1/2 minutes, the fight should have been stopped 2 1/2 minutes ago. Herb Dean knows what its like to have an elbow dropped on your head."
There would, of course, be potential conflict-of-interest issues to deal with when former fighters become officials. Almeida, who is slated to judge the Josh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks co-feature bout Saturday, won't be judging any fighters with whom he trains, for example. But as far as White is concerned, the positives of involving former fighters outweigh such potential negatives.
"This isn't like other sports," said White. "You have a bad call in a baseball game and they have 100 more games left. You make a bad call in this sport and it affects his entire career."
Posted in: ufc, fight, guy, fighter, dean
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseWant To Fix Lay And Pray? Legalize Upkicks To A Downed Opponent
In 2009, the last significant changes to the Association of Boxing Committees unified rules for mixed martial arts were made. Roughly three years later, the changes have stuck and none seem to be forthcoming in the near future. At this point, it is safe to say that the rules for MMA have coalesced into something truly stable at this point.
However, "stable" does not mean "best" or even "pretty good". As the staff here at Bloody Elbow has noted before, there is much room for the improvement of the scoring/judging criteria, yet the idea of tweaking the rules delineating the parameters of the actual combat has not been discussed much.
As the resident wing nut* on staff, I believe that I have come up with one rule change I would love to see implemented in MMA: allow upkicks to a downed opponent. In my mind, this solves many problems by allowing greater offense for both the fighter on his or her back and greater opportunities to pass the guard for the fighter on top. The uptick in opportunities to lash out with damaging blows and to advance position would thereby ease the difficulty of judging and vastly increase the difficulty of "lay and pray" fighters actually eking out wins with their tactics.
* See my recent Staff Picks choosing Rashad Evans over Jon Jones and Thiago Silva over Alexander Gustaffson.
After the jump, the case for upkicks is made with many words and several pictures/GIFs.
Brian Davidson lands a glancing upkick on Jens Pulver at Titan Fighting Championship 18.
Photo via Sherdog.com.
The current ABC rules for MMA deem upkicks to a grounded opponent as a foul:
16. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
A grounded opponent is any fighter who has more than just the soles of their feet on the ground. (i.e. could have one shin or one finger down to be considered a downed fighter) If the referee determines that a fighter would be a grounded fighter but is not solely because the ring ropes or cage fence has held fighter from the ground, the referee can instruct the combatants that he is treating the fighter held up solely by the cage or ropes as a grounded fighter
This should not be so. A fighter who completes a takedown upon the other is already wary of elbow strikes, submissions and the squirming escape attempts of the other fighter. Adding in upkicks would not impose an unreasonable burden of caution upon the top fighter.
In addition to the upkicks not being a feather upon an overladen camel's back, they would decrease the ability of the top fighter to stall out and allow the bottom fighter to use far more offensive tactics. Recall the fury with which Diego Sanchez unleashed elbows upon Clay Guida and imagine if he had upkicks to push Guida up off him or even deliver significant blows to Guida by that avenue. I believe that if a fighter like Demian Maia had the ability to threaten upkicks, triangles attempts and omoplata attempts would be far, far more common and perhaps even finished. This could make fights like the one Maia fought against Chris Weidman or the bout between Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem more exciting than the dull, plodding shambles they were. A fighter who does not want to engage on the ground will back out of there much faster - and the fight stood back up much quicker - if upkicks are allowed.
Gegard Mousasi throws an upkick against Jacare Souza at DREAM 6. Photo for Sherdog.
While the offensive opportunities for the bottom fighter increase, the same happens for the top fighter. The close proximity to the opponent leaves the top fighter in excellent position to anticipate the upkick and even counter it by snatching the thigh and going into a leg drag pass of the guard. Furthermore, the head of the top fighter is not constrained by any canvas or mat and can freely move around while being struck. It is not necessarily a given that an upkick that connects will knock out or even faze the other fighter. Not all upkicks are the same as those delivered by Gegard Mousasi (on Ronaldo Souza) or Renzo Gracie (on Oleg Taktarov).
Many of the dedicated fans may recall the famous "victory" Yushin Okami holds over Anderson Silva from their fight at Rumble On The Rock 8 in 2006. As the GIF to the left shows, Anderson actually knocked Okami silly with an upkick and was subsequently disqualified for the illegal, although mightily effective, blow. The power of upkicks is considerable, yet may be overstated if only a few spectacular examples are considered. An upkick can be recognized and even nullified by a smart opponent.
Earlier in the fight, Okami actually had a great position that warded off upkicks and set him up to potentially reap the rewards of advancing position or implementing his own offense upon Anderson.
Anderson Silva fends off a guard pass attempt from Yushin Okami. Photo by Jeff Sherwood for Sherdog.
Look at Okami's positioning. He has placed his head out of danger of upkicks, has the posture to avoid a triangle and is threatening to advance position - and avoid further strikes - by passing the guard into side control. Okami wanted to shove the leg up towards the chest of Anderson and possibly grab the farside shoulder to increase the pressure. Anderson was able to fend Yushin off in this instance, but in the hypothetical future, many fighters should be able to implement a leg drag-style pass and threaten to take the back or establish dominant side control. This is the implementation of offense that we fight fans should be encouraging.
The following video shows exactly what I envisioned Okami and other future fighters doing to a fighter who misses an upkick:
The leg drag pass is one of the favorite passes for Brazilian jiu jitsu or submission grapplers on the elite level right now in and out of the gi, yet it is rarely seen in MMA despite its effectiveness and versatility. This is partly due to the "newness" of the pass and partly due to there being little incentive to work a guard pass or an open guard. As the video shows, the half guard will actually take a bit of a hit in terms of its effectiveness, if my vision is true to the consequences of this proposed reality. I have little to no problems with that as well.
This is a proposed rule change and will likely start controversies about the danger or likelihood of head trauma. I reiterate that I would not support a rule change allowing soccer kicks, stomps to the head or knees to the head of an opponent on his or her back/side. The immobility of the head of the person being struck is greatly diminished in those situations, while the mobility of the head of a person being upkicked is not limited by the canvas or mat. The goal here is to make a small rule change that could have great ramifications in terms of improving fights from a technical and entertainment point of view and from a scoring and judging point of view.
Am I truly an irredeemable wing nut here?
Posted in: fighter, opponent, head, rule, upkick
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFighters Demand Personal Responsibility In Wake of Anheuser-Busch Warning to UFC
NEW YORK -- The glare of the spotlight is getting brighter on both the UFC and its fighters. After years of little scrutiny from the major media or activist organizations, newly earned attention has brought consequences to both the promotion and its athletes.Just last week, major sponsor Anheuser-Busch issued a statement warning the UFC it would take action against the promotion if it could not halt offensive statements made by its fighters. The UFC responded with a statement saying they would mandate sensitivity training for its athletes. While that future change is still in the offing, several UFC fighters who spoke with MMA Fighting said that public conduct and language is mainly an issue of common sense, simple respect and personal accountability.
"I can't speak for anyone but myself, but the way I think it should be is to carry yourself with the most professional type of attitude and spirit as possible," said middleweight Alan Belcher, who is facing Rousimar Palhares at Saturday's UFC on FOX 3. "I think that there's a lot of people that look up to all these guys. A lot of kids, obviously. At the same time, we've come a long ways. It's the fighters that helped that. If everyone works together, we can have the kind of image we need to have. Or it can go bad real fast. "Personally, it makes me mad when I see people acting dumb," he continued. "If you're a jerk, you don't have to show your true side all the time. If it makes you look bad, it makes all of us look bad. I don't want to meet someone in the grocery store and say I'm a UFC fighter, and have one of these other jerks make that bad impression on them before I ever meet them. It makes me look bad, my family, my business, everything."In Belcher's opinion, it's not necessarily that the sport is dotted by a few jerks here or there, it's that there are simply some fighters trying to gain attention for themselves but going about it the wrong way. It's a slippery slope, he acknowledged, as fighters try to toe the line of staying in touch with fans and building that base without going too far.Several issues have played out over social media, including tweets from Miguel Torres and Forrest Griffin, the first of which led to Torres' brief firing before he was brought back. While some fighters like Belcher use Twitter for personal causes -- in his case, he espouses the charitable organization March of Dimes -- heavyweight Pat Barry says there is overwhelming negativity on outlets like Twitter. "I get negative feedback when I win," Barry said. "I had a one-second knockout. My second MMA fight is a one-second knockout. The ref said, 'fight,' I threw a high kick, knocked the guy out before the clock even came on the screen, and people went on the internet and said I have a stupid haircut. People are going to be negative no matter what, even when I win."Of course, that can be a sensitive area for fighters who pride themselves on their work, only to see it reduced to a 140-or-less word insult. Lightweight Jim Miller notes that because MMA has not been in the mainstream nearly as long as established sports like football and baseball, its athletes may not be as refined across the board. While he personally tries to carry himself in a way that is an example to his children, he realizes there are others out there who grew up with the belief that MMA is a counter-culture sport, making it acceptable for fighters to have extreme views, and sometimes even offensive ones."If guys are still carrying that over, with the mainstream, FOX and all that stuff, this is the time to change it," he said. "We're in the public eye more, in a lot more houses. I personally want to be treated as a world-class athlete. That's what I want. The fact that I get inside a cage and punch somebody in the face, and get punched in the face, bleed and all this stuff? It doesn't matter. That's just my craft. We've had the pressure in the past to be sometimes a little bit absurd just to get attention, but hopefully that shifts. We need some time to make the changes."Heavyweight Lavar Johnson points to the personality types driven to fight professionally as the root cause of some of the issues that led to Anheuser-Busch warning the UFC about fighter behavior."If you hang out around them long enough, you'll see there are some wild characters, some jokers," he said. "To get in the cage is crazy enough as it is. Two grown-ass men fighting in a cage, you have to admit, is a little bit crazy. Some of these guys have screws loose."But the bottom line, all of them agreed, is that each fighter has to be responsible both to himself and the sport. As it spreads and the audience grows, the athletes must mature, too."As a professional, you do have the responsibility to conduct yourself as that, and to be a role model," Johnson said. "Even if different people have different senses of humor or different views on the world, or even if this stuff is meant to be a joke and not to offend someone, they just have to watch what they say."
Posted in: ufc, guy, fighter, sport, people
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFREE $100 UFC On Fox 3 Kountermove Fantasy Tournament For Bloody Elbow Readers
The time is almost upon us for another Saturday night filled with UFC fights, and my good buddies at Kountermove have once again been generous to Bloody Elbow readers with another FREE cash tourney. $100 is up for grabs again, so get in quick. I've heard rumors and whispers that if the response is good, they'll keep giving us these awesome freebies.
Here's a pretty good description of the way you play Kountermove's games and tourneys:
Players use a $25,000 artificial salary cap to draft 5 fighters from the card before each event begins. Eachfighter has a salary designated by Kountermove -- salaries range from $3,000 to $8,000. The winners are determined based on how the fight plays out rather than simply a fight's outcome (pick'em format). Kountermove calculates a fighter's fantasy score based on the number of strikes, takedowns, submissions, dominant positions, and rounds won. Scoring data from the fights flows into the site in near real-time, so players can monitor their teams as the event happens. The data used in calculating a fighter's score is provided by UFC's official stats provider, FightMetric.
The site was started with the idea that MMA in general must market "up and coming" fighters to become a truly mainstream sport. "There are many great fighters out there that no one knows about because so much of marketing in MMA is geared toward the top fighters" said Aaron Ard, a co-founder of Kountermove.com, "we wanted to create a game that would create interest and engagement in preliminary fights as well as the headliners." Statistics are bearing this out; over 85% of Kountermove players' teams have at least one fighter competing on the preliminary card. No Kountermove player has won a major tournament without a preliminary card fighter on their team.
I've just wrapped up my regular event breakdown with Kountermove co-creator, Aaron Ard, where he pretty much gives you his locks on the "money picks' which can be found here. Good luck BElitists!
Click here to enter into the Bloody Elbow Cash Tourney
Disclaimer: Kountermove is not an advertiser on Bloody Elbow, nor are we being paid to advertise the contest. They offered to provide Bloody Elbow readers with the free tournament and are fully responsible for the contest and any associated prize payouts.
Posted in: fight, fighter, elbow, kountermove, elbow readers
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowLast call: UFC on FOX 3 lightweight Danny Castillo interview exclusive with MMAmania.com
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight Danny Castillo doesn't care that he hasn't gained much recognition among a majority of mixed martial arts (MMA) fans ... at least not yet.
The Team Alpha Male fighter impressively went 3-1 in 2011, stepping up three times on short notice and bringing home the bacon each outing. The 32-year-old is always ready to fight. Just like the Boy Scouts, he's prepared to step up at any moment.
"Last Call" changed things up in preparation for his upcoming fight with John Cholish this Saturday night (May 5, 2012), training all around Las Vegas, Nevada, while his team of trainers worked on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter Live with his teammate Urijah Faber.
And he feels he's much better off for it.
Castillo will fight on the UFC on Fox 3 "Prelims" card in Cholish's back yard of East Rutherford, N.J., but he's never been more confident in himself. He spoke with MMAmania.com about his long term MMA goals, being away from his family for this training camp and his one unique pre-fight destination in this exclusive interview.
Check it out:
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You had one of the quietest 3-1 years in the UFC I've ever seen. Your 2011 was solid so how do you feel coming into 2012? You haven't got much recognition.
Danny Castillo: Yeah, I get that too. That's the farthest thing from my eyes as of late. It's been like that my whole career. I was pretty close to a title shot and you probably never even heard of me as a lightweight in the WEC and then now. I don't know man. I just try to listen to all the positives. I think a lot of people didn't take notice because I took a lot of fights on short notice. There wasn't a whole lot of media behind it. I fought two fights in the UFC in 50 days which is pretty much unheard of. It's good for me in a sense that my hard work is something I take recognition of. I'm not worried too much about what other people are thinking or understanding.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Well you have mentioned before that you've felt a little disrespected in terms of your talents and skills. There's a little bit of feeling there, right?
Danny Castillo: Yeah, definitely but I just try to focus on what's important. John Cholish is my next fight and getting to the top 10 in the lightweight division is something that's very important to me. After my last fight where I was booed, I'm just over that. Just worrying about what other people who don't find and don't train and people who have never been in fights in their life think, I've got better things to do.
I just worry about John Cholish. He's been on my mind for the past couple months and I'm not really worried about people taking note of me at all. When I knock John Cholish out, maybe then people will start talking about me and if they don't, whatever man. I get paid the same amount whether people know my name or not.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): About the last fight. It seemed a bit unfair with the boos. You took a fight on short notice and the fact that you were able to do that and go out and win on short notice, that takes a lot of guts and talent. Most fighters can't go out there and be ready for a fight like that.
Danny Castillo: Yeah, but this is all stuff that I've heard and I think about. At the end of the day, it's my job to be ready. Coming from Team Alpha Male and having a mentor like Urijah Faber, "Don't get ready, stay ready" is the motto at Team Alpha Male. It's my job to be ready for a fight and if it takes me three months to get prepared to fight some guy then I'm not a true professional. The fact of the matter is, if Anthony Njokuani stole something from me or punched me in the face on the street, I'd have to fight him then.
That's pretty much how I look at the fights. I'm ready to fight at all times and that's just basically what it comes down to. Being a professional means you're in shape all year round. With that, that brings some mental toughness to me and some confidence because I train year-round and I don't have an offseason. When I don't have a fight, I'm training my ass off even harder.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): About Anthony Njokuani, you actually went out and trained with him too. How did that end up working out? Did he reach out to you or did you reach out to him?
Danny Castillo: Actually, we're in Las Vegas (for The Ultimate Fighter) and he's from Las Vegas. Anthony Njokuani is a great guy and I think that what him and I have done and being able to train together is what fighting is all about. I don't necessarily have to hate someone to fight them. It's all business to me. It's nothing personal. Anthony Njokuani and I were friends in the WEC and it's just a fight. Win, lose or draw, had I lost that fight, we'd still be friends. I was able to help him with his fight getting ready for Makdessi and he beat him. I was able to do some training with him and help him.
Pretty much every guy I've fought in the past, I'm friends with. When you fight someone, there's some kind of bond that you share with them. I know it sounds weird to say, but you're alone in the cage for 15 minutes and you're fighting each other and to me, there's a bond that I share with each person inside that cage.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Yeah, I think we see that a lot of times. Even when there's bad blood before a fight, they let it all out and build a lot of mutual respect for each other.
Danny Castillo: Yeah, it's like, people say fighting doesn't solve anything, but to me, in some certain aspects, it does solve things. Even if like you said when people hate each other, when they fight, it's over with. A real man, win, lose, or draw can accept the outcome, can remain friends and not remain personal.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Shifting to your fight, you've been out in Vegas training with your team in Vegas because of The Ultimate Fighter. What's this whole experience been like, basically transitioning and moving your whole training camp out here? It's gotta be a little different.
Danny Castillo: It is but I'm enjoying it. Las Vegas is a Disneyland for fighters in my opinion. There's gyms and trainers on every corner. It's just awesome for me to get a chance. I've trained with some great, great fighters and trainers. I was able to train at Mayweather's boxing gym, I was able to train with Sergio Pena who's a phenomenal jiu-jitsu instructor. Also, i was over at Cobra Kai, One Kick Nick, man, there's just so many different trainers and gyms out there.
I think it helped me a lot because it took me away from my personal settings. I didn't have to worry about bills and everyday stressers that I have when I'm at home so I think it was good for me. Mentally, it was trying on my relationship with my girlfriend because I was away from her but in the back of my head, I was away from my family but I'll be a stronger fighter because of it because I made the sacrifices that I didn't get to see my friends. I didn't get to see my family and I'm doing this all for them.
I feel the fighters that are stagnant are the ones that start to lose. You see that a lot with UFC veterans. Fighters stay in camp and don't explore. In my opinion, MMA changes every four months and sometimes quicker than that. It's constantly changing and if you're not changing your training, you're gonna get passed up.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You talked about working with Jeff Mayweather at his boxing gym. I know they do some of the best boxing work out there, but how much does that help you for MMA. Do they have a background with helping out MMA fighters in terms of footwork and the different types of styles you need to box in MMA without getting taken down?
Danny Castillo: It's different and I think that Jeff is one of the boxing trainers that are trying to make the transition into MMA. I don't necessarily think they've reached that sort of training. Jeff has been working with King Mo, he worked with Big Country and I was able to get in there and I brought T.J. Dillashaw in there with me. As far as footwork, it's very different and it's something that I had to work on a lot along with the boxing. My combinations were there but it doesn't seem like the footwork was there.
The cool thing about that is I have Master Thong, one of the best muay thai instructors in the game and a lot of his training is based off footwork so a mixture of the two has just kind of made me a unique style and I'm excited to show it off on May 5th. I have a feeling that if John Cholish is smart, his gameplan will be to dive at my legs. Sprawl and brawl is what I have planned for this fight.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You're a very well-rounded fighter so do you feel that with your strong collegiate background in wrestling, do you feel like you'll be able to force Cholish to fight where he doesn't want to fight?
Danny Castillo: Yeah, that's the plan. That's definitely the plan. To be one of the top fighters in the lightweight division, you have to be able to fight everywhere. I feel like my jiu-jitsu has improved so much. I got a brown belt from Fabio Prado and it doesn't matter where the fight goes. I've always been worried about certain aspects in the fight game, but I'm at a point in my career where I'm not worried about John Cholish's stand-up game because I've fought some of the division's best stand-up fighters: Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis and the list goes on and on. In jiu-jitsu, I've fought some really tough jiu-jitsu guys and I just feel that he has nothing left to offer that I haven't seen before in fighters who are way better than him.
I have four losses in my career and they're to current UFC fighters. I've had 12 fights in the big show and if you look at his record, there's only one guy that has a winning record that he's beat and there's just no one on his resume that's like me and no one that's tough that he's faced. It'll bring a lot of character in this fight and I want to see how he takes the pressure.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You're more of a full-time training guy and he does a lot of finance work in the corporate world. Do you feel that gives you an advantage, being a full-time fighter?
Danny Castillo: Yeah, I think it goes both ways. For one, he may not be training as hard as I am. Sometimes I have a tendency to overtrain and I think that's why I do so well in short notice fights because I'm a work horse. If I have four months to prepare for a fight, sometimes when I get to a fight, I'm overtrained. My three wins in the UFC have been fights on short notice where I didn't have time to overtrain.
For this fight, I took it easy and my trainers and coaches have been taking a close eye and watching to make sure I'm not overtrained but mentally, in my head it gives me an advantage because if you don't train full time, you can't beat me. If you have an offseason, you can't beat me. i just train too hard to lose to a guy who trains part time. At the same time, I respect the guy so much. I think it's awesome he's able to make it at such an elite level and only train part time so I know he's really tough. I respect the guy a ton but I just don't think he has what it takes to beat me.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You like to wear the sneakers and the head band, but do you have any other superstitions or pre-fight rituals that you go through?
Danny Castillo: I do have a pre-fight ritual and it's to go to the strip club before the fight. I'm 8-0 if I go to the strip club right before the weigh-ins. That's a fun superstition and a routine that I have so I plan to make it nine. My girlfriend's not too happy about it but she understands. I'm 8-0 when I go to the strip club before the fight so she doesn't mind too much. (laughs) As far as other rituals or superstitions, I try not to have that because superstitions are for those who are unprepared and not really confident. I don't have anything else.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I think I'll have to start that up, maybe go to the strip club before every fighter interview or something.
Danny Castillo: (laughs) Hey, you never know. You might start having the best interviews of your life.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): When you close your eyes and you're picturing victory against John Cholish, what do you visualize?
Danny Castillo: I visualize a right hand knockout.
Danny would like to thank his friends and family, his trainers, his team, Alpha Male and his supporters who have been there for him. You can follow him on Twitter @LastCall155.
Posted in: fight, fighter, im, castillo, danny
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCanadian UFC fighters predict Diaz-Miller
Canadian UFC fighters make their predictions on Saturday's main event between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller that can be seen on Sportsnet.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, nate diaz, canadian, jim miller
Read the full article at sportsnet.caRoss Pearson Arrested on Suspicion of DUI
UFC featherweight fighter Ross Pearson was arrested in Las Vegas over the weekend on suspicion of driving under the influence.
TMZ first reported the news.
In Las Vegas to assist teammate Dominick Cruz in coaching The Ultimate Fighter: Live, Pearson was pulled over somewhere around 4AM on Sunday morning, April 29. The 27-year-old was pulled off the road for allegedly swerving his vehicle. Law enforcement administered a field sobriety test and, based on the outcome, placed Pearson under arrest on suspicion of DUI.
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 9, Pearson has competed seven times in the octagon, amassing a 5-2 record; his only losses in the promotion have come against Cole Miller (submission) and Edson Barboza (split decision). Following the defeat to Barboza, Pearson headed south to featherweight. He made his debut at 145lbs this past December at UFC 141, where he earned a unanimous decision over Junior Assuncao.
The British fighter is expected to face Cub Swanson at UFC on FX 4 this June 22. No word yet on how or if this arrest will affect the bout.
MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, fighter, pearson, las vegas, ross pearson
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyDaniel Cormier: 'I am a fighter'
Ever wonder why Daniel Cormier is a fighter?
Wonder no more. Showtime has released the next installment in its popular "I am a fighter" video series with a background on "DC" as he prepares to face Josh Barnett in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament on May 19, 2012 from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
"My path was different. June 2003, I had a three month old daughter pass. Her mom was driving with her down in Texas and they got hit by an 18-wheeler and she was the only casualty. I was supposed to wrestle in the final trials for the world team a week following. Obviously, I postponed it. I locked myself in my room. The world was just going to pass me by. My coach calls me one day and goes, 'Look Daniel, you gotta try to get back on the horse bud. You’re not going to give away this opportunity.' In the first match, I went in there, wrestled hard, but he beat me. So now I’m having to face an uphill battle, having to win two matches in a row to make this team. I go into the second match, I pin him. You know, so going into the third match, it’s all or nothing. I scored a point with 20 seconds left in the third period to tie it, won the match in overtime. Competition drives me, it makes me who I am. Anytime I’m doing anything, I want to be the best at that thing that I am doing. And to this day, that is the proudest match I have ever had in my entire life. Because in that moment, I had won for my kid. My name is Daniel Cormier, and I’m a fighter."
Cormier's complete "I am a fighter" video, including his cardboard box championship belt, after the jump.
To see why Josh Barnett is a fighter, check out his video right here.
Posted in: fighter, daniel, daniel cormier, cormier, irsquom
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDaniel Cormier: I Am a Fighter - SHOWTIME MMA - YouTube
submitted by jonbuchan [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fighter, showtime, daniel, youtube, jonbuchan
Read the full article at RedditMMA Origins: The First King of Pancrase
The last few articles have focused on the early years of the UFC, and the Gracie influence and dominance during that time. In this article, we will follow Ken Shamrock back to Japan after his UFC 1 loss to Royce Gracie and look at his successful return to the Pancrase promotion and how his fighting style had changed thanks to his encounter with Royce. At the time, Pancrase was a proto-Mixed Martial Arts organization formed by Japanese pro wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Both Funaki and Suzuki were more than just entertainers, they were trained in the grappling art of catch wrestling by Antonio Inoki. He in turned had learned catch wrestling from the great Karl Gotch, who was the first man to bring the art to Japan.
The rules in Pancrase at this time gave each fighter five escape points. If a fighter was knocked down, he was given a ten count to stand or be ruled knocked out. If the fighter beat the count a escape point was deducted and the fight was declared over is a fighter used all of his escape points. Similarly, if a fighter was in a submission and grabbed the ropes, an escape point was deducted and the fighters were reset on the feet. Fighters wore no gloves so while closed fist strikes to the body were legal only open hand strikes and kicks were allowed to the head.
Shamrock won a quick victory in his Pancrase return but then was out grappled Minoru Suzuki and finished with a gruesome heel hook to a kneebar. That combined with his loss to Royce convinced Shamrock that he needed to focus on his grappling. Shamrock began training for UFC 2 and preparing for Royce's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but a broken hand forced him to withdraw from the event.
During Shamrock's recovery Pancrase began planning for a championship tournament of its own and started the Road to the Championship series. This was meant to pit the top fighters against each other to determine who should take part in the tournament. Young Dutch fighter Bas Rutten was invited to participate after his impressive 2-1 start in the promotion. While Rutten's grappling was exposed against Pancrase founder Masakatsu Funaki, his potential was obvious and Rutten worked very hard at shoring up his ground work.
And that work paid off when Rutten was faced with Pancrase founder, Minori Suzuki, one of the top fighters in Japan at the time, with only a single loss coming by KO to Maurice Smith.
Recent MMA OriginsBirth of Japanese MMA | Brazilian Warfare | The Gracie Challenge | UFC 1 | The Gracie Era in the UFC
video after the jump...
Rutten scored an early knockdown but Suzuki was able to secure a takedown. Rutten was able to scramble to his feet and, in the transition, land a nasty knee to the liver to win a huge upset.
Bas Rutten vs Minoru Suzuki - Pancrase: Road to the Championship 2
Rutten's reward was a match with Ken Shamrock, who had returned from injury with a resounding victory over Matt Hume.
While still a developing fighter Rutten had adapted to the pace of most Pancrase fights, full a wild scrambles and fast action. But Shamrock's encounter with Royce Gracie and his resulting studies in how to counter Royce's grappling had resulted in Shamrock seeing the advantage of a slower, more controlling style. He could still deliver an entertaining match if that was what was needed, but in matches with high stakes Shamrock paid much more attention to position and control to set up submissions.And it was this controlling approach that Shamrock used to defeat Rutten in a rout, pilling up points and then finally sinking a choke in a position where Rutten could not get a rope escape.
In his next fight, Shamrock faced his mentor and training partner Masakatsu Funaki. In that fight Shamrock was showing strong top position from inside the guard but dropped back for a heel hook, which Funaki easily escaped from into mount. That mistake cost Shamrock the fight as Funaki was able to finish a rear naked choke. After that fight Shamrock returned to the United States to take part in UFC 3.
More MMA OriginsExploring Fight Sport's Ancient Roots | Getting Medieval | Vale Tudo and the Original MMA Rivalry | Carlson Gracie Changes Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo | Catch Wrestling Travels To Japan | American Experiments
While Ken was in the United States, he reconnected with a young man named Frank Juarez, a foster child, like Ken, taken to live at Bob Shamrock's ranch. Ken had begun training Frank in grappling during his early UFC days and when Frank turned 21 he was adopted by Bob Shamrock and changed his name to Frank Shamrock.
After UFC 3, Frank went with Ken back to Japan to take part in Pancrase's first official championship tournament.
The bracket featured sixteen fighters including the Shamrock bothers, Minoru Suzuki, Masaktasu Funaki, Bas Rutten, kickboxer and Pancrase veteran Maruice Smith and UFC veteran Jason DeLucia. The tournament would take place over two nights in December of 1994.
Frank Shamrock was faced with a serious challenge when he drew Bas Rutten in the first round. Not only was this Frank's first Pancrase fight, it was his professional debut. In a sign of things to come, Shamrock rose to the occasion and took a decision victory from Rutten, knocking the Dutchman out of the tournament. In his second fight however Frank fell victim to Shooto veteran Manabu Yamada, who submitted Frank with a foot lock.
Ken Shamrock faired much better in his first two fights scoring quick submission victories over Alex Cook and then Maurice Smith.
Ken Shamrock vs Alex Cook Pancrase - King of Pancrase Tournament Opening Round
Ken Shamrock vs Maurice Smith Pancrase - King of Pancrase Tournament Opening Round
Even against these completely overmatch opponents, Shamrock was very deliberate in setting up his submissions making sure to give them no way to escape. The Ken Shamrock that hastily dropped back for a heel hook against Patrick Smith was gone, now he used his position to set up high percentage submissions.
While this mindset was a mere precaution against Cook and Smith, in the next round it would be a necessity in his next fight. On the second night of the tournament, Ken would rematch with the last man to beat him, his former mentor Funaki.
Ken Shamrock vs Masakatsu Funaki 3 Pancrase - King of Pancrase Tournament Second Round
With that submission victory Ken stamped his ticket to the final to face Manabu Yamada, who had defeated Minoru after dispatching Frank Sharmock. Ken won a grueling, half hour decision.
With this victory not only did Ken Shamrock become the first Pancrase Open Weight champion, earning the title the King on Pancrase, he also became the first foreign born fighter to win a major Japanese Mixed Martial Arts title. While this is certainly a huge achievement for Shamrock, he was still consumed with a desire to avenge his loss to Royce Gracie.
Posted in: fighter, shamrock, rutten, pancrase, ken
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMorning Report: UFC Fighters Ring Bell at NASDAQ, UFC on Fox 3 Promotion Heats Up
We're almost there, folks. The formal, on-site coverage for UFC on Fox 3 kicks off today. I know yesterday I wondered aloud why there were no Dana White video blogs and it turns out I just wasn't paying close enough attention. There's not only one, but two and we've got them both included in today's round-up.
One of the more interesting storylines as we approach the UFC's third show on Fox is just how much Josh Koscheck believes he's going through of a technical renaissance now that he's left American Kickboxing Academy. Koscheck has a new boxing coach who is suggesting that the former welterweight top contender will be able to easily exploit the technical deficiencies in Johny Hendricks' game.
It's a gutsy statement, but it's one only made possible by Koscheck admitting that up until getting this coach, he never knew basic mechanics: how to throw a jab, slip a jab and more. I don't know if that's true, but I also don't know why he'd say it if it weren't. For a fighter to admit that publicly is a rare moment of candor, folks.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
The Case for Public Fighter Pay. Our own Mike Chiappetta tries to lay out the case for why the pay fighters make should be a matter of public record.
Shannon Knapp Says UFC Very Supportive. The brains behind Invicta FC told Bloody Elbow that the brass at UFC have been complete supportive of her promotional efforts.
Ross Pearson Arrested on Suspicion of DUI. The British striker allegedly had a bit too much to drink and then decided to get behind the wheel of a car.
Clay Guida Calls Maynard Bout 'High Risk, High Reward'. MMA Fighting spoke to the Greg Jackson-trained lightweight about the stakes in his upcoming fight with Gray Maynard.
Josh Barnett, Daniel Cormier Hold Media Scrum. Just one day before UFC 145 in Atlanta, the two Strikeforce grand prix finalists spoke to the media on a huge range of issues.
MEDIA STEW
I said there was no UFC on Fox 3 Dana White video blog yesterday. I was wrong. Here's episode 1:
And here's episode 2:
Remember the story of Chael Sonnen getting tricked with the shock pen while he was in Brazil? There's video of it:
Apparently, a 53-year old man was able to get into a MMA cage and fight someone 21-years old on less than an hour's notice. This according to Stephan Bonnar. So, I guess that's that when it comes to regulation:
BIG SEXY GOT JOKES
Sometimes I like to go to the grocery, and do all my shopping out of other people's carts when they're not looking
— Sean McCorkle (@BigSexyMcCorkle) May 1, 2012
HOW RANDOM IS RANDOM?
If u ask for a random drug test, isn't really random then?
— Duane Ludwig (@DUANEBANGCOM) April 30, 2012
ARMBAR THEM
Guess what? I still haven't got my bag from #delta @deltaassist.Almost 2 weeks now since they lost my bag. any ideas as to what should I do?
— ROBERT DRYSDALE (@robertdrysdale) May 1, 2012
DEEP THOUGHTS, Y'ALL
In order to create, you must destroy.
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) May 1, 2012
NOVER MAKES PREDICTIONS
Im going with Miller 4 this weekends @ufc. I'm calling it a three round decision -Miller. I think he is a bit more talented then Diaz.
— Phillipe Nover (@PhillipeNover) May 1, 2012
Look who is ringing the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock market opening bell. Oh, no big deal. Just a few UFC fighters and a Strikeforce champion. That's all.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
- UFC 150: Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman
- UFC 150: Jamie Varner vs. Edson Barboza
- UFC 147: Yuri Alcantara vs. Hacran Dias
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day comes courtesy krste and they want to know if UFC bantamweight Dominick Cruz's footwork and striking is so bad, how come no one is able to really hit him?
Many detractors of Dominick's style are coming from a Boxing background and claim that his technique is flawed and ineffective. Since my striking knowledge is limited at best my counter to that is that Dominic is not a Boxer, he is an MMA fighter, so what works in boxing might not work in MMA if translated directly. To me, his head and feet movement are a thing of beauty, the way he attacks from angles and evades incoming attacks with his hands down, swaying and slipping like some sort of a zombie cobra reminds me of my younger days when me and my dad used to watch our favorite boxer, Naseem Hamed, although the zombie quality is uniquely attached to Dominick's movement.
To get back to my original point, if the striking of the current bantamweight champion is so flawed why hasn't anyone exploited those flaws yet, why does he still have the belt? My question is not intended to sound sarcastic, i am merely curious since i lack the knowledge of the striking game to conclude for myself whether Dominick is Mayhem-esque in his striking game or Spider like.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, day, mdash
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseHistory in the Making: Nate Diaz puts on a clinic against Takanori Gomi at UFC 135
The Diaz brothers are cut from the same cloth.
Both are hard-nosed scrappers who are nearly impossible to finish; however, both have also had trouble with larger fighters who were able to keep the fight on the mat.
Such was the case with Nate Diaz's move up to welterweight. He did exceptionally well in his first two bouts, earning stoppage wins over Rory Markham and Marcus Davis, but hit brick walls in the form of Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald, the latter of which tossed Diaz around like a ragdoll.
Despite his six-foot frame, the younger Diaz didn't have the muscle or wrestling chops to crack the upper echelon of the welterweight division. So, a move back to the more natural 155-pound weight class was in order.
His first fight back at lightweight was against an old family foe, Takanori Gomi. "The Fireball Kid" and Nick Diaz clashed at PRIDE Fighting Championships' penultimate event and put on one of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) displays in history. The Japanese fighter opened a chasm under Diaz's eye and broke his orbital bone only to fall straight into a gogoplata submission, securing the win for Stockton native.
Nearly five years later, Nate Diaz looked to pick another win for his family at UFC 135 against the former number lightweight in the world.
He steps inside the Octagon this Saturday (May 5, 2012) against Jim Miller in the main event of UFC on Fox 3 with a potential title shot on the line. But, before he does, let's examine his one-round thrashing of the Japanese champion.
Let's go:
Each fighter begins pawing their jab at each other and while Gomi's fist hangs about half a foot away from his opponent's face, Diaz is nearly tagging the Japanese fighter every time he sticks his arm forward. Gomi, thinking he might have the distance figured out, eats a straight right from the Stockton native and looks to counter with a haymaker of his own.
Instead, a quick left jab from Diaz stuns Gomi and "The Fireball Kid" drops to the mat, albeit momentarily, before getting back to his feet. Immediately, Diaz begins to stalk his opponent, backing him up against the cage and using his superior reach to his utmost advantage. A solid body punch lands for Gomi but just about everything else whiffs through the thin Denver air.
Pressure is the name of the game for Diaz, who constantly throws punches, forcing Gomi to work tirelessly to avoid getting hit. As the Japanese fighter circles away, the Stockton native moves laterally to cut off the Octagon, keeping "The Fireball Kid" with his back literally against the wall. One of Gomi's patented whirlwind right hands is dodged by Diaz who counters with a solid hook that staggers the former PRIDE champion.
Gomi answers back with another body punch but the cardio possessed by the Diaz brothers is legendary in the sport. A few punches to the ribs won't affect them one bit. The two lightweights clinch up after an exchange and Diaz really begins to open up.
Midway through the round, Diaz starts dropping his hands and taunting his opponent. He waves his hand in front of his face before popping a jab off and snapping Gomi's head back. Punch after punch land against the Japanese fighter's skull. Nearly every single strike throw connects and "The Fireball Kid" has no answer for it.
He attempts to drop to the mat for a takedown but Diaz's Brazilian jiu-jitsu training kicks in and he defends perfectly, quickly transitioning to Gomi's back. Before anything of consequence can occur, they're both back on their feet and the onslaught from the Stockton native continues. Gomi is able to get Diaz onto his back but just like older brother Nick did at PRIDE 33, the American instantly works towards a submission.
He nearly locks in a triangle choke but Gomi is able to avoid at least for a moment. As Diaz's legs begin to squeeze against his opponent's head and neck, "The Fireball Kid" shifts to his side so Diaz transitions to a perfectly executed armbar, immediately forcing a tapout.
It was a dominating return to lightweight, a performance Diaz replicated against Donald Cerrone a few months later.
Now with a possible title shot on the line, can he make it three in a row against Miller?
We'll find out on Saturday.
Posted in: diaz, fighter, gomi, punch, fireball kid
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBrick by Brick - Building Tony Ferguson
Fighting anyone in the UFC can be cause for sleepless nights. Having a date on the calendar but not knowing who will be standing across from you in the Octagon that night can be even worse.Welcome to the world of Tony Ferguson, at least for a few days, when it seemed like no one at 155 pounds was going to stay healthy long enough to meet “El Cucuy” this Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.“The easiest way I can explain it is that when I was little, I used to go up and look at the tournament brackets and wonder who I was gonna wrestle next, and my dad says ‘why are you gonna do that? You’re gonna take yourself out of the game. Instead of worrying about what everybody else is doing, worry about what you’re doing.’ So that’s what I did,” recalled Ferguson. “I talked to my coach Joseph Janik, and we basically kept to the gameplan.”That gameplan, in short, is to win, to keep a three fight UFC winning streak going in one of the sport’s most competitive division. That, strangely enough, could be the easy part this time around. The hard part was getting someone to fight him.First Dennis Hallman was forced out due to injury. Then replacement foe Thiago Tavares hurt himself and withdrew from the bout. Finally, Ferguson got paired up with another Ultimate Fighter alumnus in Michael Johnson. And so far, so good, as Johnson and Ferguson both made it to Jersey intact for this weekend’s fight. “I’m glad it’s stayed with Michael Johnson, I’m glad nobody’s gotten hurt, I’ve said a prayer for my other opponents, and it’s not really a big deal,” said Ferguson, who has gotten quite the education in his fight career thus far, whether it’s been the perks and perils of reality television, top level coaching from the TUF14 staff led by Marty Morgan, boxing trainer Janik, and jiu-jitsu ace Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller, or the simple act of being in the public eye on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.But when it comes down to it, nothing taught the 28-year old Oxnard native more than 20 minutes in the Octagon with veterans Aaron Riley and Yves Edwards, especially Edwards, who engaged in an exciting three round scrap with Ferguson last December.“I thought it was awesome,” said Ferguson of the Edwards bout, which he won via unanimous decision. “I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to learn. Before the fight, Yves told me ‘let’s go in there and have some fun,’ and that’s what I took from it because I knew that was gonna be the best opportunity I would have to get the best standup work, and it brought the best out of me. That fight hurt. (Laughs) It wasn’t like we had pads on, but we went in there and fought like we did, and I had a blast in that fight.”Only a pro fighter can appreciate three rounds of punishing back and forth action and say that he had a blast, but Ferguson appears to enjoy the grind of the sport and the pain necessary to learn and take things to the next level. Yet despite holding a 3-0 record in the Octagon thus far (he also stopped both Ramsey Nijem and Riley in a single round each), he hasn’t received the never-ending hype and attention afforded to some previous Ultimate Fighter winners. Maybe it’s that newer fans of the sport aren’t aware of what beating battle-tested vets like Riley or Edwards means, but whatever the reason, Ferguson is cool with taking the slower road to the top if it means that when he gets there, he’s the best he could possibly be.“Everyone wants to see (Anthony) Pettis and they want to see the Diazes and all the familiar names like (Gray) Maynard and (Frankie) Edgar,” he said. “When I first started watching the fights, it was (Royce) Gracie, and then I stopped watching for a very long time and I came back and I was like ‘well, who are all these guys?’ So anyone who’s picking up the sport now is focusing on what they see on TV right now. But I think it’s a good time for me. I don’t want to come right out and be something and then not something. Gradually, step by step, brick by brick, a castle gets made, and I want to make sure that I leave my mark here. Whatever opponents (UFC president) Dana White and (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva give me, they’re doing it for a reason. The best thing I can do is make sure I train my ass off and give them a performance, and I’m gonna give 150% inside that cage.”He’s doing just as much outside of it too, with a good portion of his time spent in Janik’s Knuckleheadz gym in Ventura, California. Janik has worked with plenty of boxing standouts, including former world champ Victor Ortiz, women’s titleholder Maureen Shea, and California prospect David Rodela, and Ferguson soaks in whatever he can from whoever has the gloves on at a particular moment.“I’m a visual learner, so when the younger guys come in or the pros come in, and they’re shadowboxing and moving around with their other coaches, I get that visual and I’m learning,” he said. “I look at their footwork and I look at their head placement, because my style’s really unorthodox, and when I see them and the way they’re throwing their punches and how they’re hitting the corner and slipping and moving and throwing punches off different angles, it’s much more interesting to me. Not one boxer shadowboxes the same and that’s what I’ve learned out here. You might be able to pick up a couple things from here and there, but they make it their own, and that’s what our gym is. We’re a big family like that.”That family has made its way across the country for Ferguson’s bout with Johnson, one that could be a sleeper Fight of the Night pick. “El Cucuy” plans on doing his part to make that post-fight bonus a reality.“A fight is a fight and I’m gonna bring it every single time, and that’s how it was since I was little,” he said. “I bring a certain intensity, and what I try to do is be a technical and smart fighter inside there and I try to adapt really well. Everybody’s always looking for the evolution of the mixed martial arts fighter; well, with my game, I keep stepping it up, and I just hope that with this fight, I can show that I’m not a one-dimensional fighter and that people see the 3-D artist that I am when I paint my picture on that canvas.”
Posted in: fight, fighter, ferguson, ’m, ’re
Read the full article at UFCUFCs Ross Pearson arrested on suspicion of DUI in Las Vegas
Perhaps Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight fighter Ross Pearson (13-5) didn't take the news to well that he had been passed over in favor of Erik Koch for a title shot against 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo this summer.
"Real Deal" -- who unsuccessfully volunteered to challenge "Scarface" at UFC 149 later this year -- was arrested over the weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI). The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Lightweight winner was pulled over at 4 a.m. Sunday morning and performed "miserably" on a field sobriety test, according to TMZ.com.
He was booked and then released most likely as soon as his buzz subsided. He is innocent until proven guilty.
Pearson was lined up to fight Cub Swanson next at UFC on FX 4 at the Revel Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., on Sat., June 12, 2012. There's no telling if this latest incident will have any impact on that appearance at this time.
The British fighter recently shed 10 pounds after dropping two out of three fights at Lightweight, hoping he'd find better luck in the 145-pound division. His first test against Raphael Assuncao proved to be a difficult one, but one he passed via gritty unanimous decision win at UFC 141 last December.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this story as it develops.
Posted in: ufc, pound, fighter, pearson, challenge scarface
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMayweather Vs. Cotto: Floyd Not The Best Boxer Of Last 25 Years
When Floyd Mayweather steps into ring to face Miguel Cotto this Saturday on HBO pay-per-view he will bring a 42-0 record with him. Odds are, he'll add one more to the win column before going off to do a stint in jail (nine month sentence, likely to serve 5-6 months).
In his mailbag today, Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports addressed the issue of where he sees Floyd fitting in as far as the top fighters of the past 25 years. I don't really get Iole's methodology on a lot of this, he has guys who were great but well past their prime on the list simply because they did fight in the last 25 years. George Foreman is not someone I'd put at #6 on a list of the best fighters of the past 25 years, but his methodology is his, not mine.
Regardless, here's where Kevin ranked Floyd and his synopsis:
9. Floyd Mayweather Jr., 1996-present, 42-0, 26 knockouts - Mayweather was at his best at super featherweight, when he had a streak in which he beat a string of elite fighters. He remains a masterful defensive fighter who has underrated counterpunching ability.
I think a guy like Julio Cesar Chavez belongs above Floyd, and I have no problem with Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker and Roy Jones, Jr.
It does remain straight up crazy for people to treat Floyd like he's in the running for greatest fighter of all time, a fight with Pacquiao (who ranked #12 on the list) would be a great help to his legacy, but there are simply too many great fighters ahead of him.
Then again, I also think his "0" has an asterisk given that i think he lost the first fight with Jose Luis Castillo (which necessitated a rematch to "clean up").
Regardless, nothing can take away from Floyd's status as a great fighter and his accomplishments to this point are outstanding.
Posted in: mayweather, fighter, floyd, year, list
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowLefko on MMA: Sonnen's book baffles
Chael Sonnen's new autobiography is symbolic of the fighter himself: Entertaining and clever, yet altogether baffling and contradictory.
Posted in: fighter, sonnen, chael, autobiography, lefko
Read the full article at sportsnet.caThe Case for Public Fighter Pay
On Tuesday morning, ESPN the Magazine released its list of highest-paid professional athletes. Included were the obvious -- boxer Manny Pacquiao ($50 million), New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez $30 million), the not-so-obvious -- jockey Ramon Dominguez ($20.5 million), bull rider Silvano Alves ($1.4 million), and the downright ridiculous -- competitive eater Joey Chestnut ($205,000).In all, the leading earners in 31 separate sports were listed, with earnings only including salaries and prize money earned in 2011. Among the sports not listed was mixed martial arts. According to the story, excluded sports were omitted because official salary data was unavailable.UFC president Dana White has long been on the record against fighter salaries being made public. "You don't have to know everything," he said just a few months ago. "And to be honest with you, it's not your f------ business. They're making a lot of money."
He is right and he is wrong. It is true, it is not our f------ business. Nobody wants their salary plastered on news sites around the world for anyone to see. There are certain things that should as a rule be kept private. Family squabbles. Pin numbers. And yes, money. But there is another side to the argument, one that suggests holding this information from the public view actually holds back progress of the sport. Football, basketball and baseball are mainstream because they're big business. And part of the reason we know they're big business is because players salaries are made public.
People are obsessed by money. It can drive conversation, debate and attention. For proof, just go back to January, when ESPN produced an "Outside the Lines" show examining fighter pay.The segment produced a huge amount of controversy at the time, which was largely due to White's objection to it even before it had aired. At issue was whether fighters are underpaid. That's a question that is ultimately impossible to answer based upon the information we currently have, which is incomplete. The fact that ESPN the Magazine did not include MMA in its "best-paid" list practically proves that point. The UFC only has to report a fighter's "show" fight purse and "win" bonus money to state athletic commissions. Anything beyond that -- and there are millions that change hands through the UFC's bonus structure -- is kept between the promotion and each fighter and/or his management.It seems clear that under White and Lorenzo Fertitta, nothing will change in that regard. But should it? I would argue the answer is yes. Why? One word: talent. Quite often, talent is driven by market prices. If you're an athlete and you have equal interest in multiple sports, wouldn't you put extra consideration on the ones that pay the best? You might ultimately decide against it in favor of a lower-paying sport if you believed your chances of succeeding at the latter are better, but it would make you think twice.That's no different than college kids picking majors based upon what fields are most likely to generate them the best living. White likes to say that you have to love fighting to be good at it, and that's probably true to some degree, but even the ones who love it sometimes need incentive to chase a dream. There are plenty of athletes who may see Jon Jones making a guaranteed $400,000 for fighting in a main event and wonder if it's worth it. That not small potatoes, but when they see NFL stars pulling in $10 million signing bonuses, it can't look quite as attractive. Now, I happen to know that Jones makes a considerable bonus based on pay-per-view sales, and that his final take-home pay is far above the listed $400K, but the random athlete who is charting his path between football and MMA is not likely to know it. And make no mistake, there are plenty of possible MMA stars who are on football fields. In many parts of the country, football and wrestling work together to create quality athletes. But then what happens? As the athlete progresses, he starts thinking about his future. And where is there a better chance for a future? Of course most, if given the opportunity, will move on to football. Why? Because long-term, there is a chance for a windfall payday. Even if it's remote, there is a chance.Take the Jones family as an example. Two of the brothers -- Arthur and Chandler -- made it to the NFL. The other -- Jon -- is a UFC champ. All three of them grew up wrestling. Arthur moved on to football because that's where opportunity was. Chandler just liked football more than wrestling. Luckily for the MMA world, Jon had little choice; he was a terrible athlete aside from wrestling. His high school wrestling coach JJ Stanbro once told me, "If you ever watched him play basketball or anything with a ball, you'd hurt yourself laughing." If Jon had the same aptitude for football as Arthur and Chandler, we probably would have never known his fighting brilliance. And it's hard to believe he's the only one who never really saw MMA as an option until it became a last resort. How many others are out there? What other stars are we missing because athletes don't see a potential windfall? What they see is a lot of hard work and effort for at most, a decent amount of money. How might that change if there were multi-million dollar paydays constantly being discussed, as there are in other sports? Ultimately, kids don't dream about being NFL superstars or Major League Baseball World Series heroes because of money, but as they grow older, money becomes part of the end game. As long as fighter pay remains a state secret in MMA, we will lose out on some elite-level athletes. The next great heavyweight is probably in football pads somewhere right now, thinking his only chance at big money is in the NFL. As long as the real money in MMA remains concealed, so does a lot of the real talent.
Posted in: fighter, sport, money, athlete, football
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseXARM seeks nine fighters to join MMA vets James Irvin, Jake Paul for June 24 event
Art Davie is still firmly behind his combat-sports concept XARM, and the
UFC co-creator is currently seeking nine more fighters to compete in a
new reality show series, produced by Endemol USA in association with
Machinima.
"I need nine more tough guys," Davie stated. "The reality series for
Machinima is being taped next month."
Davie told MMAjunkie.com 14 of 20 fighters currently
in the running for XARM2 boast MMA experience, including longtime
veterans James Irvin and Jake Paul.
Posted in: fighter, xarm, davie, month davie, guys davie
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC On Fox 3: Is Josh Koscheck Too Old To Beat Johny Hendricks?
UFC Welterweight Josh Koscheck will face off against 28-year-old Johny Hendricks as part of the UFC on Fox 3 broadcast television card on Saturday, May 5th. Koscheck is 34.The two fighters are stylistically very similar. Both men were NCAA Division 1 wrestling national champions in college. Both men have supplemented their wrestling with power punching, racking up KO wins as well as decisions.
The most obvious difference between the two fighters is that Hendricks is a southpaw and Koscheck is a right-handed power bomber. A fight between opposite-stance power punchers always features a high likelihood of a knock out or TKO as both fighters are exposed to the power punch of their opponent.
But Luke Thomas at MMA Fighting and the crew at Fight Metric (with the help of the Bloody Elbow community) have taken a deep look at the statistics of MMA and argue that it's Hendricks' youth that could well be the biggest factor in the fight.
Here's Luke:
What do we know about age and how it affects performance in MMA? There are two key takeaways every MMA fan should know: younger fighters on average never win less than 50% of the time and older fighters are much more likely to lose by TKO/KO than by decision.
We'll look at some stats and charts in the full entry...SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3
First, let's answer the basic question: do younger fighters win more often? Statistically speaking, the answer is yes. Consider the following:
Winner is Younger Winner is Older
All Fights
Total Fights
1489 (57%)
1111 (43%)
2600*
(T)KO Wins
559 (61%)
359 (39%)
918
Sub Wins
422 (57%)
322 (43%)
744
Dec Wins
505 (54%)
430 (46%)
935
Mean Winner's Age
27.0
31.0
28.7
Mean Loser's Age
31.8
27.1
29.8
Mean Age Difference
4.8
4.0
4.4
Mean Fight Length
08:57
09:50
09:20
...
Younger fighters tend to win more and sometimes by big margins, but it's when researchers factored in the method of victory things got really interesting. "Variation by type of victory depends on the age of the older fighter, not on the age of the younger fighter," the researchers said. "More precisely, we can say that as the older fighter's age increases, his chance of getting knocked out increases substantially, his chance of getting submitted increases but somewhat less, but his chance of losing a decision stays relatively flat":
Now don't assume that Luke is blithely writing off Koscheck in this fight. The odds are even and Koscheck's chances of winning go up the longer the fight lasts. But Luke is pointing out that the age difference IS a factor and it's definitely working in Hendricks' favor.
Posted in: fight, fighter, koscheck, age, hendrick
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowRampage Jackson Says He's One-And-Done With The UFC
Former UFC Light Heavyweight champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has been pretty vocal with his frustrations with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Last night he went on HDNet's Inside MMA and took it up a notch, or five. Jackson last fought against Ryan Bader at UFC 144 in Japan, taking a decision loss. He's elected to have knee surgery and is sitting out until he recovers from surgery.
Jackson is frustrated with being booked against "boring gameplanners" and "cowards" and wants to be able to put on a show for the fans in his next UFC bout. That bout will also be Jackson's last with the promotion if he lives up to his word. He's already called for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to be "shot in the face" so you know he's not watching what he says.
MMA Mania transcribed Rampage's rant and we've got the quotes after the jump...
"After I leave the UFC, I'm done with them! Just like when I left PRIDE. You remember when I left PRIDE? It's over. I was very loyal to PRIDE. I fought for PRIDE, and I fought the way I fought to put butts in seats. I took risks, slammed people and stuff like that. PRIDE did a good job. They built me up. I wasn't that good when I first came out. I fought Sakuraba and they built me up and then threw me in some tough fights. That's the way you're supposed to do it. Now, the UFC, I was a better fighter when I came there. My second fight, they throw me to Chuck Liddell. The fans didn't know who I was. I knocked him out, the fans booed me. That changed me, who I am towards the fans. I used to be the nicest guy towards fans. My first time getting booed. How are you gonna boo somebody for knocking somebody out? But I got a whole other opinion on that. And now, the UFC's just throwing me all these boring fighters, these game planners, these wrestlers. I'm the type of fighter who you should match up with people who want to fight excitingly. You know what I'm saying? Cuz I'm gonna be the type of fighter who puts butts in seats.
"I can't even negotiate with anybody. I'm not even negotiating with anybody right now. I got one fight with the UFC. After I do that fight with the UFC, then I can negotiate and figure out what I'm gonna do next. I got so much other stuff going on, I could take a year off from fighting, and I don't even care. There's other things I wanna do. I'm more than a fighter. I'm an entertainer. I like entertaining people. I like making people laugh, I like entertaining people. I like fighting. I like beating people up. But, I still gotta heal up. I'm not jumping right back into fighting, right away. I got my knees to worry about. I've been fighting injured for a while."
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, people, im
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow'Rampage' Jackson calls out 'cowards,' vows to never fight for UFC again after contract fulfilled
The bad feelings between Quinton Jackson and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have made frequent mixed martial arts (MMA) headlines the past few months.
After stating that he believes UFC matchmaker Joe Silva should be "shot in the face" for what he believed to be an inferior job of putting bouts together between himself and "boring fighters," it was clear that the relationship was beyond repair.
"'Rampage" has one fight left on his contract with the UFC, which many believed would be against "Shogun" Mauricio Rua. Unfortunately, that match up never came to fruition because of knee surgery for Jackson that will keep him out of action for a while.
After that? He's told HDNet's "Inside MMA" he's done with the UFC for good:
"After I leave the UFC, I'm done with them! Just like when I left PRIDE. You remember when I left PRIDE? It's over. I was very loyal to PRIDE. I fought for PRIDE, and I fought the way I fought to put butts in seats. I took risks, slammed people and stuff like that. PRIDE did a good job. They built me up. I wasn't that good when I first came out. I fought Sakuraba and they built me up and then threw me in some tough fights. That's the way you're supposed to do it. Now, the UFC, I was a better fighter when I came there. My second fight, they throw me to Chuck Liddell. The fans didn't know who I was. I knocked him out, the fans booed me. That changed me, who I am towards the fans. I used to be the nicest guy towards fans. My first time getting booed. How are you gonna boo somebody for knocking somebody out? But I got a whole other opinion on that. And now, the UFC's just throwing me all these boring fighters, these game planners, these wrestlers. I'm the type of fighter who you should match up with people who want to fight excitingly. You know what I'm saying? Cuz I'm gonna be the type of fighter who puts butts in seats."
In the meantime, Jackson is contractually bound to the UFC and cannot even consider other organizations. He made it clear that he's in no hurry to step back into the cage, as he feels he really needs to take his time and make sure his knees are 100 percent:
"I can't even negotiate with anybody. I'm not even negotiating with anybody right now. I got one fight with the UFC. After I do that fight with the UFC, then I can negotiate and figure out what I'm gonna do next. I got so much other stuff going on, I could take a year off from fighting, and I don't even care. There's other things I wanna do. I'm more than a fighter. I'm an entertainer. I like entertaining people. I like making people laugh, I like entertaining people. I like fighting. I like beating people up. But, I still gotta heal up. I'm not jumping right back into fighting, right away. I got my knees to worry about. I've been fighting injured for a while."
Jackson further elaborated on his injury, stating that these knee problems are nothing new. In fact, he's dealt with them his whole career:
"I might as well say it now. It's something that I've never told anybody. I came into MMA injured. I got injured really bad in college. I went and got surgery and let it heal up naturally, so I've been babying my knee all these years. So, now, when I fought Rashad (Evans) the first time and got injured pretty bad, and after that, I've just been babying it and babying it. It was just a matter of time before I was gonna need surgery on it, before I got injured really bad. In this last fight with (Ryan) Bader, like, a month before the fight, I think one of my ligaments kinda tore a little bit. I was like, 'You know what? I'm still gonna fight because it's Japan. And then, after my fight, I'm gonna get it fixed. I'm not gonna injure it again.'"
In his downtime, "Rampage" now has ample opportunity to be a fan and just observe the sport. Though he does have the time, he says the UFC's busy schedule is just too much for him to keep up with:
"Yeah, I got one fight left on my contract. I'll watch the UFC. Some of my friends fight there, but there's too many fights for me to keep up. I don't even know who's fighting next. There's too many fights for me to keep up with. They always get new fights coming up. I think it's too much MMA, actually. I liked it better, back in the day, when you wanted it and couldn't wait to see it. Now, it's everywhere! They got The Ultimate Fighter and all this stuff. I can't keep up."
"Rampage" wasn't done aiming shots at people. When asked who he'd like to fight in his final Octagon appearance, he had some names in mind, but he was even more vocal about the fighters (or types of fighters) who he doesn't want to fight in his send-off:
"I would love to fight somebody like Shogun. Somebody like Forrest. Somebody who beat me before. Somebody who wants to put on a good fight. I'm tired of fighting these guys who are cowards. I call them cowards. They just run around the cage, they game plan and they take you down. It's okay to take people down, but they just hump you and lay down on top of you the whole time. That's what's disgusting to me."
Do you Maniacs think we'll ever even see "Rampage" fight in the UFC again? If so, who would you most like to see him fight as he bids us all farewell?
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, people, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaEpisode 8 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter Live’ Draws Series-Low 929,000 Viewers to FX
Last Friday’s installment of “The Ultimate Fighter Live” was the least-watched episode in the show’s 7-year existence.
Posted in: show, fighter, episode, viewer, leastwatched episode
Read the full article at Sherdog'The Ultimate Fighter: Live' ratings: Episode No. 8 draws series-worst 929K viewers
This past weekend's episode of "The Ultimate Fighter" was the lowest-rated in the series' seven-year history.
Ratings for the eighth episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" resulted in average of just 929,000 viewers on FX, MMAjunkie.com today confirmed with an industry source.
Friday's show, which featured the season's seventh opening-round matchup, was the fourth straight "TUF: Live" episode to draw one million viewers or fewer.
Posted in: fighter, episode, viewer, openinground matchup, ratings episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieHector Lombard requests random drug test prior to UFC debut against Brian Stann
Though it's not exactly "random" if you call the commission and ask, "Hey, can you guys come test me?'
Nevertheless, the former Bellator Middleweight Champion wants to prove to the world that his muscular physique came the old-fashioned way: through proper diet and hard work inside the gym. "Lightning" took to his Twitter account on Sunday night (April 29, 2012) to respond to MMAmania.com Brazilian correspondent Eduardo Cruz, who simply asked the Cuban-born Australian what his testosterone levels were.
Lombard's response:
You guys are going to know the levels soon! Can we make a random drug test before my fight???
Lombard is expected to make his Octagon debut against hard-hitting Marine, Brian Stann, at UFC on FOX 4 in Los Angeles, Calif., later this summer. And according to this recent poll right here on MMAmania.com, it's the fight mixed martial arts (MMA) fans most wanted to see.
For more on "Shango's" UFC debut click here and here.
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Read the full article at MMA Mania‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Episode 6 Results and Recap
"The Ultimate Fighter Brazil" continued Sunday night on TUF.tv with the third fight of the season. Get full results and an Episode 6 recap here at HeavyMMA.
Posted in: fighter, sunday night, brazil, recap, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Heavy MMAEpisode No. 6 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" marks the first-ever international
version of the long-running reality-competition series, and the sixth
episode debuted tonight.
Featuring Brazilian coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, "TUF:
Brazil" sees 16 middleweight and 16 featherweight fighters all vying
for a UFC contract.
Check out MMAjunkie.com's Episode No. 6 recap, which features the season's third featherweight-tourney bout.
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, fighter brazil, mmajunkiecoms episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieAsian MMA - URCC 21: Warpath Post-Fight Recap, Results And Analysis
BloodyElbow.com was on deck at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Philippines, where the Universal Reality Combat Championship's (URCC) 21st major event was held. It was a long and fun night of fights, so let's get right down to a quick recap and analysis.
Headlining the event was Froilan Sarenas, the reigning URCC Middleweight (179 lbs.) Champion, who moved up in weight and took on Nicholas Mann, the current URCC Light Heavyweight (189 lbs.) Champion in a Super-Fight. While both fighters have been trying to round up their overall MMA game, there were clear advantages each competitor had over the other, and this was prevalent on the fight.
Sarenas, a top notch grappler from Submission Sport Philippines, usually takes opponents down from the clinch, but when he couldn't buck the much bigger fighter, it became his downfall. Mann defended well in the clinch, forcing Sarenas to stand with the better striker from Hybrid Yaw Yan (a Filipino Martial Art). This was the case for majority of the fight, and it earned the Australian an impressive and well deserved decision victory.
Also on the card, the duo from Team Buffet in Mark Striegl and Will Chope both picked up impressive victories. The Filipino-American fighter in Striegl came in on very short notice, but still imposed his game against Alcer Lozada. He got several takedowns and dominated on the ground until he eventually landed a huge knee that dropped Lozada and locked in a rear naked choke.
Striegl, a high level grappler, who is one of the fastest rising stars in Asia, improved to 10-0 with the dominant performance, solidifying his case as one of the fighters to look out for in the region.
His teammate in Chope on the other hand, moved up in weight, and took out former URCC lightweight champion, Angelito Manguray, a Karate expert in his 40's, who has been dominating guys half his age for most of his career. Manguray, like the UFC's Lyoto Machida, is great at using his karate base and out-striking opponents from a distance. Chope, a Muay Thai-based fighter, smartly took him out of his game, constantly pressuring him up close, and using the clinch effectively. He battered the former URCC champ, and finished the fight with a rear naked choke.
With the win, the 21-year-old Chope won his fourth straight, and 8 of his past 9. As he improved his unbeaten URCC record to 4-0, he asked for a shot at the title, and he called out Manguray's teammate, current URCC interim featherweight champ, Ricardo Sapno. "I'm coming for your belt" he shouted to the crowd.
Much more analysis along with full-results after the jump. Follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena.
Quick Hits:
Nicholas Mann, Mark Striegl, and Will Chope all picked up impressive victories, but fight of the night definitely went to the co-headliner between Alvin Ramirez vs. Roy Doliguez as the duo stole the show in an impressive display of heart and striking ability.
Ramirez is such a huge fan favorite, because of his entertaining fighting style and his massive heart, and this fight is another testament to that. He came in with an injured and bandaged knee, and for the most part of the fight, it was the sole target of Roy Doliguez. He took dozens and dozens of chopping leg kicks, that clearly did damage, but Ramirez kept on battling, countering with his trademark spinning back fists, and back kicks with that 'swagger' he's known and loved for.
Watching the fight ringside, I thought the fight was very close and extremely entertaining, with judges eventually giving Doliguez the nod after 20 minutes. Ramirez is still very young and he still has a lot of potential to improve, but even if he doesn't reach the elite levels, he will always have a spot in the hearts of Filipino fight fans for his heart and fan-friendly fighting style that just makes people gravitate towards him.
Doliguez was a national level pro-boxer, but for someone who only has 1 URCC fight, the guy looked like a seasoned MMA fighter. He was known for his heavy hands, but he also displayed athleticism, strong leg kicks, and good defense on the ground.
Mario Sismundo, looked a lot like Manny Pacquiao, and it was hilarious how the audience kept on chanting "Manny! Manny!". He was the better striker, but unfortunately for him, Miguel Alo was a good wrestler, and like Pacquiao, he didn't know what to do after he got taken down. He just closed his guard, and didn't attempt to sweep or get back to his feet. His face was swollen and disfigured from all the ground and pound work, and he eventually succumbed to an armbar in the 2nd round.
Another fighter Filipino fans can look out for is Jonathan Sumogat. He's only 20 years old, but already shows a lot of promise, and looks more composed than guys more experienced than him. He passes the guard very well, and if his career is handled properly, he could eventually blossom to a top-level URCC fighter.
Estoro and Transmonte was a fight between two Muay Thai experts. The fight may not have lived up to people's expectations during the build up, but it was still a very entertaining bout. Jerson Estoro may have won the fight easier with more combinations instead of looking for a solid one-shot counter, but his overall MMA game looks to be improving.
Nicholas Mann has won two straight bouts against top notch MMA fighters and talented BJJ purple belts. I think ONE FC should start looking to match him up against the other Asian 185'ers.
Interesting to note that URCC founder, and BJJ Black Belt Alvin Aguilar also celebrated his birthday at the same time of URCC 21.
While Sismundo looked like Pacquiao, Charles De Tomas did look like a tiny Nogueira. It was an ugly fight, with a lot of blunders from both fighters, but referee Joey Lepiten did get a good reaction from the crowd every time he scolded fighters for spitting out their mouthpiece, or attempting to pass while they were being restarted.
I'll have a photo gallery up soon, so keep an eye out for that.
You can watch the video of the event here. If you don't have time to watch everything, skip to the 5th fight, and make you watch Jonathan Sumogat, Mark Striegl, Will Chope, along with that Doliguez vs. Ramirez bout.
Full Results:
- Adam Cacay def. Fred Lim Jr. by Submission (Armbar), 6:47 Round 2- Isaac Tuling def. Charles De Tomas by Submission (strikes), 9:29 Round 2- Rasel Iniong def. Mark Dialogo by Submission (Armbar), 7:20 Round 2- Miguel Alo def. Mario Sismundo by Submission (Armbar), 9:34 Round 2- Jonathan Sumogat def. Mark Joseph Abrillo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke), 6:37 Round 2- Mark Striegl def. Alcer Lozada by Submission (Rear Naked Choke), 3:24 Round 1 - Will Chope def. Angelito Manguray by Submission (Rear Naked Choke), 2:55 Round 1- Jerson Estoro def. Reysaldo Transmonte by Decision (Unanimous), 5:00 Round 3- Roy Doliguez def. Alvin Ramirez by Decision (Unanimous), 10:00 Round 2- Nicholas Mann def. Froilan Sarenas by Decision (Unanimous), 10:00 Round 2 [Super-Fight Title]
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, submission, urcc
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowNo Current Plans for Another Heavyweight Season of The Ultimate Fighter
The 10th season of the Ultimate Fighter will go down as one of the highest rated seasons of the show with fighters like Roy Nelson, Brendan Schaub and of course Kimbo Slice being a part of the casting.
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Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White Says UFC Will Not Put On Shows In California If CSAC Bill Passes
Assemblyman Luis Alejo introduced a bill in California with the intention of "cleaning up" MMA, which passed the assembly last week with a 5-3 vote. The bill introduces a code of conduct which would allow the state athletic commission to take action against fighters who use "hate speech," slurs, engage in sexual assaults and so on. The bigger issue is that there is language in the bill that could directly challenge the contracts of the UFC.
In particular, the bill calls the following a violation of the new code of conduct on the part of a promoter (Fight Opinion has the easiest to find/read versions of the bill):
(1) Assigns any exclusive future merchandising rights to a promoter for an unreasonable period beyond the term of the promotional contract.(2) Automatically renews a promotional contract or extends the term without good faith negotiation, or extends the term of any promotional contract of a fighter who participates in a championship contest for a period greater than 12 months beyond the existing contract termination period.(3) Unreasonably restricts a mixed martial arts fighter from obtaining outside sponsorship from a firm, product or individual.(4) Requires a mixed martial arts fighter to relinquish all legal claims that the fighter has, or may acquire in the future, against the promoter beyond assumption of the risks Inherent in the sport ofmixed martial arts and the Fighter participation in Pre and Post Bout events and activities.(5) Requires a fighter to grant or waive any additional rights not contained in the promotional contract as a condition precedent to the fighter's participation in any Contest.
Obviously the first point is something that the UFC has done in the past and led to falling out with Jon Fitch and American Kickboxing Academy for a brief period. The second is a minor challenge to the "championship clause." The third is the standard UFC approval of sponsors and eliminating options from fighters. And so on.
Basically, the standard UFC contract would violate the code of conduct and thus the state would be able to suspend the UFC's promoter license.
In response to this, Dana White simply said that if the bill fully passes and is implemented, they'll stop running shows in the state of California (via The Orange County Register):
"Do you know what's going on in Sacramento, right now?" White said. "They are trying to pass this bill to raise our taxes and do a bunch of crazy (expletive) to us. They voted 4-2 for the bill. There were a couple of people not present to vote on it. If that thing passes we won't do anymore fights in California. All kinds of crazy (expletive) they're trying to throw in this bill for MMA. You know who's doing it? The Culinary Union from Las Vegas. These guys have been (expletive) with us in New York, too. That's why we're not in New York. These guys got a bunch of lobbyists together to try to pass this bill against MMA. They are putting pressure on my partners, the Fertitta brothers, because they own the fourth-largest gaming company in the country and they are non-union."
It's a story that demands close attention going forward and we'll make sure to bring any updates worth sharing going forward.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, contract, california, bill
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowGeorges St-Pierre finds it “sad” when his fellow fighters act unprofessionally
UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre is not only known for being a fantastic fighter but a class act outside of the Octagon as well. The combination of both have helped turn the 30-year old French-Canadian into one of MMA’s wealthiest competitors with an elite-level of sponsorship including backers like Under Armor and Gatorade.
However, St-Pierre doesn’t feel he’s special or even necessarily lucky in that regard because achieving the level of success he has was a goal of his from the first time he ever stepped foot inside a ring.
“I wore a suit at press conferences when all the other fighters were making fun of me. (They said), ‘Oh, look at St-Pierre, he doesn’t wear his sponsor.’ I’m the one who first started doing this stuff,” said GSP on the importance of professionalism in an interview with MMAFighting. “Because the sponsor, the big companies in corporate America, they’re not interested in sponsoring an athlete who is good in his sport but acts like an idiot outside of the Octagon. They want someone who performs well, of course, but acts like a gentleman outside of the Octagon.”
“I understood that more than ten years ago,” St-Pierre continued. “That’s why I behave the way I do and I do things that I do. That’s why I have a lot of sponsors. I do have a lot of sponsors and a lot of money because of this. It brings money to the table.”
St-Pierre now sees other fighters following his example and achieving similar success such as Jon Jones. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of his peers who still tend to act like knuckleheads instead of presenting themselves as true professionals.
“It’s sad to see that it takes a long time for them to understand,” stated St-Pierre, refusing to mention any specific names out of respect.
“Rush” Says Recovery from Knee Surgery Ahead of Schedule
St-Pierre has said himself he makes between $4-5 million per fight. With money like that talking it seems it’s time for every Mixed Martial Artist to start listening.
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Posted in: fighter, sponsor, octagon, act, stpierre
Read the full article at Fighters.comCrunching Numbers: Josh Koscheck and the Issue of Fighter Age
We often hear in MMA that a fighter could just be getting started or ready to make another title run even as they approach their mid-thirties. Relative to fans and media in other sports, the MMA community seems to believe aging is deleterious for a fighter's career and that a fighter at 35 is as dangerous if not more so than one at 25. Hey, they've got all that wisdom and experience, right?
In fairness, it's not like they haven't had reason to think that. Randy Couture was winning titles in his forties. Current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is 37 and still holds significant speed and reflex advantages over his much younger peers. These fighters, however, are clear outliers. Impressive, obviously, but hardly representative of the norm.
I bring up age because we are approaching an interesting case at UFC on FOX 3 next weekend. Specifically, UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck, who will be 35 years old in November, is facing Johny Hendricks, a 28 year-old rising contender. What does that tell us about his chances against Hendricks this Saturday? Does it really not matter how young a fighter is in terms of his chances for success in the Octagon as some in the MMA community would have you believe?
If the data on age and performance tells us anything, it's that getting older matters significantly and not in a good way.
Before we get to the numbers, we should be very hesitant to make any predictions about Koscheck vs. Hendricks if we're viewing it through a prism of age. Oddsmakers have the fight as basically a dead heat and I tend to think the longer the fight goes, the more it favors Koscheck. And statistically, that makes sense for an older fighter.
What do we know about age and how it affects performance in MMA? There are two key takeaways every MMA fan should know: younger fighters on average never win less than 50% of the time and older fighters are much more likely to lose by TKO/KO than by decision.
Some of the best research to date was actually done by two readers of the site Bloody Elbow in a FightMetric contest roughly one year ago. Using data compiled by FightMetric, they both discovered roughly the same thing, but arrived by taking two very different approaches.
First, let's answer the basic question: do younger fighters win more often? Statistically speaking, the answer is yes. Consider the following:
Winner is Younger Winner is Older
All Fights
Total Fights
1489 (57%)
1111 (43%)
2600*
(T)KO Wins
559 (61%)
359 (39%)
918
Sub Wins
422 (57%)
322 (43%)
744
Dec Wins
505 (54%)
430 (46%)
935
Mean Winner's Age
27.0
31.0
28.7
Mean Loser's Age
31.8
27.1
29.8
Mean Age Difference
4.8
4.0
4.4
Mean Fight Length
08:57
09:50
09:20
* Four fights involving identically-aged fighters were omitted.Two disqualifications and one "other" were omitted frommethod-specific counts/calculations.
There aren't a ton of surprises here, although it's worth reading the entire analyses done by the researcher to get a full grasp over what this all means. For our purposes today, though, we can confirm our earlier statement: younger fighters win more often (57% in this particular sample) and also hold statistical advantages in finishes albeit less so for decisions. More on that in a minute.
It's not enough, though, to just measure winning percentages in aggregate. What happens when we measure age differences between opponents? Do we see any trends? Yes, and the results are noteworthy:
Younger Fighters' Win% Across Age Differences
(Age Difference in Years)
There's a number of ways to parse this data and, again, I implore you to read the original posts from where this data arrived to truly a get a sense for implications. Still, it's safe to say a couple of things. For starters, younger opposition have at least a 50% chance of winning at all times. The upward trend in the graph overall (with one lone exception) tells as age discrepancy matters. It's also intriguing that even in cases where both fighters are considered 'young' - say 22 and 23 years old - the younger of the two still holds a statistical advantage.
In the case I started this article off with - Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks - the age disparity is 6 years. Historically, the younger fighter in those circumstances has won 60% of the time.
Younger fighters tend to win more and sometimes by big margins, but it's when researchers factored in the method of victory things got really interesting. "Variation by type of victory depends on the age of the older fighter, not on the age of the younger fighter," the researchers said. "More precisely, we can say that as the older fighter’s age increases, his chance of getting knocked out increases substantially, his chance of getting submitted increases but somewhat less, but his chance of losing a decision stays relatively flat":
What does this graph mean beyond what's aforementioned? In some respects, it's hard to say and we should be careful about speculation in terms of what the data is specifically telling us. It's not as clear whether the effect above is from the advantage of youth or the liabilities of age. It's probably not the worst idea, though, to think the inability of older fighters to take punishment as well as they once did accounts for some of the uptick in KO/TKO finishes as they get older.
As for why older fighters are less likely to get finished, I'd personally suggest experience has to count for something.
All of this brings us back to Koscheck and his main event bout with Hendricks this coming Saturday at UFC on FOX 3. If it sounds like I'm discounting Koscheck's chances, I apologize in advance. I am not and have largely been a fan of his fighting style. He's fallen short against Georges St. Pierre, but has also had one hell of a successful athletic career. He is no one to overlook or take lightly.
But I also can't escape the numbers. I don't want to dwell on them too much, but I want to leave you with one final reminder about what the relationship of age and performance in MMA this time courtesy of Fight Matrx. What we have below is the winning percentage of fighters by age:
As a fighter gets older, it's true they accumulate helpful experience and knowledge. Unfortunately, however, the data also suggests it often becomes harder and harder to make effective use of it as they accumulate the fragility that come with aging.
The next time a MMA commentator, analyst or fan talks about a fighter's ability without regard to their age (or the age difference in an impending bout), temper their conclusions with this healthy dose of reality. These numbers do not tell us to discount the accomplishments and talent of older fighters, but they do give us license to ask how much longer fighters like Anderson Silva at 37 can really keep winning. That's especially true as they face younger and younger fighters.
The fact is this: mixed martial arts, like all other sports, is very much a young man's game. Age is not just a number.
All quantitative data provided by FightMetric.
Posted in: mma, fighter, koscheck, age, data
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFedor Emelianenko talks UFC, hasn’t written off fighting in the Octagon
Iconic Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko is a man of few words, opting for humility rather than constant self-promotion. As such, it’s rare to hear his thoughts on any number of topics including those he’s directly involved with.
However, Emelianenko recently addressed a few matters while being interviewed at a European fitness conference, and though his responses weren’t necessarily detailed he certainly got his point across including those on the differences between M-1 Global and UFC.
“They make their own fighters,” said Emelianenko of the UFC to GNP TV after one of the most tense dramatic pauses in MMA-interview history. “They train their own guys and don’t buy established fighters.”
“We’ll see,” he continued when asked if he was completely done considering the possibility of competing inside the Octagon one day down the road.
Check out the full interview below where Emelianenko also offers up his thoughts on future opponent Pedro Rizzo, trash-talking in MMA, and the quality of fighters outside of the UFC:
PHOTO CREDIT – M-1 GLOBAL / STRIKEFORCE
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ’t, emelianenko, fighters ”
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainRebellion MMA Radio: UFC flyweight Demetrious Johnson, rising welterweight Stephen Thompson, and Alchemist head Lex McMahon
Last Sunday Rebellion MMA Radio welcomed the beauty of Jade Bryce, the brawn of Tony Ferguson, and the brains of E. Spencer Kyte to the show. This time around we’ve got twice the bad-assery, plus one of the most-respected executives in the business, stopping by to speak with hosts Bryan Levick and Mitch Ciccarelli, as UFC fighters Demetrious Johnson and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, as well as Lex McMahon, all slated to appear.
Interested listeners can also contribute to the show by submitting questions for guests via Twitter or email (RebellionMMARadio@yahoo.com).
The 14-2 Johnson is one of the top 125-pound fighters in MMA and will be competing in June for the right to fight for the UFC’s inaugural flyweight championship when he faces Ian McCall in the main event of UFC on FX 3.
Though widely considered one of the best young strikers in the game, Thompson is coming off his first professional loss after falling to Matt Brown this past weekend at UFC 145 in a gutsy battle many considered the best fight of the night.
McMahon is the President of Alchemist MMA, a brand sponsoring numerous fighters including a good deal of athletes who are also military veterans.
Catch Rebellion MMA Radio live on Sunday at 6:30 PM EST where the guys will discuss the fallout from Alistair Overeem’s NSAC hearing and much more.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, johnson, rebellion
Read the full article at Fighters.comONE FC: Hong Kong's Eddie Ng is Taking Superstardom Firmly in his Stride
Since moving to Singapore it has all happened for Eddie Ng. He has registered two emphatic first round stoppages, made an army of new fans and finished high on a list of the most eligible bachelors in the country.
The word 'superstar' is often bandied about a bit too easily but in Ng's case it is rapidly becoming applicable. He has the looks and his back to back ONE FC wins are testament to the fact that he also has the ability.
At 26 years old time is also very much on his side and he doesn't seem to be in any danger of letting the attention he has received since arriving at Evolve MMA in Singapore less than a year ago go to his head,
"I try to not think or care too much about any attention. What I do think and care about though is making sure that every day I am improving myself as a martial artist and as a person. I have to continuously train and improve my skills in order to continue finding success in competition. Any sort of recognition or attention is just a by product of being successful in competition."
Ng, whose roots are in Hong Kong, has rapidly developed a fan following in Singapore and was also shortlisted as one of the most desirable men in the entire country by girl's magazine Cleo. At ONE FC 'War of the Lions' this support was evident with his fans bringing banners and even painting their faces much to his amazement,
"I find it all very surprising and I really appreciate the support that everyone has shown towards me. Fans send me messages through Facebook and Twitter and I try to reply to them all as much as I can. I consider the fans to be very important, not just those that are a fan of myself but of MMA in general."
After blowing away Malaysian Muay Thai champion Jian Kai Chee to extend his record to 5-1 Ng's most recent assignment was cornering his Evolve MMA team mate Shinya Aoki at Bellator 66. Although that evening did not go entirely according to plan he is relishing the opportunity to train alongside one of the top fighters in the world at his weight,
"Before I met Shinya Aoki I had watched many of his fights and admired his skills but I honestly thought that he was crazy and a bit of a bad boy! This is certainly not the case as Shinya is actually a very quiet and humble individual. We train together very often, he has taught me and really opened my eyes to a lot of MMA specific philosophy. He has really helped me mature in my overall MMA game."
ONE FC War Of The Lions: Eddie Ng vs Jian Kai Chee (via OneFCMMA)
Aoki is only two years his senior but has had 30 more fights. However Ng, who went to school in England and took up martial arts after being bullied due to his Asian appearance, feels that there is no rush because he is in the perfect place to develop as a mixed martial artist,
"All of the striking coaches at Evolve MMA are World Champions in either Muay Thai or Boxing, they work diligently and have invested many hours with myself and the rest of the Evolve Fight Team. It is very rewarding to be able to showcase the teaching from all coaches in my fights and my team mate Zoro Moreira also got to show off his ever improving Muay Thai skills in the main event at One FC recently."
Regarded by many as the most sophisticated MMA academy in the world Evolve MMA has been linked with a host of fighters recently but while owner Chatri Sityodtong is notoriously selective about who he invites onto the fight team the likes of Riki Fukuda, Ben Askren and Rich Franklin are all set to spend time training there this year.
Matt Hume, Greg Jackson and Renzo Gracie have also visited Evolve MMA to either teach or give seminars and Ng feels fortunate to be spending time with such a rich diversity of coaches and training partners,
"I am very lucky and grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many different elite level fighters. Each fighter has their own style and techniques that they like to use, it is very educational for me when working with them to see all the different things that different fighters do and whether I can take those things to implement in my own game."
ONE FC is already by far the biggest promotion in Asia and nowhere has that been more noticeable than in Singapore where 8,000 people packing into a sold out stadium for the most recent show. Ng has seen with his own eyes how rapidly the sport of MMA has developed in the 10 months or so he has spent there,
"Since the second One FC event in Singapore, I have definitely seen a huge increase in interest in MMA. I've especially noticed that there is a lot more female interest now which I believe is a very positive thing."
He is currently competing in the most stacked division which ONE FC has and there is no shortage of potential opponents at 155 lbs. Ng enjoyed Eduard Folayang's fight of the night with Ole Laursen at the last ONE FC show and would relish the opportunity to face either fighter,
"Man that was one hell of a fight! It was action packed from the first sound of the bell until the last! I understand that there has been some controversy surrounding the decision but I would rather just appreciate the fight for how it was than debate who won and why. Stylistically I think a matchup between me and either fighter would make for a very entertaining fight for the fans!"
The ONE FC matchmakers are rumoured to feel that Ng is ready for a step up in opposition after stopping both Yuan Chun Bo and Kai Chee with strikes very early in the first round of his two fights to date. A headlining slot in Hong Kong might also await him when ONE FC put on a show there and he admits it is something which has been discussed,
"Although no date has been set I know that One FC have plans to hold an event there. The prospect of there being a One FC event held there and having an opportunity to compete there excites me very much, to headline an event in Hong Kong would truly be a huge honour for me."
Although he doesn't currently have a fight scheduled Ng is not going to be taking too much time off and has already returned to training at Evolve MMA after last month's victory. He says he would like to compete in MMA 'three or four' times this year but will also be exploring other avenues as he looks to continue to improve as an all round martial artist,
"I fought Muay Thai for the first time last year in Thailand and it was a lot of fun for me and I would like to compete again in the future. Fighting professional Muay Thai is very important for developing confidence in striking situations. One of the biggest factors in becoming a competent striker is the element of timing and fighting Muay Thai really allows me to work on my timing as well as gain some extra ring time which I consider to be very valuable."
Those improvements were there for all to see when Ng, who has a reputation for being more of a grappler, dropped an opponent who had outstanding Muay Thai credentials with a hook in his most recent MMA fight. He has very heavy hands and can do damage with them from absolutely anywhere, winning his first fight for ONE FC with a knock out punch from within his opponent's guard.
Ng's popularity is rising at a rate which no-one could have possibly predicted but there is substance behind the style and he has the skill set to live up to even the loftiest of expectations. His training partners and coaches at Evolve MMA believe that the softly spoken, hard hitting fighter from Hong Kong will be a world beater and with so much talent in ONE FC's lightweight division there will be plenty more opportunity to prove them right.
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Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, fc, ng
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC's Georges St. Pierre Tells Other Fighters That Professional Behavior = Money
UFC Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has long been noted for his professional demeanor and squeaky clean image. He's also been known for having the most lucrative sponsorships in MMA.
Now that the UFC is coming under criticism in the business press for the unprofessional behavior of numerous fighters, announcers and executives, St. Pierre has some very definite ideas about how fighters should behave and feels vindicated in his approach.
Related Stories: UFC Advertising Backlash An Important Lesson For Zuffa | UFC Advertiser Backlash Story Marred
St. Pierre spoke to MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani and explained his approach and the resistance he's faced from other MMA fighters.
We'll hear from GSP after the jump...
"I wore a suit at press conferences when all the other fighters were making fun of me. (They said), 'Oh, look at St-Pierre, he doesn't wear his sponsor.' I'm the one who first started doing this stuff, and I think the image and how you conduct yourself ... because the sponsor, the big companies in corporate America, they're not interested in sponsoring an athlete who is good in his sport but acts like an idiot outside of the Octagon. They want someone who performs well, of course, but acts like a gentleman outside of the Octagon.
"I understood that more than ten years ago. That's why I behave the way I do and I do things that I do. That's why I have a lot of sponsors. I do have a lot of sponsors and a lot of money because of this. It brings money to the table."
Posted in: ufc, fighter, pierre, st, sponsor
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowGeorges St-Pierre On Fighter Professionalism
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has long been known as one of the true class act fighters in all of MMA. While it sometimes rubs some fans the wrong way for St-Pierre to be the way he is in a sport where absurd things are said often to promote fights, he believes that it works to his benefit.
In the wake of recent warnings to the UFC by major sponsor Anheuser-Busch, MMAFighting caught up with the champion and asked his opinion on fighter professionalism.
“This is something that I’ve been doing since the beginning of my career. I wore a suit at press conferences when all the other fighters were making fun of me. (They said), ‘Oh, look at St-Pierre, he doesn’t wear his sponsor.’ I’m the one who first started doing this stuff, and I think the image and how you conduct yourself… because the sponsor, the big companies in corporate America, they’re not interested in sponsoring an athlete who is good in his sport but acts like an idiot outside of the Octagon. They want someone who performs well, of course, but acts like a gentleman outside of the Octagon.
I understood that more than ten years ago. That’s why I behave the way I do and I do things that I do. That’s why I have a lot of sponsors. I do have a lot of sponsors and a lot of money because of this. It brings money to the table.”
Of all the fighters in the UFC, St-Pierre has some of the highest profile and mainstream sponsors in the sport. St-Pierre has deals with Gatorade and Under Armor that have garnered him commercial spots with some of the top athletes in all of sports. It is no coincidence that St-Pierre has also garnered a lot of attention from agents that typically represent the biggest names in sports and entertainment.
St-Pierre insists the reason for this is because he views MMA as a real profession, saying:
“I’m in this business because I want to make it for a living, for money,” he said rather passionately. “People don’t understand that. They used to make fun of me. Now ten years after, now they start picking up on it. It’s sad to see that it takes a long time for them to understand.”
St-Pierre is currently in the midst of a long round of physical therapy after requiring knee surgery. St-Pierre hopes to return to the octagon in the late fall, where he will seek to unify the welterweight title against interim champion Carlos Condit.
Posted in: fighter, sport, sponsor, lot, stpierre
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyChris Lytle's run for senate promo. I know he's a great fighter, but would you vote for him?
submitted by Snizzlefry [link] [6 comments]
Posted in: fighter, vote, senate, lytle, chris lytles
Read the full article at RedditRebellion MMA Radio: UFC flyweight Demetrious Johnson, rising welterweight Stephen Thompson, and Alchemist head Lex McMahon
Last Sunday Rebellion MMA Radio welcomed the beauty of Jade Bryce, the brawn of Tony Ferguson, and the brains of E. Spencer Kyte to the show. This time around we’ve got twice the bad-assery, plus one of the most-respected executives in the business, stopping by to speak with hosts Bryan Levick and Mitch Ciccarelli, as UFC fighters Demetrious Johnson and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, as well as Lex McMahon, all slated to appear.
Interested listeners can also contribute to the show by submitting questions for guests via Twitter or email (RebellionMMARadio@yahoo.com).
The 14-2 Johnson is one of the top 125-pound fighters in MMA and will be competing in June for the right to fight for the UFC’s inaugural flyweight championship when he faces Ian McCall in the main event of UFC on FX 3.
Though widely considered one of the best young strikers in the game, Thompson is coming off his first professional loss after falling to Matt Brown this past weekend at UFC 145 in a gutsy battle many considered the best fight of the night.
McMahon is the President of Alchemist MMA, a brand sponsoring numerous fighters including a good deal of athletes who are also military veterans.
Catch Rebellion MMA Radio live on Sunday at 6:30 PM EST where the guys will discuss the fallout from Alistair Overeem’s NSAC hearing and much more.
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Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, johnson, rebellion
Read the full article at Fighters.comThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode 8 Recap: Split Decision Advances Another Fighter
Another fighter advances to the quarterfinals and a female visits The Ultimate Fighter house for the first time during episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live
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Posted in: fighter, fighter house, advance, bull, fighter advances
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTUF Live Recap: Episode 8 ‘The Lion’s Den’
Welcome back to another episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live. This week, we’ll see Strikeforce women’s champion Ronda Rousey, a former Olympian, working with the fighters on the show. The countdown clock is on, as Sam Sicilia of Team Dominick Cruz vs. Team Urijah Faber’s Chris Saunders is the live fight this evening. As usual, [...]
Posted in: fighter, team, episode, sam sicilia, countdown clock
Read the full article at MMA Convert‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Episode 8 Recap and Live Blog
Tune in to Heavy.com for "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Episode 8 recap and coverage, including running updates from tonight's live fight between Sam Sicilia and Chris Saunders.
Posted in: fighter, episode, recap, blog tune, sam sicilia
Read the full article at Heavy MMARebellion MMA Radio Returns This Sunday
Last Sunday Rebellion MMA Radio welcomed the beauty of Jade Bryce, the brawn of Tony Ferguson, and the brains of E. Spencer Kyte to the show. This time around we’ve got twice the bad-assery, plus one of the most-respected executives in the business, stopping by to speak with hosts Bryan Levick and Mitch Ciccarelli, as UFC fighters Demetrious Johnson and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, as well as Lex McMahon, all slated to appear.
Interested listeners can also contribute to the show by submitting questions for guests via Twitter or email (RebellionMMARadio@yahoo.com).
The 14-2 Johnson is one of the top 125-pound fighters in MMA and will be competing in June for the right to fight for the UFC’s inaugural flyweight championship when he faces Ian McCall in the main event of UFC on FX 3.
Though widely considered one of the best young strikers in the game, Thompson is coming off his first professional loss after falling to Matt Brown this past weekend at UFC 145 in a gutsy battle many considered the best fight of the night.
McMahon is the President of Alchemist MMA, a brand sponsoring numerous fighters including a good deal of athletes who are also military veterans.
Catch Rebellion MMA Radio live on Sunday at 6:30 PM EST where the guys will discuss the fallout from Alistair Overeem’s NSAC hearing and much more.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, sunday, rebellion
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyReport: Paul Taylor Vs. Anthony Njokauni To Meet AT UFC On Fuel 4
When the UFC wants to make a matchup, they usually can't be swayed from that decision. If a fighter gets hurt or something goes wrong, they generally try to put the two fighters again at some point in the future. That's the case here, as British fighter Paul Taylor will meet Anthony Njokuani at UFC on Fuel 4 in July. Fighters Only has it:
Anthony Njokuani is matched with Paul Taylor for UFC on FUEL 4. The Nigerian-American lightweight kickboxer faces his British counterpart on the televised portion of the card, according to Fighters Only sources. Paperwork is in place to make the bout official.
The two were originally scheduled to face off at UFC 138, but Taylor was hurt in a car accident and was forced to withdraw. Taylor (11-6-1, 1 NC) hasn't stepped into the octagon in over fourteen months due to injuries. His last bout was a TKO win over Gabe Ruediger at UFC 126. Njokuani (15-6, 1 NC) is coming off a big win over John Makdessi last weekend at UFC 145.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel 4
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fuel, taylor, anthony njokuani
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowGSP thinks his fellow fighters need to be more professional
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Posted in: fighter, gsp, fellow, need, daveox
Read the full article at RedditGeorges St-Pierre to Fellow Fighters: Be More Professional
NEW YORK -- Some might say that Georges St-Pierre is professional to a fault. Heck, it feels like the last time the UFC welterweight champion said anything negative about an upcoming opponent was his infamous "I'm not impressed by your performance" moment. So in the wake of major UFC sponsor Anheuser-Busch warning the promotion that it would take action if fighters wouldn't conduct themselves more professionally, MMAFighting.com asked St-Pierre on Friday whether he thinks it's time his fellow fighters cleaned up their acts. "This is something that I've been doing since the beginning of my career," St-Pierre said. "I wore a suit at press conferences when all the other fighters were making fun of me. (They said), 'Oh, look at St-Pierre, he doesn't wear his sponsor.' I'm the one who first started doing this stuff, and I think the image and how you conduct yourself ... because the sponsor, the big companies in corporate America, they're not interested in sponsoring an athlete who is good in his sport but acts like an idiot outside of the Octagon. They want someone who performs well, of course, but acts like a gentleman outside of the Octagon.
"I understood that more than ten years ago. That's why I behave the way I do and I do things that I do. That's why I have a lot of sponsors. I do have a lot of sponsors and a lot of money because of this. It brings money to the table." And one of those sponsors is Mission Athletecare's new EnduraCool towel, which also sponsors tennis star Serena Williams and NBA great Dwight Howard. GSP was in town to promote the brand at Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Manhattan. They're another notch on GSP's mainstream sponsorship belt, along with the likes of Gatorade and Under Armour, and he believes it's no coincidence that he is sponsored by the most blue chip companies in the sport. "I'm in this business because I want to make it for a living, for money," he said rather passionately. "People don't understand that. They used to make fun of me. Now ten years after, now they start picking up on it. It's sad to see that it takes a long time for them to understand." St-Pierre is still hoping to return to action in November following knee surgery late last year.
Posted in: fighter, sponsor, georges stpierre, stpierre, fellow fighters
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseTwitter Mailbag: Nick Diaz's Lawsuit, Brock Lesnar in the HOF, and More
After a brief hiatus, the Twitter Mailbag is back and ready to answer all your questions on topics as diverse as Hector Lombard’s chances for wearing UFC gold, to Brock Lesnar’s Hall of Fame worthiness, to what you should ask for if you want to wet your whistle in Germany.
Got a question of your own? Look me up at @BenFowlkesMMA on the old Twitter device and then fire away. In the meantime, let’s get this TMB started right, shall we?Dan Brooks @Combat_BlogWhy is Nick Diaz suing the NSAC? Could that possibly work out well for him?
In short, Nick Diaz is suing the Nevada State Athletic Commission because they won’t let him fight, and yet won’t give him a chance to make his case that he should be able to fight. As you’ll no doubt recall, he was suspended after testing positive for marijuana following his decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143. That was over two months ago, but, according to Diaz’s lawsuit, "the NSAC has still not convened a hearing. Nor has a hearing been scheduled. Accordingly, the NSAC's application of NRS 233B.l27 and/or NRS 467.117 is an unconstitutional deprivation of Diaz's due process rights."Now, can that possibly work out well for him, you ask? I have no idea, but at least it’s an encouraging sign. Let’s stop for a second and just appreciate the fact that Diaz has a lawyer who is actually pursuing this thing. That would have been unimaginable a couple years ago, when the most complicated legal maneuvering he was capable of was no-showing a drug test that he knew he would fail. Now that he’s back in the UFC, he’s got a Vegas heavyweight handling his business, filing affidavits that, somewhat hilariously, quote an alternate universe Diaz as saying: "The summary suspension against me, made without any consideration of the merits of the Complaint, is the only reason I am aware of that a rematch against Mr Condit has not been scheduled. If the summary suspension is set aside, I would be prepared to compete against Mr. Condit or against any other opponent deemed suitable immediately."First of all, imagine Diaz using a word like ‘suitable’ in conversation. Imagine him referring to the guy who peppered him with "little baby leg kicks" as "Mr. Condit." It’s like trying to picture Donald Cerrone in a bowler rather than a cowboy hat: so impossibly wrong, it’s hilarious. But second, imagine what would have happened if Diaz would have been left to his own devices here. This is the guy who retired after a decision didn’t go his way. You think it was his idea to get attorney Ross Goodman in on this? I’m guessing no. I’m guessing that, if it were left up to Diaz, he would have filed a writ of ‘Eff your mother’ and called it a day. That he didn’t -- that he, in fact, enlisted the help of a professional who could at least put some pressure on the NSAC -- is a good sign. I’m not sure if it means he’ll be back in the cage against Mr. Condit any time soon, but at least it gives us reason to hope that he’s not done yet. For now, I’ll take it.Jason Rule @JasonRuleTMB? You covered Schaub a bit in your Hurt Business series. After his most recent KO where does he go? 205, back to Grudge?Who says he needs to go anywhere? Obviously it’s not a great career move (or, you know, brain move) to keep getting knocked out, but let’s not be so quick to hit the eject button on the guy. Schaub’s a talented fighter, and he was looking good against Rothwell, at least right up until he decided to plant his feet and play Rock-em, Sock-em Robots with Big Ben. With Rothwell’s chin, he can afford to play that game. With Schaub’s, probably not. Is that a problem that’s going to be solved by moving to light heavyweight, assuming Schaub could even get down to 205 pounds without donating a kidney? I doubt it. Plenty of light heavyweights can swat, and in that division Schaub loses the speed advantage he currently enjoys at heavyweight. Maybe the answer is simply using that speed advantage a little more, and brawling a little less. Schaub is a big, athletic guy who does a lot of things well. It just seems like taking blows to the head is not one of those things. I don’t know if you can build a better chin in the gym, but you can get better at preventing people from testing it.Noel Luperon @NoelLuperonhow many Ariel Helwani's does it take to change a light bulb?Just one, but it takes him three hours.Luke Williamson @ltw0303Doesnt @ufc almost have to bring King Mo back? If for any other reason to give Jones another contender after Hendo? #mailbagI broached this topic with UFC president Dana White after the recent event in Stockholm. While he still wasn’t terribly pleased with Lawal, he didn’t rule out the possibility of the former Strikeforce champ getting back in Zuffa’s good graces. White said he respected Lawal for reaching out to Nevada commissioner Pat Lundvall to apologize for his remarks on Twitter, and said we’d now have to wait and "see how this whole thing goes down." It’s not exactly an enthusiastic endorsement, but it’s not a hard no either. Personally, I think Lawal is too good a fighter not to be in the UFC. Whether he’s a legitimate challenger for Jon Jones is yet to be determined, but I hope we get the chance to see for ourselves.Maggie Hendricks @maggiehendricksIf you could match up any fiction writers (alive or dead) who, why, and who wins?Depends what kind of fight I’m in the mood for. If I want an all-out slobberknocker between two departed great ones, I match up John Steinbeck against William Faulkner. If I want something a little more tactical between two living gems, I go with Amy Hempel vs. Maile Meloy. If I want a satisfying squash match that would fit right in on a New Year’s Eve card in Tokyo, I let Ernest Hemingway punch a hole in Jonathan Safran Foer’s face. Now that I think about it, I can’t imagine a time when I wouldn’t be in the mood for that last one.Justin @JBodIn hindsight, will Rampage be remembered more as a great personality or fighter?A little of both, though I’m not sure ‘great’ is the word I’d use to describe his fighting career or his personality. Instead, I might go with ‘fascinating.’ Or even ‘enigmatic.’ Inside the cage and out, he’s always been memorable, and at times extremely frustrating. Was he a great fighter? Maybe once, and maybe he still is in brief flashes, but as Dana White recently pointed out, he never quite became the fighter he could have been. He never seemed as interested in it as we were. He wanted to make movies, to be showered with praise and never, ever called out on his often absurd behavior in public. He wanted to be champ, then he wanted to quit MMA altogether, and then he wanted to go fight outside the UFC. He changed his mind a lot, in other words, and his career trajectory looks like that of a man who couldn’t decide on what he wanted to do long enough to fully commit to doing it. That’s how I think we’ll remember Jackson when he’s gone: interesting, entertaining, and all over the place.Terry Shillito @TerryShillito#twittermailbag I don't think we've heard your take on MMA in the olympics. Should it be in? Do they copy boxing? Etc.
The UFC knows it would be a great feather in its cap to get MMA into the Olympics, but I don’t think many fans realize that it wouldn’t be as fun in practice as it is in theory. Look at Olympic boxing, for instance. Between the head gear and the limited rounds, it’s so different from pro boxing that it’s practically a different sport altogether. The same would probably be true for MMA, since few fighters would want to take elbows to the head without getting a paycheck at the end of the night. Could it become an interesting way for amateur MMA fighters to make a name for themselves before going pro? Maybe. But if you think you’re going to see Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen go five rounds with a gold medal on the line, you’re kidding yourself.
_ajP @_ajpWith the NFL draft upon on us, if you were the UFC, who would your #1 pick be from outside the org to come to UFC and why?Does Strikeforce count as an outside organization? If so, with the first pick in the 2012 purely fictional UFC draft, I select Gilbert Melendez, lightweight, of San Francisco, California. With my second pick, I select Luke Rockhold, middleweight, of San Jose, California. With my third pick, I trade some of next year’s picks to get the duo of Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett. I don’t even care who wins that fight, both of them deserve to be in the UFC. And besides, I plan to resign as fictional GM of the UFC after this season, so let the next guy worry about all the fictional draft picks I gave up. Sucker.A Fragile Smile @AFragileSmiledo you think Brock Lesnar is UFC HOF worthy?Nope. Assuming he stays retired from MMA (and I think he will), he’s a 5-3 fighter with a career that lasted just a little over four years. Granted, he became UFC heavyweight champ in that time, and he brought a lot of mainstream attention to the sport, but that still doesn’t make him one of the all-time greats. It makes him a useful PR tool and an interesting guy to have around, at least for a little while. Shouldn’t a Hall of Famer be more than that? Shouldn’t he be one of MMA’s best, and not just one of the sport’s most popular?I think so, but then again, MMA doesn’t have a Hall of Fame right now -- the UFC does. The UFC decides who gets in and who stays out, and it makes those decisions all on its own, and for its own reasons. That’s its prerogative as a private organization, but we shouldn’t confuse it for the real thing. It’s not the same as what happens in Cooperstown or Canton, so we shouldn’t put too much stock in it either way. Some day soon, I hope, MMA will have a real Hall of Fame. In the meantime, the discussion surrounding the UFC’s HOF doesn’t mean a whole lot.Matt Giesbrecht @MattGiesbrechtWhat season on TUF is your favourite and why?Without a doubt, it’s season four: "The Comeback." What’s not to love there? You had Shonie Carter putting bling stones on everything, Matt Serra being the most obnoxiously effective (effectively obnoxious?) cornerman in the world, plus a little Chris Lytle and Jorge Rivera thrown in for good measure. All that, plus it was the season where Georges St-Pierre learned to be a pimp from the man who dressed like that because he did the damn thing. Sorry, but it’s going to take more than some tired locker room pranks to top that.Dylan Lippincott @dylanlipWhat's next for rashad? Does he rematch machida? At 32 how much time is left.I wouldn’t mind seeing another Evans-Machida fight, if only because I’d like to know if one of MMA’s most gruesome-looking knockouts could possibly be replicated. And besides, what else is either one of them supposed to do right now? But even if Evans won that rematch with Machida we’d find ourselves right back at more or less the same point, wondering what’s next. I don’t think the clock is running out on Evans just yet. His style should give him a little more longevity than the brawlers of the MMA world typically enjoy, and it’s not like he’s been pushed into a premature old age by a bunch of bad beatings. It’s just that, as long as Evans and Jon Jones are in the same weight class, it seems unlikely that he’ll ever fight for UFC gold again. That’s why, if he thinks he can manage it, now’s the time for Evans to move down to middleweight and take his chances. The cut will only get harder as he gets older, and there isn’t much left at light heavyweight except some just-for-the-hell-of-it bouts against others who are in the same position. That’s not a bad way to get paid for a little while, but it’s not much of a long-term strategy. If Evans wants a shot at being champ again, he’s either got to drop weight classes or else hang around and hope that Jones moves up to heavyweight while they’re both still young. James @lightbluesheepBest beer (or beverage) on your recent European trip? #mailbagWhile in Hamburg I had a delicious local beer by the name of Astra that I highly recommend if you ever get out that way. If you make it to Frankfurt, you’ve got to try the Apfelwein. If you go to Sweden, however, just do what the Swedes do and travel to Denmark for good, reasonably priced drinks. Your wallet will thank you.Deadpanda @DeadpandaCPDoes 5'9 Lombard honestly stand a chance of getting UFC gold when he's an Umpa Lumpa standing next to 6'2 Silva? #reachmattersFirst of all, how much longer do you think Anderson Silva is going to hang around in this sport? A year, maybe two? The man is 37 years old and closing in on what might be his last meaningful title defense. While he probably could keep fighting on into his 40s, it doesn’t seem like he necessarily wants to.But I digress. Your question was about Hector Lombard, and whether a relatively short middleweight can find success in the UFC’s 185-pound division. It’s true that he’s going to be giving up some height and reach against guys like Brian Stann, Chael Sonnen, or Yushin Okami, all of whom are big dudes. Then again, Lombard’s dealt with that before. What he hasn’t done is taken on any of the division’s elite fighters. Not yet. Lombard’s got a great record on paper, but who’s the best fighter he’s beaten? He’s spent the last several years throttling guys who either weren’t good enough for the UFC or weren’t good enough to stay in the UFC. That makes it tough to know what he’s really capable of, though he is an exciting fighter and a fun addition to a division that could use a little fresh blood. All I’m saying is, let’s see him beat a credible contender in the UFC before we start matching him up against the champ in our heads. Let’s also not assume that we know who the champ will be a year or so from now.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fighter, hersquo, itrsquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC Ultimate Fighter Live Preview: Sam Sicilia Vs. Chris Saunders
We're getting near the end of round 1 on this season of The Ultimate Fighter Live, and I have to admit, I'm ready for the quarter-finals. There's been a very interesting mix of fighters who have qualified so far, and I am intrigued to see how they all match up. But that's still two weeks and two fights away. For now, we have our 7th opening round fight, and it's another good one as Dominick Cruz #2 pick Sam Sicilia faces Urijah Faber #8 pick (and last overall pick) Chris Saunders. The Ultimate Fighter airs live on FX Friday night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
At a quick glance, this looks like a pretty major mismatch. Sicilia was a killer in his preliminary TUF fight, winning via KO after throwing just one punch. He's been silently waiting in the wings as an early favorite for a number of weeks. Saunders meanwhile was the last pick who didn't impress in his prelim fight. Seems like an easy win for Team Cruz to give them a 4-3 advantage, right? But digging deeper reveals that not only are we likely underrating Saunders, we may also be seriously overrating Sicilia. Let's take a closer look at each man, including fight footage.
Breakdown of Sicilia and Saunders, plus fight video and prediction in the full entry.
SAM SICILIA (10-0)5'7" | 25 years old | 66" reachTUF record: def. Erin Beach (KO, R1)
Sam Sicilia comes from the regional scene up in Washington, also home to his "Team Purple" pal Mike Chiesa. He's a perfect 10-0 (though some places list his record as 9-0), with a lot of those fights ending via quick KO, much as we saw in the premiere. He's also an incredibly busy fighter. He had one fight in 2007, and then a staggering 9 fights in 2011. That's a huge number of fights in a year and shows you that, despite being 10-0, Sicilia is essentially just 1 year into his pro career. Like a lot of up-and-coming fighters, that 10-0 record looks impressive, but may not be as great as it seems. He hasn't faced any opponents of note, with most of his opposition holding a losing record. He just hasn't been competing in an overly tough regional circuit, and has yet to be really challenged.
Unfortunately, because he's been limited to the regional scene, there's not much footage of Sicilia available, just one amateur fight and his quick KO of Beach. But what we see there is a strong reliance on that big overhand right. Against Beach he throws it beautifully, ducking under and whipping it over the top with big velocity. When it lands, as we saw, it's a lights-out punch. He also can use the punch to set up a takedown. Those fast KO's on his record and the way we approached the Beach fight tell me he's a headhunter, and a successful one at that.
Against Saunders, I expect we'll see that overhand right come fast out of the gates, with Sicilia looking to get another massive KO early.
CHRIS SAUNDERS (9-2)5'8" | 25 years old | 67" reachTUF record: def. Chase Hackett (UD)
The So-Cal Kid Chris Saunders is, as you might guess, a fighter out of the California scene. There he trains at All In MMA, a smaller facility where Saunders seems to be the top dog. He's 9-2, mainly in the California area, though he does have one very interesting fight on his resume. His last fight pre-TUF was last summer when he lost a unanimous decision to Chris Horodecki at Bellator 47. Though it was a loss, that's a huge fight, and you have to think the experience of both fighting on TV for Bellator and against a tough opponent like Horodecki was a valuable experience for Saunders.
Rewatching the fight against Hackett, you can see why he was picked last. Saunders went all-in on a guillotine attempt early in that fight, and when it didn't pan out (largely due to incorrect form by Saunders), his arms were gassed and he was mostly ineffective for the rest of the round. But you can also see that he has more to offer. He lost his snap in his strikes and his defense against Hackett, but he stuck in there, gutting it out and getting the win. Looking at other fights, you see that Saunders is a very good stand-up fighter. He strings things together nicely in combos, and does an excellent job mixing up his striking arsenal. He's a very solid technical striker, the kind of fighter who consistently executes properly, and has clearly emphasized technique in his training. But my favorite aspect of his striking is, as I said, the way he flows things together, using knees, kicks, punches... it all comes together nicely so that he can keep the pressure up. And if it goes to the ground, he is comfortable there as well.
For the Sicilia fight, I suspect he will look to use striking technique to outpoint Sicilia at first, then turn up the pressure and if he can, finish him on the ground.
Prediction: Chris Saunders, submission round 2
I'm going against the obvious choice here, but I think Saunders has this. Sicilia absolutely could catch him and put him out, but I believe Saunders has the standing skills to avoid that one punch KO. From there, he seems to be a superior technical striker who will outpoint Sicilia and stay on him until he gets the upset.
Video Footage:
Sam Sicilia vs. Dean BrimI believe this is an amateur fight from Sicilia. Note how he uses the same overhand right he used on TUF to get inside for the takedown, but then makes the classic wrestler mistake of leaving his head exposed, and pays for it.
Chris Saunders vs. Nick RealeApril 18, 2010Here's the same guillotine used against Hackett, with better results
Chris Saunders vs. Cleber LucianoApril 10, 2011Good combos here and an impressive KO finish
Poll
Who will win this week?
Sam Sicilia
Chris Saunders
10 votes | Results
Posted in: fight, fighter, chri, saunder, sicilia
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow
Tony Ferguson: “Fighter’s who miss weight and make excuses – I call BS, it’s unprofessional”
Since winning the thirteenth season of Ultimate Fighter, “El Cucuy” Tony Ferguson has started to become a nightmare that is haunting the lightweight division of the UFC. Blessed with NCAA division II wrestling capabilities, the fighter is known to have heavy hands and is comfortable to keep the fight on his feet if an opponent [...]
Posted in: fighter, division, ferguson, weight, el
Read the full article at Fighthub TVUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 live results for episode 8 TONIGHT (April 27) on FX
We're more than halfway home.
Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) reality television baby The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), is now in full swing with seven episodes in the books and and the elimination fights inside the house already more than halfway through.
Last week's broadcast showcased a hell of a scrap pitting Team Dominick Cruz's Vinc Pichel taking on Team Urijah Faber's John Cofer. They needed an extra round to get a finish but it came by way of submission with Pichel giving "The Dominator" control of the competition once again.
Tonight's show will feature a match-up between Sam Sicilia, who is feeling heavy pressure to live up to his high billing, and Chris Saunders, a relative unknown with enough skill to give Sicilia everything he can handle and more.
Oh and Ronda Rousey is dropping by the house. What fun that should be.
MMAmania.com has a live blog of all the night's action, starting at 10 p.m. ET, after the jump.
ULTIMATE FIGHTER 15 EPISODE EIGHT LIVE BLOG
Geno here. See you tonight, folks.
Posted in: fighter, elimination fights, fighter tuf, sam sicilia, blog geno
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWe interviewed a ton of fighters about TRT and marijuana, here's what they said...
Only in sports would getting 100% on a test imply that you 'failed' it. If that same rule was applied to the majority of my high school career, then I 'passed' just enough classes to graduate. Of course, pass in this scenario means fail -- but I'm sure most of already discovered that. You passed this test of identifying horrible jokes. Or maybe, you 'failed.'
Personally, I think all fighters should be able to utilize all performance enhancing substances to increase the longevity of their career. It would eliminate drug-testing and increase the probability that each fighter would possess a cartoon-like physique before entering the cage. Freakishly-large muscles equates to higher viewership for MMA, which would also result in fighters getting one step closer to those boxing paydays that guys like Floyd Mayweather (the greatest boxer of our generation) are accustomed to. However it's not what I think, but what they think. They, of course, being the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
LayzieTheSavage walked around with his camera and pried into the lives of a few fighters to get their take on testosterone replacement therapy and marijuana. One substance is indigenous to our planet, the other is -- well I'm not sure where artificial testosterone comes from. Maybe it originates from the strands of Don Frye's mustache when properly squeezed for long periods of time. Testosterone replacement therapy is watching a Rambo marathon on TV.
Posted in: fighter, testosterone, fryes mustache, commission layziethesavage, school career
Read the full article at Middle Easy
Blue Chip Sponsor Anheuser-Busch Warns UFC About Fighters’ Sexist, Homophobic Comments
AdvertisingAge reports that Anheuser-Busch, a major blue chip sponsor for the UFC, has “reprimanded the mixed-martial arts organization for remarks made by some fighters”. Multiple advocacy groups have recently criticized several UFC employees and fighter comments as “sexist and homophobic.”
A-B recently released a press release which stated the following:
“We’ve communicated to the UFC our displeasure with certain remarks made by some of its fighters, and they have promised to address this. If the incidents continue, we will act”
In a statement to AdAge regarding the A-B situation, UFC issued the following response:
With over 425 athletes on our roster, there have unfortunately been instances where a couple athletes have made insensitive or inappropriate comments. We don’t condone this behavior, and in no way is it reflective of the company or its values
…. unlike most other sports leagues, we encourage our athletes to engage online. It is part of our company culture, and whenever you are at the forefront of a trend or initiative, it comes with its own pitfalls. We will continue to embrace social media while looking for better ways to stay in front of the issues. This includes a mandate for our athletes to attend sensitivity training and a seminar on proper use of social media.
AdAge also went ahead and cited 3 recent incidents that were documented in a letter by the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence. One involves UFC fighter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson urging Japanese fans to say homophobic statements, another of UFC fighter Rashad Evans hyping his fight against Penn State alumni Phil Davis inappropriately stating “I’m going to put those hands on you worse than that dude did them other kids at Penn State”. The last is not a fighter, but UFC announcer Joe Rogan, who used sexist and misogynist language against Yahoo Sports blogger Maggie Hendricks after she pointed out Rampage Jackson’s inappropriate behavior towards female reporters. Plenty of other instances regarding UFC president Dana White performing similar acts have also been reported within the last few years, but were not cited in the write-up.
The letter that caused a lot of the recent commotion for A-B and the UFC was a letter from the group Alcohol Justice, who titled it “An Open Letter to Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) Shareholders – RE: Opposition to sponsorship of the Ultimae Fighting Championship (UFC).
The letter states the following:
Dear Shareholder:
As fellow shareholders and as public health advocates, Alcohol Justice (formerly Marin Institute) asks you to vigorously oppose ABI’s sponsorship of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s largest promoter of violent cage-fighting events.
We believe ABI’s sponsorship of UFC must come to an end as there is a very tangible risk to the bottom line of dividends and stock price value as well as long term bad press as the relationship of this patently brutal blood sport to predatory marketing of Bud Light to underage youth are played out on the global stage of public opinion. It’s already being called “Blood Light.” This cannot be good for business, sales, or long-term profitability.
Alcohol Justice, the alcohol industry watchdog, has served as a leading research and advocacy institution for over 24 years. We monitor and expose the alcohol industry’s targeting of youth and minority populations, as well as the industry’s adverse effect on public health and the environment globally.
There is compelling evidence that exposure to alcohol advertising and marketing increases the likelihood of underage drinking. Since 2001, at least seven peer-reviewed, federally funded, long-term studies have found that young people with greater exposure to alcohol marketing — including on television, in magazines, on the radio, on billboards or other outdoor signage, or via in-store beer displays, beer concessions, or ownership of beer promotional items or branded merchandise — are more likely to start drinking than their peers.
As the primary sponsor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) is delivering harmful content to millions of underage youth. At center stage is the ever-present Bud Light logo, imbued throughout all of UFC’s violent events, including live fights, Pay-Per-View, and television broadcasts that reach 354 million homes worldwide. These homes are filled with children!
In addition, millions of UFC fans of all ages have access to live streaming of fights via Facebook, and limitless YouTube videos of bloody fights, promotions, and “pornohol” such as Bud Light Lime ads featuring UFC “Octagon Girl” Arianny Celeste topless, underwear-clad and rolling around in a bed of limes.
UFC President Dana White has been quoted as saying “our targeted audience is anywhere from age 17 to 35.” He and a number of UFC athletes have recently come under fire for sexist, homophobic, violent and derogatory remarks, including jokes about rape and sexual assault. As A-B InBev shareholders we should be outraged by this behavior.
Given that alcohol is the number one drug of choice among America’s youth, and the U.S. Surgeon General estimates that approximately 5,000 people under age 21 die from alcohol-related injuries involving underage drinking each year, board members, shareholders, and consumers will become more aware of the ethical ramifications that continued sponsorship of UFC will have on ABI. Do we really want Bud Light ads to be condemned for irresponsibly delivering harmful content to millions of youth, exposing them to people beating one another to a bloody pulp?
We believe this will lead to mounting litigations, inevitable regulatory and legislative actions, and growing concerns about the safety of youth exposed to harmful content by viewing UFC promotions. All of this can only hurt ABI’s reputation as a corporate citizen and its robust revenue.
As shareholders we have an obligation to help protect stock value by holding the corporation to higher standards of responsibility, especially those related to underage consumption and harm. We can insist that management address these ethical issues with more integrity by pulling its support of this graphic, violent, bloody sport. While the world may still want to enjoy a Bud Light, it does not need “Blood Light.”
Respectfully,
Bruce Lee Livingston, MPP Executive Director/CEO
***
That very same day, Business Insider Advertising also wrote a write-up titled “Budweiser Threatened To Pull Its Ad Dollars From The UFC After Seeing This Guy’s Nazi Tattoos”. They went to state that the statement released by A-B regarding the inappropriate language and behavior is “almost unheard of in sports sponsorship, where advertiser displeasure is usually delivered to media partners behind closed doors”. The website also stated “While the sport can’t be expected to be a bastion of Edwardian manners, it is not until you see a collection of the kinds of things said by UFC pros that you realize just how unprofessional the organization is. What follows is a slideshow of incidents in which offensive language and behavior is used in the UFC”.
If you recall back at UFC 100 – the biggest show in UFC history to date – Brock Lesnar stood on the Bud Light logo, pointed at it, and said he was looking forward to going home with his wife and “drinking a Coors Light because Bud Light won’t pay me me anything”. That problem was dealt with behind closed doors as both the UFC and Lesnar were reprimanded by A-B and during the post-fight press conference, Lesnar answered questions and apologized for his behavior as a Bud Light bottle was strategically placed in front of him.
Courtesy of Bleacher Report
***
Regarding who is responsible for triggering most of this recent bad press for the UFC, look no further than the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, who has had ongoing labor disputes with Station Casinos and UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta -both firmly against labor unions. So far, the Culinary Union has been credited for keeping the UFC out of the state of New York for several years by backing anti-MMA legislators in the state, triggering a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation, writing letters to UFC advertisers and TV partners (FOX) informing them of the inappropriate language and behavior of the organization and its fighters, the creation of http://www.unfitforchildren.org/ (a website illustrating many of these examples), and just recently, drafting up a version of MMA Bill of Rights and presenting it in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and recently in front of the California State Athletic Commission.
In terms of the labor union’s efforts against the UFC owners, this week has been a rewarding one. The letters to UFC sponsors and multiple anti abuse and violence groups has increased the awareness of lack of etiquette it has haunted the UFC in the past, when they just weren’t quite mainstream enough for anyone to care. Landing the recent FOX deal and essentially putting all their main competitors out of business in recent years has caught the attention of mainstream groups in the last year. Earlier this week, the proposed Bill of Rights hearing in Sacramento (AB2100) passed committee on a 5-3 vote. This bill would essential give fighters rights – many derived up from the Ali Act in boxing – which the UFC greatly apposes. UFC representatives essentially told the committee that if the bill passed, it would essentially drive the UFC away from California, which would have a great economic impact on not only the fighters, but also on the state. It would also cause a heavy burden and expense on the CSAC, which they are not equipped to handle.
List of parties who are in favor and against AB2100 amendments:
Support: American Rights at Work, Arete Agency. California Conference Board of the Amalgamated Transit Union. California Conference of Machinists. California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. California Police Activities League. California Teamsters Public Affairs Council. Engineers & Scientists of California, IFPTE Local 20. Fighters Online, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Jockey’s Guild, Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, Patient Networks, Professional & Technical Engineers, IFPTE Local 21, United Food & Commercial, Workers Western States Council, UNITE-HERE, AFL-CIO, Utility Workers Union of America, Local 132, two private citizens (Eddie Goldman & Juanito Ibarra)
Opposition: Goossen Tutor Promotions, Honda Center, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, HP Pavilion at San Jose, Ultimate Fighting Championship
…
Notice the opposition here.
- UFC is a given.
- Notice HP Pavilion in San Jose. Last year, the UFC’s purchased Strikeforce, which at the time was it’s main competitor, from the Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment based out of San Jose, who also owns the San Jose Sharks and manages the HP Pavilion. The problem with owning Strikeforce was that it kept UFC out of San Jose, a hotbed for MMA at the time, due to the nature of being competitors. Part of the deal to sell Strikeforce to Zuffa was for the UFC to put on several shows at the HP Pavilion per year. Since the purchase, Zuffa has visited San Jose for UFC 139 late last year and is currently scheduled for the Strikeforce HW GP finale on May 19th. Another date for a smaller UFC show was discussed for July and another big UFC numbered event is in talks before the end of the year. A bill which would would drive the UFC away and it’s now close ties to the promotion would obviously be bad business for the San Jose based venue.
- The Honda Center is the other California venue listed as opposition. Interestingly enough, that’s the UFC’s preferred venue when visiting Southern California, where they can heavily push and market towards the Hispanic demographic as they did for Cain Velasquez against Brock Lesnar and most recently on their FOX debut against Junior Dos Santos. UFC’s plan was to host another big event at the Honda Center by the end of the year.
- The other is Goossen Tutor Promotions, which is ran by Dan Goossen, who is a boxing promoter and the manager of ex-boxing champ James Toney, who fought for the the UFC in 2010 at UFC 118 against Randy Couture. Goossen negotiated Toney’s contract to fight in the UFC. Goossen also wanted to do James Toney vs Tito Ortiz around 2003-2004 and a previous Toney vs Couture bout about five years ago.
***
Looking at the Culinary Union’s efforts the past few years, it’s apparent that their efforts have focused on keeping the UFC out of New York, trying to do the same in California (one of their biggest current markets within the US), and impacting the relationship between their major blue chip sponsors is quite the strategic plan. All would impact the UFC’s bottom line. I’m not sure the labor union can continue to be successful and continue to lobby against the UFC for years to come, but they are doing something most other groups have failed to do in a very long time, and that’s pose a challenge. If they weren’t taken seriously before, I can assure you no one from Zuffa is laughing at their efforts now. At the very least, it causes a few annoying and pesky headaches here and there for the Fertitta brothers in hopes that one day both sides can come to an agreement. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that a compromise will be reached anytime soon.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, year, light, california
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUSA TODAY/MMA Nation April 2012 Consensus Rankings
April's USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings are now live. Be sure and pick up a hard copy of tomorrow's USA TODAY to see them in print.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA sources to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
More details on our methodology in the full entry.
NOTE: We have modified our method of gathering our rankings because the strict scheduling requirements of USA TODAY clash with the more irregular schedules of many of the MMA rankings sites. That was causing us to use a different set of sources almost every month. That combined with the small number of sites doing top 25 rankings was causing the Consensus rankings to have a lower "signal to noise" ratio than we would like -- that is if fighters are going to be moving up or down I would like it to be because there has been a change in the consensus opinion, not a change in our sources. Therefore we have cut back our sources to just those sites that we can depend on to update every month. We have also contacted many of the rankers that only publish top 10 lists and asked them to provide top 25 lists. As always we listen to your suggestions and are always working to improve the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings.
Also worth noting is that this month we instituted a rule that if a fighter is active in other weight classes he must have competed within a given weight class within the last 365 days in order to be ranked in that class in an attempt to improve the overall quality of our product. In order to be ranked at all, a fighter must have been active within the last 450 days.
Check out the USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings to see who's rising and who's falling.
Posted in: mma, fighter, ranking, consensus, consensus rankings
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowJosh Koscheck, Johny Hendricks Pleased Ricardo Almeida Will Judge Their Fight
Former UFC fighter Ricardo Almeida will serve as one of the judges at UFC on FOX 3 next week, Sherdog.com confirmed the news with the New Jersey State Athletic Control board. According to the report, Almeida will be one of three judges assigned to score Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks, Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson, Nick Denis vs. Roland Delorme, John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss, John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott and Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson. Almeida retired from the sport in March 2011, and shortly thereafter, announced that he would start judging fights in New Jersey. And since judging has become such a hot topic in MMA lately, both Hendricks and Koscheck were happy to hear that a former UFC fighter would be working their fight. "I think that's cool because he's going to know a little bit more about the sport and he's going to know what positions really mean," Hendricks said on a Thursday conference call. "He'll know when a strike actually lands. I think that's what we need is some people like that stepping in there and start doing that kind of stuff because they know what it's like to jump in the cage. They know what's like to do all this stuff. I think he'll be a great judge." Koscheck added that he expects more retired fighters to become judges in the future. "I think it's good for the sport," Koscheck said. "It gets a perspective of a fighter, someone who's been in the Octagon and knows Jiu-Jitsu and knows wrestling and understands this sport. I think that as this sport grows we're going to see more ex-UFC fighters become judges, so I think it's a good start." Almeida isn't the first former fighter to become a judge, but he's arguably the most well-known example. At UFC on FOX 3 on May 5, he'll get a big stage to hopefully inspire future retired fighters to do the same.
Posted in: fighter, judge, vs, sport, almeida
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC sponsor Anheuser-Busch warns promotion to monitor fighter behavior
Blue-chip sponsor Anheuser-Busch has sent a message that it's keeping an eye on the behavior of UFC fighters outside the cage.
The multi-national brewer, which owns the Bud Light and Bud Light Lime
brands prominently advertised in the UFC, reprimanded the fight
promotion for a series of sexist and homophobic remarks made by fighters
in public and over social media.
"If the incidents continue, we will act," Anheuser-Busch said in a statement prepared for Advertising Age.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, bud light, anheuserbusch, sponsor anheuserbusch
Read the full article at MMA JunkieAll 24 UFC on Fuel TV 2 Fighters Drug Tested
All 24 fighters on the recent UFC on Fuel TV 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva fight card in Sweden were drug tested by the Swedish MMA Federation.
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, tv, fuel, bull
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyRebellion MMA Radio: UFC flyweight Demetrious Johnson, rising welterweight Stephen Thompson, and Alchemist head Lex McMahon
Last Sunday Rebellion MMA Radio welcomed the beauty of Jade Bryce, the brawn of Tony Ferguson, and the brains of E. Spencer Kyte to the show. This time around we’ve got twice the bad-assery, plus one of the most-respected executives in the business, stopping by to speak with hosts Bryan Levick and Mitch Ciccarelli, as UFC fighters Demetrious Johnson and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, as well as Lex McMahon, all slated to appear.
Interested listeners can also contribute to the show by submitting questions for guests via Twitter or email (RebellionMMARadio@yahoo.com).
The 14-2 Johnson is one of the top 125-pound fighters in MMA and will be competing in June for the right to fight for the UFC’s inaugural flyweight championship when he faces Ian McCall in the main event of UFC on FX 3.
Though widely considered one of the best young strikers in the game, Thompson is coming off his first professional loss after falling to Matt Brown this past weekend at UFC 145 in a gutsy battle many considered the best fight of the night.
McMahon is the President of Alchemist MMA, a brand sponsoring numerous fighters including a good deal of athletes who are also military veterans.
Catch Rebellion MMA Radio live on Sunday at 6:30 PM EST where the guys will discuss the fallout from Alistair Overeem’s NSAC hearing and much more.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, johnson, rebellion
Read the full article at Fighters.comAnheuser-Busch Warns UFC Over Fighter's Comments, UFC Responds
You've probably noticed by now that Bud Light is a major sponsor of the UFC. Their parent company, Anheuser-Busch, has been under some pressure from advocacy groups regarding their sponsorship deal with the the UFC, and decided to publicly rebuke the company for some of the things that UFC fighters have said in the recent past. Advertising Age relays the Anheuser-Busch statement:
"We've communicated to the UFC our displeasure with certain remarks made by some of its fighters, and they have promised to address this. If the incidents continue, we will act," the brewer said in a statement. A-B, which did not elaborate on potential actions, also stated that it "embraces diversity and does not condone insensitive and derogatory comments rooted in ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, etc."
Organizations such as the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence have criticized the UFC repeatedly for the actions of their fighters, and even sent a letter to state assembly members in New York, trying to keep MMA banned in the state. Many incidents are noted in the article, including comments by Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, and Joe Rogan.
You can check out the UFC's response after the jump.
The UFC spoke to Advertising Age about the A-B statement, and about the idea that social media sites have been the platform for some of the incidents in question:
"With over 425 athletes on our roster, there have unfortunately been instances where a couple athletes have made insensitive or inappropriate comments. We don't condone this behavior, and in no way is it reflective of the company or its values."
...
"Unlike most other sports leagues, we encourage our athletes to engage online. It is part of our company culture, and whenever you are at the forefront of a trend or initiative, it comes with its own pitfalls. We will continue to embrace social media while looking for better ways to stay in front of the issues. This includes a mandate for our athletes to attend sensitivity training and a seminar on proper use of social media."
There's a lot more in the article, which is definitely worth checking out for a clearer picture of what is really going on. The article also mentions the backlash the Anheuser-Busch received for their commercial featuring a nude Arianny Celeste and a bunch of strategically-placed limes, amongst other things. While it is true that there have been many, many incidents that involved UFC fighters or employees saying things that could be perceived as homophobic, sexist, or just downright offensive, it seems to me like A-B was forced into responding because of all the outside pressure on them. I guess we'll have to see if the UFC chooses to address things more directly or if A-B will actually act on their threat.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, thing, ufc fighters, incident
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAnheuser-Busch (Budweiser) warns UFC about Fighters' sexist and homophobic comments
submitted by sicount [link] [8 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, sicount, anheuserbusch budweiser, budweiser
Read the full article at RedditThicker Than Water
Joe Ellenberger was not used to this. This was the time to feel robust, that I-can-walk-through-fire or anyone-at-anywhere time a fighter always builds during training. That time to rinse the mind and become invincible.
Posted in: time, fighter, training, mind, anyoneatanywhere time
Read the full article at SherdogIf you were a fighter, what would be your entrance music?
For a bonus, would you do anything interesting during your entrance into the ring/cage? submitted by KC-Amazing [link] [27 comments]
Posted in: fighter, anything, entrance, entrance music, ringcage
Read the full article at RedditMMA Quick Quote: Fighters should be allowed to do whatever it takes to be the best ... even steroids
"I want to see the best fighters, I want to see who is the strongest the best! Guys should be able to do whatever it takes to be the strongest. Getting choked and kicked in the head is really bad for you, worse than pot , TRT, or steroids. I don't care who's the cleanest, I wanna' see the strongest, the fastest and the most gnarly fighters. I don't want to see who is the best at passing drug test. Overeem isn't the only guy taking shit, he just got caught. I wanna' see the baddest mother fuckers going at it. That's why PRIDE was the best -- I wanna see a 205 (ripped) Wanderlei Silva kill dudes!"
-- Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contender Phil Baroni gives his thoughts on the always hot topic that is steroids and performance enhancing drugs (PED's) in mixed martial arts (MMA). After Alistair Overeem was suspended for nine months and denied a license to fight in the state of Nevada because of elevated testosterone levels, "The New York Badass" -- who has gone 1-4 in his last five bouts -- tells Fight Sport Asia that a professional fighter should be allowed to do whatever it takes to be his strongest. In 2007, after his loss to Frank Shamrock at Strikeforce: "Shamrock vs. Baroni," Phil tested positive for Boldenone and Stanozolol Metabolites and was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) for one year (it was ultimately reduced to six months). Baroni, who denied any wrongdoing at the time, goes on to say that his former employer, PRIDE FC, was the best fight organizations because "ripped" guys like Wanderlei Silva would "kill dudes." Is that what you want to see ... an unleveled playing field that puts "natural" fighters at health risks?
Posted in: guy, fighter, wanderlei silva, steroid, york badass
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White: Tito Ortiz, BJ Penn Deserve to Be in UFC Hall of Fame
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- The UFC hasn’t set a time or date for its next set of inductions into the company’s Hall of Fame. But when they get around to it, said company president Dana White, two former champions will likely get a call. During a lunch gathering at The Palm restaurant, White said two fighters coming close to the end of the line, former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and multi-weight class champ B.J. Penn, belong in the Hall of Fame. "Despite my personal problems with Tito, he belongs in," said White. "He was the champion when we first bought this thing. The fact that Tito is still here, Tito and I have had our moments, but it doesn’t change what he did for the company."
Ortiz was the first major drawing card of the Zuffa era. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" held the light heavyweight title from 2000-03, still the third-longest reign in company history, and his rivalries with Ken Shamrock and Chuck Liddell helped etch the new-era UFC into mainstream consciousness. Ortiz and White have famously clashed over the years. But White says he can’t deny the former champion his place in history. "The beef between me and Tito, Chuck and Tito, the fact is, that played a huge role in helping making this thing as big as it is." Penn, a Hilo, Hawaii native billed as "The Prodigy," is one of the most naturally gifted fighters ever to set foot in the Octagon. His willingness to fight anyone -- he once gave up 50 pounds in a fight against future UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and took him to a decision -- made him one of the company’s most popular fighters. Penn is one of just two fighters to win titles in multiple weight classes. In 2004, the natural lightweight went up to welterweight and submitted Matt Hughes to claim the crown, ending Hughes’ 13-fight win streak. In 2008, he defeated Joe Stevenson for the vacant UFC lightweight title and held the belt for two years. "Definitely," White said when asked if Penn belongs in the Hall. "The thing about B.J. Penn is that what he brought to the lightweight division, there was a point in time when we first bought this company when people thought guys in the lighter weight divisions couldn’t be stars and couldn’t see pay-per-views and couldn’t cross over. B.J. Penn was definitely that first crossover guy for us." Ortiz will fight Forrest Griffin in their trilogy fight on July 7 in what is expected to be Ortiz’s last fight. Penn is hinting at retirement, but White thinks he’s not done yet. "He’ll be back. It’s tough, when there are 16,000 people in the arena chanting your name, it’s tough to walk away from that. B.J. Penn is a fighter. You hear some of these guys, and Tito was one of these guys, he said he wanted to be famous. B.J. Penn is a fighter." Fighters currently in the Hall are Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes. Late TapouT co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis is also inducted.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, tito, penn, bj
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseVideo: Georges St. Pierre and UFC 145 fighters get interviewed in an unconventional way. Excellent...
Video: Georges St. Pierre and UFC 145 fighters get interviewed in an unconventional way. Excellent stuff from the guys at Creative Loafing.
HT: KatGirl
Posted in: ufc, fighter, way, pierre, st
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 145: Jones vs. Evans Medical Suspensions
All fighters from Saturday's UFC 145 card were given medical suspensions, though most were of the standard week-long precautionary variety.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, vs, suspension, variety
Read the full article at Heavy MMAEpisode 7 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter Live’ Attracts 1 Million Viewers to FX
Season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter” keeps rolling along, but ratings don’t seem to be getting any better.
Posted in: fighter, episode, rating, viewer, fighter ”
Read the full article at SherdogUFC Ultimate Fighter Live Wrap Up: Pichel Wins, Ogle Breaks
We're getting near the end of round 1 on UFC The Ultimate Fighter Live, and I have to say, I'm mighty happy about this week. After complaining about last week's overly staged "rivalry" dialogue between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, this week we got some actual antagonism. Their confrontation in the hallways after the Tickle vs. Proctor fight felt authentic and not TV inspired. Cruz was frustrated and, to a degree, taking it out on his fighter, while Faber wanted to give Tickle a proverbial pat on the back. Things escalated from there. A nice example of two pros getting frustrated at the way the other one does business.
That conflict was one of the big points this week, and I'm a bit on the fence how I feel about it. I agree with Cruz that Tickle needs to understand why he lost and needs to know the importance of listening to your corner if you want to win. But Chiesa also summed up my feelings by saying why not wait until the next day to have that conversation. While Cruz had Tickle's interests in mind, he also seemed clearly driven by his own loss there, and taking that frustration out.
Lots of other moments worth noting this week, including Sam Sicilia and Andy Ogle breaking down a bit, and Dana White giving them the traditional mid-season pep talk. Luckily, this season it focused on the need to stay tough, not the "stop partying and being idiots" talk we often get. I think that's a testament to the generally higher level of focus we've seen from fighters this season. And I'm glad Ogle seemed to get his focus back - he's been one of the more enjoyable personalities to develop so far and his breakdown this week was rough.
Other thoughts:
It was a very small moment, but I loved the kick to the midsection Chris Saunders delivered during practice. In case you missed it, his partner was regaining his feet after a takedown, and Saunders hit him with a nice body kick as he kneeled. Great move that I would like to see more of in the UFC to get around the downed opponent rules.
Faber said Pichel had "terrible" takedown defense, which I found odd, as I just don't see that. Great? No. But terrible?
Looking over the schedule, we have 5 weeks left of regular shows before the finale. That means Sicilia vs. Saunders this week, Rio vs. Ogle next, then 2 quarter-finals, another 2 quarter-finals, and the semi-finals. Those last three weeks are going to be interesting, as the finalists will have to fight 3 times in a 3-4 week span including the finale. Certainly opens the door up for injury if guys aren't careful.
Interesting that Cruz chose Sicilia vs. Saunders this week, by default choosing Rio vs. Ogle next week. A possible sign that he has more faith in Sicilia and wants him to have more rest before the next round?
John Cofer vs. Vinc Pichel:
It took Pichel a bit longer than expected, but he came out heavy to start round 3, capitalized on having more in the tank than Cofer, and finished him off. I said before that the guy is a finisher, and he showed it again. That said, I was surprised at how much success Cofer had standing. Gives me a bit of pause on where to put him in the overall standings.
Cofer didn't really use his wrestling, which I thought would be death for him, but wasn't. He remains rather green, but there's some decent talent there to be shaped into a better fighter. A UFC level fighter? Not right at the moment I don't think.
Very good fight overall, with a lot of fun action. Probably my favorite fight of the season to date.
Sam Sicilia vs. Chris Saunders:
Obviously, Sicilia is the easy pick, as he has that huge KO while Saunders's prelim fight was lackluster. But Saunders has some big experience, and like I said, his stand-up looked nice in training. I'm looking forward to digging into his career a bit more this week.
Posted in: fighter, week, vs, saunder, sicilia
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter Live Episode 8 Ratings In Line with Season Average
The Ultimate Fighter Live on FX ratings for episode 8 have fallen in line with the average for the rest of the season thus far.
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Posted in: fighter, season, rating, bull, fx ratings
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyBellator 66 Fighter Payouts; Alvarez and Aoki Earn Top Salaries
Bellator 66 went down last Friday night at the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio and featured both the Bellator season six middleweight and lightweight tournament semi-finals, as well as a lightweight superfight between Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki.
In the lightweight tournament, Rick Hawn knocked out Lloyd Woodard to advance on to the finals, where Brent Weedman, who defeated Thiago Michel by split decision, will be waiting for him. At middleweight, Maiquel Falcao and Andreas Spang advanced to the finals by defeating Vyacheslav Vasilevsky and Brian Rogers, respectively.
Spang started a scuffle with Falcao as they squared off for camera time, resulting in the Swede being fined twenty percent of his $30,000 fight winnings (which amounts to $6,000).
MMAJunkie has received the full list of fighter salaries from the event, which we pass along below. Unsurprisingly, main event fighters Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki took home the night’s biggest disclosed paydays.
Eddie Alvarez ($50k + $50k win bonus = $100,000) defeated Shinya Aoki ($60,000)
Andreas Spang ($15k + $15k win bonus = $30,000) defeated Brian Rogers ($15,000)
Maiquel Falcao ($15k + $15k win bonus= $30,000) defeated Vyacheslav Vasilevsky ($15,000)
Rick Hawn ($15k + $15k win bonus = $30,000) defeated Lloyd Woodard ($15,000)
Brent Weedman ($15k + $15k win bonus = $30,000) defeated Thiago Michel ($15,000)
Jessica Eye ($3.5k + $3.5k win bonus = $7,000) defeated Anita Rodriguez ($2,000)
John Hawk ($1.5k + $1.5k win bonus = $3,000) defeated Marcus Vanttinen ($2,000)
Attila Vegh ($3k + $3k win bonus = $6,000) defeated Dan Spohn ($1,800)
Frank Carabello ($1.8k + $1.8k = $3,600) defeated Donny Walker ($1,500)
Julian Lane ($700 + $700 win bonus = $1,400) defeated Joe Heiland ($1,250)
Posted in: fighter, alvarez, shinya aoki, aoki, bonus
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC 146: Alistair Overeem Elevated Testosterone Excuse Demands Investigation
Alistair Overeem is making all the right noises with his official statement to his fans and friends regarding his abnormally high level of testosterone, which we posted earlier today. Apologetic, remorseful and a willingness to clear his name and rehabilitate his image, his reasoning for his test failure is both plausible and calculated. The statement might well be genuine and sincere, but it's hard not to view his words through a cynical eye.
On Tuesday, April 24, Overeem will yet again appear in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and I hope Keith Kizer and his fellow, presiding NSAC colleagues dissect his testimony with surgical precision.
In December when Overeem was questioned at an NSAC hearing over his leaving the country the week of a scheduled drug test prior to his fight with Brock Lesnar, the matter seamed glossed over as if it was just raised in casual conversation, rather than an official line of inquiry. The apparent failure to request and examine evidence that would corroborate Overeem's claims -- such as airline receipts, boarding cards and passport stamps -- could constitute a startling lack of due diligence on the NSAC's part.
Related: Alistair Overeem Gives His Side Of The Story For His Elevated Testosterone Levels | Overeem Tests Positive For Elevated Testosterone Levels | Junior Dos Santos Vs. Frank Mir Official | Dana White Comments On Alistair Overeem's Removal From The Card
There are various aspects of Alistair Overeem's statement -- which will likely form the basis and tone of his testimony tomorrow -- that need probing and picking at. For example, in his statement we can gather that Overeem is adamant he does not believe in the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs from a sporting, ethical standpoint, or that he has used Performance Enhancing Drugs. He is so righteous in his stance, he aims to do what ever it takes to prove his virtue as a clean athlete.
More after the jump...
More UFC 146 coverage on SBN
And yet, for someone so apparently steadfast and committed to being clean, and thus someone we would expect to be completely aware of his dietary intake and medicinal treatments, he pleads ignorance and apologizes for his lack of vigilance regarding a doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory medication that had testosterone as a key ingredient.
Alistair Overeem is an experienced fighter competing near the top of his field, in a professional sport that -- at least in the United States -- is one of the more regulated out there. He's not a young 20 something kid who's yet to find the right trainers and managers to handle his affairs, and so mistakes can happen, but is someone with over 10 years in his chosen field and a professional team of people behind him, that should know better when it comes to following what amounts to simple protocols. Any professional fighter who has made it to the big leagues in MMA or Boxing should immediately be asking their doctors "What's in it?" whenever they are prescribed something for a medical condition. It is such an obvious yet crucial question, it should jump from their lips reflexively.
Then when it's revealed the medication might have a banned substance in it, or something that can cause a positive test, the fighter should have the athletic commission's office on speed dial, ready to get clearance or seek advice on how to proceed. Even if the doctor and the fighter is not sure if the prescribed medication can cause a test failure, call the commission anyway, read them the ingredients of the medication and if cleared for use, get that in writing from them.
These are protocols all fighters should be following, and we should expect nothing less from them as professional athletes. It is also this level of accountability all commissions should strictly hold them to, including the NSAC in Overeem's hearing tomorrow.
KJ Gould
Email KJ.Cageside@gmail.comTwitter @KJGouldFacebook KJ Gould
Posted in: overeem, fighter, alistair, test, testosterone
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowProfessional Fighters Brain Health Study Shows Bad News For Veteran Fighters
We have all heard stories of the hard-headed warrior who refuses to quit and sends all advice to hang up the gloves in one ear and out the other. In recent news, a scientific study done by the Ruvo Brain Health Center in Las Vegas suggests that there may be an actual threshold at which the brains of veteran fighters start to shrink and show significant decline or damage.
If the study turns out the way these initial results suggest, that veteran fighter could literally be able to predict the point at which too many brain cells are dribbled away to go unscathed- and that threshold may be reached sooner than you think. This is one serious, scary set of finds to look at and if the multi-year study continues to get the funding and participants it has been, this could force major changes in all professional sports.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) has been a regular topic here at Bloody Elbow, as scientists and fighters are finding out that there are indeed links between repetitive blows to the head, not enough rest in between blows and mental disorders or diseases like Parkinson's, Lou Gehrig's, pugilistic dementia and an array of other lifelong and debilitating conditions.
Related Links: Ben Thapa on New Jersey's Fighter Safety Symposium | Brent Brookhouse talks Gary Goodrige and Traumatic Brain Injury | David Castillo on Concussions and Lou Gehrig's Disease | David Castillo on NCAA and NFL Lawsuits about Concussions and Dementia | Bloody Elbow's Best Writing of 2011: Michael David Smith on Jose Figueroa license to fight in California 2 weeks after being KO'd in Russia
The meat and potatoes of the study will be discussed after the jump.
The particular study hitting the newswires in recent days is run out of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, a division of the Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas, NV. The four year study (as currently planned right now) is run by a man named Dr. Charles Bernick, the associate director of the Ruvo Center. As Las Vegas is one of the premier fight cities in the world, the Cleveland Clinic has worked with hundreds of fighters to get their medicals, x-rays and brain scans done. There is a fairly large pool of willing participants for this study there.
Dr. Charles Bernick via photos.lasvegassun.com
The abstract or study itself is somewhat hard to find at the moment, but a variety of mainstream publications hvae chosen to cover this (primarily for the boxing angle). Trawling through those articles, we find that Bernick and his team arranged the study in a particular way that ended up showing an unusually early onset point for the criteria used to measure the brain health and mental performance of the athletes:
As part of an ongoing study on brain health, the researchers divided 109 licensed boxers and mixed martial artists into three groups: those who had fought for less than 6 years, 6 to 12 years or more than 12 years. Their average age was about 29.
Participants underwent MRI scans to measure their brain volume and tests of their thinking and memory.
"In those that fought less than 6 years, we didn't find any changes," Bernick said. For that group, he said, "the more you fought didn't seem to make any differences in the size of brain structure or their performance on some of the tests like reaction time."
But for the other two groups of boxers and combat athletes, "the greater number of fights, the sizes of certain volumes of the brain were decreasing," he said. "But, it was only in those that fought more than 12 years that we could detect the changes in performance in reaction time and processing speed."
Women made up about 10 percent of the fighters in the study, too small a number to make any comparisons for now, Bernick said.
Quoted from Lisa Esposito, US News HealthDay reporter.
As of right now, the results are still being presented to the attendees of the week-long seminars in New Orleans by the American Academy of Neuroscience. As more information comes out, we at Bloody Elbow will update you - this is a significant topic in MMA and should be covered as much as possible.
In the Los Angeles Times coverage, the "ultimate" goal of the study is laid out for us:
Currently, fighters are required to undergo only one brain MRI test, which could be taken at the beginning of their career. State commissions can request an additional MRI if they're alarmed by a fighter's age, performance or behavior. But pinpointing when to stop a fight remains an undefined point of discretion.
With his research, Bernick was hoping to help establish the threshold neurologists can use to determine the start of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease.
The coverage at CNN makes a good point with this:
What the study cannot yet account for is what makes one fighter more susceptible to CTE than another. Findings in the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study will later include factors such as genetics, proteins in the blood, speech analysis, educational level, and other factors that could paint a more vivid picture of the disease.
I strongly suspect that training methods - fighters not wearing headgear or sparring at near full fight intensity levels with few restrictions on head blows - will show to be much more significant than things like blood proteins or muscular structure. The old days of the Ken Shamrock-run Lion's Den is exactly what fighters should never be enduring during their training or beginning stages.
As the Los Angeles Times notes, this study has gained significant funding this year and in part from one of the owners of the UFC:
The study received a $12-million boost in funding earlier this year from a Las Vegas dinner and auction. One of the highlights of the night was Ultimate Fighting Championship Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta outbidding Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, spending $1.1 million for a pair of autographed gloves belonging to Muhammad Ali.
The following of fighters who show mental deterioration and evident physical signs of declining brain health could be possible with this level of continued funding and openness. This is good for the sport of MMA and for all professional athletes putting their livelihood and lives on the line for a few short years of notoriously fickle athletic fame and fortune.
Posted in: fighter, year, brain, study, health
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowEpisode No. 5 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" marks the first-ever international
version of the long-running reality-competition series, and the fourth
episode debuted tonight.
Featuring Brazilian coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, "TUF:
Brazil" sees 16 middleweight and 16 featherweight fighters all vying
for a UFC contract.
Check out MMAjunkie.com's Episode No. 5 recap, which features the season's second middleweight-tourney bout.
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, fighter brazil, mmajunkiecoms episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieRashad Evans expects eventual chance at redemption against Jon Jones
Last night former UFC champion Rashad Evans became the latest high-level fighter to fail at solving the puzzle current title-holder Jon Jones presents inside the Octagon. Evans, who landed a few solid shots, absorbed a good deal of damage throughout the five-round affair including some of the stiffest standing elbows ever witnessed in the sport.
After having a chance to freshen up Evans addressed the bout in an interview with Fuel TV on the post-fight show, saying his overall performance at UFC 145 “sucked” and he was disappointed he hadn’t followed the gameplan his camp had put in place.
On the bright side, Evans is confident he’ll have an opportunity to avenge the loss at some point in the future.
“I still don’t like him,” Evans said with a smile when asked if their match-up had resolved any lingering personal issues between the two rivals. “He fought a good fight and I’ve gotta respect him as a fighter, and I had respect for him as a fighter before but…I still don’t…I’ll tell you what, we gonna fight again.”
Evans Not Planning on Move to Middleweight
The loss dropped Evans’ overall record to 17-2-1, snapping a streak of four consecutive victories in the process as well.
Check out the full interview with Evans below where he also mentions suffering a minor foot injury that limited his movement in the cage:
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Posted in: fighter, ’t, i ’ve, evan, ” evans
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC 145 results: Meditations on Relative Importance Disparity in McDonald vs Torrres and Yagin vs Hominick
Since getting into the murky business of fight previews over the past decade-plus, I've learned how much I don't know. Mainly that there are endless factors to mitigate against feeling confident in most picks.
But a consistent factor in recent years, and one that's probably moved to the top of the list, is what I call the Relative Importance DisparityTM. That's when a match-up shines as a potential career-defining moment for one guy while being a relatively ho-hum assignment for the star he's looking to knock off. A career-boosting opportunity was what was presented before Michael McDonald and Eddie Yagin at UFC 145 last night (Sat., April 21, 2012) in Atlanta, Georgia, and in beating Miguel Torres and Mark Hominick, respectively, they reinforced the validity of factoring RIDTM into pre-fight analysis.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that the big-name fighter in this equation is coming in overconfident and under prepared. He's usually not.
But it's incredibly hard to raise your game to its highest level every time out, especially in a career where you've had ups and down aplenty and the guy you're fighting is just another opponent. Whereas for the fighter looking to either take a huge jump in the rankings with a signature win (as McDonald did with his brutal knockout of Torres), or wipe the slate clean (as Yagin did beating Hominick in a "Fight of the Night" performance after losing his UFC debut), that's a huge incentive with no substitute.
I've applied RIDTM to plenty of recent bouts and it holds up very well as a mechanism for making informed picks, even though in my case they aren't always ones I've made. Nick Diaz beat B.J. Penn like a drum, in a fight that fit the RIDTM definition perfectly (and one in which I picked Diaz to win handily).
I didn't pick Ryan Bader over Quinton Jackson, however, which ushers in another element that further reinforces RIDTM: over the timeline of a long career, a fighter gets plenty of experience, along with injuries, hassles in his management and/or personal life, and a general burgeoning dissatisfaction with the game itself. Jackson's weight problems were also a product of a long career and the mileage accrued from big jumps in poundage and training itself, which he is no fan of.
You could also cite examples like Johnny Hendricks vs. Jon Fitch and Jake Ellenberger vs. Jake Shields. Yes, Fitch and Shields got caught and Shields was dealing with the tragic loss of his father coming into the bout, but both cases were serious letdowns from two fighters that were among the most durable and consistent in the game leading into those shocking losses.
And both happened against young, motivated guys who knew they could score a huge win if they brought their "A" game, which Hendricks and Ellenberger certainly did. Shields and Fitch were "caught" in the sense that happens often in MMA, yet against Georges St. Pierre, both went five rounds, precisely because they were so keyed-up to avoid getting caught and were in the fight of their lives, one that could have altered their career trajectory considerably.
Being a fighter is a lot like being married; very few people go into it with the same optimism and expectations they have several years down the road, unless you're very fortunate. I'm not sure a Ryan Bader would ever beat a 100-percent Quinton Jackson, but that's not Bader's fault. Someday, over a long enough timeline, he'll lose to a guy that couldn't have shined his shoes in his prime, either.
That's why in coming fights, it's always a good move to see where one guy is in his career, what opportunities he's had and lost, and where the other guy stands. If it's the fight of his life on one end, and something that's just another day at the office at the other, you might have a betting tip on your hands. That was certainly the case the night of UFC 145, and, I suspect, will be so for many evenings to come.
Jason Probst can be reached at twitter.com/jasonprobst or Jason@jasonprobst.com
Posted in: fight, guy, fighter, career, that
Read the full article at MMA ManiaRory MacDonald: I Strive to be the Perfect Fighter
Rory MacDonald talks about his big win at UFC 145.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, macdonald, talk, rory
Read the full article at SherdogBrydon on UFC 145: Top performers
A couple fighters with the same last name (different spelling) stole the show at Saturday's UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, brydon, couple fighters, performer
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans Results And Post Fight Analysis
Jon Jones beating Rashad Evans and doing it with relative ease speaks to just how truly great Jones is as a professional fighter. For a fighter of his age to come into a fight against Rashad Evans, one of the greatest light heavyweights the sport has ever seen, at UFC 145 and win every round proves that he's a special kind of fighter. In fact, with wins over Evans, Lyoto Machida, Quinton Jackson and Mauricio Rua, Jones' resume is arguably the best of any 205 pound fighter in the history of the sport.
But the truth is, this felt lacking. I'm not saying that to be negative, although I'm sure that's how people will take it.
This felt like when MMA fans tune into a heavily hyped boxing PPV only to get something like Floyd Mayweather against Shane Mosley, a rather boring and by-the-numbers affair. It was a letdown. This was supposed to be special, instead it felt like two guys just going through the motions. Jon Jones was the better fighter coming in to the fight, I don't know that there were too many who truly doubted that. It just felt like the inevitable playing out with flashes of brilliance but mostly just the better fighter being better.
It certainly didn't feel like the end to a huge grudge match and that kind of satisfaction can't be underrated. Liddell vs. Ortiz, Ortiz vs. Shamrock, the great UFC rivalries felt like they had that cathartic moment, this just happened and ended.
Full card thoughts after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
The UFC delivers such a strong product that I think we've all gotten a little spoiled. The card as a whole fell flat, but this was always supposed to be about Jones vs. Evans. So the lackluster undercard not being held up by a true blowoff to this huge feud only makes the weak undercard feel worse.
I thought Joe Rogan turned in one of his strongest performances in recent memory tonight, using smart analogies, delivering simple information and not getting as hung up as he tends to on minute (and unimportant) technical details that distract from the action. Goldberg on the other had? Awful. When he said that it Chris Clements was "throwing a punch like driving a car" I had no clue what the hell he meant. And that was just one of many stumbles for Mike.
Che Mills is talented enough in the stand-up but he never stood a realistic chance. No matter how hard Rogan tried to prop him up as an "elite, elite fighter" the truth was that he was there to be the guy Rory MacDonald beat up. Mills landed a bit on the feet at the start of their fight, but in the end Rory got takedowns whenever he wanted and absolutely demolished the overmatched Mills. MacDonald is a rare talent and is going to make some huge waves in his career. Along with Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, he's a huge part of the future of this sport.
Ben Rothwell knocked Brendan Schaub out in a fashion so violent it shut off all but the instinctual animal part of Schaub's brail as Brendan lay prone on the ground flailing his arms and legs while clearly out. It was a shocking upset, but Rothwell deserves all the credit in the world for not giving up on his career and really dedicating himself to his training. He looks like a new man and is a threat to knock out any man.
Michael McDonald is a legitimate title contender at 135 pounds. He starched Miguel Torres and it really showed how good McDonald can be when he attacks and doesn't sit back fighting passively. I'd pay to watch McDonald challenge for the title tomorrow if asked.
Mark Hominick's career as a title level fighter is basically over. After his brutal KO and then losing to Eddie Yagin, a guy he was supposed to run though, he just doesn't look like the guy who "has it" anymore.
Mark Bocek is pretty damn good. He's not a top tier kind of guy, but he's going to beat guys like John Alessio all day, every day.
Travis Browne needs to be fighting better talent. I'm still not sure what I think about him beyond that he has a lot of upside. Going from fights against Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve to Rob Broughton and Chad Griggs isn't really allowing anyone to learn much about Browne as a fighter.
Pretty much everyone's worries about Stephen Thompson came true. He fought well, but Matt Brown was just too gritty and too well rounded for Thompson at this stage in his development. A little more takedown defense and a better ground game and Thompson can run through people, but he's not there yet.
Anthony Njokuani and John Makdessi didn't deliver to the extent people wanted, but I thought it was a very interesting fight. Njokuani is always interesting to watch, I wish he'd throw his jab more, he has a great one. Makdessi just had no real solution to the problems Makdessi presented.
Posted in: fight, guy, jone, fighter, evan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 145 Post-Fight Presser Recap
Six fighters joined UFC President Dana White at the UFC 145 post-fight press conference:UFC® light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Rory MacDonald, Ben Rothwell, Michael McDonald, Rashad Evans, and Travis Browne.Rothwell earned Knockout of the Night for his starching of Brendan Schaub. After eating a few big shots from Schaub early, Rothwell dropped the TUF vet with a left hook, then followed up with ground strikes that forced a stoppage from referee Herb Dean in the first round.Fight of the Night went to main card fighters Eddie Yagin and Mark Hominick. The featherweights engaged in an exciting standup war that left both men battered and bloody. When the dust settled, Yagin earned the victory via split decision.Browne was awarded Submission of the Night for his first-round arm triangle victory over STRIKEFORCE® import Chad Griggs. "Hapa" blitzed Griggs early with knees before taking the fight to the ground, and forced the tapout at the 2:29 mark.All bonused fighters received $65,000.Check back shortly for the post-fight press conference video.
Posted in: ufc, night, fighter, mark hominick, postfight
Read the full article at UFCUFC 145 Results: Mac Danzig Takes Decision Over Efrain Escudero
In a battle of Ultimate Fighter winners, Mac Danzig overcame a damaged ankle from an Efrain Escudero heel hook in the first round and picked up a solid decision victory. Danzig was the busier fighter, landing more strikes and working Escudero over in the clinch. Neither fighter landed any strikes that came close to ending the fight and the bout was slow at times, but Danzig looked fairly good.The judges had it 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28.
Danzig looked to clinch immediately in the first, and worked over Escudero against the cage. Danzig got a trip takedown, but Escudero locked up a heel hook. Danzig managed to get out and take Escudero's back. They quickly returned to their feet though. Escudero landed some leg kicks, and they exchanged some punches. Danzig was the one backing Escudero up continually, preferring to fight near the cage. Danzig got Efrain's back, but had trouble dragging him to the floor. Danzig looked for the uppercut throughout the round. Escudero shot in for a takedown, but Danzig fended it off to close out the round.
Danzig opened the second coming forward, and the fighters traded glancing shots for the first half of the round. Danzig clinched up against the cage and threw some knees, but they quickly reset at the center. After some more tentative striking, Danzig looked to clinch again but couldn't tie Escudero up for long. He tried again and was more successful, landing some solid body shots but taking knees from Escudero in the process. Escudero looked for a last second takedown but it wasn't there.
The start of the final round looked similar to the first two, with some clinch work and both fighters throwing a steady stream of strikes. Danzig was still the one coming forward though, and was usually working Escudero against the cage. Danzig attempted to take Escudero's back, but settled for a few knees and punches. Escudero was able to land some knees in the clinch himself, but Danzig was just throwing and connecting more. He started to work the body in the last minute, and was quite effective doing it. They showed Danzig's swollen ankle as the fight ended.
Danzig, the TUF 6 champion, was looking to get back in the win column after a decision loss to Matt Wiman at UFC on Versus 6 last October. He had won performance bonuses in each of his last two bouts going into this one. Escudero, the TUF 8 champ, was invited back to the UFC as a late replacement to face Jacob Volkmann, but dropped a decision.
SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
Posted in: fighter, round, danzig, escudero, cage danzig
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 145 Results: Marcus Brimage Takes Split Decision Over Maximo Blanco
The fight was pretty dull, but Marcus Brimage managed to pull off a split decision victory over the debuting Maximo Blanco in the first fight at UFC 145. Neither fighter engaged much, which made the fight quite hard to score. Two judges had it for Brimage, one with a 29-28 score and the other 30-27, while one judge gave it to Blanco with a 29-28 card.
Blanco got off to a fast start with an inside leg kick and nice head kick, but Briamage eventually responded with a charging combination. The fighters were tentative for the first half of the round, mainly just using feints. Brimage was the one that was coming forward though, and landed a few nice strikes. Blanco briefly got a takedown, but Brimage popped up immediately. Blanco landed a nice right hook and leg kick after another lull in the action. Brimage continued to be the aggressor for the last minute, occasionally landing some strikes.
Blanco was the fighter coming forward early in the second, landing a variety of shots including a nice front kick and a switch kick. He followed that up with a big jumping knee and looked for a head kick, but Brimage escaped unscathed. The fighters went back to being cautious in the middle of the round, with not much going on. Brimage finally landed a left, while Blanco countered with another front kick. Blanco landed a nice hook in the last few seconds of the round.
The third opened cautiously as well. Blanco caught Brimage in the cup with a knee, but Brimage didn't even need a time out. Brimage landed a couple of nice inside leg kicks, while Blanco looked to land the left hook unsuccessfully. The crowd finally started to boo midway through the third. Blanco looked for a takedown, but but Brimage stuffed it and come forward with a good combination. Brimage continued to be the aggressor late in the round, but there weren't a lot of strikes landed by either man.
The most interesting thing about the fight was the tumbling competition they engaged in after the final bell. Seriously.
This was Blanco's debut at featherweight and in the UFC. He was coming off a loss to Pat Healy in his only Strikeforce appearance. Brimage was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 14 and won his only official UFC bout over Stephen Bass at the TUF 14 Finale in December.
SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
Posted in: ufc, fighter, brimage, kick, blanco
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 145: Dennis Hallman Responds To John Makdessi Missing Weight
When John Makdessi suffered his first career loss to Dennis Hallman at UFC 140, it wasn't without some controversy. Hallman missed weight for the bout, coming in at 158 pounds for their lightweight (155 pound) bout. Hallman trucked Makdessi, quickly taking him down and submitting him.
Earlier this month, Makdessi was on MMA Junkie Radio and hadn't exactly moved on:
"At the end of the day, the guy was just 40 pounds heavier than me. The two pounds (I have to cut to make weight), it kills me ... and Dennis Hallman didn't even break that barrier. He didn't even try. In the back, I saw him eating.
"I have a lot of respect for fighters that go back to the sauna and try to make weight. I'm a very respectful fighter; I'm not a dirty fighter. I don't take anything illegal. I train with my bruises and injuries. And this guy, it's factual that he takes steroids. He takes steroids because we're in MMA where fighters can medically get testosterone, and I think is all B.S."
All this would have been fine and good...had Makdessi not missed weight yesterday for his UFC 145 bout with Anthony Njokuani.
It didn't take Hallman too long before he responded to the situation on Twitter:
@DennisHallmanDennis Hallman Take it as a life lesson @johnmakdessimma We ALL make mistakes. Good luck in your fight tomorrow. Apr 20 via Twitter for iPad Favorite Retweet Reply
It has to be a little bit embarrassing for Makdessi, but I fully expect some sort of "I was sick" excuse to pop up to excuse his missing weight while still being upset with Hallman.
Posted in: pound, fighter, weight, hallman, makdessi
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 145 Fight Card Primer: Mac Danzig Vs. Efrain Escudero
Ultimate Fighter winners have competed against each other before, but generally not with their jobs on the line. Both of these guys are 1-2 in their last 3 and could be fighting for their UFC careers in the first FX bout at UFC 145. TUF 6 winner Mac Danzig (20-9-1, 4-5 UFC) meets TUF 8 winner Efrain Escudero (18-4, 3-3 UFC).
Neither fighter is currently ranked in the top 25 at lightweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, though Mac does get some votes and sits in the # 32 position this month. This lightweight UFC 145 bout is the third fight on the preliminary card and first of the televised portion of the vent, and will air live on FX. The FX broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
How do these two stack up?
Danzig: 32 years old | 5'8" | 70" reachEscudero: 26 years old | 5'9" | 71" reach
What have these two done recently?
Danzig: L - Matt Wiman (UD) | W - Joe Stevenson (KO) | L - Matt Wiman (SUB) Escudero: L - Jacob Volkmann (UD) | W - Cesar Avila (SUB) | L - Mike Rio (UD)
How did these two get here?
Mac Danzig has been a pro fighter for 11 years, but first rose to fame as a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter 6. He cruised through the show and defeated Tommy Speer in the finals, then submitted fellow UFC 145 fighter Mark Bocek in his next bout. He fell on some hard times after that though, going just 2-5 in his next seven bouts. His lone bright spot in the past two years was a brutal knockout of Joe Stevenson at UFC 124. He is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Matt Wiman at UFC on Versus 6.
Efrain "Hecho En Mexico" Escudero defeated Philippe Nover to win the Ultimate Fighter 8, but he was been pretty uneven since taking home the UFC contract. He went 2-2 in his next four bouts and missed weight for a bout with Charles Oliveira. He was submitted by Oliveira and released from the promotion. Escudero managed to go 5-1 outside the organization and was brought back as a late replacement against Jacob Volkmann at UFC 141, but dropped a unanimous decision. He desperately needs a win to keep plying his trade in the octagon.
Why should you care?
Both guys are skilled fighters and it should be a good tactical battle.
YUFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans - Preliminary Card Dissection
You can catch more UFC 145 preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans - Rory MacDonald Vs. Che Mills Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 145 Dana White Vlog Part 1 - Kid Nate
Video: Complete UFC 145 Weigh Ins And Jon Jones Vs Rashad Evans Stare-Down Pic - Kid Nate
UFC 145 Judo Chop: Just How Good Is The Striking Of Jon Jones? - Fraser Coffeen
UFC 145 Weigh-In Results: Jones 205, Evans 204 - Tim Burke
UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans Staff Picks And Predictions - Tim Burke
UFC 145: Chris Clements Talks Debut Against Wisniewski - Steph Daniels
UFC 145: Renato Laranja Gives His Fight Predictions - Steph Daniels
UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans - Brendan Schaub Vs. Ben Rothwell Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 145 Video: Jon Jones, 'How Would You Define Me?' - Anton Tabuena
Bloody Elbow's UFC 145: Jon Jones Vs. Rashad Evans Event Poster - Anton Tabuena
UFC 145 Video: Open Workouts Footage Featuring Jones, Evans, And Many More - Tim Burke
UFC 145 Video: Rashad Evans, Greg Jackson Discuss Main Event - Tim Burke
UFC 145 Video: Matt Brown Tells Luke Thomas All About Prepping For Stephen Thompson - Kid Nate
UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans - Miguel Torres Vs. Michael McDonald Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 145 Video: Jon Jones Questions Rashad Evans' Chin And Wrestling - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 145: Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson Talks Sophomore Outing Against Matt Brown - Steph Daniels
UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans - Mark Hominick Vs. Eddie Yagin Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 145 Judo Chop: How Much Of Jon Jones' MMA Take Downs Are Greco And How Much Are Judo? - Bloody Elbow
UFC 145 Pre-Fight Press Conference Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans - Mark Bocek Vs. John Alessio Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC 145: Can Rashad Evans Stand With Jon Jones? - Jack Slack
UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans - Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston
Is Jones Vs. Evans Actually Personal? - Fraser Coffeen
Posted in: ufc, jone, fighter, vs, evan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMalaysia's most successful MMA fighter Melvin Yeoh wants to make his ONE FC dream a reality
A 6-1 record marks out Melvin Yeoh as Malaysia's most successful mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and the sole loss of his career only came about because of a blatant refereeing error. The owner of the Ultimate MMA Gym in Johor Bahru has quickly and quietly gone about making himself the most sought after fighter in the entire country.
His MMA career began in September 2011 when he took on three opponents in the space of a single day at "Mayhem 2," which was organized by Malaysian Fighting Championship in Kuala Lumpur. He beat two of the top local fighters at his weight that day, but it was the culmination of almost two decades of martial arts experience.
"My hometown is Perlis, which is on the border between Malaysia and Thailand, and I started my martial arts journey by taking up Taekwondo lessons at the age of 13 followed by Muay Thai, but I wasn't serious about it. Between the ages of 13-17 I was a troubled teenager who liked to fight in school and on the streets a lot. My grandfather brought me to a martial arts school to allow me to focus my fights in the ring and I started fighting at the age of 14 but stopped when I was 19 as I needed to further my studies in the university."
The Ultimate MMA camp in Johor Bahru is home to a number of aspiring young mixed martial artists and has hosted a handful of events. It was first founded by Yeoh nine years ago and has continued to grow and expand ever since,
"I was posted to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, as a school educator in 2003. At that time, the existence of Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu jitsu or MMA Gyms there was close to zero. So, at one point, I felt bored and started to gather some teenagers and friends around the area and educated them about the basic of MMA in the backyard."
What started out as a loose group of friend training together in some of the elements of MMA developed into one of the most respected camps in Malayisa,
"By 2006, Ultimate MMA Academy was founded and it expanded and kept growing bigger. In 2010 the sheer size of our group left us no choice but to move to a bigger place and to upgrade the facilities to at the very least, meet the minimum requirements of an MMA academy. Since then our boys from Ultimate MMA have fought countless fights in amateur boxing, judo, grappling, BJJ, Muay Thai, Sanshou and MMA competitions."
Yeoh has fought seven times and has won six with the only loss coming in controversial circumstances. Having already defeated Raymond Tiew (now 4-2) and Sam Chan (now 4-1) he found himself facing Kazbek Shalbassov from Kazakhstan in the final of the 'Mayhem' Lightweight tournament.
Yeoh walks at 145 lbs and could easily cut to bantamweight but seemed to have secured a remarkable achievement when he stopped Shalbassov with a solid knee to the solar plexus. The Kazhak fighter was unable to continue but the referee inexplicably decided to give him time to recover and issue his opponent a warning for the non existent low blow.
It is the only blemish on the Malaysian's perfect record but he understands that, with this being the first large scale MMA event ever attempted in the country, mistakes were inevitable,
"In the cage the referee holds the power to decide and everyone was exhausted. In Mayhem 2 I have to fight three fights inside three hours and I also had to corner three others boys. I fought the two toughest opponents Sam Chan and Raymond Tiew in my division before I advance to the finals but the referee had to present himself for more than 20 fights as well and with MMA in Malaysia still being a growing sport, I don’t blame him for making that mistake."
You can see the video of that fight here and not only was Yeoh robbed of a stoppage win by the referee but he was also stood up almost immediately after securing a takedown and transitioning into mount as he recalls,
"I did some solid knee strike to the chest and my opponent collaped but then the referee came in and immediately he told the referee that I kneed to his groin. The fight restarted in the centre of the cage again so I charge in and took him down with a double leg takedown. The next thing I know is that I was stood up and I was so frustrated that I lost my composure and got stopped straightaway with some solid punches."
Since that setback Yeoh's career has gone from strength to strength and he has demonstrated the diversity of his skillset by registering wins by both TKO and submission, including a highlight reel headkick KO which you can see below:
MFC4 - MELVIN YEOH (Malaysia) vs "BULLKILLER" MOHD ZAKHIR (Malaysia) (via MFChallenge)
Yeoh recently beat three men in a single night to be named South Malaysian Muay Thai champion. The humble schoolteacher's success is all the more remarkable because he only entered his first MMA competition reluctantly with the hope of inspiring some of his students,
"Three of my students wanted to put their MMA skills that they learned from Ultimate MMA to the test in a local competition called Mayhem 2 which was organized by Muayfit. In order to encourage them to fight hard and with heart, I signed up with them. I didn't expect myself to go that far in the competition but all four of us ended up with the first runner up title. After that I felt reignited, it was like the feeling I had in my younger days so I signed up for more fights in local events."
All Yeoh's fights have taken place in comparatively small venues in front of a few hundred fans, although Mayhem, which took place in a busy shopping centre, did attract several thousand fans throughout the course of the day. The spectre of Asia's biggest mixed martial art's promotion, ONE Fighting Championship, is looming large over Malaysian MMA at present because they are putting on a card in the 10,000 capacity Stadium Negara on June 23rd.
With such a strong record Yeoh should be in with a shout of a spot on the card and he says it would be a dream come true,
"ONE FC has really brought Asian MMA to a whole new level especially in the SEA region with their excellent promotion and production, their fight level is way beyond what we've seen before. Fighting in this organization is every Asian fighter's dream, especially fighting in my own country, with all my countrymen cheering and supporting me, how nice would it be!"
Yeoh already holds a win over a ONE FC fighter in Raymond Tiew who he stopped with strikes in only his second fight. No other Malaysian mixed martial artist has as many wins as him and he has more than earned a shot with a major league organization but despite having such a strong record he still believes he has plenty of room for improvement,
"I didn't even realize that my record was better than any other Malaysian until you told me. I just try to get as many fights as I can in small events to gain some experience and slowly make my way up. What I have achieved so far is nothing to be proud of and I'm still not satisfied because have made mistakes in every fight I have had but I will learn from all my mistakes and be a better fighter."
Although Chan and Tiew both have very respectable records not all of Yeoh's opponents have been of the same calibre, although he has been known to be outweighed by as much as 20 lbs. However there is no question that he has come a long way in a short space of time since making his professional debut last September and with ONE FC 'Destiny of Warriors' only two months away he could be in line for the sort of reward his recent efforts so richly deserve.
www,twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, malaysia, yeoh
Read the full article at MMA ManiaEight Ways of Looking at UFC 145
UFC 145 in Atlanta is now just hours away, so let us tick away the time with a few last questions, concerns, comments and predictions. Here are eight of them, presented in no meaningful order.I. It must be almost fight time, because there is absolutely nothing new to say about the Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans bout. More and more, I wonder if this is the true sign of a big time fight. If the night of the event rolls around and you don’t feel completely sick of the same storylines, the same questions and same answers, then it must not be a fight that really matters. If it were, our media-saturated sports culture would have talked it to death already, as we have with Jones-Evans. The fighters know it. They couldn’t even fake it convincingly during the pre-fight press conference this week. All the talk has been "almost therapeutic" according to Jones, but there’s a reason therapy isn’t considered a spectator sport. Was it always this way? Were people this sick of hearing about the "Thrilla in Manilla" by the the time the fight finally rolled around? How about the Punic Wars? Surely by the third one even some Carthaginians must have wished they’d just burn the damn place down and get it over with already. The Jones-Evans saga of friendship and teamwork and rivalry and betrayal might have been too enticing for its own good. Like a hit pop song that drops just in time for summer, this is a story that was destined to get told over and over again, blaring out of every car stereo at every stoplight until we couldn’t stand it anymore. At least in MMA (unlike pop music) we have a built-in end point to that particular brand of madness, and we’re almost there. Nothing left to do now but shut up and wait, and at least one of those is optional.
II. A brief story about Greg Jackson, told to illustrate a point. An agent who shall remain nameless once told me a little tale about a Jackson’s MMA fighter who shall remain nameless. This fighter was offered a fight in the UFC that this agent thought was a bad idea. Not only was it a difficult style match-up, it was also one of those pairings that’s short on positives and long on negatives for one of the two fighters. The agent advised against taking it, he said, but the fighter wouldn’t hear of it. So the agent called up Jackson and told him what the UFC had in mind. Okay, Jackson said. We’ll start looking at tape and working on a game plan. Here’s where the agent asked Jackson for his honest opinion. Did he think this was a smart fight for this guy to take at this point in his career? Oh no, Jackson is said to have responded. He didn’t like the match-up at all. Seemed like a very bad idea, actually. "That’s when I realized that Greg doesn’t really worry about that side of things at all," the agent told me. In other words, he became a fight trainer because he wanted to be a fight trainer -- not because he wanted to be some sort of MMA mogul. I bring this up now because of all the emails and tweets I’ve been getting that paint Jackson as ruthless capitalist who purposely undercut Evans in favor of a more profitable relationship with Jones. I know the internet loves a conspiracy theory, but anyone who actually knows Jackson knows that he’s the rare figure in this sport who really is as honest and forthright as he appears to be. That’s why he opts to stay out of the murky waters of fighter management and career manipulation altogether. If anything, he stayed too far out of it while this Jones-Evans thing was building under his roof. The only thing you can really fault him for here is his naive belief that grown men could sort stuff out for themselves. Obviously they couldn’t, which is how we arrived at this bitter conclusion. Is that Jackson’s fault? He says it is, but I don’t know. All I can tell you is that if you think he did this on purpose, you give him far too much credit for long-term planning.III. A moment of silence for the fighters on the undercard. Usually the top couple bouts on the main card stand at least a chance of sharing the spotlight with the main event. Not this time. Not even close. Granted, the UFC saw it coming and saved most of its secondary star power for subsequent events, which was probably the smart move. Jones and Evans are the ones selling the tickets and pay-per-views here, and we all know it. There are still plenty of interesting fights on the undercard, but good luck getting them noticed with this hype storm around the main event.IV. As long as we’re on the subject of the undercard, take a gander over at Rory MacDonald, who some oddsmakers have pegged as a 6-1 favorite over Che Mills. You might remember Mills from his 40-second TKO of Chris Cope in his Octagon debut back at UFC 138. An impressive showing, certainly, but against a guy who seemed to exist in the UFC only to give others an opportunity for an impressive showing. Now he takes on MacDonald, who seemed to be on his way up the ranks after wins over Nate Diaz and Mike Pyle. Now he gets Mills, who’s an exciting talent, but not necessarily a logical next step after wins over two established UFC fighters like Diaz and Pyle. That creates a tricky situation for MacDonald. Up until now he’s been the up-and-comer trying to knock off contenders one at a time, but this opponent will be trying to get a little of MacDonald’s hype to rub off on him. You don’t gain much that you didn’t already have if you win a fight like that, but you sure do lose a lot if you find yourself on the wrong end of an upset. On paper it looks like a showcase fight for MacDonald, and maybe it is. There are just a lot of ways for that to go wrong, and only one way for it to go right.V. How confident is Brendan Schaub in his ability to take one and give one back after his loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira? In this match-up against Ben Rothwell, Schaub is probably the quicker, more athletic fighter. But the same was true against Big Nog, at least until Schaub got clipped on the chin. What Rothwell brings to the table is power. He can take a lot of punishment, and while his skills tend to diminish the more he gets worn down and beaten up on, he rarely goes away easily. Schaub, meanwhile, has been knocked cold a couple of times in his much shorter career. That’s not to say his chin is suspect, but you do have to wonder how good he’s feeling about his own ability to withstand a blow. If he’s hesitant to exchange with Rothwell, look for it to cost him in a hurry. It he comes out firing, at least we’ll know his confidence is solid. He just has to hope his chin is too.VI. Toughest fight to call? Without a doubt, it’s Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald. Experience vs. youth. Veteran savvy vs. raw talent. McDonald has a full head of steam after his quick KO of Alex Soto, but he’s never faced anyone with the ability or the big fight experience of Torres. Is McDonald really as good as advertised? Does Torres‘ decade-plus in the fight game really count for as much as he thinks? These two questions are equally difficult to answer, which explains why this fight -- at least according to oddsmakers -- is the closest match-up on the card. Beware, you riverboat gamblers. Anyone who tells you he knows exactly what’s going to happen here is either lying to you or to himself.VII. We’re about to find out just how much wonder Stephen Thompson really has in his bag of tricks. The matchmaking here feels like something out of a Patrick Swayze movie. The lifelong martial artist who’s all fancy kicks and Pokemon moves takes on the snarling hard-ass who looks like he might only swap out his chewing tobacco for his mouthpiece when the referee makes him. Brown has been joking all week about the Thompson mystique, as if he’s some sort of ninja who might materialize next to you in an elevator. It’s fun to play with that notion, but how much truth is there to the idea of Thompson as a karate whiz kid? He scored a superb knockout in his UFC debut, but just as with his kickboxing career, it’s tough to tell what role the quality of his opponent played. Brown is a tough fighter -- not to mention a desperate one at this point in his career -- but he’s also someone who makes his share of mistakes. If Thompson can make it out of the first two minutes, Brown is bound to give him some type of opening. You just wonder what it will look like, and if "Wonderboy" can make it count for something.VIII. One last thing about Jones-Evans, then I swear I’ll let it go. For the past 13 months of his life, Jones has ended every triumph with Evans staring him in the face, often literally. His former teammate has hovered in the air above the greatest nights in Jones’ young career like a storm cloud that just won’t pass. It’s been a source of frustration and aggravation for Jones, but all he could do was wait. If he is victorious against Evans on Saturday night, and if he does so in a fashion that effectively puts the matter to rest once and for all, what then? How will he feel when he turns from this one and sees no more Evans staring back at him? Will he be relieved that it’s finally over, and he’s once again alone at the top? Or will he feel something else, like the emptiness that comes with the end of a challenge he didn’t realize he depended on so much until it was no longer there? Maybe. Or maybe not. Maybe I should take my own advice on this one, and shut up and wait. Matter of fact, yeah. Let’s do that instead.
Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fighter, hersquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 episode 7 post-fight power rankings
In this week's episode of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15, Vinc Pichel of "Team Cruz" was able to win an impressive submission victory over "Team Faber's" John Cofer in the sudden victory round.
Episode 7 saw some of the fighters start to buckle under the pressure of being locked away in a house together with a bunch of strange dudes and kept away from their friends and families. The mounting pressure led Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White make an appearance to give the fighters an inspirational speech about enduring to the end.
It was no "Do you wanna be a [expletive] fighter" speech, but the guys seemed to appreciate the words.
As the end draws near, not only are some of the fighters starting to crack, but the tension between coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber really seems to be an all-time high. There are "made for tv" beefs, then there is genuine bad blood. This is the latter of the two.
Let's take a look at the TUF 15 episode seven post-fight power rankings:
Andy Ogle was my bottom man on the totem pole last week. With Chris Tickle gone, Ogle is the new favorite to keep the basement occupied.
This week, his oddness reached new heights, as we were treated to a clip of him shadowboxing in a field, while giving himself a whispered pep talk. Afterward, he joined a couple of the guys up on the patio to tell them about a nightmare he had about his girlfriend.
It's cool. I had nightmare once that kept me up and ruined my entire next day. Then I turned five.
Ogle is a crier. That's fine, I guess, but when you add it to the fact that he writes adorable poetry about fighting and that he absolutely kind of reminds me of a hobbit, I just have trouble seeing this guy being a professional fighter in the UFC.
I was wrong once before though.
So, after seven full episodes of TUF grandeur, here's what my power rankings look like:
(Note: The numbers in parenthesis indicate each fighter's ranking from the previous week.)
1) Justin Lawrence (1)2) Al Iaquinta (2)3) Sam Sicilia (3)4) Joe Proctor (4)5) James Vick (5)6) Michael Chiesa (6)7) Vinc Pichel (8)8) Mike Rio (7)9) Chris Saunders (10)10) Andy Ogle (11)
John Cofer (RIP)
The score is now even between "Team Cruz" and "Team Faber." In an effort to break the tie, Sam Sicilia will square off against Chris Saunders in a 3-vs-9 match up that has upset written all over it.
As the competitors get closer to the finish line, expect the drama to continue to percolate to a steady and eventual boiling point.
If you weren't able to catch all the LIVE action, no worries. Read a complete recap of TUF 15: "Live" episode seven right here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, episode, team cruz, ogle
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode 7 Recap: It All Comes Back to Even
Following the latest fight on The Ultimate Fighter: Live, the teams have come back around to even.
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Read the full article at MMA WeeklySteroid user talks about UFC fighters using, what do you think?
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc fighters, rx, user talks
Read the full article at RedditUFC 145 Judo Chop: Just How Good Is The Striking Of Jon Jones?
We are fast approaching one of the most anticipated UFC fights in years as Jon Jones and Rashad Evans finally meet at UFC 145. Given the history between these two friends turned enemies, it's only natural that most of the pre-fight discussion has been focused on the narrative behind their fight. And make no mistake, it's a great and compelling story. But that story is only half of what makes this such a great fight. The other half is what will take place inside the Octagon Saturday night. Because these aren't just rivals, they're also two of the finest fighters in the world.
And so here, we'll focus not on the rivalry, but on the techniques. Specifically, the stand-up techniques of the champion Jon Jones. Be sure to read the excellent analysis of Rashad Evans's stand-up done earlier this week by Jack Slack to get the other side.
Related: Can Rashad Evans Stand With Jon Jones? | UFC 145 Photos: Jon Jones Trains For Rashad Evans | Rashad Evans Getting Pointers From Roy Jones, Jr. Ahead Of Jon Jones Fight | The Techniques Of Jon Jones And Rashad Evans
In 2011, Jones established himself as one of the pound for pound greats in MMA today - a Silva/GSP-esque undefeatable phenom. Yet there are some detractors who say that he is not as good as the hype may always indicate. And those detractors generally point to his stand-up game, which some view as using flash and reach in place of solid technique. Here then, we'll break down Jones's stand-up and see what we can learn. We'll look at the following areas:
Footwork
Defensive movement and positioning
Offense
Let's see if we can find a crack in Jones's armor that Evans can exploit Saturday night.
SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
Before we dive in, let me just say that I am not someone who sees MMA striking as being necessarily the exact mirror of pure boxing, Muay Thai, or K-1 striking. MMA fighters have different needs in their stand-up, so comparing their technique to the technique used by a Manny Pacquiao is not entirely fair. But there's still room for improvement in the striking of many MMA fighters, and Jon Jones is no exception.
Footwork
This is not an area where Jones shines. He tends to be flat-footed, which can slow down his movement. There's a plus to that as it helps him maintain cardio by keeping his legs more relaxed, but against Machida that slowness caused by keeping his feet planted allowed him to get caught a few times.
Jones also tends to switch stances often, moving freely between orthodox and southpaw stance. This has good advantages as it opens up his offense and keep his opponent guessing. That ability to confuse his opponent is one of his greatest striking strengths, which we'll address more when discussing his offense. While he likes to use the southpaw stance, he doesn't always use it to his best advantage. When one fighter is standing southpaw and the other orthodox, the way to gain the dominant position is to move your lead foot to the outside of your opponent's. That gives you more options and more power in your strikes. Jones does not do this, and yields the dominant position to his opponent when in southpaw. Small, but a mistake.
Along those same lines, Jones tends to overuse forward and backward movement on his feet, rather than coming in at angles. Compare him to a fighter like Frankie Edgar and you'll see a huge difference. Edgar will come in from the side and move off to the side when evading. Jones often comes straight in, and moves straight back. His significant reach advantage lets him get away with this. but it's not the best use of movement.
Overall, I would characterize his footwork as passable, but in need of some improvement. He makes it work, but focus on improving it could strengthen his game.
Defense
Lyoto Machida gets inside and connects on Jon Jones at UFC 140. Photo by Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
As mentioned above, Jones's motion tends to leave a few defensive openings. His motion straight back opens him up for a straight forward blitzing attack, which is what Machida used so effectively in round 1. Evans has shown this type of attack before, such as when he dropped Rampage, so it is something for Jones to watch for Saturday night.
For defense, I would say Jones's primary tactic is maintaining range. He's superb at using his range to keep fighters from getting in too close. When they do get close, he either brings his hands up and moves away to reset, or secures the clinch and takes them down. It's rare that a fighter has been able to get inside on Jones and continue striking. However, if a fighter could achieve that position (a huge if), they could find themselves in a nice spot to inflict some damage on the champion.
Jones doesn't use a lot of head or body movement to slip strikes, which leaves him a bit exposed. He also has a tendency to lower his level and bring his head down when he starts to get hit, which is a bad habit for any fighter, but particularly unfortunate for a taller fighter like Jones. By bringing his head down, he nullifies his height advantage, giving his opponent an opening.
Finally, he uses a lot of hand movement from the Anderson Silva style, but that can leave his chin exposed. He also tends to not bring his hands back to their defensive position quickly after throwing a punch. Again, this keeps his chin exposed, and a well-timed counter-puncher (Machida) can capitalize on those small gaps.
Defensively, as in his footwork, Jones has gotten by, but could use some tightening up. In particular, the dropping of his head and hands in defense is a concern, and whenever he does finally lose, I suspect that will be the culprit.
Offense
Jon Jones uses his range with a front kick on Rampage Jackson at UFC 135. Photo by Esther Lin, MMA Fighting.
I've spent a lot of time pointing out some flaws in Jones's game, so here's the chance to state the obvious: despite any technical flaws in footwork and defense, Jon Jones is a very dangerous striker. And that danger comes from his offensive output.
Jones has a natural gift in his reach, but it's his use of proper technique that allows him to best capitalize on that reach. He's done a great job building his game around this asset - teeps, jabs, and big head kicks are major weapons for Jones. That head kick in particular shows fantastic use of range as he really extends on it. All of these strikes push his opponent back and out of their attacking range, while allowing Jones to continue his own assault.
As his career has progressed Jones has evolved from more single shots to combos. Starting with the Shogun fight, we've seen him mix strikes together much more effectively. But he is still deliberate with those shots, choosing each punch and kick carefully. He's not a fast paced, 3-4 strike combo kind of fighter, instead selecting each successive strike to follow up on the previous one and thread its way through an opponent's defense.
For both his leg kicks and head kicks, Jones tends to at times sacrifice power for speed. He'll throw kicks very quickly without fully turning over his hips. This allows him to get the kick off fast, but doesn't do as much damage. In his recent fights, we've seen that his striking is more about accumulated damage rather than the single flash KO, and this style of speed over power plays to that.
And of course, his strikes are incredibly varied. He has an absolutely huge arsenal of knees, kicks, elbows, punches, plus a seemingly endless capacity to bring in new strikes, all of which keeps his opponents guessing.
Offensively, Jones's striking is up there among the best in the UFC. He uses his reach to perfection, and has built a great game based on slowly breaking his opponent down.
Overall
In the end, the good from that offense significantly outweighs the bad from the defense and footwork. I think it's fair to characterize Jones as a very skilled striker. But he's also a striker with real, tangible flaws. So far, only Lyoto Machida had any success using those flaws to his advantage, and Machida is the best technical striker in the division. And he still ended the fight unconscious.
Does this mean Jones is unbeatable? No it does not. But it does mean that anyone looking to beat him will have to exploit those holes perfectly, while surviving the offensive onslaught. It's not an easy task. Is Rashad Evans up for it? I suspect not, but I look forward to finding out.
Posted in: jon, jone, fighter, opponent, evan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowVictor Conte Says More Than 50% Of Elite MMA Fighters Use Performance Enhancing Drugs
Victor Conte's name isn't the cleanest in all the land, but when it comes to performance enhancing drugs, he knows his stuff. Conte, the former creator of BALCO (which was the center of the huge pro-sports PED firestorm), has been working with pro fighters for a bit now and has been plenty outspoken on his opinion that the fight game needs cleaning up.
Earlier today, Conte was asked by Dr. Johnny Benjamin about how many high level mixed martial artists he believes are using PED's and this was his response:
@VictorConteVictor Conte Over RT @DrJCBenjamin: @VictorConte I'd LOVE to know you insight on this question- Over or under 50% of elite MMA fighters take PEDs? Apr 20 via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet Reply
The reaction from many is going to be a predictable "why should we believe him? He's a scumbag!" or something similar. But the truth is, it's worth taking the opinion of a man who knows a lot about a subject, and Conte is an expert on PEDs. That doesn't mean he is right, but he certainly has a fair amount of insight into athletic usage of such substances
In the wake of Alistair Overeem's positive test for elevated testosterone, Conte was on The MMA Hour and was asked if he believes that Overeem could have naturally had a 14:1 level and had this to say:
"He knows whether he was doing testosterone or not. At a level of 14/1, you do see some up like Kizer said, maybe 5 or 5.2 -- there have been some cases where there's been up in the eights and nines and tens, and I think there's even been a natural at 13. But he's the only one that knows whether he was using or not. My opinion, and that's all it is, is that he's as guilty as a three-dollar bill."
Posted in: fighter, conte, ped, today conte, testosterone conte
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow
Michael McDonald has a promising future but insists fighting isn't what defines him (Yahoo! Sports)
UFC's second-youngest fighter has all the tools to become a star in the business, but he says fighting isn't everything to him.
Posted in: business, fighter, isnt, michael mcdonald, isnt everything
Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’ Episode 7 Video Preview
It appears as if our coaches finally start to have some emotions spill over on Friday night's episode of "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" on FX. The episode airs at 10 p.m. Eastern, but check out this...
Posted in: fighter, episode, emotion, episode airs, emotions spill
Read the full article at Heavy MMA‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Episode 7 Recap and Live Blog
Tune in to Heavy.com for "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Episode 7 recap and coverage, including running updates from tonight's live fight between John Cofer and Vinc Pichel.
Posted in: fighter, episode, recap, john cofer, blog tune
Read the full article at Heavy MMAFight Day: UFC 145 Open Workouts Highlights Video
Take a look at some of the highlights from Thursday's UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans fighter workouts at Georgia State University.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, workout, thursday, university
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 live results for episode seven TONIGHT (April 20) on FX
We're halfway home.
Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) reality television baby The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), is now in full swing with six episodes in the books and and the elimination fights inside the house already halfway through.
Last week's broadcast showcased the bad boy of the house, Chris Tickle, getting his comeuppance courtesy of Joe Proctor. That marks the third straight win for Team Urijah Faber after Team Dominick Cruz shot out to an early 2-0 lead.
Tonight's show will feature the undefeated Vinc Pichel attempting to turn the tide back in his team's favor against Southern folk potter and Team Faber's sixth pick, John Cofer. We haven't heard much from them throughout the season but that's going to change in a big way tonight.
MMAmania.com has a live blog of all the night's action, starting at 10 p.m. ET, after the jump.
ULTIMATE FIGHTER 15 EPISODE SEVEN LIVE BLOG:
Geno here. See you tonight, folks.
Posted in: fighter, team, episode, fighter tuf, comeuppance courtesy
Read the full article at MMA ManiaGSP, fellow fighters talk at UFC 145
UFC CENTRAL host (Showdown) Joe Ferraro was a busy man on Thursday as he caught up with a handful of fighters at the UFC 145 open workouts.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, gsp, workout, ferraro
Read the full article at sportsnet.caBellator 66 Weigh-In Results; Aoki and Alvarez Both Hit the Mark
The lightweight rematch between Shinya Aoki and Eddie Alvarez has now been made official, as both fighters weighed in today at 154.5lbs.
The fighters will compete again (Aoki won their initial 2008 meeting with a quick heel hook) tomorrow night at Bellator 66, which will take place at the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The event will also feature the semi-finals of both the season six middleweight and lightweight tournaments.
Today’s weigh-ins took place at The Great Lakes Ballroom in the I-X Center. All of the fighters competing on the card made weight for their respective bouts.
The Bellator 66 main card will get underway tomorrow at 8p.m. ET/5p.m. PT, with the main card set to air on MTV 2, as usual. You can check out the full weigh-in results below.
Main Card (MTV2)
Shinya Aoki (154.5) vs. Eddie Alvarez (154.5)
Andreas Spang (185) vs. Brian Rogers (185)
Vyacheslav Vasilevski (185.5) vs. Maiquel Falcao (185)
Lloyd Woodard (154.5) vs. Rick Hawn (155)
Brent Weedman (155) vs. Thiago Michel (154.5)
Preliminary Card (Spike.com)
Jessica Eye (130) vs. Anita Rodriguez (130.5)
John Hawk (203.5) vs. Marcus Vanttinen (205)
Dan Spohn (204) vs. Attila Vegh (200)
Donny Walker (144) vs. Frank Carabello (145)
Julian Lane (155) vs. Joe Heiland (155)
Posted in: fighter, vs, aoki, card, ix center
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyBellator 66 weigh-in results: Eddie Alvarez (154.5), Shinya Aoki (154.5) on weight
Official Bellator 66 fighter weigh-ins took place today, and all fighters easily made weight.
Today's festivities took place at Great Lakes Ballroom at Cleveland's I-X Center.
Both Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki were on weight for their highly anticipated rematch in Bellator 66's headliner. Both fighters weighed 154.5 pounds.
Posted in: bellator, fighter, shinya aoki, place today, lakes ballroom
Read the full article at MMA JunkieThe Next Generation of Filipino Superstars All Set for Colt 45 URCC 21: 'Warpath'
The Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) is the longest running promotion in South East Asia and the most popular in the Philippines and it is almost a decade since it was first founded by Alvin and Bubbles Aguilar. Next week sees it returning to Manila for the first time in almost six months for what will be the 42nd URCC card.
URCC 21 is taking place at the 12,000 capacity SMX Convention Centre at the Mall of Asia in Manila and will be headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Froilan Sarenas and Nicholas Mann. Both men are champions with Sarenas holding the middleweight strap while Mann is the reigning light heavyweight title holder but it is the 3-0 Filipino who is moving up in weight for this fight.
The rest of the card consists mainly of up and coming homegrown fighters who will be competing to follow in the footsteps of Eduard Folayang and become the next fighter from the Philippines to break out onto the international scene and obtain superstar status.
There aren't too many opportunities for 119 lbs fighters outside of the Philippines but the URCC's pinweight division is extremely competitive. The division is currently dominated by 10-0 Rey Docyogen but two of the main contenders to his crown will do battle when Alvin Ramirez takes on Roy Doliguez.
Doliguez is 1-0 in MMA but is best known as a boxer who once fought for the WBO Super Flyweight Title with 12 of his 19 wins coming by way of KO. Ramirez, who has already been beaten by Docyogen twice, is a Yaw Yan (Filipino kickboxing) practitioner who will be looking to improve on his 4-4 record with a second successive win.
In a battle of bantamweights Jerson Estoro will be looking to bounce back from his loss to Will Chope, when he was at a significant size disadvantage against the American who missed weight, in what promises to be a stand up war against fellow Muay Thai expert Reysaldo Transmonte who will be making his comeback after 18 months out of action.
Chope has moved up to a weight which he has a realistic chance of actually making to take on former URCC Lightweight Champion Angelito Manguray. The 44 year old dentist has not fought for a year but has only ever been beaten by Honorio Banario and will have the support of the Filipino crowd as he looks to snap his opponent's four fight winning streak.Chope's friend and training partner Mark Striegl is the latest addition to the card and will replace the injured Andrew Benibe, who suffered a cut during his pre fight preparations. The Filipino will fighting for the URCC for the second time and will be putting his outstanding 9-0 record on the line against Alcer Lozada whose only career loss was to URCC Lightweight Champion Honorio Banario.
Every single top Filipino mixed martial artist fighting today emerged from the URCC and it is a tried and tested route for talented fighters such as Eduard Folayang, Eric Kelly and Kevin Belingon to make it into major league organizations such as ONE FC with UFC matchmakers also known to be keeping a keen eye on proceedings.
After ten years and 41 events the organization is still going strong and URCC 21 will give fans the opportunity to get a glimpse at some of the new talent which matchmaker Willy Carlos has unearthed as well as to see some Filipino fighters already on the verge of the breakthrough such as Sarenas and Striegl.
Colt 45 URCC 21: Warpath will be broadcast on Solar Sports in the Philippines. For more information visit: www.urccmma.com
Colt 45 URCC 21 'Warpath'
SMX Convention Centre, Manila
April 28th, 2012
Fight Card:
Froilan Sarenas Vs. Nicholas Mann (Super fight)
Alvin Ramirez Vs. Roy Doliguez (Super fight)
Jerson Estoro Vs. Reysaldo Transmonte (Bantamweight fight)
Will Chope Vs. Angelito Manguray (Lightweight fight)
Alcer Lozasa Vs.Mark Striegl (Featherweight fight)
Jonathan Sumogat Vs. Mark Joseph Abrillo (Flyweight fight)
Mario Sismundo Vs. Michael Dan Rubio (Featherweight fight)
Mark Dialogo Vs. Fred Lim (Pinweight fight)
Charles de Tomas Vs. Isaac Tuling (Bantamweight fight)
Dennis Salazar Vs. Adam Cacay (Bantamweight fight)
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, fighter, vs, urcc, filipino
Read the full article at MMA Mania
Swedish UFC produces its first star?
The Vikings of Scandinavia were famous a thousand years ago for being amongst the most fearsome warriors in the world. Sailing in their long boats, they terrorised the English, Irish and Scottish, and not to mention the French and even the Moors in Spain. So it is no surprise that the new UFC in Scandinavia might be producing its first star warrior after less than a month of holding fights.
The first Scandinavian UFC fight was held in Stockholm’s 12,000-seat Ericsson Globe Arena on April 14, 2012 with two middleweight fights between the Italian Alessio “Legionarius” Sakara and American Brian Stann, and also Papy “Makambo” Abedi who took on Oklahoman James Head. Since then the Scandinavian UFC team haven’t been sitting on their hands or even using them to while away the hours playing Partypoker, instead they have been setting up new fights. One of the latest has been between the Swedish Alexander Gustafsson and Thiago Silva from Brazil.
Gustafsson won, with a 30-27 30-27 29-28 decision. According to Brian Mallon of The Independent newspaper, Gustafsson managed to keep his head and use the vast number of Swedish fans supporting him to his advantage. In the fight, which lasted for 15 minutes, Gustafsson ‘peppered’ Silva with punches. So confident was the Gustafsson team after the fight, that they even proposed their young fighter should take on Jon ‘The Mauler’ Jones.
This would probably be a fight too far for the young Swede, as Jones is an opponent really only for fighters at the very top of their games. It is also important not to overstretch yourself too early on. UFC and MMA are littered with fighters who have got ahead of themselves too early and paid the price in their career for ever more. Still, it is good to see this fighter has ambition as well as very obvious skill. Perhaps all he needs is a suitably Viking nick name. How about Alexander “Blood Axe” Gustafsson?
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, gustafsson, swedish fans
Read the full article at Octagon ManiaKimbo Slice's Last Boxing Opponent Admits To Wearing Ankle Weights At Weigh-In
One of my biggest criticisms of Kimbo Slice's boxing "career" has been his management's insistence on having Kimbo fight smaller opponents while claiming he is going to make a splash at heavyweight. Of his opponents coming in to his last fight, Kimbo faced an opponent weighing 205, one weighing 206 and one weighing 211. With an injury to his scheduled opponent for his fourth fight, Kimbo was matched up with Brian Green, an MMA fighter who usually competes at 185 pounds.
When it came time for the weigh-in and Green was announced at over 220 pounds, something seemed a bit fishy. He didn't look particularly "heavy" compared to his MMA middleweight bouts so I found it hard to believe that he had added 40 pounds.
I reached out to Brian right after the weigh-ins via Facebook, seeing as how he was out of state but seemed to be updating regularly, and asked what was up with his weight but didn't hear anything back.
The weigh-in situation was quickly glossed over when Kimbo appeared to be on his way to a loss on the scorecards only to score a dramatic last second KO that had many fans claiming Green took a dive (Green denies the charge, for what it's worth).
I received a message out of the blue today from Green, who had missed my message until now and he had quite the bit of news to share:
So, Green showed a lot of heart in wanting to make a name for himself and put on 20 pounds of ankle weights for the bout to make sure he'd have his chance. He then worked over Kimbo for most of the bout before being caught by the controversial finishing shot.
Green did weigh in in shorts but it appears he kept his shoes and socks on so they may have hidden the weights. There's no clear shot of Green's ankles in the video of the weigh-in. It's also entirely possible that the (not exactly highly regarded) athletic commission in Missouri simply looked the other way. I'm not exactly buying that Kimbo, whose strongest home base to draw in would be Florida, is fighting in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Missouri. Something seems up when you're sticking to places without really strong athletic commissions despite still having something of a "name."
For the curious here is the weigh-in video (Green and Kimbo are around the 12:30 mark):
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Posted in: fighter, opponent, kimbo, weighin, br
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 145: Jon Jones Has The Coaches Who Taught Rashad Evans To Fight
Saturday's UFC 145 Light Heavyweight title fight between champ Jon Jones and challenger Rashad Evans isn't just the biggest MMA fight so far this year, it's also a deeply personal grudge match. Much of that tension has arisen because of their shared experience training under coach Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Evans trained under Jackson from 2005 until last year when he left the camp in a huff over Jon Jones' ascension to the top of the UFC heap and Jones' stated willingness to fight Evans. Now Greg Jackson has agreed to corner Jones.
Related Stories: Evans Says Jackson Brought In Jones 'For Greg' Not The Team | Jones' Coach Winkeljohn On Convincing Jackson To Corner Against Evans | Jones Confirms That Jackson Will Corner Him Against Evans
Jones spoke to MMA Fighting's Ben Fowlkes about the advantage he has working with the men who coached Evans for more than 5 years. Those quotes are after the jump...SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
"I have the coaches that taught him how to fight. They taught him the guard passes he uses, the ground-and-pound system that he uses, the punches that he used to throw and the combinations. I mean, it almost seems not fair sometimes," Jones told MMA Fighting.
"We know his psychology. We know what makes him tired. We know everything about him. He's in trouble.
"What people don't realize is, Rashad says, ‘I trained with Jon and I have his number.' But that's a crazy thing for him to say, because I trained with him, and one thing all my fans know is that I'm not just a good fighter, I'm also a smart fighter. If he truly believes that I don't remember every training practice we ever had, what I landed and what I did well against him, he surely must remember that. He should be nervous. I've done great against fighters I've never trained with before. I mean, I fought [Lyoto] Machida when I'd never fought a karate fighter before, and I beat him in a karate match. So Rashad thinking that the time we spent together wasn't extremely beneficial to me, I think he's crazy," said Jones.
Posted in: fight, jone, jackson, fighter, evan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowJon Jones, Rashad Evans feud creates UFC 145 boon for fans ()
A confusing split between one-time buddies helped lead to Saturday's title bout between two of the world's top-10 fighters.
Posted in: ufc, title, fighter, saturday, boon
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC Tonight And Ultimate Insider Live Discussion - 4/17
Join us this evening at Bloody Elbow for live discussion of UFC Tonight and Ultimate Insider, which airs on Fuel at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST and 10:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. PST. Both shows has been quite interesting so far and the UFC has used UFC Tonight to break news as well, so it's worthy of a watch if you get Fuel. Here's the official description of the UFC Tonight from the website:
UFC Tonight is the official weekly news and information show of the UFC. With in-depth event coverage and analysis, jaw-dropping highlights, exclusive fighter interviews before-and-after bouts, and segments unavailable anywhere else, UFC Tonight is your number one source for the latest happenings in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Tonight's episode of UFC Tonight will see hosts Todd Harris and Kenny Florian discuss the aftermath of UFC on Fuel 2, and talk up UFC 145. After the jump, you can see a preview for Ultimate Insider.
"UFC Ultimate Insider," we take an in-depth look at the remarkable rise of Rashad Evans' new Florida training camp - the "Blackzilians." Rashad also explains how the "Blackzilians" will help his quest to take the belt away from Jon Jones.
In anticipation of the most heated match-up of Jon Jones' career, we'll take a fight-by-fight look into the sensational success of the Light Heavyweight Champion and how he made history as the youngest UFC Champ ever.
Next, UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture gives his unfiltered take on the best fighters in the division he once commanded: the Light Heavyweight Division.
Finally, UFC stars Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar are back again for another off-the-wall conversation you will not want to miss, as the wildly entertaining and extremely opinionated fighters sound off on everything from the UFC to everyday life.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, pm, fuel, insider
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow
UFC 145: What Did Rashad Evans Mean When He Told Jon Jones "You Will Skip To My Lou"?
When we as fight fans analyze an upcoming mixed martial arts fight in an attempt to pick a winner, there are a lot of different ways to come to whatever conclusion we come to.
Of course everyone knows about MMAth, in which you compare the combatants results against a mutual opponent. This method is usually derided by educated observers as wholly unreliable, and statistically it is, yet it is almost always brought up by someone during the lead up to the fight (and enthusiastically discussed in great detail by all parties).
Another quick and easy method of pre-fight evaluation is to look at the two fighter's skillsets in an attempt to determine where the fight will take place. This is a much more respected methodology and it is easy to see why: Grapplers (wrestlers in particular), are almost universally able to dictate where their fights will take place, if they are going up against a striker or less talented grappler. If they want to have a stand up fight, they will use their grappling savvy to avoid going to the ground. If they want to have a ground fight, they will use their grappling savvy to bring the fight to the mat.
Where you can run into some problems with this method is when the two combatants come from a different grappling base: It's not always clear in fights between a Brazilian jiu jitsu fighter and an American wrestler which fighter will have the grappling edge. Making this method even more challenging is when you have two strikers facing one another. We don't always know how good a striker is on the ground game until/unless they are forced to use it, making it nearly impossible to make an educated prediction with this method.
If we want to go even more in-depth, we will discuss and evaluate what individual techniques the two fighters use. Are they combination strikers or do they go for power shots? Do they shoot power doubles or stick to single leg takedowns? This can help us in matches like Brian Stann vs Alessio Sakara, a bout that took place at last weekend's UFC on FUEL TV 2. Stann is a power puncher, and Sakara has had some trouble when he gets hit with big strikes. Sure enough, Stann connected with powerful shots early in the fight and went on to score a TKO victory.These methods are useful ways of looking at a fight but it seems to me there is one more level of evaluating a fight (and fighters), which is, essentially, how successful a fighter is at influencing his opponent to move as he sees fit. Jack Slack, one of the premier striking experts in the MMA blog-o-sphere and Mike Riordan, a new addition to the SB Nation ranks over at Bloody Elbow, specializing in wrestling, recently gave us great examples of this kind of evaluation.
Fight Like Dos Santos: The Right Body Straight. (Jack Slack)
A Theory On Successful Wrestling Translating To Successful MMA Wrestling (Mike Riordan)
In Slack's post, he details how Junior Dos Santos used body attacks in his title fight with Cain Velasquez at the first UFC on FOX show to influence Cain to drop his hands. When he did drop his hands, Dos Santos was able to land an overhand right, sending Velasquez to the mat and giving Junior the UFC heavyweight title.
Riordan takes us inside the world of wrestling set-ups, showcasing numerous examples of wrestlers taking what seems to be a stale-mate position and using it to their advantage.
This ability to make your opponent do what you want them to do is, to me, what separates the greatest fighters from their peers. One of my all time favorite fighters is Bas Rutten. The main reason for this is the clarity with which he is able to describe his fighting experiences. If you've never seen this video of his fight with Jason Delucia, it's a must watch. It's special because Rutten provides a running commentary of the fight, giving us some incredible insight into how he approaches a fight and how he chooses to attack Delucia:
At the highest levels of combat, the athletic abilities are often so even that they do not play a large role in the fight. Of course there are exceptions to this; Georges St. Pierre stands out as a fighter whose natural athleticism is nearly impossible to overcome. Brock Lesnar was thought to be of a similar ilk and indeed he was able to rely on his physical gifts to destroy men like Heath Herring and Frank Mir, much more technical fighters than himself. When he came up against fighters who could either offset his wrestling with their own, or had an equal amount of brute strength, he was exposed as a mediocre fighter, unable to influence his opponent in any way.
On the opposite side of this coin is Anderson Silva, a fighter who is so in tune with his opponents that fans have openly wondered if he is proof that we are indeed living in some an artificially constructed reality. The diversity of the attacks with which Silva has beaten his various opponents is truly spectacular. How can one fighter use so many different methods to such a great degree of success? To put it simply, Silva knows where his opponent is going to be before they are there. This isn't to say it is a simple task; it took years and years of training for Silva to reach the level that he is at, but it is the most critical element to his success.
This ability to seemingly "control" your opponent was alluded to by Rashad Evans during the first of two Fuel TV "Ultimate Insider: Counterpunch" segments that he and Jon Jones appeared on last week. During the confrontational clip, Evans and Jones discussed how they themselves saw their fight (the headlining match at this weekend's UFC 145) going and towards the end of his comments, Evans declared:
When you're in there with me, I can get you to skip to my lou. And you will skip to my lou. You're gonna do exactly what I want you to do.
During the extensive pre-fight trash talk that has gone on between Jones and Evans, one of the oft-repeated refrains from Evans is that he's been in the cage with Jones before, (the two sparred together for months as teammates and training partners at Jackson's MMA) and as such he knows what to do to beat him.
And why shouldn't Evans feel this way? After all, he isn't really a physically dominant fighter. He's quick, to be sure, but for a light heavyweight he's rather small. He hasn't shown himself to be beastly strong for his size either, so he has been forced to earn his victories through technical superiority and that ability to influence his opponents into making the mistakes he wants them to make.
Jones on the other hand, for all the physical comparisons we draw to Anderson Silva, (they do indeed have very similar body types) more closely resembles an earlier version of Georges St. Pierre, before the welterweight champion toned down his aggression on the feet: He intelligently uses his physical superiority to dominate his opponents.
Silva is a master of quick strike offense. He spends much of the early part of a fight calculating his opponents timing, judging their reaction to his feints and movements. When he has figured out how best to attack, the fight usually ends soon after.
Jones is much more methodical in his approach. He prefers to get an early takedown, sowing seeds of doubt in his opponents mind. He plays a patient striking game, using his kicks to wear opponents out before he opens up with a more diverse striking attack. He almost always ends up taking the fight back to the ground before he looks for the finish. He is improving his striking at a rapid pace, but for the most part the danger in his game is predicated on his ability to take the fight to the mat. I'm not blessed with enough technical know-how to be able to say this with certainty, but I believe that his wrestling prowess is more about his physical traits than his ability to influence his opponents into mistakes.
When you set aside all the talk, all the fluff associated with the friends turned enemies promotion of this fight, what makes this fight between Evans and Jones so intriguing (and what would make a fight between Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre so intriguing) is the differing approaches that the two men bring to the cage.
The former champion Evans, who has overcome for his lack of physical dominance by forcing every one of his opponents save one (Lyoto Machida) "skip to his lou".
The current champion Jones, who has imposed his physical dominance so easily on every man he's ever faced.
Will Evans be able to coerce Jones into making critical mistakes? If he can, will he be able to capitalize? Will Jones be able to impose his physical dominance on Evans? If he can't, will he be able to adjust?
What if we see a little bit of both? Who is best equipped to deal with partial success and in turn, partial failure?
I wrote last week that this fight was a super-fight. The claim was challenged by some who believed that Jones was simply too good for Evans. Despite some solid arguments supporting this idea, I still don't believe that it is the case. I believe this fight will be one of those special bouts that will be remembered long after it has been fought.
I guess we'll soon see.
Posted in: fight, jone, fighter, opponent, evan
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendThe Real Jon Jones: Road to the Top, Part Three
A more insightful look into the career of Jon "Bones" Jones, including the possibility of him becoming the Greatest Fighter of all time and what it would take for that to become a reality.
Posted in: jon, jone, fighter, career, possibility
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC fighter Clements savours fatherhood
Chris (The Menace) Clements captured two big developments in his life in one photo a few weeks ago.
Posted in: fighter, life, development, clement, menace clements
Read the full article at sportsnet.caFree $100 UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans Fantasy Tournament For Bloody Elbow Readers From Kountermove
The good people at Kountermove, one of the fastest growing "fantasy MMA" sites going, saw fit to provide you, the Bloody Elbow reader, with a chance to compete in a free tournament with $100 in prizes up for grabs.
They describe their product as such:
Players use a $25,000 artificial salary cap to draft 5 fighters from the card before each event begins. Each fighter has a salary designated by Kountermove -- salaries range from $3,000 to $8,000. The winners are determined based on how the fight plays out rather than simply a fight's outcome (pick'em format). Kountermove calculates a fighter's fantasy score based on the number of strikes, takedowns, submissions, dominant positions, and rounds won. Scoring data from the fights flows into the site in near real-time, so players can monitor their teams as the event happens. The data used in calculating a fighter's score is provided by UFC's official stats provider, FightMetric.
The site was started with the idea that MMA in general must market "up and coming" fighters to become a truly mainstream sport. "There are many great fighters out there that no one knows about because so much of marketing in MMA is geared toward the top fighters" said Aaron Ard, a co-founder of Kountermove.com, "we wanted to create a game that would create interest and engagement in preliminary fights as well as the headliners." Statistics are bearing this out; over 85% of Kountermove players' teams have at least one fighter competing on the preliminary card. No Kountermove player has won a major tournament without a preliminary card fighter on their team.
Simply click here to be taken to the page for the Bloody Elbow tournament and make your picks.
Disclaimer: Kountermove is not an advertiser on Bloody Elbow, nor are we being paid to advertise the contest. They offered to provide Bloody Elbow readers with the free tournament and are fully responsible for the contest and any associated prize payouts.
Posted in: fighter, tournament, elbow, kountermove, elbow readers
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow‘The Ultimate Fighter Live’ Episode 6 Draws 1 Million Viewers to FX
The sixth episode of “The Ultimate Fighter Live” reached an average audience of 1 million viewers on Friday night, according to an industry source.
Posted in: night, fighter, episode, viewer, friday night
Read the full article at Sherdog“The Ultimate Fighter: Live” Episode 6 Ratings on the Uptick
The sixth episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live pulled in one million viewers (props to MMAWeekly). The number, while certainly nothing to boast over, is an improvement from last week’s figures.
Episode five of The Ultimate Fighter: Live drew an audience of 947,000, which marked the first time in fifteen seasons that the show’s viewership dropped below the one million mark.
As part of the UFC’s deal with Fox, The Ultimate Fighter was pulled from its longtime home at SpikeTV and deposited on FX. SpikeTV continues to counter-program the show with past TUF installments, as they still have access to the catalog. This, coupled with the show’s new Friday night time slot may account for this season’s low ratings average.
The Ultimate Fighter:Live improves upon past seasons in that it is edited to air weekly, with each episode accompanied by a live fight. This season’s coaches are UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.
Episode six of TUF: Live saw Team Faber’s “quiet dog” Joe Proctor defeat resident Team Cruz loudmouth Chris Tickle by submission.
Posted in: show, fighter, season, episode, viewers props
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyTUF: Live Week 6 Claws Back in the TV Ratings
The Ultimate Fighter: Live, opening to an audience of 1.3 million viewers on FX and now six weeks in, has struggled all season long to gain its footing.
Posted in: fighter, week, rating, tv ratings, opening
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Ultimate Fighter: Brazil Fourth Episode Now Available on UFC.com
The fourth episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil premiered last night in Brazil, with the entire episode now available here in the United States. The series, which is of course, filmed in Brazil, is shot in Portuguese, but airs on the website with English subtitles.
The season premiered last month (results from the first episode can be found here), and aired the 16 fights to show which 8 featherweights and 8 middleweights earned a spot in the house for this season.
The entire season will air on the UFC’s website, with new episodes premiering every Sunday at 12 AM EST/9 PM PST. Following The Ultimate Fighter: Live, which is currently airing on FX, Fuel TV will broadcast the The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil in its entirety.
Head coaches Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will then join the season finalists as the coaches and finalists will square off at UFC 147 in June.
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: fighter, season, episode, brazil, fighter brazil
Read the full article at MMA Frenzy‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Episode 4 Results and Recap
"The Ultimate Fighter Brazil" continued Sunday night on TUF.tv with the third fight of the season. Get full results and an Episode 4 recap here at HeavyMMA.
Posted in: fighter, sunday night, brazil, recap, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUFC allegedly gives interview pointers to the fighters they trust
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, interview, mattyblayze, interview pointers
Read the full article at RedditUFC coaching certain fighters in interviews?
Cageside Seats reports on an interesting part of the job for the UFC fighter that is somewhat glossed over: the post-fight interview. Dave Metzler suggested on his radio show that the UFC assists certain wrestlers with talking points for their interviews.
The discussion of the post-fight interview comes from Saturday’s UFC on Fuel TV 2 in which many of the fighters interviewed deferred on the question: “who they want to fight next?” Many stated in one way or another “whomever the UFC wants me to fight.” Rather than demand or offend anyone, the fighters went with the easy, non-controversial way out of the question.
Dave Metzler suggested that the UFC gives tips to those fighters it can trust to keep the training a secret. Thus, when the fighter uses the training in an interview, it would seem organic, articulate and compelling.
Cageside Seats made the parallel that the UFC is similar to the WWE if it does coach fighters into promoting themselves or an upcoming fight or “fued.”
Payout Perspective:
When I read this my mind went to my favorite NBA interview session: Rasheed Wallace’s infamous “both team’s played hard” post game interview. A classic. Wallace’s post-game response to any question posed by a reporter was: “Both teams played hard.” It was hilarious considering it mocked the whole professional player-reporter interview process.
The fact that the UFC may or may not provide media training to certain fighters to generate compelling hype for future and/or upcoming fights is nothing earth shattering. Its media training. Certainly, it should provide that to all of its fighters but I don’t believe coaching an interview is nothing out of the ordinary. In defense of the fighters yesterday, most of them are fringe fighters. A loss or two and they may be out of the UFC. Thus, it makes sense that even when winning they’d want to be gracious and not offend anyone or call out a fighter. It’s not exciting, but at least they would not be labeled cocky.
From another perspective, the poor mic skills of some of the fighters may mean that the interviewer will have to do a little more to “put over” the fighter. No one is a miracle worker, so even Joe Rogan on his best night can’t help some guys. But, at least its better than watching a fighter pull out a list of sponsors it has to thank and advertise their after party.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, interview, training
Read the full article at MMA PayoutEpisode No. 4 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" marks the first-ever international
version of the long-running reality-competition series, and the fourth
episode debuted tonight.
Featuring Brazilian coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, "TUF:
Brazil" sees 16 middleweight and 16 featherweight fighters all vying
for a UFC contract.
Check out MMAjunkie.com's Episode No. 4 recap, which features the season's second featherweight-tourney bout.
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, fighter brazil, mmajunkiecoms episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTim Sylvia reveals 'big announcement,' says he would 'absolutely' do The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) if he had to
Remember that "big announcement" former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia was teasing for April 14? Well he revealed all on his Twitter account and while some were surely hoping Dana White had changed his mind about bringing "The Maine-iac" back to the UFC, that's simply not the case.
Instead, it was just as my colleague Jesse Holland said it would be: a simple fight announcement on a regional show later this year.
Indeed, Sylvia announced at the Fight Night 2 event in Biddeford, Maine, that he will be returning to action on June 16 in Lewiston, Maine, against an opponent to be announced later.
That doesn't mean Timmah is giving up his dream of making a return trip to the Octagon one day. In fact, when he's not outright begging to be let back in or retweeting fans pleading to the powers that be, Sylvia was telling The Hammerfisting Podcast that he would go through The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) house to earn his spot.
Seriously. But don't take my word for it. Here's the quote from the man himself:
"Absolutely. I helped coach season two with Matt (Hughes) and Rich (Franklin) because it was half heavyweights and half 170 or 185-pounders. Matt being a 170-pounder and Rich being 185-pounds at that time and needing some help with the big boys, so, those are two of my best friends in the fighting industry. I went out there and stayed with those guys and helped them with their heavyweights and made some pretty good friends with that heavyweight division as well. But yeah, I watch The Ultimate Fighter and I would definitely do it if I needed to."
After an embarrassing knockout loss to geriatric pugilist Ray Mercer in 2009, Sylvia rebounded to win six of his next seven fights with five finishes. He most recently outpointed Andreas Kraniotakes at ProElite 2 last November, prompting him to declare he could defeat 80-percent of the current crop of UFC heavyweights.
UFC President Dana White insists that Sylvia is not only past his prime, but wasn't very good to begin with, having been champion when the promotion's 265-pound division was at its weakest. Still, that hasn't stopped "The Maine-iac" from getting into fighting shape, even going into BEAST MODE.
And desperate times call for desperate measures.
Alright, Maniacs, now you've heard the news. Disappointed it wasn't any bigger?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, heavyweight, announcement, sylvia
Read the full article at MMA ManiaRashad Evans: Jon Jones is a great fighter, but I will beat him and be a gentleman after
It's almost time for all the talking, all the bickering, all the drama surrounding the highly anticipated title fight between Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former training partner Rashad Evans to come to an end.
That's because after almost a year of back-and forth jawing, a torn friendship, and a split from long time trainers at Jackson-WinkelJohn MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for "Suga," the two elite fighters will finally step inside the Octagon on Sat., April 21, 2012, in Atlanta, Georgia, as they headline UFC 145.
In a long history of bitter feuds in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), this one has to be right at the top. This rivalry, however, differs from others in the sense that it goes much deeper than, "I think I'm a better fighter than you and I'm going to prove it" status. This one has very real personal feelings attached to it. Rashad was one of, if not thee, pillar of Greg Jackson's stable of fighters until a very green Jones joined the ranks and began his meteoric rise to the top of the MMA world.
Broken promises, feelings of betrayal, shattered pacts of loyalty from coaches and fighters alike only adds fuel to the fire to this feud, one that has just about reached its exploding point. The UFC has held nothing back with the promotion of this colossal clash either, including individual stylized promos for each fighter and giving it the "Primetime" treatment. The storyline and the back-and-forth banter from the two combatants, however, is more than enough to get fans riled up for this one on its own.
Their animosity towards one another was ever so clear when the two appeared on UFC's Ultimate Insider in a face-to-face heated conversation that reminded everyone just how deep their feud goes.
Evans, for one, is no stranger to trash talk from his opponents, having spent a season coaching The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) opposite Quinton Jackson, which was must see TV. Rashad went on to defeat "Rampage" at UFC 114 to back up all his verbal jabs. According to Evans, his fight against "Bones" will be more personal, for reasons already made clear.
Make the jump to see what Rashad had to say in his in-depth interview with Larry Pepe on his recent appearance on Pro MMA Radio:
"This one is more personal, me and 'Rampage' was like, 'I don't like, you don't like me.' It was just like that, but with Jon, with it being so personal and us having had a situation like we did, it just makes it that much more of a, I guess more of a mental challenge to really not allow it to get to me and not allow it to let me fight with emotion. I don't want to say that I don't want to be one of those fighters that does not fight with emotion, no, I want to fight with emotion, emotion is great to fight with, but at the same time you have to be able to harness it. Do not let it get away from you."
How does Evans feel his former protégé will act under the pressure of such a huge emotional filled fight?
"I don't know how Jon performs under mental pressure like this, you know? I do know that this is personal for him and I know that he is taking it serious and one reason he is taking it serious, even if he doesn't want to say it's as personal as it is, it's because his coaches are. When you constantly have somebody in your ear telling you, "You got to get him, you got to get him," they are making the fight bigger and making it mean a lot more for them, so then it is going to mean more for you. So, for him to say he is completely divorcing himself from all emotions from the whole thing, it can't be further from the truth, because I know his coaches are not."
When Greg Jackson finally confirmed that he would indeed help his young star (Jones) defeat his former friend and student (Evans) in the form of cornering him, Rashad, for one, was not surprised:
"I'm not surprised, I felt like even when he said he wasn't going to coach him, he was still going to have some kind of involvement because he is still inside of his gym. It's just like him saying he isn't going to coach Carlos Condit, but Carlos Condit is inside of his gym, so of course he is going to have something to do with it. I never bought into the fact that he wasn't going to coach Jon. One thing I know about Greg is that he likes the attention of being Greg Jackson, so there's no way he is going to turn down an opportunity to get that face time on camera."
When asked for his opinion on the reason that Jackson gave for deciding to corner Jones, Rashad didn't mix words one bit:
"That's gotta be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard to be honest with you. If it wasn't for Greg bringing him on the team, then we wouldn't have it. If he had stayed loyal to the people that was on his team, then the situation would have never came to be. But, the thing about it is. Greg cares about his best interest, Greg cares about being the coach of the year every year. Even though it's a great honor and he has definitely earned it many years, but for the most part, when that becomes your paramount focus over spending time with your fighters, over nurturing the relationship you have with your fighters and just being that nucleus that you gotta be for the team, when being coach of the year takes precedent over that, then you have to reassess your values at to what you call a team. Is the team about "I" Greg Jackson or is the team about an actual team? What I have figured out, is that the team is about "I" Greg Jackson and not the team."
Regardless of the constant verbal jabs from each other, Rashad does not downplay Jon's skills and is very complimentary of his rise, something he says he has always done:
"I feel very confident that I'm going to beat Jon, I feel very confident, there is nothing in me that waivers or deviate from the fact that I believe I am going to win. Do I think Jon is a good fighter? Yeah, he is a great fighter and I like his development and I like his growth and I am always full of compliments when it comes to Jon and his fighting. And I never say that, you know, he's trash or anything like that, he is a good fighter. But, I'm going to beat him. I would say beating Jon (Is more important than winning the title). The personal connection with the whole thing and it would really mean something to beat Jon because everybody holds him in such high esteem, and it's deserving, he definitely had a lot of great fights in his short time, so to beat Jon would just be amazing."
When the dust settles, win, lose or draw, "Suga' says that despite all the drama with he and his former team, he will be nothing short of a gentleman in his behavior towards them. He also says that even though they will never be best of friends again, the good guy in him will lend a helping hand if the chance ever arises:
"I'm going to be a gentleman and I am going to be respectful and I am going to shake his hand no matter what happens. I'm going to shake Greg's and WinkelJohn's hand. But for the most part, I don't think we will have any reconciliation where we hang out again. Who knows what will happen in our future, or whether something will ever arise to where I can help him out, the nature in myself, I would probably help him out if I could, but I for the most part I don't see a need for us to be like best friends or something."
Whether or not Jones' would return the favor, remains to be seen.
The anticipation is unbearable, the feud is very real and the clock is winding down until fight night where the top two 205-pound fighters in the world will look to prove who in fact the best fighter in the division really is.
Make your picks, Maniacs, who takes this? And how?
Posted in: fight, jon, fighter, team, greg
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil live results and coverage for episode 4
Get your coffee, snuggie, and sick day excuse ready; it's time for another round of late-night entertainment.
That's right, tonight (April 15, 2012) at midnight ET, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): Brazil returns, and MMAmania.com will have live coverage of the fourth episode, which will be available on UFC.com.
Wanderlei Silva is not happy, and when Wanderlei Silva is not happy, nobody is happy.
Despite "The Axe Murderer's" conviction that the best fighter wins the show regardless of match-up, Team Vitor Belfort has taken advantage of their match-up control to jump out to a 2-0 lead, and Team Wanderlei, as expressely stated, is not happy.
On the next exciting episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, discord invades the house as the Wanderlei squad tries to keep morale up despite their deficit while Team Vitor's Gasparzinho and Rodrigo Damm find themselves at one another's throats.
Complete results and live blog are after the jump.
Patrick here. Nothing up yet; go watch Game of Thrones. Yes, I'm going to tell you to do this every week until you do it.
Posted in: fighter, wanderlei, episode, brazil, rodrigo damm
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 145: Mark Hominick out to remind fans who he is against Eddie Yagin in Atlanta
Losing three consecutive fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a dangerous line to walk for any fighter. Canadian striker Mark Hominick, is currently flirting with that very line.
After taking UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo to the limit in a five round war at UFC 129 last April, "The Machine" looked to rebound from the unanimous decision loss eight months later when he stepped inside the Octagon against Chan Sung Jung at UFC 140.
Unfortunately, "The Korean Zombie" had his own ax to grind -- and that spelled bad news for Hominick. Jung blasted the hometown favorite with a nice right hand that sent him crashing to the canvas, and after a few follow up punches, the referee was stepping in to save Hominick from further damage.
The whole fight lasted a mere seven seconds and marked the second time the Canadian suffered defeat in his home Province of Ontario. Now, Mark will look to prolong his career in the UFC as he takes on Eddie Yagin next weekend (April 21, 2012) at UFC 145 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Speaking to the QMI Agency via The Toronto Sun, Hominick discusses what went wrong in his seven second beat down at the hands of Jung and looks forward to putting on a "Fight of the Night" performance in the "ATL."
Check it out:
"In the warm up, I just started getting fired up. I was laying good punches in the warm up on the pads and then I started thinking I was going to come out with a big left hook. It was just so out of character for me. Instead of going with the flow and kind of seeing what my opponent gives me, I was just thinking I'm going to come out aggressively. It was a learning experience. It's weird after 10 years that you have to learn a beginner's experience again. I don't want to dwell on it too much. It is what it is. I came out with a wild left hook and I got countered right on the chin by a right hand. It was seven seconds. It was seven seconds I'd love to have back, but that's the nature of this sport."
The Extreme Couture pupil says that he is looking to remind people just exactly what type of fighter he is when he faces off against "The Filipino Phenom" in Atlanta:
"I'm flying under the radar a bit. So now I can go out there and remind people who I am and perform. Definitely as a fighter, you want to be the guy people are talking about and be on the main card. But with this one, it has been nice to just focus on the fight so I can get back on track. The thing with this sport is, you're only as good as your last fight. So the way I can go out there and erase that last fight is to go out there and win. So that's what I'm going to do. It could be fight of the night. He comes to throw down. So I'm excited about that. I'm excited about fighters like that. Guys who like to bite down on the mouth guard and get in the mix. I could see him coming out more aggressive because he wants to show the kind of fighter he is. We'll see on the night, but I'm ready for the best he brings."
A win for both he and Yagin, who lost in his UFC debut at UFC 135, secures their spot within the ranks--- a loss, on the other hand, could prove disastrous for their respective futures with the world's largest fight promotion.
Should Hominick win, he would likely get another chance to make things right for his Canadian fans in Ontario as the promotion heads back to Toronto on Sept. 22, 2012 with UFC 152.
Who's your pick to prevail once the dust settles next weekend?
Posted in: ufc, fight, hominick, fighter, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter expanding to India, Australia, and beyond in 2012
Given the overwhelming success of UFC on Fuel 2, a relatively small event in the big picture still drawing 15,000+ this weekend to an arena in Stockholm, in addition to the 10+ million viewers TUF Brasil is drawing weekly, it appears the UFC would be wise to amp up their plans for international expansion and will do just that this year with the addition of multiple Ultimate Fighter seasons in a variety of countries.
UFC President Dana White discussed the plan during the post-event presser for yesterday’s card in Sweden where he mentioned specific designs on a handful of intriguing locales.
“Well, the next Ultimate Fighter that we’re working on, whichever one ends up going first, is going to be India,” said White of his organization tapping one of the biggest markets in Asia with TUF India. “We’re doing one in Australia which will probably be Australia vs. the U.K. Doing Canada, doing the Philippines, I think, and god knows whatever else pops up over the next couple of months.”
No weights or coaches have been attached to any of the upcoming seasons though recently victorious bantamweight Brad Pickett expressed his interest in taking the reins of the United Kingdom’s team against Australia to which White replied, “You just might,” based on the Brit’s performance against Damacio Page at UFC on Fuel 2.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, australia, damacio page, postevent presser
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainBrad Pickett not content with just being in the UFC, wants to make something of himself
Brad Pickett picked up his first win inside the Octagon yesterday (Sat., April 14, 2012) winning his second consecutive "Fight of the Night" bonus in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) following his back-and-forth brawl with Damacio Page at UFC on FUEL TV 2, his third in four fights dating back his days competing in the now defunct World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) organization.
Having come up short in his UFC debut at UFC 138 against the red hot Renan Barao last November, "One Punch" got back into the win column, which, at the end of the day, is the most important thing according to the Brit. Well, that and putting on exciting fights, of course.
Now that Pickett picked up that ever so important first win inside the Octagon, he says that he is not content with just being in the world's largest MMA promotion, but rather, he wants to do something big while he's there.
Make the jump to see what he told members of the media at the UFC on Fuel TV 2 post-fight press conference last night in Stockholm, Sweden.
"Obviously, I'm over the moon with this tonight. This sport is a winning business. Fight of the Night is great to get, but at the end of the day you can't just be winning all the time but being a boring fighter, and you can't just be the most exciting fighter in the world and continue losing. You need to balance the both. The pressure I feel is what I put on myself, and that's to be a winner. I put more pressure on myself than anyone else. I'm a very proud person. I'm very competitive. Losing sucks. So I'm just happy to get back on the winning track. I'm here in the UFC to try and do something with myself, not just being happy being here."
Pickett, who has see-sawed back and forth with wins and losses in his last four outings, is truly one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC's Bantamweight division, as evidenced with the cool $120,000 in bonuses he has garnered over the last five months. He feels that, as a fighter, one has to find a balance between entertaining fans and getting the win in the process.
In a sport where critics are vast, fighters can't jump online without hearing their performances being criticized for playing it safe lest they end up attached to the dreaded lay-and-pray moniker. On the other hand, some fighters tend to throw caution to the wind and swing for the fences in hopes of purely entertaining the crowd, even if it does come at the expense of a win.
That balance, as much as a fighter wants to obtain it, is easier said than done. Brad Pickett, for one, is inching his way closer and closer to it.
How about it, Maniacs, do you agree with the Brit's comments? And should more fighters strive to find that balance?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, im, pickett, brad pickett
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC's Dana White Says Random Testing Is 'Impossible'
UFC president Dana White was asked about the possibility of the promotion conducting random drug testing on the fighters it has under contract at yesterday's post-fight press conference following UFC on Fuel TV 2 He violently rejected the notion as "impossible" and even "insane"
"I have 375 fighters in every country all over the world. The battle that I have to get these guys to get their [expletive] bout agreements back and show up for press is un[expletive]believable. The fact that I have to make personal phone calls to tell guys to talk to the [expletive] press. Now I'm going to start making personal phone calls to go show up for random drug tests? The general public and the media need to grasp some [expletive] concept of reality, okay? The reality of us doing all the [expletive] things that we're doing, when we already have the gold standard in drug testing, and then trying to chase 375 guys all over the world to randomly test them too? It's impossible," White said.
"You know why? Because this job is insane. It's [expletive] crazy. I was standing in Las Vegas ten hours a guy filming a [expletive] TV show, and now I'm sitting here. And I'm going to randomly drug test 375 guys around the world. You know where I'm going in a few hours? To Abu Dhabi. Then I go back and film ‘The Ultimate Fighter,' then I go to Atlanta, Miami, and I'm in Rio de Janeiro for three hours, then back to Las Vegas where I'll film ‘The Ultimate Fighter' again. And in between there somewhere I'm going to randomly drug test 375 [fighters]."
Related: Overeem Tests Positive For Elevated Testosterone Levels | Dana Responds To Overeem's Failed Drug Test | Is A Million Dollar Program The Solution For The UFC's PED Problem?
MMA Fighting's Ben Fowlkes commented:
As drug testing experts will tell you, the science of cheating often tends to be one step ahead of the science of catching cheaters. Steroids used to be way that MMA fighters got an unfair advantage. At least then the state athletic commissions stood a decent chance of nabbing them with fight week testing, since all it took was a slight miscalculation in the timing of steroid cycles. Now testosterone is the performance-enhancer of choice, in part because it's hard to detect unless you do the right tests at the right time, which are rare in MMA.
That's why it's tough to swallow when White claims that the UFC currently has "the gold standard in drug testing" for all of pro sports. As he pointed out this weekend, fighters are tested when they sign a Zuffa contract or show up to a fight. But because fighters know that, those are tests they can plan around. Especially with short-acting agents like testosterone, any test that isn't a surprise to the testee is practically a waste of time. At the moment, MMA has very little of that kind of testing, which is a problem that needs fixing....The UFC has done a lot to address this issue -- more than it is legally required to, in fact. That doesn't mean there isn't still a lot of room for necessary improvement. I think we all understand that it's difficult (though not impossible). We all understand that there are several good reasons why it isn't happening right now. But who said it was supposed to be easy? Either this matters to us or it doesn't. And if it matters, then we should find a way to do it, even when it's hard.
Fowlkes makes some good points but I have to say that personally I think the UFC is already more involved in the drug testing of athletes -- they are tested by the organization when they sign, they are tested by the organization if they are on The Ultimate Fighter, they are tested by the organization if they fight in an area with no commission (Japan) or a lax commission (Texas).
There needs to be an outside body with international standing that is empowered to conduct random blood test of athletes. Anything else is less than serious.
SBN coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 2
Posted in: ufc, fighter, test, drug, testing
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMarcus Brimage Talks UFC Fame, Rampage Jackson; Picks Rashad Evans to Beat Jon Jones
Growing up in the sweltering, country-fried air of Alabama, Marcus Brimage sometimes imagined what it would be like to be recognized. For a lifelong athlete in the football-crazed South, that aspiration usually meant one thing -- strapping on a pair of cleats and shooting for the NFL.
So when Brimage beat the odds and parlayed a love of Muay Thai into an undefeated amateur MMA record, a burgeoning pro career, a big break on The Ultimate Fighter 14, and ultimately, a decisive UFC debut victory over Stephen Bass (followed by a notoriously laughable post-fight interview), Brimage was sure his life would change.
He was, of course, right. But that's just what being a UFC fighter does for you.
"I ain't going to lie, I'm an attention whore," Brimage laughed on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. "I don't go looking for it, but if it finds me, I'll bask in it. I'll do that."
Since moving from his native Birmingham to the more MMA-savvy coastal paradise of Coconut Creek, FL, that recognition has come more readily, and Brimage certainly won't be the first one to complain.
For a 27-year-old child of the South who grew up idolizing the violent exploits of Rampage Jackson, the transition from fan to fighter has been a surreal ride. So even if his childhood hero is now his coworker, Brimage still regards himself as Jackson's "number-one fan."
Though, the former champ hasn't exactly made it easy of late.
"As a fighter and as a person, you do want to feel appreciated," Brimage hesitantly explained.
"Quinton ‘Rampage' Jackson is a name. He's an OG in MMA, everybody knows that. He's up there with Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture; he's up there with those guys because he's been in it for so long. And he just doesn't feel like he's appreciated, which sucks. I appreciate everything he's done for the sport. I appreciate his fighting style. It sucks that he feels like that, but I'm still his biggest fan, and whatever he does, I'm going to support it."
In the interim, Brimage has his own battles to worry about. After roaring through his first career UFC victory in December, "The Bama Beast" is slated to meet Maximo Blanco for his sophomore effort this Saturday, in the opening fight of UFC 145.
A highly-regarded bruiser and former King of Pancrase, Blanco is a tall task for someone so young in the sport. But while it's easy to get lost in Brimage's whirlwind of quips and personality, behind the act is a fighter supremely confident in his abilities, and one that believes the move out east has done wonders to revamp his game.
"It's going to be ‘Fight of the Night,' slash, ‘Knockout of the Night,'" Brimage promised.
"You're going to see a different Marcus Brimage. I hooked up with this boxing gym and I'm punching 30-percent harder. So, like that Stephen Bass fight, I was hitting him with everything I've got, and he just wouldn't go down. I was like, ‘what the hell is wrong with him.' But this time it ain't going to be the case. If I hit you with the boom-ping-ping, you're going to fall now."
Brimage admits he "didn't know anything" about Blanco before signing on the dotted line, though now that he's been studying his opponent, he likes what he sees.
"He's a very aggressive guy, always moving forward, swinging heavy haymakers, blast double wrestling. He doesn't let up," Brimage mulled.
"Most of the Japanese fighters he fought against were probably pretty scared of him, but that ain't going to be the case with me. Like I said, we're going to go ahead and start this party off right."
With the toughest test of his career staring him right in the eye, it's somewhat telling to hear Brimage speak so loosely. After all, it's not like he's trying legitimize his spot in the world's largest MMA promotion.
Besides, the pressure is the fun part. Brimage is well-aware that people are scrambling to Atlanta to see the most contentious UFC title match in recent memory, not to watch him fight Maximo Blanco. But those same people are still going to be inside the Philips Arena, and when it's all said and done, Brimage is going to make sure they remember his name.
After that's taken care of, only then can his switch flip back from fighter-mode to fan-mode. And you'd better believe the southerner is betting his two cents on a good, old-fashioned upset. "I'm going for Rashad," Brimage declared.
"Right now he's the only person that knows Jon Jones' game in-and-out. Like he said in Primetime, he's moved on from Greg Jackson's, and Jon Jones is still doing Greg Jackson's stuff. He saw Jon Jones from when he first entered the MMA scene until now."
"So if Rashad can try to get on the inside, we know he's got knockout power."
Posted in: ufc, jackson, fighter, brimage, he
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDana White Lays Out International Plans for The Ultimate Fighter
“What I eventually want to do is do The Ultimate Fighter in all these different countries. We’ll kick it off at the same time and then the winner of those countries will then fight the winners of the other countries. So it almost becomes the World Cup and you end up with one winner worldwide.” – UFC president Dana White
White revealed at last night’s UFC on Fuel TV 2 post-fight press conference that he is getting closer and closer to realizing that goal.
The UFC kicked off the first international version of The Ultimate Fighter recently with TUF: Brazil and, considering the program’s massive success, the promotion is already developing other international versions of their flagship reality show.
“Well, the next Ultimate Fighter that we’re working on, whichever one ends up going first, is going to be India,” White said. “We’re doing one in Australia which will probably be Australia vs. the U.K.. Doing Canada, doing the Phillipines, I think, and god knows whatever else pops up over the next couple of months.
“We’re really rolling right now on The Ultimate Fighter. The one in Brazil is a huge success.”
Currently, The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil airs simultaneously with The Ultimate Fighter: Live, the newly revamped Stateside version of the show. No word yet on what format the other international versions will adopt, or on which fighters might be tapped for coaching duty.
Posted in: fighter, brazil, country, version, ’ll kick
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyHighly Decorated Muay Thai Fighter Buakaw Has Been Training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Could it be?
submitted by neokeynesian [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, training, brazilian, jiujitsu, buakaw
Read the full article at RedditBrad Pickett Not Content to Call Himself a UFC Fighter, Wants to do Something Special
Brad Pickett doesn’t like to lose, he has made that much clear, not only by his words, but also by his actions.
Posted in: fighter, brad, ufc fighter, pickett, brad pickett
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyBrydon on UFC: Top Performers in Sweden
Looking at which fighters impressed the most at the UFC’s debut in Sweden on Saturday.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, brydon, sweden, performer
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC On Fuel 2 Results: Winners And Losers
UFC on Fuel 2 is in the books and the card delivered. Nine finishes and two other entertaining decisions should have Dana White and company very pleased with their first trip to Sweden. The Stockholm crowd was very enthusiastic and added a lot to the show, and it's always fun to see hometown guys soak in the adulation of the fans after they've won their bout. There were no judging errors, no referee mistakes (other than a couple of semi-quick standups in the first few preliminary bouts) and best of all, there was no controversy. I can't think of many better ways to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Winners
Alexander Gustafsson: Picking up a huge win over a tough opponent in your home country has to feel very good for The Mauler. He has now established himself as a top-tier light heavyweight and main eventer, and will definitely get another big bout fairly soon. His improvement since joining Alliance MMA has been incredible, and it's great to see a big man using his size and length so well.
Brian Stann: It was vital for Stann to rebound from his UFC 136 mauling by Chael Sonnen with a good performance, and he definitely did just that. The win might have come over an opponent that isn't held in the highest esteem by fans, but it will definitely give Stann the momentum he needs to get another big fight in the UFC middleweight division.
Dennis Siver: One featherweight win over Diego Nunes probably has Siver closer to a title shot than he ever was at 155. Featherweight is not a deep division and while he didn't exactly look like a threat to Jose Aldo's title, he can give a lot of 145ers a tough challenge. I'd expect a bout with another top-five fighter in his next outing.
Siyar Bahadurzada: Now that's a hell of a way to introduce yourself to UFC fans. Siyar's got bricks for fists and personality for days, and he'll be a very nice addition to the 170 pound division. As Brent said in his piece, I'm not sure if Bahadurzada will be a title threat due to his shortcomings on the ground, but it's going to be fun to watch him try to climb the ladder.
Brad Pickett: Pickett got blasted by Renan Barao at UFC 138, and it's clear that he's not a central figure in the title chase at this moment. Still though, that win over Damacio Page was extremely beneficial for his career and a lot of fun to watch as well. I'm sure the 50k bonus didn't hurt either.
Scandinavian MMA: The attendance and gate figures aren't out yet, but it is pretty obvious that the first event in Sweden was a slam dunk. Swedish fighters went just 2-3 on the card (one losing to a Norwegian, which has to hurt), but all of them looked like UFC-caliber fighters and it's clear that the fans are interested in the sport. I have a feeling the UFC will be returning there, perhaps to Norway, as soon as possible.
Losers after the jump!
SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva
Losers
Thiago Silva: After his debacle following UFC 125, Silva was going to come back against either Brandon Vera or Igor Pokrajac, both very winnable fights for him. Instead, he took a main event bout with a legit prospect and lost. While he looked good at times, he just couldn't deal with Gustafsson's length. Silva has gone almost three years without a win and is 1-3 (1 NC) in his last five bouts. All against top competition to be sure, but Silva desperately needs a win to turn his fortunes around.
Paulo Thiago: He went from the most popular fighter at UFC 134 to flat on his face and unconscious in the center of Stockholm in just a few months. Sam The Eagle will always be a popular fighter due to his real career as a BOPE officer and his honorable disposition, but Siyar Bahadurzada just set Paulo's MMA career back in a major way.
Diego Nunes: It's unlikely that he'd want to face off with teammate Jose Aldo anyway, but any hope of a title shot just took a huge hit with that loss to Siver. He's a lot of fun to watch and I actually thought he won the bout, but he needs to stop being so flashy and pull the trigger on some things that will help him win fights a little more. It's unclear where he'll go from here, but the word "stagnate" has to come to mind.
Papy Abedi: He's now 0-2 in the UFC, and he was submitted in the first round both times. That's not good. He also looked to just give up after he got dropped by James Head, who didn't exactly have his choke fully secured before Abedi tapped. He might get another bout in the UFC, but the holes in his game are pretty clear now.
Posted in: ufc, title, fighter, bout, silva
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fuel 2 Results: Dennis Siver Wins An Entertaining Decision Over Diego Nunes
Many people questioned Dennis Siver's drop to featherweight, but he made a big splash in the division with a win over top-five fighter Diego Nunes at UFC on Fuel 2. The fight was contested on the feet, with both guys getting their licks in and using some unique offense in an entertaining bout. It was a close fight but the judges sided with Siver, giving him a unanimous decision victory with three 29-28 scores.
The fighters started a bit cautiously early, throwing a few kicks but not really engaging. Nunes whiffed on a kick and Siver got him to the mat with a single leg, but only for a few seconds. Back on the feet, Nunes landed a nice combination and Siver replied with a couple of left body kicks. The fighters both threw a wide arsenal of kicking attacks with varying success, and Nunes landed his left hook a few times. Both fighters found their range a little better late in the round, but it was a very measured pace in the first five minutes.
Nunes opened the second with a nice spinning wheel kick, and landed a spinning back kick. Siver clinched up and looked for a takedown but Nunes fought it off. Nunes went back to the spinning attacks, which seemed to confuse Siver a bit. Siver caught Nunes low with a kick, but Diego was ready to go again in just a few seconds. Siver landed a kick and went for a takedown, but Nunes got away again. Siver then threw a spinning back kick, which glanced off Nunes' body. Nunes clinched up, and Siver landed a big right hook when they separated. They exchanged more unique offense as the horn sounded to end the round.
Nunes gave Siver a little hug to start the final round. Siver opened with a couple of big shots, but Nunes countered nicely. Nunes rocked Siver with a left hook, but Siver responded with a hard one of his own. They really upped the tempo in this round, with Siver putting together some really nice combinations and solid leg/body kicks while Nunes landed some nice knees with the thai clinch and hard hooks. Siver had a small cut opened over his left eye with about two minutes to go. Siver looked for a takedown off of a Nunes spinning kick, but Nunes held him off. Both fighters battered each other in the cage, with Nunes falling down for a second but getting up and responding with a solid spinning back kick. The fight ended with blood pouring down Siver's face.
Siver was making his featherweight debut in this bout after a long run at 155. He's coming off a loss to Donald Cerrone at UFC 137. Nunes is coming off a decision win over Manny Gamburyan at UFC 141.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva
Posted in: ufc, fighter, kick, nune, siver
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fuel 2 Results: Simeon Thoresen Chokes Out Besam Yousef In Round Two
Norwegian welterweight Simeon Thoresen fended off a solid outing by Besam Yousef and managed to choke the Swede at 2:36 of the second round. Thoresen landed a solid punch that wobbled Yousef midway through the second, and he took advantage with an excellent grappling display that ended with "The Grin" winning by rear naked choke.
The fighters opened the bout looking for some strikes from the outside, and it was Yousef that was able to land first. Thoresen shot in for a takedown, but it was stuffed nicely by Yousef. Thoresen landed a few jabs, then ducked under a big Yousef right and latched onto a leg. Yousef landed a bunch of punches, but Simeon eventually got it to the floor and begain to work in Yousef's full guard. Youself was landing a bunch of elbows from guard, which made Thoresen sit up to get away from them. Thoresen picked his shots well and landed a bunch, but Yousef looked good as well. The referee eventually stood them up, and both fighters immediately started exchanging big shots to the body in the clinch. Thoresen landed a big standing elbow, and the fighters exchanged knees to end the stanza.
After a very active opening round, the fighters started the second with a more measured pace. Yousef landed the first solid shot with a nice counter left, but Thoresen continued to come forward. Thoresen went for a double leg takedown, but it was stuffed and Yousef landed a bunch of punches against the cage. Thoresen responded with a nice punch and immediately got Youself down and latched on a modified rear naked choke. He couldn't finish it, but he used it to transition mount, then to the back. Thoresen rained down punches, then latched another choke onto Yousef. Besem put up a good fight, but was forced to tap out.
Both fighters were making their UFC debut. Thoresen entered the fight on a 7-1-1 streak in his last nine bouts, while Yousef was undefeated at 6-0 coming in.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva
Posted in: fighter, punch, yousef, thoresen, besam yousef
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC On Fuel TV 2 Fight Card Primer: Prelim Fights
Finally, the UFC is back. After a non-stop flurry of action in the beginning of 2012, the UFC went mostly silent in the past month, with no live cards outside of The Ultimate Fighter. Now, they return with the UFC on Fuel TV 2. For the show, we'll be breaking down the complete fight card, starting with the prelims. Check back later for the main card, and the Thiago Silva vs. Alexander Gustafsson main event. Coming from Stockholm, Sweden, this show will be airing at a slightly odd time. Prelim action airs this Saturday, April 14 on Facebook, starting at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT. The main card follows at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT.
As is often the case with these international cards, particularly those in new markets, this card features a lot of new talent. Many of the fighters on the prelims are new to the UFC and have so far made their names mainly in the growing European MMA scene. While that can lead to a prelim full of fighters who aren't well known, it also can often lead to a lot of fun fights, as these more raw and hungry talents try to prove they belong in the UFC.
In-Depth Preview:
UFC On Fuel TV 2: Facebook Undercard Stream Dissection
Papy Abedi (8-1; 0-1 UFC) vs. James Head (7-2; 0-1 UFC)
This Welterweight fight is the main event of the Facebook portion of the card. It features two men who, despite both being 0-1 in the UFC, have potential to make an impact. Abedi made his UFC debut last fall at UFC 138, losing to Thiago Alves. Despite the loss, Abedi made an impression in that fight, coming out with a lot of charisma and taking the fight to Alves before getting outstruck. Prior to that loss, he was undefeated and a hot prospect ranked #1 in the 2011 World MMA Scouting Report. He's now training at Alliance MMA.
Head also made his UFC debut last year, losing to Nick Ring at UFC 131. Before that loss, Head scored a big win over former UFC fighter Gerald Harris that gave him a lot of momentum. Some injuries have stalled his progress and this will be his first fight since last June. This is a must-win for each man, as neither wants to fall to 0-2 and risk being cut.
Cyrille Diabate (17-8-1; 2-2 UFC) vs. Tom DeBlass (7-0; UFC Debut)
This Light Heavyweight fight is probably my most anticipated of the Facebook prelims. Diabate is an experienced pro. At 38 years of age, he's been all over the world, competing in Pride (where he lost to Shogun Rua) and K-1 among others. He made a great UFC debut at UFC 144, defeating Luiz Cane, but has gone 1-2 since. He's a masterful striker who can be a blast to watch, but he's always struggled on the mat. Which is a shame, because DeBlass is a Ricardo Almeida trainee with excellent ground skills. Ranked #3 on this year's Scouting Report, DeBlass is only a 2 year pro, but has already turned heads. He's an extremely dedicated and tough fighter who has the potential to be a new player in the UFC.
More prelim fights after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 2
Francis Carmont (17-7; 1-0 UFC) vs. Magnus Cedenblad (10-3; UFC Debut)
Carmont is the bigger story here and the more known name to UFC fans. The Middleweight fighter comes out of Canada's Tristar Gym, famous for being the home to Georges St. Pierre, and reports are that GSP will be in Carmont's corner on Saturday. He made his UFC debut at UFC 137, defeating Chris Camozzi via unanimous decision. At 30 years old, Carmont is an 8 year veteran with experience all over Europe. Cedenblad is also 30, though has only 5 years pro experience. The Swedish fighter is on an impressive 7 fight winning streak, with 6 of those wins coming via stoppage. For more on Cedenblad, check out this nice FanPost: Let me introduce you to Magnus Cedenblad.
Reza Madadi (11-2; UFC Debut) vs. Yoislandy Izquierdo (6-0; UFC Debut)
Two Lightweight fighters make their UFC debuts here. For Madadi, this debut has been some time in the making. He was originally set to fight on the first UFC on FX card, but had to pull out due to injury. Born in Iran, Madadi now fights out of Sweden where he trains at Hilti Team with Abedi. He's on a 6 fight win streak with the last 3 wins all coming against former UFC competitors - Junie Browning, Carlo Prater, and Rich Clementi. The undefeated Izquierdo fights out of Florida, and all 6 of his pro fights have taken place there. He's a Cuban fighter whose background is in karate and still brings that karate style into his MMA fights.
Simeon Thoreson (16-2-1; UFC Debut) vs. Besam Yousef (6-0; UFC Debut)
Another fight between UFC debutants, this time at Welterweight. Thoreson is an experienced Norwegian fighter who trains at Team Hellboy under the great Joachim Hansen. Most of his experience comes in the UK, though he has also competed for DEEP in Japan. Hansen is very high on Thoreson's prospects. He's a big Welterweight who has used his time training with Hansen and Jon Olav Einemo to become a serious force on the ground. Yousef is undefeated, with 5 of his fights ending via stoppage, often in the opening minutes. He's fought his entire career in Sweden's Zone FC promotion, where he is the reigning Welterweight champion.
Jason Young (8-5; 0-2 UFC) vs. Eric Wisely (19-7; 0-1 UFC)
These two Featherwight fighters open the show, with both men looking for their first UFC win. Young fights out of the UK where he trains at Team Titan. The striker made his UFC debut last summer and has lost to Dustin Poirier and Michihiro Omigawa inside the Octagon. While he's an entertaining fighter, at 0-2, he's likely fighting for his job here. Wisely is best known for being on the receiving end of the Charles Oliveira calf-slicer submission at UFC 142. That was Wisely's first time competing at Featherweight. Previously, he fought at Lightweight, where he earned wins against former UFC fighters Hermes Franca (twice) and Matt Veach. He's replacing the injured Akira Corassani here.
Bloody Elbow UFC on Fuel TV 2 coverage:
UFC On Fuel TV 2: Brian Stann Vs. Alessio Sakara Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fuel 2 Fight Card Staff Predictions
UFC On Fuel 2 Weigh-In Live Video And Coverage - Tim Burke
UFC On Fuel 2: Gustafsson Vs. Silva Betting Lines - Tim Burke
UFC On Fuel TV 2: Paulo Thiago Vs. Siyar Bahadurzada Dissection - Dallas Winston
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 153: Brent Weedman, UFC On FUEL TV 2 Preview - Matt Bishop
UFC On Fuel TV 2: Dennis Siver Vs. Diego Nunes Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fuel TV 2: DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fuel TV 2: Thiago Silva Looks For Relevance - Fraser Coffeen
UFC On Fuel TV 2: Brad Pickett Vs. Damacio Page Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fuel TV 2: Facebook Undercard Stream Dissection - Dallas Winston
UFC On Fuel 2: Alexander Gustafsson Says Thiago Silva Is 'Not A Good Sportsman' - Tim Burke
UFC On Fuel 2 Preview: Will Alexander Gustafsson Control Thiago Silva? - Kid Nate
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, vs, fuel
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSherdog doesn't have a photo for one armed fighter Nick Newell. Nailed it anyway?
submitted by ChuckN0blet [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, photo, sherdog doesnt, newell, chuckn
Read the full article at RedditPostcards from Stockholm: Bad Vibes and Warm Receptions Before UFC on FUEL 2
STOCKHOLM -- How do you get to the Ericsson Globe Arena? It’s simple, at least when you’re headed there for pre-fight UFC weigh-ins. All you have to do is get on the subway, look for the guy with the cauliflower ear, and get off where he gets off. In the meantime, take note of the clean, efficient public transportation system. Take note of how the greatest congestion seems to be caused by people getting up to offer their seats to old women. Take note of how the train environment is apparently so safe that one mother doesn’t even freak out when her young daughter wanders a few feet away and begins literally talking to strangers during the ride. But don’t get so distracted that you forget about Mr. Puffy Ear. This is his stop, which means it’s yours, too.Friday afternoon draws a lively weigh-in crowd to the Globe, which looms on the city horizon like a giant golf ball gone astray from some intergalactic course. Inside, the seats slope up the sides and then seem to go straight up toward the cavernous roof. Today these seats are filled with fight fans so eager to see their heroes that they can’t help but cheer every time they see Alexander Gustafsson’s face on the same looping video packages. The foreign fighters are in for it at this event, I say to myself. Once again, I prove to have no idea what I’m talking about.
I first notice that something’s off after about the third or fourth pair of fighters has stepped on and off the stage. It’s a little like hearing a familiar song with the guitar solo removed. Something’s missing, but it takes me a moment to realize what it is: no boos. Not when Sweden’s Reza Madadi has an intense staredown with Cuban fighter Yoislandy Izquierdo. Not even when local favorite Papy Abedi -- who comes out in a newsboy cap with a cigar hanging from his mouth -- squares off against American James Head.If they won’t boo an American who’s taking on one of their own, who will they boo? How are their fighters supposed to get the hometown advantage that the Brazilians enjoyed in Rio without a little vitriol on their part? What’s wrong with these people?"We don’t really like to do things like that," explains one helpful Swede sitting next to me at the weigh-in. "We’re very polite."And it’s true, they are. Guys like Madadi -- an Iranian-born immigrant to Sweden whose colorful personality makes him a fan favorite -- get a raucous welcome, but his opponent still gets polite applause rather than a hostile greeting. The same is true for German Dennis Siver and Brazilian Paulo Thiago. Even American Brian Stann, whose decorated military career seems to rub some people the wrong way, walks out to a respectable amount of cheers. Even the fighters who are clearly less popular or totally unknown here still get treated like children who have tried very hard at a school play. It’s no standing ovation, but the applause respectfully recognizes their presence. It makes me wonder: is booing just not done here at all?"No, we will boo sometimes," says my seatmate. "Like at a hockey game or a soccer game, if there’s a dirty play. If someone is trying to cheat."But if someone is simply the opposition? He is still a sportsman. There’s no reason to boo the man. As one Swedish fighter and local commission member who prefers not to be named will explain to me after the weigh-ins, this is due to the very Swedish desire to avoid daling stamning. Loosely translated, it means ‘bad vibes,’ a negative atmosphere."Nobody wants this," he explains. "We try to be nice, make everyone feel welcome. No dalig stamning."It’s a phenomenon I’ve witnessed several times already during my brief stay in Stockholm, even if I didn’t know the terminology. A woman at a bar orders a drink and the bartender screws it up, giving her something completely different from what she asked for? That’s okay, she’ll drink it anyway. She doesn’t want to create dalig stamning. The principal clearly extends to MMA, even if the Swedes are not always as kind as they appear from the outside, according to my fighter friend.For instance, take their feelings about their neighbors. Particularly in the martial arts community here, the nearby Finns are seen as humorless, occasionally arrogant hard-asses. They’ve been at the MMA game longer than the Swedes have, and like to think of themselves as a little tougher."You don’t hug another man in Finland," the fighter jokes. "They think we’re soft."And Norway? Norway has even more laws and restrictions than Sweden. MMA will never be sanctioned there, the Swedes fear. Don’t even get them started on Denmark, where they actually dare to have MMA without a national federation. Crazy Danes. They’ll smoke a cigarette in an elevator. Drink on their lunch breaks. The Swedes just shake their heads at them.But when it comes to what the Swedes expect of each other, there isn’t always just one set of rules. As I keep hearing over and over again here in Stockholm, Swedes don’t like to stand out. They don’t like to draw attention to themselves, or to appear as though they are trying to be better than anyone else. It’s why, people tell me, it’s relatively difficult for a Swede to become famous in Sweden. A guy like "Mad Dog" Madadi -- a lightweight fighter with a heavyweight personality -- is an exception, but then, he’s also a foreigner. He’s allowed to be loud, to whip the crowd into a frenzy when he steps on the stage for the weigh-ins. They have different expectations for a Swedish-born fighter like Gustafsson, who has so far managed his bit of fame perfectly, by Swedish standards.With this bit of information, Gustafsson starts to make a little more sense, I must admit. Hearing his answers at Thursday’s press conference and catching snippets of other interviews he’s done here at home this week, I admit I found him a little bit boring. When other people talk about him as an exciting young light heavyweight contender it’s as if he can’t shoot it down fast enough. He says little more than he has to, will never answer with five words when four would do. He seems uncomfortable with being looked at so much.This, or so I’m told, is the Swedish way. You’re expected to downplay your own uniqueness rather than call attention to it. If you’re talented, you need not make a big deal out of it. If you’re rich, you don’t flaunt your money around. You don’t want to make others feel bad, do you? That might create dalig stamning.It makes what happens at the culmination of Friday’s weigh-ins all the more interesting. When Thiago Silva is introduced, he’s the only fighter to get a smattering of boos. Even then it’s short-lived, and gives way to more polite applause, as if the crowd is a little bit embarrassed about its own outburst.Gustafsson, as expected, gets a hero’s welcome. Just walking out on the stage and making weight earns him a standing ovation. In his interview he calls it the biggest fight of his life, but avoids making any outsized promises or statements about the outcome before switching from English (which almost every Swede seems to speak perfectly) to Swedish to ask his countrymen if they’re ready for Saturday’s fight. They are, they let him know. It’s a deft little way of making this about the community rather than the individual. Gustafsson seems to be telling them, ‘This fight is about us, not just me.’ The Swedes eat it up.As for Silva, his boos were brief, and probably less than he was expecting."But you know why, right?" one Swede tells me when I ask about it later. And yes, I suppose I do. It seems the people who only boo when someone is trying to cheat have not forgotten Silva’s recent past. Their feelings about it are strong enough to, however briefly, outweigh their desire to avoid bad vibes. That ought to say something, whether Silva realizes the reasons behind the boos or not. Simply being a foreigner is no crime here. Not even if you stand in opposition to the local boy. It’s integrity they’re concerned with. You can’t have much of a community without a sense of fairness, and there’s nothing fair about injections and fake urine. In time, maybe it will be forgotten. Not just yet, however. Not this easily. Redemption might be possible, but it isn’t free.
Posted in: fighter, swede, weighin, donrsquot, itrsquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode 6 Recap: Submission Advances Another Fighter
Another fighter was eliminated and one more advanced on the sixth episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live.
Posted in: fighter, submission, episode, recap, advance
Read the full article at MMA Weekly‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Episode 6 Recap and Live Blog
Tune in to Heavy.com for "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Episode 6 recap and coverage, including running updates from tonight's live fight between Joe Proctor and Chris Tickle.
Posted in: fighter, episode, recap, joe proctor, blog tune
Read the full article at Heavy MMA6-0, One armed fighter Nick Newell is fighting on HDNet tonight!
submitted by namedrop [link] [comment]
Posted in: nick, fighter, hdnet, newell, namedrop link
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FUEL TV 2 weigh-in results
All but one fighter made weight for UFC on FUEL TV 2, which can be seen live Saturday on Sportsnet ONE starting at 3 p.m. ET.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, tv, weight, fuel
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 live results for episode six TONIGHT (April 13) on FX
Five down, seven to go.
Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) reality television baby The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), is now in full swing with five episodes in the books and and the elimination fights inside the house well underway.
Last week's broadcast showcased Michael Chiesa overcoming the loss of his father just weeks ago to win his first fight inside the house over Jeremy Larsen. It was also the second consecutive victory for Team Urijah Faber.
Tonight's show will feature the volatile Chris Tickle in action against Joe Proctor. Dominick Cruz has butted heads with Tickle all season long and now he's tasked with getting him ready for the fight of his life. Should be interesting. Or at least as much as it can be inside the TUF house.
MMAmania.com has a live blog of all the night's action, starting at 10 p.m. ET, after the jump.
ULTIMATE FIGHTER 15 EPISODE SIX LIVE BLOG:
Geno here. See you tonight, folks.
Posted in: fight, fighter, house, nights action, chris tickle
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMorning Report: Alexander Gustafsson's Homecoming, Pros Predict the Winner of Jones vs. Evans
After a ridiculous three-month stretch that gave us Jones-Machida, Lesnar-Overeem, Aldo-Mendes, Diaz-Condit and Edgar-Henderson, a six-week vacation really doesn't seem too bad in retrospect.
But now the summer of violence has finally arrived, and while UFC on FUEL 2 may be a relatively low key appetizer, Saturday's card still has storylines for days. Here's a quick top five: 1.) Is Alexander Gustafsson for real, and can he eventually challenge Jon Jones? 2.) Will consecutive year-long layoffs prove overwhelming for Thiago Silva and Alessio Sakara? 3.) Did Brian Stann's back-to-earth loss mean he was rushed to the top or overrated to begin with? 4.) Can the Swedish crowd possibly be as raucous as the Brazilians and Canadians? 5.) How will Siyar Bahadurzada handle the pressure of being the first native Afghan in the UFC? 6.) Is Paulo Thiago a one-hit wonder or a victim of unlucky matchmaking? 7.) Can Dennis Siver make a legitimate run at ... whoa, got a bit carried away there. Sorry, let's continue.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
What's at stake? UFC on Fuel 2 edition. Take a closer look at Saturday night's fight card to see what the UFC on FUEL 2 fighters are up against, what can be gained from a win and where they could find themselves after a loss.
The hurt business: the price of principles. Controversy invades the Grudge Training Center in part six of Ben Fowlkes' multi-part series that goes inside an MMA fight gym to examine the hidden lives of pro fighters.
Nick Diaz' lawyer files new claim against NSAC. Ross Goodman, attorney to retired UFC contender Nick Diaz, filed an additional claim against the Nevada State Athletic Commission over allegations of lying, stemming back to Diaz' failed UFC 143 drug test.
Film review: Fightville. Set to release later this month, the award-winning film Fightville chronicles the rise of UFC featherweight contender Dustin Poirier while capturing the highs and lows of an unforgiving sport.
Tito Ortiz rallies against TRT. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz denounced the necessity of testosterone replacement therapy in mixed martial arts, telling Fighters Only, "If you do have to do it, don't fight anymore."
MEDIA STEW
Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans is just a week away, and even the pros can't help but take a stab at the next 205-pound kingpin.
Just when you thought the #RallyForMarkHunt movement was slowing down, NickTheFace goes and does something awesome.
So, we're not really sure how this slipped past us, but apparently there really is a market out there for everything. (Possibly NSFW.)
Before Thiago Silva was 13-0 and the next big thing in the UFC's 205-pound division, he was just a 23-year-old kid trying to make it in the local Brazilian scene.
Someone finally got their braces off. (via Cagepotato/Facebook)
CESAR GRACIE'S DAY
@UFC @nickdiaz209 NSAC keeps delaying Nick's hearing, meanwhile juicers are OK to fight. Incredible
— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) April 12, 2012
@RondaRousey @NateDiaz209 @nickdiaz209 @ufcI swear this girl is badder than most of the male fighters out there! twitter.com/CesarGracieBJJ…
— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) April 12, 2012
We asked for @Renato_Laranja for @nickdiaz209 but they gave us Braulio Estima. WTF? Thanks a lot @RenzoGracieBJJ
— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) April 13, 2012
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Thursday, April 12, 2012):
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FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day is a conspiracy theory with some legs to it, by Bloody Elbow's flamingmo: Further Proof that Joe Silva hates Yoshihiro Akiyama - Thiago Alves fight set for UFC 149
Yoshihiro 'Sexyama' Akiyama is 1-4 in his UFC run, and is surely in danger of being cut by the organisation if he loses again. This would be a terrible shame, as each one of Sexyama's UFC fights have been incredibly entertaining, and his inclusion on the main card of an event generally means that there will be at least one fight packed with excitement.
The other unfortunate thing about Akiyama's UFC run is that fact that he has faced a murderer's row of opponents, with each opponent being better than his last. Thiago Alves may actually be a slight step down from Jake Shields, but the fact remains that while other fighters are relegated to undercards and have to build themselves up fighting less threatening opposition, Akiyama gets thrown to the lions every time out. Here's a look at the 5 opponents he has faced in his UFC run.
Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit me on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, akiyama, thiago
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseLatest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of April 8, 2012
Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Daniel Gallamore and Alexander Gustafsson pictured above, we can all "get along."
Teaming up with MMA sites like Low Kick, Fightline, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.
This week, The Fight Nerd speaks with debuting UFC fighter Tom DeBlass, Fight Opinion reviews a surprising new MMA bill in California and Five Ounces of Pain interviews top MMA manager Lex McMahon.
The full list of links is after the jump.
- Will Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara be an all-out war? (LowKick)
From the sound of things, it appears that Stann is very confident heading into Saturday's bout, and may be looking past Alessio Sakara and ahead to future title contention. It is true that Sakara is returning from surgery and may suffer from ring rust, just as Thiago Silva in the main bout, but in today's UFC, one can never look past a dangerous striker such as "Legionarius."
- Debuting Tom DeBlass discusses the importance of family (The Fight Nerd)
"They're so supportive," DeBlass said of the people closest to him. "My fiance, Delilah, is used to me being able to come home and spend time with my daughter when I don't have a fight. That way she has some time to breathe. But, with this she had to step up even more."
- New California bill gives fighters new rights, challenges UFC contracts (Fight Opinion)
The purpose of the bill is to prevent the mistreatment of MMA fighters in California by banning certain exploitative contracting practices that violate athletes' freedom to work and their ability to support their families. AB 2100 enables MMA fighters to benefit from the pension fund that has been available to boxers in the state since 1981.
- Oklahoma addresses state PPV tax (MMA Payout)
State Impact reports on the current status of MMA in Oklahoma. You may recall that Zuffa threatened litigation due to the state's 4% tax on PPV purchasers within the state.
- MMA Convert's April 2012 rankings: Heavyweight (MMA Convert)
Alistair Overeem's standing will likely drop like a brick over the next few months if the commission finds him guilty of PED use and puts him out of action for 12 months, but until they make their decision we must still treat him like he is fighting JDS for the title at UFC 146. Brock Lesnar was not included because he retired and signed with the WWE. Shane Carwin was on one staff member's list, but didn't make the top ten in the others. He came in at 11.
- Brandon Vera says Thiago Silva getting KTFO by Gustafsson (Fightline)
"Alex's gonna knock that motherfucker out," Vera stated. "With an uppercut, right uppercut. Maybe two in a row. *Boop* *Boop* And one on the ground for good measure, for being a piece of shit."
- Lex McMahon shares the secrets of Alchemist Managment's success (Five Ounces of Pain)
"I helped my dad put together contracts with both of my partners now in MC Hammer and Jeff Aronson who is owner of Cash For Gold," McMahon continued. "During that process we begun talking about MMA and our relationship grew and we put together some sponsorships for about 27 fighters for Cash For Gold. We signed Nate Marquardt, Rashad Evans, Randy Couture and others. While we were working on those deals we sat down and said let's put together a company and that is how Alchemist started."
- Gustafsson tames talk of greatness (5thRound)
Despite the lofty expectations surrounding the skyrocketing 25-year-old, Gustafsson knows all of the hoopla hovering around him will be instantly erased if he doesn't continue his dominance inside the cage.
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, gustafsson, state
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTweets of the Week - 4/13
We’re BAAAAACK! UFC on Fuel TV 2In Sthlm and soon fight week! Cant wait!!! -Alexander Gustafsson Showing off some ink #UFConFUELTV #sweden http://pic.twitter.com/QbWa6WkM -Alessio Sakara Thanks everyone. Fight time soon. I appreciate the energy and prayers. -Tom DeBlass Right all weigh-in bang on 170pounds (77kg) now its donut time #YeahBuddy #GypsyJiuJitsu #UFCSweden http://twitpic.com/99aks5 -John Maguire lets go get that W weighed in at 135 on the dot!!! -Damacio Page Made weight!!!!!! Tomorrow the execution!!!!!!!! -Siyar Bahadurzada See you in a couple hours, Stockholm! Me and my coaches are visiting for UFC on Fuel 2, gonna be a great event IMO! -Stefan Struve TUF GuysToday was an awesome day of practice & i think @TheDomin8r has a foot fetish. Ready to take the lead tomorrow #TeamFaber @ufc @LancePalmer -Urijah Faber @UrijahFaber love my @Vladofootwear! guna go ahead n sponsor u a pair 2 cover the hobbit feet up. -Dominick Cruz It's that time again! #TUFLive #FightNight @BadBoyTickle vs. @JoeProctor tonight at 10 on @FXNetworks! -Inside TUF #TUFLive's Team Purple talk about Chris Tickle, lotion that smells like girl, being BFFs, and M&M anonymous http://on.ufc.com/I4gain -UFC Got 2 get my hair cut today...you look good, you feel good, you fight good! I hope ur all excited and ready 2 watch me go 2 war this friday -Joe Proctor got reprimanded 4 starting the wine bottle smashing championships last nite and 4 hunting imaginary deer in the backyard 2 mins ago. -Al Iaquinta Everytime I land chicago airport I think I should really invest in shoes with lil skate wheel in heel. #heelies -Eric Delfierro Shoulda Said "Chatty"The loquacious @JoshLBarnett. Reserved phenom @dc_mma. Which will take the @strikeforce #HWGP title come May 19? http://ow.ly/i/z0jo -SHOWTIME SPORTS @SHOsports @dc_mma @strikeforce What did you call me SHOsports!? -Josh Barnett You’ve Been WarnedIt's National Kiss Day! If any random person tries to kiss me I'm treating them like a terrorist. -Tim Kennedy He Went with “BANG” InsteadLookn a bit young here. My friends used to call me the " angry boy scout" http://pic.twitter.com/oXwk69Vy -Duane Ludwig And Now Wandy with the NewsNEWS!!!! -Wanderlei Silva Super Samoan: Tweet Junkieman over 1000 tweets i am a JUNKIEEE AHAHHAAThey ask me wat world are u in I say tweeter verse lol -Mark Hunt FoGriff Ponders the Mysteries of LifeAt what point is one so hairy they should start using conditioner on their body hair. Cus I'm getting close -Forrest Griffin Ronda’s Doh! FaceThis is the face you make you you think you're about to start blogging but actually take a picture on accident http://pic.twitter.com/i7EQExlK -Ronda Rousey Joe Likes the Nightlife, He Likes to Boogie…Plse keep ur eye out for this man He's 5'4" 180 lbs Dresses dapper & may b attached 2 a small Italian woman @JoeJitsu http://pic.twitter.com/y9QGdYTa -Urijah Faber VOTE OR DIE!UFC fans - let's get your votes - which fighter has the best Twitter account? (Fighters, feel free to jump in here....) -UFC @ufc THAT TALL GUY PAT BERRY DOES!!! -Pat Barry We May Have to Give These Boys a Timeout@sonnench don't worry-you're a beatdown away from obscurity. I'll be happy to beat your head in-that's if it's not still on a pike in Rio. -Jason Mayhem Miller MayHem: Due to time constraints I am currently confining my Twitter wars to active, relevant, fighters ONLY. Buy a T-shirt on your way out. -Chael Sonnen
Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fighter, tweet
Read the full article at UFCKountermove: Changing the face of fantasy MMA
There are many different types of fantasy mixed martial arts sites out there, but many of them meld together.
Most offer an opportunity to pick the winners, the method and the round. Perhaps some spice things up by creating a "Hot Fight" but that's about as complicated as it gets.
That's not the case with Kountermove, not by a long shot. With Kountermove, it's not just about picking who you think will win, it's about picking how badly someone is going to win using modern MMA statistics through Fightmetric.
I've had the opportunity to use this budding fantasy mixed martial arts site for the last five months and from the first game I entered with fellow MMA media members, I've been hooked.
Allow me to explain after the jump.
"It's one thing to figure out who wins, but we wanted to take it a step further and a step deeper. Let's make it more strategic. If you just pick who's gonna win or lose, that's not exciting enough. We wanted to have more nuance and be a little more sophisticated and I think that's what we do on the site," says Aaron Ard, an executive at Kountermove during a recent appearance on The Verbal Submission radio show.
The way Kountermove works is you get a total of $25,000 fantasy dollars and you get to pick five fighters for your "team" during a UFC or Strikeforce event. Each fighter is given a specific value by a group of Kountermove employees. They assign a value for each fighter based on how they believe the fight will go. Points are scored if your fighters scores a finish, wins a round, lands significant strikes, knocks an opponent down, scores takedowns, secures dominant positions or attempts submissions. The more dominant your fighters' performance, the more points you're going to score.
For example, Nate Diaz scored the most points in Kountermove history at UFC 141 in his fight against Donald Cerrone because he won all three rounds (10 points each) and landed a whopping 238 significant strikes (0.5 points each) for a total of 149 points.
"What you're trying to do is basically not only outsmart your opponents but outsmart us," said Ard. "If you think, 'Hey, this guy is undervalued.' that's really good. You should look at what we're doing and you're trying to find the guys that we mispriced and beat your opponents with that information."
Kountermove features all sorts of differently priced games from free games for newcomers all the way up to big-time games which cost up to $100. The current biggest prize for winning a tournament will be $1000 for the winner of one of the upcoming UFC 145 games.
Now what I like the most about Kountermove is the fact that the first guy fighting on the undercard can score just as many points if not more than whoever is fighting in the main event. If you want to truly have an advantage over your opponents, it pays to know who these preliminary fighters are. Thus, it encourages fans and gamers to get to know the lesser-known combatants.
The other factor with having the salary cap is that means you almost certainly will have to try and find the most logical upset on the fight card. If you can budget your fantasy cash effectively, it will better allow you to afford the pricier big favorites who are likely to score quick finishes.
Needless to say, the more research you do and the more you know about each fighter and how they perform, the higher percentage you have of winning big.
With a huge wave of UFC events about to take center stage. Now would be a terrific opportunity to test your MMA knowledge with fantasy MMA whether it's a pick 'em site like FFFLeague or the more statistic-savvy Kountermove.
Good luck!
Disclaimer - I was comped a few tournaments to use Kountermove and test out the site.
Posted in: fighter, fantasy, game, point, kountermove
Read the full article at MMA ManiaLex McMahon shares the secrets of Alchemist Managment’s success
Alchemist President Lex McMahon has an extensive background that includes time spent four years in the US Marines with two tours of duty in Somalia in the early 1990s. McMahon, who holds a B.A. in English, a J.D. from the California School of Law, and an MBA from Pepperdine, has taken the reigns of Alchemist with the same passion and approach that he has done throughout his life. Whenever McMahon does something he does it to the best of his ability and with everything he has.
McMahon has worn many different hats since he left the Marines and by the looks of it has donned them all with great success, no more so than his role with Alchemist where he has helped build one of the most exciting rosters of MMA fighters around. Anchored by such superstars as Nate Marquardt, Tim Kennedy, Brendan Schaub, and Stefan Struve, the group was recently joined by two of the best and brightest welterweights in the UFC in Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Rory MacDonald. Each and every one of these fighters knows that having McMahon on their side they are in extremely good hands.
“After I finished up with all of my schooling I began a career as a venture capitalist because I felt as though that was a great industry for me to be in,” said McMahon in an interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “I had the opportunity to work with my dad for quite a few years as a talent scout for a show called The Next Biggest Star. I managed bands and promoted concerts.”
“I helped my dad put together contracts with both of my partners now in MC Hammer and Jeff Aronson who is owner of Cash For Gold,” McMahon continued. “During that process we begun talking about MMA and our relationship grew and we put together some sponsorships for about 27 fighters for Cash For Gold. We signed Nate Marquardt, Rashad Evans, Randy Couture and others. While we were working on those deals we sat down and said let’s put together a company and that is how Alchemist started.”
By utilizing MC Hammer’s contacts as well as his name Alchemist has been able to land some major deals for their fighters. McMahon is very quick to point out that MC Hammer does so much more than lend his name to the company; he is an extraordinary businessman with a great passion for the sport as well.
“I’ve been really fortunate to work with Hammer, he’s an incredible guy to work with and he is a visionary,” McMahon explained. “He has utilized social media and is a high level relationship guy. He is able to reach into international markets and he has had success in everything he has done. We really have a great team here at Alchemist with myself, Hammer, Jeff and another gentleman I haven’t mentioned in Nima Safapour.”
For those MMA fans who believe that working in the MMA business is a dream job they may be right, but as with anything there are positives and negatives. When you are part of a management team that is running a global enterprise such as Alchemist the responsibilities can seem endless and put a drain on everyone and everything around you if you aren’t careful.
“As much as this is a dream job for me there are some drawbacks,” offered McMahon. “I get to interact and work with some of the greatest fighters in the world and I have tremendous partners to help shoulder the responsibilities, but at the same time the travel is immense. In order to be successful I need to be away from my wife and my daughters quite a bit. I am very fortunate that my wife Ashley is very supportive and she is the rock that holds the family together. When I am home I make a big effort to spend quality time with all of them, but at the end of the day I am gone much more than I home.
There are also positives aspects of my job that you don’t get to hear about. Stephen Thompson, Ovince St. Preux, and I recently took twelve wounded Marines to Alabama hunting for 3-4 days. It was a really cool experience and Stephen took time out of his camp just so he could attend. We all believe that it’s so important to support the US Military. Then at UFC 145 we are bringing several of the Marines to Atlanta as our guests to watch the fights. They get to go backstage and the UFC has been wonderful to work with on this campaign.”
Being in MMA management McMahon always has his eyes open for the next big star. He has many young fighters who he is promoting that he believes that he can not only help develop a great career for, but also assist them in building themselves as a brand so they are able to support themselves when their fighting days are over.
“We look to sit down with our athletes and look to do something that is bigger than what we are about,” said McMahon. “It’s important to work hand in hand and support other people, I’ve been very fortunate to work in the MMA community. For me it has been a real blessing. We want to insure that our fighters are able to invest their money and prepare for the days when they can no longer make money fighting. To us we take it as our responsibility to point these guys in the right direction during and after their careers.”
“We have some incredible young talent,” McMahon elaborated. “Alex Soto is one of the fighters who I’ve worked long and hard with. He is a Mexican immigrant who was fighting in bare knuckle MMA fights in Tijuana for $50. He joined the Army and served in Afghanistan. We also have Liz Carmouche who has fought for Strikeforce and will be fighting next for Invicta FC 1 on April 28. She’s another former Marine and I have to take care of them. Then there is Walel Watson who has three fights in the UFC. Of course there is “Wonderboy” who has made such progress over the past six months. He is a truly special guy. George Lockhart, Eric Scallan, Chad Robichaux, and Alex Morono are all fighters to look out for. Just to be able to watch these guys make their way to the top is awesome.”
McMahon and Alchemist are in the business to help grow the sport and enhance the potential of all of their fighters. It is with that attitude that Mixed Martial Artists from around the world are lining up to be represented by them. You may read a lot of stories about misrepresentation or some management companies blatantly ripping off their clients, but you’d be hard pressed to hear anyone criticize this group. Their goals are quite simple in nature, but without their hard work they would never come to fruition.
“At the end of the day we are here to create value for our clients,” concluded McMahon. “Creating value for our clients includes commercial endorsements, getting them the best fight contracts, but like I have said it’s about building a platform for them to leverage their life outside of fighting. That could mean entertainment or having their own academy. Whatever it may be we want to build their name so they can make a living outside of fighting. We want our fighters to focus on three things and that is training fighting and winning. If we can take care of the rest them that means we have done our job.”
PHOTO CREDIT – ALCHEMIST MMA
Posted in: mma, fighter, mcmahon, work, alchemist
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainMeet Friday’s Fighters on ‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Joe Proctor vs. Chris Tickle
Team Faber's Joe Proctor faces Team Cruz's Chris Tickle on Friday in the fifth opening-round bout of "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" on FX. Before they fight, see what they have to say.
Posted in: fighter, friday, proctor, tickle, openinground bout
Read the full article at Heavy MMA
California legislator proposes fighters’ bill of rights
Leave it up to the bleeding-heart liberals in the Land of Fruits and Nuts (i.e., California) to try to force their over-intrusive big government “fairness” down our collective gullet. First they took away our right to own our own f*cking pets. As if that wasn’t bad enough, now they’re proposing to not only force MMA promoters to stop handcuffing fighters into exploitative contracts, but also force contributions to a pension fund so that they’ll be taken care of when they’ve lost their ability to amuse us by sustaining brain damage. Pshaw! FightOpinion has the lowdown on Assembly Bill 2100, amended on April 9 by California State Legislator Luis Alejo:
AB 2100 authorizes the State Athletic Commission to revoke or refuse to renew the license of any mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter in California that participates in coercive and unfair contracting practices. This bill also extends the scope of the Boxers’ Pension Plan to include professional MMA fighters licensed in California.
First, let’s take a look at the anti-coercion section of the bill, which has become known in legal circles as the “F*ck Zuffa Clause”:
The commission shall revoke or refuse to renew the license of any mixed martial arts promoter that enters into a contract with a mixed martial arts fighter in the state of California if the contract contains one or more coercive provisions. A contract provision shall be considered coercive to the extent that it does any of the following:
(1) Assigns any future merchandising rights to a promoter beyond the term of the promotional contract.
(2) Automatically renews the contract or extends the term without good faith, arms-length negotiation.
(3) Grants the promoter a right to match the terms of a competing offer or contract.
(4) Grants the promoter a right to enter into exclusive negotiations with a mixed martial arts fighter.
(5) Restricts a mixed martial arts fighter from sponsoring another firm, product, or individual.
(6) Requires a mixed martial arts fighter to relinquish any legal claims for negligence that the fighter has, or may acquire in the future, against the promoter.
(7) Restricts a mixed martial arts fighter from contracting with another promoter.
(8) Requires a mixed martial arts fighter to forfeit any rights as a condition precedent to the fighter’s participation in a contest.
No word yet on whether Zuffa intends to pull a Zuffa and sue California for the theft of its official fighter contract form, which Alejo photocopied onto construction paper before writing “ILLEGAL” in red crayon and pointing at the text with a giant arrow accompanied by some doodles of Jon Fitch. California also wants to extend its Boxers’ Pension Fund to MMA fighters, and in order to get the money, they’re planning on collecting a 5% tax on TV revenues from MMA fights - sound familiar?
The rest after the jump
read more
Posted in: fighter, contract, art, california, promoter
Read the full article at FightlinkerUFC Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz is a true, natural athlete who thinks TRT patients shouldn't fight
"You know I don't know much about it at all. I have been fighting for 15 years and there have been trainers that tried to push that on me and I've said that if I have to do that kind of stuff, I am done with the sport, I won't compete anymore because I want to be a natural athlete. And I have - for fifteen years I've competed and taken my drug tests, random drug tests, and passed everything because I am a true athlete. A lot of these guys are taking these supplements to make themselves more impressive or whatever, to become the fighters they want to be. That's their choice - my recommendation is don't do it. If it's against the law or against the sport, don't do it and if you do have to do it, don't fight anymore. That's just my take on it... I will leave it there, I won't go into it any further."
-- Ever since Alistair Overeem and his elevated testosterone levels have taken over mixed martial arts (MMA) websites and forums by storm, everyone and their mother seems to have an opinion on the subject of banned substances and testosterone replacement therapy (TRT.) Now, Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz gives his take to Fighter's Only Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
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, saying that if any fighter needs to put anything illegal in his body, then it's probably time to hang up the gloves. "The People's Champ" also says that he, for one, is an all natural athlete and has never taken any banned substance throughout his 15-year career, though in some instances, fighters are given doctors permission to undergo TRT. Ortiz will finish of his storied career on July 7, 2012, as he is scheduled to take on Forrest Griffin for a third time at UFC 148 in what will be his final MMA fight. Perhaps he might be able to continue his career longer with a little TRT assistance. Any hope he has a change of heart?
Posted in: fighter, athlete, drug tests, dont, trt
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCorner man has to RNC a fighter off his opponent after he refused to stop when the fight was called..
submitted by tekprodfx16 [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: fight, fighter, tekprodfx, rnc, corner man
Read the full article at RedditKenny Florian is 'pissed off' at the 'dummies' who use performance enhancing drugs
Performance enhancing drugs (PED) and the fighters who use them have been hot topics in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world, of late. Alistair Overeem's latest positive test and the drama that has ensued was the topic of discussion on FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight."
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight lightweight featherweight lightweight fighter (and now the co-host of "UFC Tonight") Kenny Florian wants everyone to know that he was a clean fighter who did things the right way. He also wants everyone to know how passionately he disapproves of those who have traveled the more unsavory road of using performance enhancing drugs.
"As a clean fighter, the whole issue of performance enhancing drugs (PED) in MMA really pisses me off. This sport is about honor, technique and discipline. When did it become about who uses the better PED's and who can pass the test better than the other guy? PED's allow you to train harder, longer and recover faster. It absolutely gives a user a competitive advantage. This isn't baseball, where you're just hitting a ball. This is fighting. You're hitting other people in the face. As a fighter, if you use PED's, how does it feel good knowing that you won using them? The fans should be upset too. How many fights are the fans gonna miss out on due to pre and post-fight testing? Don't do it, dummies. Random testing needs to be the remedy. This is gonna be the only way to crack down on cheaters in the longterm."
He's all for random drug testing, but his fellow fighters may not be so quick to join in that particular chorus.
Check out the video of Florian's rant after the jump:
Who's taking Florian's side in this debate?
Posted in: fighter, drug, performance, ped, drugs ped
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Medical Side Of The Fight Business: My Experience at the 1st Annual Combative Sports Medicine Symposium
On Friday, April 6, 2012, I sat in a conference room all day with thirty highly educated professionals to talk about the medical issues relating to combat sports. That Friday might have been the single most informative and energizing day I have ever had as a martial arts participant, writer and fan, as the Combative Sports Medicine symposium gave me rare insights into the lesser known medical aspects of the fight business. These are the people behind the bright lights and in the background that are always present and change the courses of fights in the spirit of protecting these warriors from others and from themselves.
The opening remarks of the day were delivered by Aaron Davis, the New Jersey Athletic Control Board commissioner. He began with a story about his mother watching a boxing event with him on TV and hearing her express her dismay at the combat sport with the phrase, "This is not natural, baby."
After calming her down and pointing to the ringside medical professionals, the trainers and the boxers' own desire to be there and to compete in this manner, he realized that combat sports is indeed not natural in the sense of other sports. The athletes involved are on an elite level of fitness, the degrees of skill are otherworldly and the injuries sustained before, during and after a fight can be eye-opening (literally) to someone unused to the combat sports world. These challenges require alert, informed medical professionals to make decisive calls in the heat of the moment - and for the commission to protect these ringside doctors from possible backlash from the fans, fighters, promoters or media.
For the commission to so firmly support these doctors is a relatively unusual state in combat sports. John Nash, the Head Kick Legend writer, has noted extensively how the boxing matches of Pierce Egan's time (early 1800s) could often go beyond a hundred rounds and a fighter was considered "stopped" only if they did not get back to their feet within thirty seconds or were declared finished by their own seconds. In the modern era, the collective of promoters, fighters, state athletic boards and fans themselves decided to have multiple "Smokey, this is not 'Nam... there are rules..." moments and we now have things like time limits, round caps, medical professionals on stand-by and medical testing for most boxing, Muay Thai and MMA bouts.
Combat sports athletes are safer than ever, yet the web of rules, enforcement and knowledgeable people that allow such safety is not omniscient or ubiquitous. More can and is being done to ensure fighter safety and at the forefront of this are the doctors treating fighters before, after and during fights. Their efforts to educate each other, the fighters, the promotions and the fans show an admirable faith in the vitality of combat sports and the desire to keep these sports exciting, profitable and safe for as many as humanly possible.
Did you know it is possible for a fighter to breathe in his teeth?
Despite seeing the chompers of Randy Couture and Mike Ricci go flying away or disappear, I had never thought of that happening. Ringside medical professionals know about that possibility and check to make sure dozens of similarly unlikely things get ruled out, noticed or treated. Preventing infectious diseases from spreading, looking for facial fractures, monitoring eye movement, checking ears and eyes are all things that ringside physicians have to keep track of with the fighters in their charge.
In the interests of further boosting this collective move towards more regulated and safe forms of sports fighting, some of the best fight doctors in the nation combined to present a full day of talks that not only educated medical professionals, but was also aimed at and featured fighters, trainers, coaches and commission members. The New Jersey athletic commission made their presence felt in a big way, as Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Lembo gave a short talk and was around the entire day and Commissioner Davis spent most of the day there listening and talking to the participants.
The Combative Sports Medicine symposium is the result of collaboration between Dr. Sheryl Wulkan and the Sports Medicine branch of Atlantic Health, a medical facility and research center located in Morristown, New Jersey. Dr Wulkan is one of the preeminent ringside physicians nationwide, having worked hundreds of amateur, professional and high-profile MMA and Muay Thai bouts over the years and is a longtime Muay Thai boxer herself. Alongside Dr. Wulkan, the symposium featured quite a few other medical and sports professionals with extensive ringside experience to create a true treasure trove of combat sports medicine knowledge. The hosts of the symposium, Atlantic Sports Medicine, are the official providers of health care for the New York Jets and the New Jersey Devils and had five fellows in attendance who have extensive sports medicine experience.
Nate Diaz and Jim Miller staredown via Michael Nagle of Getty Images.
Adding to that imposing presence was Jim Miller, the soon to be main-eventer against Nate Diaz at UFC on Fox 3, his trainer, Mike Constantino, and Stephen Koepfer, a prominent NYC coach and grappler. That sleek conference room packed with tons of people far more educated than I was a daunting environment for me enter, yet these professionals answered my occasional questions in great length and with astounding amounts of candor and expertise. Of course, the symposium was directed at those who have greater technical understandings of the medical issues or the legal issues involved, yet the presenters were eager to answer any and all questions.
Jim Miller spoke of the warrior nature of fighters and how his brother Dan Miller had no idea that he was badly injured when he received a broken cheekbone (zygomatic arch) during a fight. Miller had one of the deepest philosophical moments of the day when he said "A fight is a short moment in time where you are showing what you are apable of while preventing the opponent from doing the same." The adrenaline, the competitive desire and the refusal to quit leads fighters to insist that they are fine, even when not actually fine, because the brain hasn't registered the pain or is ignoring it, as Dan showed. Jim said that he was truly lucky, as the worst things he suffered in a fight were cuts and none were bad enough to stop a fight, but that he understood why the ringside docs would be making this call or that call. He closed out by answering some questions from the audience about his own experiences with international fights and dealing with language barriers when dealing with the pre-fight and post-fight processes. In response to my question, Jim noted that pain really doesn't correlate with the most severe injuries - especially at the time of the fight - and used his brother's injuries as an example to refer to, while Constantino nodded in agreement. Miller also mentioned that he wishes people would give him more space at the end of the fight, to ratchet himself down from 100% to 0% over time, rather than immediately being crowded by six or seven people all yelling, poking and prodding. Being an elite MMA fighter really does take an unusual mindset and patience level and Miller was very upfront about his warrior nature that comes out in the cage and how it can clash with people used to regular rules and regular people.
Jim's trainer, Mike Constantino, was a bit more focused on the medicals process and made several statements in support of the regulations that New Jersey imposes upon fighters and fight organizations. One story about a smaller event where a hot light that was far too close to the mats and heated up the decals on the canvas - to the point of burning the feet of the fighters - brought home that fighter safety is not always about tracking the damage the fighters inflict upon each other. Constantino said that the referees and doctors being aware of the possibilities of injury due to one fighter's tendency for armbars or leglocks was crucial, as well as referring to several potential cases of greasing, that are controlled by the banning of lotion or lubricant from the possession of the fighters or cornermen. Rousimar Palhares came up in both topics - not as a cheater, but as an example of how not to protest or a fighter to watch for leglocks. Constantino noted that he would love for all fifteen professional fighters under his management to be going through a New Jersey-style "one stop shop" medicals check-up process and liked the standards for the amateur system as well.
Referee Herb Dean talks to Rousimar Palhares. Photo via Esther Lin of MMA Fighting.
The concept of spectator syndrome came up repeatedly throughout the day. Dr. Wulkan explained it in a short aside as being a fan instead of a doctor and noted how that could be dangerous for the maintenance of fighter safety. Dr. Dominic Coletta, a familiar face from many Atlantic City bouts over the last two decades, mentioned that he had a couple moments like this early in his career, but soon recomposed himself and has no problems now. Coletta said that even Ward-Gatti III presented no serious problems to retaining his professional demeanor at the time. In response to a question I asked, Coletta answered that working as a ringside physician had no direct effects on his day job as an emergency medicine doctor - stitching is not usually something he did at the event, and that he encountered more diverse situations at the day job. However, his love for the sport allowed Coletta to keep doing these events.
Coletta did express frustration with the powerlessness of ringside physicians in other states, citing the licensing controversy that nearly stopped Margarito-Cotto II from happening. Initially, a doctor for the NYSAC would not clear Margarito for a license due to eye injuries sustained in his last fight and the commission went over that doctor's head to find another specialist who would license Margarito. Coletta mentioned that it was important for the commissions to back up the decisions of the doctor, no matter how unpopular they may be, because the trust and good will of that relationship is essential to the doctor's confidence in making the right calls.
Coletta answered one question that'd been bugging me for a while: Why do fighters do their post-fight medicals right next to each other, separated only by a curtain or something? In his experience, most fighters are friends or respectful of each other. There are few, if any, problems backstage with almost all fighters. They shake hands, hang out with each other and the cornermen are unusually respectful themselves. Add onto that the limited control the doctor has on the medical set-ups, which are done by the promoter or the venue. However, Coletta did say that in cases where bad blood was clearly obvious before the fight, they would separate the fighters backstage to prevent anything flaring up.
Nick Diaz and B.J. Penn backstage via Lorenzo Fertita's Twitter.
Drs. Kenneth Remsen and Howard Taylor probably won the Visual Gross-Out contest due to their chosen topic of "Facial Lacerations/Maxillofacial Injuries and Ear-Nose-Throat Issues in Combat Sports Medicine." The pair have well over twenty years of combined experience ringside and their breakdown of what injuries are commonly seen was incredible. For instance, Taylor has never seen an inner ear injury in a fighter and cautioned the medical professionals that deepset eyes combined with large eyebrow ridges usually means to watch for deep eyebrow cuts and shallower eyes usually have eyelid cuts. A particular section was set aside to cauliflower ear and possible ear injuries, with the remark that Taylor had never seen an inner ear injury in his time as a ringside doctor.
At one point, Taylor said "Any fracture that can be identified should stop the fight." In retrospect, I should have asked how this statement can stand with the commonplace attitude that a broken nose is not that big of a deal, but at the time I believed he meant "Any fracture that is not a broken nose is a fight-stopper."
Dr. Remsen gave a mighty discourse upon maxillofacial trauma - orbital socket fractures, jaw breaks, larynx calcifications, dental injuries and skull fractures. An unusual statistic that I've never seen before showed that roughly 30% of jaw breaks occur in the middle of the jaw (chin area), 33% occur in the region between chin and hinge and less than 30% occur near the hinge. This is where the "breathing in teeth" X-ray came up and gave me the heebie-jeebies.
Lyoto Machida knocks out Randy Couture. Photo via Esther Lin of MMA Fighting.
Nick Lembo, the Deputy Attorney General who generally runs MMA officiating in New Jersey, gave a short speech on the legalities of licensing, medical tests required by New Jersey, going through the shadow officiating and referee programs developed to train new officials and judges and closed with a clearly heartfelt story. Lembo told us of a fighter he knew for eight years or so who took a bad knock-out and thought Nick was a stranger he'd never met before in the backstage area. Nick ended the story by saying "This is why we do what we do. This is why we don't cut any corners."
In between the descriptions of the legal stuff and the powerful story, Lembo pulled no shots at the commissions and jurisdictions who do not approach New Jersey in terms of regulations and trained officials, judges and medical personnel. Lembo emphasized that the doctors have access to a database of medical suspensions, although the commission checks all fighters for such. He reminded the doctors to find out what exactly their malpractice insurance covered and whether they were allowed to do ringside work and retain coverage. Both Commissioner Davis and Lembo expressed significant desire for uniformity of standards, although they were easier on the states that were part of the Association of Boxing Commissions and reserved most of their criticism for the dealings with MMA and Muay Thai.
Dr. Damion Martins, one of the symposium organizers, asked a very insightful question regarding the certification and skills demanded of ringside physicians. He said that the NFL and NBA have collective bargaining agreements that require that the doctor on duty at the games be a sports medicine physician and wondered if boxing or MMA had that similar requirement. Several people answered different components of this one, but the essential thrust was that there is no such requirement, although it seems that New Jersey is slowly moving that way. Some certifications are required of the ringside physicians in New Jersey and in other states, although others have no such requirements. Dr. Coletta noted that it is not in the cards for every single boxer to do a balance test, an MRI or a CAT scan like every NFL player does right now. The money for the undercard fighters in particular just isn't there for that right now and the sports of boxing and MMA have no powerful unions like the NFL or NBA.
I had to skip a good chunk of Dr. Robert Smick's presentation on Infectious Diseases in Combat Sports as I was doing an interview with Commissioner Davis. However, the beginning and end were terrific in their clear, concise presentation of the possible and probable diseases for fight doctors to look out for. In perhaps my least professional-sounding moment, I asked Dr. Smick if there was anything virus or bacterium-related to the development of Parkinsons and other neurological diseases and he turned the question into a mini-discussion of head trauma and the research into that alongside the possibly unknown other causes of neurological diseases. He also noted that perhaps one third of wrestlers have herpes gladitorum.
Stephen Koepfer was unusually intent during this section, due to running his own gym and being a referee for grappling tournaments, and asked several questions about cleaning mats and ways to remind people of the virtues of cleanliness. It turns out photos and information in the locker room of the potential consequences of uncleanliness can have some good effects.
Matt Hamill fights Keith Jardine with a staph infection visible on his back.
Dr. Michael Kelly had the most interactive presentation of the symposium during his talk on Orthopedic Concerns, which means the potential and likely injuries to the muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones of fighters. Koepfer and one of his students were demo dummies for certain movements, demonstrating how this injury or that injury would occur. It turns out that grappling injuries often occur in pairs on either side of hinged joints, as the antagonistic workings of a joint lend themselves well to such injuries. Kelly combined the descriptions of the various injuries with photographs of recent fights in which such injuries did occur or could have occured. Ronda Rousey and Ben Saunders were stars during this section with their joint-based attacks. Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira had their own moment in the sun too. Urgh.
Kelly spent quite some time on informing us all what hand and leg injuries boxers or strikers typically endure. It turns out that a boxer's fracture is actually a misnomer - most boxers break the third (middle) metacarpal and not the fifth. The training of the strikers means that the middle of the hand lands first in most conventional strikes. He did mention the different angles of MMA and the likelihood of the thumb catching on the head, due to its being uncovered by the glove. Noticing a Boxer's knuckle is serious business for a doctor to check out, as the bulge in the knuckle means that little ligaments are being torn off the tendon that allows the flexing of the hand. The tears mean that the tendon moves around and exposes the knuckle underneath, which can be painful and damaging to the fighter. Surgery is usually needed to fix this injury.
Jose Aldo whips a leg kick into Mark Hominick. Photo via Esther Lin of MMA Fighting.
Powerful and repeated leg kicks can lead to myositis ossificans, which is when bone grows in the muscle of the thigh - which is extremely painful and dangerous to the fighter. Naturally, this section was paired with a GIF of Jose Aldo wreaking havoc on the legs of Urijah Faber. Kelly noted that the gloves and hand wraps are taken off a fighter backstage first, because of the compression of the hands they create. Once the fighter's hands have time to loosen up and relax, he then asks about the pain or odd feelings in them. All kinds of little questions about the routines doctors go through were answered by Kelly.
Next up was Sharon Wentworth, DPT, MSPT, ATC, and trainer to several ranges of athletes from high school kids to Olympic athletes to professional MMA fighters. Her youth in Iowa gave her a knowledge of wrestling and being an athlete. After her career as a professional volleyball player came to an end, she went full time into physical therapy and athletic training. After a few sessions with Kurt Pellegrino a few years ago, she ended up getting linked into the New Jersey MMA scene and even working up at Tri-Star with a few athletes up there like Miguel Torres. Dr. Wentworth had some very interesting things to say about common injuries, recovery regimens and even how specifically to train for MMA in ways that differ from other sports. Some of the best stuff was about how the imbalances of the usual training regimen of an MMA fighter leads to hunching forwards, with very tight pecs and weakened stability in the thorax and knees. Wentworth gave a brief overview of how certain injuries affect the training camp, whether they affect certain areas and how the doctors can help the athletes make the decision to call the fight off or to treat the injury in time.
From Left to Right: Dr. Sheryl Wulkan, Unsung Tech Guy On His Phone,
Nick Lembo and Dr. Michael Kelly answering questions. Photo taken by me.
The last spot in the symposium went to Dr. Wulkan, who spoke of several unique medical issues present in high level MMA and of the decisions of referees and officials regarding stoppages by strikes or submissions. It turns out that only having one kidney is not a big deal. Carlos Newton and one other UFC fighter have that condition and they turned out fine. Foreign medicals are to be handled with some suspicion and the preference for having tests done in the United States or Canada was strongly emphasized.
Therapeutic use exemptions were discussed and Nick Lembo chimed in to say that very, very few TUEs have ever been granted in New Jersey due to the stringent requirements for such exemptions. I brought up the Overeem testing case and also that of Johnnie Morton case (where Morton tested at something like 78:1). When Dr. Wulkan was told of Morton's ratio, she paused for a long moment and then calmly said "Those levels seem to be consistent with absurd amounts of illegal drug abuse." Transgender fighters were briefly discussed, although this was mostly a legal issue combining with the medical side only to make sure that the hormones of fighters were within acceptable ranges. It turns out that fighters with sickle cell anemia or diabetes are of particular risk for exercise-induced problems or even death. Having them fight early on or not at all are some of the options available to ringside physicians who notice problems.
Kyle Maynard, the limbless fighter who made himself a brief shooting star in the MMA world, was discussed as an example of a fighter essentially being unable to defend himself and forcing the opposing fighter to essentially not play MMA anymore. Prosthetic limbs were discussed and it was generally agreed upon that in boxing, a fighter with a prosthetic leg might get licensed. In MMA, such a fighter receiving an NJ would be unlikely and that leg kicks with such a leg would be a doozy.
Wulkan noted that she is in the beginning stages of creating a program to follow people with symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) more closely and for longer periods of times. She also mentioned how she handles suspicions of dehydration-related blood pressure symptoms persisting past the weigh-in period by giving the fighters another chance to rehydrate, come back and redo the blood pressure test. If still unsure about the results, she has them jump rope or do some form of exercise for fifteen or so minutes and then calls it one way or another based on the observations. This example shows how flexible and willing these doctors are to see the fighters actually fight, while keeping in mind fighter safety.
To end the symposium, Wulkan played several clips chosen and compiled by Nick Lembo and Anthony Lynn, a NJSAC drug testing inspector and coordinating official. Igor Vovchanchyn, Joe Warren, Pat Curran, Brian Rogers, Vitor Vianna, Gilbert Yvel, Gary Goodridge, Renzo Gracie and a few others were the MMA stars featured in the hybrid boxing/MMA clip list. Hashim Rahman and Arturo Gatti were some of the recent boxing stars shown. Almost all featured stoppages that were either right on or far, far too late. Some clips featured almost comically horrifying post-stoppage handling of an unconscious or dazed fighter by corners, doctors and officials. Others really displayed exemplary work by officials and doctors working in tandem. One clip featured a boxer being knocked out and falling through the ropes onto a table and then onto the floor - and triggering a riot. In that riot, you can see the doctors fighting through the crowd to get to the fighter and the officials turning to protect the doctors and judges from harm.
Fedor Emelianenko after the stoppage in the Antonio Silva fight.
Unfortunately, the pay for ringside physicians, EMTs and officials is generally miserable. These men and women are doing their jobs for the love of the sport and for the preservation of the fighters that entertain and inspire us fellow fight fans and participants. It is only this century that the stronger regulations governing combat sports has been imposed and already we have reached the point where the elite get a nearly-comprehensive battery of medical tests to certify their health and prowess. The future holds better things for our warrior athletes and more technical knowledge for our physicians to keep them healthy and well long after their fight careers are over.
The entire day was a brief insight into specific slices of the fight business given by world-class professionals to future medical professionals, trainers, commission officials and the solitary media member in attendance. The food was solid, the spiffy seats were comfortable and the knowledge taken in was staggering. It is not possible for a single day to allow the fullest discussion of of medical issues that doctors, EMTs, trainers or the athletes themselves would encounter in the lead-up to the fights, during the fights themselves and in the post-fight process. However, this was a damn good start.
Epilogue:
In speaking to Stefanie Pilip, the coordinator for Atlantic Health's Continuing Medical Education program and the coordinator for the Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, I learned that this symposium was relatively easy to put together due to her experience with other CME programs and the astoundingly tight community of fight doctors and officials with strong connections to the Fellowship Program. The next step is for the sports medicine physicians at the seminar to shadow Dr. Wulkan through at least six MMA events, further bolstering New Jersey's strong shadowing program for all officials and judges. The next part of the Combat Sports program will take place on April 27 and focus on Neurology and Neuroradiology. Pilip and Wulkan are looking into presenting similar symposiums in other states and in having another conference next year.
Posted in: fight, fighter, sport, injury, doctor
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAlexander Gustafsson Excited To Be Fighting In Sweden In Main Event Of UFC On FUEL TV 2
Alexander Gustafsson is working his way up the UFC’s light heavyweight ladder, positioning himself as a future contender by amassing a 13-1 record.
During his UFC career, Gustafsson has defeated the likes of Matt Hamill, Vladimir Matyushenko and Jared Hamman, falling only to Phil Davis back in 2010.
This weekend, Gustafsson will face Thiago Silva in the main event of UFC on FUEL TV 2 from his native country of Sweden. The card takes place inside the Ericcson Globe Arena in Stockholm. Gustafsson was a recent guest on “UFC Tonight,” where he shared his thoughts on the fight, his opponent and what’s different about his style since the loss to Davis.
“I’m super excited,” said Gustaffson, in regards to fighting in Sweden. “I’m super motivated. There’s no pressure at all. It’s a dream come true. I’m just doing what I love to do.”
Silva was a replacement for Gustafsson, as he was originally set to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueria before an injury sidelined him. In Silva, he’ll be facing a fighter returning from a year-long suspension due to a failed drug test.
“I’m prepared for the best Thiago – I hope it’s the best Thiago to fight on Saturday,” Gustafsson said. “He’s a really good grappler and he’s strong from the top. I have my game plan and tactics, and I’m going to do my thing.”
“The Mauler” says he is now a full-time fighter since the submission loss to Davis, adding, “I’m a whole new fighter. I’ve been learning a lot from my loss. Everything I do is MMA now. I live it, eat it and sleep it.”
This will be an interesting challenge for Gustafsson, as Silva has been on the sidelines for an extended period, but was once a victory away from competing for the UFC light heavyweight title.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, silva, gustafsson, thiago silva
Read the full article at MMA ConvertRandy Couture’s Top 4 Pound-for-Pound UFC Fighters (Video)
Of all the people that discuss pound-for-pound rankings, there are few more qualified to present their opinions than former UFC champion Randy Couture. “The Natural” broke down his top four, in weight division order (lightest to heaviest). Couture, the first ever champion in two divisions, discusses why he feels these four particular fighters are the best in the world, and what differentiates them from other fighters.
His list is made up of four UFC champions- Jose Also, Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, Jon Jones. Couture speaks particularly highly of Jones, specifically with the 24-year old’s rapid development during his three year UFC career.
Watch as Couture speaks about all four champions and why they are a step above their competition:
Posted in: ufc, fighter, champion, year, poundforpound rankings
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyNumbers Never Lie: UFC 145 Jones vs. Evans
The reputations of both UFC 145 headliners Jon Jones and Rashad Evans are well known, but what are the statistics that back up these two main event fighters?
Posted in: ufc, jone, fighter, rashad evans, evan
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTop 15 Fighters Of All Time: The Introduction
My inspiration is simple for this one. I saw an exchange on Twitter where FrontRowBrian responded to the fan question: "Is Mauricio Rua a top 10-15 greatest MMA fighter of all time?" with "DEFINITELY". My initial response was to reflect on some of the most prolific and influential fighters in the modern day era, so I was surprised at Brian's apparent knee-jerk reaction here, especially since he seemed to respond in a similar impulsive manner to the same question about Quinton Jackson with an emphatic "HELL NO".
These exchanges got me thinking about how I would rank my own top 15 fighters throughout modern MMA history. Now, bear with me, I am going to make this list pretty much on the fly to see whether or not I agree with the impulsive assessments of Brian. So I'll set up some parameters for myself. First, I'll be starting with the UFC era, including pre-Zuffa. This is because it is the era of MMA I'm most familiar with and including much beyond that would be beyond the comfort zone of my knowledge. Second, my choices will not be limited to on-paper record accomplishment, because some fighters have been very influential to the sport without having spotless records. Third, I'm not putting any emphasis on the particular number of the rankings. I'm not interested in arguing for a definitive top 15 PFP Awesomenessocity contest. This will simply be a chronicle of my thoughts when considering who belongs on this list.
Initially, I intended to pop off a quick list of who I thought deserved to be on this list. In retrospect, I think this topic deserves to be more well thought out. So, I implore all of you to leave your comments and suggestions. Please save your judgements until I actually compile the list.
Posted in: mma, fighter, list, era, im
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendKenny Florian To Fighters Who Use PEDs: ‘Don’t Do It, Dummies!’
Kenny Florian prides himself on being a clean fighter who has never tested positive for anything illegal during his career.
While his fighting career is currently on hold due to an injury suffered in training, Florian has remained part of the UFC as an analyst on “UFC Tonight” and a color commentator for live events.
During Tuesday’s edition of “UFC Tonight,” Florian was asked his take on those fighters that use performance enhancing drugs in the sport.
As a clean fighter, the whole issue of performance enhancing drugs in MMA really pisses me off. This sport is about honor, technique and discipline. As a fighter, if you use PEDs, how does it feel good knowing that you won using them? Don’t do it, dummies!
Alistair Overeem, the current No. 1 contender to the UFC heavyweight title, has come under fire for failing a drug test for elevated levels of testosterone. Overeem, however, isn’t the only fighter to receive a suspension for failing a drug test, as the whole situation seems to be causing a dark cloud to form over MMA as a whole.
Hopefully, fighters will realize that they are hurting themselves, their friends and their profession by doing these illegal things and start taking better care of the situation by not doing it. What do you guys think? Should there be stiffer punishments for those that test positive?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, florian, drug, drug test
Read the full article at MMA ConvertFUEL TV targets June for 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' debut
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" is expected to air for U.S. audiences on FUEL TV in June, FUEL TV executive vice president and general manager George Greenberg today confirmed.
Greenberg said FUEL TV decided to delay the debut of the first international season of the long-running reality series in order to avoid competition with "The Ultimate Fighter: Live."
"We don't want to take any air out of the room promotionally for 'TUF' on FX," the executive told MMAjunkie.com
Posted in: fighter, tv, fuel tv, fuel, fighter brazil
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture Breaks Down the Top Pound-for-Pound Fighters
UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture knows a thing or two about MMA. In the latest edition of The Takedown on "UFC Ultimate Insider," "The Natural" weighs in on the best pound-for-pound fighters in the...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc hall, famer randy, poundforpound fighters
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUltimate Fighter And UFC Primetime Ratings On FX Continue To Drop
The ratings are in for the fifth episode of The Ultimate Fighter on FX and it's not pretty. 947,000 viewers tuned in. This is the first time the series has dropped below 1 million viewers. WWE Smackdown on Syfy was the top original cable program in that Friday night time slot with over 2.7 million viewers.
Here are the viewership numbers for the series so far:
TUF Live Episode 1: 1.28 million viewersTUF Live Episode 2: 1.1 million viewersTUF Live Episode 3: 1.2 million viewersTUF Live Episode 4: 947,000 viewers
There is more bad news for the UFC as MMA Payout reports that the debut UFC Primetime for UFC 145 drew 462.000 viewers.
Related Stories UFC Ultimate Fighter Live Wrap Up: Chiesa Wins Despite FlawsUFC 145 Primetime Video: Jon Jones Vs. Rashad Evans - Episode 1
MMA Payout comments:
Dismal ratings all around for the UFC. Do we attribute the poor ratings on the network change, the change to Friday nights, the content changes or all of the above. Certainly, some viewers may DVR TUF Live and UFC Primetime although the show overruns make recording the west coast reruns impossible unless you record the whole night on FX. As we reported last week, the UFC is still where it wants to be on FX based on the demos and overall performance of the network. But, just like a young team that shows promise, there will be lots of growing pains.
Payout has more in their first quarter review of the UFC's deal with Fox, FX and Fuel. Here's the commentary on the FX deal:
FX and the newly revamped "TUF Live" were a big part of the TV deal with TUF being the key platform the UFC uses to create future stars and PPV draws. So far, the show has been a disappointment (in terms of ratings) with all-time rating lows for the series. Dana White and the UFC brass predicted that they could very well reach 3 million viewers for TUF on FX if they were getting around 1.5 million on Spike TV without any promotion. Well, that prediction hasn't panned out yet, even with heavy promotion leading up the the debut on FX. More shocking is that after UFC moved to FX, FX network's M18-34 and M18-49 demos have decreased compared to Q1 2011 while Spike's have gone up. FX dedicating Friday nights as "UFC Nights", a day which is notorious for bad ratings and when the M18-34 demographic is not at home in front of their TV sets, has also not panned out for the UFC yet. Moving the content to mid-week could be a solution, but FX is happy enough with the Friday night ratings since it's an improvement from what they get with non-UFC content, so it looks like the UFC will have to ride this out for the time being.
My take on these numbers is that there are two main issues hurting the UFC's ratings on FX:
Fans are confused about where to find UFC programmingDana White has admitted to being frustrated with the ongoing difficulty in getting the message out to UFC fans that the promotion is not longer on Spike TV. This problem will be solved with enough time and the ample promotional budgets of Fox TV and the UFC.
The Ultimate Fighter is staleThe UFC acknowledged that the formula needed to be changed up when they adopted the live fight format on this season of The Ultimate Fighter. Well it turns out that fans are not especially interested in seeing fights between unknown and not especially promising young fighters whether they are live or not. The fundamental problem facing TUF is this: the best fighters are not on the show. Where the show once brought us talents like Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Josh Koscheck, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez who went on to be champions or title contenders, it's been several seasons since a major star came out of TUF. It's time the UFC stopped giving second-tier talents the big TUF push and spent the money necessary to get the best young prospects in front of the reality show cameras.
SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fx, tuf, rating
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 146: Mark Hunt Should Not Fight For The Heavyweight Title
Since Alistair Overeem's positive drug test theories and speculation abound about what would happen if he is removed from his UFC 146 bout against UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos. While he has not officially been removed, many fans are playing matchmaker and trying to pick the ideal man to replace Overeem to contend for the title. One fighter getting very vocal fan support is Mark Hunt. A decorated kick-boxer, Hunt competed in the competitive K-1 kickboxing promotion and won the 2001 K-1 Grand Prix.
Hunt is currently on a three fight winning streak, most recently his one round KO win over Cheick Kongo. A kickboxing based fighter with an exciting style with three straight wins seems like an ideal fighter to fill in for Overeem, a fellow K-1 Champion. While I am certainly a horrid match maker there seem to be clear problems with Hunt receiving a title shot.
The first issue with Hunt is his record in MMA. While most fans know that records in MMA are very different than in other combat sports, the fact that Hunt's last win put him at a 9-8 record can't be ignored. Can a fighter just one win over .500 really be competing for the biggest Heavyweight title in the sport? While this is mostly a cosmetic issue, it would not look good for the UFC for a fighter to all appearances a journeyman fighting for a title.
Now I know what your thinking, you want to bring up Brock Lesnar getting a title shot with 2-1 record, but that was a very different situation. First the true Heavyweight title, held by Randy Couture, had been inactive for over a year and the UFC had created an interim title. The UFC decided to host a mini Heavyweight tournament and Lesnar was selected to face Randy in the semi-finals. It was a smart move for the UFC, if Couture had won Lensar would have been an excellent fight to build towards the finals and Lesnar was a huge PPV draw, so his win only made the finals against Frank Mir the biggest event in UFC history. And even then the UFC did face critiques from sporting media who didn't fully understand MMA records for having a champion with so few fights. Hunt does not have that kind of marketing gravity and the heavyweight division is not anything close the same situation today than it was in 2008.
Another problem is that a big part of Hunt's revival is based around this idea of improvements in his grappling. While he does appear to have made strides on the ground, he is still not a well rounded fighter. His only recourse against Junior dos Santos is to attempt to strike with him, because he will not be able to grapple with him. And while many will say that a K-1 Champion would have the edge on the feet, it has been proven time and again that MMA is a different sport. A sport in which accomplished strikers can get beat up on the feet by guys who have never had a professional kick boxing match. In fact, dos Santos has already dispatched one former K-1 Champion in Mirko "Cro Cop" Flilpovic, soundly beating the him on the feet, forcing a stoppage in the third. This would be a showcase fight for the champion, and while not unheard of, the UFC is really trying to build the resume of the Heavyweight division. They have a crop of truly elite fighters at the that weight now, both in the UFC and in Strikeforce, and now is the time make the Heavyweight division into that casual fan division. Throwing in a one dimensional fighter to get pounded by the Champion flies in the face of the UFC's best fighting the best model.
The final problem is that there are far more deserving fighters in the UFC of a heavyweight title shot. While champions have been thrown fighters who may not have been ready for title shots before, like Dan Hardy facing Georges St. Pierre or Thales Leites challenging Anderson Silva, that has been in a situation where challengers have been lacking.
There is no lack of challengers for Junior dos Santos. Frank Mir and Cain Velsaquez came up almost instantly and Dana White seems committed to those two fighting each other. This seems like an ideal #1 contender match if the UFC is willing to wait for another heavyweight championship fight. Mir would be very interesting to see against the Champion as the two have never faced each other, and while Velsaquez lost his belt to dos Santos that rematch is just a matter of time. Also, much improved Fabricio Werdum is sitting idle and his fresh off his three round destruction of Roy Nelson. Both of these matches make much more sense for the UFC than Mark Hunt fighting for the title. And with Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett moving to the UFC, Shane Carwin returning from back surgery, and prospects like Travis Browne and Shane Del Rossario continuing to develop there doesn't appear to be a place in the title picture for Hunt.
While an entertaining notion, Mark Hunt fighting Junior dos Santos for the UFC title would not be a good move for the UFC. This is not to demean Mark Hunt as a fighter or a man, and his fight with Stefan Struve is the perfect contest for him. Hunt has a clear path to victory and Struve could test Hunt's improved grappling if the fight hits the mat. The UFC has worked hard in the past years to bring legitimacy to the much maligned Heavyweight division. And with an infusion of talent coming from Strikeforce it makes no sense to rush into a fight that will make no sense when we look back on it.
Posted in: ufc, hunt, title, fighter, heavyweight
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWhat season of TUF has had the most fighters come out and be active in the UFC?
Looking at Season 5 to me. submitted by blueboybob [link] [6 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, tuf, blueboybob
Read the full article at RedditUFC 145 Video: Rashad Evans Says 'Everyone Is a Fighter'
UFC Light Heavyweight #1 contender Rashad Evans declares that "everyone is a fighter" in this new video released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship to promote his title fight against champion Jon Jones at UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans in Atlanta, Georgia on April 21.
SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
Evans, a former LHW champ, lost the belt to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 in 2009. He had won the title from Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 in December, 2008. He made his UFC debut by winning the second season of The Ultimate Fighter in 2005 over Brad Imes at heavyweight.
Dogged by a reputation as a boring "lay and pray" fighter early on in his career, Evans put that reputation to rest with big KO wins over Chuck Liddell and Sean Salmon. Since then he's been criticized for holding out for a title shot which ended disastrously when he injured himself only weeks before his UFC 128 bout with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Jon Jones stepped up to replace Evans and took the title.
Posted in: ufc, title, jone, fighter, evan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter TV Ratings Drift Below 1 Million for the First Time
The Ultimate Fighter: Live, just five weeks into season 15, continues its downward trend in the TV ratings, drifting below one million viewers for the first time.
Posted in: time, fighter, rating, tv, tv ratings
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyCharles Oliveira vs. Jonathan Brookins Likely for TUF Finale
The UFC has revealed that featherweights Charles Oliveira (15-2, 1 NC) and Jonathan Brookins (13-4) have verbally agreed to meet in the cage this summer at The Ultimate Fighter Live: Finale.
The event is scheduled to take place on June 1 at the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be held to close out the fifteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter.
22-year-old Brazilian fighter Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira made his featherweight debut a successful one, defeating Eric Wisely via calf slicer earlier this year at UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis. That victory flagged his presence at 145lbs, earned him a Submission of the Night bonus and ended the three-fight skid that prompted his exit from the lightweight division.
Since beating Michael Johnson to win The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck as a lightweight, Jonathan Brookins has gone 1-1 in the UFC. The 26-year-old dropped back down to the featherweight division, where he’s spent most of his career and debuted with a unanimous decision loss to Erik Koch. In his most recent outing, at UFC on Fuel TV 1 February, Brookins rebounded from the loss to Koch with a first-round knockout of Vagner Rocha.
A five-round, welterweight bout between Martin Kampmann and Jake Ellenberger will headline the fight card.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, brookin, vs, jonathan
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyONE FC: Zorobabel Moreira Had to Leave Brazil in Order to Unlock His Potential
There is no shortage of Brazilians in mixed martial arts (MMA). They come up through domestic promotions like Jungle Fight and Fury FC and cut their teeth on arguably the most competitive circuit in the entire MMA world before the best of them break out onto the international scene.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions Anderson Silva, Junior dos Santos and Jose Aldo are the most famous but there is a constant supply of talent emerging from Brazil, Bibiano Fernandes is the best Bantamweight outside of the UFC and other names to look out for include Adriano Martins, Ronys Torres, Ronny Markes, Ronaldo Souza, Patricio Freire, Renan Pegado and Eduardo Dantas.
Fighters who emerge from Brazil are capable of making an instant impact on major league organizations because they have come from such a competitive environment. Unsurprisingly they tend to have very strong Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) but you only need to be familiar with the careers of Silva, Dos Santos and Aldo to know that Brazil also produces some very strong stand up fighters.
As they become more successful many of them make their way north to train in the US in order to take their skills to the next level and to work on aspects of their game which might be weaker such as wrestling. Zorobabel Moreira went a little bit further, moving 10,000 miles East to Singapore and it is a decision which is already paying dividends as he slowly but surely works his way up the list of Brazilian Lightweight prospects.
What would have happened to Moreira if he had stayed in Brazil? Perhaps he would have made it but with limited wrestling and very basic striking skills the 2005 IBFJJ Mundials winner would probably not have prospered. The holes in his game got brutally exposed in hie first fight in Asia when he was knocked out by Joe Ray at Martial Combat 3 in June 2010.
After only a few months in Singapore he was still the same one dimensional fighter who had left Brazil but after that loss he began to work every single day with the team of Muay Thai world champions at Evolve MMA and something special began to happen.
A rear naked choke win over K-1 veteran Yun Seob Kwak at Martial Combat 12 would have done much to setlle his nerves but at that stage there was still little to suggest that Moreira would one day emerge as the most exciting lightweight prospect on the South East Asian circuit.
This was where the hard work behind the scenes really begun. Evolve MMA owner Chatri Sityodtong identified Moreira's stand up as being a weakness and assigned three time Lumpinee champion Lamnamoon Sor Sumalee to work with him on a daily basis.
Rather than rushing him into another MMA fight they took their time and prepared Moreira to get some actual experience of fighting professional Muay Thai in Thailand so that he could become genuinely comfortable fighting on his feet.
He was all set to make his Muay Thai debut in Pattaya when, as Moreira recalls, Evolve MMA received a surprise phone call from a new promoter,
"Chatri told me that there was a new MMA show in Thailand and they wanted me to fight Ferrid Kheder in Bangkok in a week's time. I had been training for my first Muay Thai fight but at Evolve MMA we train together every day even if we don't have a fight so even though I was not expecting to do an MMA fight Chatri believed I was ready."
It had been eight months since Moreira has last been in competitive action and the fighter he was facing at the first ever DARE event was Ferrid Kheder, an Olympian Judoka and MMA veteran who had won 13 out of his previous 15 fights and hadn't lost in almost two years.
It was the first opportunity for him to showcase the Muay Thai skills he had spent the best part of the previous year acquiring with the trainer designated to him by Evolve MMA,
"Lamnamoon was very tall for his weight, just like me, and he was very famous in Thailand for having very good knees so he helped me to fight the same style as him. I learned to use my knees and my elbows and kicks and teeps as well as punches. He was one of the best Muay Thai fighters in Thailand and there is no-one in Brazil who teaches in the same style. I was very lucky to train with him every day at Evolve MMA, he helped me a lot."
Moreira came very close to finishing the fight with Kheder in the second round when he rocked him with the sort of knee to the chin which Lamnamoon would have thoroughly approved of. He also used the teeps to very good effect throughout the three rounds winning by a clear cut unanimous decision.
This was followed by an even more convincing performance against another much more experienced fighter, Andy Wang, at ONE FC 1. This time Moreira put on a Muay Thai clinic, using all eight limbs to batter the TUF veteran with punches, knees, kicks and elbows, stopping him in the second round to register a successful lightweight debut.
The next test came in the form of Felipe Enomoto who had just submitted Ole Laursen the previous month. The Swiss Japanese fighter is extremely well rounded and presented a very different type of challenge either Wang or Kheder but once again Moreira showed how he was developing, this time using lightning fast low kicks to chop away at Enomoto's lead leg and set up the sweep which led to the third round submission.
It was a textbook example of how a Muay Thai technique can be employed to take a fight to the floor in just the same sort of a way which wrestlers use takedowns and according to Moreira this was partly the gameplan but his stand up has also evolved to the point where he is capable of thinking on his feet,
"I saw sometimes when I kicked his legs he could feel it and I tried to confuse him with punches and then use a leg kick. The strategy was to use jabs and leg kicks. I did one kick and he fell down so I had opportunity to go for the armbar and then I got the armbar."
ONE FC War Of The Lions: Felipe Enomoto vs Zorobabel Moreira (via OneFCMMA)
There is still a long way to go before we can even start talking about Moreira in the same breath as Silva, Dos Santos and Aldo but as one of the stars of ONE Fighting Championship he is already well on his way to being the most famous Brazilian fighter in Asia.
Prior to his fight against Enomoto, which was the main event at ONE FC 2 and was witnessed by around 8,000 people in the Singapore Indoor Stadium, he appeared on ESPN's Sports Centre and you can see the segment here. It was a nerve wracking experience for someone who, until recently, did not speak good English but Moreira handled it with the same sort of poise he would handle Enomoto a few nights later,
"I was little bit nervous because my English not so good and I know people everywhere in Asia were watching so I hope they understood me. My life now is so good, in Brazil I was very poor but here I can train with the best fighters in the world and have a lot of people come and cheer for me when I fight in Singapore. I feel Singapore is my home and Evolve MMA is my family and the team is so strong and that helps me so much and makes me very confident when I fight."
Every single ONE FC event to date has been headlined by a 155 lbs fighter and the division is the promotion's most competitive at present. Eduard Folayang, Ole Laursen, Eddie Ng, Vuyisile Colossa and Rustam Khabilov are just some of the names in the mix but Moreira could well be the best of them all.
He has come a long way in more ways than one since he left Brazil with a BJJ black belt in his back pocket and a couple of MMA wins to his name but not much else to suggest he would one day become one of the top lightweights in Asia. The weeks and months of work with Lamnamoon at Evolve MMA have transformed him from a one dimensional grappler to a truly well rounded mixed martial artist and his brave decision to move 10,000 miles in order to train in Singapore has well and truly paid off.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, brazil, moreira
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Ultimate Fighter: Brazil Third Episode Now Available on UFC.TV
The third episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil premiered last night in Brazil, with the entire episode now available here in the United States. The series, which is of course, filmed in Brazil, is shot in Portuguese, but airs on the website with English subtitles.
The season premiered last month (results from the first episode can be found here), and aired the 16 fights to show which 8 featherweights and 8 middleweights earned a spot in the house for this season.
The entire season will air on the UFC’s website, with new episodes premiering every Sunday at 12 AM EST/9 PM PST.
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: fighter, season, episode, brazil, fighter brazil
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC Ultimate Fighter Live Wrap Up: Chiesa Wins Despite Flaws
Here in week 5 of UFC's The Ultimate Fighter Live, we seem to have settled into a groove with the show, for both good and bad. Episodes have been focused primarily on the actual fight and fight planning (good), interspersed with the occasional obnoxious reality TV nonsense tossed in courtesy of Chris Tickle (bad). But the heavy emphasis remains on the fights, and so I remain happy.
That's not to say there isn't some bad. This week, there were two potentially irritating storylines at play. First, Dominick Cruz tried to get Sam Sicilia to help him and Jeremy Larsen strategize for the Michael Chiesa fight. And Sicilia refused. Cruz pushed him a bit, but gave up and it became sort of a non issue. For my money, I'm with Sicilia here. Cruz was arguing that to make it to the top, you have to fight friends sometimes. And I get that. But this wasn't about Sicilia fighting Chiesa, it was about him helping some guy he met a few weeks ago and has artificially been put on a team with figure out how to beat his best friend. Why do that? It felt like Cruz and Sicilia were talking apples to oranges here, and I'm glad it ended up not becoming much of a thing.
The other annoyance was, of course, Tickle. I'm hesitant to talk much about him simply because he seems like a guy who feeds off attention, so why give it to him, you know? But it has to be mentioned, especially since he's fighting next week. The impression I get of him is that he is mentally weak. Oh sure, he would go berserk if you said that, and probably threaten to beat me up, but in my experience, the people who talk the most about their mental toughness are the ones that most lack it. He approaches everything like a man with something to prove, but when push comes to shove, his actions tell the story. And those actions don't say he's a mentally tough fighter to me. Now, there is of course some reality TV editing work at play here, so take his actions with a bit of a grain of salt, but at the same time, they are not creating this persona out of thin air. We'll see next week how well he backs it up.
Also, Tickle wins the award for worst staredown ever. Seriously, EVER.
Other random points:
I'm not horribly anti-Urijah Faber, but he seems kind of... I don't know, weird? The whole Cruz shoe thing was odd, and the man uses a lot of unnecessary words when making fight picks.
No mention of how Rio's injury is going, which is probably a good thing for him.
A random thought I had this week - when are Cruz and Faber training for their fight? Normally there is a big gap between the end of filming and the finale, but with this year's live format, their fight is coming up in July and they will be focused on this show often between now and then.
Mike Chiesa vs. Jeremy Larsen:
Chiesa was paired with Larsen because of his wrestling, and I was impressed by the takedowns the Team Faber fighter showed. He was tenacious and resourceful with them; I liked how he would switch from a double to a single to a trip until he got the fight down. But as impressed with his takedowns as I was, I was equally unimpressed with his stand-up, which was sloppy and rudimentary. I like Chiesa's personality, but I would pick any of the other 4 quarter finalists over him at this point.
Larsen is tough and has heart, but he's just too sloppy to make it in the UFC I think.
I've seen some complaints about the 1 point deduction for the illegal knee, but I thought it was the right call. It was an illegal blow and it's on fighters to show the needed control in order to follow the rules. That said, Faber didn't help Chiesa there, calling repeatedly for the knee, but then not clearly telling Chiesa when Larsen grounded himself. If you're going to be very vocal in calling for the knee (which, as a coach, is a good thing), you need to be equally vocal to tell your fighter NOT to throw it when that time comes.
Joe Proctor vs. Chris Tickle:
This feels like a pretty big fight, as both Tickle and Proctor impressed in their opening fights. The clear downside is it means a very Tickle-heavy show next week. Luckily, there's good footage available from both men's pre-TUF careers, so check back later this week for an in-depth preview.
Posted in: fight, fighter, week, cruz, chiesa
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Episode 3 Results and Recap
"The Ultimate Fighter Brazil" continued Sunday night on TUF.tv with the second fight of the season. Get full results and an Episode 3 recap here at HeavyMMA.
Posted in: fighter, sunday night, brazil, recap, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Heavy MMAPRO MMA fighter gets KTFO at a poll party...
submitted by phazshifter11 [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: fighter, mma fighter, phazshifter, poll party, ktfo
Read the full article at RedditEpisode No. 3 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" marks the first-ever international
version of the long-running reality competition series, and the third
episode debuted tonight.
Featuring Brazilian coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, "TUF:
Brazil," sees 16 middleweight and 16 featherweight fighters all vying
for a UFC contract.
Check out MMAjunkie.com's Episode No. 3 recap, which features the season's first middleweight tourney bout and a bit of rising tension.
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, fighter brazil, mmajunkiecoms episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieSweden's Abedi Stoked For Homecoming
“Trainers Hate Him.” Chances are you’ve been a captive audience to that cheesy online headline before. Whether the musclebound freaks / cartoonishly ripped dudes featured in those ‘Get Buff’ ads are factual or fictitious, I have no idea. What I do know is that Papy Abedi could easily stump as poster boy for those outrageous promos. The Zaire-born, Sweden-built fighter rivals Georges St-Pierre for most beastly physique in the 170-pound division. Yet, in Abedi’s case, the 33-year-old is super buff and super-shredded despite rarely lifting weights. The judo black belt tells of the time he accompanied a friend to a bodybuilding competition. On a whim, the friend entered Abedi’s name into the competition. “Without any training at all he earned a silver medal in the fitness competition,” said MMA trainer Andreas Michael said of his soft-spoken protégé. You could also say that Abedi settled for a silver medal in his UFC debut as well. He stepped into the Octagon a sterling 8-0 against Thiago Alves. The ensuing clash of wills saw the Brazilian overwhelm Abedi en route to a first round submission win. I asked Abedi if he felt he had been “thrown to the wolves” too soon. “I wanted to test myself and I always want to fight the best,” Abedi, speaking Swedish, said courtesy of Michael’s English translation. “But it was early, in my first UFC fight, to fight one of the best in the weight division. I still feel that if I had the type of training, preparation and sparring that I have now – because I changed teams for this fight … the fight would have been completely different. So it was early for me, but it was a healthy experience that will help me grow and become a better MMA fighter. I needed to work with people that know how to bring the best out of me.”The “new team” Abedi referenced includes San Diego-based Alliance MMA, home of UFC champ Dominick Cruz, Phil Davis, and Brandon Vera, among others. Since Cruz and company are holding their camp in Vegas, to accommodate filming The Ultimate Fighter Live, Abedi spent three weeks in the desert advancing his education. It was Abedi’s first foray training in the U.S. “It was a good experience working with such good UFC athletes and a great champion like Dominick Cruz,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot for my wrestling and cagework game. If I had trained like this for Thiago Alves the outcome would have been a lot different. So it’s been an awesome camp that my head trainer, Andreas, put together. I’ve developed a lot as an MMA fighter working with the best.” Indeed, it is hard to miss the emerging trend at Alliance, where the number of European fighters continues to climb. Britain’s Ross Pearson, lightweight winner of season nine of The Ultimate Fighter, is a regular face at Alliance sparring sessions. UFC light heavyweight Cyrille Diabate (France) has held part of his camp there. And Sweden’s Alexander Gustafsson, one of the premier prospects at 205 pounds, has tallied several months with the deeply talented squad. Gustafsson was the first Swede to make the trek, a decision inspired by the only loss of his pro career, to Phil Davis two years ago. “After that loss, we sat down and talked and I told Alex, ‘We have two choices: Either we can go to Wolfslair – which had Rampage, Bisping and Cheick Kongo and all of those guys – or we could go to Alliance,” said head trainer Michael. “We decided that the best thing, mentally and physically, was for him to go to Alliance and work with the person that he lost to. We chose to work with Alliance to work on Alexander’s wrestling there. So we packed our bags and went to work with Alliance and Alex got his confidence back. Alliance is our co-team. They are one of the best teams in the world. “It’s a family growing together. Everyone is willing to learn and work hard and there are no egos in the way. So we made the same choice taking Papy there.” Abedi, who speaks four languages and is presently studying English, confesses to being a bit of a homebody. And that sensibility shaped his experience in Las Vegas.“I’m a family man with two kids and a wife,” he said. “I don’t really like staying up late and things like that. I’m not into night life. I prefer to stay at home with family.” Back in Stockholm and peaking in his camp, Abedi is excited to represent his countrymen during the UFC’s first-ever show in Sweden, scheduled for April 14. His opponent will be James Head (7-2), a BJJ purple belt under highly respected instructor Rafael Lovato Jr. who also has extensive boxing experience and four knockouts to prove it. Some fighters really dissect and hyper-analyze their opponents. Abedi, who has finished seven of his eight victories, leaves the film study to his coaches. “There’s not a lot to say about him (Head) because everyone in the UFC is a good fighter,” Abedi said. “It’s going to be a good match. I’ve trained very hard and I hope James Head has trained hard as well because I want to put on a really good show for the fans in Sweden. The arena sold out in three hours. I’ve got the home advantage, the crowd, my family and friends behind me. It’s a friendly and familiar environment. At the same time, there’s a lot of stress and pressure because it is at home. But I’m honored and happy to be a part of this historic event. I’m honored to fight in my home country.”
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, alliance, abedi
Read the full article at UFCUltimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil live results and coverage for episode 3
Get your coffee, snuggie, and sick day excuse ready; it's time for another round of late-night entertainment.
That's right, tonight (April 9, 2012) at midnight ET, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): Brazil returns, and MMAmania.com will have live coverage of the third episode, which will be available on UFC.com.
When we last left our intrepid band of pugilist, Team Vitor Belfort had pulled out to an early lead. Taking advantage of Wanderlei Silva's decision to take the first fighter (Rony "Jason" Mariano Bezerra) instead of the first pick, Vitor matched Godofredo Pepey with Silva's last featherweight pick, Wagner Campos. After a fairly uninspiring affair that demonstrated serious holes in both men's games, Pepey came away with a unanimous decision, securing continued match-up control for Vitor.
Tonight, the first middleweight scrap goes down, as do several of the cast members' undergarments.
Complete results and live coverage, starting at 12 a.m. ET, is after the jump.
ULTIMATE FIGHTER BRAZIL EPISODE THREE RESULTS AND LIVE COVERAGE
Patrick here. Go watch Game of Thrones until we kick off coverage later on tonight.
Posted in: result, fighter, vitor, brazil, coverage
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMy friend is an amateur fighter out of South Bend Indiana. Here is his career KO with a nasty head kick.
submitted by GibstDuKopf [link] [8 comments]
Posted in: fighter, head kick, head, amateur fighter, career ko
Read the full article at RedditKeith Jardine: The Fighter Who Always Said Yes
For the past several years, Keith Jardine has been the fighter the UFC or Strikeforce have called whenever they needed somebody to step up and he's always said yes...till now.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, keith jardine, jardine, keith
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyVideo: UFC's Dana White On MMA Being Cooler Than Football, Fighter Pay, Steroids
UFC president Dana White recently did a three part interview series with Swedish MMA journalist Marcus Kowal, the first part of which we aired here several weeks ago.
However, it's the final two installments that are the most quotable, giving insight into White's views on his fighters being paid enough and why he thinks more guys should go into MMA than football.
Some highlights from Part 2:
- White talks about going to Sweden for the first time and how they're planning to go back based on the quick sellout.
- He talks about the Brazil soccer stadium show being "one of biggest sporting events of the year" and that Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II is something his entire fanbase across the world will want to see.
- His opinion on fighters not tapping out, specifically with Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. This transitions into his thoughts on women's MMA post-Rousey/Tate and how the two "changed his mind".
But it's Part 3 that is the most interesting. See the quotes and the video after the jump.
A few highlights from Part 3:
- White went into detail about how athletes can be "huge superstars" in MMA and make "tons of money", adding that the the sport is safer, "way cooler" and there's more longevity than in football. "Let's be honest here. "Do you want to be a (expletive) football player throwing a football around or do you want to be the heavyweight champion of the (expletive) world? Seriously, is there any debate?," he said.
- White talks about a discussion with Fox in which they asked about what fighters make and how they asked why he didn't promote that more heavily. He brings up his reasons why, citing examples from Mike Tyson and baseball player Prince Fielder.- White said over the next five years, money is going to get bigger for fighters. A quote. "They're making plenty of (expletive) money."- He blames media and people "buzzing around" about all the talk about pay. He says that in 11 years and more than 1700 fights, he's never seen a worse beating than Lorenzo Fertitta's talk with "that guy from ESPN". "If that doesn't tell the story, nothing does," he said.
- He goes into helping fighters out, what the yearly Fighter Summit is supposed to be about and his frustrations when people come to him after a fighter gets busted for steroids. "I have 375 guys under contract. I have this huge business to run. I told you what the next two years of my life were going to be like and I'm supposed to be babysitting these guys? They're grown (expletive) men," he said.
Posted in: mma, fighter, part, football, expletive
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTop 10 Bellator Knockouts Video – Can These Fighters Compete in the UFC or Strikeforce?
This video not only gives us a peek at some of Bellator’s top KO artists, but a potential look at some stars who may be able to really bring it to Strikeforce or UFC contenders. The UFC acquired the contracts for Pride fighters, merged WEC fighters into the UFC and now has bought Strikeforce. But [...]
Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, fighter, wec fighters, ufc contenders
Read the full article at Fighthub TVTwitter Mailbag: Talking Alistair Overeem, This Week's Best and Worst Viral Videos, and More
Congratulations, fight fans. You've made it all the way to the final weekend of the UFC's spring hiatus. That wasn't so bad, right?
We still have to find a way to get through these last few days, so we might as well pry open the Twitter Mailbag one more time and see what's in there. You know, aside from a bunch of questions about Alistair Overeem's testosterone levels. Let's start with something different and work our way up to The Reem, shall we?
sonnysaggese @sonnysaggeseBen I know u r no huge Rampage fan but these attacks on him for that skit r absurd. R the MMA pundits now the new censors?
Before we get to the video itself, let’s make an important distinction between censorship and commentary. Censorship involves suppressing free expression in some way, whereas commentary is free expression about free expression. It’s the difference between telling someone ‘You can’t say that’ and telling them ‘I think what you just said was stupid.’ Nobody is censoring "Rampage" Jackson’s video. It’s still there, still in its original form, still just as baffling as it was the day it was uploaded to YouTube.For those of you who haven’t seen the video yet, well, I can’t exactly recommend it, but if you want to be able to follow this discussion I guess you might as well take a look at it. Obviously, once we start talking about whether a video on YouTube was funny/entertaining/offensive/dumb, we drift into the land of subjective value judgments. What’s funny to me might be offensive or just boring to you, and vice versa. Personally? I thought the video was unwatchably bad. It is so unfunny that I can't even tell if it was supposed to be funny. It is so bizarre that I have to consider the possibility that everyone involved in making it was under the influence of powerful hallucinogens at the time.I don’t think any subject should be off-limits for humor. I think you can joke about absolutely anything, as long as you’re funny. There’s some valuable humor out there on every subject -- rape included (link is totally NSFW, by the way) -- but the more sensitive the topic, the greater the risk. You tell an unfunny joke about your parents, people might smile politely and feel embarrassed for you. Tell an unfunny joke about violent sexual assault, and you’ve just alienated everyone within the range of your voice. Tell that same joke at work, and you just might lose your job.Honestly, when I saw that video my first thought was that it must be an attempt to get fired from the UFC. Maybe I just hoped that’s what it was, since at least that made some sort of sense. After Miguel Torres was fired for making a rape joke on Twitter, who could seriously think it was a good idea to star in a how-to video about a parking garage sexual assault, even if, according to Jackson, it had some sort of convoluted anti-rape message? It’s just shockingly bad judgment. It would be like some fighter seeing what happened to Mo Lawal after he lashed out at a state athletic commission member on Twitter, and then deciding that it would be a good idea to go egg Keith Kizer’s house.Some people seem to find Jackson’s video funny. I don’t understand how or why, but I could say the same about most Adam Sandler movies. If you watched it and came to the conclusion that, yes, this is an excellent use of time for both a pro fighter and a film crew, then fine. But when other people tell you that they think you’re wrong, they’re not censoring you. They are disagreeing with you. That’s how this free expression stuff works. The traffic runs in both directions.Roger Crandy @rogercrandywhat are the odds that Frank Mir is the next heavyweight champion?Not great. Dana White recently assured a tweeter that the Mir/Velasquez fight would go down as scheduled, so Mir probably still has to get through a fellow former champ before he can get within smelling distance of UFC gold again. Even then, I don’t like his chances to beat Junior dos Santos -- assuming he still has the belt by then, and who knows with this division. In answer to your question, I say it’s 3-1 against Mir becoming a UFC champ again, and 5-1 against him becoming the very next champ. Ryan Young @YoungRyan4Great Overeem article. Should he be released by Zuffa and, more importantly, do you think will he be?History tells us that punishments for failed drug tests in the UFC vary greatly depending on the fighter and the situation. Chael Sonnen gets popped for high testosterone after a title fight? Let’s let "the government" sort it out. Vinicius Quieroz gets popped for steroids after losing his UFC debut? It was nice knowing you, kid. Typically the UFC has gone harder on fighters who get busted before a fight (see also: Nate Marquardt), and Overeem definitely falls into that category. Not only did his drug test failure put the main event in jeopardy, it messed with the entire UFC heavyweight title picture. Dana White normally prefers to leave punishment for failed drug tests up to "the government," but you know he’s got to be fuming over this one.Personally, I don’t feel right about going all torches and pitchforks on a guy for his first failed drug test. While it certainly seems possible that Overeem has dabbled in PED’s before now, officially this is still the first strike for him. Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance? Don’t some fighters get a third and fourth chance? Overeem looks to have screwed up big time here, but he has plenty of company in the drug test doghouse. Seems only fair to give him the same chance to redeem himself.Zach Thorax @sephiroth872y is it that TRT seems to be exploding nowadays? Are fighters just now using it, or is it being caught more 4 sum reason?Testosterone use itself isn’t new, but it does seem like more and more fighters are discovering it lately, and I can see how it must be an attractive option. For one thing, you can get it legally, if you find the right doctor. The same is not true of steroids. For another, it’s the rare PED that you don’t have to make any effort to mask in your drug tests. As Dr. Johnny Benjamin points out, testosterone occurs naturally in the body, so it’s just a matter of doing the math and figuring out when your levels will come down to the acceptable range, which is relatively easy to do. I also think there’s a fad element to it. Fighters are no different than people in any other business. Of course they talk and gossip about each other. So do NASA scientists and hairdressers and carpenters. That’s just how it goes. Fighters hear through the grapevine that so-and-so has a doctor willing to play ball on TRT, and suddenly that guy’s hitting the gym harder than ever and feeling great. He doesn’t get as worn down in training camp. His nagging injuries heal faster. He has more energy, and he’s winning fights. That sounds good, right? Sure it does. And what if you have to fight that guy? Odds are you think you’re a better fighter, but if he’s getting that outside help don’t you want to level the playing field? Of course you do. That’s why you should go see this doctor. Tell him I sent you. Trust me, he’s cool.quebert X. einstein @oldskoolunchboxNobody mentions Cain Velasquez for a title shot...Why has the MMA world shunned him so?Nobody’s shunning Velasquez. It’s just that, when your last fight was a first-round knockout loss, it’s tough to make the case for an immediate title shot. You’ve got to win at least one before we can start talking about you as a top contender again.Money @Money644seeing how your gonna get a million questions about reem, I figured I would spice it up bit. Best UFC fight ever was?I appreciate you breaking up the monotony for me. My fingers were getting tired of typing the word ‘testosterone’ this week. To answer your question: the best fight in the history of the UFC, in my humble opinion, was Dan Henderson vs. "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139. Though, I guess there’s another fight where testosterone played at least some sort of role. Forget it. There is no escape.Tim Kennedy @TimKennedyMMAwho is hotter Katy Perry or me as Katy Perry?You know, I didn’t think this question would be so difficult until I really started to think about it. It’s possible that I spent entirely too much time thinking about it, in fact, but I can’t change that now. For those of you who somehow didn’t see Mr. Kennedy’s Katy Perry music video...what, parody? Homage? I don’t even know what to call it, but it doesn’t matter. Stop what you’re doing and go watch it. Then come back here and tell me that you still think "Rampage" Jackson’s video was funny. I dare you.Anyway, back to the question. While Katy Perry is an attractive woman, she’s also a terrible singer and kind of a cultural disaster. Tim Kennedy, on the other hand, is an American hero who isn’t afraid to put on a wig and dance to make his point. After crunching the numbers on this one, I declare it a tie. Katy Perry is exactly as hot as Tim Kennedy dressed up as Katy Perry.Martin Lindgren @MarreoMediaDo you think it's right to take away everything an athlete has done prior to his/hers doping conviction? #twittermailbagGood question, and one I’ve thought about a lot with regards to both Overeem and "Cyborg" Santos recently. It does seem unfair for one positive test to wipe out everything that came before it. At the same time, what are the odds that this person got caught on their first and only effort to cheat? It makes you look back at their other accomplishments and wonder. It leaves you with this nagging doubt you can’t ever get rid of, and it leaves the fighter with a suspicious public that will always look at him like it’s trying to figure out whether he’s lying right now. Maybe that punishment fits the crime.Matt Baxter @Sneaky_Scrote#1 contender for the hw strap getting popped for roids = watershed moment? does random testing HAVE to be implemented now?How do you think we got this positive test result to begin with? That was out-of-competition testing, so maybe we should take a minute to appreciate the Nevada State Athletic Commission stepping up its efforts. The UFC 146 heavyweights showed up for a press conference in the middle of their training camps, and NSAC executive director Keith Kizer wisely took the opportunity to hand them each a cup to pee in. As easy as it is to beat up on athletic commissions, let’s not forget to pat them on the back a little bit when they get it right.But yes, I agree that this should serve as a reminder that there is a huge difference between scheduled drug tests the day before a fight and surprise tests more than a month out. That doubt and fear is what will help keep fighters honest, and we need more of it. Hopefully the UFC realizes that too, and will start conducting some of its own random testing, if only to avoid this exact situation. Dana White is right when he says that it’s difficult and expensive to do. Then again, how much money do you think the UFC will lose by having Overeem pulled from this fight? How much bad press and needless headaches will result from it? How many ulcers do you think this one situation caused in Zuffa’s Las Vegas office? If I had as much money as Zuffa, I’d be willing to spend some of it to avoid weeks like that.James Alberghine @JamesAlberghineAs steroid use becomes unveiled (TRT/Otherwise) do you think it's effected the decline/legacy of clean fighters like Fedor?After spending the bulk of his career in Japan, you think Fedor knew what it was like to fight a ‘roided up opponent long before TRT became so fashionable? I’m going to say yes. He probably beat plenty of dudes who were chemically enhanced, and unless he was completely naive, he probably knew it. In general though, I think we have to be careful about assigning too much importance to the ability of PEDs to decide the outcome of a fight. When Fedor got triangle-choked by Fabricio Werdum, that had nothing to do with what was in either man’s bloodstream. The same is probably true of his loss to Antonio Silva, who would still have a tremendous size advantage over Fedor even if he was subsisting on a diet of Ritz crackers and acai shakes. That’s not to say PEDs don’t matter, or that we shouldn’t do our best to eradicate them from the sport. We should. But in the meantime, let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that Fedor’s decline probably had a lot more to do with what was going on with Fedor than what was going into the bodies of his opponents.Karim Zidan[Founder] @TheFlyingKneeTOstill didnt get your thoughts on Jake Shields as a middleweight contender? Do you think he would beat Bisping/munoz etcI think the Akiyama fight showed that Shields still has some shortcomings in his game, and I doubt they’re the type that will be fixed by going up in weight. Obviously, he’s a superb technician on the mat. He’s just not that great at getting the fight there, and not threatening enough anywhere else to make up for it. Against a guy like Mark Munoz, I think he’d be in a lot of trouble right now.sonnysaggese @sonnysaggeseBen why has Reem been so silent? And not asked for b sample test? Every second that goes by he looks ..guiltierAbsolutely. Unlike with your view on the "Rampage" rape video, here I totally agree with you. The longer a fighter in this situation says nothing, the more it seems like an admission of guilt. It’s like an episode of The First 48, when they bring a murder suspect in for an interrogation. The innocent man slams his hand on the table and demands that the police apologize for even daring to suggest that he could have killed his friend. The guilty man shakes his head and mumbles something about a lawyer or cigarettes. I can understand taking some time to form a coherent response, but if you think there’s even an outside chance that you may be innocent, you ask the NSAC to test that B sample right away. If you’re Overeem, you have to know that the whole MMA world is calling you a cheater right now. To remain silent is to tell them that they’re right.Matt Looney @RMLooneysince you are such a manly man, and for sake of comparison, what's your T/E ratio?I have no idea. It never occurred to me to go get it checked, but maybe now I will. Maybe all of us should, just so we can have some personal frame of reference for when a bunch of heavily muscled pro athletes in their late 20s and early 30s try to tell us that their own levels are chronically low. Oron L Crawford @OronLCrawfordtwitter mailbag: all four of mike russow's opponents have been cut after losing to him. Is he MMAs grim reaper?Maybe he is. And you know what else? Maybe that’s kind of awesome. If I were Russow, I’d embrace it. I’d let everybody know that the worst thing that could happen to their MMA career is a loss to me. "The Grim Reaper" seems like kind of a cliche nickname, so I might go with something like "The Contract-Shredder" or "The Harbinger of Pink Slips." If he wanted to go all Chael Sonnen with it, he could even cut post-fight promos where he referred to himself as the worst thing to happen to the unemployment rate since The Great Depression. Then again, maybe this still isn’t the right economic climate for that particular gimmick.Nate Pagano @Nate_PaganoDo you see Anderson Silva retiring with the belt? If not, who beats him for it?Chael Sonnen is the last best hope to separate Silva from that belt. If he can’t do it, then yes, I think "The Spider" will ride into the sunset with the strap still around his waist. It’s either that, or do what so many other great fighters have done and stick around way too long for no good reason. Fortunately, I don’t think he’s that type. Or maybe I just hope he isn’t.Matt Giesbrecht @MattGiesbrechtWhat do you think of Brock Lesnar's return to pro wrestling? What kind of legacy do you think his MMA career leaves? #mailbagI think Lesnar is better off in the WWE. The money there is good, or so I hear, and he no longer has to worry about people trying to hurt him on purpose (just on accident). As far as his legacy, my guess is we’ll look back on the Lesnar era in MMA and think of it as a strange period that was as exciting as it was brief. I mean, it’s pretty weird when you think about it. The guy quits pro wrestling, can’t make it in the NFL, becomes the UFC heavyweight champ in his fourth professional fight, then retires three years later, following his second consecutive loss. It was a wild ride, but I’m not even sure you can really call his time in MMA a career. Let’s think of Lesnar as a sort of visiting professor in the grand university that is the UFC. He swept in here, freaking out the undergrads and smashing his office furniture, then swept right back out again without even returning his parking pass. They’ll still be talking about him at faculty cocktail parties for years to come.
Posted in: ufc, fight, right, fighter, itrsquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseJonathan Brookins battling Charles Oliveira at Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale
Former TUF winner Jonathan Brookins will return to a familiar setting for his next outing, as UFC officials have announced the 13-4 featherweight is booked for a bout with rising Brazilian star Charles Oliveira at the Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale. Both fighters are coming off opening round stoppages and considered to be two of the brightest prospects in the sport at 145 pounds.
Brookins’ previously pairing in the cage came against Wagner Rocha in February where he made quick work of his adversary, scoring a knockout finish 92 seconds into the first frame. The victory marked the fifth time he’d had his hand raised in six scraps and second inside the Octagon.
Though “Do Bronx” is 1-2 in his last three tilts, the 22-year old is 15-2 overall and picked up a submission win in his featherweight debut at UFC on FOX 2 with a rarely-seen Calf Slicer. Oliveira has finished fourteen of the opponents he’s beaten with a solid balance between tap-outs and TKOs.
Other match-ups between John Albert-Byron Bloodworth and Pat Schilling-Max Holloway were also revealed for the June 1 event. The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale is set to be headlined by a clash for top contendership between welterweights Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, brookin, oliveira, finale
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainTUF Live Finale dds Brookins-Oliveira, Holloway-Schilling, Albert-Bloodworth
Three new bouts are official for The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale, UFC executives recently announced.
They include featherweights Jonathan Brookins vs. Charles Oliveira, featherweights Max Holloway vs. Pat Schilling, and bantamweights John Albert vs. Byron Bloodworth.
They join a June 1 card that also includes the tournament finale for "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" reality series.
Posted in: fighter, vs, featherweight, finale, tournament finale
Read the full article at MMA JunkieAsian MMA Update - UFC Gets TV Deal In India, Legend FC 8 Results: Jadamba Defends Title, Kawanago Takes Vacant Belt
Here's few of the big news coming out of the Asian MMA scene:
Legend FC 8, which happened in Hong Kong last weekend, was originally supposed to be in Jakarta, headlined by Indonesia's home town hero, Fransino Tirta. Unfortunately, he ruptured his appendix before the fight, and had to be scrapped from the card. After several more injuries and a whirlwind of events, the promotion decided to move the show to their home-base of Hong Kong, just two weeks before the event.It was a tough task, but their co-founder Chris Pollack claims that they still broke attendance records in the country. "We had to uproot our show, change countries and come to Hong Kong and put on a fight with only two weeks notice," he said, "But despite all the challenges we faced, we still saw our strongest ever ticket sales in Hong Kong."
Headlining the event was Jadamba Narantungalag taking on Nam Yui Chul for the Legend FC lightweight title. After winning the first round where Jadamba had dropped his Korean opponent, the Mongolian fighter locked in a guillotine on the second round to successfully defend his lightweight belt for the first time.
For the co-headliner of the night, Yusuke Kawanago took home the vacant Legend FC featherweight title by submitting Chinese fighter, Ji Xian, who was stepping in on short notice. With the victory, Kawanago is expected to make his first title defense against Fransino Tita when the fight gets re-booked for that planned Indonesian card in July.
Those title fights will obviously get the most attention, but the two bouts that stole the show were on the prelims. (You can watch them here).
Filipino fighter Augustin Delarmino was losing all three rounds on his fight, showing lack of takedown defense and jiujitsu skills. He was able to survive though, and with just 29 seconds left he displayed his excellent Muay Thai, and KO'd Kai Kara-France to win his second straight Knockout of the Night bonus in as much fights.
Rob Hill also made a splash as he made the most of his opportunity when he stepped in on short notice against a then undefeated Japanese fighter in Yusuke Kasuya. Interestingly enough, Hill, who is known for brawling, choked out Kasuya with a move which the Japanese submission fighter is well known for. He got Submission on the Night honors as a late replacement, on his birthday weekend. Quite an interesting night for the Australian.
More Asian MMA news after the jump, focusing on the UFC TV deal in India. -- Follow me on twitter.
Full Results for Legend FC 8:Jadamba Narantungalag (Mongolia) def. Nam Yui Chul (Korea) by submission 0:58 Round 2Yusuke Kawanago (Japan) def. Ji Xian (China) by submission 4:18 Round 2Sam Brown (New Zealand) def. Yuki Niimura (Japan) by unanimous decisionKeita Nakamura (Japan) def. Kim Hoon (Korea) by technical knockout (injury) Round 1Wu Haotian (China) def. Daniel Hooker (New Zealand) by submission 4:52 Round 2Rob Hill (Australia) def. Yusuke Kasuya (Japan) by submission 4:55 Round 1Wu Chengjie (China) def. Leonard Delarmino (Philippines) by unanimous decisionDanaa Batgerel (Mongolia) def. Jazor Ablasi (Philippines) by unanimous decisionAgustin Delarmino, Jr. (Philippines) def. Kai Kara-France (New Zealand) by knockout 0:29 Round 3Terrance Chan (Hong Kong) def. Alex Lee (Hong Kong) by submission 1:55 in Round 2
There are more than a billion residents in India, and the UFC has been hoping to tap into that market for quite some time now. They took the first step to that recently after signing a 4-year deal with Multi Screen Media, or MSM, to broadcast events in India. UFC programming will now be shown on a new channel called Sony SIX. This can be very instrumental in helping the sport grow in a country where MMA is still in it's infancy.
There are currently 2 promotions running in India with 2 very different business models. There's Full Contact Championship (FCC), which has been quietly running shows since 2009, and has a model that believes in developing a true grassroots program that pits their local guys against each other to further develop talent. On the other hand, there's the more popular SFL, or Super Fight League who are grooming their Indian fighters by having them compete against foreign fighters from countries such as Sri Lanka, the Ivory Coast, and others.
SFL spends more and gets more attention by bringing in familiar names from the US, along with several concerts, musical acts and Bollywood dances, while FCC takes the more typical and conservative approach by slowly building up a grassroots movement. Time will tell on which business model will succeed in the long run, but it's guaranteed that the UFC TV will do wonders for both promotions.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, submission, hong
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode 5 Recap: Illegal Knees and Damaged Toes
In episode 5 of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, another fighter advanced to the quarterfinals, a coach grows impatient with one of his fighters, and an illegal knee causes controversy and next week's match up was revealed.
Posted in: fighter, week, coach, episode, knee
Read the full article at MMA Weekly‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Episode Five Recap
Tune in to Heavy.com for "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Episode 5 recap and coverage, including updates from tonight's live fight between Michael Chiesa and Jeremy Larsen.
Posted in: fighter, recap, ’ episode, recap tune, michael chiesa
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Hurt Business: Big Tests in Pittsburgh, PA
So you want to run a fight gym, huh? You want the glamorous life of an MMA trainer. You want to drop thousands of dollars on wall-to-wall mats, punching bags of all shapes and sizes, a full-size boxing ring and MMA cage, all so you can spend your days breathing in that stale smell of damp leather and other people’s feet.
You want to worry about mold in the vents and staph infection on the mats. Want to go through miles of athletic tape and buckets of disinfectant. Want to hear that sharp dinging of the round timer in your sleep. Want to spend the better part of your waking hours around the kind of people who essentially saw a sign that read, ‘Get Punched in the Face Here!’ and couldn’t pull over fast enough. Really? You’re sure this is the life you want for yourself?
Okay, but you’ve got some decisions to make. For starters, you need to decide exactly how you’re going to make enough money to keep the lights on. Because you can be an honest-to-goodness, blood-on-the-floor and belts-on-the-wall fight gym, or you can be a glorified Tae Bo studio that caters to hobbyists who want to lose weight and learn a little self-defense they hope they’ll never have to use. There’s a whole spectrum in between, but the first thing you need to know is that it’s not easy to serve the real fighters and the casuals at the same time. Some might even say it’s impossible, or at least impossible to do well. Others might say that you better think of something that doesn’t include depending on professional fighters to pay your bills. Even when they mean well, so many of them are struggling just to pay their own.Working stiffs have money. The people who sit in a cubicle all day and desperately want to hit someone at night? The people who want to blow off steam in the morning before they get behind the wheel of a delivery truck all afternoon? Those people can afford $150 a month on the unlimited plan, or $75 a month for just a few days a week. Even some of the lower-level, but still competitive fighters with day jobs and big, violent dreams can swing it. You can sign those people up and feel reasonably sure that they’re going to pay you. You get enough of them, you might even start making some real money.You won’t get famous, though. You won’t get the satisfaction of taking a raw talent and molding him into a champion. You won’t get to hang on the cage behind your protege while Bruce Buffer booms out his name on a UFC pay-per-view. You won’t get that high when he wins with the left hook you created for him. You won’t get to smile in the victory posedowns. You won’t get thanked in his post-fight speech. And if no one has heard your name in interviews or seen your face on TV, why do they want to train with you in the first place? What’s so special about your gym?This is the catch-22 for every working fight gym, and the Grudge Training Center is no exception. The up-and-coming pros give you that sense of satisfaction, and the big-timers give you a name. It’s because of guys like Nate Marquardt and Shane Carwin that Grudge can attract new members despite doing almost nothing that could be called advertising. No radio spots. No billboards. No coupons in the Denver Post promising a free month if you sign up now to get in shape for summer. Nothing. Oh, there’s a sandwich board around here somewhere that they can put out on the sidewalk when they think of if, but they usually don’t. That’s because they don’t have to. If you know anything about the MMA scene in Colorado, then you already know Grudge. And the reason you know it is because of the guys who fight on TV, in the UFC, which is also the reason those guys pay no monthly dues at all, according to head trainer Trevor Wittman."Their value, the attention they bring to the gym, that’s enough," says Wittman. "People know, ‘Oh, Brendan Schaub? He trains at Grudge.’"At the same time, Grudge makes certain sacrifices in order to serve its pro fighter clientele. When a guy like Schaub shows up for a 10 a.m. training session with Wittman, he doesn’t want to share the mat with some cardio kickboxing class. He doesn’t want to sign autographs in the locker room or small-talk with a paying member who wants to know, seriously, what Dana White is really like. The gym is his place of business. When he walks through the front door of Grudge and gives Jen Berg that football jock nod of his on his way past the front desk, he is officially at work. He’s got a fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira coming up in August. He doesn’t need some guy with a nine-to-five getting in his way. He needs his own time and space. He needs personal attention from Wittman, and he gets it. In exchange, Wittman gets a walking advertisement for his gym, and a ten percent cut of Schaub's fight purse.Trouble is, there are only so many Schaubs out there, and he can only fight so many times a year. As of June, he’s fought just once in 2011. A ten percent cut of his purse for the UFC 128 bout with Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic comes to just $2,800. He rounded up to $4,000 when he wrote the check, he says, but still, is it worth the tradeoff? Is it worth effectively closing the gym to non-pros all morning and most of the afternoon? Is it worth ignoring the paying members in order to spend time with the non-paying ones? Because those cubicle jockeys who come in here at night, they might hardly ever see Wittman. When they’re learning the jab from one his assistant coaches, he’s at home shadow-boxing across the kitchen floor as he makes dinner for his wife and daughter. What if those members decide they’re not getting the full Grudge treatment, and decide to go somewhere else for their martial arts needs? Forget about winning and losing fights for just a second. How are you supposed to pay your rent from one month to the next?
(Grudge fighters ease into a Saturday morning sparring session. Photo by Ben Fowlkes, MMA Fighting)Heading into the summer of 2011, this is the question on Wittman’s mind. His pro fight team is plugging right along, but he’s losing more and more dues-paying members every month, and there aren’t enough new ones walking through the door to make up for it. This leaves Wittman to make some difficult choices. One thing he can do is take time away from the pros to cultivate a relationship with the general population. He can give the average enthusiasts more time and space, and let the pros work with his assistants. But then, he didn’t get into this to be an aerobics instructor. He wants to work with fighters. He wants to be where the real action is. And besides, every head trainer knows how that story ends. You let somebody else handle your fighters often enough, pretty soon it’s someone else in that corner, making that ten percent. Pretty soon the fighter you took from amateurs to the big time is sending you a text message goodbye. Or no goodbye at all. It happens all the time. A trainer has to watch his back.Instead, he could put the squeeze on some of the lower-level pro team members who have been allowed to get a little lax in their payments. But it’s never fun to hassle your friends about money. It leads to uncomfortable situations, such as the one that occurs one Saturday when Wittman’s wife, Christina, who helps run the gym’s front end, is obligated to have an awkward conversation about monthly dues with one Grudge team member and Bellator fighter who looks positively stricken when asked to pay a fee for sparring privileges. It also leads to situations where talented, promising young fighters -- guys who, with some top-notch training and a few lucky breaks, might actually get somewhere -- are told to either sign a gym contract and pay their monthly fee or else find somewhere else to train. And how are you supposed to groom new prospects this way? Computer programmers and middle managers might have $150 a month to spend on gym dues, but a lot of the young men chasing this crazy dream of professional pugilism are doing just enough bar-bouncing or drywall-hanging to get by. They need that money for rent and groceries. If you like their chances to be somebody some day, sure, go ahead and let them ride for free. But then what are you supposed to tell the other guys, like the Bellator fighter? What, you don’t think he’s a worthy investment? And what are you supposed to tell the dues-paying members, who are already subsidizing the careers of some of the people who first attracted them to the gym, whether they realize it or not? The pros are the whole reason they can’t come in and get a workout during their lunch break. Now they’re paying for that privilege, just so they can tell their friends that they use the same heavy bag as these UFC guys?It’s a system with plenty of built-in inequities, and one that every gym struggles with. It’s a unique situation in pro sports. NFL teams don’t share their weight rooms with fans. Major League Baseball teams don’t have to clear off the field to let part-timers get a little batting practice in. But a gym has to make money, and fighters rarely bring in enough of it on their own.On a personal level, Wittman gets by in part thanks to a generous monthly stipend from the Alchemist Management group, which represents him as well as fighters like Schaub, Marquardt, and Eliot Marshall. Officially, the money comes from an endorsement deal with the Alchemist clothing brand, which produces a line of t-shirts that look almost exactly like every other t-shirt brand in the MMA space, and which one almost never sees on anyone except those who are paid to wear them. Wittman also depends on his percentage of fighter purses from the likes of Schaub, Duane Ludwig, Carwin and, of course, Marquardt, who just so happens to have a fight coming up in Pittsburgh at the end of June. Just in time, considering the precarious financial situation.
(Nate Marquardt chats with Trevor Wittman and Fareed Samad after a workout. Photo by Ben Fowlkes, MMA Fighting)For Marquardt, this is shaping up to be a career turning point. After his decision win over Dan Miller at UFC 128 in New Jersey, he announced he’d be dropping to welterweight. That meant, at least temporarily, that he’d be setting aside his hopes for a rematch with UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva, who beat him back in 2007. But Marquardt was already a relatively small middleweight who’d had possibly the easiest weight cut of his career before the Miller fight. It was his pal, UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre, who suggested he consider a move down in weight. Before the UFC would sign off on such a move, however, they wanted an assurance from Marquardt. The UFC wanted to know that, if the situation called for it, he’d be willing to face his friend and occasional training partner for the 170-pound strap. The last thing the UFC needed was another contender who refused to fight a teammate and thus made matchmaking even more of a headache. Marquardt could make the move, the UFC told him, but only if he’d promise upfront to fight GSP if and when the time came."I basically called Georges and told him that’s what they were saying," Marquardt explains after one Saturday morning sparring session at Grudge. "He told me, ‘Don’t worry about it. Say whatever you have to say.’"According to Marquardt, GSP said he planned to be retired or in a new weight class himself by the time such a fight might materialized, so there was no real risk that they’d actually have to fight some day."So I basically had to tell the UFC, ‘Okay, I’ll fight Georges St-Pierre,'" he says.For his first fight at welterweight, Marquardt says he volunteered to step up and take an injured Jon Fitch’s spot against B.J. Penn. When that fight didn’t materialize, the UFC offered him Anthony Johnson, who he’d trained with when they were both filming the MMA movie Warrior. He’d fought guys he’d trained with before, but that was different. That was mostly when he was competing in Japan’s Pancrase organization, and there you knew you’d probably end up fighting your training partners eventually, so you could be careful about what to show them and what to keep under wraps in the gym."Training with Anthony, he was in a different weight class so I didn’t even think about it," he says. "Hanging out with the guy over the five weeks, it’s kind of weird. He’s a cool guy. I like him a lot."Still, business is business. You can’t be friends with everybody, and if he’s willing to take the fight then he must not be overwhelmed by fellow-feeling. As it turned out, it wouldn’t even matter in the end. Johnson would pull out with an injury weeks before the fight, and Rick Story would step up as a replacement opponent for Marquardt. Problem solved. Sort of.For Marquardt, the weeks following his victory in New Jersey aren’t just about dropping weight and training for the next fight. Instead, they’re about testosterone. Specifically, they’re about proving to the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board that he truly needs the testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT) he’s been undergoing since August of 2010.It’s all part of a complicated dance that’s been happening behind the scenes since February of 2011, when Marquardt first alerted the New Jersey commission to the fact that he was undergoing TRT. He applied for a therapeutic-use exemption -- in other words, official permission to use testosterone to bring what his doctor said were chronically low hormone levels to within a "normal" range -- on Feb. 11, according to NJSABC counsel Nick Lembo. But the New Jersey commission was skeptical at first. In part because Marquardt had begun the treatment with his personal physician, who was not a board-certified endocrinologist, and in part because his initial application for a TUE was deemed "incomplete," the New Jersey commission laid out a series of requests that Marquardt had to agree to in order to be licensed for the fight against Miller.For starters, he had to see an actual endocrinologist, and undergo tests both before the fight and on fight night to ensure that he was within acceptable hormone levels. He also had to go off the TRT for two months following the fight, during which he would be tested several more times in order to establish baseline testosterone levels and determine whether he was truly in need of the TRT. Up to this point, things had gone relatively well. Marquardt had met the New Jersey commission’s requirements and passed all the tests. Though his testosterone use was no great secret inside the gym -- and though Wittman was no fan of it -- it was far from public knowledge. He seemed on course to quietly put the New Jersey situation to rest and move on to his next fight in Pennsylvania. But now there’s a problem. After more than two months off TRT, Marquardt starts to feel "even worse than I did the year before," as he will later say in an interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani. It’s exactly what many experts warn of with hormone-replacement therapy. Testosterone might not have the side effects that other substances do, but as anti-doping pioneer Dr. Don Catlin says, when you begin taking it, "you take it for life." After being on it for several months, getting off of it in order to satisfy an athletic commission can take a physical toll.And yet, Marquardt doesn’t look like a man depleted during this TRT-free period. During one sparring session, he keeps trying to get Wittman to watch his rounds and give him feedback, but Wittman keeps getting pulled in several directions at once. Marquardt doesn’t seem to feel he’s getting the attention he needs, and his sparring partner, Vinny Lopez, feels the brunt of his frustrations."Sorry about that," Wittman tells Lopez afterward.
Lopez, a heavily-tattooed, gregarious middleweight who’s loved by all inside the Grudge gym, just smiles and shrugs. After all, you could do a lot worse than to get beat up by Marquardt.
(Marquardt [right] spars with Vinny Lopez as Wittman looks on. Photo by Ben Fowlkes, MMA Fighting)With about three weeks to go until the Story fight in Pittsburgh, Marquardt is cleared to resume TRT treatments. But instead of going to an endocrinologist who would use World Anti-Doping Agency protocol in treating him, Marquardt goes back to his personal physician, the man who helped him get started on testosterone in the first place, and whose expertise the New Jersey commission had been wary of. Because Marquardt has gone so long without TRT as a condition of the New Jersey licensing issue, this doctor recommends a more "aggressive" treatment to get his levels back up in time for the fight, according to Marquardt.Instead of pills this time, it’s injections. Three of them. All administered by a doctor who is not a board-certified endocrinologist. In hindsight, it’s the kind of thing that seems like such an obviously bad idea, you wonder what anyone was thinking. At the time, however, no one sounds any alarms. It’s not until a blood test reveals high testosterone levels that Marquardt and his management team begin to sweat. That’s when their focus turns to Pittsburgh, to the Story fight, to all the things they need to do to keep this potential crisis contained. Little do they know that their worst-case scenario is about to become a reality.*****If you ask Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission executive director Greg Sirb now, he’ll tell you that his commission doesn’t do therapeutic-use exemptions (TUEs) for testosterone."It won’t happen in PA," he says when, well after the Marquardt episode, I ask him about the protocol for getting a TUE in his state. "There is no such thing."That is to say, there is no such thing in the usual sense. The Pennsylvania commission doesn’t give TUEs, according to Sirb, which also means it doesn’t require or even accept applications for them. Even if the Pennsylvania commission finds out that a fighter has been using testosterone during his training camp -- even if it is told by another commission that this same fighter applied for a TUE there -- it doesn’t matter in the state of Pennsylvania, according to Sirb."As long as he came in underneath what we consider the normal range, he’s fine," Sirb says. "He’d have to come in under the normal range. That means he’d have to be off of it, depending on how much he’s taking, but at least a week [before the fight]."Here’s where the careful reader might ask, what about the weeks before that? What about a month out from the fight, when the hard training is taking place? What about the fighter who is using testosterone that he doesn’t necessarily need, simply to recover faster from those grueling days in the gym? Does he just get a pass?The answer seems to be: pretty much, yeah. As long as he’s stopped using it in time for his levels to come back down to the upper limit of what the PSAC medical board has determined as a "normal range," he can fight. That might be baffling from a regulation standpoint -- Sirb himself admits that testosterone use is a "very, very tough issue for commissions," even if the PSAC has decided to do very little to regulate it -- but it also makes Pennsylvania one of the best states in the union for a fighter like Marquardt to compete in. All he has to do is get his levels down to normal in time for the pre-fight drug test -- something he managed to do in New Jersey with no trouble -- and he gets the green light. In the days leading up to the Story bout on June 26, Marquardt and his team have reason to be optimistic.Though his testosterone levels were high in a blood test earlier that month, once the team is in Pennsylvania for the fight those levels begin to come down in a hurry, according to several sources."We were looking at the numbers and making our own little graphs in our minds, plotting the points and looking at where he’d be by when, and we were like, man, he’s got it," says Kelly Crigger, the staff publicist for the Alchemist Management team at the time. "No problem."Even Wittman, who up to this point has remained mostly in the dark about the details of Marquardt’s testosterone use, is amazed at how quickly the levels change in subsequent blood tests throughout fight week."Seeing how fast those numbers came down really made me think," he’ll say later.Even Sirb, who says he heard from the New Jersey commission about Marquardt’s testosterone use "probably a few weeks before the event" (other reports say it was more like the week of the event), admits he thought it wouldn’t be an issue by the time of the final test on the day of the weigh-ins."I think everybody was pretty confident," says Sirb. "I think something all parties learned was that his levels were definitely coming down, according to the levels we were getting, but he was also cutting weight. When he stopped drinking fluids and he’s trying to cut weight, I think the levels stopped coming down as fast."The Alchemist crew isn’t content to leave something this important to chance. Marquardt’s levels still need to come down, since this is a situation where getting close to the mark doesn’t help. According to Crigger, this is when Alchemist takes a holistic approach to solving the problem."They had me running all over town to get anything they could find, like in Google searches and online, that was supposed to bring down testosterone," says Crigger. "I was running back and forth to the grocery store. It was Brazil nuts and coconut water and almond milk -- all these homeopathic cures for high testosterone."At the same time, this is still Marquardt’s first fight at welterweight in the UFC. Back when he was a small middleweight, maybe he would have had the luxury of some almond milk in the days before the weigh-in. But this is something he hasn’t factored into his weight-cut regimen."I take all this [expletive] to Nate’s room, and he hasn’t opened the first item," says Crigger. "Like, if Brazil nuts bring your levels down, you’d think he’d be chawing on them like there’s no tomorrow. He hadn’t even opened the pack. Coconut water and almond milk and all this stuff I bring back, he hadn’t even touched."To make matters worse, the team has to keep going back and forth from the hotel to the hospital for blood tests, and all in downtown Pittsburgh traffic. It’s an added fight week stress that nobody needs. As the day of the weigh-ins approaches, it’s clear that this is going to be a tight. Marquardt’s wife and kids are there. So are his sponsors. The whole Alchemist team is in crisis mode, and CEO MC Hammer is flying in for this."To [Alchemist manager] Lex [McMahon’s] credit, he was cool under pressure," says Crigger. "There was a lot going on, and he was handling it, staying cool."The day of the weigh-ins, McMahon is calling for test results every few minutes. The lab is working on it, they say. The final numbers -- the ones that will determine whether Marquardt gets to fight or not -- aren’t in yet. Hold please.Back at the hotel, Marquardt waits to hear his fate and tries to keep going about his normal pre-fight preparations. As Crigger and McMahon are driving to the hospital one more time, McMahon gets the email on his phone. It is not good news. The levels are too high. Still too much testosterone. It’s a no-go.
(Lex McMahon consoles Marquardt backstage at the UFC on Versus 4 weigh-ins. Photo courtesy of Kelly Crigger)McMahon doesn’t want Marquardt to hear it over the phone. Better to do it in person. At the weigh-ins at Heinz Field later that afternoon, the Marquardt team and Pennsylvania commission officials all come together with the UFC. Something has to be done. The PSAC isn’t budging from its standard. The number (which no one will reveal, citing medical privacy laws) remains the number. Marquardt is still above it, and this all that matters as far as the state of Pennsylvania is concerned."Like a good manager should, [McMahon] tried everything he could to get Nate to fight," says Crigger. "I mean, everything. Sirb said no. [McMahon] even went to the doctor who was doing the medical checks for all the fighters and said, ‘Hey, what do you think of these testosterone levels?’ This doctor was like...‘That’s nothing. I deal with professional football players whose testosterone is triple that.’ I was like, first of all, really? Are they rhinos? But still, suddenly there was hope."That hope is quickly dashed by Sirb and the Pennsylvania commission. They’d set their number and Marquardt missed. He’s out. No fight for him. That means no paycheck. That means no ten percent for Wittman. That means angry sponsors. That means confused and disappointed fans. That means the uncomfortable questions are only just beginning, and he still has to face the UFC president.Oh, God. Dana White. What’s he going to say? Backstage at the weigh-ins, Marquardt and McMahon wait to find out. The day before, when Crigger and Marquardt discussed the possibility that he might be pulled from the bout, the fighter was "shaking and in tears." Now he seems numb, like it hasn’t completely sunk in. What will they tell the fans? Exactly how mad is White going to be?McMahon tries to keep everyone calm as they wait to find out. Maybe he can still talk his way out of this. Then there he is, the UFC president, and he’s on his way over here. Does he look pleased? He does not. The team braces itself and waits. This is going to be bad. That much they can tell just from looking at White. What they don’t know yet is how bad. What they can’t possibly know is just how much things are about to change.
Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fighter, marquardt
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseMichael Chiesa continues march to honor late father on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ (Yahoo! Sports)
Michael Chiesa is one of those rare individuals who had one of the most private, personal and emotional moments of his life played out on national television. Chiesa was one of 32 mixed martial arts fighters chosen to appear on … Continue reading →
Posted in: fighter, arts fighters, chiesa, michael chiesa, television chiesa
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsMichael Chiesa continues march to honor late father on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ (Cagewriter)
Michael Chiesa is one of those rare individuals who had one of the most private, personal and emotional moments of his life played out on national television.
Chiesa was one of 32 mixed martial arts fighters chosen to appear on the first episode of Season 15 of the UFC's reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter." On March 9 at the UFC Training Center in Las Vegas, those 32 men would fight for 16 spots as cast members.
When Chiesa left his home in Spokane, Wash., a few days earlier, he did so knowing that it might be the final time he ever saw his father, Mark . The 52-year-old Mark Chiesa was fighting a losing battle with leukemia.
Michael Chiesa submitted Johnavan Vistante with a rear naked choke on March 9. When Vistante tapped, Chiesa leaped to his feet in jubilation, raced toward a camera and shouted, "That was for you, Dad!" In Spokane, his dying father gave a thumbs up and then smiled.
A few hours later, he died. Michael Chiesa flew home -- for barely 24 hours -- to pay his respects. He's been back in Las Vegas since and, tonight, will get his first chance to fight when he meets Jeremy Larsen of Team Cruz.
"I feel very good about the matchup," said Chiesa, the fifth-round pick of Team Faber. "Larsen is a tough guy and I realize that. I'm looking to be the better fighter in all aspects and come out with a finish."
He said that having to break camp, even temporarily, didn't impact him. Once the fighters make the show, they're not allowed any contact with the outside world for the duration. They have no television, no Internet, no newspapers and they normally aren't allowed to leave the house where their every move is filmed. In Chiesa's case, UFC president Dana White made an exception to allow him to fly home to Spokane, Wash., to allow him to attend a service for his father.
Chiesa said leaving didn't put him behind the other fighters. Team Faber coach Urijah Faber said that if Daron Cruickshank had won the first week, he would have picked the Chiesa-Larsen matchup for Week 2.
"Chiesa is ready and he's a very hungry guy," Faber said. "He's highly motivated and I love this matchup for him. I think he has a big edge in grappling."
Chiesa said he'll fight as he always does and work to finish the fight. He noted that Larsen is resilient and was able to withstand several bad positions in his qualifying fight to get into the house.
"He's shown he can weather the storm, so I have to be aware of that, but I will go for the finish like I always have," Chiesa said. "If you look at my fights, you see I finish a lot. It's just how I like to go and I'm always looking for a way to end it."
Posted in: fight, fighter, faber, father, chiesa
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsFive Homegrown Prospects the UFC Might Consider From India
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) yesterday (April 5, 2012) made their first move into the Indian market by announcing a TV deal, with the prospect of live shows and even an Ultimate Fighter (TUF) series to follow. It is a country which Zuffa have had their eye on for some time and the partnership with Multi Screen Media (MSM) is just the first step.
The Super Fight League (SFL) has attracted some attention to India lately with a first show which some saw as a guilty pleasure and others simply didn't like. Particularly frustrating for fans was that the cameras regularly panned away from the fights mid action in order to show which celebrities were in attendance, which might have delighted the local audience but caused widespread bemusement elsewhere.
Full Contact Championship (FCC), in Mumbai, is the slow and steady alternative, for those that prefer to see grass roots mixed martial arts (MMA) without the glitz and the glam. In the future perhaps the SFL will start to nurture UFC level talent but at present only the FCC has a track record of repeatedly testing Indian mixed martial artists and after five shows some outstanding candidates are starting to emerge.
The most difficult challenge for the UFC will be to try and find Indian fighters good enough to compete on their roster, or at least with enough ability and experience to get there after some intensive training and perhaps a successful stint on TUF.
'TUF India' is a great concept but the winner will be awarded a UFC contract and if the standard is too low the entire process becomes pointless. The UFC can give a fighter preferential treatment when it comes to matchmaking but everyone on the roster is dangerous and if a fighter isn't up to standard they will never win a fight.
Potentially the SFL could become a breeding ground for Indian talent but if it stands the test of time, and the first show supposedly sold very few tickets, the wealth of the owners means they will be able to more than match the UFC in terms of purses while offering significantly easier fights.
Whichever organization ultimately prevails, and India is a big enough country to accommodate both the SFL and the UFC, there is going to be an intensive search underway to find the first Indian MMA superstar. Here are five fighters who have made encouraging starts to their careers, already have a couple of wins to their names and could be on the right track.
1. Sandeep Yadav
3-0
160 lbs
Sandeep Yadav is one of the stars of FCC. He is an Indian kickboxing and Wushu champion who already has a 3-0 MMA record with all his wins coming by way of KO or TKO. As is the case with almost all the fighters on this list his wins have come against inexperienced opponents but he is a very confident fighter who looks very comfortable competing in MMA.
He is light on his feet, keeps a low guard and is very aggressive with some solid low kicks which he is capable of mixing in with the occasional head kick. Perhaps it is his kickboxing experience or perhaps he is just a very composed fighter but he picks his shots intelligently and resists the temptation to over-commit
Yadav looks most comfortable fighting on his feet but isn't afraid to use trips or takedowns and seems to understand basic grappling techniques. He is far from the finished article but the potential is definitely there and he has a couple of spectacular knock out finishes.
He has very solid soccer kicks which he will use to punish an opponents body and legs if they are on the ground and he is upright. He looked a bit sluggish in his most recent fight, which he supposedly didn't have time to train for, but showed some real resilience to pull out the win with a right head kick / right cross combination which got him a stoppage in the dying seconds,
MMA IN INDIA Sandeep Yadav vs Imran FCC-4.VOB (via mmafccindia)
2. Sangram Bhakre
3-0
145 lbs
Sangram Bhakre has also won three FCC fights out of three and is the Rampage Jackson of Indian MMA, if he picks you up you are going for a ride which is going to end when you hit the canvass hard. He has some submission skills with his most recent win coming by way of armbar and although his standup is not too technical it is dangerous, with two of his wins coming by way of KO.
He has a diverse range of backgrounds and the takedowns come from his Kushti wrestling but the stand up skills are a result of being a national level kickboxer and Wushu gold medalist. Wrestling and kickboxing/sanda is a very solid base and the fighter known in India as 'The Slammer' has plenty of potential.
3. Rajinder Singh Meena
3-0
150 lbs
Rajinder Singh Meena is another unbeaten FCC fighter and national kickboxing champion who is light on his feet and likes the low kicks. He throws absolute bombs with his hands, going for the knockout with almost every single punch and has a lot of natural power which is effective both standing up and on the ground.
The most encouraging aspect for Rajinder is that he won his most recent fight with a standing guillotine which shows that for a kickboxer he does at least have some ground game.
4. Bhupesh Kamble
3-3
185 lbs
Bhupesh Kamble hasn't fought for over a year and has lost his last three fights. However it is worth noting that the three losses have all come against top class opponents in Vaughn Anderson, Jorge Luiz Bezerra and Pat Crawley. Between them these three have 37 MMA wins which means that Kamble has been testing himself at a much higher level than anyone else in India.
His three wins have all been against respectable opponents and he is the only man to ever beat 3-1 Indian fighter Javed Mulla. 3-3 is not an outstanding record but Kamble is only 28 years old and the experience of competing in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Hong Kong should benefit him immensely if he decides to return to the Indian circuit.
5. Alan Fenandes
3-2
170 lbs
Alan Fenandes hasn't fought since 2010 and is 33 years old but I believe he is still training and unlike any of the other fighters on this list he has a strong background in BJJ. He has also taken part in professional kickboxing and Muay Thai fights and won medals in international grappling tournaments.
Like Kamble he has experience of competing outside of India although without too much success. His international fights were against two very tough fighters and he was submitted by Aolin Hao at Art of War and also tapped out against Ray Elbe at Martial Combat, possibly due to a pre existing injury.
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The SFL has already shown a willingness to promote overseas fighters such as Lakwinder Sekhon from England, Mohammad Shahid from Bahrain and Hardeep Singh from Canada and this could prove to be an effective short cut but for MMA to really grow in India it will probably need a genuine homegrown superstar to lead the way.
Chaitanya Gavali's first fight for the SFL was one of the worst I have seen but at least he got the win and he will benefit from having spend 15 minutes inside the cage. He's on the next SFL card too and perhaps he could eventually emerge as the organization's best Indian fighter and overtake some of the names on this list.
With MMA all set to explode in India more and more young men are likely to start training and eventually fighting and some high calibre talent should emerge eventually. There is no substitute for professional experience though and, for the time being at least, the fighters on this list are the five most likely to make the breakthrough.
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Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, india, indian
Read the full article at MMA ManiaToyo Tires reups with the UFC
Toyo Tires announced yesterday that it would return as the official Tire sponsor of the UFC. Its logo will be present during 6 UFC PPVs this year as well as other events on FX and Fuel.
Via press release:
As the Official Tire of the UFC, Toyo Tires will also have an increased presence on UFC.com this year and plans to again incorporate UFC and MMA fighters into its marketing efforts. SEMA Show attendees will recall Octagon-inspired display, photo opportunities and fighter appearances at the 2011 event. The company also promotes the affiliation and activities through its consumer website and social media sites.
Showtime
Payout Perspective:
After a brief absence from the sport, Toyo Tires is back with the UFC and it looks like it will expand its role as a sponsor. The company sponsors popular fighters such as Anthony Pettis, Mark Munoz and Miesha Tate. In addition, most of the sponsorships include out of the ring appearances which fosters the fighters as a brand ambassador rather than someone just sticking a logo on the back of their trunks on fight night. The sponsorship allows the company to key in on its demo and many fans are fully aware of the Toyo Tire logo in the Octagon.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, toyo, tire, miesha tate
Read the full article at MMA PayoutBellator is gonna TUF it up
We're four months into 2012 and already big tings be plannin for 2013 (provided we survive the Mayan apocalypse, of course). The UFC's remnant library deal with Spike ends, freeing the network up to finally move their new MMA girlfriend Bellator over onto the network. And of course no MMA promotion with dreams of grandeur can hit this point without trying to create their own TUF:
Bertran van Munster, who has won eight Emmy Awards and co-created The Amazing Race, will produce the hour-long show for Spike TV.
“We are thrilled to partner with an industry legend such as van Munster, whose creativity and ingenuity will expose Bellator to an expanded new audience next year on Spike,” Rebney said.
Van Munster had strong words for the fighters in Bellator, saying, “Some of the most physically-gifted and fascinating athletes in the world fight in Bellator, and I believe they make ideal subjects for an innovative new non-scripted series.”
It will be interesting to see if Mr van Munster will try to revolutionize the MMA reality format or if the show will be yet another tired retread of the Ultimate Fighter's tournament / frat house setup. Considering the only other reality show we've seen from this guy is the quickly cancelled Take the Money & Run ("everyday people against real life law enforcement"), we could end up with something completely different and insane.
I imagine a training center on the Jersey shore where fighters train hard and hit da club hard. Half men, half women, all meathead. Bjorn Rebney occassionally shows up and screams "SO YOU WANNA BE A F*CKING BELLATOR CHAMPION?", resulting in downcast gazes and that awkward moment where you realize no, no they do not.
Posted in: bellator, van, fighter, van munster, munster
Read the full article at FightlinkerMauricio Rua interested in third fight with Lyoto Machida
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has done it all in the world of MMA. From PRIDE Grand Prix success to wins over some of the sport’s greatest to his role as a former UFC light heavyweight champ, there is little left for Rua to accomplish. However, that doesn’t mean the veteran fighter doesn’t have goals in mind before he hangs it up in a number of years.
Among those high on his list are a third fight with Lyoto Machida and a spot as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. And, being the good guy he is, Rua wants to make things easy by combining the two into a single concept by pairing them against each other on the reality show.
“Of course it is my desire to do a TUF, which is a program where people see everything that passes for the fighter,” said Rua, in an interview with Portal Do Vale Tudo. ““Lyoto would make it even more interesting…and consider how good this third fight will sell.”
Rua and Machida battled over the divisional belt twice before with each fighter holding a win over the other. With the UFC making it a priority to send TUF internationally, the with high numbers already for the first season of the show in Brazil, the idea that Rua and Machida would make for good TV seems obvious under the TUF Brasil format.
“Shogun” has not competed since a decision loss to Dan Henderson late in 2011, while “The Dragon” is also coming off a defeat occurring when Jon Jones chocked him unconscious in their December bout for the UFC title.
PHOTO CREDIT – FEG/UFC
Posted in: fighter, rua, machida, lyoto, decision loss
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainWas This Fight Stopped Too Early? ProFC 40 Danielle West Vs Milena Dudieva: Fan's Look (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
Professional MMA fighter, Danielle West, shared her disappointment over her TKO loss to Russian fighter, Milana Dudieva, "Got tagged and the ref stopped the match. I still haven't seen the footage, but many consider the stoppage controversial.
Posted in: fighter, west, tko loss, dudieva, danielle
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsAfter Alistair Overeem Drug Test Failure, Is A Million Dollar Program The Solution For The UFC?
When the Nevada State Athletic Commission released the news yesterday that Alistair Overeem, the UFC's #1 contender at Heavyweight, had failed a surprise drug test administered after a UFC 146 press conference, predictably the pundits hit the fan.
The UFC and mixed martial arts as a whole have been struggling with how to deal with performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) for some time. Generally the UFC's answer has been to defer to the state athletic commissions that monitor the sport in many, but not all jurisdictions.
UFC president Dana White's comments from March 27 are representative:"We've got 375 guys under contract. We're doing a zillion fights a year. We're traveling all over the world, and all these other things we're doing. Now, do you really think we can really crack [expletive] down and chase these guys around everywhere they live, all over the world, and just randomly test these guys all the time? On top of all the other things we're doing?
"You really have to sit back and think and use a little bit of reality."
With Overeem's high profile failure, many pundits are saying the UFC's existing approach is no longer adequate.
Related Stories
Overeem's UFC 141 Win Over Lesnar Should Be Overturned, But It Won't Be | Drug Issues Taint Strikeforce Legacy Post-Zuffa Purchase | Dana White Responds To Overeem's Failed Drug Test | Who Will Face Junior Dos Santos? | Overeem Tests Positive For Elevated Testosterone Levels | UFC 146 Fighters Tested By NSAC After Press Conference
Here's what Yahoo! writer Kevin Iole, one of the most respected voices in the combat sports media, has to say:
But if any good comes of Overeem's testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio testing well above normal limits, it would be that it may spur the UFC to take a serious look at bolstering its drug program....The solution is one that White has resisted embracing. It's to implement a comprehensive policy that includes random unannounced testing on each fighter at least twice a year run by an accredited agency.
Dr. Margaret Goodman, a Las Vegas neurologist and the former chairwoman of the medical advisory board of the Nevada Athletic Commission, founded a company called the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.
She said a program that would test all of the fighters under contract to White and Fertitta twice a year would cost between $1 million and $1.5 million a year.
Other pundits have a different take. We'll hear from them after the jump.
More SBN coverage of UFC 146
SI's Josh Gross has a more punitive proposition:
If Overeem is indeed guilty of what's been accused, the UFC should do to him what they needed to do to (Thiago) Silva and others of this ilk. Use is rampant and the only thing that will shake fighters out of feeling like a.) it's OK to do or b.) they have to in order to compete, is alter the perception that taking this stuff is how business is done.
You do that by shaking the earth, rattling the status quo. Use, get caught, bye bye. It shouldn't matter who you are or what you've accomplished. Absent that, this garbage will persist until, eventually, lasting repercussions for the sport, for the UFC, for fighters take hold. Something not so trivial as losing out on seeing the UFC heavyweight titleholder claim the MMA linear title, which was up for grabs when Overeem was set to meet dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, overeem, fighter, test, drug
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMore arm breaking MMA goodness
Tap or snap. It's not so much your options as it is a suggestion.
(via Fighters Only)
Posted in: mma, fighter, mma goodness, goodness, suggestion
Read the full article at FightlinkerGreatness Is: Jon Jones – Everyone’s A Fighter
As part of the UFC’s “Greatness Is” campaign, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones describes why he loves being a fighter.
Posted in: jon, jone, fighter, everyone, greatness
Read the full article at MMA ConvertLyoto Machida, TUF On The Mind Of ‘Shogun’ Rua
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua feels like a third fight with Lyoto Machida would be perfect, as long as it comes after a stint on The Ultimate Fighter as coaches. With the UFC branching out to international versions of the show, the two would make for prime candidates for another Brazilian show.
Rua and Machida currently each hold a win over the other, with Rua’s win earning him the UFC light heavyweight title. In a recent interview with Portal Do Vale Tudo, Rua discussed his future plans.
Of course it is my desire to do a TUF, which is a program where people see everything that passes for the fighter. Lyoto would make it even more interesting, is a top category, and consider how good this third fight will sell.
Currently, future plans for another Brazilian season of The Ultimate Fighter are unknown, but as successful as this one has been, the idea that they would do another seem likely. With top names like Rua and Machida involved, the ratings could be even better.
Posted in: fighter, rua, machida, lyoto, future plans
Read the full article at MMA ConvertChael Sonnen sick of the lying in MMA
UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen once again lived up to his reputation as a sliver-tongued scrapper this week during a segment of “Chael’s Corner” on UFC Tonight where he took his peers to task over a topic many would argue he himself is quite familiar with – lying. Sonnen made it clear he isn’t necessarily concerned about things his fellow fighters say to help promote future pairings so much as their lack of general honesty with the public.
“There’s a tremendous difference with what fighters say versus what fighters mean,” began Sonnen before going into a full-fledged rant. “For example, ‘I don’t want to leave it in the hands of the judges,’ means, ‘I didn’t train to go three rounds.’”
Sonnen listed off a variety of other instances involving similar misinformation, then turned his focus towards fighters who don’t give full credit to opponents they’ve faced as a way of acting tough instead of being completely open on the subject.
“I don’t understand why fighters don’t just talk plainly. In my last fight I took on a gentleman named Michael Bisping. He hit me very hard and it hurt a lot. And people were shocked that I’d admit that. Because they’re all so used to lying,” Sonnen explained of his January 28 meeting with the talented Brit. “Well guess what, if a guy hits you hard and it hurts, is your ego so small that you can’t pay him a compliment? Is your ego so fragile that you can’t say, ‘Look, I had my bell rung in the middle of a fist fight’? It kinda seems like a normal thing to happen to me. I expect to be hit hard. I expect to be kicked hard. I don’t need to hide from those things.”
If only he extended the same courtesy to Triangle Choke finishes at the end of a fight…
Check out the complete video from Sonnen below:
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ’t, thing, sonnen
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainIs Jon Jones The Best Fighter Ever?
Jon Jones may be the greatest fighter of all-time. The champ has a message for anyone trying to take his belt.
Posted in: jon, jone, fighter, jon jones, anyone
Read the full article at MMA ConvertMMA Roundtable: Lesnar's Legacy, Bellator's Reality Show, More
Hey, did you guys hear that Brock Lesnar is back ... in the WWE? Of course you did. You have to give the man credit: when he steps outside, it's news. While his return to pro wrestling basically ensures that his octagon career is over for good, it's also raised some questions about what exactly his legacy was when it comes to MMA.
Was Brock overrated, undervalued, or simply a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon that defies rational explanation? I invited Luke Thomas down to the MMA Roundtable to discuss Brock, MMA's next reality TV show, Gilbert Melendez's recent fight announcement and more.
1) Now that he's moved back to pro wrestling, what is Brock Lesnar's MMA legacy?Mike Chiappetta: Lesnar deserves a great deal of credit for his accomplishments. For all of his shortcomings as a fighter, he was incredibly game simply for choosing to take on the challenge of competing on MMA's biggest stage against the best available talent. You can point to Lesnar's collegiate background as a great base, but he hadn't wrestled in seven years when he decided to make a run at No. 1. At the time, he was bluntly honest in his own personal assessment, saying either he would compete at that high level or be quickly weeded out.The crazy thing is, on limited training, he made it to the top. Sure, he had a short cut to a title shot, but beating Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin consecutively is a legitimate run that validated his championship. Unfortunately, we'll never know just how good Lesnar could have been due to his late start in the sport along with his recurring diverticulitis issues. He won mostly on brute strength and raw talent, and when his health began to erode, he left. I respect him for declining to stick around and make a big paycheck when that would have been the easy thing to do.In the end, Lesnar won't be ranked among the all-time heavyweight greats; his run at the top was just too brief. But he used the tools he had to become a pay-per-view phenomenon and a champion, and that's a legacy that few can match.Thomas: I agree with Mike. Lesnar deserved more credit than he often received, but I also think the criticism of him late was fairly on target.Let's be clear about the terms here: it is highly unlikely we'll ever see another Brock Lensar in MMA. And by that, I mean someone who can come into the sport with virtually no experience and beat the top guys in the world in his division all while being a hugely popular figure among mainstream masses. It's possible an Olympian like Henry Cejudo could do it, especially since he has a small but notable background in boxing and like Muhammad Ali, has injected himself into political issues by speaking out on immigration policy. But even then that seems like a stretch. A lot of planets have to align to get the magic Lesnar brought to the table. I don't know if we'll see it again in our lifetime, especially with collegiate wrestlers going into professional MMA directly out of college.However, critics were right to dismiss him at the end of his run. Lesnar's battle with diverticulitis snatched his soul and hampered his ability to keep pace with the growth of MMA heavyweight talent. Dealing with his own mortality was bad enough, to say nothing of how much time he lost not training and developing. By the time he tried his hand at defending his title, it was clear the road ahead was not going to get any easier. Against Alistair Overeem, it was even clearer Lesnar could not compete with the sport's top heavyweights anymore. And that, in all actuality, is a good thing for MMA. Someone shouldn't be able to march into the UFC and wreck shop. Lesnar certainly couldn't do it in the NFL. Why should the UFC be any different? Let's thank Lesnar for what he did for MMA. He sold pay-per-views, accomplished some really incredible feats, energized the mainstream media to cover MMA and more. But he also was on borrowed time and needed to leave when he did. His legacy is important, but part of that is examining his exit and what that said about the state of the sport.2) Strikeforce recently announced Melendez-Thomson III. Is this the right call?Thomas: Unequivocally, no. There are a few ways to parse this situation, but let's look at the rankings for a clear illustration on why this "keep Melendez in Strikeforce" policy is madness. According to the USA TODAY/SB Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, Melendez is currently the third best lightweight in the world. But since he's in Strikeforce and can only face Strikeforce fighters, that means the next closest contender is....? If you guessed, Pat Healy at number 20, you are correct. In other words, not only is Thomson not even the best possible contender Melendez could face, but the best possible contender Melendez could face isn't even in the top 15 of all MMA lightweights.What is going on here? Does it not seem far more rational to remove Melendez from the organization and let him fight people closer to his skill level? That's obviously better for Melendez, but it's better for the Strikeforce lightweights. Short of some miraculous punch or accident, none of them have any shot of ever beating Melendez. And that's not the same as a Yushin Okami vs. Anderson Silva situation where at least Okami, at the time they fought, was clearly deserving above most of his others peers (Sonnen, notwithstanding). Healy or Thomson or Masvidal are all contenders by default, not by hierarchy. Melendez may be in Strikeforce with fighters he absurdly outclasses, but he's in a league of his own. That's a lonely and deeply unfair place to be.Chiappetta: No, it's not the right call, but for different reasons than Luke mentioned. Melendez re-signed with Strikeforce only about one year ago, when the division wasn't much different than it is today. Yes, I know Zuffa didn't own Strikeforce at the time, but that's the decision he made. He probably made it because a) Strikeforce promised to build around him, and b) he felt he received a good financial deal. That's a deal he made in good faith, so he should honor it as he is doing. But that also means that Strikeforce needs to honor their side, and that's trying to bring him an opponent worthy of his talent. No knock on Josh Thomson, but his last performance didn't beg for a title match.There are plenty of UFC lightweights that Zuffa could bring over to challenge Melendez. They certainly entertained the idea before settling on a third fight with Thomson. The bottom line here is that Dana White constantly reminds fans that he tries to set up the matchups that people want to see, and there's no question that fans want to see Melendez fight a top five lightweight, even if it meant bringing him someone from the UFC. White also said he was going to find a way to keep the Strikeforce fighters happy. Who's happy about Melendez-Thomson III? Well, I tell you who's not happy about it: Melendez and the fans.3) What can Bellator do with their recently announced reality show that will differentiate them from TUF?Mike Chiappetta: I thought long and hard about this one, and it's tricky because everyone in the world is going to be quick to compare it to TUF. That means one thing is for certain: they need a fresh angle. This is obviously a good opportunity for Bellator to build some familiarity with their roster. If I was part of the team, I would insist that the series have some focus on the champions. The tournament format almost ensures that the champion has to sit around and wait while a No. 1 contender moves through the process. That means the champion can be highlighted while he awaits a challenger to emerge.The scheduling might be tough, but I would feature a format where each episode is split. Half would be dedicated to the champion, and the other half would feature tournament contestants working their way towards him. That makes for an easy-to-follow narrative, and as the tourney advances and fighters are eliminated, more time can be devoted to each entrants' story and getting viewers emotionally invested in the eventual title bout.In that way, it would be sort of a hybrid of Primetime and TUF, with the all-access behind the scenes of the former, and the tournament format of the latter.Thomas: This is a really tough one. I've long been a critic of the 'The Ultimate Fighter' and said there was a poverty of imagination when it came to improving the show's content. It could very well be (and I'm sure is) that doing so is a lot more difficult than it looks.Really, this show will forever live in TUF's shadow. So many other kinds of MMA programming have come and gone, but TUF is iconic. This show will have to have a core concept that's distinct from TUF. TUF has gone through a ton of iterative development, but at it's core is still the same show: fighters live in a house and compete to earn a six-figure contract in the UFC.And much of what TUF has done is based on how all reality shows operate. The contestants live in a house, each week one person 'goes home', their personal rivalries and bickering are played up for ratings and so on. Some in MMA often decry these aspects of TUF, but in truth, it's simply what all of reality television offers with very little differentiation.I certainly wouldn't go live. I admit I enjoy TUF Live, but satellite time is expensive and based on the ratings, I'm not sure FX is getting the right kind of bang for their buck. I'd also change up the prize at the end of the show and to what extent coaches are involved. But really, and some might call me crazy, I'd question the very premise of using prospects rather than established fighters. Bellator needs to create stars, but there's a reciprocal relationship here: they need all the existing star power they can muster for the show. I don't know what the perfect solution is, but watching a bunch of completely unknown names duke it out for dubious rewards is not something MMA fans really care about in great numbers. I say make the show about what you've already got and worry about making that bigger and better. The prospects will come. We want to see your best, not your maybes, also-rans or John Does.4) UFC action finally returns next week, with Alexander Gustafsson fighting Thiago Silva. Is this the fight in which Gustafsson makes himself a legit 205 contender?Thomas: I believe so. At the end of 2011, I told CSN Washington Gustafsson was my breakout fighter for 2012. Alexander has so much of the raw material critical for success: good athleticism, technical skills, high fight IQ and the capacity to add skills quickly to his game with a high level of proficiency. I'm constantly amazed at not just how he augments his existing skills, but adds entirely (and seemingly) foreign techniques to his arsenal yet implements them with aplomb.Thiago Silva is certainly a tough test and the appropriate type for Gustafsson at this juncture in his career. He needs to work against someone who has faced championship caliber fighters, has legitimate offensive ability in two dimensions of the game, and is an aggressive and potent power puncher. But what we're looking for is not just for Gustafsson to beat him, but to see how he beats him. Can the Swede get by him in the way other elite fighters have? Eventual superiority in a relatively tough fight is what I'm expecting/hoping to see.I certainly don't think he's ready for a title shot. He needs to beat several more established, high-ranking talents before talk of that is even merited. Without a shadow of a doubt, though, he is the sort of fighter that with more seasoning in a cauldron of world-class preparation and resources, can be the next-level talent everyone suspects that he is.Chiappetta: Gustafsson certainly looks ready to make the leap from prospect to contender. As Luke notes, he's got a well-rounded skill set to work with, and his 6-foot-5 frame makes him a difficult physical matchup for many. His best attribute is clearly his striking, as he has a great idea of how to use his length to his advantage. Since his lone loss came via submission, it will be interesting to see what happens if BJJ black belt Silva can get him to the ground. That's not likely though, as wrestlers Vladimir Matyushenko and Matt Hamill had trouble bringing the fight to the mat against him. Silva is a great opponent for him because he'll be willing to bang with him on the feet but certainly won't shy away from any ground work. In the past, some of Gustafsson's opponents have been a bit one-dimensional. Even coming off a one-year suspension, Silva presents more problems than Gustafsson's seen in a while, and if the Swede solves them, we can conclude that he's just as legitimate a prospect as we originally guessed.
Posted in: mma, strikeforce, fighter, lesnar, melendez
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseChael Sonnen on "What fighters say vs. What fighters mean"
Top Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen, who will challenge division champion Anderson Silva in Brazil, dedicates his "Chael's Corner" segment on UFC Tonight to exposing common lies told by his fellow mixed martial artists. Sonnen explains why a fighter dodges questions, avoids going the distance, switches training camps, and much more.
Posted in: fighter, chael sonnen, sonnen, chael, artists sonnen
Read the full article at Low KickUFC's Chael Sonnen: 'There's A Tremendous Difference Between What Fighters Say Versus What They Mean'
Chael Sonnen was on Fuel TV's UFC Tonight yet again for his weekly segment addressing all things MMA. In this week's edition, Chael took on fighters who lie to the media about every little thing. Chael used the "shock" expressed by some media and fans that he would admit that he was hurt by Bisping's punches as proof that fighters continually lie to the press about every aspect of their fights.
Here's the video:
Read what Chael had to say after the jump...
The transcript:
"Fighters have recently seen it as their quasi-job to continually put out misinformation. They just refuse to answer a question head-on. You know there's a tremendous difference with what fighters say versus what they mean.
For example 'I don't want to leave it in the hands of the judges' means 'I didn't train to go three rounds.' Uh, 'I'm surrounded with a new team in camp' means 'all my old friends abandoned me.' Uh, 'I need to go to training camp to be in seclusion' means 'My wife and kids are driving me nuts.'
I don't understand why fighters don't just talk plainly. In my last fight, I took on a gentleman named Michael Bisping. He hit me very hard and it hurt...a lot. People are shocked that I would admit that. Because they're all so used to lying. Well, guess what? If a guy hits you hard and it hurts, is your ego so small that you can't pay him a compliment? Is your ego so fragile that you can't say 'Look, I had my bell rung in the middle of a fistfight?' It kind of seems like a normal thing to happen, to me.
I expect to be hit hard, I expect to be kick hard. I don't need to hide from those things. Let's be objective, let's look at things head on and try to figure out what happened. If he threw a great punch, maybe I can break down the video and learn how to throw it myself. If he threw a bad punch and it hurt, maybe I need to learn how to get out of the way. But I don't need to come to the media and lie"
Posted in: fighter, i need, thing, chael, dont
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowNortheastern Brazilian MMA Fighters Say Goodbye to Teacher, Friend Bruno Gouvea
Mixed martial arts lost a great teacher last weekend, a man particularly crucial to the development of great athletes from Northeast Brazil.
Posted in: fighter, brazil, development, northeast, teacher
Read the full article at SherdogONE FC 3: War Of The Lions Behind The Scenes And Event Photo Gallery - Part 1
As you might already know, BloodyElbow.com was in Singapore this past weekend for ONE FC 3: War of the Lions. Here's the first part of our exclusive gallery filled with behind the scenes and event photos.
Pictured above, is the ONE FC Cage, hours before the event when the production team were doing their rehearsals.
Related: ONE FC 3 Videos And Analysis: Folayang And Laursen Go To War, Zoro Deserves Title Shot | Photos: Melvin Manhoef's Nasty Cut From ONE FC Fight Against Nakanishi
All photos were taken by Anton Tabuena. Check out much more pictures after the jump, and follow me on twitter.
WEIGH-INS:
The Ring Girls pose for the cameras right before the ONE FC weigh-ins started
Melvin Manhoef weighs in.
Ole Laursen had trouble making 155, but he eventually made weight after stripping down.
The Ring Girls giggled every time a 'good looking' fighter dropped down to their trousers
Tatsuya Kawajiri, putting on his socks, and re-hydrating after making weight.
Felipe Enomoto wearing his mask, walking down to the scale with his opponent Zorobabel Moreira and his coach Heath Sims following behind.
After the weigh-ins, the ring girls posed for photos again. You can spot Tracy Lee on the crowd as well.
FIGHT NIGHT
Afternoon before the event, the ONE FC cage during the production rehearsals.
The Ring Girls during the rehearsals
Richie Whitson, Heath Sims, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and the rest of the guys during the fighter briefing.
Jiang Long Yun during the fighter intros
Jiang was also sporting the most interesting footwear during those intros.
Singapore's first professional female fighter, Nicole Chua, drew the most cheers during the fighter intro.
Danny Van Bergen ecstatic after winning by armbar against Richie Whitson
Jiang Long Yun after scoring an upset against former boxing champ, Yodsanan Sityodtong
Singapore's Kim Hock Quek, celebrating with the guys from Juggernaut fight team
Nicole Chua addressing the home town crowd who went wild after she defeated Jeet Toshi.
Masakazu Imanari transitioning from several different submission attempts until finally catching Kevin Belingon in a reverse heel hook.
Shinya Aoki who came as part of Evolve MMA, was also supporting and cornering his friend and long-time training partner
Stay tuned for part 2.... follow me on twitter.
Posted in: fighter, photo, fc, girl, ring girls
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBruce Lee-inspired contest giveaway courtesy of MMAmania.com and Roots of Fight!
If you're going to emulate a fighter, you might as well go straight to the top.
I'm referring, of course, to Bruce Lee, the founder of Jeet Kun Do and father of modern mixed martial arts (MMA). Without his revolutionary concepts and forward-thinking -- unparalleled and flat-out unheard of for his time -- we might have missed our opportunity to revel at the rise of today's top MMA fighters like Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre and Jose Aldo, among others.
And you might have missed a chance to win some (more) free swag.
In an effort to pay tribute to the lasting effects of Lee's legacy, our friends at Roots of Fight -- the high-end retailer with a commitment to the rich history and tradition of modern combat sports -- are giving away a sample of its capsule collection released in conjunction with their latest documentary celebrating the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, the first official school founded by Lee in the United States.
So what do you have to do to win? Follow me after the jump to find out.
Lee once famously asked, "How can I express myself, totally and completely?"
Well, we're going to ask you the same thing. How can you express yourself, totally and completely AND in 100 words or less? We want to know which fighter currently active in MMA competition best embodies the principles of Bruce Lee.
Instead of focusing on win/loss records, tell us which fighter continues to evolve, while remaining unpredictable and transcending styles. In short, who's done the best job of building on the foundation laid by "The Little Dragon?"
Here's the Roots of Fight mini-documentary on Lee featuring Paul Lazenby, Eddie Bravo, and Ralek Gracie to help inspire you.
Remember, the winning entry and recipient of this impressive collection will be the one who best tells us, in 100 words or less, the active combat sports athlete who's become the living embodiment of Bruce Lee's principles and philosophy.
All entries must be submitted to contest@mmamania.com OR left in the comments section below.
Contest starts today (April 3, 2012) and runs through Sunday (April 8) at midnight, so don't procrastinate. Keep it original and of course, have fun with it. Once entry per user.
You can also eliminate the middle man and head straight to Roots of Fight to bypass this contest and purchase the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute line of apparel. See that and so much more at the Roots of Fight website right here.
For the rest of you, good luck and get crackin' ...
Click the pic to enlarge.
Click the pic to enlarge.
Posted in: fight, fighter, bruce, lee, root
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMailbag: Urijah Faber makes a classy move on 'Ultimate Fighter' by not targeting the injured Mike Rio (Yahoo! Sports)
The Team Faber coach instead chose Jeremy Larsen of Team Cruz to face his fighter, Mike Chiesa.
Posted in: fighter, mike, faber, jeremy larsen, team cruz
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsMailbag: Urijah Faber makes a classy move on 'Ultimate Fighter' by not targeting the injured Mike Rio (Yahoo! Sports)
The Team Faber coach instead chose Jeremy Larsen of Team Cruz to face his fighter, Mike Chiesa.
Posted in: fighter, mike, faber, jeremy larsen, team cruz
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsIAmA 23-year-old professional female MMA Fighter (x/post IAmA)
submitted by ChuckSurf [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: fighter, xpost, chucksurf, yearold, iama
Read the full article at RedditK-1 lays out it's comeback plans
We've been covering the power struggle for kickboxing's soul between Golden Glory and K-1 for several months now, and while there is no end in sight we now have some concrete plans from K-1 in the form of a 2012 schedule. According to them, they will hold 7 events this year including shows in Europe, Asia, Los Angeles and New York.
While the guys at MiddleEasy are breathlessly excited about K-1 in LA and NYC, I've seen too many ambitious plans for world domination from the dunces running K-1 that have gone absolutely nowhere. I think I'll wait for them to prove they can actually oh I dunno PAY THEIR FIGHTERS before I allow any hype to tickle my fightfan sensibilities.
Liver Kick's Dave Walsh lays out why we should consider supporting K-1 again:
If FEG is involved, offering fighters 50% of the money that they are owed for a contract to fight is essentially blackmail. If K-1 Global is what I believe it to be and has no relation to FEG, it is an act of good faith and should be applauded....This "new" K-1 should be given a chance as long as they steer clear of the problems that plagued K-1 in the past. As long as they are looking to keep Japanese mafia, Kazuyoshi Ishii and FEG away from what they are doing now, fans should remain optimistic for the future, or at least give them a chance. This iteration of K-1 is looking to focus on China, Europe and the United States as opposed to simply focusing on a Japanese-centric audience.
Meanwhile, Fighters Only is already questioning the 'new' K-1's ability to make good on it's financial promises:
The new owners of K-1, headed by Korean businessman Mr Kim, apparently do not have the kind of financial resources at their disposal that they were initially thought to....Fighters are being offered contracts which contain a term to the effect that purses do not have to paid immediately after the bout, but can have to be paid by the end of the month in which that fight took place, or at the end of a several-week period after the fight.
As this reflects the practices of the old K-1, which lead to fighters effectively competing for free after purses got deferred repeatedly and then didn’t get paid at all, there is widespread cynicism about the financial resources of the new K-1 owners and their ability to meet the obligations they have made such a big issue of taking on.
So will they or won't they succeed? We'll find out starting on May 27th, when they return with a tournament event in Madrid, Spain.
Posted in: fighter, tournament event, china europe, severalweek period, nyc ive
Read the full article at FightlinkerA Look at Leaf Metal MMA 2012
Leaf Trading Cards have released their second entry into the Mixed Martial Arts market in the form of Leaf Metal MMA, out at your local hobby stores and featuring some of MMA’s biggest/brightest superstars.
Unlike Leaf’s original set from 2010, this group features no base cards. You simply purchase a box and there are eight autographs inside. As with the previous set, this is not licensed by any one promotion or sanctioning body which allows Leaf to contract fighters directly rather than by organization. This results in a bit more of an eclectic checklist than North American fighters.
The first Leaf MMA was groundbreaking in the sense that it featured Strikeforce fighters pre-Zuffa (including Fedor Emelianenko) along with many Japanese superstars. It was also the first full MMA set to feature female fighters including the likes of Sarah Kaufman, Roxanne Modafferi, and Hitomi Akano. The set, however, was hampered by a terrible color scheme. The base card backgrounds, which featured fighters posing on a white background, found themselves colored an eyesore maroon, child-medicine purple, or dandelion-goldenrod depending on the autograph parallel. Still, for what it was, the concept was far ahead of its time and remains one of the best sources for acquiring certified fighter autographs.
Going back to Metal, all cards in this set are “hard-signed”. That is, all autographs (with the exception of autographed press plates) feature autographs signed directly on the card rather than on a sticker affixed to the card.
Taking technology seen previously in sets like Topps Finest, Metal relies heavily on prismatic technology and a glossy metallic look for the surface of its cards.
Autographs are available in numerous variations. The base autograph is supplemented with numerous parallels. National Pride autographs feature a fighter with their country’s flag in the background with an autograph and Champions autographs feature past and current champions in a different pose autographed at the bottom.
Leaf has also done something I admit I didn’t expect – they went out and focused on UFC fighters without current Topps deals. Besides the big name stars (such as Cain Velasquez, Jose Aldo, and Gilbert Melendez) almost all the fighters you see in this set are fighters who have yet to appear in Topps sets. Those names include Mike Pierce, Jason MacDonald (whose massive signature doesn’t fit in the autograph area) and Strikeforce standout Derek Brunson. Unfortunately, the 100+ signers from the first set has shrunk to around 40, and with variations of the autographs in tow it means you could realistically find yourself pulling one or two different autographs of the same fighter in the same box. Leaf had delayed this set to the point of no return already and if they did not receive autographs from many potential signees, I had no problem seeing them delay even further. They also missed a huge boat of opportunity. Last time out, they went heavy on Strikeforce and WEC standouts. This time, Bellator‘s fighters were ripe for the picking, and the brass ring was not grabbed, so to speak. As a result the set ends up being a fairly limited product.
On a side note, this is the first autograph appearance of Megumi Fujii and her autographs are true to her bubbly personality including a big smiley face after her signature on each autograph. Fujii, the women’s #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, is joined on the women’s side by fellow first time signer Megumi Yabushita and Cristiane Santos.
Design-wise, these Metallic look cards never look well anywhere but in person, and so you will want to spare your judgment until then. Unfortunately, the printing process often takes a toll on these cards, and you find that in many cases cards are double printed and blurry. Also, in many cases, because the autographs are signed on that dark surface, you can barely see them. The condition sensitive nature of these cards dictate that the autographs may fall victim to oxidization in the future (where the autographs may bubble or fade). However, Leaf has already put these cards in top loaders and sleeves to slow that process. It’s advised that you try not to subject these cards to too much light for fear of fade. I would’ve recommended perhaps a metal parallel to regular autographed cards. The autographs are what are the selling point of the product, not the crazy look of the cards.
With regard to the price point (which sadly determines whether the product is worth purchasing more often than not nowadays), when the first Leaf MMA launched at around $85 US per box, I was expecting something similar here, and was absolutely shocked to hear that the product was around $130 out of the gate. On one hand, you’re getting eight autographs in a box for that price which is not only nothing to sneeze at but something no other company does. Not even Topps has put out a product at that low of a price point with so many autographs. However, the biggest detriment again comes down to the fact that with such a small checklist of contracted fighters, you could realistically pull 20% of all the eligible signers in one box. Perhaps what Leaf should have done here is the same thing they did in their recent golf release – three autographs per box with a base set to build at a lower price (say, $60 or $70.) The autograph value may not be there as much as it is now, but it would spread out the small checklist a bit more, and make it seem like there was more of a chase element to the whole thing.
In my opinion, Leaf still has the best idea for an MMA set out there, along with the biggest room to grow. With only two sets, they have made it affordable and easier for fans seeking Mixed Martial Arts autographs. However, there is still a ways to go. The absence of firm Bellator presence is very unfortunate. Many of their banner fighters (Jessica Aguilar, Michael Chandler, and Hector Lombard amongst them) are still without autographed cards and they could easily have bolstered this checklist along with the UFC veterans. However, the difficulty of having a set that bears no redemptions and is 100% signed on card is that you are left to the whim of the fighters to return their cards on time for packout. It would be interesting to see who was intended to appear in this set and ultimately did not.
It’s my hope that Leaf’s next set continues this trend of including previously inaccessible signers while diversifying and bolstering their checklist size a bit. Leaf Metal MMA overall is an interesting set that could be so much more, but ultimately falls a bit short of my recommendation to go out to your hobby store and purchase.
PHOTO CREDIT – LEAF
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Posted in: mma, fighter, card, autograph, leaf
Read the full article at Fighters.comJake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann Set As Number One Contender’s Bout
The matchup between Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann just became a little more important, as UFC President Dana White announced that the welterweights will battle for the number one contender’s position in their bout at The Ultimate Fighter: Live finale. The event takes place on June 1st from The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Ellenberger vs. Kampmann was announced a few weeks ago, following Kampmann’s comeback win vs. Thiago Alves at UFC on FX 2, and Ellenberger’s win vs. Diego Sanchez at UFC on Fuel TV 1. The winner of the matchup will face off against the winner of the championship match between UFC welterweight Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit, which is expected to take place at UFC 154 in Montreal on November 17th.
Condit, the interim champion after defeating Nick Diaz at UFC 143 in February, has elected to wait until St. Pierre returns as opposed to defending the interim belt.
“The welterweight division is stacked, and Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann are going to fight for the chance to earn a title shot,” White said of the matchup between Kampmann and Ellenberger. “They will headline the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Live on FX to crown the next ultimate fighter. There’s a lot at stake for the guys competing on this card at the Palms.”
Also taking place at the event will be the finals of this season of The Ultimate Fighter, which is currently under way. This season features 16 lightweight fighters vying to become the next winner of the reality show, which guarantees a six-figure contract along with multiple fights in the organization.
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, along with the season finale, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, fighter, season finale, kampmann
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyONE FC: Vuyisile Colossa vs Rustam Khabilov Set for May 26 in Kuala Lumpur
In an interview with Buddha Sport, Muay Thai champion Vuyisile Colossa confirmed he would be fighting Sambo champion Rustam Khabilov at ONE FC in Malaysia next month. It will be the second time which both men have fought for the promotion with Colossa demolishing Ma Xing Yue in Singapore in September and Khabilov overpowering Rodrig Ribeiro in Jakarta in February.
Stylistically you could not find two more different fighters as Colossa is an out and out striker who has better stand up then arguably any other lightweight mixed martial artist in the world. Khabilov is a world class Sambo fighter who likes to put opponents on their back and beat them up and has a proven track record of doing just this.
In MMA terms Khabilov is much more experienced because he has a stellar 13-1 record with his only loss coming by way of split decision. Colossa is a comparative newcomer to the sport and has a 4-2 record but he has never been stopped and his losses were to top ranked opponents Yui Chul Nam and Eduard Folayang.
Colossa is one of the best Muay Thai fighters to ever turn his hand to MMA and has fought Yodsaenklai Fairtex no fewer than four times. His style of stand up is very suited to the sport because he likes to use his hands a lot, has devastating low kicks and if he can back an opponent up onto the cage will explode with elbows and knees.
Colossa's is not the patient points scoring style which has cost him a few decisions in Muay Thai but makes him a particularly devastating striker in MMA, as you can see here:
Vuyisile Colossa vs. Ma Xing Yu (via officialsherdog)
Both fighters are extremely aggressive and explosive but this is where the similarities end. Khabilov trains with Greg Jackson and the gameplan for him in this fight will be to get a hold of the South African, pick him up, put him down and keep him there while doing as much damage as possible.
As Khabilov demonstrated against Ribeiro he is not a patient fighter and will look to land strikes as frequently as possible from every position. He came very close to finishing that fight and the Brazilian showed incredible endurance and willpower as well as an iron chin to survive the 15 minute onslaught.
The Russian will never have fought anyone with Colossa's calibre of striking and it will be a completely different challenge from the one he faced against Ribeiro who is a BJJ black belt. If the fight stays standing for any length of time it could be a long night for the Russian who likes to use his hands but might think twice about getting involved in stand up exchanges with such an accomplished kickboxer.
Both Colossa's losses have come against opponents who took him to the ground in order to neutralize his stand up. Folayang landed takedown after takedown in the first two rounds to secure a decision while Nam survived being dropped early on to impose his wrestling in the later stages of the fight.
Neither Nam nor Folayang have the same sort of powerful takedowns as Khabilov does though, as best showcased in this encounter:
Rustam Habilov Vs. Akin Duran (via dagfighters)
Colossa's four wins have all been by stoppage and surprisingly, given that he comes from such a strong stand up background, he has two submissions to his name. This should be a very entertaining contest because both fighters like to be on the front foot and to do damage when they are in their element.
If Colossa can keep the fight standing, and reportedly his takedown defence is improving rapidly, he will be able to punish Khabilov but if the Russian can get Colossa down then he will set about using some of his brutal ground and pound.
Given his superior record and experience Khabilov will be the favourite but it is a tremendous opportunity for Colossa to show why he is one of the most feared strikers in the entire MMA world. ONE FC's Kuala Lumpur card has yet to be revealed but this must be an early candidate for fight of the night.
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Posted in: fight, takedown, fighter, khabilov, colossa
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTUF Live Ratings Down Slightly in Week 4
The Ultimate Fighter Live on FX have continued to post steady ratings, but are they the ratings that the UFC and the cable network were hoping for?
Posted in: fighter, week, rating, network, cable network
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUltimate Fighter Live Finale Tickets Are On Sale Soon, Ellenberger-Kampmann Official Headliner
The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale is official.
The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale is scheduled to take place the Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, Friday, June 1 on FX beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The card will be headlined by a pivotal welterweight contest between Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann, as the two will meet for a chance to earn a title shot in the division.
The only other official match scheduled for the card to date is the finals in the ongoing season of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, which is being coached by UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and No. 1 contender Urijah Faber.
Ticket info below.
UFC Fight Club Presale: Wednesday, April 13, 2 p.m. ET
UFC Newsletter Presale: Thursday, April 12, noon ETT
Public On-Sale Date: Friday, April 13, 2 p.m. ET
Tickets are priced from $104 to $354. They can be purchased at the Pearl box office or Ticketmaster.
The latest Ultimate Fighter Live Finale fight card and event info can be found in our fight cards section.
Posted in: fighter, pm, card, finale, martin kampmann
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC 145: Rashad Evans Talks About Time Off From Fighting
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans gets his change to get his title back on April 21st at UFC 145, but he'll have to go through former training partner Jon Jones to get it. In the second of a series of blogs on Yahoo Sports, Rashad discusses his long layoff last year due to injury and how hard it was on him:
But the time off wasn’t a good time for me, I can’t say it was. The frustration of being the No. 1 contender since May 2010 and seeing other fighters – including the guy I beat (Rampage Jackson) – getting opportunities when I earned my title shot was pretty bad. It was frustrating. Very frustrating.
I had a very hard time in my personal life too, going through a divorce, so I was having things not go my way professionally and personally at the same time. My injury wasn’t healing like I wanted it to, and it wasn’t a great time. But during that time I learned the true strength I have as a fighter and a person.
I never felt sorry for myself, I never threw tantrum or was like, "Why me? Why all at once?" I realized I had a lot going for me in life. I realized I’d had a lot of luck and opportunities, and a lot of guys out there have it far, far worse. Yeah, I didn’t have exactly what I wanted in life right there, right then, but as soon as I got fit I’d had every opportunity to get my belt.
He also briefly discusses his former coach Greg Jackson and his new team in Florida, Imperial Athletics, before moving onto Jones:
Yeah, Jon has gotten better since he was that skinny kid in the gym I used to spar. But he’s not changed as a fighter. He’s improved, but he’s still the same fighter and just as importantly, he’s the same kid who has had it all his own way and thinks he is the best thing since Muhammad Ali.
When it comes down to it, I’m already sick of talking and thinking about him. There’s a lot of emotions involved with this fight, which is motivation in training but also it is something that can drain your mental energy.
I’ve been through these fights before. Michael Bisping and I went at it and the (smack talk) got so back we nearly fought at the weigh-ins. And I went back and forth with Rampage for months, talking smack and making it personal … so I know how to play this game. I don’t think Jon does. We did a TV show in Atlanta, and he was very uncomfortable in his own skin. He knows what I know about him. He knows.
On April 21, the whole world will know, too.
Does Rashad have a mental edge because he knows how to "play the game"? I firmly believe that the mental part of fighting is absolutely vital for success, but I'm not so sure that some smack talk is going to give him an advantage in the cage. As he said though, we'll find out on April 21st in Atlanta. You can catch his first blog here, by the way.
SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans
Posted in: ufc, time, fighter, lot, hersquo
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowONE FC 3 Videos And Analysis: Folayang And Laursen Go To War, Zoro Deserves Title Shot
This past weekend, BloodyElbow.com was on deck at the Singapore Indoor Arena for ONE Fighting Championship's third event dubbed as the 'War of the Lions'. I've had more than 24 hours to let everything sink in, so here's a rundown on the thoughts and analysis from being in the arena live:
This was by far their best fight card, but before we get to that, one of the most noticeable changes on their third event I think, was the big improvements they made with the overall production and live experience. The first two events already had good production value but the several adjustments they had made the difference for me. From the big changes such as adding Lenne Hardt, to the dozens of small things like the modified press seating and the VIP lounge, the photographers' positioning and rotation, the ring girls and their roles -- I can go on and on -- but all those contributed in making the overall atmosphere and experience much better.
Say what you want about the timing of the bout, but combining the styles of two of the most entertaining guys in the region is guaranteed fireworks, and that's exactly what Eduard Folayang and Ole Laursen brought. Both guys are known for getting into epic battles, but not only did they not disappoint, they even exceeded expectations, and stole the show after an all out war. A lot of people may not have agreed with Laursen getting the split decision, but in the end, it was a very close and extremely entertaining fight. In my eyes, both warriors won that night.
Zorobabel Moreira impressed me a lot with his evolving Mixed Martial Arts game. Just a few fights ago, Zoro looked a bit awkward, and somewhat tentative with his striking, but now, he looks sharper, more crisp and confident with his strikes. Obviously, when it went to the ground, he displayed his bread and butter, which is that world class jiujitsu skills. Enomoto is a very good grappler in his own regard, but Zoro's passes and transitions on the third round was just beautiful jiujitsu. Having that 6'3 frame will always pose problems for lightweights, but his ever improving MMA game will make things even tougher. He has solidified himself as one of the top fighters in the region, and I think that's a testament with his work with all the champion coaches at Evolve MMA.
Melvin Manhoef had a nasty cut. I really thought I saw his shin bone at one point.
Moreira deserves a shot at that inaugural ONE FC lightweight belt. Some people would want to see a rematch between Laursen and Folayang, and while I wouldn't really be opposed to that, I think the time is right to set up a lightweight title. Zoro is obviously the best candidate, and since he just beat the top contender, a match against Laursen is the logical choice. Both guys are coming off very impressive performances, and with Laursen possibly nearing the later stages of his career, there's no better time to do it.
More analysis, along with fight videos from the event after the jump. Follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena
Kevin Belingon's aggressive instincts cost him big time. Imanari fell to the ground, and Belingon pounced much like he usually does, unnecessarily risking his leg by stepping in to follow the BJJ black belt to the ground. This was a huge test for the very young fighter from Team Lakay, and it will be interesting to see him learn and bounce back from this experience. That being said, I have to say, those were very beautiful transitions as Imanari chained several different submission attempts until he finished with a reverse heel hook.Watch the video here:
Also, Shinya Aoki raising his hand on the cage and an ecstatic Imanari, celebrating and jumping up for a cage high-five was a pretty cool moment. Hopefully we see more of him and other DREAM stars in future ONE FC events.
Speaking of DREAM fighters, Kawajiri looked great. Check out the video:
Singaporeans Nicole Chua and Kim Hock Quek got the biggest cheers from the crowd after both fighters got impressive performances in front of their home country. Check out the vids below:
Before the fight, one of the "things to look out for" I listed, was to see how much the two Evolve MMA fighters, Eddie Ng and Yodsanan Sityodtong has improved since their first event. Eddie, a fighter known more for his grappling, looked to have drastically improved, displayed great stand up against the Malaysian kickboxer.Video:
His 37-year-old teammate, Yodsanan Sityodtong wasn't able to fare as well though. He showed very dangerous striking and looked to almost have the fight won, but after Long Yun Jiang weathered the earlier storm, he exposed the holes in the former WBC boxing champ's game, and took over when things got to the ground.
If you want to delve into the Laursen vs. Folayang decision more, it is very interesting to note that one of the judges on that bout is a Filipino who has officiated several URCC fights, and he still gave the decision to Laursen, so there is really no biases or hidden agendas at play here. It was a very close fight on all fronts, and I can see legitimate cases for both guys being awarded the decision. In my personal opinion though, having watched the fight twice now both live and online, I thought Folayang did enough to win a decision after he landed more shots and more combinations. But again, it doesn't really matter, cause neither man really "lost" on that night.Check out the fight here:
I'll have a behind the scenes and event photo gallery post up soon, so do keep an eye out for that.
Posted in: fight, fighter, event, folayang, laursen
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDon Frye: 'Dana White's Just Ruined The Sport'
Don Frye is one of MMA's biggest personalities. His tendency to speak his feelings as honestly as anyone in the sport along with his sense of humor and a history of being a "go for broke" fighter have turned Frye into one of the most beloved figures around the sport.
Of course, talking about UFC fighter pay in any negative way is a quick way to change that. The question of "Are UFC fighters underpaid?" was asked while Frye was on the "Savage Dog Show" on Sherdog and this was his response:
Oh my God, it's a crime. It's a crime. You see some of these guys only getting two or three or six thousand dollars and you've got Dana bragging about having 30 Ferraris. Come on. You have a sponsor and he charges a sponsor what, a hundred and fifty grand to have your stuff on the fighter? That's money he's stealing from the fighter. Then he goes and he pays them two or three thousand dollars. That's crazy.
While it's not a particularly new stance, and despite my feelings that there is a slight pay issue in the UFC, this seems to miss a bit of the point. What Dana makes off the UFC should have no bearing on what the bottom level fighters should make.
Simple business sense would suggest that Dana White is far more important to the success of the UFC than an opening level fighter (who seems to make no less than $6,000) and is therefor worth more money.
My issue with pay is less about the bottom rung fighters and more about the gap between the current "middle class" which tends to average somewhere around $30,000-50,000 (with win bonus) and the top end which is generally well over $100,000. But that's all in flux and something that may well correct itself in the next year or two.
Frye also thinks that Dana White has "ruined the sport":
I do. I really do. I had a lot of fun. The fans are fantastic. Fantastic fans. But the thing is, Dana White's just ruined the sport. I got to thinking about it today and you know, he ruined it for me. I thought, ‘Why am I letting that asshole dictate my life and take all of the fun out of it for me?' I just ignore him and go on with my life. I might climb back in the cage just because I finally say, ‘F--k it. Why let him ruin it?' I just ignore him and go on with my own business.
Even if I disagree with him, I'm firmly in the camp of people who'll never be able to get too mad at Don. The man is a national treasure.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, sport, dana, frye
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Ultimate Fighter Live Wrap Up: Iaquinta Wins The Fight Of The Season?
After last week's Justin Lawrence vs. Cristiano Marcello episode of UFC's Ultimate Fighter Live, I had some worries about the season. With pranks and personalities both spotlighted, it seemed we were heading further down that reality TV show slide that caused me to lose interest in TUF years ago. This week, we got back to basics with a focus on fighting and training in an episode that showcased what can make this show great.
Al Iaquinta vs. Myles Jury was a very even match-up, and while it didn't have me quite as pumped as Lawrence vs. Marcello, I was on the fence on who would win, and very interested to see more of each fighter. And for the vast majority of this episode, the focus remained on those two. We saw both men train, heard some strategy from each... essentially, the show delivered on exactly what I always want it to be, an up close look inside the training camps of two fighters preparing to do battle. I love that aspect of the show, and it was on full display here.
One of my concerns heading into the fight was that Urijah Faber would not provide Iaquinta with as winning a strategy as Dominick Cruz would for Jury. And after watching, I have to wonder if that was on Iaquinta's mind as well. The scene where he approached Faber and explained that he wasn't interested in just working defense, but on being offensive instead was very telling. That's the exact mistake they made with Marcello, and it cost them. Nice to see Iaquinta learn from it.
And a quick aside, how classy did Marcello come across this week? No complaining, just saying Lawrence was the better man, and now he's here to help train. That's a pro right there.
As for the fight itself - I have to say it played out much as I expected. Jury was able to win the striking battle at first, primarily through a nice counterstriking game, but the deeper the fight went, the more comfortable Iaquinta became. I thought he clearly took round 3 and showed a lot of grit and determination in there.
Post-fight, Faber used an awful lot of unnecessary words to make the fight pick, but I loved his mind games against Larsen. Telling him that his own coach doubts his skills against a fighter like Chiesa? That's kind of mean, but also awesome. I'm sure Faber will never own up to using a nasty move like that, but I loved it.
Other quick thoughts:
Dana White was clearly annoyed at the lag between rounds 2 and 3, but I feel like that is inevitable when you need to check judges' scores first. I wonder if it was much longer than it had been in previous seasons.
Mike Rio injured himself and managed to keep that a secret. But of course, that secret only lasted a week, because now that the episode has aired, everyone knows. Another unplanned impact of the new format.
Andy Ogle emerged as an interesting character. I am intrigued by his sort of gruff philosopher persona, and want to see more.
Chris Tickle only did one thing this week, yet still managed to be annoying.
Al Iaquinta vs. Myles Jury:
Iaquinta impressed me here, more for his focus and ability to get through tough spots than anything else. He stayed in there, and improved as the fight progressed. He had good defensive movement at times, but also let his hands drop too much for my liking. Also not sure why he repeatedly backed Jury up against the cage, then let him circle out. You've got him trapped, attack. Overall, a solid showing that gives me high hopes for Iaquinta in this competition.
As I said in the preview, Jury just hasn't faced a hard enough level of competition that has really pushed him yet, and it showed. But I liked a lot of his striking here. I think he has a very bright future ahead of him, and this is one of those fights that will really help him. In the long run, I'll predict right now that he has a more successful UFC career than Iaquinta.
Though it slowed in round 3, this was one hell of a fight. Round 2 in particular was terrific.
Mike Chiesa vs. Jeremy Larsen:
Though they haven't focused on it in the past two weeks Chiesa is one of the big stories this season due to the sad passing of his father. For that alone, he's made a mark, whereas Larsen is one of those guys who I don't really recall anything about at this point. I've been looking forward to seeing Chiesa back in there, as his first fight was good. Off the top of my head, I think he takes this. Check back later in the week for a more in-depth preview.
Posted in: fight, fighter, week, jury, iaquinta
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTUF Brazil Episode 2 Recap
As the second episode of ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil’ opens, we learn that the 16 fighters have moved from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo, where the house is located. As they settle in, it becomes clear that “Gasparzinho” frustrates the others, some of which immediately refer to him as a little kid.
The fighters head to the massive UFC training center where they meet up with Dana White. White announces that the fighters who score the best knockout and best submission of the season will each score R$45,000 as will the two who put on the best fight of the season.
White tosses a coin, with the correct call between Wanderlei and Vitor getting to choose the first fighter, or the first fight, Silva wins and he chooses to take the first draft pick. He chooses Rony Bezerra. Belfort is more than happy to be able to pick the first fight.
The teams are chosen, as noted below:
Team Wanderlei:
1. Rony Bezerra
2. Delson Heleno
3. John Teixeira
4. Francisco Drinaldo
5. Marcos Vinicius Borges Pancini
6. Renee Forte
7. Wagner Campos
8. Leonardo Mafra Teixeira
Team Vitor:
1. Cezar Ferreira
2. Hugo Viana
3. Daniel Sarafian
4. Rodrigo Damm
5. Thiago Rela
6. Godofredo de Oliveira
7. Sergio Moraes
8. Anistavio Medeiros
Both teams get together for a quick pep talk. Medeiros is frustrated at being picked last, but Vitor reassures him that he has faith. Medeiros isn’t happy and insists people are going through his gear. Hugo Viana and others are already annoyed with him, but Medeiros keeps whining about the household.
Things get weird as we see Silva is shown shaving his arms. He then runs his fighters through drills, along with Rafael Cordeiro. Cordeiro tells the team not to drink and Silva tells them this is their chance to rise from poverty. Fabricio Werdum, “Babalu”, and Andre Dida are there to help as well. Vitor’s team is shown, with Luiz Dorea teaching boxing, as well as Francisco Filho, Rodrigo Artilheiro, and Gilbert Durinho teaching as well.
We jump forward to fight announcement day, and Belfort selects Godofredo de Oliveira to take on Wagner Campos.
Next up, both fighters make weight, so all that’s left is the fight! ..but not before a message from Ford Motors, who offer whoever in the final four has the quickest victories a brand new Ford Ranger. UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo visits the teams to provide a pep talk, and it’s off to the fight.
Godofredo de Oliveira vs. Wagner Campos
In the first round, Campos stays at distance early, and pulls for a choke when his opponent shoots in, but he doesn’t get it. Oliveira is moving forward early, but he can’t make anything happen. Campos slips, and Oliveira winds up on top. Campos looks for a leg lock, but it’s not there. Going into the second, Oliveira looks to continue being the aggressor. There’s a kick to the cup, and Campos hits the mat. He gets back into it, but he finds himself on the wrong end of another low blow. Campos comes out angrily on the restart but it’s still Oliveira doing the most damage. Oliveira stays busier, and in the end, he wins a close, and uneventful fight via decision.
The coaches are interviewed, and Silva thinks there should have been a point deduction for the two low blows, and he is not happy. Belfort is not happy with his team. He advises them to keep their celebratory nature to themselves. Campos is disappointed but vows to move on. The show ends with a preview of the next episode, and things look to be heating up. Check in next week to find out what happens next.
Posted in: fight, fighter, team, oliveira, campo
Read the full article at MMA ConvertEpisode No. 2 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" marks the first-ever international
version of the long-running reality competition series, and the second
episode debuts tonight.
Featuring Brazilian coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, "TUF:
Brazil," sees 16 middleweight and 16 featherweight fighters all vying
for a UFC contract.
Check out MMAjunkie.com's Episode No. 2 recap, which features team selections and the season's first featherweight tourney fight.
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, fighter brazil, mmajunkiecoms episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieThe Ultimate Fighter Live Finale Invades the Palms June 1
A new welterweight contender will emerge on Friday, June 1 at the Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas when rising stars Jake Ellenberger and Las Vegas resident Martin Kampmann lock horns in a pivotal five-round main event. Plus, a phenomenal season of The Ultimate Fighter® Live will come to an end as the UFC® crowns its next Ultimate Fighter with a six-figure contract to compete in the world’s premiere mixed martial arts organization. The event will air live on FX at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.“The welterweight division is stacked and Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann are going to fight for the chance to earn a title shot,” UFC President Dana White said. “They will headline the season finale of TUF Live on FX to crown the next Ultimate Fighter. There’s a lot at stake for the guys competing on this card at the Palms.” Tickets for The Ultimate Fighter® Live Finale go on sale Friday, April 13 at 12 p.m. PT and are priced at $354, $204 and $104. Tickets will be available at the Pearl box office, online at ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Ticket prices do not include service charges.UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, April 11 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, April 12 15, starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter via the "join newsletter" field at the top of this page.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ticket, pt, fighter ®
Read the full article at UFCThe Ultimate Fighter: Brazil Second Episode Airs Tonight at 12 AM EST on TUF.TV
The second episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil premiered tonight in Brazil, with the entire episode being available on UFC.com/TV in the United States. The series, which is of course, filmed in Brazil, is shot in Portuguese, but airs on the website with English subtitles.
The first episode (results from the episode can be found here), aired the 16 fights to show which 8 featherweights and 8 middleweights earned a spot in the house for this season.
The entire season will air on the UFC’s website, with new episodes premiering every Sunday at 12 AM EST/9 PM PST.
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, fighter brazil, episode airs
Read the full article at MMA Frenzy'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' episode No. 2 discussion thread
The second episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" is available tonight at en.TUF.tv beginning at midnight ET/9 p.m. PT. While filmed in Portuguese, the video does have English subtitles.
This serves as tonight's discussion thread for the episode, which
features eight middleweight and eight featherweight athletes arriving at
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" house after earning preliminary
victories.
Follow along with the first-ever international edition of "TUF," and
discuss it in the comments section of this thread. We'll then have an
episode recap posted following the show's conclusion.
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, thread, comments section
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUltimate Fighter (TUF): 'Brazil' live results and coverage for episode 2
After an entertaining debut that saw a bevy of vicious knockouts and crafty submissions (not to mention a slugfest straight out of a Leonard Garcia fight), The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): "Brazil" is about to get down to the nitty-gritty in its second episode this evening (April 1, 2012).
Teams will be picked. Rivalries will form. And assorted shenanigans will undoubtedly ensue ... possibly in a clothing-optional manner.
MMAmania will provide complete coverage of TUF: "Brazil" episode two as soon as it is released online (ufc.com/tuftv), which should be around midnight ET this evening.
Which psychopathic knockout machine -- coaches Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort -- will pick the victorious stable of fighters? Who will emerge as the class clown of the season? Who will be the first Brazilian to be filmed running naked outside the TUF house?
Join us after the jump and find out as we prepare for the next exciting episode of TUF: "Brazil:"
Patrick here; nothing has happened yet. Pretend I'm saying something witty to keep you entertained until we get to the subtitled face-punching.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, episode, brazil, class clown
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC Fighter With Metal Hands - Comedy Central Bit
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, mattyblayze, ufc fighter, metal
Read the full article at RedditFaith in Fighting: Seth Petruzelli is the Outsider
Former Ultimate Fighter Seth Petruzelli tackles the subject of faith in fighting, and his encounters as a non-believer in a sport where religion is commonplace.
Posted in: fighter, faith, seth, seth petruzelli, petruzelli
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Next Evolution in Ground Fighting
Ground fighting is one of the foundational aspects of Mixed Martial Arts. In the early days of the UFC, grappling reigned supreme as strikers were at a total loss at how to combat a grappling assault. A parade of striking based fighters would sneer that they had developed a new hybrid system of striking or that the grappler would never get a chance to take it to the mat, but the fights would all end with the striker tapping out.
Since then MMA fighters have adapted, creating true hybrid fighters who are able to employ both striking and grappling techniques. Strikers have taken back the sport, with champions like Anderson Silva, Junior Dos Santos, Jose Aldo, and Dominick Cruz all winning matches based on their ability to bring their fists and feet into contact with their enemy.
But one man is swinging things back in favor of the grapplers with his revolutionary technical ability, and it is only a matter of time until his techniques are apart of every fighter's tool belt.
video after the jump...
Ladies and gentleman, I give you Master Wong...
Now at first glance this technique seems very similar to the ones employed with great success by Fabricio Werdum in his fight with Alistair Overeem or Thales Leites in his super competitive fight with Anderson Sivla, but there are differences. Both those fighters are constrained by their BJJ way of thinking, in that they were "pulling guard", but the key detail to notice here is how Master Wong falls flat on his back and does nothing.
He deftly defends the kick, but he makes no effort to get up or prevent the pass to side control, because that is what they are expecting and in war, one must be unpredictable. Master Wong has perfected a technique for blocking soccer kicks one armed and catching head stomps, a must learn for anyone truly serious about self-defense.
When the top man throws a punch, Wong controls the wrist and throws an extremely powerful kick to the temple, which if it does not kill your opponent it is almost sure to knock them out. But if you miss that is ok because as Master Wong shows you can also break the arm from that position by... well he doesn't actually show it but I'm sure it's there. Finally, you preform a wrist lock sweep as your opponent stands there stunned for two to eight seconds.
Now I know what your thinking, this technique cannot possibly work because the Unified Rules of MMA don't allow kicks the head of a grounded opponent and allowing the top man to kick is a key part of this. And your correct, in this case Master Wong's techniques are limited by the rules of the Octagon and it just another example of regulation ruining something we love. We need to legalize head kicks on the ground so that fighters can willingly submit themselves to them in an attempt to gain an upper-hand in the fight. But I can see the wave of the future, which is why I have resigned from my BJJ school and am subscribing to Master Wong's YouTube channel, which is where I will be getting all of my martial arts training from now on.
Thank You to BJJ in MMA for finding this video and changing my life.
Happy April Fools Day Everybody!
Posted in: fighter, technique, master, wong, master wong
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowLefko on MMA: Chance at redemption
What makes new MMA promotion Resurrection Fighting Alliance so unique is it gives fighters a second -- or third -- chance.
Posted in: mma, fighter, chance, alliance, mma chance
Read the full article at sportsnet.ca‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Team Faber’s John Cofer Responds to Al Iaquinta’s Win
Team Faber fighter John Cofer talks to Jon Anik after Al Iaquinta picked up their team's first victory Friday on "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE."
Posted in: fighter, team, jon anik, al iaquinta, victory friday
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Sunday Junkie deadline reminder, win a free 'Fighters Only' subscription!
As a reminder, submissions for the upcoming edition of "The Sunday Junkie" are due Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.
All topics - including "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" and Bellator 63 - are open for discussion. The person who sends in the submission we deem the best (based on timeliness of subject, clarity and overall persuasiveness) is the winner.
Each winner receives a free year's subscription to "Fighters Only," the world's leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.
Posted in: fighter, sunday, years subscription, reminder submissions, subject clarity
Read the full article at MMA JunkieCris "Cyborg" Santos wants to educate other fighters on the dangers of steroid use
Former Strikeforce Women's 145-pound Champion Cris "Cyborg" Santos, who was stripped of the title after testing positive for banned substances, offers an explanation for the positive result and issues a public apology. Santos insists that she is "not a cheater," and says that she would like to "educate other fighters" on the dangers of steroid use.
Posted in: fighter, use, cyborg, cris cyborg, danger
Read the full article at Low KickThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode 4 Recap: Team Faber Gains Control
In the fourth episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, another quarterfinalist is determined, Team Faber gains matching making control and next week's match up is announced.
Posted in: fighter, team, episode, faber, control
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyAl Iaquinta Upsets Myles Jury on The Ultimate Fighter
A close, back-and-forth fight between Al Iaquinta and Myles Jury ended with Iaquinta winning and advancing on Friday night's live episode of The Ultimate Fighter.
The fight was an entertaining one that went a full 15 minutes before the judges could pick a winner, and even in the end Iaquinta won a split decision that easily could have gone either way. Iaquinta hinted that he's expecting to win the cash bonus that goes to the participants in the Fight of the Year, and he explained how he'd spend that money if he gets it.
"If that fight wins Fight of the Year, Mom, I'm going to go finish college like grandma always wanted," Iaquinta said afterward.
Jury entered the fight a heavy favorites at the sports books that were taking bets on the live Ultimate Fighter fights, and that was no surprise: He entered The Ultimate Fighter with a 9-0 record, having won all nine fights by first-round stoppage, and he was one of the favorites to win on his previous stint on The Ultimate Fighter, when he had to withdraw from the show because of an injury. But Jury didn't seem too upset after he had been beaten.
"Embrace the war. It is what it is. I'm a fighter," Jury said.
Jury was expected to roll right through Iaquinta, but it became clear from the first round that it would be close, with Iaquinta holding his own against the man who was favored to beat him. The mere fact that Iaquinta got into the second round with Jury was something of a surprise.
In the second round Jury appeared to have Iaquinta hurt with a backhanded punch, but when Jury charged forward, Iaquinta surprised him with a quick punch that had Jury reeling. It was a raucous round with both men swinging for the fences, and when they got up to end the second they weren't sure if the judges would call it even and tell them to fight a third, or declare a winner. After a lengthy delay including two commercial breaks, UFC President Dana White announced that the judges had scored it a draw, and they would go to a third sudden-victory round.
The third round was close and even, too, and in the end both men raised their hands and celebrated with their teammates, believing they had won. Two judges scored the third round 10-9 for Iaquinta, while one scored it 10-9 for Jury, and Iaquinta had won the split decision.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, jury, iaquinta
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseTUF Live Recap: Episode 4 “All The Pressure”
We are back for another edition of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, as Myles Jury from Team Cruz will take on Al Iaquinta of Team Faber. This is another match up of top picks, as UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz selected Jury third, while Iaquinta was the first overall pick for Urijah Faber.
So far, Team Cruz leads 2-0 after two fights, with Justin Lawrence and James Vick picking up wins over the past two weeks.
We recap Lawrence’s victory over Cristiano Marcello from a week ago, with Lawrence talking about his drive to win the lightweight title. On the other end we see Marcello, disappointed in defeat. Faber does his best to provide his team a spark with a speech, trying to get the energy back in his team.
Cruz is working his team through a tough session, and Jury hits teammate Mike Rio so hard that Rio falls and twists his knee. Rio says he’ll be able to fight through the pain when it comes to fight time.
Iaquinta reveals that he was set to compete on season 12 of TUF, but broke his hand just two weeks before. He’s also a student of former UFC champion Matt Serra.
Faber takes the approach of bringing in a life coach to talk to the team, which doesn’t sit well with everyone, specifically Chris Tickle. Rio continues to say he’ll push past the knee injury, but he doesn’t look ready to do much of anything during training. Jury informs him that a knee injury took him out of season 13 of TUF.
It is finally time for action, and Iaquinta seems to be the aggressive fighter early on, but Jury takes the first exchange. Iaquinta now using his power to push Jury around, as Jury goes for leg kicks. Iaquinta tries to work a crucifix, but Jury gets out and takes control. Another takedown for Jury, but they both get back to their feet as the round comes to an end.
Both Jury and Iaquinta make weight, with Jury tipping the scales at 154 pounds, while Iaquinta comes in at 155. Jury says he is excited for the opportunity to face the top pick from Team Faber, while Iaquinta just wants to have fun.
The second starts with a low blow, but not much in terms of stoppage time needed. Iaquinta remains the more aggressive fighter, as Jury seems to be unsure of what to throw next. Jury, however, connects as Iaquinta comes in, but is unable to follow up with a flying knee as Iaquinta lands a right to Jury’s chin. Jury looks tired, as Iaquinta remains strong. It’s Jury, however, that gets a takedown late, and feels like he won the fight.
Instead, we are treated to the first sudden-victory round, as the judges rule the fight a draw. Jury and Iaquinta will take it to a third. An extended break for the fighters, which should only benefit Jury as he appeared to be the more tired fighter of the two.
Not much action in this third and final round, as both men appear to be worried about making a mistake. That, or they are both exhausted and did not think it would go to a third. Iaquinta pushed the pace early on, but was unable to maintain it through the entire five minutes. The final 10 seconds brings the most excitement, as the two trade shots and this one heads to the scorecards yet again.
Al Iaquinta earns a split decision victory over Myles Jury to advance.
For next week, Michael Chiesa of Team Faber will take on Jeremy Larsen from Team Cruz.
Posted in: fighter, team, faber, jury, iaquinta
Read the full article at MMA ConvertEpisode No. 4 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live'
LAS VEGAS - MMAjunkie.com is on scene at "The Ultimate Fighter" gym in Las Vegas to recap episode No. 4 of "The Ultimate
Fighter: Live."
The first-ever FX-broadcast season of the reality show airs each Friday. UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and former WEC champ Urijah Faber are coaches as the cast is reduced from the initial 32 to one eventual winner.
Check out MMAjunkie.com's Episode No. 4 recap, which features an elimination fight between Myles Jury and Al Iaquinta, as well as the pick for next week's fight.
Posted in: fighter, episode, recap, fighter gym, mmajunkiecoms episode
Read the full article at MMA Junkie‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’: Episode Four Recap
Tune in to Heavy.com for "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Episode 4 recap and coverage, including updates from tonight's live fight between Myles Jury and Al Iaquinta.
Posted in: fighter, recap, myles jury, ’ episode, recap tune
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUpdate on Thailand: It looks like it's confirmed banned
Update on Thailand: It looks like it's confirmed banned
Well, hopefully you saw my article last night, and now there finally seems to be independent verification of the original Fighters Only article. Damn shame that this is happening. Here's hoping there's a sufficient backlash against the Muay Thai factions that are holding this back.
Posted in: fighter, thailand, there, article, confirmednbspbanned
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendResurrection Fighting Alliance 2 Live Discussion
Join us at Bloody Elbow tonight at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT for live discussion of tonight's Resurrection Fighting Alliance 2 card in Kearney, NE, which is being streamed live on Sherdog. I know that Bellator and The Ultimate Fighter are on at the same time, but this card has some recognizable names and might be worth a watch. The main event sees former UFC fighters Houston Alexander and Gilbert Yvel face off in a light heavyweight affair. Other notable names on the card include 50-year-old former UFC heavyweight champion Maurice Smith, TUF Live pseudo-contestant Dakota Cochrane, and top female fighter Tara LaRosa.
Here's the full card, and what they weighed in at (courtesy of Sherdog):
Gilbert Yvel (206) vs. Houston Alexander (203)Dakota Cochrane (156) vs. Cliff Wright (155)Maurice Smith (206) vs. Jorge Cordoba (202)Tara LaRosa (129) vs. Kelly Warren (128)Derrick Lewis (260) vs. Justin Frazier (264)Tim Elliott (125) vs. Josh Rave (125)Jared Downing (150) vs. Alessandro Ferreira (148)Aaron Ely (134.5) vs. Laramie Shaffer (136)Elaina Maxwell (147) vs. Ashley Sanchez (148)Tyler Shinn (135.5) vs. Cody Land (136)Aaron Derrow (159.5) vs. Jordan Johnson (160)Angelo Antuna vs. Chad Obermiller (135.5)John Gettle (187) vs. Darrio Mobley (192)Tyler Perry (256.5) vs. Wayman Carter (225.5)
Yes, that is a lot of fights. No, I don't know how many will actually make the stream. Guess you'll have to tune in to find out!
Posted in: fighter, vs, card, sherdog i, tonights resurrection
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAll Fighters Make Weight for One FC 3′s Free Streaming Event
All fighters have made weight for One Fighting Championship 3: War of the Lions, which streams live, for free, on YouTube at 8 a.m. ET Saturday.
Posted in: fighter, championship, saturday, stream, weight
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 live results for episode four TONIGHT (March 30) on FX
Just four episodes in and yet another big fight is going down tonight.
Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) reality television baby The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), is now in full swing with three episodes in the books and and the elimination fights inside the house well underway.
Last week's broadcast showcased a return to form for the prank heavy, testosterone laden show. But it also featured Dominick Cruz 's top pick, Justin Lawrence, dominating Cristiano Marcello in what many thought could have been a potential final. Get up to date on all that by clicking here and here.
Tonight's show will feature another fight chosen by Cruz, as yet another favorite, Myles Jury, will go head on against Team Urijah Faber's Al Iaquinta. The former is a big favorite over the latter -- almost 3-to-1 at this point -- but that's why they fight, Maniacs.
MMAmania.com has a live blog of all the night's action, starting at 10 p.m. ET, after the jump.
ULTIMATE FIGHTER 15 LIVE BLOG MARCH 30
Geno here. See you tonight, folks.
Posted in: fight, fighter, dominick cruz, myles jury, nights action
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White Talks Nick Diaz, Roy Nelson, TUF Brasil Leak, More
As usual, UFC president Dana White continues to allow unprecedented access to the media through post-press conference interviews and other outlets. As the leading man in the UFC, the knowledge White gives helps provide an in-sight to what is going on with the leading MMA organization in the world.
Here’s a little sample of what White offered up earlier this week, including his thoughts on Nick Diaz, Roy Nelson, a leak in the TUF Brasil results, and FOX telling Joe Rogan to take it down a notch.
White told MMA Junkie about those that illegally steal UFC content, and what he plans on doing about it.
I respond to people every day on Twitter, like, (expletive) you, you criminal. Yeah, we’re coming after you. Oh, boo hoo. ‘You’re coming after the fans.’ Yeah, you’re (expletive) stealing. If you steal our (expletive), we’re going to get you. We might not get you now or next month, but eventually we will, and we’re spending a lot of money toward busting people who steal.
One of White’s current/former fighters, Diaz, was found to have tested positive for marijuana following his loss to Carlos Condit earlier this year. Diaz also announced his retirement after the fight, and has yet to change his stance on the matter. White gives his take on the drug in the same interview with MMA Weekly.
I don’t smoke weed. It’s not my thing. It’s illegal; you can’t do it. I can’t present an argument for why (Diaz) should be cool to have marijuana in his system. I think if he retired it would be the most insane thing I’ve ever seen in my life. The kid is right now at the pinnacle of his career as far as his talent goes, as far as being a well-rounded fighter.
As for “Big Country,” White has always been very out-spoken against the former winner of The Ultimate Fighter. As he tells MMA Junkie, he just can’t seem to get anything to work with Nelson.
I’ve encouraged him to shave his face and cut his hair, too, but he doesn’t want to listen to that, either, so whatever.
It’s been reported that the finalists for The Ultimate Fighter: Brasil were leaked by a member of the media in the country. This happened before with TUF, and White was very angered by the subject, as he tells MMA Weekly.
I don’t know if you saw this but another channel, another channel we were talking to, then went out and said these are the finalists in The Ultimate Fighter, and tried to like sabotage the whole show. That’s some dirty, dirty, Josh Gross dirty type (expletive). You know what I mean.
And finally, a recent story came out courtesy Joe Rogan where he talked about someone at FOX trying to get him to change his announcing style. This isn’t quite what happened, as White informed MMA Junkie.
Just to squash that whole thing, FOX never – the guy that was in his ear telling him to chill out, that was Bruce Connal, the guy who’s our guy. But the guy in the truck from FOX was saying, ‘Oh my God, he’s (expletive) screaming.’ They said the same thing to me. They’re like, ‘He’s screaming at our fans.’ That’s what we do. We scream at you. We yell at you. That’s not going to change.
Photo credit: Twitter/danawhite
Posted in: diaz, mma, fighter, mma junkie, expletive
Read the full article at MMA ConvertTwitter Mailbag: Talking Mo Lawal, Steroids in Supplements, and More
It’s another Friday on another UFC-less weekend, which means it’s time again to open up the Twitter Mailbag and pray that there isn’t any anthrax in there. Warning: this edition begins and ends with very long answers to interesting, complex questions. I realize it might appear daunting at first, but soldier through. There are still a bunch of short, smart-ass responses in between.If you’ve got a question of your own, look me up on Twitter at @BenFowlkesMMA. I’ll be the one posting pictures of my dog and giving you unsolicited updates on the weather.Alex P. @Alex_Newfiecan we get your thoughts on @KevinI 's piece on @KingMoFH http://yhoo.it/HnQldU for your twitter mail bag?
With pleasure, Alex. But first, those of you in need of a little background info might want to read my Sports Illustrated column from this week, and Kevin Iole’s Yahoo! Sports column from yesterday, wherein he takes issue with my argument, as well as the arguments of several others, including our own Mike Chiappetta and Luke Thomas. Reading those two pieces is probably going to take some time, so while you do that, I’m going to go make myself a deep dish pizza from scratch. Meet you at the next paragraph in a few.Okay, caught up now? Good, now I can enjoy this pizza while I tell you why I think Iole -- who I like as a person and whose work I respect -- is wrong. For starters, I never argued that NSAC commissioner Pat Lundvall was racist in her questioning of Lawal. In fact, I argued that Lawal -- who I also like as a person and respect very much -- tends to view the world through the prism of race a little too often. I know, because I’ve had these conversations with him before, and have seen just how quick he is to assume that racism is at the core of every negative reaction. If you want to see one such conversation in action, go read Chuck Mindenhall’s excellent feature on him from a 2010 issue of Fight Magazine. I've had almost that exact same talk with him before. So have plenty of people. I know it’s easy for me, a person who is what sociologists refer to as "a white dude," to throw my hands up and say that race isn’t such a big issue. Mo’s experience is quite different from mine, so I can understand why he might be on a heightened alert for racist attitudes. At the same time, if you walk around with only a hammer on your tool belt, pretty soon everything starts to look like a nail.I definitely think Lundvall was needlessly condescending. I also think it is very possible for a person to be condescending without being racist. Iole points out a previous instance of Lundvall being exactly as condescending to a white man, which he claims is proof that she is not a racist. Again, I never really thought that she was. I just thought she was far more jerk-ish about the whole thing than she needed to be, and the previous instance Iole brings up only supports that position. That doesn’t even come close to excusing Lawal for going all Rush Limbaugh on her via Twitter, but I can see why he might have been upset about the way she spoke to him. And please, enough with this nonsense about Lundvall just trying to establish facts on the record or "lay a foundation" for her argument by asking Lawal, in the middle of the conversation, if he speaks English. Does anyone believe that Lundvall was genuinely unsure about Lawal’s English proficiency? Does anyone think she was worried that, at the conclusion of the hearing, he might leap up from his seat and declare that he had fooled the NSAC all along, for he could not read nor understand a word of English, and must therefore be forgiven for the false information on his pre-fight questionnaire? No. Nobody believes that, because it is ridiculous. If you want to establish that a person read and understood the form they were signing, you ask them if they read and understood the form they were signing. You only ask someone if they understand English if you a) are in a foreign country and desperately need to find the hospital, or b) want to be a jerk to them. Not necessarily a racist jerk, mind you, but a jerk nonetheless.Finally, Iole argues that Lawal deserved to be fired for testing positive for steroids, lying on his pre-fight questionnaire, and lashing out in a profane attack on Lundvall. You could certainly make an argument that that trifecta is worthy of retribution, but bafflingly, Iole then writes, "Hopefully, he'll be brought back at some point, like has happened to Torres, Nate Marquardt and so many others in the past." I'm sorry, but you can't argue that someone committed a series of offenses that warranted and perhaps even demanded their firing, and yet simultaneously argue that they should be given their job back. If what Iole is saying is that Lawal deserves to be punished by being kept out of action for a while, there’s a word for that: suspension. Zuffa is setting a bizarre precedent with all these firings and re-hirings. So bizarre, in fact, that people are actually starting to expect it. As if it’s a totally normal punishment to be temporarily fired from your job. As if that’s something that happens with such regularity in other career fields or even in other professional sports. This 'I hate you, wait, maybe you're not so bad after all' attitude is something that goes on only in dysfunctional relationships. It shouldn't be standard procedure in a pro sports organization.Was Lawal absolutely wrong to call Lundvall both a racist and a b-word? Yes. Was he wrong for omitting important information from that questionnaire? Yes. Should he be punished in some fashion? Yes. Is it reasonable to essentially ban him from the big leagues of MMA for these offenses? I don't think so. Again, I like Iole and think reasonable people can disagree on these issues, but I don’t think it serves the sport or its fans to oust a fighter from the top levels of the sport just because of one dumb tweet.Matt Pryor @CRUMxMMAHave you enjoyed the past few weeks with the absence of a UFC event? #TMBYes and no. It’s sort of like summer vacation when you’re a kid. You look forward to the break and think about all the awesome stuff you’re going to do, but two weeks in you’re sitting around in a ratty t-shirt watching I Love Lucy and wishing you had someone to go ride bikes with. I’ll be glad when the schedule picks back up again and we have more actual fights to write about.Chuck Mindenhall @ChuckMindenhallDoes Lloyd Woodard own a musket and/or has he ever fought in the Civil War?Okay, smart guy. I see what you’re up to here. You think just because Lloyd Woodard is a Montanan with a mustache, he must be some sort of Yosemite Sam caricature, huh? You think we’re a bunch of backwards yokels up here in the nation’s fourth largest state, just shooting off guns and swigging XXX brand whiskey. And hey, maybe you’re right. Maybe that is a pretty good little Saturday afternoon in the Treasure State. But before you assume that we don’t know nothin’ about all this fancy MMA stuff, you might want to ask Patricky Freire how his arm is feeling right about now. That's what happens when you underestimate the 406.James @lightbluesheepWhere is Mike Swick? And, will Matt Serra fight again?Swick tells me he’s healing up his ACL and hopes to be back in action by August. Also, thanks for thinking about him. As for Serra fighting again, Magic Eight Ball says: Outlook not so good. He doesn’t need to. He had a good career, and now has a brisk gym business back home in New York, from what I hear. I’d like to see him enjoy his retirement and leave the fighting to the young bucks. That is, unless Matt Hughes wants to have another go.Adrian Garcia @AdriantheWizardwhat is the 1st best possible route to take when handling TRT & PEDs? Make all commissions follow same regulations maybe?That would be a great start, but it’s not enough. This sport needs some sort of independent body to handle policies and testing and punishment. When Dana White says the UFC has too much going on to police the daily actions of 350 fighters, I can see his point. That’s why the UFC -- along with Bellator and every other licensed MMA promoter in the country -- could contribute a percentage of their profits toward forming an organization to conduct random, out-of-competition testing, and to review applications for therapeutic-use exemptions. They should have no influence over that organization whatsoever, and should all agree to abide by its findings. That’s the only way to get serious about cracking down on PEDs in MMA. State commissions don’t have the resources or the collective attitude necessary to get it done. An independent, promoter-funded regulatory body might.Jason Rule @JasonRulewhere does Lawal land when this is done? My vote is Bellator especially since they do not do much in NV.The problem with Bellator is that they typically want fighters to sign relatively long-term contracts, while guys in Lawal’s situation are usually just looking for a chance to fight once or twice until Zuffa’s fickle affections turn around. That’s what kept Marquardt out of Bellator, which now seems to have been the right choice for him. There have been some grumblings about Lawal considering a run as a pro wrestler, but I wonder if he’d still like that idea six months into living out of suitcases. Plus, he’s such a talented fighter, I’d hate to lose him to athletic theater. He also deserves to be fighting top-tier opponents, so I don’t want to see him crushing cans in some civic auditorium for a couple grand a pop. My bet is he’s back in one of the Zuffa promotions within a year. I just wish we didn’t have to keep going through this same temporary break-up nonsense every time a fighter screws up.Tim Bennett @tcbennett84when should a fighter's corner #ThrowInTheTowel? How much of the onus of fighter safety should be on them? #TMB #JoeWarrenIn theory, the corner should be ready to throw in the towel in situations like the one Joe Warren was in. In practice, that’s a tough sell. Cornermen get so caught up in the emotions of the fight, it’s difficult for them to make a decision like that in the moment. It’s easier if they can look at their fighter between rounds and tell he’s in trouble. Then they can at least discuss it with him. If they throw in the towel and the fighter feels like he could have continued, he may never forgive them for it. Michael J Peñarete @MaikolJPif journalism wasn't as hot as it was back in the 2000s would you of considered a career in mma? If so at what weightWait, you’re saying journalism is "hot"? Or it was hot, and now isn’t? I’m confused. Either way, no, I would not have considered a career in MMA for the same reason that I wouldn't have considered a career in the NFL: I'd be killed instantly. I'm a good enough athlete to compete with fellow nerds, but I can't say I'd want to fight for a living even if I thought I could. That was true before I started covering MMA, and it's even more true now.Plus, I’m about 185 pounds (when I’m eating reasonably well and drinking socially rather problematically). That means I’d probably have to cut to at least 170 just to fight guys my own size. I don’t know if you’ve ever cut weight, but I have and it sucks. When you’re dieting, something weird happens to your brain. It’s like those cartoons where a starving character looks at his friends and just sees a walking pork chop. I have a lot of respect for the guys who can do that over and over again, but I don’t want to live that way. I like hamburgers and whiskey and quiet days in front of my computer. That’s why I’m so thankful that journalism is hot right now. Or was. Still unclear on that part.Fraser @FrazAFC94Friday nights are a horrible slot for MMA: Agree or Disagree.Agree, but only when there are also MMA events on Saturday night. For instance, right now, when the UFC is on hiatus, then I really like having a Bellator event to watch on Fridays. But when the UFC returns with one event after another on Saturday nights, that’s when the Friday night time slot starts to look like a real liability. I’d love to see Bellator move to Tuesday or Wednesday, especially now that "The Ultimate Fighter" is live on Friday. Spread out the action, and MMA fans can keep up with your events without it feeling like a chore.Rope @BigNiinjaSay Silva beats CS, what would be left for both fighters? Silva clearly best fighter ever and Sonnen just a windbag nowI don’t know if a second loss to Silva would make Sonnen "just a windbag," since he’d probably still be better than 95 percent of the other middleweights out there, but I see your point. His schtick would definitely have to change, lest it become stale and sad. Fortunately for Sonnen, he’s a versatile talent in the cage and in front of the camera. He could hang around and pick a fight with a new nemesis, or he could retire and become a commentator or TV personality of some kind. If he had an afternoon talk radio show, I admit I’d probably tune in.As for Silva, that might be the perfect win to go out on. I mean, beating your greatest rival in a soccer stadium full of your countrymen? In the movie version of life, that’s a great time to freeze the frame and roll the credits.Greg Carter @GCHatesYouIf John McCain had his way and MMA didn't exist, what would you be writing about?Erotic sci-fi fan fiction. That’s why I’m very, very glad that MMA exists.geeg @blahhelloblahHey, What do you think Zuffa will do with the SF tournament winner? what do you think they should do? thanksIdeally, I’d say the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner should get an immediate UFC title shot. But since the powers that be have decided to keep the winner around in Strikeforce for one more post-GP fight against the always dangerous TBA, I suppose that’s out of the question. Whenever Zuffa gets around to moving the winner over to the UFC, I think you have to give him a title shot right away. That tournament might not have panned out the way Strikeforce hoped (it was an almost impossibly ambitious plan, after all), but whoever’s left standing at the end will have proved himself deserving of a crack at the big belt. Stealth Lee @stealthleeIf Montana were an MMA fighter, who would it be? :) #mailbagI feel like it’s a copout to name a fighter who’s from Montana, like Lloyd Woodard or Keith Jardine, though either would work. Instead, I’ll reach beyond state lines and say Don Frye. In fact, I think Frye could probably move here and be governor within six months. He wouldn’t even have to try very hard. All it would take is a couple strategically placed billboards, a viral video campaign featuring his Takayama fight, and a debate performance packed with Frye-isms. He’d win in a landslide.Brian Kaune @TheBriGuy24Isnt a COC overrated for UFC? Like the NFL,its open to interp of a single man. UFC has the Fertitas to balance when necessary. &do guys really need 2 be told what they can and cant do? Common sense needs to be on a piece of paper? No sympathy 4 stupidityThis is a good question, and it’s also the line of reasoning Dana White usually falls back on when pressed about why the UFC doesn’t have a standing code of conduct. You can make a strong case that guys like Mo Lawal and Miguel Torres should have known it was a bad idea to tweet the things that they did. The problem is the inconsistency in how different fighters are dealt with. Some seem to get away with just about anything, while others are never more than one dumb tweet away from unemployment. You could argue that a code of conduct might still allow for uneven implementation, but at least it’s a start. The question I keep coming back to is, why not have one? What would be the harm in telling fighters and the public that x offense will result in y punishment? Maybe the UFC is worried that it might then be required to punish a big star in ways that aren’t helpful to the bottom line. Maybe it thinks that fear of swift, capricious retribution will keep fighters in line. But the fact that the issue keeps coming up tells us that maybe common sense really does need to be on a piece of paper, as sad as that is.Dan Brooks @Combat_BlogCan Mo Lawal possibly mean it when he says supplements were responsible for his positive steroid test? Can that happen?First of all, thanks to my good friend and the author of the wonderful Combat Blog for dusting off his Twitter long enough to ask a question. I had almost forgotten that you knew how to work this part of the internet.Second of all, in order to give you the informed answer I think you will claim to deserve, I called up my go-to source for these sorts of issues: nutritionist and lifestyle guru to the MMA stars, Mike Dolce. According to the man behind the famed Dolce Diet, it’s actually not an unreasonable explanation at all, even if its credibility has been diminished by overuse lately. Since the supplement industry is essentially unregulated by any government agency, and since supplement companies can put almost anything they want in their products (at least until something bad happens and they get pulled from the shelves), many purposely include steroids, Dolce said, which leads to great results and word-of-mouth support from ambitious gym-goers. That’s why many of these supplements -- including S-Mass Lean Gainer, which Lawal said he used -- include marketing code words like "anabolic" and "designer.""It’s trying to give the savvy meathead a little nudge, saying come look at us instead of the other, legitimate supplements out there," Dolce said. "Typically, these companies are ones you don’t hear about too much. They don’t have a large marketing budget, so those are the little tricks they use to cater to the meathead crowd. When I was 19, I actually used to manage a GNC, and I’d see this stuff all the time."So how are you supposed to know if there are steroids or other banned substances in your supplements? "You don’t," Dolce said. "These guys really can get away with whatever they want until a government agency finally steps in and squeezes them. But by then they’ve made millions, so they change the formula, pay a fine that’s a very small percentage of their profits, then they fold their LLCs or what have you and move on to the next brand."This is why Dolce doesn’t recommend supplements to the fighters he works with, he said, and why his first order of business when a new client hires him is usually to get them off "the powders, pills, and potions." If you know what you’re doing, Dolce said, "you can find what you need in food, in earth-grown nutrients. That’s where it’s at. You can’t market and patent spinach."In other words, yes, it is totally possible that a supplement from a Max Muscle store caused Lawal to test positive for steroids. It’s also possible that fighters and other pro athletes have worn this excuse down to the nub, and now it’s nothing more than a convenient dodge. Either way, if you can’t be sure what’s in the stuff that you’re ingesting, and if your career could hinge on your ability to pass a drug test, maybe you should think before pumping yourself full of some chemical compound that uses terms like "anabolic" in its marketing materials. Just saying.
Posted in: mma, fighter, lawal, itrsquo, thatrsquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseRamsey Nijem-C.J. Keith set for UFC on FX 4
Ultimate Fighter finalist Ramsey Nijem will face C.J. Keith at UFC on FX 4 on June 22 from Atlantic City, New Jersey where Nijem will have an opportunity to show his continued evolution as a fighter while Keith will be looking to maintain his perfect record.
Nijem (5-2) has split his two UFC fights, defeating Danny Downes after dropping down from welterweight to lightweight. He lost to Tony Ferguson in the finals of TUF 13.
Keith (8-0) had his UFC debut postponed after a fire destroyed the home of his family just days after signing his contract. Keith’s last three fights ended in knockout, including two in the first.
MMAWeekly was first to confirm the clash.
The main event for the card will feature lightweights Clay Guida and Gray Maynard. Other fighters set to be featured at the show include Rick Story and Dan Miller. It was not made known if the Nijem-Keith bout would be part of the main card or prelims.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/BLOODYMAYHEM
Posted in: ufc, fighter, nijem, keith, cj keith
Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’: Meet the 16 Members of the TUF House
We're just a few hours away from the fourth episode of "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Friday on FX. But down in Brazil, 16 fighters are vying to be the first international TUF winner. Meet the cast...
Posted in: fighter, tuf, brazil, tuf house, tuf winner
Read the full article at Heavy MMAPEDs in MMA: Mike Chiappetta Explores TRT, Athletic Commission Testing and More
In the days after Quinton "Rampage" Jackson became the latest fighter to acknowledge using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), Nevada state athletic commission executive director Keith Kizer's phone began to light up. On the other end were fighters and managers interested in finding out how to obtain a TRT exemption. Kizer, who had heard about Jackson's interview with Fighters Only acknowledging his usage, was not surprised. In his comments, Jackson claimed that "a lot of fighters are probably doing it but not telling anyone." That quote has since been removed from the interview, but its echo has created a stir in the mixed martial arts world, suggesting that legitimizing TRT treatment was easy.Jackson is not only the latest of the divulged names using TRT, but also its loudest proponent. But contrary to popular belief, the number of fighters legally using TRT with the permission of state athletic commissions is quite low.How low?
In its entire history, the Nevada state athletic commission has granted only three therapeutic use exemptions (TUE's) for TRT, Kizer told MMA Fighting. The only individuals to receive exemptions have been Dan Henderson, Todd Duffee, and most recently, Shane Roller in 2011. New Jersey Athletic Control board legal counsel Nick Lembo could not offer a specific number but said that state had given "less than five" TUE's for TRT in its history. In Ohio, only Henderson and Strikeforce fighter Bristol Marunde have ever been approved for TRT use, its state athletic commission executive director Bernie Profato told MMA Fighting.Contrast that with the reaction of say, Dr. Don Catlin, who sits on the International Olympic Committee's medical commission responsible for reviewing TUE applications for Olympic athletes. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting regarding the possibility of active fighters needing TUE’s for TRT in MMA, Catlin remarked that the whole thing was "a joke."Those types of broad criticisms are troubling to some combat sports regulators who feel that their goals of toeing the line between sport safety and being responsive to individual health situations are being undermined. "I hear things like, 'Oh everyone can do it,'" Kizer said. "Well, how many exemptions have [the IOC] given out? Two. Well, we've given out three in 12 years."According to Catlin along with many other critics, the possibility of professional athletes in their 30s needing TRT is so low, it's almost completely zero. But new research might show those long-held beliefs to be incorrect.The science of brain injury is still relatively new, and developing rapidly. In 2007, a paper published in the Journal of Athletic Training reported the first known connection between mild concussions and hypopituitarism, a deficiency that can lead to low testosterone. That research, along with how traumatic brain injuries impact the pituitary gland, is being continued by Dr. Daniel F. Kelly, the director of the Brain Center and Pituitary Disorders Program at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.Kelly is currently in the midst of a study of 75 former NFL players that is expected to be published around the end of 2012. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Kelly said that preliminary data from the study suggests that pituitary damage is occurring in a subset of the retirees. That study seems to corroborate a 2006 finding in Turkey that found that head injuries incurred by pro kickboxers have resulted in damage to the pituitary gland. Extrapolated to MMA, it's not much of a leap to suggest that similar injuries can be occurring to this sport's fighters, for whom getting hit in the head is a daily occurrence. In fact, Dr. Fahrettin Kelestimur, a professor of endocrinology at Erciyes University in Turkey who authored the 2006 study, told MMA Fighting that the most common damage has caused growth hormone deficiency and hypogonadism, respectively. The latter problem was the one cited by Chael Sonnen as the necessity of his TRT treatments during his appeal of a California state athletic commission suspension."These fighters are getting repeated insults to the head, sometimes more than concussive events," Kelly said. "And if you did a careful analysis of those people, I'm sure you'd see a significant rate of pituitary gland dysfunction. That's my prediction."The issue is complicated by the fact that it is not always possible to determine the cause of pituitary damage, according to Kelly. It's well known that steroid abuse can also damage the pituitary gland, but head trauma can cause the same affect.That makes things cloudier for regulators like Kizer and Lembo, who work for two of the sport's leading commissions. At the same time, they along with other regulators believe it’s important not to punish the athletes that come forward with a legitimate need by banning TRT outright. While the long-held belief that steroid use as the main cause of low testosterone among athletes might be true, it’s by no means a catch-all. That knowledge simply just isn’t widespread. Most of the people interviewed for this story were unaware that pituitary damage could be caused by repeated blows to the head, as Kelly, the brain and pituitary expert agreed."Is that incrementally damaging the connection between the brain and pituitary? I think it probably is," he said. "But can we prove that there’s an exposure component that’s incrementally adding up even if it’s not even considered a concussion. I think that’s probably the case."While MMA often points to its safety record, there are variables to the sport that cannot be controlled. Chief among them is what goes on in the gyms during training camp. While fighters who suffer knockout losses in competition are medically suspended in order to give them time to recover, those periods are rarely enforced. Some of them can’t be due to simple logistics. If a fighter competes in Texas, for example, but calls Brazil home, there is no real way to check up on him and ensure he’s letting his brain recover from the trauma it received. Most good coaches will try to keep their athletes on the sidelines and away from head strikes in this critical recovery phase, but it’s not like that everywhere.Take, for instance, Pat Barry’s recent explanation of why he hoped to visit Croatia soon to get in some training."Out there, you can punch and kick guys completely unconscious and they show up the next day," he said. " Whereas here, you can punch and kick some guys, and sometimes they don’t come back for the rest of the week.""Which is probably a good idea," UFC president Dana White interjected.
Barry's seeming insensitivity to head injuries might be ingrained in his mentality as a fighter who is trained to be fearless even in the heat of battle, but it also might be from an attitude that is generationally rooted, though changing. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report noted that emergency room visits for children and adolescents due to sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries were up 60 percent in the last decade. The organization’s director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control attributed to the rise not to increased incidences, but to growing awareness of the dangers caused by brain injuries.Attention to the problem of brain injury has also been slow to come to pro sports. In 2008, the collaborative Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy was founded to study brain injury, and their work has changed the NFL’s outlook on concussions and head trauma, causing rule changes in 2009 that focused on player safety. This even though as a league, the NFL has had a multi-decade head start on MMA when it comes to head injuries. MMA commissions in some instances have only been sanctioning the sport for a year or two and are still drafting regulations.As it stands now, most commissions have no tests in place that would determine this type of problem.Only a handful of state commissions require an MRI in order to grant a fighter’s license, but MRI’s don’t always show the problem, anyway. A blood draw is more likely to determine if an issue exists, according to Kelly. Tests for luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) could serve as an effective screening tool to determine any pituitary damage.Most of the blood work done through commissions prior to licensing though, is solely to test for contagious diseases.A big problem when it comes to changing medical technology is cost. Ohio Athletic Commission executive director Bernie Profato likened it to medical issues in the world at large, recounting the story of how the son of a close friend died from a rare blood disease that doctors didn’t have the means to handle because of a lack of money to fund research. "The more this stuff comes up, the more time medical people put into it, it extends our knowledge of it," he said. "We’re regulators, not medical people. We do what we can to put these athletes in the safest environment." Only a handful of the regulators MMA Fighting spoke with had heard of the studies linking brain trauma with pituitary damage, but most acknowledged that such conditions are exactly why TRT TUE’s shouldn’t always be passed off as an attempt to fleece the system."It’s very rare, but there are some legitimate needs," Lembo said. "My biggest concern is that most commissions don’t even test for these things in the first place so we’re over-penalizing the people that are coming forward and saying, ‘Hey, do whatever you want to me. Test me before and after the fight. Test me randomly. I need this, I’m on it and I’m going to be within normal limits.’ There are a lot of commissions who don’t believe in TUE’s for any reason, but why be hard on the ones coming forward?"Dr. Kelly, who has been working on issues pertaining to the pituitary gland for nearly 20 years, in 2008 co-authored a study that concluded chronic hypopituitarism occurred in approximately 20 percent of patients who had suffered mild, moderate or traumatic brain injury. With the repetitive head impacts from training and competing from month to month and year to year, it’s no wonder then that professional fighters could be subject to these same types of injuries. While finishing up his NFL research, Kelly is also interested in studying boxers and, possibly, mixed martial artists to gain a more definitive understanding of a problem that still remains mostly hidden away."I’m sure there’s a certain level of it going on," he said. "I guess what’s really amazing, if you look at it another way, is how infrequently it occurs, and how sturdy the system is, how much damage it can take. The pituitary gland is this tiny little thing that’s less than a centimeter cubed. It’s sitting in a little, bony depression in the skull base and it’s getting banged around, and the connection is getting banged around repeatedly, yet it keeps it on ticking in most people. It’s a pretty resilient system, but only up to a point."
[Editor's Note: PEDs in MMA is a two-part series. Next week, an installment on the drug-testing landscape in MMA, and how regulators, athletes and promoters are adapting.]
Posted in: mma, fighter, injury, commission, trt
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC Ultimate Fighter Live: Al Iaquinta Vs. Myles Jury Preview
On tonight's episode of UFC's The Ultimate Fighter Live Dominick Cruz sends his #3 pick Myles Jury to take out Urijah Faber's #1 Al Iaquinta. Just as we saw last week, this is an exciting battle between two of the contenders that many saw as possible finalists. Now, one will be out of the competition early. Every week, join us here as we break down the night's match-up, including video of each contestant to get you ready. The Ultimate Fighter airs live on FX Friday night at 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT.
So far, Team Cruz is up 2-0 over Team Faber, with Faber's #2 and #3 picks eliminated in the first two weeks of competition. Daron Cruickshank's loss in week 1 was a surprise upset where Cruickshank got caught, but last week was a more definitive loss for the team, as Faber's camp came up with a pretty bad game plan, leading to Cristiano Marcello getting KO'd. Faber really needs a win here, both to redeem the team, and to keep at least one of his big picks in the competition. But this is a very close fight, and despite Iaquinta's high pick for Team Faber, a Jury win would not be a big upset by any means. These are two very evenly matched fighters, and I expect a real technical battle tonight. Let's take a closer look.
AL IAQUINTA (5-1-1)5'9.5" | 24 years oldTUF record: def. Jon Tuck (Dec)
Iaquinta is a product of the Serra Longo team where he trains with former UFC Welterweight champion Matt Serra and Ray Longo. That team has produced some solid UFC prospects lately, with both Chris Weidman and Constantinos Philippou rising up the ranks. Iaquinta has been a pro since 2009, with all of his fights taking place in New Jersey's Ring of Combat promotion. His last fight before TUF was a loss to UFC veteran Pat Audinwood; he comes to this fight having defeated Jon Tuck via unanimous decision in a fight primarily remembered for Tuck's horribly broken toe.
On Iaquinta's UFC profile he lists his specialty as "considers himself well-rounded," which pretty well sums him up. Iaquinta is one of those fighters who is solid in every area of the game. As expected from anyone who trains with Serra Longo, he has nice hands that he uses more like a traditional boxer than an MMA fighter. That boxing is helped by some nice movement on his feet. He also has good submission defense (though that one loss is via armbar). He's comfortable on the feet or ground, and does a nice job transitioning between the two. But his hands are probably his best area. He has good power, and ended one of his fights via a spectacular 15 second KO.
Against Jury, look for Iaquinta to try and keep the fight standing and outbox his opponent, but if it goes to the mat, he'll be comfortable as well, making him a tough opponent to plan for.
MYLES JURY (9-0)5' 11" | 23 years oldTUF record: def. Akbarh Arreola (Dec)
Jury is an undefeated fighter out of the San Diego area. There, he has trained with various camps, including working with Dominick Cruz and his team at Alliance MMA. He was briefly on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos, but left during the first episode with a torn ACL. On paper, he has a very impressive record. Nine fights, nine wins, nine stoppages, all in under 3 minutes of round 1. However, as you dig deeper, you notice that his quality of competition in those 9 fights has not always been great. Many of his opponents have pretty lopsided records - like, 2-15 lopsided. Ouch. So while he has indeed looked impressive in these wins, it's a bit hard to get an accurate read on him.
Stylistically, Jury is similar to Iaquinta in that he is a well rounded, comfortable fighter. On the feet, he is skilled at using the Muay Thai idea of 8 limbs - kicks, punches, knees, and elbows. On the ground, he has nice ground and pound, particularly using his elbows. His TUF win over Arreola was a bit of an exception for Jury, who normally goes for the finish more actively, but that win showed that he is a smart fighter who can play against his opponent's weaknesses. He's not the same kind of aggressive finisher as someone like Justin Lawrence. He's patient, but will capitalize and go for the kill when ready. But again, I have to ask - how much weight can we put on these finishes? Many of his opponents seemed to really wilt and just give up - a sign of Jury's power, or more a comment on his opponents? This fight will really tell us a lot about him.
Against Iaquinta, I would expect Jury to try and use kicks to maintain range, while also trying to put Iaquinta on his back and use elbows to pound him out.
Prediction: Al Iaquinta by decision
I've gone back and forth here a lot, and I'm still not 100% sold on my pick. I think Jury has the more varied striking, and will be able to outpoint Iaquinta at first. But the difference maker to me will be that Iaquinta has been in trouble before. He's been in long fights, he's been pushed, and he's come through. Jury's fast finishes work against him in that he's never seen a 2nd round, never really been in trouble. As the fight progresses, I think Iaquinta will get stronger, and end up taking the win. But if Cruz helps Jury put together the right gameplan, he can take this.
Videos from both men in the full entry.
Al Iaquinta vs. Tim SylvesterJune 12, 2011 - Ring of Combat 25A 15 second KO from Iaquinta that shows off his power.
Al Iaquinta vs. Joshua KeyNov. 20, 2009 - Ring of Combat 27Nice ground control on display here.
Al Iaquinta vs. Pat AudinwoodNov. 18, 2011 - Ring of Combat 38Iaquinta's last fight pre-TUF, and his only loss.
Myles Jury vs. Marcus AjianNov. 26, 2008 - King of the CageSee what I mean about questioning Jury's level of opponent?
Myles Jury vs. Karl KellyApril 4, 2009 - King of the Cage
Myles Jury vs. Tyronne HolmesJune 19, 2009 - King of the Cage
Posted in: fight, fighter, team, jury, iaquinta
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTatsuya Kawajiri Ready to Show He is the Top Fighter at Featherweight
Tatsuya Kawajiri is ready to conquer the featherweight division and after two wins there in 2011, he's ready to show the top fighters what he's all about in 2012.
Posted in: show, fighter, kawajiri, featherweight division, tatsuya kawajiri
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Sunday Junkie deadline reminder, win a free 'Fighters Only' subscription!
As a reminder, submissions for the upcoming edition of "The Sunday Junkie" are due Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.
All topics - including "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" and tonight's Bellator 63 event - are open for discussion. The person who sends in the submission we deem the best (based on timeliness of subject, clarity and overall persuasiveness) is the winner.
Each winner receives a free year's subscription to "Fighters Only," the world's leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.
Posted in: fighter, sunday junkie, sunday, years subscription, reminder submissions
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC 146: Jason 'Mayhem' Miller will retire if he loses to CB Dollaway
There's nothing like a good ultimatum, especially when it involves a fight to determine a man's status as a professional fighter. From time to time, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has doled out such "make or break" stipulations to his employees.
Oddly enough, this time the gauntlet has been thrown down by a fighter ... on himself. Jason Miller appeared on Spike TV's "MMA Uncensored Live" last night (March 29, 2012), where he discussed his upcoming fight, a middleweight mash up opposite C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 26, 2012.
After getting his clock cleaned by Michael Bisping at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in "Sin City" on Dec. 3, 2011, "Mayhem" is aware that he needs to redeem himself in a big way. According to Miller, if he loses this one, Dana White won't even get the chance to fire him:
"I'm on my own chopping block. If I lose to him, I'm quitting! I don't even deserve to be in there! There's not an easy fight. In the UFC, there's no easy fight. He doesn't deserve to be in there with me, and I'll prove it. I'll prove it in under a round, because, we see...I tend to get tired in the second round (laughs). We're both in a similar spot in our career I guess. We're both on the chopping block. That's fine. I'm really happy with that."
More from "Mayhem" after the jump:
During his on-air appearance, Miller was asked about his fight against Bisping and what went wrong. He was quick to say that he doesn't make excuses, but he might in a few months:
"You know what? I have a new rule. I don't make excuses for fights until eight months after. So, I still have like five more months. I'll come back on here in five months and tell you guys what happened. There's no way to explain a fight you lost without going, 'Well, it was 'cuz of this,' or 'It was 'cuz of that.' There's no way. And I'm not that kinda guy. That's not what I do."
The point was made that while Miller did get beat up by Bisping pretty badly, "The Count" may not be getting the credit he deserves as a fighter himself.
He might get his ass kicked, but not by fighters that "suck:"
"I don't get my ass kicked by sucky guys. I beat the Hell out of 'em. I just came up short that night. I'm not gonna make excuses for it. There's no point to doin' it. You know what I mean?"
Miller's UFC 146 opponent, Dollaway, should be coming into their fight desperate. He's lost his last two bouts, to Mark Muñoz and Jared Hamman, respectively. Everyone knows the UFC isn't big on keeping guys around who lose three in a row.
Three strikes and all that.
Fans and critics are quick to question a fighter's motivation when he loses. Miller is no different, but he wants it to be known that fighting is his passion and what he lives to do, regardless of the other things that may keep him busy outside the cage:
"It's (fighting is) something that I've had a close, intimate relationship with since I was 16 years old. So, there's something there that --it's my wife. you know what I mean? I don't have a wife. That's my wife, and, ya know, someday she'll give me some kids."
As UFC 146 gets closer, MMAmania.com will continue you to bring you the latest and greatest in news and updates. For a full archive of UFC 146 news and notes, click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, miller, there
Read the full article at MMA ManiaLets discuss Anderson vs. Chael II and the legacy of their first fight (text, kind of long)
I just got done watching Like Water which focuses heavily on the first fight between Chael and Anderson. What the documentary failed to fully capture for me was the incredible emotional response I had to that fight. I remember leading up to it I had very low expectations because A.) Anderson was likely going to walk through Chael viciously or put one of his new "I'm bored and you don't deserve to fight me" displays and B.) Chael had quality wins but also several losses, including to the previous title challenger at the time. It was a perfect storm of perceptions about the fighters that made it such a shocking spectacle to observe. There is a short list of fights I was so utterly drawn in to emotionally, but above other matchups of that ilk, the fact that it was a battle seeing the first chink in Anderson’s armor during his reign of terror at middleweight was the most surreal fight i’ve watched. Anderson’s career is pretty unprecedented in MMA and represents that highest of accolades, the “best pound for pound fighter” title unlike anyone before him, aside from perhaps Fedor during his glorious prime. The fight itself, Chael’s dominance and Anderson’s hail mary triangle, was such a roller coaster. Is he going to do it? By the 4th round you could feel the energy in the arena, the anticipation of Bruce Buffer howling “And NEW middleweight champion!” So, with that fight still resonant in the minds of the MMA community, I have a question or two. What do you think will happen, and what do you want to happen? The beauty of their first match was getting to see Anderson’s humanity, but not having his prestige stolen away. He weathered the storm and went for broke. Chael will forever be the man who almost beat anderson, which in its own right, is a huge accomplishment. Both fighters won in many ways because of that 5th round, for a variety of reasons. It is a legendary fight. I know that the questions are huge with this fight, but I cannot help but feel that I kind of don’t want them answered. I want to believe Chael was honestly that good that night (of course we can't ignore his failed post fight drug test, but I still haven't let that dismiss the performance), and Anderson is mortal. I don’t want to see either of them lose this fight for fear of stealing the memory of the original. A first round knockout for Anderson would simply be 1 of many, filing their first match into the obscurity of a fluke. Chael totally dominating the fight would result in the end of Anderson’s epic, seemingly invincible run. It has to happen eventually, but a part of me doesn’t want to let go of the guy who for so long has been without a doubt the best fighter alive. Seeing him beat up badly by Chael again would totally dismiss the broken rib theory from the first fight, and would ultimately make his last minute submission of Chael seen as pure luck. What do you think r/mma? I think this fight is a big deal, especially considering that Anderson is coming off of a serious injury and may be gradually heading towards the autumn of his career. There are plenty of amazing fighter in the p4p list these days, but we might not get another Anderson Silva for a long time (time will tell of course). submitted by bacon_baron [link] [6 comments]
Posted in: fight, fighter, anderson, fight i, chael
Read the full article at RedditA brief look at the 16 fighters that made it into the TUF Brazil house, and a sneak peek at what...
A brief look at the 16 fighters that made it into the TUF Brazil house, and a sneak peek at what happens during the season.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, brazil, house, peek
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowGreg Jackson: Jon Jones is still being tested; Georges St. Pierre has already passed his test
When you're the man at the helm of the success of some of the most dangerous fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) today, life is good.
Greg Jackson, head trainer at Jackson's-Winkeljohn Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is one of the men behind arguably two of the top three pound-for-pound best fighters in the world, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and longtime champion of the Welterweight division, Georges St. Pierre.
Jones had an impressive year in 2011, capturing his first world title and defending it twice against some of the toughest competition at 205 pounds in span of nine months. "Bones" is near perfect, with only one blemish in his professional MMA career, a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill for illegal downward elbows in 2010.
St. Pierre has long been the king at 170 pounds, cleaning out the division twice over with wins over some of the tops fighters in the world today and six consecutive title defenses to boot.
The two gifted athletes have enjoyed much success in their careers and all the perks that come with it such as fame, money and mainstream exposure. Though the benefits of their success may be somewhat similar, the fighters themselves are at a different level in their careers.
UFC Central's "Showdown Joe" Ferraro recently caught up with MMA trainer extraordinaire, Greg Jackson, and got his take on which of the two is the best fighter he has ever trained.
Check it out:
"Both of them are amazing. Jon is still young, he is still being tested. He's had a couple of title defenses but he is still being tested and I have a lot of confidence that he will pass the test, as far as how you deal with fame, how you allow the people around you to change, who you bring in. GSP has passed those tests. He's had the title for a long time and so George is always the leader of the charge. He's the guy that everybody emulates. Even other champions can learn, like Carlos Condit, he is now the interim champion, he is also our guy, so we all learn from George's example of staying humble, staying true to himself and keeping the people he has had around him forever, just around him still, being loyal. Constantly learning new things, so yeah, George leads the way. "
As Jackson stated, if having the 170-pound champion in your stable wasn't enough, he also has the interim welterweight champion, Carlos Condit, under his tutelage, as well.
"The Natural Born Killer" will face off against "Rush" later this year, possibly in November at UFC 154 in Montreal, to unify the titles once and for all. Jones on the other hand, has his hands full against former training partner Rashad Evans, who, coincidentally enough, was also a UFC champion under the guidance of Jackson in 2008, at UFC 145 on April 21, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia.
In a den full of lions, the French-Canadian Georges St. Pierre, is still the king of the pack.
Anyone care to disagree?
Posted in: title, jackson, fighter, champion, george
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUSA TODAY/MMA Nation March 2012 Consensus Rankings
March's USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings are now live. Be sure and pick up a hard copy of tomorrow's USA TODAY to see them in print.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA sources to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
More details on our methodology in the full entry.
NOTE: We have modified our method of gathering our rankings because the strict scheduling requirements of USA TODAY clash with the more irregular schedules of many of the MMA rankings sites. That was causing us to use a different set of sources almost every month. That combined with the small number of sites doing top 25 rankings was causing the Consensus rankings to have a lower "signal to noise" ratio than we would like -- that is if fighters are going to be moving up or down I would like it to be because there has been a change in the consensus opinion, not a change in our sources. Therefore we have cut back our sources to just those sites that we can depend on to update every month. We have also contacted many of the rankers that only publish top 10 lists and asked them to provide top 25 lists. As always we listen to your suggestions and are always working to improve the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings.
Also worth noting is that this month we instituted a rule that if a fighter is active in other weight classes he must have competed within a given weight class within the last 365 days in order to be ranked in that class in an attempt to improve the overall quality of our product. In order to be ranked at all, a fighter must have been active within the last 450 days.
Check out the USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings to see who's rising and who's falling.
Posted in: mma, fighter, ranking, consensus, consensus rankings
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowVyacheslav Vasilevsky's M-1 contract is suspiciously absent
Last week Bellator fighter Vyacheslav Vasilevsky got absolutely reamed when a Dutch court found him in breach of contract with his former promotion M-1. The penalty: 1000 euros per day since the breach, and 5000 euros per day he competes in another promotion. All in all that adds up to over half a million euros, which seems like a slightly silly amount of money to owe. It's not exactly clear how easy it will be for M-1 to get that Dutch judgement upheld in the US. Especially considering Vasilevsky and Bellator are basically claiming M-1 doesn't even have a valid contract with the fighter. Like ... the contract may not even physically exist. Here's Vasilevsky's manager:
"When Bellator signed him back in November, I know at that point, the fighter requested – and I believe Bellator has done the same – requested a copy of the (M-1) contract," Kardan said. "If he was presented a contract, I'm pretty sure Bellator would not have signed him. I'm pretty positive of that. So for almost six months, [M-1 hasn't] presented any kind of contract that would state they do have an existing agreement with him."
Making things more interesting...
When asked to forward a copy of the fighter’s contract on the condition that it would not be published, Kogan declined, stating that the contract is an internal matter. Instead, the M-1 exec forwarded to Sherdog a copy of the signed judgment delivered in the Court of the City of Amsterdam as evidence that Vasilevsky remains under contract with the promotion.
Sound kinda fishy to you too? I'm not really against M-1 stopping fighters from breaching contracts or anything, but the dickface penalties built into their agreements make it hard (as it often is with M-1) to side with them in this situation. Especially when they can't even produce the contract in question.
Posted in: bellator, fighter, contract, vasilevsky, euro
Read the full article at FightlinkerJoe Lauzon Vs. Terry Etim Marked For UFC On Fox 4 In August
A couple of lightweights that were recently knocked out by brutal head kicks will be meeting in the octagon on August 4th at UFC on Fox 4. Despite those losses, this is an excellent matchup and the first rumored bout for the Fox card. Fighters Only has the scoop:
Joe Lauzon will face Terry Etim in his next outing.
A source tells Fighters Only that the two lightweights have verbally agreed to meet on the UFC on FOX 4 card taking place in Los Angeles on August 4.
Lauzon (21-7) had picked up two submission of the night awards in a row going into his bout with Anthony Pettis at UFC 144, but was knocked out in the first round. Etim (15-4) was knocked out in spectacular fashion by Edson Barboza at UFC 142 back in January. The two fighters have combined for an incredible twelve performance bonuses over their UFC careers.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 4
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, lauzon, terry etim
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAntonio McKee returns to face Chad Dietmeyer at 'Untamed 2' on May 30 in Anaheim
Extreme Fighters World Championship is back with "The Untamed 2" on Friday, May 30 at The Grove of Anaheim, California. This is the debut event for EFWC on GFL.tv and the organization looks to make a splash in a big way with a stacked card and a hotly anticipated main event. "The Untamed 2" will no doubt build on the growing momentum of high level events that EFWC presents.
In the main event, Antonio McKee (27-4-2) fights Chad Dietmeyer (8-1) in a lightweight scrap. McKee is a former UFC veteran, a former champion with MFC and an IFL standout. There is not a better fighter in the game that can control a fight and take it to the ground and keep it on the ground like McKee. McKee went on an 8 year undefeated streak and looks to continue his two-fight streak he is currently riding.
For Dietmeyer, this will be a huge step up in competition and with it comes a huge career opportunity. Dietmeyer has fought on the Arizona circuit for some time, grabbing regional titles and a victory over the vaunted McKee would do wonders for his future.
Expect McKee to do what he does best and try to get the fight to the ground early and keep it there. Dietmeyer needs to make McKee pay when he comes in for a takedown, a tall order, and then if he finds himself on the bottom work submission after submission.
In the co-main event, Jesse Juarez (15-5) takes on Leonardo Silva. For the Strikeforce and Bellator vet, Juarez this is another chance to get on the radar of the UFC. Juarez is a strong wrestler, especially as a welterweight, and will no doubt try and control the bout and get Silva on his back. For Silva, this could be a make or break fight as he has suffered back to back losses, so expect the Strikeforce and Bellator veteran to come out guns blazing, leaving nothing to chance.
This is an important fight for both fighters for very different reasons so that is great news to the fans. Expect fireworks of some kind early onin this bout.
Don't miss this exciting card. Extreme Fighters World Championship brings you another fully loaded card with "The Untamed 2". Watch the hottest SoCal fighters compete in the cage. Order this event now, exclusively through the GFL Combat Sport Network at GFL.tv.
Posted in: fight, fighter, event, mckee, dietmeyer
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMeet the 16 Fighters that Made it into the TUF Brasil Fighter House (Video)
Meet the 16 fighters that made it through eliminations and into the fighter house on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brasil."
Posted in: fighter, video, fighter house, house, brasil
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyKing Mo ousted by Zuffa
Tuesday was a bad day for “King” Mo Lawal as he was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission 9 months and fined $39,000 for using Performance Enhancing Drugs. To compound the suspension, Lawal took to twitter to vent which lead to Zuffa cutting Lawal.
As you may recall, Lawal tested positive for PEDs after his last fight in Strikeforce in January. The hearing before the Nevada State Athletic took place on Tuesday and it didn’t go well. Lawal was fined a total of $39,000 and suspended 9 months by the NSAC. Also, his KO of Lorenz Larkin was ruled a No Contest.
MMA Fighting reports that Strikeforce’s Scott Coker stated that the release was based upon the “subsequent reaction” by Lawal. This is in reference to Lawal’s twitter rant after the hearing. The tweets railed against a female member of the NSAC questioning Lawal as she asked if he could read and if he spoke English. Lawal took offense and some of his tweets reflected his disdain. As a result, Zuffa notified Lawal’s management that the fighter had been let go.
With Lawal’s termination came the uproar as to the lack of symmetry in doling out punishments by Zuffa. But there is a code of conduct in fighters’ contracts.
MMA Junkie provides the section in a Zuffa fighter’s contract regarding code of conduct:
Section 9.1 of the Zuffa (or Forza, LLC for Strikeforce fighters) contract states:
“Fighter shall conduct himself in accordance with commonly accepted standards of decency, social conventions and morals, and Fighter will not commit any act or become involved in any situation or occurrence or make any statement which will reflect negatively upon or bring disrepute, contempt, scandal, ridicule, or disdain to Fighter, the Identity of Fighter or any of Fighter’s Affiliates, FORZA or any of its officers, managers, members, employees, or agents.
“Fighter’s conduct shall not be such as to shock, insult or offend the public or any organized group therein, or reflect unfavorably upon any current or proposed sponsor or such sponsor’s advertising agency, or any network or station over which a Bout is to be broadcast.”
Payout Perspective:
The termination issue here is based on Lawal’s tweets, something that has gotten UFC fighters in trouble in the past. Recent memory will point us to Miguel Torres and his brief expulsion due to an off color tweet. Also, Torres was taken back into the good graces of Zuffa less than a month after he was terminated. But Forrest Griffin had a controversial tweet about rape and was not punished. Rashad Griffin made a topical, yet off-color remark about Phil Davis’ alma mater, Penn State in promoting their fight and was not punished either.
As for the reason for the tweets, it’s certainly understandable for Lawal to be upset for the line of questioning about whether he could read and/or speak English. As an attorney that’s actually been in situations like this, feelings are hurt and it’s unfortunate that this happens in the profession. After listening to the audio, it seems like Pat Lundvall was asking a line of questioning which would segue into further questioning. Definitely, she could have asked different questions to get to the same point. But, it appears that she may have been upset with the fact that Lawal did not actually fill out the questionnaire which she questioned Lawal about preceding the read and speak questions. Honestly, I’m not even sure if she realized that the questions were condescending. But that’s only speculation.
The termination gives cause to pause about whether there should be a need to inform Zuffa fighters about its twitter policy (maybe implement one if one does not exist). Zuffa could amend its code of conduct to specifically include social media use to spell it out to its fighters too. For a tool it wishes, and in fact awards, its fighters for using, there needs to be some ground rules. While it doesn’t want to restrict tweeting, fighters need to be smart about what they are tweeting. Lawal has been through a difficult time and the tweets reflect his frustration. But, he should have self-imposed a cooling period. Stay off of twitter for a day so your tweets don’t get you into trouble. It’s one of the reasons why the media is not let into locker rooms immediately after a football/basketball game. Players need to calm down lest they say something they regret.
In the end, Lawal may still have a chance to comeback to Zuffa. If he shows contrition for his tweets and accepts the suspension, Lawal still may land back in Strikeforce or even the UFC. One need only look to Miguel Torres. You could even point to Nate Marquardt as a fighter exiled by the company only to return.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, zuffa, lawal, tweet
Read the full article at MMA PayoutONE FC: Melvin Manhoef Says Nothing Can Prepare Yoshiyuki Nakanishi For His Power
Melvin Manhoef is perhaps the hardest hitting fighter in the entire MMA world, win or lose he always comes out swinging and aged 35 he has no intention whatsoever of altering the style which has brought him 23 KO / TKO wins in his MMA career.
He is preparing for a huge fight against Yoshiyuki Nakanishi at ONE Fighting Championship 'War of the Lions' on Saturday night but the gameplan is going to be the same as it ever was, he is looking to finish the fight in fast and brutal fashion,
"There are people who criticize my ground game and I cannot say that is not true because my ground game is not as good as some other guys who are fighting but my striking is much better. My record is like 24 wins and 23 KOs so I think that I can strike and if I am training striking and other guys are training grappling maybe I should put more time in my ground game but I have been doing it for 12 years and I am still beating people up with striking so why change?"
This attitude might cost Manhoef the occasional fight, although he still wins a lot more than he loses, but it has made him plenty of fans. He has a chance to win a few more at a show this Saturday which will be witnessed by 7,000 people at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and hundreds of thousands more watching around the world on a free internet stream.
Manhoef admits he hasn't seen much footage on his next opponent, Nakanishi, but doesn't believe the Japanese fighter has any intention of staying standing for longer than he has to,
"I couldn’t find a lot of footage on him but I heard he has striking and submissions and is a complete fighter. I don’t know whether he is a south paw or not, I couldn’t find nothing but I am a professional and a fight is a fight. I am prepared for everything .Everybody says they want to stand and trade with me but when the bell goes and they get the first punch or the first kick they think ‘oh shit’ and then immediately try to take me down. I don’t know if this will happen on Saturday but I don’t mind because my takedown defence is proper so he can try."
Manhoef believes that if he can execute his stand up based game plan he will win regardless of what Nakanishi, who is the Deep Light Heavyweight Champion and has an 11-2 MMA record, brings to the table,
"My strategy for Nakanishi is not about Nakanishi, it’s about Melvin Manhoef, if I am in top shape I will perform very well and if I do that people will get a nice fight. We did our homework and I trained hard, we didn’t leave anything to chance. We did everything to win and in my opinion I have to win this fight."
In 35 MMA fights Manhoef has only been the distance once, in a two round fight with Rodney Glundr back in 1999. Nakanishi has a few decision wins and it is probably safe to assume that the longer the fight lasts the less likely it is that the Dutch K-1 veteran will prevail but he says he has no doubts in his endurance,
"I went the distance once so I am sure I could do it again! Although in that fight they had standing eight counts and Rodney Glunder got an eight count and they stopped the fight and then someone threw a table in the ring so he had a chance to recover, otherwise I think I would have knocked him out."
Manhoef regularly fights against heavyweights in both K-1 and MMA and is used to being asked to take on opponents who are 50 lbs heavier than him. He is happy to continue to do this if he has to but is also seriously considering a surprise drop down to 170 lbs,
"I’m gonna try and drop down to 170 lbs because I want to make some more fighters miserable! First we are going to try it and if I feel strong I will do it but I am 94 kgs now so it’s a lot of weight cutting. I always fight at my normal weight which is 88 kgs and even if I am asked to fight heavyweights I still stay at this weight. I can’t make myself taller so if I have to fight against those heavy guys I will do it at 88 kgs."
One heavy guy who Manhoef has already beaten is Mark Hunt who is currently close to contention for a shot at the UFC heavyweight title. He knocked him out in 17 seconds and is hoping to see the New Zealander do well in the Octagon because it makes that win seem all the more impressive,
"Seeing Mark Hunt win fights in the UFC gives me confidence but I am not signed with them I am signed with One FC and if he is champion it will be even better because then we can say One FC has the better fighters! He is fighting Stefan Struve next who is also a cool guy but still it will be great if Mark Hun wins that fight."
Manhoef plans to fight at least three times for ONE FC this year and has also signed a contract with K-1 which will see him fight for them in May. He is happy to fight absolutely anyone although he would very much like one more shot at Remy Bonjasky.
He will not be sporting his trademark leather skirt on Saturday night, not due to sudden change of direction in his fashion sense but because it somehow got lost in transit. Regardless of what he wears you know that Manhoef is going to be throwing strikes with seriously bad intentions and that the chances of this fight making it out of the opening round are extremely slim,
"I forgot my fight skirts so I don’t know what I am going to be wearing, I will have to find something else. It’s not about what I’m wearing, it’s about how I perform. Nakanishi is in for a surprise because has never been in there with anyone who hits as hard as I do, it doesn't matter how hard he has trained, nothing can prepare you for that sort of power."
ONE FC 'War of the Lions' will be streamed completely free of charge on youtube. You can view the event in its entirety on the ONE FC youtube channel here.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, fighter, fc, manhoef, nakanishi
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCourt McGee vs. Nick Ring Rematch Added to UFC 149
With the UFC making its way to Calgary for the first time, UFC 149 is starting to see its first few official matchups for the event, as hometown middleweight Nick Ring will once again take on Court McGee, along with Bryan Caraway taking on Mitch Gagnon. Both matchups are expected to take place on the preliminary card for the event that takes place on July 21st from the Scotiabank Saddledome in downtown Calgary.
McGee (13-2), winner of the 11th season of The Ultimate Fighter, will look to rebound from his first career UFC loss, which he suffered earlier this month at UFC on FX 2 to Costa Philippou. The Utah fan-favorite will be fighting Ring for the second time, hoping to avenge the loss that he suffered during the preliminary rounds of the show. He was a quarterfinal replacement due to an injury suffered by Rich Attonito. He then went on every remaining fight, ending with being crowned The Ultimate Fighter champion.
Ring (12-1) will also be looking for revenge, as he will be fighting for the first time since suffering his first career loss at UFC 135 in September to Tim Boetsch. Prior to that loss, Ring started his UFC career off with two consecutive wins, winning a closely contested decision over Riki Fukuda, then submitting James Head at UFC 131 in June 2011. He will be fighting in his hometown of Calgary for the first time since February 2003.
Bantamweight Bryan Caraway (16-5), also a former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter, will be fighting for the first time since winning his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter season 14 finale in December. “Kid Lightning” defeated Dustin Neace via 2nd round submission, the 14th submission victory of his career.
He will face Canadian Mitch Gagnon (8-1), who will be making his UFC debut. His debut was expected to take place at UFC on Fox 2 in January, but Gagnon was forced to withdraw due to visa issues. The submission specialist, with 7 of his 8 victories coming by way of submission, will look to extend his 6 fight win-streak.
UFC 149 takes place on July 21st, and will be headlined by a featherweight championship fight featuring UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and an opponent to-be-named.
For complete coverage of UFC 149, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, time, fighter, ufc debut, ring
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC 146's Roy Nelson to 205 pounds? Doubtful, says Dana White
After all he's been through with the fighter, UFC president Dana White believes Roy Nelson is a great fighter.
Potentially a division-ruler, if he really wanted to be. But does he?
"You've got to want to do it," White said at a pre-event press
conference for UFC 146. "You've got to want to get in there and take it
serious. Seriously diet, seriously train, and then you're going to have
to cut some weight the day of the fight."
Posted in: ufc, fighter, nelson, roy nelson, roy
Read the full article at MMA JunkieThe Secret of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson’s Power
It’s been a little over a month since Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson made his spectacular debut against Dan Stittgen at UFC 143 in Las Vegas. There was a lot of buzz leading up to that fight due to Thompson’s association with UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre who he began training with in 2005. Momentum continued to build as highlight videos of Thompson during his undefeated kickboxing career were making their way around the internet as were the words of GSP and his head coach Firas Zahabi.
Both St. Pierre and Zahabi called “Wonderboy” the best striker in all of combat sports and also proclaimed that he was a future world champion, a point “Rush” reiterated last night on UFC Ultimate Insider. Certainly St. Pierre’s words are high praise coming from one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters and, as Thompson’s debut revealed, they were not simply lip service. After winning the show’s Knockout of the Night bonus it wouldn’t have been all that surprising to see Thompson bask in his moment of glory and enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Maybe another fighter would’ve allowed the success to get to his head, but Thompson is not just any fighter. Foundation-wise, the 28-year old comes from some pretty good stock. His father Ray Thompson has been training Stephen since he was barely able to walk and he’s not the type of father/trainer to allow anyone under his tutelage to rest on his or her laurels. For those that know the Thompson family they knew right away that “Wonderboy” would keep his ego in check and he’d be right back in the gym preparing for his next big opportunity. That chance came quickly as Thomspon will face Matt Brown on April 21 in Atlanta at UFC 145.
“I’ve actually been pretty busy,” said Thompson in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “Two days after the fight I got back home and the UFC had a contract ready for me to fight Matt Brown. There was very little down time I took a few days off before I was back training and in the gym. I started camp about two weeks ago and I’m training hard. I’m down in Florida training with Rashad Evans and a few of his teammates. From here I’ll be going to Dallas to train with my brother-in-law and then Nate Marquardt will be coming down from Denver.”
Brown has been with the UFC since he first appeared as a contestant The Ultimate Fighter 7 back in 2008. Although his record is 13-11 he is as tough as they come and has never been finished by strikes. He does, however, leave a lot to be desired once the fight hits the floor as evidenced by his nine submission losses. So where will “Wonderboy” look to bring this fight considering Brown’s history?
“I know he’s got a really hard head who is really hard to finish,” Thompson explained. “He’s a very aggressive fighter and he has said he plans on trading with me, but I think he’ll eventually try and take me down. I’m ready for wherever the fight goes and I feel very confident no matter where the fight ends up. He’s been talking a little trash, but I’d rather do my talking inside the cage. I use his words as fuel and motivation which allows me to train harder. If the opportunity presents itself for me to submit him I will certainly take it, but I want to be the first fighter to actually finish him by knockout.”
At UFC 143 the 6-0 Thompson was joined by many of his friends, family member, and students in Las Vegas. This time around the drive will be much shorter as Atlanta is just two hours away from his homebase in Greenville, South Carolina. Still, it doesn’t appear the pressure to perform so close to home will be too much for the undefeated Kickboxing Champion even though he knows it will be unlike any of his previous fights.
“It feels great to fight so close to home,” said an excited Thompson. “I have a big following here and will have a lot of people behind me in Atlanta. I always fight better when I fight in front of my home crowd. We have about 750 students at our school and just about everyone has said they are going to try and make it down to Atlanta so the amount of support I am going to have will be tremendous. It’s a confidence booster and I think it’s really cool that I’ll be fighting on the FX portion of the card so anyone who can’t make it to Atlanta can at least watch me on television. It also helps to have so many Alchemist fighters on this card as well. We’ll have each other to help stay relaxed before our fights.”
A few weeks after UFC 145 Thompson will be attending the MMA Live Show May 12 and 13 at the NEC Arena in Birmingham, England. He will be joined by many of his Alchemist brothers including Brendan Schaub, Jorge Rivera, Rory MacDonald, Stefan Struve, Thiago Silva, Vladimir Matyushenko and President Lex McMahon. This will give him an opportunity to interact with all of his new fans and allow the fans an opportunity to interact with one of the more engaging personalities in the sport.
“I’m really looking forward to it, that should be a really cool event,” revealed Thompson. “I will be doing some autograph signings and a seminar. Lex has some really cool things that he is working on for me. It’ll be the first time in England for me. I’ve been to Hungary for a Kickboxing event, but never before in the U.K. I am looking forward to meeting my fans and running the seminars. I hope to give them something to help them and answer any of their questions. It’s all about having fun and interacting with the fans.”
In the meantime you can catch up with Thompson on Twitter @WonderboyMMA.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, ’ll, thompson
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainMo Lawal’s dismissal emphasizes need for Zuffa policy on Twitter ()
"King" Mo Lawal was cut from Strikeforce yesterday . He received a suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission for testing positive for a banned substance after his January win over Lorenz Larkin. Shortly after his hearing with the NAC, Lawal called a commissioner a racist b**** over Twitter. According to Strikeforce's Scott Coker, Lawal's reaction was to blame for the dismissal .
Calling a woman the b-word is wrong, no matter the circumstances, which is exactly what I told Lawal yesterday. He's been a friend of mine since long before either of us were involved in MMA, so I told him what I would tell any friend of mine. If you don't want it said about your mother, you shouldn't say it about any woman. Though I don't know if I influenced his decision, he deleted the tweet not long after.
What he tweeted was wrong, but he should not have lost his job, just like Miguel Torres should not have lost his job late last year. I didn't think Torres should have lost his job then , nor did I think Forrest Griffin should have lost his job over a tweet about rape , or Rashad Evans over his comment about child abuse , or Joe Rogan for calling me the c-word , or White f or calling MMA reporter Loretta Hunt the b-word.
What every one of these cases called for is punitive action. Some combination of a reprimand, a fine that will benefit the aggrieved parties, a public apology, a suspension, and corrective action like sensitivity training would be more appropriate than being fired. The offender would be more likely to learn something from their offenses than if they suddenly have to look for a job, or if there had been little done about the offense.
The problem, once again, is that Zuffa has no policy on fighter (and commentator) behavior. A fighter doesn't know if he's crossed the line until he's crossed it. Fighters can't even learn from each other's actions because there is no consistency on how incidents are treated. Considering how White called Hunt the same word that Lawal to describe the commissioner and then never apologized for it (he only apologized for using a slur against homosexuals ), how could Lawal know Zuffa would have a problem with it?
The UFC usually holds their fighters' summit in June. It's the end of March. They have a few months to formulate a policy that is clear and fair to fighters.
Posted in: fighter, job, action, lawal, policy
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsONE FC 3 media open workout photos gallery from Evolve MMA
Saturday (March 31) is fight night in Singapore and the anticipation is already building ahead of a show which will be the biggest the country has ever witnessed. ONE Fighting Championship is gaining momentum at a remarkable rate and 7,000 tickets have already been sold and the online audience is expected to be measured in the hundreds of thousands.
By the time the first bell sounds at ONE Fighting Championship 'War of the Lions' on Saturday the Singapore Indoor Stadium will be completely sold out and the decision to stream the entire show completely free of charge on YouTube means that the online audience will be enormous.
The fighters have already started to arrive and today saw a series of open workouts hosted all over town. I attended the one at Evolve MMA which has no fewer than five of it's fighters on the card. Every time I visit this place I am absolutely blown away by the facilities which are on a par with a five star hotel and this was no exception.
Muay Thai legends like Attachai Fairtex and Orono Wor Petchpun were doing the pad holding as Zorobabel Moreira, Eddie Ng, Fabricio Monteiro, Yodsanan Sityodtong and Nicole Chua were put through their paces alongside other fighters including Mitch Chilson, Brian Choi, Leandro Issa, Shinya Aoki and Rafael Dos Anjos.
Coaches Chatri Sityodtong and Heath Sims kept a careful eye on proceedings and the latter will have been watching out for his Team Quest student Richie Whitson who has also been preparing for his ONE FC fight at Evolve MMA.
Here, in pictures, is this afternoon's session:
Nicole Chua works with former Lumpini Champion Orono Wor Petchpun. Chua is Singapore's first ever female mixed martial artist and the 50 or so photographers and journalists in attendance were much more interested in her than in any of the male fighters.
She is a former Muay Thai fighter who started training MMA fairly recently and will be up against 1-0 Indian Jeet Toshi on Saturday. Interestingly enough Orono is also rumored to be training MMA and hoping to make his competitive debut later this year.
Eddie Ng works on his kicking with another former Lumlpinee champion, Attachai Fairtex, who was two time fighter of the year in Thailand. Ng, from Hong Kong, is one of the rising stars of Asian MMA and is also becoming very well known in Singapore and has attracted a lot of media interest.
He is best known for his BJJ but will be up against Malaysian Muay Thai champion Jian Kai Chee so is probably looking to get some last minute stand up practice in.
Yodsanan Sityodtong is 37 years old but still fights at the same weight he won his first title at aged 22. He has never smoked or drank alcohol and trains every day regardless of whether he has a fight booked or not.
The former WBA Super Featherweight world champion is taking on Jian Long Yun who is much more experienced in MMA. It will be a real test for the 'Thai Tyson' who has 47 KOs in his boxing career but he has a reputation for working tirelessly in training and three days out from fight night is only a couple of kgs away from his target weight.
Zorobabel Moreira is a man who probably wishes he was only a couple kgs away from his target weight. He is 6"3' and cuts something like 10 kgs over a period of weeks to get down to the lightweight limit. He is also one of the nicest guys you will ever meet and showed no signs of ill temper despite undergoing a potentially grueling weight cut.
Zoro is another fighter who is making waves in Asian MMA and appeared on ESPN's Sports Centre last night, along with Evolve MMA owner Chatri Sityodtong, to discuss his forthcoming fight with Felipe Enomoto. This match up will be the main event and is the biggest fight of Moreira's career by far.
He is a BJJ world champion who was named number seven in a list of the top lightweight prospects in the world earlier this year and he says that his weight cut is going smoothly and he will be within the lightweight limit at Friday's weigh in.
TUF veteran Richie Whitson is a member of Team Quest and is managed by Evolve MMA's wrestling coach Heath Sims who got him a contract with ONE FC. He has an 11-2 record and is looking to really make a name for himself fighting in Asia.
The lightweight division is the most competitive in ONE FC and all three events so far have been headlined by 155 lbs fighters. Whitson believes there are some big fights out there for him but first he will have to get past Danny Van Bergen this Saturday.
Whitson, who is surprisingly small for a lightweight, told me that he thinks Van Bergen's Sherdog record is incomplete and that the Dutchman has closer to 25 wins.
Two of the better lightweights in the world work on their clinching under the watchful eye of a team of Thai trainers. Both have huge fights coming up, Shinya Aoki is preparing for his rematch with Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 66 next month while Rafael Dos Anjos is taking on Kamal Shalorus at UFC on Fuel 3 in May.
With Aoki, Dos Anjos, Moreira, Ng and Whitson all training together Evolve MMA probably has a better collection of high caliber lightweights than any other camp in the world right now.
ONE FC is being streamed live on YouTube completely free of charge on Saturday. See above for times or click here to visit the official YouTube channel.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, champion, thai
Read the full article at MMA ManiaReport: UFC 146 Fighters Tested By NSAC After Press Conference
It seems that the Nevada State Athletic Commission is stepping up their efforts to "randomly" test MMA fighters. This time around it was the fighters that were in Las Vegas for the UFC 146 press conference: UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, and Antonio Silva. Ron Kruck of Inside MMA/HD Net tweeted about it a little while ago:
@rkruckRon Kruck Surprise! Source tells me all 6 UFC 146 fighters JDS, Overeem, Cain, Mir, Nelson & Silva were tested by the NSAC following today's presser Mar 27 via Mobile Web Favorite Retweet Reply
It makes sense to test them at this point in time since they are all in Nevada anyway, and putting them all through the wringer at once means that they look as impartial as possible. If you read between the lines a bit though, Alistair Overeem had some issues with testing for his last Nevada bout at UFC 141, and was convicted of misdemeanor assault today in a Clark County courtroom. He also owes the commission two random tests as a condition of his conditional license, so it shouldn't come as much of a "surprise".
SBN coverage of UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Overeem
Posted in: ufc, overeem, fighter, alistair overeem, nevada
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSurprise Drug Tests Conducted Following UFC 146 Presser
The fighters who appeared on the dais for today’s UFC 146 official announcement press conference were given surprise drug tests upon the presser’s conclusion.
UFC 146 will take place on May 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was also the site of today’s press conference. Inside MMA’s Ron Kruck first reported the news of the unannounced testing, with MMAFighting confirming the report shortly thereafter with Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director, Keith Kizer.
Having just recently received the budget room to perform out-of-competition drug testing for mixed martial arts events, this instance marks the first time in NSAC history that drug testing has been conducted so far out from a fight.
The fighters tested were main event competitors Junior dos Santos (UFC heavyweight champion) and Alistair Overeem, as well as supporting fighters Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Roy Nelson and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.
Of the fighters tested, only Antonio Silva has tested positive for a banned substance in the past, having registered the presence of the anabolic steroid boldenone in his system following a 2008 TKO victory over Justin Eilers in EliteXC. Alistair Overeem has been hounded by speculation of steroid usage ever since bulking up from light heavyweight to heavyweight, but has never tested positive in the past, despite being put through rigorous testing for his most recent fight against Brock Lesnar, which took place in Las Vegas.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, heavyweight, drug, testing
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyHead Kick Legend Group Discussion: Testosterone Replacement Therapy In Mixed Martial Arts
One of the most discussed and debated issues in Mixed Martial Arts over the past few years has been Testoterone Replacement Therapy, or TRT. The treatment has been in the public eye ever since Chael Sonnen was suspended six months for failing to properly disclose his use of the treatment prior to his UFC 117 title fight with Anderson Silva and it hasn't really gone away since, with high profile fighters such as Dan Henderson and Quinton Jackson being associated (legally) with the treatment, while others such as Nate Marquardt have been suspended (and in his case, cut from the UFC) for supposedly abusing it.
The Head Kick Legend staff has been discussing the issue over the course of the last week. Here is what we had to say:
Cory Braiterman:I'll start things off. I don't know enough medically about the individual fighters to assume that what they're doing is cheating the system. I do know enough as a lunkhead fan to make that assumption anyway. And will. I think it's a loophole that is being exploited and should be closed. In my opinion it is easily abused both in training camps, when fighters are not tested, and when a fighter is taking it through the proper channels, due to the murky qualification process.
Lots, lots more after the jump.
Elliot Matheny:I think TRT, used responsibly, is great. There aren't any egregious health risks, and if it facilitates training and performance for fighters who medically qualify for it, then I'm all for it. Of course, there needs to be a system of checks and balances in place to prevent these fighters from abusing, but I think the state athletic commission blood testing should suffice for the time being. I'd urge everyone to read these 2 articles from Matt Pitt over at Sherdog He is probably the best scholar on the blog-o-sphere regarding the medicine and science of the fight game:
Marquardt & Test
HGH testing
Luke Nelson:Great links Elliot. I'd like to add the latest from Mike Chiapetta over at MMAFighting.com to the reading list.
My take is pretty similar to Cory's take. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That being said, this new information presented by Chiapetta makes things a little dicey: If head trauma stops your body from producing testosterone, then it makes sense that a lot of fighters are going to want/need TRT towards the end of their career.An angle that I don't think has been talked about too much is the fact that a lot of the fighter's going on this stuff are in the larger weight classes. Rampage, Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, Nate Marquardt, all the guys who've been in the news for TRT were fighting at 185 or greater. If it is something that is as necessary as these fighters lead us to believe it is, why aren't we seeing (or hearing about) littler guys that need it? The one smaller weight fighter that has used it publicly is Dennis Hallman, but his situation is a little different (Celiac disease) and even he missed weight when he tried to hit 155 for the first time in years and years.So why is it just well muscled fighter's using this stuff? Past steroid use? Did they have a higher than average level of testosterone when they entered the sport that has decreased over the years of sparring/fighting? Are they simply scared of facing other big dudes without the boost TRT gives?The final question I have is, who is giving these guys the go-ahead for this stuff? I watched "Bigger, Stronger, Faster*" and these "age doctors" seem pretty fraudulent, or at least as fraudulent as doctors who give out medical marijuana recommendations. They basically give out TRT to whoever comes in their door and answers their softball questions. Is this the same process as happens with fighters? It seems to be the case to me.I'd love to see the UFC institute a rule that states that all TRT exemptions must first be approved by the UFC before a fighter begins treatment. The UFC can hire a very well respected endocrinologist who isn't going to just say "hey, fill out this questionnaire and I'll be right back with your prescription". And the guys who go on the TRT will have to provide blood tests on the regular, will have to continually justify the need for it. I think Dan Henderson has spoken about this before, the need for stricter regulations.
Chris Hall:I'm in support of TRT. First, I think the evolution of both MMA and sports medicine in general will progress toward acceptance and regulation as opposed to prohibition concerning steroid use and TRT. Because of that, I think the important thing here is establishing supervision and accountability. Regular testing reported to the commission throughout training and pre-fight is a must. I think Henderson is a great example of how the treatment can be used both effectively and safely.
Earl Montclair:I have a hard time choosing a side on this issue.
On one hand, I support it because I think it gives us a chance to see how fighters who are of advanced age (in fight years) perform against younger talent. It also allows athletes to show what the extra years can add to their skill-set. It is really interesting to see how the guys who are on TRT develop with the extra time that it gives them to compete at a high level. The fan in me says that if TRT is going to give me more Dan Henderson fights, bring it on!
On the other hand, I think it is against nature and the idea behind this competition is to see who is best naturally. This makes me feel that it shouldn't be allowed. I think it will be and already is being abused. I see it as really no different than a getting a pot card. There are some instances where marijuana is a helpful form of medicine but most people who have medical marijuana have it for legal recreation....OH I mean, nightmares and minor back pain. Basically, if people are allowed to do it, it is human nature to try to test the boundaries of what you can get away with. I think that is a bad thing for MMA in situations that occurred with the likes Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt.
So I guess in the end I am on the fence. I'm glad I could be so indifferent on the subject :/
Elliot Matheny:The potential for abuse is there, but with the TUE process, and standard blood testing, I don't think there's much wiggle room to cheat.
Patrick Wyman:I have no problem with fighters receiving testosterone replacement therapy, provided they're verified to be in need of it by a board-certified endocrinologist, apply for a TUE from the relevant athletic commission, clear it with the promotion, and then follow the proper testing protocols. I do think commissions and the UFC need to be more thorough about clearing fighters for TRT, but that's a problem with the sport's institutions, not the treatment itself.
There are a wide variety of factors that can potentially cause low testosterone - head trauma (as Mike Chiapetta points out), prior steroid abuse, a long history of cutting weight, and genetic predisposition to the condition, among many others - and figuring out precisely which of these has created the need for TRT is next to impossible. On that note, I don't think that it's fair to discriminate against fighters who might have low testosterone levels as a result of past steroid use; there's simply no way of knowing in most cases, and I would rather give fighters the benefit of the doubt.
The argument that TRT is "unnatural", and should be banned on those grounds, holds absolutely no water. "Unnatural" compared to what? Surgery to remove facial scar tissue, as Wanderlei and Nick Diaz did? Alistair Overeem's or Brock Lesnar's strength and conditioning program and diet, which had the effect of packing on more muscle than any human being should reasonably possess? Potent anti-inflammatory medications? ACL reconstructions using tendons from a cadaver? All of those procedures and treatments extend a fighter's career and capabilities far beyond what "nature" may have intended, and I don't see a fundamental difference between altering your hormone levels and turning yourself into the twenty-first century version of the Frankenstein monster.
This is a brutal sport that takes a massive toll on the bodies of its participants, and we have to expect those consequences to manifest themselves both visibly, as in the case of facial scar tissue, and internally with testosterone levels. Allowing fighters to maintain normal, healthy hormone levels (and no higher than that) is logical and, one might argue, an ethical necessity in terms of quality of life.
Cory Braiterman:I'm certainly not making the "unnatural" argument, I think that's silly. One of my main concerns are a few ways in which it snowballs. If "everyone" is doing it, then those that aren't feel they have to, even if it might not be right for them and possibly dangerous. It's also a cost barrier - let's face it, unless you're at the top of the sport, you aren't making fantastic bank. Throw however many thousands of dollars it costs in out of pocket expenses (something tells me I doubt too many insurance plans cover this) to get this done and however many fighters are struggling to break into the big times, and it's just another hurdle.It's the same with any PED - if you permit them, then everyone has to take it, or it isn't a playing field. Add all the health concerns and the cost, and you get a lose-lose proposition to me.
Elliot Matheny:I think the "everyone has to do it" argument falls flat, because simply put- generally only the older fighters are going to have hypogonadism. And to address the cost of treatment- again, generally only the older, more experienced fighters will need the treatment, and they are generally the ones who make more $ per fight, and should be able to afford the treatment.
All right, this topic is such that we could go on forever, but I figured now is a good place to stop and allow the readers to have their say.
So, to those reading, what do you think about this issue? Is it something that we are just going to have to get used to, not only in combat sports, but in all sports? What about yourselves? Are any of you out there currently on testosterone replacement therapy, or know someone who is? Would you go on it if you had to? Would you go on it if you had the opportunity to?
Chime in!
Posted in: fighter, sport, testosterone, treatment, trt
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendFor Retired Fighters, Health Care Can Be a Tricky, Costly Issue
As difficult as it might be to believe, Gary Goodridge -- the former MMA fighter and kickboxer now suffering from what doctors suspect is a case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brought on by head trauma in his fighting career -- was lucky in at least one way, according to his friend and the co-author of his book, Mark Dorsey. "If Gary was American, I doubt he’d have the money to go get treatment," Dorsey said. "Even if he did, he probably wouldn’t want to spend it on this, so he’s extremely lucky to be Canadian."Because Goodridge is Canadian, everything from his visit to a brain injury specialist in Toronto to his medication for depression and memory loss is covered by his country’s health care system. American fighters, however, have to figure out their own medical care solutions once their fighting days are done. For some, it means purchasing costly private insurance, which only tends to get more costly as old injuries necessitate new medical procedures. For others it means finding some other way to get covered, and then hoping that the coverage is there when they really need it.Former UFC and Pride champion Mark Coleman considers himself "very fortunate" to have accomplished the latter. Thanks to his job with licensing and apparel company MMA Elite, he’s now covered under the company’s group health insurance plan. It’s a fairly new development, and one that he’s thankful for now that he’s a 47-year-old retired fighter.
"I was self-employed for ten, 12 years," Coleman said. "Then you’ve got to get your own insurance and worry about all that yourself."If he got hurt at a fight, he said, both the UFC and Pride could be counted on to make sure he got the health care he needed. Still, his last fight for the UFC came in February of 2010 -- more than a year before parent company Zuffa provided all fighters on the UFC and Strikeforce rosters with full-time accident insurance. Even when Coleman knew he could count on his employers to get him stitched up after a fight, he also knew he was responsible for making sure he was covered in the very likely event that he might be injured in training.Getting that private health insurance wasn’t so difficult, even when he had to write down ‘professional fighter’ as his occupation, Coleman said. "It was just a matter of paying more."UFC bantamweight Jeff Curran knows a thing or two about the cost of insuring guys who beat each other up for a living. He purchases private health insurance for himself and his instructors through his Curran Martial Arts Academy in Crystal Lake, Ill., so he has some appreciation for how difficult it must have been for the UFC to come up with a way to put a few hundred pro fighters on one group insurance plan. If not for his insurance, the litany of medical issues he’s endured throughout his fighting career -- everything from broken ribs to multiple knee surgeries to having a plate inserted into and then, years later, removed from his forearm -- could have easily bankrupted him and his business."But even with insurance, when you’ve got a max out-of-pocket of $5,000, and then you’ve got a $2,500 deductible, and then the other things that go with it, yeah, it’s always expensive," Curran said.To cover himself and his two sons, Curran said he pays about $500 a month. His wife’s insurance is another $400 a month, leaving the family with a $900-a-month tab just to maintain their insurance coverage. Not all pro fighters can afford that expense, he said, which is why he’s had more than one of his colleagues pull him aside and ask him to throw a little coverage their way."In the past, I insured people as employees through the gym just to get them some coverage for a while, sometimes when they weren’t even with my gym, just trying to do them favors. Eventually I realized I was just jacking up my own rate and it was like I became an insurance provider. I got out of that quick."Now that Curran is on the UFC roster, he’s covered under Zuffa’s accident insurance plan. That plan -- provided by Houston Casualty -- requires fighters to pay no premiums, and covers them for up to $50,000 per year. Even so, Curran isn’t about to drop his own insurance in the meantime, since he knows that the total bill for his career in the cage may only come due in increments, and perhaps long after he’s done in the UFC, when he’ll no longer be covered by Zuffa’s fighter insurance."I’m never going to rely on the UFC to take care of me for all that past stuff," he said. "I’m not going to be blind-sided by it. I know it’s not going to be there when I’m done. I’ll always keep up my own insurance, but I don’t really stress it. It is what it is. It’s going to be expensive to deal with all that. I realize that."Retired UFC middleweight Nate Quarry said he realized it years ago, and made sure to keep up his own private insurance throughout his fighting career, even if it was a high-deductible plan that left him on the hook for more minor medical expenses. Now that his fighting career is over, he insisted on a sponsorship arrangement that included health insurance, he said."That was a part of my deal that was brokered in. ...I’ve known forever how important it was. I remember back in high school a teacher of mine would say that people would go out and get renter’s insurance to cover $500 worth of crap, but wouldn’t get health insurance. In the blink of an eye they might be $100,000 in debt, and never recover from it."Quarry came close to being buried by medical bills once or twice, he said, but his costly private insurance saved him. There was the time just last November, for instance, when he got kicked in the knee during a sparring session and ended up with a torn MCL. "There were years during my career when I had to pay that full five grand [deductible]," Quarry said. "I got a really bad staph infection in my leg and had to be admitted to the emergency ward for three days, get IVs and a morphine drip, all that. I had to pay the full five grand deductible, but thankfully the other 10 to 15 grand was covered. It would have been hard to get out from under that."Even though the fighters covered by Zuffa’s insurance today might have it much better than their predecessors, who were responsible for paying their own way on training injuries and illnesses, many might not realize what the full cost will be when their careers are over and they have to find their own health care plans. Former UFC champion Pat Miletich knows all about that particular problem. A lingering neck injury stemming from a sparring session that nearly severed his spine years ago still gives him problems occasionally, though for the most part it’s "pretty solid," Miletich said."When it happened, I didn’t even have insurance," Miletich said. "I got MRIs and all that, and I had to pay for it out of my pocket. But I did a lot of rehab. I didn’t want to mess with the nightmare of spinal surgery. I knew so many people who had had stuff like that and it didn’t always go well."How much a fighter ends up paying for health care later in life "depends on how sh---y of a fighter you were," Miletich said. But even though he purchases his own insurance now, he doesn’t envy Goodridge’s government-sponsored care for an issue as serious as brain trauma."I can’t imagine what he’s going through," Miletich said. "I’m married to a Canadian, and they have to wait six months for an MRI. I can get one the same day. The quality of health care you get when you have your own insurance is, I think, much better than government-run health care. It’s just much better than waiting in lines and dealing with crappy hospitals."Whoever’s footing the bill, Miletich added, it’s the fighters who are paying the physical costs, and they have to know and expect that when they choose this line of work. Even now he’ll occasionally re-injure his neck, "and then it’s pretty severe for a few days," Miletich said. That part he can deal with, thanks to what his doctor and chiropractor have termed a "freakish ability" in the pain tolerance department. What’s tougher is when he thinks about the money promoters are making off fighters whose health issues continue long after their careers, even if the health care doesn’t."If you choose to play rough in life, you’re going to get banged up. That’s the way it is," Miletich said. "But when you’re getting banged up helping someone build a company that’s worth $2 billion, yeah, there should be some compensation there. If you look at the NFL players’ agreement, where they’re getting 50-55 percent of all the money that comes in, there’s no comparison to mixed martial arts."In fact, the newest collective bargaining agreement in the NFL included improved health care coverage for former players, offering them the chance to stay in the NFL’s health insurance program for life if they play in any game during the term of the current deal. Prior to the new CBA, players’ health insurance ran out five years after retirement, often before the injuries they sustained in their careers became serious, expensive issues.The NFL's current model is one that Miletich would love to see the UFC work toward as it improves fighter care, he said, even if it might be tougher to achieve without the collective bargaining power that the NFL Players Association has."That would be a great thing. If a fighter reaches a certain number of fights or holds a title or stays on the televised portion for a certain period of time, or whatever. I think there definitely should be something like that," Miletich said.Such an arrangement would be "a pleasant surprise" to Mark Coleman, he said. "But I don’t know how much money they’re making. If they make enough, they probably will step in that direction. Hopefully."And if you’re wondering how "The Hammer" is holding up these days, after a lifetime of wrestling and fighting and earning a living by sacrificing his body well into his 40s, just go ahead and ask. It’ll give him a good, long laugh, followed by a statement that says it all."I’m just going to say no comment to that."
Posted in: ufc, fighter, insurance, care, health
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC Ultimate Fighter Live Wrap Up: Lawrence Takes Out Marcello
Week 3 of the UFC's Ultimate Fighter Live managed to showcase both the good and the bad about this show. I'll start with the bad so that we can get that out of the way.
This week featured the launch of not just one, but two of my most despised TUF traditions. First, "The Leben." Named in honor of the first man to play this role, "The Leben" is that guy who just has to be the center of attention and who decides that there's no reason to treat anyone with, you know, decency. You may also call this "The Browning" if you prefer. Clearly that man is Chris Tickle, who is everything I dislike about TUF rolled into one package. I hope he actually makes it to the semi-finals, simply because I imagine his presence in the house when there is no fight looming will become even worse.
Second, "The Leben: Part II." Again, named in honor of the man who started it, this one is the dawn of the stupid pranks. It pains me to see these guys acting like 12 year olds, but here it is. And once again, that honor goes to Tickle (which, frankly, is often the case). Ugh. These vestiges of the old reality show based format are no fun, and it was a bummer to see them both featured so prominently.
That said, for the 2nd week in a row, the Live format came through to save the day. While nothing in Justin Lawrence vs. Cristiano Marcello was nearly as dramatic as the James Vick KO last week, for me at least, the anticipation of Lawrence vs. Marcello coming soon was palpable all show. I've been very excited about this fight all week, and the idea that it would be happening soon, and live, really drove me through the show.
The fight itself wasn't a barn-burner, but it was an interesting affair. Marcello (and, in turn, Urijah Faber and his team) displayed some really bad strategic planning. I get the idea that you should use Lawrence's assumption that Marcello will go to the ground against him, but to make it a stand-up battle ignores the strengths and weaknesses of your fighter. Marcello has bad striking defense - I said it last week, and Faber said it all fight. Having him trade on the feet with Lawrence made the KO almost inevitable. It felt like Team Faber was not accurately assessing Marcello, and that cost them.
Meanwhile, Dominick Cruz continued looking like one talented coach, and continued to go for the jugular with his fight picks, calling out Team Faber's #1 for next week. It worked once - will it work again?
Thoughts on Justin Lawrence vs. Cristiano Marcello:
On the one hand, I would have liked to see Lawrence swarm and get another violent stoppage. But you can't win every fight that way, and the fact that he stayed calm and composed, took the fight to Marcello, and eventually got the KO shows much more about him as a fighter. A patient, smart performance that only cemented his spot as the show's top dog.
Marcello asking Dana White for a shot in the UFC was touching to me, and I hope he gets it. He's got too big a striking gap to make a real mark in the UFC, but everyone loves a submission specialist, and I think he does deserve another fight or two.
Thoughts on Al Iaquinta vs. Myles Jury:
Many fans were high on both of these guys after the first episode, though I admit neither one made a huge impression on me. Rewatching those first fights, I came around. These are both very well rounded, smart fighters, and I'm looking forward to scouting each man more this week. Check back later in the week for a more in-depth preview.
Posted in: fight, fighter, week, marcello, lawrence
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThree/four fights a year seems way too few. Does the UFC not have enough events, or too many fighters?
I would have to agree with Chael Sonnen's feelings that fights seem far and wide. This makes it harder to follow a fighter you have interested in if they only on average do so many things a year that can affect their career. Fights - winning or losing - are the ways a fighter can ascend or descend in his career. Three or four fights seem too few in my opinion. In addition, the UFC is always adding people to their roster. What do you think? submitted by scotchburg [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fight, fighter, fighters i, career fights, threefour fights
Read the full article at RedditUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 ratings on FX average 1.2 million viewers for episode 3
Episode three of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15: "Live" this past Friday night (March 23, 2012) averaged about 1.2 million viewers on the FX channel, according to Sherdog.com.
That's an improvement from last week (1.1 million), however, still not the high-water mark (1.3 million) that the debut episode set a fortnight ago, featuring 32 fighters and 16 live, one-round elimination fights to earn a spot in the TUF house.
In episode three, Dominick Cruz-coached Justin Lawrence put his stamp on Urijah Faber-coached Cristiano Marcello with a knockout in round two. Faber was warning his Brazilian pupil throughout the Lightweight fight to keep his "chin down," but something was clearly lost in translation.
The next installment of TUF 15: "Live," episode four, is scheduled to take place this Friday night (March 30, 2012), beginning at 10 p.m. ET on FX. "Team Cruz" has gotten off to a strong start and is currently undefeated (2-0), meaning that the pressure is on Al Iaquinta to take out "Team Faber's" Myles Jury this weekend.
For complete TUF 15 live results click here and here. For our comprehensive recap and power rankings click here and here.
Posted in: fighter, fx, tuf, episode, brazilian pupil
Read the full article at MMA Mania‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Draws 8 Million Viewers for Debut Episode
In a milestone for Brazilian MMA, “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” began on Sunday, the first edition of the reality show to take place outside the U.S.
Posted in: show, fighter, reality show, brazil, debut episode
Read the full article at Sherdog‘The Ultimate Fighter Live’ Episode 3 Garners 1.2 Million Viewers on FX
The third episode of “The Ultimate Fighter: Live” on FX drew an average of 1.2 million viewers on Friday night, according to an industry source.
Posted in: fighter, fx, episode, viewer, friday night
Read the full article at SherdogHeavy’s Pound-for-Pound MMA Rankings
HeavyMMA's rankings have been resurrected, and we start this week with the always-controversial pound-for-pound list. The top four fighters in the world are fairly universal – Silva, St-Pierre, Aldo...
Posted in: fighter, week, silva, ranking, poundforpound
Read the full article at Heavy MMAJohnston on MMA: Odd pairings
World leaders giving MMA gloves as gifts, a former UFC champ playing tennis, and a female fighter competing against a male comedian.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, ufc champ, mma gloves
Read the full article at sportsnet.caKimbo Slice Scores Another Knockout In Boxing
Street fighter turned MMA fighter turned pro boxer, Kimbo Slice, steps into the cage against fellow MMA fighter turned boxer Brian Green.
You can check out the full fight here.
Posted in: fighter, slice, mma fighter, boxer, boxer brian
Read the full article at MMA ConvertTatsuya Kawajiri focused on featherweight future, not lightweight past
At one stage Tatsuya Kawajiri was considered to be the #1 lightweight in the world and he is unbeaten since dropping down to 145 pounds late last year. He is also a former Shooto welterweight champ and has fought for titles at Strikeforce and DREAM, coming up short on both occasions.
While Kawajiri has already faced many of the best fighters in the word including Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez, Eddie Alvarez, and Takanori Gomi, even as a seasoned veteran he still has plenty of time to win a world title as a featherweight. That feat is something he is determined to do starting with ONE FC where he is fighting King of the Cage champion Donald Sanchez at ONE FC: War of the Lions on March 31. Their bout will be an opportunity for Kawajiri to remind people why he has been consistently ranked as one of the top fighters in the world for an entire decade and continue to show he’s a force to be reckoned with at featherweight.
The 33-year old fan-favorite spoke exclusively to Fighters.com about the move down from 155 pounds as well his first fight for ONE FC where he had plenty of interesting insight to offer.
Kawajiri Continues to Look Sharp at Featherweight
You only ever lose to the best fighters in the world, do you think Donald Sanchez will be good enough to beat you?
Kawajiri: There’s no security that you can win in MMA. You could lose any match against any opponent if you are careless.
You did not fight for a year after losing your first MMA fight, why was that?
Kawajiri: I felt I was immature at the time and also felt that I could only be mediocre fighter if I kept on fighting like that.
Do you think you will be fighting many times for ONE FC?
Kawajiri: If possible I would like to keep fighting for ONE FC.
Would you like to win the ONE FC featherweight belt?
Kawajiri: Yes!
Do you think you will ever fight at lightweight again or are you more comfortable fighting at 145 lbs?
Kawajiri: I’m not thinking about it right now as I haven’t achieved anything yet in this division. But generally speaking, you’ll never know about the future.
Shinya Aoki is rumored to have signed with ONE FC. Would you be interested in a rematch with him?
Kawajiri: We are currently in different division, so I’m not interested in a rematch.
You have consistently been ranked in the top five fighters in your weight class but have not held a title since you left Shooto in 2006. Is winning titles important to you?
Kawajiri: I’m interested in title as a proof for what’ I’ve done. Most of all, it would make people around me happy.
Your losses have almost all been to great fighters like Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez, Eddie Alvarez and Takanori Gomi. Would you like a rematch with any of these fighters?
Kawajiri: I’d like to revenge all the losses but as I’m in different division now, it won’t be realistic.
What is your favorite memory from your MMA career?
Kawajiri: When I won Shooto title.
Who is the toughest opponent you have ever faced?
Kawajiri: Gomi, Aoki, Melendez and Alvarez. They were all in their prime and tough.
Are you excited about fighting in Singapore?
Kawajiri: It is important for my career to fight in different environment. So I’m looking forward to it and want to feel the heat of Asian MMA
Have you seen any footage of Donald Sanchez and if so what are you expecting from him?
Kawajiri: He’s tall and has long reach. I’d have to be careful about the punch.
“The Crusher” holds an overall record 30-7 with numerous notable wins to his credit including those over Yves Edwards, Gesias Cavalcante, Joachim Hansen, and Josh Thomson. Twenty of his victories have involved some form of stoppage including thirteen TKOs.
PHOTO CREDIT – FEG
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Posted in: title, fighter, kawajiri, featherweight, fc
Read the full article at Fighters.com‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Episode 1 Results and Recap
The first season of "The Ultimate Fighter Brazil" debuted late Sunday night on TUF.tv with 32 fighters vying for a spot in the house. Get the full results here.
Posted in: result, fighter, sunday night, brazil, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUltimate Fighter (TUF) weekend results wrap: 'Live' showdown and eliminations from 'Brazil'
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is still delivering mixed martial arts (MMA) action every weekend, despite not having a numbered pay-per-view (PPV) or network television event for another couple of weeks.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is bringing you double the action and double the fun beginning with TUF 15: "Live" on the FX Channel, which beams into your brains on Friday nights thanks to the coaching duties of bantamweight rivals Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.
And some very hungry lightweights.
On the International front, TUF: "Brazil" kicked things off last Sunday night (March 25) on TUF.tv with Vitor Belfort assuming the role of opposing coach against Wanderlei Silva. Under their charge is a select group of middleweight and featherweight hopefuls, who were thrust into the elimination challenge to see who makes the finalized roster and who goes home
Which prospect made it one step further to a "six-figure contract" in their respective bouts? Follow me after the jump for all the gory details.
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 "Live"
Results, play-by-play and live blog
Talking Heads video review
Recap and final thoughts
Post-fight power rankings
Video aftermath between Team Faber and Team Cruz
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil
Results, play-by-play and live blog
Recap and elimination results
That's a wrap from TUFville. Be sure to lock it in right here on MMAmania.com next weekend for more results and live coverage for The Ultimate Fighter 15 "Live" (Friday night) and "Brazil" (Sunday night).
Posted in: night, result, fighter, tuf, brazil
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJoseph Benavidez Says He Plans Fights That Are “Exciting, Non-Stop Aggression”
Joseph Benavidez would rather be preparing to face either Demetrious Johnson or Ian McCall for the right to be called the first-ever UFC flyweight champion.
Instead, Benavidez will have to wait a little while longer after all the scoring troubles that came about from the Johnson-McCall match. Those will will face off on June 8, with the winner meeting Benavidez later this year barring any serious injuries.
While the wait is not something that Benavidez wants, he is going to deal with it, as he told Tom Taylor in a recent interview for Full Contact Fighter.
It’s a little disappointing that I have to wait. I don’t like the fact that I went out, I did my job like I was supposed to, these guys went out and did their job too, and one person didn’t; and now they get to fight again. They get to get paid again and get the exposure again while I’m just kind of sitting on the sideline not getting paid, not getting exposure. I guess I think the rematch kind of favors McCall, just the way the fight ended.
Benavidez feels like the flyweight division is a great addition to the UFC roster, as the smaller fighters get a chance to go all-out for three or five rounds and provide UFC fans with a spectacular show.
Exciting, non-stop aggression – really just unpredictable. If you want me, it’s always going to be something you’re going to remember.
Benavidez has a great personality and could really help push the division right alongside the featherweights and bantamweights. Expect to see plenty more from these fighters on UFC shows this year.
Photo credit: Twitter.com/danawhite
Posted in: ufc, fighter, benavidez, joseph benavidez, plans fights
Read the full article at MMA ConvertThe Ultimate Fighter: Brazil Full Video (Episode 1)
Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort "reunite" as TUF: Brazil coaches, featuring 16 Featherweight and 16 Middleweight fighters.
Posted in: fighter, silva, vitor belfort, brazil, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Low KickUrijah Faber feeling optimistic about fight against Dominick Cruz
When the current season of The Ultimate Fighter concludes, coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber will face off inside the Octagon. When the two bantamweights meet Cruz’s UFC crown will be on the line as well as bragging rights as the two fighters have met twice before, with each fighter taking a victory.
Since their first fight Cruz has not lost another bout, going 10-0, while Faber has compiled a record of 8-4, tasting defeat at the hands of Mike Brown (twice), Jose Aldo and Cruz. The difference in
Posted in: fighter, cruz, faber, urijah faber, fight cruz
Read the full article at Low KickTUF Brazil Episode 1Recap
The premiere episode of the first ever international edition of “The Ultimate Fighter” was a hell of a show. With 32 of Brazil’s top featherweights and middleweights competing to get into the house, fireworks were all but guaranteed. The show opened with scenes of Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, Junior Dos Santos, Minotauro Nogueira, and Lyoto Machida as the narrator explained the growing popularity of MMA in Brazil.
The 32 Brazilian fighters entered the HSBC Arena, walked into the empty octagon, and quickly began to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings. Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort entered from opposite ends of the arena and stood before the fighters. Dana White entered last, and all three took turns speaking to the fighters, but before the words could sink in, the first fight in “TUF Brazil” history, was under way.
The first bout featured Rony Mariano Bezerra and Dileno Lopes. The two fighters exchanged leg kicks early, but it was Bezerra who, after a bit of hesitiation, clipped Lopes with a couple good punches before laying down some ground and pound. Lopes managed to survive and got back to his feet, but Bezerra landed a solid flying knee and followed it up with a few heavy shots to prompt the stoppage half way through the first round.
Next up, Francisco Drinaldo faced off against Charles Maicon. The bout got off to a hellcaious start, and it didn’t last long. Drinaldo quickly hurt Maicon with a knee, threw him down, and finished him with vicious shots on the ground in under 15 seconds.
In the third bout, two undefeated fighters. Godofredo Pepey and Johnny Goncalves stepped into the octagon. After a quick exchange, Pepey took his opponent to the ground with a very slick trip, but found himself on the bottom after a sweep. Wanting to prove he was adept on the ground, he locked in a triangle. He nearly found himself on the receiving end of a slam, but Goncalves just didn’t have enough in him to make it happen. Pepey perservered and kept the submission locked in, while working for an armbar as well. Ultimately, his patience paid off as he forced the tap at 1:23 of Round 1.
In mere seconds, the cage was once again the center of attention as Cezar Ferreira and Gustavo Sampaio were going toe to toe. The story in this bout was the aggression of Ferreira, as he threw violent knees, threatened with submissions, and ultimately sliced up Sampaio with vicious elbows, which had Dana throwing expletives like it was nobody’s business. In the second round, the two exchanged heavy strikes, but ultimately, Cezar got his opponent to the ground and sunk in a fight ending guillotine choke.
The Wolverine stepped into the cage next, as Hugo Viana took on Alexandre Ramos. Viana and Ramos both headhunted early, but all of that ended when Ramos attempted a flying triangle. Unable to finish the submission, he soon found himself underneath “The Wolverine”. Viana remained on top until 3:43 of the first round, when he put his opponent out cold with violent elbows.
In the next contest, Daniel Sarafian took on Richardson Moreira. Sarafian was clearly the better striker, having his way with Moreria on the feet. After a failed heel hook attempt by Moreira, Sarafian ended up in mount. Moreira scrambled to his feet, but on the way up, ate an illegal knee. Two points were deducted immediately, but Wanderlei questioned the legitmacy of the affect it had on Moreira, who appeared to be milking it for extra rest. In the second round, Sarafian quickly found himself on top, and dominated with punches and elbows for the duration, winning a unanimous decision, despite the point deduction.
Next up was Rodrigo Damm vs. Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva. The two men, who were widely regarded as the favorites in the competition, went toe to toe throughout the fight, but Damm was not having much luck on the feet, so Rodrigo took his foe down and maintained top control for much of the first. In the second round, Damm got the fight to the ground once again, took his opponent’s back, and locked in a vicious neck crank to cause the tap.
The action rolled on as Wagner Campos found himself matched up with Fernando Duarte Guerra. Campos was the aggressor throughout the fight, and clearly had the better hands, but the first round was lackluster to say the least. As the coaches became restless with the lack of action, they encouraged the fighters to finish. Fernando was hesitant to engage, and arguably lost both rounds. However, the fight, much to the shock of Dana White, went into the sudden death round. Much of the same ensued, as the two barely engaged. After the bell, the two fighters argued over Guerra’s gameplan, which ultimately was his downfall, as Campos was awarded the sudden death round, and advanced to the house.
Two fighters who have only tasted defeat once stepped up to the plate next, as Sergio Moraes took on Thiago Rela. Rela went for a leg lock early, but he couldn’t secure it, and the two fighters were quickly engaged in a vicious striking battle on the ground. As the bout wore on, it was much of the same, but Moraes locked in a fight ending heel hook mid-way through the first round. Post fight, Moraes proclaimed “Damn it, I’m such a bitch” and laughed to himself.
In Featherweight action, Anistavio Medeiros faced off against Rafael Bueno. In a fight that was as fast-paced as it was frustrating, Bueno attempted to pull guard several times, but constantly ended up getting held down and beat down. He did enough, however, to drag Medeiros into a sudden death round, but much of the same occured, and Medeiros was awarded the decision.
Middleweights stepped up next when Joao Paulo de Souza and Thiago de Oliveira Perpetuo went at it for a hard-fought 10 minutes. After a brief exchange, the two fighters found themselves on the mat, exchanging strikes and submission attempts until the bell. Thiago took full control in the second, and continuously put De Souza on the mat, and pounded him violently. As the round ended, and the judges decision was rendered, de Souza couldn’t even get up to hear it, which was fine, as he was declared the loser after two rounds.
Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. and John Teixeira exchanged low blows to start their bout, but after the breaks, this fight was wild. A brief exchange on the feet was followed by a jiu-jitsu clinic as the combatants rolled, with Teixeria getting the better of the exchanges and getting the tap with a perfectly executed armbar.
Two huge 185ers were locked in the octagon next as Delson Heleno squared off against Gilberto Galvao. The physically imposing middleweights fought hard throughout the first, but it was Heleno who got the better of his opponent, taking him down and dominating on the ground, ending the round with a neck crank attempt. The second was much of the same, as Heleno took Galvao down again, and easily controlled him on the ground, en route to a unanimous decision.
Renee Forte and Fabio Luiz Vital da Costa had a rather lackluster first round, aside from some solid leg kicks and punches landed by Renee. However, in the second round, both men came hard, and each landed several powerful blows. Ultimately it was Renee who demonstrated the better striking, and that earned him the decision after two rounds.
In the final featherweight bout, Marcos Vinicius Borges Pancini squared off against Pedro Nobre. The two engaged quickly, but Marcos made short work of Nobre. Having been dropped early by a right, Nobre got back to his feet, only to be dropped again by two violent punches. No ground and pound was necessary, as the ref stepped in 0:43 of the first round.
In the final fight of the evening, undefeated Leonardo Mafra Teixeira faced off against once-beaten Samuel Trindade. Teixeira demonstrated some good striking early, and even dropped Trindade with a solid right hand. Trindade attempted to take the fight to the ground, but it was clear that Teixeira had no intentions of going there. The second round had much of the same, as Teixeira dominated on the feet, stayed off of the ground, and punished Trindade, wobbling him several times. After 10 minutes, Teixeira couldn’t put away his opponent, and the fight went into the sudden death round. In the third, the two exhausted middleweights exchanged blows, and once again, Trindade found himself on the receiving end of some heavy leather. Falling into takedown attempts, he finally secured one with 20 seconds to go in the bout, and even threatened with a triangle choke, but it was too late, as the judges awarded the decision to Teixeira.
Dana, Vitor, and Wanderlei congratulated the 16 fighters who made it into the house, and the fighters celebrated their victories. Vitor and Wanderlei informed the fighters that it is their duty to do their best, and that they do represent the best fighters in Brazil, as the inaugural episode of “TUF Brazil” came to an end.
Featherweight Results
Rony Mariano def. Dileno Lopes by TKO Round 1
Godofredo de Oliveira def. Johnny Goncalves by Submission (Triangle Choke) Round 1
Hugo Viana def. Alexandre Ramos by TKO Round 1
Rodrigo Damm def. Fabricio Guerrero by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 2
Wagner ‘Galeto’ Campos def. Fernando Guerra by Decision
Anistavio Medeiros def. Rafael Bueno by Decision
John ‘Macapa’ Teixeira def. Giovanni Souza Jr. by Submission (Armbar) Round 1
Marcos ‘Vina’ Vinicius Pancini def. Peter Noble by TKO Round 1
Middleweight Results
Francisco Drinaldo def. Charles Maicon by TKO Round 1
Cezar Ferreira def. Gustavo Sampaio by Submission (Guillotine Choke) Round 2
Daniel Sarafian def. Richardson Moreira by Decision
Sergio Moraes def. Thiago Rela by Submission (Heel Hook) Round 1
Thiago ‘Bodao’ Perpetuo def. Joao Paulo De Souza by Decision
Delson Heleno def. Gilberto Galvao by Decision
Renee Forte def. Fabio Bolinho by Decision
Leonardo Mafra Teixeira def. Samuel Trindade by Decision
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, decision, ground
Read the full article at MMA ConvertEpisode No. 1 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil'
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" marks the first-ever international version of the long-running reality competition series, and the first episode debuts tonight.
Featuring Brazilian coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, "TUF: Brazil," sees 16 middleweight and 16 featherweight fighters all vying for a UFC contract.
Check out MMAjunkie.com's Episode No. 1 recap, which features the results of the 16 fights to get into the house.
Posted in: fighter, episode, brazil, fighter brazil, mmajunkiecoms episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUltimate Fighter Brazil: Episode 1 Results
The Ultimate Fighter Brazil kicked off Sunday night with some exciting knockouts, devastating finishes and some battles that impressed both Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva.
Posted in: fighter, sunday night, vitor belfort, brazil, fighter brazil
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTUF Brazil - Episode One Recap
It’s easy to notice something really special when the 32 men selected for the first edition of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil make their first walk towards the Octagon.Some athletes even let their emotions out, thanking God for the opportunity and even letting a tear run down their face during the quick speeches of both coaches, MMA legends Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. And this mix of emotion and anxiety happens without the fighters even knowing who they are going to fight or how it’s going to unfold until they get their hand raised (or not), ensuring that they have a place inside the Ultimate Fighter house.But in spite of the emotions, silence reigned as Vitor and Wanderlei spoke. The same can’t be said of the reaction to the remarkable introduction from UFC president Dana White. Declaring what he truly expected of the 32 fighters, Dana went straight to the point.“I’m looking for the next world champion. It’s the opportunity of your lives. You made it this far. But it doesn’t end here; you will have to fight to get to the house. No one wants to lose the chance to be in this show, no one wants to be out of this. Today is the day! Today is the most important day of your lives. You’ll give your best here today to get inside that house, and maybe become world champions in the UFC. Are you ready?”Without any response, in a louder voice, White asked again, “Are you ready?”Then the excitement started taking over the 32 men standing in front of the president, who responded loud and clear: “YES!!”QUALIFIERSDivided between featherweight and middleweight fighters, now came the defining moment for the 32 chosen - a chance to prove that all your efforts will be rewarded or overcome by the bigger will of your opponent.Fight 1 [featherweight] - Rony "Jason" Mariano (Quixada EC) vs. Dileno Lopes (Manaus, AM)After a slightly better start, where he gave some good kicks, Mariano caught two strong punches from Dileno's left hand and went to the ground. Trying to finish with a ground and pound attack, Dileno rushed, and even passing the guard, he could not keep his opponent on the ground. Mariano got back up to his feet and showing he recovered well, struck with a low kick, tried a flying knee and took advantage of a slip by Dileno to land a punch that knocked him down, and was then declared a technical knockout winner in the fight after two more punches.Fight 2 [middleweight] Francisco "Massaranduba" Drinaldo (Brasilia, DF) vs. Charles Maicon (Sorocaba, SP) A frenetic and wide-open striking fight has only one likely outcome...someone will fall. “Massaranduba” showed all his power when he threw Charles on the floor, where he started the ground and pound and implemented a sequence of left hands until the referee stopped the fight and declared him the knockout victor.Fight 3 [featherweight] Godofredo Pepey (Fortaleza, CE) x Johnny "Cabeça” GoncalvesWith a sharp ground game, Pepey showed his skills - even on his back – and he was able to get an armbar from the guard, forcing Johnny to tap out in less than two minutes.Fight 4 [middleweight] Cesar "Mutante" Ferreira (Belo Horizonte. MG) x Gustavo "Labareda" Sampaio (Brasilia, DF)With a big reach advantage , “Mutante” was aware that striking could be the way to victory against the shorter Gustavo “Labareda.” However, after dominating in the clinch with the best Wanderlei Silva Muay Thai style, Mutante was forced to fight on the ground when his opponent decided to pull into his guard. At that moment, the "mutant" was warned for delivering blows to the neck and illegal elbows that forced the referee to stop the fight to check a cut that was bleeding from Gustavo's head. In the next round, “Labareda” found the distance to land low kicks, and Mutante was having a hard time striking. In response, he decided to take the fight down to the mat, and though Labareda tried to get up, but Mutante had the guillotine position ready and he pulled to guard, which left Gustavo no alternative except to give up.Fight 5 [featherweight] Alexander "Sangue" Ramos (Curitiba, PR) x Hugh "Wolverine" Viana (Salvador, BA)Understanding the need to put on an exciting fight, “Sangue” and “Wolverine” began trading blows immediately. Sangue attempted a flying triangle, which seemed good, but Wolverine resisted, defended and escaped from the submission. Going into the guard of the man from Curitiba, Wolverine showed some inexperience using his elbows, but he eventually figured things out and put his opponent to sleep with three perfect elbows.Fight 6 [middleweight] Daniel Safarian (São Paulo, SP) x Richard "Monstrão" Moreira (Campinas, SP)Ignoring Richard Monstrão's reach, Daniel Safarian showed good footwork and was able to shake his opponent with a jab. On the ground, Safarian had speed in his blows, but Monstrão went for his left leg with a dangerous heel hook that was well defended by Safarian, who used it to stay on top and get the mount. Monstrão tried standing back up when - with one hand on the ground – he caught an illegal knee. After a few minutes to recover, Safarian tried getting points, and doing damage, he set the pace, but was saved by the bell when the fight went to the ground and Monstrão worked a second heel hook. In the second round, Safarian continued pushing, took the fight to the ground and punished Monstrão for five minutes, alternating blows from the mount and into half guard, taking the first victory of the day by decision.Fight 7 [featherweight] Fabricio Guerrero (Santana, AP) x Rodrigo Damm (Vila Velha, ES)The experience of fighting in Brazil, Japan, Russia, Canada and U.S. that Rodrigo Damm had may have been crucial for him to overcome Fabricio Guerrero's best striking, as he took advantage of the timing of attempted kicks to counter attack with well-aimed punches. But Damm realized that he wouldn't win standing up, and he used his wrestling as an ally combined with his black belt in jiu-jitsu to get a rear-naked choke and finish the fight in the second round.Fight 8 [featherweight] Wagner's "Galeto" Santos (Pines, PR) x Fernando Guerra (Dourados, MS)Although we didn’t see much of the performance expected - Wagner “Galeto” and his combinations appeared to have him heading towards the knockout. But it was difficult to define a winner after two rounds of five minutes each, and an extra stanza was needed. In it, Galeto seemed to have enough gas to give a final sprint and show everything that he hadn't done before. Fernando resisted, but ultimately did not convince the judges, who gave the victory to his opponent. Before the verdict, Fernando tried to verbally convince the judges that his opponent did not fight, but just tried to manage the fight, creating some tension between the two, but it was left alone.Fight 9 [middleweight] Sergio Moraes (Sao Paulo, SP) x Thiago Rela (Itatiba, SP)You shouldn't ignore it when they say "Do not go to the ground with a renowned black belt in jiu-jitsu." If he is a three-time world champion, it’s even worse. Thiago Rela started well, trading blows in an unusual position on the floor - with one closing a triangle on the other’s leg. But Sergio Moraes’ moment soon arrived, and shortly after he sunk a heel hook in, submitting Rela and stamping his "passport" into the Ultimate Fighter house. Fight 10 [featherweight] Rafael Bueno (Bragança Paulista, SP) x Anistávio "Gasparzinho" Medeiros (Natal, RN)Gasparzinho was not as nice a guy as his nickname (Casper) would denote, and with enough versatility he confused Rafael's striking and got the best of him in the first five minutes. After that, Rafael hit back, and despite being punished by the end of the round, he had done enough to take the fight to the third. In that tiebreaking round, "Casper" showed a lot of aggression and almost managed to finish with an armbar, but won by decision.Fight 11 [middleweight] John "Tuba" de Souza (Curitiba, PR) x Thiago "Bodão" Perpetual (Santo André, SP)Tuba from Curitiba wanted to show what he had early in the match and he took Thiago Bodão to the ground and went to half-guard while hammering him. Bodão rebounded in the same way, reversing the position and punishing from the passed guard. In the second round, Bodao repeated the successful formula of the previous frame: ground and pound. Tuba was a warrior and survived, only to lose the decision to Bodão.Fight 12 [featherweight] Geovani "Soldado" Souza Jr. (PB,) x John "Macapa" Teixeira (Macapa, AP)A trade of low blows started this bout off in bizarre fashtion, but on the second restart, an exchange of heavy blows ended with a clinch and a takedown by Macapa. Soldado reversed the position, but Macapá locked in an armbar that ended the fight.Fight 13 [middleweight] Delson "Pé de Chumbo" Heleno (Teresopolis, RJ) x Gilberto Galvão (Camburiú, SC)In a battle between two of the most physically strong fighters in the competition, Pé de Chumbo got the best of his foe as he put into practice a successful strategy of takedowns and a fine ground game to dispatch Gilberto via judges’ decision.Fight 14 [middleweight] Fabio Bolinho (Natal, RN) x Renee Forte (Fortaleza, CE)Punishing Renee's left leg with very heavy low kicks, Fabio seemed to have found the path that leads to the house of The Ultimate Fighter. Renee wouldn't surrender the easy way though, doing justice to his name and finding the distance to adjust with good uppercuts, shaking his opponent on some occasions, and earning the decision win.Fight 15 [featherweight] - Marcus "Vina" Pancini (Curitiba, PR) x Pedro Nobre (Rio de Janeiro, RJ)A right hand that landed perfectly on Pedro's face was the beginning of Vina’s path to the house. Even dizzy on the floor, Pedro tried to work a leg lock, but many right hands sealed the end of the fight by technical knockout in favor of Vina.Fight 16 - [middleweight] Samuel Trindade (Boa Vista, RR) x Leonardo "Macarrão" Mafra (Camburiú, SC)The last elimination of the night was considered "Fight of the Night." A duel of back-and-forth exchanges left White, Silva, and Belfort on their feet applauding at the end of two remarkable rounds. In the tiebreaking round three, fatigue had Samuel and Macarrão seemingly moving in slow motion, but that didn’t mean the fight was no longer exciting, as the two continued trading punches. With less than 12 seconds left, Samuel took his foe down and got the mount, going for a triangle, but time ran out. The final attack was not enough and Macarrão emerged victorious by decision.If adrenaline was sky high after the first episode, rest assured that you will have a hard time handling the excitement coming up. In the weeks ahead, we will have Wanderlei and Vitor choosing their team members, their training sessions, a look at the fighters living in the house together, and the fights that will determine the first two Ultimate Fighters of Brazil.Here are your final 16 competitors:Middleweight César Mutante Leonardo Macarrão Francisco Massaranduba Delson Pé de Chumbo Daniel Sarafian Sérgio MoraesRenée ForteThiago BodãoFeatherweight Wagner Galeto Anistávio Gasparzrinho Hugo Wolverine John Macapá Godofredo Pepey Rony JasonMarcus Vinícius Vina Rodrigo Damm
Posted in: fight, fighter, ground, featherweight, ão
Read the full article at UFC'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' episode No. 1 discussion thread
The debut episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" streams tonight on en.TUF.tv at midnight ET/9 p.m. PT (Canadian fans can watch at UFC.tv).
This serves as tonight's discussion thread for the episode, which features 16 middleweight and 16 featherweight athletes fighting to earn a spot in "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" house.
Follow along with tonight's first-ever international episode of "TUF," and discuss it in the comments section of this thread. We'll then have an episode recap posted following the show's conclusion.
Posted in: fighter, episode, thread, debut episode, tonights firstever
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUltimate Fighter Brazil Premiere Live Discussion
Join us at Bloody Elbow tonight at Midnight ET/9 p.m. PT for live discussion of the premiere episode of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. The show will be aired on Globo in Brazil, and TUF.tv everywhere else (some countries are blacked out, but the Unites States and Canada are good to go).
As usual with TUF, the premiere will feature 16 fights to see who gets into the house. The series will feature fighters from the the featherweight and middleweight divisions, which includes six prospects from the 2012 Bloody Elbow Scouting Report. The coaches will be Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva.
You can catch a preview video below, and the scheduled matchups for the first episode after the jump.
Middleweights
Leonardo Mafra Teixeira (5-0) vs. Samuel Trindade (6-1)Daniel Sarafian (7-2) vs. Richardson Moreira (3-0)Francisco Drinaldo (10-1) vs. Charles Maicon (8-1)Delson Heleno (23-6) vs. Gilberto Galvao (19-4-1)Sergio Moraes (6-1) vs. Thiago Rela (3-1)Cezar Ferreira (4-2) vs. Gustavo Sampaio (5-1)Joao Paulo de Souza (8-4) vs. Thiago Perpetuo (8-1-1)Renee Forte (7-1) vs. Fabio Luiz Vital da Costa (9-0-1)Featherweights
Alexandre Ramos (5-0) vs. Hugo Viana (5-0)Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. (10-1) vs. John Teixeira (13-0-1)Marcos Vinicius Borges Pancini (19-3-1) vs. Pedro Nobre (10-0-1)Rodrigo Damm (9-5) vs. Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva (14-1)Rony Mariano Bezerra (10-3) vs. Dileno Lopes (8-0)Anistavio Medeiros (12-7) vs. Rafael Bueno (7-1)Wagner Campos (11-3) vs. Fernando Duarte Guerra (10-1)Godofredo Pepey (8-0) vs. Johnny Goncalves (4-0)
Posted in: fighter, vs, silva, premiere, middleweight divisions
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’: Meet the Cast
Ahead of Sunday night's season premiere of "The Ultimate Fighter Brazil" on TUF.tv, take a look at the 32 middleweight and featherweight house hopefuls.
Posted in: fighter, premiere, brazil, house, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Heavy MMABellator Continues To Assail 2012 As A Can't-Miss Fight Promotion
Bellator was absent from the MMA landscape from late November of 2011 until March 3rd of this year. The promotion has, however, more than compensated for their extended hiatus by flooding the market with riveting events every week.
Bellator's return was wisely synchronized with the debut of The Ultimate Fighter on FX and the corresponding six-week lull between major UFC shows. Thus far, in their three offerings of 2012, Bellator has produced two "Knockout of the Year" candidates and one "Fight of the Year" candidate.
It began with a featherweight extravaganza. Bellator 60 on March 9 featured the featherweight tournament quarterfinals and was headlined by immodest featherweight champ Joe Warren defending against surging tactician Pat Curran. The main event delivered all the ingredients to sate the appetite of ravenous fight-fans: two top-shelf mixed martial artists, heavy anticipation stemming from Warren's confident boasting, an absorbing ebb and flow, technical combat and an obscenely violent knockout.
Along with Strikeforce's Gilbert Melendez, Curran is the highest ranked non-UFC fighter and he justified that lofty status with the unruly shellacking of Warren to assume the featherweight mantle. Curran has also become one of my favorite fighters to watch in MMA -- he's an unshakably composed, three-dimensional juggernaut with some of the best technical defense in the business.
Next up was the middleweight quarterfinals at Bellator 61. The show kicked off with last year's finalist and this year's favorite, Vitor Vianna, a Wand Fight Team rep and two-time BJJ world champion, taking on the volatile Brian Rogers. Vianna quickly determined that the striking exchanges were not to his liking and pursued takedowns with the hope of impose his submission grappling advantage, but Rogers, whose stand up was unfailingly crisp, tight and on-balance, negated each attempt easily.
Rogers uncorked a stiff one-two late in the first that wobbled Vianna, then exploded with a picturesque flying knee that landed square on Vianna's chin. Knowing the airborne assault turned Vianna's lights out, Rogers was walking away with his arms raised in celebration before the referee had even waved the fight off.
Continued in the full entry.
Last Friday's Bellator 62 show staged the stacked lightweight tournament, replete with stellar new prospects and two reputable welterweights dropping to lightweight for the first time; one, Rick Hawn, an Olympic caliber Judoka. The event was captained by tournament favorite Patricky Freire colliding with the staunch Lloyd Woodard, both of whom were defeated by Bellator's newly minted lightweight champion Michael Chandler.
World champion kickboxer and #1 Scouting Report entry Thiago Michel cemented his potential by upsetting Rene Nazare in the opening bout, Brent Weedman latched on a Von Flue choke to tap J.J. Ambrose, Hawn notched a rousing, first-round knockout over Ricardo Tirloni and the main event was pure insanity. Freire and Woodard tore into each other from the get-go, swapping serious leather on the feet and engaging in lively transitions on the mat. Freire dazed Woodard with a punch halfway through and stole the round by fishing for a kimura as it ended.
The knockdown, drag-out brawl that started in the first roared back to life in the second. Both fighters hurled ill-intended haymakers and mutually found the mark, then Woodard clipped "Pitbull" with a knee from clinch and pounced with ground-and-pound. Freire repelled him with an armbar attempt, but Woodard countered and hopped into side control to threaten with an armlock of his own, eventually executing a rolling kimura to submit the Team Nogueira black belt. The bout was action-packed and mesmerizing from start to finish.
The three-years-young fight league has concocted a formula that just works. Match-maker Sam Caplan has lured relevant, name-fighters to their roster while simultaneously scouring the globe to attract legitimate prospects. The results-driven tournament format has long been adored by fans since the heyday of Pride Fighting Championships and, barring the recent flyweight tournament, something curiously amiss in the UFC.
The commentary duo of Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock is phenomenal. They have a straightforward, no-bullshit style with the right blend of technical observation and astute play-by-play that caters to new fans and hardcores alike. Referee Jason Herzog, who handles a great deal of Bellator's shows, is flat-out one of the best referees in the sport, if not the best.
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney has been adamant that fighters must prove themselves as top contenders by rising above in the tournament for a crack at the champ, propagating Bellator's signature catchphrase, "Where title shots are earned, not given." Without the convenience of the UFC's overflowing stable, Rebney's managed to avert the calamity of last-minute requirements by swapping match-ups sensibly (da Silva vs. Reardanz and Bezerra vs. Foster at Bellator 60) or nixing them entirely (Prindle vs. Santos at Bellator 63).
Amidst all of these subtle but critical accomplishments, the thing that stands out the most is that Bellator fighters are just downright hungry. Regardless of experience, popularity or position, the Bellator mixed martial artists all fight like they have something to prove. Which they do -- Bellator and its fighters will always be compared to the UFC, and having the undisputed alpha-promotion as an eternal benchmark can be quite grueling and tedious for an aspiring fight league.
All they can hope to do is put on entertaining fights between exciting and relevant fighters ... and that's exactly what Bellator has done so far.
Posted in: fight, bellator, fighter, year, tournament
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Preview Video
Check out the video trailer for the first international TUF, "The Ultimate Fighter Brazil," which premieres Sunday night at midnight Eastern on TUF.tv.
Posted in: fighter, video, brazil, video trailer, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Heavy MMA‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’ Premieres Sunday Night on TUF.tv
The first international edition of TUF, "The Ultimate Fighter Brazil," premieres tonight and will air weekly on TUF.tv.
Posted in: fighter, edition, premiere, brazil, tuftv
Read the full article at Heavy MMAVideo: “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Premiers Tonight
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil kicks off this evening, with the action being broadcast on the internet in the United States at the same time the show hits airwaves in Brazil.
Stateside fight fans interested in staying up on the first international edition of TUF can catch all the action on TUF.tv, beginning at 11:30pm ET tonight and airing weekly on subsequent Sundays. And don’t worry, it will be subtitled in English.
Tonight’s premier episode will feature 32 middleweight and featherweight UFC hopefuls competing against each other (in their respective divisions) in the elimination round of the TUF tourney. These initial fights will determine which fighters stay on the show and advance and which will be forced to pack their bags and go home.
TUF: Brazil will feature Brazilian mixed martial arts legends Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort as opposing coaches, with the two veterans slated to revisit their 1998 UFC Brazil meeting upon the show’s conclusion. In another first for the series, The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil overlaps the currently-running, U.S.-filmed TUF: Live, which airs Friday nights on FX.
For those unable to catch the TUF.tv streams on Sunday nights, it is likely that The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil will air in its entirety on FUEL TV, though, nothing has been announced officially to that effect.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, brazil, fighter brazil, video “
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUltimate Fighter (TUF): 'Brazil' video preview for debut episode tonight (March 25)
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is pairing Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): "Brazil," the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's popular reality television show designed to produce new and up-and-coming stars from a pool of undiscovered talent.
And it airs live tonight (March 25, 2012) online at midnight ET on TUF.tv. TUF: "Brazil," which is the first international edition of the MMA reality show, will showcase 32 contestants in the Featherweight (145 pounds) and Middleweight (185 pounds), hailing from 15 of the 26 states in the South American nation.
In the debut episode later this evening, the initial group of 32 fighters will be whittled down to the final 16 who will move into the TUF house after their elimination bouts. At the conclusion of the season, Wanderlei Silva vs. Vitor Belfort will face off at UFC 147 this summer for Brazilian bragging rights.
To check out the complete 32-fighter roster for TUF: "Brazil" click here. And remember that we'll deliver LIVE TUF: "Brazil" results later on tonight right here.
See you then.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, brazil, debut episode, championship ufc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter (TUF): 'Brazil' live results for episode 1 TONIGHT (March 25) on UFC.tv
After 13 years and a roller coaster of championships, hellacious knockouts, unmatchable streaks, precipitous falls and unexpected resurgences, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has taken its mixed martial arts (MMA) reality franchise to South America.
Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort, two of the most dangerous men in the promotion's middleweight division, will serve as the coaches for the historic The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): "Brazil," the first international season of its kind. Taking place in the titular nation and entirely in Portuguese, the tryouts brought hundreds of Brazil's finest from every conceivable weight class to test their mettle.
Eventually, 16 Middleweight and 16 Featherweight fighters were selected, including several of the brightest prospects in the game today. Tonight (March 25, 2012) at 11:30 p.m. ET, we get to see the start of one of the most talent-rich seasons in the show's history, as 16 fights decide who will take the first step towards achieving their UFC dreams.
UFC.com has the details:
The Premiere episode will showcase elimination bouts, narrowing down the initial group of 32 fighters to the final 16 who will move into the TUF house. From there, they will be split between "Team Vitor" and "Team Wanderlei" and face weekly eliminations until the finale, where a winner from both weight classes will be declared The Ultimate Fighter and win an international UFC contract.
MMAmania will have a live blog of the episode, which will be streamed with subtitles on UFC.tv. The good stuff is after the jump (beginning at 11:30 p.m. ET):
LIVE TUF: "BRAZIL" RESULTS COMING SOON!
Posted in: ufc, fighter, tuf, episode, brazil
Read the full article at MMA ManiaVideo: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' preview for tonight's season debut (midnight ET)
As a reminder, "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" debuts tonight.
The show, which is the first international edition of the "TUF" reality
series, features 32 featherweight and middleweight fighters, who are
coached by UFC vets Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort.
Check out a preview of tonight's debut, which streams on TUF.tv at midnight ET (9 p.m. PT).
Posted in: fighter, fighter brazil, midnight, tonights debut, middleweight fighters
Read the full article at MMA JunkieRanking the Top Ten Mixed Martial Arts Camps in Asia
People ask me almost every day what are the best camps in Asia. And while it's an area I generally tend to stay away from because of the politics involved, I decided to do some research and actually write an article that I can refer to them to in future.
I haven't visited all these places personally, so I have judged them all according the calibre of their coaches, the quality of their fighters and their overall reputations. Some camps are very selective as to who is allowed to train with their fight team, whereas others allow everyone to train together.
So if you are looking at potentially joining or visiting any of them, I suggest you do some research of your own first.
While there is no doubt that the standard of training overall is higher in the United States and Brazil, there are a few camps in Asia, notably Evolve MMA in Singapore, which are bucking the trend. With so many outstanding fighters in sports like Wushu and Muay Thai and a steady influx of Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts from the West, I believe it is only a matter of time until Asia catches up with the Americas in terms of the quality of mixed martial arts (MMA) training available.
Without further ado, these are the places which, in my opinion, are already leading the way:
1. Evolve MMAHead Coach: Chatri SityodtongNotable Fighters:Shinya AokiRafael dos AnjosZorobabel MoreiraEddie Ng
Strengths
Excellent coaching, largest professional fight team in Asia, world champions in every discipline, largest instructor team (50+ instructors), state-of-the-art facilities
Weaknesses
Opened its doors only three years ago
Summary
Evolve MMA in Singapore has firmly established its reputation as Asia’s best professional fight camp and has more world champion trainers than any other gym on the planet. Chatri Sityodtong and Heath Sims are also widely regarded as two of the top MMA coaches in Asia.
The most famous member of the Evolve Fight Team is also arguably Asia’s biggest MMA superstar, Dream Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki. After his last fight on DREAM’s NYE event, Aoki stated that Evolve MMA has the best training that he’s ever seen in his entire career. His teammates include UFC lightweight Rafael dos Anjos and ONE FC stars Eddie Ng, Zorobabel Moreira and Yodsanan Sityodtong. Elite mixed martial artists such as Rich Franklin, Greg Jackson, Renzo Gracie, Matt Hume and Ryo Chonan regularly visit Evolve MMA to train and to exchange knowledge.
2. Team Lakay
Head Coach: Mark SangiaoNotable Fighters:Eduard Folayang "Landslide"Kevin BelingonRoy DocyogenStrengths: Excellent coaching, strong ground & pound, great pool of local talent, high altitude location
Weaknesses: Lack of international coaches and training partners, no top tier BJJ coach
Summary
Team Lakay in Baguio is home to virtually all of the top fighters in the Philippines, including URCC champions Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario, Kevin Belingon and Roy Docyogen. Coach Mark Sangiao is a former fighter who is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the best coaches in Asia.
The high altitude at Baguio seems to give the fighters exceptional cardio and fighters from Team Lakay are very well rounded. They are known to mix unorthodox Wushu-based stand up, wrestling skills, and brutal ground and pound. Team Lakay's fighters collectively have the best record in the Philippines and they routinely dominate at the URCC circuit, the most prestigious MMA organization in the Philippines.
Fan favorite Eduard Folayang is one of the front-runners for a title shot at ONE Fighting Championship and Team Lakay has featured prominently at ONE FC.
3. Korea Top TeamHead Coach: Dongjin HaNotable Fighters:Chan Sung Jung "The Korean Zombie"Dongi Yang "The Ox"Strengths: Excellent coaching, world-class fighters, superb conditioningWeaknesses: Lack of deep expertise in striking and submissions
Summary
Based in Seoul, Korea Top Team is the premier mixed martial arts camp in the country and is home to UFC veteran Chan Sung Jung. ‘The Korean Zombie’ is the best known Korean fighter in the world and is legendary for his durability and highly sophisticated submission game. Another UFC fighter, Dongi Yang, calls Korea Top Team home while a number of its fighters are also enjoying success on the local Asian scene including Jang Yong Kim and Hyun Gyu Lin. Some of the toughest prospects in Korea train at Korea Top Team.
4. China Top TeamHead Coach: Ruy MenezesNotable Fighters:Zhang TiequanJingliang Li Honggang Yao
Strengths: Excellent ground game, sanda-based striking, big pool of top Chinese fightersWeaknesses: Lack of elite level MMA experienceSummary
China Top Team is blazing a trail for MMA in China under the guidance of third degree BJJ black belt Ruy Menezes. His star pupil is undoubtedly Zhang Tiequan who is the first Chinese fighter to ever fight for the UFC. The Mongolian Wolf is a submission wizard who is better known for his ground game than his stand up. China Top Team produces much more than just Sanda fighters. Fighters like Jingliang Li and Honggang Yao are making names for themselves on local shows like Ruff and Legend and it is only a matter of time before more China Top Team fighters start breaking into the major leagues with ONE FC and the UFC. They have a deep talent pool of fighters who are all gaining more experience every day.
5. Krazy BeeHead Coach: Sergio CunhaNotable Fighters:Norifumi YamamatoIssei TamuraKyoji HoriguchiStrengths: Home to some top Japanese fighters and UFC fighters, good wrestling and ground gameWeaknesses: Lack of deep striking skills, lack of deep MMA knowledge
Krazy Bee is home to UFC fighters Norifumi Yamamato and Issei Tamura and lots of up and coming Japanese mixed martial artists making a name for themselves on shows like DEEP and Shooto such as Kyoji Horiguchi, the hottest rising MMA star in Japan. Krazy Bee is one of the top professional gyms in Japan and has a strong culture of hard sparring sessions. Look out for Krazy Bee fighters at the UFC, ONE FC, DREAM, DEEP, and Shooto.
6. Tokyo ParaestraHead Coach: Yuki NakaiNotable Fighters:Kitaoka SatoruMasakatsu Ueda
Strengths: Home to some top Japanese fighters, excellent Brazilian Jiu-JItsu and ground gameWeaknesses: Wrestling and striking
Summary
Tokyo Paraestra is still one of the most respected camps in Asia and has a rich history. Founder Yuki Nakai was an MMA pioneer who made the team famous in the 90s and was last seen losing to Rickson Gracie in 1995. Satoru Kitaoka is a long time student and an elite fighter on DREAM. Masakatsu Ueda is the team’s most prominent member and is expected to make his Bellator debut soon and there is plenty of other young talent. Paraestra is a chain of MMA schools, but Tokyo is widely regarded as the headquarters.
7. Busan Team MADHead Coach: Yang Seung HunNotable Fighters:Dong Hyun KimMyung Ho BaeHae Jun YangStrengths: Strong Judo and boxingWeaknesses: No top tier BJJ coaches
Summary
Busan Team MAD is situated in the second largest city in Korea and is home of ‘The Stun Gun’ Dong Hyun Kim who is well established in the UFC’s middleweight division. There are also a couple of other up and coming Korean fighters to keep an eye, including Myung Ho Bae, Hae Jun Yang and Nam Jin Jo. Busan Team MAD has a reputation of producing fighters with ferocity and willpower. While not as technically refined as other teams, Busan Team MAD is a very tough team. Look out for their fighters at the UFC, ONE FC, Legend FC and ROAD FC as well as the smaller local shows.
8. Phuket Top Team
Head Coach: Notable Fighters:Roger HuertaAndrew Leone
Strengths: Strong Muay Thai coaches and 2 full time BJJ black beltsWeaknesses: No wrestling coach
Summary
Phuket Top Team was only built in 2011, but it has already attracted some top fighters to train there. Roger Huerta is now based there permanently as he looks to revitalize his MMA career and Vaughn Lee and Jorge Masvidal have also made training trips. Among the full time fighters are exciting American prospect Andrew Leone while on the coaching side BJJ black belt Rodrigo Praxedes is joined by a team of Muay Thai trainers.
9. Tiger Muay Thai
Head Coach: Ray ElbeNotable Fighters:JJ AmbroseWiktor SvenssonYang Seung Ho
Strengths: Experienced Muay Thai coaches and 1 BJJ Black BeltWeaknesses: TMT is mainly a tourist vacation destination. Inactive, small fight team.
Summary
Tiger Muay Thai was the first ever MMA camp in Thailand and remains the most popular to this day. BJJ black belt Ray Elbe runs the MMA program and is known as a good coach but does not have access to a big roster of serious fighters and resources because TMT’s business model revolves around tourists visiting the beaches of Phuket. The Muay Thai program at TMT has many seasoned veterans of Muay Thai and former UFC fighters such as Phil Baroni, Mike Swick and Roger Huerta have trained there.
10. Muayfit
Head Coach: Arnaud LepontNotable Fighters:Eric KellyMark StrieglArnaud Lepont
Strengths: Good quantity of full-time fightersWeaknesses: Lack of experienced coaches
Summary
Founded in 2010 Muayfit is a successful fitness-based facility in Kuala Lumpur. MMA classes proved to be so popular that the camp has expanded to include a full-time fight team with a mixture of local and international fighters. The most famous are unbeaten Filipinos Mark Striegl and Eric Kelly. Arnaud Lepont, Allamurad Karayev and Jian Kai Chee are also based there.
Follow contributing writer James Goyder on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, team, coach
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter Brasil Kicks Off Sunday Night at Midnight ET
The first ever international edition of the Ultimate Fighter will debut this weekend from Brazil with coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva leading the way.
Posted in: fighter, sunday night, wanderlei silva, brazil, fighter brasil
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyM-1 crushes fighter in court
More legal wranglin' afoot, this time in Europe. If you thought America was the only place where a young naive mixed martial artist could get trapped in a predatory contract and legally screwed, you were wrong!
M-1 Global has staked claim to Bellator middleweight Vyacheslav Vasilevsky in a Dutch court and plans to pursue the fighter in the U.S.A judgment won this past Thursday awards damages to the Russia-based promotion that amount to several hundred thousand euros and bars him from fighting in Bellator or any other organization. Neither Vasilevsky or his representatives were present in court....The judgement orders Vasilevsky to pay €1,000 for each day he's been in breach of contract as well as €5,000 for every day he fights in another promotion, plus court fees, Kogan said. He added that the fighter was served notice of the pending legal action by process server.
I know what you're thinking. €1,000 a day is a pittance. Vyacheslav should be paying at least €3000 - €5000 a day. That's more in line with the big bucks guys like him, Bellator and M-1 are dealing with. It was a bad day for this kid to mistake euros for rubles. Depending on how long VV's been considered in breach of contract, this is going to add up to nearly a million euros. And I bet you thought M-1 could only scam the big bucks out of people using Fedor Emelianenko.This might be P4P the new #1 worst legal beatdown performed on an MMA fighter. Wow. Again. Never thought M-1 would have the P4P #1 anything moving forward.
Posted in: fighter, day, vasilevsky, fedor emelianenkothis, pittance vyacheslav
Read the full article at FightlinkerConfident Dominick Cruz 'going straight for the jugular' in 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live' | MMAjunkie.com
submitted by swampskater [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, cruz, dominick cruz, swampskater link, jugular
Read the full article at RedditConfident Dominick Cruz 'going straight for the jugular' in 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live'
LAS VEGAS - UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz appears to be making all the right calls, no matter how crazy they seem.
Serving as a coach on the FX-broadcast "The Ultimate Fighter: Live"
series, Cruz has shied away from conventional wisdom when it comes to
fight selection, preferring instead to give up control of the matchups one week and choosing his opponent's top fighter the next.
There a simple reason for that, Cruz said. He's playing for keeps.
Posted in: fighter, cruz, dominick cruz, fight selection, series cruz
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 episode 3 post-fight power rankings
The third episode of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15: "Live" ended up being a lot more of the same things viewers have been privy to in the previous weeks, as "Team Cruz" continued its dominance over "Team Faber" in the Octagon.
Honestly, it wasn't what I expected. From the get-go, I thought Cruz looked a bit awkward and would be the guy coming off uncomfortable in his own skin. I have to say, after three weeks of watching, I'm flipping. "The Dominator" has done a better job communicating with his guys, creating an effective training environment and he's even gotten the better of Faber in most of the verbal exchanges -- a feat I'd have never expected in a million years.
In the LIVE match up for episode three, number one pick Justin Lawrence was matched up against Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Cristiano Marcello. It was obvious from the opening horn that Marcello was leery of Lawrence's power. He looked hesitant and was doing a very poor job of covering up.
Marcello's fears proved justified when, in the second round, Lawrence finally landed the big left hook that coach Urijah Faber warned his fighter to be on the lookout for. Marcello was out almost immediately and it was alllllll over!
So, which fighters currently have the upper hand? Here's what the TUF 15 power rankings look like after three action-packed episodes:
Most everything stayed the same, with two exceptions. Marcello got knocked the eff out, so he's obviously done in the power rankings. I also went ahead and bumped Chris Tickle down to the bottom. Maybe I'm being judgmental. Maybe it's the cut of his jib that I do not care for. I just thought he showed bad form in this episode.
Tickle was, at best, aloof during the "Team Cruz" training session, forgetting to take out his earring (which caused him to have to step out and remedy the issue), then realizing he "had diarrhea" and needed to hit the head, right in the middle of a grappling session.
Afterward, Cruz did his best to patiently pull Tickle aside and tell him to get his head right. Tickle wasn't entirely disrespectful, but it was clear that he didn't like being corrected. I just can't like the chances of a dude who refuses to listen to world champions and gets random diarrhea fits during grappling sessions.
Let's check out the rankings as they currently stand after three episodes:
(Note: The numbers in parenthesis indicate each fighter's ranking from the previous week.)
1) Justin Lawrence: (1)2) Al Laquinta: (2)3) Sam Sicilia (3)4) Myles Jury (5)5) Mike Rio (6)6) Joe Proctor (7)7) James Vick (8)8) Michael Chiesa (9)9) Vinc Pichel (10)10) John Cofer (11)11) Andy Ogle (13)12) Jeremy Larsen (14)13) Chris Saunders (15)14) Chris Tickle (12)
Cristiano Marcello (RIP)
The tension continues to mount as "Team Cruz" continues to hold control of the fight selection. The morale on "Team Faber" does not seem to be at a very high level, and who could blame them?
Next week, the number-two ranked Al Laquinta will do his best to get control back for "Team Faber," taking on the fourth ranked Myles Jury (who will be doing his best to make Brian Hemminger look like a genius).
Got any early predictions (or 15) for next week's fight?
Bring it!
If you weren't able to catch all the LIVE action, no worries. Read a complete recap of TUF 15: "Live" Episode 3 right here.
Posted in: fighter, week, team, episode, marcello
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Sunday Junkie deadline reminder, win a free 'Fighters Only' subscription!
As a reminder, submissions for the upcoming edition of "The Sunday Junkie" are due Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.
All topics - including "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" and Friday's Bellator 62 event - are open for discussion. The person who sends in the submission we deem the best (based on timeliness of subject, clarity and overall persuasiveness) is the winner.
Each winner receives a free year's subscription to "Fighters Only," the world's leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.
Posted in: fighter, sunday, years subscription, reminder submissions, subject clarity
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTop Five Most Marketable Current UFC Fighters: A Fan's View (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones (15-1) is slated to square off against 32-year-old Rashad Evans, a former champion, on April 21 at UFC 145 in a bout that features two of the most marketable fighters in the league today.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc fighters, square, yearold
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsThe Ultimate Fighter Live Recap: Team Cruz Continues To Roll
Team Cruz continues to roll on The Ultimate Fighter: Live, advancing another fighter in to the quarterfinals.
Posted in: fighter, team, quarterfinal, cruz, roll
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyJustin Lawrence Knocks Out Cristiano Marcello on The Ultimate Fighter
Dominick Cruz made Justin Lawrence the first pick when the coaches selected their teams on this season of The Ultimate Fighter, and when Lawrence stepped into the Octagon with Cristiano Marcello on Friday night, he made Cruz's pick look smart.
Lawrence out-struck Marcello in the stand-up exchanges in the first round, then started landing with more power in the second round and ultimately connected a left hand to Marcello's chin that knocked Marcello flat on his back, ending the fight by second-round knockout.
"It felt amazing," Lawrence said afterward. "We worked that all week during the training camp -- my left hook, my hands, my movement."
It was an impressive performance by Lawrence that has to make him, at the moment at least, the favorite to win this season.
Marcello is one of the most experienced fighters on the show, a 34-year-old Pride veteran and Brazilian jiu jitsu instructor who has coached some of the best fighters in the world at the famed Chute Box Academy. But he was never able to take the fight to the ground against Lawrence, and his striking was not impressive.
As for the "reality" portion of the UFC's reality show, this week's episode wasn't as compelling as last week's, as the fighters resorted to silly pranks like defacing the photos of coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber that hang in the gym. A couple of contrived confrontations between Cruz and Faber felt more like they were going through the motions of promoting their own upcoming fight than exhibiting genuine bad blood.
The fight itself, however, was solid: Lawrence looked good, and he looks like he might just be the best fighter on this season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Posted in: fight, fighter, marcello, lawrence, justin lawrence
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe UItimate Fighter LIVE: Episode 3 Results and Updates
Tune in to Heavy.com for "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" Episode 3 recap and coverage, including updates from tonight's live fight between Justin Lawrence and Cristiano Marcello.
Posted in: fighter, update, justin lawrence, uitimate fighter, updates tune
Read the full article at Heavy MMAFriday night talkback thread: Bellator and two TUFs ()
Another Friday night means more live fights on basic cable for your enjoyment. On MTV2, Bellator 62 will feature the opening round of the lightweight tournament. Patricky "Pitbull" Freire will take on Lloyd Woodard and his awesome mustache, J.J. Ambrose will fight Brent Weedman, Olympian Rick Hawn faces off with Ricardo Tirloni and Thiago Michel will fight Rene Nazare. They are all hoping to win the tournament to get a shot at Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler.
On "The Ultimate Fighter," Justin Lawrence will fight Cristiano Marcello in a battle of two highly-touted fighters. Tune into FX for the live fight.
This weekend, fight fans can also tune into the debut of the Brazilian version of "The Ultimate Fighter." The show will stream online at Br.TUF.tv at midnight ET.
Use this post to talk about the weekend's MMA happenings, or go to Cagewriter's Facebook and Twitter page.
Posted in: fight, bellator, fighter, ricardo tirloni, cristiano marcello
Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports“The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” to Air Weekly on TUF.tv
The first international version of The Ultimate Fighter, TUF: Brazil, will begin it’s twelve-episode arc this Sunday night, being broadcast on Brazil’s Globo television network.
If you’re a fight fan who’s been looking forward to catching the action on TUF’s newest installment, but haven’t picked up your Portuguese Rosetta Stone and figured out how to pirate cable from Brazil, you’re in luck. The UFC has announced that The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil will be shown weekly at 11:30pm ET on TUF.tv and will be fully subtitled.
The internet stream will kick off this Sunday evening, corresponding with the show’s debut on Brazilian TV. The premiere episode will feature the initial thirty-two competitors battling it out through sixteen fights for a spot in the house.
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil will feature a cast of featherweight and middleweight fighters competing for a UFC contract under the tutelage of Brazilian MMA legends Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort.
The season’s initial sixteen fights look like this:
Middleweights
Leonardo Mafra Teixeira vs Samuel Trindade
Daniel Sarafian vs Richardson Moreira
Francisco Drinaldo vs Charles Maicon
Delson Heleno vs Gilberto Galvao
Sergio Moraes vs Thiago Rela
Cezar Ferreira vs Gustavo Sampaio
Joao Paulo de Souza vs Thiago de Oliveira Perpetuo
Renee Forte vs Fabio Luiz Vital da Costa
Featherweights
Alexandre Ramos vs Hugo Viana
Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. vs John Teixeira
Marcos Vinicius Borges Pancini vs Pedro Nobre
Rodrigo Damm vs Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva
Rony Mariano Bezerra vs Dileno Lopes
Anistavio Medeiros de Figueiredo vs Rafael Bueno
Wagner Campos vs Fernando Duarte Guerra
Godofredo Pepey vs Johnny Goncalves
Posted in: fighter, vs, brazil, da, fighter brazil
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyTwitter Mailbag: Heavyweights, TRT, Chael Sonnen's Chances in Brazil, and More
It’s Friday afternoon, which means it’s time again for the Twitter Mailbag. This time around, the TMB talks Bellator, TRT, heavyweights, and Chael Sonnen’s chances of making it out of Brazil alive. Plus some other stuff.Got a question of your own? Come find me on Twitter @BenFowlkesMMA. I’ll even pretend to be interested in what you have to say at first. On to the questions.@AdriantheWizard which Bellator champ has the toughest test in defending his strap after the tournaments are done?
That would be lightweight champ Michael Chandler. It’s not because he isn’t a capable fighter -- as the bout with Eddie Alvarez showed, dude can scrap a little bit -- but there are still some quality lightweights hanging around in Bellator. Chandler had a close fight with Missoula, Montana’s own Lloyd Woodard (406, what?!) on his way to the belt last year, and I’d say the winner of Friday night’s Woodard-Patricky Freire fight probably deserves to be the tournament favorite. In general, I think there’s probably more talent in MMA at the 155-pound division than anywhere else. The UFC doesn’t have the roster space for all of them, which is good news for Bellator, but will likely mean a stiff challenge for Chandler.@TheHarrison101 Two weeks in, Bellator/TUF 15, which are you watching live, what are you DVR'ing?I feel like a jerk for admitting this, but even with its new live format I still end up DVR’ing The Ultimate Fighter. Maybe it’s just habit. Maybe it still feels too much like TV. I don’t know. I do know that, after living with DVR for the past few years, I have completely lost my patience for commercials. I’ve gotten spoiled that way, and I admit it. I’ll sit through commercials when I have to -- which is to say, during live sporting events and at basically no other time -- but a TV show? Even a TV show I really like? Forget it. I’ll just set the DVR and check it out once I have the luxury of flipping through the same four video game ads. And yes, I realize this makes less sense now that the weekly TUF fight is live, but cut me some slack. How much TV can MMA fans really be expected to watch on a Friday night?@JDRCheckit #mailbag how does the all HW card do? Do we see the big KO's or knock down gas out brawls. Or something like Rothwell-HuntMy buddy Chad Dundas over at ESPN explored this very question in a column recently, and he rightly pointed out that it’s often a feast-or-famine type deal when the big boys get in the cage. Sometimes they knock each other out in a hurry, and sometimes they wheeze on one another until the referee finally makes them stop. When heavyweight fights are good, they’re great, and usually pretty quick. When they’re bad, they’re an assault on the senses.The good news for UFC 146 is that the main card match-ups seem almost designed to make sure that there’s at least one man in every fight willing to push the pace. Guys like Alistair Overeem, Frank Mir, and Antonio Silva have the ability to become slow, ponderous performers at times, but fighters like Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez -- hell, even Roy Nelson, at least lately -- are known for keeping the action going. I think we’ll get more feast than famine on this one. Or maybe I’m just hoping.@NoOrdinaryChris do you foresee women's MMA actually coming to the UFC in the next year or two? Interested in your take.As long as there is a Strikeforce, I think that’s where women’s MMA will stay. I think it will only improve now that Zuffa matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby get to tinker with it, but I don’t think anyone at the UFC feels like they absolutely have to get these women into the Octagon right away. If they’re content to leave Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce, Ronda Rousey will have to stay too.For me, the bigger question is what will happen if (okay, let’s be real, when) Strikeforce eventually disappears. I don’t see Zuffa still running these two competing promotions five or ten years from now, so what happens then? I think a lot depends on how the women’s division performs between now and then, and what kind of roster it has at the time of the eventual Strikeforce dismantling. If Rousey follows Gina Carano to Hollywood, and if the division can’t add fresh faces quicker than it loses them, I could easily see Zuffa declaring women’s MMA a failed experiment. But if the Rousey revolution is the beginning rather than the peak, maybe female fighters have a future in the UFC. Just don’t expect it to happen overnight.@nogstai Chael Sonnen is an interesting character, but he's a nice guy in real life. Does sending him to 80k brazilians, a good idea?I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, but either way I think you’ve hit upon a legitimate question. Sonnen -- love him or hate him -- is a fascinating person and a good draw for the UFC. But after going to Rio de Janeiro for UFC 134 last summer and witnessing the overwhelming vitriol the locals had for even a video image of the man, I have to wonder whether the nation of Brazil appreciates his brand of humor the same way we do. Maybe he’s done too good a job selling them on the whole pro wrestling persona, or maybe they just don’t get the joke. Either way, I don’t think Sonnen is going to be buying a vacation home in Ipanema any time soon. It seems like it’s going to be difficult enough for him to show up and fight there, but can you imagine if he actually beat Anderson Silva in a packed Brazilian soccer stadium? What if he won a close decision? Or benefitted from a questionable stoppage? They might have to airlift him out of the Octagon just to get him home in one piece. @Odin_MMA Fedor. 205. UFC. Your move Fowlkes... Do you think Fedor would be reinvigorated?Not really. Fedor can go down in weight if he wants, but he can’t go back in time. His fight with Dan Henderson in Strikeforce showed that. If anything, he might be better off at heavyweight, where he still has some hope of being the quicker man. The fighters at light heavyweight these days are too athletic and too well-rounded. But hey, if Fedor wanted to try it and his management team wanted to get reasonable about their contract demands, I’d watch it. I just wouldn’t get my hopes up for a Fedor revival if I were you. @EricArsenal I like the 8 week UFC PPV gap being filled by TUF. Gives the fighters their own spotlight. What are your thoughts?Their own spotlight? Maybe. If you completely forget about the existence of Bellator, which also goes down every Friday night during this UFC pay-per-view hiatus. While TUF allows viewers to follow the slow reveal of a reality show tournament a week at a time, Bellator essentially offers the same experience, only with more tournaments and far more fights. As long as viewers are willing to trade talk for action (and who isn’t?) and the UFC brand for the Bellator one, it sure seems like Bellator offers the better deal right now.@DeadpandaCP Condit, MacDonald, Ellenberger. Is this a newbreed of fighters or are they contenders because GSP is out with his knee?I don’t know if I’d call them a new breed, but they’re all athletic, capable fighters without any glaring holes to exploit. Then again, so is Georges St-Pierre. All three of the guys you mentioned probably have a better chance of waiting GSP’s career out than of beating him in the cage.@MMAOUTSIDER should the UFC push Edgar so hard to drop weight? yes he's small, but I think his record and performance deserve more respect.I understand the push, what with the general lack of major contenders for Jose Aldo’s belt. But I agree that Edgar has done enough at lightweight to get to make his own decisions. Apparently the UFC thinks so too. He is getting the rematch he asked for, after all.@shawn_w_smith Some NCAA wrestlers are considered naturals for MMA while others aren't. What are we looking for to determine MMA prospects?An ability to deal with getting punched in the face, for one. A desire to stick with this long enough to actually get good at it, for another. The latter might be tougher to find than the former. You take guys who have spent so many years honing one specific skill set to such a fine point, they often don’t want to start all over as a rookie in something else. It’s rough on their egos, and the money is too distant a dream at first to pull them through all on its own. In short, what we’re looking for is someone humble enough to learn new skills, and stubborn enough to keep showing up to the gym even when it seems like a bad idea.@bradsucks will the UFC's handling of TRT blow up in their faces or should they keep looking the other way?At this point I think it’s clear that the controversy over testosterone-replacement therapy isn’t going to go away on its own, nor should it. This is a complicated issue that needs to be explored and examined more, not ignored. When confronted with "Rampage" Jackson’s admitted use of it, Dana White’s response was to basically throw up his hands and claim there was nothing the UFC could have done about it, since some athletic commissions allow it for some fighters. That’s an absurd response, especially since it came after an event in Tokyo where the UFC acted as its own commission, which it seems increasingly incapable of doing in an open and transparent manner.Let’s be clear what we’re talking about here: professional fighters are being given permission to inject themselves with a powerful hormone -- one that increases strength and endurance -- before they attempt to hurt another human being for money. That’s a situation full of dangerous possibilities. It also might not be entirely fair, depending on what they have to do in order to get that permission.Some fighters claim that they need it. They say their testosterone levels really are well below normal, and it’s a condition that they deserve to be able to treat. But even that defense raises all new questions. My colleague Mike Chiappetta has an excellent look at the link between head trauma and low testosterone, and I suppose it shouldn’t be hard to believe that getting hit in the head for a living might not be great for your natural hormone levels. Then again, if you’ve already suffered that sort of head trauma, why should we pump you full of testosterone just so you can continue suffering more of it? We wouldn’t medically clear a fighter with other signs of brain trauma, would we? And how can we be sure that a person’s low testosterone levels are due to head trauma and not past steroid abuse?Testosterone is a performance-enhancing substance. If it wasn’t, these guys wouldn’t care so much about being able to get their hands on it. The UFC has no problem butting heads with "the government" when it comes to things like getting MMA sanctioned in New York, so it’s disingenuous to claim that it’s powerless to buck the athletic commissions (which have varying standards for therapeutic-use exemptions to begin with) on this issue. We can disagree on what ought to be done about TRT in MMA and why, but I don’t think you can make much of an argument that the right thing to do here is nothing at all.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, donrsquot, itrsquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseTUF Brazil will be aired on the internet for free starting this Sunday
Oh wow, this is the first time we've ever had concurrent seasons of The Ultimate Fighter. It's also the first season to not feature any Americans. We sometimes forget just how young this sport is and hopefully we have a whole raft of 'firsts' to look forward to, such as first backflip-kick knockout. Thinking about it, we might even see that in this season of The Ultimate Fighter. From past experience, I can't think of a single Brazilian on TUF that wasn't a face crushing badass, and now we're faced with the prospect of an entire season full of guys who will resemble Blanka from Street Fighter II in the cage. Something tells me this show will be full carefully translated expletives.
TUF: Brazil will air on a Sunday evening on Globo on Brazil but if you don't live in Brazil or speak Portuguese, then UFC will be streaming each week's episode on TUF.tv complete with subtitles at 11:30 ET/8:30 PT. In the first episode, Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will get their first glimpse of the fighters as they compete to enter the house. Eight matches in the middleweight and featherweight division will decide the final sixteen contestants. If you sit and watch the elimination fights with a notepad, then you'll be interested in swotting up on the names below.
Middleweights
Leonardo Mafra Teixeira (5-0) vs. Samuel Trindade (6-1)
Daniel Sarafian (7-2) vs. Richardson Moreira (3-0)
Francisco Drinaldo (10-1) vs. Charles Maicon (8-1)
Delson Heleno (23-6) vs. Gilberto Galvao (19-4-1)
Sergio Moraes (6-1) vs. Thiago Rela (3-1)
Cezar Ferreira (4-2) vs. Gustavo Sampaio (5-1)
Joao Paulo de Souza (8-4) vs. Thiago de Oliveira Perpetuo (8-1-1)
Renee Forte (7-1) vs. Fabio Luiz Vital da Costa (9-0-1)
Featherweights
Alexandre Ramos (5-0) vs. Hugo Viana (5-0)
Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. (10-1) vs. John Teixeira (13-0-1)
Marcos Vinicius Borges Pancini (19-3-1) vs. Pedro Nobre (10-0-1)
Rodrigo Damm (9-5) vs. Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva (14-1)
Rony Mariano Bezerra (10-3) vs. Dileno Lopes (8-0)
Anistavio Medeiros (12-7) vs. Rafael Bueno (7-1)
Wagner Campos (11-3) vs. Fernando Duarte Guerra (10-1)
Godofredo Pepey (8-0) vs. Johnny Goncalves (4-0)
Posted in: fighter, season, vs, brazil, da
Read the full article at Middle EasyUltimate Fighter Brazil Kicks Off Sunday Night at 11:30pm ET
The first ever international edition of the Ultimate Fighter will debut this weekend from Brazil with coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva leading the way.
Posted in: fighter, sunday night, wanderlei silva, brazil, fighter brazil
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyPED's in MMA: Amid TRT Controversy, A Hidden Danger
In the days after Quinton "Rampage" Jackson became the latest fighter to acknowledge using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), Nevada state athletic commission executive director Keith Kizer's phone began to light up. On the other end were fighters and managers interested in finding out how to obtain a TRT exemption. Kizer, who had heard about Jackson's interview with Fighters Only acknowledging his usage, was not surprised. In his comments, Jackson claimed that "a lot of fighters are probably doing it but not telling anyone." That quote has since been removed from the interview, but its echo has created a stir in the mixed martial arts world, suggesting that legitimizing TRT treatment was easy.Jackson is not only the latest of the divulged names using TRT, but also its loudest proponent. But contrary to popular belief, the number of fighters legally using TRT with the permission of state athletic commissions is quite low.How low?
In its entire history, the Nevada state athletic commission has granted only three therapeutic use exemptions (TUE's) for TRT, Kizer told MMA Fighting. The only individuals to receive exemptions have been Dan Henderson, Todd Duffee, and most recently, Shane Roller in 2011. New Jersey Athletic Control board legal counsel Nick Lembo could not offer a specific number but said that state had given "less than five" TUE's for TRT in its history. In Ohio, only Henderson and Strikeforce fighter Bristol Marunde have ever been approved for TRT use, its state athletic commission executive director Bernie Profato told MMA Fighting.Contrast that with the reaction of say, Dr. Don Catlin, who sits on the International Olympic Committee's medical commission responsible for reviewing TUE applications for Olympic athletes. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting regarding the possibility of active fighters needing TUE’s for TRT in MMA, Catlin remarked that the whole thing was "a joke."Those types of broad criticisms are troubling to some combat sports regulators who feel that their goals of toeing the line between sport safety and being responsive to individual health situations are being undermined. "I hear things like, 'Oh everyone can do it,'" Kizer said. "Well, how many exemptions have [the IOC] given out? Two. Well, we've given out three in 12 years."According to Catlin along with many other critics, the possibility of professional athletes in their 30s needing TRT is so low, it's almost completely zero. But new research might show those long-held beliefs to be incorrect.The science of brain injury is still relatively new, and developing rapidly. In 2007, a paper published in the Journal of Athletic Training reported the first known connection between mild concussions and hypopituitarism, a deficiency that can lead to low testosterone. That research, along with how traumatic brain injuries impact the pituitary gland, is being continued by Dr. Daniel F. Kelly, the director of the Brain Center and Pituitary Disorders Program at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.Kelly is currently in the midst of a study of 75 former NFL players that is expected to be published around the end of 2012. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Kelly said that preliminary data from the study suggests that pituitary damage is occurring in a subset of the retirees. That study seems to corroborate a 2006 finding in Turkey that found that head injuries incurred by pro kickboxers have resulted in damage to the pituitary gland. Extrapolated to MMA, it's not much of a leap to suggest that similar injuries can be occurring to this sport's fighters, for whom getting hit in the head is a daily occurrence. In fact, Dr. Fahrettin Kelestimur, a professor of endocrinology at Erciyes University in Turkey who authored the 2006 study, told MMA Fighting that the most common damage has caused growth hormone deficiency and hypogonadism, respectively. The latter problem was the one cited by Chael Sonnen as the necessity of his TRT treatments during his appeal of a California state athletic commission suspension."These fighters are getting repeated insults to the head, sometimes more than concussive events," Kelly said. "And if you did a careful analysis of those people, I'm sure you'd see a significant rate of pituitary gland dysfunction. That's my prediction."The issue is complicated by the fact that it is not always possible to determine the cause of pituitary damage, according to Kelly. It's well known that steroid abuse can also damage the pituitary gland, but head trauma can cause the same affect.That makes things cloudier for regulators like Kizer and Lembo, who work for two of the sport's leading commissions. At the same time, they along with other regulators believe it’s important not to punish the athletes that come forward with a legitimate need by banning TRT outright. While the long-held belief that steroid use as the main cause of low testosterone among athletes might be true, it’s by no means a catch-all. That knowledge simply just isn’t widespread. Most of the people interviewed for this story were unaware that pituitary damage could be caused by repeated blows to the head, as Kelly, the brain and pituitary expert agreed."Is that incrementally damaging the connection between the brain and pituitary? I think it probably is," he said. "But can we prove that there’s an exposure component that’s incrementally adding up even if it’s not even considered a concussion. I think that’s probably the case."While MMA often points to its safety record, there are variables to the sport that cannot be controlled. Chief among them is what goes on in the gyms during training camp. While fighters who suffer knockout losses in competition are medically suspended in order to give them time to recover, those periods are rarely enforced. Some of them can’t be due to simple logistics. If a fighter competes in Texas, for example, but calls Brazil home, there is no real way to check up on him and ensure he’s letting his brain recover from the trauma it received. Most good coaches will try to keep their athletes on the sidelines and away from head strikes in this critical recovery phase, but it’s not like that everywhere.Take, for instance, Pat Barry’s recent explanation of why he hoped to visit Croatia soon to get in some training."Out there, you can punch and kick guys completely unconscious and they show up the next day," he said. " Whereas here, you can punch and kick some guys, and sometimes they don’t come back for the rest of the week.""Which is probably a good idea," UFC president Dana White interjected.
Barry's seeming insensitivity to head injuries might be ingrained in his mentality as a fighter who is trained to be fearless even in the heat of battle, but it also might be from an attitude that is generationally rooted, though changing. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report noted that emergency room visits for children and adolescents due to sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries were up 60 percent in the last decade. The organization’s director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control attributed to the rise not to increased incidences, but to growing awareness of the dangers caused by brain injuries.Attention to the problem of brain injury has also been slow to come to pro sports. In 2008, the collaborative Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy was founded to study brain injury, and their work has changed the NFL’s outlook on concussions and head trauma, causing rule changes in 2009 that focused on player safety. This even though as a league, the NFL has had a multi-decade head start on MMA when it comes to head injuries. MMA commissions in some instances have only been sanctioning the sport for a year or two and are still drafting regulations.As it stands now, most commissions have no tests in place that would determine this type of problem.Virtually every state commission requires an MRI in order to grant a fighter’s license, but MRI’s don’t always show the problem. A blood draw is more likely to determine if an issue exists, according to Kelly. Tests for luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) could serve as an effective screening tool to determine any pituitary damage.Most of the blood work done through commissions prior to licensing though, is solely to test for contagious diseases.A big problem when it comes to changing medical technology is cost. Ohio Athletic Commission executive director Bernie Profato likened it to medical issues in the world at large, recounting the story of how the son of a close friend died from a rare blood disease that doctors didn’t have the means to handle because of a lack of money to fund research. "The more this stuff comes up, the more time medical people put into it, it extends our knowledge of it," he said. "We’re regulators, not medical people. We do what we can to put these athletes in the safest environment." Only a handful of the regulators MMA Fighting spoke with had heard of the studies linking brain trauma with pituitary damage, but most acknowledged that such conditions are exactly why TRT TUE’s shouldn’t always be passed off as an attempt to fleece the system."It’s very rare, but there are some legitimate needs," Lembo said. "My biggest concern is that most commissions don’t even test for these things in the first place so we’re over-penalizing the people that are coming forward and saying, ‘Hey, do whatever you want to me. Test me before and after the fight. Test me randomly. I need this, I’m on it and I’m going to be within normal limits.’ There are a lot of commissions who don’t believe in TUE’s for any reason, but why be hard on the ones coming forward?"Dr. Kelly, who has been working on issues pertaining to the pituitary gland for nearly 20 years, in 2008 co-authored a study that concluded chronic hypopituitarism occurred in approximately 20 percent of patients who had suffered mild, moderate or traumatic brain injury. With the repetitive head impacts from training and competing from month to month and year to year, it’s no wonder then that professional fighters could be subject to these same types of injuries. While finishing up his NFL research, Kelly is also interested in studying boxers and, possibly, mixed martial artists to gain a more definitive understanding of a problem that still remains mostly hidden away."I’m sure there’s a certain level of it going on," he said. "I guess what’s really amazing, if you look at it another way, is how infrequently it occurs, and how sturdy the system is, how much damage it can take. The pituitary gland is this tiny little thing that’s less than a centimeter cubed. It’s sitting in a little, bony depression in the skull base and it’s getting banged around, and the connection is getting banged around repeatedly, yet it keeps it on ticking in most people. It’s a pretty resilient system, but only up to a point."
[Editor's Note: PED's in MMA is a two-part series. Next week, an installment on the drug-testing landscape in MMA, and how regulators, athletes and promoters are adapting.]
Posted in: mma, fighter, injury, commission, trt
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC Ultimate Fighter Live: Justin Lawrence Vs. Cristiano Marcello Preview
Tonight's episode of UFC's The Ultimate Fighter Live features what could be one of the marquee match-ups of the show. Team Cruz #1 pick Justin Lawrence will be going against longtime Chute Boxe trainer and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master Cristiano Marcello from Team Faber. Here, we'll break down tonight's match-up and include some video footage of each contestant to get you ready. The Ultimate Fighter airs live on FX Friday night at 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT.
This fight came about in a very interesting and unexpected manner. Last week, Team Cruz's James Vick pulled off an impressive upset over Daron Cruickshank, giving control to Dominick Cruz. Cruz selected his top dog Justin Lawrence for the fight, then gave up control of his opponent to coach Urijah Faber. For my money, it was a gorgeous psychological move, as Faber was caught totally off guard and did not know who to pick. After asking Dana White "Should we do the finals now?" (and I still want to know who he was thinking about with that comment) he turned to his team and asked who wanted the fight. The silence was deafening. With Team Faber all struck mute, Cruz retook control and selected Marcello, a tough opponent and Faber's 2nd pick in the draft. The end result is a clash I had seen as a possible finale, and I am very excited to see how it plays out. Let's break down each fighter.
JUSTIN LAWRENCE (3-0)5'8" | 21 years oldTUF record: def. James Krause (KO, R1)
Despite his young age and small record, Lawrence has a lot of experience on the amateur circuit, with an alleged 150 fights to his credit. While that number is uncertain, you can say that this kid has a lot of confidence in the cage. His destruction of Krause was impressive, and the footage available on him consistently shows more of the same. Prior to The Ultimate Fighter, he has trained at Black House, and at 21st Century Self Defense.
Lawrence is an extremely aggressive fighter who comes out heavy. Though he is comfortable in all areas, striking seems to be his preferred style. On the feet, he tends to use a side stance to throw kicks styled after more traditional martial arts. He's also excellent at transitioning to the ground. But his greatest strength is that he is a finisher. When he has an opponent hurt, he goes for the kill. But against a veteran like Marcello, will that go for broke style work against him?
CRISTIANO MARCELLO (12-3)5' 9.5" | 34 years oldTUF record: def. Jared Carlsten (Sub, R1)
Marcello is the definite veteran of the cast. A pro since 1998, Marcello has fought all over the world, including Pride. From 1998-2007 he fought only sporadically, instead focusing his time on his work as the jiu jitsu trainer at Brazil's famed Chute Boxe Academy. There, he trained Wanderlei Silva, Shogun Rua, Anderson Silva, and many more. He has since left Chute Boxe to start his own CM System. Since 2010 he has been more focused on his own MMA career, with a 4-1 record in the past 2 years.
Marcello is a Gracie black belt, and that defines his style. He's definitely a throwback to the old Gracie days where the gameplan was clear - get your opponent down by any means, secure control, and tap him out. It's a strong style, and Marcello is quite good at it. Still, Gracie Jiu Jitsu has faded in prominence over the years, and you can see some of the faults in Marcello. Though he has some decent offensive striking (no doubt thanks to his time at Chute Boxe), his striking defense is not very tight. He uses movement to avoid being hit instead of keeping his hands tight and chin tucked. He also has a tendency to rush in to grab the clinch, which can lead to him getting tagged. That said, if he gets the clinch, he almost certainly will get you to the ground, where he has an advantage over many, many opponents.
Prediction: Justin Lawrence by TKO
I like Marcello and his style quite a bit. But I think those striking defensive holes are going to be his undoing. Lawrence is too skilled a striker and will be able to find the chin, stun him, and get the stoppage. But he needs to be wary - a wild rush in will fead him into the submission master's game, which makes this quite the fight.
Videos from both men in the full entry.
Marcello vs. Hector MunozSept. 1, 2007 - Art of War 3Great fight here that shows off Marcello's resiliency.
Marcello vs. Emiliano CobraFeb. 25, 2010Bitetti Combat 6
Lawrence vs. Justin SmithNot on Lawrence's record, so I believe this is an amateur fight.
Lawrence vs. Nick PopeOne more amateur fight
Posted in: fight, fighter, justin, marcello, lawrence
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowA heartfelt display of fighter camaraderie: A letter of support from Ben Saunders to Brian Foster
We all scramble to pull out our plastic folding lawn chairs and break out the popcorn everytime a couple of our favorite fighters show genuine disdain for one another. Our inner dark passenger gets off on the drama and hate filled smack talk in hopes that it will translate to a mind blowing beatdown come fight time. As humans we enjoy a bit of conflict, and as fight fans it is the core of our favorite sport. Physical conflict.
As much as we love a deep-seeded rivalry, we have to admit to having a soft smooshy place inside that is a sucker for romance, friendship, and acts of selfless humanity. Even within the hardcore world of combat sports that we love so dearly-there's instances of true camaraderie that can tug at our heart strings. There's such an overabundance of attention given to Sonnen and his Chaelisms or the swagger jacking drama between Evans and Jones, that often times the graceful moments of humanity our favorite fighters display go unnoticed.
This morning when I woke up and started perusing the internet for another wacky, random or controversial story fit for MiddleEasy, I instead came across a beautiful display of selfless camaraderie that I knew you guys could all appreciate. It is a letter originally posted on the UG by Ben Saunders, to Brian Foster. Brian was scheduled to fight in this season's Bellator welterweight tournament but as of yesterday he was removed from the tournament list due to being denied medical clearance. Medical clearance denials happen for a variety of reasons in this sport some minor, but some are serious.
If you aren't already familiar with Brian Foster's story-here's a little background: Brian fought in the UFC from 2009 until 2011. He fought the likes of Rick Story, Chris Lytle, Brock Larson and Matt Brown. He was scheduled to fight Sean Pierson back in April of 2011 but was forced out of that fight when pre-fight physical tests discovered he had a brain hemmorhage. Brian had successful brain surgery but then suffered another career halting injury, when he was struck in the groin during training and one of his testicles burst. Although we don't know the details of Brian's medical denial as of yet, there could be some concern necessary here due to Brian's history.
News of this medical clearance denial prompted fellow Bellator toruny competitor, Ben Saunders to reach out to Brian Foster and write him a moving letter of concern and support. It's a heartwarming read and shows a gentler side to combat sports that normally don't get to see first hand.
I don't know much about the details... But I told u this after u followed me on Twitter. U are a hell of a fighter and very exciting to watch. I was and still am a fan my friend. I did an interview with Bloody Elbow today and when asked about the other competitors in this Seasons tournament. Ur name was one of the first who I mentioned that I respected. They were the first to inform me of the bad news... Explaining how u were no longer in the tournament do to the Mohegan Sun not giving u medical clearance to fight. I'm sure u put a lot of work in ur training camp leading up to this fight and I'm sorry to hear this.
Like I said I don't know The details of why u weren't medically cleared for ur bout this coming week. But I am definitely pulling for you man.
I have had some close calls throughout my career of injuries that could have easily gone very very wrong and been potential Career Enders. I have been very fortunate that they never reached that point and knock on wood... I've never had to go under the knife or have surgery in my entire life.
But these close calls always had me take a step back and evaluate my life. The "What If's" are endless. I know how much time, spirit, love, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears I have put into this game. To think how it would feel to have it all taken away from me is more depressing than words or emotions could ever describe. To be honest I don't think my brain and thought process could even comprehend it in any way at all. But since I began this journey I have always been aware of the dark side and worst case scenarios. Never allowing myself to be blind to the reality of what is always possible whether I like it or not.
At the end of the day man... I just want to say I'm sorry for everything u might be going through. I feel ur pain even though I may not be living it. I believe almost any fighter in this world could and should sit back and be grateful for what they have and what they have done and are able to still do.
I hope things aren't that serious and I hope ur able to get things cleared up and get back to smashing fools faces in and entertaining all us fans.
Best Wishes-Killa B
Props to Ben Saunders for being a class act and our thoughts are with you Brian Foster. [source]
Posted in: fight, fighter, brian, dont, ur
Read the full article at Middle EasyUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 live results for episode three TONIGHT (March 23) on FX
Just three episodes in and the biggest fight of the season could be going down tonight.
Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) reality television baby The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), is now in full swing with two episodes in the books and and the elimination fights inside the house already underway.
Last week's broadcast showcased the fighters moving into the TUF house to earn a shot at the coveted "six-figure" UFC contract, as well as James Vick smashing Daron Cruickshank to advance to the quarterfinals. You can get up to date on all that by clicking here.
Tonight's show will feature the fight chosen by Dominick Cruz -- after Urijah Faber and his squad froze when they were given the chance to -- Justin Lawrence vs. Cristiano Marcello. The former is a near 2-to-1 favorite over the latter but that's why they fight, Maniacs.
MMAmania.com has a live blog of all the night's action, starting at 10 p.m. ET, after the jump.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 15 EPISODE THREE LIVE BLOG
Geno here. See you tonight, folks.
Posted in: fight, fighter, tuf, episode, fighter tuf
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDominick Cruz, Urijah Faber War of Words Continues on ‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’
Get geared up for tonight's third episode of "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE" with some classic back-and-forth between coaches and bitter rivals Dominick Cruz, the UFC bantamweight champ, and Urijah...
Posted in: fighter, cruz, dominick, urijah, backandforth
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Sunday Junkie deadline reminder, win a free 'Fighters Only' subscription!
As a reminder, submissions for the upcoming edition of "The Sunday Junkie" are due Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.
All topics - including "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" and tonight's Bellator 62 event - are open for discussion. The person who sends in the submission we deem the best (based on timeliness of subject, clarity and overall persuasiveness) is the winner.
Each winner receives a free year's subscription to "Fighters Only," the world's leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.
Posted in: fighter, sunday, years subscription, reminder submissions, subject clarity
Read the full article at MMA JunkieRashad Evans would rather beat Jon Jones' ass then be his friend for life
On Apr. 21, 2012, the main event at UFC 145 will feature a grudge match unlike any we've ever seen, as "Hotlanta" will play host to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans.
The former training partners have been engaged in one of the most widely publicized disputes in the mixed martial arts (MMA) community, and they will finally get their chance to settle things, once and for all, inside the cage at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georiga, next month.
"Suga" appeared tonight (March 22, 2012) on Spike TV's "MMA Uncensored Live" to discuss his upcoming bout and some of the bad blood between he and the man he seeks to dethrone. First, he spoke to Jones' accusation that Evans is "fueled by jealousy:"
"I'm not jealous of Jon Jones. You know, whatever Jon Jones has in life and whatever he's accomplished, he's earned. I can't want what another man has, because when it's time for me to have something, undeniably, it will happen for me. It's really foolish for me to be jealous of anybody because being jealous isn't gonna bring anything faster for me."
After the jump, check out what else Evans had to say about his former teammate, as well as the man he used to call "Coach."
Evans was asked about the difference between his former training environment and his new life in Florida where he exchanges leather with the "Blackzillians." Rashad says his new home reminds him of the early days training at Jackson's MMA:
"The difference between training there and training here is...there's more attention, and the fighters here are how the fighters were there when I first started training at Jackson's. That's hungry and vicious and helping each other out. So, the environment here mimics what it was at the beginning at Jackson's."
With that said, Evans has mellowed his tone a bit within the last year or so, regarding his stance toward Greg Jackson. Here's what he had to say when he was asked if he thinks Jackson's is a great gym because of the fighters who train there, or if the fighters are great because they've trained with Jackson:
"You know, I will never take anything away from Greg Jackson as a coach. Greg Jackson is an amazing coach, and he's one of the best coaches that I had. But, to that fact, there are a lot of guys who flock there because he is a great coach and that is a great training environment. It's a little bit of both. He has produced some great fighters, and, at the same time, great fighters have come and trained underneath him."
One of the areas that many are expecting Evans to look exploit is the use of the takedown. To date, no one has taken Jon Jones down. Evans believes he can get him to the mat if he wants to, but he's not overly preoccupied with that aspect of the fight:
"No, it's not playing in my head, the fact that he's never been taken down. I know how to get him down. There's been time to take him down in practice and stuff like that. But, practice is practice. When it comes to real time, we'll see what I can do, but for the most part, I'm not really worried about the fact that somebody has been taken down or not."
Sometimes, a feud as over the top as the one between Jones and Evans can come off as scripted or rehearsed. According to Evans, you can believe that the venom, in this case, is completely sincere:
"No, everything is 100-percent real. Unfortunately, it's 100-percent real. It's like one of those things where we had that respect for each other. We had that connection with each other. We were on the same team and everything. There's a lot that goes into that when you're training and sweating with somebody and you're giving everything you have to that person. A lot goes into that, so, there's a lot of emotion that's still there and still raw."
Finally, Rashad was posed the question of whether or not he'd choose to be able to go back in time, change things and be lifelong friends with Jones, or if he'd rather just beat his ass:
"At this point, uh...I'd rather beat his ass. To be honest. I'd rather beat his ass. But you know, it's kinda crazy 'cuz I'm goin' off the emotion that I'm feelin' right now. You know? But, I dunno. A friend for life is a pretty good friend, so I guess maybe the friend for life would be one that lasts longer 'cuz a friend in the cage is just for in the cage, but a friend for life is something you'd always have."
One thing is for sure. When the cage door closes at UFC 145, the talk won't matter anymore and fans will finally get to see just who is the superior fighter in this bitter rivarly.
Does the talk get you Maniacs excited for Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans? Or are you ready for the chatter to end and for each fighter to put their money where their mouth is?
Opinions, please.
Posted in: jone, jackson, fighter, training, evan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaONE FC Preview: Danny van Bergen vs Richie Whitson and Jiang Long Yun vs Yodsanan Sityodtong
ONE Fighting Championship 'War of the Lions' is one of the biggest cards in Asian history and between now and March 31st I will be previewing every fight, working my way up the card, starting with ...
1# Richie Whitson vs Dave Van Bergen
Danny Van Bergen's strength is listed on the M-1 website as 'stand up' and given that he trains with Melvin Manhoef you can probably get a pretty good idea of what the Dutchman brings to the table. That's actually a bit misleading because six of his ten wins are by submission, only one of them is by KO or TKO.
His record of 10-10-3-1 is not exactly outstanding but he has beaten some tough fighters such as Mick Sinclair and Danial Sharifi and won't regard Whitson as an insurmountable obstacle. The American is very well rounded and as you would expect from a Team Quest fighter, he has strong wrestling.
Whitson has an outstanding record of 11-2 and has never been stopped by strikes, with losses coming by way of submission and split decision, although he was also submitted by Ross Pearson during his stint on The Ultimate Fighter.
He's been preparing for this fight at Evolve MMA, where his coach and manager Heath Sims heads the wrestling program, so his BJJ, Muay Thai and boxing should be razor sharp after working with the world champions there. Whitson has signed a long term contract with ONE FC and there are some big fights waiting for him in the lightweight division if he has a successful debut.
Van Bergen has basically nothing to lose here. In all probability he needs to win and win well if he wants to get another fight with ONE FC so he might well throw caution to the wind and go looking for the stoppage. Whitson needs to register a win after suffering the first decisive loss of his pro career recently and is likely to come in with a specific gameplan to nullify his opponent.
With neither man having any obvious connections to Asia this could be a quiet affair and that's probably why it is the first fight of the night. Hopefully these two will make a real effort to put on a show and make it a fight to remember.
2# Yodsanan Sityodtong vs Jiang Lon Yun
This is a fight I cannot wait to see. Muay Thai champion Daniel Mashamaite offered only token resistance on Yodsanan Sityodtong's MMA debut but the Thai fighters striking looked scary and no-one in the bantamweight division is going to want to stand with him.
Jiang Long Yun could well be the exception to that rule because he has more MMA experience and is a Sanda fighter from China who says he won't be afraid to trade strikes with the former WBA boxing world champion. In his last fight he knocked top ranked Chinese fighter Honggang Yao out so badly he was worried he might have done him permanent damage.
Yodsanan has knocked out no fewer than 47 opponents in his boxing career and has heavy, heavy hands. He has also got around 50 Muay Thai fights to his name but might never have faced anyone with Jiang's sideways Sanda stance.
The Chinese fighter does have a background in wrestling but he claims he isn't planning to use it and I am inclined to believe him. This should make for an explosive contest because you know Yodsanan won't be shooting for any takedowns.
I love the way Yodsanan uses his hands. Lots of so called boxing specialists in MMA tend to bounce around and sacrifice power for plenty of movement but the Thai knows how to sit down on his punches and is always looking to finish the fight with them.
Don't write off Jiang though, he is much more experienced and with five times as many fights and wins over high caliber opponents could even be considered the favorite. For me this is a dream match up and one I can't wait to watch.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, fighter, whitson, yodsanan, jiang
Read the full article at MMA ManiaReader Rants: Takes on Jose Aldo, ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and touching gloves ()
Welcome to another edition of Reader Rants, where your opinions take center stage. Taken from the Cagewriter Facebook page , each rant comes from a Cagereader. If you want to join in, go to Cagewriter's Facebook page , like it, and comment on stories.
No opponent has yet been named for Jose Aldo's title bout in Calgary . One reader wants to see him try out lightweight instead.
I'd like to see him test the waters at 155, a la Anderson vs Irvin/Griffin. I think he would be the most likely candidate for a concurrent belt holder. (Jones at HW is ridiculous. He is an awesome, absolutely spectacular fighter, but his frame is not that of a HW.) -- John Wilcox
Friday night's "The Ultimate Fighter" quick ending also caused a reaction.
Posted in: fighter, center stage, fighter ’, reader rants, reader
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsThe Hurt Business: A Big Night on the Small Scene
A few minutes before the first bout a woman walks up the steps to the cage and through its open doors, shedding her clothes effortlessly as she goes. She is in no particular hurry. She removes her top in one clean motion and hardly seems to break stride as she ditches her pants. By the time she’s in the cage she is completely naked. The sparse crowd whistles nervously, like they feel it’s expected of them, and the woman puts her arms up like a gymnast who has just stuck the landing. Look at me. I’m naked.
No one -- including her -- seems to know what to do next.It is not quite seven p.m. on a Saturday night in Denver, Colo. The spring rain has been falling in buckets all day long. Outside there are people still lined up in front of the National Western Complex box office, huddling forward to try and get under some sort of cover as they decide whether it’s worth it to pony up the extra 20 bucks and upgrade from general admission to the $50 seats up front. The fighters are crowded into one backstage area, trying to untie the knots in their stomachs and resisting the urge to look around the flimsy partition for a glimpse of their opponents. The ring girls on loan from the local Hooters jab at their cell phones with perfectly manicured fingernails. No one has even had the chance to get properly drunk on seven-dollar beers yet, but somehow there is already a naked woman in the cage.
It’s a situation that the local security team seems unprepared for. What are you supposed to do about a female streaker, anyway? You’re not going to tackle her to the ground. That could easily be taken the wrong way. Besides, nobody seems particularly upset about her presence here at all. The naked woman pauses awkwardly inside the cage, as if she hasn’t thought even a second past this very moment. She leaves through the opposite door, walks a few feet to an open space in the floor and stops, as if waiting to be scooped up by smirking security guards. But no, still nothing. Might as well put her clothes back on and head out. The night is still young.No one is in any danger of confusing Denver’s Fight to Win organization with the big time. It’s one of two regional fight promotions in the area, but thanks to the prevalence of MMA gyms throughout Colorado -- where the Grudge Training Center is still the juggernaut that other gyms despise and envy and emulate -- there’s now more than enough talent to go around. Tonight’s "Outlaws" fight card will feature 12 total fights, including at least one former UFC fighter and a female main event featuring a former Strikeforce women’s title challenger. It will also feature a Johnny Cash tribute band that plays during intermission, and a horrible sound system that blares garbled club mixes the rest of the time. It’s the kind of event where, backstage, you’ll see one fighter warming up with a little shadow-boxing just a few feet away from another who’s getting his head stitched up after things didn’t go his way. It’s the kind of event where it’s not at all uncommon to see a fighter go straight from the locker room to the concession stand for a beer after his fight, then down it shirtless and with handwraps still on, grinning through the bruises and just waiting for some girl to happen by and say, ‘Hey, aren’t you one of those fighter guys?’ as if he could make it any more obvious. It’s the kind of event where tomorrow’s hangovers and concussion-related headaches take shape before your eyes. Where every winning fighter seems to have an after-party at a downtown bar that he can’t wait to tell the crowd about, despite a P.A. system that cuts in and out during his big victory speech.
(A Johnny Cash tribute band does its best to hold the crowd's attention. Photo by Ben Fowlkes)In the MMA food chain, Fight to Win is somewhere in the lower-middle portion. Inside the stark and dreary National Western Complex, which from the outside looks more like a prison than an events center, you feel light years away from the UFC. Still, it’s not out of the question for a fighter to go from here to the Octagon with a couple impressive performances. It happens, even if it doesn’t happen all that often. It’s also not out of the question for a fighter recently released from one of the big promotions to return home to the local scene and make a couple grand off a name that, however briefly, still sparks a flicker of recognition when the hardcore fight fans see it on a poster in some bar two weeks before the event.But for a fighter trying to make a career out of this, the middle is a tough place to be. The money simply isn’t there. The winner of tonight’s main event will make $2,000 to show and another $2,000 to win -- an uncommonly good payday for a female fighter on the small circuit. The rest will consider themselves extremely lucky if they can break into the low four figures, and that’s before paying a trainer or manager (if they have one) his meager cut of the proceeds. Most of tonight’s fighters -- while technically professionals -- will be doing this as a side gig, their incomes supplemented by one or more other jobs. Many of them will have taken these fights on two or three weeks notice. Most will have no real hope of making it to the UFC, and some will be honest enough with themselves to realize it. While a few might be trying to make the long climb from the local circuit to the big show, some will just be in it for the thrill and the girls.Ricky Vasquez, who trains at Grudge and manages many of the small-time (or, if you want to be generous, ‘up-and-coming’) fighters in the region, has seen people get in the cage for all sorts of reasons."I remember one kid, I think he was a paramedic or something, and he had a record of like 14-16," Vasquez says, standing just outside the oven that is the backstage prep area for his fighters. "He wasn’t that great, but even though he worked full-time he would take literally any fight, so they just kept giving him fights."What a lot of people don’t understand is why a guy would put his body through the ringer like that, over and over again, and all for a few hundred bucks a pop. Vasquez isn’t sure he understands it either, but he’s also not sure anyone besides the person who’s doing it really needs to."Maybe he just wanted to be able to say he’d fought some of these guys before they got big," he says. "I don’t know. Maybe he just really, really loved it."You probably have to, if you’re going to fight here, in front of a half-drunk crowd that won’t even bother to learn your name as they shout for the guy in the red shorts to kick your teeth in. You also have to have a kind of unreasonable faith in yourself to believe that you’ll be one of the few to fight your way out of the National Western Complex and into a pay-per-view bout at the MGM Grand some day -- hopefully some day soon, before your youth has been spent on no-name ambulance drivers and girls who just want to date one of those fighter guys, without being too picky about which one. In the meantime, these people have paid good money to come out on a rainy Saturday night and see you jokers beat each other up. They’ll drink the overpriced beers and catcall the over-tanned ring girls, but what they really want is to see some action. They want blood, and they don’t particularly care whose it is. They want knockouts they can tell their friends about. They want their 50 bucks worth and they want it now. Now get out there and give them a show.
(Many fighters. One wide-open locker room. Photo by Ben Fowlkes)*****A day before the local fights a man comes into the Grudge Training Center. Tall guy, thick Dutch accent. He’s got his wife with him. They’re on holiday in the U.S, he explains, and they’ve recently come to Denver from Los Angeles, which they enjoyed very much. They’re headed back to the Netherlands soon, he says, but he’s a huge MMA fan and so he just had to stop in and see the Grudge gym where UFC fighters like Nate Marquardt and Shane Carwin train. His wife, she humors him. She doesn’t say much. The tall guy does most of the talking.The front desk at Grudge is the province of Jen "Lil' Ice" Berg, a fighter herself who also runs the gym’s front end with an obsessive precision that the Grudge staff won’t even realize they depended on so heavily until she’s gone. At 5’2" and weighing just barely over 100 pounds, she can almost never find anyone her size to train with at Grudge, so she does her best to mix it up with the guys between answering phones and sweet-talking drop-ins who may or may not become members. It’s a job she can do in her sports bra and yoga pants most days, which seems just fine by the male members of the gym, who by now have learned that while Jen is bubbly and friendly to just about everyone, she is not in the habit of taking crap from anyone.Jen tries to make the tall guy happy, but she’s not sure what he’s expecting, really. It’s early Friday afternoon, the day before a local event, so there’s not much in the way of actual training going on. He can look around the front of the gym if he wants, browse through the pro shop where the t-shirts and gloves and handwraps are all for sale, but other than that...What about Trevor Wittman, the tall man wants to know. He has seen Trevor Wittman on the UFC shows, and he would very much like to meet Trevor Wittman. That’s a simple enough request, so Jen rousts Trevor out of his office and the two take a picture together. They talk shop for a minute -- MMA, K-1, how the kickboxing scene is doing over in the Netherlands -- Trevor is happy to chat. The tall man would like to buy a pair of Grudge MMA shorts, and just to make sure they fit he’s going to take off his pants and try them on right here in the middle of the pro shop. Jen quickly turns away and makes the ‘okay, then’ face to herself. We’ll chalk this one up to cultural differences. The tall man likes the shorts. The tall man will purchase them. He and his wife wave goodbye, thank Jen and Trevor for their hospitality, and with that they are out the door and headed back to the Netherlands, where we will likely never see or hear from them again.Only no, not really. We see the tall man the very next night, actually. When Grudge heavyweight "Skinny" Vinny Pallone (at six feet and around 250 pounds, his is one of those ironic nicknames) steps into the cage at the Fight to Win event in the National Western Complex and there he is standing across the cage."That f---er!" says Jen Berg. And hold on, is he -- could he be? -- yes, the Dutch bastard is even wearing the shorts that he bought at Grudge yesterday. Is he even Dutch? Was that even his wife?"Oh, I hope Trevor’s not mad at me," says Berg.But how could she have known? And what could the guy have been hoping to get out of that little reconnaissance mission, anyway? It wasn’t like his opponent was going to be sitting there on Friday afternoon, loudly discussing his game plan for Saturday night’s fight. He didn’t see any training, didn’t even see the main room where the training is done. He met Wittman, but Wittman doesn’t even corner Grudge fighters at these local shows. He’s cageside at a VIP table with his wife and assistant coaches, enjoying a few cold ones. Really, all the tall man -- who we now know is really George Ashauer, a 6’5" heavyweight making his pro debut for Aurora, Colo.’s Denver Judo club -- got out of the deal was the shorts, which he is now wearing as he prepares to do battle with Grudge’s Pallone.
("Skinny" Vinny waits his turn. Photo by Ben Fowlkes)Funny story about Pallone: a couple weeks ago Wittman watched as he took a direct, though not particularly brutal-looking shot to the nose in sparring. Pallone made a noise like a wounded animal and went running for the bathroom. When Wittman went to check on him, Pallone was in a frantic state, holding his bloody nose with both hands, standing on a bloody tile floor."What’s wrong?" Wittman asked. Pallone gestured to his nose. What if it was broken, he wanted to know. They wouldn’t let him fight with a broken nose, would they?"Sure, why not?" Wittman said. A slightly broken nose was one of the few broken bones you could totally fight with, since it wasn’t like you needed it to be in tip-top working order. Either you were going to get hit in the nose during the fight or you weren’t, and either way you were going to have to deal with it. A doctor could set it if it, but most wouldn’t even bother to do much with a fighter’s nose since, as they saw it, he was probably just going to break it again soon. So Pallone was fine. He could still fight, Wittman told him."Really?!" he said. His spirits instantly improved. He cleaned up the blood on the floor, stuffed some tissue up his nose, and went right back onto the mats.But tonight isn’t "Skinny" Vinny’s night. He and Ashauer waste no time wading into each other with power strikes, and sure enough his nose gets clipped. The blood flows freely, but Pallone gamely battles back against an opponent who’s nearly half a foot taller. Pallone is certainly made of denser stuff, and he proves that he can take a punch as well as he can give one. Eventually, however, the height difference comes into play. Ashauer grabs Pallone in a Thai clinch up against the fence, and his knee has only a short trip to make before it finds Pallone’s chin. Pallone goes down and Ashauer drums a few more punches to the side of his head before the ref finally decides to call it off. The whole thing takes just a shade under five minutes.After the fight, Ashauer gets on the mic and thanks the usual cast of teammates and trainers, but he also thanks Wittman for the shorts. Wittman has no idea what the guy is talking about, nor can he even really be sure that the guy is talking to him over this terrible sound system, where all but the most emphatic statements are lost in the crackling feedback. Later, when he finally finds out that this is the same man who he was grinning in pictures with just yesterday, he’ll be far more amused than upset. The whole thing is actually pretty hilarious, when he thinks about it. Pallone, meanwhile, is too busy bleeding to appreciate the humor in it.For Grudge’s in-house fighter manager Vasquez, the focus tonight is on another Grudge heavyweight, Jeremiah Constant. "Hacksaw," his friends call him. And it’s true, he does bear an uncanny resemblance to pro wrestler "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, but with a mischievous gleam in his eye that suggests he might be up for whatever brand of all-night trouble you have in mind.Everyone at Grudge agrees that Constant is a hell of a fighter. At least, he could be. If he got serious about his training, if he didn’t like to drink and party quite so much, maybe he could really do something. His wrestling is top notch, and for the first couple minutes of every fight he’s an absolute terror. He was taking it to former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez when they fought in a Bodog Fight event back in 2006, his friends will tell you. That is, until he gassed out.
("Hacksaw" and his manager, Vasquez, head for the locker room. Photo by Ben Fowlkes)Constant’s the kind of fighter who can tell you a lot about the difference between good and great. Talent? He’s got it. Raw ability, the kind you just can’t teach? Sure. But he’s missing something else, and everyone around him can see it, even if no one can help him fix it. Maybe it’s not a lack of work ethic so much as it is an overabundance of energy, pointed in all the wrong directions. Grudge wrestling coach Leister Bowling can tell you all about when Constant was staying at his place, how he’d get drunk and out of hand some nights, how Bowling would have to lock him in the backyard just to keep his ranting and raving out of the house. But Bowling lives in a nice neighborhood with nice neighbors, so he couldn’t have that around for long. Eventually he sent Constant out to Oregon to train with Matt Lindland and the Team Quest guys -- a favor that Lindland sarcastically thanked Bowling for when he saw him at the UFC event in Newark.But now Constant is slipping into his late 30s, carrying a pro record of 9-7, and it’s now-or-never time. It’s time to get serious, according to Vasquez. It’s time to try and string a few wins together and maybe get noticed by Bellator, Strikeforce -- who knows? He should get off to a good start tonight against Xavier Saccomanno, who is 1-2 and not expected to be much of a challenge for Constant, who, rumor has it, is actually in shape for this fight.As it turns out, this is one fight where it wouldn’t have mattered what kind of shape Constant was in. He clinches Saccomanno against the cage right away, gets him down, and is just starting to get to work with punches from the top when Saccomanno taps out. It’s over in less than a minute, and even Constant seems confused by how quickly his opponent gave up. Afterwards, he invites the crowd to his after-party at the Jet Hotel nightclub down the street and announces his intention to get absolutely hammered. It’s a promise that no one who knows him doubts he make good on.The last bout of interest for the Grudge team on tonight’s card features lightweight Luke Caudillo -- an eight-year veteran of the sport who’s clinging to a career that might be headed into dangerous territory. Wittman is conflicted as watches from cageside tonight. He’s asked Caudillo to retire twice already, he says. He took a bad knockout in last fight for Denver’s other regional promotion -- Ring of Fire -- and he’s already had his shot at the big time. Caudillo fought twice in the UFC and once in Strikeforce, and he lost all three during a six-fight losing streak that stretched on for more than two years. For his own health and safety, Wittman would like to see Caudillo hang up the gloves, but he can’t make him. He tried that with boxers in his old life, and it never worked. They just went and found someone else to train them. Maybe if this one doesn’t go his way, the 30-year-old Caudillo will see the light. Not that Wittman wants him to lose. Not exactly. But he also doesn’t exactly want to see him win if winning means that he’ll decide to keep taking the beatings.Caudillo’s opponent is a tough wrestler named Steve Granieri, and right away it’s clear that he came here tonight ready to get messy. Caudillo is the better striker early on, tagging him with straight punches and opening up a small cut around Granieri’s eye. Granieri signals for more and the crowd eats it up. At cageside, Wittman’s wife, Christina, who’s a big fan of Caudillo’s, gets to her feet and cheers him on passionately as Wittman himself watches quietly from his seat. He’s not sure what he wants to see happen here, but it doesn’t seem like any ending can be an entirely happy one.In the second round the wrestler has gained confidence. He stings Caudillo with his jab several times, and he starts to get cocky. He’s talking to Caudillo between punches, almost mocking him. He shoots for a takedown and Caudillo sprawls. As they’re both scrambling back to their feet he tags the wrestler with a good knee and down he goes. He looks to be already out, but Caudillo adds a few more punches just to be sure. The guy isn’t mocking anyone now.Maybe the year-long layoff between that last loss and this fight actually did Caudillo some good, Wittman says afterward. "But I still don’t want to see him fight again."Sure enough, when Caudillo gets on the mic after his big win he declares himself "reborn in the fight game." Does that sound like a man who’s planning on hanging it up soon? It does not.The main event ends with local favorite Cat Zingano slamming her way to a knockout win over Takayo Hashi, and with that the crowd is given one last adrenaline rush before being sent back out into the rain after more than four hours inside the National Western Complex. Zingano’s $4,000 payday will be the biggest on the night, with fighters like Constant just glad to make $750 to show and $750 to win.Hacksaw? He’ll go to the bar tonight. Others, like Pallone, might be better off going to the hospital. Wittman and his wife will go home to relieve the babysitter. Nobody’s life is dramatically changed by tonight, and yet nobody is exactly the same as when they walked in. Outside of Colorado, few fight fans will even know or care about what happened here between the time the one woman took her clothes off and the other woman got knocked out. The money wasn’t great and the sound system was positively awful. Crowds have been better but they’ve also been worse.The ER nurses who examine their broken hands and the after-party girls who patiently listen to their war stories might not understand how it could possibly be worth it, all this sacrifice and suffering for less money than you could make with a decent paper route, but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day either you got in the cage and you fought or else you didn’t. And they did. Long after the money’s been spent, they’ll still have the faint scars and the creaking joints and the not-quite-straight noses to prove it. Who’s to say that’s not enough? And what did you expect, anyway?
Posted in: fight, fighter, grudge, itrsquo, wittman
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseJake Ellenberger-Martin Kampmann headed towards meeting at TUF 15 Finale
Welterweights Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann will square off in a match that could help solidify a future contender in one of the UFC’s most talented divisions. Officials announced Wednesday the two will serve as the main event for The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale on June 1.
Ellenberger has been one of the hottest fighters in all of the UFC, winning six straight fights since a Split Decision loss to current interim champion Carlos Condit. The 26-year old recently capped his streak off by outpointing Diego Sanchez last month. Other fighters “The Juggernaut” has earned wins over include Jake Shields, Sean Pierson, Carlos Eduardo Rocha, John Howard, and Mike Pyle. Four of those six victories have come by way of strike-based stoppage.
Comparably, Kampmann has won two straight since back-to-back defeats at the hands of Sanchez and Shields, earning a decision over Rick Story and a come-from-behind submission against Thiago Alves earlier this month. “The Hitman” is 4-2 in six fights since 2010.
Their bout is set to takes place from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. So far, Kampmann-Ellenberger is the only official bout aon the card outside of the finales in TUF’s lightweight tournament.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, finale, mike pyle, backtoback defeats
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainJohnston on MMA: Calgary's Canadian content
A look at Canadian fighters that could potentially find themselves on the first UFC card in Calgary.
Posted in: fighter, canadian, ufc card, canadian fighters, calgary
Read the full article at sportsnet.caMario Sperry: Jones is a tough fighter, but Rashad is 'phenomenal'
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link, mario, sperry
Read the full article at RedditKen Shamrock sounds off on fighter pay, Dana White’s role in the UFC’s growth
MMA icon Ken Shamrock has never been one to remain silent when he has a strong opinion he feels is worth sharing. Shamrock is a former UFC champion and was part of the promotion during its infancy, helping build it into what is now the sport’s leading organization.
For Shamrock, though, just being remembered doesn’t seem to be enough, and as such he’s continued to speak out against the likes of UFC President Dana White regarding pay and his role in the UFC’s growth.
“I don’t like to come in and say, ‘I’ve done this and I’ve done that,’ because really, it takes a village to make something happen. And to hear Dana White say, ‘I did this and I did that. It was me. And he didn’t do this and didn’t do that,’…well, how in the world did they get to where they were at if it was just Dana,” said Shamrock while visiting The MMA Hour on a recent episode. “Because I didn’t see him in the ring. I didn’t see Dana fighting. I didn’t see the numbers go up when they just had Tito (Ortiz) there. I didn’t see any of that.”
Shamrock went on to discuss how he helped push the UFC to the forefront during his feud with Ortiz. The two were coaches on The Ultimate Fighter and helped draw some of the biggest viewership numbers the promotion has seen to date. Shamrock, a former professional wrestler, also talked about a bone he’s had to pick for some time – fighter pay.
“They will never let you get in there and see the books,” said Shamrock in reference to a claim by White that he made $2.5 million in the company. “It’s not open. So then they make statements like that, and it doesn’t make sense.”
Shamrock will always be remembered for his role as a UFC Hall of Fame fighter, though any chance of a reconciliation between himself and White seems highly unlikely at this point for personal reasons.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, dana, shamrock, role
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUltimate Blogger Rory MacDonald: Day of rest
Rory MacDonald says taking time to recover is every bit as important to a fighter as is training.
Posted in: fighter, macdonald, training, blogger, rory
Read the full article at sportsnet.caMike Chiesa's 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live' stint turns into mission for dad
Mike Chiesa anticipated what was coming when he picked up the phone.
"I was in the middle of training in my morning session, actually, and someone came and grabbed me and was like, 'Put your mic on and call your mom,'" Chiesa told MMAjunkie.com and USA TODAY. "I was like, 'Oh, [expletive].' I already knew."
Chiesa had just fought his way into the final 16 fighters in this season's edition of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live," and now faced a moral dilemma.
Posted in: fighter, chiesa, mike chiesas, morning session, expletive i
Read the full article at MMA JunkieONE FC: TUF Veteran Richie Whitson On Fighting in Asia for the First Time
Despite an 11-2 record which Richie Whitson has acquired fighting in promotions in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, he is still best known for a brief stint on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). The 26 year-old was extremely unfortunate to suffer an infection during TUF 9 and was unable to train properly before being beaten by eventual winner Ross Pearson.
Since that setback, Whitson has been on good form as he has fought all over the world and more often than not come away with the win. The UFC has yet to come calling but the long time Team Quest member has instead signed a multi-fight deal with ONE FC, courtesy of his manager Heath Sims.
Sims recently joined Evolve MMA to head the wrestling program there and his student and protege has been training with him in Singapore as he prepares to take on experienced Dutchman Danny Van Bergen at ONE FC 'Battle of Heroes' on March 31.
Whitson chatted to MMAmania.com about life after TUF and fighting for the first time in Asia.
How did the chance to fight for One FC come about?
One FC is a great organization and one that I had heard great things about so when my manager Heath Sims told me the he could possibly set up a fight for me in the One FC I was all for it.
There will be 7,000+ people in the Singapore Indoor Stadium and the show will be broadcast on ESPN Star Sports. Have you ever fought on an event on this scale before?
I have fought on some big shows before, but this may be the biggest. I'm very excited for my Asian MMA debut to be in such a big show.
Did you enjoy TUF and do you think it helped you to improve as a fighter?
TUF was a great experience. I definitely did not enjoy living in a house with 15 other men for 6 weeks, but other than that the experience was a good one. I learned a lot from it and got a lot of exposure which has helped my career as fighter.
Were you disappointed not to get a chance to fight on the TUF finale?
Yeah I was disappointed. I felt I had a very good fight to get into the house but then had some bad luck by getting impetigo which is a bacterial infection. That forced me out of any training up until I fought the eventual winner Ross Pearson. I figured knowing my story and how well I did the first fight I would get a shot in the finale, but it didn't turn out that way. In the end I'm just happy I got a shot to be on The Ultimate Fighter
Are you hoping to get back in the UFC one day?
Some day it would be nice to be back in the UFC, but for now I’m extremely happy to be fighting for One FC. I think Asian MMA is going to blow up with One FC and I’m happy to be here when it does.
Do you have a multi-fight deal with One FC or is this just a one off?
I do. I believe it’s a five fight contract?
You have spent a few weeks at Evolve MMA with Heath Sims, how have you found that experience?
It's been a very good experience. The trainers and fighter here are great and Singapore is a awesome city.
What are your thoughts on your opponent Danny van Bergen?
I think he is a tough opponent, but I think I'm better than him everywhere.
Does knowing that so many people in Asia are going to be watching put more pressure on you or do you feel more relaxed because you are fighting away from the US?
No I don't feel more pressure. I'm from a small town called Sitka, Alaska and a lot of people in that town follow my career. I always feel the most pressure knowing that all my friends and family from Sitka are watching. I know it’s important to impress the Asian fans, but no I don't feel more pressure
How do you feel about being the first fight of the night, are you hoping to get to watch the rest of the show?
This is actually the first time in my whole career that I'm the first fight of the night. I think after this fight they will definitely have me higher up on the card, but it will be cool to get the fight done and be able to have a few beers and watch the rest of the fights.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, fighter, tuf, fc, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTUF Live On FX Episode Two: Dominick Cruz Shows Off His Intelligence While Urijah Faber Talks Tough
Following a great first episode of elimination round fights, the Ultimate Fighter Live on FX returned last Friday for the second episode. Captains Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber picked their teams, the fighter's moved into the house and the first fight of the season took place.
I thought I'd begin by comparing my fantasy draft to the actual draft that Cruz and Faber did.
Actually, scratch that.
I want to begin with the decision to have Jon Anik interview Daron Cruickshank after he was knocked out cold by James Vick in the evening's fight. Quite frankly, I thought it was a highly ignorant decision and is a practice that really needs to be abandoned going forward.
I'm not sure why I need to spell this out, but when a fighter (or for that matter, any person) loses consciousness due to a blow to the head they have, by definition, suffered a concussion. Not only have they suffered a concussion, they have suffered a severe concussion, by any number of grading systems. In the recent past, I have heard a few commentators who seem to be unsure of this, remarking in individual instances that a fighter rendered unconscious due to strikes "may have suffered a concussion".
This is simply not the case, and to me such statements minimize the serious nature of head injuries and sends the message that you might have nothing to worry about if you get knocked out. Of course by know most of us know that you don't even need to be knocked out to suffer a concussion, but I wanted to be clear that it does not go the other way.
If you have been knocked out, you have suffered a severe concussion. Can we please remember this?
And if you have been knocked out you should not be answering questions, in front of the bright lights on a television set, in the immediate moments following your return to consciousness. I understand the live nature of TUF, and Cruickshank undoubtedly wanted to get up to his feet, undoubtedly wanted to show his loved ones that he was okay, but the fact of the matter is that he had suffered serious brain trauma and the most important thing for his (and anyone who has been knocked out) health is to undergo immediate, uninterrupted treatment by the supervising medical staff.
If I sound a little bit like a prude, well, get over it. I'm not the first to say this, but I will repeat it over and over again until someone listens:
Get rid of the fighter interview for those who have suffered severe concussions, in TUF and on the big show. It's a relic from a past that we need to move forward from.
Back to the battle after the jump.
Here is the order the fighter's were drafted. The spot I picked them to go is in brackets:1. Justin Lawrence (3)2. Al Iaquinta (6)3. Sam Sicilia (2)4. Cristiano Marcello (5)5. Myles Jury (1)6. Daron Cruickshank (9)7. Mike Rio (8)8. Joe Proctor (11)9. James Vick (15)10. Michael Chiesa (4)11. Vinc Pichel (7)12. John Cofer (13)13. Chris Tickle (10)14. Andy Ogle (16)15. Jeremy Larsen (14)16. Chris Saunders (12)
So I managed to get exactly zero picks correct, which I'm sure all of you are getting a good chuckle at right now, but it wasn't as bad as it looked. I had most of the guys in the right area, with only James Vick and Michael Chiesa going in far different spots than I projected them to. I was one spot away with Sam Sicilia, Cristiano Marcello, Mike Rio, John Cofer and Jeremy Larsen and I did say that I thought Justin Lawrence should be first pick but I figured he'd drop a spot or two based on some other factors. In the end, Cruz did indeed think Lawrence was the best fighter of the group and if you watched the first episode, he made it clear that he thought he was the best by a long shot.
Obviously I was a little surprised to see James Vick go so high, but he is a tall kid with good stand-up, which is always dangerous with the right coaching. I felt vindicated to a degree when Faber picked Vick to face Daron Cruickshank, but of course that went right out the window when Vick shut off his lights with a well placed knee to the face early on in their match.
But enough about me. Let's get to the interesting stuff, which to me was the dynamic between Cruz, Faber and their respective teams.
Cruz right away showed that he was going to spend a great deal of time focusing on the mental side of things with his team. His first move was to pair his top pick, Justin Lawrence, with controversial pick Chris Tickle. Apparently Tickle wanted to be selected by Urijah Faber and both coaches knew it. Faber tried to leave Tickle on the board until the very end but Cruz was having none of it, selecting Tickle with his 7th pick, much to the surprise of everyone.
Unsure of what to expect from Cruz, Tickle got to grapple against the best fighter in the group right away. As expected, he struggled with Lawrence, but Cruz was in his ear the whole time, encouraging him. Tickle seemed to understand that Cruz wasn't messing with him for the sake of it, but was pushing him in a positive way.
Cruz continued to show his intelligence as he prepared James Vick for the first fight of the season. He spoke to Vick about using his length correctly, he instructed him to keep moving so that he was never a stationary target, emphasizing feints. And as he wrapped up one of the training sessions, he made sure to remind his team of the importance of avoiding a late round takedown. All in all it was some very impressive footage of Cruz in his element and it really opened my eyes as to his fighting savvy.
As for Faber, he didn't come off poorly at all during his training sessions, emphasizing the wrestling that Team Alpha Male has become known for and telling his team that he hoped to give them skills that they could carry with them for the rest of their careers.
He did come off poorly during the official weigh-ins, as he took the attention completely off the fighters and focused it squarely on he and Cruz, questioning Dominick about some statements that Cruz allegedly made regarding the financial backing of Faber's gym. It seemed to me that it wasn't the right time to bring up the issue, although Urijah told the camera that he was a straight shooter and if he had something to say to someone, he would say it. I have to respect that but in the context of the show it seemed a little petty.
The best moment of the show was after the fight was over, with Cruz holding the right to select the next two fighters. He immediately selected Lawrence, his best fighter, and instead of choosing a sacrificial lamb from Faber's team, perhaps in retaliation for the grandstanding Faber had done at the weigh-ins, he told Dana White that "Urijah is the Alpha Male of the group, so he can pick."As the esteemed Joe Rogan might say:
"Oh sh*t!! Son!!"Both Faber and Dana White were caught off-guard by the ploy and either because he didn't have time to think it through, or because he didn't feel he knew his team well enough, Urijah posed the question to them, in front of Lawrence and the entire gym:"Anyone want to take this fight?"The response couldn't have been more telling, as eight grown men mumbled to themselves and stared at their feet, no one willing to step up to the plate. Lawrence looked like he grew three inches and put on thirty pounds of muscle as the seconds passed by, until finally Urijah simply threw his hands up in the air and gave the selection back to Cruz, who went ahead and chose old dog Cristiano Marcello, a legendary brazilian jiu jitsu black belt and former training partner to Shogun Rua and Wanderlei Silva during the Chute Boxe Pride days.
Wow.
We'll have more reaction from this episode later on this week and throughout the season, but if this episode is any indication, you won't want to miss a second going forward, as this season is shaping up to be one of the better seasons in recent history.
Posted in: right, fighter, team, cruz, faber
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendFive NCAA wrestling All-Americans we hope try MMA (Yahoo! Sports)
MMA's ties with NCAA wrestling were evident on Saturday, as Randy Couture, Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley presented awards and several other fighters were in the stands cheering on the wrestlers. The mats were filled with future fighters. Not all … Continue reading →
Posted in: mma, fighter, ben askren, tyron woodley, future fighters
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsConfident, not cocky, Ben Henderson says it's not his job to call people out, just beat them up
Winning 14 out of his last 15 bouts, including his five round battle with Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, late last month, it's safe to say that newly minted Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Ben Henderson is one of the hottest fighters in the sport today.
But is he cocky?
After defeating the former 155-pound kingpin in the "Land of the Rising Sun," Henderson stated that he would defeat any and all of the challenges ahead of him in the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's crowded Lightweight division.
Known for being one of the nicest and most humble guys in the sport today and never been one to come off as arrogant, perhaps his comments of proclaiming he can and will defeat all challengers over and over again were interpreted as arrogance by a select few people.
At least that's what "Smooth" told UFC.com.
Check it out:
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"I definitely don't want to get too far ahead of myself. People seem to think that I'm arrogant or cocky, and I don't want to come across like that. I've said it from the very beginning that I want to be the best fighter and I want to fight and beat everybody. It's not me looking ahead and being cocky all of a sudden like, oh, I beat Frankie Edgar and now all of a sudden I'm gonna smash everybody. I was saying this from the beginning. I'm as confident as any other fighter on the UFC roster. I'm a very confident fighter and all fighters are, or they should be. I want to fight everybody on the roster at 155, I want to beat ‘em all, and I want to have a nice long reign at 155. I'll do a Bernard Hopkins or Joe Louis. I want to make 155 my weight class and I want my name to be synonymous with it. I think that would be something special."
"Smooth" simply feels he is a confident fighter, as is the rest of the promotion's roster. Henderson will have the chance to put that confidence into play real soon as he is slated to rematch Edgar sometime this summer:
"Let's run that back, let's do it again. In my eyes, I don't really see myself as one of those primadonna wide receivers: 'I want this, and this has gotta happen.' I represent the UFC, I'm the 155-pound guy right now, and even if you don't have the belt, it's not about you calling some guys out. To me, that's kinda tacky and disrespectful. It's Sean Shelby, Joe Silva, and Dana White's job to put somebody in front of you. Whoever they put in front of me, I will beat up. It doesn't matter. My job is not to match myself up and call this guy or that guy out. I'm not gonna go on Twitter and make my own match. Some guys are into that and that's the way they want to pursue their career, and they can go right ahead. My job is to beat people up."
With a bevy of challengers lining up who are all looking to dethrone Henderson, he will have plenty of opportunities to prove he can defeat the best of the best at 155 pounds.
First things first, however, as he will have to prove to the MMA world once again that his win over Edgar was indeed legit, by attempting to defeat him in back-to-back fights.
Can he do it? Or will "The Answer" reclaim his title when the two lock horns later this year?
Posted in: guy, fighter, henderson, frankie edgar, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaKen Shamrock Fires Back at Dana White Over Fighter Pay Issue
Though his place in UFC history has been marginalized by his long-running feud with Dana White, Ken Shamrock's place in MMA lore can hardly be questioned. He was one of the stars of the UFC's early days as a perfect foil to Royce Gracie, and he later took part in one of the sport's first big-money rivalries with Tito Ortiz.Since his last defeat at the hands of Ortiz though, he's essentially been persona non grata in the UFC. Part of that is due to a lawsuit that embroiled the sides for a few years, an issue that came up recently again when Shamrock spoke to ESPN about fighter pay.
At the time, White blasted Shamrock, saying he was too uninformed about current fighter pay to speak on the topic before detailing what he alleged to be Shamrock's money troubles before the UFC stepped in up his aid.Speaking on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, Shamrock said he believed the controversy was overblown, noting that "owner-player confrontation" was common in every major sport.What he did take exception to, though, was White's statement about his financials. At the time, White said he fronted Shamrock $60,000, and ultimately paid him $2.5 million for his last two UFC bouts, both against Ortiz.Shamrock shot back by noting that the UFC brought him in specifically for what they felt would be a box-office winner, and that he delivered with two fights that generated huge money for the UFC."I don't like to come in and say, 'I've done this and I've done that,' because really, it takes a village to make something happen," he said."It takes a lot of people to make it successful. And to hear Dana White say, 'I did this and I did that. It was me. And he didn't do this and didn't do that.' Well, how in the world did they get to where they were at if it was just Dana? Because I didn't see him in the ring. I didn't see Dana fighting. I didn't see the numbers go up when they had just Tito there. I didn't see any of that.
"What I saw was me getting in there, building an organization, having a feud with Tito Ortiz to help build those numbers, along with Dana White and the corporation and the company to shoot that feud," he continued. "And also to have Tito there, who was a great villain -- to have someone going against me. And that's how we did those numbers. Because we all got involved and did it."Shamrock said his issue with fighter pay was based upon his belief that the UFC will not let anyone look at their financials to see what ratio of profit the fighters are earning. He says even in his own case where White said he made $2.5 million, how can anyone be sure? "They will never let you get in there and see the books," he said. "It's not open. So then they make statements like that, and it doesn't make sense."Shamrock noted that when Zuffa first brought him back, the promotion was averaging around 40,000 pay-per-view buys. But in his first fight back against Ortiz, they generated 150,000 buys, a massive increase.His participation in the ESPN piece was simply to offer his side of an issue that is frequently discussed, and not part of a larger campaign against his former employer."I set up deals, I agreed to them, so I’m not going to look back on it now and say look how much money they made and how much money I made. It's not fair. I'm not going to say that because I did a contract. I made a deal. It is what it is. But when I hear things like this where it sounds like he did all these things for me and I did nothing for them, it kind of stirs up a little fire because I'm thinking to myself, 'Where would they be if that feud didn't happen?' They were getting ready to shut the doors, from my understanding. Whether it's true or not true, that's just what I heard, that they weren't doing well. And I came in, and the numbers changed."
Posted in: ufc, fighter, dana, shamrock, didnt
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseMMA-Fighter and their ears
Every time The Ultimate fighter starts, my wife asks me why the fighters have those weird ears. It's about the shape of the ears. Because I didn't know the answer I promised to ask you, Redditors, the only ones who could know that. Thanks in advance! submitted by sunshinebratunac [link] [17 comments]
Posted in: fighter, i didnt, one, ear, answer i
Read the full article at RedditUFC Ultimate Fighter Live Wrap Up: Vick KO's Cruickshank
After last week's episode of UFC's The Ultimate Fighter Live, I said that I really enjoyed the new sports-centric approach that the live format gave the show, but that I was curious to see if the old TUF format would return. This week, for about 40 minutes, we were treated to a mostly typical episode of The Ultimate Fighter. The fight was made, the fighters trained, the coaches bickered (just a little) and all seemed normal.
Then the show went live, and the results were tremendous.
To put it simply, that live segment was everything great about The Ultimate Fighter, and further proof that the UFC made the right choice in changing formats this year. Let's start with the fight.
After his impressive showing in the premiere, I named Daron Cruickshank as one of my four fighters to watch this season, while James Vick left virtually no impression on me. So when this week's fight was announced, I was one of the many people who thought it was a done deal. Unfortunately, so did Daron Cruickshank. He overestimated his advantage, got sloppy (and at one point was cautioned by Urijah Faber for getting too loose), shot in with a careless takedown attempt, and was knocked cold. Just a beautiful display of the "anything can happen in MMA" idea.
What made it even better was the live component. Reality TV producers, no matter how hard they try, almost always telegraph the endings. They can't help it. Watch any reality show and you'll see an inordinate amount of focus on that week's eliminated contestant. Since they did not know who would be going home, they didn't edit accordingly, and that made a huge difference.
But the fun didn't end there. Post-fight, Dominick Cruz pulled the bizarre move of letting Faber choose who would fight Justin Lawrence next. And no one stepped up. Seeing Lawrence standing tall while Team Faber sat with their heads down was amazing. With Faber and his team struck mute, Cruz went right for the money fight - Lawrence vs. Cristiano Marcello. That's a HUGE fight, and one I thought could be the finals. The only question is - are Cruz and Lawrence repeating the same mistake Cruickshank made? Are they being too confident? Once again, I can't wait to find out.
Thoughts on James Vick vs. Daron Cruickshank:
I'm still not entirely sold on Vick, who wasn't using his reach well before the KO. Tall fighters who barely use kicks baffle me, and I think the general assessment that he's too reliant on his boxing is accurate. Still, that was an impressive win, and we'll see where he goes from here.
I'm not writing Cruickshank off by any means. He got caught due to his own error, but hopefully he'll learn from that. He's a fighter I could still see sticking around the UFC if his traditional TUF Finale fight goes well.
Thoughts on Justin Lawrence vs. Cristiano Marcello:
Like I said, this was one of my early picks for the final fight, and it's crazy to see it already. It also means that after next week, 2 of my 4 favorites will be gone. I'm torn on this one. Lawrence is more well-rounded and more aggressive, but Marcello's calm, focused attack may win him the day. If Lawrence fights smart, he takes it, but if he gets pulled into a grappling match, he's done.
Posted in: fight, fighter, week, lawrence, cruickshank
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowPound-for-pound top 10 rankings: Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre reign supreme
It's a slow Sunday night so it's time to do it again: A top 10 rankings list of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world today.
It's a daunting undertaking. After all, what good can come of this? Spirited discussion, I hope, at the very least. That and a better appreciation for the elite fighters in the sport we know and love.
A comprehensive listing of the USA Today/SB Nation consensus rankings can be found here. Comprised of some of the top MMA sites on the Internet, it's a rather informative rankings list of the top seven weight classes in the sport today.
But it doesn't venture into the dreaded "pound-for-pound" waters.
That's what I'll do here. I haven't done so since Oct. 20, 2011, and a whole lot has happened since then. Click here to check out how my list looked five months ago.
Of course, any rankings list is highly subjective and up for debate. You know the drill; don't hold back one bit if you disagree.
In we go.
10. Rashad Evans (17-1-1)
By the betting lines and general consensus in the MMA world, I may be one of only a few who are picking Evans to pull off the upset when he squares off against Jon Jones at UFC 145 on April 21 in Atlanta. Detractors tend to point towards irrelevant issues when attempting to talk "Suga" down, like when he was caught by Thiago Silva or when an errant knee from Quinton Jackson sent him flying. They ignore that he controlled every single second of those fights until then. He'll have a moment or two of trouble against "Bones" but he'll ultimately take care of business. If he doesn't, no one else will.
9. Alistair Overeem (36-11)
He was one spot lower five months ago and now he's moved up one just to spite his haters, of which there are still many. Here's what I said last time around: "When he beats Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 on Dec. 30, it will only solidify his placement." He didn't just beat Lesnar, he stomped a mudhole in his ass and walked it dry. Brock, by the way, skipped town right after. That tends to happen when fighters realize they just don't measure up to pound-for-pound greats.
8. Ben Henderson (16-2)
What he managed to do against Frankie Edgar was nothing short of astounding. "The Answer" was able to defeat B.J. Penn twice in a row before handing Gray Maynard his first defeat, by knockout no less. Knocking him off, even by close decision, deserves all the accolades "Bendo" is currently receiving. Yes, I can still see the "Showtime Kick" over and over in my head but that rematch is coming and the story will be a lot different the second time out. This is a complete fighter, as well rounded as they come.
7. Junior dos Santos (14-1)
If there's one knock to be made against this Brazilian badass, it's that he's a tad too mysterious. We know he has big power in his hands, we know he can place his punches perfectly on the button and destroy opponents even when he doesn't, but we don't know how he'll react if he ends up on his back and he's unable to get back to his feet. But, of course, dusting Cain Velasquez, who had previously looked unstoppable, deserves a pound-for-pound award.
6. Gilbert Melendez (20-2)
Jorge Masvidal was no match for Melendez when they hooked up last December and there likely isn't a fighter under the Strikeforce banner who will pose a significant challenge to him. The problem, of course, is that he's not moving over to the UFC any time soon, so we can only know so much, namely that he'll crush glorified contenders while waiting for his time to shine on the big stage.
5. Jose Aldo (20-1)
As noted earlier right here, Aldo is so dominant in his division, matchmaker Joe Silva and UFC President Dana White have all but begged a few of the top lightweights to move down in weight to challenge him. Because, let's face it, "Scarface" is probably running through anyone at 145-pounds right now. That right there qualifies him for this spot. The scary part? He might be just as good 10 pounds heavier ... or 10 pounds lighter.
4. Dominick Cruz (19-1)
Speaking of which, Cruz would quite obviously have something to say about that. And he might pose significant problems, too, considering his speed and crafty footwork that no one has been able to figure out yet. Sure, he has a defeat on his record but that was thanks to a reckless streak he no longer possesses. Much like Aldo, he's fast running out of challengers in his weight class and the calls to move up are growing louder.
3. Jon Jones (15-1)
Quite possibly the most gifted athlete in MMA history, Jones looks as though he could dominate both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions ... at the same time. His combination of size and speed, along with his unorthodox style, has befuddled every opponent he's ever faced. He's also a cold-blooded killer, as evidenced by his choking Lyoto Machida unconscious with a standing guillotine and dropping him to the floor with no feeling whatsoever for his health and well-being. That's not a bad thing, either. He'll have his hands full with Rashad Evans but there isn't much to look forward to after that. Not at 205-pounds at least.
2. Georges St. Pierre (22-2)
No movement here and that's largely because he hasn't done anything since we last visited. I'm not one of those "you have to be active" types, either. We know damn well what we've got with St. Pierre and that's the most well-rounded fighter in the game today, perhaps ever. When he's on and not operating with one eyeball, he's about as good as it gets. Carlos Condit will present a significant challenge to his title but I wouldn't count on getting it fitted for a new waistline.
1. Anderson Silva (31-4)
This position will remain his until someone takes it from him, which doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon. That's because, simply put, he's too good at what he does and there just isn't a chance for him to move up or down in weight to pose a threat to him. He's staying at middleweight and there isn't a 185-pound fighter on Earth who can defeat him. You can tout Chael Sonnen to me all you want, I don't believe for a second he stands a chance when they hook up in Brazil this summer. He's a snowball headed for hell and he can steal as many pro wrestling promos as he wants, it won't save him when he's getting blitzed by the best striker in MMA history.
That's my list, Maniacs. What's yours?
Posted in: time, fighter, hell, he, that
Read the full article at MMA ManiaInterview With Chatri Sityodtong, Former Hedge Fund Manager and the Man Behind Evolve MMA
In the space of three years, Evolve MMA has risen up to become the most renowned mixed martial arts academy in Asia and one of the most talked about training centres in the world. Famous mixed martial artists such as Rich Franklin, Renzo Gracie, Matt Hume, Greg Jackson, Roger Gracie, Shinya Aoki, Saenchai Sor Kingstar, Kyra Gracie, and Ryo Chonan have all made the journey to Singapore to train with its world champions.
With three locations, Evolve MMA is home to dozens of world champions in every major discipline of mixed martial arts including Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing. Modern day legends of Muay Thai from Thailand such as Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn, Orono Wor Petchpun, Attachai Fairtex, Yoddecha Sityodtong, Kongtoranee Payakaroon, and Lamnammoon Sor Sumalee all teach at Evolve MMA.
Its wrestling program is headed by US Olympian Heath Sims, a long time training partner and coach of Dan Henderson and a dozen BJJ Black Belts champions run the BJJ program. WBA boxing world champion Yodsanan Sityodtong runs the boxing program and the professional fight team consists of the likes of DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki, UFC fighter Rafael dos Anjos, ONE FC star Zorobabel Moreira, Muay Thai world champion Orono Wor Petchpun, ONE FC star Leandro Issa, ONE FC star Eddie Ng, NCAA Division 1 wrestler Jake Butler, and many others.
Some of Japan's biggest MMA stars such as Tatsuya Kawajiri and Satoru Kitaoka are also rumored to be close to signing with Evolve MMA. There is even talk of Muay Thai sensation Buakaw Por Pramuk joining his former training partner and close stable mate, Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn, in Singapore.The man behind Evolve MMA is Chatri Sityodtong, a multi-millionaire Thai businessman and former Muay Thai fighter with a passion for MMA. In a rare interview, he spoke to MMA Mania about the past, present, and future of Evolve MMA.
What inspired you to form Evolve MMA?
Martial arts has been my greatest passion in life since I was a child. Whether it was part-time or full-time, I've been training, fighting, teaching, and coaching for almost 25 years now. At this point in my life, the biggest driver for me is my desire to change lives through martial arts, to make this world a better place in my small way.
I have been blessed with good fortune in my business career. So even before I started Evolve MMA, I was already independently wealthy. In fact, in my mid 30s, I had even contemplated living on a deserted island somewhere and sipping Pina Coladas on the beach for the rest of my life.
However, after a year of traveling around the world, the desire to do something positive to help the world really set me on fire. It might sound corny, but I named this company, EVOLVE, because I wanted it to be a place that could inspire anyone to evolve into everything he/she was meant to be in life. Martial arts gives people confidence, mental strength, discipline, focus, a desire for continuous self-improvement, and so much more. And all these valuable lessons can help a person in every area of his/her life...career, relationships, education, health, anything.
My life is a perfect example of the power of martial arts. At one point, I was dirt poor, lived on one meal per day, and my parents were homeless. Without the power of martial arts, I don't know what would have happened to me. So Evolve is my platform to give back to the world.Can you tell us a little about your business background and your martial arts background?
I started Muay Thai at the Sityodtong Camp in Pattaya under Kru Yodtong Senanan when I was a kid growing up in Thailand. I've been training, fighting, teaching, or coaching Muay Thai for almost 25 years. I'm a certified senior instructor under Kru Yodtong Senanan with over 30 fights. My last professional Muay Thai fight was in 2008 in Thailand. I also have a Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo Gracie. I still train in both Muay Thai and BJJ 5-6 times a week with our world champions at the Fighters Program at Evolve MMA.
In terms of my business background, I have spent the bulk of my career as an entrepreneur and/or investor in technology, finance, media, real estate, and sports. I also spent a good part of my career on Wall Street (I was a Managing Director at a US$15 billion hedge fund before starting my own US$500 million hedge fund). And I'm still involved in a few businesses today, including a US$2 billion real estate company, a US$35 million surveillance company, a US$50 million media company, and some other companies. I received my MBA from Harvard in 1999.Evolve MMA seems to have developed very rapidly, has that surprised you?
Yes, it has surprised me. I thought that I was the only person in the world who loved martial arts enough to spend millions of dollars on recruiting world champions, building world-class facilities, etc. I really didn't expect Evolve to have a global reputation after only 3 years. I'm amazed at how fast our brand has grown. At the same time, I feel that Evolve is only at the beginning of its growth. I want to change the world through martial arts. Are you happy with the fighters you have in your team or are you looking to add to it?
I'm always looking for fighters for the Evolve Fight Team. While I am very happy with our current roster of fighters, I am always looking for fighters with world champion potential. We are very lucky to have fighters like DREAM Champion Shinya Aoki, UFC fighter Rafael dos Anjos, ONE FC fighter Zorobabel Moreira, ONE FC fighter Leandro Issa, Muay Thai World Champion Orono Wor Petchpun, ONE FC fighter Eddie Ng, MCFC Champion Mitch Chilson, BJJ World Champion Alex Silva, Muay Thai World Champion Yoddecha Sityodtong, WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan Sityodtong, NCAA Division 1 Wrestler Jake Butler, US Olympic Wrestler Heath Sims, and so many other talented fighters and coaches on our team.
The Evolve Fight Team has world champions and champions in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Wrestling, and No-Gi Grappling. We also have two Olympians on our team. At present, apart from Shinya Aoki and Rafael Dos Anjos, the fight team mainly consists of fighters who are at the start of their careers, is that a deliberate policy?
I don't really look at where a fighter is in his/her career. I look at the person, the fighter, and the future potential. I look to see how much Evolve can help that fighter and how much that fighter can help Evolve. Shinya is a great example of who we are at Evolve MMA.
First and foremost, Shinya is an incredible human being. He's remarkably humble and giving. He's a true martial artist in every sense of the word. Shinya has no airs about being the current DREAM World Champion. When he trains at the Fighters Program at Evolve, he's just another fighter. He absorbs everything we teach him and he has an open mind. He listens and listens. It's amazing really.
Of course, Shinya is superbly gifted as a martial artist with excellent balance, speed, etc. He has an unbreakable warrior spirit and a huge heart too. I look for many things in a fighter before I invite him/her onto the Evolve Fight Team. I'm very, very careful and selective about who is allowed onto our team. And I am very quick to kick people off the team if they exhibit values that are counter to what Evolve is about. Evolve MMA is the only camp that I know of which gives a salary and accommodation to all the trainers and fighters, how do you make that work?
The most important thing for me is the quality of instruction at Evolve MMA. I will never compromise on the quality. Whether you are a beginner or a world-class professional fighter, Evolve MMA stands behind its reputation as the top martial arts school in Asia. You will never see Evolve MMA expanding and growing just for the sake of expansion and growth. For me, quality is everything. Everything we do at Evolve MMA is about providing the highest quality martial arts education available anywhere.
As such, I am willing to do anything and pay whatever it costs to recruit the very best teachers and fighters on the planet. Money is not an issue for me and my focus is not on profits. Of course, Evolve MMA is profitable, but it is not my primary motivation. My focus is on the highest quality martial arts instruction...period. Evolve MMA represents the best in life. It is my way of giving back to the world.What does a coach who is a world champion in Muay Thai or BJJ have to offer that a coach whose background was mainly in MMA might not?
The lucky thing is that we have it all here at Evolve MMA. We have world champions and champions in every discipline...Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Wrestling, No-Gi Grappling. Right now, the Evolve Instructor Team stands at 51 instructors and all of them have been personally vetted and interviewed by me. For me, I care about credentials only if the person is a great human being and a great teacher too. We have a zero tolerance policy here at Evolve MMA for egos and attitudes.
To be frank, I don't really believe in MMA per say. I believe in martial arts...in each discipline...as long as it works in real life. For me, the ultimate mixed martial artist is the martial artist who can fluidly perform each art at a world-class expert level and also have the ability to transition effortlessly between the arts. I believe in martial arts as the foundation of a true mixed martial artist. MMA in and of itself is not really a good foundation.
I'm a huge fan of Jon Jones and GSP because they are martial artists and they are constantly striving to evolve and grow in every area. Martial artists have a very different approach to fighting...versus...let's say...a pure fighter. Martial artists try to perfect their craft every day. Fighters only train when there is a fight coming up. It's a very different approach. We train 2x a day, 6 days a week all year round, irrespective of whether we have a fight coming up or not...What effect has ONE Fighting Championship, which is also headquartered in Singapore, had on Evolve MMA?
Of course, ONE Fighting Championship has had a great impact on Evolve MMA. It helps to have Asia's biggest MMA organization here in Singapore. Victor Cui, the CEO of ONE FC, is a good friend of mine. He really pours on the marketing effort here and it has ignited a huge spark of interest for MMA in Singapore. It seems like every day a new MMA gym is opening in Singapore. More importantly, MMA is really starting to enter the consciousness of the mainstream here. It's still early days, but it's definitely happening. Do many of your members want to be fighters or do they tend to be more self-defense and fitness-oriented?
Like most martial arts schools, I would say that 95% of our members are here for self-defense, fitness, mental strength, confidence, weight loss, and all the other benefits of martial arts. The other 5% are here because they are professional fighters and/or want to become one. At Evolve MMA, we are fortunate in that we have a big diversity of members...men, women, children...beginners, intermediates, experts, professional fighters, world champions...doctors, CEOs, engineers, waiters, nurses, teachers, civil servants...you name it. Our youngest student is 6 years old and our oldest is 65 years old. I believe that the diversity of our membership base, coupled with the depth and breadth of the Evolve Instructor Team, makes for an incredible environment for learning.
In my opinion, Evolve MMA is the world's largest living encyclopedia for martial arts. It is incredible how much knowledge and experience is housed within these walls. One of my staff counted the years of championship experience on the team and it came out to something like 850 years of championship experience across various martial arts. That's some serious firepower right there. So whether you are a complete beginner or you are a professional fighter, you will get the best training here...period. What are your plans for the future, are you planning on expanding Evolve MMA at all?
Yes, I plan to expand Evolve MMA. However, I won't expand for expansion's sake. As I said before, my goal is to provide the highest quality martial arts instruction available anywhere. I want to change lives through martial arts. I want to make a positive impact in this world. If my goal was purely financial, I would open up 50 academies tomorrow all over Asia.
However, I will not do that because I really think it would sacrifice our quality. It is better to grow slowly and carefully...to focus on the highest quality martial arts instruction...to deliver much more than what our members expect...at every step of the way. I plan to be in the martial arts business for the long run. I already have enough money in the bank. I don't need more. At this point in my life, I just want to have fun and I want to know that I am doing good in this world. Something like 7,000 people went to the last ONE FC show and the UFC is rumoured to be taking a close look at Singapore, are you surprised by how quickly the sport has grown since you started Evolve MMA?
Yes, I never expected MMA to be so popular here in Asia after starting Evolve MMA only 3 years ago. And the crazy thing is that it is only the beginning of the MMA revolution in Asia. I think the next 10 years are going to be incredible for everyone in the industry...all over Asia. Asian MMA is a rocketship and it is just about to take off. I really do hope that the UFC does a show here in Singapore.
When I was invited by the UFC to their recent Japan event a few weeks ago, Lorenzo and Dana told me at a private cocktail party that UFC plans to come back in November. Mark Fischer, the head of UFC Asia, is a superbly capable businessman and I expect to see big things from the UFC in Asia. It will sell out for sure...UFC is the #1 player and has the best brand in the MMA world...and in the process, it will create a firestorm of MMA mania!Buakaw has been in the news recently for being mistreated by his management and a lot of fighters retire with little or no savings, particularly in Thailand. How happy are you to be able to offer so many famous former fighters a lucrative job which allows them to pass on all the knowledge they have acquired in their fighting career?
It is one of my greatest joys in life. I know what poverty is because I made it out of poverty. I know how hard a fighter's life is because I have walked that path before. I've never been a world champion, but I know first-hand what the sacrifices are as a professional fighter. I don't have to pay my team as much as I do, but I do it because the main driver for me is to make a positive impact on the world. Without a doubt, Evolve MMA has the highest instructor pay in Asia...maybe in the world possibly...I'll ask one of my staff to look into it on a global basis.
I want to help everyone on my team to achieve their dreams of financial security, home ownership, supporting their parents...and everything else. Kru Yodtong Senanan (my teacher and Grandmaster of Sityodtong Camp) always tells everyone that no one in the world pays more than I do for a Muay Thai instructor. Through Evolve MMA, I can change the lives of our students, our fighters, our instructors, our staff. It brings me tremendous contentment and inner peace to know that Evolve has helped thousands of people.
And the facts speak for themselves. No instructor or fighter has ever left Evolve voluntarily since we opened our doors. I have had to fire a few instructors or kick out some fighters for various reasons. But no one has ever left voluntarily. My team at Evolve MMA is my second family. I really care deeply about them and I want to help make all of their dreams come true. The actual facilities At Evolve MMA are reportedly state-of-the-art. Did you have any doubts about investing so much money in this business and when did you first realize that your gamble had paid off?
I've invested a few million dollars so far into Evolve. I don't mean to sound flippant, but I'm used to investing a lot more money than that in my other businesses. So it was never really a big gamble for me. Besides, I have never really been focused on the money with Evolve. I could have retired and sat on a deserted island a long time ago...well before I started Evolve. But I started Evolve because I love martial arts. It's my greatest passion in life. At this point in my life, I want to give back and to make a positive impact on the world. My pay-off is watching how much Evolve is helping the lives of my students, my fighters, my instructors, my staff...A lot of fighters come to Thailand to train Muay Thai, are you open to visiting fighters coming and training at Evolve MMA?
Yes, of course. We have many world champions and fighters who come to train with us already. Last year alone, we had Rich Franklin, Roger Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Kyra Gracie, Matt Hume, Ryo Chonan, Saenchai Sor Kingstar, and many other famous fighters come to train here at Evolve MMA. My teacher, Kru Yodtong Senanan, always told me when I was a kid, "the best attract the best and the best produce the best." And you know what...it took me many years to appreciate the depth of those words...but today I really believe in that saying.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: world, mma, fighter, champion, art
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFrench phenom Arnaud Lepont hands Krzysztof Hajtalowicz his first defeat at DARE Championship
DARE Championship, Thailand's only professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, was formed last year and is already going from strength to strength. The card for the fourth event was the best to date, featuring 14 fighters from the region all of whom had professional experience and headlined by the historic clash between Arnaud Lepont (above) and Krzysztof Hajtalowicz.
Both Lepont and Hajtalowicz are long-term residents of Thailand, although the Frenchman recently moved to Malaysia to join the team of Muayfit. Hajtalowicz, from Poland, booked his spot in the quarter finals of the DARE welterweight tournament courtesy of a second round submission win over Wiktor Svensson, while Lepont got past Jian Kai Chee.
The fight between the two was the most eagerly anticipated MMA match ever held in Thailand and a capacity crowd gathered at the Insomnia Night Club to see which of these two warriors would book their spot in the semifinals and take a step closer to winning the $125,000 prize money.
Loud music and lasers were the order of the day as the fans were treated to the sort of intense audio visual experience that they have come to associate with DARE. Hajtalowicz has won numerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions and is renowned for his ground game, while Lepont has more experience in the cage and has a reputation as being an extremely aggressive fighter.
The Frenchman landed a couple of hooks early in the fight and Hajtalowicz ended up on his back with Lepont doing some damage from within his guard. However the Polish fighter was extremely active and after multiple submission attempts was able to reverse the position.
Lepont looked a little uncomfortable and ate a few hard shots but was able to survive strikes and submissions and work his way to his feet. Hajtalowicz obviously had a gameplan and used his superior height to clinch and land a series of devastating knees some of which connected clean with the face of the French fighter.
It appeared that the Polish submission specialist was getting the better of the stand up exchanges as he clasped his hands around his opponent's neck and dominated him in the clinch, landing shots which seemed to leave Lepont on wobbly legs.
A Hajtalowicz win seemed inevitable at this stage but just when Lepont looked a spent force he was able to somehow sink in a standing guillotine choke while defending a takedown. The fight veered spectacularly, as only an MMA contest can, mere seconds after he had seemed to be firmly in the driving seat Hajtalowicz found himself forced to tap as Lepont pulled guard and squeezed for all he was worth.
It was an incredible come from behind performance which saw Lepont pull out the guillotine from nowhere just as he appeared to be on the brink of defeat. With his fifth consecutive win the French fighter improved to 8-1 and progressed to the semifinals, sending out the following warning:
"I will never give up and as long as I am alive the fight is never over because I am prepared to die in the cage. I knew I was losing the round but I was patient and waited for my opportunity. People think he is going to beat me because he is good on the ground, but it is not jiu-jitsu it is MMA. He was very strong in the clinch, I didn't think he would have the balls to strike with me but he did. This is my last fight as a welterweight, it is not my natural weight and after this I will be dropping to 155 pounds."
Also celebrating was up and coming Thai fighter Shannon Wiratchai who is winning himself a lot of fans with his fun fighting style and willingness to adapt and learn the MMA game. He took on TDR Panjabutra who was looking for a little vengeance after Wiratchai defeated his brother at DARE 2/11.
Wiratchai was appearing in the cage for only the second time but already has a significant fan following in Thailand. He made a slow start not really coming to life until the closing seconds of the opening round when he launched a flurry of punches and kicks.
The second round was a different story as Wiratchai landed a couple of perfectly timed counter hooks which rocked Panjabutra and allowed him to take the fight to the floor. From there he was able to work diligently to take his opponent's back and sink in a rear naked choke which forced the tap.
The win saw Wiratchai progress to the semi finals of the featherweight tournament and put him two victories away from the $125,000 prize money. The other five fights where all in the opening round and saw five more fighters book quarter final spots.
Mark Striegl is one of the most exciting young fighters in the region and the 23 year old Filipino showed why he is so highly rated by dominating Marko Huusansaari. The tenacious Finnish fighter showed off a sophisticated submission defence to survive an opening round which he spent almost entirely on his back but in round two he was finally forced to tap to a modified arm bar.
Striegl's friend and training partner Will Chope (above) was fortunate to have been allowed to fight after missing weight by almost 5 kgs. In the end he was able to submit Saengchot Parkaiphet with a rear naked choke in the opening round and afterwards, to his credit, apologized profusely for his struggles with the scales.
The rematch between Bruce Loh and Shodiyor Jurabekov ended in disappointment as Loh was unable to continue after damaging his hamstring after some exciting early exchanges. Alexandro Machado was out-powered by Kristoff Petersson who stopped him with strikes in round two while Dan Kerr was submitted by the significantly larger Andre Marcolla.
Complete DARE Championship 2/12 Results:
Shodiyor Jurabekov defeated Loh Kainkai via TKO (injury)
Will TheKill Chope defeated Saengchot Parkaiphet via submission (rear naked choke)
Shannon Cai defeated Tondamrong Panjabutra via submission (rear naked choke)
Kristoffer Persson defeated Alexandro Machado via TKO (strikes)
Mark Striegl defeated Marko Huusansaari via submission (modified armbar)
Andre Marcolla defeated Daniel Kerr via submission (armbar)
Arnaud "TheGame" Lepont defeated Krzysztof Hajtalowicz via submission (guillotine choke)
For more information about DARE Championship visit: www.darefightsports.com.
Posted in: fighter, round, submission, lepont, hajtalowicz
Read the full article at MMA ManiaEvangelista Cyborg's friendly tattoos
EVANGELISTA CYBORG, FIGHTER (by flávio scorsato)
Posted in: fighter, evangelista, cyborg, evangelista cyborgs, scorsato
Read the full article at FightlinkerZach Makovsky Says UFC Has a Lot of Great Fighters, but Bellator Has Its Fair Share (Video)
It's a common misconception that the UFC is the only MMA promotion with any top notch fighters, and Bellator bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky knows this all too well.
Posted in: fighter, mma promotion, zach makovsky, share video, notch fighters
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyAn All-Female Cast of the Ultimate Fighter Reality Show Would Mean Big Business for the UFC: A Fan's View - UFC - Yahoo! Sports
submitted by ericholden [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, allfemale, allfemale cast, ericholden link
Read the full article at RedditThe original Ultimate Fighter
(via Ultimate Fighter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Posted in: fighter, wikipedia, encyclopedia, fighter wikipedia
Read the full article at FightlinkerUFC: Five Fighters on the Rebound in 2012 (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
Everyone gets knocked down at some point in his or her life. The true judge of their character is how one responds to adversity. This adage is played out most literally and brutally in the UFC's Octagon, where you get punched, kicked, kneed, and choked for your troubles on the...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, life, everyone, ufcs octagon
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode No. 2 Recap: Cruz Takes Early Lead (MMAWeekly.com)
In the second episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, the 16 lightweights who fought their way onto the cast moved into The Ultimate Fighter house, a sprawling Las Vegas mansion. Coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber selected their teams. Faber won the coin toss but opted to allow Cruz to choose the first fighter allowing him matchmaking powers to determine the first match-up. Cruz selected Justin Lawrence as his first pick. Faber decided on Al Laquinta.
Posted in: fighter, fighter house, cruz, faber, matchmaking powers
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsFull Roster Lists For The Ultimate Fighter: Cruz Vs. Faber
Last night's Ultimate Fighter saw both judges picking their teams for the season's tournament. With fans having the opportunity to have seen every fighter's fight to "get in the house" it was a bit more compelling to watch the "draft" than in previous seasons.
The UFC sent out a press release covering the full roster for each team:
By winning the coin toss, Faber got the option of choosing the firstfight or making the first fighter selection. He chose the former, leaving Cruz with the initial fighter pick. Cruz's choices (in order): Justin Lawrence (4-0), Villa Ridge, Mo.; Sam Sicilia (11-0), Spokane Valley, Wash.; MylesJury (10-0), San Diego, Calif.; Mike Rio (9-1), Miami, Fla., James Vick (5-0); Vinc Pichel (8-0), Sherman Oaks, Calif.; Chris Tickle (8-4), Bloomington, Ill.; and Jeremy Larsen (9-2), Phoenix, Ariz. Faber's choices (in order): Al Iaquinta (6-1-1), Wantagh, N.Y.; Cristiano Marcello (13-3), Curitiba, Brazil; Daron Cruickshank (10-2); Joe Proctor (8-1), Pembroke, Mass.; Michael Chiesa (8-0), Spokane Valley, Wash., John Cofer (8-1), Hull, Ga.; Andy Ogle (9-1), Tynemouth, England; and Chris Saunders (10-2), Long Beach, Calif.
Which team seems to have the edge?
Posted in: fighter, calif, seasons tournament, fighters fight, cruzs choices
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 episode 2 post-fight power rankings
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15: "Live" got into full swing with the second episode last night (March 16, 2012), as coaches Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz picked their teams, set up the first fight and got the training underway.
This week's show was capped off by a brutal knee knockout by James Vick over Daron Cruickshank that surprised most people, including me. For a detailed account of how it all went down be sure to hit up out TUF 15: "Live" results post right here.
Nonetheless, several things became evident in episode number two:
Cruz is super uncomfortable in front of the cameras. We pretty much knew that based on his past on-camera appearances for fight-hyping press ventures, but it became overwhelmingly evident on the show, especially when he is seen talking to his guys. One-on-one, he seems to do okay, but in front of a big group, he seizes up. Maybe he'll get better and relax. We'll see.
As much as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White takes a bad wrap from time to time for being so outspoken, I thought this episode showed a side of him that we do see every now and then, but doesn't get publicized often. After Michael Chiesa experienced the loss of his father, White paid for him to fly home, take a day to be with friends and family, then allowed him to come back to the show.
I'm not trying to give the guy a Nobel Peace Prize, I just thought it was good to see a more "human" side of Dana.
It's still a little awkward how they're balancing the "LIVE" action with the canned/production stuff. The episode went About 40 minutes in before we heard from sometimes-host Jon Anik for the second time. It was brief and felt forced, almost like they're trying to find something for him to do. I don't hate the FX production quality of TUF, but it definitely still feels like they're figuring it out.
Without further ado (which, I believe is Latin for: "jibber jabber"), here are the TUF 15 Power Rankings for episode two:
For this week's power rankings, I deferred to the coaches. Call that a cop-out, if you will, but I figure guys who get paid to fight and have been training in mixed martial arts (MMA) their whole lives know better than I do. Cruickshank was, of course, left off the rankings, reflecting that he lost his fight and is out of the competition (barring a wild card scenario).
(Note: The numbers in parenthesis indicate each fighter's ranking from the previous week.)
1) Justin Lawrence: (7)2) Al Iaquinta: (11)3) Sam Sicilia (3)4) Cristiano Marcello (1)5) Myles Jury (13)6) Mike Rio (8)7) Joe Proctor (9)8) James Vick (14)9) Michael Chiesa (2)10) Vinc Pichel (5)11) John Cofer (15)12) Chris Tickle (6)13) Andy Ogle (16)14) Jeremy Larsen (10)15) Chris Saunders (12)
It's still early, so it's hard to make a lot of predictions yet, but these are the things I'm going to be watching for as the season unfolds:
In my opinion, Michael Chiesa is still one of the guys to watch for, but how will he respond to the loss of his father? Sometimes, that kind of setback can be a huge motivator. Sometimes, it can cause the heart to get in front of the head and bring about big losses (see: Jake Shields, Mark Hominick and Sam Stout). I'm pulling for him, and I hope he's able to overcome this obstacle, but it's with reservations that I believe it's going to happen.
For now, anyway.
Vick may very well be a sleeper here. I liked Cruickshank a lot. Vick has now beat two established MMA fighters in back-to-back appearances. He seems to be learning quickly and has the build and frame to be a potentially very good fighter. His length may pose a problem for many of the guys in the house.
It will be interesting to see how Faber handles the first loss. Can he rebound and shake it off, or will he follow in the footsteps of other coaches like "Rampage" Quinton Jackson, Ken Shamrock, Frank Mir and Josh Koscheck, who talked a good talk, but didn't end up being able to back it up in the coaching category.
Now's the part where you get to beat me up. In the comment section below, leave us a note (or 15) to tell us what we got wrong, your predictions, as well as any other things that stand out to you thus far, in regard to TUF 15.
Sound off!
Miss the show last night? No problem, we've got you covered. Check out a compete recap of TUF 15: "Live" Episode 2 right here.
Posted in: guy, show, fighter, tuf, episode
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Sunday Junkie deadline reminder, win a free 'Fighters Only' subscription!
As a reminder, submissions for the upcoming edition of "The Sunday Junkie" are due Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.
All topics - including "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" and tonight's Bellator 61 event - are open for discussion. The person who sends in the submission we deem the best (based on timeliness of subject, clarity and overall persuasiveness) is the winner.
Each winner receives a free year's subscription to "Fighters Only," the world's leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.
Posted in: fighter, sunday, years subscription, reminder submissions, subject clarity
Read the full article at MMA JunkieBellator 61 Results: Middleweight Semifinal Pairings Set
Four fighters moved on to the Bellator Season 6 Middleweight Tournament Semifinals after four exciting quarterfinal bouts at Bellator 61 on Friday night.
Posted in: night, bellator, fighter, middleweight, quarterfinal bouts
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode No. 2 recap: Cruz Takes Early Lead
In the second episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, the fighters moved into the "TUF house," the coaches picked their teams and the first quarterfinalist emerged.
Posted in: fighter, coach, episode, tuf house, house
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Ultimate Fighter: Live Results
MMA Fighting has Ultimate Fighter 15 Episode 1 results for Friday's TUF 15 debut from Las Vegas.On the first episode, 32 fighters will compete for 16 spots in the house.Check out the Ultimate Fighter results below.
The show is live on FX at 9 p.m. ET and we will post the matchups and results as they happen.
Each fight is one 5-minute round.
TUF Live Fights
Joe Proctor def. Jordan Rinaldi via submission (guillotine)Cristiano Marcello def. Jared Carlsten via submission (rear-naked choke)Sam Sicilia def. Erin Beach via TKO (8 seconds)Chris Tickle def. Austin Lyons via TKO (24 seconds)Andy Ogle def. Brendan Weafer via unanimous decisionVinc Pichel def. Cody Pfister via submission (rear-naked choke)John Cofer def. Mark Glover via unanimous decisionChris Saunders def. Chase Hackett via unanimous decisionJames Vick def. Dakota Cochrane via split decisionMichael Chiesa def. Johnavan Vistante via submission (rear-naked choke)Mike Rio def. Ali Maclean via submission (rear-naked choke)Justin Lawrence def. James Krause via first-round TKODaron Cruickshank def. Drew Dober via unanimous decisionJeremy Larsen def. Jeff Smith via unanimous decisionAl Iaquinta def. Jon Tuck via unanimous decisionMyles Jury def. Akbarh Arreloa via unanimous decision
Below is the cast list:Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.Ali Maclean, Belfast, North IrelandAndy Ogle, Tynemouth, EnglandAustin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.Cody Pfister, Amarillo, TexasCristiano Marcello, Curitiba, BrazilChase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.James Krause, Blue Springs, Mich.James Vick, Fort Worth, TexasJared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.John Cofer, Hull, Ga.Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, HawaiiJon Tuck, Hagtna, GuamJordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.Mark Glover, Liverpool, EnglandMichael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Posted in: result, fighter, submission, rearnaked, austin lyons
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseJames Vick Earns Knockout Win in Revamped Ultimate Fighter
The new, revamped, FX version of The Ultimate Fighter on Friday night mixed some of the old -- reality show fodder from 16 mixed martial artists living together -- and a lot of the new -- the show had a fresh feel aided by its quick turnaround time, and the fight at the end of the episode was live, as every fight will be in this, the show's 15th season.
The fight, James Vick vs Daron Cruickshank, was a good one. Cruickshank was the aggressor from the outset, hitting Vick with a wide array of strikes. But when Cruickshank ducked down to go for a takedown, Vick landed a perfectly timed knee to Cruickshank's chin, knocking Cruickshank cold and ending the fight by first-round knockout.
It was an exciting fight, made more exciting by the fact that it was live. The live fights are this year's major innovation on The Ultimate Fighter, but the show also felt fresher because everything on it was new -- all of the action in the house and the gym came from the last week.
The episode's most compelling moment came inside the house, when Mike Chiesa found out that his father died. The UFC and FX did a great job of taking the viewers inside every moment as Chiesa sobbed when he got the news, then made the decision to leave the house briefly to attend to his family but come back after a couple of days. UFC President Dana White, who usually strictly forbids fighters from leaving during the taping of The Ultimate Fighter, made an exception to give Chiesa a few days off for the funeral. Chiesa said his dad would want him to come back and win the show, and that's what he hopes to do.
We might not see something that emotional every week, but the FX makeover of The Ultimate Fighter promises to give us a new and improved version of the UFC's longtime reality show.
Posted in: fight, show, fighter, cruickshank, chiesa
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Ultimate Fighter Cruz Vs. Faber Episode 2 Live Discussion
Tonight on FX The Ultimate Fighter will make its second appearance on the Fox owned network. The coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber will be selecting their teams and then setting the first fight for the season. The field of 32 was wheedled down to sixteen and this week will get to see the dynamic in the house and in the gym for the first time. It is the first glimpse MMA fans will get into the format that will be the routine for the rest of the season.
Most fans are not sure what to expect as there is only a few days for the crews to edit together the episode. There have been some signs that this season of TUF will be more focused on the coaches and training and less focused on drama in the house.
The show starts at 10:00 PM ET/9:00 PM CT and we'll be updating the teams and live blogging the first fight right here at Bloody Elbow!
Fighters Entering the House:
Mike Chiesa, John Cofer, Daron Cruickshank, Al Iaquinta, Myles Jury, Jeremy Larsen, Justin Lawrence, Cristiano Marcello, Andy Ogle, Vincent Pichel, Joe Proctor, Mike Rio, Chris Saunders, Cam Sicilia, Chris Tickle, and James Vick.
Team Cruz:
Team Faber:
Posted in: fighter, season, team, cruz, elbow fighters
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 live results for episode two TONIGHT (March 16) on FX
Time to pick teams.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brought a brand new format to its reality television baby The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), which started season number 15 last week with a 2.5 hour season premiere on its new channel FX.
The best part? It was all the way live, folks.
Last week's broadcast showcased 16 fights featuring 32 competitors attempting to smash their way into the TUF house to earn a shot at the coveted "six-figure" UFC contract. You can get up to date on all that by clicking here. Tonight's show will feature those 16 winners finding a home on one of two squads, Team Dominick Cruz or Team Urijah Faber.
And, of course, another live fight.
MMAmania.com has a live blog of all the night's action, starting at 9 p.m. ET, after the jump.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 15 EPISODE TWO LIVE BLOG
Geno here. See you tonight, folks.
Posted in: fighter, team, tuf, fighter tuf, championship ufc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaLawyer: Nick Diaz did not violate the rules
Ross Goodman, the lawyer for suspended UFC fighter Nick Diaz, says Diaz did nothing wrong and should have never been disciplined.
Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, fighter, lawyer
Read the full article at sportsnet.caTwitter Mailbag: Talking "Rampage" Jackson's UFC Beef, Gary Goodridge, and More
It’s time again for the Twitter Mailbag (or TMB, if you’re nasty). In this edition, we look at the bizarre turn of events involving "Rampage" Jackson and the UFC, Joe Warren’s rough night in Bellator, and much, much more.If you have a question of your own, hit me up on Twitter at @BenFowlkesMMA. And for those of you whose questions didn’t make it into the TMB this time, better luck next time. Now who’s first?ATX Steve M @atxsteve17do you agree with UFC giving rampage his last fight an not cutting him immediately after his poor comments?
Sure I do, for a couple of reasons. 1) If you work with "Rampage" Jackson for as many years as the UFC has, you probably know that what Jackson says today he won’t necessarily stand behind in a month or two. He’s an emotional guy, and prone to overreaction. So why not let him have the last fight on his contract, then, if he still wants to walk, thank him for the memories and wave goodbye? 2) If you’re the UFC, you probably don’t want to establish a precedent of letting fighters talk their way out of contracts. Why would you? You’d only be telling fighters that they could get free of a deal they didn’t like simply by badmouthing you in the press, which would probably only encourage more badmouthing. I understand why many people -- including my colleague Mike Chiappetta, who wrote a great column about it -- think the UFC should grant Jackson’s wish and cut him now. That would be a satisfying short-term reaction, and you could argue that the UFC would be better off for it. At the same time, I can understand why the organization doesn’t want to reward its malcontents by giving them what they ask for whenever they ask loudly and obnoxiously enough.Michael Venuti @Mvenuti4do you think a featherweight move would be in pettis' best interest, and if so do you think that he would do well?Could he do well at featherweight? Sure. Do I think he should make the drop? Definitely not. At least, not yet. What’s the rush? If keeps winning fights at lightweight, he’ll get his title shot. He might only have to win one more while he waits for the Ben Henderson Frankie Edgar situation to get sorted out. So why jump now? Anthony Pettis is 25 years old. He doesn’t need to flee the division where he’s done very well -- the same division where he already owns a prior win over the current champ -- just because he isn’t getting a title shot after a 2-1 stint in the UFC. It ain’t broke, is what I’m saying. So don’t go trying to fix it.Michael Reveles @mjreveleshow do you score a takedown in a fight? Do you have to keep the opp down? Do Damage? Just make the guy trip, does that count?I was recently talking with fellow MMA writer Chad Dundas at ESPN about this very topic. We both went back and took a look at the judging criteria in the unified rules and found ourselves wondering what would happen if that criteria was followed more rigorously. For instance, here’s what it says on the definition of "effective grappling":"Effective grappling is judged by considering the amount of successful executions of a legal takedown and reversals. Examples of factors to consider are take downs from standing position to mount position, passing the guard to mount position, and bottom position fighters using an active threatening guard."First of all, when’s the last time anybody won a decision off their back, thanks to an active, threatening guard? Second, according to that definition, the takedown is a scoring move all by itself. By that definition, even if you take the guy down and he pops right back up ten seconds later, you’re still winning the battle for effective grappling.Personally, I don’t think that’s a great idea, nor do I think it’s actually how judges score fights. I also think that scoring a takedown is tougher than we realize, especially when it doesn’t lead to anything significant once the fight hits the floor. If you take a guy down once, hold them there without hitting him or improving your position until the ref stands you, did you just win the effective grappling portion of that round? How about if you do the same thing half a dozen times over the course of the round?That’s a more complicated problem than what’s explained in the rules, which is partly how we end up with so many differing opinions on close fights.Danny Chavez @Dchavezif you had the ability to bring 1 non UFC fighter over to the UFC, who would that be?Gilbert Melendez. That was an easy one.Morgan Waltz @MorganWaltzSince you’re currently suspended from The MMA Hour, have you considered starting your own show? Ben Fowlkes Ultimate MMA show.After Ariel Helwani tried so desperately to disparage my name in Tokyo, I was in negotiations to get my own TV show in the Japanese market. Things were looking good for a little while, too. Sadly, the pilot we shot for "The Ben Fowlkes Super Terrific Hour of Most Honorable Fun" resulted in numerous injuries among audience members and guests alike, and most of our investors promptly pulled out. It’s a bummer, but what can you do? Same thing happened to Arsenio Hall.Deadpanda @DeadpandaCPWhat chances are you giving T. Silva against Guffstafs...you know who? I see it as a huge miss match stacked with ring rust.I wouldn’t say it’s a huge mismatch, but I definitely don’t like Thiago Silva’s chances to come off the bench after more than a year out of action and be successful against a talent like Gustafsson (that is the guy you’re asking about, right?). On paper, Silva’s a very tough fighter. His only two losses came against Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida, which is respectable. At the same time, look at who he’s beaten. Keith Jardine? Houston Alexander? His best showing was probably against Brandon Vera, but that became a no contest after he tried to pass off some fake urine in the drug screening (note to the kids out there: it’s better to get popped using your real urine that it is to suffer the indignity of the NSAC catching you submitting a sample that is "inconsistent with human urine," which just sounds gross).It’s not outrageous to think he could get Gustafsson down and dominate him there, but at the same time I don’t think it’s likely. Gustafsson is one of those fighters who you want to fight two years ago, when he still had a lot to learn. Now? That kid is dangerous. He’s probably even more dangerous if he’s your first fight back after more than a year, and if there are thousands of screaming Swedes against you.Josh C @_allmyfriendswhat would Sean McCorkle need to do to be back in the UFC?Beat someone who matters. That’s easier said than done, of course. As a heavyweight, I realize it’s tough to even find an opponent outside of the Zuffa realm who really, truly matters. At the same time, are we supposed to be impressed when he runs up a nice win streak against fighters with records like 2-15 or 15-13? Sorry, but with all the good Strikeforce heavies coming into the UFC now, it’s going to take more than some clever smack talk and a bunch of wins over nobodies to get the UFC’s attention again.James Hawkins @jmhawkinsyou mentioned working on the Goodridge story affected you. Can you elaborate? Brilliant article too BTW. #TMBI touched on this a little in my Sports Illustrated column this week, but basically what I meant was that it made me take a step back and wonder whether there wasn’t something just a little bit sick about watching people give each other brain damage as a form of entertainment. Obviously, Goodridge is an extreme case. Not only did he take far more punishment in kickboxing than most MMA fighters ever will, he also kept at both MMA and kickboxing long after he should have, and he knows it.I don’t know if some of the fighters I’ve enjoyed watching and writing about over the years will end up dealing with the same problems that now plague Goodridge, but I can’t say it would surprise me. MMA fans and promoters like to point to sports like boxing and kickboxing and football and hockey and say, ‘See? This is much safer than that.’ And I think that’s true. Generally, particularly as it relates to the risks of brain trauma, it is safer. At the same time, that doesn’t make it totally safe. No sport where you’re rewarded so handsomely for knocking another person unconscious really can be. Some of the fighters we’ve all loved probably have some bleak years ahead of them. If they’re allowed to continue past their athletic prime thanks to things like testosterone replacement therapy, that number will only increase. Many of them would say that they know and accept the risks, just as Goodridge says now that he’d do it all the same if he could. And that’s fine. I believe that the choice is theirs to make, just as I believe that the point of life is not to prolong it at all costs. If they want to trade tomorrow for today, that is their right. I just hope they realize what that trade actually entails. I hope we all do.Justin Prejean @Filthy_SluntI wanted to see @JoeWarrenMMA get KO’d by @PatCurranMMA, until I saw him get knocked out. Any opinions on the ref’s stoppage?That was hard to watch, especially in light of the Goodridge story. You hate to see a fighter take that many concussive blows -- so many of them unnecessary -- and all just six months after being brutally knocked out in another fight. We may not know everything there is to know about brain health, but we know that that’s probably bad. Some refs seem to think that as long as a fighter can still stand, you shouldn’t stop the fight. I disagree, and that fight showed why. I sure hope Warren takes some time off to recover before jumping back in the cage again. Aron Gunningham @PureMMADo you think, like me, that Rampage is losing fans with his attitude of late? He's crazy to think he should fight elsewhere.In some ways, I think that many "Rampage" Jackson fans are probably a lot like many Nick Diaz fans. That is to say, they like him because they like him, and there’s almost nothing he could do to drive them away. Still, I do think he overestimates the current market for a free agent MMA fighter. Where’s he going to fight if he leaves the UFC and burns his bridges with Zuffa? Who will possibly pay him as much, or give him the same exposure, the same opportunity to make so much in sponsor and endorsement deals, all while he’s clearly nearing the end of his best years as a fighter? Jackson comes with a lot of baggage, whether he realizes it or not. If he really jumps ship once his current contract is done, he might find that the water down there is colder than it looks.Lee Futcher @Futch6MAILBAG: What do you think of the 146 main card being all heavies? Do you think its a good or bad choice for fans and the UFC.Let’s call it an interesting choice, and one not without its risks. When you load up a card with so many heavyweights, there’s always the chance that a few key injuries could derail the whole thing, and there’s a shortage of potential replacements to help keep it together. At the same time, why not try it? The UFC heavyweight division has probably never been deeper than it is right now, and fans love seeing the big boys throw them bungalows. It you don’t at least try to pull this off now, you might never know whether it would have worked.Jason Rule @JasonRuletmb? where has the cut list gone? In upcoming events who do you see needing a win Page, Danzig, Torres, Brown, Rothwell?The Cut List hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s just that some fight cards are more Cut List-worthy than others. It’ll be back when the lineup of a future event calls for it. As for the second part of your question, obviously all those guys could use a victory (what fighter couldn’t?), but Ben Rothwell and Matt Brown could especially stand to notch a few more in the win column. Both are probably on the bubble right now, which is never a good place to be in the UFC.Joshua Fitch @joshuafitchif Roy Nelson falls to Bigfoot does he finally move to 205?I hope not. As several fighters have pointed out in the past, a heavyweight who hovers around the six-foot mark is still going to be undersized at light heavyweight. It’s just that, at 205 pounds, the fighters are generally quicker and more athletic too. Nelson is better off staying where he is and looking to close some of the holes in his game. I think he can still hang with the big boys.Brendan @CursedDiamonds2 Qs. 1)Maia's weight drop:bad idea, or terrible idea? 2)Solo Amanda Palmer, or the Dresden Dolls?1) I think Maia’s decision to drop to welterweight could be an instance of what I like to call The Fighter’s False Friend. It’s one thing to drop down because you’re getting dominated by bigger, stronger guys. But if you’re just losing fights because people have figured out your game and are out-performing you in the cage, I’m not sure a change in weight class is really going to cure what ails you. Look at Maia’s loss to Chris Weidman. Does anyone really think that it was the extra 15 pounds that doomed him there?2) Solo. "Who Killed Amanda Palmer" is a spectacular album.Mr. Cthulhu Kitten @cthulhukittendoes Lorenzo Ferttita's kind words about WMMA hint at the possibility of a UFC division or longevity of WMMA in Strikeforce?I hope so. I’m definitely encouraged by what Fertitta had to say, and I think he’s right that matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby might really be able to do something with the women’s division. Those guys know what they’re doing, and they’re both fans of women’s MMA. The division could still use more depth, but I’m optimistic about its future now that Zuffa is getting behind it, at least on the Strikeforce side of things. A Fragile Smile @AFragileSmileYou always write up articles on betting odds. Do you actually make bets? If so, are you on the plus or minus?I do not make bets. I like money too much. I’ve also been covering this sport and watching the betting lines for long enough to know that betting on MMA is a bad idea. Or maybe I’m just no good at it. All I know is that, judging from my own record in various fight-picking endeavors, this sport is too unpredictable for me to want to risk my hard-earned money on my ability to see into the future. If you view it as a source of entertainment, knock yourself out. If you’re trying to consistently make money at it, I recommend a job instead.Ben Larson @LenBarsonDoes Nick Diaz actively fighting his suspension lead you to believe he might be reconsidering retirement?I never believed he was really retired to begin with. Or maybe I just hoped he wasn't. Either way, I think we'll see him in the cage again sooner or later.Gamil Karachiwala @GK0920With the incident between Rousey and Tate and Curran and Warren, what would you suggest to improve referee decisions?I think there’s always more we can do to educate and evaluate referees, but human error is always going to be part of it. We’re never going to get the point in MMA where referees don’t screw up on occasion. That’s true of any sport. I mean, have you been watching the NCAA basketball tournament? The difference is, when MMA referees screw up people can get really hurt.
Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fighter, itrsquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseMen vs Women in the army
EQUALITY!
While you'll probably have to wait a few years for Ronda Rousey and Bryan Caraway to fight, the army already has unisex ass kicking in their MMA combatives program:
Elaborately staged cage fights — including some pitting women against men — started in 2008, in part because commanders realized they helped with recruiting.In the most recent cage-fighting competition, more than 300 men and 25 women — up from five last year — competed over four days in February at Ft. Hood in Texas.One woman made it to the finals. But at least three female fighters were carried out on stretchers. Others limped to a green canvas tent that served as a first-aid station. One fighter burst into tears, upset that a referee had halted her fight before she felt beaten.Unlike participants in Army boxing matches, cage fighters wear open-fingered gloves with thin padding and no headgear. They mostly fight barefoot, wearing camouflage fatigues or T-shirts.Most of the women fight in the lightest weight classes: bantamweight and flyweight. To help balance the odds, they are allowed to outweigh men in the same class by 10 pounds.
From the sound of the article, it doesn't end up well for a lot of the women fighting in these tournaments. One gets choked, several get stretchered out, and one ends up in the hospital. But as far as the army is concerned, it's better getting your ass kicked by your fellow soldiers now than being murdered by the Taliban later. Winning or losing is the window dressing here, it's really all about being prepared for the kind of life and death situations you may find yourself in overseas.
Posted in: fight, fighter, women, men, army
Read the full article at FightlinkerJiang Long Yun: 'The Northern Tiger' Set to Make His Comeback at ONE FC 3
Jiang Long Yun was one of the top fighters in China, but has been out of action for over a year since subjecting former Legend FC Bantamweight champion Honggang Yao to a brutal stoppage loss. Since that fight, in September 2010, he has been concentrating on his coaching commitments but 'The Northern Tiger' will be back in action at ONE FC 3 this month.
It will be his third time fighting at Singapore and he will be up against a formidable foe on March 31st in the shape of former WBA World Champion Yodsanan Sityodtong. The Thai fighter has terrifying punching power with 46 of his wins as a professional boxer coming by way of knockout.
Yodsanan will be returning to the Singapore Indoor Stadium where he made his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut last September, stopping Muay Thai world champion Daniel Mashamaite in the second round. He will have the hometown crowd behind him but Jiang is likely to pose a much tougher test.
The Chinese fighter has an amazing opportunity to silence the Singapore crowd, who will be rooting for Yodsanan because he lives locally and is part of the Evolve MMA fight team. Far from fearing such an accomplished striker Jiang, whose only loss was to BJJ world champion Leandro Issa, says he is looking forward to the stand up exchanges.
"I'm not worried about his punching power, If I was worried I would not be fighting. MMA is a different game, he might be a good striker in boxing however we will have to see how he does in MMA rules. Four ounce MMA gloves are different than boxing gloves, we will know who has the harder chin at the end of the fight."
Jiang's last fight was probably the best of his career as he became one of only two people to ever defeat Honggang Yao who was being touted as the top 135 lbs fighter in China. he was unable to even celebrate that win properly because he was concerned at how badly he might have damaged his opponent.
"Yao Hong Gang is a very good wrestler, and is about 5 kilos heavier than me. It was a very close fight. I was a boxer and also practiced Sanda thus my striking ability enable me to KO Yao Hong Gang. I punched him in the eye with a superman punch which caused some serious injury and the fight was stopped. It was a scary event as he was hospitalized and I was afraid I had seriously injured his eye."
Jiang is also an expert in Chinese Wrestling but regards himself as a stand up fighter who is better off being matched with opponents who will not try to take him down.
"I prefer to fight opponents that are strikers to keep the game interesting. Yodsanan is very famous for his striking and I think we will have a good match. I think I am more well rounded fighter than Yodsanan, however he trains with some of the best coaches in Asia so I expect a very tough fight."
He has fought in Singapore twice before, being submitted by Yodsanan's team mate Issa at Martial Combat 1 and defeating Kian Pham by decision at Martial Combat 5 in a straight striker vs grappler match up in which the Chinese fighter's Sanda prevailed over the Australian's ground based offense.
He has fond memories of Martial Combat and is proud to have been one of the few Chinese fighters to enjoy success fighting for this promotion.
"Martial Combat was a good opportunity for me to fight internationally. At first I was not used to the unified rules because in China we can kick downed opponents and also I was not ready for the level of the ground game my first time fighting. The second time I fought my ground game improved and my opponent and I fought most of the fight standing. I think it was a big upset for my opponent as many of the Chinese fighters had been coming in as underdogs."
Although Jiang has been out of action since stopping Honggang Yao with the superman punch in 2010 he has been training and teaching regularly and is still in good shape for his comeback.
"MMA fight productions in China are only occasional and most of the time I prefer to send my students to fight. Also there are not many fighters my size so I end up getting challenged by fighters much bigger than me. I did fight in Ultimate Wrestle in Henan which is where I beat Yao Hong Gang."
He hails from Heilongjiang, a province in the North East of China which is sandwiched between Mongolia and Russia, hence the nickname 'Northern Tiger'. The majority of fighters doing well at Legend, Ruff and even, in Tiequan Zhang's case, the UFC train at either China Top Team or the X'ian Sports Institute but Jiang is confident that the calibre of training he receives is just as good and believes that his experience will be key in helping him to silence the Singapore crowd by beating Yodsanan at ONE FC 3.
"I train in Heilongjiang. We have a mix of fighters coming in to train with me including Judo professionals, Boxers, Sanda fighters, and Chinese Wrestlers. Most guys are bigger than me however I still train and believe my experience gives me an edge over them. The Chinese striking is different than Muay Thai as we like to keep our distance a bit farther apart. I would say its more closer to boxing."
Yodsanan is not only the best boxer to ever take MMA seriously he also has experience of fighting Muay Thai at a very high level in Thailand. However he is unlikely to have been up against anyone with Jiang's unorthodox stand up style and it is a puzzle he could struggle to solve.
With neither fighter likely to shoot for the takedown this looks set to be a straight Sanda vs boxing / Muay Thai match which has fight of the night written all over it. If Jiang does prevail even though his victory over Yao was over a year ago these back to back wins would instantly establish him as one of the top bantamweights in Asia.
The full ONE FC fight card is available for pay-per-view online at US$24.99. For more information visit: www.ONEFC.com.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, fighter, chinese, yodsanan, jiang
Read the full article at MMA ManiaA Look at the Middleweights of Bellator 61
Last Friday we saw Bellator kick their season off with a very entertaining opening round to the featherweight tournament. Capping off the card was one of the more prolonged, brutal finishes MMA has seen in quite some time, as Pat Curran usurped Joe Warren as the promotion’s 145-pound champion. Curran put the remaining four tournament competitors and current #1 contender Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire on notice that he intends to remain atop the Featherweight mountain.
A world-class champion and long line of high-quality competitors are what make the featherweight class the best in Bellator’s ranks. The next Bellator tournament we’ll be previewing fits one of those criteria, as Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard is one of the best, most violent men in MMA, but the depth after ‘Shango’ leaves something to be desired. Since joining Bellator in 2008 Lombard has faced a line of fighters both in and out of the organization who can best be described as journeymen. After defeating Jared Hess for the title, Lombard has notched an additional ten consecutive wins – five in Bellator – over the likes of Jay Silva, Whisper Goodman, Alexander Shlemenko, Falaniko Vitale, and Trevor Prangley. He is set to face Shlemenko once again in his next title defense (pending contract negotiations). Hardly inspiring stuff.
In terms of creating a competitive atmosphere in the division, recent news has indicated that Lombard’s contract has expired and he is open to negotiate with other potential suitors as of May. While losing one of their biggest stars would be a terrible blow to the organization in the short term, it would turn the upcoming middleweight tournament from wondering, “Who gets the next chance to lose to Hector,” to something that’s actually relevant in the division moving forward. That being said, Lombard is still with Bellator for the time being, so let’s break down who is going to earn the right to get beaten up by him after Shlemenko fails in his second bid against the champ.
While the end product of the tournament may not turn out to be all that enthralling, the tournament as an entity unto itself is actually quite interesting. The middleweight tournament has a wide-open feeling, and I get the sense the champion will come down to what matches get made as the tournament progresses.
Heavyweight Main Event Pulled from Bellator 61
Since there isn’t necessarily a favorite to be had in this tournament we’ll just work in the reverse order that the fights will air on TV meaning that Maiquel Falcao vs. Norman Paraisy is the first bout to look at. Probably the easiest of the opening round fights to break down, Falcao is best known for coming in to the UFC, upsetting Gerald Harris, and then disappearing due to a combination of injuries and legal issues. A talented striker whose 23 T/KO wins in 28 career victories expresses exactly what he comes to do in the cage, Falcao should have no trouble in dispatching Paraisy. The Frenchman’s moment of Zuffa fame was much more auspicious, as after going on about being a tough fighter and wanting to show the world how resilient the French are he refused to answer the bell for Round 2 of his elimination bout to qualify for the Ultimate Fighter 11. Since that time, Paraisy suffered his first official loss to well past his prime Dave Menne in Bellator’s inaugural season. While, a recent win over Zombie Paulo Filho may have some people leaning towards Paraisy in this bout, Falcao will hand the Frenchman his first T/KO loss and move on to the semi-finals where an impressive T/KO victory or humbling submission defeat likely await him, depending on the brackets.
The next fight really comes down to the game-planning of last season’s finalist, Vitor Vianna, and that is not a comforting feeling. Vianna has the tools to be one of the better fighters in Bellator but lacks the smart approach to each fight that will allow him to get there. He almost lost to Sam Alvey in the first round of the last middleweight tournament, stopped Bryan Baker with strikes in the semifinals, and looked completely inept against Shlemenko in the final. Not exactly a model of consistency, eh? While he will come in as the favorite, I actually see his strategic missteps being his downfall against a man who brings immense power to the cage in Brian Rogers. Of course, Vianna could actually try to take this fight to the ground and surprise me where he would likely have an easy time dispatching Rogers. I’m banking on that not happening – since it is yet to consistently in his Bellator career – and if he doesn’t, Rogers will be the more effective striker and may potentially even stop Vianna. A Rogers/Falcao semifinal would produce an absolutely dynamite fight, especially if you’re into some serious hostility.
The third opening round bout pits Russian prospect Vyacheslav Vasilevsky against Victor O’Donnell. Many people are expecting big things from the combat Sambo champion, perhaps thinking all Sambo champions are created equally. While Vasilevsky is not a reincarnation of Fedor Emelianenko, he is a highly skilled, well-rounded fighter splitting his 15 career victories evenly between T/KOs, submissions, and decisions. Up to this point he has been cutting his teeth on the M-1 circuit where he has received some favorable matchmaking being one of the promotion’s poster boys. His opponent, O’Donnell, has been unsuccessful in both a previous Bellator tournament and an attempt to get on the Ultimate Fighter. O’Donnell is normally looking for the takedown in his fights but struggles when he is unable to garner them as evidenced by his loss to Rogers in the last tournament. I see a similar fate befalling O’Donnell this time around, although the fact that Vasilevsky is taking a step up in competition and has previously been faced with opponents who are simply willing to retreat and get beaten up by him. I still see Vasilevsky having the skills to take a decision in this one, but don’t see him being able to deal with the consistent increase in competition throughout the tournament.
The last quarterfinal bout pits fighters of opposing philosophies against one another. Giva Santana is an aggressive submission-grappler who has finished 94% of his MMA victories (fourteen Submissions and two T/KOs), while Bruno Santos, despite being undefeated in his twelve professional bout, has gone to decision in ten of them. Santana’s go-to submission throughout his career has been the Armbar, but he is versatile as a grappler. Santos reminds me of a less skilled, less effective Ricardo Arona. He throws decent leg kicks at times, but they are too few and too far in between. Against a grappler the quality of Santana, I don’t see Santos’ style being overly effective, and I see his first career loss coming in this bout. Moving forward, Santana could be a dark horse in the tournament, because given match-ups against guys who are primarily strikers like Rogers or Falcao he could find great success. At the same time, if he were to fight Vianna, I would venture to say that he’s outmatched in every aspect of the bout. These are the types of dynamics that make this tournament both interesting and difficult to prognosticate.
If I had to pick a favorite to take the tournament at this point it would be Falcao because while he relies primarily on his striking, plus we have also seen an effective grappling game from him. More importantly, ignoring the third round of the Harris fight, he fights to his strengths unlike the other fighter I pointed to with the most well-rounded skill set in the bracket, Vianna. At the same time, the dynamic nature of a fighter like Rogers could easily result in him scoring three knockouts and winning the tournament, or Vasilevsky could prove himself to be not just a prospect but a top fighter at 185 pounds. Proverbial gun to my head, the only official UFC veteran in the tournament would be my pick to get next in line for Lombard, and of the fighters in the field, I believe he provides the best foil for the current champion, as uninteresting as that bout may be.
PICKS:
Maiquel Falcao def. Norman Paraisy
Brian Rogers def. Vitor Vianna
Vyacheslav Vasilevsky def. Victor O’Donnell
Giva Santana def. Bruno Santos
Fans can watch Bellator unfold tomorrow night on MTV2 starting at 8:00 PM EST with prelims streaming through Spike.com prior to the main broadcast.
PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR
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Posted in: fight, bellator, fighter, bout, tournament
Read the full article at Fighters.comLatest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of March 11, 2012
Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Vitor Belfort and Mike Tyson pictured above, we can all "get along."
Teaming up with MMA sites like Low Kick, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.
This week, The Fight Nerd speaks with Felice Herrig, MMA Convert thanks Ronda Rousey and Lowkick interview BAMMA middleweight champion Tom Watson.
The full list of links is after the jump.
- Interview with BAMMA middleweight champ Tom Watson (LowKick)
"All the guys I train with are fighting in the UFC. If you want to make a proper living from this sport, you need to be in the UFC. It's very hard when you're not fighting in the UFC, so only a few guys are able to make respectable living from just being a fighter."
- Hot Potato: Natasha Wicks is back baby (25 photos) (Cage Potato)
In the greatest MMA comeback since Boetsch vs. Okami, our favorite curly-haired blonde is returning to ring girl duty for Invicta's all-female debut show on April 28th.
- This will be the greatest knockout you will see today (video) (MiddleEasy)
- Interview with Felice Herrig (The Fight Nerd)
Felice Herrig talks upcoming XFC fight, state of WMMA, and reveals she has not been paid for last fight in 2011
- How the UFC can play the testosterone card against Rampage (Fight Opinion)
UFC's demeanor in their response to Rampage's damaging tantrums has been very un-Zuffa-like in terms of being patient as opposed to being overly aggressive. Given Rampage's outcry for wanting a release from the UFC, he went on Twitter and said that he wanted to fight Mauricio Shogun instead of a ‘wrestler who wants to dry hump him.'
- Payout Perspective: TUF Live on FX ratings breakdown (MMA Payout)
The Ultimate Fighter Live debut on FX drew an average of 1.28 million viewers, as previously reported on MMAPayout.We will now take a closer look at the quarterly ratings breakdown, viewership ratings pattern, and expectations coming into the show.
- Jay Glazer explains why NFL players are training MMA (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
Fourteen seasons of the show have provided us with plenty of forgettable moments and easily-dismissed fighters. But there have also been plenty of gems to emerge from the show, especially during the early days when the series featured a crop of talented fighters all trying to make it into the UFC.
- King Mo to address positive steroid test on March 27 (MMA Convert)
- Anderson Silva says Sonnen is possessed by Demon (Fightline)
- Ratings not quite what UFC boss predicted for The Ultimate Fighter 15 (Five Ounces of Pain)
- UFC 146 Primetime premieres May 11th on FX (5thRound)
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fighter, fight nerd
Read the full article at MMA ManiaSpotlight On Regional Fighting: Take On Muay Thai In New York City
Tonight, Friday, March 16th, 2012, the famed Madison Square Garden will host it's first Muay Thai card in the history of the sport. While the card hasn't been without it's struggles, it is shaping up to be a fantastic night of both amateur and professional Thai kickboxing. I had the pleasure of attending tonight's weigh-ins and found an eclectic mix of martial artists young and old, all thrilled to be fighting at this historic arena.
To start off, there are 14 fights on the card - nine amateur and ten pro. Three belts will be on the line, including the one women's fight of the evening, a 123-lb tilt between Angie Babel and Prairie Rugilo - a pair of locals from the tri-state area. Babel is an undefeated amateur fighting out of of Five Points Academy just outside of Chinatown in downtown Manhattan, while Rugilo reps the dirty Jerz, fighting out of Frankie Edgar's hometown of Toms River, NJ.
The amateur super middleweight belt is being contested by New York's Nick Vaughan, who is the favorite over Georgia's Brian Hutchings. Vaughan is an impressive 13-1, and you can check out some of his fight by youtubeing up "Nick Vaughan The Wat" (or just click my link).
The only serious issue I saw was in the main event. One of the fighters, Rigel Balsamico, failed to make weight, tipping the scales a shocking nine pounds over. The 41-year old Rigel, who fights out of Philadelphia, had a number of issues he stated, but also told me that the fight would go on and he would just take the hit to his fighting purse. He told me that he's still happy to be competing on the fight card, and that he just loves what he does - quite frankly if he was in this for the money, he'd find other employment, he said.
There were more than just those three stories however, and you can check out some of them below the jump.
Madigan (L) and Balsamico (R) square off tonight in New York City. Photo via liverkick.com by way of bauzen.com
Take Rigel's opponent, Ryan Madigan. The former MMA fighter who's now focused solely on his stand-up fighting career even made it to the big show of MMA once upon a time. He fought on the undercard of UFC 96, losing to Tamdan McRory by getting dominated on the ground. His strength, however, is still his standup and powerful kicks. The gentleman out of Evolve gym in Ohio is 26-6 in his pro career and owns a win over noted MMA striker Melvin Guillard.
Another man with a UFC connection on this card is Chris Clodfelter. The North Carolina native was an alternate on season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter and originally got into the sport by being roommates with UFC and WEC vet Rich Crunkilton. Chris will be facing the undefeated Brett Hlavacek (Nick Vaughan's teammate at the Wat gym). Clodfelter also had a rough cut, missing weight by a mere 1.5 pounds and having to take an extra hour to cut the remainder.
There are plenty of other MMA connections as well: Sean Hinds and Joey Hernandez train out of Mushin MMA, the home of Phil Nurse (works with George St. Pierre and the other lads from the Tri-Star gym) for just one example. But MMA isn't the whole story. Rudy Felix, who I sat next to at the weigh-ins, was the 2010 Take On Fighter of the Year and is making his drop to flyweight (125) for the first time. He'll be facing Cornel Ward.
As is the case with regional promotions, oftentimes the experience level between the two competitors is wildly different. Many fighters often have tons of off-record fights called "smokers", and one such fighter is Staten Island native Anthony Demaio. Having moved to Thailand almost a decade ago, he has "about a hundred" fights while training at Gai Yang Haa Dow gym. Some of the fights weren't all high quality stuff, but he also fought at the King's birthday in front of 300,000 people, so he's definitely one of the ones that won't be phased by the bright lights of MSG.
If you're interested in watching this event live and can't make it to the awesomeness that is New York City, gfl.tv has you hooked up: the stream is $15
If you'd like, there were actual professional photographers at the event this evening (as opposed to yours truly), and here's one of the galleries: muaythaiislife.com
I'll update the gallery links when more get posted.
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, card, vaughan
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendThe Sunday Junkie deadline reminder, win a free 'Fighters Only' subscription!
As a reminder, submissions for the upcoming edition of "The Sunday Junkie" are due Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.
All topics - including "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" and tonight's Bellator 61 event - are open for discussion. The person who sends in the submission we deem the best (based on timeliness of subject, clarity and overall persuasiveness) is the winner.
Each winner receives a free year's subscription to "Fighters Only," the world's leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.
Posted in: fighter, sunday, years subscription, reminder submissions, subject clarity
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTrouble Brewing in Asian MMA as URCC Files Three Complaints Against Legend FC in The Philippines
Asian MMA has been developing at a rapid rate with multiple new organizations such as ONE FC, Legend FC, DARE Championships and Ruff being formed in the last couple of years.
While such rapid growth is great for the fans it has not been without problems as rival promotions compete to sign the same fighters or to put on shows on the same patch of turf.
Trouble erupted yesterday when the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) issued an extremely strong-worded statement regarding three complaints which have been filed with the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) in the Philippines concerning Legend FC.
The statement is available on the URCC website here or can be read in its entirety after the jump.
URCC Founder Alvin Aguilar, founder of one of Asia’s longest running MMA promotions filed three cases with the Games and Amusement Board against Michael Haskamp and his promotion Legend FC. The cases being filed are regarding:
1.) Illegal and unethical hiring of fighters under contract with the URCC. (It was also noted that they overmatched a poor Filipino fighter from the province who didn’t know any better, to make his own veteran fighters look good.)
2.) Bringing legally registered Professional fighters outside the country without complying with any of the GAB’s requirements. Totally disregarding all of its rules and regulations
3.) Hiring trainers who are blacklisted and unlicensed by the GAB. One trainer he enlisted, Marciano Basas, was denied a fighter and trainer license as he has Hepatitis and a series of other sicknesses that may be passed on.
When asked for comment URCC Founder Alvin Aguilar said: "These foreigners think they can just come in and disregard the rules of our country and take advantage of our countrymen, and our efforts to promote Filipino MMA fighters around the world. Now that Philippine MMA is mainstream because of the URCC’s efforts, all sorts of foreigners are trying to make a quick buck off the efforts of OUR COUNTRYMEN. They even blatantly said that everyone is for sale here in our country. Well I’m sorry to say that we are not and this commission definitely is not for sale. I have personally dealt with them for ten years and they never asked me for a dime! They will learn to respect the rules here, all of the so-called Filipinos that supposedly support them (if any) should be hung up on a tree alongside these foreigners. As the founder of professional mixed martial arts in the Philippines, I am duty bound to protect my fighters and ensure that all the laws regarding and protecting them are followed. We will not standby and let these foreigners take advantage of anyone here. If ever I do meet them they will also learn the true meaning of BAKBAKAN NA!!!!"
If you want to learn more about the role of the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) and its jurisdiction and authority you should visit the website here. To summarize it is a government organization which is is charged with the supervision and regulation of professional sports in the Philippines so the URCC is not, at present, taking Legend FC to court as has been incorrectly reported elsewhere.
The fighter in question is believed to be Augustin Delarmino who Legend FC signed in January (read the announcement here) and had previously fought five times for the URCC. He currently has a 5-1 record, has fought once for Legend FC and was scheduled to fight on the March 30th Legend FC show which was recently moved from Jakarta to Hong Kong.
The missmatch in question is believed to be the fight between Ereneo Galindez from the Philippines and Michael Mortimer from Australia at Legend FC 6 last October. It was Galindez's professional debut and Mortimer, who won by first round submission, had a record of 14-4 at the time.
I would urge anyone to consider the following points when reading and discussing this story:
1 - A person (or organization) is innocent until proven guilty, just because a complaint is made does not necessarily mean it will be upheld.
2 - Legend FC have not had a chance to respond officially to this accusation so only one side of the story has been presented. Well known Filipino journalist Karlo Silverio III Sevilla did obtain the following quote from Mike Haskamp for his article which you can read here:
'We're actually waiting to see what the actual allegations are before we respond. I assume that GAB will be following up with us, and Legend will issue a statement once we've had a chance to review them. For now, I can only say that we're disappointed that Mr. Aguilar has decided to take this action without speaking with us directly. Legend’s top priorities are fighter safety, fairness, and promoting MMA across the Asia-Pacific region. We have had and always will have fighter well-being and the integrity of the sport as our top priorities.'
3 - The complaint has been filed with the GAB, which is a regulatory body, but it is possible legal action might follow. Please bear this in mind and exercise common sense and caution if you choose to comment on this article.
Background:
The URCC was founded in 2002 and has to date put on 41 events, all in the Philippines. It is owned by Alvin Aguilar and Bubbles Aguilar and is headquartered in Manila.
Legend FC was founded in 2010 and has to date put on seven events, all in either Hong Kong or Macau. It is owned by Mike Haskamp and Chris Pollack and is headquartered in Hong Kong.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fighter, legend, urcc, fc, legend fc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale Fight Card Rumors
The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale (TUF Live Finale) fight card rumors and start times for June 1, 2012, in Las Vegas.
Posted in: fight, fighter, card, rumor, finale
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyBoxing: Sergio Martinez vs Matthew Macklin Press Conference News & Notes
This afternoon at the world famous Madison Square Garden, two combat sports held court in advance of their upcoming events. The first article I'll be writing this evening is actually about a sport that probably most of us know less about than we do our own precious MMA (and to some extents other stand-up fighting sports such as kickboxing or Muay Thai), boxing. The world's most popular combat sport (still), is the sweet science, and this was evidenced by the mostly-filled room for what was basically promoters and trainers and fighters all reading their own prepared statements. Don't get me wrong, most of the people involved stayed around, but their time was immediately snapped up by people with microphones, lights and cameras much larger than mine.
Despite the mostly rehearsed nature of the event, it isn't like there was nothing to report on. In news that should strike no one as a surprise, ______ gonna ______, and in this case promoters gonna promote: in the timespan of a minute, Lou DiBella used the phrases World War Three twice, Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots and two variations of "bomb" all within the timespan of a minute. Magomed Abdusalamov, the heavyweight prospect fighting on the untelevised undercard, would be holding court later that night at a lovely restaurant out in Brooklyn and there was also a pub crawl immediately following the press conference (which ended like six hours ago). Gotta love an Irish guy fighting on St. Patrick's Day with Corona as the chief sponsor. Side note, the corned beef, cabbage and boiled potato that was free at the event was quite good, as were the free Coronas (a winning combination if there ever was one). They always say that the best meal is a free meal, so my thanks to everyone at MSG for the best meal I had all day.
Mediocre humor aside, it was good for a relative neophyte like myself to learn more about the individuals involved and to find some interesting tidbits about those that I did know some about (Martinez). Here are some interesting bits of mostly Jeopardy trivia gleaned from this afternoon's proceedings.
Macklin had his first fight on St. Patrick's Day in Birmingham in 1994, and gets his shot at the #1 middleweight 18 years later to the day.
Sergio Martinez has spent a lot of time and effort to combat bullying and women's abuse over the past few years. He's spent a fair amount of time visiting safe houses and shelters without the media for obvious reasons (privacy of the abused), but again, as one of the promoters promoted, this isn't like some fighters handing out turkeys on Thankgiving (a thinly veiled shot at Mayweather).
Undercard fighter Don George is one of the only Greek-Cypriot fighters in the world. A point which I brought up to Lou DiBella afterwards, and asked if he had no love for Mike Zambidis. Lou did acknowledge the great Iron Mike, so score one small victory for proponents of fighting with kicks as well as punches.
Sergio Martinez fought Antonio Margarito (notorious for getting caught with loaded gloves) back in 2000 and his pay for that fight was $900. So much for that notion that all boxers make a mint.
The super middleweight bout between Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez and Don "da Bomb" George might be the first in history between two fighters with identical "bomb" nicknames.
On an interesting side note, DiBella, upon talking with a pair of Irish reporters gave the following lovely bit of promoter hype: "Freddie [Roach] is full of sh*t, Macklin would f*cking knock [Julio] Chavez out. Knock him the f*ck out. And Chavez could take his magic juice and he'd still knock him the f*ck out. I didn't say that."
Those of you who are bigger boxing fans than I can get more mileage out of that, but really there's not much else to be gleaned here but cool sound bytes like that and sponsor shoutouts such as La cerveza mas fina, and Goodfellas pizza. A thoroughly enjoyable time, and I hope you enjoy some of the pictures I managed to get.
Don George with eye candy
Retired boxer, now Macklin's trainer, James "Buddy" McGirt
All four fighters (plus candy) from Saturday's televised card,in order from left to right: Edwin Rodriguez, Sergio Martinez, Matthew Macklin, Don George
Photos by Cory Braiterman
Posted in: world, fighter, day, martinez, macklin
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendBig Rigg: Bellator 61's Jeremiah Riggs talks WWE, Ultimate Fighter and upcoming fight (MMAmania exclusive)
Jeremiah Riggs is quite the colorful character.
Hailing from as he calls it "the dirty south," he is a former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter season seven. The Mark Fiore trained fighter failed to gain entry into the house but he won over fans due to his tremendous heart and guts displayed in the fight.
Since then, he's gone on to earn more fame in the reality television world, being a contestant on VH1's Daisy of Love with the nickname "Big Rig," advancing to fifth before being eliminated.
During that time, he turned his mixed martial arts career around, winning five straight before stunning his fans in early 2011 by retiring and trying out a pro wrestling career. Riggs competed on the return season of WWE's Tough Enough last year, making it to third place on the show before bowing out.
When the pro wrestling career didn't pan out, he went back to what worked, which was fighting for real. Riggs will be returning to the cage tomorrow night (March 16, 2012) when he takes on undefeated middleweight Trey Houston at Bellator 61 on the preliminary card.
The reality television star spoke with MMAmania.com during a guest appearance on The Verbal Submission this past weekend where he talked about his stint with the WWE, a potential rematch with the man who kept him out of The Ultimate Fighter and his upcoming fight with Houston.
Check it out:
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I originally met you at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery in 2010. You had a 2-5 record at the time and you told me, "The fighter you see before you would destroy the one that tried to get onto The Ultimate Fighter." I have to say, you proved that right because you haven't lost since, winning five in a row. What helped you put it all together?
Jeremiah Riggs: The big thing with me was really just from all the previous fights I had. I hate to say I regret taking the fight I took, but a lot of my ring time experience was a lot of my learning experience. I guess sometimes, it's not if you're gonna lose, but when. I don't believe anybody's gonna stay undefeated for a very, very long time. The game is too evolved and the players are too good. With me, what really turned it around was really just evaluating what I was lacking. What am I doing wrong campwise? Do I need to change my meal plan?
I never felt like in any fight I was outclassed or outperformed technically. Losing sucks, but it is a part of it. My biggest thing was I was hardheaded and stubborn. I never did a lot of jiu-jitsu. I started out training with Frank Shamrock, the first UFC middleweight champion of the world. I started out with the best of the best and I stuck with the best of the best. With my strength and athletic ability, I tried to turn it around and pay fighters back for taking me down and make them hurt a bit instead of playing my own game.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You said that nobody stays undefeated forever and the guy you're fighting, Trey Houston, he's undefeated at 9-0. Do you feel like you've got that mindset that you can take this guy out?
Jeremiah Riggs: I'm hoping he has the same mindset that he can take me out. I don't believe any fighter should be going into a fight based on what's on paper. That number means nothing to me. My record is nothing but a number on a piece of paper. I believe a lot of your fights are within yourself. You've got o face yourself and if you beat yourself up, it gets a lot easier for other people to beat you up.
I don't talk much, but I'll say something like, "I'll give you what you paid money to see." Trey's obviously doing something right. He's 9-0 for a reason and his trainers are doing something right. You've got to give credit where credit is due. Could I end that? I believe that. He's fought a lot of fights but he ain't fought Jeremiah Riggs yet. The skill and talent level are there. They matched this fight up with two athletic and strong guys.
Gerry Rodriguez: This is a middleweight tournament qualifier fight, right?
Jeremiah Riggs: I'm not too sure. I want to say this is his debut in Bellator. This is my second fight in Bellator. I fought at Bellator 30 and beat Mike Fleniken. If I win, that puts me at 2-0 in Bellator and it's very possible I could do the middleweight tournament.
Gerry Rodriguez: I want to kind of switch gears here. I know you've been on three reality shows that I know of, including Tough Enough. Talk to me about what it's like on Tough Enough where you had to put your ego on the backburner knowing you could probably kick everyone's ass that's training you. Is it tough having to take shit from them and doing what they tell you to do?
Jeremiah Riggs: No (laughs) but it just depends. Sometimes you get rubbed the wrong way and I guess that's at every gym. Everyone has their own disputes at times. I'm an open book. It's kind of like, with a white belt and black belt in jiu-jitsu, even a white belt can have open knowledge to a black belt sometimes. Just because you're higher ranking, you take the number one guy in the world that you would think knows it all, I would say he's still learning. You've got to keep an open mind. You don't ever know what you can learn from somebody. Everybody's full of knowledge in some sort of way and they can be useful. I'm up to learn from anybody in this game or any form of sport. You can learn from anybody.
Gerry Rodriguez: Did any guys on Tough Enough try to test you or push you knowing you had an MMA background?
Jeremiah Riggs: No, you know, really no, not really. You get a lot of questions. At first, nobody knew I was at that level or had the experience I had. Coming from their world and coming from my world, everything wrestling-wise, it's like a dance and what it is for me was, I know how the real moves work and I know how a punch feels so I'd be like, "Have you ever been punched in the mouth? Do you know what it feels like? Well try it sometime so you don't look so phony about what you're doing. If you get punched, you're not gonna look like a cartoon, you know what I mean?" It's a funny thing. No one ever really, I don't believe anyone wanted to have the buttons pushed on me though.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Did you know that Dan Cramer, the guy that prevented you from realizing your dream on The Ultimate Fighter, he's signed with Bellator and has been competing with them regularly?
Jeremiah Riggs: Really? I had no idea. I've asked about Dan, I've actually kept up with Cramer after the show. I've actually kept in contact with a few guys from the show. I talk with C.B. Dollaway and I trained with Matt Riddle when I fought for Strikeforce. I actually didn't know if he was still going. I think it was a few months ago, he had fought up north and he was still doing pretty well for himself. Good lord, there's no telling what people would think, me and him again. It'd be fun. It definitely would. I've always respected Dan and he's a good fighter. As far as I know, the last time I checked in, he'd been doing pretty well.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I was just gonna ask if you could ever get the opportunity to avenge that loss, would you take it?
Jeremiah Riggs: Yes. I really think even if you ask Dan if he'd go again, it would be a different fight. I guarantee that. You would see some big smiles on our faces and it would be a hell of a tussle. I think it'd be fun. In the house, it's so weird. It's a weird situation to fight in and you don't have to have all the hype and all that but it's just the atmosphere and everyone talks about that. It's almost like sparring without the gear on. You're fighting for a spot and I believe a fight with me and him again, everything with me and him was left in the cage and you'd see it again. Whoever's hand was raised afterwards, we'd give each other a high five and wish each other good luck and see each other down the road. I believe if you asked him the same question, you'd get the same answer.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Going back to your upcoming opponent Trey Houston, you've had experience with both MMA and pro wrestling and having a good nickname can be really important. What do you think of this guy's nickname, "The Just Happened?"
Jeremiah Riggs: I think I just saw that somewhere and I didn't know if that was just a quote or the nickname. I saw that the other day, "That Just Happened," and I'm like, "Is that his nickname?" To me, I'm like, "Well he ought to have a good sense of humor." (laughs)
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): What is your prediction for your upcoming fight against Trey Houston?
Jeremiah Riggs: I'm not the one to ever promise everybody a knockout or a submission in the first or second round but I promise you this. When the doors shut, you're gonna see me go all out there 100 percent leave it all in the cage. I've got 15 minutes, three rounds, three five minute rounds to do what I need to do to finish the fight and get my hand raised whether it's the first, second or third round. No one ever likes going to a decision but in my mind, I want to make him give up. I want to beat him in every round. If it takes me three rounds, if it takes 30 seconds, I want to make him hate life for these next 15 minutes. I've got 15 minutes on March 16 at Bellator 61. Me and Trey Houston, my prediction is to do what I need to do and make him hate life for 15 minutes in there with me.
Jeremiah would like to thank Mark Fiore at Fiore MMA, his friend and roommate Brian Foster and his sponsors Last Round Nutrition, Clinch Gear, Hooligans United. He'd also like to thank his training partners, Bellator, Trey Houston for accepting the fight, his buddy Corey Bradley who's dad just had a stroke. Lastly, he'd like to thank Jacob's Ladder, a school in Mississippi which is receiving a big donation of his purse and sponsors from him. You can follow him on Twitter @JeremiahRiggs.
So what do you think, Maniacs?
Will Riggs be able to shake off the rust and hand Trey Houston his first loss tomorrow night? Or should he go back to pro wrestling?
Sound off!
To listen to the complete audio of our interview with Jeremiah Riggs, click here (interview begins at 31:00 mark).
Posted in: fight, bellator, fighter, rigg, jeremiah
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBellator 61 Weigh-in Results; New Main Eventer Slightly Over
The Bellator 61 weigh-ins took place Thursday afternoon with one of the recently minted main event fighters having trouble making weight.
Posted in: bellator, fighter, weight, weighin, event fighters
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyStefan Struve vs. Mark Hunt Finalizes All Heavyweight Main Card for UFC 146 (MMAWeekly.com)
An all-heavyweight main card for UFC 146 is set with the addition of Stefan Struve versus former K-1 fighter Mark Hunt. UFC president Dana White confirmed the new bout to Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday. At only 24 years of age, Dutch fighter Stefan Struve has already faced a lifetime of competition inside the Octagon. The six-foot-11-inch fighter has taken on some of the toughest heavyweights in his UFC career, and while he’s faced a few defeats, he’s currently riding a two-fight win streak with victories over Pat Barry and Dave Herman.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, struve, stefan, yahoo sports
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsAsian MMA Update: Legend FC 8 Moves To Hong Kong, URCC Files 3 Cases Against Them
Despite several reports saying otherwise, Legend Fighting Championship's 8th event will be pushing through, but it will be on a different venue and country. The show was supposed to be headlined by a featherweight title fight with Fransino Tirta fighting in front of his home town fans, but late last week, the Indonesian star ruptured his appendix and was forced to have surgery.
Tirta, while recovering from a successful appendectomy and had to be pulled from the card, forcing the promotion to reconsider their plans for a show that was marketed and hinged on his return. Fast forward to today, and amidst all the 'cancellation' rumors, officials have announced that that they will be keeping the date and moving their event to their home-base of Hong Kong.
Lightweight champion Jadamba Narantungalag will be headlining the event as he defends his title against top Korean prospect, Nam Yui Chul. On the co-main event, undefeated Chinese prospect, Ji Xian will be stepping in to face Tirta's original opponent in Yusuke Kawanago, and it will be for their vacant featherweight title.
It's still a good card considering the situation, with 2 title fights along with the Legend FC debut of Sengoku Champion, Keita "K-Taro" Nakamura, but it will be a tough task trying to market and sell a card to the Hong Kong fans in just a little over 2 weeks.
The release also mentioned that the Legend FC 10 on July would be the planned Jakarta card which would probably host Fransino Tirta against the winner of the featherweight championship bout on this card.
And as I'm writing this, more news breaks out, as the URCC released a statement saying that they have filed 3 cases against Legend FC and Mike Haskamp. Looks like they might be a legal battle between these two Asian promotions soon. Check out the release after the jump.
Follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena
Here's the URCC's release with a statement against Mike Haskamp and Legend FC:
URCC Founder Alvin Aguilar, founder of one of Asia’s longest running MMA promotions filed three cases with the Games and Amusement Board against Michael Haskamp and his promotion Legend FC. The cases being filed are regarding:
1.) Illegal and unethical hiring of fighters under contract with the URCC. (It was also noted that they overmatched a poor Filipino fighter from the province who didn’t know any better, to make his own veteran fighters look good.)
2.) Bringing legally registered Professional fighters outside the country without complying with any of the GAB’s requirements. Totally disregarding all of its rules and regulations
3.) Hiring trainers who are blacklisted and unlicensed by the GAB. One trainer he enlisted, Marciano Basas, was denied a fighter and trainer license as he has Hepatitis and a series of other sicknesses that may be passed on.
When asked for comment URCC Founder Alvin Aguilar said: "These foreigners think they can just come in and disregard the rules of our country and take advantage of our countrymen, and our efforts to promote Filipino MMA fighters around the world. Now that Philippine MMA is mainstream because of the URCC’s efforts, all sorts of foreigners are trying to make a quick buck off the efforts of OUR COUNTRYMEN. They even blatantly said that everyone is for sale here in our country. Well I’m sorry to say that we are not and this commission definitely is not for sale. I have personally dealt with them for ten years and they never asked me for a dime! They will learn to respect the rules here, all of the so-called Filipinos that supposedly support them (if any) should be hung up on a tree alongside these foreigners. As the founder of professional mixed martial arts in the Philippines, I am duty bound to protect my fighters and ensure that all the laws regarding and protecting them are followed. We will not standby and let these foreigners take advantage of anyone here. If ever I do meet them they will also learn the true meaning of BAKBAKAN NA!!!!"
Just a few notes for those who might not understand the situation:
- The Philippines' Games and Amusement Board, or GAB, is very similar to the Athletic Commissions in the US, which handles the sanctioning and licensing of fighters, testing, etc.
- No one should hire a guy in MMA who has hepatitis, that is obviously very dangerous.
- The fighter(s) referred to as allegedly being illegally hired is Augustin Delarmino Jr. (5-1). He has fought for the URCC since 2009 winning a provincial title from the promotion, and last competed at Legend FC 7 last February, when he knocked out Sung Ming Yen in 44 seconds (video).
- While it is unclear at this point if he is included in the legal complaint, Augustin's brother, Leonard Delarmino (3-2) was also with the URCC starting from 2009, and last competed at the same Legend FC 7 card (video), losing by submission to Ji Xian (who will be fighting for the title at LFC 8).
- Both brothers Augustin and Leonard are currently scheduled to compete at LFC 8 on March 30.
- The URCC didn't mention who was the over-matched "Filipino fighter from the province who didn’t know any better", but here is the list of all Filipinos who have fought for Legend FC:
Legend FC 1: Vicente Pajaro (2-1 when they fought) lost to Zilong Zhao (3-2 when they fought) by TKO. R1 3:20
Legend FC 2: Kevin Belingon (6-0 when they fought) def. Jo Nam Jin (5-1 when they fought) by Decision.
Legend FC 3: Kevin Belingon (7-0 when they fought) def. Dalai Bayin (1-0 when they fought) by Submission. R1 4:26
Legend FC 4: Mark Eddiva (0-0 when they fought) def. Alex Lee (0-0 when they fought) by Submission R1 4:22
Legend FC 5: Mark Striegl (4-0 when they fought) def. Yusuke Kawanago (10-2 when they fought) by Decision.
Legend FC 6: Ereneo Galindez (0-0 when they fought) lost to Michael Mortimer (14-4 when they fought) by Submission R1 4:24
Legend FC 7: Augustin Delarmino Jr. (4-1 when they fought) def. Sung Ming Yen (2-0 when they fought) by KO. R1 0:44
Legend FC 7: Leonard Delarmino (3-1 when they fought) lost to Ji Xian (3-0 when they fought) by Submission. R1 4:52
Legend FC 7: Mark Striegl (6-0 when they fought) def. Ev Ting (3-0 when they fought) by Submission. R1 3:51
Note that these professional records were all obtained from Sherdog, so it is possible that some fights might not have been recorded.
- All in all Filipinos did pretty well, going 6-3 in the Legend FC banner. Looking closer at these three records though, there is one that stands out as a possible candidate for that over-matched Filipino fighter, which is Ereneo Galindez. He hasn't competed at the URCC or any major MMA promotion in the Philippines, and he appears to have made his pro-debut against a 14-4 fighter in Michael Mortimer, so if there's a case for anyone being involved in a big mismatch, it is Galindez, who frankly, looked and performed like he had no business being in the ring against Mortimer.
So there you have it. I'm not going to give much opinion as I'm not really a lawyer, nor do I have all the details from both sides, so just to reiterate, I'm just basing things mostly on the release given, so if I did get anything wrong, the people from either side are free to contact me with the corrections.
As always, I'll try to keep everyone updated on the situation as it develops, but hopefully this all gets resolved soon.
Posted in: fighter, legend, urcc, filipino, fc
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowChris Leben talks about his painkiller addiction
Chris Leben is the original nuttah from The Ultimate Fighter 1, and from what we saw during that season it's kinda amazing he's still alive let alone still trucking away in the UFC seven years later. He once said "Fighters are like strippers, you know we all got a bunch of problems and skeletons in the closet", which pretty much explains everything you need to know about fighter psychology.. And now he opens that closet up to MMA Fighting and familiarizes us with his latest skeleton, painkiller addiction. MMA Mania transcribes:
"Well I mean the truth is, I've battled drugs and alcohol, and I've battled with those for my entire life. I've had an issue with being addicted to painkillers for years now. I had some issues with my camp and it was almost a cry for help. I knew I was going to get caught and I just didn't care at the time. I'm extremely embarrassed, I feel like I let down the UFC, but at the same time I think getting caught is probably the best thing to ever happen to me. The UFC has been unbelievable, they sent me to a rehab facility and they really took care of me."..."Painkillers for me were for pain management, not just physically, but emotionally. It's hard to explain the mind of an addict. The only thing I can explain, was that at that moment, nothing else mattered to me, even though I was the main event of the biggest show on Earth. I knew I was going to get caught, absolutely. My wife had brought them to me for after the fight, and I had tapered off them for the fight, but there were some issues, a lot of stress, and I cracked. It was as simple as that. I couldn't hold out. I was clean, but then the day before the weigh-ins, I cracked with all the issues going on in my life."
Posted in: fighter, issue, ive, time im, moment nothing
Read the full article at FightlinkerJorge Masvidal on Gilbert Melendez rematch: 'I been robbed more than your local 7-11'
Photo via www.tkomanagement.net.
Jorge Masvidal is coming off a loss to Gilbert Melendez in a fight where the scorecards did not tell the entire story. The Cuban-American did plenty of damage to the reigning Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and the fight was competitive for all five rounds. but he couldn't quite do enough to win more than one of them.
The outcome could have been different had Masvidal not fought with a broken hand, an injury he exacerbated in the opening round, forcing him to stick to a jab-dependent offense for much of the remainder of the fight. There is no shame in losing to a top five lightweight like Melendez and the fact that Masvidal was even headlining a Strikeforce card shows how far his career has come.
He started out a long way from arenas complete with television crews and large crowds. His first taste of fighting was in backyards in Miami where famously he took on one of Kimbo Slice's protegees in a video which is still available on YouTube.
Masvidal says he much prefers fighting on sanctioned shows and is not sure how much his street fighting experience has helped him as a fighter.
'I don't know if it helped develop me as a fighter but it definitely makes you wanna win. It's nice to fight people your own weight and get paid good though. You mighta seen my street fights on youtube, it just went from there. I just like to fight, if i can get paid for it and make a living then that's good."
Masvidal is currently spending some time training at Phuket Top Team in Thailand which is also home to Roger Huerta and a number of up and coming fighters such as Andrew Leone and Rodrigo Praxedes. He is still recovering from his hand injury but hopes to be back in action soon.
"The hand? Yeah it affected me a bit in the Melendez fight, I've had surgery and getting it fixed up now for another fight. I think if I fight Melendez 10 times I win nine, that's always how I feel.... so yeah its a fight I should of won. I want to fight again soon... once my hand is 100% I'm fighting."
Although Masvidal can have no complaints with the outcome of that fight he feels that the 50-45 shut out which two of the judges awarded Melendez didn't accurately reflect his efforts. His previous loss, to Paul Daley in 2010, was much more contentious and he still believes he was robbed of victory that night.
"I feel like I won that fight and yeah I would take a rematch. That's a fight I win. I been robbed more than your local 7/11 but I just want to fight and win. If I fight Melendez again, I will win."
Cain Velasquez made history by becoming UFC heavyweight champion last year and Masvidal, whose family originates from Cuba, is one of the more recognizable Hispanic fighters. He is spending time with Phuket with another famous Hispanic mixed martial artist but says he hasn't had too much time to train with him.
"Roger Huerta's here and we've talked and stuff but he's recovering from a rib, I'm recovering from a hand injury. We both been training at PTT but just haven't had the time to roll together. I trained with Andrew Leone and Rodrigo Praxedes and Olavo Abreu on the mats."
According to Masvidal, mixed martial arts will never occupy the same place as boxing does in the hearts of the Cuban people but he does have plenty of fans in Miami.
"It's not big in Cuba, boxing is what Cuba is all about, that and some wrestling. A lot of Cubans in Miami follow my career and I'm sure some at home do as well."
There has been a steady exodus of fighters from Strikeforce to the UFC but Masvidal is happy to fight whoever is put in front of him regardless of which organization the fight is taking place in.
"Sure, whatever comes - where ever the money is, where ever I need to fight and win. Right now I'm just enjoying my vacation, Thai people are very relaxed, the place is kinda like Miami and the training is good here at Phuket Top Team."
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, fighter, masvidal, melendez, fight i
Read the full article at MMA ManiaIan McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson rematch likely for The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale
June's live finale of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" appears to have a headliner.
After their initial meeting ended in a baffling majority draw following a commission error, Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson are now expected to rematch at The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale.
MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the planned matchup, which mmainterviews.tv first reported.
Posted in: fighter, demetriou, demetrious johnson, finale, finale junes
Read the full article at MMA JunkieShould Judges Be Held Accountable for Bad Decisions?
After watching his fighter lose a very controversial decision, one MMA manager is speaking out and saying that judges in MMA should be held accountable for their mistakes.
Posted in: mma, fighter, decision, judge, mma manager
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyMMA is still illegal in NY, but Muay Thai is coming to Madison Square Garden and you can go for $21!
If you’re driving into the New York City on Friday night, chances are the parking garage for the duration of your visit is going to cost you more than $21. If you’re taking the train, it’s probably going to cost you even more. A couple of Long Island Iced Teas for you and that girl at the bar who probably isn’t going leave with you because she suddenly remembered she has a boyfriend = another $21 (and even then, you’d probably have to stiff the bartender). The cover for any night-club where you can demonstrate the swag in your Dougie… That too will cost you $25 or more. At the end of all those scenarios, you’ll be out nearly $75-$200 (depending on whether or not you run into Phil Baroni at the bar) and you’ll go home feeling like you did every night of your late teens; broke, hung-over, and sexually frustrated.
You’re a fight fan. The only reason you’re out in the city trying to mingle with other people is because there’s no other MMA on TV that you find worthwhile. It’s a bummer, and if I could give you a hug to demonstrate I understand your frustration, I would totally do it. So would the rest of the MiddleEasy crew. We like hugging almost as much as we like combat sports. The only thing we like better than fighting is getting to watch amazing fighting live for a crazy low price. And for the next 4 hours or so, you can get your ticket to watch the best Muay Thai show ever put together on the East Coast for just $21.
The MiddleEasy crew has been excited about this show since it was announced several months ago. To get some background on the fighters competing:
· Jarrell Miller (16-0) and Brian Collette (12-0) will both put their undefeated records on the line in a heavyweight fight that’s sure to end with one fight lifeless on the canvas. Miller actually has a win over current UFC heavyweight Pat Barry in a kickboxing match under K-1 Rules back in 2008.· Then there’s Sean Hinds, former student of Phil Nurse, has consistently been one of the biggest draws in NYC’s history; competing on since the sport was condemned to basement-only entertainment. The man is widely regarded for his unreal KO power & endless gastank. · Last year’s TaKe-On tournament winner Brett Hlavacek will also defend his perfect pro record against Chris Clodfelter. Brett has been one of the WAT’s head instructors for years, working with fighters like Frankie Edgar and Jon Jones. · Brett’s teammate Nick Vaughan is also fighting on the card. He is the current TaKe-On champion, and Kru Phil Nurse’s own nephew. Nick defends his title against Brian Hutchings from Megalodon in Georgia. · Two flyweight fights also showcased on the card including seasoned veterans like Thiago Azerado, Andy Singh, Eric Ruiz, and Anthony Demaio. These are truly some of the best fighters on the planet at 125lb – Expect them going airborne throughout the fight with the wildest flying strikes you’ll ever see live. If you have a video camera, you might want to record the rounds and watch them in slow motion. Not sure if that’s allowed or not, but you should do it anyway.· In the main event, UFC veteran Ryan Madigan will fight Rigel Balsamico. This fight was actually supposed to happen last year. Both fighters made it up to New York City, made weight, got in the ring, and Ryan refused to remove his kneepads as per sanctioning rules. The fight was cancelled on site, and fans ultimately left FridayNightFights angry and frustrated. I was actually one of them. Rigel has been bitter about the whole situation ever since. This being Rigel’s last fight before retiring, there is nobody he wanted to smash more than the former UFC competitor.
MMA might still be illegal in New York, but the most exciting fighters to ever step on the big stage in Madison Square Garden’s history go to war this Friday, and you’d be a out of your mind to miss them for only $21. You've got four more hours to get in on this amazing discount at the biggest event in Muay Thai history, so get over to Groupon and buy your tickets now. As an added bonus we've gotten confirmation that Badr Hari will be in the building the night of the event. If Badr Hari is going, you know this event is badass.
You can visit the TaKe-On website to see the full fight card and enjoy the gallery of photos from previous events below to see what you can expect from this historic event.
Posted in: fight, fighter, event, ’re, york city
Read the full article at Middle EasyIan McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson Rematch Tentatively Set For TUF Live Finale
Dana White said they'd rematch in April, but scheduling can be a pain and it looks like they'll have to wait until June. Flyweights Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall, who went to a controversial draw at UFC on FX 2, will meet again on June 1st at the Ultimate Fighter Live Finale to see who advances to the flyweight tournament finals and faces Joseph Benavidez.. MMAInterviews.tv has the news:
According to sources close to the fighters, the UFC is hoping to feature the Flyweight Tournament rematch between Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson at the Finale of "The Ultimate Fighter 15″ taking place June 1st in Las Vegas.
The first bout was initially given to Johnson by split decision, but the scorecards were added up wrong and it turned out to be a draw. It was the first time in UFC history that a bout was scheduled to go to a fourth round if there was a draw, but the scorecard error ruined that. Nevertheless, the fighters were given their win bonuses and each received a $50,000 check for fight of the night. I doubt many will complain about them tangling again though, even if we do have to wait 10 weeks for it.
Posted in: fighter, johnson, flyweight, ian mccall, theyd rematch
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMMA Roundtable: What's Next for Melendez and Aldo, Rampage-Shogun II And More
It's been a long time since we sidled up to the old MMA roundtable and threw down on some of the biggest questions of the day, so I invited my colleague Luke Thomas to his first showdown to see what he's got.
Wednesday's topics include how to keep Gilbert Melendez happy in Strikeforce, what to make of Nick Diaz's suspension appeal, and how going on a Rampage can lead to fun and profit.
1. Who will be Gilbert Melendez's next opponent in Strikeforce?Mike Chiappetta: There's been all kinds of speculation about who Melendez would face ever since he beat Jorge Masvidal in December. I think I unintentionally helped to jumpstart the possibility of Zuffa sending a UFC fighter to Strikeforce to fight him the day after the Masvidal fight when I proposed he face BJ Penn, and those kinds of rumors have persisted. Cesar Gracie recently fanned the flames by saying that Melendez would fight on May 19, and he hoped to face Penn or Anthony Pettis.But recently, a well-placed source informed me that a different name was a possibility: Gray Maynard.He hasn't fought since his knockout at the hands of Frankie Edgar last October, and given that he had two cracks at the UFC belt in 2011, he's not likely to get another title bout anytime soon. He also doesn't have a huge salary that would make the move to Strikeforce cost prohibitive. And because Maynard gave Edgar a run twice, it would also be a fight that could provide a frame of reference for just how good Melendez is. I like it, and I think it's going to happen.Luke Thomas: I really hope Mike's inside information comes true. Gray Maynard would be an excellent choice for the Strikeforce organization, its fans and the two fighters involved. It's especially the right kind of challenge for the underserved Melendez.
No matter what happens, neither Josh Thomson nor KJ Noons are suitable contenders and the champion couldn't possibly be less interested in either fight. Who can blame him? He so outclasses both that the fights are basically matters of procedure. Keeping Melendez in Strikeforce is neither fair to the champion nor his challengers. It'd be much more equitable to the rest of the Strikeforce lightweight roster to move Melendez to the UFC and let the division sort itself out with it's existing talent.
If Maynard's not up for it or not available, but we still could move talent let's consider other top UFC lightweights. They'd have to be those who likely wouldn't contend for titles, but could be stiff tests for Melendez as well as provide a dose of excitement for Strikeforce. What about Joe Lauzon or Sam Stout? Couldn't we move Dennis Siver or Gleison Tibau? Lightweight is one of those divisions that's young enough and talent-rich enough where it can be carefully poached without truly doing damage to it. And as long as Melendez is isolated, the case for doing as much gets stronger by the day.2. Since Frankie Edgar is staying at lightweight, what does UFC do next with Jose Aldo?Thomas: Aldo is a truly frustrating fighter for the UFC. He's got all the tools to be a major star and is young enough that with the right promotion could be a lasting figure for the promotion. I honestly believe if Aldo spoke English fluently and could more readily participate in media pushes, he'd be a significantly bigger star. Yes, Anderson Silva has never truly spoken English, but it took him years to turn into a star and he was able to fight and beat known commodities that helped turn him into an attraction.That is what the UFC must do with Aldo. Either entice lightweights to drop to featherweight or have Aldo move to lightweight. Hatsu Hioki and Dustin Poirier are supreme talents and worthy of everyone's respect, but Aldo will only be marking time (promotionally speaking) by fighting them. A much better option is to have him fight and beat known entities. That's how stars are born in MMA. Names on the way out are fed to names on the way up. Aldo's talent wouldn't exactly be squandered facing the current line of contenders at featherweight, but it's hardly best use of his time.Chiappetta: First off, I disagree with moving him to lightweight. Why are we always so quick to tell fighters what weight their bodies should handle? It's no small thing. Anyway, dominant champions are historically big draws, and as Aldo continues to solidify his hold on the featherweight division, he'll become one, too. There's no need to push him up a weight class in order to make that happen. So what now? Well, there's nothing wrong with Luke's first idea of having a lightweight move down to face him, as long as that fighter is a) a credible opponent and b) inclined to make that cut. Anthony Pettis has said he'd consider such an offer, but a rematch with Ben Henderson down the line seems like a more viable option for him, and a bigger money draw for the UFC. So I think UFC will stay within the division and Aldo will draw Hioki next. If I was a UFC decision-maker, I'd think long and hard about showcasing that fight on FOX. 3. Is Rampage vs. Shogun II the right call by the UFC?Chiappetta: No. I stick by my column from Monday, that the UFC should have released Jackson. But in some ways, this is a decision I think can be looked at from different perspectives as a fan, and as a business decision.As a fan, the Jackson-Rua rematch is an interesting fight, and I'll be intrigued to watch it, even though it's almost as if Jackson is being rewarded for his threats to leave the promotion. From a business perspective though, if I was a UFC decision-maker, I wouldn't offer him a fight that would allow him to go out on a high note, thereby increasing his value to prospective employers. The fact they did that makes me believe they think the relationship will be patched up ... again.
Thomas: Most certainly. I disagree with my colleague on this one.
Rampage has claimed the UFC has told him his appeal has waned. He even noted their argument was that rappers don't show up to watch him fight anymore. I have no idea if any of that is true (although it's hilarious), but if the UFC believes Rampage's star power has faded somewhat, then they're correct. It has. But it's not so faded that it's negligible.
There's a key consideration to understand that makes keeping Rampage around for one more fight borderline essential: the old guard of MMA is about to depart en masse. Consider that within the next two years (or less) the following fighters could be gone from the ranks of the UFC: Anderson Silva, B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, both Nogueira brothers, Roy Nelson and Rich Franklin. On the bubble (up to three years) are fighters like Chris Leben, Rashad Evans and Josh Koscheck. There may well be others. All of these fighters have either expressed sincere interest in retirement, will be deep into their thirties (or forties) in the stated time span or be both.
Stated plainly, UFC needs all of the star power they can get. The UFC brand itself is hugely important, but this is a star-driven sport. Perhaps the relationship with Rampage is too fractured to be repaired, but Rampage as either a headliner or co-main event makes sense as long as it's a viable option. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.
4. How likely is Nick Diaz's appeal defense of reducing or eliminating his suspension?Thomas: Impossible to tell. Diaz is not working through a normal court of law procedure. He is not entitled to a traditional appeals system nor is an appointed, practicing judge presiding over his challenge. In short, whatever the commission wishes to do is what they'll do. They're both jury and judge here and that makes forecasting his chances of success rather difficult.That said, his case is air tight in my opinion. I don't know if his lawyer lifted the blueprint for this challenge from a post written by Jonathan Tweedale over at BloodyElbow.com, but either way Tweedale was first. He's also a member of the athletic commission in Vancouver and an attorney. And what he found was a clear misapplication of the stated guidelines of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Urine tests do not tell us when a fighter used, just that he used. Since NSAC follows WADA's guidelines on marijuana (it's not banned out of competition), then they must have testing measures in place that allow us to follow that rule. For Diaz, everything hinges on how the NSAC will try to define 'out of competition' and whether they'll directly follow WADA's guidelines there as they do with other banned substances protocol. I'll just say this: there's bellyaching among the MMA community about Diaz trying to backdoor his marijuana use into legalized territory. I could not possibly disagree more. This isn't about Diaz at all. This is about making sure the athletic commissions we trust to regulate this sport are using and applying guidelines they are bound by correctly. It's not about Diaz. It's about every fighter who competes in Nevada and arguably any other state.Mike Chiappetta: Diaz might have a legitimate defense here. There is precedent. In 2008, Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen tested positive for cocaine but was not suspended by WADA because his test came out of competition. Diaz's legal team will have to prove that his use was out-of-competition. That will be tricky because despite the fact that they claim WADA has excluded marijuana metabolites as a positive result, it has been accepted as a positive result in the past. The drugs were in his system and there's really no dispute he took them, it now all hinges on when he took them.As Luke mentioned, this isn't a court, so the process isn't structured or easy to predict. Because of that, neither is the outcome. Some state commissions have shown a willingness to reduce penalties when faced with a strong defense argument, but NSAC hasn't historically been one of them. Given that it's his second offense, I still think Diaz will be faced with a 6-9 month suspension. But the good news is the fact that since he is appealing this result, he must be planning to fight again.
Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, fighter, melendez
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC Fighter Brendan Schaub Joins Ghost Adventures This Friday
UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub has faced some of the best fighters in the Octagon, but how does he do against the spirit world?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, schaub, brendan, ghost adventures
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTUF Live Ep 1: 1.28 million viewers.
The Ultimate Fighter Live on FX drew 1.28 million viewers according to a press release provided by the UFC. The ratings won the new Friday night MMA wars at it did better than SpikeTV’s UFC’s Ultimate Fighter Fridays and MTV2’s Bellator 60 live event.
Via UFC press release:
The series debut of The Ultimate Fighter® Live on FX got off to a strong start Friday night (3/9/12, 9:00-11:38 PM) delivering 1.28 Million Total Viewers, 953,000 Adults 18-49 and 538,000 Adults 18-34, and ranking among the top five cable programs on Friday in Men 18-34 (#2), Adults 18-34 (#3), Men 18-49 (#4), and Adults 18-49 (#5)
The Ultimate Fighter® Live (9-11:38 PM ET) was up +58% in Adults 18-49, +96% in Men 18-49 and +124% in Men 18-34 vs. year ago time period.
Compared to other MMA telecasts on Friday evening, The Ultimate Fighter® Live Season 1 debut significantly outperformed Spike’s repeat counter-programming of The Ultimate Fighter® Season 10 by +189% in delivery of Adults 18-34, +162% among Adults 18-49, +208% with Men 18-34, and +167% in Men 18-49, and it also battered live MMA bouts on MTV2 by +703% in delivery of Adults 18-34, +947% among Adults 18-49, +568% with Men 18-34, and +842% in Men 18-49.
Payout Perspective:
Bear in mind that its the UFC press release, but the numbers show that TUF Live won the night of MMA. This can be attributed to the UFC and Fox marketing machines which hyped the show almost everywhere. Bellator 60 garnered just 169,000 viewers as the season premiere ratings are down from last season. Promising news for Bellator was that online streaming of its preliminary bouts on Spike.com were up 58 percent from season 5’s average. No numbers were given but we shall assume that its a sizeable increase. It will be interesting to see how competitive (or lopsided) the MMA Friday night ratings will be over the next couple months.
Posted in: fighter, men, friday, fighter ®, adult
Read the full article at MMA PayoutDana White TUF Live Video Blog
UFC President Dana White gives an update on the new Ultimate Fighter as well as going behind the scenes for UFC 144 and UFC on FX 2 in Australia.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fx, dana, australia
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White TUF Live Video Blog
UFC President Dana White gives an update on the new Ultimate Fighter as well as going behind the scenes for UFC 144 and UFC on FX 2 in Australia.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fx, dana, australia
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyLumpini champion, Orono Wor Petchpun, is looking to make his MMA debut in 2012
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
Orono Wor Petchpun was one of the best Muay Thai fighters of his generation and was a Lumpini Champion, WMC Champion, It's Showtime Champion and WPMF Champion. He holds wins over Damien Alamos, Singdam Kiatmoo 9, Saenchai Sor Kingstar, Buakaw Por Pramuk and Yodsaenklai Fairtex but has not fought since 2010.
Orono is now at Evolve MMA in Singapore where he is part of a team of Thai trainers which also includes Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn, Anuwat Kaewsamrit, Attachai Fairtex and Yodsanan Sityodtong. He also works as a stand up coach for a number of top mixed martial artists like Shinya Aoki, Zorobabel Moreira and Eddie Ng and recently decided that he too wanted to compete in MMA.
Orono is only 33 years old and has had just 150 Muay Thai fights in his career which is relatively few for a Thai fighter. He believes he still has plenty more to offer as a fighter and could be a force to be reckoned with at 145 lbs.
Read More...
Posted in: mma, fighter, champion, thai, orono
Read the full article at Middle EasyUltimate Fighter Live Medical Suspensions Includes One Fighter Who Made the House
The medical suspensions stemming from the Ultimate Fighter Live debut have been released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the list includes a fighter who won his way into the house.
Posted in: fighter, suspension, debut, nevada state, house
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUltimate Fighter Live Medical Suspensions Includes One Fighter Who Made the House
The medical suspensions stemming from the Ultimate Fighter Live debut have been released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the list includes a fighter who won his way into the house.
Posted in: fighter, suspension, debut, nevada state, house
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyVF Elite manager John Fosco says fighters 'insane' not to have representation
Manager John Fosco agrees with fighter Aaron Riley that there is little negotiating room with MMA's most prominent employer, the UFC.
But he said that's precisely why management is needed, among other jobs that allow fighters to focus on their primary one.
"To not have a professional manage your career, deal with paperwork, deal with travel, deal with PR, deal with sponsors, deal with social media - it's insane," Fosco told MMAjunkie.com.
Posted in: fighter, deal, career deal, pr deal, sponsors deal
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUltimate Fighter 15 'Live' ratings net 1.3 million viewers
It's the dawn of a new era as 1.3 million viewers caught the debut episode of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15, which kicked off its "live" season last Friday night (March 9, 2012) via the FX Channel.
Under the tutelage of bantamweight rivals and reality show coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, 32 lightweight fighters went to war for a spot in the TUF house in one-round elimination fights. The results produced 16 next-generation stars, as well as 0.95 household rating.
Those numbers failed to meet the 1.5 million established for the season 14 debut, according to Sherdog.com.
That doesn't necessarily mean the sky is falling, as the promotion (and network) will need time to find its groove as fans are not only growing accustomed to a new time, date and channel, but also a new format. Considering the massive overhaul for TUF 15 (and counter-programming efforts from Spike TV), 1.3 million viewers doesn't sound half bad.
Let's see what they get for episode two.
For complete TUF 15 live results click here. For our comprehensive recap and power rankings click here and here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, fx channel, counterprogramming efforts, bantamweight rivals
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Ultimate Fighter Brazil Cast Unveiled
The Ultimate Fighter Brazil kicks off in just a couple of a weeks, and the 32-man cast was announced today. The two weight classes will be featherweight and middleweight. Like the new version of The Ulitmate Fighter on FX, there will be a live elimination round to see which 16 guys get into the house. The show starts on March 25th on Globo in Brazil, and will be streamed live on UFC.com at the same time. It will also air on Fuel, but exactly when has not been determined yet. The coaches will be Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva.
The roster includes a few familar names since as Rodrigo Damm and Delson Heleno, along with four prospects from the 2012 Bloody Elbow Scouting Report. Here is the list of contestants (via Globo):
Featherweights
Alexandre Ramos (5-0)Rodrigo Damm (9-5)Rony Mariano Bezerra (10-3)Godofredo Pepey (8-0)Marcos Vinicius Borges Pancini (19-3-1)Medeiros Anistavio (12-7)Johnny Goncalves (4-0)Hugo Viana (5-0)Fernando Duarte Guerra (10-1)John Teixeira (13-0-1) - # 8 on the 2012 BE Scouting Report at 145Rafael Bueno (7-1)Wagner Campos (11-3)Pedro Nobre (10-0-1)Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva (14-1)Dileno Lopes (8-0) - # 1 on the 2012 BE Scounting Report at 125Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. (10-1)
Middleweights
Sergio Moraes (6-1)Cezar Ferreira (4-2)Leonardo Mafra Teixeira (5-0)Daniel Sarafian (7-2)Gustavo Sampaio (5-1)Richardson Moreira (3-0) - # 8 on the 2012 BE Scouting Report at heavyweightFabio Luiz Vital da Costa (9-0-1)Renee Forte (7-1)Joao Paulo de Souza (8-4)Francisco Drinaldo (10-1)Thiago Rela (3-1)Charles Maicon (8-1)Gilberto Galvao (19-4-1)Thiago Perpetuo (8-1-1) - # 8 on the 2012 BE Scouting report at light heavyweightSamuel Trindade (6-1)Delson Heleno (23-6)
Posted in: fighter, silva, report, fighter brazil, delson heleno
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSean McCorkle gives fighter’s perspective on Bellator 60
This past Friday night former UFC heavyweight Sean McCorkle silently ran his post-Octagon record to 6-0 with the entire lot coming by way of an opening round submission. Known for his frank albeit funny commentary, the always-entertaining McCorkle was at it again this weekend after picking up a victory at Bellator 60, this time offering up his opinion on what he experienced as one of the organization’s newest competitors.
“I was very impressed with Bellator as a promotion as a whole fighting for them last Friday night. Their entire staff is very professional, they treat all of the fighters with the utmost respect almost going overboard catering to the fighters, and look to really be trying to build their promotion the right way,” wrote the 16-2 McCorkle in a post on The Underground, adding, “We stayed in an expensive hotel, the per diem money was way more than I expected or needed, and the production crew to the PR people to the cut guys were awesome.”
Still glowing, the 35-year old continued, “I love the tournament format they have, and the philosophy that fighters can and should fight more than just a few times a year. Obviously nobody will be able to compete with the UFC for many years, but Bellator really did impress me. It will be very interesting to see where the deal with Spike and Viacom has them after the next 18 months.”
Spike TV is expected to start broadcasting Bellator events in 2013 once the remaining aspects of the UFC’s contract with their former home finally expires. Currently Spike.com plays host to Bellator’s preliminary pairings.
While most of McCorkle’s take was positive, he did mention the one sour note he came across involved fallen featherweight champ Joe Warren who was knocked out by Pat Curran earlier in the evening. Many watching felt the stoppage came late and even Bellator edited out part of the finish on a highlights package circulated online.
Tim Hague Wants to Mix It Up with McCorkle
“I did not get a chance to see the Curran/Warren fight the other night because they were on right before me, but Warren did not look in good shape at all backstage after the fight,” said McCorkle. “I’m not one to have my stomach easily turned either, but I was genuinely afraid for him when he passed by as they were practically carrying him. I keep hearing it was a late stoppage, and then that it wasn’t, back and forth. Either way, I genuinely hope that he is OK. That’s a scary thing to see.”
McCorkle will compete again later this month in headlining action against Brian Heden on a WMMA card in Texas marking the fourth time “Big Sexy” will have fought this year.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: bellator, fighter, year, friday night, mccorkle
Read the full article at Fighters.comThe Ratings are in for “The Ultimate Fighter: Live”
The Ultimate Fighter: Live debuted on FX last Friday night and pulled in a much smaller audience than the UFC were expecting.
As reported by MMAJunkie, the premier episode of The Ultimate Fighter on FX drew 1.3 million viewers, much lower than the 3 million mark UFC president Dana White had predicted the show would hit back in November.
The high water mark for TUF ratings so far remains season ten, which featured Kimbo Slice and pulled in 4.1 million viewers. By comparison, TUFs 12, 13, and 14 — which all aired on SpikeTV — drew 1.6, 1.5 and 1.5 million viewers, respectively.
For their new home on FX, the UFC reworked the standard format employed in fourteen previous seasons of The Ultimate Fighter on SpikeTV. The show is now taped and edited to air weekly, with a live fight to accompany each episode.
The premier episode featured thirty-two lightweight UFC hopefuls battling it out in sixteen, one-round fights that determined who made it into the house and who had to pack their bags. UFC president Dana White, along with coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, watched on as the fighters did battle and offered their commentary.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fx, episode, premier episode
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyTUF: Brazil Cast List Reveals Middleweight, Featherweight Fields
Sixteen middleweights and 16 featherweights will comprise the starting field of 32 Brazilians selected for the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.
The contestants were revealed today by the UFC's Brazilian TV broadcast partner, Globo, and features mostly a host of young but unfamiliar names.
Among those that might be recognizable to North American fans are former Strikeforce fighter Rodrigo Damm and IFL veteran Delson Heleno. As is customary on the U.S. version of the show, the biggest names belong to coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva.
The oldest (Gustavo Sampaio, 35) and youngest (Thiago Rela, 22) fighters in the field both come from the middleweight category. Meanwhile, Heleno with his 29 pro fights, is the most seasoned while 3-0 Richardson Moreira is the least experienced.
The elimination round is set to debut on March 25, and will air on UFC.com. The UFC and FUEL TV have both acknowledged a hope of airing the show on television, but as of yet, a deal that would make it possible has yet to be officially announced.
The full list of competitors for TUF: Brazil is as follows:
MiddleweightsSergio MoraesCezar FerreiraLeonardo Mafra TeixeiraDaniel SarafianGustavo Sampaio Richardson MoreiraFabio Luiz Vital da CostaRenee ForteJoao Paulo de SouzaFrancisco DrinaldoThiago RelaCharles MaiconGilberto GalvaoThiago de Oliveira PerpetuoSamuel TrindadeDelson Heleno
FeatherweightsAlexandre RamosRony Mariano BezerraGodofredo PepeyMarcos Vinicius Borges PanciniAnistavio MedeirosJohnny GoncalvesHugo VianaFernando Duarte GuerraRodrigo DammJohn TexeiraRafael BuenoWagner CamposPedro NobreFabricio de Assis Costa da SilvaDileno LopesGiovanni da Silva Santos, Jr.
Posted in: fighter, middleweight, brazil, field, middleweight category
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseWould 'throwing in the towel' have saved Joe Warren from excessive trauma at Bellator 60?
You don't hear much about a corner throwing in the towel these days.
A symbol of surrender, the throwing of a white towel into the cage by the corner was one of the original means of victory when mixed martial arts debuted at UFC 1 in 1993. Royce Gracie's corner famously threw in the towel due to exhaustion before his UFC 3 fight with Harold Howard.
The corner stoppage only really existed because referees in the early days of mixed martial arts didn't have the authority to stop a fight unless the fighter was knocked unconscious or forced to tap out, even if a fighter was getting severely beaten.
"Big" John McCarthy finally gained the authority to stop fights at UFC 3 after finding out that some fighters had told their corners to never throw in the towel and realizing that many cornermen didn't have their fighters' best interests at heart.
As referees became more knowledgeable and capable of making correct stoppages, the need for a corner to stop a fight became practically nonexistent.
That is, until last Friday night (March 9, 2012) at Bellator 60 when featherweight champion Joe Warren received a sustained and brutal beating at the hands of Pat Curran in the third round of the main event which lasted at least 15 seconds too long.
You can see it here, Warren eats a big knee to the face at the 14 second mark while ducking down for a takedown and it stops him in his tracks. From here on out, it's a complete one-sided thrashing by Curran.
Curran destroyed Warren, hitting him with about 40 unanswered blows for a full 28 seconds. On major rubbery legs, Warren turned away from punishment twice during this flurry of strikes and went down hard along the fence just eight seconds after absorbing another pair of knees.
Stopping the fight while Curran was swarming him then would have been acceptable. Commentator Jimmy Smith even said "This is gonna be stopped right now" during the sequence.
But referee Jeff Malott allowed the action to continue.
After Curran continued to crush Warren and sent him reeling into the fence once more, Smith announced, "They need to stop this, he's done." This time, there was serious concern in his voice.
But the fight continued on until Warren ate a pair of huge uppercuts which finally sent him crashing to the canvas completely out cold.
When a referee is not protecting the fighter, that's when corner intervention could have been an option.
Bellator follows the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, which allows a corner to stop a fight. While some commissions don't allow an actual towel to be thrown into the cage (because an audience member could do it too), they do allow corners to step in and inform the commission they want the fight to be stopped. After all, they know their fighter better than anyone else.
The most recent example of this was the epic Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki 2 fight which headlined Sengoku 14 in 2010. Misaki was exhausted and taking serious punishment on the ground from Santiago. Despite the fact that there were only 30 seconds left in the five round bout, his corner threw in the towel to save their fighter.
Yes, Joe Warren was the champion and might get the 'benefit of the doubt' and yes, Warren has a reputation for being able to take a beating and keep on coming, but a fighter's safety should always be the first priority. That's especially the case due to the fact that Warren was coming off a violent first round knockout defeat at the hands Alexis Vila last September.
Something, anything, would have been better than what ended up happening, with Warren likely receiving a severe concussion.
The self-proclaimed "Baddest Man on the Planet" didn't need to lose consciousness and brain cells to lose his title.
Thoughts?
Posted in: fight, fighter, warren, corner, towel
Read the full article at MMA Mania‘The Ultimate Fighter Live’ Draws 1.3 Million Viewers for FX Premiere
The season premiere of “The Ultimate Fighter Live” drew an average of 1.3 million viewers to FX on Friday night, according to sources in the industry.
Posted in: fighter, fx, season premiere, friday night, fx premiere
Read the full article at SherdogUltimate Fighter: Brasil Cast Revealed (MMAWeekly.com)
The first international edition of The Ultimate Fighter, launches March 25 in Brazil with The Ultimate Fighter: Brasil. The coaches, UFC middleweights Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, were announced some time ago, but Globo TV on Monday finally announced the 32 competitors vying for a spot in the fighter house. Globo TV will air TUF: Brasil on Brazilian television. Fuel TV will air the series in the United States. There are 16 middleweight fighters and 16 welterweight fighters that will be paired up on the first episode of the show.
Posted in: fighter, wanderlei silva, tv, brasil, tuf brasil
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsCast for Upcoming Season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil’ Revealed
The 32 fighters who will compete for a UFC contract on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” have been announced.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, ufc contract, brazil
Read the full article at SherdogTop Five UFC Fighters Turned Coaches on 'The Ultimate Fighter' (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
On March 9, " The Ultimate Fighter " returned with Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as the two UFC fighters turned coaches. There have been many fighters from the UFC that have starred on the reality television show throughout the 14 previous seasons, and it always makes...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc fighters, dominick cruz, urijah faber
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC Ultimate Fighter Live Wrap-Up: A Return To The Sport Of MMA
Over its seven year history, The Ultimate Fighter has progressed from the savior of the UFC as we know it to a stale, recycled formula. And I know I am not alone in saying that, over the course of those years, I tuned out. But now, with the promise of the new Live on FX Ultimate Fighter, for the first time since Kimbo Slice stepped into the house, my interest has been piqued. And so I tuned in Friday night with high hopes. Would this in fact be the dawn of a much-needed new era of The Ultimate Fighter? As it turned out, the answer was not so cut and dry.
Despite the live aspect, on the surface, this had many of the standard TUF elements. The gathering of the fighters, the Dana White speech, the pre-show fights in the UFC training center, the Dana White speech part 2... all was there. And yet it can't be denied - this TUF felt different.
How? Simple: it felt like a sport. This episode seemed to get back to the basics of the show and focus heavily on scouting the best unsigned talent in the regional scene. Gone were the huge audacious personalities, gone was the 3rd grade level trash talk between coaches. Instead, the focus was squarely on the fights themselves. Now, a part of that is surely due to this being an action packed, 16 fight filled opener, but there were little touches too that kept this focused on the sport aspect. Jon Anik's interviews with winners, Faber and Cruz's insightful commentary, the emphasis on fighter records - add it all up and what do you have? A sport, which is exactly what the show should be.
More Bloody Elbow coverage of The Ultimate Fighter
Five Thoughts From UFC's Ultimate Fighter Live: Quick Fights, Fun Format Stand Out
Ultimate Fighter Live Results: 16 Winners Move 'Into The House'
The question now: once we have more time to focus on training and living together, will we still keep up this focus? Or as I type this is one contestant busy peeing on another's head in a drunken rampage? I ceratinly hope it's the former, as this week's show was a breath of fresh air. And for the first time in ages, I look forward to tuning in next week to find out.
Every week, I'll keep this up and include some thoughts on the week's fight. With 16 fights this week, that's a bit much, so here are my 4 fighters that have left an early impression:
Cristiano Marcello - I was excited about the idea of a Rickson Gracie blackbelt being included, and I wasn't let down. His fight was Gracie Jiu Jitsu to perfection - takedown to mount to submission. Beautifully simple, and very hard to stop. I'm interested to see more of his stand-up, because he is a strong early favorite in my eyes.
Justin Lawrence - Just a whirlwind of beautiful destruction from Lawrence, with some very nice kicks thrown in. If he keeps that up, he doesn't need the TUF contract to have a healthy future in the UFC.
Daron Cruickshank - Again, anyone with flashy kicks gets my appreciation, and I enjoyed Cruickshank's Tae Kwon Do stylings. He ran out of steam as the fight progressed, but still impressed me.
Sam Sicilia - Hard to know much from a fight that was literally once punch, but what a punch it was. Sicilia clearly has heavy power, and I liked his attitude as well.
Check back next week for more Ultimate Fighter Live thoughts.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, week, focus
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter: Brasil Cast Revealed
The cast for "The Ultimate Fighter: Brasil" has been released with several names that should be familiar to hardcore MMA fans.
Posted in: mma, fighter, cast, brasil, fighter brasil
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyJian Kai Chee: Eddie Ng Will Be Afraid to Stand With Me at ONE FC 3
Jian Kai Chee has been on the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene for a couple of years but is best remembered for dropping Ole Laursen at Martial Combat 12 in a fight where he proved his stand up was at least as good as the K-1 and Muay Thai veteran, before being beaten by ground and pound.
Since then he has embraced the sport of MMA fighting five more times and on March 31, the Malaysian will be taking on Eddie Ng at ONE Fighting Championship 3 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It is the biggest card in the history of South East Asian MMA and will give Kai a second chance to grab the win which so narrowly eluded him the last time he fought in Singapore.
A couple of Kai's teammates featured at the second ONE FC show and enjoyed mixed success, Raymond Tiew lost due to a knee injury but Pete Davis made up for a lackluster performance by securing a triangle choke late in the last round of his fight.
With the fourth ONE FC event scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur Kai will want to leave a lasting impression with the fans in order to show that Malaysian fighters have what it takes to compete with the best mixed martial artists in the region.
Martial Combat 12 Fight 3 Chee Jian Kai Vs Ole "Iron Fist" Baguio Larsen (via ESPNMartialCombat)
After staggering Laursen with a left hook on his MMA debut Kai is convinced he s capable of doing the same thing to Ng, who is regarded as being more of a ground fighter.
"I believe in my stand up skills because I was Malaysian Sanda Champion, and I was also a Malaysian Muay Thai champion. Eddie Ng is one of the best fighters in Asia and if I beat him I will have respect and attention from anyone but that also puts me under a lot of pressure."
He thinks that Ng, a fighter from Hong Kong who lives in Singapore and is part of the Evolve MMA fight team, will want no part of the stand up exchanges and will do everything in his power to take the fight to the floor.
"There is a lot of Muay Thai legends at Evolve MMA and definitely Eddie will have learned a lot of from them but I still believe he will be afraid to stand with me. I keep reading about how the Muay Thai coaches at Evolve MMA are the best in the world and if they are so good they should be able to prepare their fighter to stand and face me, not shoot for a takedown in the first 30 seconds."
This might seem like wishful thinking on Kai's behalf but he has been preparing in Kuala Lumpur with some experienced MMA fighters including Arnaud Lepont who he lost to in a fight for DARE Championship last year.
"Arnaud is a pretty cool and nice guy and after he beat me we both started working for Muayfit together. He has helped me a lot in training, especially boxing with him and training cardio with him. I train with a lot of awesome guys like Mark Striegl, Will Chope, Eric Kelly, Samir Mrabet, Muay Thai Champ Jorm Kitti and three times Jiu Jitsu world champ, Hakim Goram."
Kai will need to be at his best if he is to beat Ng because the 26 year old has a reputation as being one of the brightest talents in Asia. He is an accomplished grappler who has been competing in professional Muay Thai in Thailand in order to improve his standup.
Ng will also have Olympian wrestler Heath Sims in his corner and if the gameplan is to take the fight to the ground he could not be working with a more experienced coach but Kai would love to win because of the boost it would give Malaysian MMA and knows what his keys to victory are.
"If I can keep my distance and stay on my feet it will be my game and I am sure I will win. I have been obsessed with MMA since my fight with Laursen and it is damn cool to see how fast the sport is growing in Malaysia and Muayfit have played a very important role. If I could defeat a famous fighter like Eddie Ng it would be very big for MMA in Malaysia, that is what motivates me for this fight because I am fighting for my country."
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, ng, kai
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter 15 'Live' episode 1 review and next episode preview on FX
If you were home last Friday night, chances are you have no social life caught the debut episode of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15, which kicked off its "live" season via the FX Channel on March 9, 2012.
Under the tutelage of bantamweight rivals and reality show coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, fans got two slam-bang hours of action-packed elimination fights with some fairly interesting results.
If you watched TUF 15 because Kimbo Slice told you to, then you saw Dakota Cochrane get outed then ousted, while Jon Tuck lost a spot in the house -- while nearly losing his ability to walk upright.
So much for putting your best foot forward.
That kind of thing can happen when you only get one round to prove your mettle. Two rounds are for wieners but bonus checks aren't, as Dana White was rewarding the finishers in what was widely perceived as an under-produced broadcast.
This time, the focus is on the fights, not the glitz and glamor of network television.
So now that the smoke has cleared and you've brought yourself up to speed with our live results and post-TUF recap, here's a look ahead at this week's episode and what to expect going forward.
See you on the other side.
After 32 lightweight hopefuls made their best case for UFC stardom, only 16 remained. Here's who's getting a shot at a "six-figure contract" and Octagon infamy:
Joe Proctor (7-1)Cristiano Marcello (12-3)Sam Sicilia (10-0)Chris Tickle (7-4)Andy Ogle (8-1)Vinc Pichel (6-0)John Cofer (7-1)Chris Saunders (9-2)James Vick (4-0)Michael Chiesa (7-0)Mike Rio (8-1)Justin Lawrence (3-0)Daron Cruickshank (10-2)Jeremy Larsen (8-2)Al Iaquinta (5-1)Myles Jury (9-0)
It's difficult to judge which of the above fighters are going to make some noise this season when all you have is one round to judge them on. That's why our resident numbers cruncher, Kevin Haggerty, was kind enough to assemble the TUF 15 power rankings (here) to give you something to chew on.
So, what's to come this Friday night, March 16?
Probably lots of arguing between Cruz and Faber. They face off for "The Dominator's" belt at UFC 148 later this summer but until then, they'll have to concentrate on picking teams, which is likely to be the focal point of this week's episode.
Along with another live fight.
So before you head into another TUF 15 offering, take our refresher course with live results here, then get The General's thoughts on everything that went down right here. Of course you can also get more details on Dakota Cochrane's loss to James Vick right here and see Jon Tuck's digital salute over here.
All the TUF 15 news that's fit to print by clicking here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, episode, weeks episode, generals thoughts
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJoe Rogan’s Favorite “Ultimate Fighter” Moments
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Posted in: fighter, joe, moment, habschick link, habschick
Read the full article at Reddit'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' cast unveiled with 32 featherweights and middleweights
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Posted in: fighter, brazil, cast, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link
Read the full article at Reddit'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' cast unveiled with 32 featherweights and middleweights
The fighters competing in the first-ever international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" have been revealed.
"TUF: Brazil," which features UFC notables Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei
Silva as coaches, streams in the U.S. on UFC.com (simultaneously as it
debuts March 25 in Brazil on Globo) and airs on FUEL TV (air times TBA).
A total of 32 featherweights and middleweights take part in the competition-reality series, the winners of which earn UFC contracts.
Posted in: fighter, wanderlei silva, brazil, coaches streams, competitionreality series
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMorning Report: MMA's Weekend Smorgasbord, Jon Jones Talks Silva Superfight
Indulge me in a rant real quick. I understand Joe Warren isn't exactly the most popular fighter out there right now, but what exactly was going through Jeff Malott's head as he watched Pat Curran bomb on a 35-year-old man with roughly 436 unanswered shots on Friday night? A referee's primary role is to ensure the safety of both fighters. Malott failed. I know it's cliché to grumble about the refing and judging in MMA, but this issue is getting out-of-hand.
Guys like Nick Diaz and Gene LeBell have called for officials to carry a background in combat sports and undergo extensive, mandatory martial arts training in order to grasp the severity of given situations. That sounds great in theory, but a quick Google search reveals Malott to have an extensive background in sambo and even a few professional fights under his belt. So what then?
This is a murky issue and no one seems to have the right answer, but when it comes down to it, as a former fighter Malott failed Warren immensely by not understanding how unhealthy it is for a human skull to be bludgeoned unconscious three different times in a span of thirty seconds.
Anyhow, now that we've got that out of the way, how about all that magnificent violence we saw this weekend? Between the twin premieres of Bellator and The Ultimate Fighter, along with Cro Cop's homecoming and the first ever MMA event held in India, there were plenty of brawls to go around, so check out all the action with the Morning Report.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Weekend MMA results. Catch up on this weekend's smorgasbord of MMA action with official results for Bellator 60, The Ultimate Fighter: Live, Cro Cop Final Fight, Super Fight League 1 and MFC 4.
Tyson Griffin tested positive for marijuana at UFC 123. Bloody Elbow's Brent Brookhouse uncovered an unreported positive test for marijuana linked back to Tyson Griffin at UFC 123. UFC Senior Vice President of Government & Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner has since issued an official statement on the matter.
Jon Jones would rather have Anderson Silva as a mentor than fight him. The question of who would win a superfight between the UFC's two most dominant champions, Jon Jones and Anderson Silva, has been debated ad nauseum by fight fans. But according to Jones, he'd rather look to Silva as a mentor than an opponent.
Fedor Emelianenko hints at possible UFC fight. Where would March be without the monthly Fedor-to-UFC tidbit? In a recent interview, the aging Russian legend opened the door for a shot at Octagon glory.
'UFC Primetime' tapped for two summer shows. 'UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans' and 'UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Overeem' are set to receive the primetime treatment for their respective championship fights.
COUNTDOWN TO A SLIMMER ROY NELSON
Started (on March 4th): 32,000 likes.Friday's mark: 99,688 likes.As of this writing: 101,500 likes.Goal (by March 18th): 132,000 likes.
Come on people, we can do this. One week left.
MEDIA STEW
So yeah, Pat Curran nearly killed Joe Warren at Bellator 60 this weekend. Check out the brutal finish below.
What loss? Rampage Jackson, sans shirt, allegedly hit the stage at a Tokyo nightclub hours after his UFC 144 defeat to Ryan Bader.
Also highlighting the weekend: India's first ever mixed martial arts event, the Super Fight League. If you missed out on Sunday morning, the entire show has been uploaded to YouTube for your viewing pleasure. Or you can just skip ahead to 2:10:33 to see Bob Sapp do what Bob Sapp does.
Joe Rogan picks out his favorite coaching match-ups of The Ultimate Fighter's 15-season history.
BREAKOUT STAR OF 'TUF LIVE': JON TUCK AND HIS MANGLED TOE
Ouuch! Tough! twitter.com/UrijahFaber/st…
— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) March 10, 2012
RAMPAGE IS SERIOUS ABOUT THIS WHOLE LEAVING THE UFC THING
@OldNickSuperchi the ufc makes billions off us all over the world,n pay us chump change! Boxers r boring but making buckets of money,THINK!
— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) March 9, 2012
"@OUnab: @Rampage4real Go Rampage! You're one of the best personality/fighter in mma history, the sport needs u!" @ufc said I lost my appeal
— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) March 10, 2012
Well I'm hoping the @ufc just let me go so I can do my thang,they took my love of fighting after the Forest fight! #bloodtypeBpositive
— Quinton Jackson (@Rampage4real) March 10, 2012
JAMES TONEY HANGIN' IN THE 209
@nickdiaz209 @ufc we will be getting some great sparring. James Toney is a fan twitter.com/CesarGracieBJJ…
— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) March 10, 2012
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced over the weekend (Friday, March 9, 2012 - Sunday, March 11, 2012):
- Fabricio Werdum (15-5-1) vs. Mike Russow (15-1, 1 NC) slated for UFC: Brazil in June
- Erick Silva (13-2, 1 NC) vs. Mike Pierce (13-5) reportedly in the works for UFC: Brazil in June, according to Globo
- Bellator 61: Josh Quayhagen (2-0) vs. Quaint Kempf (4-2)
- Bellator 61: Trey Houston (8-0) vs. Jeremiah Riggs (7-5)
- Bellator 61: Derrick Krantz (10-5) vs. Eric Scallan (10-3)
- Bellator 61: Derek Campos (9-2) vs. Patrick Cenoble (8-1)
- Bellator 61: Jeremy Myers (3-3) vs. Jason Sampson (8-1)
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day goes to BE's Dangalvan: Fighters the UFC Should Re-hire (Not Tim Sylvia)
There are plenty of other former UFC employees that deserve another shot in the big dance over "The Maine-iac". These fighters have either put together an astounding resume after being cut or simply didn't deserve the axe in the first place. If Tim Sylvia really wants to fight in the UFC again then he should probably imitate what these six fighters are doing.
Patrick Cote (16-7) - Middleweight
After a knee injury at UFC 90 in a Middleweight Championship match against Anderson Silva set Patrick Cote back a year and the half, he returned to the octagon not looking like the same fighter that had strung together a five fight win streak in route to a championship shot. Two consecutive losses later, and the former TUF Season 4 Runner-up was left without a job in the UFC.
After his release, Cote has won three fights in decisive fashion with his most impressive victories being over Kalib Starnes and Todd Brown. His next fight is against MMA veteran Gustavo Machida at the end of the month, and a win there should impress Joe Silva enough to let "The Predator" back in the UFC.
Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit us on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, vs, march
Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse6 Fighters Fans Hate for the Wrong Reasons
MMA fans are a sordid, hateful bunch. Unfortunately, their abundant hate is rarely focused in the right direction. They don’t hate athletic commissions, they don't hate the rules, they don’t hate circumstances, but they hate the fighters who put their bodies and health on the line for them (or maybe they do hate the aforementioned things, but not as much as the fighters, at least not as vocally).
Posted in: fighter, ’t, fan, body, right direction
Read the full article at Low Kick2012 - The Year of The Grudge Match
This year is shaping up to be the year of the grudge match in the UFC.Some of the most anticipated bouts of 2012 are battles between bitter rivals; tense affairs that are about much more than just a test of skills inside the Octagon. From Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2 to the highly anticipated and long awaited light heavyweight championship battle between friends-turned-foes Jon Jones and Rashad Evans, fights that will resolve some of the biggest ongoing feuds in the organization are shaping the summer schedule.With the current break in the action prior to Jones and Evans finally settling their differences in the Octagon at UFC 145 in Atlanta next month, I thought it would be fitting to look back on some of the best grudge matches from days gone by.Here are my picks for the top 10 grudge matches in UFC history.10. Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy — UFC 99I think this rivalry often gets overlooked because it didn’t play out as a main event match up. No matter its place on the card, the heat between Hardy and Davis was legitimate, reaching a head in Cologne, Germany at UFC 99.Hardy started his verbal assault on Davis after “The Irish Hand Grenade” had a steady run of success in England and Ireland, including collecting victories over Hardy’s fellow countrymen Jason Tan, Paul Taylor, and Paul Kelly. After calling him a “fake Irishman” and saying his website “looked like a St. Patrick's day parade had blown up,” Hardy really struck a nerve when fans created Photoshopped images of Davis and posted them on the internet.The two eventually stepped into the cage to settle things, with Hardy winning a controversial split decision, all three judges scoring the fight 29-28 with two favoring Hardy two rounds to one.Davis was adamant about wanting an immediate rematch, but it never materialized, as Hardy would go on to beat Mike Swick five months later to earn a shot at Georges St-Pierre and the welterweight title.9. Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera — UFC 127The most recent entry to this list, Rivera set the former Ultimate Fighter winner off with a series of videos that mocked Bisping, including a parody of a song from South Park, and having his coach Matt Phinney portray “The Count” in an unflattering light in a couple of the videos.While some people found them funny, Bisping wasn’t one of them, and the tension between the two nearly boiled over at the weigh-ins. Once they were in the Octagon together, Bisping funneled his anger and aggression into his performance, which included drilling Rivera with an illegal knee midway through the opening round.After earning the stoppage less than two minutes into the second round, Bisping spat on the mat in the direction of Rivera’s corner, and got in his opponent’s face demanding an apology. Bisping drew the ire of several fighters for his post-fight actions, with numerous middleweights putting their names forward to face the emotional Brit in the future.8. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Rashad Evans — UFC 114This one could have landed so much higher up on the list had Jackson not abruptly retired from fighting and delayed this contest so that he could channel his inner Mr. T as part of “The A-Team.”Before Evans had beef with Jones, he and Jackson really couldn’t stand each other, and an entire season of The Ultimate Fighter was put together with the two light heavyweights as opposing coaches. Their constant bickering and antagonizing of each other made for entertaining television, and a lot of broken doors at the UFC Training Center. And while the bout certainly captivated the MMA world when it finally took place in May of 2010, had the bout not been delayed, this one could have cracked the top 5.7. Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Serra — UFC 83Welterweights can thank Matt Serra for creating the unbeatable machine that is the UFC 170-pound champion, Georges St-Pierre. A year after stunning St-Pierre at UFC 69, the two would meet again, this time in Montreal, Quebec in front of the largest crowd in UFC history at the time.Serra picked and poked at St-Pierre every chance he could, taking verbal jabs at the French-Canadian challenger, hoping to throw him off his game. His plan didn’t work. St-Pierre dominated the fight from the start, earning the stoppage late in the second round after a series of vicious knees to the body.St-Pierre has continued to dominate the welterweight division since, defending the welterweight title on six consecutive occasions, including a victory in another memorable grudge match.6. Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber — UFC 132These two just don’t like each other. They didn’t when they fought the first time back at WEC 26 when Faber beat Cruz, and they still didn’t as they prepared to face off for a second time last summer.Despite rattling off eight straight wins and becoming the WEC-turned-UFC bantamweight champion since suffering the lone loss of his career, Cruz was eager to avenge his loss to Faber. Throughout the build-up to their UFC 132 headlining encounter, the two continuously went back-and-forth at each other whenever they could, however they could: interviews, press conferences, conference calls, Twitter, you name it.Cruz came away with the victory last July, earning a unanimous decision to even the series at one win each. Not surprisingly, the rivalry hasn’t subsided, and the two are now coaching opposite each other on Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, preparing to resolve things once and for all (maybe) with their trilogy bout this summer.5. Georges St-Pierre vs. BJ Penn — UFC 94This was Champion vs. Champion, and they had a history too: St-Pierre edged Penn in an incredibly close contest at UFC 58 nearly three years earlier, and the controversial split decision loss still ate at “The Prodigy.”In an effort to further promote the fight pitting two of the sport’s most popular fighters against one another, a three-part UFC Primetime series chronicled the preparations of both fighters.St-Pierre won a one-sided affair when Penn’s corner called it quits for their fighter following the fourth round, but that wasn’t the end of things. The “Greasegate” controversy kept the contest in the news for another two months, as Penn sought to have the result overturned, and St-Pierre and his team fined after second Phil Nurse rubbed petroleum jelly on the back and shoulders of the welterweight champion between rounds. Penn’s complaint was heard, but no disciplinary action followed.4. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen — UFC 117Leave it to Chael P. Sonnen to take a seemingly average middleweight title fight and turn it into one of the most anticipated bouts in UFC history by talking a blue streak about his opponent, his opponent’s team, his opponent’s friends, and pretty much the entire population of his opponent’s home country, Brazil.By the time Sonnen’s verbal assault on Anderson Silva, the Nogueira Brothers, and everyone else who became a target of “The Gangster from West Linn” came to a close, UFC 117 was a must-see event. Unlike some other grudge matches, this one delivered in the cage as well.Sonnen backed up the majority of his tough talk, taking the opening four rounds from Silva, and he looked to be on his way to becoming the new UFC middleweight champion. But then his allergy to submissions flared up, and Silva used the Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills Sonnen had mocked in advance of the fight, forcing Sonnen to tap out to a triangle choke with just under two minutes remaining in the fight.After defeating Brian Stann at UFC 136, Sonnen started on the verbal offensive after Silva again. His victory over Michael Bisping in January put him in a position to face Silva for a second time later this summer.3. Ken Shamrock vs. Royce Gracie — UFC 5This one dates back to the inaugural UFC event in Denver, Colorado on November 12, 1993.That night, the two UFC legends met in the semifinals. Early in the bout, Shamrock dropped back from inside Gracie’s guard to attempt a heel hook, but ended up pulling Gracie into top position. As Shamrock tried to work out from bottom, he left his neck exposed, Gracie sank in the rear naked choke, and earned the submission win, propelling him into the finals, which he would go on to win.The loss ate at Shamrock, and after Gracie won his third UFC tournament at UFC 4, the two would meet in the first ever UFC Superfight at UFC 5. The anticipation for the fight was far greater than the contest itself, as the two battled to a draw after more than 35 minutes of limited action.It would be another 11 years before we saw Gracie in the Octagon again. Shamrock, on the other hand, remained for a few more years before departing for stint in the WWE. When he came back, he embarked on another legendary series of grudge matches.2. Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir — UFC 100The biggest fight of the biggest event in UFC history (at the time) saw the two men who each laid claim to the heavyweight title meet for the second time.Lesnar, who lost to Mir in his UFC debut 17 months early at UFC 81, had won his portion of the heavyweight title from the returning Randy Couture at UFC 91, while Mir topped fellow TUF 8 coach Antonio Rodrigio Nogueira to claim the interim heavyweight title at UFC 92.Mir was out to prove that he remained superior to the former professional wrestler, while Lesnar sought to prove his initial loss to Mir was predicated on inexperience and Steve Mazzagatti’s controversial decision to stand the fighters up after deducting a point from the former WWE superstar.In the end, Lesnar proved to be too much for Mir, the freakish athletic specimen avenging his previous loss with a second round stoppage win. A third bout to settle the tie was often speculated about by both the fighters and fans, but failed to materialize before Lesnar called an end to his career following UFC 141.1. Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz — UFC 40, UFC 61, Ortiz vs. Shamrock: The Final ChapterWhen your rivalry predated your first fight by more than three years, is comprised of three bouts, and the final confrontation is considered one of the pivotal fights in the development of the UFC, you earn top billing from me.The feud between Ortiz and Shamrock started following Ortiz’s victory over Lion’s Den fighter Jerry Bohlander at UFC 18. Things continued to escalate after UFC 19, when Ortiz defeated another of Shamrock’s teammates, Guy Metzger, and then proceeded to flip off Shamrock.Ortiz and Shamrock would finally meet in the Octagon at UFC 40, with Shamrock’s corner throwing in the towel prior to the start of the fourth round. After coaching opposite one another on Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter, Ortiz and Shamrock met for a second time in the main event of UFC 61: Bitter Rivals, with “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” earning a TKO victory just 1:18 into the opening round.Shamrock was adamant that the fight was stopped early, so the pair met for a third time three months later. Ortiz vs. Shamrock: The Final Chapter was a ratings smash on television, but produced a similar result as the second fight, with Ortiz again winning by technical knockout in the first round.Along with the success of Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, and The Ultimate Fighter, the Ortiz-Shamrock trilogy stands as one of the chief catalysts to the UFC’s explosion in the mainstream.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, vs, shamrock
Read the full article at UFCTUF: Brazil Cast Unveiled
The fighters competing in the first-ever international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" have been revealed."TUF: Brazil," which features UFC notables Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva as coaches, streams in the U.S. on UFC.com (simultaneously as it debuts March 25 in Brazil on Globo) and airs on FUEL TV (air times TBA).Read more...
Posted in: fighter, wanderlei silva, brazil, coaches streams, revealedtuf brazil
Read the full article at UFCMark Striegl and Andrew Leone Register First Round Submission Wins at MFC 4
Malaysian Fighting Championships (MFC) was only formed last year but is doing a great job of giving a platform to local fighters to get some low level professional experience. This card also saw two of the better fighters in the region, Mark Striegl and Andrew Leone, who offered to step inside the cage at very late notice.
Overtime, in Kuala Lumpur, is an upmarket bar which provides the perfect venue for an event of this scale. 500 people were packed inside for MFC 4 on Saturday night (March 10, 2012) which made for a fun atmosphere with the vast majority of the fights ending inside the opening round.
Striegl is training in Malaysia for a fight with DARE Championships next weekend but when a 155 lbs fighter pulled out at the last minute he offered to replace him. He had a big advantage in terms of experience over Malaysian fighter Mohd Al Hafiz and put on a grappling master class for the crowd, shooting for an early takedown and then transitioning to finish the fight with a mounted triangle.
It was a treat for the audience to see such a display of high level wrestling and Jiu Jitsu although Hafiz can count himself a little unlucky to have ended up with such an accomplished opponent at the last minute. Andrew Leone was also a late addition to the card and his Malaysian opponent, Izat Hisham, landed some good strikes standing before being taken down and submitted by the accomplished American wrestler.
Two up and coming Malaysian fighters secured wins although one of them had to come from behind to do it. Sam Chan (pictured) was not getting the better of the stand up exchanges against Palestinian Mohammed Sami but managed to secure the second successive victory of his career when he slapped on an armbar.
The only man to ever defeat Chan is Melvin Yeoh, who also holds a stoppage win over One FC veteran Raymond Tiew. He improved his record to 4-1 at MFC 4 with a highlight reel KO of local fighter Modh Zakhir who was taken out with a perfectly timed head kick.
Much more, including complete results, after the jump.
MFC promoter Paul Teo is a driving forces behind the rapid growth of MMA in Malaysia. He is the owner of Muayfit which was one of the very first places to offer mixed martial arts classes and is amazed at the explosion of interest in the sport,
"Peter Davis started teaching MMA at Muayfit in March 2011, two months before we organized the first ever amateur MMA event in Malaysia. We made the move into MMA even before ONE FC but of course now ONE FC is recognized as the leading MMA organization in Asia."
MFC uses a slightly modified version of the unified rules which restricts the use of elbows and is a great way for Malaysian based fighters to gain experience inside the cage. Organizationally the event continues to improve with experienced professional fighters now brought in to act as officials.
It's still a relatively small show but with ONE FC 4 currently set for Kuala Lumpur in April MFC is helping to increase local interest in the sport as well as giving prospective professional fighters a bit of cagetime. Teo thinks that the show has a bright future,
"I want to start doing events in more city centers like Penang and Johor Bahru. MFC was set up as a platform for fighters to showcase their skills inside the cage and so far we have attracted fighters from USA, Russia, Brazil and Singapore as well as local fighters. MMA is becoming more popular all the time in Malaysia and I like to think that MFC is one of the reason's why."
MFC 4 Results1) SAM CHAN (W) vs MOHAMMED SAMI @ 3:28 (Round 1) – SUBMISSION ARMBAR2) VERNON APOSTOL (W) vs SYED HILMAN @ 0:55 (Round 1) - REAR NAKED CHOKE3) MUHD HAZRUL (W) vs DESMOND CHUI @ 3.02 (Round 1) – TRIANGLE CHOKE SUBMISSION4) WILL CHOPE (W) vs JULIUS LIM @ 0.46 (Round 1) – GROUND & POUND (ref stoppageTKO)5) MELVIN YEOH (W) vs MOHD ZAKHIR @ 0.27 (Round 1) – TKO (ref stoppage)6) ANDREW LEONE (W) vs IZAT HISHAM @ 0.29 (Round 1) – REAR NAKED CHOKE7) TEH KAH WEI (W) vs ALMAS ABDULLA @ 1.45 (Round 1) - (Doctor Stoppage)8) HANIF ZAINAL VS KEITH ALDEN @ FULL 3 ROUNDS – (Unanimous Draw)9) MARK STRIEGL (W) VS MOHD AL HAFIZ @ 0.47 (Round 1) – TKO (Triangle Choke)10) LACHLAN HAY (W) vs AZRIN KADRI @ 2.52 (Round 1) – TKO
Both Hay and Kadri received an award for fight of the night11) WILL CHOPE (W) vs MOHAMMAD HOSSEIN SHABANPOUR @ 3.13 (Round 1) - REAR NAKED CHOKE12) MAXIMILIAN MUSUMALI (W) vs JIM KEONG @ 2.41 (Round 1) – Submission13) ANTONIO GRACEFFO (W) vs NIK HARRIS @ FULL 3 ROUNDS (win on points)
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Posted in: fighter, round, vs, ndash, mfc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMA’s Ridiculous Culture of Toughness
By now you’ve likely seen the Ronda Rousey-Miesha Tate fight. Failing that, you’ve read or heard about the result. Once again, Rousey found herself the victor, in the first round, by Armbar. She moved her record to 5-0 and became one of the quickest fighters in the sport to attain a major championship, particularly in the modern era.
One of the major narratives coming out of the fight is obviously Rousey’s dominance and her place as perhaps the biggest star in the history of Women’s MMA (no offense Gina Carano fans). However, something I find interesting and mildly disconcerting coming out of the fight is the celebration of Tate’s “toughness” in regards to her unwillingness to tap to the second Armbar Rousey had her in. As much as I hate to reference Twitter in any journalistic sense, it’s quite apparent that MMA has a disproportionate presence on the medium. Fellow fighters, fans and even some media were lauding the former champion for her “warrior spirit,” “fighting to the bitter end,” and the like. This is the part that I don’t understand.
Had Tate tapped out to the first Rousey armbar, which looked like it too caused some damage to her right arm, I don’t suspect that anyone would have batted an eye. When Miesha survived that hold however, she had already earned the respect of myself and most others watching the fight. My personal expectations of Tate in the fight had been exceeded. Of course, her expectations heading into the fight and mine were two vastly different things. I’m sure she intended on retaining her belt, however unrealistic that was, and was willing to do whatever it took to do so. Where that crosses the line from being admirable and turns foolish is the issue.
The second time Rousey caught her foe in an Armbar; Tate was completed flattened out with no chance to escape. Flail about as she might, it was clear that the fight was over at that point. Yet rather than tap, Miesha decided to show her “toughness” and “warrior spirit” allowing Rousey to snap her arm like a twig and then ply it in the most grotesque angles possible. Let’s sum this up, the end result of the fight – where Tate eventually tapped anyways – was that she still lost, but instead of simply losing a very spirited affair and heading back to the training room she has the unenviable task of going through what is certain to be a long, arduous recovery from a gruesome arm injury that may require surgery (if it doesn’t, I’ll be absolutely shocked). While we don’t know the exact details of the injury at this point, the likelihood of Tate fighting again in 2012 seems slim.
Tate Says Arm is Not Broken but Needs MRI for Ligament Damage
My question is: Why celebrate this? The former champion did herself absolutely no good at the end of the match. Her refusal to tap defies logic, and has only set back her career. Yet this is something we see regularly in MMA. The mentality from both fighters and fans that submitting is a sign of weakness, and those who would rather ‘Face the Pain’ (har har) get treated as heroes has long been one of the more perverse realities of the sport. In some cases, this toughness works out well for a fighter, with Seth Baczynski against Tim McKenzie being the most notable and emphatic example. More often than not though, when a fighter refuses to tap they simply end up with an injury, not a victory.
Even if we look at another example of “toughness” from recent shows, we see that this phenomenon isn’t strictly confined to tapping out to a submission. On the UFC on FX 2 card, Kyle Noke – fresh off a knee injury sustained against Ed Herman – reportedly blew out his knee in the first round against Andrew Craig, yet fought through to a Unanimous Decision loss. Noke, like Tate, was celebrated for his toughness, but the question that I have is how much additional damage he did to his knee, and how much longer he will be out of action as a result.
On the flip side, you look at a fighter like Brian Bowles who bowed out of his bantamweight title contest with Dominick Cruz due to a plethora of injuries and how he was reviled as a quitter long after. To me, Bowles did the smart thing. He knew he couldn’t perform to his utmost potential given the injuries he had, and decided to fight another day. When you’re dealing with fighters at the highest levels of the sport, winning and losing come down to such fine details that it is hard to fault anyone for wanting to be as close to their best as possible.
This is a mindset that won’t go away without some change on behalf of guilty parties, as in every pre-fight interview, or every new season of The Ultimate Fighter, we’re graced with lines like “I’ll never tap out. They’ll have to break something or choke me out,” or “I’m ready to go [through hell]/[to the death].” Even just looking back to the last season of the show, there was no greater moment to me than watching when Akira Corassani – who was definitely guilty of such braggadocio – was in fact choked out by Dennis Bermudez. Still, I am in the minority, many fans saw Corassani as one of their favourite fighters on the show, and appreciated his mentality and willingness to follow through on it.
I understand that fighters are there to entertain us, but at the same time these are people who make a living with their bodies. By encouraging the sort of behaviour that results in fighters sustaining unnecessary injuries and exacerbating existing ones, we are doing no one any good. Fighters need to be healthy to collect a paycheck, and there is nothing about having your arm snapped, knee shredded, or brain deprived of oxygen that helps that become a reality. Both fighters and fans need to grow up just a bit, and realize there is no shame in submitting.
That said, I love both the fact that Rousey was more than willing to snap her opponent’s arm if she wasn’t going to tap, and that she had no remorse about it. If you’re going to be indifferent about what happens to your body inside the cage or ring, you might just get what you deserve. Just don’t expect me to feel bad, or applaud you for your stupidity… and enjoy your stint in rehab.
PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE
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Posted in: fight, fighter, ’t, tate, rousey
Read the full article at Fighters.comMMA Is My Business: Veteran fighter Aaron Riley on the pitfalls of MMA management
A few weeks ago Dana White made a declarative statement about managers: "Be careful who you get to represent you."
Reading between the lines, his point was clear: A manager won't make you any more money than you can make yourself, and a bad manager can hurt you.
While today's hot-button topic in MMA is the amount of compensation a fighter is paid by a promoter, there's little focus on the pay that never makes it to the fighter's pocket because a dishonest or incompetent manager gets in the way.
Posted in: mma, fighter, manager, promoter theres, mma management
Read the full article at MMA JunkieThree Thoughts on the Premiere Episode of the Ultimate Fighter Live: Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The UFC's first broadcast of the "Ultimate Fighter Live" wasn't too shabby, but there's definitely some room for improvement. Still, it's safe to say the UFC's premier on FX was a success. And just like the original "Ultimate Fighter" series...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, premiere episode, fan ’s, ufcs premier
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsJohnston on MMA: The best non-UFC fighter
There is a plethora of talented mixed martial artists fighting outside the UFC, but the best of them all just became a Bellator champion.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, champion, nonufc fighter, plethora
Read the full article at sportsnet.caWand vs Vitor & 3 Other Tailor Made Matchups
The prospect of Wanderlei Silva vs Vitor Belfort II is on the horizon and the truly head scratching question is not so much who will win, but rather why such a mismatch on paper is being treated as a legitimate contest. Wanderlei Silva is a declining, chinny brawler whose aggression and swinging wild has been working against him since 2006, while Vitor Belfort is a heavy-handed boxer who decimated Silva a decade ago before the PRIDE superman began his physical decline.
The sport of MMA is a beautiful and fascinating one, but it is a combat sport and so we often have to realize that it is almost as rotten as boxing. Big name fighters are fed stylistic dream match ups, while hardworking fighters without fan interest are sought out simply to lose in the most spectacular fashion possible. In the sport of MMA, where skill sets are so lop-sided and there are so many areas to the fight, putting on glorified exhibitions is an easier task than in any other combat sport. Of course, there is always the chance of an upset, but often the man with the better skill set can be assured to come out on top.
Examples are not in short supply - just recently Chael Sonnen was matched against one dimensional brawler Brian Stann in order to announce his return to the UFC with a bang. Here are some of the most transparent hype building match ups in recent memory.
Wanderlei Silva vs Vitor Belfort II
Gift match for whom?
Vitor Belfort.
How?
Wanderlei's looping punches and straight forward charges leave colossal gaps for a competent boxer to shoot through. Where Cro Cop ended Silva's image as a world class MMA striker by side stepping the swinging Brazilian's charges, Belfort could easily trade blow for blow and come off the better. Silva has been chinny since his early days, but recently proved vulnerable to even light-fisted Michael Bisping and Cung Le. What's more is that Belfort has already destroyed Silva once before, and neither of their styles has changed all that much since.
Why is this match happening?
Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva are legends in Brazil, and will doubtless gain much attention as the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter Brazil. What's more, the rivalry angle of this match can be played up enormously. Brazilian fighters are always feuding and reconciling (anyone remember when Wanderlei vs Anderson was the talk of the internet?), drama comes naturally to them and will likely make everyone forget the cold, hard logic around this match.
Vitor needs another stunning knockout victory without risking his record against a competent wrestler. When fights go past the opening exchanges, he looks lackluster.
Most hilarious factor?
Vitor Belfort is 7 - 1 in his last 8. Wanderlei Silva is 3 - 5 in his own and looked vulnerable in the most recent two wins. This match makes absolutely no sense from a realistic sporting point of view, only from an entertainment one.
Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson
Gift match for whom?
Kimbo Slice
How?
Kimbo Slice was a one dimensional brawler. He had a big punch and few other skills for MMA.
James Thompson has the worst chin in the heavyweight division and British level wrestling.
Why did this match happen?
Kimbo Slice was the marquee attraction for EliteXC, the famously corrupt promotion under the Pro-Elite banner. After Kimbo's massacring Bo Cantrell and Tank Abbott, EliteXC realised that they would need to have him fight fighters with some notable wins in the last decade to sell the brawler to discerning MMA fans.
Most hilarious factor?
Even with the odds stacked in his favor, Slice couldn't knock out the glass jawed Brit. After getting laid on for much of the second round while being hit with 30 unanswered, wheezing elbows, Kimbo eventually finished with an unspectacular TKO by opening Thompson's cauliflower ear. The legend of Kimbo's punching power, all that he had, went up in smoke.
Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir
Gift match for whom?
Brock Lesnar
How?
Frank Mir already had a history of being pounded out on his back after he lost his first submission attempts. Ian Freeman did it, Marcio Cruz did it, and Brandon Vera finished him by trapping him in half guard and TKOing him.
Why did this match happen?
Brock Lesnar was anticipated to be a huge draw even in his debut with the UFC, but management wanted more than that. They wanted to build him up to a title shot in record time. Mir was an ex-champion who had looked unspectacular in his matches since his return from a tragic motorcycle accident. As mentioned before, he has also always struggled when trapped under competent positional grapplers. Mir also had little to no striking ability, and his wrestling was sub-par. Brock Lesnar was stylistically tailor made to lay on Mir for either three rounds or until he could hammerfist Mir into unconsciousness. It only took half an hour of Countdown to UFC footage for everyone to forget Mir's recent slump and believe he was a top ten fighter.
Most hilarious factor?
It's always funny when a gift match up backfires on the promoter. A chance stand up and inexperience had Lesnar caught in a kneebar in Mir's only seconds of effective offense throughout the short match. The UFC PR department rolled with the punch however, and both men were suddenly top ten prospects, setting up a rematch for the title which went exactly the same way as the first, but with Lesnar not giving Mir the space to move.
Anderson Silva vs Forrest Griffin
Gift match for whom?
Anderson Silva
How?
Anderson Silva is a counter-puncher to the point of inactivity if his opponent doesn't oblige him. Forrest Griffin has pillow fists and relentless aggression. Anderson could make a fool of Forrest without fear of getting hurt. Both are world class fighters, but Forrest's lack of wrestling meant he couldn't get this fight to the ground even if he wanted to. Add to this the understanding that he and UFC management apparently had that he would run at Silva and it seems almost as shady as the aforementioned EliteXC offering Seth Petruzelli a bonus for standing with Kimbo Slice.
Why did this match happen?
Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter on the planet, but he does himself no favors when he refuses to engage with Jiu-Jitsu players or people who won't throw the first punch. After a pair of spectacularly unimpressive performances against Patrick Cote and Thales Leites, it was necessary for him to make a big splash. A fight at 205lbs against a legitimate contender would do this. But why would they pick one of the multitude of well rounded wrestlers or power punchers such as Quinton Jackson or even Matt Hammill for him to meet when they had a number 2 ranked lightheavweight who was tailor-made to stand with and lose to him.
Most hilarious moment?
The most hilarious moment of this fight was the many MMA fans who didn't realize it was Anderson's stylistic match up that made him so incredible here and so lackluster in his last two title defenses. What is even more impressive is the amount of weight fans and spectators put on "motivation". The Griffin win was put down to want of a challenge, while the mediocre performances against lesser competition at middleweight were put down to lack of interest. When Silva met Demian Maia in his next fight and again refused to engage, it became obvious to all but the most stubborn fanatics that styles make fights.
Even for the greatest fighter on earth.
Anderson Silva's striking tactics and techniques will be broken down in Jack Slack's upcoming ebook: "Advanced Striking: Tactics of Boxing, Kickboxing and MMA Masters" which will be available around Easter.
Jack Slack breaks down striking strategy and technique at his websitewww.fightsgoneby.com
He can also be found on Twitter @JackSlackMMA
Posted in: fighter, mir, silva, vitor, belfort
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendWho Would You Pick for Your Dream TUF 15 Team? Fan's View (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
Based on one round of fighting for the first live session of "The Ultimate Fighter Live", it's hard to see each fighter's full arsenal of tools and ability to read his opponent. But, I think the 16 fighters chosen to move into the TUF 15 house for the next three...
Posted in: fighter, tuf, move, house, arsenal
Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports‘The Ultimate Fighter: Live’ premieres with 16 one-round fights ()
"The Ultimate Fighter," the reality show that helped jumpstart the UFC's success, began a new chapter on Friday night as it switched both channels and format. For the first time, fights were shown live and on FX.
Though fights on TUF were previously two rounds with a sudden-death round when needed, the fights to get on the show were just one round. Fighters who needed time to find their rhythm did not fare well, but the ones who managed to win by submission or knockout got a $5,000 bonus. Some highlights from the fights:
-- Sam Sicilia wasted no time making a name for himself, getting the fastest knockout of the day in just eight seconds.
-- After Andy Ogle's win, he jumped onto UFC president Dana White for a full-body hug.
-- Dakota Cochrane, the fighter whose past included acting in gay pornographic movies, did not make the house. He lost a split decision.
-- On the way to losing to Al Iaquinta, Jon Tuck also sustained a broken and disfigured toe.
Complete results:
Posted in: fight, time, fighter, round, round fighters
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsRanking the 16 the Ultimate Fighter Live Contestants: Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The premiere episode of The Ultimate Fighter Live aired on FX on March 9 and gave fans of mixed martial arts 16 fights. 32 men competed for their chance to make it into the house, but just 16 remain. While some fights ended quickly and didn't allow for proper judging of talent,...
Posted in: fight, fighter, fan, art, premiere episode
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsThe Good and Bad of TUF: Live
TUF: Live, the newly revamped FX version of The Ultimate Fighter, may not deserve to be judged on its opening episode, which will differ from episodes to come over the 13-week season, but the show did give a sampling of what viewers could expect from the fighters soon to inhabit the house as well as the production that goes along with it.As a live sports presentation, it was a bit uneven in its delivery. While TUF fans are used to watching fights without a play-by-play man and color commentator, it felt strange to do so for 2 1/2 hours straight. With the move to FX and in theory, a broader audience, the broadcast might have benefited from announcers to explain what was happening.There was good and bad to the show, with most of the high spots coming during the in-cage action. Among the standouts? Justin Lawrence, who walked on to the set as a little-known newbie in MMA but walked out as one of the favorites to win it all after steamrolling respected veteran James Krause.
TUF: Live Review-- When the UFC announced that all 16 elimination fights would be aired on FX, we wondered how that could be possible. The answer was one-round fights. That was a good call, immediately raising the stakes and ratcheting up the intensity level. In addition, $5,000 awards were promised for finishes. Not surprisingly, eight of the first 12 bouts went to a finish. The last four went to decisions, but remember, those fighters had been waiting to compete for over two hours by that time, so they might not have been as fresh and loose as the guys who fought early.-- Throughout the broadcast, FX imposed an "Ultimate Fighter FX Live" logo on the upper right part of the screen. While those types of placements are relatively standard in TV presentations, on an HD set, it happened to be in a place that often covered fighter's faces as they moved around the cage. In most stick and ball sports, the producer can contain the action in the middle of the screen, and that ad is merely an annoyance, but in MMA, it's blocking a participant, and could cause a viewer to miss the impact of a fight-changing strike. It should be moved or completely removed by next week.
-- UFC president Dana White and coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber filled some of the lulls in fights with their commentary at a cageside desk. Their significance was highlighted during one of the night's last fights, when fighter Jon Tuck suddenly looked down before continuing to fight. At home, it was hard to tell why, but Cruz immediately pointed out Tuck had broken his toe.
Cruz was especially good at analysis and explaining what a fighter was doing right and wrong in a given situation, even though he was doing it in a conversational way while talking to White. The trio also had some humorous moments, like when White told Cruz and Faber that their cornermen sucked for not informing the fighters how much time was left on the clock each round. Cruz pointed out that his corners had timers on their phones but the production staff had taken them phones away, to which White replied, "Real professional. You go in the corner with your phones?"-- On the other hand, the trio shouldn't have had to carry the information load. It would have made more sense to have a broadcasting team and to occasionally listen in on Cruz and Faber scouting the fights as they went along. -- Refreshing: A series of 16 fights with no booing. Stale: No crowd. A very small (and quiet) group watched the fights live at the TUF training center. In the past, there was no audience in order to guard the results from leaking out into the public, but there's no real purpose for it now. Unfortunately, the TUF gym isn't big enough to house much of a crowd, so this one's mostly out of their control.
-- Based on the UFC's pledge of $5,000 per finish, they shelled out $40,000 last night. The fastest finisher: Sam Sicilia, who needed only eight seconds to knock out Erin Beach. The slowest: Vinc Pinchel, who took 3:39 to choke out Cody Pfister with a rear naked choke after slicing him open with an elbow from the top.
-- Next week, TUF: Live moves to its "jive-live" format, with pre-taped segments stemming from the contestants' time in the house leading into the first first-round fight. That will feel more like the old TUF with the added element of the live bout. Given White's insistence that the FX network, with its broader demographic reach than Spike, will bring in many first-time viewers, it just seems like it would make sense to have announcers explaining the fights as they happen. At least we can say that the sporting experience is as it should be, live, and for most fans, that is the more important change of the two.The 16 ContestantsJoe Proctor (7-1)Cristiano Marcello (12-3)Sam Sicilia (10-0)Chris Tickle (7-4)Andy Ogle (8-1)Vinc Pinchel (7-0)John Cofer (7-1)Chris Saunders (9-2)James Vick (4-0)Michael Chiesa (4-0)Mike Rio (8-1)Justin Lawrence (3-0)Darren Cruikshank (10-2)Jeremy Larsen (8-2)Al Iaquinta (5-1-1)Myles Jury (9-0)Four FavoritesJustin Lawrence - 3-0, Team Black House fighterCristiano Marcello - 15-year veteran, 11 finishes in 12 pro winsMike Rio - 7 finishes in 8 pro fightsSam Sicilia - Undefeated, 8 first-round finishes in 10 wins
Posted in: fight, fighter, fx, tuf, cruz
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 episode 1 post-fight power rankings
So you want to be an effin' fighter?
Thirty-two up-and-coming mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters got the chance to prove that their answer to that question was a resounding, "Yes!," as The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) kicked off season 15 on FX with a 2.5-hour "Live" premiere episode that allowed fans to see the action, right as it was happening in real time.
The teams are coached by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweights Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, and it's already clear that the bad blood between these two will certainly result in quite a bit of drama as the competition unfolds.
The first episode raised the bar on past seasons when it was announced that, in addition to the action being LIVE, all the initiation fights would only be for the duration of one, five-minute round, causing each fighter to step up the intensity in a big way. It was also announced that each fighter who was able to finish his fight and keep things out of the hands of the judges would receive a $5,000 bonus check.
Not too shabby.
After the jump, we'll take a look at the 16 fighters who emerged victorious and do our best to rank them according to what we saw on the opening night of TUF 15:
(1) Cristiano Marcello -- Prior to the Marcello's fight versus Jared Carlsten, footage was shown of each fighter bragging about their respective jiu-jitsu pedigree. Carlsten spoke of his Eddie Bravo-[resented black belt and his experience with the rubber guard. Marcello talked about his background that included being a Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer for the likes of Mauricio Rua and Wanderlei Silva. It became apparent rather quickly whose grappling game was superior as Marcello was able to take full mount in very little time. It only took about a minute more for Marcello to soften Carlsten up, take his back and then get the submission via the rear-naked choke. Very impressive win. The majority of the guys in the house are probably going to want to steer clear of his ground game.
(2) Michael Chiesa -- Chiesa, who trains with former TUF competitor Cody McKenzie and bears a striking resemblance to the Alaskan fighter, won a dominant victory over Johnavan Vistante with -- go figure -- a choke submission. Chiesa looks really dangerous. We didn't get a chance to see much of his striking game, but his takedown and grappling game both look very good.
(3) Sam Sicilia -- Just six seconds into his bout against Erin Beach (Yes. It was a guy who spells his name like a girl.), Sicilia lobbed a furious overhand right that landed squarely on the button and sent Beach crumbling to the ground. The referee stepped in instantly and saved him from taking any further damage after what (was the most violent KO of the night). Hard to get a feel for Beach's overall game because the fight was so quick. Not his fault, per se, but it's hard to rank him higher without seeing more of his skill set.
(4) Daron Cruickshank -- This guy is going to be a force to be reckoned with. His striking may very well be the best out of the whole cast. He has great takedown defense, as well as pretty good takedowns of his own. He's very well rounded, which was exhibited in his decision win over Drew Dober. Cruickshank would have likely ended up with a finish over most other fighters, but credit to Dober who survived and hung in there.
(5) Vinc Pichel -- From the beginning of his fight with Cody Pfister, I just had the feeling that it was only a matter of time before Pichel took the fight over and ended things. Pfister looked nervous and was continual slipping and falling at the onset. Though Pichel did find himself on the bottom for the first couple of minutes, he was patient and eventually reversed things. When he was able to acquire a dominant position, he wasted no time in slicing Pfister's forehead open with a nasty elbow and repeatedly raining down more ground and pound. After it was clear that Pfister's will had been broken, Pichel jumped to take his back and choked him out, securing what was one of the nicer and more violent submissions of the night.
(6) Chris Tickle -- In another one of the quicker fights of the night, Tickle landed a big right hand to the jawline, followed up by several more punches before Steve Mazzagatti jumped in an called a stop to the action. At first glance, it appear to be an unnecessarily quick stoppage. After watching the replay, it was clear that Tickle's opponent, Austin Lyons, went limp, momentarily, and could have taken serious damage if he was allowed to continue. Great KO victory for Tickle who is certain to be the subject of many terrible puns due to his last name.
(7) Justin Lawrence -- James Krause was the guy most fans had heard of, based on his time fighting for Titan Fighting Championships, Shark Fights an World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). However, it was Lawrence who stole the show, putting on a karate exhibition of kicks and an combinations that had Krause back-peddling the entire time. Lawrence finally was able to sen Krause to the canvas with one of the finer knockout blows of the evening.
(8) Mike Rio -- For the first two minutes of his fight against Ali MacLean, Rio chose to stand and trade in what looked like it was going to be a stand up war. Rio id get a few good punches in, but he was losing the exchnages, for sure. Finally, he went for a double leg takedown and was able to secure top position. It was basically over at that point. Rio used his grappling to get a nice submission win over an opponent who clearly wasn't prepared for things to hit the mat. Rio has some nice potential.
(9) Joe Proctor -- Proctor faced Jordan Rinaldi in the very first fight of the night, which saw Rinaldi coming forward as the initial aggressor. Rinaldi landed a few good combos and a left hook that clipped Proctor to cause a small cut over his eyebrow. Proctor remained calm and never really looked hurt. With a little more than a minute gone, Proctor finally found the range. He landed several punches, and it was instantly clear that Rinaldi was no longer interested in trading. As Rinaldi shot for a takedown, Proctor grabbed hold of his neck and never let go, leading to a guillotine submission. Proctor got the finish and looks like he'll have as good a chance as anyone. But I can't help feeling that his win came over a fighter with less experience and very little submission defense knowledge.
(10) Jeremy Larsen -- Larsen is a bit of an enigma because he doesn't seem particularly well versed in any one area. He's just a fighter an a scrapper. He also exhibited a fair amount of toughness as, at one point, he found himself in a deep kneebar attempt by his opponent, Jeff Smith. Larsen's toughness and better than average striking make him a contestant to watch for.
(11) Al Iaquinta -- Iaquinta is another fighter who looks to be tough and well rounded. Though he's primarily a jiu-jitsu guy, he's also a very good boxer. He trains with Matt Serra and Ray Longo, which explains the key attributes he brings to the Octagon. In "gruesome highlight" news, Iaquinta's opponent, Jon Tuck, ended up with a toe that was either broken or dislocated. Either way, it was pointing straight up by the end of the fight. Yeah. Toes aren't supposed to do that.
(12) Chris Saunders -- Though he wasn't able to finish with either of his guillotine attempts, Saunders his opposed his will against Chase Hackett for most the round. He used his wrestling, submission attempts and a few unorthodox strikes (including a jumping knee off one leg) to garner the decision win. He didn't look amazing, but he did what he had to do to control an opponent with a significant reach advantage.
(13) Myles Jury -- Jury is a good wrestler, and his takedowns were absolutely the difference in his fight against Akbarh Arreola. But let's face it, Arreola has zero takedown defense. At no point did Jury threaten to finish. His striking didn't look terrible but I don't see a lot of the fighters in the house being intimidated about standing with him. He looked good, but not great. We'll see what the future holds for the fighter who was supposed to compete pn TUF last season, before an injury forced him to withdraw. Good to see him getting a second chance.
(14) James Vick -- It may just be because Vick was so evenly matched with Dakota Cochrane that the fight resulted in the wrestling equivalent of a five-minute staring contest. Either way, neither fighter really did a whole lot of anything to potentially finish the other. Vick apparently did slightly more, as the juges awared him the razor-thin split decision. Sad for Cochrane, whose story now ends up being more about his gay porn past than his skills as a fighter. Hopefully, he'll get another chance to redeem himself. Vick will really need to step his game up if he expects to make any kind of run in the competition.
(15) John Cofer -- Right out of the gate, it was obvious that there was a variance in strategies between Cofer and Mark Glover. Glover wanted to stand and trade and was hoping for a brawl. Cofer did everything he could to hold onto Glover, dirty things up and looked like he was hoping to eek out a decision. Cofer did little to impress the fans, but apparently he impressed the judges enough to win the decision. He's got decent wrestling, and it will be interesting to see what he can do in a longer fight. Hopefully his future contests are a little more exciting.
(16) Andy Ogle -- Ogle won the first fight of the night that had to go to a decision. It was a strange and uneventful affair as Ogle rushed in, early in the fight, to get the takedown against his opponent, Brandon Weafer. Unfortunately, he found himself inside a triangle attempt that lasted almost the entire round. It was the first time I'd ever found myself asking if the referee should stand up a fighter who was in the middle of a submission attempt. The problem was that Weafer was not using the attempt to finish Ogle, just to keep him there. Apparently, the judges thought Ogle landed enough punches during the boring foray to deserve the win.
That's our power rankings from the first week. Stay tuned each week to see how things shift around as the fighters match skills and work their way to the top of the pile at TUF 15 on FX.
Got any predictions for a winner? If you had to pick one fighter to go all the way, who would it be?
In the comment section, let us know who you think may end up winning the competition and the six-figure UFC contract.
Go for it.
Posted in: fight, takedown, fighter, submission, proctor
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTUF 15: Live (Episode 1) Official Results and Post-Fight Reactions
Sixteen of the best unsigned fighters in the world took their first step towards glory Friday night as they won their first round tournament fights in the fast-paced premiere of The Ultimate Fighter® Live on FX.
Posted in: fighter, tournament, fighter ®, postfight reactions, fastpaced premiere
Read the full article at Low KickThe Ultimate Fighter on FX Episode 1 Recap: Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
On March 9, the Ultimate Fighting Championship brought its hit reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter," to FX. The coaches on this season features UFC bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz and former WEC champion, Urijah Faber.
Posted in: fighter, fx, champion, coach, reality series
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUltimate Fighter Live Results: 16 Winners Move 'Into The House'
The Ultimate Fighter's new season kicked off with sixteen live fights on FX. It was a really interesting and unique bit of reality TV and a landmark moment for TUF. The fights were only a single five minute round putting extra pressure on the fighters to go fast and hard. Also, anyone who finished their opponent received a $5,000 bonus.
Here are the full results for the event with each winner moving "into the house":
Joe Proctor beat Jordan Rinaldi by guillotine choke*Cristiano Marcello beat Jared Carlsten by rear naked choke*Sam Sicilia beat Erin Beach by knockout*Chris Tickle beat Austin Lyons by knockout*Andy Ogle beat Brendan Weafer by decisionVinc Pichel beat Cody Pfister by rear-naked choke*John Cofer beat Mark Glover by decisionChris Saunders beat Chase Hackett by decisionJames Vick beat Dakota Cochrane by decisionMichael Chiesa beat Johnavan Vistante by rear-naked choke*Mike Rio beat Ali MacLean by rear-naked choke*Justin Lawrence beat James Krause by knockout*Daron Cruickshank beat Drew Dober by decisionJeremy Larsen beat Jeff Smith by decisionAl Iaquinta beat Jon Tuck by decisionMyles Jury beat Akbarh Arreloa by decision
* won $5,000 bonus for finishing opponent
So 16 fighters move into the house and the UFC gives out $40,000 in finish bonuses.
Posted in: fighter, bonus, house, rearnaked, austin lyons
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUrijah Faber tweets a photo of Jon Tuck's badly broken toe at The Ultimate Fighter Live season...
Urijah Faber tweets a photo of Jon Tuck's badly broken toe at The Ultimate Fighter Live season premier.
Posted in: fighter, photo, tweet, jon tucks, tuck
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Ultimate Fighter Live Premiere Results
Thirty-two lightweight hopefuls clashed in a Las Vegas warehouse Friday evening in the first round of the Ultimate Fighter Live's tournament to determine which 16 would move on to the house and compete the rest of the season. The show's first run on FX started with an unprecedented 16 fights that all aired live, each bout scheduled for only one five-minute round unless scored as a draw. Before the bouts began, it was announced that each finalist who finished their fight would earn $5,000, and that ruling racked up $40,000 in bonuses as half of the night's fights ended in under five minutes. Joe Proctor vs. Jordan RinaldiIn the night’s first bout, jiu-jitsu specialists Joe Proctor and Jordan Rinaldi faced off. The ground fighters started off trading leg kicks and some back-and-forth blows, including good uppercuts from both. But it was Proctor who successfully got the trip, landing on top of Rinaldi with a guillotine against the cage, earning the tap and a $5,000 bonus to boot just 2:08 in. The Boston-based fighter follows in the TUF footsteps of his training partner and TUF 5 vet Joe Lauzon. Advancing into the house: Joe Proctor Cristiano Marcello vs. Jared CarlstenThe season’s lone Brazilian contestant, Gracie black belt Cristiano Marcello, took on rangy Eddie Bravo BJJ student Jared Carlsten, and his experience proved too much for the undefeated prospect. After exchanging blistering leg kicks, it was the 34-year-old Marcello who took control against the cage and took the fight to the mat, quickly getting full mount on his younger opponent. He rained down ground and pound as Carlsten bucked and eventually turned away to try and escape. That gave Marcello the opening he needed to secure the rear-naked choke submission 2:43 in, costing Dana White another five grand. Advancing into the house: Cristiano Marcello Erin Beach vs. Sam SiciliaSam Sicilia entered the Octagon off of three knockout wins in under 30 seconds, and he made it a fourth Friday night. He started the bout against undefeated Erin Beach with a huge overhand right, and though he followed the fight to the mat, that one punch was really all it took for the ref to call it an 8-second TKO. Sicilia’s last four fights have now lasted a total of 1:27. Advancing into the house: Sam Sicilia Austin Lyons vs. Chris TickleChris Tickle made it four finishes in four fights as he opened against jiu jitsu ace Austin Lyons with powerful kicks and a couple of connecting fists that snapped Lyons’ head back. But his next strike sealed the deal, as Lyons bobbed backward then dropped to his knees, forcing the ref to catch him and wave things off at 24 seconds of the first round. Advancing into the house: Chris Tickle Brendan Weafer vs. Andy OgleNew York’s Brendan Weafer faced a fellow standup artist from across the pond, Andy Ogle, in a full-round fight that was primarily waged on the ground. Weafer landed a few knees in the early striking, but it was the British Ogle who got the trip and wound up on top. As Ogle scooted the action to the cage, Weafer stayed patient and used his long limbs to lock on a triangle choke from the bottom that, though he wasn’t able to complete, stayed in place during the duration of the position. Ogle did some damage with his free left hand, and Weafer scored with some elbows from the bottom until the ref stood things up with 30 seconds left. From there it was Ogle who quickly dropped Weafer and ended the round with the American in a guillotine attempt. The judges rendered their verdict after five minutes: Andy Ogle won on all three judges’ cards and was set to move into the Ultimate Fighter Live house, a decision he celebrated by leaping into Dana White’s arms.Advancing into the house: Andy Ogle Vincent Pichel vs. Cody PfisterVincent Pichel and Cody Pfister waged a bloody, sloppy, all-over war, with kickboxer Pichel walking away with the submission win over the jiu-jitsu specialist. Pfister moved forward first and got the takedown, but nearly gave up an arm in the process and had to spend a good bit of time rolling away from an armbar. The two scrambled to the feet with both winding up on top at different points; it was Pfister who climbed for a standing choke only to be shaken off to the ground by “From Hell” Pichel. Pichel opened a huge gash on the side of Pfister’s face with elbows from the top, and as Pfister spun away, “From Hell” locked in a rear-naked choke that nearly put Pfister to sleep after 3:39. Advancing into the house: Vinc Pichel Mark Glover vs. John CoferGeorgian John Cofer gave the UK fighters a 1-1 record, using active wrestling to defeat Liverpool’s Mark Glover by decision. Glover started strong with a series of kicks, leaving Cofer on his heels until he got the clinch against the fence. From there, Cofer’s wrestling kicked in, and he got multiple takedowns during the round, including one giant slam. With Team Cruz assistant coach and fellow Brit Ross Pearson yelling advice from the sidelines, Glover consistently worked his way to the feet and attempted to keep it there, but Cofer timed Glover’s flying knee attempts and completed more takedowns. The judges were unanimous in promoting Cofer to the home. Advancing into the house: John Cofer Chase Hackett vs. Chris SaundersJiu-jitsu specialist Chase Hackett used striking and wrestling against kickboxer Chris Saunders, but Saunders’ striking and guillotine attempts earned him the win after a full round of effort. An early kick caused Saunders to slip, and Hackett capitalized by taking it to the ground. Saunders had what looked like a solid guillotine, but after a lengthy attempt, it was clear that it wasn’t locked and the two struggled to their feet again. Hackett tied up Saunders against the cage until a renewed Saunders came forward with combinations that seemed to touch Hackett. But gassed from his early expenditures, Saunders was again taken down and though he briefly threatened with a second guillotine, the round ended with “Prison Stare” issuing GnP from Saunders’ guard. Judges unanimously gave the fight to Saunders, whose pink Mohawk will move into the house, much to the disappointment of the mustachioed Hackett. Advancing into the house: Chris Saunders James Vick vs. Dakota CochraneDakota Cochrane’s wrestling pedigree was basically neutralized during a five-minute scrum with undefeated striker James Vick, who eked out the win without doing any significant damage with strikes. Cochrane used a front kick and aggression to close the gap on the taller man, then worked hard for a takedown against the fence. From there, it was a prolonged sprawling stalemate in the center of the cage before another cage battle as Cochrane attempted to get leverage low enough to take down his eight-inch-taller opponent. Eventually the ref stood them up, and again it was Cochrane who came forward with strikes before ending the round in Vick’s guard. Vick earned the split decision win and propelled himself into the house over the All-American pole vaulter.Advancing into the house: James VickJohnavan Vistante vs. Michael ChiesaThe fight finish trend picked back up during the night’s 10th bout, as Michael Chiesa tapped out striker Johnavan Vistante in just 2:05. Chiesa immediately came forward with two giant takedowns, then smothered Vistante against the cage. As Vistante tried to work back to his feet, Chiesa got his hooks in and took Vistante’s back, and from there it was all the Maverick. Chiesa issued hammerfists and strikes from the back until finally snaking an arm under his opponent’s neck, drawing the tap and another $5,000 finish bonus. Advancing into the house: Michael Chiesa Mike Rio vs. Ali MacLeanMiami’s Mike Rio swarmed on Northern Ireland’s Ali MacLean, dominating him on the ground before scoring the night’s fourth rear-naked choke victory at 3:32. The bout started on the feet with the men trading headshot for headshot, but then Rio’s wrestling instincts kicked in and he easily took the fight to the mat. Rio bloodied MacLean’s face with strikes from the top, and as MacLean tried to make it to his feet, Rio took his back. As MacLean stood up with The Wolverine on his back, he got suplexed back to the mat. Rio again took the younger fighter’s opponent back before rolling into mount. As MacLean desperately spun to get out danger, he gave up his back, and this time Rio was able to get the choke and end the fight. Advancing into the house: Mike Rio James Krause vs. Justin LawrenceThough James Krause, a WEC vet with 18 pro fights, had the experience on paper, it was 3-0 Justin Lawrence whose unmentioned 150 amateur kickboxing bouts paid off as he swarmed for a fast TKO win in a matchup of two mixed martial artists from Missouri. Lawrence opened with two dramatic high kicks that didn’t land flush but sent a clear warning to his taller opponent. He followed by chasing Krause with lightning fast strikes from every angle, getting the fight to the ground and hopping on top for ground and pound. He then let Krause back up, dropped him again, and continued to come on aggressively. After being wobbled by a knee and dropped by follow-up punches, Krause was eventually relieved of duty at just 1:25. Advancing into the house: Justin Lawrence Drew Dober vs. Daron CruickshankDaron Cruickshank put on a blistering first couple of minutes against Drew Dober, showing the crowd what happens when a fighter is raised by a pro kickboxer mom and a striking coach father. Cruickshank, aka “The Detroit Superstar” started with three powerful kicks, then launched into one unpredictable striking combination after the other, punctuating each with body kicks and gravity-defying high kicks. Dober tried to tie his opponent up and get things to the ground, but it was the Superstar who got the first big takedown, then nimbly climbed into mount and threw elbows. As the two stood back up, the action slowed as Dober tried to keep the exchanges in the clinch, and then it stopped briefly due to an accidental low blow by Dober. But the momentum was still Cruickshank’s as he ended the round with more strikes, another takedown, and an obvious invitation to the TUF Live house. Advancing into the house: Daron Cruickshank Jeremy Larsen vs. Jeff SmithStriker Jeremy Larsen was nimble enough to avoid the grasp of submission grappler Jeff Smith, even as much of their five-minute fight unfolded on the mat. Smith closed the distance and took the bout to the fence, where Larsen grabbed a guillotine and jumped to the ground before sweeping into top position and back to his feet. Twice more the fight went to the ground with Larsen on top, and the two scrambled for position in a tangle of submission attempts. Eventually Larsen settled into side mount, where he punished Smith with elbows to the head and knees to the body. A last-minute kneebar attempt by the bloodied Smith wasn’t enough, and Larsen easily earned a seat in the winner’s section growing fight by fight in the bleachers behind White. Advancing into the house: Jeremy Larsen Jon Tuck vs. Al IaquintaAl Iaquinta was cast on TUF 12 before an injury forced him to withdraw; he righted that opportunity Friday with a unanimous decision win over dangerous jiu jitsu fighter Jon Tuck, who limped away with an injury of his own. Iaquinta caught Tuck’s early kick and tossed him to the mat, but from the ground, Tuck got hold of Iaquinta’s arm and rolled for an armbar. Iaquinta stood up and shake his opponent off, then took Tuck’s back briefly on their way up. Back in the center, the two circled as both tried to find their range, first one punch at a time and then in a series of back and forths that found their targets. In another Iaquinta takedown, Tuck tried for a guillotine before Iaquinta freed himself to deliver hammerfists that increased in velocity as the seconds wore down. Iaquinta stood and raised his arms in victory as Tuck stayed seated against the cage, having his clearly injured toe checked out by the commission doctors. Advancing into the house: Al Iaquinta Akbarh Arreola vs. Myles JuryA second TUF vet got a second chance in the house as Myles Jury – forced to leave the season 13 house due to a knee injury – decisioned experienced Tijuana fighter Akbarh Arreola. The two traded kicks with a loud crack, and Jury used the chaos to push things to the mat and take top position. Jury struggled to administer body shots from Arreola’s closed guard; the Mexican fighter’s armbar attempt from the bottom was unsuccessful and the two were stood up by the referee. A second huge kick and takedown by Jury landed him in half guard before the standup; on the next one, Jury caught a leg and took things to the mat, where he stayed in a dominant position until the round’s end. Advancing into the house: Myles Jury
Posted in: fight, fighter, vs, ground, house
Read the full article at UFCPic of Jon Tuck's broken toe from Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 'Live' on FX
Gnarly.
Halfway through his one round showdown against Al Iaquinta during tonight's (Fri., March 9, 2012) live season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 on FX, Jon Tuck got his feet all tangled up with his opponents.
The result of their brief little game of footsy was the pic you see above.
When Tuck looked down to assess the damage, Urijah Faber could be heard cageside wondering why he was just looking around in the middle of a fight. Must have been quite the shock to look down and see his toe bent back up towards him.
And leave it to "The California Kid" to be the guy to tweet the nasty picture.
So not only does Tuck fail to get in the TUF house, losing out on his shot at the "six-figure" contract, he's also headed to the hospital to get his toe reset. Just a day in the life of a would-be Ultimate Fighter, y'all.
For complete results and recaps of all 16 fights from tonight's live TUF 15 season premiere click here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, toe, toe reset, fx jon
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter Live Debut Results: 16 Fighters Qualify for Newest Season
The new Ultimate Fighter Live kicked off Friday night on FX with 32 competitors all looking to earn their place in the house to be coached by either UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz or top contender Urijah Faber.
Posted in: fighter, contender, friday night, faber, house
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyEpisode No. 1 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live'
LAS VEGAS - And then there were 16.
Thirty-two lightweights squared off Friday night at "The Ultimate
Fighter" Gym in Las Vegas, and 16 earned their way into the "TUF" house.
UFC president Dana White and "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" coaches
Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber looked on as 16 155-pounders took the
first step toward becoming "the next Ultimate Fighter," earning
victories in special one-round exhibition bouts.
Posted in: fighter, las vegas, friday night, urijah faber, fighter gym
Read the full article at MMA JunkieDakota Cochrane Loses, Won't Move in to The Ultimate Fighter House
Dakota Cochrane, the UFC hopeful who gained notoriety in the last month when it was revealed that he had been involved in pornography before attempting a career in mixed martial arts, was unsuccessful in his attempt to earn a spot on this season of The Ultimate Fighter.
On Friday night's live Ultimate Fighter show on FX, Cochrane suffered a split decision loss to James Vick.
Cochrane, who entered the fight with an 11-2 professional mixed martial arts record, disclosed to the UFC in his initial application for The Ultimate Fighter that he had been involved in gay pornography. The UFC has said it doesn't consider that an issue.
But what is an issue is that Cochrane had just one opportunity on Friday night to get a shot at making it into the UFC's longstanding reality show, which was shown live for the first time on Friday night. On that score, Cochrane fell short, and so he'll pack up and head home.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, friday night, cochrane, friday
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseBellator 60 Results And Post-Fight Analysis - Pat Curran Wins Featherweight Title
Now a champion, Pat Curran is a great story for Bellator. Coming into his first Bellator tournament, there were many, including myself, who felt that Curran was nothing more than a pretty good regional level fighter. Curran proved the doubters wrong at 155, beating Roger Huerta and winning the lightweight tournament. While he was unable to wrestle the title away from Eddie Alvarez, he dropped to featherweight, won that tournament and now left Joe Warren in a pile against the fence to take the 145 pound crown.
He isn't a guy I think anyone would pick to beat Jose Aldo and compete for the best featherweight in the world, but Curran has emerged as a legitimate force in mixed martial arts and certainly has a claim as a top five featherweight with his wins over Warren and Marlon Sandro.
The pacing of these shows is brutal and there is no way it ins't a factor in not growing the audience. One hour and fifty-five minutes into the show we'd been through three fights, one of which ended in the first round and were just getting around to announcing the main event fighters. It's such an unbelievable amount of work to make it to the main event between all the commercials and dead time. There aren't many casual fans willing to go through all that time to get so little in terms of in-cage action, especially with the lack of "big names" on the Bellator roster.
I never want to see Jeff Malott referee another fight as long as I live. His job in the main event was flat out dangerous. He was right to not stop the fight when Warren was hit with the knee that set up the finish, but as Curran poured on clean shots with the fence acting as the only thing keeping Warren from crashing to the mat, it was time to stop the fight. At one point Curran's legs were clearly gone but rather than saving a fighter who was doing nothing to fight back and was eating clean shots, Malott waited for Curran to land enough punches to knock Warren completely out. It is disgusting and I sincerely hope Malott is not allowed to put another fighter's health at risk. He proved himself incompetent tonight.
Joe Warren's "mean face" when he's "psyched up" is totally laughable.
Pat Curran is lucky that he has the ability to land with power because his tendency to sit back doesn't do a good enough job of establishing that he is doing work deserving of taking the round. I scored rounds one and two for Curran but it would not have shocked me at all to have seen all three judges score it for Warren simply because it appeared he was doing more while Curran sat back.
SBN coverage of Bellator 60
When none of the fighters involved with your middleweight tournament are anywhere near ranked, I don't think calling them "some of the best middleweights in the world" is all that accurate. I mean, I get marketing, but man...when your announcer is saying a fighter's name and then asks if he pronounced it right, he shouldn't follow that up by lumping him in with the best in the world.
Daniel Straus looked good while beating Jeremy Spoon but he still doesn't seem like a real force. He was beating Spoon clearly but seems to lack that next gear to really destroy guys he is better than.
Mike Corey recovered well from a rough first round against Ronnie Mann. Once he figured out that Mann couldn't deal with his takedowns, there wasn't a whole that Mann could do to change the course of the fight. Corey just worked takedowns and fired away from top position. I have a feeling that if elbows were legal, Corey would have completely wrecked Mann's face.
Roberto Vargas showed a great chin against Marlon Sandro, but still got steamrolled. Sandro is extremely wild but still found a consistent home for his strikes and had Vargas reeling around the cage for much of the fight before sinking in his choke and finishing the fight.
Posted in: fight, bellator, fighter, warren, curran
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow‘The Ultimate Fighter LIVE’ Premiere Episode Live Blog
HeavyMMA will have live coverage of tonight's season premiere of "The Ultimate Fighter Live," which airs on FX at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Posted in: fighter, premiere, heavymma, tonight, blog heavymma
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Ultimate Fighter Cruz Vs. Faber Episode 1 Live Discussion
Tonight on FX, the Ultimate Fighter debut for the first time on the cable network. Featuring bantamweights Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as coaches, this season will be the first time in history that the fights are shown live. Tonight, 32 lightweight fighters will square off for the sixteen spots for the remainder of the season. This season will also see several changes from previous years as this will be the first time that contestants will compete for an unheard of thirteen weeks.
Both the UFC and FX have stated that all sixteen fights will air live tonight. The show starts at 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM CT and will run for two and a half hours on FX. After the premiere, the show will settle into its normal time slot of 10:00 PM ET/9:00 PM CT.
Join us for a live discussion of the debut episode of the Ultimate Fighter Cruz vs Faber.
Posted in: time, fighter, fx, season, pm
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Ultimate Fighter 15 - Live Thread
In tonight's season premier episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Faber vs. Cruz, the two Bantamweight coaches will appraise the skill of the potential entrants. Along with a move to the FX network, tonight's episode will be debuting an entirely new format. All 16 fights will be aired live in the two and a half hour broadcast. This will continue throughout the rest of the season, where every fight for the next 13 weeks will be aired live, preceded by a recap of the action inside the house from the week prior. Join us at 9 pm EST (6 pm PST) to see which fighters will be able to earn their way into the TUF house.
After the jump, a complete list of the 32 potential TUF cast members.
Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.Ali Maclean, Belfast, North IrelandAndy Ogle, Tynemouth, EnglandAustin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.Cody Pfister, Amarillo, TexasCristiano Marcello, Curitiba, BrazilChase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.James Krause, Blue Springs, Mich.James Vick, Fort Worth, TexasJared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.John Cofer, Hull, Ga.Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, HawaiiJon Tuck, Hagtna, GuamJordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.Mark Glover, Liverpool, EnglandMichael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, tuf house, house, bantamweight coaches
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 live results for season premiere tonight (March 9) on FX
Tonight's the night.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing a brand new format to its reality television baby The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), which starts season number 15 tonight (Fri., March 9, 2012) at 9 p.m. ET with a 2.5 hour season premiere on its new channel FX.
The best part? It's all the way live, folks.
Tonight's broadcast will showcase 16 fights featuring 32 competitors attempting to smash their way into the TUF house to earn a shot at the coveted "six-figure" UFC contract. In keeping with that, MMAmania.com will provide live coverage of all the night's action, with quick recaps and results as they occur.
It's all after the jump, Maniacs.
The Ultimate Fighter 15 Quick Results:
Match-ups to be announced*
Geno here. See you tonight, folks.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, season premiere, nights action, fx tonights
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCounter Programming? Kimbo Slice Says Tune into TUF Live
Ultimate Fighter 10 cast member Kimbo Slice has a new promo out telling everyone to tune into the new Ultimate Fighter Live on FX tonight.
Posted in: fighter, slice, kimbo, promo, tune
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe fighters from this season’s Ultimate Fighter respond to having a gay porn star in the house with them
“The Salty Pimp” is my favorite menu option from NYC’s most beloved “Big Gay Ice Cream Truck”. Before you make start drawing your own conclusions, I’ve dug through the interwebs to provide you with an illustration that re-assures any/all skeptics that it’s 100% straight. In reality, it shouldn’t matter to you what the ice cream’s sexual preference is. You should enjoy ice cream this summer because it’s delicious, and it makes you feel like a (sexually indifferent) kid again. In a perfect world, we’d all feel the same way about Dakota Cochrane competing in season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter despite his past career in gay porn. Much like the Salty Pimp, Dakota has made numerous interview/radio appearances re-assuring the world that he is actually straight, and that his past was a tremendous mistake he’s looking to put behind him, but the fighters on the reality show have their own opinions of what it will mean to share a house with him for the next few weeks. The video starts at 5 minutes in.
[Source]
Posted in: fighter, cream, season ’s, ice, pimp ”
Read the full article at Middle EasyVideo: Kimbo Slice tells UFC fans to watch Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 'Live' on FX ...
... even though he's hosting "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" on Spike TV tonight (March 9, 2012), which is playing in direct competition to TUF 15's 2.5 hour season premiere on FX at 9 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile the crafty fellas with the UFC have him promoting TUF "Live" on FX:
"Ultimate Fighter fans, listen up. If you're not watching FX, you're missing the all new season of The Ultimate Fighter live. That's right, this year's season is airing live ONLY on FX. Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber, and 32 other fighters are squaring off live, only on FX. It's tonight at 9 p.m. Watch the all new season of the Ultimate Fighter, only on FX."
That's three mentions of TUF airing live "only on FX," folks. War is hell and all that, right?
For all the latest details on TUF 15 click here.
Posted in: fighter, fx, season, tuf, fx thats
Read the full article at MMA Mania‘The Ultimate Fighter: Live’ debut talkback thread (Yahoo! Sports)
A new era of the UFC's reality show, "The Ultimate Fighter," dawns tonight as the show moves to FX and starts airing live. Starting at 9 p.m. ET, tonight's episode will run for two and a half hours. As has … Continue reading →
Posted in: show, fighter, tonights episode, half hours, show moves
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsOwner Victor Cui On The ONE FC Recipe For Success
Guest post by Stephie "Crooklyn" Daniels. You can follow Crooklyn on Twitter at CrooklynMMA. Diehard fans of Asian MMA have been left with a sizable hole in their viewing schedules following the demise of PRIDE, and although there have been a few notables, no other promotions have really laid claim to their throne. Sengoku tried, but failed after less than four years. DREAM has been trying to lay the groundwork as well, but serious financial issues have hindered their growth. Enter a new horse on the not so distant horizon, ONE FC. Headed up and owned by Victor Cui, the former promoter of Martial Combat (which put out 12 events in 2010 under the ESPN Star Sports umbrella), the organization has already struck a landmark 10 year deal with ESPN Star Sports, and has a vast network of alliances with gyms across Asia and Australia. They've forged a partnership with DREAM that will bear it's first fruit on March 31, when Japanese featherweight superstar, Tatsuya Kawajiri, makes the trip to Singapore to fight former King of the Cage champion, Donald Sanchez, in front of 12,000 fans at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. With major players stepping in as sponsor partners, co-promotional deals with SONY Pictures, and a solid plan for growth, ONE FC plans to be around for the long haul. In a recent interview I conducted with Victor, some of the blueprint for their future was revealed, as well as how they've managed to get the best deals in the business, while only having produced two shows to date. ONE FC Network"The ONE FC Network that we've launched, brings together every major promoter in every major country. You're talking about people being the very best at what they do. When you bring together all of those organizations, and when everybody has their own strengths, but it's the first time we've all tried to work together; to share fighters, to share knowledge, to share sponsorship opportunities, television deals. It's complex and it's hard, but the way we can exponentially grow the sport in Asia, is by working together. For the first time, under the ONE FC Network, all those players are coming together. You're talking about people that are very well established and very well respected, and have a huge and talented roster of fighters. The ONE FC Network allows everyone to get together, and gives those fighters opportunities to compete on each other's promotions. It also gives us a chance to figure out how we would do these co-promotions, what makes sense in each country, what the dates are, how we can combine our calendars, or, at the most basic level, how do we make our individual calendars happen so that we're not competing against each other."
More after the jump, including their deals with DREAM.
Co-promotion with DREAM"The partnership that I have with DREAM, is not only to work together to develop the sport and share our world champion fighters, but to host a co-promotion together. We're working on the details for our first, full, co-promoted event, and we'll be making that announcement very soon. What we want to do is put together the best show in the world." Many hands make light work"I'm always interested in finding ways to work with other people. I really believe in this philosophy, and a lot of people quote me saying, 'Many hands make light work.' That's my approach to Asian MMA. What ONE FC is, is a regional opportunity. The television deal that I closed with ESPN in Asia, is unprecedented. It's a 10 year media deal. There is no other sporting property in the world that has a 10 year media deal. It's a sign of what ESPN believes ONE FC can do in the region. My close relationship that I have with them has allowed us to have that kind of deal. It means that what we are really focused on, is how we can bring MMA to the 500 million people around the region through ESPN and their platforms, and additionally bring MMA to all of the 3.9 billion Asians in these countries. That's really where the growth of the sport is."Success where others have failed"Japan has had its challenges, as well as other organizations in the United States. I really looked closely at their business models before we even launched ONE FC, and studied them, and looked at what makes sense, and what didn't make sense. That's why you'll see a couple different things about our business approach. One of them being that we're not spending extravagant amounts of dollars on legends and big names that would charge a huge chunk of money to come out here and have one fight and be done. We have looked for quality fighters that are of good value, that can put on entertaining, world class fights. Second thing is, we're developing fights that are globally relevant, but regionally applicable. They appeal to the European fan, the Brazilian fan, the Canadian fan, the American fan, but we still work hard to keep a distinct Asian feel to it, and we use local Asian talent, to give them the opportunity to showcase themselves on a ONE FC card. It's a tricky balance, because the skillset, obviously between Asian fighters, outside of Japan, is dramatically different than the developed scene in Europe or in North America, so we're always trying to find a balance between those two." Blueprint of the future"I'm focused on doing what I can for the sport. Luckily, for me, I've been in the sports media industry for over 15 years. I know Asian business, and my vision is to bring the most exciting fights and develop MMA to unprecedented levels in Asia. I've got a really strong network of relationships in the community with fighters and other promoters. That's what I focus on, making sure that we can work together to grow the sport, and that ONE FC continues to produce world class television content and events. We've got eight events scheduled over the next 12 months. Next year we'll expand to 14, and then after that, 24 events. We are on a very rapid pace." Big name sponsors and movie tie-ins"We're co promoting, with SONY Pictures in Asia, the launch of the Avengers movie. Fairtex is our equipment sponsor. Energizer Batteries and Schick Razors are also some of our other sponsor partners. Schick Razors have launched an entire branding campaign around ONE FC. When you go to the store, you will see the packaging around the razors with the ONE FC logo, promoting our event. I've been doing this for a long time in Asia, and these are all relationships that I've had in place. The media deals that I am securing in other countries are people that I've worked with, and that have grown to trust me, and have fallen in love with what ONE FC is doing. Everybody comes to a ONE FC event and leaves excited."Victor's simple plan of keeping it regional, but with a global appeal, smart spending and massive media deals may be exactly what the chef has ordered in the recipe to success. Their next event takes place on March 31, and features a wealth of familiar and unknown talent, with an 11 fight card. There will be a featured PPV stream available, which can be found via their website. ONE FC may finally be the promotion to fill the void that PRIDE has left in so many of our hearts. It will be interesting, to say the least, to watch their progress. You can follow Victor via his Twitter @ONEFCMMA
Posted in: fighter, sport, event, deal, fc
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTwitter Mailbag: Talking Gross Armbars, Immediate Rematches, and More
The Twitter mailbag is back, and ready to tackle your toughest questions on everything from Tim Sylvia's public campaign to get back into the UFC to Ariel Helwani's incredibly unjust and unpopular decision to suspend me from The MMA Hour.
It's a full docket today and there's no time to waste, so we'll get right to it. If you want to ask a question of your own, you can find me on the old Twitter machine at @BenFowlkesMMA.
Milton Creque Jr. (@lawdahmussy)has a referee failed to protect a fighter when the fighter is arm barred, refuses to tap then suffers a dislocation?
Good question, and one I’m sure we’ve all been thinking about ever since referee Mark Matheny let Ronda Rousey bend Miesha Tate’s arm in awful ways. It’s a tough call. If a referee stops an armbar in progress because it looks like the armbaree either has been or is about to be injured, he risks controversy. If he doesn’t, he looks like a sadist in latex gloves, which is, I think we can all agree, the worst kind of sadist.I don’t think it’s the referees job to protect the fighter from dangers that the fighter is capable of protecting herself from. Tate could have tapped before things got bad, and she chose not to. To a certain extent, that’s her choice to make. I think that choice has limits, of course. If her bone’s sticking out of her arm and she still won’t tap, by all means, someone do something. But if we’re talking about a possible dislocation, do we really want the ref to be diagnosing injuries on the spot? If you can fight with a broken nose or hand, why couldn’t you fight with a dislocated elbow, assuming you could get out of the submission in the first place?I think we have to take it on a case-by-case basis. In the case of Tate, her arm is totally her fault. She could have tapped, but she didn’t. I think she should get the opportunity to make that choice...to a point. Once her arm starts looking like a bad horror movie special effect, might be best for the ref to help her call it a night.
Albert (@albertheredia)have you ever "sexted" a fighter before? That would be cray....
The closest I’ve come (so far) was accidentally sending Josh Barnett a text that was intended for my wife. I was on the road in Stockton, Calif., to do a story on Nate Diaz. As I was going to bed in my hotel room that night, I sent the typical ‘I love and miss you’ sort of text message that one sends to one’s wife in such situations, only I sent it to the completely wrong recipient. I’m lucky it was Barnett, actually. He has a sense of humor. When I wrote him immediately to explain that it was intended for my wife, he texted back, ‘You don’t have to lie. I miss you too, boo.’ Somehow I doubt this story would have ended the same way if I’d accidentally sent that text to Nate Diaz instead.
Zach Thorax @sephiroth872 do you regret that this hurt biz series didn't turn into the book in the end?
Not really. Considering how everything played out, I think it works better as a web series. Plus, this way it’s more likely to be read by the people who actually care about how an MMA gym operates and already know who Brendan Schaub and Nate Marquardt are. I think part of the reason I originally wanted it to be a book was because I felt like I should write a book, or like I wanted to have it sitting on my bookshelf to show people. That’s an ego thing, and ego is not a good reason to do something like this. I think it works best this way, and I think people will understand why when they see the whole thing.Aaron Carroll @agc563is @danawhite refusing to bring @timsylviamma back because he truly believes he can't hang. Or is it just pride?Sadly, I cannot get inside White’s mind and fling open all its locked doors in search of the one true answer. All I can do is speculate as to why he’s so opposed to a Tim Sylvia revival tour, and there’s no shortage of possible reasons. Maybe he doesn’t think Sylvia has what it takes to compete with these guys. Maybe he just doesn’t think enough people actually want to see Sylvia try. Maybe he looks back on the years when Sylvia was heavyweight champ as a dark time for the division (at least in the UFC). Maybe he can’t get that image of Sylvia getting clocked by Ray Mercer out of his mind. Whatever White’s reason, I can’t say it’s breaking my heart not to have "The Maine-iac" back in town. With all the quality heavyweights the UFC has now, who even has time to miss Sylvia?Rob Rivera @RobRiverawith akiyama and rousey's judo success in the cage, will it influence other fighters to practice more judo?Maybe. It will definitely encourage their future opponents to work on defending against it, which in turn might lead them to bring in some real judo experts, who would inevitably end up teaching them some offensive judo moves as well. For me, the bigger question is, will Rousey’s success encourage other female judo practitioners to move to MMA? I’m just saying, she was only the third best female judoka in her division at the 2008 games. Once some of these talented female martial artists see that they can make money at MMA (a little, anyway), they might decide it’s worth their while to trade the gi for some spandex shorts.Jared @Orderx7What's with @arielhelwani stealing your " Fighter vs. Writer" title & using it on @FUELTV? Can't he think of anything orig.?They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I suppose that makes outright theft a version of flattery that’s so sincere it almost hurts. In fairness, while Helwani totally lifted the name of my feature, he also stole the formatting of his own "Five Rounds" feature from the MMA Hour. Of course, ever since he suspended me from the show, I’ve been unable to defend my Five Rounds title, which effectively sidelines the whole thing until I make my glorious return. For now, that’ll have to be punishment enough for Mr. Helwani.Patrick Cusick @pcusick13will your MMA Hour suspension end up being akin to Pete Rose's suspension from baseball? #twittermailbagIf you’re asking whether it will be remembered by the masses as a terrible injustice, then yes. If you’re asking whether it’s related to my serious gambling problem, no comment.Ariel Helwani @arielhelwaniyeah, why did you bail on The MMA Hour 3 wks ago w/ no notice? Who was the "intv" w/ and how much do you regret your actions?Okay, let’s clear this up once and for all. I missed my MMA Hour appearance in order to conduct a phone interview with Dr. Don Catlin, who some might say is the father of modern drug testing. I interviewed him for this article on the state of drug testing in MMA, and I found his insights into the topic to be extremely valuable. That may not compare to the fun I would have had swapping insults with you on the MMA Three Hours, but dammit, my job is to be the interviewer rather than the interviewee. If I had it to do over again, I’d do it exactly the same. Actually, wait, that’s not true. This time I wouldn’t apologize for blowing off your show. So yeah, I do regret something.Justin Prejean @Filthy_Slunthow do you see @PatCurranMMA vs. @JoeWarrenMMA playing out at #Bellator60 & does this fight excite you?The fight definitely excites me, and I’m a little surprised there’s not more buzz for it out there, especially with so many fans complaining about the long Zuffa layoff in March. I was almost surprised to see Curran was a 3-1 favorite according to some online oddsmakers. I could see making him a slight favorite against Warren, who hasn’t fought since his brutal KO loss to Alexis Vila back in September, but don’t count that man out. I think Warren will surprise some people here, and I wouldn’t be at all shocked if he found a way to pull out a victory.Tobias Lechner @minga_lechido you think the strikeforce heavyweights will change the ufc heavyweight division? Are they good enough for the ufc?Do I think they will change the UFC heavyweight division? Um, haven’t they already changed it? They’ve certainly added depth to it, not to mention variety. A few years ago it was mostly enormous wrestlers at the top. The Strikeforce infusion also added Alistair Overeem (an enormous kickboxer) and Fabricio Werdum (a merely large jiu-jitsu specialist). Then you’ve got guys like Shane del Rosario and Lavar Johnson further down the food chain, plus Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett still waiting for their turn to fly the Strikeforce coop. Once all those guys are under the UFC banner at once, it should make for the best heavyweight division since the death of Pride.Wanna Bet UFC @WannaBetUFCAre you in favour of 0.5-unit 10 point must system? Close rounds are currently weighted too heavily (MM Rd 1/2), few 10-10's.I almost hate to say it, but I’m with Dana White on this one. These judges seem to have a hard enough time with 10s and 9s, not to mention the mysterious and elusive 8s. I don’t see how a half-point scoring system will help them. I do agree that there aren’t enough 10-10 rounds, perhaps because judges fear a draw. Plenty of times we see rounds that are so close, picking a winner is somewhat arbitrary. Maybe the solution is to add the "sudden victory" round clause to all fighter contracts, which would take some of the pressure off the judges and give the fighters one more chance to make their case in a close fight.Overall though, we need better judging and better judges. The way to do that is to hold judges accountable and evaluate their performances on a regular basis. This isn’t the Supreme Court, and state athletic commissions should not be handing out lifetime appointments. Be good or be gone.Christopher Cheung @christopher_kitwho is the best mma fighter not from Brasil, USA or CanadaAlistair Overeem, who hails from the Netherlands. Though Britain's Michael Bisping and Sweden’s Alexander Gustafsson both deserve a mention, as does Brian Ebersole, who hails from Parts Unknown. James Hawkins @jmhawkinsAre you excited about TUF Live? Many are talking about the long break between Zuffa events, will this fill the void left?I’m definitely glad to see TUF change its format after so many seasons of the same old thing. Live TV sounds like a real challenge, and I’m not sure I would have picked Friday night as the ideal slot for a reality sports competition show, but yes, I’m interested to see how the new TUF works. I’m also glad to see Bellator coming back, and I think this could make for some fun Friday night battles going forward. For more on that, I recommend checking out Loretta Hunt’s piece on Sports Illustrated. Tell ‘em the TMB sent you.Ben Howell @BenjaminHowell1Does Jon Jones move to Heavy Weight (whenever that happens) undefeated?I don’t want to freak you out or anything, but he’s not undefeated now. His creative/illegal use of elbows earned him a DQ loss against Matt Hamill back in 2009. But okay, I see what you’re really asking, and I think the answer is yes. I think Jones will hold that light heavyweight title for a long time, though I do think his toughest tests are still in front of him. I think he beats Evans, then gets past a very tough Dan Henderson before smashing a retooled Phil Davis or maybe even a gradually ascending Alexander Gustafsson. That's when I think he looks around at the division he decimated and he weeps, for he sees there is no one left to conquer. Then I think he starts ordering his steak sandwiches with fries instead of a side salad, and he moves up to heavyweight in search of a new challenge.Aron Gunningham @PureMMAWhat's the point in an interm WW belt if it's going to be tied up until the main title is ready to be fought for? #mailbagThere really isn’t one, and thank you for pointing that out. Not that I’m in favor of interim titles in general, but I certainly don’t see the point in creating a new champion just so he can sit around and wait for the old champion to heal up. All it does is allow the UFC to put ‘interim welterweight championship bout’ on the fight posters, which, for a fight like Carlos Condit-Nick Diaz, it didn’t need anyway. Now that main events are five-rounders, there’s really no reason to go around creating fake titles just to inject a false sense of importance into top contender bouts. And if Condit is just going to put the interim title on the shelf and let it collect almost as much dust as the real one, it truly makes no sense.Matt Pryor @CRUMxMMAdo you think it was a mistake giving Edgar the rematch? Especially considering Pettis/Bendo 2 has big money aspirations.Gian Patelo @nogstaiDo you think Pettis actually deserves a shot on Henderson? Loss to Guida, SD to Stephens, and KO of JLau? I think not.I put these two questions side by side to make a point about the tricky matchmaking position the UFC was in when it came to the lightweight belt. If the powers that be had decided not to give Edgar the same rematch opportunity that they forced him to give others, some people would have complained that he was getting screwed. Now that he’s getting another shot while Pettis gets overlooked, other people will complain that Pettis is getting screwed, and the UFC is missing the chance to hype a big title fight that already has one of the best highlights in MMA history to help promote it. There’s just no pleasing everybody here.I suppose it comes down to what’s more important to you: fairness or fun? Giving Edgar the immediate rematch is fair. It’s what he had to do for his challengers, after all, so he’s kind of earned it. But getting Henderson and Pettis to run it back definitely sounds way more fun. It would also be easier to promote, even if there’s no way Pettis’ recent history would justify a title shot against any other champion.
Personally, I’d rather see Henderson-Pettis, but I can’t complain too much about seeing Edgar get another crack. More than anything, I object to the precedent the UFC sets with stuff like this. What, we’re going to do a rematch every time there’s a close title fight? What happens if Edgar wins a decision this time? Do we do it a third time, just to be fair to Henderson? We’re rapidly approaching the point where fair is just no fun.
Super D - Dave @FightSpectatorQ: who would win in a Gina Carano vs Ronda Rousey bout?I have to go with the person who has actually been fighting and winning lately, and not the person who’s been hanging around on movie sets and green rooms, trying her best to stay away from the free shrimp cocktail. If Carano came back now and fought Rousey right away, I think her next movie might have to be one of those uplifting stories about a brave woman who triumphs in spite of her horribly mangled elbow.Eddie Doty @LuckyBestWashWill Sarah Kauffman be more dangerous to Ronda than Miesha was?Yes, but I’m not sure what that means. She could get submitted in the second round rather than the first, and we’d all cite that as proof that Kaufman was more of a test than Tate was, but it wouldn’t help Kaufman much. I think her chances depend entirely on takedown defense. Obviously, she’s going to have an edge in the striking department. Rousey still has some work to do there, as we saw against Tate. But if Rousey can grab Kaufman and fling her to the mat as easily as she did Tate, it won’t matter. You know how we hear about grapplers going to Thailand or the Netherlands to work on nothing but kickboxing? Kaufman might be wise to head to Japan and enroll in some judo classes.Kengi Smith @KengiSmithWhat are your thoughts on Brandon Saling, why has no one brought up the 88 on his shoulder? A known nazi mark.People have brought it up, trust me. They’ve also brought up his criminal record, which is pretty horrifying. Saling allegedly lied about his criminal past in his licensing application, and, weirdly enough, that’s what he’s in trouble for now, and not the original offenses. Don’t be surprised if you never hear from this guy again, at least as an MMA fighter. And to all the people who wrote me emails about how stupid it was of the UFC to allow Dakota Cochrane, a former gay porn actor, to represent the company on TV? This sure puts that in perspective, doesn’t it? What Cochrane did might have been distasteful to some, but it wasn’t illegal. It didn’t hurt anybody. If you’re going to try and drum someone out of the sport for their past behavior outside of it, how about focusing your energy on the criminally violent, racist sex offender?dp @DP1331How would I get a job as a sports writer? Where do i start? How did you get to where you are?I see this question a lot on Twitter and on forums, directed to me and to others, so it seems worth answering. The bad news is, you can’t have my job. I like it too much. The good news is, we live in a wonderful time for writers. It used to be that you had to come up through the right channels and know the right people for a media outlet to even give you a shot. No you can just start your own website and start writing, which is exactly what you should do. Not only is it good practice as a writer, it also gives you a body of work to show a potential employer when the time comes. Don’t sit around waiting for someone to offer you a job out of nowhere. Get to work, and then let that work help you find more work. Somewhere in there, hopefully someone will decide to start paying you.
Posted in: ufc, mma, time, fighter, work
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseTUF Live 1 competitors discuss the pros and cons of The Ultimate Fighter
Fighters competing on TUF Live 1, which marks the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter, discuss the pros and cons of participating in the show, as well as the pitfalls of drinking alcohol in such an atmosphere.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, pro, drinking alcohol, fighter fighters
Read the full article at Low KickUltimate Fighter 15 Episode 1 Results
MMA Fighting has Ultimate Fighter 15 Episode 1 results for Friday's TUF 15 debut from Las Vegas.On the first episode, 32 fighters will be competing for 16 spots in the house.Check out the Ultimate Fighter results below.
The show is live on FX at 9 p.m. ET and we will post the matchups and results as they happen.Below is the cast list:Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.Ali Maclean, Belfast, North IrelandAndy Ogle, Tynemouth, EnglandAustin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.Cody Pfister, Amarillo, TexasCristiano Marcello, Curitiba, BrazilChase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.James Krause, Blue Springs, Mich.James Vick, Fort Worth, TexasJared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.John Cofer, Hull, Ga.Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, HawaiiJon Tuck, Hagtna, GuamJordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.Mark Glover, Liverpool, EnglandMichael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Posted in: result, fighter, episode, fighter results, las vegason
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseLet's watch Rogan Riff on The Ultimate Fighter
Love it or hate it, The Ultimate Fighter has a special place in all of our hearts as fight fans. It feeds into our desire to watch MMA constantly, it quenches our adolescent need for disgusting pranks. We get to observe high level training montages and the banter, my god the banter. Most importantly, TUF allowed MMA fans to draw another line in the way of the mean nickname department. If you were introduced to MMA post 2005, you are now lovingly referred to as a TUF Noob. Personally, I'm thankful that TUF finally made my wife appreciate MMA on another level, mostly because she thought a 2005 era Stephan Bonnar was a 'weird and funny' guy, silly TUF noobs.
Tonight TUF is back with their fifteenth season and this time as we all know, the fights are live. Since fifteen is a relatively big number for a TV series and everyone is feeling a little nostalgic, here's Joe Rogan riffing on The Ultimate Fighter.
[Source]
Posted in: mma, fighter, tuf, fight fans, fighter love
Read the full article at Middle EasyJoe Rogan Discusses His Favorite Ultimate Fighter Moments
Tonight sees the return of The Ultimate Fighter to television, but it also sees the show moving to a new home on FX. While the show may have seen a bit of a lower class of fighter in more recent seasons (with the exception of last season's 145 and 135 pounders), there's no denying the important place that the program holds in UFC history.
With that in mind, Joe Rogan has a new video on the UFC's YouTube page talking about some of the best moments in Ultimate Fighter history:
Some obvious stuff here including the expected talk of the season one finale between Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin.
Bloody Elbow will, of course, have coverage of tonight's season debut on FX as well as coverage all season long. But, as we head toward the new Ultimate Fighter season, let's hear some of your favorite moments from the show's history in the comments.
Posted in: fighter, season, history, ufc history, moment
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowInterview: Imanari Loves Leg Locks 'Because It Hurts The Opponent', Says Belingon Can Be MMA's Manny Pacquiao
Masakazu Imanari is a veteran of almost 40 fights, and he's seen as a consensus #19 ranked bantamweight in the world. He has fought some of the very best fighters in his division and the "Master of Leg Locks" will be looking to live up to his reputation when he makes his ONE FC debut on March 31.
Imanari spoke with BloodyElbow.com about his upcoming fight, and when asked about his love for leg locks, the "Ashikan Judan" gave a brief and simple answer: "Because it hurts the opponent!"
A total of 15 fighters have succumbed to his grappling skills, with most of them coming off these devastating, and potentially very damaging submissions. He will be gunning for a repeat of this performance against one of the region's fastest rising prospects in Kevin Belingon. The Filipino fighter is part of that Team Lakay stable that has produced several MMA champions and top fighters, and although Imanari will still be much more experienced, he isn't taking him lightly. In fact, he even has very high praise for the strong potential of his Wushu-based opponent.
"He’s very dangerous opponent and can be like the Manny Pacquiao of MMA," Imanari says, as he draws comparisons to the Filipino boxing icon, "I am training very hard and I do not underestimate him. He has never lost a fight so even though he is not very famous now, if he wins more fights, one day he could be the best fighter in the world."
"I want to be the first man to defeat him and to show that I am ready to become the ONE FC bantamweight champion!" he exclaimed.
Much more after the jump, but don't forget to follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena.
Comparisons to Pacquiao may be a bit unfair as it puts a tremendous amount of expectations that no one in combat sports can probably ever live up to, but as a statement coming from his opponent, it is definitely a huge compliment.
Can Kevin Belingon avoid Imanari's devastating leg locks? -- Photo by Taro Irei for Sherdog
Imanari has fought some of the best fighters from different countries, but for majority of his 12-year career, most of these fights were held into his home country. On March 31, he will be venturing outside Japan and into Singapore, and while the time zones are relatively similar, he will be competing under a different rule-set, different weather conditions, and he will be fighting in a cage, instead of a ring.
These things may sound trivial to some, but for a huge number of fighters, those things can make an impact and will need a lot of time to get adjusted and acclimated to. Imanari on the other hand, just shrugs off the various changes.
"I feel the same wherever I fight." Imanari continued, "This should be my third time (fighting outside Japan) but it doesn’t make too much difference to me where I fight. All I care about is my opponent and I don’t think about other things, only beating him,"
"This would also be my third time in a cage. I think there is a little bit of difference from fighting in a ring, but I am comfortable on both."
Although there's not really much that surprises the experienced fighter in Imanari, Belingon will also be bringing his Wushu/Sanshou base that not a lot of people are used to training against. The BJJ black belt says he'll be ready and is expecting yet another stiff challenge.
"I have never had an easy fight. I am not interested in fighting easy fighters. I want to challenge myself against the best fighters in the world." he said, "I would like to fight as much as I can, and of course, I eventually want to fight for the ONE FC bantamweight title"
Posted in: fight, fighter, opponent, imanari, leg locks
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMorning Report: 'The Ultimate Fighter' and Bellator Collide
This week was kind of strange. And the next five weeks are probably going to be stranger. But we're spoiled as MMA fans now. A month-and-a-half between major events used to be nothing.
Besides, mixed martial arts has reached the point where even if the schedule looks empty, it isn't really. Case in point: between the newly revamped "The Ultimate Fighter" and a brand new season of the promotion that just brought us this and this and THIS (and this and this), Friday nights are about to become the new Saturday. So sit back and get ready for tonight's fights with the Morning Report.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
The hurt business: a year in the life of an MMA fight team. Ben Fowlkes invades Grudge Training Center to examine the hidden lives of pro fighters and watch as fortunes rise and fall over the course of one calendar year in the first installment of this multi-part series.
Bellator 60: Joe Warren vs. Pat Curran dissection. Dallas Winston kicks the door down to Bellator's sixth season with a gif-tastic breakdown of tonight's featherweight championship.
For Bellator's Bjorn Rebney, eventual Spike move vindicates long-term vision. Bellator's CEO discusses his long journey to Spike, upcoming production changes, and the format that allows fighters "to be like Bulter in the NCAA's March Madness."
Daniel Cormier would consider cutting weight for a 205-pound 'superfight.' Despite his past weight cutting struggles, Cormier would give it one more shot for a superfight against a top 205-pounder.
Marloes Coenen cast in Dutch version of ‘Survivor.' The former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion joined twelve of the Netherlands' biggest celebrities in the survival reality show "De Schat van De Oranje."
COUNTDOWN TO A SLIMMER ROY NELSON
Started (on March 4th): 32,000 likes.Yesterday's mark: 97,282 likes.As of this writing: 99,688 likes.Goal (by March 18th): 132,000 likes.
MEDIA STEW
A week after defeating Frankie Edgar to win the UFC lightweight strap, Ben Henderson was back home in Arizona relaxing. But by relaxing, we really mean competing in the Absolute division of the 7th Arizona Brazilian Jiu JItsu International Open, where he ultimately lost to Daniel Grippaudo via this slick straight armbar. (By the way, Bendo still won his weight class. Check out the full story.)
Tim Sylvia wants in the UFC, regardless of what Dana White says. So he uploaded this video to YouTube. The description simply reads: "Beast Mode." (HT: MMA Mania)
Last month, both Fedor and Aleksandr Emelianenko competed in the Russian Combat Sambo Championships, where they predictably met in the tournament finals. Though their match didn't exactly go how you'd expect. (HT: Cage Potato)
Yesterday we brought you a look at Myles Jury. So today we'll give you a sampling of another early TUF 15 favorite, Brazilian submission wizard Cristiano Marcello, as he takes on Guido Canetti at Bitetti Combat 8.
THE MUSCLE SHARK WANTS BACK IN
I will be coming back before the years end but I need a good fight not some chump who needs some fame!
— Sean Sherk UFC (@SeanSherkUFC) March 8, 2012
MISADVENTURES IN MMA FACIAL HAIR
And so the old school begins!!! #bringitback twitter.com/EddieWineland/…
— Eddie Wineland(@EddieWineland) March 8, 2012
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Thursday, March 8, 2012):
N/A
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day goes to BE's Dangalvan: 10 Flyweights That the UFC Should Sign
Mamoru Yamaguchi (26-6-3)
Yamaguchi doesn't just make this list based on his awesome Afro, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't help. He is dripping with charisma that could garner him a cult-like audience. Coming off a loss to Jussier da Silva in August, Yamaguchi should be hungry for a win as he has never lost back-to-back fights in his career. Yamaguchi is a dangerous flyweight that prefers to strike where he is able to showcase his powerful looping hooks.
Dustin Ortiz (8-1)
Continuing the trend of fighters with fantastic hair, Dustin Ortiz has potential to really be a top fighter in the flyweight division. Still in the early part of his career, Ortiz has been impressive recently with a win over Josh Rave (18-9). Ortiz is one of the most fun fighters to watch as he is hyper-aggressive and is relentless with the pressure he forces on his opponents.
Found something perfect for the Morning Report? Just hit us on Twitter @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in Monday's post.
Posted in: fight, bellator, fighter, march, yamaguchi
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseLatest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of March 4, 2012
Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Urijah Faber, Rich Franklin and Dominick Cruz pictured above, we can all "get along."
Teaming up with MMA sites like Low Kick, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.
This week, The Fight Nerd talks to the director of the Bruce Lee documentary, MMA Convert thanks Ronda Rousey and Middle Easy discovers that a Bellator video game is in the works.
The full list of links is after the jump.
- Lowkick staff top 10 pound-for-pound MMA rankings (LowKick)
New entries from previous rankings include Junior dos Santos, Carlos Condit and Ben "Smooth" Henderson. PRIDE veteran and the current number two contender for the UFC Light Heavyweight title, Dan Henderson, is the most improving fighter in this list, moving four positions from #9 to #6.
- 11 music videos featuring MMA fighters (Cage Potato)
- Bellator video game! Whoa! (video) (MiddleEasy)
Cool, another MMA videogame. Yep, the digital Joe Warren you see above is real. Bellator has officially joined the ranks of the UFC, Pride, Strikeforce and all of the imaginary or real leagues you created in Fire Pro Wrestling in being digitally recreated in our living room for our enjoyment. The debut trailer for the Bellator game being published by Spike Games (we don't know who's developing it) was released tonight, and we have to admit: we'd be down for some tournament action in the MiddleEasy offices.
- Director Pete McCormack talks new Bruce Lee documentary (The Fight Nerd)
McCormack, who also directed "Facing Ali" about Muhammad Ali, tells us about his inspiration for making this documentary about Lee, as well as why this film is different from the other ones out there about the same subject. Pete also discusses the similarities between Ali and Lee, why so many different people continue to identify with Lee, and why Bruce is still relevant nearly 40 years after his passing, plus much more.
- UFC's testosterone narrative backfiring (Fight Opinion)
This is what happens when you approach a bully and actually ask legitimate questions. The minute anything substantively is asked about a controversial topic, the bully deflects and goes scorched earth when they know they are boxed into a corner. The problem for Dana is that he & Lorenzo have made so many enemies in the press already that when trouble is brewing, the aggressive PR tactics backfire... like they are now right now.
- New York files its reply brief in Zuffa lawsuit (MMA Payout)
The New York District Attorney and Attorney General have filed its reply brief in support of its motion to dismiss two counts of Zuffa's lawsuit against New York. MMA Payout takes a look at some of the arguments rebutting Zuffa's opposition.
- The 10 best fighters in Ultimate Fighter history (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
Fourteen seasons of the show have provided us with plenty of forgettable moments and easily-dismissed fighters. But there have also been plenty of gems to emerge from the show, especially during the early days when the series featured a crop of talented fighters all trying to make it into the UFC.
- Why we owe Ronda thanks (MMA Convert)
If God created Eve from one of Adam's ribs, it was a humerus that went into making Ronda, and the judoka isn't done paying Him back in the arm-bone currency she feels she owes. Which is just fine. Because if you're a scrub and not worthy of being in the same cage as her, she'll rip your arm off in under a minute, just as she did to all before her championship turn.
- Quick Shots: SFL news, weekend MMA events (Fightline)
The Full Contact Fighting Federation (FCFF) is back in Portland, OR this Saturday, March 10th for Rumble @ The Roseland 62. The FCFF is bringing three title fights including the return of the 185-pound FCFF Champion Josh Bartlett and FCFF veteran Heavyweight fighter Damion Martindale.
- Fedor: I have to go to the US to face the strongest opponents (Five Ounces of Pain)
- Georges St. Pierre still thinks Nick Diaz fight needs to happen (5thRound)
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, video, lee
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC's Lightweight Division More Stacked Than Ever
Tuesday, the news broke that a rematch between the two fighters was set for sometime this summer, and while the top of the mountain at 155 pounds will take a bit to settle, the divisional picture is far from being problematic.
Posted in: pound, fighter, division, picture, summer
Read the full article at Low KickA New Era Begins for The Ultimate Fighter Tonight
Making it to the 15th season of anything on television is an impressive feat. And if you have made it that far, the plan moving forward is usually “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But when it comes to playing it safe, UFC President Dana White is the wrong guy to talk to. So when he got a new broadcast partner in FX, it was time to shake things up, and tonight will be the first test of what promises to be a compelling new experiment in reality TV.“Basically, the reality portions of the show that you’re gonna see will have been shot in the last two days,” said White. “So everything is real-time. And the most incredible part of the whole thing is that every Friday night, these fights are live.”That’s right, when the 15th season of TUF, entitled “The Ultimate Fighter Live,” premieres on FX, there will be 16 live fights to determine which 16 fighters continue on to the traditional TUF house to be coached by either UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz or former WEC featherweight champ and current number one bantamweight contender Urijah Faber. And each week, the pattern will continue, with a week’s worth of filming culminating in a live fight on Friday night. That’s bold, but it’s also innovative, and something never before done in combat sports. “Even if you look at formats like 24/7 on HBO, where they do real-time things leading up to a fight, it never ends in a fight,” said White. “The fight is on Pay-Per-View or whatever. This is real-time and the fight is every Friday night.”Yet despite the new format, one of the always popular features of the show, which launched in 2005, is the fact that when the bell rings, all you’ll hear are the fighters’ cornermen, their teammates, and the referee. “One of the cool things about this show is that when you’re watching it, there’s no commentary, there’s no crowds cheering, there’s no announcers going back and forth,” said White. “It’s very raw and very, very cool. You feel like you’re a fly on the wall in this place and you’re watching these fights happen.”And when the fight’s over, the cameras will continue to roll, letting viewers in to see what happens after the final bell has sounded, a look behind the scenes that few will forget.“As soon as it’s over, we follow them back to the locker rooms and you’ll feel all the emotion,” said White. “Let’s say you’ve been here sacrificing everything, giving a hundred percent of yourself, and then you lose. You were that close and you lost. All that drama and all that emotion pours out right there live in front of you. It’s not canned, it hasn’t been edited; you’re seeing it as it’s happening.”So who are the 32 lightweight hopefuls competing for a UFC contract and the chance to change their careers and lives over the space of just three months? They range from seasoned vets to youngsters with just a handful of pro fights, and they hail from everywhere from Tijuana and Belfast to England and New York. Here’s a look:Akbarh Arreola (19-6-1) – A Mexico native who lives in Tijuana, but fights and trains out of Chula Vista, California, Arreola has faced the likes of Mac Danzig, Toby Imada, and Ronys Torres, and owns a win over UFC and TUF5 vet Gabe Ruediger.Al Iaquinta (5-1) – The 24-year old Serra / Longo fight team member from Wantagh, New York has come up in the same Ring of Combat promotion that once played host to UFC vets like Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, and stablemate Chris Weidman.Ali Maclean (9-5-1) – A 22-year old Belfast native, Maclean is the first Irish fighter on TUF, and he brings a five fight winning streak into the competition. “Growing up, everyone else played soccer, but I was rubbish in that and every other sport,” he said. “So I do what I do best and what my life revolves around and that is train and fight.”Andy Ogle (8-1) - Tynemouth, England’s Ogle did play soccer in high school, but by 2008 he was competing as an amateur in MMA, and a little over a year later he made his pro debut. Following a loss in his second fight, he has won seven in a row.Austin Lyons (9-1) – Tennessee submission specialist Lyons has finished seven of his pro wins by tap out, and he expects similar success on TUF. “Guys don’t want to go to the mat,” said Lyons, who once tipped the scales at 250 pounds. “I’ll let somebody take me down because I know I can submit them.”Brendan Weafer (6-3) - New York’s Weafer began fighting in 2005, though after an on and off career, it wasn’t until 2011 that the 28-year old striker began to hit his stride, as he won two in a row leading into this week’s premiere.Chris Tickle (7-4) - Bloomington, Illinois’ “Bad Boy” Tickle gets right to the point when it comes to his fighting philosophy heading into the TUF competition: “I want it more than anyone,” he said. “I’m experienced, relentless, very aggressive and like to beat you up.”Cody Pfister (6-3) – Tough Texan Pfister learned to fight “as the smallest kid growing up, weighed about 80 pounds.” That scrappy attitude and determination has led him to six pro wins in nine fights and a shot at earning a spot in the TUF house.Cristiano Marcello (12-3) – The lone Brazilian in the 32-man field, Marcello hails from the same city as Anderson Silva and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and with wins in six of his last seven bouts, the former Chute Boxe jiu-jitsu coach is hoping a win on TUF will allow him to join his countrymen in the Octagon.Chase Hackett (4-1) – 4-1 as a pro with three victories by submission, Littleton, Colorado’s Hackett has gotten off to a good start to his career, but until he starts winning on TUF, the talk will likely center on the epic mustache sported by the man nicknamed “Prison Stare.” Chris Saunders (9-2) – A veteran of nearly three years in the pro game, Long Beach, California’s Saunders was in with WEC veteran Chris Horodecki in his most recent bout last July.Dakota Cochrane (11-2) - Omaha, Nebraska’s Cochrane has been a pro since 2009, but his biggest win came last September, when he decisioned former WEC champion Jamie Varner. Now he’s got the opportunity to take things even further if he can win on Friday night.Daron Cruickshank (10-2) – Cruickshank has done well for himself thus far in MMA, but that’s not surprising, considering that the 26-year old Wayne, Michigan native’s mother is a former pro kickboxer and that his father is his striking coach. Now it’s time to see if TUF is ready for his family’s brand of Taekwondo.Drew Dober (8-3) – Being in the world’s living room every week is nice, but that’s not why Omaha’s Drew Dober is here. “I’m here because this is what I was meant to do. And destiny, fate, whatever, but I believe I’m going in the right direction and I’m going to be the Ultimate Fighter because I work hard, I push myself, and I have a lot of heart and passion in this.”Erin Beach (3-1) – Motivated by the birth of his daughter to give his MMA career a hundred percent in terms of dedication, San Diego’s Beach will likely have one fan cheering him on Friday night, his Alliance MMA stablemate and TUF Live coach Dominick Cruz.James Krause (15-4) – One of the most experienced fighters in the 32 man field, Blue Springs, Missouri’s Krause is a WEC veteran who faced Donald Cerrone and Ricardo Lamas in the blue cage. Winner of three in a row, Krause is eager to get back in the big show.James Vick (4-0) – Unbeaten as a pro, Fort Worth, Texas’ Vick has got his future in the sport all planned out. “If I get on this show and win, with basically five years of training, then in my mind I can be a world champ in another five.”Jared Carlsten (3-0) – Nicknamed “Crazy Legz,” LA’s Carlsten has finished all three of his pro bouts via submission, not surprising considering that he owns a brown belt under Eddie Bravo.Jeff Smith (9-1) – 24-year old Smith lost his first pro bout via submission in 2009, but no one has come close to beating the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania native since, with seven of his nine wins coming by way of tap out. Jeremy Larsen (8-2, 1 NC) – A veteran of the Arizona fight scene, Phoenix’ Larsen has won four of his last five, with the only loss coming to UFC vet Efrain Escudero. Joe Proctor (7-1) – Despite graduating with a degree in business management from UMass-Dartmouth, Pembroke’s Proctor just wants to fight. “I have more drive than anybody else,” said the 26-year old. “I have so much heart and I want to fight for a living.”John Cofer (7-1) – If Hull, Georgia’s Cofer wins on Friday night and gets into the TUF house, he may have a leg up on his competitors because it’s likely that he got some pointers from his trainer at the Hardcore Gym, TUF3’s Rory Singer. Johnavan Vistante (3-1) - Pearl City, Hawaii’s Vistante goes by the nickname “The Immortal Warrior,” and if you sport a moniker like that, you’d better be ready to back it up. He is. “I’m a monster striker,” he said. “If Anderson Silva and Jon Jones had a baby, it’d be me.”Jon Tuck (6-0) – Guam’s Tuck doesn’t mess around when the bell rings, ending all six of his pro bouts in the first round. And with three knockouts and three subs, he can get you wherever the fight goes.Jordan Rinaldi (5-0) – Hailing from Matthews, North Carolina, Rinaldi is a highly-regarded prospect who has finished four of his five pro opponents by submission. Included in this list is TUF 14 finalist and current UFC fighter Dennis Bermudez.Justin Lawrence (3-0) – The 21-year old Lawrence, who has been kickboxing since the age of six, claims to have over 150 amateur fights, which makes him an interesting puzzle to solve for any opponent.Mark Glover (6-1-1, 1 NC) – Thai specialist Glover makes no bones about it; when this Liverpool native is in there, expect fireworks. “I don’t like all these wrestlers who hold people down and bore the crowd. People pay good money to watch you put on exciting fights and that’s the mindser to go into fights with.”Michael Chiesa (7-0) - Spokane Valley, Washington’s Chiesa has represented the Pacific Northwest well thus far as a pro, winning all seven of his bouts, including five by submission.Myles Jury (9-0) – The unbeaten Jury is no stranger to TUF fans, as he was a competitor on season 13 before a knee injury forced him from the show. Promised by White to get another shot, that shot comes this Friday for the San Diegan.Mike Rio (8-1) – A two-time state wrestling champion in high school, Miami’s “Wolverine” is a well rounded competitor who has ended four of his victories by knockout and three by submission.Sam Sicilia (10-0) – With three consecutive wins in less than 30 seconds, hard-hitting Spokane Valley, Washington product Sicilia may be one of the best finishers on this season’s 32 man roster.Vinc Pichel (6-0) – But then there’s Sherman Oaks, California’s Pichel, whose six pro wins have all come by knockout, making him a pretty fair bet for some future Knockout of the Night bonuses should he get past Friday night’s elimination bouts and go on to win a UFC contract.There you have it - 32 fighters, one UFC contract, and what promises to be a season to remember, not just for the competitors, but for everyone watching.“You have people that have dreamt and trained for this moment and this opportunity their whole life, and then you get to sit back and watch what they do with this opportunity,” said White. But he forgot one thing…You watch it live.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, year, tuf
Read the full article at UFCThe Ultimate Fighter Live 101
AiringsThe Ultimate Fighter Live begins on Friday, March 9th on FX with a special two-and-a-half-hour premiere at 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM CT (tape delayed 9 PM PT/10 PM MT). The series then moves to Fridays at 10:00 PM ET/9:00 PM CT (tape delayed 10 PM PT). TUF Live airs live nationally on DirecTV ch. 248 and DISH-Channel ch. 136. (See international broadcast listings)SeasonThe season lasts for 12 consecutive weeks, culminating in the championship fight on June 1st. CompetitorsMore than 500 athletes from around the world auditioned. Through tryouts, cuts and background checks, 32 were selected to participate in the series premiere episode, in which they were paired up to “fight in” to the house.FinalistsAfter the premiere, the 16 finalists will be broken into two teams of eight and live in a house together for the duration of the season. One fighter from each team will be selected by their coach to fight at the end of each episode and the right to advance in the competition. WinnerAt the end of the season, one man will be crowned THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE Champion and receive a six-figure contract with the UFC. Fights Each weekly fight takes place under the unified rules of mixed martial arts except for in number of rounds. Because TUF Live bouts are technically exhibition matches, they are scheduled for two rounds with a third sudden-victory frame added in case of a tie. TournamentWhile the fighters generally move forward in the competition in a tournament fashion, those who lose their bouts remain in the house and on call to fight. They can be tapped at any time for a wild card bout or to fill in for a fighter who is injured or who leaves the show. Fighter StatsThe 32 finalists range from 21 to 34 years in age; the shortest are 5’7 and the tallest 6’3”. Pro fight experience levels are between 3 and 26 fights; 9 are undefeated going in to the series premiere March 9. The contestants come from the US, England, Brazil, Mexico, Guam and Northern Ireland. All fighters in the house will compete at lightweight, or 155 pounds,
meaning they must be 156 pounds or under at the official weigh-in 24
hours before their fight. CoachesThe coaches are current UFC bantamweight (135-pound) champion Dominick Cruz and former champion and current top contender Urijah Faber. In addition to their coaching duties, Cruz and Faber will be training for their championship rematch this summer. The two have fought twice in title fights and are 1-1 in the series so far.Past SeasonsThe series’ previous incarnation, The Ultimate Fighter, was the launching pad for some of MMA’s greatest fighters including Rashad Evans, Kenny Florian, Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar and many others. For 14 seasons over the last seven years, The Ultimate Fighter established itself as one of the most intense and exciting competition reality series on television. Past seasons are available on DVD, iTunes and UFC.TV. New FormatIn its previous format, each season was taped months in advance of its broadcast. This season the segments of events taking place in the house will be taped the week that episode airs, and the fight at the end of each episode will air live in the Eastern and Central time zones (tape delay in the Pacific and Mountain time zones).
Posted in: fight, fighter, season, pm, series
Read the full article at UFCUrijah Faber: Don't pick on Dakota Cochrane too much, he might beat you up and make you look bad
Dakota Cochrane.
The name has been spoken all over mixed martial arts (MMA) forums the last few weeks, and he hasn't even exactly made it to the big show, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), just yet. Cochran, one of 32 aspiring fighters who hopes to earn a spot inside The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) house this Friday (Mar. 9, 2012) on FX, is now best known for participating in gay porn during his college days.
UFC head honcho Dana White has already publicly stated that he could care less what Cochran, who holds an MMA record of 11-2, has done in the past. Especially due to the fact the Dakota was upfront with his past and has since stated he regrets doing what he did.
You can now add Urijah Faber as another UFC staple who declares that he does not mind the potential of being his coach on TUF.
See what "The California Kid" told MMA Weekly after the jump:
"I don't have a problem coaching the kid. I would maybe talk him out of doing something so degrading to himself if it comes up again, but other than that just wish the best for him."
Faber also has a word of advice for the rest of this season participants on TUF, should they decide to poke fun at Cochrane:
"I'm interested to see where his head's at with the whole thing. That will be a big deciding factor on how everyone else deals with it. It's going to come up, there's no doubt about that. It's not a subject that just gets looked over. If these guys want to make fun of him or pick on him or whatever, they may be getting beat up by him, so I wouldn't make him look too bad cause if you're going to break a guy down and he beats you up then that kind of makes you look bad. "
If past seasons are any indication, unfortunately for Cochrane, he will have to expect some kind of rousing in a house full of men who may have a tendency to crack jokes and play pranks on one another.
A house that will not be short on liquor as well.
First things first, however, as Dakota still has to fight his way into the house in hopes of pursuing his dream of becoming the ultimate fighter.
Tune in this Friday night (March 9, 2012,) at 9 p.m. ET for the 2.5-hour premiere special on FX to find out which fighters, along with Cochrane, will get one step closer to fulfilling their dream.
Posted in: fighter, dakota cochrane, cochrane, house, dakota
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White Not a Fan of Half-Point Scoring System
After nearly every event, we hear complaints about judges and their scoring. A subjective system is always going to be imperfect, but one of the biggest issues people have with the current one is when seemingly dominant rounds are scored the same as ones in which a fighter ekes it out.
That means that "10-9" rounds come in many different varieties. A round in which Fighter A lands one more punch than Fighter B can be 10-9, but so can a round in which Fighter A knocks down Fighter B, takes him down twice and threatens him with multiple submissions. What's the solution? One that's been offered up is half-point scoring, which was tested in California amateur MMA in 2011. The belief is that it would give judges greater latitude in scoring close rounds, cutting the controversy. That possibility was recently brought up to UFC president Dana White in the wake of the UFC on FX 2 mess left by Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall's draw. In that fight, the scores were tallied incorrectly by the commission's regulators, robbing the fighters of a sudden-death round to determine the winner. But judging from White's animated answer, he's not a fan of the half-point system anyway.
"We get into half-points? They better learn to count f---ing whole points before we get to half-points," he said. "You put a half-a-point in there, holy s---, every f---ing card will be destroyed. It’s a bigger problem than half-points. And I don’t want to smash these guys, they accepted what they did and they were stand-up about it, but Jesus Christ, there’s three f---ing numbers. There’s 10s and 9s. If you can’t count 10s and 9s, let’s not throw f---ing fractions in there."White said that during his career of promoting over 1,600 fights, a similar scenario has only occurred one other time, and though he didn't specify that instance, he's most likely referring to a UFC 41 bout between Matt Serra and Din Thomas. In that event, Serra was originally declared the winner by majority decision, but a scoring error was later discovered and New Jersey state regulators corrected the mistake, giving Thomas the win."It’s the worst thing ever when you go back and you tell a guy, 'I need to talk to you, you didn’t win this fight,'" White said. "The guy’s already made his f---ing phone calls, he’s already made plans. You think you won the fight and find out the fight’s a draw, or what would have been worse if I would’ve had to go back and tell him, ‘You lost the fight. You didn’t win.’
"That’s why tallying the scores and doing what they do is so important," he continued. "Not only for all the selfish things for me, for the product and the sport and the brand and all that stuff, but these fighters... You literally have their lives in your hands. Get a f---ing calculator. You know what I mean? Do something. Take more time. Make sure that stuff is right."
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, fing, halfpoint
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseMMAWeekly Radio Thur: Ultimate Fighter Live Preview w/ Urijah Faber and Jeff Smith
MMAWeekly Radio on Thursday is dedicated to previewing the new Ultimate Fighter Live with coach Urijah Faber and fighter hopeful Jeff Smith.
Posted in: fighter, mmaweekly, jeff, faber, urijah faber
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDominick Cruz Looking to Keep It Nice and Professional on 'The Ultimate Fighter'
UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz sure picked an interesting time to become a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. Not only does the position pit him opposite his fiercest rival -- former WEC champion Urijah Faber -- it also throws him into the reality show franchise’s first season of live television. If all that weren’t enough to think about, the show’s starting cast has already garnered headlines for including a fighter with a history as a gay porn actor.But if you ask Cruz, he’ll tell you that that’s not a particularly important piece of personal history as far as he sees it. He’s more concerned with whether guys like Dakota Cochrane can fight, he told MMA Fighting recently, and he expects the other fighters on the show to approach it the same way.
"I don’t even really think about it, honestly," Cruz said. "He’s another guy on the show. I think that’s how everyone will see it."For Cruz, the goal with all the fighters who fight their way into the house on the live premiere of the show this Friday night is the same, whether they’re among the ones he knows personally from the San Diego MMA scene or whether they’re total strangers."For me, it’s a personal thing to make these guys better," he said. "It’s about seeing what I can show them, seeing what I can give them to help the rest of their careers. It’s also about hopefully helping a guy from my team win a six-figure contract with the UFC. That’s what it’s all about for me, and that’s the only thing I’m thinking about."As for his old foe and rival Faber, who he’s slated to meet for a third and, if you ask Cruz, hopefully final time, once the season is finished? They might have spent more time together lately than either would have liked, but that doesn’t mean Cruz finds the challenger’s company any more agreeable, he said."I’ve been around Faber a lot. But we’re both professionals. I don’t think we’re going to lose it and just start scrapping each other. We both know we’ve got a date July 7, and I’m prepared to fight him on that date and not before."
Posted in: guy, show, fighter, cruz, itrsquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseTUF contestant Cochrane's controversial past
The Ultimate Fighter contestant Dakota Cochrane's controversial past is no secret in the MMA world.
Posted in: world, fighter, cochrane, contestant, dakota
Read the full article at sportsnet.caTUF contestant's controversial past
The Ultimate Fighter contestant Dakota Cochrane's controversial past is no secret in the MMA world.
Posted in: world, fighter, cochrane, contestant, tuf contestants
Read the full article at sportsnet.caTUF Live coach profile: Cruz goes back to his roots
When UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz begins his stint as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter Live, he returns to what led him to MMA.
Posted in: fighter, champion, coach, cruz, profile
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson Competes In AZ Grappling Tournament
On February 26th, Benson Henderson wrested the UFC lightweight championship from Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 in a thrilling five round main event in Saitama, Japan. One week later, on March 4th, Henderson entered the lists in the middleweight brown belt division and the open brown belt division at the 7th Arizona International Open in Phoenix, Arizona. The second Sunday was not as good to him as the first.
To put the big news up front, Daniel Grippaudo of BJJ Revolution beat Benson in the Absolute - with a submission no less. Check out the nifty straight armbar after the low pressure pass attempt by Henderson in the video below.
However, the full story is more complicated than that reductive summary. The results (available here) show that Benson won the middleweight division he entered by defeating James Guyton of Cobrinha BJJ, who was the sole other competitor in that division. Having a small brown belt or black belt division in a regional tournament is by no means unusual and Benson deserves a ton of credit for being ready and willing to contest both his weight division and the Absolute. Grippaudo competed in the lower weight class (167 lbs) and won silver there, as well as silver in the Absolute. Jacob McClintock of Gustavo Dantas JJ (and once a Bellator welterweight) won the Absolute and a bronze medal in his heavyweight division (207.5 lbs).
After the jump, more background on Benson's grappling tournament results and speculation on which UFC, Strikeforce or Bellator champions and fighters would be open to doing similar tournaments.
Entering a regional tournament may seem like insane risk-taking to some, but this type of tournament competition and willingness to chance being humbled is how fighters improve.
The grappling competition environment brings both unfamiliar opponents - always good for exercising mental flexibility and implementing game plans - and provides a focused, more intense environment for grappling than the home gym, which prevents stagnation and rewards technical execution against all manner of opponents. In gi competitions, heel hooks are often banned, which is a relief for promoters, agents and coaches worried about potential knee injuries. Furthermore, the one on one match environment with a referee specifically charged with preserving fighter safety means that the likelihood of a Rashad Evans-like injury (one was sustained when a pair of other grapplers fell on his leg from behind during a wrestling bout) is much lower. There is risk of injury still, but grappling is already part and parcel of MMA training and the trade-offs can be worth it in the long run.
Benson has competed in many other grappling tournaments - although at lighter weights than the sub-181 lbs category in general. He took away a bronze medal in the 2011 Mundials at the weight of 167 lbs and lost only to Jordon Schultz, an elite competitor coming from the Alliance Atlanta factory. Before tapping out to Schultz's triangle, Benson had beaten Rafael Costa and Matt Darcy, two well known and respected competitors. The video of the Darcy match is a decent time-passer:
Plenty of the fighters that aren't UFC champions do these tourneys. The Diaz brothers will throw in a few big tourneys now and then into their busy schedules. Nate Diaz was doing very well at the 2011 Mundials until he ran into Jimmy Harbison, a super-elite competitor who won the Grand Slam of brown belt titles that year and is a mainstay in the black belt division now. Cristiane Santos did the Mundials last year and won her purple belt heavyweight division. Jacare Souza did the ADCC superfight with a possible rib injury after losing his Strikeforce title to Luke Rockhold barely two weeks prior. Roger Gracie plans to do a couple tournaments here and there, but pinning him down on an exact date is always difficult. Fedor Emelianenko often did sambo competitions with great success and beating Fedor in one such tourney let Blagoi Ivanov develop an MMA career.
However, once the title belt goes around the waist of MMA fighters, it seems like they lose that adventuresome spirit.
You won't catch Anderson Silva doing these because his jiu jitsu is not that good - servicable for MMA, but not competition level by any means. Jon Jones probably never will do a high level tournament. I had high hopes for Cain Velasquez getting a wild hair someday, but he injured his shoulder and subsequently lost the championship to Junior dos Santos (who probably will eschew grappling tourneys also). The competition days of Gilbert Melendez and Luke Rockhold seem to be over. Dominic Cruz probably will not enter these competitions. His wrestling and herky jerky style seems to depend far too much on striking to yield the type of success he wants to always have. It would be terrific to see the future UFC flyweight champ do an ADCC or Mundials, but that is unlikely unless Formiga works his way into the division and snatches the title from the current king of the hill.
Among the current UFC champions, I have some hope that Jose Aldo might do a Mundials or ADCC for the heck of it. His grappling is still high level and he does have a victory over Cobrinha (back at brown belt and before Rubens Charles truly became Cobrinha). Eduardo Dantas, Aldo's teammate, has an outside chance of doing such tourneys, but his MMA career takes priority right now. Joe Warren, the self-proclaimed "baddest man on the planet", frequently talked of his Olympic ambitions in Greco-Roman wrestling, but seems to have dropped out of true contention in the Qualification process. Who knows with Joe though? Ben Askren broke quite a few hearts with his departure from wrestling to the more lucrative fields of MMA, but his continued strong ties to wrestling still give people hope. However, his demolition at the hands of Marcelo Garcia a while back show some considerable room for improvement in his submission grappling.
In short, none of the current champions in any of the biggest MMA organizations looked likely to compete against the wrestlers or submission grapplers in those sports. The once blurry lines between the three sports may have solidified for most of the MMA elite and Benson Henderson bucking that trend is newsworthy and commendable.
Why am I pushing these grappling tournaments so hard?
In a roundabout way, the cachet of medals won at an elite level can positively buoy marketability. Look at Fabricio Werdum, Ronaldo Souza, Demian Maia and Vinny Magalhaes. All have been promoted to the audience as grappling wunderkinds (which they are) and their ADCC or world championship titles have been mentioned time and again. Once upon a time, fighters like Jake Shields or Georges St. Pierre entered the lists at ADCC. They were beaten decisively at times, but earned respect for showing up and trying their best against the best of the best. Rousimar Palhares was the only full-time male MMA fighter to enter ADCC 2011 and he wrecked shop for a while. Despite being perhaps the scariest grappler on the planet and getting several brutal finishes, Palhares was eventually outsmarted and outshone by Andre Galvao, a full-time professional grappler and once a Strikeforce fighter himself. Palhares made a name for himself at the ADCCs and earned the respect (and perhaps fear) of future opponents, fans and fellow competitors.
Benson has made it a habit to seek these competitions out to test himself and his dramatic improvement in grappling has powered his rise to the top. The same can and should happen for other MMA fighters. Sitting on the shelf to do MMA only makes no sense. Get out there, take risks and improve. That permanent improvement will more than make up for any temporary losses in marketability or naysayers jumping all over the fighters.
Now to end with some fun grappling by showing the Smooth One winning his weight division at the AZ Open against a very game James Guyton.
Posted in: mma, fighter, division, tournament, benson
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBen Wall: The Australian Lightweight Looking to Break Out on the International Scene
The most recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event took place in Sydney, and Australia seems to have overtaken a couple of countries, including England, on the ZUFFA list of priorities. Matchmakers are well aware that as they move into new territories they need to find local talent and that means that they will have their eye on any up and coming fighters in these areas.
One mixed martial artist in Australia who seems to be well and truly on the right track is 22 year-old Ben Wall. He is unbeaten in seven MMA fights with a 6-0-1 record and is coming off a big win at Cage Fighting Championship, the continent's most prestigious promotion.
He has come up the hard way, facing reputable fighters like Nick Honstein, Robert Lisita and Shane Wundenburg and cannot be accused of passing his record or of taking easy fights.
With such a strong record at such a young age the sky seems to be the limit for this young man and he has every chance of following in the footsteps of Australian based fighters George Sotiropoulos and Bernardo Magalhaes by making his way into the UFC.
He spoke exclusively to MMAmania.com about his ambitions as a fighter and the state of Australian MMA.
When did you start learning martial arts and why?
I was always good at sports when I was growing up and I pick up new sports quite quickly. I was good at them but I never really enjoyed them as much as I thought I should, I liked playing all sports but I didn't 'love' them. I believe you have to love what you do to reach your full potential. I had done a bit of wrestling and other martial arts when I was a teenager but not too seriously until I started MMA when I was 19 and I knew it was the sport for me and from then on I put everything into it.
Where do you train and who are your training partners?
The main two places I train at are Advance Martial Arts and Team Gamebred in Brisbane. My main training partners at these places are Brendan O'Reilly, Simon Clough, Matt Cooper and Jarret Owen. I really like to travel around and train with different people, I work on my boxing with Jimmy Shannon and I love going up to the Sunshine Coast to train with Ryan Dunstan, I really enjoy training with him, he's a great fighter and a great coach with a lot of experience. I fight out of Advance Martial Arts.
Do you have a full time job?
No I don't work full time, there would be no time to train. I work part time and I am a university student however I have taken this semester off uni and will be able to focus on MMA even more.
Who is the toughest opponent you have ever faced in your career?
It's hard to say who my toughest opponent has been, I haven't really been in danger in a fight yet. Rob Lisita, Nick Honstein and Shane Wundenberg are all tough guys.
Are you hoping to fight for a major league international promotion in the future?Yes, One FC have said they are keen to have me on future events and would definitely like to see me on the card. I hope to be on the card for One FC 4 which is hopefully not too far away and I will fight anyone they want to give me.
Are there any fighters in Australia at your weight you particularly want to fight?Not really I just want to fight the best guys. I would like to fight for the CFC Lightweight title and if Trekko (Bernardo Magalhaes) comes back to defend it I would like to fight him or else I will just fight whoever. I would like that title though and I want to fight Bernardo because he is the best in Australia and he has the title, as far as I know he just had a one fight contract with the UFC and I'm not sure if he will be offered another fight with them. I have a feeling he will be back to defend his CFC title but if not and the title is vacated then I wish him all the best and I would be happy to fight anyone else for the title.
You fought four times in five months in 2011 and then took six months off, was there a reason for that?
I injured my elbow in my win against Nick Honstein and this meant that I had to pull out of my fights against Jai Bradney and Greg Atzori and take a few months off. My fight against Rob Lisita was my next fight after this.
Do you know when your next fight will be?
At the moment I do not know when my next fight will be.
How popular is MMA in Australia?
MMA is not a huge sport in Australia yet but the future looks bright, it is growing bigger every day and gaining a lot more interest.
Are you hoping to stay just as active in 2012?
Yes, I hope to have four or five fights in 2012.
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When I look at an up and coming prospect I tend to take into consideration three factors; their record, their age and the strength of opposition they have faced. Ben Wall is very young, has an outstanding record and has consistently beaten more experienced fighters with more wins than him.
It's probably too early for him to start pushing for a UFC contract but Sotiropoulos was already in his 30s when he got the call so time is well and truly on Wall's side. If he can continue to hold his own against the top fighters on the highly competitive Australian scene it is only a matter of time before he breaks out and becomes an international star.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: fight, time, title, fighter, australia
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDominick Cruz Prepared to Retaliate on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
When Dominick Cruz was climbing the ranks, he tried but failed to make it onto “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Posted in: fighter, cruz, dominick cruz, dominick, fighter ’
Read the full article at SherdogUrijah Faber Warns Fighters to Watch Their Words to Dakota Cochrane
Urijah Faber says other fighters might want to be careful what they say to Dakota Cochrane about his past in gay pornography because he might just beat them up for whatever words they have for him.
Posted in: fighter, dakota cochrane, faber, urijah faber, urijah
Read the full article at MMA Weekly'The Ultimate Fighter: Live' coach Dominick Cruz no longer the 'stinky kid in class'
LAS VEGAS - Walking into media day for "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" - the upcoming 15th season of the UFC's reality series - head coach Dominick Cruz thought back to his school days.
As 32 lightweight fighters enter "TUF" and look for direction from Cruz and fellow head coach Urijah Faber, he knows it can be a surreal moment.
So Cruz - and a coaching staff that includes rotating members Phil Davis, Eric DelFierro, Ross Pearson, Shannon Slack, Wilson Reis, Lloyd Irvin, Doug Balzarin and others - are there to offer support.
Posted in: fighter, cruz, stinky kid, media day, school days
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMMA Top 10 Women: Ronda Rousey Is Best in World
Ronda Rousey is the best female mixed martial artist in the world.
Does that sound crazy? It might, less than a year after her first professional fight. But the reality is that in less than a year Rousey has fought five times, won them all, finished everyone in the first round and, on Saturday, defeated a high-level opponent in Miesha Tate and done it in convincing, impressive fashion.
The other reality is that the other fighters who have a case to be No. 1 woman in the world -- Cris Cyborg, Zoila Gurgel and Megumi Fujii -- all have pretty significant strikes against them. We'll get to that after we get past Rousey.
And so Rousey is at the top of our list of the best women in the world, which is below.
Top 10 pound-for-pound women in MMA
(Editor's note: The ranking from the last time we ranked women are in parentheses)
1. Ronda Rousey (5): Tate is a very strong, very experienced fighter who entered Saturday night with a 12-2 record, having never been submitted in her career. And Tate is also a smart fighter who knows how to execute a game plan. But Rousey is so good at what she does -- using a judo throw to get on top in side control and then locking in an arm bar -- that it didn't matter. You could make the case that Rousey is a one-trick pony who doesn't do anything other than rely on her judo and lock in arm bars, but that's a little like saying that Mike Tyson circa 1988 was a one-trick pony who didn't do anything other than knock his opponents out.
2. Cris Cyborg (1): What do we do with Cyborg now that she's suspended for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs? Some would say she doesn't deserve to be ranked at all, but I don't want to ignore the fact that she spent the last few years as the greatest force women's MMA has ever seen. If you think Cyborg was just a steroid-fueled monster who won't win if drug tests force her to get clean, well, that's a valid opinion. But I believe Cyborg is a skilled and talented fighter who will be prepared for big things when her suspension ends.
3. Zoila Gurgel (2): Gurgel is a phenomenal fighter. She's 11-1, her only loss is to Tate in a fight in which she was fighting above her natural weight class, and she's the only person to beat Megumi Fujii. Unfortunately, she's fought only once since beating Fujii and is currently nursing a torn ACL. There's no word on when she'll return.
4. Sarah Kaufman (7): Kaufman put together an outstanding striking display in her victory over Alexis Davis, and she's going to be a tough opponent for Rousey. Kaufman is 15-1 in her career, she has a win over Tate on her record and her MMA experience and striking accumen go far beyond Rousey's. If she can execute an evasive game plan that keeps the fight standing and avoids Rousey's clinch, Kaufman has a chance of winning that fight.
5. Megumi Fujii (4): Fujii is now a whopping 25-1 after her first-round submission win over Karla Benitez on New Year's Eve. Bellator should book her for a rematch with Gurgel.
6. Miesha Tate (3): An elbow injury from Rousey's arm bar may keep her on the shelf for a while, but Tate will be back. She's an impressive fighter who just ran into a force of nature in Rousey.
7. Marloes Coenen (6): Coenen lost her spot in Strikeforce because she was a casualty of the battle between Zuffa and Golden Glory, but I'm hopeful she'll return. She could be a very good matchup for Rousey in the future, but up next she has a fight with Romy Ruyssen on April 28.
8. Jessica Aguilar (8): After beating Patricia Vidonic last month, Aguilar is now on a four-fight winning streak since her split decision loss to Gurgel in 2010.
9. Tara LaRosa (9): Once considered the best female fighter in the world, LaRosa has been inactive for a year and has been largely forgotten while fighting in smaller promotions. I'd love to see her step into the cage in Strikeforce or Bellator.
10. Alexis Davis (10): Davis put together a very game effort against Kaufman, fighting through an ugly cut and putting Kaufman in trouble on the ground at the end of the third round. She'd be a logical future opponent for Tate.
Posted in: fighter, tate, rousey, she, kaufman
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe 10 Best Fighters in Ultimate Fighter History
The UFC's venerable reality show takes a new turn on Friday night when the first-ever season of The Ultimate Fighter Live debuts on FX. Fourteen seasons of the show have provided us with plenty of forgettable moments and easily-dismissed fighters. But there have also been plenty of gems to emerge from the show, especially during the early days when the series featured a crop of talented fighters all trying to make it into the UFC.
Posted in: fighter, reality show, friday night, easilydismissed fighters, fighter history
Read the full article at Low KickUFC 146 Fight Card: Overeem vs. Dos Santos
A fight between two middleweights in need of a win has been added to UFC 146, the annual Memorial Day weekend card in Las Vegas: Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway.
The fight was announced on Saturday evening by the UFC.
"Ultimate Fighter runner-up C.B. ‘The Doberman’ Dollaway has verbally agreed to face recent Ultimate Fighter coach Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller in a middleweight bout at UFC 146 this May in Las Vegas," UFC President Dana White said in a statement at UFC.com.
Miller is coming off an ugly loss to his opposing Ultimate Fighter coach, Michael Bisping, in the Ultimate Fighter Finale. Miller looked so bad in that fight that White hinted it could be Miller's last fight in the Octagon, but the UFC has decided to give him another chance. Dollaway went 0-2 in 2011, getting finished by both Jared Hamman and Mark Munoz. The loser of the Miller-Dollaway fight may be out of work afterward.
UFC 146 takes place May 26 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. No other fights have been announced for the card, but it is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, miller, mark munoz
Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse‘The Ultimate Fighter’: The 10 Best UFC Fighters in TUF History
On the heels of the latest incarnation of TUF, "The Ultimate Fighter LIVE," which debuts Friday at 9 p.m. Eastern on FX, HeavyMMA looks back at the 10 best fighters to come out of the UFC's reality...
Posted in: fighter, ufc fighters, fighter ’, fx heavymma, tuf history
Read the full article at Heavy MMANeo-Nazi sex offender suspended, maybe forever
"Erection, Your Onion! He's clearly guilty by reason of creeper facial hair!"
There's been a fair amount of discussion on the internets about Strikeforce fighter Brandon Saling's outing as both a registered sex offender and apparent neo-Nazi, and though much of the chatter between commenters was about his presumed white supremacist opinions, athletic commissions care a lot more about the rapey part. And so both the Ohio and New Jersey athletic commissions have already revoked his license for lying about his criminal record.
OAC executive director Bernie Profato told MMAjunkie.com that Saling (8-6 MMA, 0-1 SF) violated administrative statutes when he lied about his criminal background on an application for a fight license.
Saling can appeal the ruling at a OAC hearing planned for April 11.
"There's a dual thing there," Profato said. "He'll have to answer to the falsification, and two, if you read the law, it says they don't have to license you for a felony. Now, it will be whether they ever license him again because of being listed as a sexual predator.". . .Profato said Saling marked "no" on the part of his application for a license that asks about previous convictions beyond traffic offenses. The fighter was sent notice this morning that his license had been revoked. The administrative action will be noted on a national database that tracks administrative and medical suspensions of fighters.
If Saling is unsuccessful in appealing the revocation, he must wait a year before he is eligible to reapply for a license in Ohio. Other commissions are not required to honor his administrative suspension, though they often do.
But Saling is hardly the only active fighter with a criminal record, so exactly where do the commissions draw the line?
"If it's homicide or sexual predator, or if you're applying for a promoter's license and it's fraud, or theft in office, you probably aren't going to get licensed."
Bottom line, his career could be finished, though lying about his record is probably a bigger issue than the record itself, even with the sex crime on there. Not that I'm defending Saling, but to be fair, Mike Tyson did three years for rape and fought again only five months after his release, and his former manager Don King killed two people and has been sued multiple times, but that didn't stop either of their careers in the boxing world. And that's just the first two off the top of my head. Then again, the rules aren't always applied equally to boxing and MMA, so who knows how this will pan out in the end. Two things we can be fairly certain of though: his one-year suspension will likely stand, and he won't fight for Zuffa again.
Posted in: fighter, record, commission, license, saling
Read the full article at FightlinkerJon Jones: 'When people call me cocky, it's the biggest blow I can get'
Phenom, unbeatable, the "Michael Jordan" of mixed martial arts (MMA). Those are but a few words of many that have often been used to describe Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon Jones.
Arrogant, cocky, fake -- those are also a few words that have been used to describe "Bones," by fans across Internet forums and even his colleagues, specifically, his former training partner who will also be his next opponent at UFC 145 on April 21, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia, Rashad Evans.
At the age of just 24, Jones has accomplished in the world of MMA in four years what many cannot accomplish in an entire career, and may not even come close to. In 2011, "Bones" had one of the, if not the most impressive runs in MMA history, by literally running through one of he hottest MMA prospects and three of the best to ever don UFC gloves.
The fact that he won four consecutive fights in 10 months, three of which were championship bouts, is not as near as impressive as in the manner in which he did it. He emphatically took the UFC's 205-pound title away from Mauricio Rua, one of the most respected strikers in the game, and then proceeded to defend his title against two of the most dangerous fighters in the sport today in Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida. Not only did he defeat them, he did it rather convincingly.
What's scary to think, for his opponents at least, is that Jones may not even be in his prime.
It's kind of hard not to be a little arrogant, having those accomplishments under your belt in such a short time, after dropping out of college and struggling to find work and going from borrowing his girlfriend's car just to get to practice, to driving a $170,000 Bentley.
With a background like that, who wouldn't be cocky and overly sure of themselves?
Not Jon Jones.
He is far from it, actually. In fact, as he tells Mens Journal, Jones, one of the most dangerous fighters in the world, is actually sometimes an insecure person that is only perceived to be cocky.
See for yourself:
"My road wasn't easy, by any means. That's why when people call me cocky, it's, like, the biggest blow I can get. It's like, ‘It's not me! I'm sorry I'm coming across that way.' I don't think I'm better than anyone. I want to change our sport with something positive, to brighten up people's lives and get them to look more on the positive side about every little thing."
Jones, a well spoken athlete who doesn't curse in post-fight interviews and doesn't flip off a hostile and booing crowd, is definitely the new generation of fighter that will carry this sport for years to come. He is young, has the looks and charisma that publicists can only dream of, and to top it all off, he has the skills to defeat the best fighters in the world. Yet, he is one of the most hated and booed fighters in the sport today. Jones, however, says he tries his best just to phase out the boos and hate.
"I don't hear them, to tell you the truth. I can't please everyone. Some people are going to love you, and some are going to hate you, no matter what you do."
As confident as Jones may carry himself, he lives with the fear of getting knocked out in front of such a wide audience. Something that undoubtedly would make all of his naysayers happy. Jones, however, doesn't live with hatred in his heart, nor does he have a vendetta toward the people who wish to see him fail.
"Sometimes I look back, and I want to be rude to people who didn't believe in me. But that's not what I do. I try to treat everybody with love. But when I go home now, to the people who treated me like a loser, I'm, like, the hero of our whole town."
It's funny, in a way, that a fighter can stand on top of the cage after victory, do a back flip in front of his downed opponent, and fans dare not label him cocky or arrogant, but rather, he's simply embracing his moment to shine.
Jones on the other hand, does neither of those things. But, can you imagine the backlash if he did?
When he dropped Machida's lifeless body to the mat at UFC 140 after choking him unconscious, he simply walked away, with a calm look on his face, without a care in the world. After he submitted "Rampage" at UFC 135, "Bones" sat in the center of the Octagon, embracing a moment to himself, celebrating his first successful title defense. Even when he claimed the title from "Shogun" at UFC 128, Jones didn't jump up and down in elation and do back flips off the cage, he simply sat there, quietly, reflecting on doing what he expects himself to do.
"I heard this story once of this football player who, whenever he scored, just handed the ball to the ref. And I thought that was really cool, like, ‘This is what I do. I score touchdowns.' I wasn't trying to be cocky or anything, but that's what I was thinking: ‘This is what I do. I defend my title.' "
Being the champion of such a prestigious weight class in the biggest platform of them all, Jon Jones now has a huge target on his back with the rest of the 205-pound field looking to be the one to conquer the seemingly untouchable fighter. The target is not exclusive to fighters, though, but from fans as well, who wish to see him defeated, if not for anything else than to just see him eat a slice of humble pie.
A piece of pie that Jones himself declares, he does not need.
For more on his upcoming UFC 145 main event title fight against Rashad Evans, click here.
Posted in: ufc, jone, fighter, jon jones, people
Read the full article at MMA ManiaStrikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey Medical Suspensions – Tate Among Those Out Indefinitely
Nine fighters were issued medical suspensions after Saturday's Strikeforce card in Ohio, including main event former champ Miesha Tate, who is out indefinitely after tapping to an armbar from new...
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, suspension, tate, rousey
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Ultimate Fighter goes live on FX Canada
The Ultimate Fighter is set to debut with a new live format starting Friday on FX Canada (with replays to air on Sportsnet).
Posted in: fighter, fx, canada, friday, fx canada
Read the full article at sportsnet.caK-1 Grand Prix To Return In 2012 According To It's Showtime
Big news coming from the kickboxing world today courtesy of It's Showtime. The European organization announced today that they had signed a deal with the new K-1 organization. They also revealed some very exciting details about K-1's plans for 2012:
K-1 will organize 4 big events already this year, including the final 16 and final 8 in the 70kg and heavyweight division. The bonuses the fighters can win will be astronomically high, but we leave it up to the company of K-1 Global to announce these amounts. We will also leave it up to them to announce the event schedule, but three weeks from now everything will be announced.
So, it looks like after a mostly silent 2011, we may indeed see the return of the K-1 Grand Prix in 2012, both at the Heavyweight and 70kg MAX level. As any kickboxing fan will tell you, the idea of the GP returning is simply fantastic news.
Before going any further it has to be said that we've heard this before. Since the end of 2010 there have been multiple K-1 shows planned and cancelled, some involving It's Showtime. But as someone who's been following this story over the past year, I have to say this feels different, for a few reasons:
It's Showtime names the owner of the new K-1: Mike Kim, who is running an organization called K-1 Global based out of Hong Kong. There has long been confusion over who owns K-1, and this is a good step.
According to It's Showtime, K-1 Global paid their fighters 50% of the money owed to them under old FEG K-1 contracts. This lack of fighter pay has been a major stumbling block in past negotiations, and for K-1 Global to pay it is a huge step forward.
This information is not coming from K-1, but from It's Showtime, who, in addition to promoting shows, manages a number of fighters. It's Showtime has tended to be quite open and honest in the past about their relationship with K-1 - if this deal falls through, It's Showtime will speak up.
The release goes on to name the It's Showtime fighters who have signed with K-1, and it's quite the collection of talent: Daniel Ghita, Tyrone Spong, Hesdy Gerges, Paul Slowinski, Rico Verhoeven, Anderson ‘Braddock' Silva, Ben Edwards, Melvin Manhoef, Sergii Lashchenko, Mourad Bouzidi, Dzevad Poturak, Chahid Oulad El Hadj, Gago Drago and Andy Ristie. They are also still negotiating contracts for Ruslan Karaev, Harut Grigorian, Chris Ngimbi, and more.
Finally, they mention that K-1 has signed other names, but as those others are not represented by It's Showtime, they are not named just yet. One likely candidate here is former MAX champion Andy Souwer, who recently cancelled a May 19 fight, citing a conflict with a new K-1 contract.
So while I may hold off on definitively saying "K-1 is back!" until the first show actually happens, I will say that this is the most positive news we have heard in over a year. So for now, a tentative "Welcome back K-1 Grand Prix - we missed you."
Read the full press release in the complete article.
PRESS RELEASE: IT'S SHOWTIME closes deal with new K-1 organization.With immediate effect, IT'S SHOWTIME closed a multi-year deal with the new owner of the K-1 label, Mr. Mike Kim. The company of Mr. Kim is called K-1 Global and is established in Hong Kong.Even though this new company didn't have any obligations towards our company and our fighters, K-1 Global has paid all of our fighters this week. This means that every fighter received a signing bonus which consists of 50% of the money that was still owed to them by the old company FEG.K-1 will organize 4 big events already this year, including the final 16 and final 8 in the 70kg and heavyweight division. The bonuses the fighters can win will be astronomically high, but we leave it up to the company of K-1 Global to announce these amounts. We will also leave it up to them to announce the event schedule, but three weeks from now everything will be announced. The following fighters have already signed a contract with K-1 on behalf of IT'S SHOWTIME: Daniel Ghita, Tyrone Spong, Hesdy Gerges, Paul Slowinski, Rico Verhoeven, Anderson ‘Braddock' Silva, Ben Edwards, Melvin Manhoef, Sergii Lashchenko, Mourad Bouzidi, Dzevad Poturak, Chahid Oulad El Hadj, Gago Drago and Andy Ristie.Contracts which are ready to be signed with K-1 this week: Ruslan Karaev, Harut Grigorian, Chris Ngimbi, etc.
There have been several contracts signed with other big names in kickboxing, but these are not under contract with IT'S SHOWTIME, so we wait for K-1 Global to announce these names. We are very happy with these positive developments in our sport and for all fighters in the world who now get the possibilities to show their talent in K-1.
Simon RutzIT'S SHOWTIME
Poll
Will there be a 2012 K-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix?
Yes
No
4 votes | Results
Posted in: fighter, showtime, contract, name, company
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Ultimate Fighter Live Debut to Air Simultaneously in the UK
Good news for fans of the new Ultimate Fighter Live in the U.K. as the show will broadcast in England with no tape delay.
Posted in: show, fighter, debut, uk, air
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyK-1 and It's Showtime close multi-year partnership agreement
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
It's Showtime just sent out a press release announcing a multi-year agreement between them and the new owners of K-1, effective immediately. What this means is that K-1 is looking to scoop up talent for upcoming shows, and has looked to fighters under It's Showtime's management as there are numerous ones. Many It's Showtime fighters have signed, with more to come, with the new K-1 Global Holdings paying fighters 50% of the money owed to them by FEG. It is not clear what, exactly, FEG's involvement will be, if anything.
Read More...
Posted in: fighter, showtime, showtime fighters, liverkickcom part, fegs involvement
Read the full article at Middle EasyK-1 Global and It's Showtime sign mult-year deal
K-1 has been purchased by a Mr. Mike Kim and rechristened as K-1 Global. Today It’s Showtime announced that they had signed a deal with the new K-1 Global organization.
It’s Showtime issued a press release about the deal, which stated that many fighters from their organization had signed contracts with the company and that they all received signing bonuses of 50 percent of the money that was owed to them from FEG, the former owners of K-1.
It’s Showtime fighters Daniel Ghita, Tyrone
Posted in: fighter, deal, showtime, press release, ’s showtime
Read the full article at Low KickSherdog's Top 10: The Ultimate Fighters
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link, sherdog
Read the full article at RedditRampage Jackson Says His Next Fight Will Be His Last With The UFC
For the first time in his long career, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is coming off consecutive loss. At UFC 135, in September, Jackson took Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones into the championship rounds before succumbing to a rear naked choke. After that, Rampage was scheduled to fight Ryan Bader at UFC 144, the promotion's return to Japan. Many thought the return to his former stomping grounds would reinvigorate Jackson. However, his training and conditioning was compromised by injury and a prescription for Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). Rampage lost a clear decision in an unimpressive performance. Since UFC 144, Rampage has been vacationing in Angeles City in the Philippines. Throughout this time, Jackson has been very active on Twitter, and early Tuesday morning he made this announcement:
This seems like a very heavy claim. Yet, without explaining why, Rampage states that this isn't a retirement announcement:
I find this particularly interesting considering how the notability of Quinton Jackson as a fighter. He's competing in the largest promotions in the sport's history throughout his career. This doesn't only make him one of the most well-known fighters in the sport, but also one of the highest paid. I'm not sure what promotion Jackson thinks can hire him to fight for the salary he's accustomed to receiving.
Now, it's up for debate whether or not Jackson will follow through with his plan to leave the UFC. I don't necessarily doubt the sincerity of his post, just that he may rethink this decision. But, if he does, it will be a big loss to the sport and the UFC. Regardless of some of his recent lackluster performances, Rampage Jackson is a fighter people are more than willing to pay to see. Personally, he's been one of my favorite fighters for years and I will be disappointed to see him leave.
SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson
Posted in: ufc, rampage, jackson, fighter, sport
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendThe 30 Best TUF Alumni - Part Two
The first 15 are in the books, now it’s time for the heavy hitters. In anticipation of this Friday’s premiere of The Ultimate Fighter Live on FX, who are the 15 greatest fighters to ever emerge from the long-running reality series?15 – Stephan Bonnar Post TUF record: 8-6Stephan Bonnar could fight for another 10 years and win multiple titles, yet to most fans, he will always be remembered for the fight he lost to Forrest Griffin at the TUF1 finale in 2005. It was the war that put the UFC on the map and made Bonnar a household name to MMA fans. Since then, “The American Psycho” has had his share of ups and downs, but midway through 2010, he bounced back, and with three consecutive wins over Krzysztof Soszynski, Igor Pokrajac, and Kyle Kingsbury, it will be interesting to see what Bonnar can do at 205 pounds this year.DEFINING FIGHT – L3 Forrest Griffin ITUF TALK –“I knew it (Griffin I) was a good fight when the final bell rang and the crowd was going nuts and yelling for another round. Just looking into the crowd and at everyone’s face, the energy level was so high, I said, ‘it must have been a good one.’”14 – Matt SerraPost TUF record: 3-3How does Matt Serra, a guy who has a .500 record since winning The Ultimate Fighter get to this point on this list? Well, first, one of those three wins saw him take the UFC welterweight crown with a knockout of Georges St-Pierre, a man many believe will one day be seen as the greatest welterweight of all-time, and two, one of the losses (a close three round decision) came to the man who currently holds the title of greatest welterweight ever – Matt Hughes. Add in Serra’s TUF4 finale win over Chris Lytle (a loss Lytle avenged in 2010), his wins on the show over Shonie Carter and Pete Spratt, his UFC victories over Frank Trigg, Yves Edwards and Jeff Curran, and his memorable battles with Carter, BJ Penn, Din Thomas, and Karo Parisyan, and you’ve got a body of work that certainly warrants his place among the best fighters ever to appear on The Ultimate Fighter.DEFINING FIGHT – TKO1 Georges St-PierreTUF TALK – “I was actually in Manhattan the other day and I got stopped like six times by people wishing me good luck and stuff like that. Then I was in 7-11 and this guy stops me and goes, ‘man, you look just like Matt Serra.’ It’s kinda surreal. But listen, that could be gone tomorrow, so I keep everything grounded. I’m not gonna let anything get to my head. I went in there thinking that if I put on a good performance and get to show some skill, it can really help out my schools. Of course I wanted to win the whole thing, but I knew there would be a bunch of tough guys in there and I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. I just said, ‘man, this could really do wonders for my school.’ This is how I make my living, teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and that’s what I’m sticking to. My school enrollments picked up a lot, it’s been a blessing, and I’m just keeping grounded with that. I’m not going Hollywood.”13 – Roy Nelson Post TUF record: 3-3The most experienced fighter on TUF 10, former IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson showed himself to be a cut above his fellow competitors as he defeated Kimbo Slice, Justin Wren, James McSweeney and Brendan Schaub to win the season title. He didn’t skip a beat with an impressive 39 second TKO of Stefan Struve in his proper Octagon debut, and while “Big Country” has since lost decisions to Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir, and Fabricio Werdum, an impressive third round TKO of Mirko Cro Cop in 2011 and a renewed attention to his cardio regimen shows that the iron-jawed Las Vegan is one big win away from being back in the title hunt soon.DEFINING FIGHT – KO1 Brendan SchaubTUF TALK – “I’ve never been in jail, but I could imagine jail actually being a little bit easier. And the way I always say it is that I can’t wait to do my Visa commercial – Gloves: $50, Tapout T-shirt: $28, Living in The Ultimate Fighter house: priceless.”12 – Matt WimanPost TUF record: 8-3With an exciting fight style, eight UFC wins, and an engaging personality, you have to wonder why Matt Wiman isn’t a bona fide star yet. But with his most recent win, a Fight of the Night victory over TUF6 winner Mac Danzig, Wiman should be in everyone’s consciousness. And if he hasn’t, you can be sure that a win over Mark Bocek at UFC 145 in April won’t hurt.DEFINING FIGHT – W3 Cole MillerTUF TALK – “I don’t feel comfortable backing up and running around. I don’t feel comfortable if I’m not working hard for something, and if I’m playing it safe, I feel like the other guy is plotting and planning, so I want to put him on the defensive and I want to push the pace and bring the fight to him. I’ve tried fighting other ways and tried to be overly technical, and it just doesn’t work for me. I obviously practice technique and I have good technique, but that isn’t the most significant thing to me – I like going hard and pushing the pace and taking care of business, not in a reckless way, but in a smart way.”11 – Joe Lauzon Post TUF record: 7-4After debuting in the UFC in September of 2006 with a stirring 48 second knockout of Jens Pulver, Joe Lauzon didn’t need The Ultimate Fighter as a springboard into the organization, but he took the opportunity to compete with one of the series’ most talent-rich casts anyway. And though he didn’t take the season five title, his post TUF stint in the UFC has been quite impressive in its own right as he’s won three of his last five bouts (all by submission), with his only losses in that stretch coming to Anthony Pettis and George Sotiropoulos. And let’s not forget the seven post-fight bonuses he’s picked up since leaving the show, establishing him as one of the sport’s premier action heroes.DEFINING FIGHT – Wsub1 Melvin GuillardTUF TALK - “I got to train with such world-class guys like BJ Penn, Regan (Penn), and Tony (DeSouza), and even the other guys on our team. It was a great measuring stick. You think ‘I can do okay against this guy or that guy’, but until you actually get to do it, you really have no idea. I think being put up against the best was awesome for me because I know where I am and where I have to get and how I measure up against other people. It’s weird because when you train with ‘your’ guys, you really don’t have as much of a measuring stick to other people. When you get to go up against the best, it’s a much more accurate read.”10 - George SotiropoulosPost TUF record: 7-2In MMA or any sport for that matter, it’s the squeaky wheel that gets oiled, and soft-spoken George Sotiropoulos is anything but a squeaky wheel. But when you win your first seven UFC fights after competing on season six of The Ultimate Fighter, it’s hard to be ignored, and in 2010, Sotiropoulos had a stellar year that saw him emerge as a true 155-pound contender as he defeated Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino, and Joe Lauzon in succession. 2011 was a rocky one, as he lost bouts to Dennis Siver and Rafael dos Anjos, but odds are that we will see the Aussie standout back in contention in 2012.DEFINING FIGHT – W3 Joe StevensonTUF TALK –“Seeing different types of people and different traditions and different walks of life, I got to have a very open mind. I’ve seen what life’s about, I’ve seen good and bad in other things, and I’m grounded. For example, the kids in Thailand, in a lot of cases when they train over there it’s not really sport; they’re forced to do it because their families can’t afford to keep them. They send them to training camps and in a way it’s something they gamble on. So being in the (Ultimate Fighter) house was easy because it was my choice to be there and I wanted to be there because I love it so much. A lot of the guys were so miserable in there and they don’t know how lucky they were.”9 – Matt HamillPost TUF record: 9-4The raw talent of Matt Hamill was evident on season three of The Ultimate Fighter, but it wasn’t until he bounced back from a TKO loss to Rich Franklin two years after his Octagon debut that he began fulfilling his promise. After the Franklin fight, Hamill won five in a row, with only his DQ victory over Jon Jones being a less than stellar performance. And when Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, and Keith Jardine are the guys you’re beating, you’re a legit contender. In 2011, Hamill retired after defeats to “Rampage” Jackson and Alexander Gustafsson, but it’s safe to say that “The Hammer” won’t be forgotten by fight fans anytime soon.DEFINING FIGHT – W3 Tito OrtizTUF TALK –“In wrestling, success came easy. It came so naturally, and the mat was my home. Joining this sport has been a challenge. I learn new things every day and others can knock me down, which they never could in wrestling. But I'm getting better and I’m still striving to be at the top in MMA also.” 8 - Nate DiazPost TUF record: 10-5With the attitude of a true fighter and good bloodlines (brother Nick is a UFC vet), Nate Diaz was going to make it to the UFC with or without The Ultimate Fighter. But the reality series jump-started the Stockton, California native’s career, and he defeated Rob Emerson, Corey Hill, Gray Maynard, and Manny Gamburyan to win the season five title. He’s continued his run of success with 10 Octagon victories, including ultra-impressive wins over Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone in his return to 155 pounds after a brief stint at welterweight.DEFINING FIGHT – Wsub1 Takanori GomiTUF TALK - “I talked to my brother and my manager, Cesar, and they were telling me that it would probably be the best thing for me. I was definitely not too excited about going. I wanted to, but at the same time I didn’t. I didn’t feel like I was too good on camera, and I’m not great at interviews, but I’m glad I did it the way it turned out. I thought I was gonna be one of the least experienced guys in the house fightwise, to be honest with you. “Once I was there, I realized there were people there with less fights than me, but there wasn’t any pressure. I thought I had a good chance, that’s for sure.”7 - Diego SanchezPost TUF record: 12-5It’s been a crazy career thus far for season one TUF winner Diego Sanchez. From his early days at welterweight, where he went 4-0 before back-to-back losses to Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, to a brief stint at lightweight where he challenged then-champion BJ Penn for the UFC crown, and then to his recent resurrection at 170, the man formerly known as “Nightmare” and now dubbed “The Dream” has always been exciting in the Octagon and nearly as compelling outside the cage. Needless to say, win or lose, odds are that we’ll be talking about him for a long time.DEFINING FIGHT – W3 Karo ParisyanTUF TALK – “In my mind all the TUF guys are gonna lose and I’m gonna be the only undefeated fighter and I’m still gonna be the only guy that went through the show, finished everybody, and I’m gonna be ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ They’re gonna say, ‘that guy Diego Sanchez, he was ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ through all the seasons.’ They’re gonna say that he was the only guy that dominated it, came out after it, stayed undefeated, won the belt, and got out of his contract undefeated.” (Before his bout with Karo Parisyan)6 – Josh Koscheck Post TUF record: 15-5A no-nonsense competitor whose ‘tell it like it is’ attitude has made him a polarizing figure from the time he was on the first season of TUF, Josh Koscheck has basically grown up in the UFC, with 20 of his 24 pro fights taking place in the Octagon. Along the way, ‘Kos’ has battled the best in the game, from Georges St-Pierre and Diego Sanchez, to Thiago Alves and Matt Hughes, all the while adding new wrinkles to his world-class wrestling attack. Most potent of his new weapons is a devastating right hand, one he’s used to great effect over the last couple years, and as he continues to grow as a fighter, Koscheck will certainly remain entrenched among the best 170-pounders in the world.DEFINING FIGHT – W3 Diego SanchezTUF TALK - “I get thousands and thousands of e-mails every day and it’s amazing what it’s done for my life. Most of the time, if you’re calling my phone in the last six months, it’s been ‘voice mail filled’. So it was overwhelming at one point. Now things are starting to slow down a little bit, but you really don’t picture yourself in that position - because I grew up in a blue collar, hard working family - getting to the point to where ‘okay, now you’re on a reality show.’ So I get on TV, and after the show it’s like ‘Oh my God, it’s crazy.’ I go into the UFC and they have to move my seat because fans are coming down to get autographs and pictures. So it is a bit overwhelming, but in another sense it’s good. It’s good for our sport and the fighters.”5 - Kenny FlorianPost TUF record: 12-5A fighter who actually caught the eye of UFC President Dana White in a losing effort against Drew Fickett in 2004, Kenny Florian entered the TUF1 house with little fanfare, but he defeated Chris Leben to make it to the middleweight final against Diego Sanchez. Sanchez pounded out a decisive victory over Florian in the finals, and many wondered where KenFlo fit in the great scheme of things. We found out soon enough as he dropped to welterweight and then lightweight, where, after a title fight loss to Sean Sherk in 2006, Florian put together a six fight winning streak with victories over Din Thomas, Joe Lauzon, Roger Huerta, and Joe Stevenson that earned him a second title shot. And though Florian was submitted in the fourth round by Penn and lost a 2010 bout to Gray Maynard, the New Englander earned a title shot at 145 pounds with a win over Diego Nunes in June of 2011. That title shot against Jose Aldo ended in a decision defeat, and currently, Florian is contemplating his fighting future while doing excellent work as a studio and Octagonside analyst for UFC telecasts on Fuel TV and FX.DEFINING FIGHT – Wsub3 Takanori GomiTUF TALK – “After experiencing the last Ultimate Fighter finale, I feel like I can really go through anything now. Just experiencing the craziness of everything that happens backstage prior to the fight, the interviews leading up to the fight, I’ve matured in a way that I’m gonna stay focused on the fight itself. Having gone through that before, I feel like I’ve definitely grown.”4 - Michael BispingPost TUF record: 12-4The man who put MMA on the map in the UK, Michael Bisping had little difficulty winning on the British circuit, and he continued his winning ways on TUF3 as he took out Ross Pointon, Kristian Rothaermel, and Josh Haynes to win the season’s light heavyweight title. His good fortunes continued in finishes of Eric Schafer and Elvis Sinosic, but his rep took a hit after a controversial decision win over Matt Hamill at UFC 75. Bisping would lose for the first time in his next bout, a UFC 78 loss to Rashad Evans, but his gutsy performance in the razor-thin decision defeat won back some of the fans he lost after the Hamill bout. Losing to Evans prompted Bisping to drop to 185, and three straight wins (Charles McCarthy, Jason Day, and Chris Leben) followed before a devastating knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 in July. Eager to get back in the race, Bisping has won five of his last seven, including Fight of the Night victories over Denis Kang and Yoshihiro Akiyama.DEFINING FIGHT – TKO2 Denis KangTUF TALK - “You’re not gonna see me in any factories for quite some time.” (In the locker room after winning TUF3)3 - Forrest GriffinPost TUF record: 9-5There’s probably no one in the game who would want to avoid the spotlight more than Forrest Griffin, but that became an impossibility when the former police officer won season one of The Ultimate Fighter with a stirring three round win over Stephan Bonnar that kicked off the MMA explosion in 2005. After that, it was a constant stream of interviews, appearances, and photo shoots for Griffin, who still found time to engage in a memorable war with Tito Ortiz, get upset by Keith Jardine, and rebound to shock Mauricio Rua and Quinton Jackson, the latter bout earning him the UFC light heavyweight crown in 2008. Griffin went on to lose the belt to Rashad Evans and get stopped in a single round by Anderson Silva, but consecutive wins over Ortiz and Rich Franklin put the ever-popular Griffin back on track before Rua got even with a first round TKO victory at UFC 134 last August. DEFINING FIGHT – W3 Stephan Bonnar ITUF TALK – “I didn’t get here through all that hard work and winning fights nonsense; I got here through a TV game show, and I’m comfortable with that.”2 - Gray MaynardPost TUF record: 8-1-1, 1 NCA three-time All-American wrestler for Michigan State University, Maynard entered The Ultimate Fighter’s fifth season with just a few fights, yet he quickly made his presence known among the talented cast with wins over Wayne Weems and Brandon Melendez. And though he lost his next bout to Nate Diaz, he didn’t miss a beat since the show ended, rapidly rising up the lightweight ranks thanks to big wins over the likes of Frankie Edgar, Rich Clementi, Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, Diaz, and Kenny Florian. In January of 2011, he got his long-awaited shot at the title against previous victim Edgar, and though he was seconds away from finishing the champ in the first round, he had to settle for a five round draw. “The Bully” got another shot at Edgar in October of last year, but after another near knockout win in the first round, he got stopped himself in the fourth, putting his title dreams on hold for the moment.DEFINING FIGHT – DRAW 5 Frankie EdgarTUF TALK – “To tell you the truth, I thought I looked like crap on the show. The one fight against Brandon (Melendez), I don’t know what happened there, and I just couldn’t wait to get back in the gym and train. I was back in the gym a couple days after the show ended, and it just felt good to be back training right, and I can’t wait to get back in there and prove that I’m a lot better than I was on the TV show.”1 - Rashad EvansPost TUF record: 12-1-1An undersized heavyweight with little reputation to precede him, former Michigan State wrestler Rashad Evans wasn’t expected to do much with the giants on TUF2, but four wins later (Keith Jardine, Mike Whitehead, Tom Murphy, and Brad Imes), the New York native had won the show’s title. Evans continued to surprise in his post-TUF career, and though he received a reputation for putting on less than compelling fights early on, by the time he was blasting out Jason Lambert and Sean Salmon, that rep changed. Evans would then engage in two close battles with Tito Ortiz and Michael Bisping, decisioning Bisping and fighting to a draw with Ortiz. These fights were preludes to a spectacular knockout of Chuck Liddell and a decisive finish of Forrest Griffin that put the UFC light heavyweight championship belt around his waist. Evans lost the title to Lyoto Machida in his first defense, but rebound wins over Thiago Silva, Rampage Jackson, Ortiz (in a UFC 133 rematch), and Phil Davis have earned him a shot at the title belt held by former teammate Jonny “Bones” Jones in April.DEFINING FIGHT – KO2 Chuck LiddellTUF TALK – “I surprised a lot of people, including (UFC President) Dana White. A lot of people thought that I didn’t have any talent at all. See, I always had confidence in myself, but the better I did, people would say ‘wow’ and they just couldn’t believe it. I knew my own potential, but they didn’t know, so it was a big surprise to them.”
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, ’t, tuf
Read the full article at UFCStrikeforce Results: Four Fighters Receive Indefinite Medical Suspensions
Four fighters were handed indefinite medical suspensions by the Ohio Athletic Commission following Saturday's Strikeforce Tate vs. Rousey card. Former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Miesha Tate obviously leads the list after her left elbow was mangled by new champ Ronda Rousey. In addition to that, three fighters have suspected broken hands - Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (Kid Nate posted about that earlier), Conor Heun, and Roger Bowling. All four can have their suspensions lifted in cleared by doctors. Here are the other fighters that received longer suspensions from the commission:
Kazuo Misaki: Suspended 45 days to due a facial lacerationAlexis Davis: Suspended 30 days to due a facial lacerationPat Healy: Suspended 30 days to due a head lacerationBrandon Saling: Suspended 30 days for precautionary reasons
Every other fighter on the card was given a seven day suspension, which is standard practice by the Ohio Athletic Commission.
SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, day, suspension, day suspension
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTate receives indefinite medical suspension
Miesha Tate was one of four fighters to receive indefinite medical suspensions following Saturday's Strikeforce show.
Posted in: show, fighter, suspension, tate, miesha
Read the full article at sportsnet.caEight fighters from Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey receive medical suspensions
While it may not be surprising to hear former 135-pound champion Miesha Tate will be spending some time on the sidelines after having her arm shredded by current title-holder Ronda Rousey in the main event at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, the talented grappler will not be the only fighter from the card with a mandatory vacation ahead of her.
According to a list of medical suspensions provided by the Ohio Athletic Commission, Tate will be joined by seven other scrappers including Ronaldo Souza, Conor Heun, and Roger Bowling who were all listed as having possibly suffered broken hands in their bouts. The quartet of competitors’ suspensions were all listed as “indefinite” meaning no exact amount of time could be determined until follow-up from medical professionals could be conducted.
Highlights from Tate’s Tussle with Rousey
The four other fighters listed by the OAC were Brandon Saling, Pat Healy, Alexis Davis, and Kazuo Misaki. Saling (precautionary reasons), Healy (lacerations), and Davis (lacerations) will all be out for 30 days while Misaki (lacerations) has a 45-day wait a head of him.
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Posted in: fighter, tate, rousey, misaki lacerations, commission tate
Read the full article at Fighters.comNine fighters from Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey receive medical suspensions
While it may not be surprising to hear former 135-pound champion Miesha Tate will be spending some time on the sidelines after having her arm shredded by current title-holder Ronda Rousey in the main event at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, the talented grappler will not be the only fighter from the card with a mandatory vacation ahead of her.
According to a list of medical suspensions provided by the Ohio Athletic Commission, Tate will be joined by seven other scrappers including Ronaldo Souza, Conor Heun, and Roger Bowling who were all listed as having possibly suffered broken hands in their bouts. The quartet of competitors’ suspensions were all listed as “indefinite” meaning no exact amount of time could be determined until follow-up from medical professionals could be conducted.
Highlights from Tate’s Tussle with Rousey
The five other fighters listed by the OAC were Brandon Saling, Pat Healy, Alexis Davis, Sarah Kaufman, and Kazuo Misaki. Saling (precautionary reasons), Healy (lacerations), Kaufman (precautionary reasons), and Davis (lacerations) will all be out for 30 days while Misaki (lacerations) has a 45-day wait a head of him.
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Posted in: fighter, tate, rousey, misaki lacerations, commission tate
Read the full article at Fighters.comStrikeforce ‘Tate vs. Rousey’ Fighter Salaries
The OAC has released the fighter payouts for Strikeforce “Tate vs. Rousey.” Keep in mind, these figures represent the base contracted pay the fighter receives from the promotion. These figures do not include any additional bonuses or sponsorship money, which in many cases exceeds a fighter’s base pay. These numbers also do not account for taxes, insurance, and license fees.
Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza led the pack with a $92,000 payday. Josh Thomson was close behind with $80,000 followed by Scott Smith with $65,000 and Kazuo Misaki with $50,000. Meanwhile, Strikeforce certainly got a lot of bang for their buck in the main event. Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey, who did a great job selling the show, only made off with disclosed $19,000 and $32,000 paydays. Hopefully they got a little extra in the form of undisclosed bonuses for their stellar performances both in and out of the cage.
Payouts
Courtesy of MMA Junkie:
Ronda Rousey: $32,000 ($15k + $17k win bonus)
Miesha Tate: $19,000
Josh Thomson: $80,000 (no win bonus)
K.J. Noons: $38,000
Kazuo Misaki: $50,000 (no win bonus)
Paul Daley: $45,000
Lumumba Sayers: $10,000 ($5k + $5k)
Scott Smith: $65,000
Ronaldo Souza: $92,000 ($70k + $22k)
Bristol Marunde: $10,000
Sarah Kaufman: $25,000 ($15k + $10k)
Alexis Davis: $4,000
Roger Bowling: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Brandon Saling: $5,000
Pat Healy: $22,500 ($17.5k + $5k)
Carlos Fodor: $12,000
Ryan Couture: $10,000 (no win bonus)
Conor Heun: $8,000
Total Payout
A disclosed total of $543,500 was paid out to the fighters.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, tate, bonus, rousey
Read the full article at MMA ConvertJacare Sits Atop Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey Fighter Salaries
Former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza sits atop the Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey fighter salaries and payroll from Columbus, Ohio.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, tate, salary, rousey
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Zuffa's Wild Weekend
Less than three months ago, UFC president Dana White was all positivity and enthusiasm in discussing the future of Strikeforce."I'm getting involved in this thing and I'm excited about it," he said then. "I'm going to get behind it 100 percent."But on the same weekend that Ronda Rousey completed her lightning quick rise to the top, giving women's MMA its best moment in years, White essentially said he is done caring about Strikeforce. Those two events weren't connected, except in the fact that one day in the future, they might be.With limited options for women try to ply their MMA trade -- and Strikeforce the biggest -- that means that if a frustrated White and the Zuffa ownership group part ways with Showtime at the end of their current deal, Rousey might soon have no place to hang her star.
Let's remember that just a few months ago, Strikeforce's future was tenuous at best, negotiations going down to the wire before a deal was struck. At the time, White acknowledged that the extension wouldn't have been possible without a regime change at Showtime sports that would make it possible for him to provide input and make adjustments to the production. But the new relationship has apparently soured faster than the old one did, and White is no longer interested in a partnership with the Showtime sports staff.That will leave other executives like Lorenzo Fertitta and Peter Dropick to run things in his place on behalf of Zuffa. It's certainly a competent group, but the point is that if White is frustrated with Showtime, the rest of the Zuffa team probably is, too. If White envisioned changes, they all envisioned changes. Those apparently won't be coming, and you don't have to be a business insider to know that unmet expectations lead to discontent.The relationship might ultimately still be salvageable but this can't be considered a good sign coming so early after a contract was inked. And if it isn't salvageable, Strikeforce might be extinct when its deal is up, unless Zuffa tries to find another TV outlet. White likes to say that every day he wakes up, something bad is bound to happen, and for proof, just look at his weekend. Aside from the relationship with Showtime showing its first signs of fracturing, there was plenty more to raise his blood-pressure. On Saturday in Australia, a scoring error during a flyweight tournament bout declared Demetrious Johnson the winner when in fact, his fight with Ian McCall was a draw after three rounds. For the first time, Zuffa had specifically contracted the fighters for a fourth, sudden-death round in case of a draw for such situations, but the simple math error was not discovered until after the event concluded, making it impossible. Instead, their best-laid plans were laid to waste. That will leave McCall and Johnson forced to rematch, while sending tournament semifinalist Joseph Benavidez to the sidelines to wait for the winner.At least that was a somewhat innocent mistake. The man in charge of the scorecards, Craig Waller of New South Wales, Australia's department of sport and recreation, quickly accepted responsibility, standing at a podium at the post-fight press conference and publicly apologizing to fighters, fans and the promotion. As frustrating as the situation was, it's hard to stay mad when someone comes forward and offers himself as a remorseful target of blame. After all, anyone who's ever balanced a checkbook has made a simple math error at some point of their lives, and while the mistake isn't harmless, it's hardly a brazen offense.But what of the other issue of the weekend? Getting airtime during the Strikeforce undercard was a fighter named Brandon Saling, who has Neo-Nazi tattoos on his body and is a registered sex offender. The latter is bad enough, even though rehabilitated former criminals have the right to earn a living. But the former suggests that he is not rehabilitated at all, the tattoos a symbol of discriminatory attitudes and hate that don't deserve a public viewing. Freedom of speech is an inalienable right, but Strikeforce and Showtime have no obligation to offer him a forum for his viewpoints, and in fact, Zuffa in the past has said that they would prohibit fighters with that kind of tattoo art from their shows.It appears unlikely that any kind of background search was done on Saling, as his bout with Roger Bowling was a late signing, getting added about 10 days before the event. And it should also be noted that Strikeforce isn't the first bigtime promotion to feature Saling, who once fought for Bellator as well.But two wrongs don't make a right, and the fallout from his appearance took some luster off an evening that otherwise belonged to Rousey and Miesha Tate. All in all, it was a good, bad and ugly weekend for Zuffa. The flyweights will eventually get their second chance, and Saling is already facing the court of public opinion to go with the increased scrutiny on his personal and professional lives. Both of those situations will eventually reach conclusions. But Rousey, Tate and the rest of Strikeforce's female fighters have a future that isn't quite so clear. Because of White's public stance, the best night women's MMA has seen in years may also have been its worst.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, showtime, weekend, zuffa
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Dangers of Testing an Olympian’s Medal
Ronda Rousey’s submission victory over Miesha Tate Saturday night in Columbus proved to the naysayers Rousey can fight just as well, if not better, than she talks. The astonishing technical display also showed experience in MMA does not compare to high-level accomplishments in the Olympics.
Prior to the fight, Tate believed the superior amount of time she had training in MMA would easily trump Rousey’s single year inside the cage. A good percentage of fans and media shared Tate’s belief Rousey did not belong in the main event with a world champion so early in her MMA career and ran their mouths about it on social networking sites for the past few months.
Those individuals were proven wrong last night and it is because they all downgraded a high-level Olympic pedigree in favor of 4-5 more years of MMA experience. This is a mistake typical of the MMA community that seems to be oblivious to the fact the sport is not the highest level of martial arts in the world. MMA is still evolving and has not yet reached that technical milestone there we can start comparing the athletes to those who are mastering a specific art on the Olympic level.
Rousey only had four MMA fights to her name before besting Tate for the title but she competed at a high-level in Judo for many years prior to even thinking about stepping foot inside the cage. At the young age of 17, Rousey won a gold medal at the 2004 World Judo Junior Championships in Budapest, Hungary. In 2006, Rousey became the first female athlete from the United States to win an A-Level tournament taking home the gold at the Birmingham World Cup in Great Britain.
“Rowdy” Ronda was merely 19 years old when she captured the Bronze Medal at the Junior World Championships and she became the first American athlete ever to win two Junior World medals. The pinnacle of her Judo career was in 2008 when she was awarded a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China becoming the first American to win an Olympic medal in women’s Judo since its inception as an Olympic sport in 1992.
Tate, fans, media, and even other fighters failed to respect Rousey’s abilities and are mpw all enjoying a piping hot piece of humble pie for their efforts. Rousey is the perfect example of what a young Olympic martial artist having competed at a high-level can accomplish in MMA. This isn’t to say that every Olympic judoka, wrestler, or boxer could dominate in the cage because obviously there are many variables that come into play in an MMA fight that these athletes are not used to dealing with in their specific art.
An Olympic wrestler would put MMA fighters on their backs with relative ease but defending submissions would be a new ball game to them. The same goes for an Olympic boxer, as their punching technique and footwork would be far superior to the average MMA fighter but would find themselves flopping around like a fish out of water if action hit the mat. Even a phenomenal Olympic judoka could be in a tremendous amount of danger if they are stuck in a striking exchange with a well-rounded fighter in the cage.
MMA is a sport dominated by athletes who are good at all areas meaning even if you excel at one specific art you can still be defeated by an average fighter. On the contrary, a world-class Olympic competitor who has dedicated themselves to MMA will have a higher percentage of becoming a world champion than any other fighter in the world. Again, I point to the new Strikeforce bantamweight champ as the example; Rousey evolved herself from a Bronze Medal Judoka into a well-rounded MMA fighter without losing touch with her base.
Also, you may have heard of a few other Olympians who have done well in the cage – Daniel Cormier and Dan Henderson for example. Rising star Sara McMann, a silver medalist wrestler in 2004 who is 5-0 in MMA, is also another name to consider.
That is the key – to develop an understanding of all aspects of MMA and learn how to tie those puzzle pieces together to further strengthen your base. Rousey has done that and she is only going to improve with time. Hopefully this will cause an influx of more Olympic caliber competitors to jump into the cage to help the sport evolve even more from a technical standpoint. Tate was a great champion and is a fantastic fighter but it was foolish to overlook an Olympic medalist and likely a mistake few fighters will ever make again.
PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE
Posted in: world, mma, fighter, olympic, rousey
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainStrikeforce's Scott Smith: The Arturo Gatti of MMA
He would go on to become the Arturo Gatti of mixed martial arts (MMA), but at the time, Scott Smith was pretty much just scaring the hell out of traffic.
It is early Oct. 2005, and the sounds are unmistakably those of a man well equipped for violence.
Pop! Pop-pop-pop! Standing in the middle of a huge church lawn in Roseville, Calif., abutting a major street filled with evening traffic, trainer Dave Marinoble is taking Smith through a final, grueling workout before the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) Light Heavyweight tournament. Smith bashes out a seemingly endless string of combinations on the mitts, till the point of exhaustion.
Then, he turns and busts out a brutal wind sprint to the edge of the lawn and back.
I wonder what the people in the idling vehicles must think as they see the shirtless Smith speeding toward them, some guy in flamed-up boxing gloves at a dead run, before he touches the sidewalk with his foot and speeds back to Marinoble for more tortuous pad work.
"Good god. I hope he really isn't running at us. I pray that he turns around."
For the motorists' sake, Smith did.
"Hands of Steel" keeps blasting the mitts, then busting out more sprints. Each time he appears as though he's about to drop from exhaustion, he gets another surge of energy, and the mitts suffer audibly. You can hear the impacts from fifty yards away. He is hungry to make his mark in the tournament, as the opportunity is simply too big to leave any stone unturned.
Entered as a dark horse into the WEC tournament, Smith wasn't as well known as the other three competitors. But he broke into the big time with a kind of high-octane violence that makes for instant appeal.
Knocking out Tim McKenzie and late substitute Tait Fletcher, Smith fought tournament favorite Justin Levens after Levens was unable to meet him in the finals, scoring an impressive first-round stoppage after a lively back-and-forth battle. It was then that he began building his reputation as a guy who was most dangerous when the more he was hurt.
That's how I want to remember Smith, a hungry, capable and eminently committed fighter who really did live and die by the sword that carried him to many a thrilling comeback victory. I don't want to have any more memories like those of Smith's recent fights, where it's obvious he's on the downside of his career and putting his health further at risk by competing.
After losing in Saturday night's Strikeforce card to Lumumba Sayers via first-round submission, Smith's defeat was his fifth in his last six fights. A two-bout foray to Welterweight saw him terribly sapped making the 170-pound limit, as he absorbed a horrific knockout loss to Paul Daley followed by a listless decision loss to Tarec Saffiedine.
Thrilling knockout wins over Pete Sell, Benji Radach and Cung Le put Smith in rare territory as one of the most dramatic comeback artists the game has ever known. Those three fights had a common theme: Smith in dire trouble, getting pounded, seemingly on the brink of disaster, only to roar back with the kind of comeback knockout that makes an indelible mark with fans. It doesn't matter that rematches with Le and Robbie Lawler, whom Smith had a technical draw with, were brutal one-sided defeats. There was always an element of sudden danger with Smith, and it made for great fights.
It's cliche to call it the "Eye of the Tiger," a la Rocky III, but that sequence of Smith hitting the pads was what convinced me that he was destined for a bigger stage. There are some fighters who just exude a primordial vibe, that they will literally have to be destroyed to be beaten, and will wage one hell of a battle before being sufficiently broken. The problem is, the very source of will and commitment is what makes it incredibly hard for them to stop once they can't compete safely against given opposition. And with the long-term health risks of concussions now emerging as a huge concern for athletes in impact sports, it's as much about their personal health as it is doing what is "right" for the sport's image.
Fast-forward to June 7, 2009.
Along with several other MMA media, we are milling about in a Sacramento hotel after the WEC, where Mike Brown has defended his title in a five-round decision over Urijah Faber. A throng of fighters and assorted fight game handlers move through the lobby as video interviews are shot and everyone talks shop. Sitting in a chair is Smith, who, the night before, took a frightful beating from Nick Diaz in Strikeforce. The two-round bout was ended via rear-naked choke but that was merely academic, as Diaz landed seemingly endless waves of punches off Smith's head during the violent brawl.
I say hello. Scotty, looking like he's just been pulled from a car wreck, has a torrent of welts and bruises on his skull. Low moans drift from his mouth as he seemingly fades in and out of consciousness. He's barely cognizant and doesn't recognize me, despite the fact that we've done several interviews and spoken on numerous occasions. He's one of the nicest fighters in the sport, an easy guy to talk to who is a refreshing interview with his blend of humility and candor.
I'm starting to wonder who the hell took him down here and parked him in a chair, and this is a full day after the fight. Is this the norm, I wonder? Are fighters merely to be placed in there for our entertainment, and then, once they're no longer capable of supplying it, discarded as chattel? Who the hell took him down here when we should be seeing a doctor, or be given treatment for the obvious concussion he's sustained? What's as disturbing as his obviously dire physical situation is the fact that everyone in the room doesn't seem to notice.
We make nonsensical small talk, with Scotty barely able to string together coherent sentences. It is too painful to endure for both of us, and I wonder if my years of covering boxing and then leaving it for the "safer" sport of MMA was just a well-crafted illusion to justify its own ends. Ashamedly, I, too adhere to the "code" and don't suggest to someone that maybe Scotty needs some help. I move along and talk to Brown instead, who is jazzed at beating Faber for the second time. Another fighter enjoying the view from the high side of the mountain.
Ironically, Brown, who cemented his claim as the world's top featherweight on that night, would endure a rough patch immediately following the Faber rematch. Decimated by Jose Aldo in his next bout, he's been 3-3 since that night. Time at the top of the game is a fleeting thing.
Since then, it didn't get any easier for Smith, whose slide in recent bouts is a stark reminder of what fighters face on the downside. At some point, over a long enough timeline, all of them face a crossroads; meanwhile, promotions don't do themselves any favors in letting them continue when they're unable to do so safely.
Posted in: fight, time, fighter, he, smith
Read the full article at MMA ManiaGenki Sudo - The Perfect Martial Artist?
Following the terrible performances put forward by former Japanese superstars at UFC 144, the age old debate over whether Japanese fighters can do well in the Octagon has sprung to light again. The main contention is that those who abandon the "Japanese style" (if there is such a thing) and adopt Yushin Okami or Tatsuya Kawajiri's style of top control based grappling are the only ones who will do well in the Octagon. In the context of this debate I would like to dust off the career of Genki Sudo for public review once again. The Neo Samurai went 2 - 1 in the UFC, the only loss being a controversial decision loss to Duane Ludwig, and one of the wins being a submission of future WEC Featherweight champion, Mike Thomas Brown.
Genki Sudo is one of the few fighters whom I really enjoyed watching when I began viewing Mixed Martial Arts bouts, before I understood the subtleties of the ground game and clinch. While he maintains a cult like following today in forums and on message boards, I wish to make the case for his being one of the best martial artists in recent history. Make no mistake, I am not claiming that he is as accomplished as an Anderson Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba or even a Frankie Edgar. I do, however, feel that Sudo embodied everything that a true martial artist should, and in many ways fought so far ahead of his time that the sport has still not caught him up, almost six years after his retirement.
The assets of Sudo's career and style which I rate so highly are:
His unique grappling style and technique
His willingness to give up top position
His complete self expression
His wins over big name competition and success in the UFC
Having some of the finest shorts in MMA history
Unique GrapplingAny highlight video of Genki Sudo that you watch will largely focus on his unique stand up, composed of dancefloor classics and stapled together by spinning hammerfists and side kicks, but his real ability lay in his ground game. Genki Sudo came from a high school wrestling background and took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the Beverley Hills Jiu Jitsu club (an old haunt of Bas Rutten) before entering mixed martial arts competition.
One of the most entertaining factors of Genki Sudo's fighting style was his complete lack of fear of being on his back. We hear so often how Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown and black belts "aren't afraid to be put on their back", but for so few it is true. The majority of Jiu Jitsu players fear being on the bottom because their opponents are able to stall in their guard for a minute or so before a stand up, and by then have won the round on the score cards.
Sudo's lack of inhibitions about being in guard or a worse bottom position were not based in stupidity either. Sudo submitted a younger, bigger Nate Marquadt from his back with a text book armbar from the closed guard. How often do we see fighters attempt a 'salto' (gif below)? The only times I have seen this technique attempted outside of Genki Sudo's fights were by a young Kazushi Sakuraba, and by an unfortunate Japanese fighter in PRIDE Bushido (it may have been Akira Shoji) who ended up "pulling mount" as Bas Rutten put it.
Sudo not only accomplished this salto from an over-under position, he also had success with it from opponents having double underhooks on him, a terrible wrestling position. If more fighters were as competent fighting from traditionally disadvantageous positions as Genki, the MMA world would be a much more exciting place! Sudo was also willing to pull guard against great wrestlers such as Kazayuki Miyata (Olympic medalist). How many fighters, even today, are so comfortable that they can pull guard on even mediocre grapplers? Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Shinya Aoki are the only ones which spring to mind. Genki Sudo's confidence on his back was so great that he often attempted flying submissions against his opponents, and even threw up a jumping triangle in a kickboxing match against Masato (which took a different kind of confidence).
Self Expression
Genki Sudo is doubtless one of the most entertaining Mixed Martial Artists to compete in any promotion, and much of this stems from his willingness to express himself in the standing portion of the fight. Where many fighters choose to dance when they are dominating an opponent, or simply stalling (Anderson Silva, I'm looking at you), Sudo's entire striking style stemmed from his perpetual motion. Sudo's staple movements included the robot, belly dancing, and drunken style Kung Fu (complete with costume). Aside from these dances and his legendary entrances, however, Sudo was one of the most creative strikers of his day. Against Albert Kraus (a legendary Dutch kickboxer and the frst K-1 Max champion) Sudo danced back and forth, squatted on his haunches, and used Kraus' low kick to propel him into a spinning backfist!
Marks are not given for self expression in fights, in fact the perception of Sudo's dancing as arrogance is likely what cost him the dodgy decision to Ludwig, but ability to confuse such high level kickboxers as Kraus and Masato on the feet with little actual training there is worthy of praise in itself. Further to this, Genki simply put on a show. Against Butterbean (yes, unfamiliar readers, that fight ACTUALLY happened), Genki Sudo chose to bounce off the ropes and throw a two footed, pro-wresting drop kick at Butterbean. Five years before Anthony Pettis' wonder kick, Genki Sudo was the closest thing we got to real life Hong Kong movie wire work.
High Quality Opponents
Sudo, most importantly, was not a can crusher. Even in the K-1 promotion, whose handling of the career of Sudo's rival, Kid Yamamoto, was notably slap dash. Where Yamamoto would fluctuate between fighting top ten competition, game challengers, and debuting no-hopers, Sudo was almost mostly matched against legitimate threats. The occasional match against Butterbean, Ole Larson or Ramon Dekkers is forgivable, all three could have taken his head off, but the majority of Sudo's matches came against tough and experienced fighters.
Kazayuki Miyata,
Royler Gracie,
Damacio Page,
Kenichi Yamamoto,
Nate Marquadt,
Mike Thomas Brown,
Duane Ludwig,
Kid Yamamoto,
Hiroyuki Takaya.
All dangerous, savvy fighters and many of whom had done or went on to do great things. Not to mention Genki's kickboxing appearances against Albert Kraus and Masato - both of whom he gave a tough fight.
Genki Sudo retired in 2006 due to repeated injuries and the tedium of constantly training hurt for fights. He received his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2010 (having submitted and outgrappled some of the best fighters in the world through his MMA career as a brown belt) and became the head wrestling coach for Takushoku University. He is now involved in the Olympic co-ordinations for the Japanese wrestling team and a comeback seems less and less likely with each passing year, but isn't getting out with his health what a truly smart martial artist would do?
Look out for Jack Slack's upcoming ebook: "Tactics of Boxing, Kickboxing and MMA Masters" which will be available around Easter.
Jack Slack breaks down striking strategy and technique at his websitewww.fightsgoneby.com
He can also be found on Twitter @JackSlackMMA
Posted in: fighter, style, genki, genki sudo, sudo
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendStrikeforce results recap: The difference between 'good gameplanning' and 'boring'
Before his upset knockout loss to Johny Hendricks just 12 seconds into their UFC 141 bout, Jon Fitch had only been defeated once inside the Octagon and it was at the hands of the most dominant welterweight the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) has ever known.
In the six-plus years Fitch has been employed by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he's bested the likes of Thiago Alves, Diego Sanchez and Paulo Thiago. He did so by employing a dominating style of wrestling, grinding away at his opponents over the course of 15 minutes and imposing his will on them.
It wasn't flashy, but it was effective.
Having 13 victories inside the Octagon puts him on par with greats like Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and Royce Gracie. It's an accomplishment even Fitch's most hardened of doubters have to give him credit for. It's the nine decisions out of those 13 victories he's won which earn him the scorn of countless MMA fans across the globe.
Some of that scorn transferred over to Josh Thomson after last night's fight (March 3, 2012) in the co-main event of Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey." In his title eliminator bout against K.J. Noons, "Punk" ditched his usual strike-heavy offense in favor of one more wrestling-based to ensure victory in Columbus.
The fight was universally reviled, even by the usual St. Pierre and Fitch apologists.
So what was the difference between what Thomson did and what the UFC welterweights do when they step inside the Octagon?
Nothing, really.
When describing the French-Canadian and his American counterpart, terms like "boring" have been thrown around and phrases like "lay and pray" have been bandied about. "Unrelenting" and "intelligent" have also been used. But by the time "Rush" notched up his fourth consecutive decision win against Jake Shields, the criticisms had reached a fever pitch.
The performances St. Pierre and Fitch put on were polarizing. One portion of the fanbase hated the determined (if plodding) style they employed while the second appreciated the skill and technique needed to dominate opponent after opponent. Their argument was, if someone didn't want to fight off their back, they would need to learn how to defend against a takedown.
While the former group of fans decried the lack of action, the latter lauded the gameplanning set forth.
For some reason, Thomson wasn't afforded the same courtesy. Over the course of 15 minutes, "Punk" used takedowns to keep his opponent on his back and off his feet where the former boxer would be more comfortable and thus, have a better chance of winning.
All the former Strikeforce champion did was avoid Noons' strengths while exploiting his weaknesses. That seems like a great gameplan, does it not? And when one considers the oft-injured California native hasn't stepped inside the cage in over a year, one can't crucify "Punk" for wanting to play it somewhat safe to ensure the easiest route to victory.
Boos rained down on the two fighters last night inside the Nationwide Arena, enough to cause Thomson to essentially disown his performance more than once during the post-fight interview. Digital boos were prevalent across MMA sites and Twitter as well, echoing the sentiment from Columbus.
So when is a performance like the one "Punk" put on last night excellent gameplanning and when is it boring? MMA -- much like the world -- isn't black and white, it's painted in shades of grey and the question falls smack dab in the middle of one such section.
More often than not, a fighter following an opponent-specific gameplan will result in a less than thrilling affair. We saw it last night with Thomson and Noon and we saw it a month ago at UFC 143 when Carlos Condit outpointed Nick Diaz.
We see it every time St. Pierre steps inside the Octagon.
With the level of competition Strikeforce and the UFC have at their disposal, it's not uncommon to see fighters take this route. Unless you get a piece of the sweet pay-per-view (PPV) pie, an injury can be detrimental to a lower or mid-level fighter and their bank account. Even those at the top of their respective weight divisions will employ a "safety first" approach to ensure victory and by proxy, employment.
Is it smart? Yes. Is it boring? Yes. It's absolutely both. Admitting such doesn't make you any less of a fan. But some fighters shouldn't get free passes while others are vilified. Reaction should be uniform and universal.
Gameplanning is part of the sport, like it or lump it.
For full results and recaps of the UFC on FX 2 preliminary and main card bouts click here and here. For detailed analysis of last night's event click here and here.
Ronda Rousey vs Miesha Tate full fight video highlights from last night's headliner right here.
Posted in: ufc, night, fighter, fitch, thomson
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDoes anyone else think that Bas Rutten should be dlc for UFC Undisputed 3 as a fighter?
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, ba, bas rutten, dlc
Read the full article at RedditRafael Dos Anjos: 'I'm a Better Fighter than Kamal Shalorus, I Have More Weapons to Win This Fight'
Mixed martial arts careers always have their highs and lows but Rafael Dos Anjos's has veered from one to the other more dramatically than most. He has experienced both ends of the UFC spectrum, from working his way towards a lightweight title shot to facing up to the reality that he was almost certainly only one loss away from being cut.
He found his way into the UFC on the back of a nine fight win streak but lost his first two fights, despite a fight of the night performance against Tyson Griffin. A third consecutive loss would almost certainly have seen him cast into the wilderness but when it mattered most Dos Anjos came up with the goods, defeating Rob Emerson by unanimous decision at UFC 103.
This proved to be the start of a three fight win streak, culminating in a submission of the night effort against Terry Etim. When Dos Anjos faced Clay Guida at UFC 117 a win would have cemented his status as a serious title contender but instead he was forced to tap due to pressure applied to a broken jaw in the third round of a fight which he appeared to be winning.
It was a massive setback for Dos Anjos, not only did it break his winning streak but the jaw injury kept him out of action for an entire year. While the UFC lightweight landscape was being altered radically by the absorption of the WEC fighters the Brazilian found himself on the shelf.
When he finally returned from injury to face George Sotiropoulos he had a point to prove and he certainly did it in style, becoming the first fighter to ever stop the Australian. Dos Anjos is a BJJ black belt but his stand up had improved beyond all recognition during his time recuperating, something he attributed to the time he spend working with the legendary Muay Thai trainers at Evolve MMA in Singapore.
Despite this he chose to prepare for his next fight exclusively in Brazil and dropped a disappointing split decision loss to Gleison Tibau. With a UFC record of 4-4 he once again finds himself staring into the abyss but believes that his next fight, against Kamal Shalorus, should get him back on track,
"He is a very good wrestler but I think I'm a better fight than him, I have more weapons to win this fight. Coming off a loss definitely puts me under more pressure but that's ok, I am used to it!"
Dos Anjos believes that he did enough to win the first and third rounds in his fight with Tibau but only one of the judges agreed with him. He says he will be changing certain things after that defeat, which came at the hands of a much bigger fighter, but his weight class won't be one of them.
"Dropping to featherweight would be impossible, no way. I cut a lot weight to fight at 155lbs, and I feel very well in that class. I will be going back to Evolve MMA in Singapore to train, I never lost a fight when I do my camp there, UFN 20 against Kyle Bradley, UFC 112 against Terry Etim when I won 'submission of the night' and UFC 132 against Sotiropoulos when I got the KO."
Evolve MMA is home to some of the best Muay Thai fighters of all time such as Anuwat Kaewsamrit, Attachai Fairtex, Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn, Orono Wor Petchpun and Lamnammoon Sor Summalee. These names might not mean much to mixed martial arts fans but in Thailand they are legends and no other MMA camp in the world can boast such a decorated stable of stand up trainers.
Dos Anjos credits the training he received from the Thai trainers in Singapore with the improvement he made in his stand up going into UFC 132 and is looking forward to working with a couple of other top ranked lightweights as he prepares for his 'UFC on Fuel' fight in May,
"I was three months in Singapore before that fight with Sotiropoulos and I think that three months was essential to me winning the fight. I never had a chance to training with Shinya Aoki before but it's gonna be a big pleasure have a training with him, also Zorobabel Moreira who is a very talent fighter and has improved a lot his stand up skills, he is word champion in BJJ and I think he is ready for UFC for sure."
One man who he has trained with is the recently deposed UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. Dos Anjos was brought in to help him prepare for his title defence at UFC 136 and feels that he benefited from the experience of working with the top lightweight in the world at the time,
"I was there for two weeks before his last fight with Maynard and I improved a lot my wrestling skills and to see how the champion trained was good too."
After eight fights in the UFC Dos Anjos is already a veteran despite being only 27 years old, almost an entire decade younger than the current pound for pound king Anderson Silva. He believes that he is constantly improving and evolving as a fighter and is a long way from reaching his peak,
"I think I already improved a lot since my first fight in the UFC but I still have a lot thing to learn and improve and I believe in myself that I can learn more and be stronger. I think that the peak of the fighter is 35 years old and I 'm very far from that."
After going through what he describes as a 'bad time' with the jaw injury Dos Anjos is looking to fight as regularly as possible in 2012. He feels he has at least another 10 years in him as a fighter and wants to spend all of them in the UFC,
"Of course, I'm looking to stay in the UFC. If I take care of my body I can fight for 10 more years and I have two kids, so I need fight 10 more years!"
Dos Anjos already has a couple of UFC bonuses in his pocket and can count himself extremely unlucky not to have been awarded 'Knock out of the Night' after the win over Sotiropolous. His MMA career might have already been lucrative but coming from an impoverished upbringing he must understand the importance of financial security more than most.
On May 17th the money will be the last thing on his mind when he faces Shalorus at UFC on Fuel. Dos Anjos is desperate to get back on winning track, to work his way back up the rankings, to show that he is still a contender in the lightweight division and to lay the foundations for a UFC career which he hopes will last for at least another decade.
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, do, anjo
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Hate for Ronda Rousey is Unwarranted
Tonight, for the first time in three years, the talented and underappreciated females of MMA will headline a prominent fight card on Showtime. Unfortunately, it seems the athlete who is mostly responsible for this fight receiving the top billing on this card, undefeated challenger Ronda Rousey, is not nearly getting enough respect heading into the match-up.
Her opponent, Strikeforce bantamweight champ Miesha Tate, has made it known on numerous occasions \she doesn’t feel that Rousey is worthy of challenging her for the title. Rousey has only been competing professionally in MMA for a year, and, while she has finished all four of her opponents with an Armbar in the first round, she hasn’t tested herself against the elite of the division.
It took Tate thirteen fights to get what Rousey received in four – a shot at the Strikeforce title, and thus Tate feels Rousey has essentially talked her way into their bout, disrespecting women’s MMA with her mouth along the way.
It is undeniable Rousey’s brash behavior in addition to her good looks is what has put her in this position faster than the norm but that doesn’t mean she is not a worthy challenger. An Olympic bronze medalist in Judo, Rousey poses many difficult challenges to the champion, and, despite her relative lack of MMA experience, could upset Tate when it is all said and done.
Tate is a phenomenal competitor and a fantastic role model for the sport but deep down inside she should be thankful of Rousey. Without Rousey, this fight would not be in the main event and would not be getting the tremendous amount of press that it has. Just imagine if Tate were fighting Sarah Kaufman instead. It would still be a very compelling collision but would also be positioned much lower on the card, even for a title fight, and it would not be talked about in the press very much.
Think about this – Josh Thomson and K.J Noons who are two of the most exciting lightweights that Strikeforce has to offer are competing on this card and nobody is talking about it. Everyone is mesmerized with the Tate-Rousey match-up and this is something that hasn’t been seen in the sport since Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos ended Gina Carano’s run in 2009.
If it is a good fight with the winner emerging as a star, but if it is a great fight they both could become household names meaning female fighters will be highlighted more often on the main card. It seems that Tate, many female fighters, and even fans fail to understand this concept because a majority of the female audience is against Rousey and believe she is a horrible representative of the sport.
Maybe it just boils down to the fact that certain women can be very jealous people in nature and will downgrade anyone who is accomplishing something faster than them, or maybe Rousey really is such a horrible person and I’m just not seeing it. Either way, she is helping launch women’s MMA to higher levels whether the rest of the audience wants to admit it or not.
Not taking anything away from Tate, as the champion has been a class act throughout her entire career and is truly one of the best ambassadors of the sport for both males and females, but every good girl needs a bad girl to spark the flames. We have seen many male fighters play the role of the heel or villain in their fights and fans have loved it so why is it so wrong when a woman promotes herself that way? I’ve seen people on Twitter verbally attack Rousey in Tweets and then sing the praises of fighters like Chael Sonnen. Where’s the sense in that?
If you are going to dislike someone because they talk a lot of trash but call yourself a fan of another fighter who does the exact same thing on a much higher level, you are a compulsive hypocrite and the MMA community does not need people like that.
Tate’s experience and championship pedigree might be too much for Rousey tonight, or the bronze medalist could shock the world, but regardless of the outcome women’s MMA is on the front line and this is a big moment for female fighters across the globe. “Rowdy” Ronda shouldn’t be criticized for her behavior – she should be praised for it.
PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE (Austin Hargrave)
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, tate, rousey
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainA Look At The Johnson-McCall Official Scorecard
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Posted in: fighter, official, scorecard, johnsonmccall
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FX 2 results recap: Joseph Benavidez vs Yasuhiro Urushitani fight review and analysis
In just the second flyweight bout in UFC history last night (March 2, 2012), the division had its first finish in the co-main event battle between former bantamweight title contender Joseph Benavidez and longtime Japanese flyweight star Yasuhiro Urushitani.
The odds were heavily against Urushitani heading into this fight due to name recognition and the fact that Benavidez had previously been ranked as a top three 135 pounder in the world before dropping a weight class.
Turns out, those odds were spot on.
The man formerly known as "Joe-bi Wan Kenobi" and "Beefcake" crushed his Japanese nemesis with a dominant first round and then a powerful technical knockout in the second.
So how was Benavidez able to be so dominant? And what happens next for both fighters?Follow me after the jump for our Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani UFC on FX 2 post-fight review and analysis:
Early on, both men looked to establish their striking game and while Urushitani seemed hesitant to really commit to his blows with the threat of a takedown looming over everything, Benavidez had no such concerns and he was able to throw every punch and kick with 100 percent commitment.
While Urushitani had a nice judo base which he uses to remain standing, it was Benavidez who scored a shoulder throw at the midway point of the first round after a series of knees to the legs in the clinch, although the Japanese striker popped back to his feet quickly.
The next time Benavidez attempted to get the fight to the ground, Urushitani would not be so lucky in getting back to his feet as the Team Alpha Male fighter refused to give up on a single leg takedown and ran the pipe having 100 seconds to work if need be.
Once on the canvas, Benavidez kept a constant pressure on the former Shooto champion and began mixing in elbows with guard passes, eventually taking Urushitani's back and threatening with a rear naked choke in the final moments of the round.
Urushitani was shook up and when he lazily threw a body kick to open the second round, Benavidez capitalized by aggressively stepping inside and blasting the Japanese striker in the jaw with a huge right hand which sent him crashing to the canvas. From there, it only took a few ground and pound strikes before the referee intervened.
For Yasuhiro Urushitani, there's not much more he could have done. This was simply a case of being completely outmatched by a superior opponent. Urushitani's strength was the striking, but with no threat of a takedown or use of his ground game whatsoever, Benavidez was able to aggressively push the action and force him to constantly be moving backwards where his primary striking attack was much less effective. At 35 years old, it's not likely he can add enough to his game to become well-rounded enough to challenge for the flyweight title down the road.
Possible next opponents for Urushitani include former Ultimate Fighter season 14 fighter Josh Ferguson or perhaps top unsigned flyweights in the world like Jussier da Silva or even a potential trilogy fight with Mamoru Yamaguchi.
For Joseph Benavidez, this was about as perfect of gameplan execution as he could have asked for. Flyweight could not be a more suitable division for the 5'4 fighter. His power, which was able to rock people at banamweight, translates into serious knockout ability while competing just one weight class lower and it appears he will be a force in the division for many years to come. His striking, takedowns and ground game were on display in full force.
There's only one opponent he can face next, and that's the winner of the Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall fight, although he's gonna have to wait for the rematch to get sorted out after the commission fiasco last night which prevented a conclusion to the flyweight tournament semifinals. Regardless, the Team Alpha Male fighter is likely expected to be the favorite no matter who he faces next for the UFC 125 pound title.
So what did you think, Maniacs?
Do you like Benavidez's chances of becoming the inaugural UFC flyweight champion after his domination last night? Is there anyone out there at 125 pounds that you think can defeat him?
Sound off!
For complete UFC on FX 2 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, flyweight, benavidez, urushitani
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTop of the UFC on FX 2 Fight Card Nabs $50,000 Fighter Bonuses
The fighters at UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann made the decisions difficult, but the top of the fight card took home the $50,000 fighter bonsues in Sydney.
Posted in: fight card, fighter, fx, ufc, fight
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyNate Quarry Formally Retires From Mixed Martial Arts
After a decade-long career, Nate Quarry has formally announced his retirement. Having last appeared at UFC Fight Night 21 in March 2010, Quarry retires with a 7-3 record in the UFC, dating back to his appearance on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Quarry, 39, was a middleweight contestant on The Ultimate Fighter, and was actually the first fighter from the show to fight for a UFC title. After starting his UFC career 3-0, Quarry lost to Rich Franklin at UFC 56 in November 2005. After the loss, Quarry would not be seen in the cage for nearly another two years due to back surgery.
Nicknamed “Rock” for his attitude and demeanor while on the show, Quarry suffered an ankle injury during filming, and was forced to withdraw from the competition. Following his loss to Jorge Rivera in March 2010, which forced him to undergo facial reconstruction surgery, Quarry contemplated retirement shortly thereafter.
He has since become a staple on multiple television programs, including G4′s Attack of the Show and Spike TV’s MMA Uncensored Live, where he is host and announced his decision last night.
The Bloody Elbow posted a transcription of Quarry’s statement:
Guys, this is kind of hard for me. It was 16 years ago that I saw the UFC on TV, and it changed my life. Everything I have besides my little girl has come from fighting. But after my last fight, when I came home and saw the look in my little girl’s eyes and could see how upset she was at how damaged I was, that I knew I wanted to leave when I could still take care of her, and I didn’t ever want to be one of those fighters that people said “Why is he still here?”. I wanted to leave when people still wanted me to fight.
So, I hate to say it but, I’m going to have to exit from fighting. I’m just glad that I get the opportunity to be here and continue the love for this sport that I’ve had, that has given me everything. So, thank you Spike TV, thank you to my hosts for giving me this opportunity. Thank you to the fans, and thank you to my little girl for making it so easy for me to follow my dream.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, quarry, girl
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC On FX 2: Alves Vs Kampmann, Staff Picks
Hello again, fellow Legends. We’re going to switch up this round of picks a little bit for UFC on FX 2. It seems that all of us, when we do our picks, tend to peter out a bit as we get to the bottom of the cards. Certainly part of it is that the fighters are lesser known, and as such we have less to say about them than we would, oh... Anderson Silva. There’s also the possibility that your esteemed authors’ eyes start to glaze over as they sink deeper into their alcoholic stupor as the writing progresses. So in the interest of trying to be nicer to the undercard, we’ll be starting with them first.
Preliminary card
Heavyweight bout: Oli Thompson vs. Shawn JordanCory - Oli is an imposing man. The former Strongman competitor, once Britains’s Strongest Man, is now a 7-2 UFC neophyte looking to gain a win over former Bellator and Strikeforce heavyweight Shawn Jordan. Jordan’s the person with the more impressive win on his record, as he submitted Lavar Johnson with a Keylock last September. Lavar, as we probably all remember, dangadadanged Joey Beltran with gravity-defying uppercuts recently. The only "name" on Oli’s record is the bottom-of-the-ladder (for the UFC) heavyweight, Rob Broughton, to whom he lost to a couple years ago. While Oli’s shown some skill beyond huge muscles (lookin’ at you, Marius Pudz) in racking up multiple submissions, I’m going to go with the slightly more seasoned Jordan here. Jordan - TKOEarl - Both of these guys are making their UFC debuts here but Jordan has fought much stiffer competition than Oli and I think that will prove very important. Shawn Jordan, TKO, Round 2.Chris - Oli Thompson is a giant of a man. Aside from that, I don’t see a lot of advantages for him in this fight. He keeps his hands low and his striking is limited at best. He uses his size and strength to get the takedown, but doesn’t really know where to go when he gets it there. Shawn Jordan is no striker himself, so no one gets the advantage there. Jordan did prove against Lavar Johnson that he is a much more talented wrestler than Oli and he’ll be able to use that to get the win. Jordan by TKO.Luke - Okay, first things first. Thompson beat Broughton in the finals of an 8 man one night tournament on January 30, 2010. Thompson had actually lost in the semi-finals to a blown up middleweight, Joe Vedepo, but for some reason Vedepo was unable to compete in the finals, so the one big win on Thompson’s resume is seriously questionable. Jordan meanwhile is a Jackson’s fighter, who has fought for Bellator and Strikeforce. He took care of Lavar Johnson with a second round submission. I imagine it’ll be a similar fate for Thompson. Jordan, Submission, Round 1.
The rest are after the jump
Preliminary card (Fuel TV)
Featherweight bout: Mackens Semerzier vs. Daniel PinedaCory - Former Marine Mackens Semerzier has not had a good run as of late. His last fight ended in a No Contest, as they went and looked back on film and saw that he got headbutted (accidentally) and not just blasted with the punch that Robbie Peralta threw. Before that, he managed to take out Alex "Bruce Leroy" Caceres, but that seems to be before Alex’s mini career resurgence. Suffice it to say, I’m not terribly impressed with the former boxer turned submission artist Semerzier. Pineda is riding a 6-fight win streak and also holds a win over TUF competitor Johnny Bedford. I don’t see either of these guys as future champs, but I think Pineda has the higher ceiling at this point. Pineda - DecisionEarl - Pineda has bounced back from a four fight skid in 2009 to win 8 of his last 9 bouts. Mackens has really been underwhelming since the merger and I don’t really see that stopping here. Daniel Pineda, Submission, Round 3.Chris - No reason to to disagree with Earl or Cory here. PinedaLuke - I’m not sure why you guys haven’t given Semerzier more credit for his competition. He’s fought good guys and has only lost once inside the distance, to jiu jitsu ace Javier Vasquez. I think some fighters take a little while to adjust to fighting top competition on a regular basis, and Semerzier has gone through that adjustment period, while Pineda put together his 16-7 record in mostly regional promotions. In his brief stints with Elite XC and Bellator he was 0-3. He does have the in-cage experience edge, with more than twice the number of fights that Semerzier has. That being said, I’m going to go with the guy who’s been fighting Zuffa caliber fighters since 2009. Semerzier, Unanimous Decision.Welterweight bout: T.J. Waldburger vs. Jake HechtCory - Both of these under-30 prospects are looking to come into their own and this is a really good matchup to see who’s where. Hecht is 11-2 and on a 4-fight win streak, including a great come from behind win over veteran Rich Attonito. Hecht has demonstrated a wide arsenal of finishing techniques in his career, as he’s got wins by triangle, rear-naked, north-south and multiple TKO wins. He’s got decent conditioning as well. TJ’s had one loss in his last six, and it was to Johny Hendricks. Seeing as how Hendricks is knocking on the door to a title shot, there’s no shame in that whatsoever. A fine grappler - probably better than Hecht - TJ has a slightly suspect chin that makes me think that Hecht takes it. Five of his six losses have come by way of strikes, and Hecht has shown the capability of tagging someone now and again. Hecht - TKOEarl - Waldburger and Hecht are each looking to get their 2nd straight win in the UFC in this matchup. Somebody is going to get a spectacular finish here. It will either be Waldburger with another beautiful submission or Hecht using his power to put TJ out. I think TJ is just a little too slick and he will seize the first opportunity Jake gives him. TJ Waldburger, Submission, Round 1.Luke - Waldburger is another guy who, like Pineda, has a dozen losses but is super young. Usually you don’t see fighters with more than one or two losses at the highest levels of prize fighting until they get into the twilight of their careers. MMA has been seeing a lot more guys like Waldburger and Pineda lately;many young fighters choose to rack up fights, win or lose, rather than build their careers in a slow and calculated manner. In an interesting twist, Hecht is a guy who has taken the slower route, fighting just three times in his first three years as a pro (Waldburger had 13 in his first three). As for the fight, Earl sums it up pretty well. I’ll go the other way though and take Hecht, who was very impressive against Rich Attonito, to get the stoppage. Hecht, TKO, Round 2.Middleweight bout: Kyle Noke vs. Andrew CraigCory - Noke was going on a nice little streak before he ran into the rejazzed Ed Herman. He had himself a nice little 5-fight streak going, including three in the UFC. Craig comes in on semi-late notice to replace Jared Hamman. He had enough time to get most of a camp in, but I’ll just stick with a guy who I know has been around the block and is a proven winner against some decent enough names (wins against Sotripoulos, Ebersole, Camozzi and a draw with borderline top-10’er Hector Lombard). Noke - DecisionI had that whole paragraph typed out, and then I remembered that Noke is coming off of a knee injury. I can’t recall the last time I saw a guy come back from surgery and perform well. I’m changing my pick. Craig - DecisionEarl - Kyle Noke is making his second UFC appearance in his native Australia here looking to rebound from his recent near limb removal at the hands of Ed Herman. He will be taking on an undefeated fighter making his promotional debut. I am hoping for a strong showing by Craig. New blood in the Middleweight division is a very good thing. Andrew Craig, Unanimous Decision.Luke - You know Earl, I’m hoping that Andrew Craig looks good too, because you are right, we need some new guys in that division. When I wrote about age demographics a few weeks ago the middleweight division was the oldest at the top levels. Surely we’re not going to get a shot in the arm from Craig though. Undefeated fighters with less than 10 wins rarely grab my attention unless they have a string of first round knockouts or perhaps have won all their fights with the same submission. Craig has gone to the judges three times already, in over half of his fights. Add in the fact that Noke is fighting at home and this becomes a bit of a no-brainer. Noke, Submission, Round 2Featherweight bout: Cole Miller vs. Steven SilerCory - Not a whole lot to say about this fight, other than I wouldn’t be surprised if Submission of the Night came out from here. Assuming the cut doesn’t make him Mechanic like, I’ll go with Miller - SubmissionEarl - This should be an awesome bout between two very solid submission fighters. Both guys have a ton of experience and are only in their mid 20’s so this should be dynamic. Cole will be fighting at 145 for the first time in years and I think he may have a bit of trouble. "Super" Steven Siler, Unanimous Decision.Luke - Cole Miller has an awesome picture on his wikipedia page. I suspect not too many fighters would be okay with a close up of their beaten face as the first thing that many new fans see, but Miller doesn't seem to give a damn. On top of that, he was 7-3 as a lightweight in the very tough UFC lightweight division, so he’s a real talent. In Siler he’s fighting a well rounded but limited guy who isn’t the flashiest but can get the job done when the fight goes to the mat. I’ve been picking against young guys with a lot of losses this event and I’m going to do the same again with this one. Siler might have stoppage Cole’s little brother to essentially get into the UFC, but big brother is going to get sweet revenge in this one. Miller, Submission, Round 1Light Heavyweight bout: Anthony Perosh vs. Nick PennerCory - Ever since he was fed to the ghost of Cro Cop, Perosh has looked like an actual for real MMA fighter. I don’t really know much about Mr. Penner, so I’ll go say that Hippo takes it. Perosh - SubmissionEarl - I cannot help but be a fan of a guy who is nicknamed "The Hippo" because Hippos kill more humans per year than any other animal. "The Hippo" has won 2 straight via RNC and I will not bet against him getting another one here. Anthony Perosh, Submission, Round 2.Chris - Penner is a Muay Thai fighter that wants to hurt whoever is placed in front of him. He likes to set up his combos with painful leg kicks from distance, while mixing in powerful head kicks when his opponent tries to work his way in. That said, he relies very heavily on kicks, much more than punching. Against a grappler like Perosh that’s most likely to leave him open to takedowns, where Perosh is going to have the advantage. On top of that, Penner is making his UFC debut, which gives a lot of people problems. Anthony Perosh by SubmissionLuke - Heard Nick Penner on the MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo this week and I really enjoyed hearing him talk about his experiences training at ATT with Ricardo Liborio. I think Chris has this fight pretty well nailed. Perosh can take a beating in order to get the fight to the ground and once it’s there he is efficient if unspectacular. I expect we’ll see another win for Anthony Perosh, which would amazingly bring his UFC record to 3-1. Perosh, Submission, Round 2.Light Heavyweight bout: James Te Huna vs. Aaron RosaCory - James Te Huna might end up being a top 25 LHW. I don’t know if Rosa ends up in the top100. Te Huna - KOEarl - Rosa at 205 is much better than Rosa at Heavyweight. James Te Huna is a monster whose last 6 wins have come via KO/TKO. The home crowd will get another chance to erupt for their fellow countryman here. James Te Huna, KO, Round 1.Chris - Despite his win over Matt Lucas, Aaron Rosa did not look good in his return to the Light Heavyweight division. He had almost no control over distance and his punches were looping. Te Huna is going to pick him apart and most likely embarrass him en route to a KO victory. Te Huna by KOLuke - I like James Te Huna, who has really showed some crisp striking in the UFC recently. I especially thought his hand speed has been much better than his opponents. Rosa used to be a heavyweight and while he is a more natural 205 pounder like Earl mentions, the speed difference is going to be hard for him to deal with. Te Huna should end this fight early. Te Huna, TKO, Round 1.
Main card
Middleweight bout: Court McGee vs. Constantinos PhilippouCory - McGee is a gritty, grind you down and go-for-the-choke when it presents itself kind of fighter. Philippou is a YOU-GOT-KNOCKED-THE-FUCK-OUT-MAN kind of fighter. Good luck to Court here, I think he’s gonna need it. Philippou - TKOEarl - Court McGee has flaws in his striking defense and Costa absolutely has the power to put one on Court’s chin and put him away. Costa comes from a better camp and I think he hurts Court here real, real bad. Costa Philippou, KO, Round 2.Chris - I’ve never been overly impressed with Court McGee. He’s solid pretty much all around, but not really more than good any where. Phillippou hits like a truck and I think he’ll find his chance to land on Court. Phillippou by (T)KOLuke - Court Mcgee has never really excited me, but he won the ultimate fighter by grinding down his opponents, which isn’t an exciting style. He can deal with adversity well and he took saavy vet Jeremy Horn to a decision in his only defeat. As for Phillipou, well, it wasn’t too long ago that he was eeking out a decision over Jorge Rivera, a guy that I think Mcgee would handle with relative ease. I think my esteemed peers are a little high on Costa based on his devastating knockout of Jared Hamman in his most recent performance. Mcgee will survice the early onslaught and grind it out. Mcgee, Unanimous decision.Flyweight bout: Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCallCory - McCall is as dynamic as it gets at this weight. He’s fast, strong and technical. That said, he’s going to get taken down and taken down often. McCall probably isn’t going to be able to submit a guy that Miguel Torres couldn’t tap either. DJ is one of the best wrestlers in two divisions, and he’s going to grind out Uncle Creepy. Johnson - SubmissionEarl - McCall is being criminally undervalued coming into this fight purely based on not fighting in the big leagues yet. Make no mistake, "Uncle Creepy" belongs here and has all the tools to give Johnson hell in this fight. Demetrious will be fighting at his natural weight class which should add to his quickness and help him get the fight where he wants it which is on the canvas. I’m so torn but I’ll go with the man who just went 5 rounds with the best Bantamweight on earth to get the W. Demetrious Johnson, Unanimous Decision.Chris - I’ve heard nothing but good things about Ian McCall. That said I’ve never seen him fight. Mighty Mouse, on the other hand, has been competing with the best of the best at Bantamweight, a division where he’s typically well undersized. On top of that, he’s got great combinations and can transition from striking to grappling faster than pretty much anyone in the sport. Johnson by DecisionLuke - Ian McCall shares the same rocky path that brought Court Mcgee to fighting: Both had serious drug problems in their lives that they eventually would replace with mixed martial arts. It just goes to show the trans-formative power that martial arts can have. McCall and Johnson share a decision loss to current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, although Johnson would likely argue that he not only faced a better Cruz but performed better against him as well. I really don’t know what to expect from this fight but I just feel like it's going the distance. Johnson has the wrestling to win any kind of close match, so I'm going with him. Johnson, Unanimous Decision.Flyweight bout: Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro UrushitaniCory - Speaking of "about to get outwrestled", I really don’t need to say much more about this fight other than there’s a reason that Joe is a quadruple-digit favorite at some bookmakers. Benavidez - SubmissionEarl - Finally, Joseph Benavidez gets the showcase he has deserved since the merger. Team Alpha Male will be represented in full force here and I can’t wait to see a little "Joe-Jitsu" @ 125. Joseph Benavidez, Submission, Round 2.Chris - Again, I’m looking at another fight where I only know one fighter. And again Joe, like Mighty Mouse, has been competing with the best at BW so I’m going to favor him and Joe-Jitsu. I’ll also be hoping for another brutal guillotine in the process. Benavidez by SubmissionLuke - Alpha Male is one of the best fight camps in the world in terms of overall talent. Faber, Mendes and Benavidez are among the best two or three guys in their weight class and Danny Castillo and TJ Dillashaw are well on their way to carving out a place in the top 10 of their divisions. The fact that so many talented little guys are training together is an element that other many other gyms don’t have. The only other camp with an excess of stars in the smaller weight classes at the moment is Nova Uniao. Urushitani has an incredible 6 draws on his record, including two against the same man! I don’t really have much else to say about him, as he’s a huge underdog in this fight and is in very tough against a motivated Benavidez, who should be able to get the tap in this one. Benavidez, Submission, Round 1. Welterweight bout: Thiago Alves vs. Martin KampmannCory - Thiago Alves has four losses in his last fifteen fights. All of them came at the hands of wrestlers who pressed him hard, made him work to fend off takedowns and not let him get his striking off. I like Kampmann, but that’s not what he brings to the table at all. I’ve got a feeling that Kamp tries to trade with Alves in center ring, and that’s generally a recipe for disaster and very bruised legs. Alves - TKOEarl - I am so thrilled that this fight is happening. Two of the best strikers at Welterweight will finally face off and with serious title implications to boot. Alves has the raw power but Kampmann is so technically sound and will have a lot of opportunities to land crisp counters. Kampmann’s main problem has always been that he fights to his opponents strength and not to his own. He played that game against Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez and lost decisions (one controversial and one atrocious). I just think Kampmann is on the rise and Alves is just the same guy he has always been. Martin Kampmann, Unanimous Decision.Chris - This is great stylistic matchmaking for a striker vs. striker match. Kampmann is a great technical striker able to use his reach and distance to pick his opponents apart. Thiago Alves, on the other hand, likes to punish with power. Kampmann will have some success on his part in being able to land when Alves misses. He’ll use straight punches to try to keep Thiago at bay. However, Kampmann rarely throws a lot of power behind those punches. On top of that, Kampmann has a habit of letting himself get in to bad position. Eventually, Alves will get Kampmann’s back against the cage and be able to land a brutal combo. Thiago Alves by TKOLuke - I think this fight has all the ingredients to be the elite welterweight slug fest that we thought we were going to get from Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. In a division that has suddenly become very wide open, the winner of this match could well find themselves in the title picture with just one more victory. It makes for quite a fight, though Alves needs a win more than Kampmann does; Martin has been denied wins in some very controversial decision losses to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez recently and likely will have one more chance to prove himself against top competition like before becoming a gatekeeper. Alves has beaten Papy Abedi and John Howard. By comparison it’s not even close, and the fact that Kampmann knocked off Rick Story while Alves struggled with him has me convinced that Kampmann is just on another level. While I think it’ll be a close and bloody affair, I see Kampmann coming out with his hand raised. Kampmann, Unanimous decision.
Posted in: fight, guy, fighter, round, submission
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendCan someone explain to us how Thiago Alves gained 30 lbs in three hours?
Mike Dolce is in the wrong business. Do you know how much money this guy could make coaching corporate branches that are in weight loss competitions? Hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars. Instead of a few fighters a year he could be peeling the fat off of entire floors of cubicle bound fatsos. I guess it's apples and oranges though, the corporate weight loss competitors would want to keep the weight they just lost off, while Mr. Dolce is perfectly fine with his fighter clients regaining an almost superhuman amount of weight within just a few hours.
Weight cut challenged Thiago Alves came in at 170.5 on the scale for his fight tonight against Martin Kampmann at UFC on FX2. The incredible and possibly Guinness World Records worthy part of this whole tale about how much a man weighs is this: According to Mike Dolce, Thiago regained nearly thirty pounds in three hours. There is even a picture of feet on a scale and everything to prove it. Is this really possible? Apparently it is possible. Now is it wrong that I don't care so much about the whole argument of fighters cutting insane amounts of weight thus giving themselves possible advantages and I'm more concerned with why the Guinness Book of World Records wasn't there to document this? Are there records for weight gains? A brief search yielded only this depressing result.
Thanks to IFI for the gif.
[Source]
Posted in: hour, fighter, record, weight, thiago alves
Read the full article at Middle EasyIt's Time for the UFC to Put Its Foot Down on Testosterone Use
Gather ‘round, fight fans. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson would like to explain to you exactly why testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) should be banned from the UFC and MMA competition in general. Of course, he doesn’t know that’s what he’s about to do. He seems to think he’s simply extolling the virtues of TRT in an interview with Fighters Only. But look closely and see if you can’’t pinpoint the obvious problems with Jackson’s chosen course of treatment for a knee injury before his recent fight with Ryan Bader at UFC 144:"It was hard for me to train, it takes time to heal, I couldn’t do certain things, but this was my first time ever using testosterone. I took what the doctor prescribed to me and I went to the pharmacy… I gave myself small doses and that [expletive] immediately changed me, that’s why I am saying now I am not going to retire. ...I got stronger, lifting weights. I was never good at lifting weights but I was doing everything, pull ups and stuff, everything with my top half. I gained a lot of weight but I gained a lot of water as well, I never knew about testosterone putting weight on you like that. I had to cut weight [for the fight] and I cut 22 pounds out of the 30 I needed to cut, I just couldn’t make the rest."To recap: fighter injures his knee, fighter goes to the doctor, doctor suggests he see an "age-management doctor" rather than a knee specialist, "age-management doctor" gives him a prescription for testosterone, fighter quickly becomes stronger and physically better than he was before.Does that sound like doping to anyone else, or is it just me?
I don’t blame Jackson here. In his version of events, he went to the doctor for knee problems and came out with injectable doses of testosterone, which he was assured by his doctor (who he said "works for the UFC") that it was all perfectly fair and legal for poor gentlemen like himself with abnormally low testosterone. It’s worth noting here that Jackson is a 33-year-old professional athlete, and yet he’s supposedly suffering from such chronically low levels of testosterone that he needs to inject himself with the stuff just to get to the normal levels enjoyed by men everywhere. If you’d told me that the difference between me, a 32-year-old writer, and Jackson, a 33-year-old fighter, was that I had an unfair edge in natural testosterone production, I’d think you must be smoking something rather than injecting it. But, for the moment, let’s take them at their word.So Jackson, who isn’t a doctor, hears he needs testosterone. He takes the testosterone, and he feels great. He feels like he could fight for years on this stuff, and hey, everyone from his personal doctor to the UFC says it’s okay (although one wonders what his opponent might have thought, had he been told in advance), so why not?Interesting note about the UFC’s role in all this: Jackson claimed that he told his doctor not to tell the UFC about his knee injury, but his doctor (who, again, supposedly works for the UFC) violated his confidence and told them anyway. He also said that he talked to UFC officials about testosterone before he decided to use it, "and they were like ‘yeah, a lot of fighters are probably doing it but not telling anyone.'"(Or at least, that’s what Jackson was quoted as saying in early version of the interview I read online Wednesday evening. As of the time of this writing, that sentence has vanished from the interview.)UFC president Dana White took his usual stance on the issue when pressed about it in Sydney, Australia this week, saying, "If it's legal, if you can do it and the athletic commission allows you to do it and you come in at the right levels, what kind of stance am I going to take on it?"But then, athletic commissions don’t allow every fighter to do it. Fighters have to apply for a therapeutic-use exemption, go through testing and independent analysis, which, to hear Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer tell it, is as likely to result in a no as it is a yes. Did Jackson do all that? We don’t know, but it sure doesn’t sound like it from his description. It sounds more like he, his doctors, and the UFC all got together to take full advantage of the lack of a local athletic commission in Japan, and then Jackson -- in his innocence and perhaps willful naivete -- went and messed things up by telling the truth about it in an interview. Then White threw his hands up and insisted there was nothing his organization could do about fighters using testosterone, since athletic commissions back home allow it...for some of them.This is a ridiculous argument. It’s a dodge. It’s an excuse to allow fighters to engage in legal doping, and it’s got to stop.If you don’t think testosterone is a big deal because, as Jackson put it, "it’s what your body produces," you’re just plain wrong. According to Dr. Don Catlin -- the creator of the UCLA Olympic Sport Lab and a pioneer of anti-doping science -- testosterone is "the strongest anabolic agent we know." It is, in Catlin’s view, the "preferred" anabolic agent among pro athletes, the one you would take if you could take absolutely anything at all.I talked to Catlin for an article on drug testing a few weeks ago, and he literally laughed out loud about the notion of handing out therapeutic-use exemptions (TUEs) for testosterone to pro fighters. He knows a little something about it, too, since he sits on the Olympic committee responsible for approving them -- something they almost never do for Olympic athletes."Young, healthy men don’t get TUEs for having low testosterone," Catlin said. "It’s just not done."Unless you’re an MMA fighter, apparently. Although, logically, shouldn’t professional fighters be the last people you’d want to get legal testosterone injections? Shouldn’t the standards for them be tougher, rather than easier? After all, we’re not talking about hitting a baseball farther or running faster -- we’re talking about thumping another human being’s skull harder. If we give them testosterone to make them stronger and more capable in the cage, we’re just asking for trouble. MMA is still a sport on the bubble, and a sport that’s trying to make its case for regulation in states like New York. What do you think would happen if a fighter hopped up on testosterone injections seriously injured or killed an opponent? It's not safe, and it's not fair to the guy who has to fight an opponent who's been injecting testosterone for the last few weeks.And please, let’s stop this ‘as long as you come in at the right levels’ nonsense. That’s like giving fighters steroids and telling them to make sure it doesn’t show up in their urine sample. We all know that it’s not just what you have in your system on fight night that matters. As Jackson more or less told us, it’s what powers you through training and helps you get stronger in the weeks before the fight that makes all the difference. He can say he was never over a certain level, but how does he know? Did he get tested every day? Did he get tested on any day, aside from his visit to the "age-management doctor"?As Nate Marquardt can tell you, testosterone levels fluctuate wildly and quickly when you’re getting injections of the stuff. His levels were deemed too high to fight in Pennsylvania when he was tested before his planned bout with Rick Story last spring. According to his own team, if the test had been 24 hours later, his levels would have been fine.Testosterone is powerful stuff, as Jackson so helpfully explained. I can imagine why fighters would want to use it, just like I can imagine why middle-aged men everywhere might hear his description and decide that it sounds pretty great. Hell, I’m in my early 30s and my body doesn’t recover quite as well from workouts and injuries as it used to. I’d love to get stronger and faster and feel like a 21-year-old again, only this time not quite as dumb. The difference is, I don’t get paid to beat other people up. The stuff I put in my body doesn’t affect anyone but me. The same isn’t true for pro fighters, which is why we have drug-testing programs to begin with. It’s why we don’t let them drink Red Bull or pop perfectly legal painkillers in the locker room before a fight. Allowing some of them to use testosterone is a dangerous loophole, and one that’s bound to be exploited. It is within the UFC’s power to do something about it, and the fact that it’s abdicating this responsibility and pointing the finger at athletic commissions -- even in places where the commissions don’t exist -- is outrageous. It has to stop, and the UFC is the one with the power to stop it. White and the Fertitta’s have brought the sport this far. Now it’s time for them to take one more step toward fairness and fighter safety, and soon, while the worst-case scenarios are still hypothetical ones.
Posted in: jackson, fighter, doctor, testosterone, itrsquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseScott Smith: I Want to Fight Like Chris Lytle (Video)
If there's one thing you can always say about Scott Smith, it's that he is an exciting fighter.
Posted in: fighter, scott, there, smith, scott smith
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThiago Alves gains nearly 30 pounds in three hours after UFC on FX 2 weigh ins
By the time Thiago Alves steps into the cage tonight (March 2, 2012) to face off against Martin Kampmann in the main event of UFC on FX 2, which emanates live from the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia, he'll likely be doing it as a light heavyweight.
Not that it matters, but his contest against "The Hitman" was contracted at 170-pounds.
Celebrity dietician Mike Dolce, founder of the famed "Dolce Diet," was "Down Under" this week to help "The Pitbull" make his mark. The Brazilian has been inconsistent in successfully cutting weight throughout the course of his career, but based on a recent tweet by Dolce himself, he doesn't seem to have any trouble putting it back on.
27 pounds in just three hours, for those of you keeping score at home.
Alves weighed in at 170.5 at Thursday night's weigh in event, and Dolce later tweeted that he was already back up to 197.6. By tonight, who knows what the finally number might be.
I don't want to get on my soapbox here, but weight cutting has been known to be fatal, killing everyone from college wrestlers to professional bodybuilders. The sport of mixed martial arts, still in its infancy, seems to have an air of invulnerability to it, likely based on the simple notion that "Well, nothing bad has happened yet."
Yet.
Fighters cut weight. It's part of the sport and it's not going away. When a weight cut begins several weeks out from a fight and peaks with a few pounds the day of the weigh in, there is little, if any risk involved. But these massive fluctuations -- to go from 200 to 170 and back to 200 -- over the span of a couple of days, puts fighters at risk.
Dolce tweets it like a badge of honor.
Let's also take into consideration the exploitation of the system. A 200-pound fighter is not supposed to be fighting a 170-pound fighter. While it's highly unlikely that Martin Kampmann will show up anywhere near 170 (and may be closer to middleweight), there are plenty of fighters, like former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar, who compete just a few pounds above the contractual limit.
Are we inadvertently punishing them for not doing a better job of exploiting the system?
Let's get some thoughts here, Maniacs, am I missing the mark on this issue (pun intended)? Or do trainers and dieticians have an ethical obligation to tell fighters not whether or not they can cut so much weight, but whether or not they should?
Opinions, please.
See all the UFC on FX 2 weighs in results right here.
Posted in: ufc, pound, fighter, weight, martin kampmann
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAsk a UFC Fighter - Diego Sanchez
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, diego, sanchez, combatpicks link
Read the full article at RedditAsk a UFC Fighter - Cheick Kongo
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, cheick, kongo, combatpick
Read the full article at RedditNevada Commission Will Not Ban All Michigan Fighters, UFC's Ultimate Fighter 15 Will Not Be Impacted
There were many lingering questions in the wake of the Association of Boxing Commissions letter sent to all it's member commissions asking that mixed martial artists from Michigan not be granted a license. The motivation for the ABC's stance was Michigan's continued failure to report injuries, medical suspensions and failure to uphold the suspensions handed to fighters from other states.
Chief among the concerns was which member commissions would uphold the ban on Michigan fighters. Speaking to two reputable commissions early in the day yesterday both gave the impression that most, but not necessarily all state commissions would respect the ABC's request. With Michigan fighter Daron Cruickshank set to compete on the upcoming Ultimate Fighter 15 season, it led to some questions of if Nevada would allow him to participate or if he just lost out on a huge moment in his career.
I spoke to Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, yesterday evening and he informed me that Nevada does not have any plans to ban all Michigan fighters and that Cruickshank will experience no difficulties in his TUF participation.
Related: Association of Boxing Commissions Tells Members Not To License Michigan Fighters
"The request by the ABC is well intended in trying to look out for the health and safety of fighters, but it is a bit too far reaching to ban all fighters from a state from being granted a license" Kizer told Bloody Elbow. When speaking about the problems with results and suspensions not being reported by the state, Kizer explained "All fighters have an obligation, under penalty of perjury, to give us a detailed recent history."
Kizer also explained that he has no problem looking fighters up on Google to see if they have recent history (through results posts, YouTube videos, etc.) that they are not making the commission aware of.
So, very good news for Michigan fighters from the biggest commission in the game. Given that Nevada is the real trendsetter for the other commissions, this may be the push that some who were on the fence needed to make the decision to not deny these fighters a license.
Posted in: fighter, commission, nevada, michigan, michigan fighters
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White doesn't care what type of TV you're in to ...TUF is the show for you
On Fri., March 9, 2012, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will bring fans the fifteenth installment of the reality television series, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) on FX at 9 p.m. ET.
However, viewers can expect to see things ratcheted up a notch this season. On top of the fact that the TUF 15 coaches (Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber) happen to be two fighters who can hardly stand to be in the same room with each other, the innovative way that this series will be broadcast and presented is certainly an exciting prospect.
Unlike past seasons, the footage we see, each week, will be very recent (usually shot within the past day or two). Also, the actual fights will be shown live on FX, every Friday night. No editing, no commentators ... just live mixed martial arts (MMA) goodness on your TV screen, in your living room.
Last night (March 1, 2012), FUEL TV ran a preview show for the upcoming TUF 15 debut, which included some nostalgic looks back on previous season highlights, as well as interviews with UFC President Dana White and several other UFC personalities.
Spoiler alert! Dana is excited:
"What we are doing this season with ‘The Ultimate Fighter Live' - it's never been done with television, with sports, with anything," says White. "Basically, the reality portions of the show that you're going to see will have been shot in the last two days, so everything is real time. The most incredible part of all this is that these fights are live, every Friday night. This is revolutionary television."
It's well documented that TUF 15 coaches, Cruz and Faber, have little love lost between them. Last night's TUF preview episode continued to document the bad blood.
Never one to lack confidence, "The California Kid" has a simple gameplan going into the show:
"I'm gonna beat him in the coaching game. I'm gonna beat him up in the fight and then walk away with the belt."
"The Dominator" was equally candid about their relationship and how it's festered into what we currently see today on the screen and in the cage:
"He's always taking shots and I'm always taking shots. It's basically a never-ending rivalry. That's where we're at now. We're gonna be in there literally trying to kill each other. (creepy laugh)"
Ultimately, it's not really about Dominick and Urijah. It's about 32 fighters looking to make a name for themselves and work towards the possibility of one day wearing UFC gold. White believes those factors are what truly make TUF a success on the airwaves:
"‘The Ultimate Fighter' has become so popular because, in my opinion, it's the most relevant reality show on television," White continues. "It's not some reality show where you see a bunch of weirdo's on a show for a few weeks and then it's over and you never see them again. These kids are coming in and competing to try and get into the UFC and hopefully become a world champion someday."
In addition to TUF being shot in a live format for the first time, it's also the first time the series will be seen on FX (via the UFC's new deal with FOX Sports). White had nothing but good things to say about the way the new deal will improve the way we see TUF on TV:
"It was 11 years ago that we bought this company and got into this sport. We had a vision for this thing, and our goal was to get this thing on to television, and then eventually -- network television. The deal that I always dreamt about and the deal that I always wanted was FOX. Our sport lines up perfectly with their network. Now that we're here and we're doing massive fights on FOX and now that we have this opportunity to be on FX and do 'The Ultimate Fighter' LIVE -- this is revolutionary television. Nobody's ever done this before. If you love sports, you love 'The Ultimate Fighter.' You love drama, you're gonna love 'The Ultimate Fighter.' You love reality shows, you're gonna love 'The Ultimate Fighter.' I don't care what type of television that you're into and you like to watch, 'The Ultimate Fighter' is the television show for you."
There you have it.
It looks like we can expect a very tough cast of competitors, as well as a lot of live drama to keep the fans entertained for an entire season of reality TV goodness.
Will you Maniacs be tuning in for the TUF 15 debut? What about this upcoming season excites you the most?
Opinions please.
Remember to tune in to FX on Fri., March 9 at 9 p.m. ET!
Posted in: show, fighter, tuf, love, television
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAsk a UFC Fighter - Pat Barry
submitted by combatpicks [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, barry, ufc fighter, combatpicks link
Read the full article at RedditMorning Report: Enter the Flyweights; Faber to Cruz: 'You're Welcome for Letting You Live'
What a weekend we have in front of us. Two events. Two days. One brand new division.
Finally, after years of teasing hints and playful false starts, the flyweights have truly arrived, and it couldn't have gone down any other way. A good old-fashioned tournament, just like the old days. The two men who fans and pundits alike have always referred to as future titleholders at 125-pounds, and the two champions of the world's most renown flyweight organizations. When the blood settles tonight, two of these fighters will be one step closer to the UFC's eighth and final goldcard.
And that's still not even mentioning a blistering welterweight showdown with guaranteed fireworks, plus the most heavily-hyped women's bout since 2009. So fellow fight fans, with that being said, get ready for a weekend to remember with the Morning Report.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
UFC on FX 2 weigh-in results. All 22 fighters met their required weight in advance of Friday night's FX card.
What's at Stake? UFC on FX 2/Tate vs. Rousey Edition. Luke Thomas breaks down the implications for this weekend's biggest Strikeforce and UFC stars.
Association of boxing commissions tells members to not license fighters from Michigan. The ABC mailed a letter to state athletic commissions requesting they no longer recognize MMA events in Michigan or license fighters from the state.
UFC 144 medical suspensions and injuries. Nine fighters from last Saturday's Japan card have received medical suspensions for their work, including Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson, and Rampage Jackson.
Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki II official for April 20. Bellator's biggest rematch is set to headline Bellator 66 at the I-X Center in Cleveland, OH.
MEDIA STEW
Urijah Faber took his trash talk to the next level after hearing Dominick Cruz's latest string of insults. (HT: Reddit)
If you don't know what Ian McCall is all about, trust me, this video is worth checking out. "Uncle Creepy" takes on Darrell Montague last August for the Tachi Palace flyweight title.
Anderson Silva's cameo in this Brazilian national soccer ad is a testament to how big he's become in his home country, and the indescribable amount of pressure that will be on his shoulders to beat Chael Sonnen.
You've been wondering what Bob Sapp was up to last weekend? Well, let me show you. (HT: Bloody Elbow)
Chad Mendes, Cain Velasquez, and Mike Pyle tried to not make fools of themselves while the Sydney Swans taught them Australian rules football. (HT: Middle Easy)
Well, it was bound to happen. Ben Henderson finally snapped (albeit, as nicely as possible) after the week-long flood of criticism.
Wow, seems like a lot of ppl have a lot of stuff to say...somebody interview me so I can get some things off my chest...
— Benson Henderson (@SMOOTHone155) March 1, 2012
I have a lot to say but like saying things thought out first...you know, Think before you Speak...just my own humble opinion...
— Benson Henderson (@SMOOTHone155) March 1, 2012
THANK YOU!!!RT @HeathBTN: @Smoothone155 Funny how people think you dictate who you fight, you already said you are open to anybody.
— Benson Henderson (@SMOOTHone155) March 1, 2012
Australia really is a magical place.
One of my dreams just became a reality... twitter.com/JoeJitsu/statu…
— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) March 1, 2012
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Thursday, March 1, 2012):
- Bellator 66: Eddie Alvarez (22-3) vs. Shinya Aoki (30-5, 1 NC)
- UFC on FUEL 3: Dustin Poirier (12-1) vs. Chan Sung Jung (12-3) confirmed as main event, winner to "emerge as a challenger to the UFC 145-pound title"
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day goes to BE's Luke Nelson: On The Hunt, In The Mix: An In-Depth Evaluation of Mark Hunt vs. the UFC Heavyweight Top-Ten
1. Junior dos Santos
Strengths: Boxing, Speed. Dos Santos has destroyed everyone he's faced in the UFC, with only Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin managing to make it to the judges scorecards. I could be wrong but I don't believe that he has lost a round in the UFC. He has a devastating uppercut and closes distance like a heavyweight Georges St. Pierre.
Weaknesses: One dimensional. If you were to find a weakness, it would be that dos Santos has only shown that he can win a fight in one way: Punching his opponent in the face. Joe Rogan has been pleading for dos Santos to throw more leg kicks for as long as I can remember, but dos Santos seems content to simply blast away with uppercuts and hooks. He hasn't gone to the ground at any point when a fight hangs in the balance. He did take Shane Carwin down a couple of times but he had already beaten him to a pulp and the take downs were academic.
How would a fight against Hunt look: It's difficult to imagine that Hunt would be able to match the speed that dos Santos would bring. That being said, the fight would almost surely be fought on the feet and you could never count Hunt out of a stand up fight. We've yet to see how dos Santos responds to adversity, so Hunt would need to land early if he was going to have any chance of winning.
Found something entertaining, brutal, or bizarre you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just send it to @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.
Posted in: ufc, fight, hunt, fighter, do
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseK-O Canada: Penner, Kaufman & Davis
Notes & quotes from fighters from the Great White North. In this edition, three fighters competing on Zuffa cards this weekend.
Posted in: fighter, canada, note, penner, zuffa cards
Read the full article at sportsnet.caAt 70 years old, John Williams set the record for oldest MMA fighter ever. And he finished his opponent.
submitted by iluvurkidz [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, opponent, mma fighter, iluvurkidz, john williams
Read the full article at RedditFighters Predict Wild Finishes at UFC on FX 2
There’s going to be some wild finishes tomorrow night at UFC on FX 2 if these predictions come true.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fx, prediction, tomorrow night
Read the full article at MMA ConvertProgramming alert: Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 sneak preview airs TONIGHT (March 1) on FUEL TV
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) officials today announced "The Ultimate Fighter Live: The Preview," a 30-minute special airing TONIGHT (March 1, 2012) at 11:30 p.m. ET on FUEL TV, featuring a sneak peek at the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15.
TUF 15, which premiers LIVE on March 9 via the FX Channel, will feature 32 lightweight contestants vying for the coveted "six-figure contract" under the tutelage of bantamweight coaches (and division rivals) Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.
From UFC President Dana White:
"What we are doing this season with ‘The Ultimate Fighter Live' - it's never been done with television, with sports, with anything. Basically, the reality portions of the show that you're going to see will have been shot in the last two days, so everything is real time. The most incredible part of all this is that these fights are live, every Friday night. This is revolutionary television. The Ultimate Fighter' has become so popular because, in my opinion, it's the most relevant reality show on television. It's not some reality show where you see a bunch of weirdo's on a show for a few weeks and then it's over and you never see them again. These kids are coming in and competing to try and get into the UFC and hopefully become a world champion someday."
White will co-host tonight's preview show alongside UFC commentator Jon Anik. Also getting in on the action are Cruz and Faber, who will square off for "The Dominator's" title at UFC 148 on July 7, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
But the longtime rivals aren't doing anything in "Sin City" until they satisfy their coaching duties on TUF 15, beginning with the two-hour season premiere on March 9 and then one hour every Friday night (at 10 p.m. ET) for the following 13 weeks up until the June 1 live finale.
A video of what you can expect during this upcoming live season, after the jump.
The complete TUF 15 roster right here.
Posted in: ufc, show, fighter, tuf, march
Read the full article at MMA ManiaRampage Jackson Reveals He Started Testosterone Replacement Therapy Prior To UFC 144
It looks like we can add Rampage Jackson to the list of known fighters who are using testosterone replacement therapy.
In a post-UFC 144 interview with Fighters Only Magazine, Rampage Jackson revealed that he started taking injections of testosterone prior to UFC 144 when an “age-management” doctor discovered that his natural testosterone levels were low. The intention was to speed up the recovery of his knee but it also had several other unexpected, albeit positive effects on his body.
I almost pulled out (of UFC 144 with a knee injury) but then I went to see the doctor and he told me to talk to an age-management doctor. So I went and talked to them and they tested me and said my testosterone was low; they prescribed me testosterone, to bring my testosterone levels back up to levels where I can be like… so that I am the same as young people, like when I was 25, and it would help build my knee up. I hurt my knee like a month ago and I only did three shots of testosterone but it put a lot of weight on me, a lot of muscle on me but it healed me knee up good enough to where I could fight.
It was hard for me to train, it takes time to heal, I couldn’t do certain things, but this was my first time ever using testosterone. I took what the doctor prescribed to me and I went to the pharmacy… I gave myself small doses and that shit immediately changed me, that’s why I am saying now I am not going to retire. I am not gonna retire no time soon, its just unfortunate that I got this injury.
I started hitting it up pretty good, I still gotta take care of my knee but I feel like a 25 year old again. My sex life changed, I was back to five times a night like when I was 25, straight up. I got stronger, lifting weights. I was never good at lifting weights but I was doing everything, pull ups and stuff, everything with my top half. I gained a lot of weight but I gained a lot of water as well, I never knew about testosterone putting weight on you like that. I had to cut weight [for the fight] and I cut 22 pounds out of the 30 I needed to cut, I just couldn’t make the rest. I couldn’t make the rest.
TRT has definitely emerged as one of the more controversial topics in recent years. Athletic commissions have found it acceptable if the fighter truly needs it for natural reasons, however it also has a high potential for abuse that is rarely, if ever, simple to identify. No one ever really knows if fighters take it because their bodies just stopped producing testosterone naturally or if they abused steroids in the past and need it to bring their testosterone back up to normal levels. And in some cases, such as with Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt, questions emerge about whether fighters were using it for its performance-enhancing abilities when they test above normal thresholds.
It’s definitely a slippery-slope, but as far as Rampage is concerned, he’s not doing anything wrong whatsoever despite the fact that he enjoyed many obvious and immediate benefits from it.
Well to be honest with you I first learned about testosterone… I don’t know about health and drugs and stuff because I don’t really deal with it. I was never really big into it. So I was like ‘testosterone? No I’m not going to do that, that’s like steroids’ but then the doctor is like ‘no, steroids is stuff mixed with testosterone or other stuff, you can get steroids that do all types of things. Steroids for your cardio, for your muscles. Testosterone is all natural, its what your body produces.’
He was saying its like age management, it will turn back the clock and help heal you up. So I talked to my team and I really wanted to fight in Japan – coz you know I did all this stuff to fight in Japan and not in Chicago – and so I couldn’t give up and miss Japan. Everyone knows I love Japanese fans, they helped me become the fighter that I am, they gave me the energy and stuff. It was a hard decision but I was like ‘you know what, I am gonna do it. It will make me young and help me fight longer, which I want to.’
I keep it real, I am not doing anything wrong. Its legal and I am not abusing it and I am not going over certain levels. From what I learned about it, when I got tested my levels my levels were really low and the doctor was telling me that athletes can burn testosterone.
For the sake of argument, let’s assume that Rampage doesn’t need it due to any past steroid use (not suggesting he has used steroids before to be clear) and isn’t using it to gain an unfair advantage over his opponents. So taking his comments at face value, what Rampage is basically suggesting here is that he is now taking a substance that will allow him to feel younger and fight longer than he would without it due to a natural decline in testosterone.
And I’m not sure how I feel about that. On one hand, it allows him to extend his career and give us fans more years of entertainment than he would without it. But on the other, it is enhancing his performance even if it’s not enhancing it to a point to where it gives him an unfair advantage over his opposition (assuming his isn’t surpassing normal levels). So I don’t know, what do you think? Should it be okay to allow a fighter to extend his career via artificial means?
On a lighter note, Rampage also said that Joe Rogan talked to him “like a man” and they “squashed” their beef from last week. He also revealed that he makes music as a hobby, but liked this “hit” he just made so much he plans to release it to his fans.
Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting
Posted in: rampage, fighter, stuff, level, testosterone
Read the full article at MMA Convert'The Ultimate Fighter 15' preview shows debuts tonight on FUEL TV
A half-hour show previewing the upcoming live season of "The Ultimate Fighter" debuts tonight on FUEL TV.
"The Ultimate Fighter 15," which is the first season on FX and the first to feature live fights, begins next Friday, May 9.
Tonight's preview shows kicks off at 11:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. PT) with UFC president Dana White, host/broadcaster Jon Anik, and "TUF 15" coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.
Posted in: fighter, tv, preview, fuel tv, halfhour show
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC Continually Looking to Expand The Ultimate Fighter; Australia, India, Philippines Likely Next Destinations
With the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter beginning next Friday, and The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, the first season to take place outside of the United States, currently filming, the UFC has their sights set on the next international location.
Speaking at the UFC on FX 2 press conference in Sydney, UFC President Dana White appeased the local Australian crowd, mentioning that Australia (along with a few other countries) is at the top of their wish list.
“We’re working on it [a deal],” White explained. “India, Philippines, Australia are all next. It’s all about getting deals done, but I do not have a date for you yet.”
With the recent success in Brazil over the last year, the UFC decided to host the first international Ultimate Fighter there. Now with Australia hosting its third UFC event in three years, the interest seems to be there in order to host a full season in the upcoming years.
India and the Philippines, both countries the UFC has made a point to focus on for the future, have never hosted a UFC event. With the season finale for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil taking place in Brazil this June, and a similar finale in Australia expected if a season of The Ultimate Fighter is to take place, chances are an event will take place in both countries in the near future.
India is actually hosting its first major MMA event this month, with the country’s Super Fight League debuting March 11th at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai.
For complete coverage of both upcoming seasons of The Ultimate Fighter, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, ufc event, australia
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyCountdown To Ultimate Fighter Brazil
Wanderlei Silva gets you ready for the debut of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil in this sneak peek video.
Posted in: fighter, silva, brazil, peek, fighter brazil
Read the full article at Heavy MMAWho's your most exciting fighter to watch?
Not necessarily the best or most successful. Just someone you always enjoy watching. There are no right or wrong answers; I'm just interested in all kinds of different opinions. submitted by iluvurkidz [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: kind, fighter, someone, iluvurkidz, answers im
Read the full article at RedditThe financial punch of delaying fights
Larry Pugmire of the LA Times reported on the financial impact of delaying boxing matches due to injury. Its an interesting article that shows the differences between MMA and boxing when faced with injuries.
As most know, 2011 was a year wrought with injuries for the UFC. Zuffa had to shuffle around PPV lineups and make accommodations for fighters. Already this year, Mark Munoz had to pull out of his network televised co-main event against Chael Sonnen.
The LA Times article looks at the millions that are lost when the main event of a boxing card is scratched due to injury. Most of the time, even if the other boxer can go, the fight is scrapped altogether instead of finding a replacement fighter.
One of the more egregious examples of losing money due to a late scratch was promoter Gary Shaw, who purchased a Ferrari with the site fee advance for the Lennox Lewis-Kirk Johnson fight in 2003. When an injury postponed the fight, an alternative fee structure was offered.
Via LA Times:
Tim Leiweke, president of AEG and Staples Center, then scratched the $3.4-million site-fee payment to Shaw and offered a new deal in which the promoter would collect money based only on how many fight tickets could be sold for a different Lewis matchup.
The most recent example is the anticipated Victor Ortiz-Andre Berto fight which was postponed earlier in February due to an injury to Berto. The rematch has tentatively been pushed to June.
A repercussion of the postponement of a fight to a later date is the depletion of live gate due to the fact that fans that planned to attend the original date cannot make it to the rescheduled date. Pugmire’s piece points to the Andre Ward-Carl Froch fight which was postponed due to injury. Many British Fans of Froch could not make the rescheduled date in Atlantic City.
The article also states that delaying a PPV is a headache since a new date has to be approved by satellite and cable providers. This also has to be coordinated with the site of the fight. The trickle down effect continues as fighters on the undercard must agree to the new date to keep the card together. This can place a huge burden on undercard fighters who don’t make a lot as it is.
Payout Perspective:
Even if a main event is scrapped in the UFC, Dana White will find someone to replace the injured fighter and make sure that everyone agrees to the new fight. Also, ample time is given to hype most of the main card of the PPV. The UFC did cancel its Montreal PPV far in advance to ensure that it could bring the city a quality night of fights. As most of us know, big boxing PPVs are based solely on the main event matchup and rarely is the undercard hyped. As outlined in the article, a delay of a boxing card is a financial burden for the promoters, their staff and fight camps.
The huge fees to hold the cards and the reliance solely on one fight are big issues promoters will need to address if boxing is to turn itself around. As for the UFC, it may be unfair to compare the two business models considering the amount of control Zuffa has with its fighters. If you are not at the top of the card, you may not have a say as to who or when you will fight next. One need only look at Frankie Edgar as a fighter that may be directed into his next fight.
Posted in: fight, fighter, boxing, card, injury
Read the full article at MMA PayoutOn The Hunt, In The Mix: An In-Depth Evaluation Of Mark Hunt Vs The UFC Heavyweight Top Ten
(Warning: The following article is over 3000 words long.)
I knew very little about either Mark Hunt or his fighting career going into UFC 144. I knew that he was an aging Samoan heavyweight with an iron jaw and iron fists. I knew that he was a former Pride fighter and a former K-1 Kickboxing world champion but if you had asked me what year he won, or who he had defeated, I would have had to look it up.
I knew that Hunt was on a two fight win streak in the UFC and I knew that many fans were claiming that a third consecutive victory, over Cheick Kongo, would elevate him to contender status. I had a hard time reconciling this. After all, Hunt had most recently defeated Ben Rothwell in a pretty uninspiring performance, at least by my standards. Both men looked gassed by the time the third round rolled around, with Rothwell looking particularly out of shape. That Hunt had out-grappled Rothwell was the lone bright spot in the fight; Hunt had not shown much proficiency in the ground aspect of mixed martial arts competition, with all but one of his losses coming due to submission. His previous UFC victory was a knockout over Chris Tuscherer, who never really belonged in the UFC in the first place. So I found the talk of a title run to be extremely pre-mature, even if he could manage to earn a victory over Kongo.
Then I started doing some research. My first stop when learning about a fighter is to check out their record. I look for things like most used method of victory, number of times they've been knocked out, strength of scheduled, length of time between fights, etc. etc. Mark Hunt has a very interesting MMA record:
He is 8-7 overall, but is 3-1 in the UFC.
He entered the UFC on a five fight losing streak, surely the first and only time this will ever happen.
His first 10 fights included Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Cro Cop, Josh Barnett and Melvin Manhoef. He fought each man when they were at their absolute prime, save for perhaps Overeem. No one has, or will ever face that level of competition in their first 10 fights ever again. What's more, he was the man who brought an end to Wanderlei Silva's 20 fight Pride unbeaten streak, when Wanderlei was considered the best fighter in the world.
I also learned that Hunt was told by the UFC not to bother coming to fight for the organization when his contract was included in the deal that saw Zuffa purchase Pride Fighting Championships. So skeptical of his ability to compete that Dana was content to simply pay him the money on his contract, no questions asked, but no fights either. Hunt turned down the offer and demanded that he be allowed to earn his pay. It was an attitude that might seem typical of a fighter, but when you consider that he was on a five fight losing streak and would be entering an organization which was far more wrestling-centric than Pride, it would be understandable if Hunt had taken the president up on his offer.
I was intrigued, to say the least.
Then Hunt went out and absolutely destroyed Kongo in the first round, finishing what Pat Barry had started, in clinical fashion. He joked around with Ariel Helwani in his post fight interview, although he was very serious when he stated a desire for his next fight to be this weekend in Australia.
I was now sold on Hunt as a character, but wasn't yet on board with the idea that he was a legitimate heavyweight title contender. I wrote that a match-up with Mike Russow would be appropriate for Hunt, as Russow is on a nice little four fight win streak himself and has exactly the type of game that would vet Hunt's chances against the top of the division (a strong chin and solid wrestling).
Yet over the past few days, I've read in many places that Hunt is a contender right now. Could it really be? Even though I wasn't convinced, I set about to analyze every potential match-up for the "Super Samoan" on the road to the title, just to see if maybe I was wrong and everyone else was right.
See how Hunt stack's up against the UFC's current top 10 heavyweights following the jump.
1. Junior dos SantosStrengths: Boxing, Speed. Dos Santos has destroyed everyone he's faced in the UFC, with only Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin managing to make it to the judges scorecards. I could be wrong but I don't believe that he has lost a round in the UFC. He has a devastating uppercut and closes distance like a heavyweight Georges St. Pierre.Weaknesses: One dimensional. If you were to find a weakness, it would be that dos Santos has only shown that he can win a fight in one way: Punching his opponent in the face. Joe Rogan has been pleading for dos Santos to throw more leg kicks for as long as I can remember, but dos Santos seems content to simply blast away with uppercuts and hooks. He hasn't gone to the ground at any point when a fight hangs in the balance. He did take Shane Carwin down a couple of times but he had already beaten him to a pulp and the take downs were academic.How would a fight against Hunt look: It's difficult to imagine that Hunt would be able to match the speed that dos Santos would bring. That being said, the fight would almost surely be fought on the feet and you could never count Hunt out of a stand up fight. We've yet to see how dos Santos responds to adversity, so Hunt would need to land early if he was going to have any chance of winning.
2. Alistair Overeem
Strengths: Offensive Kickboxing, Striking defense, Take down defense, Guillotine Choke. Overeem is the defending K-1 World Grand Prix champion, having won the title 10 years after Hunt. He is a powerful and accurate puncher, he has beautiful knees in and out of the clinch and can throw all the kicks in the book. After being knocked out a handful of times early in his career he dramatically improved his defense, using his massive arms and shoulders to cover up when he is being attacked. He also possesses an underrated ground game, having won eight fights by guillotine and 19 overall by submission.Weaknesses: Chin, Cardio. While his striking defense is top notch, it really has to be, as he has been stopped by TKO or KO 9 times throughout his MMA and kickboxing career. He put on a large amount of weight when he made the transition from light heavyweight to heavyweight some five years ago and while he has only been to a decision once since, against Fabricio Werdum, he looked noticably tired in the third round of a fairly lacklustre fight.How would a fight against Hunt look: Overeem and Hunt have already met up once, with Alistair taking the fight to the ground and securing a keylock submission in just 71 seconds. A second match-up would probably be much of the same; I consider Overeem one of the smartest fighters in the world and even though he might beat Hunt in a striking battle, he wouldn't chance it.3. Cain VelasquezStrengths: Wrestling, Cardio, Offensive Kickboxing, Efficiency. A former champion, Velasquez used his excellent wrestling and all-world cardio to get to and win the title. He has excellent technique in all phases of the sport, wasting little in terms of movement and energy to accomplish what he wants to.Weaknesses: Defensive Kickboxing, Chin. It's kind of difficult to say that Velasquez has any weaknesses, as his only loss came in 64 seconds to Dos Santos in the last heavyweight championship fight. Velasquez started the fight out landing a handful of leg kicks before being dropped by an overhand right on the temple and quickly finished. Dos Santos is a face melter, so it's tough to say Cain has a weak chin based just on that brief encounter. However, he was also dropped multiple times in his win over Cheick Kongo, so it's fair to start asking if his chin is going to hold up. Hand in hand with that goes his proclivity to absorb blows in order to land his own. No one really talks much about it, but he was trading with Brock Lesnar pretty evenly before he was able to get Lesnar down and take the fight over.How would a fight against Hunt look: Especially after Dana White criticized him for not shooting on Dos Santos, Velasquez wouldn't likely bother trying to engage in any kind of kickboxing match with Hunt. He'd take him down. Velasquez has never submitted anyone, preferring to simply grind his opponents out, and he'd likely do so to Hunt.
4. Frank MirStrengths: Submission grappling. Frank would be quite annoyed to see that I consider him a one-dimensional fighter, but realistically he is just that. He is an outstanding submission fighter though and holds the distinction of being the only man to submit Big Nog, Lesnar and Kongo.Weaknesses: Striking defense. While not being particularly amazing in any one area but submissions can seem like a negative, Mir has good skills in just about every other facet of the game but one, which is his maddening tendency to absorb punches without attempting to maneuver out of bad situations. Lesnar finished him this way, as did Shane Carwin. Both guys have big power to be sure, but Mir seemed unfazed by the blows being landed on him until it was far too late. He was also losing the stand up portion of his last fight with Big Nog quite handily.How would a fight against Hunt look: Mir's wrestling was good enough to get Roy Nelson to the mat repeatedly and if he were to get Hunt down, he'd tap him out for sure. I just don't have enough faith in Hunt's ability to keep the fight standing.5. Fabricio WerdumStrengths: Submission grappling, volume striking. Werdum made a successful return to the UFC with a win over Roy Nelson at UFC 143, after spending three years fighting for Strikeforce. He is widely considered to have the most dangerous guard in the heavyweight division and he is the only man to have submitted Fedor Emelianenko. He has worked very hard on his striking game, having put in a good performance in the stand up portion of his fight against Overeem. He doesn't have one punch power but has a good work rate and is accurate with his strikes.Weaknesses: Wrestling. While he did look good on the feet against Overeem, he also failed miserably to get the fight to the mat, resorting to butt flopping a ridiculous number of times. It seems that he decided it would be more beneficial to improve on his striking rather than his take down ability, which I think is pretty questionable, as he is just not powerful enough to strike with the best in the world at this weight.How would a fight against Hunt look: Hunt has a great chance of beating Werdum. While Werdum is arguably the most dangerous of the submission fighters on the list, he also has the worst take downs, and if Hunt could keep the fight on it's feet for a few minutes, he'd likely land a telling blow.6. Shane CarwinStrengths: Power, Defensive Wrestling. I say defensive wrestling because Carwin was able to shuck Brock Lesnar off him early in their championship fight. We haven't really seen him use his wrestling in an offensive way, although he showed some good clinch work against Frank Mir. As for power, Carwin rivals Hunt in his ability to end fights with one punch.Weaknesses: Power, Cardio. Joe Rogan famously said that "Leonard Garcia had so much power that it was almost a curse". While the statement was ridiculous to make about Leonard, it actually applies perfectly to Carwin, who had 12 straight first round stoppages before facing Lesnar. He had the champ hurt and emptied his gas tank in the first round, believing (understandably) that he would get the stoppage. When he didn't, he was easily taken down and submitted in the second round. Against Dos Santos he simply could not match the younger man's speed and should have tried to take the fight to the mat relentlessly. Instead, he tried to land a knock out blow and ended up taking an epic beating for his questionable game plan.How would a fight against Hunt look: Another fight that looks favorable to Hunt, as he can match Carwin in the power department and far exceeds him in the technicality of his attack. As with all the fighters on this list, the threat of the take down looms large, but with a guy as powerful as Carwin, you have to wonder if he'd go that route, especially if he didn't find success with it early.7. Big NogStrengths: Submission Grappling, Boxing, Heart, Experience. One of the great heavyweights of all time, Nogueira really needs no introduction. He isn't the fighter that he once was, having been slowed by injuries, but he was enjoying a bit of a renaissance, knocking out Brendan Schaub and taking it to Mir right up until the moment wMir submitted him at UFC 141.Weaknesses: Speed, Chin. Nogueira wasn't particularly quick to begin with, and as I mentioned above, his movement has really suffered in the last few years. In his Pride days, he fought with a bad style for longevity, taking an awful lot of damage in order to latch on to a submission. He has been stopped by Velasquez and Mir in the UFC and if and when he does return to the ring, his chin will be a concern.How would a fight against Hunt look: I think Hunt would take this fight as well. Nogueira has never exactly been known for his wrestling skills and having slowed down as much as he has, Hunt would likely be able to manuever away from Nogueira until he was able to catch him. Hunt would have to be smart about finishing the bout, as Nogueira is always dangerous on the mat, no matter how badly hurt he is. Hunt is smart enough to do so, making this fight extremely winnable.
8. Antonio SilvaStrengths: Size, Well Rounded-ness, Ground Striking. There really isn't any one aspect of the sport that Big Foot excels at, although he is very solid in all areas. He's quite big, cutting down from around 280 pounds. He has decent striking, good offensive wrestling and is an excellent top control grappler due to his large frame. His best work is done from the mount position, as he showed most recently against Mike Kyle and Fedor.Weaknesses: Chin, Striking defense. Unfortunately for Silva, he has a very big chin. While you might think that is good for absorbing blows, in the heavyweight division where most guys have extreme power, it has served as more of a target for good strikers. He was rocked and nearly finished by Kyle before he came back and knocked him out. Daniel Cormier caught him with the same punch that Kyle did, and Big Foot never recovered from that one.How would a fight against Hunt look: If this is starting to sound like a broken record, well, that's because there is a clear path to victory for Hunt against almost every one of these guys: Keep it on the feet, knock them out. Silva is good and quick enough to get Hunt to the ground, making this the second worst match-up for him behind Velasquez. Truth be told, I think this fight would end pretty badly for Hunt.9. Cheick KongoThe guy that Hunt just beat, there is really no need to review him. I simply have left him here for perspective on where Hunt might sit in the division.10. Brendan SchaubStrengths: Athleticism, Power,Offensive boxing. Schaub had a cup of coffee in the NFL and has translated his athletic skills over to the boxing aspect of MMA striking quite well, using a very effective jab and straight punches on his way to four straight wins over the likes of Gabriel Gonzaga and Cro Cop.Weaknessess: Striking defense. Schaub hasn't shown too much in the way of well rounded-ness, and that was a problem for him against Roy Nelson and Big Nog, who were able to adjust to his jab and land knock out blows. It'll continue to be a problem for him in the future I honestly don't like his chances of being anything more than a gate-keeper to the upper levels of the division.How would a fight against Hunt look: Schaub did get Mirko Cro Cop to the mat a handful of times when he met up with the legendary K-1 striker, but he didn't look particularly effective and the Cro Cop he faced was but a mere shell of his former self. As I mentioned above, his striking defense has a ton of holes in it that Hunt could exploit. His athleticism might be the determining factor in this fight and I'd like to see how he does against Ben Rothwell to get an idea of his chances against Hunt.
SUMMARY
So there you have it. By my count four out of the nine fighters on the list could pretty clearly get Mark Hunt to the mat and either tap him out or dominate him with ground striking: Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir and Big Foot Silva. Four of the other five fighters in the heavyweight top ten would be in tough, having a clear disadvantage on the feet and not being particularly well versed in getting the fight to the ground. The lone fighter who would be on equal footing in the stand up game is the current champion, Junior Dos Santos.
So is Mark Hunt a contender? Well, it seems that it isn't quite as far fetched as I thought it was just a few days ago.
If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading.
Posted in: ufc, fight, hunt, fighter, heavyweight
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendAustralia, India and the Philippines next for 'The Ultimate Fighter,' White says
With the first live season of "The Ultimate Fighter" kicking off next week in the U.S. and the first international edition of the reality series currently in production in Brazil, the focus now turns to new locales.
Up next?
Australia, India and the Philippines, UFC president Dana White said today in Sydney.
Posted in: fighter, reality series, australia, india, australia india
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC on FX 2: ‘Alves vs. Kampmann’ Preview
For the second time in just over a year, the UFC returns to Australia for UFC on FX 2: “Alves vs. Kampmann” – which is crazy, because I haven’t even sought out Australia on the map that many times, so for Zuffa to fly the whole traveling circus to that distant locale is like quite the endeavor times ten. Anyway, as the name implies, the four-bout main card is airing live on the FX channel. Meanwhile, the prelims are airing on Fuel TV – which I still don’t get – but according to my channel guide, they’re airing concurrently on FOX Deportes – which I do get. As such, I will cut out the preamble and get right to the preview, because, you know, that’s a lot of fights to write about.
FX card:
-Thiago Alves vs. Martin Kampmann – When last we saw Alves, the Brazilian striker and former welterweight top contender was smoking a hopelessly outgunned Papy Abedi at UFC 138, with Abedi playing the welcomed role of softball in a game Alves has been steadily losing since Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch hugged the fighting spirit right out of him. But lo! Dangerous Dane Kampmann is no hugger! He’s a pleasingly well-rounded fellow more than willing to slug it out when he should be grappling, and grapple when he should be slugging it out. Therefore, what we’re likely to get in this marquee matchup is fun – fun of the striking variety, fun of the impending TKO variety, fun of the “non-hugging” variety. As for who will emerge victorious, that depends on if Alves is in shape and able to make weight. If all is good on the scale for him, he has the firepower to put Kampmann away; if the 170-pound weight limit is nothing more than a bad joke for the Brazilian, well, the battle has already been lost in his own mind before the fighters have even entered the cage.
-Joseph Benavidez vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani – The flyweights are upon us! Hide your women! UFC on FX 2 will see the opening bracket of the UFC’s four-man 125-pound tournament, which will theoretically crown a champ, make some stars, and give the general public an inkling of what’s in store now that the littlest fighters can step to the plate. First up: top bantamweight contender and Team Alpha Male micro-wrestler Benavidez against Shooto champ Urushitani. Urushitani has been in the fire for about eleven years and has proven to be a man of decent striking ability and strong endurance, but he’s got a tall order before him in Benavidez, who lost a split decision to UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz back in 2010 yet is otherwise a takedown- and transition-dynamo. I see the American grounding out the decision, despite Benavidez really being unable to hurt Urushitani in all three rounds.
-Ian McCall vs. Demetrious Johnson – We all saw Johnson try and fail against bantamweight king Cruz. What might be forgotten, however, is the fact that Johnson was – and still is – a kind of human whirlwind who can mix dangerous subs with dangerous strikes in very fluid fashion. Too bad his move down to the flyweight division means he has to face McCall, who, thanks to Tachi Palace Fights’ love for the 125-pounders, has established himself as the best at that weight. Which isn’t to say Johnson can’t win. He can. It’s just that when it comes to one fighter wearing the other one down and capitalizing, it’s likely going to be “Uncle Creepy” who finishes “Mighty Mouse” when the battle rages into later rounds.
-Court McGee vs. Costa Philippou – Since winning TUF 11, McGee has been fed some easy fights against guys that play right into his ever-improving standup game. Philippou will mark the first time that McGee faces someone in the Octagon who can actually punch his head off. And yeah, that’s pretty much what will happen. You see, Philippou has got some of the most dangerous hands in the middleweight division – dangerous both in terms of power and accuracy – and McGee’s usual modus operandi of eating a few punches before ratcheting up the heat is only going to serve to get him killed. This one is ending abruptly, via TKO, and Philippou is getting his hand raised at the end.
Fuel TV/FOX Deportes card:
-James Te Huna vs. Aaron Rosa – As hard-hitting New Zealanders go, Te Huna is probably one of the best. I know, I know, that’s not saying much given New Zealand’s contributions to the MMA world. But when it comes to taking on the slimmed-down Rosa, that’s enough to ensure that the local-ish guy is getting the knockout over the American.
-Anthony Perosh vs. Nick Penner – Being a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is no guarantee you’re going to look good in the cage. Take, for instance, Aussie Perosh, who may have submitted Cyrille Diabate at UFC 138, but didn’t win over many hearts and minds in the process. With promotional newcomer Penner, Perosh gets a second shot at making a strong first impression. Why? Because the Canadian Penner’s biggest win to date was a sub against Butterbean, and that was back in 2007. Perosh is having “a stellar performance” practically handed to him. Dude better make the most of it.
-Cole Miller vs. Steven Siler – To get onto the last season of TUF, Siler defeated an ill Micah Miller. Uh oh, here comes Micah’s brother Cole, who’s got more than enough jiu-jitsu to tie Siler in a knot and leave him requiring a chiropractor right there on the Octagon floor. Watch for Miller to avenge his brother via sub. Hard.
-Andrew Craig vs. Kyle Noke – Noke is an ex-TUFer, a salty veteran, and one of Australia’s better fighters. Craig seems pretty game, and won a regional belt courtesy of the Legacy Fighting Championship (that’s in Texas for all you “big-picture only” types), but the dude is being fed to Noke to make sure that Team Aussie gets at least one win for the night. Seriously, Noke’s just got too much experience and ability in all areas. Craig is going down.
-TJ Waldburger vs. Jake Hecht – Waldburger is a brown belt in jiu-jitsu. That’s all you need to know about him. In his promotional debut, Hecht sprawled against the cage when Rich Attonito tried to take him down, and then he elbowed Attonito senseless. Bottom line: if Waldburger finds himself under Hecht, it’s getting ugly. Hecht via TKO.
-Mackens Semerzier vs. Daniel Pineda – Despite possessing one of the best first names ever, Semerzier has some serious peaks and valleys on his record. He shocked the world by submitting Wagnney Fabiano in the WEC, lost his next three in the promotion, went on to tap out Alex Caceres when the WEC became the UFC, and needed an inadvertent headbutt to outlast Robbie Peralta when the two had a striking battle. Therefore, Pineda, an experienced regional fighter out of Texas, should be a good gauge as to where Semerzier belongs. If he loses to the kickboxer/submission fighter hybrid, Semerzier needs to be given the boot; if he wins, he should stay. My gut tells me Semerzier can pull it off, but who knows.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ’t, vs, alve
Read the full article at MMA ConvertIan McCall: “We’re going in there and we are going to try to take each others’ heads off!”
Much has been made recently of Ian McCall’s struggles with addiction and how he overdosed only to receive a second chance at life. He has certainly made the most of his gift as he is the #1 ranked flyweight in the world and is preparing to make his UFC debut in the organization’s flyweight tournament, set to start this Friday night in Australia. McCall faces Demetrius Johnson in one bout while Joseph Benavidezl takes on Yasuhiro Urushitani. The two winners will then mix it up later in the year for the right to be crowned the UFC’s first flyweight champ.
“Uncle Creepy”, as he is affectionately known, is currently on a four-fight winning streak including a victory over Jussier da Silva in February of 2011 under the Tachi Palace Fights banner. At the time Da Silva was considered by countless fans and pundits as the top 125-pound fighter in the world. A win over Dustin Ortiz just three months later earned McCall a shot at the TPF flyweight belt against Darrell Montague. Once again McCall made the most of his opportunity and walked away the new champion by choking Montague out in the third round.
Now that the UFC has added the 125-pound division, the 11-2 McCall can finally showcase his talents and unorthodox look in front of millions of MMA fans. A man like McCall shouldn’t be kept under wraps. His story is inspiring, his talents are plentiful, and his personality is charismatic and engaging. When Court McGee won The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 fans really took to his story given all of the trial and tribulations he went through as he battled addiction. As such, there is no reason to believe the fans won’t attach themselves to McCall in the same fashion.
With just a few days before the biggest fight of his career McCall is able to head to Australia feeling confident. He has a strong support group both in and out of the cage and a clear head that will allow him to focus on the task at hand. Many fighters are quick to point out that surrounding yourself with the right people is one of the most important aspects of the sport. For McCall, he has made sure to apply that philosophy into his personal life as well. Now that he is UFC bound, McCall knows it’s time to ramp his game up and be prepared for anything.
“My coaches have me really focusing on my wrestling right now,” McCall said in an exclusive interview with Five Ounces of Pain. “I don’t suck at wrestling, but now that I’m in the UFC and will be facing opponents like ‘Mighty Mouse’ and Benavidez I know I need to work on that aspect of my game. We’ve brought in some guys to help me out and I’m a big believer in that I always have room to learn and we’ve been doing just that. I’ve been trying to improve my Jiu-Jitsu and work towards getting my blackbelt.”
One advantage that McCall and Urushitani may have over Benavidez and Johnson is that they have been fighting at flyweight for awhile now. Although the ten pounds doesn’t seem like it would be that difficult to cut when you are as lean as these fighters are to begin with, cutting any amount of weight, especially for the first time, could provide an edge to the those already accustomed to the process.
“I think Benavidez will have a more difficult time that Johnson because Demetrius isn’t that big,” McCall explained. “I don’t think the cut will be that hard for him even though he hasn’t done it in awhile. I think he’ll be fine. Joe is a little bigger, but he’s an intelligent guy and I’m sure both fighters will get the weight cut down without any problems.”
Although he has to get passed Johnson first and that is where his focus should and will be, there has to be a tiny part of him that is thinking about who he may fight in the finals. Benavidez has fought a lot of top guys over the past few years including Cruz twice so McCall has been able to keep up with his career. It’s not as easy when it comes to following Urushitani, but McCall seems to have a winner of that bout in mind already.
“Joseph is a bad, bad man,” McCall explained. “Quite simply he goes out there and he f*cks people up. I think that the Japanese fighters have a hard time with fighters like Benavidez. Not to take away from them, especially Urushitani who has beaten a lot of good fighters, but I think Benavidez will be able to finish. Still, you never know since the Japanese fighters are real tough and sneaky. I think Urushitani has a tougher fight than I do as far as styles are concerned.”
Since the UFC created the flyweight division there has been a lot of talk about what other fighters are going to be brought into the UFC. There are certainly a lot of talented guys competing in Tachi Palace, Japan and Brazil for the UFC to go out and sign. McCall offered his own opinion on who he feels would be successful in the UFC.
“Without a doubt Jussier da Silva,” McCall said confidently. “He just keeps getting better and better each and every time out. The win he had over Mamoru Yamaguchi is a feat in and of itself. I think they will sign Mamoru because he is who he is. I know there are a few other Brazilian guys, plus guys like Dustin Ortiz and Darrell Montague who are fighting in TFC. John Dodson is a stud – he’s a badass. Some people may not like him because of his time on TUF, but he’s a great fighter.”
Now that the flyweights are here they can finally begin to receive the recognition and the salaries they deserve. As we have witnessed with the additions of the bantamweight and featherweight divisions in the UFC, fans are quick to accept and embrace these smaller fighters. For many of them it’s been a long time coming taking fights in the middle of nowhere for very little pay. Now it’s their time to shine and McCall is promising the fans they won’t be disappointed.
“Everyone fighting at 135 and 145 has paved the way for us,” McCall said appreciatively. “Look at the fights they have been putting on. They have great champions like Dominick Cruz and Jose Aldo. Then you have fighters like Urijah Faber and Mark Hominick who are consistently putting on great fights. When have you seen a boring fight in the UFC in either one of those two divisions? Even their slowest fights are more exciting than a lot of the fights in the bigger weight classes. We have so much energy and don’t need to conserve it. We have fought so hard to get to where we are at we aren’t going to do anything to jeopardize our position. We’re going in there and we are going to try to take each others’ heads off!”
Fans can tune in to watch McCall battle Johnson when the main UFC on FX 2 broadcast starts at 9:00 PM EST with prelims on Facebook/Fuel starting a few hours earlier. The night’s headliner features widely respected welterweights Martin Kampmann-Thiago Alves doing battle in hopes of moving one step closer to a divisional title-shot.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, ’t, mccall
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC On FX 2: Introducing UFC Flyweight Yasuhiro Urushitani
This Friday's UFC on FX 2 introduces the Flyweight division to the UFC with a pair of title eliminator fights. UFC fighters Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson make up two of the participants, but the remaining two are names who UFC fans be not be familiar with. Yesterday, I profiled Ian McCall. Today here's a look at Benevidez's opponent - Yasuhiro Urushitani.
At 35 years old and with 10 years and nearly 30 fights worth of experience, Urushitani is the veteran of this tournament. But despite this experience, this will be the first time Urushitani has ever fought outside of either Japan or South Korea. The vast majority of his fights have come in Japan's Shooto organization - a long-time home for fights in the lowest weight classes. Urushitani debuted for Shooto in 2001. Over the years, he has faced Japan's top names in the division, including "BJ" Shinichi Kojima and Mamoru Yamaguchi. He also holds a win over TUF champion John Dodson. His time in Shooto accounts for all the draws in his record (19-4-6) as the draw is a common judges' decision there.
After establishing himself as a fighter always near the top, Urushitani went on a strong 5-0 run starting in late 2008 that put him as the elite fighter in his division in Japan. During that run, he won the Shooto Bantamweight title (for Shooto, this is the Flyweight equivalent with a 123 pound limit) and defending it. Known more for decisions than his finishing power, Urushitani has scored 3 finishes in these 5 wins. His last fight was a successful title defense last July.
Of the four Flyweight tournament fighters, Urushitani is the most focused on a single discipline. He is, by a significant margin, a striker. It's rare that he goes to the ground or uses any kind of grappling, unless it's to block an opponent's takedown attempt. This provides an interesting aspect to the tournament, as on the one hand, he is very accomplished in his striking, but on the other, he may not be as comfortable outside of that area.
More analysis, plus fight footage, in the full entry.
SBN coverage of UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann
As a striker, Urushitani is more of a counter-striker. He tends to start slow in fights, feeling out his opponents for the first few minutes. He'll then begin to increase his output, usually with his hands as the primary weapon. He's fast with those hands, and will almost always respond to an opponent's strike with a counter-punch of his own. One thing I really like about his style is that unlike some counter-fighters, he doesn't demand that the fight come to him. Urushitani is happy to push the action forward and go on the offense, but still counter as he is coming forward. That ability to both move ahead while slipping punches and countering is a great skill that he employs well.
Still, there are some criticisms of his style. In the past, his striking has been a bit too repetitive. He has a relatively small arsenal of punches he employs, and so could become predictable in fights. Lately, he has improved on this by mixing in more kicks.
A few other random observations on his striking: Urushitani is a southpaw and has a nice lead cross, which is a great punch for a southpaw fighter. He's good at using angles to get an advantageous position in an exchange. He seems to have a goal of landing last in exchanges, which works well for him. On the minus side, he loves the quick jumping knee, and frequently uses it, though does not have much success with it.
Overall, I would characterize him as a crafty striker with excellent fundamentals and very good hands. The big question mark for him is has he expanded his game to include all facets of MMA? Joseph Benavidez is a perfect opponent to try and answer this question. If the answer is no, then he may find himself struggling to find a permanent home in the UFC Flyweight division.
Urushitani (red trunks) vs. Takuya Mori November 19, 2010
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, shooto, urushitani
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDakota Cochrane's Inclusion in 'Ultimate Fighter' Cast Shows UFC, MMA at Its Best
There’s a good chance that Dakota Cochrane won’t amount to anything special. That’s no knock on him or his fighting skills. I’m just playing the odds, here. History tells us that in any field of Ultimate Fighter contestants, there’s rarely more than a handful that make it into the UFC and stay there for any length of time. The rest end up as answers to trivia questions, maybe the occasional ‘Whatever happened to...’ thread on the Underground Forum, or else are purged forever from the collective MMA consciousness.Cochrane, who’s 11-2 as a pro and coming into the show on a loss, may very well end up being one of those forgotten fighters. But what matters right now isn’t so much what he might or might not become, but that he’s getting the chance. The UFC is giving him an opportunity that a lot of other organizations might not, and it’s doing so with total awareness of what it might be getting itself into.
In case you haven’t heard by now, Cochrane’s work history includes a stint he’d rather forget in the gay porn industry. The 25-year-old fighter isn’t gay, as he told MMA Fighting’s Mike Chiappetta, but as a college student with "money issues" he made a decision he now says he regrets, and ended up with a well-documented past he may never fully shake. But then, it’s not as if he’s trying to fool anyone. Cochrane has been open and honest about his history with promoters and potential opponents, even when it cost him. Officials from both FX and the UFC confirmed to MMA Fighting this week that they knew when they selected him for the show that he’d done gay porn. Where a lot of organizations might have looked at Cochrane and been unable to see past the inevitable PR storm, the UFC saw just another aspiring fighter who might become a superstar or might become nothing at all, and it treated him accordingly.It’s a small act, but a courageous one. Not only did the UFC not turn Cochrane down for the show, it also didn’t make a big deal about accepting him. It didn’t try to avoid the publicity or exploit it, which is actually sort of amazing when you think about it. It’s also not without some risks.Many of us have wondered when and how the UFC and its fans would deal with having a gay fighter on the roster. Cochrane isn’t gay, but simply played the role for cash, which is a distinction that could easily be lost on some people. If he manages to fight his way into the house, how will his new roommates react to his past? How will fans? How will existing UFC fighters?The answers depend who you ask, but it might surprise some people to learn that many in the MMA business are more open-minded than they’d expect. As UFC flyweight Joe Benavidez said when I spoke with him this week: "I believe everyone’s an individual. I’m not one to judge anyone. If he’s done gay porn, he’s done gay porn. You’re still going to fight him."It makes you wonder, would NFL players be so welcoming and non-judgmental? Would the NBA open its arms to a player with a resume like Cochrane’s? Maybe not, but maybe it’s because those sports don’t know what it’s like to battle public perception the way the UFC does. Maybe something about dealing with closed-minded critics of your own (how many articles have we read lambasting this no-holds-barred, barbaric cage-fighting stuff in the past decade?) makes you more sympathetic to the struggles of others.Of course there will be those who don’t agree with the UFC’s decision to put a former gay porn actor on its long-running cable TV reality show. Expect all the usual hand-wringing about role models and Google searches and uncomfortable conversations that no one wants to have with their kids.But over the course of that discussion, let’s not forget what the UFC has really done here. It’s taken a chance and invited some criticism, both from those who think it isn’t family-friendly entertainment to begin with and from those who think the sport is nothing but sweaty dudes rolling around on top of each other, and it’s done so for the best possible reason. The UFC could have taken the path of least resistance, or it could have used this as a publicity ploy. It did neither. It took a field of aspiring fighters and evaluated them based on ability rather than PR concerns. It gave them all the same chance to become somebody or nobody, knowing full well that even if Cochrane reached Anderson Silva levels of dominance, he’d still never completely outrun his past in many people’s eyes. In other words, it did exactly what we’d hope it would do in a situation like this, which is judge people on merit rather than prejudice. Whether Cochrane becomes a star or an MMA footnote, what matters most is that he was given the opportunity to decide his own future regardless of what anyone might think about his past. It’s what should make us proud to be fans of this sport, and of this organization.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, cochrane, itrsquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseStrikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey Highlights Video
Get geared up for Friday's Strikeforce card in Columbus, Ohio, with these highlights of main event bantamweight title fighters Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, tate, rousey, columbus ohio
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUltimate Fighter Contestant Dakota Cochrane Discusses Gay Porn Past, Says UFC Fully Aware Of History
Yesterday we touched on the history of Dakota Cochrane, a contestant on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. Cochrane had participated in gay pornography in his younger days and as more sites picked up the story, it became clear that the situation was going to have to be addressed by Dakota and the UFC.
MMA Fighting caught up with him and got clarification on a few points. First of all, he touches on the decision he made in his younger days:
"It's definitely a decision I regret," he told MMA Fighting. "If I would have known what would happen I definitely wouldn't have done it. But I had money issues and I needed help. I went there to do pictures, and they started throwing pretty high numbers in front of me. I didn't really think. It was a big mistake."
...
The 25-year-old Cochrane, who is not gay, says he earned around $80,000 overall from taping the videos, which he made while a college student at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, where he was an all-league track athlete as a pole vaulter and 4x100 meter relay runner...Finally, when he admitted to his girlfriend Lacey Sechtem what he was doing, she asked him to stop, and the short-lived career was over.
More after the jump...
Cochrane also made it clear that the UFC was made fully aware of the situation on his Ultimate Fighter audition tape:
But no matter the size of the mistake, it was one he made no effort to escape on the eve of his biggest opportunity. On his audition tape for TUF, he included an introduction that mentioned all about his past. Everything.
"I think it's a little bit courageous for both of us," he said of the UFC's decision to include him on the show. "I could just hide in a hole and no one would know except for the people close to me. And to them, I was up front. I let them know right away so it wasn't anything that could come back and bite them in the butt. I think maybe they respected that a little bit. I think some people judge against it, some people will be OK with it. Some people will want me to get my butt kicked, and hopefully others will respect what I'm trying to do."
Cochrane is a legit fighter, one with a very good shot at winning this season of TUF. While I don't think that his having done gay porn is, in itself, a huge story. I do think we're going to learn a lot about the UFC as an organization if he is kept around after the season.
It is almost a certainty that a future opponent attempt to use this against him during the build up to a fight. How the UFC responds to a fighter taking shots at him for "being a fag" (even though he isn't gay) or something along those lines is going to be very interesting.
The different possibilities where we're going to see the maturity of the organization is what makes this a truly compelling situation.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, people, cochrane, dakota
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSlice to host debut of Spike’s “Ultimate Fighter Fridays”
Kimbo Slice will host the premiere of Spike TV’s Ultimate Fighter Fridays which will show the best of the 14 seasons of The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV. Spike TV hopes to counterprogram FX’s TUF and Bellator by utilizing the former TUF 10 competitor.
Via Spike TV press release:
Kimbo will discuss never-before-revealed details of his experiences on the show and provide insight into what went on when the cameras weren’t rolling during the filming of the “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.” Season 10 was the highest-rated of all the 14 seasons on Spike, delivering an average of 3.4 million viewers per week.
Every week, “The Ultimate Fighter Fridays” will feature the greatest episodes from the 14 seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter.” From Rashad Evans to Matt Serra, from Forrest Griffin to Kimbo Slice, “The Ultimate Fighter Fridays” on Spike TV will showcase all the incredible knockouts, unbelievable submissions, and tense drama from the hit Spike series. The network will air special-themed editions of “The Ultimate Fighter Fridays” with input from fans. To get their voices heard, fans can follow Spike on Facebook and Twitter to share what episodes they’d like to see.
Ultimate Fighter Fridays begin March 9th. Slice will host a night featuring Heavyweights from past TUF episodes.
Payout Perspective:
While some may not appreciate the counterprogramming tactics, Spike TV is taking advantage of the opportunity to utilize the UFC library. Having Kimbo Slice host the debut is another good move. Despite not being an ultimate fighter, Slice is a ratings grabber. Season 10 was one of the highest rated seasons in TUF history due to Slice. His May 2008 fight with James Thompson (remember the ear explosion) on CBS scored 1 million more viewers than UFC on Fox 1. Its a good way for Spike to kick off its Friday series.
Posted in: fighter, tv, spike, slice, friday
Read the full article at MMA PayoutSpike To Counterprogram TUF 15 Premiere With Show Hosted By Kimbo Slice
Spike has been doing their best to counterprogram UFC stuff on FX and Fuel for a while now, and they're apparently not about to stop anytime soon. They sent out a press release today to announce a new show that will air on Friday nights at the same time as The Ultimate Fighter 15 airs on FX. And the host is someone you might remember - Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson:
Kimbo Slice, the wildly popular cast member from Season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter" will serve as host for the premiere installment of Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" programming block debuting on Friday, March 9 (9:00 PM - Midnight ET/PT). Kimbo will discuss never-before-revealed details of his experiences on the show and provide insight into what went on when the cameras weren't rolling during the filming of the "The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights." Season 10 was the highest-rated of all the 14 seasons on Spike, delivering an average of 3.4 million viewers per week.
Kimbo's only going to be around for one week, then they promise to insert the "greatest episodes from the 14 seasons" of TUF in the slot afterwards. Of course, TUF 15 is going to have live fights for the premiere and each episode after, so it's going to be tough going for Spike. But, they've got that library, they might as well use it I guess.
Posted in: fighter, season, spike, kimbo, ufc stuff
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAsian MMA Update: SFL Signs Duffee, Prangley, Kelly And Agaev, Tuck Makes TUF House, Lenne Hardt To ONE FC
There's a lot of news coming out of the Asian MMA scene, with the biggest coming from India's Super Fight League.
I haven't been a fan of the promotion's moves and gimmicks, nor was I interested in seeing guys like Jimmy Ambriz, Bob Sapp and James Thompson headlining their first card. To be fair though, their next events will probably take a huge step up in quality as the promotion just announced several signings of good prospects and familiar names.
The promotion just announced the signing of several fighters, with the most notable ones being top Russian light heavyweight prospect, Baga Agaev, along with UFC veterans, Todd Duffee, Paul Kelly, and Trevor Prangley.
The promotion has huge backers, and it's obvious that they aren't afraid of spending big money for their events. They're going to have several international musicians performing, and they're even raffling off a Harley Davidson motorcycle on their first show. They have tons of gimmicks, and there are rumblings of even bigger signings coming up, so while it is yet to be seen if these things will be enough to captivate and convert the audience in India to the sport, it will be fun to see how it all unfolds.
There's much more news and updates after the jump. Follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena
Here's more news from the Asian MMA scene:
Aside from Kawajiri joining their ranks, Lenne Hardt is now also on board with ONE FC, so expect to hear her trademark fighter intros. The famous PRIDE announcer will now be working exclusively with ONE FC and DREAM, who have an existing partnership.
23-year-old Filipino fighter, Mark Striegl (7-0) is fresh of that nasty technical submission at Legend FC, and as reported here earlier, he has signed with Thailand-based promotion, DARE.Sources close to the situation have informed BloodyElbow.com on Monday night that Striegl, who is already considered as one of the top featherweight prospects in Asia, will be making the cut to join DARE's bantamweight tournament. He will be gunning for the promotion's inaugural bantamweight title along with that $125,000 cash prize, but first he has to get passed Marko Huusansaari on March 17 during the opening round.Speaking of Striegl, they have released footage of his last bout on Legend FC 7:
PXC star, Jon Tuck (6-0) has made it to the TUF 15 cast. He was last seen knocking out Tristan Arenal at PXC 28 in the Philippines, and is more known to MMA fans as the only guy who have ever beat Eduard Folayang. He will now be part of the 32 lightweights who will be competing under Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber's teams in the revamped and 'jive live' version of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Tuck has good BJJ skills, and has won multiple world championships as a purple belt. He has big power in his hands, which usually compensates for whatever small technical flaws he has in his stand up game. It would be very interesting to see how he stacks up against a talented cast.Photo by Paolo Tabuena.
Legend FC co-founder Mike Haskamp was recently featured on CNN, as he talked about making the move from investment banking in the US to running his own MMA promotion in Asia. Check it out:
A successful entrepreneur and Harvard graduate is starting out a new MMA gym in Asia, with 5-star facilities and filled with multiple BJJ and Muay Thai world champions. Sound familiar? Nope, I'm not talking about Chatri Sityodtong and Evolve MMA. Although the founder of this new gym, Cole Sirucek, was a member of that Singapore gym, before deciding to start his own brand in Hong Kong, called "Epic MMA Club".The gym is going to be a massive 15,000 square feet, with top notch facilities, and a stacked current roster of fighters and instructors that includes, 4th degree black belt and BJJ World Champion Rodrigo Medeiros, BJJ Champs Silvio Braga, Marcus Cacella, and Mike Power, kickboxing champ and ONE FC Star Vuyisile Colossa, along with Muay Thai champs Viriya Sripaew, and Somkid Khonthong.You can check out their website which also provides a virtual tour of their gym. Here's to hoping this new organization can make a huge impact in the development of the sport in Hong Kong. (HT: Lee Li)
Posted in: mma, promotion, fighter, gym, fc
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FX 2 'Prelims' preview and predictions for 'Kampmann vs Alves' event (Part 2)
Look out for dingos.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will brave the vicious wilderness of the hellscape known as Australia this Friday night (March 2, 2012) for its second venture on FX at the Allphones Arena in Sydney.
And the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion is bringing some fantastic scrappers to keep it safe.
Muay Thai monsters Thiago Alves and Martin Kampmann will square off in a welterweight slobberknocker in the main event of the evening, while world-ranked flyweights Ian McCall and Yasuhiro Urushitani will welcome Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez, respectively, to the skinny lands of 125 pounds.
And that's not even mentioning the "Prelims" card, which will be shown in its entirety on Facebook/FUEL TV. We took a deep dive into the first few UFC on FX 2 "Prelims" bouts yesterday right here.
Now join us after the jump for breakdowns of the remaining three:
205 lbs.: James Te Huna vs. Aaron Rosa
Hard-hitting Kiwi warrior James Te Huna (13-5) -- the first New Zealander to enter the Octagon -- has made quite an impression during his brief time with the promotion. In his debut back at UFC 110, he knocked out durable veteran Igor Pokrajac and, after hitting a roadblock in the form of streaking Alexander Gustafsson, wiped out Ricardo Romero in a grand total of 47 seconds. Possessing lightning hands and an effective ground game to match, Te Huna’s last six victories have come by way of (technical) knockout, and at 7-1 in his last eight, a victory over Rosa could turn him into a fringe contender.
After an uninspiring debut that saw a bloated Aaron Rosa (17-4) finished in three by hard-hitting Joey Beltran, he returned to his proper weightclass, going from more than 240 pounds against Beltran to a svelte 204 in his sophomore effort, a decision victory over Matt Lucas. The San Antonio (best city on Earth, by the way)-based veteran is surprisingly well-traveled for his age, having fought everywhere from Strikeforce to Bellator to Shark Fights, but a win over Te Huna could make the UFC his home for a long time to come.
Rosa pleasantly surprised me against Lucas -- the fact that he was able to perform so well after dropping so much weight between his first and second Octagon appearances was quite impressive.
Too bad it won’t be enough.
Te Huna isn’t the most technical fighter, but his hands are lightning fast and he packs some serious power. In addition, he has the wrestling chops to keep the fight where he wants it against the likes of Rosa. Rosa is a good, well-rounded fighter, but he doesn’t possess any outstanding trait that he can use to overcome Te Huna. And even if things go south on the feet, Te Huna has other options, while I’m not convinced Rosa can dictate position. This should be an entertaining scrap while it lasts, but it’s going to end in violent fashion in the New Zealander’s favor.
Prediction: Te Huna via second round knockout
205 lbs.: Anthony Perosh vs. Nick Penner
You can question several things about Anthony Perosh (12-6), but you can’t deny that "The Hippo" has a brass set. Filling in for a sick Ben Rothwell on about a day’s notice, Perosh squared off with Mirko Filipovic at UFC 110 despite normally fighting at Light Heavyweight. Things went about as expected, as he found himself unable to penetrate the Croatian’s legendary takedown defense and was eventually sliced open with a nasty elbow, forcing a stoppage. Undeterred, Perosh returned to his proper weightclass, easily dispatching Wolfslair striker Tom Blackledge and overcoming an enormous striking disadvantage to submit Cyrille Diabate.
Now 2-1 in his second run in the promotion, the Australian grappling whiz will look to put a stop to Penner’s nearly four-year-long unbeaten streak.
One of Canada’s finest light heavyweights, Nick Penner (11-1) has not tasted defeat since a 2008 loss to the gargantuan Jimmy Ambriz. Currently, he has won eight straight. A well-rounded fighter, Penner has the skills to end the fight anywhere it goes, with nine finishes to his name, including five knockouts and four submissions. After missing all of 2010, Penner scored two victories in 2011 and would undoubtedly like to prove that Ryan Jimmo ain’t the only tough guy from the Great White North worth writing home about.
While there isn’t much recent footage of Penner for me to base this off of, but he doesn’t seem to have much to offer Perosh. He has some decent wins on his record and, interestingly, has experience going past three rounds, but Perosh can beat most people he can take down in the division, and while his poor stand up is a major liability that will most likely keep him in the middle of the pack.
The hometown advantage, upper-level experience and grappling prowess of Perosh should be enough to overcome Penner’s momentum. Both fighters are consistent finishers, so expect an interesting affair that ends with Perosh attached to Penner’s back and squeezing the life out of him.
Prediction: Perosh via first-round submission
145 lbs.: Cole Miller vs. Steven Siler
One of the lightweight division’s lankier members, Cole Miller (18-5) established himself as one of the more dangerous grapplers at 155 pounds with submission victories over the likes of Jorge Gurgel, Dan Lauzon and Ross Pearson. Just when he seemed on the cusp of contendership, however, Matt Wiman unleashed his inner Donkey Kong, ruthlessly battering "Magrinho" en route to a dominant decision. Despite guillotining fellow stickman T.J. O’Brien in the fight after, the 6’1" Miller has decided to drop down to featherweight, where he will be one of the division's tallest fighters this side of George Roop.
He will look to begin a new reign of terror at the expense of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran Steven Siler (19-9).
A competitor on the TUF 14, Siler got his shot at the storied "six-figure contract" by submitting Cole’s younger brother, well-traveled veteran Micah Miller. Unfortunately, "Super" used up all his good fortune in that first fight, running next into the angry brick wall known as Diego Brandao and was wiped out in just over 20 seconds. He managed to get a foothold in the UFC, however, with a win over fellow competitor Josh Clopton at the finale, and will be trying to replicate teammate Roland Dulorme’s feat of taking out two brothers in quick succession.
I’m always wary of fighters dropping down a weight class, especially those as tall as Miller, but the skill disparity between the two and the fact that Miller isn’t making the cut off a loss strike me as sufficient to pick "Magrinho." Siler is a legitimate fighter -- he’s only lost twice since 2007 to Cole Escovedo and Chad Mendes. The issue is that he’s been finished in all nine efforts, and even if his submission defense has improved, his chin remains questionable, and the sheer height of Miller will make it difficult for him to use his solid clinchwork.
He’s quite lanky for a featherweight at 5’11," meaning Miller won’t have quite the insane length advantage he’ll usually enjoy in this weight class, but his striking is constantly improving and his ground game is high-tier. I expect a repeat of the Pearson and O’Brien fights, with some nice striking exchanges before Siler gets clipped, falls and gets choked out. Brotherly revenge shall be had.
Prediction: Miller via second-round submission
Free fights and flyweights on Friday on FX are fine with me.
See you then, Maniacs!
Remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FX 2, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook scheduled for around 5:30 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the main card action as it happens throughout the evening this upcoming Friday night.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, miller, te, perosh
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBrydon on MMA: Rising Sun to Down Under
It's a quick turnaround for the UFC this week, and another early rise for its fighters as UFC on FX 2 takes place this weekend in Australia.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, week, brydon, rise
Read the full article at sportsnet.caKimbo Slice to Aid Spike TV’s Counter-Programming Efforts
Everyone’s favorite porn bodyguard turned internet brawler turned MMA fighter turned boxer Kimbo Slice will soon be making his triumphant return to the mixed martial arts world.
Not as a competitor, mind you, but as a television host. Slice has been tapped by Spike TV to help draw eyes away from the UFC’s new run of “The Ultimate Fighter” on FX by hosting “The Ultimate Fighter Fridays” on Spike.
Retiring from the sport at 4-2 as a professional, Slice did more for the sport’s mainstream popularity than many of its most accomplished stars, despite his relative lack of skill. The 38-year-old brawler attracted unprecedented audiences to MMA programming thanks to his internet popularity, his presence on the tenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” (which aired on Spike) contributing to make it the series’ highest-rated.
Since the UFC severed its ties with Spike TV to focus on expanding into the mainstream with the help of the FOX family of channels, Spike has used the UFC media library to which the network still has access to counter-program the promotion’s efforts on FOX, FX and FUEL TV. The network has actually drawn impressive ratings with the gambit and adding Slice to the mix should only increase their numbers.
“The Ultimate Fighter Fridays” will run for three hours and feature special themed episodes, full episodes and unused footage from seasons past, as well as Slice’s unique take on things having been a cast member on the show.
“The Ultimate Fighter Fridays” debuts on March 9 with an episode focusing on “The Ultimate Fighter 10″, on which Slice competed.
Posted in: fighter, spike tv, tv, spike, slice
Read the full article at MMA FrenzySpike brings in Kimbo Slice to counter TUF
From a fan's perspective, I've been enjoying all this UFC counter-programming Spike has been throwing at their old partners. A full day of UFC Unleashed leading up to a fight night? Cool! Fights I can flip to between the live matches and during commercials? The less advertisements for Thrillbillies I have to endure, the better. Now Spike is taking things to the next level with their TUF counterstrike, adding fresh Kimbo Slice action to their 'Ultimate Fighter Fridays' rerun line-up:
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson – the star of the highest-rated season of "The Ultimate Fighter" in the show's history – is making a return to the reality series. Sort of.Ferguson will host Spike TV's debut of "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" on March 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.The weekly three-hour specials counter-program new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter 15," which also debuts March 9 – on FX, the series' new broadcast home.Ferguson will share details and new footage from "TUF 10," in which he competed alongside the likes of Brendan Schaub, Matt Mitrione and eventual show champion Roy Nelson. The heavyweights-only season of the reality series shattered previous records and averaged a staggering 3.4 million weekly viewers.
Here's hoping they put him in a smoking jacket next to a fire as he introduces clips with a pipe hanging from his lips and a twinkle in his eye. "Here's Rampage Jackson showing us how highschool-style bullying still occurs in the real world. And after the break: Did Zak Jensen really jizz all over the communal shower stall?" Tell us, Kimbo! Share your TUF stories with the world!
I'm expecting a little insight and a lot of awkward hosting. More awkward than Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin robo-hosting the 'Top 25 TUF Moments' show? We can only hope. And while I'm determined not to give a sh*t about nerd crap like MMA ratings this year, I can't help but wonder how adding Kimbo will affect ratings. TUF reruns seem like a hard sell, but there's no denying the world loves Kimbo: TUF 10 was perhaps the worstiest TUF in the history of TUFs (impressive considering season 4), and it still smashed records week after week with Kimbo as the hook. Plus there was Kimbo's EliteXC debut on CBS, which held the record for most watched MMA fight in North America right up until November's Velasquez vs Dos Santos fight on FOX.
They aren't joking when they say CBS crowds skew slightly older.
Posted in: fight, fighter, tuf, spike, kimbo
Read the full article at FightlinkerMailbag: Why the MMA lightweight division is top-notch (Yahoo! Sports)
Readers weigh in on the fighters, Dana White's persuasion tactics and MMA officials.
Posted in: mma, fighter, division, official, persuasion
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsThere’s A Gay Porn Star On The TUF 15 Cast List
So it looks like there’s a gay porn star on the TUF 15 cast list.
I’m not sure what prompted them to start digging, but MiddleEasy did an extensive search on Dakota Cochrane and pretty much confirmed via facial and tattoo recognition that Cochrane is in fact gay adult film star “Danny.”
I’m going to go out on a limb and assume the TUF producers weren’t aware of that little tidbit when they casted Cochrane, so the question now whether or not they’re going to do anything about it. When Dana White came under attack for being anti-gay, he retorted by claiming that he has absolutely no problem with there being gay fighters in the UFC and if there are, he wishes they would come out.
“I’ll tell you right now, if there was a gay fighter in UFC, I wish he would come out. I could care less if there’s a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is and there’s probably more than one. I mean, it’s 2012. Give me a break.”
Having a gay fighter in the UFC is one thing, but having a gay porn star with plenty of proof on the internet might be a little harder to deal with from a public relations standpoint. It will be interesting to see how they handle it.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, star, porn, porn star
Read the full article at MMA ConvertSpike TV announces 'The Ultimate Fighter Fridays,' debut show on March 9 features Kimbo Slice hosting
If you thought Spike TV would just let FX air its new season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) without answering back, you've got another thing coming. They broke out the big guns this time.
The street certified big guns.
That's because the cable channel today announced it would counterprogram TUF on FX by airing a block of TUF programming, aptly entitling this little venture "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays." The inaugural edition debuts on March 9, 2012, and will feature Kimbo Slice as host.
More details from the press release:
Kimbo Slice, the wildly popular cast member from Season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter" will serve as host for the premiere installment of Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" programming block debuting on Friday, March 9 (9:00 PM - Midnight ET/PT). Kimbo will discuss never-before-revealed details of his experiences on the show and provide insight into what went on when the cameras weren't rolling during the filming of the "The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights." Season 10 was the highest-rated of all the 14 seasons on Spike, delivering an average of 3.4 million viewers per week.
How can Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber and a gang of UFC hopefuls hope to compete against a street legend like Kimbo?
The good news is they'll only have to do so for the debut episode. The bad news is Spike TV isn't stopping there. Here are some more details on what to expect on Friday nights:
Every week, "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" will feature the greatest episodes from the 14 seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter." From Rashad Evans to Matt Serra, from Forrest Griffin to Kimbo Slice, "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" on Spike TV will showcase all the incredible knockouts, unbelievable submissions, and tense drama from the hit Spike series. The network will air special themed editions of "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" with input from fans. To get their voices heard, fans can follow Spike on Facebook and Twitter to share what episodes they'd like to see.
This is the war that will never end, Maniacs.
TUF 15 will feature lightweights and welterweights and the premiere episode of TUF 15 will be a two-hour television special. Subsequent episodes will run for one hour every Friday night for 13 weeks and, thanks to the new format, will feature LIVE fights.
So they've got that going for them.
Not only that, an entirely new level of hype surrounds the show thanks to the big reveal today that one of the chosen contestants, Dakota Cochrane, is a former gay porn performer. Read more about that here.
And for all the latest info on TUF 15 click here.
Posted in: fighter, spike, kimbo, friday, fighter fridays
Read the full article at MMA ManiaSpike Uses Kimbo Slice to Counter-Program The Ultimate Fighter on FX
As Spike TV and the UFC continue to do battle, Spike has hired the biggest TV ratings draw ever to fight on the network inside the Octagon: Kimbo Slice.
Spike announced on Tuesday that Kimbo will appear as the host of The Ultimate Fighter Fridays on Spike on Friday, March 9, opposite the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter to air on FX. Spike has made no secret that it plans to use its rights to old UFC footage in an effort to attract viewers away from the UFC's new television partners of FX, Fox and FUEL TV, and this move is consistent with that.
"Kimbo will discuss never-before-revealed details of his experiences on the show and provide insight into what went on when the cameras weren’t rolling during the filming of the The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights," Spike said in a press release. "Season 10 was the highest-rated of all the 14 seasons on Spike, delivering an average of 3.4 million viewers per week."
Spike plans to run old episodes of The Ultimate Fighter every Friday night while FX is showing new episodes of The Ultimate Fighter with live fights. Spike's sister station, MTV2, will also be showing Bellator fights live on Friday nights.
From the perspective of FX and the UFC, this is an annoying tactic that will only serve to confuse viewers who are flipping through the channels looking for The Ultimate Fighter. But Spike is looking to do anything it can to maintain viewership among MMA fans this year, as it plans to take Bellator over from MTV2 next year. Expect a whole lot more UFC counter-programming from Spike in the months ahead.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fx, spike, friday
Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse'Kimbo Slice' to host Spike TV's 'The Ultimate Fighter Fridays' debut on March 9
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson - the star of the highest-rated season of "The Ultimate Fighter" in the show's history - is making a return to the reality series. Sort of.
Ferguson will host Spike TV's debut of "The Ultimate Fighter Fridays" on March 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The weekly three-hour specials counter-program new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter 15," which also debuts March 9 - on FX, the series' new broadcast home.
Posted in: fighter, kimbo slice, march, fighter fridays, highestrated season
Read the full article at MMA JunkieConfirmed | Openly Gay Fighter Joins Ultimate Fighter Cast
submitted by xKrazExMNUx [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: fighter, xkrazexmnux, cast, fighter cast
Read the full article at RedditThe new TUF features a gay pornstar fighter
Back when the Culinary Union tried to kick a gay hornet's nest by declaring the UFC was anti-LGBT, Dana White countered with a very inclusive message for all his fighters:
"I'll tell you right now, if there's a gay fighter in the UFC, I wish he would come out. I could care less if there's a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is, and there's probably more than one. It's 2012. Give me a break."
No fighters on the roster took Dana White up on his offer to proudly step out of the closet. But we now have the next best thing: one of the contestants on the upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter is a gay porn star.MiddleEasy's Zeus took the bullet for the blogosphere and painstakingly paired up pictures of TUF fighter Dakota Cochrane with pictures of gay porn star 'Danny.' Just like with Chandella, we have a match! No word on if Dakota / Danny will have to apologize on twitter like Chandella and declare "this doesn’t represent who I am today." He used to pound on guys, and now he pounds on guys. Seems pretty straightforward to me. Here's Dakota showing the difference on Jamie Varner's face:What might not be so straightforward is Dakota Cochrane's legit sexual orientation. Yep, just because you have a gay pornstar in your organization doesn't mean you definitely have your first legit gay. From this Queerty article, it sounds like Dakota might be one of those 'gay for pay' folks:
Dakota Cochrane lost one match and won nine wins mostly by using a hold called “the Rear Naked Choke” (rad). He has also used a modified version of the rear choke as a versatile top in 17 Sean Cody scenes. ... UNINSPIRING PORN QUOTES: Danny: “Yes [my girlfriend knows I'm doing gay porn], but she’s not happy about it.”
So while Cochrane may not be 100% pure raging homosexual, he's still several dozen penises more gay than anyone else in the UFC right now. Let's hope he makes it into the house and *gasp* wins TUF. Wouldn't that just blow the minds of some meathead fans out there?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, cochrane, porn, dakota
Read the full article at FightlinkerDakota Cochrane, Ultimate Fighter 15 Contestant, Outed As Gay Porn Performer
Multiple MMA sites are reporting that Dakota Cochrane, one of the contestants on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, has performed in gay pornographic videos. Cochrane is best known to MMA fans for his upset win over former WEC champ Jamie Varner last fall. The 25 year-old Cochrane has an 11-2 pro MMA record that also includes a win over four time NCAA Division III wrestling champ Marcus Levesseur.
According to gay news blog Queerty, Cochrane was outed last fall along with another MMA fighter and porn performer:
...porn blogs recently outed these two porn performers as pro-mixed martial arts fighters-a style of ring fighting where opponents use any combination of boxing, wrestling, karate, and anything else you've ever seen used in a Van Damme or Steven Seagal movie.
It will be very interesting to see how Dana White, the UFC and FX handle this news.
White went on the record last fall about homosexual fighters:
White said that while a few fighters occasionally step out of line, the vast majority -- "300-something," in his view are inspirational, role- model types to kids and adults.
Though there has never been an openly gay fighter in the UFC, White said there would be no problems for that individual under his watch.
"I'll tell you right now, if there's a gay fighter in the UFC, I wish he would come out," he said. "I could care less if there's a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is, and there's probably more than one. It's 2012. Give me a break."
He didn't however say anything about a fighter with a past as a gay porn performer. Recently the UFC apparently struggled with the decision of whether or not to sanction Octagon girl Chandella Powell after her soft-core porn past was revealed.
Cochrane was officially named a contestant on the series yesterday when the cast list was released. All 32 contestants are expected to fight for a place on the show on the series' FX debut on Friday, March 9.
Note: Tread lightly in the comments. Any homophobic comments will be a cause for banning as will the posting of or linking to any obscene materials.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, cochrane, porn, performer
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowPretty damn cool new trailer for the upcoming TUF on FX"Watch The Ultimate Fighter Live. Special...
Pretty damn cool new trailer for the upcoming TUF on FX
"Watch The Ultimate Fighter Live. Special Live Premiere Event, Friday, March 9 @ 9P E/P only on FX!"
Posted in: fighter, fx, tuf, premiere, trailer
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter (TUF) 15 contestant Dakota Cochrane's gay porn past adds new twist to live season
Last October, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White said he "didn't care" if his company employed a gay fighter. In fact, he even went so far as to encourage them to "come out of the closet."
Here's an excerpt from that conversation:
"I'll tell you right now, if there was a gay fighter in UFC, I wish he would come out. I could care less if there's a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is and there's probably more than one. I mean, it's 2012. Give me a break."
Be careful what you wish for.
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 contestant Dakota Cochrane, who Middle Easy reports is none other than former gay porn star "Danny," could be the first fighter to hold White accountable for his previous statements.
For better or for worse.
Cochrane (11-2) is perhaps best known in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) for his lopsided unanimous decision win over Jamie Varner at Titan Fighting Championship 20 last September.
That win, along with his overall record, was enough to earn him a spot on the FX Channel's March 9 premiere.
But even if Cochrane has White in his corner, how will the other contestants react to his presence in the tight living quarters of the TUF house, along with daily grappling drills and other incidental contact?
As silly as it sounds, some heterosexual men, like heavyweight legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, just can't bare the thought of having homosexual hands on his Brazilian body.
Not that I want to speak for the gay community, but I'm pretty sure the inside of an MMA gym is the last place anyone wants to be looking for a cheap thrill. Ever walk into the men's locker room after a hard day of training? It's like a potpourri of sweat and swamp ass.
Still, the mere thought of homosexuality is enough to upset the apple cart for some men, and it will be interesting to see how the inclusion (or perhaps exclusion) of Cochrane affects the day-to-day happenings on the show.
Especially when the booze starts flowing.
Find out who Cochrane will share the house with on The Ultimate Fighter 15 (assuming he makes it past the opening elimination rounds) when it premieres a week from Friday by checking out the complete roster right here.
More news and notes on TUF 15 here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, men, cochrane, contestant
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMorning Report: 'The Ultimate Fighter 15' Cast List, Ben Henderson's Rejected TUF 9 Audition
Ever since it's inception in 2005, The Ultimate Fighter has proven to be the UFC's cornerstone for farming young talent, providing an ample slew of champions and contenders over the show's fourteen seasons. So with every release of a new season's cast, like we saw yesterday, there exists the faintest glimmer that we may be witnessing the rise of the next great champion. It's what draws us back year after year.
But you already know all that. And plus, the show is still as hit-or-miss as they come. Since 2009, just 21 of the 75 contestants presently hold a UFC contract, good for a lowly 28-percent success rate (not counting TUF 14).
So you're telling me, in a season that produced just three of those 21 names, former WEC champ and new UFC lightweight champ Ben Henderson couldn't make the cut? That seems baffling.
But what do I know. You be the judge. Check out Bendo's rejected TUF 9 audition tape, and catch up with all of yesterday's big news with the Morning Report.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Carlos Condit willing to wait for 'Michael Jordan of MMA.' In speaking with our own Ariel Helwani, Condit revealed why he would be ready to wait for Georges St. Pierre if need be.
Ultimate Fighter cast announced. The UFC and FX revealed the 32-fighter cast that will participate in the The Ultimate Fighter 15.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Donald Cerrone booked for May 15. With an injury to Yves Edwards, Cerrone received a new opponent for his UFC on FUEL 3 lightweight duel.
Bellator's Blagoi Ivanov reportedly stabbed in heart. The undefeated Bulgarian heavyweight is clinging to life after a Sunday morning barroom brawl, according to reports.
Bas Rutten talks PRIDE, UFC 144, and K-1. Matt Roth caught up with El Guapo at Legacy Fighting Championship 10 as he prepared to celebrate his 47th birthday over the weekend.
MEDIA STEW
It's pretty ridiculous that just three years ago Ben Henderson was getting rejected by The Ultimate Fighter 9, and now he's the No. 1 lightweight in the world.
Fedor indulged himself in a little sambo while he waits on the shelf. (HT: Middle Easy)
This right here might be the greatest hype video we've seen all year. (HT: Bloody Elbow)
Wanderlei Silva walks the streets of Brazil and gets his motivational speaking on as he prepares for The Ultimate Fighter Brasil.
Remember that time when Frank Mir absolutely shattered Big Nog's arm? You know, there was that grizzly x-ray of the damage. Wait, that was just a few months ago? Well call him Wolverine, because apparently he's back in the gym already. (HT: MMA Mania)
I'm not really sure what this is about, but I'm sure it has something to do with Anderson Silva.
I will be sending you a knife, fork, dinner-plate, and napkin.Please eat those words, and let me know how they taste, Stupid.
— chael sonnen (@sonnench) February 27, 2012
That cake looks terrified.
Today was a very special day! After a great workout, I got a birthday cake from my Brazilian Top Team Family! twitter.com/ToquinhoMMA/st…
— Rousimar Palhares (@ToquinhoMMA) February 28, 2012
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Monday, Feb. 27, 2012):
- UFC on FUEL 3: Yves Edwards (41-18-1) out, Jeremy Stephens (20-7) in against Donald Cerrone (17-4, 1 NC)
- Bellator 60: Shamar Bailey (13-5) vs. Josh Shockley (8-1)
- Bellator 60: Mike Corey (11-2-1) vs. Bobby Reardanz (8-10)
- Bellator 60: Lance Surma (1-0) vs. Eric Oria (0-0)
- Bellator 60: Cory Galloway (4-0) vs. Jake Nauracy (8-0)
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's Fanpost of the Day goes to BE reader hobbie: The Right "Answer": The Case for an Immediate Frankie Edgar Rematch.
I never fail to marvel at the odd, utterly unpredictable process by which MMA fans choose what "controversial" decisions to care about.
Nick Diaz doesn't get the nod over Carlos Condit? Robbery, I say! Mike Bisping squeaks past Matt Hamill? Home cooking at it's worst! BJ Penn doesn't get the decision over GSP? I hate wrestling! GSP's a cheater! RAHHHHHH!
And yet other times, the chorus of fans is remarkably silent. Ellenberger vs. Sanchez was a razor close decision featuring a possible 10-8 round - yet not a peep was made about that decision. Anthony Pettis, he of showtime kick legend, had an extremely close fight with Jeremy Stephens that no one got too worked up about. I recall lots of talk about "everybody being a winner" when the ref's raised Dan Henderson's hand instead of "Shogun" Rua's - but switch Dan's hand for Lyoto Machida's that gets raised instead of Rua's, it was an affront to the fight gods.
It's fascinating stuff. You could write a master's thesis on the psyche of the MMA fan when it comes to close decisions. Case in point: last weekend's Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson title fight.
Found something entertaining, brutal, or bizarre you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just send it to @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.
Posted in: ufc, bellator, fighter, vs, henderson
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC unveils complete list of Ultimate Fighter 15 competitors
The newest season of the Ultimate Fighter is less than two weeks away from its debut on FX after years of airing on Spike TV. The reality show’s new home is one of the numerous changes to TUF this time around with others including a slot on Friday nights and live fights each episode. However, as different as the Ultimate Fighter 15 may be from its predecessors there will be at least thing viewers may recognize from a past run – Myles Jury.
Jury, who was set to be part of the Season 13 cast before severely injuring his knee on the show, will return to the fold for TUF 15 as one of 32 men fighting to get into the house at a live two-plus hour event on March 9. His name was listed along with the rest of his cast-mates’ on Monday with a few other familiar faces in the bunch as well.
Most notable is Cristiano Marcello who was one of the original core components of the famed Chute Boxe gym in Brazil. He has since compiled a professional MMA record of 12-3 including wins in his last three appearances.
TUF 15 will feature teams of lightweights/welterweights coached by UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz and rival Urijah Faber.
Faber Feels Cruz Isn’t a “Dangerous” Fighter
Here is the complete list of fighters set to compete next Friday night:
Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.
Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.
Ali Maclean, Belfast, North Ireland
Andy Ogle, Tynemouth, England
Austin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.
Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.
Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.
Cody Pfister, Amarillo, Texas
Cristiano Marcello, Curitiba, Brazil
Chase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.
Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.
Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.
Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.
Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.
Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.
James Krause, Blue Springs, MO.
James Vick, Fort Worth, Texas
Jared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.
Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.
Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.
Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.
John Cofer, Hull, Ga.
Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, Hawaii
Jon Tuck, Hagtna, Guam
Jordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.
Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.
Mark Glover, Liverpool, England
Michael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.
Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.
Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.
Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.
Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
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Posted in: fighter, tuf, calif, cristiano marcello, core components
Read the full article at Fighters.comHidden No Longer, Davis is Smashing Her Way to The Top
Since the beginning of 2012, fight fans have been nearly frothing at the mouth for arguably the most anticipated throwdown in women’s MMA history: “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha “Takedown” Tate for the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight championship. It feels like this titanic twosome’s tussle for the title is about all the MMA media can talk about, but waiting in the wings on March 3rd’s undercard are a highly talented Canadian duo who are preparing to derail this hype-train with a show-stealing rematch to determine the next number one contender: Sarah Kaufman and Alexis Davis. The title elimination bout will pit the first and former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Kaufman against the highly-ranked in the 135-pound division Davis. If there’s truly a forgotten face on this Columbus, Ohio fight card, it would be Davis, as some believe Kaufman should be in the main event scrapping over the belt with Tate. But with a possible third win in Strikeforce in just as many fights, Davis could rewrite a loss on her record, claim a shot at bantamweight gold, teach a lesson to any overlooking her, and accomplish it all in well under a year’s time. Not too bad for the juggernaut from Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. “I always feel like I'm constantly underestimated,” asserts Davis. “I think with every fight in Strikeforce I've been the underdog. I think my good luck charm in there is being the underdog. But after this fight, I'm definitely going to come more into the spotlight. Everyone is focused on the Tate-Rousey fight, but I think Sarah and I will put on a show that will represent women's MMA well regardless of what happens in their fight. I'm sure I'll be coming up a lot more in the future.”At 27 years old, Davis has proven she’s a strong-jawed grappler who certainly doesn’t shy away from contact, doesn’t wilt under pressure, and is getting used to getting her hand raised inside the Strikeforce cage. In 2011, Davis scored back-to-back victories in Strikeforce, starting with her debut unanimous decision grinder over veteran Julie Kedzie in July. Less than two months later, Davis squared off in an action packed slugfest with the then 6-1 (all wins by knockout), power punching “Lioness of the Ring,” Amanda Nunes. “I knew she was going to try and finish it earlier,” says Davis. “She's notorious for first round knockouts. I knew she was going to come in guns blazing, looking for that one shot knockout. That was my whole gameplan going in there to close the distance because I didn't want to be on the end of those punches and to kind of keep the pressure on. Things didn't go as planned. She's also a brown belt in judo as well. She's tall. She's taller than me and with a longer reach. I wanted to make sure to keep the pressure on her and keep the cage control and work her legs more to kill that power. She's tough.”The first five minutes were nearly all back and forth striking, with neither fighter giving the other an inch of breathing room. That may not have been what Davis’ coach and mentor Dave Dayboll wanted from his four stripe Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, but it sent a message to her counterparts that Davis can more than hold her own with a feared knockout artist. The second round was more standup fisticuffs, but with a minute remaining it was Nunes who pulled the trigger and tried to bring the fight to the floor. After the well-executed throw from Nunes, Davis immediately reversed positions and took control for the eventual win. “I have a great, positive coach in there and he was telling me that I have to push the pace more and try to practice slipping punches more in there,” tells Davis. “I'm kind of hard headed and I like to just drive forward in there. It's a constant progress there, trying to work my way in there with striking. I'm kind of stubborn. If you watch my fights you can kind of tell that. I figured if it went to the ground that that was something for my strong point in there. I was fortunate enough in the second round that she went for that judo throw and it's something in jiu-jitsu that we always try to work on: hips and capitalizing and reversing off of that.”Once in top position and knowing there was only a short time remaining, Davis rained down punches any which way she could to get the fight stopped at 4:53 of round two. “I did hear the ‘knock knocks’ and I just thought I can't stop moving,” remembers Davis of her second TKO victory. “I tried to muster up all the energy I had and I was going to keep swinging until the ref pulled me off or the time was called. In the past, I've tried to pick my punches more, but watching a lot of UFC fights, some of the guys in there just can't stop swinging, so that was going through my head.”Davis’ final thoughts on her September stoppage of Nunes are precisely why she will be a fan favorite and a tough test for Kaufman. “I like fighters that are aggressive; those are my favorite fighters to fight,” admits Davis, who knows from experience she won’t have to worry about Kaufman not coming forward swinging. “I like them to come out, like me, and you just want to strike and just want to smash each other. It makes it exciting for the fans and it makes it exciting for me as a fighter. I think that's what makes me better as a fighter is having someone who is pushing me constantly.”At the Nationwide Arena, Davis will get a chance for some nearly five years in the making revenge against Kaufman, who served Davis her first loss in her first professional fight. The 26-year old KO queen from Victoria, British Colombia, Canada is an impressive 14-1, with her lone loss coming in her second Strikeforce title defense via third round armbar to Marloes Coenen. This bout will double as the biggest opportunity in Davis’ career, with a belt looming as well as competing in a perfect litmus test for her evolved abilities as a cagefighter against her first opponent, who just so happens to be one of the pound-for-pound best female fighters on the planet. “She's a great fighter in there, obviously, anyone can tell that,” affirms Davis. “She's got incredible boxing standup and she's adding more and more kicks into her game. She's one of those fighters who is constantly pushing forward too. It is going to be who can manipulate their game more or change the angles, so they will be able to capitalize on that with their strengths. Being that she was a past title holder, it is going to see how far I am up those rankings. Personally for me, it will be good to see how much I have progressed as a fighter. Not even that we're just fighting for number 1 contendership, but I'm almost more excited to see how I have progressed technique wise.”To prepare for the rematch, Davis has been splitting time between the Great White North and a couple very reputable establishments in the Sunshine State. Davis’ main gym is in her home Port Colborne with Master Dayboll, who is a highly decorated martial artist and a BJJ black belt under Royler Gracie. For her past few camps, Davis has been in Florida training her ground with world renowned BJJ black belt Pablo Popovitch, as well as her standup with the pro fighters at The Armory, including UFC lightweight star Edson Barboza. It’s an illustrious cast and crew of trainers that in every way are making Davis a top contender at bantamweight.“It’s been great, especially when you have such strong opponents coming up with great standup,” says Davis. “A lot of these guys from Brazil have incredible kickboxing, Muay Thai and have incredible cage control. It's so funny how they can fine tune you out there. You don't realize, maybe I can shift my weight this way or step a little more to the outside - I love it. I even try to work my wrestling out there. I’m working a lot off my back. You want to be on top doing ground and pound, but we are constantly working on transitioning and working on my positioning. With these guys they can put you in those positions that you don't want to be in, but working on those bad positions is how you get better. It's always been a main focus for me, my Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and I think I will be stronger in that area. It's something I'm definitely going to try and exploit.”This Saturday, a number one contender will emerge from a battle between two bantamweight bulls: Kaufman and Davis. “I see this fight ending by ground and pound,” estimates Davis, who wouldn't get overshadowed in 2012 again with a ferocious finish over a former foe. “Maybe that's because that's how I want to win because that's how she got me. She got me in mount position with ground and pound, so that's how I want to be in the top control position - and just smash.”
Posted in: fight, strikeforce, fighter, davi, she
Read the full article at UFCUFC reveals full cast for Ultimate Fighter 15
The new season of The Ultimate Fighter begins on March 9 with sixteen live fights taking place on FX during a two-and-a-half hour broadcast.
The format marks one of the many changes in how the show was broadcasted before on Spike TV, as each week there will also be live fights to determine who moves on in the tournament with a recap of training/in-house action also edited in. UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz and #1 contender Urijah Faber will coach two teams of lightweights/welterweights.
After the first show each week will consist of one-hour telecasts on Friday night, leading up to a winner being crowned June 1 at the Finale.
“We’re producing ground-breaking television with the Ultimate Fighter Live and we can’t wait to kick this season off with FX,” UFC President Dana White said. “It’s going to be can’t-miss TV.”
A list of the season’s contestants was released earlier today with a few stand-outs including South Florida fighter Mike Rio, former Chute Boxe staple Cristiano Marcello, and TUF 13 alumnus Myles Jury who never got his chance to shine due to a severe knee injury.
Here is the complete rundown of TUF 15 fighters competing on the show:
Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.
Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.
Ali Maclean, Belfast, North Ireland
Andy Ogle, Tynemouth, England
Austin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.
Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.
Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.
Cody Pfister, Amarillo, Texas
Cristiano Marcello, Curitiba, Brazil
Chase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.
Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.
Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.
Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.
Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.
Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.
James Krause, Blue Springs, MO.
James Vick, Fort Worth, Texas
Jared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.
Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.
Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.
Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.
John Cofer, Hull, Ga.
Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, Hawaii
Jon Tuck, Hagtna, Guam
Jordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.
Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.
Mark Glover, Liverpool, England
Michael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.
Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.
Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.
Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.
Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, calif, traininginhouse action, format marks
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUltimate Fighter Season 15: Cruz Vs. Faber Cast Revealed
The UFC and FX released the competitor list for the fifteenth season of the Ultimate Fighter. Coaches Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz will train 16 lightweights for the entire season before meeting for a rubber match this later this summer at UFC 148 on July 7th in Las Vegas.
This will be the first time the Ultimate Fighter airs on FX and unlike previous season, this one will air live on Fridays. This season will also be extended from the normal six weeks of filming to a ridiculous thirteen weeks. Season fifteen kicks off on Friday, March 9 with two and a half hour live premiere at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT. Mountain and Pacific time will be delayed to 9 PM PT/10 PM MT. Following the premiere the series will settle into its normal time slot of 10 PM ET.
Full cast after the jump...
There will be 16 live fights on March 9. The competitors are:Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.Ali Maclean, Belfast, North IrelandAndy Ogle, Tynemouth, EnglandAustin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.Cody Pfister, Amarillo, TexasCristiano Marcello, Curitiba, BrazilChase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.James Krause, Blue Springs, Mich.James Vick, Fort Worth, TexasJared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.John Cofer, Hull, Ga.Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, HawaiiJon Tuck, Hagtna, GuamJordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.Mark Glover, Liverpool, EnglandMichael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Posted in: time, fighter, season, pm, competitor list
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowCountdown to TUF Brazil with Coach Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva visits with fans and fighters in Brazil in this preview video for The Ultimate Fighter Brazil which kicks off on March 25. Pretty cool speech he gives to the fighters at the end of the video.
Posted in: fighter, brazil, preview video, tuf brazil, fighter brazil
Read the full article at MMA ConvertThe Ultimate Fighter 15 on FX Participants Announced
The 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter is set to kick off next Friday, March 9, with a a special two-and-a-half-hour live premiere at 9pm ET/8pm CT on FX. As in previous seasons, 32 competitors will fight for the opportunity to gain entrance to the TUF house and compete for The Ultimate Fighter crown, except this time the fights will happen live and the shooting schedule will span a grueling 13 weeks instead of six.
FX announced the 32 participants who will fight next week earlier today.
Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.
Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.
Ali Maclean, Belfast, North Ireland
Andy Ogle, Tynemouth, England
Austin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.
Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.
Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.
Cody Pfister, Amarillo, Texas
Cristiano Marcello, Curitiba, Brazil
Chase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.
Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.
Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.
Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.
Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.
Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.
James Krause, Blue Springs, Mich.
James Vick, Fort Worth, Texas
Jared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.
Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.
Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.
Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.
John Cofer, Hull, Ga.
Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, Hawaii
Jon Tuck, Hagtna, Guam
Jordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.
Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.
Mark Glover, Liverpool, England
Michael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.
Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.
Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.
Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.
Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
All fights will be contested at 155 pounds.
Posted in: fighter, fx, calif, fx participants, gain entrance
Read the full article at MMA ConvertFX Reveals 32-Man Cast for Upcoming Season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter Live’
The coaches and the fighters are in place -- now a little more than a week remains until it’s officially time to get down to business.
Posted in: business, time, fighter, fx, week
Read the full article at SherdogCountdown to TUF Brasil – Wanderlei Silva (Video)
He is about to begin his stint as coach on The Ultimate Fighter Brasil. Before starting his rigorous taping schedule, Wanderlei Silva took time out to meet the fans, and pay a surprise visit to the fighters.
Posted in: fighter, silva, brasil, fighter brasil, surprise visit
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC Announces Lightweight Roster for Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter
The UFC has announced the roster of lightweight fighters who have been selected to partake in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. This season, the 15th edition, will air live on FX, starting every Friday on March 9th. The season will debut with a two and a half hour premiere, which will feature all 16 of the first round fights, with the winners earning a spot in the competition along with a spot in the house.
Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter will feature two coaches who have fought twice before, UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber.
The lightweight-only cast of 32 fighters features few notables, with former season 13 TUF contestant Myles Jury the most distinguished. Jury (9-0), was eliminated from the show due to a torn ACL and meniscus prior to fighting past the preliminary round. Although he was removed from the show, UFC President Dana White stated that if he recovered he would be allowed to return.
The roster includes 27 fighters from the United States, 2 from England, 1 from Northern Ireland, 1 from Brazil, and 1 from Guam.
The Ultimate Fighter season 15 will debut on FX on March 9th at a special start time of 9 PM EST. Following the premiere episode, the show will air at 10 PM EST every Friday. Episodes will air taped content from the previous week and then conclude live with one or two fights between contestants.
The Ultimate Fighter season 15 roster in alphabetical order:
Akbarh Arreloa – Chula Vista, California
Al Iaquinta – Wantagh, New York
Ali Maclean – Belfast, North Ireland
Andy Ogle – Tynemouth, England
Austin Lyons – Cordova, Tennessee
Brendan Weafer – New York City, New York
Chris Tickle – Bloomington, Illinois
Cody Pfister – Amarillo, Texas
Cristiano Marcello – Curitiba, Brazil
Chase Hackett – Littleton, Colorado
Chris Saunders – Long Beach, California
Dakota Cochrane – Omaha, Nebraska
Daron Cruickshank – Wayne, Michigan
Drew Dober – Omaha, Nebraska
Erin Beach – San Diego, California
James Krause – Blue Springs, Michigan
James Vick – Fort Worth, Texas
Jared Carlsten – Los Angeles, California
Jeff Smith – Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Jeremy Larsen – Phoenix, Arizona
Joe Proctor – Pembroke, Massachusetts
John Cofer – Hull, Georgia
Johnavan Vistante – Pearl City, Hawaii
Jon Tuck – Hagtna, Guam
Jordan Rinaldi – Matthews, North Carolina
Justin Lawrence – Villa Ridge, Missouri
Mark Glover – Liverpool, England
Michael Chiesa – Spokane Valley, Washington
Myles Jury – San Diego, California
Mike Rio – Miami, Florida
Sam Sicilia – Spokane Valley, Washington
Vinc Pichel – Sherman Oaks, California
For complete coverage of season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, california, roster
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyThiago Alves: “I’m a fighter 24/7 and I’m loving every second.”
When Thiago Alves steps inside the Octagon this Friday night to face Martin Kampmann in the main event of UFC on FX 2 you can expect to see a different “Pitbull” in action. Alves, who rebounded from a 1-3 stretch in the UFC with a recent victory over Papy Abedi, decided to focus himself on MMA completely this time around, taking out the guilty pleasures that had hindered his performances in the past.
“Being a fighter, it just doesn’t stop the clock. It’s 24/7,” said Alves in an interview with MMAWeekly. “It’s the way you carry yourself throughout the world, throughout life while in this business and I learned that. I’m a fighter 24/7 and I’m loving every second.”
Now that he’s 100% focused on fighting Alves explained he expects it to show in his performance against Kampmann, an 18-5 fighters coming off a win over Rick Story.
“I know I’ve got the power and explosion advantage,” Alves stated. “We’re going to try and break Martin Kampmann.”
UFC on FX 2 takes place from Australia on Friday night. The card will also feature the opening round of the organization’s flyweight tournament with the winners moving on to fight for the inaugural UFC flyweight title.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, i ’m, ’m, alve
Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain'The Ultimate Fighter 15' cast unveiled with 32 lightweight fighters
The UFC and FX have revealed 32 lightweight fighters who have been selected to compete on "The Ultimate Fighter 15."
The show (also dubbed "TUF: Live") debuts March 9 on FX with a two-and-half-hour episode that features 16 live elimination-round fights. All the winners earn official cast-member status.
UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and top contender Urijah Faber serve as coaches on the tournament-based show, which initially was slated to feature both lightweights and welterweights.
Posted in: show, fighter, eliminationround fights, tournamentbased show, twoandhalfhour episode
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUltimate Fighter Cast Announced
FX and the UFC have announced the 32-fighter cast for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.
The group is a relatively unknown bunch, although a few have been around the block: Myles Jury is a 9-0 veteran who has finished all nine of his opponents in the first round. He was on the 13th season of The Ultimate Fighter but had to leave the house after suffering a serious knee injury. And James Krause, who fought twice in the WEC, is part of the cast as well.
The Ultimate Fighter has been radically overhauled for its 15th season, which will premiere on March 9 on FX. For the first time, the fights will be live, starting with a premiere episode with an unprecedented 16 live fights airing on one night. After that, the 16 winning fighters will move into the house and be divided into teams coached by Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz, and a fight or two a week will air live on FX every Friday night after that.
The full list of competitors is below.
Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.
Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.
Ali Maclean, Belfast, North Ireland
Andy Ogle, Tynemouth, England
Austin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.
Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.
Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.
Cody Pfister, Amarillo, Texas
Cristiano Marcello, Curitiba, Brazil
Chase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.
Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.
Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.
Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.
Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.
Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.
James Krause, Blue Springs, Mich.
James Vick, Fort Worth, Texas
Jared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.
Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.
Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.
Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.
John Cofer, Hull, Ga.
Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, Hawaii
Jon Tuck, Hagtna, Guam
Jordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.
Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.
Mark Glover, Liverpool, England
Michael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.
Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.
Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.
Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.
Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Posted in: fight, fighter, season, jame, calif
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseNew Ultimate Fighter 15 Cast Revealed
The cast for the new Ultimate Fighter has been revealed with the show kicking off with 16 live fights on Friday, March 9 at 9pm ET/PT.
Posted in: fight, show, fighter, cast, friday
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyVideo: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' preview
The first international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" kicks off next month with 'TUF: Brazil."
The show features head coaches Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort, who
head teams of featherweight and middleweight UFC hopefuls who compete in
a tournament format.
In a preview video of the reality show, cameras catch Silva's trip to Brazil as he meets with fans and fellow fighters.
Posted in: fighter, vitor belfort, brazil, preview video, head teams
Read the full article at MMA JunkieBenson Henderson's audition video for The Ultimate Fighter season 9
"The Ultimate Fighter" season 9 aired on Spike TV in the spring of 2009. Appearing on the show were fighters such as Che Mills, DeMarques Johnson, James Wilks, Waylon Lowe, Andre Winner and Ross Pearson. Today it seems that the UFC may have missed the boat on one fighter that submitted a video to be included on the show. That fighter, the new UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson.
The show began filming in early 2009, about the same time that Henderson made his WEC debut at WE 38. During his run
Posted in: show, fighter, henderson, spike tv, wec debut
Read the full article at Low Kick32 Competitors Announced For The Ultimate Fighter Live
First of Two 13-Week Seasons This Year on FXSpecial Premiere Event to Showcase 16 LIVE FightsDominick Cruz, Urijah Faber Named CoachesLOS ANGELES (Feb. 27, 2012) – A talented international field of 32 confident, dedicated and determined fighters has been set for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® LIVE on FX that begins on Friday, March 9, with a special two-and-a-half-hour LIVE premiere airing at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT, and tape delayed on the Pacific and Mountain time zones at 9 PM PT/10 PM MT.The list of finalists was trimmed from more than 500 prospective entrants from around the world.Those seeking to cash in on the opportunity of a lifetime include fighters in the lightweight (155pounds) division from the United States, England, Northern Ireland and Brazil.The inaugural season of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE on FX will run for 13 consecutive weeks, featuring live fights every episode, and culminate with a championship fight on June 1, in a three-hour finale. Following the eagerly anticipated premiere on its new home, the series will remain on Fridays but move to 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) for 12 weeks. (Telecasts of TUF Live will air live nationally on DirecTV ch. 248 and DISH-Channel ch. 136.)As part of The Ultimate Fighting Championship®’s landmark deal with FOX Sports Media Group, FX will also televise a second 13-week season of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE this summer. There will be two 13-week seasons of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE on FX annually for the next seven years. The eventual winner of each season receives a six-figure contract from the UFC. The 13 weeks of taping are more than twice as long as previous TUF seasons (six). Unlike past editions when each season was taped months in advance of its broadcast, new episodes with live fights will now air each week.There will be 16 live fights on March 9. The competitors are:Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.Ali Maclean, Belfast, North IrelandAndy Ogle, Tynemouth, EnglandAustin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.Cody Pfister, Amarillo, TexasCristiano Marcello, Curitiba, BrazilChase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.James Krause, Blue Springs, MOJames Vick, Fort Worth, TexasJared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.John Cofer, Hull, Ga.Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, HawaiiJon Tuck, Hagtna, GuamJordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.Mark Glover, Liverpool, EnglandMichael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.The previously announced coaches for the two teams will be current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and former WEC featherweight champion and current top contender, Urijah Faber. Cruz and Faber are no strangers to each other. The popular UFC superstars and rivals have split two previous fights and will clash for a third time at UFC 148 on July 7 in Las Vegas. Following the live fights during the series premiere episode, or “Fight In,” the field will be halved. The 16 survivors will then be broken up into two teams of eight. Each team will train with each other and reside in a house together in Las Vegas for the duration of the season. One fighter from each team will be selected by their coach to fight at the end of each weekly installment on FX for the right to advance in the competition and, ultimately, perhaps, be crowned THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE Champion and earn the life-changing contract with the UFC.Said UFC President Dana White, “We’re producing ground-breaking television with THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE and we can’t wait to kick this season off with FX. It’s going to be can’t-miss TV. Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber are two amazing guys who also happen to be two of the best fighters in the world. They genuinely dislike each other and I expect this to make for the best season yet.”“We believe that Dana, (UFC Chairman) Lorenzo Fertitta and (Executive Producer) Craig Piligian have come up with exciting new changes to the format of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE that will expand and grow the series,” said Chuck Saftler, Executive Vice President, FX Networks. “The fact that the fight at the end of every episode will now be televised live is certain to create a sense of urgency for UFC fans and will make the series even more compelling.”Many of today’s most recognizable names in Mixed Martial Arts have emerged from the series’previous incarnation, The Ultimate Fighter, including, among many others, Rashad Evans, Kenny Florian, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.So who will be the first champion on THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE on FX? Stay tuned.For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, fx, season
Read the full article at UFCZuffa makes successful return to Japan but stars fall at UFC 144: 'Edgar vs Henderson'
When Zuffa wants to hit a new market (or in this case, return to one it had spent a decade away from), the strategy typically consists of two things:
Load the fight card with locals.
Push said locals to the moon.
So when UFC returned to "The Land of the Rising Sun" for the first time in what felt like forever with last night's (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view event, it did so with as much Japanese flavor as possible, though they didn't push as hard as usual. The problem with this strategy, though, is unlike say, WWE, UFC doesn't control the outcome of its contests.
Which means precisely what you think it would.
The issue of Japanese fighters losing in Japan is magnified by the fact that, sadly enough, there really aren't any true superstars left. This was supposed to be a show that would see the resurrection of once great fighters like Norifumi Yamamoto and Takanori Gomi. It was also supposed to expose the audience to Yushin Okami, who has long been a top middleweight but never quite got the recognition he deserved.
Even Yoshihiro Akiyama and Quinton Jackson came back hoping to provide some feel good thrills for times past.
As it were, nearly everything that could have gone wrong did. That's not to say it was a bad show; far from it, actually. In fact, it will be difficult for any event to surpass it for "Card of the Year" by the time 2012 is over.
The UFC just didn't get many of the results it desired.
Let's look at how the Japanese fighters competing on the card fared and how that affects things going forward:
Issei Tamura def. Tiequan Zhang via knockout in round two
This fight was always a sort of lose-lose for UFC because it wanted Zhang to be a guy it could depend on to break into China while Tamura losing in the opener would set a bad tone. Ultimately, the result didn't do much of anything outside of expose Zhang as a guy who absolutely cannot lead the charge into China. While Tamura's win was spectacular, it occurred on Facebook and was the opener of the evening. Few witnessed the destruction.
Chris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision
Again, this wasn't a game changer by any stretch but many felt Mizugaki got jobbed here. That includes UFC President Dana White, who awarded Mizugaki his win bonus despite the decision. There was nothing to write home about either way.
Riki Fukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision
A nice win for the home crowd that was rapidly filing into the building in anticipation of the main card but, once again, there was little chance a star would be born here. The situation just didn't call for it.
Vaughn Lee def. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto via submission in round one
This is where it got ugly in a hurry for Japanese faithful. Although Yamamoto didn't receive nearly the response the powers that be surely assumed he would (likely due to his struggles stateside), his defeat was a crushing blow. After all, "Kid' used to be the talk of the town, one of the very best to come out of the East. At one point in Dec. 2007, he was 17-1 and the very best Japan had to offer. Now? He's lost five of his last six bouts, including all three of his chances inside the Octagon. He could be toast after this loss.
Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via technical knockout in round two
What a weird performance from Gomi, another Japanese fighter who used to be the absolute best but has since fallen on hard times. The opening round consisted of "The Fireball Kid" leading with his head like he was using it to tire out his opponent's fists. It damn near led to a knockout loss, too, until he turned it on in the second round and finished the fight with a flurry of punches. His victory, according to Zach Arnold of Fight Opinion, is the biggest MMA related headline in Japan coming out of this event. Considering everything else that happened, combined with his two losses coming in, this was just what the doctor ordered.
Hatsu Hioki def. Bart Palaszewski via unanimous decision
Most definitely the desired result, as the UFC is short on challengers to Jose Aldo's featherweight championship. However, Hioki, dominant as he was, didn't exactly give anyone a good reason to believe he's ready for a title shot and even told Ariel Helwani after the event that he doesn't want one just yet because he needs more time to work on his game. Such honesty is refreshing but doesn't exactly help make him a star.
Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via knockout in round three
The craziest fight of the night featured Boetsch continuing his improbable run at middleweight with a thrilling come from behind knockout victory over Okami, a man UFC has never found the right formula for. He was more or less a sacrificial lamb in his last fight against Anderson Silva in Brazil and this was his chance to get back to his feet in front of his home crowd. He was well on his way to doing so, too, until "The Barbarian" decided to go crazy after going down two rounds to zero. With nothing to lose, Boetsch unloaded with everything he had and after landing about 28 solid shots to Okami's chin, the fight was over. It's completely fair to wonder just where "Thunder" goes from here.
Jake Shields def. Yoshihiro Akiyama via unanimous decision
What is there to say about Akiyama that hasn't already been said? He, perhaps more than any other fighter on the entire roster, has been a monumental disappointment for the UFC. It was thought that was partially because he was competing at middleweight. But his first fight at 170-pounds didn't give us any indication that was the case. The dude lost a stand-up striking battle against Jake Shields, of all people. With four losses in a row and a cold reception in Japan, there are very few reasons to keep him around.
Ryan Bader def. Quinton Jackson via unanimous decision
Okay, so Jackson isn't Japanese but he was by far the most popular fighter on the card. His entrance was one of the highlights of the night, a goosebump inducing affair that could have been made even more special by his victory. Sadly, he looked shopworn, like the years of competing inside rings and cages across the world had caught up to him. He later revealed a knee injury suffered both before and during the fight greatly hampered his performance but there's always something. He'll turn 34-years-old in a few months and while he claims he's still motivated to compete, we have every reason to not believe him.
UFC 144 was a fantastic show that provided plenty of thrills. But it didn't provide much hope for a future in Japan for the promotion. The reasons are many but most notable among them is their lack of ability to secure the proper television deals. The best way to do that going forward would have been strong performances from the Japanese fighters on the card.
As you can see above, that just didn't happen.
This doesn't mean UFC won't be back in Japan with another card that could exceed expectations. But for those hoping it would become the next Canada or Brazil can forget that.
For now.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, japan, didnt
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWanderlei Silva addresses fellow fighters in preview for TUF Brasil
With the Ultimate Fighter 15 set to debut with a new “real time” format in less than two weeks it’s been easy to forget another version of the groundbreaking reality show is already in the process of taping episodes for an upcoming season. The UFC offered a nice reminder of that very fact with a recent video previewing TUF Brasil, the first international adaptation of the Ultimate Fighter featuring coaches Wanderlei Silva-Vitor Belfort leading teams of featherweights/middleweights.
In the clip, Silva is shown addressing a room full of fighters who have designs on one day achieving his level of success as well as spending some time talking to fans at a media appearance.
“The big game is just starting,” the former PRIDE champion explains Silva to the group including a few familiar faces such as Ronaldo Souza and Rafael Cavalcante. “We just had the first broadcast on FOX. We just had the first broadcast on Globo. Of course it’s been good years until now but I think that what’s coming is much bigger. Everyone can get the opportunity. The sky is made with a lot of stars. You just have to make yours shine.”
“The thing is to stay focused. To study the art. To come in to the gym and train. Eat well, sleep well. Keep your health up. We depend on our bodies. Because on fight your buddies won’t fight the fight for you. It will be you up there. And if you lose those guys will find someone else to suck up to.”
No date is set for the debut of TUF Brasil though Silva-Belfort are expected to face off in June alongside the season’s finalists.
Check out the full Countdown to TUF Brasil preview below:
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: fighter, tuf, brasil, tuf brasil, clip silva
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainCOUNTDOWN TO TUF BRASIL
submitted by 416fighter [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: fighter, tuf, countdown, brasil, tuf brasil
Read the full article at RedditUFC 144 Results: Fights To Make Following Edgar Vs. Henderson
Following every fight, fans love to try and come up with the match ups that make the most sense divisionally to create new contenders and resolve rankings issues. With so many underdogs victorious at UFC 144, every division finds itself in a state of flux. As I'm great at pretty much everything, I've decided to lend UFC matchmaker Joe Silva a hand and book fights for everyone from UFC 144. People say he has the toughest job in the sport but this was pretty easy. I don't see what the big fuss is all about.
Ben Henderson vs Anthony Pettis 2: This is a rematch of the absolutely classic fight the two fighters had at WEC 53 in 2010. After Pettis' knockout of Joe Lauzon the time is right to make the rematch. It's marketable and they already have a backstory to build the fight. Pettis was supposed to get at the title but injuries to Edgar and Maynard prevented it. Now he gets his chance to prove he's the better fighter and the true champion.
Frankie Edgar vs Jose Aldo: Dana has been pushing for Frankie to drop to featherweight and now is the time to do it. Aldo doesn't have any apparent title challengers and a fight with Frankie Edgar is an interesting fight on many levels. Either Edgar is redeemed and gets join B.J. Penn and Randy Couture as two division champions or Aldo picks up a big win over a recognizable name further cementing his status and legacy.
Ryan Bader vs Dan Henderson: I couldn't decide on Bader/Hendeson or Bader/Davis and decided to go with Henderson. Both fighters are riding huge wins and with Jon Jones and Rashad Evans fighting in April, they need to stay busy in the short term. It's a perfect fight for both as no matter how you slice it, it's a competitive matchup.
Quinton Jackson vs Mauricio Rua: I'll be completely honest. After last night I don't believe that Rampage deserves this fight. He looked fat and slow against Ryan Bader. However, the UFC's objective is making money and Rampage/Shogun 2 has the ability to still create interest. Other option for Rampage is a fight with Phil Davis. It depends on if the UFC wants to build Phil's resume or take the immediate money in the Shogun/Rampage fight.
Mark Hunt vs Stefan Struve: Prior to the UFC 144 fight, Mark Hunt was ranked 22 and Kongo was 12. We're living in a world where Mark Hunt is on the brink of becoming a top 10 heavyweight and the fight to book is against Stefan Struve. Struve either picks up a win over a veteran or Hunt picks up win number four. Fans win either way.
Cheick Kongo vs Dave Herman: Kongo has never been able to rise above the status of gate keeper in the UFC and Dave Herman is coming off a knockout at the hands of Stefan Struve. This is the perfect match to set up to decide who stays and who goes.
More after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson
Jake Shields vs Martin Kampmann/Thiago Alves winner: Jake Shields bounced back from back to back losses at the hands of GSP and Jake Ellenberger with a win over Sexyama. He's likely pretty far away from contention which is why fighting the winner of Kampmann/Alves makes so much sense. The winner will be back in title talks while the loser essentially becomes a gate keeper.
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Diego Sanchez: This fight sounds insanely fun. Akiyama will likely not be cut from the organization despite his 1-4 record. Both fighters are known for bringing it every time they step in the cage and this is the kind of fight that makes me love fantasy booking.
Tim Boetsch vs Mark Munoz: Tim Boetsch scored one of the biggest upsets in UFC history when he came from behind in incredible fashion to stop Yushin Okami in the third. This puts the UFC in a weird position where a top 10 guy loses to someone who probably shouldn't have been ranked. Mark Munoz is currently healing from an injury which means the time table should work out. Two heavy handed middleweights? Yes please.
Yushin Okami vs Demian Maia: Demian Maia probably shouldn't be in the UFC after his awful performance against Chris Weidman but he's still a top fighter at Middleweight. Why not put together Okami/Maia? The winner is back in contention. The loser is probably fired.
Hatsu Hioki vs Erik Koch: In his post-fight interview Hatsu Hioki said that he wanted another fight in the UFC before challenging for Jose Aldo's title. Erik Koch was supposed to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 143. This is a great fight any way you look at it and will provide a real challenger to Aldo's belt.
Bart Palaszewski vs George Roop: Bart Palaszewski is big for 145 but he's just not all that good. A fight with George Roop is a good way to figure out which of these two guys deserves to keep their jobs. It doesn't hurt that they will also slug it out and put on a great fight for fans.
Joe Lauzon vs Donald Cerrone: A fight between two guys who were on the brink of a title shot. Lauzon and Cerrone are both known for bringing it and have similar skill sets. It's a great fight to rebuild the lightweight division and create new future match ups.
Takanori Gomi vs Anthony Njokuani/John Makdessi winner: Let all the talk of "the old Gomi is back!" stop. Gomi looked good in the second round but the first was vintage UFC Gomi. He's far from contendership and needs an opponent. A fight with the winner of Anthony Njokuani/John Makdessi will give a good idea of if Gomi still has "it" or if he just got lucky in front of the Japanese crowd.
Eiji Mitsuoka: Cut. Solid first round but he looked completely gassed out at the start of the second. He doesn't bring anything to the division and when it comes to the UFC, if you have nothing to offer, you have no spot on the roster.
Vaughan Lee vs Ivan Menjivar: Vaughan Lee picked up the biggest win of his career by tapping out the legendary Kid Yamamoto. Unfortunately, due to Yamamoto's fall, it doesn't really elevate him too much in the rankings. A fight with Menjivar answers questions about both fighters and allows for either to move up the ladder organically.
Norifumi Yamamoto: Cut. It's difficult to continue to book someone who is 1-3 in the UFC and doesn't draw fans. Yes, this is different than Akiyama and Dan Hardy who still have an ability to move the needle.
Steve Cantwell: Cut. He's 1-5 in the UFC. I'll repeat that again in case you were as shocked as I was. Steve Cantwell is 1-5 in the UFC. If there's ever been a more obvious cut I don't know what it is. He'll do well on the regionals if he stops allowing opponents to tee off on him.
Chris Cariaso vs Takeya Mizugaki 2: Let's be honest with each other. The judges got this fight completely wrong. If there is any justice in the universe the UFC will go with an immediate rematch.
Issei Tamura vs Cub Swanson: Tamura looked good against Zhang but I still have questions about his lack of size at featherweight. I've never viewed Cub Swanson as a "good" fighter but he did just pick up a huge win over George Roop. This fight answers the question of if Tamura should drop to 135 or if Swanson has turned the corner mentally and improved as a fighter.
Tiequan Zhang: Cut. And good riddance. That he stuck around this long is the biggest travesty of the new millenium. Maybe OneFC will pick him up or something?
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, vs, winner
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowIs Zuffa's Best Lightweight Fighting in the UFC?
In light of Benson Henderson winning the UFC lightweight title perhaps it is time to admit that many of us grossly underestimated the talents of those who competed in the now defunct World Extreme Cagefighting. Upon entering the UFC Former WEC contender Donald Cerrone ran off four wins before finally losing to Nate Diaz, while former WEC champion Anthony Pettis, after stumbing in his initial fight against Clay Guida, has now won two in a row and finds himself penciled in as the next challenger to Bendo. The "big three" of the have run through the UFC like a warm knive through butter.
Or pehaps we have grossly overestimated the talent levels within the UFC? If that is the case than other fighters currently outside the promotional bubble might find the same success that their WEC compatriouts have. And just as the WEC fighters were able to surprise us because there was no means of comparison between them and their UFC brethren, the same may be the case with those competing in Strikeforce, Bellator, or elsewhere. In light of what has happened to say that it couldn't happen again seems foolish. MMA math often proves useless but does anyone really doubt that Eddie Alvarez, the same Eddie Alvarez who destroyed a Roger Huerta who lost a close split decision to Gray Maynard and demolished a Josh Neer who has now won his last two fights in the UFC, wouldn’t be able to at least compete?
That Eddie Alvarez, Michael Chandler, and Shinya Aoki are all currently signed to promotions competing with the UFC make it likely that we won’t get any answers soon. But there is one fighter who could answer a lot. A fighter higher ranked than those listed above, having actually beaten Aoki in a dominating performance. A fighter who has gone undefeated since 2008 and avenged the only two losses of his career. Most importantly, a fighter who holds a contract with Zuffa. And yet he toils in Strikeforce, sacrificed to keep Showtime happy and a vestigial promotion alive.
Benson Henderson will most likely be number 1 when the new rankings come out, but is he really the number 1 lightweight in the world? When comparing resumes isn’t it just as easy to claim that Gilbert Melendez should hold that position? And yet, because one fights in the UFC and the other languishes in Strikeforce such considerations will allude him.
Zuffa’s best fighter should be fighting in the UFC.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, eddie alvarez, wec, benson henderson
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendUFC 144: The Agony of Defeat
To the victor goes the spoils, but even in defeat the fighters who didn't come out on top at UFC 144 deserve a moment to reflect on what went wrong. These are their words...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, defeat, moment, agony
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 144- Take A Look At Edgar vs. Henderson Official Scorecard
submitted by 416fighter [link] [7 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, official, edgar, scorecard
Read the full article at RedditUFC 144 results recap from last night for 'Edgar vs Henderson' in Japan on Feb. 25
Okaerinasai!
It took more than a decade, but last night (Feb. 25, 2012) Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) finally returned to Japan to stage a major mixed martial arts (MMA) event.
And it was well worth the wait.
With a record-breaking seven bouts featured on the UFC 144 pay-per-view (PPV) main card from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, including the main event between UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson, it was designed to be an exciting night.
Was it ever.
The 14 fighters went ahead and delivered the goods, which is never a guarantee in a sport where anything can and often does happen. It was only fitting that "The Answer" and "Smooth" finished what Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis started to kickoff the PPV broadcast.
As expected, when Edgar and Henderson collided their combined result created a dizzying concoction. Whether it was heads bobbing, hair flying, legs whipping, punches whizzing or bodies tumbling, the dynamic pair went bananas for 25 full minutes. Edgar was shifty and precise with his strikes, while Henderson was calm and punishing with his.
Henderson, the much larger fighter, clearly did more damage when he connected, particularly with a heel to the face in the second round that would have likely knocked out everyone else on the lightweight roster not named Frankie Edgar. True to form, however, Edgar absorbed the hellacious heel, barely, and clung on to continue fighting for three more rounds.
It's safe to say that Henderson delivered more damage, but it appeared that Edgar was, unsurprisingly, the much busier fighter. However, he never hurt Henderson, who didn't even look like he was in a fight when all was said and done, while Edgar's face appeared to be on the wrong end of a meat tenderizer.
In the end, the judges awarded the decision to Henderson unanimously in a very close fight, ending Edgar's epic 155-pound title run at least for the near future. He was prematurely asked if he would consider dipping down to Featherweight for a fight against division champion Jose Aldo, to which "The Answer" replied, rightfully, reluctantly.
Make no mistake, that would be an incredible fight; however, his performance against Henderson was admirable and, in the opinion of some, winning. He's proven time and again that he can not only compete with bigger men, but beat them more often than not.
This time Henderson just had his number. And there is nothing wrong with that because he, too, is one very impressive fighter. Hell, the entire division is loaded with them, which means that Henderson is going to have his work cut out for him to retain that shiny new belt.
And I can't wait to watch him ferociously defend it.
Whether he was knocking out dudes, or getting knockout himself, Quinton Jackson made a name for himself in Japan under the Pride FC banner for putting on exciting fights win, lose or draw. Sure, his appearance -- heavy chain, howl and everything else black gaijin -- helped sell his shtick, but the whole package was the appeal.
Power-bomb slams included.
"Rampage" lobbied hard to be on this card, he didn't care who it was against or what was at stake, he just wanted to return to the "Land of the Rising Sun" and bask in its curious glow perhaps one final time in his professional fight career. He got his wish, but unlike the glory days, he wasn't going to get served a can to voraciously devour.
On the contrary, one-time 205-pound super prospect -- Ryan Bader, hungrier than ever after suffering back-to-back losses -- was on the menu. And he wasn't about to go down without putting up a fight. Bader came out with his pistons pumping, hoping to smash the sluggish-looking Jackson (by comparison) and punish him for coming into their fight six pounds too heavy.
Bader was clearly faster and busier, while Jackson -- in typical fashion -- stalked his opponent and looked to land a one-hit quitter that would enthrall the adoring crowd. It never came, but what -- after what appeared to be a decade-long absence -- was a ridiculous power bomb the likes of which we have not seen since he nearly killed Ricardo Arona way back in 2004.
Jackson scooped up Bader alongside the cage midway through the bout, torqued him above above his head and then deposited him face first onto the canvas. It looked terrible -- Bader's neck, shoulder and arm all bent in ways that were grotesquely unnatural. In fact, he admitted that the toss had him momentarily "out," but he managed to recover and continue his assault.
In hindsight, the slam was likely Jackson's only chance of winning the fight -- Bader was just hungrier, and perhaps healthier, routing "Rampage" en route to a clear-cut unanimous decision victory. One that will likely serve as the most important of his MMA career to date because not only did he defeat a legend, but he did it in the place in which that legend was born.
And perhaps was put to rest.
There was always a sneaking suspicion that Cheick Kongo wasn't really a true kickboxer. That's not taking anything away from the Parisian, he's a solid MMA fighter who has defeated several notable opponents. He appeared to sooth those doubts when he stopped a kinda K-1 kickboxer, Pat Barry, in his most recent outing.
But, the true litmus test would be against a decorated former K-1 grand prix champion like Mark Hunt.
What the under-sized New Zealander lacks in stature, he more than makes up for in power and sheer resilience. He's had a difficult transition to MMA, but most of the guys sans a lunatic named Melvin Manhoef knew that their best -- and perhaps only -- way to safely navigate around the portly power puncher was to take him to the ground.
Kongo apparently didn't get the memo.
Hunt did what he always does, standing in the center of the cage and daring his opponent to exchange. Kongo did just that and paid dearly for his poor decision. Hunt clipped him with a nice right hand. It was at this point that his experience showed -- he took his time, picked his punches and eventually had Kongo crashing to the canvas.
Referee Herb Dean stepped in shortly thereafter, and it's hard to blame him -- Hunt has dynamite packed into his paws. Kongo momentarily disputed the stoppage, and it's hard to blame him, too, after the Barry comeback, but things certainly would have gone from bad to worse if it was able to continue much longer.
Hunt received a heartfelt reaction from the Japanese fans in attendance. He was always a crowd pleaser back in the day and he didn't disappoint them last night, either. At 37 years old, Hunt has seemingly found the MMA Fountain of Youth, winning three consecutive bouts inside the Octagon.
That's no small feat at any age. And it couldn't be happening to a more deserving veteran of the sport.
Oh, how the mighty could have fallen.
Heading into his fight against UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre less than one year ago, Jake Shields -- the high-profile, talented Strikeforce import that would finally give "Rush" a run for his money -- was riding an incredible 15-fight win streak.
He desperately needed a win against Yoshihiro Akiyama, who was making his 170-pound debut. With his back against the wall, Shields pulled it off, winning a hard-fought unanimous decision over the insanely popular Japanese icon.
It wasn't pretty, but then again, any fight that Shields can't get immediately to the ground, is going to look weird. Nonetheless, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist somehow got the job done on the feet when it mattered most. Akiyama, a judo player, scored a handful of very impressive trips, but aside from them, he didn't really do anything. With three straight losses, and the prospect of tacking on a fourth, he was seemingly under more pressure to win than Shields.
But, he didn't. And Akiyama didn't even remotely threaten a very rudimentary stand up fighter in a bout that remained exactly where he needed it to remain to ensure his best chances of winning, which was upright. It was a puzzling performance and just an overall odd fight.
Whatever.
Tim Boetsch was undefeated (2-0) since dropping from Light Heavyweight to Middleweight. It appeared that perfect streak was about to come to a painful end thanks to an absolute thrashing at the hands of Yushin Okami for 10 full minutes.
"Thunder" -- just one fight removed from unsuccessfully contending for Anderson Silva's 185-pound belt -- was cracking clean shots at will in the early going. It appeared that Boetsch was a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, which only got worse in round two when Okami secured full mount, attempting submissions and raining down punches in bunches.
Boetsch somehow survived.
So when it came time for the third and final round, he and his corner knew that it was go big or go home. "The Barbarian" went big, did he ever, and he went home a come-from-behind winner. He tagged Okami in the early going and then just swarmed him like bees on honey.
At one point, he pinned Okami's face up against the cage and drilled him with uppercuts until he could no longer stand. Amazingly, Okami collapsed to the floor and Boetsch went even more berserk. Fortunately, the referee was nearby to pry him off, but you could tell that even though he had been through hell, Boetsch would have kept going until he was out cold or dead.
He was neither, which is more than Okami can say right about now. Then again, it was a rally for the record books -- Okami looked great up until the final moments.
What a fight!
At first glance, Japanese fans may have thought that the familiar Joachim Hansen was paired opposite Hatsu Hioki, but after the whooping that he received in the first round, it's likely that they soon realized they were only watching the Norwegian's featherweight doppelganger, Bart Palaszewski.
Hioki, the number two-ranked 145-pound fighter in the Consensus MMA Rankings, came out on fire, hammering "Bartimus" with clean punches and then dominating him on the ground with tight control and dangerous submission attempts. To his credit, Palaszewski survived this initial onslaught, turned in a better performance in the second, but then got tooled on the floor once again in the final frame.
Palaszewski never really had a shining moment due in large part to Hioki's smothering, technical attack. He was in way over his head against a fighter, who despite a dubious split decision win over George Roop in his UFC debut, will most likely next challenge UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo for his world title.
Either that, or throw him in against Dustin Poirer in a number one contender eliminator match. Now that's a fight.
Shin, meet Chin.
No, that's not an undisclosed, last-minute local match added spice up the main card. It was Anthony Pettis' lower leg, whapping across the jaw of his lightweight counterpart, Joe Lauzon.
"Showtime" -- a former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champion -- came out in a southpaw stance and actually unleashed a head kick early that "J-Lau" easily blocked. It was the second attempt shortly thereafter that made it through. And it's safe to say that Lauzon didn't know what hit him -- he collapsed into a heap of mindless flesh almost instantly.
Pettis, naturally, dove in for the kill and added several needless head bouncers before the referee stepped in and saved Lauzon from long-term mental injury. That's now two straight wins for Pettis since his decision loss to Clay Guida in his Octagon debut back in June 2011.
He roared in his post-fight victory speech that he is the best 155-pound fighter in the world and requested a title shot, the one that alluded him when the WEC was merged into the UFC in late 2010.
It's certainly hard to argue otherwise after that sensational finish and his recent body of impressive; however, the winner of the upcoming fight between Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz might have something to say about it.
That's enough from us. Now it's your turn to discuss UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson" in the comments section below.
Do you agree with the Edgar-Henderson decision? Should "Rampage" retire? Where does Bader go from here? Does watching another Shields fight excite you? Who should Pettis fight next? How much longer can Hunt continue his career renaissance?
Let's hear it, Maniacs.
Be sure to also check out our complete UFC 144 blow-by-blow coverage of the entire "Edgar vs. Henderson" event right here. Our complete UFC 144 results recap of the Facebook/FX "Prelims" action can be found right here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, henderson, edgar
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 144 Morning After: Time for Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis Rematch
When Anthony Pettis unveiled his famous "Showtime Kick" to seal a victory over Ben Henderson for the World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight title in 2010, we knew we had witnessed a great fight.
As it turns out, the fight was even greater than we realized.
At the time, we knew Pettis vs. Henderson was wildly entertaining, but we didn't know just how good those two guys were. The WEC's lightweight division was widely regarded as second-rate, and few MMA fans thought the lightweights in the WEC could compete at the upper levels of the UFC. Now we know better, as Henderson just beat Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight belt at UFC 144, and Pettis got the pay-per-view show started with a sensational knockout of Joe Lauzon.
Now it's time to book a Henderson-Pettis rematch for the UFC lightweight title.
Some will say Pettis doesn't deserve a UFC lightweight title shot because he was already declared the No. 1 contender once before, and lost that status when he lost to Clay Guida. But Pettis got a bad break when he didn't get the title shot that was promised to him upon his entry to the UFC, and there's no better time than now to rectify that.
UFC President Dana White said after Saturday night's fights that he plans to give Pettis the first crack at Henderson's belt, and I believe that's the right call. The first Pettis-Henderson bout was sensational, and if we get 25 more minutes of that kind of action, no fan will complain.
The rapidly changing face of the UFC lightweight division could be perilous for the promotion, as neither Henderson nor Pettis has proven to be a pay-per-view draw. I'd love to see the UFC put the Henderson-Pettis title fight on FOX in August, as a way to give major exposure to its two young lightweights who have the potential to develop into stars, but Henderson-Pettis 2 is a fight that's certainly worthy of pay-per-view. This fight is going to be great.
UFC 144 Notes
-- Memo to every fighter who ever falls behind two rounds to none: What Tim Boetsch did at the start of the third round against Yushin Okami is exactly what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to go for broke and come out swinging. Too many fighters who know they're down 2-0 at the start of the third round don't go for a finish. Boetsch knew he had to finish the fight, and that's exactly what he did.
-- Rampage Jackson looked as bad as he's ever looked against Ryan Bader, and he hasn't really looked good in a fight since he knocked out Wanderlei Silva in 2008. His wins since then were decisions against Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida and Matt Hamill, none of which was particularly impressive. Rampage says a knee injury was to blame for his lackluster performance, but even if he returns to 100 percent health, I don't think we're ever going to see Rampage as a light heavyweight title contender again.
-- The UFC's one-minute introduction to its pay-per-view broadcast, a tribute to martial arts in Japan, was great. Much, much better than the longtime gladiator opening. I also like the way the UFC is incorporating more statistics into its broadcast, but it's important for Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg to remind viewers that simply landing more strikes isn't the way to win a fight. Effective striking is more important than high-volume striking.
-- A lot of people disagreed with the judges who gave Chris Cariaso a unanimous decision victory over Takeya Mizugaki, but one thing that must be said for Cariaso is that he's a prime candidate to move down from bantamweight to flyweight, now that the UFC has started up a 125-pound class. Cariaso was giving up four inches of height to Mizugaki, and at flyweight he won't be at such a disadvantage. If he does move down to 125, he's a fighter worth keeping an eye on.
UFC 144 Quotes
-- "It's a dream come true. Being in the UFC is a dream come true. Fighting in Japan, fighting one of my favorite fighters of all time, Kid Yamamoto, a legend, I'm just the happiest person in the world right now."--Vaughan Lee after beating Kid Yamamoto.
-- "All I can say is I am disappointed. I really, really wanted to win in Japan."--Kid Yamamoto after losing to Vaughan Lee.
-- "I knew less than a knockout or finish would win that fight for me. Yushin was beating me up for two rounds. But my heart was in it, I knew I could take him out if I just stuck with what I train to do. You see what happens if you do what you train to do."--Tim Boetsch after his great comeback win.
--"You've got to win this last round for sure. I think you won that round."--Gilbert Melendez, telling Jake Shields in his corner that the fight was tied heading into the third round. In reality, Shields had won the first two rounds and would also win the third, but Melendez did the right thing. It's better for a cornerman to tell a fighter he needs to win the round than to tell him to coast.
Good Call
Although it looked a little awkward, referee Marc Goddard handled it exactly right when Yoshihiro Akiyama's mouthpiece came out against Jake Shields. Goddard stepped between the fighters quickly and handed Akiyama his mouthpiece back, but didn't take the time to rinse the mouthpiece off, which could have given Akiyama an unfair advantage by giving him extra time. Akiyama fumbled his mouthpiece briefly and it took a few seconds longer to get the fight restarted, but Goddard handled the situation appropriately.
Bad Call
It only took referee Herb Dean a couple of minutes into the first round of the first fight to make a bad call, standing up Issei Tamura even though he had a dominant position and was hammering Zhang Tiequan with punches on the ground. Dean's stand-up was totally unnecessary and continued a rough run for Dean, who has made far too many bad calls recently.
Stock Up
Riki Fukuda returned to the Octagon after a year off following his close decision loss to Nick Ring in his UFC debut, and he looked great in beating Steve Cantwell. I love Fukuda's punching combinations, the way he changes levels and mixes in uppercuts -- Cantwell had no answer for it.
Stock Down
Zhang Tiequan is the only Chinese fighter Zuffa has ever signed, and the company carefully brought him along in the hopes that he could win some fights and grow the promotion's presence in Asia. But it just isn't happening. Zhang didn't look good at all in his second-round knockout loss to Issei Tamura. If Zhang keeps his job in the UFC it will solely be because of the importance of the Chinese market, and not because Zhang is good enough. He's not.
Fight I Want to See Next
Anthony Pettis vs. Ben Henderson. Let's do this.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, round, petti
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC 144 Fighter Bonuses from Japan
The Ultimate Fighting Championship handed out $65,000 fighter bonuses for in-octagon performances following UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, championship, bonus, inoctagon performances
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 144 Video: Rampage Jackson Talks Missing Weight, Smacking Rich Franklin
Quinton Jackson missed weight last night for tonight's UFC 144 bout with Ryan Bader and he did so badly, coming in at 211 pounds for this light heavyweight (205 pounds) fight. Immediately there was speculation over if Jackson was taking the fight seriously or if he was starting to check out on his career a little bit. Jackson addressed that idea in a weigh-in with Ariel Helwani for Fuel TV:
Quotes after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson
On why he missed weight:
"I wasn't going to say anything. I thought I was going to make the weight but um, I got injured in my camp that kept me from doing a lot of running. But I didn't want to miss this fight because it's so important to me and I fought so hard to get it and I said 'forget it, I'm just gonna man up and make the fight.' And I kept training in other ways, I just couldn't get my road work in in a lot of ways. Then I healed up and could get my roadwork in but it was too late. I started cutting weight and it was a lot of weight to cut. I cut 21 pounds. I just couldn't get the last 6. I tried my best, it's kinda difficult you gotta weigh in earlier and I kinda underestimated the time. I woke up at three o'clock this morning cutting weight and I cut everything I had."
On Rich Franklin questioning his motivation in the Fuel booth after the missed weight:
"My friend already texted me what Rich Franklin said and Rich Franklin need to watch his mouth before I smack him the next time I see him. He a fighter the same way I'm a fighter, he should watch what he say. You don't question if a fighter is taking his fight serious or not. I'm a fighter, I take all my fights serious and I'm tired of people saying that. So what I get ups and downs in my fight career just like everyone else but I'm still here. I've been around eleven years but I'm still here. I take all my fights seirously and I'm tired of people questioning me. I'm one fighter that, I haven't backed out of a fight yet due to injury. I won some fights injured and I lost some fights injured. That's just me, I'm the one that gotta answer to it at the end of the day."
Posted in: fight, jackson, fighter, weight, im
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBenson Henderson: ‘I Want to Be the Best Fighter on the Planet’
Benson Henderson doesn't shy away from what he wants for his fight career. He wants to be the best fighter on the planet, and nothing is going to stop him.
Posted in: fighter, henderson, planet, benson, fight career
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyIs anyone interested in starting a collaborative project to list the most important fights/fighters of each year in MMA? (read more for details)
I love mma. I consider myself extremely knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the game, but I have a very hard time keeping up with all the less known fighters and smaller organizations. Basically it comes down to me having a short term memory when it comes to how each fighter is doing over a period of time. I was thinking we could organize it by listing the rising contenders each year and in each division,list their records and win streaks and what not, or we could just narrow it down to which fighters/fights/events/championships had the most significant impact of the year. I feel like it would be an easier way to put all the events in perspective and help us see trends and different improvements in fighters throughout the past year. In the same token it would be an awesome tool for easily seeing the results of all the major events and fights of the year that shook up the mma landscape and as a result give us better knowledge of the current standings and state of mma so we can be more informed about the next year. I'd love to hear more suggestions. submitted by PinkySlayer [link] [comment]
Posted in: mma, fighter, year, time i, mma landscape
Read the full article at RedditUFC Quick Quote: Stupid fighters want wars, intelligent fighters want a quick finish
"I love how so many fighter say, I just want a war.. I just listened to a guy who got a quick knockout and then said, I would have rather had a long war. Are you stupid??? I like short fights. If every fight could be quick, Im more than happy with that, but unfortunately its rare. "I just want a war", or "I love getting hit" Really stupid?? Because I dont. Thats why I train, to not get hit & not take damage. This sport is no longer a "tough-man" competition, its a stratigic equation, and most of the time, the more intelligent fighter wins. I don't know about you, but I don't want my brain to be used as a speed bag."
UFC welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger, who punched his ticket to bigger and better things within the 170-pound division with a convincing unanimous decision win over Diego Sanchez earlier this month, tells his Facebook fans he's not interested in seeing how many shots he can take, or how long he can stand and bang against his opponents. "The Juggernaut" would much rather implement an effective gameplan, avoid damage and finish the fight as early as possible. Anyone think Ellenberger has the right approach? Or is the "war" mentality why we love so many of the sport's scrappy fighters?
Posted in: fighter, i love, war, i dont, war i
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Forgotten Story of UFC 144: Hatsu Hioki and Japan's UFC Title Hopes
On Thursday in the grand ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo, six UFC fighters graced a stage for a press conference to publicize UFC 144. Scattered somewhat anonymously in the audience along with journalists and MMA cognoscenti was one of the highest ranking fighters in the world at his weight class, ignored until the end of the proceedings.Given the laborious process the UFC undertook to return to Japan for the first time in over a decade, the Saitama event is a headline subject unto itself. Add in Quinton "Rampage" Jackson rekindling his love affair with the Land of the Rising Sun, and sprinkle in the expected barnburner between lightweight champ Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson, and that's about all the story lines one can handle.But there is also a forgotten man in UFC 144, the highest-ranked fighter on the card aside from Edgar. If you're looking for at least a small way of jump starting MMA in Japan, how about the possibility that featherweight Hatsu Hioki wins in front of his home countrymen, and is immediately granted a championship match against Jose Aldo?
Perhaps it's because Hioki (25-4-2) was a bit underwhelming in his octagon debut against George Roop last October, but few have seemed to notice or care or even believe that his bout with Bart Palaszewski is among the most significant on the card.Remember, it was only a few months ago when many felt Hioki was worthy of an immediate title shot against Aldo upon signing with the UFC.Instead, he got the rangy Roop at UFC 137, and struggled with his length in a fight that went the distance and was scored as a controversial split-decision win for Hioki. That performance seemed to lighten his bandwagon a bit, with many wondering how he would fare against some of the UFC's top strikers, particularly those with enough wrestling ability to keep things standing. Others looked at it and saw yet another Japanese fighter coming into the UFC and appearing unable to adapt to the perceived increase in competition level.On the other hand, many fighters seem to get the benefit of the doubt upon struggling in their UFC debuts, with "octagon jitters" often cited as the cause. In those cases, there seems to be a built-in expectation for improvement in their second effort.Things don't get any easier for Hioki in his next try. In Palaszewski, he faces an opponent who largely prefers the striking game. Palaszewski (36-14) has won five of his last six, and most recently, knocked out the durable Tyson Griffin in a bout that was supposed to serve as his featherweight debut (Griffin missed weight, making it a catchweight bout). Palaszewski is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, and since Hioki is mainly a grappler (12 of his wins are by submission), the prospect of him running over Palaszewski on the ground seems slim. Instead, it will be a win he must work for and earn. In other words, a win that would prove him to be deserving of a title opportunity.A look around the division shows there isn't much else out there for Aldo. He's already beaten Chad Mendes and Mark Hominick. Top 10 contender Dustin Poirier is locked into a May bout with Chan Sung Jung, and no else -- aside from Palaszewski -- seems seasoned enough to challenge him right now. Despite all that, the UFC hasn't made a peep about the possibility of the winner drawing Aldo next. Perhaps it's to temper expectations, or unleash a surprise, or more likely, they simply haven't decided what to do next.But the landscape of the division certainly makes Hioki-Palaszewski a bout where the winner can legitimately stake a claim as Aldo's next opponent. Hioki isn't a major star in Japan right now, but winning this weekend would be a good start for him, and for Japanese MMA. The sport there needs a shot in the arm, even if it's as simple as a tap from Hioki's opponent.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, aldo, palaszewski, hioki
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseTitle Writing: Numbers For Nerds 8 "Age Demographics In The UFC", Part 3 Of 3
Going right into the numbers, I looked at the results for all fights in 2011 and organized the winners by younger than/ older than. I did not consider fights where the fighters were of the same age when they fought.
All told, the younger man won 168 of 278 fights, leaving the older man to win 110 times. In percentage terms, this works out in favor of the younger man 60% of the time. Not a huge difference but certainly worth noting.
Taking it a step further, I tried to isolate fights between two top 10 fighters, so I evaluated the main and co-main events of every numbered card and just the main events of the non-numbered cards. Out of 44 fights that I considered, 30 times the younger man won, with 14 wins going to the older fighter. These numbers favor the younger fighter 68% of the time. While not a particularly large sample size, 68% is quite an edge to take into the 50/50 proposition that is a cage fight.
"Room To Grow" and "The Top 25 Under 25" after the jump.
Room to grow
The following is guys who have fought at least three times in the UFC but have less than 10 MMA fights overall. The purpose of this list is to pick out guys who might not qualify for the top 25 under 25 but are still early enough in their careers to have a chance to make a big impact in the future. The list is organized by wins in the UFC.
Room To Grow
Name
UFC wins
1. Cain Velasquez (HW)
7
2. Matt Riddle (WW)
6
3. Phil Davis (LHW)
5
4. Matt Mitrione (HW)
5
5. Amir Sadollah (WW)
5
6. Brendan Schaub (HW)
4
7. Chris Weidman (MW)
4
8. Edson Barboza (LW)
4
9. Brad Tavares (MW)
2
10. John Makdessi (LW)
2
11. Edwin Figueroa (BW)
2
12. Christian Morecraft (HW)
1
13. Karlos Vemola (MW)
1
14. Justin Edwards (WW)
1
Of course the name that jumps out at everyone should be Cain Velasquez, who started his career with nine straight wins, the final victory securing him the UFC heavyweight championship. His 10th fight was his first loss, but he'll undoubtedly have more chances to reclaim the title as he progresses along. Mitrione and Sadollah are the only guys on the list that are over 30, having both spent their entire careers in the UFC, so time is working against them. On the other hand, despite being everyones favorite whipping boy, a guy to keep an eye on is Matt Riddle, who has spent his entire 9 fight career in the UFC and is still only 26 years old. He seems destined to be a second tier fighter based on what he's shown in his fights, but he reminds me a bit of Stefan Struve, who turned a corner in his last fight, his tenth in the UFC. Other notable fighters on the list are Phil Davis, Chris Weidman and Brendan Schaub, all young athletic guys who have shown great promise thus far.
Top 25 UFC Fighters 25 years of age or younger
Name
Age
Zuffa Record
1. Jon Jones (LHW)
24
9-1
2. Jose Aldo (FW)
25
11-0
3. Renan Barao (BW)
25
5-0
4. Demetrious Johnson (FlyW)
25
4-2
5. Anthony Pettis (LW)
25
6-2
6. Dustin Poirier (FW)
23
5-1
7. Erik Koch (FW)
23
5-1
8. Alexander Gustafsson (LHW)
25
5-1
9. Michael McDonald (BW)
21
4-0
10. Rory MacDonald (WW)
22
3-1
11. Chan Sung Jung (FW)
24
2-2
12. Stefan Struve (HW)
24
7-3
13. John Hathaway (WW)
24
5-1
14. Charles Oliveira (FW)
22
3-2 (1)
15. Jim Hettes (FW)
24
2-0
16. Diego Brandao (FW)
24
1-0
17. Paul Sass (LW)
23
2-0
18. Habib Nurmagomedov (LW)
23
1-0
19. Josh Grispi (FW)
23
4-2
20. Robert Peralta (FW)
25
1-0 (1)
21. Brad Tavares (MW)
24
2-1
22. Michael Johnson (LW)
25
2-2
23. T.J. Waldburger (LW)
23
2-1
24. Chris Camozzi (MW)
25
3-2
25. Jeremy Stephens (LW)
25
7-6
This is my own list, so I'm sure there will be some disagreements with where I've put certain guys but that's to be expected. I took into consideration each fighter's record, their place in the consensus rankings (if they were ranked), the relative toughness of the division they are in and of course my own opinions on the fighters. I thought about putting Aldo number one but up til now he's been in a weaker division than Jones, even though there are a bunch of featherweights on the list and only one light heavy. Since the list focuses on young fighters I tried to put fresh faces ahead of guys who've been there for awhile, all other things being equal. That is why Stefan Struve appears so far down the list, despite having more wins than any one under 25 but Jones and Aldo ( Struve is tied with Jeremy Stephens, who is last on this list due to his pretty slim chances of making any kind of title run).
To break it down by division, we have nine featherweights, six lightweights, two bantamweights, middleweights and welterweights and one heavyweight and one flyweight, which is in line with the findings I posted in part two suggesting that featherweight is a division to watch. fightinghistorian said something interesting in the comment section of part two: heavyweight fighters usually start fighting later than on in life. This suggests that by the time they make it to the UFC they are likely to be older than 25, so keep that in mind when evaluating this list. A final interesting note is this group of 25 has gone 101-31-2 thus far in their Zuffa careers, which works out to be a winning percentage of 75%.
And that wraps up this series. I hope that you guys came away with some useful insights.
Any comments or criticisms?
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, list, fw
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendUSA TODAY/MMA Nation February 2012 Consensus Rankings
February's USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings are now live. Be sure and pick up a hard copy of tomorrow's USA TODAY to see them in print.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA sources to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
More details on our methodology in the full entry.
NOTE: We have modified our method of gathering our rankings because the strict scheduling requirements of USA TODAY clash with the more irregular schedules of many of the MMA rankings sites. That was causing us to use a different set of sources almost every month. That combined with the small number of sites doing top 25 rankings was causing the Consensus rankings to have a lower "signal to noise" ratio than we would like -- that is if fighters are going to be moving up or down I would like it to be because there has been a change in the consensus opinion, not a change in our sources. Therefore we have cut back our sources to just those sites that we can depend on to update every month. We have also contacted many of the rankers that only publish top 10 lists and asked them to provide top 25 lists. As always we listen to your suggestions and are always working to improve the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings.
Also worth noting is that this month we instituted a rule that if a fighter is active in other weight classes he must have competed within a given weight class within the last 365 days in order to be ranked in that class in an attempt to improve the overall quality of our product. In order to be ranked at all, a fighter must have been active within the last 450 days.
Check out the USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings to see who's rising and who's falling.
Posted in: mma, fighter, ranking, consensus, consensus rankings
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowCulinary Union offers up stupid fighter 'Bill of Rights'
(Women are 3/5ths the fighters that men are. Wait, what???)
The UFC's great buddies over at the Culinary Union are still trying to mess with the sport of MMA, and while they claim it's all for the benefit of the poor struggling fighters, it's really just shady union hardball because UFC brass own non-union casinos in Vegas. Don't pretend you give a sh*t about the sport when you're also trying to keep it banned in New York, you c*nts. That's why even if they were advocating that every fighter gets an extra 10k and a special lolly pop every time they fight, I'd still be looking at the offer a bit askance wonder what the angle is this time. Because 99.99% of the time that angle is "Screw Dana White."The Union presented a fighter 'bill of rights' to the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Wednesday. Here's some of the more interesting ones:
2. Right to work. This would allow fighters to sign non-exclusive contracts and would prohibit contracts from automatically renewing. Champions' clauses, which keep champs attached to their contract as long as they hold the belt, would be a thing of the past....4. Free market of sponsorships. This would not just allow fighters to get whoever they would like to sponsor them, but would also let them say no to their promotion's sponsor. In other words, Brock Lesnar could chug a Coors and Carlos Condit could have walked away from a Harley-Davidson if he wanted to pursue a sponsorship with Honda....9. Right to fair fights. The UFC's matchmaking system generally provides fair and evenly matched bouts, but things get murky on subjects like who deserves a title fight. Timing often decides title matches as much as an independent ranking system. This right would call for a transparent ranking of fighters....10. Professionalism. From the union: "You have the right to be treated with common courtesy and professional respect by other fighters and by promoters and managers. For mixed martial arts to become a mainstream sport accepted by the general public, participants in the sport must act in accordance with commonly accepted standards of courtesy, decency and respect in their public interactions with one another and in their interactions with the public."
The thing that pisses me off about this isn't that all of the suggestions from the Culinary Union are bad, it's that they're trying to armchair general the future of the sport. What right do they have to come in and make any kind of suggestions about how the sport is run? What is their expertise in the field of MMA? Their raging hate-boner against Zuffa? Does that really qualify them to put forward sweeping regulations that turn the entire sport onto it's head?A lot of the stuff they suggest is right out of the 'How boxing was ruined' playbook too. Non-exclusive contracts are just nuts in today's business environment and would take a sport that can already be frustratingly fragmented and shatter it further into a million more little pieces. And who determines what the 'right to a fair fight' entails? Some bogus sanctioning bodies like in boxing? No thank you.
MMA may not be perfect, but taking these pie in the sky suggestions and trying to force them via policy into reality would be a complete disaster for the sport. Please, Culinary Union. How about you butt out of our sport and stick to whatever it is you do when you're not constantly harassing the UFC?
Posted in: ufc, right, fighter, sport, union
Read the full article at FightlinkerShowdown on UFC 144: Itching to rumble
UFC 144 is still a couple days away, but the general sense from all the fighters in Japan is they're ready to get it on.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, showdown, couple, couple days
Read the full article at sportsnet.caDana White say UFC will likely return to Japan ... but not for a PRIDE show
With the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) making its highly anticipated return to Japan this weekend (Feb. 25, 2012) with UFC 144, its first time since UFC 29 way back in 2000, many fans were hoping the return would give somewhat of a glimmer of hope for a PRIDE FC revival, or at the very least a tribute event.
"Sorry, but no," says UFC President Dana White.
As is customary with the promotion, when the UFC holds an event in Canada or Brazil, they try their hardest to please the hometown crowd by stacking the event with Canadian or Brazilian fighters, respectively.
Japan is no different. UFC 144 will include Japanese fighters Takanori Gomi, Yushin Okami, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Hatsu Hioki, Norifumi Yamamoto, Riki Fukuda, Takeya Mizugaki and Issei Tamura.
The event will also feature Quinton Jackson and Mark Hunt, two fighters who made a name for themselves while fighting under the PRIDE banner in the "Land of the Rising Sun."
Though many of PRIDE's former stars are now under contract with the UFC, White tells the media in attendance at the UFC 144 pre-fight press conference in Japan that there will not be an all ex-PRIDE fighters card at a future UFC in Japan to honor them.
"I don't think so. The PRIDE thing didn't work out, we gave it a shot, it didn't work out. Again like I said, The PRIDE organization, the gentleman who asked me earlier that I was the guy who killed PRIDE, it's completely untrue. PRIDE is the only other organization that I have ever respected. But, no, the UFC will be the events that we bring here, and the great history of PRIDE, there's no more PRIDE events."
PRIDE events in Japan, which featured spectacular show openings and entertaining entrances along with displays of showmanship from competitors, brought the fans out in droves, oftentimes filling arenas to record capacity, as was the case with PRIDE Final Conflict 2003, which brought out 67,450 fans to the Tokyo Dome.
Better yet, the Shockwave/Dynamite event in 2002, a PRIDE and K-1 co-production, filled Tokyo National Stadium with over 91,000 eager fight fans, 36,000 more than UFC's largest attendance to date of 55,000 strong at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for UFC 129.
White recently revealed the promotions return to Japan has been a success and the wheels are already in motion for a return. However, do not expect a card filled with fighters like Dan Henderson, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Anderson Silva, and Wanderlei Silva, amongst others, but rather a mixture of today's top UFC stars and a little PRIDE flavor for nostalgia.
Anyone disappointed that the Ghosts of Saitama likely won't have chance to be resurrected one final time, and will forever be wandering the arena of Saitama Super Arena with only memories to hold on to? Or is White right to focus strictly on the UFC brand Far East? Can all of the die-hard fans finally let go with this revelation?
Opinions, please.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, event, pride, japan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBreaking it Down: UFC 144 (PRELIMS)
“PRIDE never die.”
Whenever a veteran of the defunct Japanese fighting organization steps into the cage, my Twitter feed becomes inundated with the phrase, and I can’t say I’m innocent either in terms of partaking in the fandom. Although it may not have the same feeling as the days of old, the UFC returns to the home of PRIDE this Saturday, as UFC 144: Edgar vs Henderson comes to the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Featuring a lightweight championship bout between unlikely 155-pound kingpin Frankie Edgar and former WEC lightweight champ Benson Henderson, as well as the long-awaited return to Japan for PRIDE legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson who takes on Ryan “Darth” Bader, UFC 144 promises to be explosive, exciting, and a night where MMA fans young and old scream and shout “PRIDE NEVER DIE” at their television screens using their best Lenne Hardt impressions
Before the epic seven fight main card takes place, fans will be treated to one preliminary fight on Facebook and four other preliminary bouts live on FX. Here is my breakdown of those particular pairings:
Tiequan Zhang (15-2) vs Issei Tamura (6-2)
The lone Facebook preliminary fight features WEC import Zhang, making this his third UFC appearance. Widely regarded as one of, if not the, best mixed martial artist to come out of China, Zhang looks to get back into the win column after a unanimous decision loss to Darren Elkins in his most recent appearance. “The Mongolian Wolf”, who is known for having an excellent guillotine choke, enters this fight looking to make his fellow countrymen proud.
Late replacement Tamura steps in on only two weeks notice. Replacing injured Leonard Garcia, the Shooto vet looks to rebound from a loss of his own, having lost to Guy Delumeau in November. The Krazy Bee fighter has shown in his previous fights that he loves to throw leather and will absolutely run through someone while searching for a takedown. However, when he gets to the ground, he really doesn’t do much.
While Zhang has the clear advantage in this bout, the decision-friendly Tamura is no slouch. Despite stepping in on short notice, and not having fought in a cage before, Tamura could very well grind out a decision victory as he did against accomplished grappler Gustavo Falciroli. That said, I feel he over-commits to some of his takedowns, and Zhang should be able to capitalize and lock in a Guillotine Choke. He’ll have to make it happen early though or he’ll be dropping a decision.
Winner – Tiequan Zhang defeats Issei Tamura via Submission Round 1
Takeya Mizugaki (15-6-2) vs Chris Cariaso (12-3)
Longtime WEC fighter Mizugaki returns to the octagon following his brutal TKO of Cole Escovedo. Having mixed success in his Zuffa career, Mizugaki has traded wins and losses in all of his eight fights inside of a Zuffa cage. While that doesn’t look so good on paper, his losses have come to the some of the best in the division and along the way he has defeated the likes of Rani Yahya, Jeff Curran, Reuben Duran, and the aforementioned Escovedo. With nine of his fifteen victories coming by decision, the Shooting Gym Hakkei fighter is not afraid to leave it all out there and go fifteen minutes with anyone.
With eight decisions in twelve wins, “Kamikaze” Cariaso comes into this fight trading wins and losses in his own Zuffa career. Losing to Renan Barao and Michael McDonald is nothing to be ashamed of, and along the way Rafael Rebello, Will Campuzano, and Vaughan Lee have all fallen to the American bantamweight. Cariaso brings a variety of striking to this bout, and has no problem going the distance if needed.
This fight could very well be a fire fight. Both men have effective striking, stamina, and can take a punch or twelve. In what I feel is a very even fight, the difference comes down to speed and technical prowess and I feel Mizugaki has the edge in those categories. If he can keep the pressure on and go toe to toe with Cariaso, he should be able to treat himself to the victory, and treat the fans to a very entertaining fight.
Winner – Takeya Mizugaki defeats Chris Cariaso via Unanimous Decision
Riki Fukuda (17-5) vs Steve Cantwell (7-5)
After a car accident took him out of action Fukuda finally returns to the cage. Nearly a year to the day removed from a controversial decision loss to Nick Ring, the Japanese wrestler is looking to score his first UFC victory. The DEEP veteran is tough as nails, relentless in his assault, and is a threat to many middleweights inside the Octagon.
The Dan Hardy of the middleweight division, Cantwell is undoubtedly fighting for his job this Saturday. Despite a promising start in his Zuffa career, going 3-1 in WEC and absolutely destroying the arm of Razak Al-Hassan, “The Robot” has lived up to his nickname, fighting like one through his four straight decision losses. Relatively even with submission and TKO victories, Cantwell can finish fights, but for whatever reason he hasn’t in over three years.
I don’t like to discredit any fighter, but Cantwell is likely going to be looking for a job after this fight. I like him, don’t get me wrong, but Fukuda is relentless, a strong wrestler, and can hold his own on the feet. Ring rust and recovering from an injury might be a factor for him, but I doubt it. He’s going to make Cantwell pay for taking this fight from opening to closing.
Winner – Riki Fukuda defeats Steve Cantwell via Unanimous Decision
Norifumi Yamamoto (18-5 1 NC) vs Vaughan Lee (11-7-1)
A former Olympic hopeful, the K-1 Hero’s 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix winner, or a legend. Any of these can be used to describe “Kid” Yamamoto. A knockout artist, a fantastic wrestler, the man I watched smash Royler Gracie, Caol Uno, and Genki Sudo in previous outings. To say I am a fan of “Kid” is an understatement. Having only one victory since his 2007 win over Rani Yahya, “Kid” has not faired well in the UFC, going 0-2. Noticibly slowing, Yamamoto is 1-4 in his last five and likely needs a win here to remain relevant (let alone in the UFC).
The Brit, Lee, makes his second UFC appearance, coming off a loss to Cariaso in his debut at UFC 138. A well-rounded grappler, Lee has nine first round finishes to his credit and hopes to make “Kid” number ten. Lee has had the benefit of facing several fighters far below his level, which may attribute to his finishing rate, but that is no fault of his own. Lee has the potential to go far in his MMA career and Yamamoto may be the stepping stone he needs at this point.
All fanboyism aside, I’m taking “Kid” in this fight. While Lee has some clever submissions in his arsenal, I don’t believe he has the wrestling to get into any advantageous positions, nor is he a good worker off of his back. While the submission threat is always there, I think Yamamoto dictates where this fight goes, and puts Lee to sleep within the first ten minutes.
Winner – Norifumi Yamamoto defeats Vaughan Lee via Knockout Round 2
Takanori Gomi (32-8 1 NC) vs Eiji Mitsuoka (18-7-2)
A PRIDE icon, “The Fireball Kid” looks for his second UFC win this weekend, as well as the likely the continuance of his UFC career, when he steps into the Saitama Super Arena this weekend. Having stood across the cage from some of the best fighters in MMA history, Gomi is no stranger to the attention that surrounds his UFC 144 appearance. With powerful fists, as demonstrated when he dispatched of Tyson Griffin and Hayato Sakurai, Gomi is dangerous for anyone with a chin. While the Gomi of old is long gone, he is still a force to be reckoned with.
A replacement for George Sotiropoulos, Mitsuoka is a accomplished grappler in his own right. With eleven wins by submission, it’s no question what his bread and butter is. Holding over victories over notable fighters such as Joachim Hansen and Bruno Carvalho, Mitsuoka is clearly a threat to all he faces even if he’s not the most known competitor.
Gomi’s best weapons are his fists and his weaknesses are clearly submissions. Mitsuoka’s best weapons are his submissions, and unfortunately for Gomi, he has never been knocked out with his one TKO loss caused by cuts. While this on paper looks like a clear cut win for Mitsuoka, he has his weaknesses. While he has the submission chops required to secure the victory, his wrestling is lacking and he doesn’t set up his shots well. Should Gomi be prepared for telegraphed and lackadaisical takedown attempts, he should be able to keep this on the feet. However, I can’t see him knocking out Mitsuoka and fifteen minutes is a long time when you’re locked in a cage. This fight could go either way, but I’m going to take Gomi.
Winner – Takanori Gomi defeats Eiji Mitsuoka via Unanimous Decision
The UFC 144 preliminary card is action-packed and several fighters could very well be fighting for their jobs. With two legendary Japanese fighters competing on FX, this is not a card which should be overlooked. With several interesting and exciting fights taking place on the preliminary card, it serves as the perfect lead-in for the seven fight main card…much like this piece does for my main card breakdown. Make sure to check it out tomorrow!
PHOTO CREDIT – FEG
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, loss, decision
Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain
Behind The Scenes: The Hate Issue
Nick Peet, Editor, Fighters Only and Train Hard, Fight Easy
‘Hate is such a strong word, but I really don’t like you.’ To hate someone, to actually detest their mere presence, is something most human beings have unfortunately experienced at one time or another. Whether it was a school bully, a torturous PE teacher, your self-obsessed boss that forces you to work weekends while he walks the fairways in stupid plus fours, or simply just everyone who works for the Inland Revenue. Hate is an emotion we have all felt at some point. And it’s so powerful, it’s a shame to waste it.
Being capable of harnessing that intense feeling of contempt and then use anger and aggression as allies is the key to maximum productivity. It’s a lesson in self-control many of you have never been required to, or even thought about, master before. Yet it is one of the most important skills in becoming a professional athlete.
Hate can also fuel desire. It’s a facet of combat sports that goes back centuries. Pride and glory run side by side against fear and jealousy, hate’s own sparring partners, and those human characteristics are perhaps more prevalent today than ever. After all, sports psychology is now part of the armour of every world-class athletic performer.
Take Nick and Nate Diaz for instance, perhaps the two most hate-filled fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. They actively drive to antagonise, refuse to conform to authority and seemingly do what they want when they want. Yet once the bell goes it’s all business and their street fighting style and ‘f**k everybody’ attitudes have elevated them both into being two of the most definitive fighters in their respective weight classes.
In this issue we investigate the role hate has in professional sport, and how the Octagon has become a breeding ground for hate as competitive rivalry – more often than not nurtured during seasons of The Ultimate Fighter – and sports psychology tactics have become key factors in each of the seven weight divisions. FO catches up with Georges St Pierre’s brain coach Brian Cain to catch a glimpse into the make-up of a fighter’s mind. Whilst Diaz mentor, Cesar Gracie, offers an insight into the minds of America’s infamous bad boy brothers.
Over the years tonnes of MMA fighters have run up fierce rivalries with one another and so we also roll with a handful of the guys involved in some of the most famous public bust-ups. Tito Ortiz, Frank Mir and Josh Koscheck are all included inside – while the two guys at the centre of perhaps one of the most intriguing grudge matches in modern-day MMA, Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, also give us their take on sporting rivalry ahead of their coaching roles on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Speaking from his base in San Diego, UFC bantamweight champion Cruz reveals what drives him and the secrets of that cool unorthodox, high-octane fighting style which has landed him on top of the world’s 145lb division. Plus his coach at Alliance MMA, Eric Del Fierro, admits for the first time he’s keen to stoke the flames, after the success his Chula Vista team enjoyed in 2011.
Nate Diaz also discusses, in his own inimitable style, his opinions on hate, and we turn back the clock to one of the most infamous hate-filled moments in MMA history, when on New Year’s Eve in 2009 the Aoki vs Hirota champion of champions match witnessed the effects of what happens when rivalry turns brutal.
But please don’t fret, we had to balance the ying and the yang, so there is also plenty of love running through the 132 action-packed pages also. Our final feature investigates why some fighters – like Brian Stann and Randy Couture – are impossible to hate. And we’ve also got all the usual unmissable news, reviews and previews to get stuck into… Plus, we go viral training with Frank Mir’s grappling coach Ricky Lundell, and referee Marc Goddard reveals the 10 commandments of being a quality MMA official.
And finally, check out our review of the third instalment of the UFC Undisputed video game series.
This issue is on sale in the UK now. Enjoy.
Posted in: mma, fighter, sport, champion, rivalry
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyTitle Writing: Numbers For Nerds 8 "Age Demographics In The UFC", Part 2 Of 3
Average Fighter Age In The UFC
In March of 2010, the average age of UFC fighters was reported as 29.5 years. Somewhat surprisingly, there has been no change to that number some two years later, despite the addition of three new divisions full of young talent.
By division:Heavyweight: 30.8 yearsLight Heavyweight: 32.2 yearsMiddleweight: 30.2 yearsWelterweight: 29.6 yearsLightweight: 29 yearsFeatherweight: 27.7 yearsBantamweight: 28.5 yearsFlyweight: 27.9 years
By divisional top ten/rest of division split/champions age (Consensus rankings)
Heavyweight: 32.2 / 30.2 / 28 Light Heavyweight: 31.2 / 32.7 / 24Middleweight: 32.4 / 29.6 / 36 Welterweight: 29.6 / 29.6 / 30 Lightweight: 28.2 / 29.2 / 30Featherweight: 26.5 / 28.1 / 25Bantamweight: 28.3 / 28.4 / 26** There are only 9 fighters and no champion yet in the flyweight division**
Analysis and champions forecast after the jump.
Analysis: Studying the UFC by age again shines a light on what could become a serious issue in the future of prize-fighting, a lack of heavyweight fighters. There are 30 heavyweights and 31 light heavyweights. Across the other five established divisions, the average is nearly 50 fighters. For the UFC to simply catch those two divisions up they would have to increase the size of the division by a whopping 60 percent. It seems impossible to do quickly, but it's necessary: these divisions are not only sparsely populated but trending towards the older side. The average age of the top 10 heavyweights is a shade over 32 years old. Fedor was tapped out by Fabricio Werdum at 33, to give you an idea of where I'm going with that.
The 205 pound division is no better, as the contenders are 31 while the rest of the division is nearing 33 years old on average. One bright spot is that the champions, Junior Dos Santos and Jon Jones, are under 30, with Jones one of the youngest fighters in the organization at 24. As the company builds these divisions they are going to have to find challengers for these two but at least they can present them as dominant champions, should they beat up on sub-par competition for the next few years (Of course, both still have a challenge or two in front of them, but both are entirely capable of conquering them).
The middleweight division seems to represent best the idea I introduced in part one: A dominant champion can cause a dearth of bonafide contenders once they finally are dethroned; all the would be champs were left to beat up on each other and younger fighters never got the chance to grow. The top ten is filled with guys on the other side of 30, with Alan Belcher being the only fighter under that number amongst the bunch. The rest of the division falls right into the average at 29.6 and there is 47 fighters in the weight class, so that's not terrible but the division does need to start focusing on younger guys for when Anderson Silva is no longer the champ.
The other divisions are fairly well off actually. The champions are all 30 or younger, the entire welterweight and lightweight divisions are on average or younger than average across the board, with the two newest divisions having the youngest average ages. The featherweight division looks like the division to watch, strictly going with age; the division has the youngest top 10 average, at 26.5 years old. Jose Aldo is 25 himself, so there is plenty of time for the top group at featherweight to produce some fierce rivalries in the next few years.
Champions Forecast
Junior Dos Santos: Good. If he can beat Alistair Overeem, he should reign for years. This is probably the most important heavyweight fight in the history of the division, with the number of lineal titles ton the line. The only spoiler is the fact that Overeem would likely still need to beat Cain Velasquez before his dominance was unquestioned whereas Dos Santos stands one win away from locking up the division for a long long time.Jon Jones: Great. Jones is a tall fighter who knows how to use his length. Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson are great fighters but they are undersized for the division to begin with, so chances are Jones cleans out the division. From there, who knows.Anderson Silva: Poor. I know, he's the greatest champion of all time and his consecutive title defenses record will probably never be equaled. That's also why I'm saying it's about his time to either lose or walk away. The men chasing him are getting older too though, so he could very well defy father time for another three or four fights but I just can't count on it.Georges St. Pierre: Good. Call me skeptical of the contenders at 170 and faithful to the idea that Georges is the smartest fighter in MMA. If he's less of a physical beast he'll somehow compensate. I think he's a few years away from seeing a true challenge.Frankie Edgar: Moderate. Edgar is a wonderful champion and is probably my favorite fighter to watch in the UFC. I believe it took a lot out of him to stop Gray Maynard though, and he can't go to war for much longer before he runs the risk of getting turned off altogether. A decisive and safe win over Henderson would go a long way for him.Jose Aldo: Good. I would say great but for the young talent that surrounds him. He might have a lean year or two and the UFC might need to get creative to keep him active but by the time he hits 28 he'll have some mega tough fighters to deal with. Erik Koch, Dustin Poirier to name a few. Oh yeah, 155 pounders are still dropping down to challenge him, so there is that too.Dominick Cruz: Moderate. Tough fights with Renan Barao and Miguel Torres loom on the horizon for Cruz. Of course he must dispatch of Urijah Faber, for the second time in a little over a years time, but I really see no reason why he won't be able to do that. I've long thought Torres would be an interesting challenge for Cruz and Barao is a dynamo who would probably give some welterweights a good fight (I'm looking at you Matt Riddle).
Thanks for reading. In part three later today i'll be looking back at the 2011 fight cards to see if age difference factored into winning and losing. I'll also be looking at the top 25 fighters under 25 in the UFC.
Posted in: fighter, champion, division, year, age
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendNate Quarry Ready For Thursday Debut Of Spike's MMA Uncensored Live
In the final fight of an eight-plus year career, Nate Quarry lost by second round TKO to Jorge Rivera. Nearly two years later, Rivera debuted on the infrequent ESPN MMA Live, while Quarry kicks off his first major venture into the analyst's chair with MMA Uncensored Live, an hour long MMA news and talk show debuting on Spike Thursday at 11 PM EST.
A month removed from his 40th birthday, Quarry finds himself in an unfamiliar place, analyzing and giving praise or criticism to those that he may have trained with and competed against. Quarry said that initially concerned him, but watching some jovial interplay between football analysts and players recently eased some of his mental burden.
"I saw that and really hope all the fighters that we cover have that same attitude, but it's a different sport with different attitudes. I know when someone said online or in interviews that I was going to lose, it pissed me off," Quarry said. "It's my job to give perspective. If I sit there and say I'm not going to say anything bad or realistic about a fighter, the show's not going to be good at all.
"From a fan's perspective, it's a sport and they're watching it to have fun. As someone now going back into that role as a fan, I hope fighters can understand my perspective. Every time there's a prediction for a fight, someone's going to be pretty pissed off. Hopefully, I don't have half of the fighters in the land hating me," he joked.
The show is a weekly venture featuring Quarry, Craig Carton (co-host on WFAN Radio with Boomer Esiason) and author/media personality Mike Straka. The three will broadcast live from Times Square in New York City, debating and discussing everything in the UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator with Twitter interaction from those watching at home.
But what will make this a must-watch show in an already crowded MMA media marketplace, one that got more packed with the recent addition of Fuel TV's UFC Tonight?
"More than anything, it's less of a sports reporting show talking about the scores that just happened and more of an opinion piece. It's a lot more like a forum than it is a news show. You know when you go to the forums and there's about 90% sh*t talking and 10% intelligence? We're hoping to raise the bar closer to 15%," Quarry quipped.
For more on what to expect from the first show, join us after the jump.
Quarry is familiar with Spike, a network he appeared on regularly during the first season of The Ultimate Fighter and on five Spike UFC events during his five years in the Octagon. He had done some work on the short-lived 2011 Comcast Sports Net American Cage Fighter show and after some screen tests and follow-ups, he was given his new role. He's been in New York all week as the group continues to prep for tonight's debut.
Quarry admits he's bad with names, something Straka has razzed him about -- a dynamic that he thinks people watching will really get into.
"What I like most is we're not playing roles. With us, it's like three buddies sitting in our basement and talking about the fights and what's coming up. We all have opinions on them. I've never understood why journalists can never share their opinions. For me, I'm not a journalist. Straka is and he's an opinionated journalist -- more than happy to tell me why he's right and I'm wrong."
The new show is one of several MMA related projects Quarry is involved in as he continues his "fun project" Zombie Cage Fighter and The Better Way Back, a group that specializes in helping those with back and spine injuries that uses Quarry as a spokesperson, even naming an award after him.
But it's this newest venture that has him most excited. With 100 million potential households, the backing of a major ad-supported cable outlet like Spike and a dynamic subject to talk about, Quarry feels fans will be able to relate to what Uncensored turns out to be.
"We're going to be telling the stories and going behind the scenes. This week, we're doing a feature on the Yakuza and PRIDE with stories that have never been told," Quarry said. "It's so close to Real Sports on HBO that it blows me away. Because we're not tied to any one organization, we can tell the stories from every angle. We're going to be talking about the same things that fans are BSing about with their friends. "
MMA Uncensored Live airs at 11 PM EST Thursday on Spike TV with Dan Henderson as a guest. Bloody Elbow will have a discussion thread on the site for fans to talk about the show and give their thoughts.
Posted in: mma, show, fighter, spike, quarry
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTakanori Gomi - The Fireball Kid Comes Home
It’s no secret that the Japanese mixed martial arts scene has fallen on hard times over the last few years, but with Saturday’s UFC 144 event at Saitama Super Arena, there is optimism from the local heroes on the card that this could be the start of a revival in Japan. One of those hopeful fighters is one who is no stranger to a thriving MMA scene at home, Takanori Gomi.“I think the level of Japanese MMA will rise as many people get to see the world’s top class bouts,” he said through translator Mizuka Koike. “I hope there’s gonna be a lot of Japanese guys who wish to be great fighters.”Gomi, the first and only PRIDE lightweight champion, as well as a Shooto welterweight titleholder, is no stranger to being in the role of flag bearer for the sport in his country. For years, “The Fireball Kid” took on and beat all comers, most notably going 13-1 with 1 NC from 2004 to 2007. Yet by the time Gomi arrived in the UFC in 2010, he was about to hit hard times in the Octagon. Just 1-3 in four UFC starts, with his Knockout of the Night finish of Tyson Griffin sandwiched by losses (all by submission) to Kenny Florian, Clay Guida, and Nate Diaz, the charismatic Kanagawa native has found himself in need of a win this Saturday against countryman Eiji Mitsuoka (a late replacement for the injured George Sotiropoulos). Yet on a positive note, the 33-year old southpaw appears to have pinpointed where he’s gone wrong in the UFC.“I think I lacked stamina and ground techniques,” he said. “I want to make an improvement on that, so I’ve reviewed the training regimen that I’ve done and trained even harder.”Well, if he was looking to see his ground game tested, Sotiropoulos was the perfect man to do it, but Mitusoka’s no slouch either, as the 36-year old has finished 11 of his 18 wins by submission.Said Gomi, “I think a fighter like Mitsuoka starts with boxing and then moves to grappling to end the fight with a submission. And when it comes to reach and body size wise, they (Mitsuoka and Sotiropoulos) are not very different, so it (the change in opponent) was okay.”It’s no secret that Gomi has had his difficulties with groundfighters (six of his eight losses are by submission), but he’s also had success against them over the years, and the one intangible when it comes to this weekend’s bout is that it is coming at home. That’s something that can’t be overlooked, especially when Gomi is so excited about his return.“I am really happy to have a chance to fight in UFC Japan,” he said. “I never thought it was going to happen this early, and I’m glad that I continued my career this long. It’s been a while, so I am looking forward to fighting in front of the Japanese crowd. I want to be my true self and show them a great fight.”Pardon the pun, but this is pride at its most telling and compelling. For a fighter like Gomi, one whose legacy is set no matter what happens against Mitsuoka, it is imperative that if he’s going to lose, it’s not going to be in front of his loyal fans. Not this weekend. Not at Saitama Super Arena. “I am proud of myself for being one of the Japan-born UFC fighters,” he said, “and I think Japanese fighters have this fighting spirit of not giving up until it’s really over.”And as far as Takanori Gomi is concerned, his run in the UFC is far from over.“The Fireball Kid is coming back,” he said. “Please keep an eye on me.”
Posted in: ufc, fighter, japanese, year, gomi
Read the full article at UFCShit Fighters Say
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Posted in: fighter, shit, archie, shit fighters
Read the full article at RedditGhosts of Saitama: The Japanese New Year's Eve war starts with three blockbuster shows
The roar of the crowd ... the sound of bare feet shuffling against canvas ... the unexplainable electricity inside the building. They are all mere echos today as crowds in the tens of thousands have dwindled down to a fraction of that amount. The Saitama Super Arena, host of this Saturday's (Feb. 25) UFC 144 event, has been home to some of the greatest mixed martial arts (MMA) events in the history of the sport. "Ghosts of Saitama" will take a look at some of those moments, forever preserved and never forgotten.
Yesterday we took a look back at 2011's New Year's Eve (NYE) event at the Saitama Super Arena, a show that very well could be the last in the near-decade long tradition. Indeed, the future looks grim from where we sit.
It wasn't the case eight years prior when groups headed by Antonio Inoki, K-1 parent company Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) and Pride Fighting Championships (Pride), each decided to go to all-out television war on Dec. 31, 2003.
Bom-Ba-Ye. Dynamite!!. Shockwave.
Three huge events that had millions of combat sports fans glued to their television sets at home and more than 100,000 people packed into three different stadiums. Saitama Super Arena, of course, was one of them. The building played host to Pride's Shockwave event, also holding the honors for the next three years.
It was supposed to be the dawn of a new age in mixed martial arts (MMA) and combat sports in general. And while it seemed to fulfill that very promise for the next couple of years, it also inevitably led to the downfall of the sport in Japan.
Let's dive right in:
Shockwave was a star-studded event naturally headlined by Japanese all-star Kazushi Sakuraba taking on the younger of the Brazilian twins, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. An Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) rematch also took place as Octagon originals Don Frye and Gary Goodridge locked horns for a second time. This time "Big Daddy" came out on top with a thunderous head kick that put "The Predator" immediately to sleep.
Americans Quinton Jackson and Heath Herring each took on and defeated overmatched competition. In "Rampage's" case, it was Ikuhisa Minowa, a fighter he likely outweighed by 20 points. For "The Texas Crazy Horse," it was Giant Silva, a fighter who likely outweighed him by 100 but whose MMA skills were rudimentary at best.
Akira Shoji would end up getting viciously knocked out by Murilo Rua only two months after Mauricio Rua achieved the same result. It seemed the Rua family had Shoji's number. Fellow Japanese fighters Yuki Kondo and Kiyoshi Tamura fared better aganist their competition, however.
Kondo bested Brazilian legend Mario Sperry while longtime Sakuraba rival Tamura was able to submit Ray Sefo's baby brother Rony. A fight between Hayato Sakurai and fellow countryman Daiju Takase went the judges who scored "Mach" as the victor.
The Gracie family earned back some respect for Brazil before the night was done. Daniel Gracie submitted his opponent with relative ease and while the result of Royce Gracie's bout with Hidehiko Yoshida is a draw, it was only the special rule set that defined it as such. After allowing the judoka to take his back the previous year and elicit a stoppage through a possibly dubious choke, the UFC Hall of Famer was not going to rest on his laurels.
During their first bout, Yoshida employed the ezekiel choke using his gi. Staying in position for a few moments, the Japanese fighter then alerted the referee that Gracie had passed out. The bout was called and Yoshida popped up to his feet. The problem was so did Gracie. It seemed like the entire country of Brazil poured into the ring then to protest the stoppage so 16 months later, two fighters found themselves back where they started.
Only this time, Gracie had a score to settle and a point to prove. The fight is officially a draw but in reality, it was a one-sided beatdown. The UFC legend dominated his opponent from bell to bell and despite not coming out with a win, he still earned back some of the respect he had lost the year before.
It became the fight the event has become best known for. The bout was booked because Pride officials were eager to get both fighters back into the ring to settle the score after the scandalous ending to their first match-up over a year prior at a Pride/K-1 co-promoted event. Their hope was to make money while also hoping to quell any controversy.
But controversy remained. Two names surprisingly absent from the Shockwave card were those of popular kickboxer turned MMA fighter Mirko Filipovic and Pride's heavyweight champion at the time Fedor Emelianenko. "Cro Cop" mysteriously took the night off while "The Last Emperor" actually appeared at Inoki's Bom-Ba-Ye event. The details surrounding those situations would eventually lead to Pride's downfall.
Allegations of crooked promoters and even dirtier managers with the Yakuza having its fingers in everything. Two years after this event, the murky details began to surface and Pride wouldn't survive the fallout. It helps cast a shadow over this event since the competitiveness of Pride officials to put on the biggest and best show possible is also what led to the company's demise.
The main event was Pride ace Sakuraba taking on the relatively fresh face of "Lil Nog." While older brother -- by 23 seconds -- was already an established name on the Pride circuit, Rogerio Nogueira had only stepped inside the promotion's ring three times. The two had a great fight. Really, it will probably go down as when two of the greatest fighters to never hold a major title met inside the ring.
The pomp and the spectacle would reach even greater heights in the ensuing years -- Shockwave 2005 boasts nearly 50,000 fans in attendance -- but it all began in 2003 at the Saitama Super Arena.
In a way, it's also where it began to end.
More from the "Ghosts of Saitama" series:
Ghosts of Saitama: After nearly a decade, the traditional New Year's Eve MMA event in Japan likely comes to an end in 2011
Ghosts of Saitama: In 2004, the world's greatest heavyweights descended upon Saitama Super Arena
Ghosts of Saitama: Pride FC wastes no time making its debut at Saitama Super Arena in Japan
Posted in: fighter, event, year, pride, saitama
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 144 Press Conference Video
At the UFC 144 press conference, UFC President Dana White will join fighters Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson, Rampage Jackson, Ryan Bader, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jake Shields in Japan on Wednesday night, and we'll carry the live video here at MMAFighting.com.
The UFC 144 pre-fight press conference will be an opportunity for the Japanese media to meet the fighters and the last opportunity to hear the fighters' thoughts prior to Saturday night's fights.
The press conference begins at 11 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday (which is Thursday afternoon in Japan) and the video is below.
Posted in: ufc, jake shields, fighter, conference, press
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFour fighters handed down medical suspensions from UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger
The Nebraska State Athletic Commission had an easy time determining medical suspensions for those fighters who competed on the UFC on Fuel: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger card recently with only four being issued a mandatory break from competition.
Ronny Markes, who said he suffered a broken right hand during his fight with Aaron Simpson, was handed an indefinite break, needing a doctor’s clearance to return to action. Markes himself has said he will undergo surgery to correct the problem and hopes to be back by summertime.
Meanwhile, Vagner Rocha, Philip De Fries, and Dave Herman were all given 30-day suspensions, the State’s standard following a knockout/TKO loss.
Main event fighters Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez were both free of any suspensions after their grueling three-round war which saw Ellenberger claim a victory in his proverbial backyard of Omaha though clearly both will need a little time off to heal up from cuts/contusions.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ellenberger, fighter, suspension, diego sanchez, aaron simpson
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainCulinary Union suggests Bill of Rights for MMA fighters (Yahoo! Sports)
The Culinary Union, the biggest union representing workers in Nevada, stopped by the Nevada Athletic Commission's meeting on Wednesday to discuss ways to improve treatment for fighters. They want to see the NAC lead the combat sports world by pushing … Continue reading →
Posted in: fighter, sport, union, nevada, commissions meeting
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC 144: Yoshihiro Akiyama Leads The UFC Back To Japan
With the UFC returning to Japan for the first time in a decade for this Saturday's UFC 144 in the storied Saitama Super Arena, the UFC has done its best to stack the card with Japanese fighters from their roster.
That roster includes fighters who rose to prominence in Japan after the boom like Hatsu Hioki, fighters who toiled in the smaller Japanese promotions like Riki Fukuda and Takeya Mizugaki, Yushin Okami, a fighter who has fought in the UFC for almost his whole career and even fighters who were big stars during Japan's MMA boom such as Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Takanori Gomi.
But no Japanese fighter on the UFC 144 card is a bigger star in his homeland* than Yoshihiro Akiyama. Frustratingly for Akiyama and the UFC, his 1-3 run with the promotion keeps him out of the headliner or co-main event slots.
But the 36-year-old has finally decided to cut weight and fight against men his own size in the welterweight division. Former Strikeforce champ and UFC #1 contender Jake Shields will be his test case.
He talked to UFC.com about the decision:
"I am not tall and big enough among other UFC fighters and decided to change to my "original" division," said the 5-foot-11 Akiyama through translator Takashi Iizuka. It was at 81 kilograms (178 pounds) that Akiyama won numerous judo titles, and while he will retain the technical knowledge and gritty competitiveness that has marked his seven year MMA career, he'll also be competing on a level physical playing field, and he believes that "I think that I could acquire more speed."
It will be very interesting to see if Akiyama can get a win over the tough Jake Shields and if the fight will make any waves in Japan. The UFC did manage to buy some TV time on TV Tokyo, the smallest broadcaster in Japan. Unfortunately the fights will air at midnight Tokyo time, hours after the fights are over but it's a start.
Based on reports from Fight Opinion, it looks as if the UFC's deal with the Dentsu advertising agency and sponsor Don Quixote to book the event as a "sold show" was a very smart play. UFC 144 is a low-risk proposition for Zuffa and just might represent a first step in rebuilding the MMA market in Japan.
*Akiyama is a native of Japan but of Korean descent.
Photo via Getty Images.
SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, japan, akiyama
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 144 Will Ferrell Promo
This is funny and all, but I want a video with Lenne Hardt announcing the fighters. Dammit, I miss PRIDE.
Posted in: fighter, pride, promo, lenne hardt, ferrell promo
Read the full article at MMA ConvertAction packed week ahead for kickboxing fans
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
Although the big time promotions are absent this month, there's still a lot of great action going on around the world. There's a number of strong, quality events taking place that feature some great talent. 2012 is already turning out to be a great year in kickfighting, with or without K-1. With smaller shows showcasing great talent popping up often, we don't have to wait very long to catch some good fights. Click "Read More" to check out the upcoming action for this week.
W5 Fighter - Moscow, Russia - February 24
W5 is kicking off 2012 with a new "W5 Fighter" series that will be holding four tournaments using the weight classes of 60kg, 65kg, 70kg and 75kg. With 16 fighters in each weight class, they're holding ten events this year. The first event is on Friday and has 12 fights including six tournament matches. The main event is a really good fight between Alexander Surzkho and Edgar Arutyunyan at 75kg. Russia and Ukraine are producing a lot of good fighters nowadays and Surzkho and Arutyunyan are some of the top fighters they have in that weight category. The fight has all the makings to be action packed. It'll be on Russian TV so videos will definitely get out. Full fight card.
Read More...
Posted in: fight, fighter, event, kg, action
Read the full article at Middle EasyWill Ferrell introduces the UFC 144 fighters.
Will Ferrell introduces the UFC 144 fighters.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ferrell
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowNogueira's Conspiracy Theory: MMA Judges Are Biased Against Brazilians
PRIDE and UFC star, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, or 'Big Nog' has a conspiracy theory. He thinks there's a rivalry between American's and Brazilian's, and he implies that MMA Judges in the US are biased against the Brazilians.
He said as much when he talked to Globo TV. Here's a translation from Bloody Elbow's own Orcus:
"Americans have a rivalry with Brazilians, that is obvious. And why is that? It’s because the UFC has three hundred fighters under contract, and from those three hundred fighters we are fifty. The Brazilians are fifty, and we have more belts than they do."
"So from three hundred we are fifty, and with those fifty we get there and take care of business. They win (more) because they have more (people), they have a bigger infrastructure inside their gyms, they have support for the sport since they’re kids. But the sport is growing in Brazil and I believe that..."
"They look at us with (malicious) eyes, let’s say it like that. If you’re going to fight an American in the US you have to win the fight with emphasis because otherwise… You can’t win it by a thin margin."
Off the top of my head, the only controversial decision involving a Brazilian fighter losing to an American fighter recently, would be Lyoto Machida losing that razor thin decision against Quinton Jackson. For the record, I do disagree with that decision, but even then, it was a really close fight, and it wasn't really a robbery.
We do see a few crazy scorecards every now and then, but I don't think we can really blame that on nationalism, racism, or whatever, rather than them simply being bad at judging fights.
Nog's brother, Rogerio was even awarded one of those controversial decisions. I wonder if Jason Brilz has his own conspiracy theory on this.
Posted in: fighter, decision, brazilian, american, conspiracy theory
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWill Ferrell introduces the fighters for UFC 144 (Fan Made)
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, fan, mongoosejenkin, ferrell
Read the full article at RedditUFC 144: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto Vs. Vaughan Lee Dissection
In the penultimate UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson match slated for the four-fight preliminary card, which kicks off at 8:30 p.m. ET on the FX channel, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto faces Vaughan Lee in a bantamweight bout.
How the mighty have fallen. At the turn of the millennium, when the acronym No Holds Barred (NHB) was giving way to MMA and Pride FC and the UFC were like warring mafia dons, there was a sharp contrast between American fights and those overseas. The Pride shows took place in a pristine white ring and were steeped in tradition, with a heavy emphasis on honor and "budo", and the way one "could hear a pin drop" was an oft-observed distinction of the respectfully silent audience. Here in the states, there was a greater focus on wrestling and the fighters snarled their way toward the ominous black cage amidst the raucous thumping of heavy metal while the "Just Bleed Guy" flexed in the background.
Kid Yamamoto (18-5) was Japanese MMA's first bad boy because he embodied the primal virility that was associated more with America's culture. Sporting a mohawk, sprinkled with tattoos and beaming a devilishly confident sneer, Kid was the incarnation of pure violence by any standards of combat. Yamamoto was unique in that he was a dominant wrestler, but even more so because he plied that ability as a means to savagely maul his opponents on the feet. Before his hiatus to pursue Olympic wrestling, Kid had firmly cemented a reputation as a cold-blooded killer and was a staple on the list of top pound-for-pound candidates. He'd lost one match due to a cut-stoppage and had one No Contest for a low blow against Josh Thomson, and the rest were highlight-reel-worthy beatdowns of epic proportions.
His exorbitant knockout power was dealt in fan-friendly fashion that ranged from flying knees and soccer kicks to vicious boxing and ground-and-pound, resulting in fourteen stoppages (12 by TKO, 2 by sub) and three decisions in his first nineteen outings. He tore through the Shooto promotion and then graduated to K-1 Hero's, where he amplified his expanding body count with reputable names like Royler Gracie, Caol Uno, Genki Sudo, Kazuyuki Miyata (record four-second KO) and Rani Yahya, all of whom were ruthlessly throttled by Kid's kickboxing.
Yamamoto's killer instinct was unparalleled, he was a complete fighter and also noticeably under-sized for a lightweight, so it was widely assumed that he'd thrive in the stateside environment. When Kid announced in 2007 that he was putting his MMA career on hold to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue Olympic wrestling, unbeknownst to him, the decision would trigger an unfortunate series of events: He dislocated his elbow in his second wrestling match at the Emperor's Cup, his Olympic dreams were dashed and he begrudgingly returned to MMA. Yamamoto dropped four of his next five, all by decision -- two in DREAM and two in the UFC -- with one measly win over Federico Lopez.
Gifs and analysis in the full entry.
SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson
At UFC 144, Yamamoto is on the brink of extinction against relative newcomer Vaughan Lee (11-7). Lee first made a splash at the TUF 14 tryouts for breaking the record for submissions, but still didn't make the final cut. He's an English fighter out of the Ultimate Training Center facility in Birmingham who's finished ten of his eleven wins with six submissions and four TKOs.
Lee's career began with three straight losses, but he rebounded with six in a row, five of which were first-round stoppages. He was then defeated in three of his next four, with two-time UFC fighter David Lee and WEC/UFC staple Brad Pickett accounting for two. Lee went on to notch first-round stoppages in four of his next five with one draw before emerging in the Octagon, where he was narrowly edged out by Chris Cariaso in a split-decision at UFC 138.
The visual to the right is more of a mini-highlight of devastation from "the old Kid." Not only does this lend an accurate portrayal of his wicked animosity but, considering his precarious situation, it's the volatile, risk-taking, clobbering-machine I hope to see on Saturday.
Kid has been significantly more complacent and hesitant in his two UFC stints; given, he was tackling sharp opposition (Demetrious Johnson, Darren Uyenoyama) with treacherous footwork and wrestling prowess. At this pivotal point, it'd be better for Kid to throw caution to the wind and wow the hometown crowd with a nostalgic display of demolition.
Unfortunately, moments worth revisiting have been scarce in the Octagon. The style of fighter he was up against caused him to be a little gun-shy and reserved on the feet for fear of being taken down. While his steep wrestling is still intact, the drop in weight has evened out the monumental quickness advantage he enjoyed at lightweight and actualized as a crucial part of his downfall.
Compared to Johnson and Uyenoyama, Lee has comparable submission skills but shouldn't be able to match their footwork and takedown aptitude.
Lee did show a serviceable sprawl and strong clinch work against Cariaso.
He peppered with strikes and was careful not to over-commit, which allowed him to dig underhooks or control the head from the front headlock position to avoid being put on his back.
The sequence below depicts some solid offensive wrestling from Lee, who nails a nice outside trip in the clinch with underhooks. This surely portrayed a more favorable outlook with the judges from a scoring standpoint.
On the feet, Lee has been pretty average; not necessarily threatening, but not really weak either. He would be a sitting duck for the relentlessly aggressive Yamamoto of old but even the increasingly hesitant version should have a handy striking advantage.
In fact, Kid should have the edge everywhere save offensive submission hunting, but this is an Olympic wrestling hopeful who was taken down consistently by Johnson and Uyenoyama and the latter passed his guard and took his back like clockwork, so it's tough to envision how things might unfold.
From both a logical and sentimental point of view, this should be Yamamoto's fight to win. In addition to the standing deficit, Kid has a bulletproof chin so Lee will have to frequently score takedowns and contain him on the floor, which should be a steep challenge. If he does succeed, his knowledgeable grasp of position and passing could spell big trouble for the veteran.
My Prediction: Kid Yamamoto by TKO.
Yamamoto HL gif via GifSoup.com
All others via Zombie Prophet of IronForgesIron.com
Poll
Kid Yamamoto vs. Vaughan Lee
Kid
Lee
23 votes | Results
Posted in: ufc, fighter, kid, yamamoto, lee
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowHow's Taste My Tweet Tweet? MMA On Twitter - Lorenzo Fertitta Makes Arum Say 'I Love The UFC', Dana White Blasts Mayweather
A few updates on what's been going on in the MMA & UFC Twitterverse
RANDOM TWIDBITS
"Haha you can't kill me. Not even your rumors can u fucking keyboard warriors! Pound away at those letters like it'll change your life. Haha" -Scott jorgensen, isn't dead.
"Yo momma's teeth are so yellow.... When she yawns, traffic just slows down." -Amir Sadollah
"I use to work at a carwash so I know how far a good tip goes..however, my 1st job I was a janitor..beat that! #truestory" -Brendan Schaub
"@RamseyNijem I swear if u r teaching other guys to strip and I'm not there so help me gawd I'll fly the f-word out there and ruin sundance" -Justin Edwards
"Greg Jackson confirmed today he will be in my corner for UFC 145" -Jon Jones
"Last year at the fighters summit Dana told everybody he wanted to keep us all busy...." -Jason High
"Huge thanks to all the fans who have supported me after the Fuel broadcast, looks like I will be doing the Live Fox shows now, power of fans" -Brian Stann
"Mac Danzig would be proud, I went to whole foods and yoga in the same day. And yet somehow I don't smoke weed." -Forrest Griffin
"I'm thinking Tom lawer would probably be the best UFC fighter to go thrift store shopping with" -Forrest Griffin
LORENZO FERTITTA VS. BOB ARUM
"Bob arum said #ilovetheufc! He'll feezes over" -Lorenzo Fertitta
"Just to clarify the $ for the ali gloves was for the RUVO brain institute a charity that will benefit society and fighters forever!" -Lorenzo Fertitta, who paid 1.5 million dollars to get Ali gloves, help charity, and make Arum say that he loves the UFC.
There's a ton of tweets after the jump, but first, don't forget to follow me on twitter: @antontabuena
Oh, and these guys are probably worth following as well: The Official BloodyElbow Twitter Account, Luke Thomas, Kid Nate, Brent Brookhouse, Leland Roling, Richard Wade, Chris Barton, Damon O, Scott Broussard, Tim Burke, Matt Bishop, Fraser Coffeen, Dallas Winston, KJ Gould, Matt Roth, Ben Thapa, Josh Nason.
DANA WHITE VS. FLOYD MAYWEATHER
"See the clip everyone is talking about - Dana White calls out Floyd Mayweather as a racist" -UFC
RAMPAGE JACKSON VS. JOE ROGAN
"I'm the 1 fighting n front of millions,I have the right 2 get mad if someone is dogging my style,non fighters won't understand. 2da lamefans" -Quinton Jackson, if you saw the videos, their "beef" also extended through twitter.
"For the record I love @Rampage4real, regardless of what he said. He's a sensitive guy with the toughest job in the world." -Joe Rogan
TIM SYLVIA VS. CHEICK KONGO
"@iamcheickkongo u should fight me to see if your ready to fight for the belt. I think it would be a awesome fight 2 stand up guys." -Tim Sylvia, who is campaigning to get another shot with the UFC.
"@timsylviamma If you say so ... I am in the UFC , still . Where u at Tim ? @ufc" -Cheick Kongo
CHANDELLA POWELL VS. PORN
"When you are young, you often don't realize that your actions have consequences. I made a bad decision about ten years ago, but you learn from these moments. There is nothing I can do to change the past, and believe me, if I could, I would. That decision doesn't represent who I am today. All I can do now is put the past behind me and move forward. I am sorry to disappoint any of my fans and my family at Zuffa. I love you guys :)" -Chandella Powell
TWICTURES
"Rampage on the Rampage! Special UFC 144 poster" -UFC, this special edition poster is already sold out though.
"Champions hill! #sf#sprints ... Just finished last hard day of sparring now it's fight time!! " -Jake Shields, posing with Gilbert Melendez, and a retired fighter.
"Your #UFC145 headliners. April 21st seems so far away." -UFC
"The huge feature in todays Nikkan Sports on UFC 144" -Dan Herbertson
"RT @LauraPrepon: At inside MMA with @forrestgriffin. I recently found out that she's my sister" -Forrest Griffin
"Me and the tallest man of Holland, funny to look up to someone now ;)" -Alistair Overeem
"Got my head shaved last night. Thought I'd take a page out of @AliDominance.☻ What's the word for May?" -Roger Huerta
TWIDEOS
"petit message pour mes fans francophones en direct de TOKYO" -Cheick Kongo, I don't understand French, but maybe someone does, so here you go:
"Best part about compiling a list of my favorite fights in Japan is rewatching them. Have you seen Uno vs. Hansen?" -Josh Gross
Posted in: ufc, guy, fighter, vs, tim
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowYushin Okami - Reborn
When he stepped into the Octagon to face UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva last August, Yushin Okami was there in body, but in spirit, it simply wasn’t the same fighter who defeated Lucio Linhares, Mark Munoz, and Nate Marquardt in succession to earn a shot at a championship no Japanese fighter had ever secured.“In terms of the mental, my vision got very narrow,” said Okami through translator / jiu-jitsu coach Gen Isono. “I was confused and I lost what I should do there.”Silva can do that to any fighter, and he’s been doing it longer than anyone in UFC history, so for Okami to get stopped via strikes at 2:04 of the second round by “The Spider” was no reason for him to hang his head. That doesn’t mean he just dismissed the loss though; instead, he dusted himself off, and after a month’s rest to reflect, he began training again at Portland’s Team Quest gym.“About a month later, I started training at Team Quest, and then I could put things in perspective,” said Okami, who doesn’t look at the nearly ten month gap between his win over Marquardt and the fight with Silva as a factor in his defeat. That’s no surprise, as he’s not the kind of athlete who makes excuses. He’s one that takes his lessons and moves on. He did it after his first UFC loss to Rich Franklin in 2007, repeated the feat following a 2009 loss to future training partner Chael Sonnen, and now he begins the trek back to the top once again this Saturday, when he battles Tim Boetsch in UFC 144 action at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, Okami’s first bout on home shores since a TKO win over Izuru Takeuchi in June of 2006.“It will be the first time in five and a half years,” said Okami of fighting at home. “I always wanted the UFC to come to Japan and I always wanted Japanese fans to enjoy watching my fights. Sweeping away my last loss in Japan with a lot of cheering on my back, it will give me a sense of satisfaction.” It’s a special moment for the 30-year old Okami, who has basically been the out-of-towner for the last 13 fights of his 27-6 career. That’s a long time for anyone to not be at least the home country favorite, but in the last five-plus years, Okami has built himself a level of respect among non-Japanese fans that has also earned him kudos from UFC President Dana White as the best Japanese fighter to ever compete in the Octagon. That’s high praise.“If Dana says so, it is a great honor to me,” said Okami. “But I believe myself I am the best fighter in Japan and will be the best fighter in the world, so that kind of reputation never gives me any pressure.”2012 will be a pivotal year for him though, beginning with his match against Boetsch, the underdog going into this fight, but someone who certainly shouldn’t be underestimated.“I have seen some of his fights in the UFC,” said Okami of “The Barbarian.” “He is big and physically strong and he has a good wrestling pedigree. He looks like a typical American-style fighter. I think he has a big frame with great power since he fought in the light heavyweight division, and I should be aware of his strength. Training with Team Quest, there are some changes in my mind about fighting and I am going to try them when I fight Tim.”Hoping to get three fights in this year, Okami is well aware that if he gets his wish, the next two are likely to be outside of his home country, so it’s back to being a road warrior. That’s okay though; he’s embracing his time at home and the task ahead, which is not just to beat Boetsch, but to let Japanese fans know that MMA in the Land of the Rising Sun is alive and well.“Japanese MMA has lost its vigor now,” he said. “But by touching the real MMA live, I believe it will grow back again.”And who better to bring it back than a resilient and classy fighter who represents the best the sport has to offer?“I have grown up in Japan, so every part of me is truly Japanese,” Okami said when asked about the Japanese fighting spirit. “In that sense, I think I carry through the way of fighting which I believe represents a Japanese fighter’s spirit. And I hope the fans enjoy watching a reborn Yushin Okami walking to the top again."
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, japanese, okami
Read the full article at UFCJapanese MMA Scene Primer: The Shooto Edition
In honor of the UFC’s impending return to Japan this weekend (UFC 144! Osu!), yesterday I took a snapshot of a small part of the Japanese MMA scene and showed it to you in the form of an imaginary slide projected onto the wall by an imaginary slide projector. Today: slides from my family vacation to Disney World. Also, Shooto.
Remember when every young buck MMA fan was tuning into the UFC but only a select few connoisseurs (such as ourselves) were watching “that other show” on the Versus channel? The one where the little guys fought like crazy and put on insane technical displays of martial prowess? That’s right, I’m talking about the WEC. Well, Shooto was the WEC before the WEC was even an itch in Scott Adams and Reed Harris’ collective pants.
Shooto existed in an early, not-quite-MMA incarnation back in the 1980s, but it morphed into something more like modern MMA in the mid-90s. If PRIDE was like the UFC on steroids and Pancrase was the long-running American minor league promotion King of the Cage, Shooto was like Golden Gloves boxing (if the Golden Gloves let pros compete). There were differences in the rules, like, if a fighter got knocked down in Shooto he received a standing eight-count, and amateur and pro fighters were divided into different classes based on their experience level. What really set Shooto apart, though, were the fighters, which were the lightest-weight fighters around. Back then, when the UFC was featuring physically big dudes like David “Tank” Abbott, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz, there were competitors out there that were so small, there was literally nowhere else they could fight. (A 123-pound fighter in 2002 could fight in Shooto or in his own backyard right next to the hibachi. That was about it.) But you know what? The nexus of “tiny fighters” that Shooto created made for some fierce competition, and eventually it made for some fierce competitors. When the UFC wanted to crown its first 155-pound champion, they matched Jens Pulver up with Shooto champ Caol Uno, and fans in the know labeled Pulver as the underdog in that matchup. That’s how good Shooto’s top fighters were.
One of Shooto’s earliest stars was Rumino Sato, who never could seal the deal and win a Shooto championship (Uno kept stymieing that), but damn could he pull off some slick submissions. In 1997, he heelhooked Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Ricardo Botelho – in an era when no one dreamed of being able to tap a BJJ black belt – and a couple years after that he snagged a six-second flying armbar submission on American Charlie Diaz.
As for champs, Shooto crowned quite a few future superstars, such as Takanori Gomi, Joachim Hansen, Hayato Sakurai, Anderson Silva (!), Jake Shields and Shinya Aoki. Like I said, if you managed to become one of Shooto’s cream of the crop, you were damn good at fighting.
Shooto’s still doing their thing today. Their events aren’t huge – some have taken place in gyms, or in venues about as big as high school gymnasiums – but as a fight league/sanctioning body, it’s managed to expand internationally. The franchise has never really taken hold here in the States; however, Brazil loves themselves some Shooto, and there are outposts everywhere from Australia to Bulgaria to Sweden. Compared to the UFC’s global empire, that may not sound like much, but it’s impressive. And to tell you the truth, if I had to fly to Japan and cover one fight show, I would want it to be a Shooto event above all others.
But hey, maybe that’s just me being a snobby MMA connoisseur.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, shooto, shooto ’s
Read the full article at MMA ConvertVideo: Ryan Bader isn't just going to trade punches with Quinton Jackson at UFC 144
On the contrary, "Darth" plans to put the "mix" in mixed martial arts (MMA) when he collides with "Rampage" in the UFC 144 co-main event this weekend (Sat., Feb. 25, 2012) at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
His plan (taken from the video above):
"I'm going to be smart about it. I'm not just going to go out there and trade punches with Rampage. I'm not afraid to go out there and strike with him, but I'm going to mix up every bit of my MMA training. I'm going to use some wrestling, I'm going to use some kicks, I'm going to use my boxing. If I go in there just trying to take him down, that's not going to work. I've got to mix up everything. "
Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader is an important match up for the future of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight division.
Bader, who was once one of the most promising 205-pound prospects on the promotion's roster, is looking to build off the momentum he created with a knockout of Jason Brilz in his most recent performance. Prior to the finish, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 winner dropped back-to-back fights, his spot in the pecking order taking a free-fall.
"Rampage" is returning to Japan -- a sacred place in modern combat sports history and one that is dear to him personally -- for the first time since 2006. One fight removed from unsuccessfully competing for the light heavyweight belt, Jackson has all the skill and motivation to send Bader back to the end of the line once again.
One fighter looks to reach his professional potential, while the other is in the twilight of a legendary career, looking to make one final push toward championship glory. One fighter will attempt to implement a well-rounded gameplan, while the other will most likely implement the same one-diminsional "knock-your-block-off" approach that has seemed to serve him so well for more than a full decade.
Who's it going to be?
For more on the bout between Jackson vs. Bader be sure to hit up our complete fight archive right here.
Posted in: jackson, fighter, bader, im, trade punches
Read the full article at MMA ManiaNate Quarry Makes the Transition From Fighter to Broadcaster
When Spike TV first got into the mixed martial arts game, Nate Quarry was a part of it, as a contestant on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Seven years and a 10-fight UFC career later, Quarry is back on Spike this week as one of the hosts of MMA Uncensored Live, Spike's new studio show, which premieres on Thursday at 11 p.m.
Quarry said it never even crossed his mind when he started fighting in a cage that he could actually become a professional broadcaster, and he said making any kind of a living at all "is beyond a dream come true." What Quarry says viewers will see from him is as simple as one former fighter discussing his passion for MMA.
"It's something I enjoy doing," Quarry said. "I had a small show on the West Coast, American Cage Fighter, on Comcast Sports Net, and I enjoyed doing that, sitting around with other fighters and talking about the game."
As a new and still relatively small sport, MMA hasn't had many opportunities for former athletes to make a living in broadcasting the way former players in the NFL or NBA or Major League Baseball can. But Quarry thinks he can be a trailblazer on that front, and he also thinks his background is going to make him a strong interviewer who isn't afraid to ask tough questions.
"Most journalists are coming from a position of being fans and having watched the sport, but I'm coming from a position of being a fighter and I know what it's like," Quarry said. "I can ask Anthony Johnson why he can't make weight and it's not disrespectful because I've made weight every time I've fought."
Quarry didn't go to school to learn to become a broadcaster, but he says he learned public speaking in a surprising way: His upbringing as a Jehova's Witness. Quarry left the religion as an adult but the emphasis the Jehova's Witnesses place on every member being a preacher helps Quarry to this day.
"My formal training has been that I was raised as a Jehova's Witness as a child, from birth until about 20 years of age or so," Quarry said. "They have kids who do Bible readings or little talks at the church. From the age of 7 I was doing a Bible reading, taking a chapter of the Bible and reading a few verses of it and then talking about it, and then when you're done you're critiqued on it and told how well you spoke. So from a very young age I worked on this."
Spike TV had a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the UFC, but that relationship has come to an end, and the network and the UFC have butted heads more recently. Quarry said he isn't sure whether the UFC will allow MMA Uncensored Live to show highlights, or whether the UFC will encourage its fighters to appear on the show, but Quarry himself makes clear that he remains a UFC fan.
"I hope the UFC will see what a great show MMA Uncensored Live is and they're going to want to work with us, give us their footage, send their fighters to talk to us because it's good exposure and we're doing a phenomenal job of getting the word out there and getting people interested in the fighters, so it benefits everyone," Quarry said. "I don't know the relationship with Spike, but I know we at MMA Uncensored aren't battling anybody, we're not counter-programming any of the shows. The UFC is the biggest game in town and we'll be talking about the UFC."
Quarry describes the show as an unscripted conversation, "as if you're hanging out with three of your buddies talking about the upcoming card and who you think is going to win." Spike is joining a crowded space, alongside HDNet's Inside MMA, ESPN2's MMA Live and FUEL's UFC Tonight and UFC Ultimate Insider, but Quarry said he thinks there's room for everyone.
"I think HDNet with Bas Rutten has always been the gold standard because Bas has been around fighting forever and he's a great personality, and I like other fighters I've seen doing jobs like this like Kenny Florian," Quarry said. "If we get good ratings that doesn't mean Bas Rutten is going to be homeless because nobody is tuning into his show. I think there's room for all these shows to be successful."
Posted in: ufc, mma, show, fighter, quarry
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger: Four Fighters Given Medical Suspensions
Four fighters were issued medical suspensions after their fights at UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger last week in Omaha, Neb., including Ronny Markes, who is out indefinitely.
Posted in: fighter, tv, sanchez, omaha neb, ronny markes
Read the full article at Heavy MMAJoe Schilling promises trouble for Simon Marcus this weekend at Battle in the Desert 5
Joe Schilling has built a tidy reputation for himself as both a striker and fighter who has no problem sharing his opinion on any topic. The outspoken Muay Thai fighter is also the current interim WBC Light Heavyweight Champion and will take on the undefeated Simon Marcus this weekend in a fight with an unusual albeit welcome twist.
For all the hours of hard work, sweat, and dedication each fighter has put into training, only the victor will walk away with a fight purse after both fighters agreed to a winner-take-all clause meaning one of the two will exit the arena with an empty wallet. The fight takes place this Saturday night at Battle in the Desert 5 from Las Vegas.
Though the stipulation is rare and might appear difficult to ascertain, Schilling told Fighters.com his camp never hit a roadblock in securing the NSAC’s approval.
“I just told Scott Kent (Owner of Lion Fight Promotions) that I wanted to do it and Simon wanted to do it. He made it happen,” explained Schilling. “I think he said the commission loved the idea. We’d talked about it in the past, but no other fighters had manned up and done it. I’m really excited about it.”
With so much riding on the line physically, mentally, and financially, Schilling was quick to maintain that his standard “guns blazing” style and plan of attack would not be affected by the unique stipulation.
“It’s kind of my game plan every fight, so it’s fine with me,” Schilling laughed. “I know good things happen when I throw, and you know? I’m not the kind of guy that wants to wait five rounds to knock you out. I’m confident in my strikes, and my game plan that we have with my coaches. I plan on executing that game plan as soon as possible.”
The two talented kickboxers have had numerous heated exchanges in the months leading to this fight to the point where it has been evident there is a mutual disdain between both parties. Schilling was quick to offer his thoughts on Marcus, an unbeaten fighter who appears to have little respect for overall as a competitor.
“The things that Simon Marcus has said just motivate me to train harder,” said Schilling on his adversary. ” I trust in my game plan and my ability. I think Simon is overrated and I think he’s taking me lightly. As far as my emotions go, I do tend to be an emotional fighter, but I think it’s one of my best assets. I don’t want to waste energy or miss opportunities.”
“I feel confident in the way I’ve prepared, and I feel that Simon Marcus is in a world of trouble,” the confident Schilling concluded.
If you’re in the Las Vegas area on Saturday, be a part of history by getting a ticket to see Schilling-Marcus for just $21 through Ticketmaster.com or at the box office.
PHOTO CREDIT – LION FIGHTS
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Posted in: fight, fighter, game plan, plan, schilling
Read the full article at Fighters.comAsk the Fight Doc: So, did you see the video of the fighter's ear getting sliced off? | MMAjunkie.com
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Posted in: fighter, doc, fight doc, fighters ear, swampskater link
Read the full article at RedditArnaud Lepont: Preparing for the Fight of his Life at DARE Championship 2/12 in Thailand
To anyone on the South East Asian mixed martial arts' (MMA) scene, Arnaud Lepont is a very familiar face. He has trained at countless camps throughout Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia before settling down at Muayfit in Kuala Lumpur at the start of the year.
His record stands at 7-1 and he is currently preparing for the biggest fight of his career to date against Krzystof Hajtalowicz at DARE Championship 2/12 next month.The Polish fighter has a perfect 2-0 record and has submitted two well-respected opponents.
The stakes are high because the winner will move into the semifinals of the DARE Welterweight Tournament and there is $120,000 in prize money on offer to the eventual winner. Hajtalowicz has been based in Thailand for several years, just like Lepont was, and fight fans there are well aware of his abilities which is why this is such an eagerly anticipated match up.
During the years he spent in Thailand, Lepont trained at multiple camps and is a popular figure who is known for his highly aggressive fighting style. Whereas Hajtalowicz didn't submit Wiktor Svensson until the second round of a real war in his DARE debut, Lepont stopped Jian Kai Chee in the opening minute of their fight
The charismatic French fighter took time out to answer questions about training and fighting in Asia and his forthcoming fight at DARE 2/12.
Your fight with Hajtalowicz was originally scheduled to take place in January but was postponed. How frustrating was that for you?
I have to be honest, it was really frustrating. You know, when DARE told me i would have to fight Cris for the first quarterfinal of the Million Dollar tournament I was pumped. I respect this guy, as a friend and as a fighter.
I trained myself like I have never done before in my all life. I pushed my body and made a lot of sacrifices, especially with my family. It's like working for an examination and then when the times comes around you are not able to show the world how good you are. Winning or losing, I don't care...but I want to put on a show that nobody will ever forget. So yes, it was frustrating. I though that I have done all this for nothing you know...
THE GAME vs KAI - DARE MMA - Bangkok, Thailand (via Darechampionship)
You've been preparing for this fight for over three months now, is having such a long training camp a bad thing or a good thing?
I think it's a bad thing because it's tough to keep the focus on the fight. Especially with all injuries that you can get during training. I have never been in a fight at 100%. You always have to go through pain and injuries. For this fight in January I was in really good shape for the first time ever but then I had to start all over again. It's like doing all twice. And this time I already have couple of injuries…but my mind and my will are unbreakable…It will be a tough time for my opponent.
If you win you will be in the semifinals of the welterweight tournament, how much of an incentive for you is that?
I take a fight at a time. I am not really focus about winning the tournament. If i can do it, for sure I will do my best but now, I am just focused on winning the next battle.
You have moved from Vietnam to Thailand to Malaysia in the last few years. How has training in so many different places helped you to improve as a martial artist?I think to be better, you have to open your mind to others. It didn't go down so well when i was in Thailand because there is so many "Wars" between the different camps there, but thanks to all of them, I feel that I am way better as mixed martial artist. Teaching and learning fighting skills is not really legal in Vietnam , so it was difficult to improve myself. Moving to Thailand helped me a lot. Striking techniques there, are the best in the world.
How would you describe your style of fighting?
I think I am a well rounded fighter. I don't focus in only one part of fighting, I want to be good everywhere. My main goal is to be able to always find a way of winning the fight. Once, a close friend told my opponent that I was a opportunist, that I would even make a finger lock to win the fight. Lol.
How often do you train and who do you train with?
I train twice a day, six days a week in cardio, Muay Thai, grappling and MMA. I have couple of good sparring partners at Muayfit in Malaysia who push me like Eric "The Natural" Kelly, Allamurad Karayev and Samir Mrabet. Will Chope and Mark Striegl will join the team next week....You are never better than your sparring and training…so I need guys with good level.
I want to thanks the man behind the team Paul Teo who is the owner of the Muayfit gym. Even if he don’t like publicity and is maybe the most humble guy I met in my life, I really want to show my respect because thanks to him I have the chance be part of a team of pro fighters.
How much has Asian MMA changed since you have been here?
A lot! When I was still in France it was all about Pride FC but since I am in Asia I have heard about all this amazing shows like Road FC, Legend FC, Martial Combat, Dare FC and Dream and now there is ONE FC which is like the UFC in Asia.
Asia is the hometown of martial arts and you really feel the passion of people there. I am nobody here and I meet already people in Malaysia that ask me for a picture. It’s crazy. The two big places for MMA in the next two years are Malaysia and India. Believe me.
Do you dream of fighting in the UFC one day ?
Yes, for sure I am dreaming about a shot at UFC, like every fighter does. If I win my next two fights…I think it would be possible. But that's not my main goal right now. After this fight in Dare, win or lose, I want a shot at ONE FC. I want to fight in this show. I was there for One FC 2 in Jakarta and I was amazed by this event, and I would love to compete at ONE FC 4 in Kuala Lumpur so I can put on a show for my hometown crowd. Fighting for ONE FC in front of 10,000 people in the city I call home would be a dream come true.I saw you cornered a couple of team mates at the recent One FC event, how did you enjoy that?
Damn, it was great. The show was amazing. I was really proud of my guys. Raymond Tiew did a good job and put on a good show for the fans. I hope he will recover fast from his injury because he is a young kid with lot of heart who is not scared to step in the cage for a good brawl. I respect that. Give him couple of months, let him work his ground and he will be really dangerous.
I think Peter Davis was a little bit overcome by the occasion and having to get down to 155 lbs took a lot out of him. I know he is way better that what he showed at ONE FC 2, believe me. He has sick striking, he was just a little shy that day. Don't judge him by that performance. If you sparred with him everyday like me you would know how dangerous his stand up is.
DARE Championship do things a little bit differently, how does it compare to other shows you have fought on in the past?
Dare is a live experience. You cannot feel what Dare FC is if you are not in the crowd and watch it live. I have fought around the world, thank God, and I really love the Dare experience. Jussi, the promoter, is smart, really smart. He put in his show a whole new factor that we never seen before it almost feels like a video game. I hope eventually they move to a bigger venue because with the quality of his show, you can draw way more people to watch it live, especially in Thailand!
You have been living in Asia for a long time now, do people in France still follow your career?
That’s what I am the more surprise about. You know, in France, MMA is still not really legal. Fighters have to go out of the country to fight. It’s tough to practice a sport and have to go out of your country to compete. I bow down to all pro French fighters that work during the day, train at night and go fight in another country during weekend.
So, yes, people still follow my career. That’s why I keep doing daily a video blog in French on my facebook page. They follow me so I try to keep them updated, to respect them. It’s always a pleasure to get some mails from French fans. For me, they are the most important.
Do you have any predictions for your fight with Krzystof Hajtalowicz?
No, I have not because anything can happen in an MMA fight. Even if we pump up the fight, I have a lot of respect for Cris's skills. And personally, he is a nice guy. I just hope we gonna put a hell of a fight for the crowd. Anything can happen. I am not afraid to go on the ground with him cause I bet he will try to put me on my back. He will try. We both know that this fight will not go to decision...
Do you see your future as a welterweight or would you rather compete at 155?
Are you reading my mind? Yes, the fight with Cris will be my last fight as a welterweight. Next time, Dare or ONE FC, I will fight at 155. I am done with the 170 division. I am usually walking at 78kg now, and i am really small for a welterweight. It's a whole new world for me and new fight opportunity! I will be in the same division as the main event fighters from the last ONE FC and I can't wait to test myself. Imagine me against Felipe Enomoto, would be a crazy war.
DARE 2/12 is scheduled to take place at 4:30 pm local time at the Insomnia Night Club in Bangkok, Thailand. It will be available on pay per view for USD $9.99. For more information visit: www.darefightsports.com.
Posted in: fight, time, fighter, fc, thailand
Read the full article at MMA Mania"The New Akiyama" to be Unveiled in Japan This Weekend
America has always been seen as the land of second chances, a place where what happened before can be forgotten in the space of a change of scenery or philosophy, or when it comes to sports, one good performance. On Saturday night, Yoshihiro Akiyama gets his second chance, but he will be getting it in his home country of Japan, as he looks to break a three fight losing streak in a new weight class - welterweight – against Jake Shields.For the 36-year old Osaka native, there is no sense that he is on the tail end of a career that made him a legit superstar at home, only the positive reinforcement that in and out of the Octagon, he is a new man. And in many ways he is. After losing to big middleweights Chris Leben, Michael Bisping, and Vitor Belfort, his move to the 170-pound weight class finally took place after the Belfort bout last August. And ‘finally’ is the operative word here, because for years, fight game observers believed that Akiyama was better suited for the welterweight division. Then again, when you’re having success like he did for much of his career (plus he also opened up his MMA career with bouts against heavyweights Frans Botha and Jerome Le Banner) dropping 15 pounds can not only be unpleasant, but seemingly unnecessary.The knockout loss to Belfort convinced him though. “I am not tall and big enough among other UFC fighters and decided to change to my "original" division,” said the 5-foot-11 Akiyama through translator Takashi Iizuka. It was at 81 kilograms (178 pounds) that Akiyama won numerous judo titles, and while he will retain the technical knowledge and gritty competitiveness that has marked his seven year MMA career, he’ll also be competing on a level physical playing field, and he believes that “I think that I could acquire more speed.”Fast, strong, technically sound, and more than willing to bite down on his mouthpiece and get into a war, Akiyama - who described himself and his Japanese peers as “Samurai fighters” - could make an immediate impact in one of the sport’s toughest divisions.“There are many good motivated fighters trying for the title, thus it’s a very competitive division,” said Akiyama, who is now throwing his hat in the ring with the rest of the contenders. One of those is former world title challenger Shields, who presents quite a different look from that of Akiyama’s UFC opponents thus far. But after 19 pro bouts, he is confident that he will not be seeing anything he hasn’t before.“He is strong and tough fighter,” said Akiyama of Shields, who is looking to break a losing streak of his own this Saturday. “Every fighter has their own style and I have to deal with them.”And if the two are equals going into the UFC 144 main card bout at Saitama Super Arena, what can matter most are the intangibles. And one of those intangibles is that Akiyama will have home Octagon advantage come fight night, something he is embracing.“It’s wonderful opportunity,” he said. “I think that the fans will see the quality fighting and the magnificence of UFC. I hope this show will increase the number of MMA fans in Japan.”That’s the big picture outlook; for Akiyama personally, fighting at home for the first time since submitting Masanori Tonooka in 2008 is something he hoped would happen before he decided to hang up the gloves.“I have wished for this (fighting in a UFC bout in Japan), and it’s really great to realize it while I'm an active fighter,” said Akiyama, who will have several friends and family members in attendance this weekend. But the most important person in terms of motivating the longtime star is one who won’t be part of the cheering crowd: the four month old daughter he and wife Shiho welcomed into the world in October. The proud father says his child “gives me another energy,” and with this energy, a new division, and a new lease on his career, Akiyama is more than ready to move forward.“Changing my division, it would be great if the fans can see ‘The New Akiyama.’”
Posted in: fighter, bout, division, “ i, akiyama
Read the full article at UFCUFC 144 Preliminary Card: Things to Watch
UFC 144 kicks off this Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. MMAFrenzy begins its coverage of UFC 144 with writers Chris Leslie and Bryan Robison taking a look at the preliminary card.
The preliminary card begins with a one fight Facebook card around 7:30pm ET and the rest of the prelims taking place on FX at 8pm ET.
Bryan Robison’s Things to Watch
Does Takanori Gomi have anything left?
The last time we saw Gomi, he was being dismantled by Nate Diaz at UFC 135 in September. Now he returns to the venue that made him a star over five years ago.
“The Fireball Kid” has been disappointing since making his way stateside in the UFC. At 1-3 in the organization, Gomi could very well be fighting a farewell fight on Saturday.
He faces an opponent in Eiji Mitsuoka, who stepped in for an injured George Sotiropolous with just a few weeks’ notice. Mitsuoka, a fellow former Japanese Pride fighter, has fought just twice over the last two years. His strength lies in Gomi’s weakness, and that is on the ground. Of Mitsuoka’s 18 career wins, 11 are by submission.
Even though he is a late-notice opponent, Gomi should not look pats Mitsuoka because of his strong submission game, and if he loses, it could be his last time entering the Octagon.
Can Steve Cantwell return to the win column?
Cantwell’s last victory was over three years ago. That came in December 2008 against Razak Al-Hassan, who has long been gone from the UFC.
Now Cantwell enters the cage on a four fight loss streak. This will be his second fight at middleweight, so if he is to lose, he will no longer have an excuse to fall back on concerning a new weight class.
Four years ago, Cantwell was transitioning to the UFC with the WEC light heavyweight championship belt around his waist. Unfortunately for Cantwell, everything has gone downhill for him since then.
Cantwell faces Riki Fukada, who last fought over a year ago at UFC 127. Much like Cantwell, the former Deep middleweight champion has suffered from injuries over the last few years.
With this fight, it seems apparent that the loser will certainly be fighting for the final time in the Octagon.
Chris Leslie’s Things to Watch
Can Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto stop the slide and stay relevant?
At one point in Kid’s career he was one of the most promising fighters in all of MMA. A Japanese fighter with an amazing wrestling family and impressive wrestling credentials of his own, if any Japanese fighter seem poised for success in the US it seemed to be him. Now at 1-4 in his last five, Yamamoto needs a win in a big way.
While there are rumors of a possible future at 125 for Kid, without a strong performance in Saitama he risks losing any relevance at both 135 and 125.
Is Takeya Mizugaki a gatekeeper or a true threat?
Takeya Mizugaki is one of the better Japanese fighters that people often forget. The reason people tend to forget him is that whenever he has fought top competition, he comes up short. In Chris Cariaso, Mizugaki faces a strong fighter who is poised for a run if he wins Saturday. Mizugaki’s skills are better than Cariaso’s but a loss Saturday could relegate him to being a gatekeeper in the UFC.
Bonus thing to watch: The Japanese and Chinese have long had a rather frosty, at best, history with each other. Meaning the ovation that Chinese fighter Tiequan Zhang when he faces Japanese fighter Issei Tamura could be rather harsh, even with it being the first fight of the night.
Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy for complete coverage of UFC 144.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, japanese, year, cantwell
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyWhat fighters think about Nick Diaz
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Posted in: nick diaz, nick, fighter, xkrazexmnux, xkrazexmnux link
Read the full article at RedditOctagon, but no fighters, in Japanese ad for UFC 144 (Yahoo! Sports)
In the United States, we're used to seeing UFC pay-per-view ads that heavily feature the fighters on the card. Even when they break from the fight-highlight-norm-with-voiceover-and-music, like with the UFC 129 commercial featuring Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields, the … Continue reading →
Posted in: ufc, jake shields, fighter, ad, japanese ad
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsJuicy details emerge from Gray Maynard's Xtreme Couture departure
It's fun when dirt gets slung while fighters are switching camps. You really had to twist Josh Koscheck's rubber arm to get him to diss AKA head Javier Mendez, but not all fighters are as forthcoming. It's been months since Gray Maynard left Xtreme Couture, and while his explanation was decent enough, I like how this version as told by others inside the camp is way juicer, gossip wise.
"Gray just was not prepared. It was really one of those deals where a coach within his staff just would not pay attention any other coaches. He was getting really upset if any other coach tried to explain to him 'hey, this is how hard I'm going to push Gray in my session. You need to back off in your session so he can recover," said Trigg, a former trainer partner of Maynard's at Xtreme Couture. "[Maynard] wasn't prepared. It's ultimately up to one coach that didn't pay attention."John Gunderson, another former teammate of Maynard's in Sin City, echoed the same sentiment about Maynard being less than prepped for the biggest fight of his life."The last fight Gray wasn't mentally prepared or physically prepared for that fight. I don't think he trained hard enough and he knows that. I think if Gray really put the time in and the work in, Gray could finish him," Gunderson said.Maynard made to decision to extricate himself from the drama well before the Edgar fight took place."We knew six weeks before the fight," Trigg said. "Gray said 'look win, lose or draw, this is my last fight. I'm out of here. I gotta leave Xtreme Couture."Randy Couture, who was away from the gym for much of the early part of 2011, returned to find a big mess and one of his top fighters leaving. Couture cleaned house with coaches Gil Martinez and Ron Frazier moving elsewhere.Martinez, with a boxing background, was Maynard's main coach. Whether it was his fault or not that Maynard underachieved, it's pretty clear that the former Michigan State wrestler was way too boxing-centric in his fights against Edgar.
Keep in mind Maynard's version of the story included a back injury that kept him out of the main Couture gym for a large portion of the final month of training - partially because he was too hurt to train and partially because he was paranoid someone at Xtreme Couture would leak his injury to the world. That kinda explains the headspace Maynard was in moving towards the end of his time at Xtreme. The back injury might also explain why Maynard tried to box instead of wrestlef*ck as he normally does.Anyways, you know how it is. People in MMA are like bitches in a beauty salon. Train all day, gossip all night. All day. It's an interesting glimpse into the behind the scenes machinations that must go on all the time behind the curtain during fighter training camps. It ain't always 'Best Training Camp Evar!!!1'
Posted in: fight, fighter, coach, maynard, xtreme
Read the full article at FightlinkerGraphic Video: Fighter Loses His Ear To An Elbow
Turns out elbows don’t only open up cuts. They also take off ears!
HT: USA Today
Posted in: fighter, cut, elbow, ear, video fighter
Read the full article at MMA ConvertBigfoot Silva thinks Alistair Overeem ‘becomes a kitty’ when he gets hit
Antonio Bigfoot Silva suffers from gigantism, which at first glance, seems like it’s a condition you wouldn’t necessarily ‘suffer’ from. In fact, many of you wish you could be as genetically fortunate as him, to grow as big and strong as the Brazilian Strikeforce fighter. Being a huge heavyweight with a win over Fedor would negate the possibility of you suffering from anything other than rawesomeness. Nonetheless, gigantism is a real disorder, and people suffer from it. When Bigfoot isn’t dwelling over his genetic turmoil, he’s in the gym training for his next fight, and telling the entire world that Alistair Overeem ‘becomes a kitty’ when he gets punched according to this Bloodyelbow translation from Brazil's Portal do Vale Tudo.
"A fight is a fight and anything can happen. They're two very strong fighters, they're at the top of their division but I don't see how Overeem can beat Junior dos Santos. Overeem is (beating a lot of people), he's a lion, but when (he gets hit) he becomes a kitty. When Junior first connects, Overeem's spirit of a fighter will go to the dress room. I think it will be Junior with another knockout in his career."
I personally see dozens of ways that Alistair Overeem can beat Junior Dos Santos, but my opinion is far less important because I suffer from average-joeism. Perhaps in another dimension, when I’m born with a cooler disorder, I’ll venture along the tight-rope and make fun of dudes like Alistair Overeem and his ability to take a punch from the greatest heavyweight fighters in the world. This present disposition and the current dimension is all out of criticism for the Demolition Man.
Posted in: overeem, fighter, alistair overeem, alistair, kitty ’
Read the full article at Middle EasyBefore UFC 144: MMA's Japanese Origins
With the lead up to UFC 144 in Japan, it seems only natural to look at the spark that lead to the MMA explosion on the Japanese isles.
In the early 1990's mixed martial arts was growing all over the world. While it wasn't MMA as we know it today, at several locations around the globe martial artists were beginning to dabble what we would recognize as MMA. In Brazil Vale Tudo was a proving ground for Brazilian fighters, the United States had hosted its first MMA match and Japan's Pro Wrestling was transforming into a real fight sport.
While Pro Wrestling is popular in Japan, it is also a hot bed for traditional martial arts. While long-standing martial arts that are steeped in as much tradition as Karate or Judo are resistant to change, a man named Takashi Azuma looked to evolve traditional martial arts. A black belt in both Judo and Kyokushin, a hard form of Karate. Azuma began to try to combine the two arts into what he called Kakuto Karate Daidojuku, translated roughly as "Combat Karate."
More MMA OriginsExploring Fight Sport's Ancient Roots | Getting Medieval | Vale Tudo and the Original MMA Rivalry | Carlson Gracie Changes Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo | Catch Wrestling Travels To Japan | American Experiments
This style incorporated techniques from Karate, Judo and ones from outside both arts. In 1981, Azuma debuted his art with a sport form in which fighters wore gis, head protectors and gloves. Punches, kicks, knees, elbows and head-butts were all legal on the feet, as are Judo throws and submissions. No strikes were allowed in ground fighting, but if a fighter was in a dominate position, either the mount, knee-on-belly or standing over a ground fighter they can mime punches and stomps which will force a stoppage if the bottom fighter is unable to escape.
Daidojuku as a sport is worth looking into as it is a different take on MMA and produces some pretty excellent highlight reels. This sport pre-dates Shooto by five years and could be considered Japan's first MMA league.
Shooto founder Satoru Sayama had an exhibition match with a Daidojuku fighter under Diadojuku rules once. Sayama wore a black gi top and black leggings. While Sayama's high flying style drew appaluse from the audience, it was the Daidojuko fighter who dominated the match, and lands a nice a flying armbar submission.
(DaidoJuku vs Shooto via WildDanHibiki)
more after the jump...
Another Japanese move towards MMA came from a different part of the Karate community. Kazuyoshi Ishii, like Azuma, created his own form of Karate but instead of combining it with Judo, Ishii removed rules to create what is known as Seidokaikan or "Full Contact Karate". Ishii was interested to see how his brand of Karate would stack up against other striking arts, and to that end he created his own Kickboxing promotion meant to bring together Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thay, Savate, San Shou, western boxing and other striking arts. Called K-1, Ishii streamlined kickboxing rules to make for more exciting fights and to attract more martial artists, this included allowing knee strikes to be thrown.
(Kazuyoshi Ishii via www.fika-world.com)
While a striking focused promotion and not a true mixed martial art because of its lack of grappling, K-1 still had the same spirt as other MMA pioneers; the wish to test style against style. In 1993, K-1 held its first event to moderate success but it was in April of '93 that K-1 had its first break out event and make its biggest contribution to Japanese MMA: The Grand Prix. A grand prix event is a one or two night tournament that pitted elite fighters against each other to see who is the best through a simple single elimination bracket, and it would become the calling card of Japanese MMA promotions. While difficult to pull off and hard on fighters, they can create sports drama of the highest order if everything comes together.
The first K-1 Grand Prix featured World Champions from Savate, Muay Thai, Karate and other kickboxing arts. Also, karate and kickboxing all-time great Andy Hug was featured in a special karate exhibition match. The final featured Dutchman Ernesto Hoost, a Muay Thai and Savate champion, against Branko Cikatic of Yugoslavia, who was both Muay Thai and European Kickboxing champion.
Here is the final match of the '93 Grand Prix, Hoost is in the red trunks and seems to be finding his range early on but Cikatic ends the fight with a big right hook to become the first K-1 Champion.
(K-1 1993 Ernesto Hoost vs Branco Cikatic via 24113kiel)
The most significant push towards modern MMA came from two professional wrestlers, Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Students of the Pro Wrestling great Antonio Inoki, student of the legendary Karl Gotch, and the man who faced Muhammad Ali in an exhibition mixed rules fight.
Funaki and Suzuki were pro wrestlers but practiced legitimate grappling and loved competition. They were a part of the Japanese Pro Wrestling promotion Fujiwara Gumi along with a young American up-and-coming wrestler, Ken Shamrock.
Ken was a troubled youth, constantly running away and eventually he was sent to Bob Shamrock, a man well known for turning around trouble young men. Bob had several young men living on his ranch at any one time and he had his own way of settling beefs between hot-headed teenagers, he would give them boxing gloves and allow them to scrap things out. Ken was a natural fighter and became known as "one-punch" on the ranch.
Ken took that talent won money in local tough man competitions, back alley bet fights, became a bouncer and a stand out wrestler. Bob legally adopted Ken when he turned eighteen and pushed Ken to become a wrestler but the money of pro wrestling grew Ken to Japan. There he trained under Funaki and Suzuki for years, learning the ins and outs of submission grappling.
In 1992, Shamrock took part in a first for the Fujiwara Gumi promotion. He was put in against champion Muay Thai fighter Don Nakaya Nielsen for a live fight, not a pre-scripted affair. Sharmock won in seconds with a keylock.
(Ken Shamrock vs. Don Nakaya Nielsen - 1992 via MichaelMyersMMA)
The fight was a smashing success, drew huge reaction from the crowd and created buzz around the wrestling community. This caused the young pro wrestlers Funaki, Suzuki and Shamrock question the conventional wisdom of Pro Wrestling that non-scripted fights would not sell to large audiences. Shoots, or non-scripted matches, had taken place but normally for small groups of gamblers, not for large scale consummation.
Suzuki and Funaki started their own promotion where they could test this idea of marketing real fights in pro wrestling. The rules were drawn from pro wrestling: not closed fist or elbow strikes to the head, no stomps or knees to the head on the ground, fighters are granted rope up to five escapes if they can grab the ropes when on the ground or in a submission hold and fighters were given ten-counts if they were knocked down.
The final touch was provided by wrestling guru Karl Gotch, who suggested the name Pancrase as homage to the original ancient Olympic fight sport Pankration. The first event was set September 21st, 1993 and featured names fans of fighting sports would become very familiar with in the years to come.
Titled Pancrase 1 - Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers, it was the first Pro Wrestling card marketed where all the fights would be real. The founders took part in this card, Suzuki won his match by armbar for the opening of the card. The next fight featured a 28 year old Dutch kickboxer recruited to come out for this new type of event. This fight would be full of many firsts for Bas Rutten, listen to him breakdown his MMA debut in the video below.
(Pancrase: Bas Rutten vs Ryushi Yanagisawa - 21.09.1993 via TheFlyinHorseman)
Finally the main event would pair Ken Shamrock against Pancarse founder Funaki. Shamrock won 6 minutes into the first round with a rear naked choke.
(Ken Shamrock vs Masakatsu Funaki 1 Pancrase - Yes, We are Hybrid Wrestlers 1 via KShamrockNo1)
Pancarse 1 was a huge success, both fans and wrestling critics hailed it as an outstanding show, Japanese MMA would never be the same. And Shamrock was about to travel to the next big hotbed of MMA when he answered an ad in a magazine for a no-holds barred, bare knuckle event in Denver, Colorado.
More Reading
Daidojuku Official Site
Dave Meltzer's Shamrock's Greatest Hits
Ken Shamrock's Official Bio
Matt Roth's History of K-1
Kid Nate's History of MMA: Proto MMA Evloves Out of Worked Pro Wrestling in Japan
MMA Origins:
Exploring Fight Sport's Ancient Roots
Getting Medieval
Vale Tudo and the Original MMA Rivalry
Carlson Gracie Changes Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo
Catch Wrestling Travels To Japan
American Experiments
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, shamrock, karate
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWalk before you run
There's a new generation of UFC fighters coming up and they're going to do great things, I'm sure. But how about some of them do a few moderately OK things before declaring they're destined to be the next pound for pound champions of the universe? Check out John Dodson, who's accomplishment of winning TUF puts him on par with other greats such as Mac Danzig and James Wilks.
"I would have liked to become the first UFC 125 champ, but I'm not in that flyweight tournament, but its OK, I figured Dana just wants someone else to keep that belt warm up until I can get it. I also want to move back up eventually, because I want to hold the 125, 135 and 145 title all at the same time. I want to be the first fighter ever to be a three weight king. I gotta go big and shoot for the stars!"
And then there's Chris Weidman, who's sh*tshow win over Demian Maia has suddenly propelled him into relevancy. When asked jokingly how he'd fare against Anderson Silva:
"I think with a full camp, I'll finish him. Obviously I'm not fighting Anderson Silva next, but if I was, that would be my prediction. I'm confident with myself, you have to be as a fighter. I have a lot of respect for Anderson Silva, I think he's awesome."
There's a fine line between being confident / promoting yourself and just coming off sounding silly. Hell, it isn't even that fine of a line. Here's some simple tips for fighters: DO talk about becoming a champ someday. DON'T brag that you'll pull off a never before seen championship belt hat trick before you've even had two fights in the UFC. DO be prepared to call someone out if it'll help your career. DON'T make it someone so high above you it just underscores how much worse you are than that guy.
Posted in: fighter, ufc fighters, demian maia, im, fighter i
Read the full article at FightlinkerGreg Jackson Talks Criticism Of "Gameplanners" In MMA
Greg Jackson trained fighters have started to carry with them a bit of a stigma. To many fans, Jackson's ability to get some (but certainly not all) of his fighters to stick to strict gameplans that emphasize winning over excitement is more curse than blessing for the sport. In a recent interview with MMA Mania, Jackson discussed exactly that criticism:
I'm not sure. (why game plans are criticized) I will be honest, there have been fights that we have won, that I was like, "Oh man, this one is going to be all over the news." But no one says a word. The Carlos Condit fight was not that controversial. We out struck him, landed more power shots and way more strikes. We had complete Octagon control, we decided when and where the exchanges were going to happen and if we didn't like it, we got away and started again, so you can't really make a case for him (Diaz) doing more damage because we did more damage and you can't make a case for him controlling the fight because we controlled it. So that criticism doesn't bother me that much because It was just more of people's disappointment wanting to see two fighters stand there and swing and last man standing wins. But, you know, fighting is about hitting and not getting hit. We hit him a lot more and we didn't get hit. So I don't feel bad about that one. Listen, there have been times in my 18 years of doing this where I'm like, "How did we win that one?" And I'm like, "What, no one got mad?" No one says a word. A lot of people were just disappointed because a lot of people just wanted Nick to win and because of Nick's style. It is just part of the territory.
There's more in the interview at Mania, with Jackson talking about Nick Diaz's drug test, having fighters from his camp fight each other and the conflict in deciding if he can/should corner Jon Jones against Rashad Evans.
Posted in: fight, jackson, fighter, lot, i dont
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowRampage Jackson interview with Fighters Only - some harsh words for Joe Rogan
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Posted in: rampage, jackson, fighter, joe rogan, rogan
Read the full article at RedditThe Joe Lozito Story
submitted by 416fighter [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fighter, joe, story, lozito
Read the full article at RedditExclusive: John Dodson wants to be the first fighter ever to be a three weight class king in the UFC
With the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) growth and expansion worldwide, not only has the promotion's popularity and mainstream recognition increased, it has also seen an upkick in it's ever expanding roster.
This lead to the addition of the Featherweight, Bantamweight and most recently, Flyweight divisions, giving the little guys a chance to shine on the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) platform of them all.
The promotion has yet to put on a flyweight fight, but already have a few lined up, which will see the coronation of the first ever UFC 125-pound champion. Joseph Benavidez will take on Yasuhiro Urushitani and Demetrious Johnson will go toe-to-toe against Ian McCall in the first round of the four-man tournament, which is set to go down on UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann" on Mar. 2, 2012, in Australia.
The winner of each respective bout will face off in the final at a later event.
Though those four competitors got the call to vie for the title, there will be plenty more bantamweights who will make the drop down to 125-pounds down the road. One of them is The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 winner, John Dodson.
Dodson, who has competed at flyweight before, stormed his way through the TUF house and defeated highly touted T.J. Dillashaw at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale on Dec. 3, 2011 to become the first ever bantamweight TUF guy with a "Knockout of the Night" performance.
Now, "The Magician" will make 10 pounds disappear, as he will drop down yet again to the 125-pound division as he takes on Darren Uyenoyama at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5 in New Jersey.
MMAmania.com caught up with John Dodson and the Jackson-Winkeljohn trained fighter talked about his upcoming bout on FOX, how his life has changed since winning TUF and the rather ambitious goals he has mapped out for himself in the UFC.
"Since I've won The Ultimate Fighter, it's been good because now I know I will have a guaranteed fight coming up. In the UFC, even if my opponent gets hurt, because of the depth, I know I'll have something around the corner. I drew Darren Uyenoyama for UFC on Fox 3. I'm excited because he is a good ground guy, so I am looking to keep the fight on the feet as much as possible. I would have liked to become the first UFC 125 champ, but I'm not in that flyweight tournament, but its OK, I figured Dana just wants someone else to keep that belt warm up until I can get it. I also want to move back up eventually, because I want to hold the 125, 135 and 145 title all at the same time. I want to be the first fighter ever to be a three weight king. I gotta go big and shoot for the stars!"
Shooting for the stars indeed.
Dodson's opponent, Darren Uyenoyama, will also be making the 10 pound cut down from featherweight after making a successful UFC debut against Norifumi Yamamoto on UFC on FOX 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos, back on Nov. 12, 2011.
The always energetic and charismatic Dodson will look to build on his success on the Ultimate Fighter and extend his win streak to four, paving the way for his goals of obtaining UFC gold.
Anyone see anything on the contrary that will prevent "The Magician" from finding success in the UFC's flyweight division? Or is it to soon to tell?
And How does he fair against the top 125, 135 and 145-pound fighters in the world?
Sound off, Maniacs.
Posted in: ufc, pound, fighter, flyweight, dodson
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMA’s Beauty and the Beast
Find out how a winner for America's Next Top Model and a pro MMA fighter came together, and now are ready to embark on a whole new kind of adventure.
Posted in: mma, kind, fighter, mma fighter, beauty
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyJason 'Mayhem' Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway Set for UFC 146
A fight between two middleweights in need of a win has been added to UFC 146, the annual Memorial Day weekend card in Las Vegas: Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway.
The fight was announced on Saturday evening by the UFC.
"Ultimate Fighter runner-up C.B. ‘The Doberman’ Dollaway has verbally agreed to face recent Ultimate Fighter coach Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller in a middleweight bout at UFC 146 this May in Las Vegas," UFC President Dana White said in a statement at UFC.com.
Miller is coming off an ugly loss to his opposing Ultimate Fighter coach, Michael Bisping, in the Ultimate Fighter Finale. Miller looked so bad in that fight that White hinted it could be Miller's last fight in the Octagon, but the UFC has decided to give him another chance. Dollaway went 0-2 in 2011, getting finished by both Jared Hamman and Mark Munoz. The loser of the Miller-Dollaway fight may be out of work afterward.
UFC 146 takes place May 26 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. No other fights have been announced for the card, but it is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, miller, dollaway
Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse'Mayhem' Miller Returns Against C.B. Dollaway At UFC 146
Jason Miller may have broken the news a little earlier than planned, but it is now official. Yesterday, "Mayhem" tweeted out that he would be facing C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146. The tweet was then quickly deleted but the cat was pretty well out of the bag.
Now, the UFC has confirmed the fight on the promotion's website:
UFC president Dana White today confirmed the first fight - one between fan favorites - officially set for UFC 146, set to take place over Memorial Day weekend.
"Ultimate Fighter runner-up C.B. ‘The Doberman' Dollaway has verbally agreed to face recent Ultimate Fighter coach Jason ‘Mayhem' Miller in a middleweight bout at UFC 146 this May in Las Vegas,"
Miller put on a truly horrible performance against Michael Bisping at the finale of their season of The Ultimate Fighter and White's statements to that effect made it seem that "Mayhem" may have been one-and-done in the UFC. Instead, he'll get at least one more crack at things inside the Octagon.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, miller, dollaway, cb dollaway
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White Says Nick Diaz Situation Frustrating, but Doubts He’ll Retire
UFC president Dana White has long pleaded with Nick Diaz to play the game just "this much." The fighter from the 209 is now facing a drug test failure, but White doesn't think it's the final straw.
Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, fighter, dana
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Ultimate Fighter 15 on FX Promo
Promo for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter which premieres on March 9 on FX.
Posted in: fighter, fx, season, promo, march
Read the full article at MMA ConvertFirst Look! Check Out The Ultimate Fighter Live
Check out the first look at the new Ultimate Fighter LIve on FX featuring coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.
Posted in: fighter, fx, coach, check, faber
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyPictures of MMA fighters from when they were younger - I found these highly entertaining
submitted by red1392 [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: mma, fighter, picture, mma fighters
Read the full article at RedditMMA fighter beats the shit out of 2 guys and video tapes the whole thing.
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Posted in: fighter, thing, mma fighter, video tapes, spankxtank
Read the full article at RedditPromo for the new Ultimate Fighter on FX, featuring Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as...
Promo for the new Ultimate Fighter on FX, featuring Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as coaches.
This fanshot was promoted to the front page by Tim Burke
Posted in: fighter, promo, front page, dominick cruz, urijah faber
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe 10 Best Japanese Fighters in MMA History
Before most of the world's greatest fighters called the UFC home, there was Pride—a Japanese promotion that mixed the best of pro wrestling glitz with some of the most brutal fighting the world had ever seen.
Posted in: fighter, japanese, mma history, japanese fighters, ufc home
Read the full article at Low KickIn MMA's War on Drugs, Some Experts Say We're Not Fighting the Right Battles
If you want to give Dr. Don Catlin a laugh, ask him what he thinks of the use of therapeutic-use exemptions (TUEs) for testosterone in the sport of mixed martial arts. Ask the 73-year-old anti-doping pioneer and International Olympic Committee medical commission member if he thinks there’s ever a situation where pro fighters -- even those in their 40s -- should be given permission to use testosterone, and then sit back and listen to his low chuckling response."That’s a joke," Catlin laughed. "Forget it. It’s a joke."Catlin should know. The founder of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Lab, Catlin is responsible for developing such ground-breaking anti-doping innovations as the carbon isotope ratio test, which has been used to catch Olympic medalists using testosterone or a precursor. He also identified and developed a test for "The Clear" -- the designer steroid at the center of the BALCO investigation in 2003. In addition to that expertise, Catlin also sits on the medical commission for the IOC that’s responsible for reviewing TUE applications from Olympic athletes, so he knows exactly what the process should look like when it’s being overseen by trained professionals -- which isn’t what’s happening right now in MMA, he said.
"What we do in the IOC, is we have specialists all over the world who all they do for us is conduct examinations for athletes who claim to be low on testosterone," said Catlin. "The levels of testosterone in men vary all over the place. Unless this particular person we send them to, and the people they send the data to for examination say so, we don’t give them [a TUE]. I think in all the years I’ve done it, we’ve given two. One was a kid who didn’t have any testicles because he had a terrible accident ten years ago or something. It just doesn’t happen."And yet, in MMA it does happen. Fighters like Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt, among others, have successfully applied for and received permission to use testosterone. Plenty more are rumored to be using it without an exemption, and in Catlin’s experience it’s the "preferred" performance-enhancing drug for athletes, in part because of the difficulty of detecting it."They like testosterone because they can use a form of testosterone that’s short-acting. It’s on and off in a day or two," he said. "Stanozolol is pretty good, but that has complications, including some liver troubles. Testosterone doesn’t have those kind of troubles, but you take it for life."To even effectively catch testosterone users, you need a carbon isotope ratio test, which Catlin said most athletic commissions either don’t do, or don’t follow up on. And to dependably catch any athlete who’s doping in any way, you need the element of surprise and enough resources to make the most of it. According to its critics, drug-testing in MMA currently has neither, which is also why the sport has a serious drug problem that it isn’t even close to solving. Exactly how it should go about addressing that issue is a complicated answer, and one where a lot depends on who you’re asking.It’s the Testing, StupidLast month Zuffa announced that, as of January 1, 2012, all incoming fighters would be drug-tested prior to completing their contracts with either the UFC or Strikeforce. "We already work closely with athletic commissions to protect our athletes and now we're taking it one step further," UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said in the press release announcing the move. "We're going to test any potential UFC or STRIKEFORCE fighter before finalizing their contract. This shows that we don't want performance-enhancing drugs in our sport."The timing of the announcement was curious enough. It came about a week after Strikeforce 145-pound women’s champ Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos tested positive for the steroid stanozolol in California, and mere hours after former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Mo Lawal tested positive for drostanolone in Nevada.Those results might show that fight night drug-testing isn’t wholly useless, but neither it nor the new-signee tests are sufficient, according to former NSAC ringside physician and current president of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), Dr. Margaret Goodman."The smart fighter, the fighter who plans ahead, can probably pass the tests that are done by the athletic commissions every time," said Goodman, a Las Vegas-based neurologist. "I think it’s great to do tests on new fighters before they sign with Zuffa, but again, that’s giving them some notice. ...True unannounced testing gives the athlete about an hour’s notice. That’s the way we do it with VADA, that’s how it’s done with the Olympic program, and that’s the way it should be done. It’s the only way to really do an unannounced program."It’s also costly. When boxers Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz agreed to be the first two fighters to have their bout subject to VADA testing, the organization subjected them to an array of tests that will end up costing "about $6,000 per fighter," Goodman said."That’s expensive, I know. But the bottom line is, if you’re going to do the testing, then do the testing. If you’re not going to do it and really look for the drugs that fighters are using, then don’t do it at all."While Goodman’s dollar figure sounds high to Catlin, who said he could fund a testing program "for a year with that kind of money," he agreed that state commissions don’t have the resources to effectively run a testing program. Individual organizations like the UFC, which declined requests for comment on this story, can’t be left to police themselves, he said."When it comes to control and state athletic commissions, that’s not the way to go. They don’t have the resources, and more than that, they don’t have the know-how. They don’t know what a positive for testosterone is, and they don’t know what to do about it. That’s why I have zero or little faith in them. They’d be better off pooling together than being separate groups. The UFC should put money in, but they can’t control it. That’s the trouble they have now. ...They have a new UFC testing program that I’ve read about, and the UFC is very excited about it. That’s good. But what are they doing? What are they testing for? I can’t tell you. You cannot have the sport itself tied to the testing. That doesn’t work. You have to have an independent body that is not subject to all the in-house pressures."Nevada vs. the WorldNevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer is used to criticisms of everything from his agency’s approach to drug-testing to its punishment of those athletes who are caught using. Since Las Vegas is still the fight capital of the world in the eyes of many boxing and MMA fans, the spotlight falls on Kizer’s commission more often than most. Kizer is willing to accept some of that criticism, but when he hears the NSAC being judged by the standards of international organizations like the IOC, he can’t help but feel that it’s "a bit of an apples to oranges comparison," he said."To me, it’s not the funding so much as the lack of other resources. We’re just one state. We’re one state, in one country, so obviously we’re going to have less ability than a national or international agency."Not only is the state of Nevada tasked with keeping tabs on fighters all over the globe, he said, but they don’t get adequate notice of which fighters will fall under their jurisdiction. The IOC knows well in advance who has qualified for Olympic events, and who should be subject to out-of-competition testing, but the NSAC doesn’t have that luxury."Tell me who’s going to be fighting on the [UFC] card here [in Las Vegas] on July 7," Kizer said. "I don’t think even Dana [White] and [UFC matchmaker] Joe [Silva] can tell me that right now."Even when the organization does attempt to conduct out-of-competition testing, as it did before the Alistair Overeem-Brock Lesnar bout in December, it runs up against problems that most state agencies aren’t equipped to deal with. When it struggled to get Overeem to submit the appropriate sample in a timely fashion, Kizer said, "the issue...wasn’t that he was in Utah, it was that he was in Holland."In that case, Overeem’s sample came in weeks after his camp was informed that he needed to take an out-of-competition test, but the former Strikeforce heavyweight champ was granted a conditional license anyway, following a hearing that the NSAC took undue criticism for, according to Kizer."What could we have done differently there? ...I guess you could just say that if there’s anything less than absolute, 100 percent compliance then we’re just going to say no as a matter of course. I don’t know if that’s fair either, though."It’s a similar situation with the therapeutic-use exemptions for testosterone, Kizer said. The NSAC doesn’t take quite as hardline a stance on it as Catlin and IOC medical commission, he admitted, but it’s not as if TUEs are handed out frequently, either."I think there’s an impression among the general public that everybody’s getting exemptions for TRT. I can’t speak for other states, but for us it’s probably about one a year asking and it’s 50/50 whether they’ll get approved. To even ask you’ve got to be able to prove that your testosterone is below normal -- not just low -- but below normal. Then you have to have a note from your doctor detailing your treatment plan, what the underlying cause is, showing that it’s not going to put you at undue risk or give you an unfair advantage, and then our doctor talks to their doctor."Applicants are then asked whether they’ve ever failed a test for performance-enhancing drugs, whether they’ve ever used them either in this sport or others, and what other treatments he might have tried. Even then, applications are ultimately denied as often as they’re approved, Kizer said."I’d say in the...almost six years that I’ve been [executive director] we’ve definitely had less than a handful of guys get approved and less than a handful be denied. It’s probably been about the same amount, like three [approved] and three [denied]. There’s also been requests for [exemptions for] ADHD drugs. I know there’s one where the doctor said no and one where he said yes. And that’s about it. Usually it’s something like an asthma inhaler or cold medicine."When Kizer hears people like Catlin or Goodman criticizing the NSAC’s testing procedures, he’s wary of people who may be trying to drum up business for their own drug-testing organizations, he said -- a problem that a state-run agency doesn’t have."All our information is public. Fight night testing goes through Quest Labs -- that’s not a secret," Kizer said. "They do two different tests," including one for "steroids, diuretics, and masking agents" and one for drugs of abuse like marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines. The NSAC uses the same prohibited substances list as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Kizer said, and the list is freely available to athletes and the public."I had [former UFC heavyweight champion] Josh Barnett ask me once, ‘Where do I get a list?’ Well, here you go. WADA-AMA.org, the list of prohibited substances. Look it up. We actually have that codified in our regulations as well as on our website."The Cheaters and the CheatedIf there’s one thing that almost all parties in the debate agree on, it’s that something has to be done. In a combat sport like MMA, the risks that come with performance-enhancing drugs are simply too great to ignore, according to orthopedic surgeon and MMA Junkie columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin."It’s one thing if a baseball player is taking performance-enhancing drugs and crushing a baseball out of the park, but it’s a whole other thing if a fighter’s taking them and crushing their opponent with super-physiological ability," said Benjamin.It’s a sentiment the NSAC’s Kizer has been echoing for years, and one the executive director is glad to see is gaining some traction, he said."This isn’t just about cheating. This is about perhaps killing someone," Kizer said. "..And yet, there are still people doing steroids in MMA and boxing, people who, if you went to them and said, ‘Hey, I could put some brass knuckles in your gloves and guarantee you no one will find out about it,’ they’d tell you to get the eff away from them. And yet they’ll take steroids."As Kizer sees it, PEDs are not just a risk to the fighter who’s competing against an abuser of them, but also to the fighter who feels compelled to get on them just to even the odds."Steroids are illegal because of the damage they do to the person taking it. You don’t want to have another person who doesn’t want to take it feel like they have to in order to compete. I think there’s been a lot of athletes over the years who have taken steroids not because they want an unfair advantage, but because they want a level playing field."And yet, not all banned substances are created equal. Some may pose serious risks to users and those who compete against them, but others, like marijuana, seem to present no such danger, at least according to onlookers like Dr. Benjamin."I think one place where an arbitrary line has been drawn is with marijuana use," said Benjamin, who noted that while fighting under the influence of the drug would be dangerous for combatants and make brain injuries harder to diagnose, "but if someone smokes marijuana several days before competition, obviously it’s not still active in their system. They’re no longer high or under the influence, but they still have metabolites, and are likely to fail a urine test. That’s a very gray area to me."Even Catlin said that while he’s not "a fan of a great deal of marijuana testing," there is "some rationale to it" with sports like MMA and boxing."Generally though, it’s a recreational drug, and I don’t think drug-testing in sport should be used to control recreation," said Catlin.Fighters like Nick Diaz, who has a prescription for medical marijuana in his home state of California, could make "a very legitimate argument" for a medical exemption, according to Benjamin, who said he’s "waiting for the first person to disclose that on their pre-fight paperwork, and see what the athletic commission in the responsible jurisdiction does."According to Kizer, it hasn’t happened yet, at least not in Nevada. If it did, he said, the commission would take the same steps it takes in any other request for an exemption, including examining the medical issue that the banned substance purports to treat, and asking if there’s a non-prohibited substance that can offer the same or similar treatment.But when it comes to serious issues affecting the sport, few in MMA would say that the focus needs to be on stamping out recreational drug use. It’s the performance-enhancing kind that has fighters talking among themselves, said Dr. Goodman, and it’s something of an open secret in fight gyms everywhere."After having spoken to 75 to 100 MMA athletes, I hear the same story. They’re all aware of other fighters using performance-enhancing substances, whether it’s steroids or testosterone or Human Growth Hormone or blood doping, I hear these stories all the time. In trying to put the [VADA] program together, I had to talk to as many [MMA] fighters and boxers and trainers, and it’s something I hear over and over again."What few people agree is on what to do about it, and who should foot the bill. Those with a stake in the game, like Goodman, say the UFC and other organizations should hire a third party like VADA to do their testing. Those involved with state commissions, like Kizer, argue that commissions are doing a lot with the funding and resources they’ve been given, even if they don’t always get credit for it."There are going to be athletes in every sport that think they can beat the test," said Kizer. "Look at the Olympics. That’s the weird thing I find with some of the public, and not just in MMA, but people will say that because some guy got caught it shows that athletes aren’t concerned about the tests, that the tests must not work because the guy got away with it. Well, wait a second. He got caught. It doesn’t mean the test is foolproof, but it shows the test is actually pretty damn good. Every Olympics they catch somebody."When the UFC travels outside of athletic commission jurisdiction, it acts as its own commission, conducting its own testing, much as it will for new signees. That’s a laudable effort, according to Catlin, but it’s not nearly enough."When I read that Dana [White] is running a new testing program, on one hand I kind of snicker, but then I say, okay, they’re trying. They’re putting words out there that make sense to me. Whether those words are backed by policies or not, I wouldn’t know. But you’ve got to start somewhere. The fact is, though, you can hire a testing agency that will find exactly what you want: nothing."Anti-doping experts like Catlin and Goodman insist that the only reasonable solution is to empower some third-party, independent agency to conduct the testing, and for promoters like Zuffa to fund it, at least in part, but without having any influence over its findings. Any sports organization that does its own testing, according to Catlin, can never be fully trusted to report accurate, unbiased results, no matter how well-intentioned it might be."They need to clean it up. They know that, and they generally want to. At the same time, it’s the fox guarding the henhouse. They need a program. They want one, otherwise society would be all over them. They have a program, but is it the one they need to really clean it up? No."Fans of the sport who also carry the burden of a certain amount of medical knowledge, such as Dr. Benjamin, still look to Zuffa and the UFC to do what’s necessary to help the sport get clean -- or at least cleaner."As many times as Dana White has said that the UFC is now a first-tier professional sporting organization, commensurate with NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, the NBA -- one thing you notice about all those organizations is that they do their own testing," said Benjamin. "They don’t leave it to anyone else and say, hey, we’re not responsible. [Zuffa] wouldn’t really have to do much themselves except pay the bill. As they move more mainstream with these FOX contracts and things like that, at some point they’re going to have realize that that’s part of doing business on the level that they’re on, and then go ahead and write the check."Writing checks is one thing the UFC seems willing to do. It’s giving up control of the process that might be more difficult. But just as White and Fertitta brag about running "toward regulation" after purchasing the UFC, Goodman said, they should also embrace improved drug-testing as part of their quest for mainstream acceptance."They’ve done such a great job at promoting the sport, advancing the sport -- and I love the sport -- but I think this is something they could do that would really set them apart, safety-wise. It wouldn’t be that difficult to do, and it should be done. It has to be done."
Posted in: fighter, test, testing, itrsquo, thatrsquo
Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse
Dana White: The only thing consistent about the NSAC is that they’re inconsistent #ufc @MMASupremacy
Dana White sounds off on the way the Nevada State Athletic Commission treats certain fighters and other fighters.
Posted in: fighter, dana, mmasupremacy, nevada state, commission
Read the full article at Fight OpinionHistory in the Making: Quinton Jackson makes his Pride FC debut vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
Next weekend (Feb. 25, 2012), Quinton Jackson makes his return to the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
It was on this hollowed ground where "Rampage" first gained worldwide recognition and evolved into the champion he would one day become. Battles with Ricardo Arona and Wanderlei Silva are etched in the minds of mixed martial arts (MMA) fans across the globe with Jackson being on both sides of a beating.
At UFC 144: "Edgar vs. Henderson," the Memphis native returns to Japan to take on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 winner Ryan Bader. More than 10 years since he first stepped inside a Pride Fighting Championships (Pride) ring, Jackson returns a much different fighter than he was in 2001.
He is a former champion and was once recognized as the best 205-pounder on the planet, two credentials that eluded him during his tenure with Pride. The main reason for this was Wanderlei Slva who put the American to sleep twice in Japan. "Rampage" has since gotten his revenge as well.
Indeed, Jackson has changed, adapted and evolved beyond the man who stepped inside the ring against Kazushi Sakuraba at Pride 15. Before his UFC 144 tilt, we'll take a closer look at that fight ... the "birth of Rampage" as it were.
Let's dive in:
The bell sounds and "Rampage" makes his way to the center of the cage, unloading a huge hook with deadly intentions. Sakuraba ducks under and grabs onto a leg, working toward a single-leg takedown. They circle, the Japanese fighter trying to get his opponent onto the mat while the American does all he can to avoid ending up on his back. The veteran wins out and quickly ends up in Jackson's half-guard.
Even though "Rampage" is a few less years into the game than "Saku," he's not by any means green. With an amateur wrestling background and a host of fights under his belt in California, Jackson is more than ready to go toe-to-toe with Sakuraba. He uses the corner post to wall walk his way back to his feet, while also threatening with a guillotine choke.
With both fighters once again vertical, they clinch up and the Japanese legend attempts to jump into Jackson's guard. The Memphis native responds the only way he knows how: He slams him. Sakuraba's body is barreled into the canvas, but he continues to work. A triangle choke is attempted, but Jackson lifts his opponent again for a second slam. They jockey for position on the mat and "The Gracie Hunter" once again attempts the triangle choke submission.
A third slam. And then a fourth!
But, Sakuraba doesn't relent and nearly has the submission cinched up. Jackson lifts Sakuraba up again, but instead uses his newfound leverage to wiggle out of the move rather than punish his opponent with yet another slam. Back on the mat, "Rampage" appears to be breathing heavily as lifting a 190-pound man over and over is -- even for an athlete on the level of Jackson -- an exhausting task.
The Japanese fighter quickly transitions into an armbar attempt, which Jackson defends how else, but with another slam. He picks up his opponent again and nearly tosses him over the ropes and to the outside while the Saitama crowd gasps in disbelief.
"Saku" is spared the tumble, while Jackson is able to avoid yet another submission.
Both fighters are back on their feet and you can almost literally see the energy seeping out of Jackson's body. A weak combination is thrown with little to no power and when Sakuraba dives in for a takedown, "Rampage" offers no defense whatsoever. From half-guard, "Saku" easily slips in sidemount with Jackson offering only a few knees as offense. The Japanese fighter begins to work toward a kimura and nearly has it locked in, but Jackson offers an impressive defense by sitting up straight forcing Sakuraba to lose the leverage needs to torque his opponent's shoulder back.
Jackson tries to explode out from under his opponent, but ever the savvy grappler, "Saku" scrambles and ends up taking the American's back. Jackson avoids danger and they wind up on their feet with "Rampage" having hold of one of his opponent's legs. He attempts to lift Sakuraba up but the Pride veteran is once again working towards a kimura and when they collapse to the mat, it's the Japanese fighter who ends up on top.
"Saku" teases a leglock, but then quickly gets behind Jackson before just as quickly sinking in a rear naked choke, which forces "Rampage" to tap.
Jackson will return to Japan six years to the day he defeated Dong-Sik Yoon in what would be the American's final appearance for Pride. When he steps inside the arena next week, he'll take on an opponent in Bader who is still smarting from the sting of two straight losses. Both of Jackson's opponents were heralded as prospects -- Yoon for accomplishments in judo competitions, Bader for collegiate wrestling credentials -- and while "Rampage" handled Yoon fairly easily, he now carries the weight of an additional six years of wear-and-tear on his shoulders.
It's more so when taking into account the level of competition Jackson has faced since leaving Japan.
Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Jon Jones. A murderder's row of elite light heavyweights have left the 33-year old Memphis native with a fight age much older than his actual age.
Can "Rampage" put down the young lion at UFC 144? Or will "Darth" ruin Jackson's Saitama return?
Posted in: rampage, jackson, fighter, opponent, sakuraba
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAn Hour With Dave Camarillo And Submitting Everyone Part 3 of 3
On the evening before he would appear at UFC 143 as a cornerman for Josh Koscheck, Dave Camarillo appeared on the radio show I host alongside MMA Mania's Brian Hemminger and Gerry Rodriguez. We were expecting a quick promo appearance for his new Victory Belt book, Submit Everyone: The Classified Field Manual For Becoming A Submission-focused Fighter, but Dave spent a full hour with us answering questions with aplomb about his approach to grappling and teaching.
Part One of An Hour With Dave Camarillo
Part Two of An Hour with Dave Camarillo
Ben Thapa: Have you ever heard of the OODA loop?
Dave Camarillo : I have not.
BT: It's a concept developed by John Boyd, who is perhaps the father of modern jet airplane dogfighting in the American military. It's Observe, Orient, Decide, Act - that's the loop - and it helps pilots do better in dogfights. He said that there are two ways you can get a better OODA loop than your opponent - to go faster and faster or to do something unexpected. Do you have a preference between the two for getting wins and better control over your opponent?
DC: I like them equally. I taught myself that speed, fast twitch muscles and so on, is important, but that high rate of speed is partially genetic and it has to be developed. I call it "genetic potential". I have the genetic potential that gives me a high rate of speed. In my career - I hope this doesn't sound cocky, but here goes - I've never trained with someone faster than me. I'm sure there's lightweights faster than me, but people my size, I've always been faster. I've always had the ability to maneuver quicker than my opponents, which can be a surprise but it doesn't always work, especially if they slow you down.
Which brings the other concept, which is actually in my book and I call Creating Chaos. It's doing something that is so crazy that it's unexpected. I think this is the key to Anderson Silva. Nobody can judge what he's going to do and nobody is comfortable with he's going to do next because he creates so much chaos. If you can do that, good things happen. I was training with a student and nothing was happening, so I did a flying armlock. The guy just couldn't understand that he was on top and then I was standing on him and he was on the defensive. I am fast and I can get into a position before you are ready for it and the speed can be bit much for people to handle, but the unexpectedness is also really important. My high degree of fast twitch muscles allowed me to do something and I have the genetic potential to do that. However, creating chaos can be universal and everyone can do that. That uncertainty becomes a weapon that people can use. I use both in my career and I believe both are important.
Hit the jump for the rest of Part Three
If you want to check out the book Dave is talking about, it's the newest Victory Belt publication, Submit Everyone: Classified Field Manual for Becoming a Submissions Focused Fighter.
BT: How do you train a fighter to get faster by the way? Is that something you have to develop and fail again and again to do or is it something that's always present from the beginning?
DC: First off, you need to do the opposite. I teach every concept slow. If you don't go slow at first, you're doing it wrong. I think you can see personalities emerge from people grappling as they enter the academy or if they're doing this for the first time, and if you see someone do it quick, they're tightening up because they're afraid of being attacked and that's a natural fear thing. If I want to train someone to be fast, I start them slow. I start them in one position and then they memorize 1, 2, 3 and then move on to another and memorize that. They have to get 1, 2, 3 right. That creates a thread.
If you see wrestlers that flow really good, or jiu jitsu guys that flow really good or Muay Thai guys that flow really good, it's because they have good threads. You have the concept of a thread and you develop that slow. If you memorize something, you can do it faster and add speed. Then you add a little bit more and a little bit more. Once you have that thread concept down, you can do it, you can mix it up, share it, you can train it more and so on. The thread gets them to shorten the distance between A and B if that makes sense. It's the most efficient route and that most efficient route comes from flowing. Flowing properly, freely. My understanding is that my opponent is a statue and I'm going to move around them, not through them. You're not driving into their power, you're not overpowering them because that might not be natural for you; you're moving around them from one position to the next to the next until you submit them. That's the best way to create speed - or a better way to say it - better efficiency.
BT: Last question - was Jon Fitch that good at resisting the guillotine in the beginning when he showed up at your academy or did he develop that over time? It's been driving me nuts.
DC: [laughs] Of course, he developed over time. I remember the first day I rolled with him at AKA, he had just gotten there and he was there a couple months before I was. And I was like "Oooh, big strong wrestler, here we go." And we put on the gi to roll. I remember submitting him a bunch of times. I mean obviously, he didn't really understand jiu jitsu at the time so it was easy for me.
But what happened was that the first year, I submitted him X number of times - a high number. The second year, it was half of that. The third year, it was 5 to 10% of the first year if that makes sense and so you know, back then, I had more time, I was younger, I was training hard, I was in shape and I was high level. He got a lot better in comparison to me, he would take one on one lessons and we spent hours and hours grappling. When you're exposed to so many submissions, you build a tolerance for it. If you work with your hands, you build a tolerance for that hard work. It's the same thing with grappling.
If I submit you a hundred times, your situational awareness is going to improve, your experience will get better, you'll feel it coming quicker and you're going to develop tolerance. The time we spent together working let him spend so much time living inside the submissions that he could spend his time working his way out of it instead of powering out of it. That's why I like the gi, it forces you to be technical with your escapes as you can't power out of it with the slickness and strength of no gi. Fitch spent a lot of time in the gi with me and he got comfortable with working within the submissions. It was a ton of one on one and watching the process while I worked with others for him. That's what built that resistance.
Brian Hemminger: I have a couple last questions for UFC 143. I know you said you would corner Koscheck for the rest of his career. Are you still on for UFC 143 and Koscheck's fight against Mike Pierce?
DC: Yeah, I'm waking up tomorrow morning and getting over there to Las Vegas to corner him.
BH: I had a question about corner strategy, as I spent a lot of time listening to people like Frankie Edgar's corners and Greg Jackson giving advice and ideas and things to work on and change to their fighters. What type of cornerman are you when you are in there giving advice to your fighter when in between rounds?
DC: Ok, well, I'll give you an example from Cain Velasquez versus Ben Rothwell. I said something like "I want his shoulders flat." To me, it's a simple command coming from what I saw in the first round. Of course, I'm saying this before the fight during the camp. I had told him before that I wanted aggressive footwork, I wanted him in and out, don't hang out in the pocket and little things like that are very important, especially in the first round, because that's when you have the most power.
We were analyzing the fight the whole time in camp and the next camp had a similar pattern as we took the fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Rothwell and Nogueira are not very athletic. No disrespect to them, but they are just not very athletic. I was jumping up and down because we were like "We got this fight." because Cain is super-athletic. He is super-quick, he can change direction, he can get up and down and so on faster than anyone else in the heavyweight division. When I look at Nogueira and Rothwell, I'm like "We got this." Both guys are slower, they have power in their hands and they're heavy guys, so that can be problematic, but if you put them down, they have to get all that weight up. And as they're not athletic, it's difficult for them. I told him get those shoulders flat like it's a wrestling game. Simple, clear cut, get their shoulders flat.
And what happened? Cain kept coming and that guy exhausted himself throwing punches. I look for athleticism, I look for people's strengths and I try to avoid them. The first round tells me a lot, because you don't really know what's going on until your fighter had five minutes in there.
BH: A question from the chat room that's kind of related, but really not even close to what we're talking about now: Have you perfected your banner rolling technique and what happens to those things after the hanging?
DC: [laughs] Well, that's good. Banner rolling technique. [laughs] When we get up there, not having it upside down is our main thing. And we gotta roll it up a certain way too. It's actually a really good question. It looks embarrassing if we drop it or if it's upside down and we have to fumble around to fix it to get the fighter right. What happens to them? I've kept a few. I don't know. Maybe I'll put them on ebay or something. But uh, yeah we kinda just discard it, as most of the time, we're excited and we're like "Ok, fight's over. Let's get outta here!" That was a great question, because when you're fighting, that banner stuff kind of makes it real. I appreciate that.
BH: Yeah, that was Ben. He's got a wealth of crazy questions like that. Again, we're super-appreciative of you spending the last fifty minutes plus with us here and you've been amazing. Alright, thanks Dave. This has been an incredible interview and Ben is basically crying tears of joy right now. Best of luck to you cornering Josh Koscheck tomorrow. Before I let you go, do you have any last words for people interested in your book Submit Everyone?
DC: The book Submit Everyone is on Amazon or you can come to my academy and pick up a copy. I think martial arts gives you a key to everything. If you're out in my area, I'll show you everything I'm talking about in it. If you don't live where I live, get the book and get to some martial arts academy and train. I appreciate this. Oh right, if you want to follow me on Twitter, it's @DaveCamarillo.
End of Part Three
As an extra bonus, here is Dave's brother, Dan Camarillo, grappling with Genki Sudo in the finals of a BJJ tournament way back in 1998.
Part One of An Hour With Dave Camarillo
Part Two of An Hour with Dave Camarillo
For those interested in finding out more about Colonel John Boyd, who created an organized theory of agile warfare that led to the creation of better fighter planes and military doctrine, I strongly recommend Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram. It is one of the finest biographies I have ever read and the concepts within are of immense value to those who participate in combat sports, as well as the military or business.
The audio of the interview can be found at roughly the one hour mark of the Verbal Submission's 72nd episode, which features interviews with Diego Sanchez and Sheldon Westcott as well.
Posted in: time, hour, fighter, dave, that
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on FUEL TV 1 results recap: Winners and losers from the Feb. 15 event in Omaha
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just conducted its first ever full fight card on FUEL TV as UFC on FUEL TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" sought to entertain the fans in attendance at Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska, on Feb. 15, 2012.
The main event featured a very tough match up between welterweight top contenders Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger. Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans and pundits expected the winner to catapult himself into "the mix," and possibly place themselves next in line for a title shot (after Carlos Condit, of course).
The main event rendered a bloody, all-out war that will go down as one of the better fights of the year. Both men emerged with what appeared to be broken noses, but not broken spirits.
In victory, Ellenberger not only proved his toughness, but also that he is ready to fight for the belt. It may not happen immediately, but the opportunity is coming.
Follow me after the jump and we'll discuss the big winners and lowliest of losers from UFC on FUEL TV 1:
WINNERS
Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger -- I know Ellenberger won, but I have trouble separating these two and calling either of them a loser. Call it a cop out. That's fine, but I'm not gonna do it. This was a fantastic fight. For two rounds, Ellenberger poured it on in dominating fashion. He dealt Sanchez a gruesome broken nose and all kinds of added punishment, to boot. But in the third round, Sanchez proved his heart by mounting a comeback effort that very nearly won him the fight. Ellenberger will go on to get a high profile fight and is now inches away from the title picture. I'm just saying that Sanchez should be right behind him.
Stefan Struve -- You can tell a lot about a fighter by how they overcome adversity. In the first round of his fight against Dave Herman, Struve looked overwhelmed. He was getting outstruck badly. He wasn't using his length. He was playing right into Herman's hands. In the second round, Struve came out like a totally new man. He scored a takedown early on that set the tone for the way the rest of the fight would go. Though "Pee Wee" was able to escape the first submission attempt, Struve poured it on, eventually getting a stoppage when Herman failed to respond under a barrage of punches.
Stipe Miocic -- Wow. After looking to be hurt early on, Miocic (aka: "Cro Cop Part II") responded with a furious flurry of punches that sent Philip De Fries to the canvas and caused the fight to be stopped at just 0:43 of the very first round. It almost as if De Fries' punches made him angry. He punished him for it and looked like an absolute monster in victory. I'm excited to keep seeing what this Croatian sensation is really capable of.
Jonathan Brookins -- After winning season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Brookins has been fairly inactive due to some injury problems. Last night, Brookins fought a very game opponent in Vagner Rocha who is capable of finishing a foe at any moment. It was Rocha's first fight at featherweight, and supposedly, he'd found his true and natural weight class. Early on, the two exchanged and Brookins looked very comfortable. Then it happened. Brookins clipped Rocha and pounced on him instantly. Rocha resorted to his jiu-jitsu roots and desperately went for a heel hook. As he did, he left his chin exposed. It was all Brookins needed, as he took advantage of the moment, landed several very hard punches from short distance and knocked out Rocha to notch a big win and get things back on track. Brookins is just a good dude; one of the nicer guys in MMA. Congrats.
Ivan Menjivar -- What a tough guy! After being very nearly finished by John Albert, Menjivar took the abuse, was patient, and used his experience to grab the submission victory. The win was the third in a row for "The Pride of El Salvador." He looks great at 135 pounds and it looks like the move to bantamweight was really the right one. Who says Jackson-trained fighters don't finish fights? Afterwards, he posed a question that is sure to be seen on t-shirts and internet memes all over when he asked: "What would Sakuraba do?" Good question, Ivan.
Ronny Markes -- After looking like he was in trouble in the first round, Markes did a great job of coming back, using leg kicks and an overall weight and strength advantage to control the fight. The move to middleweight looks like a good one, at least for now. It will be intriguing to see if the move lasts and what kind of impact the Nova Uniao will be able to make at 185 pounds.
T.J. Dillashaw -- Sometimes, you'll see fighters who lose on TUF, go home, start over, absorb the lessons they've learned during their time on the show and rebound as much better fighters upon their return. Thus appears to be the case for Dillashaw, the Alpha Male product and training partner of everyone's favorite "California Kid," Urijah Faber. Dillashaw's fight versus Walel Watson was an ambush. He bum rushed Watson from the opening horn and never backed off. Though he wasn't able to finish him, he did a tremendous job of pressing the pace and inflicting damage at every turn against a very good and seasoned fighter in Watson. In the third round, when Dillashaw got away from the success of his wrestling, Watson got vey close to putting him in a bad spot, maybe even finishing him. Kudos to Dillashaw for fighting through it and keeping his composure, on his way to earning a well earned decision victory.
Big Braveheart fan in the crowd -- At one point during the T.J. Dillashaw vs Walel Watson fight, a passionate fan (who had, no doubt, enjoyed his fair share of "beverage") screamed out "freedom!" Maybe I'm easily amused, but that cracked me up. We hear dumb "USA" chants at almost every event. People boo. people yell things about fighters mothers. But clutch movie quotes? That's a new one on me and I'm tipping my cap to you, random fan.
LOSERS
Dave Herman -- I was really excited when the UFC signed this guy. Every fight I've ever seen him in was a slugfest. Though it didn't totally live to the hype, his win over Jon Olav Einemo was a nice way to enter the Octagon. He looked to build on that against Stefan Struve, and for a round, it looked like he was going to. Unfortunately, he did exactly what his corner told him not to. He stood right in front of Struve and was not making good use of lateral movement. After getting caught with a massive uppercut and plummeting to the canvas, he had no answer at all for Struve who jumped all over him. I like Herman. He's a fun fighter and has body hair that rivals that of Andrei Arlovski. I just don't think he'll ever be a guy who makes a serious run at the title.
Vagner Rocha -- They say potential gets coaches fired. It also gets fighters cut sometimes. Though it's unlikely Rocha's loss to Jonathan Brookins will be worthy of him losing his job, it puts him on wobbly footing. Whenever you see a guy who can't quite pick a weight class, it makes you nervous. Is he a lightweight or a featherweight? Not sure. But if he's a featherweight, he's got a long way to go. His jiu-jitsu is famous. But MMA is more than that. You have to be well rounded, and so far, he hasn't looked that way.
Aaron Simpson -- I hate calling a loser here, because for a round and a half, I thought he looked fantastic. He was striking well and really controlling the fight. Things just took a turn for the worse for "A-train" halfway through the second round. Simpson couldn't get the fight to the ground and he looked flustered by that. In fact, it was Markes who actually did the better job of getting takedowns and using ground control. Overall, it just wasn't a strong showing for Simpson.
FUEL TV pre-fight show -- After watching the Facebook prelims, I flipped back over to FUEL TV to watch the pre-fight programming with Jay Glazer. Right when I switched over, I was treated to 10-plus solid seconds of a close-up camera shot of the fence, accompanying audio of Glazer waxing eloquently. As they transitioned back to their shot of the fellas in the booth, I was shocked to see that a cameraman or some type of assistant was cleaning the lens off with a cloth. You could see him. Right on camera. They didn't go to break. They didn't use a different camera. They just kept shooting as homeboy cleaned off the camera lens with a bright green cloth. It was one of the most amateur things I've ever seen. FUEL TV has really got to figure this out. I know they were a virtual throw-in with the FOX deal, but the FUEL TV aspect of things can't keep being this bush league. You never saw garbage like this with Spike TV.
For complete UFC on FUEL TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" results, including blow-by-blow details of all the action, click here.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, tv, fuel
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFights to Make After UFC on Fuel 1
With UFC on Fuel: Ellenberger vs. Sanchez in the books, it’s time to look forward at what’s next for the competitors on the card. In a bit of fantasy matchmaking, I’ve written who I think some of tonight’s fighters should fight next, and why said scraps should happen.
Tim Means vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Both are very experienced fighters, both recently made their successful debuts inside the octagon, so let’s match them up together and get a better idea of the pecking order moving forward.
Jonathan Brookins vs. Mark Hominick / Eddie Yagin
The Ultimate Fighter 12 winner rebounded from his first loss at featherweight with a quick knockout of Vagner Rocha. While he has a long way to go, a match-up against the winner of Hominick vs. Yagin could be a good start for him, as whoever wins the upcoming UFC 145 bout, will be rebounding from a loss as well.
T.J. Dillashaw vs. Ivan Menjivar
Both bantamweights picked up impressive wins. Barring injury, both could be looking at a quick turnaround, and given the timeline, this match makes perfect sense. Dillashaw needs to test himself against an experienced fighter, and Menjivar needs to test his great jiu-jitsu against a wrestler with the chops of Dillashaw.
Dave Herman vs. Matt Mitrione
Two heavyweights with heavy hands coming off losses? I’d like to see Herman maybe work on that whole stamina issue before this fight is made, but I see no reason why this fight shouldn’t happen. Fireworks.
Stipe Miocic vs. Stefan Struve
Miocic needs a step up in competition, but not a giant leap. Struve matches the criteria, and with the two competing on the same card, the timing couldn’t be better. Perhaps the two could throw down this summer with the loser staying in the mid-tier of the division, and the winner moving up.
Ronny Markes vs. Tim Boetsch / Yushin Okami
Although it would be a step up in competition, Markes needs to face a larger middleweight to see where he really stands. He used his size to stifle the wrestling of Aaron Simpson, and I’d like to see how he fairs against the larger 185ers. With Boetsch and Okami fighting in just over a week, I’d like to see the winner fight Markes while the top of the division sorts itself out.
Diego Sanchez vs. Jon Fitch
Both fighters had neared the top of the welterweight division before a better fighter knocked them back down. To work their way back up, this rematch is necessary. The two met before at UFC 76 in 2007 with Fitch getting the nod via Split Decision, and the timing for the rematch is perfect. Both men have name recognition and can easily open up a PPV card or take the co-main spot on an FX or Fuel TV card.
Jake Ellenberger vs. Johny Hendricks / Josh Koscheck
While Ellenberger could campaign for a rematch with interim champ Carlos Condit, it appears as though Carlos will be deciding to wait to unify the titles against Georges St. Pierre. It makes sense that the winner of Hendricks/Koscheck would be right at the top of the pack with Ellenberger, so let’s have the two top contenders fight to see who gets the next shot at whoever the welterweight champion will be at the end of 2012.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, vs, winner
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FUEL TV results: Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger rematch must be booked
Last night (Feb. 15, 2012) in American's heartland, Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger stepped inside the Octagon for the main event of the first-ever UFC on Fuel TV main event. Each knew a loss would stall their career for at the very least a year, while a loss meant they were no longer in the ambiguous zone Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White calls "in the mix." A loss meant they would likely go back to the undercard for at least one fight before getting the chance to headline again.
But a win?
A win would mean everything. Both fighters were coming off huge victories -- an incredible showing of heart on Sanchez's part against Martin Kampmann and a brutal knockout over perennial top five welterweight Jake Shields for Ellenberger -- and while each kept one eye on their UFC on Fuel TV opponent, the other gazed into a future that included a title shot.
With Georges St. Pierre nursing a knee injury and on the shelf until late 2012, most title shot chatter revolved around newly crowned interim champion Carlos Condit, a man who both headliners have ample history with. "The Dream" was born and raised in the same city and is a longtime training partner of "The Natural Born Killer." Ellenberger made his Octagon debut against Condit as a late replacement, filling in for an injured Chris Lytle and nearly handed the Greg Jackson-trained fighter his second straight loss that night in Oklahoma City.
Both knew a showdown with Condit would be a possibility if their hand was raised in Omaha, Neb., last night. And when it was "The Juggernaut's" name called after three rounds of action, he didn't call out the interim champ, but he didn't exactly shrug off the suggestion of a rematch.
The time is now, UFC: give us Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger 2 for the interim welterweight title.
Ellenberger has stepped inside the Octagon seven times and has won six. Tonight he beat a longtime contender in Sanchez and last September "The Juggernaut" did in less than a minute what "Rush" couldn't do in 25: finish Jake Shields.
The only time the Omaha native has tasted defeated was in his UFC debut against Condit. In that fight, the New Mexico native survived an early scare but managed to come back in the second and third rounds to take the decision. In losing, Ellenberger impressed almost as much as he would have had he pulled out the win.
Over two years later, "The Juggernaut" is sitting on a six fight win streak while Condit is sitting at home with 12 pounds of gold. The only other man it would make sense for "The Natural Born Killer" to step inside the Octagon with is injured and unavailable for another 10 months so why not book a rematch between the two fighters?
The post-fight coverage on Fuel mainly centered around the prospect with just about every commentator voicing their approval of a rematch. Analysts Jay Glazer and Ariel Helwani along with middleweight fighter Brian Stann all said in unison: book the fight.
Each pay-per-view (PPV) event up to UFC 148 has a main event. Next week Frankie Edgar takes on Ben Henderson in Japan while UFC 145 invades Atlanta with a headliner of Jon Jones taking on Rashad Evans. The next event will likely be Junior Dos Santos defending his heavyweight title against Alistair Overeem which is rumored to be followed by another card in Brazil with the Anderson Silva/Chael Sonnen rematch topping the bill. The annual Fourth of July card will be headlined by The Ultimate Fighter on FX coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber which leaves an August PPV prime and ready to be headlined by an interim welterweight title bout.
This isn't merely a suggestion or playing the part of Joe Silva, the UFC matchmaker. This is a plea. The UFC must book this fight in August and allow the winner to take on St. Pierre in December four months later. The timing is almost too perfect; it's as if the mixed martial arts (MMA) goods are willing this plan forward.
Condit is too good of a fighter to sit on the sidelines for 10 months. This rematch is too good not to happen.
Pull the trigger, UFC.
Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, fighter, rematch, condit
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC Fighters We Would Pay to See No Matter What
When it comes to MMA, there are some fighters who are worth the pay-per-view price by themselves. It's no coincidence that some of the most popular fighters in the sport are the most exciting fighters...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc fighters, payperview, payperview price
Read the full article at Low KickCdn fighter Goodridge diagnosed with dementia
Canadian MMA fighter Gary Goodridge was diagnosed with a form of dementia due to repeated head trauma he received throughout his career.
Posted in: fighter, head, head trauma, goodridge, dementia
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC has no intention of dividing fighters and managers, Dana White says
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, mattyblayze, intention, managers dana
Read the full article at RedditUFC On Fuel TV: Diego Sanchez Vs. Jake Ellenberger Dissection
The UFC on Fuel TV is headlined by a welterweight clash between The Ultimate Fighter O.G. Diego Sanchez and brick-fisted wrestle-boxer Jake Ellenberger.
On the groundbreaking premiere of TUF, Diego Sanchez (23-4) was pretty hard to miss. Amidst the alcohol-fueled shenanigans of pillow-spritzing and rampant vandalism, Diego would be the fella peacefully meditating in his room or out in the parking lot doing Yoga in a thunderstorm to harness the lightning. Before appearing on the show, Sanchez had already constructed an undefeated, eleven-fight record and a strong rep as a legit up-and-comer in King of Cage, where he'd just snared the promotion's welterweight championship.
In his early days, Sanchez was one of the rare few who excelled in both wrestling and submission grappling, commonly devouring his opponent with explosive double-legs and showering them with ground and pound or snatching power-subs like kimuras and lion-killers from dominant positions. He always exuded what would eventually become his trademark style, which is battling at a frenzied pace with heaps of unending aggression. He tidied up Alex Karelexis and Josh Rafferty with first round rear-naked chokes, dotted up standout wrestler Josh Koscheck with ground strikes and then hammered an undersized Kenny Florian by first round TKO to become, along with light-heavyweight Forrest Griffin, the first "Ultimate Fighter."
Having competed on the show as a middleweight, Sanchez returned to welterweight and rattled off five impressive victories: he forced Brian Gassaway to tap to punches, earned the judges' nod over John Alessio, engaged in ultra-entertaining decision wins over top-caliber welterweights Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan and demonstrated improved striking with a stiff right hook and flying knee to vanquish Joe Riggs. Sanchez would be handed consecutive defeats from Team AKA, as Josh Koscheck dabbed him up with a sprawl and brawl strategy for a unanimous vote and Jon Fitch out-hustled him in a tight split-decision.
Diego bounced back with two stoppages (David Bielkheden, Luigi Fioravanti) before setting his sights on the lightweight division. Two exciting and competitive decision wins later (Joe Stevenson, Clay Guida) and Sanchez found himself facing alpha-lightweight B.J. Penn for the title. Ascending to the highest point of his career would once again result in falling back down, as Penn battered him for a TKO in the fifth and John Hathaway spoiled his return to 170-pounds with a convincing decision defeat. Sanchez has since notched two in a row, both action-packed decisions, over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann.
More UFC on Fuel TV Dissections
Struve vs. Herman | Simpson vs. Markes | Miocic vs. De Fries | Dillashaw vs. Watson | Facebook Prelims
Jake "The Juggernaut" Ellenberger (26-5) is a clean cut, former Marine who's built like a fire hydrant. He wrestled at the Division II University of Nebraska at Omaha and, despite beginning his MMA training that very same year, produced an undefeated nine-fight clip in 2005 -- which is an astounding pace for a first-year fighter. He extended that streak with three more wins in 2006 and, even more impressively, finished every opponent with an unsettling aura of violence (nine via strikes with three submissions).
No longer an unknown fighter, Ellenberger dabbled with his first taste of upper-echelon welterweights and hit a rough stretch of road, splitting his next six with losses to Jay Hieron, Derrick Noble (who would eventually fight in the UFC) and submission specialist Delson Heleno, who is the only fighter to this day to finish Ellenberger (armbar). Lemons became lemonade, as Ellenberger won six of his next seven that included a vicious KO over Vale Tudo legend Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons and a decision over crafty grappler and current Strikeforce fighter Pat Healy, with another UFC-level adversary accounting for his sole loss (Rick Story).
He faced former WEC champion Carlos Condit in their mutual Octagon debuts at and flattened him twice in the first round. Condit showed amazing resilience and battled on, eventually turning the tide in later rounds and winning a split-decision that could've gone either way. Ellenberger has cut a five-fight swathe since then, scorching four by knockout (Mike Pyle, John Howard, Sean Pierson and the tank-chinned Jake Shields) along with a split-decision over Carlos Eduardo Rocha; a decision plagued by one utterly unfathomable score card.
Gifs and analysis in the full entry.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV
Though these are older gifs from the Riggs encounter back in 2006, this marked a pivotal stage of Diego's evolution because he'd seemed to have rounded out his ground-oriented strategy with a fierce striking game. And this is definitive evidence of that: his stance, balance, defensive guard and punching form shows substantial improvement here.
Some fighters drift away from their raw ferocity when developing finesse and more polished technique, but Sanchez sprinted across the cage and went airborne with a highlight-reel-worthy flying knee to conclude the sequence to the right.
However, sculpting your fundamentals to a more adequate level is not the same thing as being a good striker at the UFC level.
Really, if you gather up all of Sanchez's past performances in the Octagon, his entire strategy consists of charging forward with a blinding series of looping rights and lefts and then dropping levels for a double leg against the cage. He wins when it works and loses it when it doesn't. This trend first materialized against Alessio, who was expected to be trounced but nearly upset Sanchez.
After Alessio, Koscheck devised an intelligent sprawl and brawl that consisted of avoiding the wild bull-rush, anticipating the takedown that always followed it and lancing tight punches through his permeable defense.
Don't get me wrong -- there will always be a place for primal and unbridled aggression in MMA and the plan was (and, at times, is still) effective, but I don't think it's too far-fetched to isolate this approach as highly predictable and the catalyst for his UFC losses. Kampmann attended to this habit well on most fronts but still allowed himself to be contained on the fence and take punishment.
Ellenberger has never been the kind of guy to dance deftly out of range while flicking out a few mediocre-powered counters, so the Machida-esque strategy is out. He absolutely has, however, the medley of wrestling and striking to formulate the perfect antidote for Sanchez, along with Goliath punching power and an impenetrable chin to boot. He is also the type that happily embraces down-and-dirty, in-your-face warfare, which lends scintillating appeal to this match up.
Prior to meeting Ellenberger, Shields had lost just once by TKO, which was in his third pro-fight in 2000.
As opposed to back pedaling, Ellenberger thrives in the role of being an assertive counter puncher.
His intentions are to hold his ground, calculate his opponent's tendencies and map out the best trajectory in which to stream his rocket-fueled fists directly into their jaw.
He's accomplished this with both his left and right hands along with the brutal knee he finished Shields with, making him a multi-dimensional knockout threat with excellent timing, instincts and accuracy.
Once he holds his ground and makes a statement that he won't retreat, Ellenberger is even more of a head-hunter when moving forward.
When he's countering, he takes a little mustard off his punches so he can maintain balance and stay light on his toes, which allows him to fend off takedowns and cut angles to counter. When he's on the attack, he spools up sickening power and throws everything into his hands.
That's what we see to the left against Condit, who protects his right side well when throwing the knee, but not so much with the left side.
Overall, I can't help but see this as a horrible match up for Sanchez. Ellenberger has never been knocked out, he's the more credentialed and accomplished wrestler and he has more power and better technique on the feet. Plus, he's a purple belt himself, which leaves only a narrow advantage for Diego in his other specialty of scrambling and grappling transitions.
I don't see many ways that Diego can impose his will, as I think Ellenberger will oblige a brawl, but will not do so in a stationary position against the cage where Diego is most effective. I'd take Ellenberger by decision in a three-rounder, but five should be enough for him to land a big bomb and finish with damage or pounce with a stream of leather to elicit an intervention from the ref.
My Prediction: Jake Ellenberger by TKO.
Poll
Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger
Sanchez
Ellenberger
0 votes | Results
Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, fighter, diego, sanchez
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC has no intention of dividing fighters and managers, Dana White says
OMAHA, Neb. - UFC president Dana White said a grand total of two fighters have negotiated with him directly since he took his current job: Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell.
"And I don't think Forrest or Chuck have done too bad," White told MMAjunkie.com on Tuesday.
Responding to recent comments that implied the UFC is attempting to cut managers out of the picture, White said he does give advice to fighters about representation - but not whether they have representation.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, chuck liddell, i dont, managers dana
Read the full article at MMA JunkieJohnston on MMA: Technique vs. entertainment
When fighters lack certain striking skills it often results in more exciting fights. Watch UFC on FUEL on Sportsnet starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, lack, entertainment, fighters lack
Read the full article at sportsnet.caMorning Report: Ellenberger vs. Sanchez Heats Up, Matt Hughes Talks Retirement
If the idea of Wednesday night mixed martial arts still seems somewhat foreign to you, don't worry, you're not the only one. But either way, it's hard to complain about a lineup of free, quality fights. So while the UFC preps for tonight's welterweight throwdown, catch up on everything else MMA has to offer with the Morning Report.
5 MUST-READ STORIES TO START YOUR DAY
UFC on FUEL TV weigh-in results. Fighters tipped the scales from Omaha, Nebraska at Tuesday's official UFC on FUEL TV weigh-ins.
Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes dissection. Dallas Winston provides the latest visual breakdown for UFC on FUEL TV's main card.
UFC 144 broadcast will be four hours, feature seven fights. Two preliminary fights have been promoted to UFC 144's main card, adding an extra hour to the pay-per-view broadcast.
Gary Goodridge diagnosed with early onset CTE/Pugilistic Dementia. Former Pride and K-1 standout Gary Goodridge reflected back on his career in combat sports and the extensive damage it has done to his health.
Gina Carano signs for 'In the Blood' starring role. Mixed martial arts has likely seen the last of former Strikeforce women's title challenger Gina Carano.
MEDIA STEW
After some prodding, Matt Hughes admits he'd like to return to the cage for one last shot at victory.
Check out this fight video of One FC 2's fantastic main event, Felipe Enomoto vs. Ole Laursen.
A slew of pros pick the winner of Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva II.
Stefan Struve's ability to comeback from adversity was tested early in his career against Denis Komkin.
Jon Jones blatantly disregards Bob Kelly's frantic tapping during a segment on Opie & Anthony Radio.
In case you missed it, Tim Sylvia has been waging a public campaign to get back into the UFC, even releasing this strikingly earnest video in which the former champion implores fans to help him out.
Preaching to the choir.
Valentine's Day can eat it.
— Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) February 14, 2012
Pat Barry's Valentine's gift? He gets to refer to Cro Cop as "Your Majesty, Lord Cro Cop" for the next two weeks.
CROATIA DAY #2 #fbtwitvid.com/W59DW
— Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie) February 14, 2012
Joe Lauzon is not impressed.
@thugjitsumaster what the hell?
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) February 14, 2012
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012):
UFC 144: Yushin Okami (26-6) vs. Tim Boetsch (14-4), Hatsu Hioki (25-4-2) vs. Bart Palaszewski (36-14) promoted to main card.
Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey:Mike Kyle (19-8-1) vs. Gegard Mousasi (32-3-2) officially cancelled, Scott Smith (17-9) vs. Lumumba Sayers (5-2) promoted to main card.
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today's FPOTD belongs to MMA Mania reader unambig: 6 UFC prospects I can't wait to see fight again.
Nobody thought much about Jimy Hettes jumping into the UFC and subbing TUF fighter Alex Cacares. Most people assumed that "Bruce Leeroy" was simply another TUF can getting his ass handed to him by a ordinary fighter. But when Hettes absolutely dominated Nam Phan like nobody has ever dominated a fighter in a three round fight before, we knew different.
...
What Hettes needs now is clearly a giant step up in competition. Like, I'm talking a quantum leap. When you're winning fights 30-25 against an entry level UFC fighter like Nam Phan, you need a Mike Brown or a Darren Elkins. One more win over a gatekeeper like that and Hettes is looking at the top of the division.
Found something entertaining, brutal, or bizarre you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Send it to @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, vs, nam phan
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseBreaking It Down: UFC on Fuel 1 (PRELIMS)
This Wednesday, the UFC comes to the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska for the first fight night card on Fuel TV. UFC on Fuel 1 features a potential contender fight between Diego “The Dream” Sanchez and Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger, as well as a very tall heavyweight bout between Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve and Dave “Pee Wee” Herman.
Before the main card gets underway on Fuel TV tomorrow night, the preliminary card on Facebook will be rocking with four fights, featuring several competitorss making their promotional debut, as well as some fighters looking to make a statement in their respective divisions.
Here is a look at what to expect on the card Wednesday afternoon as well as my pick in each bout:
Tim Means (16-3-1) vs Bernardo Magalhaes (11-1)
King of the Cage veteran “The Dirty Bird” Tim Means makes his debut in the Octagon this Wednesday, and fans of KotC will have all eyes on the former champion. With thirteen finishes in his last fourteen wins, Means blasted Tye Brown in just 30 seconds less than a month ago and looks to build on his impressive seven fight win streak.
Riding a five fight winning streak of his own, Magalhaes is a grinder, though with nine decisions in his eleven wins he’s not necessarily known for his finishing ability. The Australian “Trekko” is a long time Cage Fighting Championships veteran who will look to impose his will against Means.
Despite stepping in on short notice, I like Means in this fight. He has a very clear striking advantage, and if he can stay off of his back he should be able to make Magalhaes pay. If not, it’s going to be a long night for Means. That said, Means takes this in the first five minutes.
Winner – Tim Means defeats Bernardo Magalhaes via TKO Round 1
Anton Kuivanen (16-4) vs Justin Salas (9-3)
Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, Kuivanen enters the Octagon on the strength of a nine fight winning streak. With victories over Tim Radcliffe and Thiago Meller to his credit, the well-rounded Finn brings a solid striking game as well as some good ground skills into this fight.
With three KO/TKOs, three submissions, and three decisions in his nine wins, former wrestler Salas steps into the Octagon with wins over Joe Ellenberger and former UFC fighter Robert Emerson. Despite a bumpy start to his career, Salas has come into his own in the last two years and looks to capitalize on making his UFC debut on a major card.
As with many European fighters, Kuivanen’s bane of his MMA game is his takedown defense. Against a wrestler like Salas that could be his downfall. I fully expect Salas to avoid much of Anton’s striking, take him to the mat, and win a dominate, albeit boring, decision.
Winner – Justin Salas defeats Anton Kuivanen via Unanimous Decision
Buddy Roberts (11-2) vs Sean Loeffler (25-5)
Jackson’s MMA fighter Roberts is, like many of the evening’s fighters, making his UFC debut on the card. Having not fought since July 2011, Roberts looks to build on his five fight winning streak with a big victory against Loeffler. While he hasn’t really faced any high level mixed martial artists, the same can be said for his opponent despite having more experience.
With 30 professional fights to his credit, Loeffler’s been around the block and back. He most notably made an appearance at Bellator 16, losing in under three minutes to Bryan Baker. While Loeffler hasn’t fought much high level competition in his career, he has managed to rack up an impressive 25 wins featuring 24 finishing performances.
Roberts has experience against bigger fighters, has been victorious in a five round battle, and likely has a higher ceiling than the experienced Loeffler. I’m going to go with the underdog here and pick Roberts, as I just have a hard time buying Loeffler as a legitimate threat. His record is padded with less than stellar fighters, and his fights against mid-level competition have ended badly for him. I expect Jackson to appropriately prepare Roberts for a war and see him getting the nod by TKO or decision.
Winner – Buddy Roberts defeats Sean Loeffler via Unanimous Decision
Jonathan Brookins (12-4) vs Vagner Rocha (7-2)
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 12, Brookins returns to the Octagon in his second post-show appearance. Known for his heart, wrestling, and BJJ, the long-haired Brookins has a lot more potential than most people give him. Although he suffered a decision loss to Erik Koch in his last outing, he proved he could hang with one of the best in the division.
Rocha, a former Bellator fighter who is 1-1 in the UFC, comes into this fight with some confidence in his grappling ability. The ADCC competitor most recently defeated Brookins’ friend and training partner Cody McKenzie at UFC Fight Night 25. Known for his deadly submission skills, an ability leading to five of his seven wins coming by tap-out, Rocha is looking to propel himself in his featherweight debut.
Both men are not necessarily adept in the striking game with the slight edge going to Brookins. While Rocha is a better straight BJJ practitioner, Brookins is a great grapple who also has a strong wrestling game to his credit. Of course, anything can happen in MMA, especially with two great grapplers in the cage, but to me this should be a clear cut decision win for TUF champ.
Winner – Jonathan Brookins defeats Vagner Rocha via Unanimous Decision
The preliminary card is set to start airing at 6:00 PM EST on Facebook before the main card starts up two hours later. Check back tomorrow for my breakdown of the night’s featured fights.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, decision, card
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC on FUEL TV predictions, preview and (YES!) analysis
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to make its UFC on FUEL TV debut, beginning with its "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" fight card emanating from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska.
And it all goes down tomorrow night (Feb. 15, 2012) at 8 p.m. ET.
Don't forget that UFC on FUEL TV is part of the network's free preview, so there's no excuse to miss out on what should be an exciting night of fights.
The abortion at UFC 69 notwithstanding, when was the last time you saw Diego Sanchez in a boring fight?
Add his lunacy to the brain-scrambling power of Jake Ellenberger and we have what could be the fight of the night -- or at least an ending violent enough to satisfy the savages in Omaha.
Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action tomorrow night, which is slated to air at 8 p.m. ET on FUEL TV. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts on Facebook.
First, let's take a look at the main card match-ups, then we can argue about who's going to win.
170 lbs.: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger
Nostradumbass predicts: Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have a short term memory and it helps when you fight the way Diego Sanchez does. In fact, his entire walkout, followed by his celestial bench-press, gives you the feeling that this dude's crazy enough to win any fight.
Not this time.
"The Dream" was running roughshod over most of the welterweight division back when he was fighting guys like Joe Riggs, David Bielkheden and Luigi Fioravanti. All of whom, not coincidentally, are no longer employed by ZUFFA. Consecutive losses to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch sent him down to the lightweight division and a five round ass-kicking by B.J. Penn brought him back.
His return fight? A lopsided unanimous decision loss to division upstart John Hathaway.
True, Paulo Thiago was unprepared for the kind of tenacity Sanchez brings to the cage, but he was positively lit up by Martin Kampmann when they fought back in March 2011. After they sewed his face back together, he somehow convinced the judges he was the better man and moved on to bigger and better things.
My point?
When you strip away the theatrics and his tornado attack, you have a surprisingly mediocre fighter. He's got decent hands and good jiu-jitsu, but he's essentially a one-trick pony who hasn't finished a fighter in nearly four years.
He's successful because he can pressure guys and unleash hell while simultaneously absorbing whatever offense they put forth in the process. The problem is he's not going to absorb anything from Jake Ellenberger without going ass over tin cups.
"The Juggernaut" is 9-1 over his last ten fights with six violent finishes and that one defeat? A razor thin split decision loss to current Interim Champion Carlos Condit -- in a fight he took on eight days notice.
The reason I'm taking Ellenberger for the win is because he's on an upward trajectory and has shown consistent improvement as he's climbed his way up the welterweight ladder. Sanchez, while entertaining, has shown nothing but the same old dog and pony show he's always had.
In tomorrow night's main event, it won't be nearly enough.
Prediction: Ellenberger def. Sanchez via technical knockout
265 lbs.: Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman
Nostradumbass predicts: I think we all know the Stefan Struve formula by now: String together a handful of wins over lower-tier competition, then get KTFO by an established veteran. If you can beat the scrubs but can't beat the elite, that makes you a bona fide gatekeeper.
Historically, he's gotten a pass for coming up empty in the big spot because of his age, but I think as the clock ticks on, it's getting harder and harder to say, "Wait until this kid evolves!" We're going on seven years and 28 fights -- I think we have a pretty good idea of what we're gonna get.
A loss to Dave Herman would be catastrophic for his position in this division, because he was able to get back into the thick of things with his submission win over fan favorite Pat Barry. But can he pull another rabbit out of his hat if he gets in trouble against "Pee Wee?"
He may not need to.
In a comparison of skill sets, I've got to favor Herman. He's finished 20 of 21 wins and while he's not exactly been sampling the top shelf, he's far more consistent in his performances and he doesn't find himself in trouble as much as Struve does.
"Skyscraper" has a tendency to come from behind while Herman usually never lets himself get behind.
The Dutchman wins this bout, however, because Herman will run out of gas after a commanding first round. So commanding, in fact, that he'll have nothing left to give in rounds two and three and get picked apart by Struve's lanky limbs and stinging jab.
Prediction: Struve def. Herman via unanimous decision
185 lbs.: Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes
Nostradumbass predicts: Remember when Aaron Simpson was the next big thing at middleweight? He was 7-0 with six finishes until he got his cranium cracked by Chris Leben. That, followed by his unanimous decision loss to Mark Munoz and "A-Train" all but fell off the map.
Since then, he's quietly assembled a three-fight winning streak to go 3-0 in 2011. The reason nobody's jumping for joy is because they were all unanimous decisions and his opponents were all middle-of-the-pack'ers. That's not to suggest he's any less dangerous than he was in 2010, but what's missing is his killer instinct.
No more.
Markes is a terrific talent and has a great balance of finishes between knockouts and submissions, but outside of Karlos Vemola, who was making his 185-pound debut, there isn't a name on his record that makes me nervous heading into "The Big O."
Please, for your own sake, don't say Paulo Filho.
Simpson is no spring chicken but like a lot of fighters on this card, he's got some serious mat cred from his days as a college wrestler, being named All American on two separate occasions to go along with his four high school state championships.
In short, this guy knows how to wrestle.
If he can remember how to finish, this fight belongs to him. Markes will provide his toughest test since Mark Munoz, but I think Simpson powers through it and gets the judges to see things his way.
Prediction: Simpson def. Markes via unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic
Nostradumbass predicts: If you could create a fantasy MMA fighter, you would likely take a guy with great wrestling who can also knock your block off. Ladies and Germs, meet Stipe Miocic. Not only was he a NCAA Division I wrestler, he was also a Golden Gloves Champion prior to his UFC exploits.
That's bad news for Philip De Fries.
Like his opponent, the Brit is also undefeated and has made a mockery of most guys on the mat and there's no question his biggest asset is the ground game. But how do you get a collegiate wrestling standout to the ground and keep him there?
That's the problem he must solve -- and he must solve it before Miocic can take his head off with one of his brutal kicks or head-snapping hooks. I'm not sure how possible it is and it has me leaning towards an unhappy ending for De Fries.
If he does keep himself out of the red zone, cardio could play a major role in this fight.
Neither fighter is entirely familiar with the third round, each having been there just one time in previous bouts. Ultimately, I don't think it will get that far, as Miocic keeps himself upright, initiates his striking attack and ends it with punches midway through the second.
Prediction: Miocic def. De Fries via technical knockout
135 lbs.: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson
Nostradumbass predicts: Dillashaw was criticized for playing it safe on the last season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), but his gameplanning earned him a trip to the finals opposite John Dodson. Unfortunately, he failed to respect the heavy hands of the "Magician" and his six-figure contract promptly disappeared.
I know there's been a lot of boo-hooing about their fight getting stopped too early, but the way I see it, if you don't end up in a heap on the canvas, you'll never have to worry about the ref waving off your opponent prematurely.
Having said that, this is a fight designed to get him back into the bantamweight picture because Walel Watson, despite his pair of knockout wins, is more of a ground fighter and is likely training jits to prepare for Dillashaw's wrestling.
I don't think it's outrageous to suggest that a strong wrestler with suffocating top control can likely stay out of most submissions, even from the most experienced grappler. After all, there was a reason Chris Weidman was such a heavy favorite over Demian Maia at UFC on FOX 2.
To that end, we have to look at accomplishments.
Following a successful high school wrestling campaign that ended with a 170-33 record, Dillashaw was an NCAA Division I standout and at one point was ranked as high as tenth in the nation in his weight class. He also trains at Team Alpha Male with a couple of guys you may have heard of named Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez.
As for Watson?
Well, uh, he played football in junior college and started training MMA in 2008. Oh, and he was also Baja Cage Fight and Ultimate Warrior Challenge Mexico bantamweight champion.
I'm not anti-"Gazelle" because he's already proven to be a talented fighter and he has one thing Dillashaw doesn't: A win inside the Octagon. Still, there's no denying that Dilly is taking this thing south and keeping it there and I just don't see any way that Watson overcomes it.
Prediction: Dillashaw def. Watson via unanimous decision
That's a wrap, folks.
For previews and predictions on the preliminary card fights click here and here. To see all the odds and betting lines for UFC on FUEL TV click here and remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger."
What do you think? Now it's your turn ... let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tomorrow night's event.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, sanchez, he
Read the full article at MMA ManiaGary Goodridge blames K-1 fights for a career's worth of brain damage
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
There is something to be said for the risk that fighters put themselves under each time they enter a ring to fight as professionals. Many of us get caught up in a lot of the facts, statistics, the drama and the whole insular world of professional combat sports, sometimes putting aside the most important aspect of them all; combat sports are a form of entertainment. Professional fighters enter into unarmed combat with another fighter, with the purpose being defeating said opponent in combat. Period. This can lead to a lot of injuries, some worse than others, and some that can affect a fighter for the rest of their lives. If you need an example, Muhammad Ali is a prime example, if anything.
So there is no shock when former UFC, PRIDE and K-1 veteren Gary Goodridge comes out and says that he has suffered a lot of brain damage in his stint as a professional fighter. The effects of combat sports on the athletes is a topic which should be taken far more seriously and get the spotlight more often, as opposed to Dana White's latest twitter tirade or which esteemed member of the fraternity of Mixed Martial Arts media "broke" a story first. Sadly, the world that we live in tends to focus more on the immediate as opposed to the long term, and in MMA and K-1, we will finally see a generation of fighters nearing the age of retirement and how their careers have affected their bodies and minds. Goodridge recently released a tell-all book, and it turns out that he has been diagnosed with Pugilistic Dementia. He spoke with our good friend Jonathan Snowden, and he actually blames K-1 for most of the damage he received in his career.
Read More...
Posted in: fighter, combat sports, combat, damage, goodridge
Read the full article at Middle Easy11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.: Phil Baroni
Reggie Warren is back with another edition of his new MiddleEasy feature: '11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.' this time featuring your favorite Tweeter and fighter, Phil Baroni. A lot of people said that our interview with Phil Baroni was perhaps the most depressing thing to ever be published on the site. I've always considered it a rare insight into the mind of a guy that has a strong obsession with taking showers. It's important to note that Baroni's last fight in Strikeforce, he came out wearing a bathrobe and spent the entire time yelling at a Strikeforce employee who tried to instruct the fighters to stand in front of the camera. I can't count the ways in which Phil Baroni has elevated to 'cult legend' status, so instead, check out 11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.: Featuring Phil Baroni and be sure to follow Reggie Warren Jr. on Twitter.
You can also check out more interviews from Reggie Warren Jr. here. Thanks to Esther Lin for the wizard-like photography.
As you know, I’m not a big fan of northern Yankees who talk weird and act like they know everything with a cocky attitude. But I’ve always liked you and your fighting spirit. Do you have any redneck friends?Yeah I’m a fighter so a lot of my friends by default are rednecks. A lot of the pro fighters out there are rednecks and I need training partners so I have no choice to deal with and make nice with country bumpkins. I guess over the years they must have grown on me because my wife ended up being from Texas.
Everyone gives Nick Diaz credit for being one of the only fighters who goes after the body. Does this ever make you mad? If my memory serves me correctly, you were one of the first MMA fighters who really attacked the vital organs with hard punches.I go to the body like nobody else. I KO’d Kondo with a left hook to the body. I came up doing a lot of boxing and the “Brothas” are fast and hard to hit in the head so I learned to go to the body. They can’t move their body like they do their head. I always believed kill the body and the head will die.
You’ve had some amazing come from behind wins in your career…why so much heart, mane?I just want to win. Quitting has never been an option. I’ve never quit in a fight. I have never been broken. I never covered up and quit or looked for a soft spot. I’m willing to take damage. I’m not afraid to take punishment. And I always feel by not quitting—not breaking—you don’t really get beat. I’ve lost quite a few times but nobody has beaten me. Nobody has made me stick my tail between my legs. I want the guy I fought—win or lose—to think to himself, “FUCK I don’t want to ever fight that guy again.”
Who took your best punch during a fight and made you think, “Holy eggplant hero…this guy is a machine?”To be honest, nobody. I can crack and I’ve never hit somebody clean that I didn’t hurt. Nobody ever took a shot from me and walked through it
Who do you consider the hardest puncher you’ve ever fought?That’s a tough question. I’ve never fought someone where I said I better not exchange with this guy. I’ve always bet on myself and felt confident with my ability to absorb and deliver punishment. You know what? Amar Suloeve hit hard. That guy could crack. I’d have to say Amar. But you know what? Fuck that guy-cheap-shot-scumbag-Russian-motherfucker. I don’t like that guy and I’m glad I caved his head in.
Have you ever met someone who takes steroids? And if you have, where do they say is the best place to stick the needle to inject?No, I never met anybody who has taken steroids. But I know a few junkies that shoot heroin. They shoot it in any vein they can find—hand, arms, feet.
Are there any guys you never had a chance to fight in your career that you wish you could have?I wish I would have fought a couple of the champions in the UFC. There have been times when I felt as if I matched up well with some champs and wish I would’ve been able to fight them for the title. But nobody personally for any reason.
What is your proudest moment in the ring or cage?The proudest moment of my career so far was beating Minowa in the Pride Bushido Main Event. Minowa was a charismatic Japanese fighter who would fight anybody. He took on all comers—guys twice his size and tapped them out with leg locks. He beat top K1 kickboxer Stephan Leko, legendary UFC Heavyweight contender Kimo, super heavyweight pro boxer Butterbean. Minowa was a crowd favorite and a fan favorite and started taking on guys more his size to prove he was a legit contender at welterweight. So they brought me in to lose. They brought me in as the New York Muscle Hammer, a guy from America with a good body who would look like a tough legit opponent that Minowa would surely beat. I knew why they were bringing me in. They would show all my highlights of KO’ing guys and set it up as I’m the big tough UFC guy that Minowa would beat, proving he was legit. They figured I must have been washed up because I was just released by the UFC after losses. What they didn’t realize is, I lost close fights to top ranked guys in the division—Lindland and Tanner who went on to be the champion. To make a long story short, as the underdog with everything stacked against me, I fought hard for 14 minutes until I knocked him out with soccer kicks and head stomps. Against the odds, as the underdog brought in to lose against a local hero in a foreign country, I upset and knocked out Minowa. This was my proudest moment because I proved I was still a contender and a legit threat to anyone in the division. I proved I wasn’t washed up and I still could fight with the world’s best.
I saw a paintball gun trip you went on and you kind of pissed me off the way you were picking on that chubby kid who called you fat. If I were that kid’s dad, I would hunt you down and possibly shoot you (assuming that he couldn’t beat you up in a fight). Do you think that kid deserved the treatment you gave him?I was just messing with Cody to make the video funny. His dad was there. Everyone was in on the joke. He is a tough little wrestler and I owe him and his friends another paintball game. That reminds me… I’m supposed to call his wrestling coach and do a clinic for his team.
I think you would enjoy the documentary about Spencer Fisher and Josh Neer called ‘The Man in The Arena’…those guys have heart and like to fight. Have you watched it yet?I really liked and identified with that movie. I think it was well done. As a fighter, Spencer is easy for me to relate to. I have always been a fan of Spencer…I’ve met him a few times and he is a real good guy. I am fans of everyone featured in the documentary. I respect Neer a lot too. As a fighter who has been up and down myself, how can you not root for those guys and admire their toughness and work ethic?
It’s the year 2013, where do you see the New York Bad Ass?Fighting much more often and winning. I plan on being a contender again. I really want to fight again for ONE FC. I love everything about that show…it has a big show feel but an old school NHB aura. It inspires me. It’s like fighting in the Kumite. I feel like I’m in Blood Sport and fighting all these crazy fighters from around the world with their own exotic styles. I really am motivated to fight there and climb the ladder. I want to go back over there and resurrect my career like I did in PRIDE and win the Title in ONE FC. It’s my biggest goal in fighting right now. I want to kick the shit out of some cats over there.
Posted in: fight, guy, fighter, ’m, ’ve
Read the full article at Middle EasyB.J. Penn remains content with retirement
Surefire Hall of Fame fighter B.J. Penn shocked many the MMA world when he said he was retiring from the sport following a loss to Nick Diaz last year. Still, as genuine as Peen appeared, countless fans believed it would only be a matter of time before the former UFC champion had a change of heart and signed to compete once again. Now, several months removed from the announcement, “The Prodigy” seems happy with his decision.
Penn, a former lightweight and welterweight title-holder, lost three of his last five fights, defeating Matt Hughes and going to a draw with Jon Fitch in the other two. The defeat at the hands of Diaz at UFC 137 left him looking like a fighter who was nearing the end.
“I’m enjoying my time away from the sport,” said Penn, in a recent interview with ESPN. “That’s where I am right now. I’m living a regular life instead of living the roller coaster.”
Penn has been fighting since 2001, so the rigors of the sport have taken a toll both mentally and physically on the Hawaii native, as he added, “I haven’t (lived a normal life) in 15 years. I’m trying to find myself a little bit – not as a fighter trying to come back to the sport, but just as a person.”
UFC President Dana White talked recently about hoping Penn would decide to return with the UFC planning a show for Hawaii this year. That doesn’t seem to be enough at the moment to get Penn back inside the Octagon, however.
“We would just have to sit down and talk about what made sense,” Penn said. “That’s amazing they are finally deciding to go to Hawaii, but I wouldn’t want to waste Dana’s time, getting his hopes up on something he wants to put together.”
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ’t, sport, penn
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainShogun Rua And Alistair Overeem Situations Highlight Tensions Between UFC And Managers
Last week former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua tweeted that he has parted ways with his long-time manager Eduardo Alonso: "I would like to tell that I no longer work with Eduardo Alonso, we still friends, as usually."
Shogun spoke to Sherdog and elaborated a bit more on why he is parting with Alonso after five years together. The first reason Rua mentioned was his desire to have a separate coach, media team and business manager but he also made this very revealing comment:
There are some different people helping me with this part right now; I'm still thinking. The UFC has made it clear that we don't need a manager; all negotiations are conducted by the athletes themselves. A manager today is not like in the Pride days. At that time, they had much more weight. I am in favor of a manager, that's not the reason that I separated from Eduardo. I want to work with people nearby: Eduardo works in Sao Paulo and I'm in Curitiba. But, this is not the only reason. There are others, like I said.
Zach Arnold at Fight Opinion commented:
The UFC's stance about guys not needing agents is not anything new if you've followed what Dana White has said online for a while now. What is new is that you have several top Brazilian fighters all of a sudden abandoning their managers/agents after UFC picks up major steam in Brazil w/ the help of uber-rich Eike Batista. Amazing how fast attitudes are changing now that UFC has found their dream money man in a dream money market to attract major-league talent & run big shows at.
Everyone has a right to proper & good representation. Unfortunately, often times we see horrible representation for fighters and promoters can easily take advantage of said reps or dismiss the fighter(s) altogether. But let's call a spade a spade here - if Shogun and other top Brazilian fighters believe that they don't need a quality representative or agent/manager, then that's just plain stupid. It's also incredibly dangerous and eliminates any kind of leverage a fighter has in negotiations.
For an example of the way the UFC goes around fighter management, look no further than the confusion around the Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz rematch that seemed briefly imminent. The last person to know about the fight agreement was apparently Condit's manager Malki Kawa.
In a related note Alistair Overeem's former management team Golden Glory has gotten another court order to garnish his pay from UFC 141. More on that after the jump.
SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit
Via MMA Torch:
Golden Glory - through their corporate parent company Knockout Investments - obtained an order requiring Zuffa to withhold $427,714.27 of Overeem's earnings from his UFC 141 victory over Brock Lesnar. They were required to post a surety bond in that amount, which they have done, and the order was executed on January 24 and served to Zuffa....
The money will be held in escrow until a judgment is made in the currently ongoing lawsuit filed by Golden Glory against Overeem. In the cage, Overeem is expected back on May 26 in a Heavyweight Championship bout against Junior dos Santos at UFC 146.
Overeem spoke to Sherdog about the situation a while back:
"First, Alistair believes that the split between himself and Golden Glory should be kept between the parties," the statement reads. "Although he has been tempted to expose ongoing problems with Golden Glory's business, its poor relationship with some of its remaining fighters, and the deep betrayal he has experienced in recent years, he has chosen not to air the specifics of those facts.
"We can say that Alistair and his legal team are very confident in the legal positions he has taken or will take in the California and Nevada litigation. Alistair is looking forward to having a judge or jury determine the merits of his position in this litigation.
"Although overtures regarding resolution of the lawsuits have been made by Golden Glory, Alistair believes it is important to see this matter to conclusion, not just for himself, but for other Golden Glory fighters, the UFC and its fans."
Overeem split with Golden Glory in September after 11 years together following a bitter fight that saw Zuffa cut Overeem from Strikeforce and go on to sever ties with all but one Golden Glory fighter in both Strikeforce and the UFC.He filed suit against them in November.
Posted in: ufc, overeem, fighter, glory, manager
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowIs there a need for MMA managers?
MMA Junkie had a recent article on the managers’ role in representing fighters. With the recent departures of Jose Aldo and Mauricio Rua from their representation, the need for managers has come into question.
The Junkie article looks at long time manager Alex Davis as he discusses the need for a fighter to have good management. He also addresses the question of whether top notch fighters need representation anymore. This comes on the heels of Rua’s statement (which could have been taken out of context) that the UFC does not want its fighters to have managers.
Via MMA Junkie:
“Some people will say that once a fighter reaches a level where he enters the UFC, he doesn’t need management anymore, but usually a manager has worked very hard to get him to that point without ever getting properly rewarded for his efforts,” Davis said. “Only once a fighter is at the top can a manager have a chance at making something in the deal, which is only fair. Not only that, but its not like, ‘Hey, great, now I am in the UFC. My problems are over!’ Far from that. Things get way more complicated.
Davis identifies more responsibility outside of just fighting that the fighter must consider once he makes it in the UFC. There are many tasks that a manager should handle while the fighter concentrates on training.
In addition, the manager may have contacts with sponsors and promoters in helping the younger fighter achieve his goals.
Payout Perspective:
Manager and agent may be two separate jobs or one in the same. Certainly fighters can have both or one individual to handle both duties.
One need only look to Matt Mitrione, Brandon Vera and Alistair Overeem more recently as examples of what happens when you have issues with management. Mitrione publicly fired his manager, Vera lost a year due to a contractual dispute and Overeem is currently in litigation with Golden Glory.
Then there are Georges St. Pierre and Frankie Edgar who left Shari Spencer to go with closer ties to manage their career.
Still, there are many MMA management agencies that take care of their fighters in securing sponsorships and public appearances. This can go a long way in getting fighters the visibility, notoriety and opportunity to increase the value of their own personal brand.
Heavy MMA had a good two part (one and two) series last year on the role of an agent.
The Junkie article points out the reasons that a good manager is necessary in a fighters’ career. Certainly, there are many responsibilities and tasks a manager needs to do in helping fighters prepare for their next fight while making sure they maximize their opportunities.
The question is how much is a manager worth to a fighter? For top tier fighters, do they need a manager? Can the fighter have someone do the same tasks for less, without having to give up a portion of their purse or sponsorship payout. We will see if consolidation of management duties becomes a trend in MMA. There is a definite need for good representation, but at what cost?
Posted in: mma, fighter, management, need, manager
Read the full article at MMA Payout10 Worst Nicknames in UFC
UFC fighters aren’t required to take on nicknames, but the majority of competitors in the promotion take on an alias. And why not? At the very least, it boosts your pre-fight introduction, and for some warriors, it gives way to an entirely new persona...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, nickname, prefight introduction, persona
Read the full article at Low KickHistory in the Making: Diego Sanchez survives the beating of a lifetime to defeat Martin Kampmann
It may seem hard to believe but the stars of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) are some of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) most tenured fighters. After nearly seven years, the likes of Forrest Griffin, Kenny Florian and Josh Koscheck have just about shed their reality TV roots as they have become better known for defeating mixed martial arts (MMA) legends or winning championships.
Another such fighter is Diego Sanchez who like his fellow TUF 1 middleweight finalist Kenny Florian has never quite been able to grab ahold of the brass ring and make the transition from contender to champion. Both "KenFlo" and Sanchez have been to the big dance at 155 pounds but each ran into the (nearly) immovable lightweight object known as B.J. Penn.
Now more than two years removed from his UFC 107 main event, Sanchez finds himself one win away from perhaps another title shot. Possibly challenging for Carlos Condit's newly won interim welterweight title or perhaps tangling with Georges St. Pierre when the French-Canadian heals up could be in the TUF veteran's near future should he pick up the W on Wednesday (Feb. 15).
Standing in his way is Jake Ellenberger who is fresh off an impressive knockout over Jake Shields. A solid wrestler with devastating knockout power, Ellenberger is hoping to lay one of his fists directly on his opponent's chin in the main event of the inaugural UFC on Fuel TV event. But Sanchez is no stranger to heavy-handed opponents. Whereas Florian left his bout with the Hawaiian relatively unscathed -- as much as one can when having stepped inside the Octagon -- "The Dream" was permanently disfigured after hooking up with "The Prodigy," the new bearer of a scar from a chasm-like gash on his forehead.
It was a similar experience the Greg Jackson fighter had when he took on Martin Kampmann nearly a year ago. Let's take a look at that bout, complete with its controversial decision.
Immediately Sanchez begins to press forward while Kampmann, the more accomplished striker, bides his time in search for a counter. They continue to exchange until "The Dream" shoots in for a single-leg takedown which the Dane defends perfectly. As they separate, "Hitman" nails Sanchez with a beautiful knee.
"The Dream" backs up, attempting to get some space between him and his opponent. He launches a looping right hook but a lightning fast straight from Kampmann finds its mark long before the hook can connect. Sanchez drops to the mat but scrambles back up quickly as "Hitman" latches onto a front headlock. The Dane backs his opponent against the cage, delivering knee after knee to the nearly prone Sanchez.
They separate off the cage and the exchanges continue until "The Dream" dives in for another takedown. It -- like the first -- is stuffed and Sanchez also eats a knee for his trouble. By now, his face is a bloody mess thanks to Kampmann's striking. At the sound of the horn, the Greg Jackson fighter returns to his corner looking like a horror movie victim.
Between rounds, Sanchez's trainers implore him to attempt more takedowns; at least five is what they demand. Their fighter doesn't disappoint, going for two in the first minute alone. Unfortunately, neither is a success and "The Dream" is forced to decide the bout on his feet. Kampmann already seems more content to wait for another big counter, hoping to replicate his knockdown of the first round. Sanchez knows the opening stanza is lost to him and presses forward.
A third takedown is stuffed but a small cut has opened under the Dane's eye. Sanchez bullies his opponent against the cage and opens up with a flurry of punches; a few that don't connect, a few that graze Kampmann and a few that nearly drop "Hitman" to the canvas. The once previously small cut has now opened up and blood covers nearly half of Kampmann's face. The Dane is forced to circle away from the onslaught while Sanchez gives chase.
"The Dream" goes for a fourth takedown which, despite the pounding Kampmann just received, is also stuffed. Try as he might, Sanchez is unable to put his opponent on his back. The round closes with another wild slugfest that Sanchez seems to get the better of before losing his footing and slipping onto his back. Between rounds, the camera catches a shot of Kampmann's eye which appears to have a handful of small cuts surrounding it.
The third and final round opens with both fighters cautiously picking their shots. Neither fighter wants to commit a fight-ending error but both hope to win the round as it would likely decide the winner of the bout. Halfway through the final round, neither man has done enough to separate themselves from their opponent. Kampmann has landed a few nice jabs and a knee to the body while Sanchez is walking "Hitman" down and connecting with a handful of strikes but almost three minutes in the round still doesn't have a clear winner.
A takedown finally lands for "The Dream" but Kampmann is able to get vertical seconds later. They continue to exchange strikes, Sanchez in bunches while "Hitman" prefers to deliver one-off counter punches. Sanchez attacks the body while his opponent delivers a knee as we enter into the final minute.
A cut under the Greg Jackson fighter's left eye is busted wide open by a pinpoint accurate counter from Kampmann and Sanchez immediately raises his fist to cover the wound from further damage. More primal instincts prevail however as "The Dream" spends the last 60 seconds exchanging like a madman and Kampmann is more than happy to accomodate his opponent.
When the decision is read -- a 29-28 unanimous decision for Sanchez -- the reaction from the crowd is not pretty. Boos are showered until Sanchez busts out a patented Mick Foley cheap pop by saying he "loves Louisville" and cheers fill the arena when "Hitman" states he felt he won the bout.
MMA judging isn't an exact science and it was evident that night in Kentucky. But Kampmann didn't end up hurting as a result of the loss. On top of a $160,000 bonus, his next bout -- a win over Rick Story -- was on the main card of UFC 139 and he's set to headline UFC on FX 2 in Australia against Thiago Alves.
Sanchez, obviously, tops the bill on Wednesday and will be looking to pick up a third straight win. It's probably safe to say, though, he'd like to avoid getting his face mangled again while picking up the victory. That won't be all too easy considering his opponent.
Does "The Dream" continue? Or will Ellenberger be a nightmare for Sanchez?
Posted in: fighter, dream, opponent, sanchez, kampmann
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUrijah Faber discusses his upcoming gig as Ultimate Fighter coach opposite bitter rival Dominick Cruz
When it comes to rivalries in mixed martial arts (MMA) today, none are as bitter and rooted in reality as the one between current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber.
The two arch enemies have a rivalry that dates back five years to their days spent competing in the now defunct World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) organization. The two first met at WEC 26 on March 24, 2007, which saw Faber hand Cruz his first and only loss to date in the very first round via guillotine choke to retain the WEC Featherweight championship.
Soon after WEC closed up shop, "The California Kid" and "The Dominator" both made the move to the UFC and met once again. This time, they competed in the 135-pound division and it was Cruz who was the bearer of the title.
After a five round war at UFC 132 on July 2, 2011, Cruz was awarded the unanimous decision victory, tying up the score at one a piece.
Now, the top two bantamweight fighters in the world will go at it one more time in what will complete the trilogy in their bitter rivalry and will remove all doubt as to who really is the best fighter between the two.
Appearing on Pro MMA Radio, Fabedr talks about the great opportunity both he and Cruz have in being the first ever coaches in the new era on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) that will now air on FX and what it will be like to be around someone for three months that he is not very fond of:
"It's a great opportunity on a lot of different levels. I think the fans are going to be pleasantly surprised at the action that he lighter weight guys have. They get to see some good coaching skills from Dominick and I and you can know us a little bit better which is important because people want to know who they are watching and who they are cheering for, it's going to be a great opportunity. It's going to be fun, it's going to be a good experience. I don't know how much interaction we are going to have, but I will definitely be seeing the guy (Cruz) a lot more than I want to or have ever had to before, so we will see how that goes. I have never been put in that environment when you get put around someone you don't really want to be around, it's part of the reason why I became a fighter was that so I didn't have to have the nine to five's of being around people I didn't like."
Faber also touched on what it means to finally settle the score and find out who the best 135-pound fighter in the world really is, something he feels still isn't clear after their close fight in Las Vegas last year.
"Yeah, I feel a little unsettled after the last fight. I felt like it was still undecided still who the better fighter is, so I can't wait to get in there again and put all the doubt out of mmy mind and everyone elses. I think the relationship (between me and Cruz) is we're not the best of friends, but there is some mutual respect as far as competitors go. But, he gets on my nerves, and vice versa. So we deal with each other as professionals, but we don't really like each other very much. Not to say I don't respect certain aspects of his game, but, you know, it's going to be interesting being around each other for three months on the reality show."
As a member of team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif., expect Faber to call on the services of training partners such as Joseph Benavidez, Chad Mendes and Danny Castillo to assist in coaching duties from time to time on the show.
This year's season of the TUF will feature live Friday night fights on FX, a first in the shows history.
Of course, as is customary with TUF, the two coaches will battle it out at the conclusion of the show, and in this case, will put to end the long and heated rivalry between the two bantamweights.
Though no official date and location has been announced, it is widely expected that the two will return to the scene of where their rematch took place, Las Vegas, Nevada, at UFC 148 on July 7, 2012.
Any of you Maniacs anxious to see if the two rivals can go the whole season without going at each others throats? And who takes the third and, possibly, final fight between the two?
Posted in: fighter, cruz, faber, urijah faber, rivalry
Read the full article at MMA ManiaExamining the Cult of Nick Diaz
Envision a fighter with an indomitable will, a will that ascends him to lofty heights within his profession, but a will that struggles with the very authority making him wealthy.
Envision a fighter who claims landmark victories over BJ Penn and Takanori Gomi, yet currently stares down the second suspension of his career, following no less than a championship bout.
Envision a fighter who enters the arena with tenacity unsurpassed by any peer, yet exhibits perhaps the least discipline of anyone outside the confines of competitive combat. The paradox here is confounding. MMA has established its fan base via a sleekly polished reputation for controlled chaos. But the volatility of this sport draws volatile athletes and oftentimes puts their volatile personalities on display.
There are certain precarious situations in which these personalities benefit the sport. Largely decried at the time, Brock Lesnar's post-fight rant at UFC 100 has become one of MMA's defining moments, even solidifying him as the top star in the UFC's brief history. But for every Lesnar there is a Junie Browning or a "War Machine" (formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver), a fighter whose exploits outside the cage supersede those within it. These are the sort of men who let their personalities undermine their performance, and eventually derail their careers.
What becomes of Nick Diaz remains to be seen, but failing a post-fight drug test following the biggest match of his career has done nothing if not reveal the fascination toward him by the MMA fanbase. Diaz has long flaunted his use of marijuana, a substance banned by any athletic association he could possibly find in which to fight a sanctioned bout. So it would lead one to believe that his arrogance and ignorance would be the subject of universal ridicule, especially considering the significance of the bout he just lost. That's far from the case, however. These past weeks have revealed legions of fans on social media and internet message boards flocking to defend a bona fide rule-breaker.
But, perhaps, that is in fact his allure. The rules, as there are in place, make no sense to him, therefore he does not need to follow them. Damn the legality of a thing; if Nick Diaz wants to do something, he's going to do it. And a severely vocal portion of MMA fans adore that brash nature.
It's as if Diaz has unwittingly, understatedly created a miniature cult of personality. He doesn't shun the spotlight, nor does he seek it. It's just there, and it illuminates the unflinching belief the he is always right. He can't understand how the judges could award Carlos Condit a victory, if they are truly there to score a fight. He thinks it preposterous that he should be punished for missing pre-fight promotional events. He thinks Georges St. Pierre, one of the most dominant champions in modern combat sports, with a style tailor-made to defeat Diaz, is ducking him. It is this self-assuredness, verging on ludicrous, that makes him such a compelling figure. He is as blunt an instrument as there can be at the pinnacle of a sport, and he makes no apologies for being so.
Diaz will not become a Junie Browning or a "War Machine" simply because his natural talent will never render him irrelevant. But, at the same time, he may not become an undisputed champion in the vein of Lesnar, whose polarizing character only augmented the physical dominance exhibited during his stretch at the top. The only thing that can be said of all these men is that they were magnets for controversy. And for a man as talented as Nick Diaz, it will be sad if that is the only sure thing ever to be said of him.
SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit
Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, fighter, war machine, personality
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendThe Joe Rogan Experience Parody
submitted by 416fighter [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, joe, rogan, experience, parody
Read the full article at RedditXFC 16: Undercard Results And Recap
I was fortunate enough to attend XFC 16: High Stakes in Knoxville, TN Friday night. It was a solid show, even if being crammed into the small Knoxville Civic Auditorium meant that the press were relegated to floor seats in the crowd. The view wasn't great, but the fights were still entertaining and the energy in the arena was fantastic.
We had three prelims fights before the main HDNet broadcast started. First of all, we had a 180 lb catchweight fight between Shane Machette and Daniel Crockett. Crockett came in heavy at just over 183, which didn't make him popular with the crowd. But he didn't let the boos affect him. The fight went the full 3 rounds, with Crockett getting several takedowns and controlling most of the fight on the ground.
Crockett wasn't able to finish his opponent, but he was dominant for most of the fight, leading the judges to award him the decision win. That takes the Bristol, Tennessee fighter's record to 4-0.
Next up was Chris Coggins vs. Jay Meneghello. This one was over pretty quick. The fighters spent a good bit of the first round on the cage, working for takedowns. When the fight finally went to the ground with Meneghello on top, Coggins was able to lock in an armbar and get the tap at just under 3 minutes into round one.
This was the third fight in a row the Clarksville, TN fighter has won by armbar. His record is now 5-1, and I'm willing to bet we'll see him on another XFC card pretty soon.
The last unaired prelim was the pro debut for both fighters. Local favorite Scott Holtzman took on Brandon Demastes of West Virginia in a short battle that ended with Holtzman's hand raised. It took less than 2 minutes for Holtzman to get the fight to the ground, take Demastes' back, and sink an RNC.
A small side note to this fight: I had the chance to talk with Brandon Demastes' father, who was actually sitting next to me. It was an interesting insight into a different viewpoint: that of someone who knows nothing about the sport, was generally bewildered for most of the event, can't understand why anyone would want to beat someone up for a living, and yet still went out of his way to support his son who just lost his first fight in front of about 10 family members who came to watch. With that kind of family behind him, we'll see this kid in the cage again, and when we do he's going to be winning.
So overall, not a bad undercard. Three fights, two finishes, and some local fighters got to show what they can do. Good stuff.
Posted in: fight, fighter, xfc, ground, crockett
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAsian MMA: ONE FC 2 Results Recap And Post-Fight Analysis
So ONE FC just concluded their second show, and here's a quick round-up and immediate thoughts after attending the event:
Not that it surprised me that flyweights would bring the most excitement, but the Fight of the Night for me, was definitely the undercard bout between Team Lakay's Geje Eustaquio, and Alex Silva of Evolve MMA. Silva took a lot of hard shots, and was heavily bleeding throughout the fight, but the guy kept on coming. Geje fended off several very near submissions, and grinded out an exciting back and forth bout that had the Filipino fighter winning most of the striking exchanges.
The main event bout between Ole Laursen and Felipe Enomoto was very very entertaining as well. First round went back and forth with Laursen winning most of the stand up exchanges. On the second round, I'm not sure if it was just fatigue, too much show-boating, or a mixture of both... But Laursen had his hands down when that head kick dropped him, and led to being choked out.
I really enjoyed the leg kicks and strikes from the clinch that Laursen threw, but Felipe proved to have an excellent chin though, taking all those hard shots throughout the fight.
I also want to see how the video from Yasubey Enomoto's GoPRO camera turned out. If you didn't notice, Felipe's brother and cornerman (who is an M-1 Champ), was wearing a camera on his head and was recording their entire fight.
As for Bob Sapp... Well, he got his paycheck, and I don't think a lot of people are surprised.
More thoughts, and maybe a few weird rants after the jump.
CFC Champion Gustavo Falciroli, who is a 2nd degree BJJ blackbelt, did what a more decorated BJJ champ in Leandro Issa couldn't, which is to submit Soo Chul Kim. Great win, and it solidified his slot as one of the most promising bantamweights to watch.
Soo Chul Kim is extremely young, and he's a very good fighter with tons of potential, so he has more than enough time to turn things around. I think ONE FC should stop booking him against very very tough and experienced fighters though, so they can let the 20-year-old fighter develop properly.
Bae Young Kwon got a great win over Honorio Banario. Much like the finish from Falciroli against Kim, the Filipino made a small mistake, and Kwon took advantage by quickly transitioning to the back for the choke.
Rodrigo Ribeiro is a very tough and durable fighter with excellent BJJ, but from what I saw, I think that BJJ-first mentality might have played a part on his decision loss. I'm not sure if it's just me, but it seemed like he wasn't really looking to get up at the times that he had the chance, and he seemed too content on dropping for guillotines and pulling guard. That kept him on the bottom, constantly eating punches from the Sambo champ in Rustam Khabilov for majority of the fight.
Khabilov lived up to what people have been expecting of him though. I'm really interested to see how he does moving forward.
Jessie Rafols looked a bit more tentative than normal, and he looked to have lost confidence after his takedowns got stuffed. Irshaad Sayed deserves his props though for a very impressive victory. He looks big for the weight-class, and he possesses very good stand up skills much like his teammate in Vuyisile Colossa.
The Indonesian fighters on the undercard didn't seem to know much BJJ from what I saw on their bouts. At one point on that Pete Davis fight, I think I saw his opponent attempt one of those schoolyard headlocks.
Not really related to the event, but one of the weirdest things I saw on the night, was from one of the "media" members wearing a cage-side photographer's pass, constantly taking pictures of himself MySpace-style. He has his own camera pointing to himself, and showing off his pass with his other arm, and the cage on the background. Weird.
You may have heard the announcer mention that people were getting in late cause of the traffic. It's true. I thought Manila traffic was bad, but it doesn't even compare to Jakarta's.
I read that Leland Roling and BE's scouting report got mentioned on the broadcast? Interesting.
Posted in: fight, fighter, bout, bjj, laursen
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAsian MMA: ONE FC CEO Victor Cui Talks How His Past Experience Gives Him An Edge Over Other Organizations
ONE FC's 2nd event is in a few hours, and their Owner and CEO, Victor Cui took a few moments out of his busy schedule to speak to BloodyElbow.com about numerous topics.
Cui has been part of ESPN Star Sports for several years, and he was the head Martial Combat before starting ONE FC. Lots of people enjoyed the promotion's debut event last September, but he promises this one won't even compare to that.
"Every show I want it better. I guarantee this show is much better than my first one, and I guarantee my next one will also be better." says Victor Cui in an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, "The changes that are important to me, aren't just about the fight card. This is sport entertainment."
Related: Ole Laursen Talks About Headlining ONE FC 2 Against Felipe Enomoto -- ONE FC 2 Weigh-In Results and Photo Gallery - Bob Sapp and Rolles Gracie Almost Come To Blows
"Most promoters, most organizers, are so busy just running their event to make their show happen, because they haven't run a lot of events." says Cui, "I've already ran over 13 MMA events, I've booked over 300 fighters, so I'm on a phone call to every single fighter on the region already. My team and all of us have run some of the best in sporting events, and running a world class event in MMA is easy to me, because I've been doing that for the past decade in Asia."
He credits a lot of his success with his past experience, and he says that's one of the advantages he has over the other organizations in Asia.
"I have the best partners, the best suppliers, the best sponsors, the best government contacts. All of those things that some of these guys have to figure out, I've already have in place," Cui continues, "I started the biggest 9-ball billiards event in Indonesia. I did the same thing with Formula Drift. It's very similar to ONE FC, Asia's best, going around from city to city, with a quality television broadcast."
"Running the events are easy for me, so it allows me to focus on making the fan experience really good. It's like a rock star atmosphere. That's why we have celebrities, VIP's, and socialites all want to come because it's like the night to go to, and they don't want to miss it."
After the jump, Victor Cui details his thoughts on building a fight card.
Follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena
"Everything's unique. We try to get a different appeal both to the MMA community but also making it locally relevant." says Victor as he explains how he builds his cards, "ONE FC, my philosophy about it, is always about being the best. Bringing the best entertainment, the best possible fighters that I can, but also making it locally relevant. Which is why we have Indonesian stars on it. I want to give our markets a chance to develop, and a chance to shine in the big stage. It makes hometown heroes, and it supports fan interest too.""I have to balance the top fighters, from the region or some international fighters that we're looking at." as Cui talks about the challenges of being a fight promoter, "I'm just lucky that I have so many fighters and agents that want to be on the ONE FC card, because they get to be on ESPN. I mean, who doesn't?"
Cui says that 10-year partnership with ESPN Star Sports have actually helped make his job much easier, as he shared an interesting anecdote about it."I don't even have to ask some fighters. There are even fighters that email me, that want to fight for free," he exclaimed, "They're like 'Victor, please. Don't pay me. You don't even have to pay me. I have a sponsor that can will cover my flight, I'll come out there. I will fight for you and you don't even have to pay me my prize purse'. And these are top fighters from the US, from Russia, from around Asia."
"They're just ready to come on board, so it's just difficult to try and juggle all that."
Posted in: fighter, event, victor, fc, cui
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow2012 World MMA Flyweight Scouting Report: #3 - Sergio Pettis
Photo: US Combat Sports
Name:
Sergio Pettis
Nickname:
--
Age:
18
Height:
5'6"
Location:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
One of the trends we've noticed between this year's report and last year's report is the rise of siblings in the ranks of MMA's talent pool. The Lima brothers are the perfect example, but in a more broader sense -- siblings aren't that uncommon in the upper reaches of the sport. Why is that?
Most fans would conclude that both men were cut from the same fabric, each possessing whatever it is that makes them great fighters. Others would say that the older fighter inspired the younger fighter, training alongside one another and helping each other achieve great heights. I fall into the latter argument, and look no further than former WEC champion Anthony Pettis' younger brother, Sergio Pettis (3-0), for proof.
The 18-year-old has maintained an unblemished three-fight professional record, stopping all of his opposition inside two rounds. He also put up a 4-0 record in the amateur ranks, finishing three out of four opponents when he was still in high school. Those impressive feats come as no surprise to most fans. After all, he's had excellent teachers in Duke Roufus and his brother Anthony.
There is, however, an argument that what Sergio has done is even more impressive. He's fought in the shadow of his brother as a fighter who people associate with high-flying striking. Not surprisingly, Sergio is exactly that type of fighter, utilizing explosive kicks, calculated striking attacks, and speedy footwork. But it's clear from the start of every fight that his opponents have shrunk their gameplan down to one word: takedowns.
Sergio accommodates the wrestling community well, putting a roof over their heads, normally in the form of his interlocked legs. Unlike his brother during his early days, Sergio is a more developed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter, working from an open guard and actively working for submissions.
Sergio has fought his entire career within the confines of the 135 lb. weight class, but he'll take on Christopher Haney at NAFC Colosseum on May 4th at flyweight. While he's still very young, he possesses all the tools in his arsenal to beat strong competition, and we're confident that Pettis will find himself in the UFC in 2012.
Since the birth of the UFC's flyweight division creates a question of who we should consider as prospects, we've tweaked the criteria specifically for this weight class. Most notably, we drew a line, excluding the following well-known, established flyweights: Jussier ‘Formiga' da Silva, Ulysses Gomez, Ian McCall, Yasuhiro Urushitani, BJ Kojima, Rambaa Somdet, Mamoru Yamaguchi, Dustin Ortiz, Darrell Montague, Danny Martinez, and any flyweights outside of our original criteria.
Footage of Sergio Pettis after the fold...
FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight
#1 - #2 - #3 - Sergio Pettis#4 - Rafael de Freitas#5 - Alexandre Pantoja#6 - Hector Sandoval#7 - Jesse Riggleman#8 - Sean Santella#9 - Claudir Dutkevis#10 - Kevin Belingon
#1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz
#1 - Hacran Dias#2 - Joey Gambino#3 - Brandon Bender#4 - Lance Palmer #5 - Jim Alers#6 - Anthony Gutierrez#7 - Max Holloway#8 - John Teixeira#9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins
#1 - Fabricio Guerreiro#2 - Alessandro Ferreira#3 - Adriano Martins#4 - Justin Salas#5 - Neilson Gomes#6 - Eduard Folayang#7 - Zorobabel Moreira#8 - Anton Kuivanen#9 - Jordan Rinaldi#10 - J.P. Vainikainen
WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight
#1 - Andrey Koreshkov#2 - Dhiego Lima#3 - Brandon Thatch#4 - Nordine Taleb#5 - Hernani Perpetuo#6 - Brock Jardine#7 - Alan Jouban#8 - Mohsen Bahari#9 - Andre Santos#10 - Stephen Thompson
#1 - Antonio Braga Neto#2 - Marcelo Guimaraes#3 - Claudio Silva #4 - Bojan Velickovic#5 - Ildemar Alcantara#6 - Michal Materla#7 - Elvis Mutapcic#8 - Tor Troeng#9 - Jack Hermansson#10 - Tim Ruberg
#1 - Wagner Prado#2 - Phelipe Lins#3 - Tom DeBlass#4 - Misha Cirkunov#5 - Kyle Cerminara#6 - Robert Drysdale#7 - Artur Alibulatov#8 - Thiago Perpetuo#9 - Steve Bosse #10 - Juha Saarinen
#1 - Magomed Malikov#2 - Magomed Abdurahimov#3 - Alexei Kudin#4 - Levan Razmadze#5 - Chris Birchler#6 - Ruslan Magomedov#7 - Adam Parkes#8 - Richardson Moreira #9 - Jan Jorgensen 10 - David Oliva
Sergio Pettis vs. Mike Lindquist
Sergio Pettis vs. Kyle Vivian
Posted in: fighter, petti, brother, flyweight, sergio
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBrydon on MMA: K-O Canada
Notes & quotes from fighters from The Great White North. In this edition, Goodall, Ford & Buckland.
Posted in: fighter, ko, brydon, canada, quote
Read the full article at sportsnet.caProducers sue fighters of reality show for revealing results
IP 360, a legal daily focusing on issues in intellectual property reports on a trade secret lawsuit filed in Illinois involving an MMA reality show focusing on women. The producers claims that several fighters on Ultimate Women’s Challenge revealed results of the yet-to-be aired show.
Essentially, Sean Morrison Entertainment, LLC (SEM) is suing a Wisconsin law firm and several of the women fighters that were contestants on the show for allegedly revealing results. The fighters claim that they were not paid for their participation on the show. In filing a claim for nonpayment, they revealed results of the show.
Ultimate Women’s Challenge finished production in September 2010 but has yet to air. Originally, it was scheduled for NBC although there are no signs it will be on NBC or its new sports network.
The fighters claim that the trade secret lawsuit filed by SEM has no merit since the fighters are not a business seeking to compete with SEM. Also, the fighters and law firm are requesting sanctions for what they perceive as a harassment lawsuit which only is meant to drive up litigation costs.
SEM claims that the wage lawsuit filed by the fighters should have been filed under seal so the public would not be able to access the facts of the lawsuit. Also, SEM claims, regardless of the lawsuit, attorneys and fighters leaked results of the show.
The fighters also argued that jurisdiction (the court which the lawsuit should be filed) in Illinois was not appropriate. And to reaffirm the fact that lawyers can be prickly, here’s a portion of the fighters’ response to the jurisdiction issue in SEM’s lawsuit:
Either plaintiffs’ counsel lacks the knowledge of a first-year law student or, more likely, its Illinois attorney chose to ignore the law and decided to file in Illinois anyway, because as an Illinois-based LLC, this jurisdiction would be most convenient for plaintiff and its attorney, (h/t IP 360)
A copy of the lawsuit and the participation agreement signed by the fighters are here at the Brooklyn Law School Trade Secret Institute page.
Payout Perspective:
It’s been awhile since we last reported on this show, July 2010 to be exact. It’s obviously been shelved indefinitely and will unlikely see television for a variety of reasons, the lawsuit being one of them. From SEM’s perspective, revealing results is the worst thing that could happen to a reality show premised on a tournament where the outcome is uncertain. From the fighters’ perspective, if they were not paid, and SEM denied payment, it seems like a claim for wages was the only other way to seek payment. The participation agreement (at paragraph 5) indicates that the fighters will be paid $1,000 plus $100 for each day on the show. Based on this, one can deduce from a fighter’s complaint for wage how long an individual lasted on the show. The participation agreement is an interesting read in the rights of the contestants and is a glimpse into the world of reality television contracts.
MMA Payout will keep track of this litigation as it progresses.
Posted in: show, fighter, claim, lawsuit, sem
Read the full article at MMA Payout"The UFC has made it clear that we don’t need a manager"
There's been a quiet battle going on behind the scenes between the UFC and fighter management. The UFC wants to hold onto the power to make whatever fights they want and not have to pay out the nose for them. Managers are more about watching out for their fighter's long term careers and trying to milk a promotion for every penny they can. So it should be no surprise that there's a decent amount of butting heads going on. Or rather the UFC headbutting the sh*t out of managers.You won't read much about this story because the last reporter who covered it got called a c*nt by Dana White in a video blog and was excommunicated from the UFC media circle. Since then, White has been pretty vocal about how most MMA management sucks and actively encourages fighters to minimize the role agents play in their lives. You may remember Alistair Overeem severing ties with Golden Glory after a conversation with Lorenzo Fertitta. You may not remember several of the other times stuff like that has gone on. And now here's Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua explaining why he left his long time manager:
"There are some different people helping me with this part right now; I’m still thinking. The UFC has made it clear that we don’t need a manager; all negotiations are conducted by the athletes themselves. A manager today is not like in the Pride days. At that time, they had much more weight. I am in favor of a manager, that’s not the reason that I separated from Eduardo. I want to work with people nearby: Eduardo works in Sao Paulo and I’m in Curitiba. But, this is not the only reason. There are others, like I said."
This is one of those times where I am both impressed and terrified at the UFC's ability to get their way. Not only are they succeeding at curtailing the power of agents, but they've got their own fighters leading the charge. I'm all for some checks and balances to keep fighters from ducking opponents or demanding insane-o money for fights, but this is just another situation where the UFC has so much power you end up having to just hope they won't be evil with it. Considering their track record, that's not always the safest bet.
Posted in: ufc, time, fighter, i ’m, manager
Read the full article at FightlinkerRound Table: Staff Suggestions For Improving Scoring And Judging In MMA
We've seen MMA evolve at a rapid rate since its inception yet we're still bound by the unified scoring criteria that was written over a decade ago. Judging controversy is an ever-lurking beast. Dana White proclaimed that reffing and judging is "one of the big problems" in MMA and requires attention in his Presidential Address following UFC 143. The NSAC will boldly host an open forum to entertain suggestions from the public on improving their rules and regulations.
My suggestion is to eliminate control, aggression and defense while updating the definitions for effective striking and grappling. The question is two-fold: how should the descriptions for grappling and striking be revised and improved? What are your personal suggestions to improve the existing the scoring criteria?
(Warning: this is a lengthy, detailed and in-depth discussion. Prepare yourself accordingly.)
Kid Nate: A criteria for "fighting to finish" should be added. I've got nothing against smart game plans but I loathe point fighting. I have nothing against a slow, methodical strategy if the goal is to dominate and win but I can't stand the hit and run, run up the score style of fighting that Jackson seems to be encouraging his fighters to adopt. Even lay and pray is much preferable to point fighting because it shows a clear dominance of one fighter by another.
I also hate the 10 point must and think it was never a good fit for 3 round MMA fights. There has to be a way for the judges to express who they thought won the fight as a whole and weigh that in.
Tim Burke: My personal suggestion is to NOT adopt the half-point scoring criteria. It doesn't change anything to me at all.
Brent Brookhouse: Nate and I have never been close to the same page when it comes to this stuff. As soon as you start determining that things like "point fighting" should be punished, you're moving back away from this being a sport, and I really hate that idea. It takes a lot of skill to execute a gameplan like, say, Carlos Condit utilized against Nick Diaz. It takes being aware of spacing, cage positioning, timing, etc. I fall into the camp where people tend to go with lay and pray...if you can't stop it, that's your own fault. Diaz chased Condit, he didn't cut him off and that's a fault of MMA having a real problem with fighters understanding footwork and movement in terms of owning the cage.
I'm a big fan of the 10-point must as, again, I think it provides us with a better sense of "sport." If a fighter has a lead after two rounds, he shouldn't lose that lead in the third without a major effort from the other fighter to earn a 10-8 round and a draw. What needs to happen is what I've said for years. Judges need to be held accountable. There should be more oversight that sees each fight reviewed and any judges who turn in questionable scores be brought in and questioned about the logic and reasoning behind their decisions. If a judge has multiple fights where his scores are not able to be logically defended within a revised and more clearly defined judging criteria, he should be suspended. That oversight, combined with an increased search for competent judges and a better training program should create a more stable judging pool within a year.
Leland Roling: Brent's logic has been my own logic for years. The biggest problem with oversight, however, has been the ineptitude of those reviewing scorecards and asking the questions to judges. Nevada is the perfect example. Kizer is the sole reviewer, and we've seen on multiple occasions that he has agreed with a completely ridiculous outcome, thus eliminating the judge in question from any punishment. Only time will eliminate that problem as the system is heavily political. There's a reason why commissioners sitting on the board have ties to things that have nothing to do with combat sports.
10-point-must works, and you can look no further than Jimmo vs. Sokoudjou as a prime example of the half-point system failing in epic fashion. Interpretations of the scoring criteria are the major fault here. And the reality is that the only fix in the foreseeable future is people moving into those judging roles having lengthy experience watching MMA fights and understanding what matters when it comes to winning a round of action.
How do you go about improving the scoring criteria? There isn't any way you can create a criteria that is objective, so the goal, I assume, is to try to minimize the wiggle room for differing interpretation. That's the root of the criteria discussion, and it's impossible to solve without judges who understand what's going on.
Leland's comments continue after the break.
Possible Changes
Striking: The word effective can be interpreted in a million different ways, so many ways that judges, for the most part, interpret it today as who landed more strikes. Bzzz... wrong. This isn't a change so much as it is a guideline. Effective needs to be defined and emphasized in the rules, i.e. Effective doesn't mean more landing strikes.
Furthermore, there is an emphasis currently on efficient and effective. How exactly is one supposed to weigh one over the other? If I light up my opponent with 20 jabs for four minutes, then he lands an overhand that downs me for a second, who wins the clash between 20 clean strikes versus one massive land and some glancing shots? Again, it's subjective, and judges vary greatly in how they handle these situations.
According to the 2008 NSAC Scoring Criteria, landing heavier blows with efficiency should get more credit. If the striking power between the fighters was equal, total number landed is used. Total number of strikes landed should be a sufficient quantity favoring a fighter to earn a winning round.
See all the problems here? What exactly constitutes efficiency? Over 50%? How does one know if the striking power was equal? What if one fighter reacts differently than another to strikes? Clay Guida's hair flies in the air after each land, guess he's screwed, huh?
Grappling: Cleaner takedowns get more points according to the criteria. Who cares. If you can get a fighter down and actively more to a dominant position or land, it should score on both clean strikes and effective grappling. This wouldn't pertain to slams though, since they can do both in one instant. I think they hold a little more weight if the aggressor can remain effective.
Judges still don't recognize fighters on their back effectively throwing elbows or working for submissions, and I think a huge culprit to favored scoring of the top controlling fighters is the definition of clean, effective strikes on the ground. Sorry, but short punches while chest-to-chest with an opponent holding down your posture are worthless and shouldn't be scored heavily unless those strikes were 90% of the offense in the fight.
Guard to mount is specifically stated in the scoring criteria as effective grappling. This is outdated. There are plenty of cases and reasons to suggest that side control has more benefits. But the criteria shouldn't favor or name any transition specifically.
"A clean reversal is equal to a clean takedown" - I'm willing to bet a handful of judges understand this concept.
Aggression, Octagon Control, Defense: Who gives a shit. Octagon Control? What exactly is Octagon Control? The fighter who dictates the pace, place, and position of the fight, i.e. a striker who defends takedown attempts and effectively strikes is considered Octagon Control. Conversely, a grappler who can get takedowns to ground fight and create submissions, dominant transitions, or clean striking opportunities. In other words, who is more effective? Again, there isn't any suggestion of which is more weighted, but I wouldn't expect there to be. If there was, the more weighted would likely be the more emphasized by training camps. I'm sure Dana White would love for it to say striking > grappling.
Aggression is interesting because it comes into play often when fights are at a stalemate. I think there is some credence to its inclusion in the criteria in cases in which a fighter is clearly attempting to counter and having little success. But I don't think it should be weighed as heavily as it is today.
Defense is worthless. If you can't defend, the other fighter is scoring, amassing points on their side of the scorecard.
Those are just thoughts off the top of my head. Overall, most of this can't be fixed because you can't truly define effective and efficient in a tangible way. Efficiency could be calculated on the fly and shown to judges, but we all know how bad Compustrike is. Effectiveness is completely subjective.
Brent Brookhouse: To expand on Leland's thoughts, I really think a takedown should not count unless you are able to A) land a few meaningful strikes OR B) advance position OR C) control the opponent for a sustained amount of time. Taking someone down for 10 seconds, having them get to their hip, create space and immediately get back to their feet is not effective and should not be scored as such.
TP Grant: Oh boy, where to start with this ... Let me first say that I don't think 10-must system is broken or a bad fit for MMA. I think most of our problems are with judges and not the system. That said I think certain parts of judging criteria need to be amended.
I fall in with Brent as I'm not in favor of adding "damage" or "intent to finish the fight" as criteria. Mainly because how the hell can you score that? Is damage the face test? Whoever looks more jacked up at the end of the round is the most damaged isn't a real way to score a fight. There are fighters like BJ Penn that just do not show damage and paper skinned that get cut easily. And 'intent to finish' is even more difficult. With the exception of a very few, I don't think there are many MMA fighters that go into a match not trying to score a KO or Submission victory. Sometimes it works out, other times it doesn't. I think all this addition would do is encourage more wild haymaker fights.
I think Octagon Control needs to be redefined at the fighter who is dictating the fight. Right now it seems far to many judges simply see the man in the center of the Octagon or the one moving forward as 'being in control', rather it should be which fighter is putting himself in the best position to inflict effective offense. Doesn't matter if the fighter is moving backwards, forwards, side-to-side or shooting for takedowns, if he is setting up effective offense he is in control of the fight.
In terms of grappling I think non-dominate positions (i.e. guard, half guard) should be defined as neutral or near-neutral positions. You are given a round simply for being on top in one of these positions, you must either effectively pass guard or land offense from that position. In short, you must out work the fighter on the bottom. If your attempts to pass guard are stuffed and your not striking because the bottom man is constantly threatening with sweeps or submissions the round should belong to the bottom fighter.
Dallas Winston: Brent, your last point reinforces my suggestion to do away with the lesser criteria. What you're saying is that all indirect accomplishments (takedowns, control, aggression, etc.) need to be "effective" in order to score. The word "effective," however, can be defined as something that leads to effective striking or grappling.
This idea is received poorly, but I think takedowns should be eliminated from the effective grappling category. Does anyone care about a takedown resulting in no offense or one that is immediately countered? Right now a takedown that leads to absolutely nothing scores for grappling, control and aggression, which gives it an enormous value. A takedown merely shifts the phase of combat from free-movement (standing) to grappling. The effective striking and grappling that ensues is what should be scored -- not the act of forcing the grappling phase in itself.
Tim Burke: This is gonna be the longest roundtable ever.
TP Grant: Dallas, the takedown should be scored, but it is wildly over-valued right now. It is effective grappling but one takedown shouldn't out-weigh 4 minutes of losing.
Dallas Winston: Why should a takedown be scored alone? If no offense ensues or the defender gets back to his feet, then the takedown lends absolutely no advantage. Landing effective strikes, advancing position or threatening with submissions signify that the takedown was effective, so why not just score what is unquestionably effective? And Tom, part of my emphasis to redefine effective grappling will deem the guard as neutral, half-guard showing a very minor intent to pass, and side-control, mount and back-mount assessed as dominant positions.
TP Grant: You have my 100% support for that. As for a takedown, I just feel it should be rolled into grappling and control, so I think we agree?
Dallas Winston: No, because I want to eliminate everything but striking and grappling, including control. A takedown epitomizes control because it forces an opponent to a different phase of combat. Having control over where the action takes place doesn't win the fight -- it merely implies an advantage -- whereas effective striking and grappling wins fights and proves superiority.
Leland Roling: So, how would you define a fighter who is actively evading his opponent while landing minimally? I understand your point, and I would get rid of control. But aggression has a place in a very narrow instance, although I'd change Aggression to Common Sense. If Fighter A is running down a guy who is visibly avoiding the confrontation while barely landing more blows, Common Sense would suggest Fighter A wins even if Fighter B landed a few more clean strikes that, from all accounts, weren't effective in stopping his forward progress.
Dallas Winston: Right now, we are becoming careful to note the "effective" aspect of aggression. A fighter that moves forward and connects is being effectively aggressive, but he is not when his opponent counter-strikes more effectively. That means whoever is being the most effective striker, regardless of direction, is winning, so my point is to cut to the chase by only scoring the effective striking. The debates that ensued from Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann are a prime example.
Currently, I think a problem is that the lower criteria are fleshed out as separate aspects and then reapplied to the total sum of effective striking/grappling. This makes them an ever-present animal with a strong voice instead of having a more subtle influence to arrive at the total sum as they're intended. In other words, control and aggression don't win fights and are just clouding the issue now. Effective striking and grappling wins fights and proves superiority without a doubt, so I say we dissolve control and aggression and just expand effective striking and grappling.
Leland Roling: I actually don't think your final point is reality. I think judges turn to lower criteria when they truly believe there wasn't a clear winner in effectiveness, and again... that's a subjective conclusion. I don't think it's seen as separate and can somehow overcome the overall result of the round. When it has done that, those judges are simply idiots who are obviously interpreting the criteria wrong and not in a common sense manner. I think, overall, that's an exception rather than something that happens very often.
KJ Gould: The more complicated you make scoring, the more it will trip up judges trying to utilize it - the more things that can go wrong invariably will go wrong.
Scoring needs to be simplified, and if we're stuck with the 10 point must system examples need to be given of what justifies 10-10, 10-9, 10-8 and even 10-7 rounds. For example, rounds that are close are 10-10's, rounds that were mostly dictated by one fighter over the other is a 10-9. The notion of Control and Aggression to decide a round that could conceivably be a 10-10 draw needs to go. Out of people who like draws the least, it's likely the fighters and there'll be less belief or bad information from a corner telling their guy won a close round.
10-8's have a few different scenarios for consideration. 1) they can be considered if a round is one sided with virtually no form of offense by the fighter on the receiving end i.e. they're just a punching bag, 2) a round that features a fighter close to finishing the other after a knockdown should be 10-8 if no offensive come back is made, only survival, 3) A fighter on his way to a 10-9 round if the opponent is clearly locked in a submission or clearly knocked down and saved by the bell.
10-7's follow similar criteria to 10-8, only the instances occur more than once in that one round with the opponent somehow able to survive and avoid the finish.
Use of these scored rounds ought to be encouraged. By far it seems easier to score a 10-8 in Boxing than it is in MMA, and that's something that has to be addressed.
Effective Striking and Grappling has everything to do with the purpose of finishing a fight - and not stalling or neutralizing a fight - and as mentioned 20 jabs should not trump a single shot that floors an opponent and has them in clear cut danger.
Referees might need to consider stalling to count as timidity, which is already deemed a foul in most MMA state rule sets. 1st instance warning, 2nd instance point deduction.
As for fouls that involve groinshots, back of the head shots and eye pokes, fighters should know by now to not have their hands open when measuring distance, and that inside legkicks and shots to the head have to be done methodically to avoid them rising up or hitting the wrong area. Fighters are warned about these fouls before the fight backstage when their minds are clear and their adrenaline is normal. 1st instance warning, 2nd instance 2 point deduction.
In any foul or potential foul case, the referee has to be as loud and vocal as possible. Fighters going berserk and hitting as many times as possible without taking care of where they're aiming should not be tolerated.
Referees also need to continually keep themselves informed of the latest offensive strategies in an MMA fight so as not to stand up or break apart fighters too early when they are in fact working. Fighters should never be separated when one fighter either has double underhooks or a double collar tie (Thai Plum) against the fence, and a fight should never be stood up if a fighter as Top side control, mount or back control.
Leland, if there isn't a clear winner in effective grappling or striking, then the round is a draw. The less decisions judges need to make, the better - particularly with some of the geriatrics with zero relevant past experience who are constantly being brought back to judge.
Scorecards absolutely need to be presented at the end of each round and on the display. It greatly benefits the fighters causing at least one to push the action and look for a finish if there's a fear the opponent will coast the last round. The opponent also can't coast if it appears he's being timid and avoiding the fight to run the clock down, as that could cost him a point.
Brent Brookhouse: The idea of "close rounds" being 10-10 bothers me SO deeply. Judges SHOULD be making the call in almost every case that someone won a round. 10-10 rounds should remain rare. Judging isn't easy, clearly defined criteria should allow for judges to award close rounds to a deserving winner.
KJ Gould: Judges are incapable and incompetent, and are a necessary evil to legitimize a fight as a sporting activity.
Leland Roling:
Leland, if there isn't a clear winner in effective grappling or striking, then the round is a draw. The less decisions judges need to make, the better - particularly with some of the geriatrics with zero relevant past experience who are constantly being brought back to judge.
I disagree. If a fighter is actively seeking out a finish and simply can't run down a guy who is clearly evading action, that fighter should be rewarded the round if there wasn't a definitively amount of effective grappling or striking. This is obviously an extreme case, and it is common sense in my opinion. Why would you award a fighter who is trying to avoid a fight with a draw round? Be aware, I'm not talking about Condit-Diaz.
If both fighters are engaging and it's close, a draw round is sufficient.
Judging isn't easy, clearly defined criteria should allow for judges to award close rounds to a deserving winner.
Yeah right. Criteria would still be open to interpretation, and we haven't even touched on the physical limitations of sitting on one side of the cage and being unable to see the other side. Even with small monitors, it's clear some judges don't have the capacity to keep up with the pace of quicker, lighter weight bouts or focus on the strikes landing.
Brent Brookhouse: Close is not even. That's my problem. MMA fans are always so terrified of having to score close rounds for one fighter or the other. Saying that you're scared they'll get close rounds wong because judges suck isn't fixing judging criteria. It's the exact opposite. If it's a problem with the judges involved, the fix is weeding them out, not making the sport worse because of them.
KJ Gould: Since commissioners like Keith Kizer do a sweet pile of nothing to weed out notoriously bad judges - and instead keep bringing them back - the less decision making these judges have to do the better.
We have weight classes, rounds, time limits, referees and doctors that make it enough of a sport and less of a fight as it is. If the threat of draws forces at least one fighter to actually #gasp# make it a fight, the sport benefits as a whole. If a fighter can lose a round from disengaging the fight and timidity, it's less likely to happen.
To truly take it out of the hands of the judges, fighters have to be put in a position where coasting is not an option.
Brent Brookhouse: But the discussion here isn't about mitigating the moronic nonsense that plagues the sport...it's about fixing it. Yeah, Kizer doesn't do enough right now, so my solution is to get more involved, get better judges, hold them accountable for their decisions. Not run from making difficult decisions. Fixing judging means making it as good as it can be, not trying to make it matter less. Decisions are always going to be important and accepting draws when we should be able to determine winners is flat out unhealthy.
TP Grant: While I feel 10-10 rounds should be used rarely, I feel 10-8 rounds need to be more common and even 10-7 rounds used occasionally. Right now in Judging in MMA there is no distinction between victorious rounds, and that is absurd. Through the eyes of the scoring system the final round of Diaz vs Penn and the final round of Gerald Harris vs Falcao were won by the same margin. That needs to change.
Josh Nason: To me, a 10-7 round means you've been finished.
Ben Thapa: To me, a 10-7 round means there is no finish. If there's a finish, then the round is over and not scored. Are you being facetious here?
TP Grant: So the first round of Edgar/Maynard II or one of the rounds were GSP almost tapped Dan Hardy doesn't deserve special scoring above and beyond a simple 10-8?
KJ Gould: More 10-10 rounds should be used, because as others have stated there's too much variance in 10-9 rounds as it is. Round 5 for Diaz against Condit was a clear 10-9, and to me 3 & 4 were clear 10-9's for Condit, yet the first two rounds were scored 10-9's and weren't anywhere near as definite or clear and some will disagree on who should have got it 10-9. Since there was nothing in rounds 3-5 to warrant a 10-8, logically Rounds 1&2 ought to be scored 10-10's, still giving Condit the fight which I think is the right call to make.
Edgar vs Maynard II, Round 1, could arguably be a 10-7. I really couldn't remember GSP vs Hardy, but if he didn't get a few 10-8's he certainly should have. GSP didn't put a beating on Hardy though in addition to his submission attempts, so I'd find it hard to score anything he did as a 10-7.
Dallas Winston: 10-7's should be ultra-rare but can still fit one dimension beyond 10-8 as described. A 10-7 to me is a round where it's viable for the referee to stop the fight.
Brent -- my problem with selecting finite details to avoid 10-10 rounds is that it distorts the value when a fighter wins a clear 10-9. I don't get the hesitancy with 10-10 rounds. Sometimes, especially between two high-level fighters, five minutes of combat doesn't elicit a clear winner, and our interpretation of round scoring will never change that.
David Castillo: There's nothing I can add to this discussion that hasn't already been covered by everyone else, and in far more eloquent ways, but to me the biggest threat in trying to "emphasize damage" and discouraging point fighting, to respond to Nate's point is how it such a mentality encourages 'laziness'. What I mean by that is I want to see fighters evolve to adapt to point fighting, and lay and pray.
Trying to change behavior in the cage needs to be organic. It needs to come from the fighters themselves. Donald Cerrone is, or at least, was a great example of a talented fighter with a deficiency that he worked hard to improve on. He became a much more dangerous fighter as a result of being able to defend the takedown. I don't want to see refs like Dan Miragliotta stand up fighters after 30 seconds on the ground or in the clinch just because impatient viewers become vocal. And this goes back to the central point, which is accountability on the part of the judges and refs.
A quick point on the issue of the 10 point must system: it's fine, but I think this only looks like a problem because 3 rounds is simply not enough. In a perfect world, 5 rounds would be mandatory for every professional fight. Yes, five rounds of Einemo/Russow would kill the sport, but that's why you don't put crap like that on a main card. Leave it to the professionals, like Bendo, Edgar, Diaz, Shogun, etc.
KJ Gould: I seem to remember a few years ago Dana White wanting all fights 5 rounds, and title fights to be 7. MMA title fights would be 35 minutes to Boxing's 36.
TP Grant: I'm starting to think that wouldn't be a terrible idea. Fewer fights per card, longer fights and thus the UFC isn't spread so thin with the sheer number of cards and hell I think MMA fighters are at the point were most fights need more than 3 rounds to be settled.
David Castillo: I just think we've been robbed of too much awesome: Guida/Henderson, Griffin/Edgar, Condit/Ellenberger, a crapload of flyweight fights in the future, etc.
KJ Gould: 3 rounds for prelims, 5 rounds for main card fights, 7 rounds for title fights. I'd be OK with that, and it might force the UFC not to put crap on a main card while burying genuine talent on the undercard.
Fraser Coffeen: I am late to the party, so will just add this: I continue to pound my drum in favor of open scoring. It's a K-1 concept, and it's great - at the end of every round, you show the audience and the fighters to official judges' scores so far. Part of the big problem here is that we are asking fighters to guess how judges are interpreting the rules and how they are weighing the action. Why? Why should fighters and corners have to make these assumptions? Why not just tell them during the fight when they have the ability to do something about it?
I see it as something like this - imagine an NBA game where you shoot with your foot right up against the 3 point line. Instead of immediately seeing if it was 3 or 2, the score is kept a secret and you just have to guess. That makes no sense, yes? So why does it make any more sense to keep the scores secret in an MMA fight? Open scoring helps fighters know what judges are looking for in this particular fight, and that is key. I can't see any reason not to do it.
Dallas Winston: I missed this comment from Leland earlier:
"I disagree. If a fighter is actively seeking out a finish and simply can't run down a guy who is clearly evading action, that fighter should be rewarded the round if there wasn't a definitively amount of effective grappling or striking. This is obviously an extreme case, and it is common sense in my opinion. Why would you award a fighter who is trying to avoid a fight with a draw round? Be aware, I'm not talking about Condit-Diaz.
If both fighters are engaging and it's close, a draw round is sufficient."
This is an excellent point and an aspect I didn't address. Aggression, control and defense will always bear some significance, but the present hierarchy and the way it's interpreted give them too much clout. Using aggression as an example, I'd prefer to include more subtle verbiage under effective striking such as "initiating engagements with more offensive success" rather than the blunt "moving forward and landing a strike or takedown." Moving forward is far from the sole qualifier for effective aggression, nor the only. I think that borrowing Pride FC's simple "effort to finish the fight" is a legitimate option.
The other idea I failed to mention is breaking down the scoring to fit the three phases of combat, with a list of values that are specific to free-movement (striking), clinching and grappling. I like the thought of tailoring the criteria to the three phases because the goals and dynamics of striking and grappling change in each phase.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, judge, criteria
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowONE FC 2: Battle of Heroes Breakdown (THE PRELIMS)
Feeling empty with the lack of MMA this weekend? Don’t worry, ONE Fighting Championship has got you covered!
ONE FC 2: Battle of Heroes takes place this Saturday, February 11th, live from Kelapa Gading Sports Mall in Jakarta, Indonesia. If you’re not familiar with ONE FC, the fast-growing Singapore based promotion burst onto the Asian MMA scene in 2011 with their inaugural card (Champion vs. Champion), which featured notable fighters such as Phil Baroni, Eduard Folayang, Eric Kelly, and Gregor Gracie. ONE FC uses a combination of unified rules, as well as PRIDE Rules, in their fights. With soccer kicks, head stomps and elbows all permitted in the fights, fans of PRIDE, fans of violence, and fans of all types MMA in general, are in for a treat.
With this card less than 24 hours away, here is a look at the bouts, what to expect, and why you should wake up early Saturday morning to tune in.
The preliminary card gets started live on Saturday morning, beginning at 7:30am EST. Featuring five bouts with some Asian MMA veterans, as well as exciting prospects, the undercard promises to deliver some exciting, interesting, and excellent bouts. The preliminary card is available for viewing live at the ONE FC Facebook page.
Check back in later tonight when I break down the main card as well.
Zuli Silawanto (5-5) vs Agus Nanang (0-0)
Tigershark Fighting Academy product, Indonesian Silawanto comes into this fight after a nearly eight-year break from fighting. Having made his professional debut nearly a decade ago, Silawanto fought all ten of his fights in the now-defunct TPI Fighting Championship with mixed results. After trading wins and losses in all of his fights, he looks to make a triumphant return to the sport and improve his .500 record.
Fellow Indonesian Nanang makes his professional debut, fighting out of the Bandung Fighting Club. Nanang has twelve previous MMA bouts on the amateur fight scene. Nanang is a regarded as a wrestler and will likely be looking to take things to the ground, however, if the fight stays standing, he should be more than able to hold is own.
This fight flirts with the unknown. How will Silawanto look after an eight-year layoff? What can we expect from Nanang? There is very little relevant tape to study on either fighter, so how this fight will play out is a mystery, which adds an interesting element to this fight.
Ngabdi Mulyadi (5-2) vs Peter Davis (3-1)
Indonesian based Mulyadi fights out of the Lindu Aji camp. A decorated wrestler, Mulyadi went 5-0, with four finishes, to start off his career, before suffering back-to-back losses. Much like Silawanto, Mulyadi returns to MMA after nearly an eight-year layoff. Mulyadi, however, remained active during much of his time away from the sport, competing in wrestling competitions throughout Asia.
Davis represents the Muayfit team out of Malaysia and enters the fight looking for his third straight win. The unorthodox striker stepped away from professional fighting for some time to focus on other commitments, such as modelling and acting, but made a triumphant return in December 2011, making short work of Nursultan Arsen Uule. The former UKMMAC welterweight champ brings an interesting striking attack to the fight.
A classic striker vs. grappler match in the purest sense of the phrase, it will be interesting to see how a long time away from the sport affects Mulyadi, as well as how Davis will deal with his primarily wrestling based attack. There is much hype around Davis, and this fight could be pivotal in determining the future of his MMA career.
Irshaad Sayed (2-1) vs Jessie Rafols (6-2)
Sayed, a South African, makes his major promotion debut with less than two years under his belt as a professional fighter. Fighting out of Hong Kong based IMPAKT MMA, Sayed makes his promotional debut coming off the strength of a split decision victory over Jumayi Ayideng at RUFF 2 in December 2011. Widely regarded as an outstanding muay Thai practitioner, Sayed looks to make some noise in the bantamweight division with a victory over Rafols.
Seeking his seventh win, Filipino Rafols enters the cage fighting out of D’Elements Gym. “The Finisher” has a 100% finishing rate in his six career victories, with five coming by submission. A professional fighter for just over four years, Rafols is known for his frantic pace and relentless aggression, as well as his ability to put the pressure on his opponents.
One of the more interesting fights on the preliminary card, this bout promises to be an exciting, and potentially violent part of the evening. If I had to suggest a fight to keep yours eyes peeled to, this would be it.
Alex Silva (1-0) vs Geje Eustaquio (2-1)
Brazillian Silva is the first fighter of the night based out of the Evolve MMA camp. A BJJ world champion, Silva recently made his MMA debut by defeating Suchat Lukamkuha by submission in just over two minutes. Silva has the benefit of training with grappling ace Shinya Aoki, and will be looking to make a definitive statement on behalf of Evolve.
The Filipino Eustaquio is The Team Lakay fighter, and looks to represent his camp, widely regarded as one of the best in Asia, against a fellow top team. Nearing the one-year anniversary of his professional debut, Eustaquio is coming off a split decision loss to David Cho at PXC 28 in a contentious affair.
Eustaquio’s Wushu-based attacks could prove an interesting factor in this flyweight tilt, as he will most certainly have to keep this fight standing if he wants to secure the victory. One should expect Silva to take the action to the ground as soon as he can, and look for a quick submission. One way or another, one team will most certainly have bragging rights as soon as the closing bell sounds.
Victorio Senduk (0-0) vs Raymond Tiew (0-0)
Indonesian based Senduk fights out of Versus Martial Arts Team and makes his professional debut with ONE FC. An experienced striker, Senduk has tried his hand at boxing, kickboxing, and karate. What Senduk brings to the table in this fight is unknown, as his most prominent professional competition was at the South East Asian Games, where he took home the silver medal in San Shou.
His opponent, Tiew is the second fighter on the card to come out of Team Muayfit in Malaysia. Compiling a 5-1 record on the Malaysian MMA scene, Tiew has competed in kickboxing as well, and is regarded as the better MMA striker. A Wushu champion in his own regard, his well-rounded striking game could be the key to victory against Senduk.
With both men having so much experience in striking-based combat sports, one can imagine this action will stay on the feet. Fans expect this to be a striking clinic, as does ONE FC, as it is the feature fight on the preliminary card. Both men need a definitive victory to cement their position in the Asian MMA scene.
The preliminary card promises to be an exciting, action-packed two hours of fights. Can’t get up for 7:30am? In my next piece, we’ll take a look at the main card which features plenty of notable fighters, and exciting, pivotal fights.
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, vs, card
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainDoes UFC Undisputed 3 Deserve Your Love this Valentine's Day?
Following the release of THQ’s wildly successful UFC Undisputed 2010, they immediately announced they would be taking a full year off to return with a better overall gameplay experience. The game’s mechanics were starting to round into form, but there was a bit too much that would have had to be re-done for a successful re-release in a year’s time. The game was weighed too heavily in strikers’ favor, there were major flaws with submissions, the controls were still too bulky/complicated for novice gamers, and there were lag problems online. Lots of little things compounded into big things, and the game, while great, still wasn’t as polished as it could have been.
After nearly two years away, UFC Undisputed 3 is now ready to hit shelves on Valentine’s Day 2012, but on a holiday dedicated to love, does it deserve any affection from gamers?
This game is, in one word: HUGE. Some of the modes are familiar carryovers, and many are similar in nature to old WWE Smackdown vs. Raw games (such as title defense mode.) Exhibition style fights are back, as are the ability to create your own cards, fighters and tournaments. A retooled career mode is back, and you can choose whether you want to create your own fighter, or guide an existing fighter through UFC ranks. The game boasts a roster of around 150 fighters in seven weight classes with new venues, referees and championship opportunities.
Perhaps the most exciting inclusion, however, is gameplay dedicated to PRIDE Fighting Championships. For nearly a decade, PRIDE was the dominant mixed martial arts brand in Japan, and at one point was arguably the biggest brand in the world, until the untimely death of one of its co-founders and supposed ties to the Yakuza resulted in the loss of their broadcasting rights, and ultimately, sale of the promotion’s rights to the UFC’s parent company. I’ll discuss PRIDE further down, but will start with UFC mode.
Calling the action in UFC mode are Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan, along with Bruce Buffer‘s fight announcements.
Get started with the tutorials and career mode. It’s much more fight oriented now, and your skills don’t deteriorate, so you don’t have to worry about having to sacrifice drills only to sacrifice skills. You also don’t necessarily have to have rest periods between fights, so if you wish to go out and make your fighter the next Travis Fulton, then by all means try. Build your fighter up with mini-game style drills, take him through the WFA, and ultimately, into UFC and PRIDE. Once you’re done, and have the hang of it, try the enhanced Fight Challenge mode. It will test your skill, and ability to perform objectives on command, both offensively and defensively. If you aren’t a well rounded fighter, this mode will force you to become one in a hurry.
The new controls are a welcome change too. Those used to the old controls will have still the luxury, however, there are now “Amateur” controls which allow you to perform transitions with the flick of a stick rather than half circles. This is huge. Undisputed veterans can enjoy the comfort of their wheelhouse, and new gamers can pick it up and go for a spin much easier than before.
Then there’s PRIDE mode. PRIDE’s contribution to Mixed Martial Arts (especially during the North American Dark Ages) were so influential to so many fans that this mode alone will move copies of this game to many gamers previously on the fence. Calling the action are noted gamer Stephen Quadros, who manned PRIDE FC’s English play by play booth for seven years, and “El Guapo” Bas Rutten, who mixes his signature cocktail of wit and wisdom, along with the recognizable introductions of Lenne Hardt. Full PRIDE rules apply, meaning knees and kicks to the head of a downed opponent are allowed, and knees from a four point stance are allowed as well.
There’s a large accompanying roster of PRIDE veterans as well, including “PRIDE versions” of many current UFC fighters. This could have easily been a commercial release on its own, so kudos to THQ for sacraficing a few extra bucks in the name of creating a bigger gaming experience.
Strangely, the biggest falter in the entire game might be the list of fighters. It’s strange to say this with 150 fighters already; however, there are glaring omissions in the roster. Many current favorites that probably should be in the game are not included (such as Rory MacDonald, Jake Ellenberger, and Chan Sung Jung) and some of UFC’s brightest stars like Brian Stann and Phil Davis are only currently available through pre-order. It appears that THQ has already committed themselves to steady DLC, however, with two packs already announced and apparently more to come. The aforementioned Jung and MacDonald are two of the fighters that will appear on these packs.
So how does this game score overall? Please click here to check the final ratings at XBoxAddict.com. However, from the breakdown you can clearly see it’s a title worth looking into.
This game hits all the targets and demographics well. If you’re a gamer looking to fill the void left behind when you stopped playing UFC Undisputed 2010, and thought there was a bit left to be desired after playing EA Sports MMA, this should do quite nicely.
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, pride, game, mode
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC 144 on PPV Extended Preview
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Posted in: ufc, ppv, fighter, preview
Read the full article at RedditVideo: Nick Diaz And The Farcical Commission Testing Regime For Pot On The MMA Tete-A-Tete
Luke Thomas and I recorded another installment of MMA Tete-A-Tete: Coarsening The Discourse yesterday before the official Nick Diaz news broke but we were able to address the rumors. Our main point is that the current testing regime for Marijuana is utterly pointless. The stated purpose of the commission is to prevent fighters from competing while high. Great. I hope we can all agree that's a worthy goal regardless of our stance on legalization.
More On Nick Diaz Nick Diaz Is to Blame, But So Are Meaningless Commission Marijuana Tests | Nick Diaz' UFC 143 Drug Test Failure Was Inevitable | Dana White: 'I Am Beyond Disappointed | Nick Diaz Tests Positive For Marijuana | Fighters React to Nick Diaz's Positive Drug Test
The problem is that the testing regime involves urinalysis which doesn't tell you anything about the intoxication of the fighter during the fight, only whether or not metabolites from previous pot use are in the fighter's system. Luke and I emphatically agree that anything but an ideal way to keep athletes safe.
As Luke said over at MMA Fighting: "the urinalysis test regarding marijuana consumption used by athletic commissions (ostensibly) designed to protect the health and safety of fighters does neither and is little more than kabuki theater."
We also discuss:
Carlos Condit, Greg Jackson & Point fighting: pro and con, Luke defends the aberrant practice, I demonstrate why it's a pox on the sport.
UFC biz: 143 buyrates high, UFC on Fuel estimates at 300K top side with a sideline to rave about the quality of the UFC on Fuel 1 card.
What's going on with UFC Japan? Is Dana White being a fan boy or playing Japanese money marks? Will the event accomplish anything as far as rebuilding the sport in its historic #1 world-wide market?
UFC on Fox 3: the problem of Diaz vs. Miller as main event
SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit
Transcript of the relevant portion are after the jump.
Note this part of the discussion is the last 11 minutes of the video clip.
Nate Wilcox: The rumor is that [Nick Diaz] failed his drug test because of marijuana and the thing is, he's done that before.Luke Thomas: Right. He's done it before. Here's the thing, I don't whether that's the case. I frankly hope it's not. Fingers crossed, I'm hoping they can still make this Condit/Diaz rematch and put it on UFC on FOX 3 but I don't even want to talk about Nick Diaz's case although I guess we can get into it specifically. It's just a major pet peeve of mine if this is true or if it's somebody else. It doesn't matter if it's Nick Diaz or if it's somebody else although there's some culpability if it is Nick Diaz and the question is "if" not that it is true but if it is Nick Diaz, I'm of two minds, if it's true. If it's true, I believe that first of all, it'd be like the Chael Sonnen/Anderson Silva thing, the UFC would have lucked out if that's the case because if it's true that's what happened, and I guess we haven't heard from the athletic commission and that'll be the final word, yay or nay on whether this whole thing is even a reality or just a bunch of nonsense, but if the UFC is investing in you in that kind of promotional way and to not honor their commitment to you and for you to be willingly participating in this exercise and fail on those grounds, that's really the height of being unprofessional. There's really no two ways about it. You're a failure to your business partners when you do something like that. On the other hand, the law of testing marijuana...Nate Wilcox: It's not a law, it's a regulation.Luke Thomas: It's a regulation, sort of. Here's why it's tested. It's a dumb law that's so incredibly bad it makes no sense. Here is the reality. Marijuana, by the Controlled Substances Act, is a Scheduled I drug which basically means it has no medicinal value and the only way it can ever be used, recreationally or otherwise, well it can't be used recreationally, but the only way it can be used in special circumstances is for research by the government but it doesn't have any medical purpose and it's basically a threat to your biology and society at large and marijuana got put on that. By contrast, for example, cocaine is a Scheduled II drug, meaning it does have some medical value. Noodle that one for a moment but the athletic commissions are required to test for Scheduled I and Scheduled II drugs, I don't know about Scheduled III, maybe, maybe not. The problem with the urinalysis for marijuana and this has been the case before and this is the case today, everyone in their right mind would say for any fighter, it's not okay if they compete high. It's just not okay, and I think you would agree with that.Nate Wilcox: Or drunk, just not intoxicated, not under the influence. It's not safe, not safe at all.Luke Thomas: It's totally dangerous. Here's the reality, a urinalysis does not tell you if a person competed under the euphoric effects of marijuana. It just tells you that they used and the reason why is, well, they tested your urine. It's testing the metabolite levels in your urine but urine is not coursing through your veins. Think of it this way, when they try to test you for your inebriation in alcohol, what do they do? They give you a blood alcohol test because it's coursing through your body at the time and your trying to determine to what extent the inebriation is, .08, whatever you think of that limit, that limit is defined as being impaired and you have cause with that but that's the basic standard. Blood tests, it turns out, they can tell if you were inebriated at a certain time with marijuana because what's it testing for? THC. Depending on the use the smoker has, depending on their body fat concentration, depending on a number of external factors, they could have smoked up to 2-3 weeks before and still have high levels of metabolites in their urine so here's the problem with the law. You're wasting taxpayer money, it doesn't keep fighters safe, it damages their career and it's basically making athletic commissions vice cops. There is no rational justification for testing fighters for urinalysis if your argument is, "We don't want them competing under the euphoric effects of THC." It's bullshit.Nate Wilcox: It is bullshit and that's Keith Kizer's argument. He's the commissioner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and his argument is, "The reason we test for marijuana is we don't want fighters fighting while they're impaired." Luke Thomas: No one does.Nate Wilcox: No one does. It's not safe, it's not healthy. When you have fighters come in loaded up on pain pills like Don Frye and Ken Shamrock allegedly were in their fight in Pride, that' show you end up with something like Don Frye getting both ankles shredded and not tapping out in the fight. That's just bad, bad, bad. That's bad mojo. That's how you get a death in the cage. Drew Fickett notoriously has come into fights and tried to fight drunk, probably has gotten away with fighting drunk. I don't think a fighter should fight with any alcohol in their bloodstream. I don't even want a single glass of wine the same day as the fight. It's just a terrible idea. I don't want fighters fighting high. I want to have blood tests to make sure the guy's not smoking the day of the event but if the guy smoked 2-3 weeks before the event or a week before the event, who gives a shit? That gives him no advantage or disadvantage in the fight. It's immaterial. And this is a substance that's been voted legal to use as medicine in what, eight states now? And if you know anybody in Colorado/California, it's like you go into the doctor and you're like, "Ah, I've got a cough," and they prescribe you marijuana. "I've got a headache, I think I saw something," it's not hard to get these medical marijuana prescriptions. Diaz has a medical marijuana prescription and he's been very vocal about, "I'm not gonna stop smoke. I'm just gonna clear myself out with herbal remedies." It's worked.
Diaz got drug tested at UFC 137 as a main event fighter and he passed so something went wrong here with Diaz's cleansing if that's the case and we don't know. We do not have any idea. Luke Thomas: This is just rumor. All I'm pointing out is people are talking about it and if they're talking about it, I want to get out in front of it and say, if it's Nick Diaz or anybody else, the law in California and in New Jersey and in Nevada is bullshit. Nate Wilcox: Yep, it's a stupid requirement and I've got problems with the whole drug-testing regimen. I'd like to see almost everything legal with blood tests and let's just know what these guys are on. Let them do whatever they want. I think intoxicants should still be banned. I don't want anybody fighting on alcohol or pain pills or pot while they're impaired during a fight but as far as performance enhancing drugs, I'm kind of like, "Well, whatever. We can't stop it necessarily but let's at least know what they're doing and know accurately with blood tests." To me, it's worth the money. I'd pay $5 extra for a pay-per-view if that meant they would spend that money blood testing the athletes and keeping them safe because the piss tests are a joke. They don't even test for Human Growth Hormone. They've got fighters with heads the size of pumpkins that look like Barry Bonds' big brother and there's no way to catch that with urinalysis. It's just ridiculous. It's a farcical hypocrisy that does nothing to protect the fighters. It's just a fig leaf for the athletic commissions and the promotions to say, "Hey, we're testing," when they're not. Just give it up!"Luke Thomas: Alright, again, we can hope for the best that this is not the case. Hopefully we can get some clarity on the issue soon. Somebody out there will report the truth one way or the other. My hope, I still hope against hope that we can get Condit/Diaz II on FOX. I didn't even want the rematch originally to be perfectly honest but it felt like the fan momentum was so much there that they were gonna make it and I know Cesar Gracie is out there saying what he's saying. I am hoping that it's just leveraging stuff because I want to see these two fight again and I want to see them doing it leveraging the controversy they've built. That would be nothing better for those two and for the sport to get that on a UFC on FOX. Nate, last word, if they do rematch, where do you want them to rematch?Nate Wilcox: I want them on FOX. I want them on FOX. I think that's just huge. They've got their pay-per-view calendar pretty much filled out without that fight but they have that gaping hole on FOX and that would be a huge fight on FOX television and I think that the second fight would be a very different fight. You've got Diaz, who didn't adjust mid-fight to what Condit was doing, but this is a guy who rebuilt his entire game when he ran up against wrestlers who could stop his jiu-jitsu so he became this mugging boxing style of fighting and he ran into somebody who found a way to counter that. I look forward to seeing how Diaz and his camp adjust to that strategy. How hard can it be to stop a guy from spinning out away from you on the cage? I think he discovered in the fifth round that he could get Condit down and it seemed like he could dominate Condit on the ground. You gotta think that the second fight would be way different. I think the utmost of both fighters. They're incredibly skilled, incredibly mentally powerful, incredibly physically conditioned athletes. Both are from good camps, well trained. It's a fight I'd want to see again. I enjoyed watching the last fight two or three times. I watched it twice yesterday and enjoyed it both times, paid attention the whole way through. I still don't know how I'd score the fight but I'd like to see it on FOX. Again, this is Nick Diaz. He might still be retired. He might be serious about that. There could be any number of things other than this rumor and this is just a rumor.Luke Thomas: The reason we're talking about it is it's such, every time it comes up, it's such a thorn in my side because you can get people who are like pro marijuana supporters who are like, "Well, I don't want guys competing high." Neither do I, but what they're doing doesn't address it at all. At all. It's a total fucking lie. Nate Wilcox: I don't want guys fighting on HGH but they are. Every single event but they're not tested for it at all. I guarantee it.
Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, test, marijuana
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMauricio Rua: 'UFC has made it clear we don’t need a manager'
With high-profile Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters -- Jose Aldo, Junior dos Santos and Mauricio Rua -- releasing their managers such as Ed Soares and Eduardo Alonso, respectively, it is unsurprising that certain questions are beging to surface.
What's the deal?
Though details are few and far between, one cannot fully understand what goes on between a manager and his client. Things such as negotiations, percentages owed for services and conflicts that may arise between the two --unless you are right smack in the middle of the action -- is often times unknown.
The reasons behind departures could be endless, yet explanations will probably be few. Just ask Soares, he simply received an email for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion's trainer that his services were no longer needed.
Often times, trainers do their best Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager) impersonation by trying to wear as many hats as they can by serving as not only trainers, but managers, too.
Cesar Gracie for example, he serves as manager and head trainer for Nick Diaz . Furthermore, Jose Aldo's trainer, Andre Pederneiras, who used to manage Aldo as well as train him, could now be possibly reassigning himself that role yet again.
In an interview with Sherdog.com, Mauricio Rua, who recently parted ways with long time manager Eduardo Alonso, says that the UFC has made very clear that the fighters do not need managers, as well as goes into more detail as to what lead to the split with Alonso.
Check it out:
"Actually, it wasn't for that reason. Since Chute Boxe, I've always worked with three people or companies: my manager, my coach and a media team that takes care of my image. Unfortunately, I hadn't found a team that inspired my trust, and now I found a good team. Eduardo is a very competent guy, but he doesn't like this way of operating; he prefers one person taking care of everything. Not commanding everything, but overseeing everything. I don't agree, [I prefer] each guy in his area. I like him, I know he likes me, but there was some conflict of ideas. There are some different people helping me with this part right now; I'm still thinking. The UFC has made it clear that we don't need a manager; all negotiations are conducted by the athletes themselves. A manager today is not like in the Pride days. At that time, they had much more weight. I am in favor of a manager, that's not the reason that I separated from Eduardo. I want to work with people nearby: Eduardo works in Sao Paulo and I'm in Curitiba. But, this is not the only reason. There are others, like I said."
In case you have been sleeping under a rock, there was also a well publicized rift between Alistair Overeem and former camp Golden Glory, which also served as his negotiators for upcoming matches. The rift came months after Zuffa released several fighters from their Strikeforce and UFC rosters who were managed by Golden Glory.
Eventually, cooler heads prevailed and Zuffa and Golden Glory came to terms on payment options to their fighters.
Perhaps the absence of a manager could mean more coin in the fighter's pocket, seeing that they now won't have to worry about paying a percentage for management services. That, in and of itself, can be a huge factor for not feeling the need to have a manager, and as "Shogun" stated, the UFC is more than willing to negotiate with the fighter directly.
Though Rua says he prefers a manager, Alonso has not been officially replaced.
With all the recent moves, are more MMA stars going to follow suit and do their own negotiating or have their head trainers do that as well without the need of a manager? Or are these just a few isolated instances that have no bearing in the MMA grand scheme of things? Then again, who will fight for those big time endorsement deals?
Perhaps some head trainers wear that hat, too.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, eduardo, trainer, manager
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMake the case to me why fighters shouldn’t be suspended for weed usage #ufc
Nick Diaz got suspended, yet again, in Nevada for marijuana usage. Should he be punished?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, case, marijuana usage, usage
Read the full article at Fight OpinionUFC 143 yields at least one positive drug test
It appears not all fighters were clean at UFC 143 as the Nevada State Athletic Commission says it recorded "at least one positive test."
Posted in: ufc, fighter, test, nevada state, drug test
Read the full article at sportsnet.caThe Top Fighter of Each Martial Art in MMA
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [10 comments]
Posted in: mma, fighter, mattyblayze, art
Read the full article at Reddit2012 World MMA Flyweight Scouting Report: #7 - Jesse Riggleman
Photo by GatewayMMA.com
Name:
Jesse Riggleman
Nickname:
Mountain Man
Age:
26
Height:
5'5"
Location:
Harrisonburg, Virginia
At #7 on the 2012 World MMA Flyweight Scouting Report, Virginia's Jesse Riggleman (11-2) finds his deserved spot on this year's countdown. After back-to-back losses in 2010 to The Ultimate Fighter contestants John Dodson and Louis Gaudinot, Riggleman bounced back in 2011, defeating Jason Hiliker at M-1 Challenge 24 in March before narrowly defeating 2011 World MMA Scouting Report prospect Farkhad Sharipov at Bellator 51 in September. Before his ascension to the upper reaches of the talent pool, Riggleman amassed a perfect 9-0 record in a little over a year's time, defeating Bellator veteran Bryan Goldsby and The Ultimate Fighter 14 contestant Josh Ferguson along the way. Typical of other flyweight prospects, Riggleman fought in weight classes above his natural weight, showcasing a toughness and durability that can only be described as inspiring. His split decision win over Goldsby is the perfect example. Not only does Riggleman possess those valuable attributes, he's competent in almost every area of his skill-set. He possesses a solid takedown game, skilled striking, excellent conditioning, and a relentless work ethic, making him one of the best-rounded fighters on the countdown. If he truly possesses all of those skills, why isn't he higher on our list? From a technical standpoint, he could use some work, mainly on the intricate details that are usually the differences between good and great fighters. His granite chin and endless gas tank have saved him many times in the past, mainly because larger fighters took advantage of the size advantage. Riggleman found a way to win, but I'm still skeptical about his chances against top-tier talent. Undoubtedly, the UFC's inclusion of a flyweight division helps a guy like Riggleman the most. He's fought bigger competition his entire career, and he's succeeded for the most part. His skill-set isn't lacking any one skill, and he can beat any fighter who's severely weak in one area. With opponents more his size, it's possible he strings together some big wins in 2012 and gains considerable interest. At only 26 years old, Riggleman has plenty of time to close the gap on the technical know-how he needs to succeed against stronger competition. Since the birth of the UFC's flyweight division creates a question of who we should consider as prospects, we've tweaked the criteria specifically for this weight class. Most notably, we drew a line, excluding the following well-known, established flyweights: Jussier ‘Formiga' da Silva, Ulysses Gomez, Ian McCall, Yasuhiro Urushitani, BJ Kojima, Rambaa Somdet, Mamoru Yamaguchi, Dustin Ortiz, Darrell Montague, Danny Martinez, and any flyweights outside of our original criteria.
Footage of Jesse Riggleman after the fold...
FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight
#1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - Jesse Riggleman#8 - Sean Santella#9 - Claudir Dutkevis#10 - Kevin Belingon
#1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz
#1 - Hacran Dias#2 - Joey Gambino#3 - Brandon Bender#4 - Lance Palmer #5 - Jim Alers#6 - Anthony Gutierrez#7 - Max Holloway#8 - John Teixeira#9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins
#1 - Fabricio Guerreiro#2 - Alessandro Ferreira#3 - Adriano Martins#4 - Justin Salas#5 - Neilson Gomes#6 - Eduard Folayang#7 - Zorobabel Moreira#8 - Anton Kuivanen#9 - Jordan Rinaldi#10 - J.P. Vainikainen
WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight
#1 - Andrey Koreshkov#2 - Dhiego Lima#3 - Brandon Thatch#4 - Nordine Taleb#5 - Hernani Perpetuo#6 - Brock Jardine#7 - Alan Jouban#8 - Mohsen Bahari#9 - Andre Santos#10 - Stephen Thompson
#1 - Antonio Braga Neto#2 - Marcelo Guimaraes#3 - Claudio Silva #4 - Bojan Velickovic#5 - Ildemar Alcantara#6 - Michal Materla#7 - Elvis Mutapcic#8 - Tor Troeng#9 - Jack Hermansson#10 - Tim Ruberg
#1 - Wagner Prado#2 - Phelipe Lins#3 - Tom DeBlass#4 - Misha Cirkunov#5 - Kyle Cerminara#6 - Robert Drysdale#7 - Artur Alibulatov#8 - Thiago Perpetuo#9 - Steve Bosse #10 - Juha Saarinen
#1 - Magomed Malikov#2 - Magomed Abdurahimov#3 - Alexei Kudin#4 - Levan Razmadze#5 - Chris Birchler#6 - Ruslan Magomedov#7 - Adam Parkes#8 - Richardson Moreira #9 - Jan Jorgensen 10 - David Oliva
Riggleman vs. Gaudinot, Riggleman vs. Pham available on GFL.tvPreston Marks vs. Jesse RigglemanBryan Goldsby vs. Jesse Riggleman
Posted in: fighter, vs, flyweight, riggleman, jesse
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowPushing Nick Diaz: A Study in Match Making
It is no secret that Nick Diaz basically kept the Strikeforce brand afloat through the last three years of his career. An exciting volume puncher who brings a unique style, always takes big shots, often gets in to trouble, but finishes the vast majority of his fights. These are all highly desirable qualities in a fighter; consistency and excitement being the greatest marketable assets in a fighter - there's a reason Chuck Liddell was the biggest star in MMA during his 3 year, knockout filled winning streak. What many fans do not realize is the efforts which matchmakers go to to make stars like Diaz a reality for their promotion. Despite the welterweight division being filled to the brim with takedown artists, Nick Diaz has still not fought a decent wrestler in the last half a decade.
The Role of a Match Maker
What many fans fail to understand is that there is a reason match makers such as Joe Silva make such huge amounts of money. A matchmaker's job is to either:
1) Put on a barnburning fight
OR
2) Sell a fighter as a superstar
In every event you will see the staple brawlers tend to the first order of business such as Chris Lytle and Chris Leben, fighters who are unlikely to get a title shot on their ability but that a matchmaker can rely on to put on an exciting fight win, lose or draw. Exciting brawlers can often stay in the major leagues of MMA despite a losing record if they entertain the crowds, and this is excellent because not everyone can be a Georges St. Pierre but still deserve gainful employment.
The second concern of selling a fighter is where Joe Silva, and other matchmakers earn their money. It is hard to sell fights under a brand unless there are stars within that brand that act as a figurehead. Often these will be exciting fighters such as BJ Penn, or fighters who have a following from outside MMA such as Brock Lesnar or Herschel Walker.
The subtleties of a good matchmakers' understanding are indeed impressive; when the UFC was attempting to sell Brock Lesnar for instance, they matched him against Frank Mir immediately. Frank Mir was coming off 2 unimpressive performances and a submission over one dimensional kickboxer Antoni Hardonk, he lack stand up prowess, wrestling ability and had been pounded out on his back 3 times by smaller men - a stylistic dream for a Division 1 wrestler who needs to make a huge impression. 9 times out of 10 Brock Lesnar beats Frank Mir based on their styles and abilities, but by the time the fight came around Countdown to UFC shows had played up Mir's ex-champion angle and made much of his BJJ despite the majority of his submissions at the time coming over fighters like Petey Williams, Tank Abbott and Wes Simms. While Lesnar lost the fight, Mir only achieved about 3 seconds of offense throughout due to Lesnar making a basic error, the rematch showed what the first match should have looked like.
Pushing the Nick Diaz Brand
Let me first say that Nick Diaz is an exceptional fighter and athlete, one of the authors favorites to ever compete in combat sports, but from an objective perspective he has been pushed like few other fighters have.
Nick Diaz has trouble with wrestling, this much is a fact. Anyone who saw him wading in like a zombie to pick up singles through the first four rounds of his fight with Carlos Condit can attest to the lack of polish in this area of his game. Yet in a division which is filled to bursting with wrestling talent; Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Jake Ellenberger, Johnny Hendricks, Mike Pierce, Tyron Woodley, Brian Ebersole, Matt Hughes, Ben Askren to name a few, Nick has not fought a single accomplished wrestler in 5 years. A quick glance through his record for those unfamiliar with his first run in the UFC will indicate why, the two accomplished takedown artists he fought - Karo Parisyan and Sean Sherk - laid all over him.
Now have a look at Diaz's record through the last five years since that 2006 loss to Sean Sherk; filled to the brim with strikers - most often one dimensional ones or older competitors who have abandoned their ground games such as Shamrock and Sakurai. Now there is something incredibly impressive about taking on great strikers at their own game and beating them there, but essentially this means that Nick Diaz - a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt - has been fighting one dimensional kickboxers in an MMA match.
Through Strikeforce Nick was a premier attraction, one of the highest paid fighters on the roster, because of his entertaining style and consistency, but this was helped along through the employment of only strikers as his opponents. These went from the relevant and dangerous Marius Zaromskis and Paul Daley, to the undeserving but game Scott Smith, Hayato Sakurai and Frank Shamrock, to scraping the bottom of the barrel as lightweight KJ Noons and middleweight gasser Evangelista Santos were brought to welterweight in order to scrap with Diaz on the feet.
Even when he came to the UFC and wrestlers filled the roster, failing an immediate title shot Diaz was given BJ Penn, an undersized welterweight who relied entirely on striking at that point in his career, dropped half a foot in reach and was still took Diaz down in the first round. Now this was a match of convenience of course, due to injuries the two were matched instead of their original opponents, just as it was coincidental that Diaz met Condit, a striker, afterward. What is questionable now however is that Diaz is getting an immediate rematch with Condit in hopes that he'll win convincingly and get a marketable title shot. If he loses, will he ever fight another wrestler?
Posted in: fight, diaz, nick diaz, nick, fighter
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendOle Laursen Had to Learn to Think MMA Instead of Muay Thai
One FC fighter Ole Laursen admits he had to train himself to think MMA to get out of bad situations instead of Muay Thai. The result is a much more complete fighter.
Posted in: fighter, muay, muay thai, laursen, fc fighter
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDeath of a Fight Club
The reporter was waiting at Grand Central Station, eager, ready to receive a dose of subculture and the kind of “underground” he’d never been privy to when he lived here, and when we met he introduced himself with a congenial, “Hello, I am Tolga.” His newspaper, Hurriyet, was the largest in Turkey, and as their foreign correspondent, his beat was New York and Washington, D.C., where he now lived. Today, his story was the Big Apple’s illicit fight scene – a scene that will soon die.
Forty-eight states have athletic commissions, and in 45 of those states the sport of mixed martial arts (a.k.a. “MMA”, “ultimate fighting”, “human cockfighting”, et al.) is legal and sanctioned. New York is one of the last holdouts (Vermont and Connecticut are the others). Never mind that grand, fistic, arena-filling affairs are broadcast on pay-per-view, and violence-hued reality shows that sequester aspiring fighters in a Las Vegas house and make them fight in a cage are aired on SpikeTV every week. Never mind that New York is home to countless martial schools and academies, and that if a would-be competitor wants to compete in the warm embrace of sanctioning, he must cross the Hudson River and do it in New Jersey. You want to partake in an event here? Forget about it. Hence the underground fight circuit.
Tolga has only ever seen MMA on television, never live. Never up close and personal with the threat of being splattered with errant blood very real and probable. But as we ride the subway to the venue in one of the Outer Boroughs (locations of these events are always changing, always kept secret), he assures me he’s ready. Regardless, I prep him. Let him know what to expect.
There’s Peter Storm, the maestro, the man who’s been putting these events – dubbed the “Underground Combat League” – together since 2003, and has over thirty of them under his belt. As he occasionally does, Storm will be competing at this installment, taking on a tall, lanky Jamaican kid nicknamed “Blackie Chan”, a judo versus kung fu matchup. Present will also be Junior, big and young with a broad smile, from a karate school on Long Island. There will be “Smash” Evans, who’s even bigger, from a Burmese kickboxing school in New Jersey; Anil the lawyer, who’s photographed nearly every event; Josh the pro fighter from North Jersey, slumming it for some ring time; and Shawn, the heavy-handed Wing Chun practitioner, a reformed trash-talker and brand-spanking-new father to an infant daughter.
“It’s not so much about the fights,” I tell Tolga. “It’s really about the scene and the people,” and the Turk in the corduroy coat and black-rimmed glasses nods.
And then we’re there, in a neighborhood that will never see a Starbucks or Shake Shack sprout up, in a place where half the awnings are written in Spanish and where the man behind the counter at the nearby bodega is encased in a wall of bullet-proof Lexan and transactions are done warily, cautiously. The venue itself is a boxing gym, but installments past have seen the action take place in jiu-jitsu schools in Greenwich Village, pugilist dens in East New York and the South Bronx, and once, in the front room of a mosque (no ring or cage, just mats on the concrete floor with the spectators gathered around).
We step inside and are greeted by friendly faces. The gym owner hasn’t turned on the heat and won’t for some reason, but that’s okay, why would you need warmth and comfort at an underground show? Instead, there’s the scent of cheap antiseptic cleaner and old sweat in the air, and a flat-screen TV plays “Never Back Down”, ironic like a hipster joke because every true MMA fan laughs at that film, and throughout the afternoon everyone does. Rows of folding chairs surround a ring, and assorted boxing event posters adorn the walls, irrelevant to what will soon transpire. In the back are odds-and-ends exercise equipment, a bathroom (“Do Not Use Toilet Paper for Paper Towels” reads a prominently-displayed handwritten sign), and a tiny locker room. From beneath a goofy, over-large knit ski hat grins Lionheart, a diminutive fighter who, when he stands in the ring in his fight shorts, looks like a Greek statue of Ares sans armor, shield and spear. Rage Rivas, Storm’s second in command, gives me hug. A thin white guy with a trimmed beard, who calls himself “Captain Zorikh” and is one part eccentric mixed with one part likeable dude, nods a “hi”. Someone shakes my hand, more people arrive behind us, and I introduce Tolga to the expanding group. Everyone keeps their coats on to ward away the chill, and later, when each fighter climbs out of the ring, they’ll immediately slip their street clothes back on to keep warm.
To get an invite to an Underground Combat League shindig you either must know a fighter who’s competing, or you have to be on Storm’s “list”, a figurative collection of the trusted and trustworthy who find themselves on the receiving end of a text message that usually reads something like, “Sunday at 2pm, blah-blah Gym, right off the ‘6’ Train”. Once, the audience for a three-bout card numbered about a dozen; other times, over a hundred were crammed into the venue, craning their necks to see their son, brother, buddy or sensei throw down. Thanks to a six-fight roster and grappling mini-tournament, what Tolga gets to witness is more towards the latter.
At two o’clock, when we arrive, the place is nearly empty. By three-thirty it’s a madhouse of accumulating energy. In the locker room fighters are stepping on a scale. Rage keeps track of the weights, and the names of the competitors are jotted down and kept on a folded piece of paper that never leaves his person. Storm has donned a blue judo gi and is stretching out as his girlfriend looks nervously on. Anil flits about, at first concerned with the possibility of fighting, and after his opponent is a “no show” (“No man, I drive a cab now, I can’t get my face messed up,” says the would-be opponent over the phone), he’s concerned solely with getting the best photos he can.
Tolga listens to Shawn talk and takes notes in a little black book, Shawn humble in glasses and hushed voice, speaking of past beefs with the promoter and his recent venture into the world of pro MMA competition at a sanctioned event in an Atlantic City casino, and of course how his newborn child has melted his heart and changed his life. Only a couple years ago Shawn was hitting opponents in the underground so hard they never came back, but whatever fueled that aggression seems to have been replaced by midnight diaper changings and lullabies.
The folding chairs are filled, mostly by men but there are women there, too, the girlfriends and groupies who’ve come out to cheer. A kid no older than ten sits in the front row. The theme to “Rocky” blares on a continuous, maddening loop over the speakers. Then they’re in the ring, the fighters, on either side of a referee in jeans named Israel Martinez, and as a hush falls over the crowd Martinez yells for the fighters to begin.
It starts off relatively tame, although for Captain Zorikh it’s a frantic scramble to keep from getting choked or having a limb twisted in the wrong direction. In between rounds he returns to his corner, and as he has no corner men to advise him, he begs for help from the other fighters. “Someone, anyone, tell me what I’m doing wrong!” he says with urgency, and the other fighters standing around the ring apron don’t hesitate to lean in and tell him. Captain Zorikh goes on to lose, but not for lack of trying.
Tolga’s taken up position atop a plastic water cooler, camera in hand, his line of sight clear. I give him an inquisitive look and he nods that he’s okay. That all changes when Lionheart faces Tommy the union worker, when their bout goes the full three-round distance and both fighters are left bloody, their faces marked up and a testament to seemingly endless back-and-forth exchanges of fists, forearms and elbows. Lionheart is battered and breathless, and when I look up at Tolga he’s aghast at the brutality, his face pale.
“Are you okay?” I ask him when the fight is over. He nods unconvincingly, so I gesture at the ring, at Tommy and Lionheart hugging and congratulating each other in the post-fight afterglow. “See?” I say. “It’s okay. Now they’re friends.”
And they are, for they are parties to a transaction that transcends sport. Something about punching another man in the mouth, or kicking his head like a soccer ball when he’s on all fours, or nearly succumbing to that deftly-applied choke he’s slipped on with his legs, creates something almost tangible, a bond among warriors. It exists there, in those shows in the arenas and on the pay-per-views, captured on film during those reality TV shows and witnessed live at events in Atlantic City casinos and wherever else MMA is sanctioned. But it’s here as well, in a state where the sport is a dirty word, in the confines of a remote boxing gym in a setting intimate and secret, and after Storm throws Blackie Chan to the canvas and twists his arm for a submission, then checks on him afterwards, maybe Tolga sees it. Or maybe he sees it when Junior and Smash Evans go at it, Junior very nearly successful in keeping Evans down with wrestling but eventually withering to exhaustion and Evans’ nonstop barrage (the referee steps in for that one, waving it off when he deems Junior isn’t sufficiently defending himself). After that one Junior wastes no time shaking Evans’ hand and raising his arm up, and the crowd applauds the sportsmanship.
Does Tolga see it? The subculture of combat, the dichotomy of violence and elation and friendship that’s there, just as it’s been since the Underground Combat League began churning out barebones fisticuffs of the MMA variety eight years ago. When Mike the 20-year-old white kid taps out his opponent with an armlock, and Mike’s father, suddenly bursting with pride, lets out a stream of “That’s my son! That’s my son!” from ringside, I think Tolga does.
The main event has muscular powerhouse named Kirkland out-grappling an impossibly-built Nigerian named Chike Obi, and after Campbell is awarded the decision – his first win in years – his smile could light up the Empire State Building. When Tolga asks him his age and Kirkland tells him he’s 39, the Turk is in disbelief. “Thirty-nine?” he says. “You do not look thirty-nine!”
Then we’re saying our goodbyes, thanking Storm for putting on the show and congratulating those who won (or lost, even), shaking hands and patting backs in the reverse process of our entrance.
From the backseat of a station wagon driven by a friend of Anil’s, Tolga asks me what will happen to Storm’s show and the scene itself when the sport is sanctioned. The Bronx is zooming by at 50 miles an hour. Soon we’ll be back in Manhattan.
“That will be the end of it,” I say. Like a rumbling, oncoming subway train when you’re caught standing on the tracks, it’s inevitable that MMA will get sanctioned here. Every year the movement gains steam and the bill to repeal the ban on the sport gets closer and closer to the governor’s pen, and this year, on November 15, Zuffa LLC (the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the flagship organization of the sport) filed suit against the State of New York, the suit claiming that the State’s failure to sanction violated Free Speech, Due Process and whatever else in the U.S. Constitution could sufficiently add power to the punch. It isn’t so much a question of “if” sanctioning will happen, it’s more of a “when”. Like when New Jersey legalized MMA back in 2001, and more recently when Pennsylvania and Massachusetts followed suit, the world of unsanctioned fighting will fizzle out.
“Why will it end?” Tolga asks, and I explain how there’s no real money to be made doing unsanctioned shows, that Storm wants to promote legitimately when New York allows it, and even the fighters want above-the-board events so they can amass real fight records and get paid for their efforts. Ultimately, because there will be plenty of sanctioned events, there will be no more need for an underground.
“But what of fighters like Kirkland?” he asks. “What of those who might be too old to get licensed to compete by the commission?”
I shake my head. “This is likely it for them.”
Seconds pass in the car, and in a moment we’re traveling over the Third Avenue Bridge. “That’s too bad,” says Tolga, but enough time has gone by that I’m not sure if he means it will be too bad about fighters like Kirkland no longer being able to get into the ring or if it’s too bad about the secret fighting subculture disappearing.
Not that it matters. When New York City’s underground fight scene dies, it will be a shame either way.
Posted in: fight, fighter, event, ring, tolga
Read the full article at MMA ConvertRoyce Gracie: 'Every fighter should be a true mixed martial artist like Nick Diaz'
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: nick diaz, fighter, mattyblayze, artist, royce gracie
Read the full article at RedditAnderson Silva and Cung Le lead latest UFC Twitter bonuses award winners
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today (Feb. 7, 2012) announced the winners of its second-ever Twitter incentive program, cutting checks to the fighters who made the most of their social media outlets over the last quarter (ending Dec. 31, 2011).
Each award, which was initially unveiled across three categories earlier this year at the promotion's annual Fighter Summit, nets a $5,000 bonus.
Riding the enormous wave of UFC 134: "Rio," several Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters cashed in at the end of 2011's fiscal third quarter. Some of them are still hanging 10, but the promotion added a few fresh faces this time around, too.
Check it out:
Most followers:Anderson Silva (@SpiderAnderson)Junior dos Santos (@Junior_Cigano)Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) Cung Le (@CungLe185)
Highest percentage of growth in followers:Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (@MinotauroMMA)Roy Nelson (@RoyNelsonMMA) Jake Ellenberger (@EllenbergerMMA)Cung Le (@CungLe185)
Most creative:Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA)Joseph Benavidez (@JoeB135)Duane Ludwig (@DuaneBangCom)Pat Barry (@HypeOrDie)
After Ellenberger's huge knockout upset of Jake Shields late last year, as well as Le's Octagon debut against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 139, which he lost via thrilling technical knockout, it's no surprise to see their accounts swell. Ludwig was also singled out for his "Fastest Knockout in UFC History" campaign that ultimately convinced company president Dana White to re-write the record books.
Anyone think @UFC missed the mark? Any snubs? Anyone think it makes certain fighters (ahem, Miguel Torres and Forrest Griffin, among others) try too hard?
While you're deciding, follow some of the Maniacs including @Jesse_Holland, @TommyMyers, @GenoMrosko, @GotaHemmi and @MMABuffet. Might we also suggest @MMAManiaNews, too.
Posted in: ufc, jake shields, fighter, forrest griffin, octagon debut
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAsian MMA: An In-Depth Preview And Complete Guide To ONE FC 2: Battle Of Heroes
ONE Fighting Championship's second event is happening this weekend, and since most of our readers are from outside of Asia, here's an in-depth preview and a complete guide on everything you will need to know about the upcoming event.
Event Details:
ONE Fighting Championship 2: Battle of HeroesFebruary 11, 2012 -- 7:30 a.m. ETKelapa Gading Sports Mall, Jakarta, Indonesia
How to watch:
If you're not going to be in the Arena to watch the event, you can also catch the event online. Prelims will be shown live and free on their facebook page, while the main card will be available as an online PPV at UStream or at ONEFC.com for $9.99.
The event will also have a delayed telecast all over Asia at ESPN Star Sports.
SIX Things To Look Forward To:
The card will have 10 fights, and here are seven things that you should look forward to during the event.
1. OLE LAURSEN'S RETURN TO COMPETITION - Ole Laursen (5-2) is a K-1 veteran, and a super-fight champion from Martial Combat. He was thrown on the deep end early on his MMA career when he faced and lost to Genki Sudo and Caol Uno back in 2006. He has since rattled off 5-straight victories since then, and was ranked as the #8 lightweight on the 2010 World MMA Scouting Report. He was supposed to headline ONE FC's debut event against Eduard Folayang, but a knee injury has kept him sidelined for months.
The Filipino-Danish fighter who has been based in Thailand for several years began building a new Legacy gym on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, in Boracay, Philippines. He will be returning to competition this weekend and he will have a tough task at hand when he headlines the event against Felipe Enomoto (5-3), a former CFC champ who founded the Enomoto dojo along with his brother, M-1 Global champ Yasubey Enomoto.
2. A PRIDE STYLE FREAKSHOW-ISH FIGHT - ONE FC has a rule-set that is very similar to PRIDE in which knees and soccer kicks (depending on a signal from the referee) to a grounded opponent is allowed. Another thing PRIDE was known for, was having those "freakshow" bouts which blurred the lines between sport and spectacle.
A lot of people enjoyed those types of matches during the PRIDE days, but a lot of people also hated it. Either way, at least for this card, that's one more thing ONE FC has that's similar to the popular Japanese promotion, as the 350 lb. "Beast", Bob Sapp (11-9) will be taking on UFC veteran and 3rd degree BJJ black belt, Rolles Gracie (5-1) in a super-heavyweight bout.
3. ANOTHER URCC CHAMPION FROM TEAM LAKAY - Back in September, North American fans were introduced to one of the most popular fighters in Asia, in Eduard Folayang. The Wushu fighter displayed tremendous grit and toughness coupled with his very entertaining style of fighting that is common among the guys at Team Lakay.
Co-headlining the event will be undefeated URCC lightweight champion, Honorio Banario (6-0), who is one of the youngest guys from the famed camp that's based on the mountain province of Baguio. The URCC champions have been faring well in international competition, but Banario will be dropping down a weight class and will be facing a very talented Korean fighter on his featherweight debut. He'll be taking on Bae Young Kwon (6-2), one of the top featherweights from Korea's ROAD FC promotion, who recently pulled off an upset over the highly touted prospect from Evolve MMA in Brian Choi.
Much more after the jump, but don't forget to follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena.
4. EVOLVE MMA'S BJJ WORLD CHAMPS AGAINST JACKSON'S MMA AND TEAM LAKAY - You have probably heard about Evolve MMA, the home of guys like Shinya Aoki and Rafael Dos Anjos, and it's one of the most beautiful gyms in the world that is also stacked with several world champions from Muay Thai, BJJ, and now wrestling. Two of their BJJ world champs will be competing at this event, and they will be taking on guys from arguably the best gym in the US, and the best gym in the Philippines.
Rodrigo Ribeiro (9-7), a very experienced BJJ world champion and third degree black belt, will be taking on Rustam Khabilov (12-1), a top prospect and M-1 veteran who is also a Combat Sambo world champion. The Russian fighter trains out of Jackson's MMA, and his background provides a very interesting contrast and battle of styles that could make waves in ONE FC's welterweight division.
His teammate, fellow BJJ world champ, Alex Silva (1-0), just recently moved to MMA, winning his debut by rear naked choke a few months ago. He will be taking on a fellow flyweight prospect in Geje Eustaquio (2-1), who is one of the newer guys from Team Lakay. He may not yet be as technical as some of his more experienced and more popular teammates, but Eustaquio already possesses the trademark grit, endurance, and toughness that is common among the champs found in the Lakay Wushu gym. Both guys are still developing their overall MMA game with the champions they train with day in and day out, but their specialties and styles makes this a very intriguing match up. Plus these flyweights are always exciting, so this is probably one of the sleeper candidates for FOTN.
5. CFC CHAMP GUSTAVO FALCIROLI VS. SOO CHUL KIM - For those who were able to see ONE FC 1, you would already know that Soo Chul Kim (is a gamer. He's a very tough fighter and even though he ended up losing a decision, he gave Evolve MMA's Leandro Issa all he can handle, winning over a lot of the fans that night.
Kim, at 20-years-old, is still a very young prospect with a bright future ahead of him, but unfortunately for him, he's again matched up against another accomplished grappler in Gustavo Falciroli (11-3-2), who is a 2nd degree BJJ blackbelt. There's a bit of hype surrounding the current CFC bantamweight champion in Falciroli, with people constantly singing high praises for the Australian-based fighter. We'll see if he will be able to live to that hype and stop the very game and durable Korean, or if Kim will be able to live up to his potential and upset the CFC champion.
6. THE AGGRESSIVE STYLE OF JESSIE RAFOLS - If you want a fight that is guaranteed to be entertaining, you should really keep an eye out for the prelim bout between Interim URCC Bantamweight Champion, Jessie Rafols, and Muay Thai Champion, Irshaad Sayed. Why? Cause Jessie Rafols is probably one of the most aggressive fighters in Asia, and it's guaranteed that he will be pushing the pace, going 100% from the opening bell.
Rafols is a high-level athlete and fighting just comes naturally from him. He is probably not as technical standing up as his opponent, who is a Muay Thai champion that trains with Vuyusille Colossa, but what he lacks in technical ability, he makes up for with tenacity, explosiveness and aggression. That all-out style has cost him on his last bout in the Philippines, but Rafols has been making the right moves in his career, moving out to one of the top camps in the country, training at BAMF MMA, home of Alvin Aguilar and the DEFTAC crew, to shore up his overall MMA game, and close out the few holes he has in his game.
Will Sayed be able to use his world class striking to win against the Filipino? Or will Rafols' improved MMA game coupled with his relentless pace and aggresiveness overcome his South-African counterpart? Either way, this prelim bout is one to keep your eyes out for, cause fireworks are guaranteed.
Hidden Gems and Fun Facts:
Here are a few notes about some of the other competitors that you might not know of:
- Peter Davis, a very popular model and actor from Malaysia, will be competing on the card. He's also a talented fighter though, and although he has been competing on an off since 2004, he has compiled a respectable 3-1 record. For ONE FC, he has upped the notch for his preparations and has been training with one of the Philippines' top fighters in Eric Kelly.
- There will be two South East Asian Games Medalists from Indonesia competing on the card (think of it as the equivalent of the Pan American Games). Ngabdi Mulyadi, a 2009 bronze medalist for wrestling will be competing against Peter Davis, while 2011 silver medalist for Wushu / San Shou, Victorio Senduk will be taking on Raymond Tiew, who has a similar martial arts background.
- There will be 20 fighters from 10 different countries on this card.
Full Fight Card:
ONE Fighting Championship 2: Battle of Heroes
Main Card (Online PPV)- Ole Laursen vs. Felipe Enomoto- Honorio Banario vs. Bae Young Kwon- Rustam Khabilov vs. Rodrigo Ribeiro- Gustavo Falciroli vs. Soo Chul Kim- Rolles Gracie vs. Bob Sapp
Preliminary Card (Free Facebook Stream)- Victorio Senduk vs. Raymond Tiew- Alex Silva vs. Geje Eustaquio- Jessie Rafols vs. Irshaad Sayed- Ngabdi Mulyadi vs. Peter Davis- Zuli Silawanto vs. Agus NaNang
Posted in: mma, fighter, vs, event, champion
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowRumour: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit 2 Being Negotiated For This Summer
submitted by 416fighter [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: nick, fighter, vs, rumour, summer
Read the full article at RedditDanny Castillo vs. John Cholish Set for UFC on FOX 3
After an impressive octagon debut, lightweight John Cholish will see an immediate increase in opponent level. The east coast fighter will take on surging Danny Castillo in a bout scheduled for the upcoming UFC on FOX 3 event.
The UFC confirmed that both fighters have agreed to the bout.
Cholish (8-1), a Team Renzo Gracie fighter out of New York, won his eighth straight fight overall at UFC 140, earning a TKO victory over Mitch Clarke.
Cholish is one of the more interesting stories in MMA, having graduated from Cornell University of the Ivy League. He also holds a white-collar career as a commodities trader while progressing his fight career.
His next step will almost certainly be the most challenging of his fighting days, as he prepares for Castillo, a winner of five of his last six. In his most recent bout, Castillo (13-4) earned a decision over Anthony Njokuani. Castillo has been a Zuffa fighter far longer than Cholish, making his WEC debut back in 2008 before moving over to the UFC in 2011. Overall, he's 8-4 during his UFC/WEC run.
UFC on FOX 3 takes place from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 5. The arena is less than a one-hour drive from Morristown, where Cholish went to high school.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, bout, castillo, cholish
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFight Watching 101: How (And How Many Times) Do You Watch A Fight Before Confidently Scoring It?
The aftermath of the Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit fight at UFC 143 has seen some incredibly good fan posts around the SBnation community:
My early favorite was this post by Bloody Elbow community member "crazybones", in which he bemoans the separation of violence and sport that has gradually been taking place in MMA.
Dallas Winston asked people to share their scores, which provided a great sampling of opinions and insights for seeing it one way or the other.
I'm sure you've all read it by now, but another BE member, KGNLuc, took the time to transcribe what was said in Nick's corner during the fight. Above all else, It's a fascinating look into the relationship between Nathan and Nick. If you haven't or don't read it you will definitely be missing some key information when trying to evaluate the fight.
Finally, Monte Fisto opens up his fight watching toolbox and shares a concept that everyone who cares about MMA should know: "The Rule of Trembling Shock". Just go read it.
Throughout those (and other) threads, it emerged that a large portion of those who saw it for Diaz felt he clearly won and a large portion of those who saw if for Condit felt he clearly won.
How so many people can look at a singular event and have wildly differing accounts is generally known as "The Rashomon effect", named after Japanese film maker Akira Kurosawa's film "Roshomon", which depicted a crime seen in mutually contradictory ways through the eyes of four people. In applying the concept to MMA, passion clearly plays a large role; Diaz fans will tend to see the fight for Diaz, while Condit fans will tend to see the fight for Condit.
Another contributing factor is the tendency for opposing factions to attempt to discredit each other while at the same time trying to get their point across. A great example of this in everyday life is the political debate over the de-criminalization of marijuana. Those in favor of de-criminalization would have you believe that it is a miracle plant with countless benefits and no negative side effects. Those who are against de-criminalization, on the other hand, claim that, among other bad things, it turns all who use it into worthless, unmotivated slobs and often leads to more serious drug use. Of course there are grains of truth on both sides but neither will ever admit it, in fear that their position will then be dismissed entirely.
Back to fighting though. By now, having heard the countless arguments from both sides, I think most reasonable members of the MMA community would agree that the Diaz/Condit fight was an incredibly close affair. Judging that fight live must have been an exceedingly difficult task and I wonder how many times the judges went back and forth in their heads before settling on Condit.
Fortunately for us, we do not have to render our verdict in the two minutes immediately following the fight. We have the benefit of being able to watch the fight multiple times, of looking at the CompuStrike and FightMetric stats, of listening to the opinions of many many educated observers, before we come to a conclusion, if we even do. (I'm okay with saying, "That particular fight was so close, I'm not exactly sure who I think won". I've said it before and will probably say it again.)
With the number of close fights happening in the past few years, I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I watch and evaluate fighting and this fight has convinced me that it was time for me to ask how the members of this esteemed community watch and evaluate. After the jump I'll share my fight watching evolution from noob to whatever I am now (potentially still a noob) and hopefully a handful of people will do the same.
When I started watching the sport, I was generally not really sure what I was looking at. I would alternate between watching one fighter or the other every few seconds, mostly their faces and it was impossible for me to tell what happened during standing exchanges unless a fighter was noticably effected by a strike. Even then all I could really tell was that one guy hit the other with either a punch or a kick. When the fight hit the ground I was even less sure what was happening. During this phase of watching fights I relied on the play by play and color to fill me in on what was happening and I took their opinions as the gospel truth.
Since I, like most sports fans, had already been exposed to stand-up striking through boxing and of course, Bloodsport, I was most concerned with learning about the ground game. Luckily for me I started watching a little bit after a couple of my close friends did, so they knew the basics. I can still remember asking "did he just pass to half guard?". After I had the positional aspect of the ground game down, I learned what a few of the submissions looked like and I would just keep track of the positions and submission attempts. At that point I wasn't big on giving the guy on top the advantage.
My next stage of evolution was in how I watched the stand-up. I'm not sure if someone tipped me off to this method, or if I just came up with it on my own, but I stopped watching the fighters faces and bodies and started focusing on the space in between them. I found watching like this made it far easier to identify what strikes were being thrown by who and while I still had a bit of a tough time keeping track of prolonged exchanges, I felt I had a much better idea of who was winning.
I continued watching fights this way until I started grappling, about two years ago. This greatly changed the way I viewed the ground game. I started to appreciate how difficult it could be to keep top control. I began to be able to tell when a fighter was looking to advance position and do damage or just preventing their opponent from doing so. I went from seeing the battle for grappling position that often takes place up against the cage as boring to a critical aspect of the match. Around this time I also began to make it a priority to keep the unified scoring criteria in mind at all times.
The most recent steps I have taken in my fight watching evolution are watching without sound and watching multiple times. I don't do this for every fight, certainly not fights that end by stoppage, but I have taken to watching close fights a total of four times before I come to a decision.
The first time I watch it live, with friends, fully in the moment, absorbing as much as I possibly can and coming up with a decision at the end of the fight, before the judges scores are read.The second time through I watch only one of the fighters, from start to finish. I watch their eyes, their arms and legs, their body language. Then I do the same for the other fighter. I find that this allows me to see things I might have missed and also to identify which fighter is dictacting the fight and which is reacting. Sometimes exchanges happen so fast that it's hard to tell who got the better of them and this method helps me narrow it down. I might make some notes on what I feel were key moments for each guy.
Finally, I watch the fight again, alone, with no sound. By this time I have a pretty clear idea of how I think the fight went in my head but I just want to make sure that I haven't been swayed by something the broadcast team said or the way the crowd reacted during the fight.
And that about does it. How many of you think this is going way overboard? Anyone have a similar routine? I learned today that Monte Fisto looks for "trembling shock" when watching stand up action. What do you look for in a fight? I'm not sure anyone will want to admit it on the internet, but even after watching like I do, I'm occasionally still unsure of my determination of who won. How confident are you in yours?
(Note: I haven't finished my viewings of the Nick Diaz/Carlos Condit fight, but I'm working through it. Just in case anyone wanted to come along and accuse me of making all this up in an effort to justify my giving the fight to one guy or the other)
Poll
How many times do you watch a close (or not) fight in the aftermath of it?
Just once.
Twice.
Three or more times, all in the same night as the fight
Three or more times, leaving at least 24 hours between the first and subsequent viewings
0 votes | Results
Posted in: fight, time, fighter, condit, im
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendTim Kennedy & Mayhem Miller Want Fights
Strikeforce may have survived a contract renegotiation with Showtime after it’s top stars left last year, but the once emerging promotion has just been puttering along ever since.
It’s a fact that hasn’t been lost on Dana White. He believes he can turn it around if and when he convinces Showtime to give him full control over it.
He later addressed his goals to improve the Strikeforce brand saying, “why not the UFC’s level? If you talk to anybody they will tell you that Gilbert Melendez is one of the best fighters in the world. There’s a ton of guys. Now you got Rockhold over there. Yes, these guys are great. I just want to do things that I want to do things over there. We’ll see what happens. You guys know how I am. If I take this Strikeforce thing then I will dive into this thing 100% because I have so much free time. [laughter] I’m looking for a side project. Honestly, I will dive into this thing and I will make it right and I will make it good. I will make the fighters who fight over there not worry about what’s going on in the UFC.”
Well, one Strikeforce fighter who would probably love to see Dana get his hands on it is Tim Kennedy. He told MiddleEasy recently that he’s sick and tired of waiting around for fights.
I’m getting real sick of this MMA scene right now. Waiting around for fights and the politics between Strikeforce and Showtime and the UFC and Zuffa. I’m just kind of getting over it, man. I miss the simplicity of life as a soldier. So, I don’t know. I don’t know what I want to do. I have some extreme survival and athlete type shows possibly going and, so, I don’t know, man, I don’t know. It’s going to be a curious year. I haven’t fought in… months. Now it will be a year before my next fight. A year lay off, and not by choice. I was out two weeks with an injury in a twelve month time frame? It’s shenanigans. If my job is to fight and I only get a fight once every twelve months I can’t afford to keep fighting. I gotta do something else, I have to figure it out.
Kennedy has grown so discouraged over the situation that he’s actually thinking about retiring. He’s expected to fight Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold next and says that even if he were to beat Rockhold, he would probably call it a career after that unless he were to be offered a big fight in the UFC. Yeah, so much for all the Strikeforce fighters being pumped about staying in Strikeforce.
Tim Kennedy isn’t the only middleweight looking for a fight. Jason “Mayhem” Miller, fresh off one of the more disappointing performances of his career at the TUF 14 Finale, wants to get back in action as well.
Mayhem’s problem is quite different than Kennedy’s dilemma though. He’s in the UFC where there are plenty of cards to fight on, but the problem is Dana White was so disappointed in his performance against Michael Bisping he was actually thinking about letting him go.
On The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani yesterday, Miller said that he was given a “nod” that he would be given another chance, but they haven’t offered him another fight as of yet. To fix that, he implored fans to bomb Dana White’s Twitter feed with requests to give him a fight.
“You guys tweet Dana that you want to see me fight,” Miller said. “I want to fight as soon as possible. So the more pressure that anybody who wants to see me fight, the more pressure they put on the brass, well, guess what? I’ll fight sooner.”
“Whenever — I’ll fight next weekend,” Miller said. “I’m sick of sitting on the couch,” he said. “I’m a fighter. I need to fight.”
Fighters need to fight. Hopefully both Kennedy and Mayhem gets fights sooner than later.
Image via Esther Lin for Strikeforce/Showtime
Posted in: fight, strikeforce, fighter, dana, kennedy
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC 143 Medical Suspensions: 15 Fighters On the Shelf
A total of 15 fighters were issued medical suspensions by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after their bouts at UFC 143 on Saturday.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, suspension, nevada state, shelf
Read the full article at Heavy MMAWith debate still raging on Condit's title win, fighters weigh in on UFC 143 result
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: title, fighter, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link, condits title
Read the full article at RedditDana will make Strikeforce good
MMA bloggers love Dana White because every time he opens his mouth several posts worth of news items fall out. Lost in the shuffle of all the Diaz vs Condit craziness was Dana's spontaneous declaration at a press conference that he wants to fix Strikeforce. This isn't the first time he's brought it up, and you gotta wonder what Dana's angle is sitting down with a scrum of reporters and saying he's not impressed with Showtime's performance.
"I'm working on Melendez. Melendez is all over my ass." He added, "I think he's a great fighter and I've said this a million times and I want to say it again. I want to get my hands on Strikeforce. I want to dive into this thing and I want to do it the way that it should be done. And the way that I think it should be done. We'll see what happens."He later addressed his goals to improve the Strikeforce brand saying, "why not the UFC's level? If you talk to anybody they will tell you that Gilbert Melendez is one of the best fighters in the world. There's a ton of guys. Now you got Rockhold over there. Yes, these guys are great. I just want to do things that I want to do things over there. We'll see what happens. You guys know how I am. If I take this Strikeforce thing then I will dive into this thing 100% because I have so much free time. [laughter] I'm looking for a side project. Honestly, I will dive into this thing and I will make it right and I will make it good. I will make the fighters who fight over there not worry about what's going on in the UFC."
OMG HE WANTS TO LOBOTOMIZE STRIKEFORCE FIGHTERS! What else is going to make them magically forget about that much more prestigious and financially lucrative promotion under Zuffa's ownership? Tickle me intrigued as to how Dana would turn Strikeforce around. Considering it's worrisome ratings / tickets / existential crisis, it might not even be possible. Which is why I wonder if this kinda talk is a prelude to the UFC pulling the plug on Strikeforce all together. If only they had been able to get the control they needed!
Posted in: time, strikeforce, fighter, dana, thing
Read the full article at FightlinkerONE Fighting Championship 'Battle of Heroes' preview for Feb. 11 in Jakarta
After a four month break ONE Fighting Championship is back this Saturday night with a card in Jakarta, Indonesia. It features a mixture of established international superstars who will need absolutely no introduction and up and coming fighters who fans outside Asia might not be so familiar with.
2012 is set to be a big year for ONE FC who will be putting on a minimum of eight events in cities across Asia and have also signed a historic ten year television deal with ESPN Star Sports. It is a tremendous opportunity for fighters to make a name for themselves competing on a show which will be available in more homes than any other in the history of Asian MMA.
The action gets underway at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta with a five fight undercard which will be streamed free of charge on the ONE FC website and facebook page followed by a five fight main card which will be available via U-Stream for just $9.99.
After the jump is a preview of all ten fights
Ole Laursen vs Felipe Enomoto (Lightweight)
Ole Laursen is a former Muay Thai, kickboxing and K-1 star who is rated very highly indeed. He has been out of action for over a year with injuries and needs to put in a good performance to show that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the ONE FC lightweight division.
His opponent, Felipe Enomoto, is no stepping stone though, he is extremely well rounded and has faced UFC calibre fighters in a career spent mainly competing on the European scene. Laursen was once selected for the Filipino national boxing team, an offer he was unable to accept, and will be looking to let his hands go and throw combinations of punches and kicks.
Enomoto who has been preparing for this contest at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand might well want to take the fight to the floor where he can put almost ten years of BJJ experience to use. Laursen is no slouch on the ground though and even after such a long and successful career he should have no problem motivating himself for this fight.
If Laursen can keep the fight standing he will be a strong favourite, but his takedown defence has looked a little questionable in the past and he also has a dangerous tendency to give up his back. Given that Enomoto has fought three times since he last stepped in the cage the Swiss/Japanese fighter probably has to be the slight favourite but that makes it a fantastic opportunity for the Filipino to prove that even after an extended absence he is still a serious threat.
Honorio Banario vs Bae Young Kwon (Featherweight)
When Eric Kelly was forced to pull out from this fight due to personal problems ONE FC were fortunate to find a perfect replacement in Honorio Banario. Just like Kelly he is a URCC champion, the only difference is that he holds the lightweight belt and will be dropping down to 145 lbs for the first time in his career.
Bae Young Kwon is coming off a big win against Brian Choi which firmly established him as the number three featherweight in Korea behind UFC veteran Chan Sung Jung and Doo Ho Cho who is fighting for the Deep title this month. He is a strong wrestler with outstanding Judo skills who also packs a serious punch.
Banario is a typical Team Lakay fighter who is well conditioned, well rounded and has a Wushu base. He has never been beaten but he has never faced an opponent of Kwon's calibre. Kwon might be a slight favourite based on the calibre of opposition he has faced but URCC fighters like Kelly and Eduard Folayang have done very well in international competition.
Rustam Khabilov vs Rodrigo Ribeiro (Welterweight)
This is a fascinating fight because it pits a Russian Sambo world champion against a Brazilian with a third degree BJJ black belt. Khabilov has the potential to pick Ribeiro up and slam him to the canvass but if he doesn't knock him out cold in the process (which he has done before) he's likely to be the subject of multiple submission attempts.
Khabilov's record is UFC calibre and if he can improve it to 13-1 by beating Ribeiro the sky is the limit for him career wise. Ribeiro is a seasoned veteran whose record may not be as impressive as his opponents but he has fought extensively in Brazil where the competition is a little more intense than in Russia.
This contest is intriguing partly because the participants have such contrasting martial art background but also because they train at two of the most renowned camps in the world. Ribeiro is at Evolve MMA which is widely regarded as being Asia's top training centre but Khabilov has been working with legendary trainer Greg Jackson and it could well come down to who is able to execute their game plan more effectively.
Gustavo Falciroli vs Soo Chul Kim (Bantamweight)
Falciroli is a second degree BJJ black belt and the reigning CFC bantamweight champion. He is the number one 135 lbs fighter in Australia and won a contract with ONE FC courtesy of a submission victory at CFC 19 last year. Kim is only 20 years old and is a prodigy who is highly rated in Korea but he will be up against a much more experienced opponent for the second consecutive fight.
At ONE Fighting Championship's inaugural show last September he put up a good performance to go three rounds with BJJ world champion Leandro Issa but couldn't quite do enough to win that fight. Life won't get any easier for him against Falciroli who is a veteran of the Australian scene and has also fought for Shooto in Japan.
Falciroli has never been stopped and one went the distance with UFC lightweight Bernardo Magalhaes, only losing by majority decision. Kim is improving rapidly and is an exciting prospect for the future but I expect Falciroli's experience to tell and his superior ground game will probably be the defining factor.
Bob Sapp vs Rolles Gracie (Super Heavyweight)
The first fight on the main card is big in more ways than one. Bob 'The Beast' Sapp will probably be tipping the scales at 350 lbs and is coming off a kickboxing win in Dubai last weekend. Rolles Gracie is one of the most exciting heavyweight prospects outside of the UFC and will be looking for the sixth submission win of his career.
This will probably prove popular with the Indonesian crowd but it could also be a defining moment in both men's careers. A win against such a large opponent would reflect extremely well on Gracie but Sapp is a K-1, Pride and Dream veteran with knockout power in both hands and could be a very dangerous proposition for someone who is primarily a grappler.
This fight ends one of two ways and is highly unlikely to last more than a round. Either Gracie submits Sapp or Sapp knocks out Gracie but whatever happens it will probably happen fast.
UNDERCARD
Raymond Tiew vs Victorio Senduk (Featherweight)
Victorio Senduk won a silver medal for Wushu at the SEA Games in Indonesia last year and has a 2-0 record from MMA fights in Indonesia which took place around eight years ago. He will be giving up three inches in height to Raymond Tiew who also has a background in Wushu and Taekwondo.
This looks set to be a stand up war with neither fighter likely to look for a takedown. Tiew has a 5-2 record from fighting in local events in Malaysia, if he can utilize his superior height and reach he should take this but Senduk has competed at a higher level and might have sufficient experience to negate the size difference in front of his home fans.
Jessie Rafols vs Irshaad Sayed (Bantamweight)
If I had to pick a probable fight of the night this would be it. Rafols fights at 100 mph, once the bell goes he simply does not stop and is relentless with takedowns, ground and pound and submissions. Sayed is one of the most dynamic strikers in the division and like his friend and training partner Vuyisile Colossa he is a Muay Thai world champion whose striking is just as deadly in MMA.
Rafols was originally scheduled to face Ngoo Ditty, who Sayed holds a win over. If the fight stays standing the South African should dominate but if Rafols can impose his gameplan and take the fight to the floor I expect him to prevail. Whatever happens it is unlikely to be boring.
Alex Silva vs Geje Eustaquio (Flyweight)
This is another interesting match up stylistically because it pits a BJJ world champion against a Wushu expert. Geje Eustaquio trains at altitude in Baguio with Team Lakay and Alex Silva is coming off a two month training camp with all the world champions at Evolve MMA so both should be capable of setting a fearsome pace.
Evolve MMA completely transformed Shinya Aoki's Muay Thai so it would be overly simplistic to say that Silva needs a submission to win but he will definitely want to get the fight to the ground if he can. Eustaquio might try to keep the fight standing and use his Wushu striking but he has some explosive takedowns in his arsenal making this fight extremely unpredictable.
Peter Davis vs Ngabdi Mulyadi (Lightweight)
Mulyadi is a veteran of the now defunct TPI FC organization in Indonesia who has a 5-2 record with his only losses coming against outstanding fighters. He is also an out and out wrestler who will be up against someone with some unconventional and explosive striking skills.
Davis is better known in Malaysia for acting and modelling work but the word coming out of his training camp, where he is working alongside experienced fighters like Eric Kelly and Arnaud Lepont, is that they are very excited about his potential as a mixed martial artist.
Mulyadi will be relentless in his pursuit of the takedown but if he can't get it I expect Davis to pick him apart with his superior striking.
Zuli Silawanto vs Agus Nanang (Welterweight)
The undercard gets underway with an all Indonesian affair which is sure to get the crowd going. Silawanto is a seasoned TPI FC veteran who has plenty of experience and claims to be very well rounded. Nanang is a wrestler who will not want the fight to remain standing for too long if he can help it.
It's difficult to make predictions but if SIlawanto can impose his stand up he will probably be favourite, Nanang might need to put him on his back if he wants to win.
For information about viewing these fights on the internet visit the One FC website.
Posted in: fight, fighter, vs, year, fc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 143 Medical Suspensions: 7 Fighters Face 6 Month Layoffs
Seven fighters from Saturday’s UFC 143 “Diaz vs. Condit” have been issued six-month medical suspensions by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, suspension, nevada state, layoff
Read the full article at SherdogCesar Gracie Blames Diaz-Condit Decision On Biased Nevada Judges
“I don’t think the judges like Nick. He comes off, he talks in the ring… Carlos was running at one point, and Nick slapped him in the face said, ‘Quit running.’ We were there for a dogfight. Carlos said he’d provide for the fans a dogfight, a great fight where they were going to go at it. That was not a dogfight. It takes two to make a dogfight. One guy running away is not a dogfight… I don’t know what the judges were looking at. They’ve never liked Nick in Vegas. They’ve never voted for him in a decision. The only one was the BJ Penn fight, and he almost had to kill BJ to get that one. I don’t think they like his attitude, a guy that’s going to go out there and talk. I think they think he’s disrespectful. They’re going to find a reason to judge against him. I don’t think he can get fair judging in that state at all.”
— Cesar Gracie on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani claiming judges are biased against Nick Diaz in Nevada
First and foremost, let me say that Diaz did not get robbed. This wasn’t Shogun-Machida I. It was a close fight and I think you could make an argument for either fighter. That said, there is certainly incompetent judging in MMA. It happens all the time. But biased judging? I don’t know. I’ve never seen any evidence of that, but I’ve never been in a position to either. It wouldn’t surprise me, but to suggest Nick can’t win a decision in Vegas because the judges don’t like him without providing any evidence to support such a theory is kind of like throwing around baseless steroid and greasing accusations. They’re pointless without proof.
Moving on, Gracie also took aim at Greg Jackson and their fight strategies during the interview.
“It’s one thing to avoid standing in the pocket, it’s one thing to know how to dodge punches and kicks, and be somewhat elusive and have great defense,” he said. “It’s another thing to turn your back and run from a fighter. That’s completely different. You shouldn’t be telling your fighter to fight like that. I think it’s a disgrace and a shame. I’ve said this before: I don’t like that camp. I’m not going to take that back.”
Greg Jackson joined the show right after Gracie hung up. He didn’t specifically respond to Gracie’s comments, but he did defend the game plan they employed to beat Nick Diaz.
“It’s not like we reinvented the wheel here with this game plan,” Jackson said. “A stick-and-move game plan against a guy that’s such an amazing fighter and such a tough guy as Diaz, for me is a no-brainer. If you look at the numbers, we hit him many more times than he hit us.”
“The criticism I guess I heard this morning was that Carlos was running,” Jackson said. “He was running back to the middle of the Octagon and hitting him. You can’t really say he’s running, because he hit him more times. So that argument doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
“He’s amazing when he gets you up against the fence,” Jackson said of Diaz. “He’s amazing when he starts rolling on those combinations. So we left the party when that happened and then we started the party again and were able to land a lot more shots than he was. It’s pretty cut and dry to me. …If you sit there and go toe-to-toe with him, man, he’s just so tough. His combinations flow so beautifully. He switches from the body to the head so well. There’s no reason for us to play that game.”
Jackson also made it clear that if GSP and Condit do fight next, he will not be cornering either fighter. Interestingly enough though, for Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans, he might be changing his mind about cornering Jones. He still considers Rashad a friend, but since he’s not coming back to their camp, he feels he needs to be loyal to his team too.
Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting
Posted in: fight, jackson, nick, fighter, judge
Read the full article at MMA ConvertGreg Jackson: Stick-and-Move Game Plan Was 'No-Brainer' Against Nick Diaz
MMA trainer Greg Jackson might be, by his own admission, "completely and utterly biased," but he still thought the judges got it right when they handed Carlos Condit a unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143 this past Saturday night, he told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani.Saying there was "no doubt" in his mind that the decision would go Condit's way, Jackson defended his fighter’s strategy on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, and fired back at critics who accused Condit of running away from Diaz."It’s not like we reinvented the wheel here with this game plan," Jackson said. "A stick-and-move game plan against a guy that’s such an amazing fighter and such a tough guy as Diaz, for me is a no-brainer. If you look at the numbers, we hit him many more times than he hit us."
But then, just because it worked, that doesn’t make it popular. Jackson hasn’t remained deaf to the criticism of his fighter, but that doesn’t mean he agrees with any of it, either."The criticism I guess I heard this morning was that Carlos was running," Jackson said. "He was running back to the middle of the Octagon and hitting him. You can’t really say he’s running, because he hit him more times. So that argument doesn’t make a lot of sense."According to Jackson, the plan for Condit was to "attack Nick’s safety zones," and stay away from situations where Diaz excels."He’s amazing when he gets you up against the fence," Jackson said of Diaz. "He’s amazing when he starts rolling on those combinations. So we left the party when that happened and then we started the party again and were able to land a lot more shots than he was. It’s pretty cut and dry to me. ...If you sit there and go toe-to-toe with him, man, he’s just so tough. His combinations flow so beautifully. He switches from the body to the head so well. There’s no reason for us to play that game."And yet, despite Condit’s success in the fight, the strategy was met with criticism from many fight fans and from Diaz’s trainer, Cesar Gracie, who lambasted Condit’s game plan earlier on in Monday’s show. That reaction didn’t surprise Jackson, he said, "because Nick was supposed to win that fight. Georges [St-Pierre] was flown in and they were going to have this grudge match and everybody was excited about it."Condit’s victory scuttled those plans, Jackson admitted, but it also provoked the ire of fans who complained that his fighter spent too much time on the retreat. The fans who want fighters to stand and slug it out is an "element that has always existed in MMA," Jackson said, but it doesn’t mean fighters have to adopt that mentality."A lot of people think that you can win a fight by just walking forward, and that’s actually not how you win a fight," said Jackson. "Because if that was the only way you win a fight, you’re talking about Toughman [boxing contests]."Since fighting is "so subtle and so hard," according to Jackson, some fans might not always understand what they see, he said. Although, the Albuquerque-based trainer did admit to being a little surprised at how some people reacted to the decision even after the statistics showed that his fighter had thrown more strikes and landed more strikes than Diaz."This one is odd a little bit, because it’s really a no-brainer. If you look at the significant strikes, that’s got to count for something. All strikes, we outstruck him. Significant strikes, we outstruck him. So if you’re looking at numbers, that was all us. If you’re hitting him, not getting hit, and moving, I’m not really sure how you can score [the fight for Diaz]."Of course, Condit’s win means that he’ll likely meet another Jackson-trained fighter -- UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre -- to unify the titles once GSP is finally healthy enough to fight again. That’s one he plans to stay out of, Jackson said, since "Georges is my guy as much as Carlos is my guy."While Jackson admitted that he’s still trying to decide whether he’ll train and corner UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones in his fight with former Jackson’s MMA team member Rashad Evans, he has no such doubt about a potential Condit-St-Pierre bout."When the fight happens," he said, "I’ll be eating a cheeseburger somewhere."
Posted in: fight, mma, jackson, fighter, plan
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC 143 Fighter Salaries: Nick Diaz Top Earner
The NSAC has released the fighter salaries for UFC 143. Keep in mind, these figures represent the base contracted pay the fighter receives from the promotion. These figures do not include any additional undisclosed discretionary bonuses, pay-per-view revenue sharing bonuses or sponsorship money, which in many cases exceeds a fighter’s base pay. These numbers also do not account for taxes, insurance, and license fees.
Nick Diaz didn’t win the fight, but he did make the most money at UFC 143. Diaz earned $200,000 in a losing effort to Carlos Condit. Condit also did well for himself taking in $110,000. Josh Koscheck and Fabricio Werrdum also broke the six-figure mark while Roy Nelson would have only gone home with a disclosed $20,000 had he not won the $65,000 Fight of the Night award. His toughness may not have won him the fight but at least it earned him some extra cash.
Payouts
Courtesy of MMA Junkie:
Carlos Condit: $110,000 ($55k +$55k win bonus)
Nick Diaz: $200,000
Fabricio Werdum: $100,000 (no win bonus)
Roy Nelson: $20,000
Josh Koscheck: $146,000 ($73k +$73k)
Mike Pierce: $20,000
Renan Barao: $22,000 ($11k +$11k)
Scott Jorgensen: $20,500
Ed Herman: $62,000 ($31k +$31k)
Clifford Starks: $8,000
Dustin Poirier: $24,000 ($12k +$12k)
Max Holloway: $6,000
Edwin Figueroa: $16,000 ($8k +$8k)
Alex Caceres: $8,000
Matt Brown: $30,000 ($15k +$15k)
Chris Cope: $8,000
Matt Riddle: $30,000 ($15k +$15k)
Henry Martinez: $6,000
Rafael Natal: $20,000 ($10k +$10k)
Michael Kuiper: $6,000
Stephen Thompson: $12,000 ($6k +$6k)
Dan Stittgen: $6,000
Bonuses
$65,000 bonus to each fighter.
Knockout of the Night – Stephen Thompson
Submission of the Night – Dustin Poirier
Fight of the Night – Fabricio Werdum & Roy Nelson
Total Payout
A disclosed total of $1,140,500, including all bonuses, was paid out to the fighters.
Posted in: fight, night, diaz, fighter, bonus
Read the full article at MMA ConvertEven in Losing, Nick Diaz Sits Atop the UFC 143 Fighter Salaries
The UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit fighter salaries were released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday with Nick Diaz topping the list, despite losing his fight.
Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, fighter, nevada state, salary
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyWhat's a grounded opponent?
Let this be a lesson to all the fighters who think monkeying around in the cage will protect them from a swift kick to the face.
(via the Middle Easy)
Posted in: fighter, face, middle, what, monkeying
Read the full article at FightlinkerIndia Likely for Next TUF International Destination
India looks to be the next international destination for the popular reality series "The Ultimate Fighter."
Posted in: fighter, reality series, india, destination india, destination
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyVideo: Cage door breaks, both fighters go stiff at Hardrock MMA 43
Our friends at Pro MMA Now were live and on the scene last Saturday night for the unfortunate turn of events:
Pro lightweights Brandon Bishop and Braedon Ward were off to a competitive start in their co-main event bout. However, at about the minute-and-a-half mark, Ward shot in on Bishop and drove him into the cage, they busted right through the cage door, fell down the stairs and were both knocked out cold. Apparently a hinge on the door had been damaged during an earlier fight. They thought they had fixed it but when the fighters hit the door it knocked the pin out. Because the fighters could not continue, the bout was ruled a no-contest.
This is not an isolated incident and one of the unfortunate perils of fighting inside a cage. Anyone remember James Irvin and Bobby Southworth tumbling to the floor under the Strikeforce banner way back in 2006?
Both fighters were reportedly paid win bonuses and a scheduled for a future rematch.
Posted in: fighter, cage, door, cage door, bobby southworth
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBoth fighters knocked out when the cage door springs open mid-bout and they both fall down the...
Both fighters knocked out when the cage door springs open mid-bout and they both fall down the stairs to the floor. Anyone know what event, location and what fighters?
Posted in: fighter, door, floor anyone, event location, midbout
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDouble KO when two fighters bust through cage door during MMA fight last night..
submitted by tekprodfx16 [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: fighter, tekprodfx, mma fight, cage door, fighters bust
Read the full article at RedditUFC 143 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts
As I sit here in the media room surrounded by the photo and video reporters, I the emotions of a live event are finally being lifted. There was a ton of anticipation for the interim title bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit as many people expected the fight to deliver fireworks. While the general feeling is split, there is no doubt that both fighters elevated themselves despite the decision. With three hours before my flight back to Austin, Texas, let's take a look at the biggest winner and losers of UFC 143.
WINNERS
Carlos Condit: Throughout the entire week, the media were discounting Condit's ability to play spoiler for the potential matchup between Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz. While it may not be the fight that people expected, Condit fought a perfect fight and walked away with not just the win but also a sweet Harley Davidson motorcycle. Not a bad way to spend Super Bowl weekend, huh?
Fabricio Werdum: He looked incredibly dominant in every facet of the fight, especially in the clinch. Lesser men would have crumbled to those knees to the face so the lack of a finish cannot be held against the two time Abu Dhabi champion. He's likely a win or two away from a shot at the UFC heavyweight belt.
Dustin Poirier: Dustin 'Diamond' was originally scheduled to face Eric Koch in a title eliminator. Unfortunately, the Duke Roufus product suffered an injury and was replaced by Max Holloway. While the fight may not have earned him a shot at Jose Aldo's belt, Poirier walked away with a $65k bonus which will ease that pain.
Ed Herman: There's something to say about a complete career rebirth. After a slew of injuries that kept him sidelined, Herman is now on a three fight win streak and a new found look on MMA.
Stephen Thompson: The highlight reel knockout over Dan Stittgen is a great way to make a UFC debut. The fact that he's such a highly touted prospect will mean that the UFC will develop him slowly as he has a bright future in the promotion. A fantastic performance from a young fighter.
Losers and other thoughts after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit
LOSERS
Matt Riddle: That was a god awful performance against a featherweight. It may seem absurd but Matthew Riddle has regressed since his time on the Ultimate Fighter. The only good news for Riddle is that as bad as he was tonight, he still put on a better performance than...
Rafael Natal: Rafael Natal is hands down the worst fighter in the UFC's middleweight division. I'm not arguing this or even offering any sort of evidence. If you watched the fight tonight you know I'm right. He walked away with the W but looked awful in the effort.
Alex Caceres: I hate saying that his game plan was to land two ridiculously hard low blows but holy cow did those take a ton out of Edwin Figueroa's tank. Justice was served though as Caceres walked away with the L and hopefully with a lesson in leg kicks.
OTHER THOUGHTS
Nick Diaz may have announced his desire to leave MMA following the loss to Carlos Condit but I don't expect this to be the last time we see the elder Diaz brother in the UFC. He put on a great performance and the fact that people were arguing about the scoring is evidence of that fact. Hopefully seeing his brother fight Jim Miller will provide him with more motivate to return to MMA.
Josh Koscheck may have been victorious but tonight but he looked awful in the victory. It was apparently his last fight with AKA so who knows if that was a factor but this wasn't a fight that he should be proud of.
Roy Nelson is one of the toughest men alive. Those knees were ridiculous and he still stayed in the fight. Huge dap to the recently slimmed Roy Nelson for stay competitive against a top fighter.
What's going on with Scott Jorgensen? He hasn't used his patented guillotine and has fallen off the bantamweight map with this loss to Renan Barao. Disappointing for such a promising young fighter.
Henry Martinez deserves credit for fighting Matt Riddle who likely entered the cage around 190 pounds. Insane that he did as much damage as he did. I'm looking forward to seeing him return to the UFC closer to his natural weight class.
Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, fighter, condit
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMike Swick: They Call Him Mr. Glass
UFC President Dana White talks about former 'Ultimate Fighter' Mike Swick and his potential return to action.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, mike, mike swick, swick
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 143 Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Official Scorecard
submitted by 416fighter [link] [16 comments]
Posted in: ufc, nick, fighter, official, scorecard
Read the full article at RedditUFC 143 results: Josh Koscheck earns split decision win over Mike Pierce
The UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" main card taking place tonight (Sat., Feb. 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, featured a welterweight co-main event pitting bad boy Josh Koscheck against wannabe contender Mike Pierce.
The story was simple heading into the bout. "Kos" is a veteran with a big name and solid resume who is looking to get paid and get some big fights before he bails on the sport while Pierce is a slightly younger guy looking to put a big name under his belt on his way to a title shot, assuming he can get there.
If tonight was any indication, he's still got a ways to go.
That's because he struggled mightily to handle the mediocre striking and solid wrestling of Koscheck, who himself didn't look exactly like a dominant force. This fight certainly did little to make fans believe either man is anywhere near the level of Georges St. Pierre, Carlos Condit or Nick Diaz. Right?
It wasn't much of a shock when Pierce opened with a strong right hand and immediately ducked low for a takedown, leading to a clinch against the cage and a stalemate that Las Vegas was none too pleased with.
Regardless, strategy is key in close match-ups like this and Pierce working dirty boxing inside the clinch was clearly something he wanted to establish early.
They reset eventually but ended up right back where they started at, this time initiated by Koscheck, who looked somewhat tentative to engage. Perhaps the orbital bone break still haunts him?
Any thought of that seemed to go out the window when he took a few shots to give a few himself and started leaving his hands low, showing no respect for Pierce's power.
The opening frame came to a close with neither fighter having truly asserted themselves. Indeed, both corners told their fighters the round was far too close and they needed to step their game up.
Again, though, neither fighter truly established himself in the second stanza either. The most exciting action actually came when Herb Dean warned Koscheck to stop striking with an open glove. He didn't heed the warning but did execute a takedown shortly after, perhaps remembering that he's a champion wrestler.
Still, heading into the final round, it was far too close for comfort ... for anyone.
Pierce tried to bridge the gap (or further it, depending on his thought process at the time) by earning a takedown to start the third. But he failed to do anything with it and essentially had it negated when Koscheck popped back up to his feet.
Then again, points are points and in a fight when judges don't have much to score, it's all important.
Speaking of which, Koscheck continued pushing his hands out with his fingers extended, leading to an eye poke that Dean very well could have used to take a point away.
But he didn't and with that, "Kos" took home an uninspiring split decision victory.
Don't forget to check out our complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the main card action, which is currently rolling right along on pay-per-view. Click here for all the coverage you need of the UFC 143 event.
Posted in: right, fighter, koscheck, hand, champion wrestler
Read the full article at MMA ManiaStrikeforce fighters struggle with stigma of inferiority to UFC
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, fighter, mattyblayze, inferiority
Read the full article at RedditStrikeforce Fighters Talk About Living In The Shadow Of The UFC
Tonight may be UFC 143, but there is never a bad time to talk about the debate over the placement of Strikeforce fighters relative to their UFC counterparts. In a recent article at Sports Illustrated, Loretta Hunt covers a variety of reasons people may underrate Strikeforce fighters and talks to guys like Luke Rockhold and Tim Kennedy about the stigma that comes with fighting in the "B promotion."
From the article:
UFC fighters haven't exactly helped that cause. Answering a challenge made by Strikeforce light heavyweight Mohammed "King Mo" Lawal earlier this month, former UFC champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson said fighting in Strikeforce would be a "step down" in his career. In another interview, UFC middleweight Michael Bisping feigned ignorance when asked about critical comments Strikeforce's Kennedy had recently made about him.
"Who's he?" asked Bisping. "I've never heard of him."
...
"Between Jacare, Luke and myself, I think that we could take on seven out of the top 10 guys in the UFC in our respective weight class, but almost all of the media and the fans disagree with us," said Kennedy, who's won back-to-back fights in Strikeforce. "I've said it my entire career that I just want to fight the best guys. Now I add the caveat that now I want to fight the guys that everyone else thinks are the best fighters."
Kennedy said it was frustrating to watch Demian Maia (15-4), who's been recognized on all three rankings lists in the past, lose to unranked newcomer Chris Weidman during the UFC's second FOX broadcast last Saturday. Weidman took the bout on 11 days notice and cut a whopping 30 pounds to make weight for it. Kennedy, who said he's been training to fight at Strikeforce's next event on March 3 should an opening arise, vigorously campaigned for the vacancy and was disappointed that he was "never seriously considered" for it.
Depth is always going to be the issue that holds a fighter back from being elevated too highly in the eyes of many. When Rockhold is having to defend his title against a guy who has never fought at middleweight and has lost every fight of any note recently, it's hard to think of Strikeforce as having the depth to really elevate a fighter. That leaves fans and the media to try to judge relative abilities and we can see that a guy like Rockhold is talented. But, of course, it's difficult to consider him an absolute top tier talent until we see how he fares against other guys on that level.
It is interesting to see Kennedy say that he was campaigning for the shot on Fox against Maia. I have to think he'd have put a hurting on Demian given how bad he looked that night.
Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, guy, fighter, kennedy
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMMA trainer Dave Camarillo discusses cornering strategy for UFC 143's Josh Koscheck and others
Dave Camarillo is one of the most respected grappling instructors in mixed martial arts (MMA) today.
With his acumen for injecting all forms of sambo, judo, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu into his teachings, he's developed a ground-specific version of MMA and it's translated into a lifelong friendship with top American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) fighters like Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck.
While Camarillo is no longer affiliated with AKA, choosing instead to focus on his two grappling gyms full-time, he will continue to corner fighters like Koscheck and Fitch until they call it quits.
During a special guest appearance on The Verbal Submission last night, Camarillo, who will be in the corner of Josh Koscheck tonight (Feb. 4, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC 143, closed our interview by discussing his specific tactics for cornering a fighter, using several instances with Cain Velasquez in great detail.
Check it out:
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I know you're planning on cornering Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck for the remainder of their careers. Are you flying out to Vegas to corner Josh [on Saturday] night?
Dave Camarillo: Yeah, I leave [Saturday] morning and I'll be in his corner and it'll be in and out for that one but yes.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I have corner strategies. We see guys like Greg Jackson, he's more about calming his fighter down, just getting them to relax in between rounds and you see corners like Frankie Edgar's boxing coach [Mark Henry] give him specific advice, ideas, things to work on and and adjustments to make. What type of cornerman are you when you're in there helping your fighter out between rounds?
Dave Camarillo: Okay, I'll just give an example, Cain Velasquez versus Ben Rothwell, if you watch the fight you can hear me say something like, "I want his shoulders flat." I'll talk about that in a second, but for me, it's simple commands of what I see out of the first round. Of course we have our say before the first round but that's in camp. We don't have too much to say but simple things like, "Keep your hands up. Give me some aggressive footwork. I want you in and out. Don't hang out in the pocket."
Little things like that are very important especially the first round because that's when everyone has the most power but after the first round or even analyzing a fighter, when I was in the corner for Cain and we saw Nogueira, Nogueira's not very athletic. That's no disrespect to him, he's just not very athletic. That's genetics. So when he was jumping up and down, I was looking across and thinking, "We got this fight," because Cain is super-athletic. He's super-quick. He can change directions very quick. He can be up and be down, be left and be right faster than probably anyone in the heavyweight division so when I looked at that, I was like, "We got this. Nogueira's slower. He's not so athletic. We're gonna keep moving," so after that first round with Ben Rothwell, I saw the same things.
[Rothwell's] not very athletic. He's a power guy, he's got some power in his hands, he's a heavy guy but if you put him down, he's got to get all that weight back up and a guy who's not so athletic can't get to their feet real quickly so, for example, I just said, "Get those shoulders flat like it's a wrestling game." Simple, clear-cut. Get those shoulders flat because I want him to be flat and to have to spend all that energy getting back up and what happened was the storm was never weathered. Cain kept coming and that guy exhausted himself and he just couldn't even defend punches so I look for athleticism. I look for people's strengths, trying to avoid that and the first round tells me a lot because you don't really know what's going on until your fighter has fought him for five minutes, if that makes sense.
To listen to the full 50+ minute audio of our interview with Dave Camarillo, click here. It begins at the 60 minute mark. Mobile users can download the episode here.
So, Maniacs, does Camarillo make some intriguing points?
Do you expect Josh Koscheck to run through Mike Pierce tonight? Will the former AKA trainer be able to keep his fighter confident and in charge?
Speak up!
Posted in: fighter, round, josh koscheck, he, camarillo
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUnder UFC 143 Radar, Renan Barao Can Become Bantamweight Contender With Win
It was just three months ago when Renan Barao smashed Brad Pickett, finishing the Brit with a first-round submission. The win was complete in its dominance. Barao out-struck Pickett in the standup, then overwhelmed him on the ground.That victory pushed Barao's unbeaten stretch to 28 straight fights, and made him a combined 4-0 while fighting in the UFC and WEC. It also solidified his status as a bantamweight title contender, an important development in a division that is currently recycling Urijah Faber for another title shot less than a year after losing to current champ Dominick Cruz.Yet it may come as a surprise to many that Barao is fighting on Saturday, and that he has a legitimate chance to become the next bantamweight contender with a win over Scott Jorgensen.
Maybe it's the cult of Nick Diaz, or the specter of Georges St-Pierre looming over UFC 143, but not much else has gotten much traction during event week. If one fighter aside from Diaz and Carlos Condit deserve it, it's Barao.He has exhibited a mature overall fight IQ, with tight yet sometimes unpredictable striking, strong wrestling and an aggressive ground game. Most noticeable of all, Barao has the killer instinct.Not only has he shown power for a bantamweight, but he hunts for the finish when he senses his opponent is in trouble. Against Pickett, he hurt him with strikes, and then expertly took his back when Pickett was trying to return to his feet. It was a very decisive, telling moment. Many fighters would have chosen to keep position there and dragged their opponent back to the ground, as a misstep while trying to jump to your opponent's back is likely to end with you on the bottom. But Barao chose to be offensive and was rewarded for his risk, soon closing the fight with a rear naked choke.The win was Barao's first against a top 10 opponent, and it moved him up to No. 7 in the USA Today/MMA Nation rankings. All of the fighters above him have already had their cracks at Cruz.Even his opponent, Jorgensen, who is ranked No. 5, has had his moment, losing by decision to Cruz in December 2010.The bantamweights are fairly new on the UFC scene, so observers can be excused for their unfamiliarity with the division's best fighters, let alone others making their way towards the top. But the UFC hasn't done much to put Barao or Jorgensen in the spotlight, either, even when the division is desperate for breakthrough talent. Neither fighter was invited to the open workout, or to the press conference.Until they do, Barao will have to gain attention the old-fashioned way in this sport: with his performance. He hasn't lost in his last 28 pro fights, so I think we're past the point of wondering whether he's a legitimate top-level fighter. But a win over Jorgensen would make for his second straight against a name opponent. Sometimes you're given the spotlight, sometimes you take it. For Barao, it will likely be the latter.If his performance against Pickett wasn't loud enough for you, maybe he'll speak a little bout louder against Jorgensen. The Diaz-St-Pierre-Condit circus is certainly worthy of plenty of headlines, but let's face it, regardless of what happens on Saturday, the welterweight division is a fun but jumbled mess. We'll have a champion, an interim champion, and many laying claim to No. 1 contender status. Meanwhile, the bantamweight division is awaiting its next star, and it would be a shame if he arrives while no one is paying attention.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, bantamweight, opponent, barao
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseWith conclusion of 'Primetime,' UFC 143 fighters switching over to 'dark side'
We see the "before" of a UFC fighter before he steps into the octagon in
snapshots: interviews, the press conference and weigh-ins.
When he enters the cage in a bad mood, we know why. It's a job requirement.
What we don't see is the hundreds of hours leading up to those public
moments, and in particular, the changeover that happens as a fighter
realizes the time is near to put everything on the line.
Posted in: press conference, fighter, ufc fighter, snapshots interviews, job requirement
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC 143 Preview: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit
MMAFrenzy’s coverage of Saturday’s main card concludes with our preview of a welterweight battle between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. The showdown will be for the interim welterweight championship. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy throughout the weekend, as we post weigh-in results, along with results of Saturday’s event.
Keys for Nick Diaz (Bryan Robison)-
Throughout these past few weeks leading up to this fight, it is obvious that Nick Diaz respects Carlos Condit. That in itself could be considered a victory for the “Natural Born Killer”. That does not come often.
Matchups this seemingly even also do not come often, as Diaz and Condit bring two similar pedigrees and styles, with the victor earning the interim welterweight title. Unfortunately, the possible matchup of Diaz taking on champion Georges St. Pierre has been just as discussed as Saturday’s matchup.
That is insulting to a fighter of Condit’s talent, and makes it seem as if Diaz is looking past him. He cannot, and more than likely is not.
Regarding the fight, Diaz will look to put the pressure on, but will have to do so sooner than he usually does, as he is typically a slow starter. When Condit is pressured early, he can not effectively use his arsenal of striking. That is something Diaz always looks to do, as no one fights as effectively going backward as they do going forward.
With Diaz’s ability to take punishment, because Condit certainly inflicts plenty, he can implement his usual style of hitting in quantity instead of sheer quality. Condit more than likely will look to do the same, knowing Diaz is tough to finish. But for all the talk that Diaz is rarely finished, he still holds the more recent loss due to finish, when he lost to KJ Noons via doctor stoppage in November 2007. With both fighters having similar determination, it will come down to the fighter with the more consistent striking, something Diaz nearly always possesses.
Keys for Carlos Condit (Chris Leslie)-
Every time I write a gameplan for a Diaz fight it is almost always the same. The issue almost always becomes that fighters struggle with Diaz’s pace and aggressiveness. With Condit, you have fighter who is also in crazy shape and loves to be aggressive.
So in that respect, these fighters are very alike. Condit is also very good on the ground and should be able to neutralize Diaz’s BJJ advantage. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if Greg Jackson has thrown a few curveballs into the gameplan and we see some wrestling from Condit.
The most important aspect of this fight is the striking game. Condit has sneaky power that is tied to his counters. If Condit is smart, and he is, he has reviewed the Daley fight multiple times. Daley exploited Diaz’s aggressive style with sharp counters that dropped Diaz a few times. The mistake that Daley made was not following up to finish Diaz off (probably due to his memory of the Shields fight) and by getting drawn into the swing for the fences style of Diaz. Plainly put, matching Diaz punch for punch is a fool’s errand, you’ll only exhaust yourself.
So Condit has to counter and move the majority of the fight. Condit cannot allow himself to get caught in the corners of the cage, a mistake BJ Penn did in rounds 2 and 3 of his Diaz fight. If Condit can take control of the octagon from Diaz, counter accordingly, and not get overwhelmed, he could ruin GSP’s dream of fighting Diaz.
Make sure to read all other previews of the main card:
Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson
Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce
Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen
Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks
UFC 143 Preliminary Card Things to Watch For
Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, vs, condit
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyThe fight for kickboxing's future continues...
The world of kickboxing has been in turmoil since Japanese promotion K-1 fell apart a few years back. On their way down they stiffed tons of fighters for money, which is pretty much the sketchiest thing you can do as a fight promoter. If the world was just, they'd get a good Overeem-style face shoving right out of the scene. But since the world isn't, it looks like the same dirtbags are preparing to try and bring K-1 back yet again.To understand what's up, you need a bit of background. There are two key characters on the K-1 side of things: founder Kazuyoshi Ishii and president Sadaharu Tanigawa. Ishii was in charge during the glory days of K-1 until he had to go to jail over tax evasion charges. Enter Tanigawa, who runs parent company FEG and the little MMA promotion that couldn't, DREAM. Most people blame him for everything that's gone wrong with K-1 and while I'm sure there were mitigating circumstances (like the Japanese fight scene going down the toilet), it's hard to look past all the sketchy lies and nonpayments done while he has been at the head.The story is Ishii has teamed up with Dutch kickboxing camp Golden Glory and Total Sports Asia to bring kickboxing back. Meanwhile, Tanigawa has teamed up with rival Dutch promotion It's Showtime and a shadowy figure named Mr Kim to revive K-1. Last week, the Golden Glory guys started signing up former K-1 fighters by offering them full payment on what K-1 owed. Meanwhile, Ishii and Mr Kim transfered the K-1 brand to a business owned by Kim and sent out contracts of their own, offering 50% of owed moneys to fighters willing to sign on. Thus far, It's Showtime fighters are the main ones taking K-1 up on that offer.So this basically boils down to a proxy battle between the guys who are trying to rip Alistair Overeem off and the guys who are being driven out of Amsterdam for having too many criminal connections. Stuck inbetween are the fans, who just wanna see some top-tier kickboxing from time to time involving some fighters that actually matter.
Posted in: fighter, kickboxing, ishii, mr kim, everything thats
Read the full article at FightlinkerUFC 143: The Fighters’ First Faceoffs (Video)
If you can't wait for Friday's UFC 143 weigh-ins, that's okay, the main fighters from the card squared off for the first time at Thursday's UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, conference, fighters ’, faceoffs video
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on Fox 2 Nets $1.27 Million Gate; 8 Fighters Medically Suspended
Eight fighters have been medically suspended following UFC on Fox 2, including main event competitor Phil Davis.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, phil, competitor
Read the full article at SherdogDid the appearance of a porn star ruin FIKA?
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
It has been months now and we've heard next to nothing about FIKA while hearing a lot about the K-1 brand, which is rather curious. The concept behind FIKA was a sound one, and it appeared like there was some serious money and commitment involved in it, but yet, it could be dead in the water. I've all-but-given up caring about what happens with the K-1 brand at this point, as there are struggles between two factions that are not "FIKA" to acquire the rights to the K-1 brand, one of which is led by a Korean investor and FEG, the other by Bas Boon and TSA.
The funny part is, TSA and Bas Boon have already paid fighters that they have signed, at least the ones who were owed substantial sums by FEG/K-1 in the past. Not much instill confidence into a situation than paying fighters money that another company owes them to show your level of commitment, and honestly, this already endears them if you were picking sides in this whole ordeal. The other side of the fence is led by Mr. Kim and Tanikawa, and it feels difficult at this point to support a team that let millions of dollars go unpaid to fighters and let one of the strongest combat sports brands in the world fall into such terrible disrepair. Fans and fighters have been left on the line, first with "PUJI money," then with the whole "who will be our investor" game they played and finally with the Simon Rutz co-promoted K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 that fell apart at last minute with FEG putting up a terrible, lame-duck excuse that there were vias issues with the event as opposed to being honest.
Read More...
Posted in: fighter, bas boon, brand, fika, disrepair fans
Read the full article at Middle EasyBrandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva Rematch Set For UFC on FX 3
submitted by 416fighter [link] [12 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fx, silva, brandon
Read the full article at RedditSonnen post-fight hotel room interview - believes Bisping is a tougher fighter than Anderson
submitted by red1392 [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fighter, bisping, anderson, room, hotel
Read the full article at RedditCarlos Condit, ‘We’re Gonna Try to Beat the Snot Out of Each Other’
"Nick is a fighter. I'm a fighter. We're gonna come to fight. We're gonna step in their try to beat the snot out of each other," said Carlos Condit at Wednesday's UFC 143 open workouts.
Posted in: fighter, carlos condit, fighter im, ’ nick, snot
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyCdn MMA fighter Loiseau to star in reality show
Montreal middleweight David (The Crow) Loiseau is set to star in a 13-episode reality series called "Crowtime" about the life of a fighter.
Posted in: fighter, star, reality, crow loiseau, loiseau
Read the full article at sportsnet.caTUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson returns to action at UFC on FOX 3
Rising lightweight Tony Ferguson will look to continue his current run of success against vastly more experienced opponents inside the Octagon, this time as part of the UFC on FOX 3 lineup. After picking up wins over Aaron Riley (44 total fights) and Yves Edwards (60 total fights) in his last two bouts the Ultimate Fighter 13 winner has drawn Dennis Hallman (67 total fights) at the May 5 event.
News of the match-up was confirmed by the UFC.
Ferguson, whose boxing has been a force to reckon with thus far, holds a 13-3 overall record and is on a six-fight winning streak including his knockout of Ramsey Nijem at the Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale. Eight of his victories have involved a strike-based stoppage with another three submissions to his credit.
“El Cucuy” Sees Himself as Ushering in the Next Generation of Fighters
Comparably, Hallman (51-14-2) had more than a decade of in-ring experience under his belt before Ferguson even turned pro in 2008. “Superman”, sadly remembered for his decision to wear blue Speedos in a recent fight, is 3-1 in his last four fights including victories over Karo Parisyan, John Makdessi, and Ben Saunders.
UFC on FOX 3 is set to take place in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The only other announced pairing thus far is a clash between lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Jim Miller.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, ferguson, inring experience
Read the full article at Fighters.comMatt Mitrione has a new hardcore workout regimen that has to be seen to be belived
Breaking: this footage originating from Sean McCorkle's personal Youtube account details the super secret workout program of heavyweight UFC fighter Matt Mitrione. We've seen MMA fighters flip tires, hit those tires that they flipped with sledgehammers, then we've seen them roll the tires that they flipped and hit with sledgehammers around parking lots. Or up hills. MMA fighters love working out with tires, this much is common fact. What we civilians don't know is what professional martial artists have to do to keep in shape between their tire workouts. Ladies and gentleman, this is the definition of a hardcore workout.
The clip fortunately cuts out right as the entire class vomits from exhaustion.
[Source]
Posted in: fighter, tire, workout, sean mccorkles, civilians dont
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC 143: Nick Diaz Vs. Carlos Condit Defines 'Gameness'
Former Bloody Elbow editor-in-chief Luke Thomas makes his debut at MMA Fighting today with a fun piece about UFC 143's headliner Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit. Here's Luke explaining the concept and how it applies to this fight:
There are a number of ways to parse the merits fight or evaluate its worthiness, but it'd be criminal to not note just how much gameness defines this bout's character. Every fighter has biological limits, but Diaz and Condit are two fighters who are nearly peerless when it comes to competing up to the outer limit of those boundaries.
Numerous examples of their durability abound. Against Rory MacDonald, Condit was able to withstand a torrential downpour of ground and pound only to stop the rising prospect in the third round. Against Paul Daley, Diaz was floored on more than one occasion in a chaotic see-saw battle only to stop the Brit with strikes late in the first. Condit was floored with gargantuan punches early by Jake Ellenberger, but hung on and eventually took a decision. Diaz was getting drilled by hard punches from Takanori Gomi before driving the Japanese sensation back with strikes, ultimately submitting him with a spectacular gogo plata. The list of their gameness accolades is nearly endless....I don't want to suggest gameness is the only reason this fight is special. There's obviously more to the story. But the level of gameness both fighters exhibit is extraordinary because they also possess deep experience and technical acumen. Neither fighter is careless, but neither fighter lets caution lord over them. That's unique. Over time as fighters gain experience and add skills, you'll often see a trade off in ferocity. With Diaz and Condit, however, you just see the ferocity more expertly channeled.
Luke's dead right here. Diaz and Condit each possess levels of will and ferocity that almost no other active MMA fighters can match. I'll never forget watching Condit in his corner before the third round of his bout against Rory MacDonald. It was clear just from watching him that MacDonald was in deep trouble despite having won most of the first two rounds. Condit came out with a sense of purpose and a refusal to accept any outcome other than victory.
For his part Diaz is just as ferocious and indomitable. It's really too bad that this fight is being overlooked because welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre is injured and off the card. Of course, if GSP was healthy we'd be looking forward to GSP vs Diaz which isn't half the fight that Diaz vs. Condit promises to be.
Head on over to MMA Fighting and give Luke a warm welcome. Your BE membership will be portable now that Fighting is on the SBN platform.
SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit
Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, condit, gamenes
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Cut List: Who's in Desperate Need of a Win at UFC 143?
UFC 143 goes down in Las Vegas this Saturday night, but the stakes are not necessarily equal for all the fighters on the Super Bowl weekend fight card. From those who need a win in order to save their jobs to those who just need to repair their image, there are a few men with a little extra motivation to get their hands raised in Sin City.
Who are they, and what are their chances? For answers, we turn to the Cut List.
Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1, 2-2 UFC)Who he’s facing: Roy NelsonWhy he’s in danger: Okay, so danger probably isn’t the right word here, but this is a bit of a fork in the road for Werdum. You’ll recall that he got dropped from the UFC after getting dropped by Junior dos Santos and then getting into a bit of a contract dispute with his employers. The UFC decided he wasn’t worth the cash back then, but a brief revival in Strikeforce has helped up his stock. Or at least, it would have if he’d made the leap after beating Fedor Emelianenko. Instead, he’s coming in off an ugly decision loss to Alistair Overeem. Ordinarily, a loss to "The Reem" would be nothing to hang your head about, but it’s how he lost that makes you worry. You know how Lorenzo Fertitta justified keeping Dan Hardy on the roster by explaining that he likes "guys that WAR!!"? It’s safe to say that the UFC is not quite so enthusiastic about guys who pull guard and politely ask their opponents to join them. Werdum is a top heavyweight when he wants to be, and he’s understandably a slight favorite over Nelson in his return to the UFC. Still, if he pulls that jiu-jitsu tournament crap in the UFC and gets himself into another disagreement about what his services should be worth, he might find that it's a buyer’s market for heavyweights these days.Outlook: Bright. I have to think that the lessons of the Overeem fight -- not to mention the JDS loss -- were not completely lost on Werdum. When he fights like he’s trying to win, he’s a threat to just about anybody. When he’s simply trying to avoid getting knocked out, he becomes exactly the kind of fighter that the UFC dumps on sight. My guess is he knows that now. At least, he’d better.Matt Riddle (5-3, 5-3 UFC)Who he’s facing: Henry MartinezWhy he’s in danger: Riddle has done a lot of growing up in the Octagon over the past few years, and you have to appreciate the rarity of a guy who’s had his entire pro career take place on the big stage. Still, dude has lost two in a row, which is never a good sign. It’s not like he’s been fighting total chumps lately, but neither has he distinguished himself with a win over an opponent who really matters. He’s done just enough to hang around on the Fight Night/pay-per-view prelim level, so he probably can’t afford a three-fight losing streak just now. The thing about a young fighter with more raw ability than polish and experience is that the powers that be will often give him a little more time and space to develop. Riddle’s got a goofy charisma to him, and he’s also got some skills. Even in losing efforts he still puts on a show. Those are all good reasons to wait and see if he’ll become something other than a decent prelim fighter, but he still needs to win every now and then. In Martinez, Riddle is facing a UFC newcomer from Greg Jackson’s gym with a solid record but not much time to prepare after taking the bout on very short notice in order to fill in for an injured Jorge Lopez. At 6’1", Riddle will tower over the 5’7" Martinez, and he has the advantage of having been in the Octagon before. If all that doesn’t add up to a win for Riddle, what will?Outlook: Cautiously optimistic. There’s every reason to think that Riddle will snap his losing streak here. Most oddsmakers have him as a 3-1 favorite, and that’s no accident. If he performs up to expectations, he should smash Martinez and get back on track. If he doesn’t, well, maybe he doesn’t belong in the UFC right now.Matt Brown (12-11, 5-5 UFC)Who he’s facing: Chris CopeWhy he’s in danger: At this rate, Brown is shaping up to be the Cut List’s most frequently featured fighter, and not because it's so fun to write about him. Despite going 1-4 in his last five fights, he’s somehow still hanging on to a roster spot in the same organization that cut Gerald Harris for losing just one fight in four attempts. How is this possible? The last time he beat someone who held on to his job afterward was in November of 2009. He went through the dreaded three-fight losing streak and still got a fourth chance, which is rare even for top-tier UFC fighters. His decision win over John Howard (who was then released) likely saved him, but then he turned right around and got submitted by Seth Baczynski at UFC 139, so you’ve got to think he’s still facing desperate times here. The weird part is, he’s not a bad fighter. It’s not as if he’s getting murdered in most of these losses -- it’s just that a hyper-aggressive style and a weak submission defense is a really, really bad combo. Still, you get the sense that with a tweak here or there he could fix that and turn things around. Then again, if it were that easy he probably would have done it by now.Outlook: Slightly pessimistic. He’s a heavy favorite over Cope, who has his own problems (more on that in a moment). Chances are he’ll win this fight and avoid the axe yet again, but how much longer can this go on? He needs to win a couple in a row, preferably against quality competition, to prove he belongs here. Unless he makes some big changes soon, I don’t see it happening over the long run.Chris Cope (5-2, 1-1 UFC)Who he’s facing: Matt BrownWhy he’s in danger: The former TUF competitor got off to a good start with a decision win over castmate Chuck O’Neil (who was subsequently released), but got wrecked by UFC newcomer Che Mills in his next bout. It made for a nice addition to Mills’ highlight tape, but it didn’t do much for Cope other than expose him as a guy who might not be ready for this level of competition. You look at his record and you see a guy who could have only gotten a shot at the UFC via the reality TV route. What you don’t see is a hot prospect that you can imagine anyone at the UFC getting truly excited about. Oddsmakers expect him to get schooled by Brown, who is himself just barely holding on by the skin of his tattoos, and they’re probably right. Chances are Brown will knock him out, and that will make for some good TV. What then? In all likelihood, Cope will join the ranks of the Spike TV almost-weres, the guys who were good enough to fill out a reality TV cast but whose usefulness to the UFC was quickly exhausted. Or -- who knows? -- maybe he’ll make fools of us all and pull off an upset against a very beatable opponent.Outlook: Grim. Cope seems too one-dimensional to last long at this level, even if he does defy the odds with a win over Brown. Unless he’s gotten much, much better since the last time we saw him, he might want to use this outing as a last opportunity to collect some UFC souvenirs.
Posted in: ufc, fight, guy, fighter, hersquo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseA supposed MMA fighter lit himself on fire in Alaska last night...
Can someone in the comment section please explain to me why anyone who has thrown a punch at a county fair in a makeshift cage is all of a sudden dubbed an MMA fighter? Especially when said 'MMA fighters' are doing horrible things to those around them? In the latest example of this phenomenon, supposed MMA fighter Harold Finger III lit himself on fire and almost took a bunch of innocent people with him. Now for some reason all of the local Alaskan news that have picked up the story are calling this guy an MMA fighter. Why?
I've done my research, I can't find any type of MMA record for this dude, and that said, what is the etymology of the surname Finger anyways?
When I pull a Tiananmen Square and make my final stand and use the self immolation card (which I want use all the time at my day job) will I be called a professional video game player because that's something I talk about all the time publicly? Why can't this guy just be called a disturbed individual? If he went to the YMCA three times a week to play pickup basketball with the off duty fisherman would he have been called a basketball player? Something tells me no. What did this man do for a living? It wasn't MMA I promise you. Here is the whole sordid and unprofessional report from KTUU.com:
Out of jail for only a week according to witnesses, Finger, a mixed martial arts fighter, became angry while talking on the phone, and subsequently began punching and kicking a 34-year-old woman in the face and head, while he was wearing gloves with hard plastic knuckles.
The victim and two other females hid in a room, one holding her 6-year-old son. According to police, Finger said he wasn’t going back to jail, and poured Prestone ethyl ether fire-starting fluid over his upper body and a door from, then grabbed the 6-year-old, but the women were able to wrest the child away from him.
Finger then lit himself on fire with a lighter and burst into flames. One of the women used a jacket to put out the flames, but not before Finger suffered severe burns to his upper body, face and head. He was taken to a local hospital.
Police obtained a no-bail warrant for Finger’s arrest on first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment, which will be served when they can physically take him into custody.
Let's break this down: he was wearing gloves with hard plastic knuckles while talking on the phone? He's obviously a loon. I bet they were those giant Incredible Hulk hands. Then the dude decides to kill himself and those around him in the most horrific way possible? Come on, you are in Alaska, jump in the ocean with a cinderblock tied to your leg like a man. I've heard dying in cold water is actually very peaceful. I shake my head at this entire situation and it's sullying of the good name of the sport we love.
[Source]
Posted in: mma, fighter, mma fighter, finger, plastic knuckles
Read the full article at Middle EasyVideo: Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 finalist Josh Haynes now fighting crime on COPS
Remember Josh Haynes?
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 finalist, who was defeated by none other than Michael Bisping in the June 2006 season finale, has gone from fighting Brits to fighting crime as a police officer in Las Vegas. Here, "Bring the Pain" brings some justice to a handful of drunk disorderlies on the streets of "Sin City."
Thanks to MMA.tv for the video. If you need a refresher on the former blue-haired fighter, you can check out my 2007 interview with Haynes right here.
Posted in: fighter, las vegas, michael bisping, police officer, josh haynes
Read the full article at MMA ManiaGameness: The Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit Story
What is gameness?
Author Sam Sheridan once defined it as pursuit of the fight despite the physical consequences. The term actually has roots in dog fighting. It's used to describe the eagerness of a dog to continue fighting through a grueling and injurious battle. The dog fighting atmospherics make the term somewhat unsavory to borrow for MMA purposes, but we're treading in metaphors, not literalism. As UFC 143's Carlos Condit himself states about his impending bout with Nick Diaz, "it's going to be a dog fight'.
There are a number of ways to parse the merits fight or evaluate it's worthiness, but it'd be criminal to not note just how much gameness defines this bout's character. Every fighter has biological limits, but Diaz and Condit are two fighters who are nearly peerless when it comes to competing up to the outer limit of those boundaries.
Numerous examples of their durability abound. Against Rory MacDonald, Condit was able to withstand a torrential downpour of ground and pound only to stop the rising prospect in the third round. Against Paul Daley, Diaz was floored on more than one occasion in a chaotic see-saw battle only to stop the Brit with strikes late in the first. Condit was floored with gargantuan punches early by Jake Ellenberger, but hung on and eventually took a decision. Diaz was getting drilled by hard punches from Takanori Gomi before driving the Japanese sensation back with strikes, ultimately submitting him with a spectacular gogo plata. The list of their gameness accolades is nearly endless.
That is precisely what makes gameness so pleasing: it's never weathered nor reduced. With limited and qualified exception, the damage Condit and Diaz have absorbed in the course of their fights never dampened their willingness or ability to strike back. When the tides turned, they flooded.
Gameness, though, shouldn't be crudely misinterpreted as solely the ability to take a shot. That's part of it, of course. But what it truly underscores is both ferocity and the enthusiastic participation for the scrap. Gameness, in other words, has both defensive and offensive components.
What unites Condit and Diaz - and what has made them fan favorites - is their willingness to engage risk as a means of winning a fight. As long as you're winning, being risk averse isn't generally the worst approach to fighting. However, it isn't particularly crowd pleasing and more importantly, it's an approach that flies in the face of what we understand as athletic bravery. What makes Diaz and Condit fairly unique is they've used this approach of accepting risk to reach some of the sport's loftiest positions. It's one thing for amateurs to brazenly throw caution to the wind to rile up the crowd in some sort of Pyrrhic victory. It's quite another for two of the sport's most successful welterweights to have reached these heights using a similar albeit more measured approach.
It's also historically accurate and demonstrably true wrestling has been used as a crutch for some fighters to coast through fatigue or rough patches during fights. The exhausted and less willed among the professional ranks have relied on it to hang on in precarious moments. Coincidentally or not, neither Diaz nor Condit is particularly proficient as a wrestler. Why is that important? No matter what direction the fight takes neither fighter will likely have the skills (and I suspect no inclination) to rely on wrestling as a means to slow down or stunt the action. This one won't be decided by one fighter more expertly exercising control to avoid risk.
I don't want to suggest gameness is the only reason this fight is special. There's obviously more to the story. But the level of gameness both fighters exhibit is extraordinary because they also possess deep experience and technical acumen. Neither fighter is careless, but neither fighter lets caution lord over them. That's unique. Over time as fighters gain experience and add skills, you'll often see a trade off in ferocity. With Diaz and Condit, however, you just see the ferocity more expertly channeled.
My early hunch is Nick Diaz will be able to outlast Carlos Condit en route to a decision victory. If that happens, he'll eventually face UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. But en route to that end, I'd bet my mortgage he's going to catch a noteworthy beating at the hands of Condit.
I hope I'm not jinxing the bout, but given the records and deserved reputations of both fighters, it's hard to see how either gets out of this one early. Or easily. They're game for the scrap, from bell to bell, no matter the cost of doing business in between. At this level of the game - and in a five-round, interim title bout - that's a reality that deserves a little extra recognition.
Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, condit, gamenes
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseRoy Nelson comes clean on why he's the target of multiple steroid tests
Ever just look at a guy and think, "Oh yeah, he's on steroids."
Roy Nelson can relate. After all, the bastion of Burger King is tested for steroids "probably more than any other fighter that's ever fought," according to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight and Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Champion.
Say what?
In addition, "Big Country" considers his success against juiced-up fighters to be just another feather in his cap when it comes to heavyweight athleticism, as evidenced by his recent comments at MMA Fighting.
Have a look, after the jump.
"I’ve probably been tested for steroids probably more than any other fighter that’s ever fought. It’s like a football program. There’s always going to be some guys where it’s like, yeah, you’re the one we’ve got to test, because then the program looks clean."
Nelson will challenge Fabricio Werdum in a 265-pound battle of jits and wits this Saturday night (Feb. 4) on the main card of the UFC 143 pay-per-view (PPV) event emanating from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The portly power-puncher was last seen retiring Mirko Filipovic last October while "Vai Cavalo" is trying to rebound from a three round stinker against Alistair Overeem.
Anyone think Nelson's the mark of a true athlete fighter for skipping the special sauce on his two all-beef patties, lettuce and cheese?
Posted in: fighter, nelson, steroid, fighter thatrsquos, athlete fighter
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMA fighters are evolving, so why aren't the judges?
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, judge, mma fighters, mattyblayze, arent
Read the full article at RedditMFC's Pavelich on farewell of fighters, ring
MFC president Mark Pavelich gives his thoughts on the future of the promotion, including the retirement of the ring, the release of fighters and 2012 plans.
Posted in: fighter, ring, mfc, pavelich, mfcs pavelich
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC fighter Overeem charged with battery for Vegas incident on New Year's weekend
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link, years weekend, vegas incident
Read the full article at RedditRenato Sobral vs Melvin Manhoef to Headline ONE FC 3 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in March
ONE Fighting Championship held its eagerly anticipated press conference in Singapore this morning (Jan. 31, 2012) and the big news was that the March 31 card at the Singapore Indoor Stadium would be headlined by a fight between Renato Sobral and Melvin Manhoef.
The co-main event will see Kevin Belingon put his undefeated record on the line against Japanese veteran Masakazu Imanari. The Filipino is undefeated (9-0) in professional mixed martial arts (MMA), competing against good-level opponents outside of the Philippines, but he has never faced anyone of the caliber or experience of "The Master of Leglocks" who has fought 36 times in his 12-year career.
Also on the card will be Eduard Folayang, Zorobabel Moreira, Eddie Ng and a female Singaporean fighter called Nicole Chua, who will make her MMA debut. Their opponents will be revealed at a later date, but the Singapore card already looks set to be the best yet by ONE FC.
Yesterday it was announced that ONE FC had signed a 10-year partnership with ESPN Star Sports (full story here) and some more details about that deal were revealed today. ONE FC will be shown on ESPN Star Sports, which is available in 24 Asian countries and is home to the English Premier League, NBA and MLB, for the next 10 years on a delayed broadcast to begin with, but eventually live.
It appears ONE FC also has official backing from the Singapore Tourism Board and the Economic Development Board. Singapore is ranked by the International Monetary Fund as the third richest country in the world, which bodes well for the financial future of Asia's most prestigious MMA promotion.
The signing of Sobral was announced late last year and he is also set to fight on ONE FC's Manila card which is likely to take place in around six months time. He has won six out of his last eight fights but will not be in for an easy night at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on March 31st.
Manhoef is the current It's Showtime 85 kgs Max World Champion and just went three rounds in a heavyweight K-1 rules fight with Tyrone Spong who is ranked as one of the best stand up fighters in the world. The Dutchman's striking is as good as any MMA fighter in the 205 lbs division (where this fight will presumably take place) and he will be real threat to Babalu.
The last event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium attracted a crowd of 7,000 and the March 31st show should bring in an even bigger attendance because Eduard Folayang is a big draw for Asian fight fans and there will also be a lot of local interest in the Evolve MMA fighters, Eddie Ng and Zorobabel Moreira as well as the female debutant, Nicole Chua.
Putting on a card of this calibre demonstrates CEO / Owner Victor Cui's determination to compete for the signatures of the best fighters in the world as well as continuing to showcase local fighters like Folayang, Belingon and Ng. With a ten year TV deal, support from the Singapore government and a rapidly expanding roster of fighters the future looks bright for both ONE FC and Asian MMA.
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, fc, singapore
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAsian MMA: Manhoef Vs. Babalu, Imanari Vs. Belingon Set For ONE FC 3 In Singapore
Following yesterday's monumental announcement of a 10-year media partnership with ESPN Star Sports, ONE FC unveiled several more interesting news items on a press conference in Singapore.
On the business side of things, the promotion made a huge announcement that government entities from Singapore will be backing them, with Cui saying that both the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB) will be supporting ONE FC.
On news that would be more interesting for fight fans, ONE FC has also announced two key bouts for their third show that is slated on March 31st. Headlining the card will be UFC vet and former Strikeforce champion, Renato 'Babalu' Sobral (36-10), taking on the very dangerous and explosive striker in Melvin Manhoef (24-9).
Also on a featured bout is Kevin Belingon (9-0), a URCC Champion who is one of the top prospects in the Asia, taking a huge step up in competition by facing the more experienced DEEP Bantamweight Champ, and 'Master of Leglocks', Masakazu Imanari (24-10-2).
Victor Cui also mentioned that there will be 2 more DREAM fighters competing on the card, along with URCC Champion Eduard Folayang, BJJ World Champion Zorobabel Moreira, Eddie Ng, and Nicole Chua, a female Muay Thai fighter who is set to make her MMA debut under the tutelage of the champions at Evolve MMA.
Although signs of their partnership with DREAM are already seen with multiple fighters from the Japanese promotion competing on this March card, Cui revealed that this won't be the co-promoted event as they earlier announced. The ONE FC head did mention though that they're working on that 2012 co-promoted show that would pit ONE FC's best fighters against DREAM's top fighters such as Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Check out the partial card for the ONE FC 3 after the jump. As always, stay tuned to BloodyElbow.com for more updates, and follow me on twitter.
ONE Fighting Championship 3March 31, 2012 - Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore
- Renato Sobral vs. Melvin Manhoef- Masakazu Imanari vs. Kevin Belingon- Eduard Folayang- Zorobabel Moreira- Gregor Gracie- Eddie Ng- Nicole Chua
Posted in: fighter, vs, champion, fc, singapore
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWhen it comes to fighter safety, does responsibility fall on UFC or commissions?
In the past year, the UFC has tackled out-of-competition injuries with
accident-insurance. The promotion has encouraged its fighters to
participate in a long-term study on brain trauma. And just this month,
it attempted to address performance-enhancing drugs with a pre-screen
for its athletes.
But more should be done in-house, according to MMAjunkie.com medical consultant, Dr. Johnny Benjamin.
"They're right up there with all these first-tier sports," Benjamin today told MMAjunkie.com Radio. "But you know what? You need to start handling your fighter
safety issues just like the first-tier sports."
Posted in: fighter, fighter safety, mmajunkiecom radio, responsibility fall, brain trauma
Read the full article at MMA JunkieLeonard Garcia Off UFC 144 Card Due To Injury
Featherweight slugger Leonard Garcia was looking to avoid a third loss in a row when he was scheduled to meet Tiequan Zhang at UFC 144, but he'll have to wait a little longer to the get the chance. The WEC and UFC vet suffered an injury and was forced off the card. MMA Weekly has it:
Sources close to the fighter confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Monday that Garcia would be forced off the fight card set for Japan.
While the nature of the injuries are unknown, Garcia, who is widely considered one of the toughest fighters in the sport, obviously was banged up enough to have to drop out of the fight.
There has been no replacement named at this time, but UFC matchmakers Joe Silva and Sean Shelby will likely secure a new opponent for Zhang in the coming days.
Tough break for Garcia. When George Sotiropoulos went down with an injury a few days ago and Takanori Gomi needed a new opponent, the UFC dipped into the Japanese talent pool for a replacement. Will they do the same here and we'll get to see another debuting fighter step up to face Zhang?
SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson
Posted in: ufc, fighter, card, injury, garcia
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC on Fox 2 Concludes Without a ‘Fighter of the Night’ Performance
Being the Fighter of the Night means more than just adding a notch to the win column.
Posted in: ‘ fighter, fighter, night, column, ufc
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyHistory in the Making: Carlos Condit closes out WEC's welterweight division in thrilling fashion
The last World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) welterweight champion finally has his chance at earning gold inside the Octagon.
Carlos Condit, who was the only 170-pound champion the Zuffa-owned WEC ever had, is taking on Nick Diaz in Saturday's (Feb. 4) UFC 143 main event. At stake is an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim welterweight title and a date with injured champion Georges St. Pierre later in the year.
But more than that, it's a chance for both men to take on the man many consider to be the perfect mixed martial artist (MMA) in the French-Canadian. Seemingly without weakness, St. Pierre outwrestles wrestlers, outstrikes strikers and pretty much makes each and every opponent look bush league. For Condit, a chance at facing "Rush" and beating him means MMA immortality.
"The Natural Born Killer" has already had his brushes with greatness which include his WEC 35 title bout with Japanese fighter turned boxer Hiromitsu Miura. Their back and forth war was the final 170-pound title fight the promotion had as the weight class -- along with middle- and light heavyweight -- was absorbed into the UFC six months later.
Let's take a closer look at that bout.
Condit starts his attack by unleashing kicks to both Miura's legs and body. Nearly a minute and a half into the round, the Japanese fighter clinches with the champion and attempts a judo toss which Condit defends perfectly. But seconds later, the New Mexican is slammed onto his back when Miura attacks with a vicious O-goshi throw. Condit is able to get back to his feet quickly but a beautifully executed sweep -- aided by a diversionary one-two punch combination -- gets the champion on the mat for the second time.
A third toss drops "The Natural Born Killer" but as with the previous two, Miura has difficulty holding him down. As they reset on their feet, both sets of hands begin to fly and the Japanese fighter finds himself stunned when a looping hook is perfectly countered with a vicious straight. Miura drops to the canvas and Condit dives in after him, looking to finish off his staggered challenger.
From sidemount, Condit rains down short elbows before trapping Miura in a crucifix, allowing for more strikes to land while also working towards a submission. The attempt finally comes when Condit spins around and looks to extend his opponent's arm but Miura, grappling savvy and tough as nails, slips out and drops a couple bombs in retaliation. The champion gets to his feet but yet another hip toss drops him back down. The commentator states it might be the most impressive display of judo technique inside the cage fans have seen yet and it's hard to disagree.
Early into the second round, fortune smiles on Condit as Miura loses his footing and falls backwards onto the mat. From there, the champion takes over and the first four minutes -- save for a nice upkick from the challenger -- are all Condit. Ground and pound from sidemount leads to a smooth transition to full mount which culminates in a tight armbar attempt with 90 seconds remaining in the round. Miura defends beautifully and is able to wiggle his arm free and ends up on top. Neither fighter does much of anything and are stood up. A botched hip toss leads to Miura back on the mat with "The Natural Born Killer" on top, the position the challenger had been in for most of the round.
The third round opens with both fighters exchanging and it seems Condit has found his range. He's using his reach advantage impressively, keeping Miura at bay while also using his strikes to set up takedowns. Condit ends up behind his challenger and wrestles him to the mat, threatening with a guillotine momentarily. Once released, however, "The Natural Born Killer" is once again in full mount, this time with over four minutes remaining in the stanza. Short elbows are the name of the game but two minutes in, Miura explodes out and sweeps his opponent, ending up in half guard. The Japanese fighter gives the champion a taste of his own medicine as he unloads a bevy of punches before both fighters end up in a vertical base.
The crowd roars as the two begin to exchange wildly but an ill-timed takedown attempt from Miura leads to Condit once again ending up on top. A kimura attempt is shrugged off by the challenger but "The Natural Born Killer" once again gets full mount and begins to brutalize Miura with punches and elbows. He gives up his back to Condit but is able to fend off the rear naked choke until the horn sounds.
The round may have been demoralizing for Miura but you wouldn't suspect it judging by his performance in the fourth round as an early flurry had the champion reeling. Midway through the round, the two fighters -- Miura on top of Condit -- are stood up and upon restarting immediately begin throwing heavy leather. A spectacular takedown from the champion looks to be the beginning of the end for the spirited challenger as Condit achieves full mount for the charmed third time but Miura, tough as he is stubborn, refuses to relent and once again sweeps the American on to his back.
Miura unloads ground and pound until Condit is able to kick him away, creating enough distance to get vertical. The challenger storms in and "The Natural Born Killer" barrels a knee into the Japanese fighter's chin, dropping him to the mat where several hammerfists give the referee all the incentive he needs to halt the bout. Condit showed a toughness that cannot be taught in the gym that night, the same toughness on display when he survived an early onslaught from Jake Ellenberger and came from behind to finish off Rory MacDonald.
Will it come into play on Saturday when he steps inside the Octagon against Nick Diaz?
Posted in: fighter, round, champion, condit, miura
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC On Fox Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts
On Saturday night, the UFC not only made their return to Fox, they also made their return to Chicago after a three year hiatus. The last time the Windy City was treated to the UFC was Anderson Silva vs Patrick Cote at UFC 90, a disastrous event mared by a horrendous main event. UFC on Fox 2 will be a card that garner differing opinions instead of a unanimous agreement. So without wasting any more of your precious time, let's take a look at the biggest winners and losers on the night.
WINNERS
Chris Weidman: Third round be damned. Cutting 30+ pounds in 11 days is ridiculous. I worried in the lead up that he was taking too big of a step up in competition this early in his career but he was impressive for the two rounds before he gassed out. I'd love to see more from when he has a proper training camp.
Mike Russow: Being a full time anything plus full time fighter has got to be incredibly tough. Being a full time police officer is crazy but Mike Russow has found a way to do both. If there has ever been a more physically unimpressive undefeated fighter in the UFC then I don't know who that person is but Mike Russow may be in line for a step up in competition.
Cub Swanson: Before the bout I made a joke on twitter that Cub Swanson was the only person in the WEC that Jens Pulver was able to beat. I figured the fight with Roop was all but decided. Apparently Cub didn't get the memo because he absolutely thrashed Roop for two rounds. Super impressive win for who I thought to be a mediocre fighter.
Charles Oliveira: That was a slick submission. I worried that the Cerrone fight had broken him as a fighter but he showed creativity in that calf slicer. I incorrectly noted that it was a lucky submission in the results post as I write those in real time but dang, what a great set up to a submission that literally no one saw coming.
Michael Johnson: Michael Johnson has a ton of potential but he's still young and makes stupid mistakes. He's essentially Melvin Guillard with a better cage IQ and without the ridiculous knock out power. Beating Shane Roller is a big deal for a young fighter and it showcased that he has some fantastic takedown defense.
Lavar Johnson: Did anyone thing that out of all the Strikeforce heavyweights that Lavar Johnson would have an impressive UFC debut? He entered the fight riding two losses and beat the breaks off of Joey Beltran. Johnson still won't be a contender in the UFC but he'll put on fun fights.
Losers and other thoughts after the jump...
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2
LOSERS
Demian Maia: What the hell happened to Maia? The last person he submitted was Chael Sonnen and that was almost exactly three years ago. He's a loser because he not only lost, he's a loser because he lost to a guy who had 11 days to prepare and 30 pounds to cut. He needs to stop boxing and get back on the jiu jitsu mat. It's what got him to the dance in the first place.
Phil Davis: For all the talk of being a better wrestler you'd expect him to be a better wrestler. Technical wrestling really isn't effective in MMA where most guys hit the power double to get takedowns. Hopefully this doesn't break him as a fighter and that he'll be able to rebound because that was an awful performance.
Jon Olav Einemo: Remember when fans were super excited about this signing and how Einemo would take the heavyweight division by storm? What happened? I realize that Russow is undefeated in the UFC and may be better than we give him credit for but come on, it's Mike Russow. If you're an elite HW you have to beat Mike Russow.
George Roop: He goes from having a close fight with Hatsu Hioki to getting knocked out by Cub Swanson. The inconsistency with Roop is amazing. It's obvious that he expected a technical kickboxing bout and instead got assaulted in the octagon by Cub. Awful showing for George Roop.
Eric Wisely: I had to learn this man's name for the primer and I will remember it as the first person ever to get caught in a calf slicer in the UFC. I doubt I'll have to write a primer about a UFC fight he is booked in again after that showing.
The live crowd: General reaction from Chicago is that the arena was dead following the Weidman/Maia fight and that people were exiting by the third round of Evans/Davis. That's not a good look.
OTHER THOUGHTS
You're probably wondering why I didn't mention Rashad Evans or Chael Sonnen as 'winners' on the night. Well the simple answer is that both fighters did enough to win but neither impressed in those victories. That may be the fault of Dana announcing the winners were guaranteed title shots but I'm not really interested in seeing Rashad fight Jon Jones after the tentative fight last night. The same goes for Chael Sonnen. Sure, he hit the takedowns when he needed them but he was getting outmuscled in the clinch by Michael Bisping.
Speaking of Bisping, he's not a loser on the night. Everyone thought he'd get smashed by Sonnen. Including that media member who announced that he was 'Chael's biggest fan' at the pre-fight presser. Bisping is criminally under rated by everyone and hopefully he will find his way to a title shot since he really can pose an interesting match up for everyone in the division.
If a match happens and no one sees it, did it really happen? Dustin Jacoby has to be wondering that right now. Live reports said that he pulled off a pretty slick guillotine to win his fight. I wouldn't know though since I didn't see it.
Nik Lentz is a tough sumbitch but he's not who we thought he was. Evan Dunham is who we though he was. Which is a guy who starts incredibly slow but brings murderous intentions in the second and third rounds.
Overall, I'm torn on this event. The prelims were great. We got great submissions and knockouts which is why I tune into the fights. On the other hand the main card was atrocious. I'll call it a C+/B- event and end this post with that.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, he, loser
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow7 Fighters Who Lied Their Way to Legendary
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Posted in: fighter, way, haugisen
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox 2 Bonuses: 4 Fighters Pocket $65K
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, bonus, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditUFC on FOX 2: Love him or hate him, Chael Sonnen makes you care about his fights
The gangster from West Linn, Ore., has struck again.
After going 1-2 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) half a decade ago, it seemed as if Chael Sonnen would be one of the many fighters who would only amount to being a footnote in the big book of mixed martial arts (MMA). He had his chance in the spotlight, but the sport is as unforgiving as any other.
Chewed up and spit out as the old saying goes.
But then something strange happened. Sonnen signed with the online gambling website-backed bodogFIGHT and rattled off four straight victories, including wins over future UFC fighter Tim Credeur and old school Russian stalwart Amar Suloev. It was impressive enough for Zuffa -- parent company of the UFC -- to give Sonnen a buzz and offer him a middleweight title shot in its recently acquired World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC).
And just like that, "The People's Champion" was back and our lives have never been the same since.
From becoming the uncrowned king of the middleweight division in the WEC after defeating an overweight Paulo Filho to crowning himself the king of the UFC's 185-pound crowd, despite not winning the belt from Anderson Silva at UFC 117, there is always a hubbub surrounding the Team Quest fighter.
Now, after outlasting Michael Bisping tonight (Jan. 28, 2012) in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 2, a rematch with "The Spider" is all but signed in what could be the biggest fight in the promotion's history without Brock Lesnar or Georges St. Pierre's name attached to the bill. Sonnen hasn't shut his mouth over Silva for more than two years and with a second chance at UFC gold, it's only going to get (depending on your point of view) much better or much worse.
Growing up as an enormous professional wrestling fan, I enjoy what Sonnen does when promoting fights. But more than enjoying it, I appreciate it. Sonnen gets people -- fans or not -- to care.
And in the fight game, that's the most important thing.
There is a very clearly divided line when it comes to the number one middleweight title contender. There are MMA fans who love Sonnen's shtick -- and let's not mince words, that's exactly what it is -- and on the other side, there are those who have either grown tired of it or downright abhor it.
But what those in the latter half don't realize is that Sonnen outside of the Octagon is as much a carnival barker as his boss, Dana White. Both men will say anything and everything under the sun to get someone to pluck down 50 bucks for a pay-per-view (PPV) or tune into Fox on a Saturday evening. They'll make up pound-for-pound rankings, assign labels like "world class" where it obviously doesn't belong or even channel "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes for a post-fight interview.
Sonnen has two jobs: 1) fight and 2) make people care about number one. If no one is tuning in, the financial incentive for the middleweight fighter becomes insignificant. Before he became outspoken, saying ... well, flat-out crazy stuff, Sonnen's name wasn't in the headlines, he wasn't spoken in the same breath as the greats in his division. A few wins coupled with eight times as many outlandish statements and fans can't shut up about him.
And that's a bad thing how?
You either want to see Sonnen make good on his insane claim he'll wrest the middleweight strap away from Silva or revel in seeing his face get pounded in like the fraud he is. Whatever the reason, you want to see him fight. Sonnen is a fight promoter as much as he is a fighter. The trash talking, the elevated testosterone, the dominating performances, the felony convictions ... all of that and so much more paint the very complicated picture of who Chael Sonnen is.
One thing is for certain, however. After his win last night over Bisping, Sonnen is the number one contender to Silva's middleweight title.
Brace yourself, folks, it's going to be quite a ride.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, middleweight, sonnen
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC on Fox 2 Preliminary Fighters Nab Bonuses
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the Windy City on Saturday night for UFC on Fox 2, but it was all preliminary card fighters that took home the post-fight bonuses.
Posted in: ufc, saturday night, fighter, bonus, card fighters
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX 2 fight card: George Roop vs. Cub Swanson prediction, preview and breakdown
Two Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweights will be in "Prelims" action on the undercard of UFC on Fox 2: "Evans vs. Davis" TONIGHT (Jan. 28, 2012) when George Roop takes on Cub Swanson, which will air on FUEL TV.
Both have battled with relative inconsistency throughout the last several years, each failing to put together extended win streaks. They will look to avoid stringing together back-to-back losses when they look to rebound from losses in their last outings.
Roop is only 3-2-1 in his last six bouts, while Swanson has also failed to be consistent over his last six bouts, alternating wins and losses.
The Jackson Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)-trained fighter, Swanson, hopes to put on a winning performance on FOX, as his first go around at UFC on Fox 1 against Ricardo Lamas was unsuccessful, losing via submission in the second round.
They both need a win in a very bad way, but as in all sports, there can be only one winner.
Follow me after the jump for a complete breakdown of the UFC on FOX 2 featherweight fight between George Roop vs. Cub Swanson:
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The Breakdown
After his first stint with the UFC, Roop competed in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), but had sub-par results with his highlight coming at the expense of Chan Sung Jung, knocking out "The Korean Zombie" with a devastating head kick.
After resigning with the UFC, Roop suffered a quick first round knockout to Mark Hominick at UFC: "Fight for The Troops," but redeemed himself by defeating Josh Grispi five months later. He then lost a razor thin decision to Hatsu Hioki at UFC 137.
With Roop, it’s hard to guess which fighter will show up, the lightweight the was put on Queer Street by Hominick or the featherweight who gave one of the best 145-pound fighters in the world all he could handle in Hioki.
A Muay-Thai practitioner, Roop definitely prefers to swing leather and Swanson is a type of fighter who is more than willing to oblige.
Training with famed coaches Greg Jackson and Mike WinkleJohn in Albuquerque, N.M., Swanson will benefit from great game planning, if he can remain composed. Swanson is battle tested to say the least, taking on MMA greats such as Jens Pulver, Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.
Swanson is a fighter who can catch you with a submission given the chance, but doesn’t mind going toe-to-toe and exchange punches.
The ground is not Swanson’s best friend, however, losing three of his five bouts via choke. He won’t have to be too preoccupied with Roop’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills in this one though, as his last submission victory came more than five years ago.
The Pick
Roop will enjoy a four-inch reach advantage on the smaller Swanson, and can use this in his favor if he utilized good footwork to not allow a crafty Swanson to close the distance. Swanson, on the other hand, will need to employ a good strategy to overcome the reach and size difference that Roop will possess.
Though both prefer to stand and trade, expect for Swanson to look for the takedowns once in the clinch, and deliver some ground-and-pound action.
The keys to victory for each fighter, in my opinion, are simple.
If Roop can keep the distance, he will pick apart the smaller foe for the duration of the bout.
After taking a few good shots from Roop, Swanson’s best hope is to take it to the ground and control the majority of the fight on the mat. He will do so and do enough to get a unanimous decision victory, but not before surviving a scare from Roop.
Swanson defeats Roop via unanimous decision
That's a wrap for now. Be sure to share your thoughts on this fight and more in the comments section below.
Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC on FOX 2 results of all the "Evans vs. Davis" action on primetime. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the "Prelims" under card bouts, and of course, the network telecast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 5 p.m. ET and carry straight on through into early Saturday morning.
See you then!
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, roop, swanson
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBrian Phillips Writes About The 1810 Boxing Fight Between An Escaped Slave And The Heavyweight Champion
Boxing matches from two hundred years ago may not drive all of our readers into fizzy paroxysms of delight, but the history involved and the match itself is surprisingly relevant to mixed martial arts and other combat sports we engage in today. Those of you who have read John Nash/nottheface's historical pieces on the Golden Age of Mixed Martial Arts, the development of Brazilian jiu jitsu and the worldwide nature of combat sports should love this Brian Phillips piece on the heavyweight championship bout between Tom Cribb and Tom Molineaux.
It is hard to come up with a better quote pull than this early paragraph:
The fight cemented a set of stock characters - the fast-talking, ultra-talented, self-destructive black athlete; the Great White Hope; the canny coach who's half devoted to his pupil and half exploiting him - that have echoed down the centuries.1 In fact, so much about the fight feels familiar today, from the role of race to the role of the media, that if you had to name a date, you could make a good case that December 10, 1810, was the moment sport as we know it began.
Phillips is a sports writer who built the Run of Play site that is essentially the FreeDarko of soccer - providing coverage of a very strange sport with some "uses-big-words-in-entertaining-ways" writing leavened with a ton of sly humor and awesome pictures. He writes about a few different sports for Grantland and may be the only voice consistently worth paying attention to over there.
After the jump, two more quotes showing how the olden days of boxing were surprisingly MMA-like and how the people we pay attention to in sports are not necessarily the best people, despite all narrative attempts by the promoters and commentators to the contrary.
John Nash/nottheface told us earlier how the boxing of back then bore a surprising resemblance to the style of Nick Diaz and laid it out for us as quoted below:
The ruleset that Mendoza fought under during his time was the one divised by Jack Broughton in 1743, the very first codified set of rules in the history of the sport, which were fittingly named Broughton’s rules. They were very simple, numbering seven in total, dealing with such things as the size of the ring, the holding of the purse, and the choosing of umpires. Of the seven, only the last had anything to do with what tactics were allowed during competition.
VII. That no person is to hit his Adversary when he is down, or seize him by the ham, the breeches, or any part below the waist: a man on his knees to be reckoned down.
To elaborate: the only thing banned was the hitting of a downed opponent or any wrestling below the waist. Everything else – hair-pulling, grappling above the waist, wrestling or tripping your opponent to the ground, and, of course, striking with the bare fists – was allowed. And since no gloves nor hand wrappings were used, throwing with all one’s might or aiming blows to the head was naturally discouraged lest you break your hand. In fact, striking ability often rated below wrestling ability with regards to importance in gaining a victory, as seen by our three examples below with the the text being from the 1855 compilation Fights for the Championship; and Celebrated Prize Battles (the full title is much, much longer) and the images from Famous Fights: Past and Present, a boxing newspaper that ran from 1901 to 1904.
Phillips independently correlates that and lays out the specific rule set that Phillips and Molineaux used:
Bouts were held outdoors, on bare ground, in rings marked off from fields. The fighters wore no gloves, which probably made them safer. (Gloves were introduced to protect the hands, not the head, and allowed fighters to punch harder.) But rounds didn't end until one man or the other went down. And there was no limit to the number of rounds that could be fought. After a fall, fighters had 30 seconds to return to the scratch, a mark in the middle of the ring.15 The battle went on until one of them either surrendered or couldn't make it. Boxers fought on through concussions and broken bones, sometimes suffering dozens of knockdowns severe enough to stop a fight today. Wrestling throws and holds above the waist were permitted, but it was illegal to strike while the foe was down. To add to the fun, constables occasionally descended in the middle of a match to arrest the fighters and fans. Spectators were occasionally known to rush the ring and attack one of the fighters. The overall effect was somewhere between modern boxing, MMA, and a bar fight.
However, beyond the rule sets and the black/white racial dynamics of the fight (which are sadly inescapable and a product of the time), what Phillips briefly delves into with the discussion over whether winning is connected to moral goodness is excellent.
In early 19th-century England, the culture of sport was undergoing a rapid transformation. Sport was becoming a mass entertainment on a national scale. Athletes were now celebrities, covered by a dedicated professional media.11 Important contests were preceded by something like modern hype.
Most important, sport was turning into something that could reflect the larger social questions of the day. One of the major anxieties that shows up again and again in the English sportswriting of the era is whether sport weakens society or makes it stronger. Is there some innate connection between winning an athletic contest and moral virtue? Do the qualities that matter in the ring pass themselves on to spectators? What exactly are we getting out of this? Why do we like it so much?
We are fortunate to live in an era where racial discrimination is vastly diminished, although still not eradicated, in sporting culture, yet I do not believe we have ever truly gotten anywhere in unpicking and improving upon the "winners = great people" meme that was developed hundreds or thousands of years ago.
Quite a few athletes have achieved enormous personal and professional success without ever being warm, fuzzy, strictly law-abiding or commercially viable in a way that advertisers want. Does that mean that they are any less good at their sports or less deserving of permanent memory than others?
I do not believe so, but for now I will let more skilled writers than me like Brian Phillips and Ben Fowlkes puzzle that out. Again, the Phillips article is well worth your time and many of the dynamics within can be applied in adjusted form to fighters like Chael Sonnen, Alistair Overeem, King Mo or Brock Lesnar.
Posted in: fight, fighter, sport, boxing, phillip
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Boss Dana White Comments on Gun Ban
UFC president Dana White confirmed on Thursday that Guns and Ammo – and any gun-related brand – will no longer be allowed to sponsor UFC fighters.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, dana, gun, ammo –
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUSA TODAY/MMA Nation January 2012 Consensus Rankings
January's USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings are now live. Be sure and pick up a hard copy of USA TODAY today to see them in print.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA sources to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
More details on our methodology in the full entry.
NOTE: We have modified our method of gathering our rankings because the strict scheduling requirements of USA TODAY clash with the more irregular schedules of many of the MMA rankings sites. That was causing us to use a different set of sources almost every month. That combined with the small number of sites doing top 25 rankings was causing the Consensus rankings to have a lower "signal to noise" ratio than we would like -- that is if fighters are going to be moving up or down I would like it to be because there has been a change in the consensus opinion, not a change in our sources. Therefore we have cut back our sources to just those sites that we can depend on to update every month. We have also contacted many of the rankers that only publish top 10 lists and asked them to provide top 25 lists. As always we listen to your suggestions and are always working to improve the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings.
Also worth noting is that this month we instituted a rule that a fighter must have competed within a given weight class within the last 450 days in order to be ranked in that class in an attempt to improve the overall quality of our product.
Check out the USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings to see who's rising and who's falling.
Posted in: mma, fighter, usa, ranking, consensus
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowRashad Evans: If Jon Jones comes into the cage I won't say he ruined my special night
In the days leading up to Saturday’s UFC on FOX 2 the war of words between light heavyweight fighters Rashad Evans and Phil Davis has taken a turn toward the aggressive with both fighters engaging in the trash talk.
As the fight nears both fighters have put the verbal warfare to the side and are instead focusing on the task at hand, getting one step closer to a fight with the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
Evans took time out of his training for the fight to speak to
Posted in: fight, fighter, phil davis, evan, cage i
Read the full article at Low KickDana White Thinks Revealing Fighters' Actual Salaries Would Be Harmful
Filed under: UFC, NewsUFC president Dana White believes revealing his fighters' actual salaries would be damaging to their lives.
On the same day first baseman Prince Fielder finalized a nine-year deal with the Detroit Tigers worth $214 million, White says people should not be envious of Fielder's seemingly magnificent position.
"You don't want to be Prince Fielder over the next three years," White told reporters on Thursday. "When people know -- his life is going to be horrible. His whole life is going to change. He thought is was bad before? With the s--t he had going in his life? Everyone and their mother is coming after that 214."
Since the UFC is a privately-owned company, they are not required to make their numbers public. They have to report the fighter purses to the commission, but those numbers don't tell the actual story of a fighter's final earnings once bonuses and possible pay-per-view cuts are factored in.
White recalled meeting FOX executives for the first time and telling them how much fighters actually make. FOX executives were blown away and questioned why White wouldn't discuss the salaries in public for good press.
"The FOX guys were like, 'Holy s--t, these guys make this much money? Why don't you plaster this everywhere? This is the thing that will put you guys over the top. This is the thing people love to see and talk about and all.'"
As the saying goes, "Mo' money, mo' problems" and White is refusing to put fighters in a position where they could attract negative attention.
"I've had these conversations with Mike Tyson," White said. "Mike said when his money was reported, his f--kin' life was miserable. I'm not doing it. So just because you don't know everything. You don't have to know everything. And to be honest with you, it's not your f--kin' business. They're making a lot of money." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: guy, fighter, fox, life, dont
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseWatch today's UFC on FOX 2 fighter weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com at 5 p.m. ET
CHICAGO - UFC on FOX 2 fighter weigh-ins take place today, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on
MMAjunkie.com.
Today's weigh-ins take place at The Chicago Theater, and the first
fighter is on the scale at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT local time).
In addition to the video streams, you can get live weigh-in updates in our text-only results post on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.
Posted in: fighter, pm, today, mmajunkiecom, weighin
Read the full article at MMA JunkieWhy Doesn’t the UFC Reveal Exactly How Much Their Fighters Make? Dana White Explains
Dana White explains why the UFC doesn't reveal every penny that they pay to their fighters and compares things to what Prince Fielder is about to experience as a new star.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, doesn ’t, ufc doesnt, prince fielder
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC On FOX: Blue Collar Brawlers. Mike Russow & The Silent Face Of UFC Fighter Pay Inequity
The UFC on FOX open workouts were held on Wednesday and Ariel Helwani was back in top form with his extended length pre-fight interviews. Helwani's interviews are right up there with Dallas Winston's fight dissections in terms of the best fight week coverage on the web and if I had to pick just one media offering to consume before a fight card, it would probably be the Helwani interviews. The upcoming FOX card features some great personalities and the highlights of the interviews include Chael Sonnen revealing his dislike for Inside MMA host Kenny Rice and Rashad Evans getting a kick out of learning that both he and long time rival Rampage Jackson have similar feelings towards Ariel Helwani and his flashy shoes.
The best interview, however; was with a fighter that many people know for his involvement in one of the most absurd knockouts in MMA history, Mike Russow. I'm not going to rehash that here but if you don't know what I'm referring to, spend a few minutes on Google and search for "Hammerfist of Doom". It's well worth it. In the interview, Russow and Helwani discuss the difficulties that Russow faces trying to balance MMA with his full time job as a Chicago police officer.
Helwani: How do you juggle a full time job as a police officer and a UFC career?Russow: I mean, it's tough, you just have to be dedicated. You only have so much time. I work 5 pm to 2 am. I get home, go right to bed. Wake up, eat, and then go train. Usually get home around 3 or so, maybe have 45 minutes to an hour to rest and then off to work. It's like Groundhog day. Do it all over again the next day.Helwani: Have you ever thought about dropping one, so that you could focus on one as opposed to the other, 100%?
Russow: I mean, my dream is just to fight for the UFC, just fight year round. That's my dream, but realistically, I just got married a little over a year ago, I have a baby daughter, she's a year and a half. With health insurance and you know, being Chicago Police, we make pretty good money and I'm 35, so to take that chance and put my family out there, you know, is just not something I want to do at this point. If things worked out in the UFC and I could move up, I think I could take a year leave of absence and give it a shot. For this fight, I used all of my vacation time, this is the first time ever leading up to a fight that I've been able to have a month off, just train right, sleep right, and just kinda do it like the pro's do it. And it's awesome.
I felt a mix of emotions as I listenend to him describe his situation. The first was admiration for Russow. Trying to balance a full time job with a dream is a difficult proposition for anyone. Add a young family to the mix and the dream often retreats back to whence it came, no longer a part of everyday reality. For Russow, the stakes are even higher, as both his job as a police officer and his dream of being a full time mixed martial artist put him at substantial risk of physical harm. The sacrifices he makes on a daily basis are truly something to applaud.
The second emotion I felt was disappointment, brought on by Russow's assertion that "if things worked out in the UFC...." You see, in my estimation, things have worked out for him in the UFC. He's won his first three fights in the organization. He's fought on the main card, won knockout of the night. He's on a three fight win streak, joining Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir as the only UFC heavyweights who can currently make that claim. He is ranked among the top 20 heavyweight fighters in the world, yet he refers to his peers as professionals, not comfortable putting himself in the same category as them.
Continue reading this post after the jump.
The recent ESPN/Outside the Lines story on UFC fighter pay made reference to the fact that ESPN spoke with a good number of UFC fighters who refused to go on the record and speak out in favor of higher pay, for fear of being black balled by the UFC brass. It's not hard to understand that, as Zuffa has not always taken criticism well. However, might the type of men attracted to the job have something to do with it as well? The term "blue collar work ethic" is often used to describe the hard working everyman. Up early, home late and never a complaint about it. Russow clearly embodies this attitude; fighters generally do (Nick Diaz not withstanding). When you consider that aspect, is it any wonder then that UFC fighters are reticent to speak out? Blue collar jobs almost always come with the support of a union, in place to provide a voice for men who prefer to let their actions speak for them, ensuring their hard working nature is not taken advantage of. There is no fighter's union nor is there likely to be one anytime soon. Thus the Mike Russow's of the organization quietly soldier on, happy just to have the chance to be there.
In some ways, fighters like Russow are destined to be a semi-tragic part of MMA history, a generation caught in between, if you will. Old enough to have seen the days when MMA was truly an underground phenomenon and everyone fought out of love for the sport but not young enough to truly profit from the explosion into the mainstream. Joining Mike Russow on the card is Phil Davis who, like Russow, is a former division one NCAA wrestler but who, unlike Russow, entered MMA straight upon his graduation from Penn State University, made his UFC a mere 18 months later and now, just two years into his career, finds himself headlining an event on a major television network. It was kind of amusing to hear Davis tell Ariel Helwani that it would be "silly to think that anyone would be fighting if they weren't getting paid for it" but that is pretty much exactly what was happening (in the North American MMA scene at least) until Zuffa stepped in some ten odd years ago.
In the full length, unedited interview that Lorenzo Fertitta did with ESPN, released by the UFC following the OTL story, Lorenzo went to great lengths to detail the financial risks that he and his brother Frank undertook in building the company. He noted that fighter pay has increased every year since they began making a profit and was adamant that the UFC provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to fighters to make loads of money. I can't and won't deny the validity of his statements, nor would I minimize them. Zuffa has single handedly turned MMA into what it is today, a bonafide, major, professional sport. The work is not quite finished though. The UFC also released their own video piece on the subject of fighter pay, featuring former champions Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell and Matt Serra discussing the issue. Something Forrest said stood out to me:
Forrest Griffin: The UFC has guys that technically they lose money on. Guys that they are paying ten, fifteen thousand dollars to fight, that nobody is really watching. Nobody bought the pay-per-view to see that guy. You know, maybe 300 people, his home town, if he's lucky. But they are paying that guy to get better, to keep fighting, because maybe he'll catch on, and be that next thing. So what the UFC is really doing is paying a stable of fighters and giving them an opportunity to make it big.
Forrest makes a great point, that no one is really buying the pay-per-view to see someone like Mike Russow. His next point? Not quite as great. If they are truly paying Russow and the rest of the guys they "lose money" on, (I use quotations because what they lose on the under card and mid tier fighters they more than gain back on the portion of the pay-per-view proceeds that they aren't giving directly to the stars, like Forrest. It might have been more accurate for Forrest to say "I'm losing money because the UFC is paying these guys".) to get better, they should be ensuring that they can do so without also having to work full time as a police officer, or engineer (Shane Carwin), or stock broker (John Cholish). It's completely unrealistic to think that any professional athlete is going to improve much if they are spending eight hours a day doing something completely unrelated to their sport.
In my eyes the solution is simple: When the UFC signs a new fighter to a contract, they should give them a signing bonus right away. Nothing too big, but enough so that the fighter can set aside whatever else they are doing with their lives and focus on training full time. A pre-fight camp training camp usually starts 8-12 weeks prior to the fight. If the contract is for a single fight, the bonus should be roughly equal to the cost of three months of training. If the contract is for multiple fights, it should be a little bigger. Once they have gotten to that first fight, the current amount of show/win money, the fight night and discretionary bonus system and the various sponsorship opportunities available to fighters will take care of the rest.
My caveman economics are leading me to imagine that $15,000 for a one fight contract, $25,000 for a multiple fight contract would be about right. I'm not sure how many lower tier fighters the UFC signs in a calender year, but 50 guys at $25k a piece would cost the UFC $1.25 million, or just over one percent of the money they are getting per year from FOX. Per fighter the amount is a veritable drop in the bucket for Zuffa, a negligible difference to their bottom line.
For Mike Russow and the many fighters like him though? It would mean all the difference in the world.
Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fighter, russow
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendDana White Doesn't Buy the 'Tainted Supplement' Excuse
Filed under: UFCCHICAGO -- After King Mo Lawal tested positive for a banned steroid this month, he said he believed the substance got into his system because it was in a supplement that he legally purchased over the counter.
UFC President Dana White says that excuse isn't good enough.
White said Thursday that he thinks all professional athletes need to know for sure what they're putting in their systems, and that any fighter who tests positive for a banned substance needs to deal with the consequences, regardless of the reason.
"If you get caught doing something, admit you did it," White said. "The whole 'Somebody put something in my system that I didn't know about?' I mean, who here lets someone put s--t inside them that you don't know what it is? If you go to the doctor and he gives you a pill, 'Doc, what am I taking this for?'"
White said he wishes fighters who test positive for performance-enhancing drugs would simply admit that they were trying to gain an unfair advantage, rather than plead ignorance about the contents of the supplements they were taking.
"I don't buy that s--t," White said. "Own up to what you did. Listen, it's out there, it happens, and sometimes everybody makes mistakes."
White said he hopes the UFC's new policy of testing all new fighters at the time they sign their first UFC contracts will deter young mixed martial artists from taking performance-enhancing drugs.
"The up-and-coming guys, you're already talented, you're already fast, you're already strong, do not ruin your career by taking this junk that will affect you for the rest of your life," White said.
And as for the established fighters who test positive and say they didn't know the ingredients of the supplements they were taking? White doesn't want to hear it.
"I don't buy it," White said. "Anybody that's ever said that they didn't know what's being put in their body is full of s--t." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fighter, supplement, i dont, dont, performanceenhancing drugs
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseNate Quarry Gives Perspective On UFC Weapons Advertiser Ban
As the UFC continues to grow and evolve into more of a national entity, it continues to shed elements of its past, perhaps hoping to paint a more "polished" product for potential big-time sponsors and mainstream American sports fans that are just joining the party.
Earlier this week, news leaked that Zuffa had dropped The Gun Store and other related weapons/ammunition companies from its approved sponsor list. Retired MMA fighter and 10-fight UFC veteran Nate Quarry added his opinion to the mix on The Underground, giving perspective from someone that fought through the heart of the post-TUF boom period.
Here's a grammatically unedited excerpt:
An MMA fighter has an agent that he pays, a team he fights for that he trains at, that he pays, if he's good and has the money he has a muay thai coach, a Jits coach, a strength and conditioning coach, a diet coach and someone to help him cut weight. And if he just made it to the big shows he MAY make 30k for the year. Minus 20% for management and training at least then a third for taxes and you're sitting at about 16k to live on for the entire year.
Sponsors have always been a huge source of income for fighters. I can't tell you how many times a sponsor showed up at just the right time and gave me food money. Literally.
When I fought Pete Sell the second time I was sponsored by Toyo tires. For two fights I had their logo on my shorts. For what? A set of tires. That would be about $800. $400 for two fights on primetime that have been shown over and over. Why did I do it? Because I was driving around on my spare and one other tire was filled with fix a flat. The belts were showing on the other tires.
You want to see the best a fighter can be? Buy his gear. Support the brands that sponsor him and send the companies emails letting them know you're buying their protein because they're sponsoring someone.
What's that you say? If you don't like it then quit? I do like it. In fact, I love it. That's why I lived in my buddies basement 2 nights a week to save on gas money. And I rode with other friends to practice to save on gas money. And I packed a lunch to practice. And I only wore clothes sponsors and other more successful fighters would give me. And I'd do it all over again.
If you got into fighting to be rich, you chose the wrong sport. Do it for the love and if you get rich that's a nice bonus. But having those sponsors can sure make the ride easier.
Should Zuffa allow the fighters more liberties with getting sponsors or should they be restrictive? For example, if someone is bothered by the U.S. Marine Corps advertising on UFC events, should they fall under the same consideration? How can Zuffa make it right to fighters that are losing out on this money? Chime in below on this topic.
Posted in: fight, fighter, money, sponsor, mma fighter
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBroken nose won't deter Canada's McGillvray
Canadian fighter Ryan (The Kid) McGillvray won't be deterred by a broken nose, injured during a routine sparring session last July.
Posted in: fighter, canada, nose, kid mcgillvray, mcgillvray
Read the full article at sportsnet.caBroken nose won't deter Cdn McGillivray
Canadian fighter Ryan (The Kid) McGillvray won't be deterred by a broken nose, injured during a routine sparring session last July.
Posted in: fighter, canadian, cdn, nose, kid mcgillvray
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX 2's Davis 'absolutely' expects title shot but has no preference when
It's one of those seemingly one-sided UFC deals: If fighter "A" wins
this fight, he gets a title shot. If fighter "B" wins, well, great job!
You can imagine how fighter "B" feels to get another reminder of the oh-so-frequent lesson that life is rarely fair.
Maybe Phil Davis is just playing Pollyanna, but he
today told MMAjunkie.com that he expects a title
shot if he beats Rashad Evans at UFC on FOX 2,
which takes place Saturday at Chicago's United Center and airs live on
FOX.
Posted in: title shot, title, fighter, rashad evans, fighter b
Read the full article at MMA JunkieAlistair Overeem Releases Statement On Golden Glory Lawsuit
Alistair Overeem is certainly no stranger to the public eye. The #1 contender to the UFC Heavyweight title recently wrapped up an extremely high profile 2010, with his departure from Strikeforce, his UFC debut and his continuing online series The Reem. Amidst all of this, he also parted ways with his longtime training camp at Golden Glory, and that relationship quickly turned sour.
So far, it's been mainly Golden Glory speaking publicly about this issue, but now Overeem has issued his own public statement through his lawyers. It's a bit of an odd statement, as it outlines why Overeem has not yet publicly commented, promises comments, but then doesn't really end up saying much, only that "You will hear from Alistair on many of these topics directly." Two key lines do stick out though.
First, here is one of his explanations for why he has remained silent:
Alistair believes that the split between himself and Golden Glory should be kept between the parties. Although he has been tempted to expose ongoing problems with Golden Glory's business, its poor relationship with some of its remaining fighters, and the deep betrayal he has experienced in recent years, he has chosen not to air the specifics of those facts.
This goes along with Overeem's initial announcement about the split where he cited "a breach of trust." Without knowing the specifics yet, it's clear that, in Overeem's view, there have been some serious issues in the way Golden Glory runs things.
Second, Overeem makes it clear that this issue is not going away anytime soon:
We can say that Alistair and his legal team are very confident in the legal positions he has taken or will take in the California and Nevada litigation. Alistair is looking forward to having a judge or jury determine the merits of his position in this litigation. Although overtures regarding resolution of the lawsuits have been made by Golden Glory, Alistair believes it is important to see this matter to conclusion, not just for himself, but for other Golden Glory fighters, the UFC and its fans.
So expect this to be settled in court, where a lot of dirty laundry could be aired. Between Golden Glory fighters struggling to be paid for K-1 fights, the Zuffa vs. Golden Glory skirmish last summer, and the camp's nebulous ties to the new K-1, there are a lot of questions about how things are really going inside the Golden Glory world at the moment. A court case could push a lot of that into the open.
This situation started last September with Overeem announcing the split. Golden Glory head Bas Boon immediately responded by calling Overeem's contract into question and already hinting at possible litigation. In November, those hints became a reality with Overeem filing suit against Golden Glory, and the camp readying a counter-suit.
It's an unfortunate and ugly end to a partnership that has brought Overeem's career to great heights.
Read Overeem's complete statement in the full article.
ALISTAIR OVEREEM CONFIDENT ABOUT LITIGATION WITH GOLDEN GLORY
This is Alistair Overeem's first formal public comment on his ongoing litigation with Golden Glory. He has avoided comment up to now for many reasons. First, Alistair believes that the split between himself and Golden Glory should be kept between the parties. Although he has been tempted to expose ongoing problems with Golden Glory's business, its poor relationship with some of its remaining fighters, and the deep betrayal he has experienced in recent years, he has chosen not to air the specifics of those facts. Second, Alistair was singularly focused on his fight with Brock Lesnar. Third, Alistair does not want to disrupt Golden Glory's ongoing business operations. Fourth, Alistair believes that commenting on the litigation lacks professionalism. Golden Glory continues to take action by press release, through public comment and in the litigation in an apparent attempt to derail Alistair's career. Now that Alistair has defeated Brock Lesnar, he feels compelled to speak up. You will hear from Alistair on many of these topics directly.
We can say that Alistair and his legal team are very confident in the legal positions he has taken or will take in the California and Nevada litigation. Alistair is looking forward to having a judge or jury determine the merits of his position in this litigation. Although overtures regarding resolution of the lawsuits have been made by Golden Glory, Alistair believes it is important to see this matter to conclusion, not just for himself, but for other Golden Glory fighters, the UFC and its fans.
Posted in: overeem, fighter, glory, alistair, litigation
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowNew Fan's Introduction to Mixed Martial Arts: Ground Grappling
New to MMA? Just watched the UFC on FX and looking forward to the UFC on Fox 2? Think you might be getting hooked?
Well you've come to the right place! Here at Bloody Elbow we are breaking down the various phases and techniques in an MMA match; Starting with the striking and then moving on to the clinch.
Now we come to the aspect that makes MMA unique to almost any other combat sport, ground grappling which allows striking. The ground game is often a mystery to those fans who have practice a grappling art, and can be divisive aspect of the sport. Some fans decry ground work as boring while others get absorbed in the minuet details, and I fall squarely into the latter category.
Let start with the basics, any time when two fighters are grappling one fighter will be on the top and the other on the bottom. There are a variety of positions, differentiated by the amount of control and danger the top fighter can impose on the bottom fighter. In general, the fighter on top is considered to have the advantage but some positions offer more advantage than other. Positions in which the bottom fighter has no offensive options are referred to as "dominant positions" because the top fighter is in complete control.
We will start with the position which offers the bottom fighter the most offensive options, the guard. The guard position originated in Judo, but it was in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that the guard really blossomed. The guard can be loosely defined as any time the bottom fighter has both his legs free and between himself and the top fighter. The closed, or full, guard the bottom fighter wraps his legs around the top man and locks his ankles. This limits the movement of the top man and provides the bottom fighter a variety of sweeps or submissions.
gifs after the jump...
(gif from Iron Forges Iron)
Carlos Condit made excellent use of the guard at UFC 132. Condit had been taken down by Dong Hyun Kim, very strong top position grappler, and the defensive aspect of the guard is very useful against fighters like that.
The guard provides good defense against striking and once off balanced the top fighter can be rolled over. Known as a sweep, Condit executes this move to perfection as he pulls Kim forward and uses a leg to lift Kim's hips and roll him over.
Sweeps from the guard work on the basic principle of off balancing the top man and taking away their ability to catch their balance by blocking one of their arms or legs, and then applying a little force to cause them to fall.
Now for the top man he must either establish a strong base of balance or attempt to pass the guard. Passing means working around the legs of the bottom man and taking them out of play. During a pass the bottom man may entrap one leg in what is refereed as the halfguard.
(pic via bjjr.ru)
The half guard is a position that can favor either fighter. Elite half gaurd players like Demian Maia prefers to use the half guard to quickly turn the tables on fighters with his array of sweeps. But it takes an elite bottom player to operate with real success from the half guard.
Wrestlers, like the recently retired Brock Lesnar or Randy Couture, like to use the half guard as a controlling position that they can strike from effectively. Brock Lesnar used the half guard to punish Frank Mir at the UFC 100.
Once a top man escapes the half guard he enters into the dominant positions. Side control is the first dominant position, in which the top man lays across the chest of the bottom fighter. As the name suggests, this position offers excellent control, openings for strikes or submissions. The bottom man can defend himself from strikes or submissions but he cannot mount any real offense, the bottom man's focus normally is either to escape to standing or reestablish the guard.
Now some times the bottom man prefers to go to his knees in a position known as the turtle position. While the rules of MMA protect the bottom fighter to some degree because they disallow kicks to the head and strikes to the spine, this is still a position fighters look to exit from quickly by either standing or going for takedowns. Even with rules limiting strikes from this position, it is a very dangerous position for the bottom man to linger.
(via img291.imageshack.us)
A fighter can advance from side control to another dominant position, refereed to as the mount. The mount is where basically the top man sits on the bottom man's chest.
From this position the top man can strike the bottom man to the head but the bottom man cannot strike back. It not only offers position for power strikes but also an array of submissions.
The mount is an excellent offensive position and in the old days of MMA it was cause enough for a referee to stop a fight. But modern MMA fighters have learned the knee-to-elbow and upa escapes, the most basic escapes from the position.
Now fighters will sometimes panic when mounted and they roll over, surrendering their back. The back mount is possibly the most dominate position. A death sentence on the streets, the back mount is limited by the rules of MMA making strikes to the back of the head illegal, but it is an ideal position for submission attacks. Submissions though are a subject for another article.
Posted in: fighter, guard, man, position, bottom
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowVideo: 'Fight Factory' Documentary An Inside Look On AKA's Cain Velasquez, Phil Baroni And Mark Ellis
I usually don't get to read a bunch of tweets due to the sheer number of people I'm following (just so I can get you your weekly How's Taste My Tweet Tweet compilation). Today though, I woke up and noticed that I had a mention from Phil Baroni asking me what I thought about this AKA documentary called 'Fight Factory'.
I read the description of the video which said something a bit cheesy, but also expected, when it comes to companies trying to convince you to watch their show:
Picture all six Rocky flicks rolled into one and with a punch of "Brown Pride" added in and you'll get an idea of the unrelenting wallop of Fight Factory.
The documentary revolves around the inner workings of the top MMA gym, American Kickboxing Academy, their coaches, and their fighters.
I truly expected it to be like those run of the mill MMA training documentaries that pops up every now and then, but a few minutes in, and I surprisingly didn't find that urge to press the close button on my browser. In fact, even if I already knew the results of the bouts I still kept watching intently just to see how it all unfolds.
Cain Velasquez is the most popular guy in the 'cast', so they're naturally focusing the marketing on him and his preparation for that UFC on FOX bout against Junior dos Santos. To be honest though, apart from the bit where Cain discusses and confirms that he sprained his knee in training, the more interesting bits on the episode where definitely from the story lines on AKA's other fighters Phil Baroni and Mark Ellis.
They show Ellis and the struggles of a new fighter who is having trouble dealing with the physical, and more importantly, the mental issues of switching from being a dominant wrestling champion, to a rookie who is struggling to make it in MMA. They also show Baroni, a veteran trying to come back months too early from surgery because he needed the cash. A fighter who doesn't feel welcome in a camp that he has been part of for years, and has been dealing with people telling him he's washed up and should retire.
We hear and read about these conflicts all the time, but the makers of the film were able to capture and present it well, giving us a look first hand on how these fighters cope and deal with those issues.
Check out the video below.
Posted in: fighter, phil, bit, documentary, baroni
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMaia Thinking Like A White Belt, Fighting Like A Black Belt
If you’re a Brazilian fight fan or someone associated with the sport, you were either in HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro on January 14th or you wanted to be there for UFC 142. But not Demian Maia. Tucked away in Sao Paulo, Maia was putting the finishing touches on his training camp, getting ready for a fight in Chicago on January 28th, and, with the exception of an autograph session in his home city, not worrying too much about what was going to happen in Rio earlier this month.“I’m very focused and I don’t think about fighting on this or that day – just that I have a fight on the 28th and that’s it,” said Maia when asked about the event and whether he was going to attend or watch UFC 142. “I don’t even know if I’m gonna watch because normally right before my fights I don’t usually watch fights. I’m just focused on the 28th.”So there was no worry from him about being seen with the crème de la crème of the Brazilian MMA world or disappointment about not competing on the card; he had business to take care of, and all eyes were on America, not Brazil.“I’m very happy to fight and because I do what I love, and I know UFC is coming to Brazil more often, so sooner or later I know I’m going to be fighting here, but I’m not in a rush about that,” said Maia, whose attitude matches his fighting style. He’s not going to be reckless or wild. He will beat you with his mind before he does it with his hands or feet, and in a little over four years, he has gone from a one-dimensional jiu-jitsu player to a well-rounded mixed martial artist whose form may be unorthodox, but effective. And that’s come with a mix of work, focus, and a refreshing lack of ego.“For me, it’s not hard because I love what I do and I love to fight,” he said. “I love boxing also, and not just jiu-jitsu, so whenever you do something that you love, it’s never hard work. Of course the training and everything is tough, but what I do I like very much and when you’re like that I think you develop very well.”“I see some guys that are standup fighters and they’ve been doing jiu-jitsu for many years and they’re still not so good, and there are some jiu-jitsu guys that do standup for many years and they’re not so good, and the key is that they don’t like the other style,” Maia continues. “Sometimes they don’t like to train other styles and sometimes they don’t like to go from being the best at what they do to learning something else and there’s an ego involved there. If you think like a white belt, you can keep getting better. And when I decide to do something, I know that I will do it hard and I will get it.”Winner of three of his last four, with the only loss a hard fought three round scrap with Mark Munoz that saw him actually rock “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” while the two traded blows early on, Maia has shown the ability to handle himself standing as well as on the mat. He will never be confused with a 185-pound knockout artist, but if going three rounds with Munoz and five rounds with champion Anderson Silva haven’t erased the memory of his knockout loss to Nate Marquardt back in 2009, you’re just not paying attention.So with his ego in check, his game growing by leaps and bounds with every fight, and the outlook looking bright for the 34-year old, it was no surprise that he didn’t get rattled when his original opponent for this Saturday’s FOX bout, Michael Bisping, was pulled from the fight to replace the injured Munoz against Chael Sonnen. In comes unbeaten New Yorker Chris Weidman, and Maia is as ready for his new foe as he was for the last one.“Chris Weidman is one of the most promising fighters in the middleweight class, with amazing wrestling credentials, and he’s also showing a lot of good and always improving Jiu-Jitsu technique,” said Maia. “Being undefeated is not easy at this level of competition and he’s shown that he is a good fighter. I respect a lot the fact that he took the fight on short notice, as this is a big card on a great platform in FOX, and it shows how much heart he has. In no way do I think this is an easier fight, and I think it's going to be very interesting and great for the fans.”And a win on such a nationally televised platform will also do wonders for Maia’s growing profile.“It’s a good test for me if I want to be champion one day,” said Maia, who is already reaping the benefits of the UFC’s success in his home country.“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “After last year, when the UFC came back to Brazil again, there was a great change in the sport in Brazil. And now, people recognize us in the street, they come to talk to us everywhere, and it’s different than before. Before, maybe just other fighters and the people involved with fights knew who I was. Now everyone comes to talk and the sport is very big here.”Not surprisingly though, he hasn’t let all the attention get to his head.“It doesn’t change my life. I’m still the same person like everybody else.”That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t mind making his debut as a UFC fighter in his home country with a world title on the line one day.“That would be great.”
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, ’t, maia
Read the full article at UFCUFC bans weapon sponsors
Cage Potato reports that Zuffa has banned all gun, ammo, hunting and knife sponsors in the UFC. The ban is a one of the guidelines promulgated by the Fox Sports Media Group.
Longtime UFC fighter sponsor, The Gun Store, is the most notable to be affected. Also affected was Ammo to Go, which sponsored fighters on the recent UFC on FX 1 card and UFC 142. According to reports, the news broke last week and the ban was instituted this week.
Cage Potato received word from Fox regarding the reason for the restriction:
Via Cage Potato:
“Simply put, UFC is complying with its FOX Sports Media Group contract which only applies to events and shows carried on its networks. Beyond that, FOX does not comment on its standards and practices.”
MMA Payout had the opportunity to contact Grohmann Knives, also known as GKnives.com. It sponsored Jim Miller Friday night among other fighters. In an email to MMA Payout it stated it was not notified of the ban and in fact the company was solicited by UFC fighters about possible future sponsorship opportunities.
Payout Perspective:
The ban is not too surprising considering the UFC-Fox relationship. With being in the mainstream comes restrictions and we can see this as the sponsorship version of the more family friendly UFC. Yet, this may hurt some fighters who rely on sponsors like The Gun Store and Ammo to Go as a source of revenue.
Seen another way, the ban could foster a new way to think about sponsorship. Ingrained Media, a marketing firm working with MMA fighters, hypothesized that there may be a time when there may not be any sponsors in the UFC. It called for more of a strategy when it comes to building brands for fighters rather than just finding logo placement for televised events. The challenge is to find ways to leverage the fighter’s UFC platform in to sustainable revenue for the fighter and value for the brand. We will see if this happens.
While the ban hurts all fighters, it likely hurts mid-tier fighters the most considering they are on the televised portion of cards cards but do not make the top tier money as main eventers and are not lower-tier fighters who may not be able to solicit sponsors at the point in their career. For them, the MMA middle class will have to look elsewhere for sponsors.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, sponsor, ban, gun store
Read the full article at MMA PayoutWhat's your local MMA scene like?
Heading to a local show in Moncton (eastern Canada) this weekend and was wondering what the local scene was like for other redditers. Here is what the scene is like out east: Fairly low level though it is growing. Two cities host pretty much all of the events: Halifax and Moncton. There are about 8 shows per year which have fairly one dimensional fighters with an occasional celebrity/high level fighter brought in (Jeremy Horn, Butterbean, Dan Severn, Brett Rogers). Atlantic Canada has produced a few higher level fighters: TJ Grant (ufc), Ryan Jimmo (ufc debut soon), Roger Hollett (Bellator). submitted by goalfinga [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fighter, level, mma scene, events halifax, cities host
Read the full article at RedditONE FC Fighter Peter Davis, the Malaysian Model Turned Mixed Martial Artist
Peter Davis was an obvious addition to the ONE Fighting Championship roster because not only is he one of the best fighters in Malaysia but he is also a celebrity who has starred in multiple commercials and advertizing campaigns and works as a catwalk model.
His main claim to fame is having a starring role in the award winning Malaysian movie Sell Out! but it is as a fighter that he is hoping to make a name for himself in 2012. Davis already has a 3-1 record and will be looking to improve on that starting on February 11th when he will feature on the undercard at ONE Fighting Championship 'Battle of Heroes'.
The BritAma Arena in Jakarta will play host to ONE FC's eagerly anticipated second event and Davis will be taking on an Indonesian fighter, wrestling stand out Ngabdi Mulyadi. Just like the Malaysian he has not been fighting regularly for a long time but his MMA record stands at 5-2 and he won a bronze medal wrestling at the 2009 SEA Games.
Davis has faced some serious opponents in the past knocking out Japanese journeyman Masaya Doi in his professional debut and going three rounds with Darren Guisha, who was regarded as one of the brightest prospects on the UK scene at the time, in his second fight.
His style is an extremely unorthodox form of Kung Fu he calls 'Wuji Chuan' which was taught to him by a Malaysian teacher. It is unusual for fighters with a background in traditional martial arts to prosper in MMA but for the first time in his life Davis is conducting a proper training camp in preparation for a shot with Asia's most prestigious mixed martial arts promotion.
After the jump, check him out doing his day job as well as answering questions about moving from modelling to mixed martial arts.
Nissan Latio Launch TVC Malaysia
Have you been busy with modelling or have you had time to train for this fight?
I was visiting family in the UK over Christmas and I worked cardio and some endurance because I did not really have a team to train with. Now I'm working with the team at Muayfit and I'm doing full MMA cross training: hardcore cardio, BJJ, Muaythai, wrestling, strengh and conditioning and also some Wuji Chuan on the side. Who have you been training with?
The team at Muayfit. A group of experienced fighters that have a lot of 'know how' in the cage, there is Arnaud Lepont who is a French fighter who is 7-1 and has some big fights coming up, he's a name to look out for and Eric Kelly who is 6-0 and put in a very good performance at the first ONE Fighting Championship show, he has amazing submission skills.
Then there's Jorm from Thailand who has had over 300 Muay Thai fights, I have been working on my stand up with him and Isamu Himura who has trained all over the world and has a lot of experience. Samir Mrabet helps me with my BJJ, he has as purple belt and also has some MMA experience, we have a really good team and we all train together twice a day.
You have a decent record but I heard you had never really trained properly for a fight before. How does your preparation for this fight compare with the preparation you did for previous fights?
Well this time it's harder. ONE Fighting Championship is home to some of the best fighters in Asia, it's a different league of fighting and a different level of fighters. I'm knackered at the end of the day after giving it my all whilst dropping weight at the same time. Previously I was working a 9-5 and trained maybe two or three times a week. Now it's everyday, this is my full time job.
Have you ever had a chance to train with professional fighters before and if not how much do you think it has helped you improve?
I've trained with good guys before, but this is different. It's a team, it's gotta be good because most of these guys have just done fights and are very active in the MMA scene. It's a great help from hardcore training to great tips, sometimes just small stuff but it's really good.
I believe you have always fought at welterweight in the past, are you confident you will be able to get down to 155 lbs and are you planning on cutting much weight?
Well we used to weigh in on the day of most of our fights and we never really thought about it. Now though I see guys at welterweight and they look huge, Gregor Gracie for example. So dropping down in weight seemed like the sensible thing to do as everyone else is doing it. I'm confident about cutting the weight because I'm easily 72kg after a sweaty training session and that's just by moderating my food intake. If I control water intake too it should not be a problem.
What do you prefer modelling or fighting?
Depends on the day! They both involve watching your weight, waiting around for a job and then when you get the job you need to do lots of waiting around until it starts. On top of that apparently you have to do lots of interviews and get your photo taken for fighting so they are definitely kind of similar except that there are less tall hot chicks around when I fight!
You teach an MMA class in KL and I assume all your students will be watching the fight. Does that make you feel more pressure?
Yes the pressure is on, but that can only push me forward knowing that everyone will be watching. Losing is not an option.
Are you nervous about fighting against an Indonesian in Indonesia?
I'm not nervous about the fighting itself but the crowd inside and outside of the fight... maybe. However the Indonesians are a nice bunch of people so I hope this will be fine.
Do you have any predictions for your fight?
I'm going to be training hard and I hope that will swing the balance. It's not gonna be easy to get the KO I'm looking for, but even if I get taken down I think I've got a reasonable chance on the groundYou went to the first One FC show. What did you think of that?
It was a great show, I think there were almost 10,000 people there and I can't wait to be a part of the next one. The good thing about being on the undercard is that I should get to watch lots of it. The first show was great, some awesome fights. This time it should be more of the same and hopefully I can make mine a fight to remember.
Posted in: fight, mma, time, fighter, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWhite fine with Strikeforce-UFC callouts, wants more control of sister promotion
For Strikeforce fighters, the move has become commonplace: Win a fight, call out a UFC fighter.
Of course, both UFC and Strikeforce officials have insisted the two
promotions are going to remain separate for the time being, and fighter
sharing isn't a current part of the plan.
So does UFC boss Dana White cringe each and every time he hears a
fighter asking for a matchup he's not going to get? Not at all, says the
fiery UFC boss. But there are some other changes he wants to make.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, strikeforce officials, strikeforce fighters, matchup hes
Read the full article at MMA JunkieWhere Is Lorenzo Fertitta's $275 Man?
In their response to the ESPN Outside the Lines feature and ESPN.com article on UFC fighter pay, the UFC released the full video they filmed of the Lorenzo Fertitta interview. They also released a smaller part of the video focusing on a segment of the interview where Lorenzo tried for a big "gotcha moment" when he asked John Barr why it was okay for a fighter on the previous Friday Night Fights to have only made $275 for their four round fight. It was a meaningless point to begin with, given that ESPN has a flat budget for Friday Night Fights and the fighters are booked and paid for by the promoters, not the network.
However, tonight I was organizing Nevada's boxing payouts for last year, putting together a database for Bad Left Hook, and I got to the event in question and noticed something.
There was no fighter on the show who made only $275 for their fight.
There were four fighters on the card who were in four round fights. Timothy Hall, Jr. was 2-10 in his last 12 fights and was paid $2,500 gross for his losing performance on this card. His opponent, Badou Jack, made a gross purse of $2,000. Razvan Conaju made a disclosed $500 (more on him in a moment) and his opponent Kourtney Boden scored $1,000.
Conaju is a former Olympian from Romania and I think this is a case where the disclosed pay doesn't tell the whole story, especially given that he made $3,000 for his pro debut a few months earlier. Still, not a $275 payout.
This isn't a huge deal, it doesn't mean I'm saying "look, I caught him in a lie!" In fact, I'd probably never have mentioned it if the "gotcha moment" weren't treated as such a heavy and legitimate argument by many UFC/MMA fans.
Here's the official pay sheet from Nevada for the event in PDF format:
Friday Night Fights Pay Sheet July 29, 2011
Posted in: fight, fighter, moment, john barr, opponent badou
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowReport: Fedor Emelianenko To Fight Bobby Lashley In 2012
Bobby Lashley may not have gotten a fair shake from the MMA community. He entered the fight game after a career in the WWE and was viewed by almost everyone as a 'poor man's Brock Lesnar'. It's how the WWE fans viewed him when he made his wrestling debut and it's how MMA viewed him as well. During his time in Strikeforce, he was criticized for taking easy fights, with most viewing him as an expensive can-crusher. He'd deflect this accusations by saying that he is new to the business and taking his time to develop. He'd then add that if people had a problem with how he's handling his career, he'd like to fight Fedor instead. Well, it looks like Bobby Lashley will get his wish.
After going 2-0 in 2011 on the regional circuit, Bobby Lashley is reportedly in talks to fight the 'Last Emperor'. Fighter's Only Magazine spoke with Lashley about this potential fight.
"I'm going to throw everything at him that I can. Of course, my wrestling's there, I don't give a damn what he's doing. I'd put my wrestling up there with almost anyone right now."
"I think that my wrestling would trump some of the things that he has. I know he's a great fighter, but if I fought him then of course I'm going to try and wrestle him down... If it was Dave [Bautista], I'm standing and banging with him. I've been doing a lot of boxing."
Lashley would obviously enter the fight as an underdog, though he may have more of a fighting chance than fans would give him credit for. His wrestling is solid for heavyweight and he has displayed some active ground and pound. The big question is: "has he developed in his year away from the public eye?"
For his sake, I hope so. Lashley is an incredibly likable fighter who has some name value. I just hope that M-1 isn't using him to try and still sell Fedor as the fighter he once was.
Posted in: fight, fighter, lashley, bobby, im
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowNeed some advice on close up boxing.
Hey. I just started kickboxing. With a taekwondo background I find myself quite the quick learner and I'm able to spar with the more experienced fighters. However, there is one fighter in my class. He get's up close to me and fight like this. He is being nice to me and doesn't hit me hard. But the repeated quick punches and quick body movement makes me look like a punching bag. I have the reach advantage, I got good jabs and one-two combo's. The problem is when he get's close. I tighten up and get scared. If I try to hit, he usually dodges and responds with several quick punches all over me. Is there any training videos for this? I've seen lot's of boxing tutorials with great fighters like Anderson Silva, Crocop, Shogun and Couture. However, these tend to focus on basic punches, training methods and stuff like that. submitted by haakondafo [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: fighter, punch, advantage i, bag i, onetwo combos
Read the full article at RedditSorry, Jon Jones is not impressed with your lame jokes
Hopefully in 2012, we can collectively agree that any form of media asking a fighter to place them in a rear-naked choke needs to come to an end. Actually, that's not entirely fair. Let's make a rule that if you ask a fighter to place you in a rear-naked choke, you can't tap out. The blood running through your neck will have to come to a complete halt and your unconscious body will need to collapse to the floor in order to realize how much of an idiot you were for asking someone to choke you out. Set an example for the children of the world. In any other moment in human civilization, this stuff would not have passed. Imagine someone at Fox News asking Attila the Hun to place them in a 'guillotine.' Necks would be rolling quicker than your friends rolled to Nate Dogg in the late 90s (RIP). Unfortunately, it appears the trend this year is to crack lame MMA jokes to impress your favorite fighters -- as illustrated by this Steve Braband video. Props to Rob J. for the find.
Posted in: fighter, place, fox news, mma jokes, nate dogg
Read the full article at Middle EasyBJJ World Champion Alex Silva Set to Star at ONE Fighting Championship 'Battle of Heroes'
ONE Fighting Championship have a policy of recruiting fighters who are already champions in their own right and so Singapore based Brazilian Alex SIlva was an obvious addition to the flyweight roster.
He is one of a number of BJJ world champions on the payroll at Evolve MMA and made a successful start to his MMA career last September, posting a first round submission win over top Thai Judoka Suchat Lukamkuha at DARE Championship 2/11 in Bangkok.
He is likely of face a stiffer test of his cage fighting credentials in Jakarta when he takes on Team Lakay's Geje Eustaquio at the BritAma Arena on February 11th. The Filipino is a Wushu fighter who has a professional MMA record of 2-1 with his only loss a dubious split decision.
Silva started out with Capoeira and Kung Fu before taking up BJJ at the age of 16 after watching Royce Gracie win UFC 1. He was awarded his black belt in 2007 and is now a veteran of over 300 BJJ matches who has finished first, second (twice) and third at the Mundials.
Now living and training at Evolve MMA, which is widely regarded as the number one mixed martial arts academy in Asia, Silva credits BJJ with completely changing his life,
"I am living my dream right now. I was born to fight, it's in my blood and I feel blessed. It has been a long hard road but I love BJJ and I devoted my entire life to it. I come from a poor family but I always had big dreams that I would fight MMA one day, now I am fighting for the biggest promotion in all of Asia."
It is an interesting match up because it pits Evolve MMA in Singapore against Team Lakay in the Philippines. While the former boasts world renowned fighters such as Rafael Dos Anjos and Shinya Aoki in its ranks the latter focuses exclusively on local Filipino fighters, who tend to have a background in Wushu.
It gives Team Lakay members like Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario and Kevin Belingon as well as Eustaquio an unorthodox approach to fighting which Silva says he has already started preparing for,
"He's very tough with great skills and he's from Team Lakay one of the top MMA camps in Asia. Chatri has a lot of respect for them and he tells me every day to be ready for a very tough war. Chatri has me focused on my skills, he has a game plan for me and I will follow it. I am ready for anything."
It is no secret that Silva's skills are primarily submission based but there can be few better place for him to improve his stand up than Evolve MMA. He has been working tirelessly to become a better striker and believes the results will be there for all to see on February 11th,
"I work a lot with Daorung Sityodtong and Kongtoranee Payakaroon Sityodtong, they are very technical and I have learned so much from them. By learning from world champions I know that I am getting the best knowledge and I hope to show some of my new skills in the cage."
ONE FC has a very competitive flyweight division which contains world class fighters such as Andrew Leone and Roy Docyogen, Eustaquio's team mate who has an outstanding 9-0 professional record. There will be no easy fights for Silva who admits that he is very much a novice when it comes to MMA,
"I am still a beginner in MMA because I've only had 1 fight. At Evolve we have world champions in every discipline so my progress has been very fast. I learn so much every day, we have the best coaches here and they push me. Chatri helps me a lot with my Muay Thai, BJJ, and MMA."
The UFC has only just introduced a flyweight division and fans will soon find out that what the little guys lack in size they more than make up for with fast and frantic action. Being based in Asia ONE FC has access to a deep talent pool of 125 lbs fighters and with his world class submission skills Silva will be looking to show that he is good enough to compete with the best of them.
Posted in: world, mma, fighter, silva, bjj
Read the full article at MMA ManiaNBC Sports Network Fight Night debuts Saturday night
The Sports Business Journal reports on the return to the ring of NBC on the rebranded NBC Sports Network formerly known as Versus. Saturday night is the debut of “NBC Sports Network Fight Night,” which will appear quarterly in 2012 on the network.
NBCSN will work with Main Events as its promotional company to produce quality fights. It already has had an obstacle to overcome as its original main event was scrapped due to fighter injury. Main Events replaced the main event with a match between two unknown, but unbeaten heavyweights.
The pledge by Main Events is that it will put on competitive fights and will work with other promoters to achieve this goal.
According to boxing sources, rights fees will average $150,000 per show which, according to the SBJ, wil “fill a middle-class void that exists between ESPN and the premium cable networks.”
With the Comcast-NBC merger, past hurdles in developing fighters and having them move on to HBO, Showtime and PPV are no longer. Main Events CEO Kathy Duva told Sports Business Journal that if fighters leave for premium cable, Comcast still wins. Also, if fighters become PPV stars, Comcast wins too.GoDaddy.com has signed on as a sponsor for the show.
Payout Perspective:
It will be interesting to see how this show will be received. The Fight Night follows NBCSN’s strategy of live programming being central to its sports network. Its an interesting concept by Main Events and addresses a problem that is common in the boxing industry. As we’ve seen with Mayweather-Pacquiao, the problems of promoters working with each other prohibits good match-ups. We’ll see how the show will present compelling storylines and promote fighters.
Posted in: fight, fighter, sport, event, network
Read the full article at MMA PayoutLet’s Reject, Not Inject: Steroids in MMA
Have you ever been walking through the city streets and a man offers you something that makes you, “run faster, jump higher, and lift heavier”? Some people would accept this “mysterious substance” and reap the rewards. Me? I throw it on the ground.
Have you ever been told that something is good for you, but you have no clue what’s actually in it or even bother to check? You just go ahead and accept that this “mysterious substance” is good for you because a friend told you it was and then take it. Me? I say, “If it’s good enough for me, it’s good enough for the ground.”
Now lets just say that this “mysterious substance” isn’t legal and could cost you a lot of money and scrutiny if it comes out that you’re on this substance. Lets just say that by taking this substance, you’re risking your health and the health of the people you’re competing against. Do you regret jumping a little higher or listening to your friend? Don’t you wish you just injected it into the ground?
Steroids in MMA are being used by more fighters than just the three or four who get busted every year. Those fighters are just better cheaters than the guys who do end up getting popped. They know when the teacher isn’t looking so they glance at their neighbors paper, they’ve come up with hand signals to relay answers to the person sitting behind them, or they’ve made a “water bottle cheat sheet” that is drastically underused in today’s society.
The fighters who do fail post-fight drug tests are just like the kids in school who get caught cheating. “I didn’t know I was cheating, it was an accident,” “everyone else is cheating, how come you only caught me?” “I didn’t know they were test answers, my buddy just wanted me to hold it for him.”
Obviously Zuffa could take steps to prevent the use of illegal substances, which I’ll get to later, but how about these fighters take some responsibility as well. I have a hard time believing that they don’t know what they’re putting into their body, and if they question a certain supplement, they should check with the commission, who should already be providing them with a list of every banned substance.
Fighters aren’t dumb. They know what goes into their bodies, they know others are cheating so they’re going to cheat as well, they know whether or not they’re using illegal substances. Instead of just admitting it though, and accepting that they screwed up, they try to play the victim. The only problem is, no one feels sorry for a guilty victim. Just ask Casey Anthony.
Earlier this week Zuffa started a new policy that will see them test any potential UFC or Strikeforce signee before the ink is dry on the contract. This sounds like a good idea and a step in the right direction, but what does it really accomplish? Guys get tested before they sign a contract and then what? There is nothing stopping them from getting on illegal substances after they’re signed. And how about the guys who are already under contract? I guess they can just keep doing what they’re doing.
An obvious next step would be for Zuffa to do their own random drug testing. Nevada tried to implement random testing a few years ago, but all they did was test the main event fighters a couple of weeks before the event once or twice, and we haven’t heard about their random testing since. The problem with this is the fact that it would cost a lot of money for Zuffa to send agents to random gyms, collect a urine sample, and then have it shipped off for testing. Would it be worth it? You would hope so if Zuffa actually does testing at random. And by random testing, I mean testing Georges St. Pierre within the first month of being cleared for training, and not testing him a month before the fight takes place.
I want to take it a step further though. Before a fight is official, both competitors sign a bout agreement. So how about when UFC sends over the bout agreement, they send over a plastic cup with it? Fighters will need to pass a drug test before the contest can become official.
It’d be like taking the SATs. You sign your name to prove you’re not completely stupid, and then you take the test to prove you’re smart enough to get into a college. Or you’re cut out to be a future teacher, which is what I always thought the SATs were designed to do.
Will that cost just as much money as random testing? Most likely, but Zuffa needs to take a step if they want to clean up the sport, because as good as commission testing is, it’s also flawed.
Harsher punishment would be a cheaper route to go. When a fighter fails a steroid test, they’re usually fined and suspended for one year, although the suspension can be reduced. A one-year suspension is a pretty big deal, but the UFC usually keeps the fighter around and continues to give them high profile fights when they return.
I’d like to see Zuffa implement a two strikes rule, but with extra punishment built in. If you fail a test the first time around; you get suspended for a year (no reduction unless it’s 100% proven that the initial test was false), lose your purse money from the fight that you failed the test for, and upon return, be put on the preliminary portion of the card. If you fail a test the second time, you’re done and won’t be brought back under any circumstances.
If fighters know that the punishment isn’t worth the risk, maybe they’ll be less likely to play with needles.
Steroids in MMA isn’t a new issue. It’s an old issue that’s going to keep coming up every time a fighter fails a test. The issue will likely never be put to bed, but we can at least get it drunk enough to where it passes out on the bathroom floor.
Posted in: fighter, ’t, test, ’re, testing
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainDana White takes fans behind the scenes of TUF 15
In his never-ending question to provide as much access as possible for UFC fans, UFC President Dana White brought cameras along with him during a recent stop at the TUF Training Center in Las Vegas where production staff was preparing for the upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter on FX.
TUF 15 will feature teams of lightweights/welterweights vying for a six-figure contract and the right to be named as an Ultimate Fighter champion. One squad will be coached by UFC bantamweight title-holder Dominick Cruz with the other headed by popular top contender Urijah Faber. The season starts in early March and will be handled in a “real time” format with live fights every Friday night.
Faber-Cruz named as Coaches for Re-Vamped Ultimate Fighter
“Everybody thinks that on the f*ckin set of the Ultimate Fighter the doors are all phony so guys can break em,” White explains to an amused Faber. “No. Those are real doors you buy at the store but that God they’re f*ckin cheap or we’d have guys with broken f*ckin hands and everything!”
In the video Faber and Cruz also offer up his picks for tonight’s UFC on FX event. Other things featured include a look at White dealing with Mark Munoz withdrawing from UFC on FOX 2, editing the Primetime special between UFC 143 opponents Nick Diaz-Carlos Condit, and capturing this evening’s headliners (Melvin Guillard-Jim Miller) joking around about Miller’s moustache.
Check it out below:
Tweet
Posted in: ufc, fighter, tuf, fckin, production staff
Read the full article at Fighters.comKendall Grove on Pro Elite 3 Minowa bout: “I’m looking to knock out Minowaman”
Since debuting on the mainstream MMA scene on the third season of UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter”, Grove has been a fan favorite and evolving fighter. Being released from Zuffa after dropping two losses in a row, Grove debuted in the resurgent ProElite organization with a submission victory over another former UFC fighter, Joe Riggs. Now facing off [...]
Posted in: fighter, kendall grove, grove, submission victory, zuffa after
Read the full article at Fighthub TVLatest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of January 15, 2012
Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Jamie Yager, Diego Sanchez, Joe Rogan and Melvin Guillard pictured above, we can all "get along."
Teaming up with MMA sites like MMA Fighting, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.
This week, Lowkick interviews Kamal Shalorus, The Fight Nerd unveils new footage of UFC Undisputed 3 and Fightline scores an interview with UFC on FX headliner Jim Miller.
The full list of links is after the jump.
- Interview with UFC on FX's Kamal Shalorus (LowKick)
"I wanted to reinvent myself as a fighter, and develop new striking skills that complimented my wresting game. I was familiar with Antoni because we work with the same management company. We met and worked together for a week, and I knew it was the perfect fit for me going forward. The team at Dynamix has put a lot of work and attention to my skills. I am taking my striking, BJJ, and MMA to a new level, while at the same time, bringing my wrestling back into my MMA arsenal. I could not be happier. Plus, I have a lot of support living in Los Angeles. I am grateful for my time in Austin, and I would not be here without all the trainers and training partners I had there."
- 9 'falling tree' knockouts (Cage Potato)
- UFC on FX: Guillard vs Miller breakdown (Five Ounces of Pain)
Munoz told MMA Fighting that during a training session last Friday, he was engaged in a wrestling scramble when his elbow slipped out and he felt two pops. He sparred four more rounds that night, but by the end of his workout, he couldn't even pick up his gym bag.
- Mark Munoz unfazed despite unfortunate injury (MMA Fighting)
"Since when are the two best guys in the weight class not ready to fight each other? That's an absurd thing to say. But whatever. Who cares what [Maynard] thinks? Chad's going to go in there and fight and win."
- Sonnen and Bisping already trading barbs (5thRound)
Mark Munoz's abrupt exit from "UFC on FOX" allowed the organization to arrange a last-minute scrap between two of the Octagon's most lethal smack talkers. With exactly 10 days remaining to promote their middleweight shootout, Chael Sonnen (Pictured) and Michael Bisping have wasted no time in exchanging pleasantries.
- Interview with Minowaman (MiddleEasy)
Now finally, and for the first time, he will step confidently onto American soil. We were able to communicate over the phone with him in all of his mulleted, heelhooking glory to discuss his fight against Kendall Grove in Pro Elite this weekend. The language barrier was a challenge to say the least, so huge thanks to Evan Cohen for deciphering. And to the extremely friendly translator who said 'Hi' to me at least 6 times. Unless that was Minowa?
- First look at "UFC Undisputed 3″ video game (The Fight Nerd)
This past weekend, I went out to San Francisco for a special event, courtesy of game developer THQ, to get a first-hand look at the new "UFC Undisputed 3″ video game. I have returned with a ton of behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen screenshots and new information about the game, and all day today I will be revealing the goodies that I was privy to.
- Zuffa's IQ Test (Fight Opinion)
UFC's ham-handed, overaggressive PR response to ESPN seemed over-the-top and really insecure. After all, why should they give any sort of oxygen to a network program with only a couple of hundred thousand viewers? Instead, Zuffa got too clever by half. They went on the offensive before the segment aired, giving people a reason to actually watch the segment instead of ignoring it. Then, once the segment aired, they went and gave ESPN more oxygen. Dana White getting into a Twitter battle with ESPN boxing Dan Rafael was just plain goofy.
- UFC 142 Payout Perspective (MMA Payout)
Welcome to another edition of Payout Perspective. This week we look at the UFC's return to Brazil in which Jose Aldo defended his featherweight title against Chad Mendes
- Jordan Nicole Gaza: Story of a Cheerleader Turned Fighter (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
Any way you slice it, cheerleaders are awesome. As sexy as they were when I was in high school, none of them could have physically beaten me up. But Jordan Nicole Gaza certainly can. Gaza is a 19 year old ex-cheerleader turned fighter, sporting a 4-2 record as an amateur. Fresh out of high school, Gaza is a former Tuff N' Uff women's 115-lb. champion looking to make her professional debut sometime this year.
- Jim Miller Primer (MMA Convert)
As you probably know, Jim is the "little" brother of fellow UFC fighter Dan (Dan's a middleweight), and the siblings train out of the AMA Fight Club camp (with so many top level fighters, your head would spin if I listed them all). Jim wrestled briefly in college, but after he entered the MMA scene in 2005, he kept racking up wins and eventually became one of the top 155-pound fighters in the Northeast. His contemporaries on the local circuit included future UFC champ Frankie Edgar and future IFL and WEC veteran Deividas Taurosevicius.
- Interview with Jim Miller (Fightline)
"I didn't perform my best against Ben Henderson."
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fighter, interview
Read the full article at MMA ManiaKendall Grove: “I’m looking to knock out Minowaman”
Since debuting to the mainstream MMA scene on the third season of UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter”, Grove has been a fan favorite and evolving fighter. Being released from Zuffa after dropping two losses, he debuted in ProElite with a submission victory over another former UFC fighter, Joe Riggs. Now facing off against the Japanese MMA star “Minowaman”, [...]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, submission victory, minowaman ”, zuffa after
Read the full article at Fighthub TVTitle Writing: Numbers For Nerds 7 "The First Minute"
Jim Miller fights Melvin Guillard this weekend, well, this Friday to be precise. In Guillard's last fight, he was dropped by Joe Lauzon and submitted within the first minute of the fight. During UFC 142 we saw Erick Silva finish Carlo Prater in the first minute (Silva was disqualified later) and at UFC 141, Johny Hendricks knocked out Jon Fitch in just 12 seconds.
All the quick finishes got me thinking about the effects of such a short fight on both the winner and the loser. At 142 we also got to see Terry Etim get knocked out by Edson Barboza; Etim was coming off a 17 second victory over Edward Faaloloto. Is winning so quickly a good thing for a fighter, or does it perhaps give them a false sense of confidence that things will always be so easy? I set about to compile some data on first minute stoppage victories, going back all the way to UFC 28, where the Unified Rules were used for the first time.
THE RAW DATA
First Minute Stoppages: 75First Minute KO/TKO: 57First Minute Submissions: 18I forget where I saw the comment, but recently, Head Kick editor Cory Braiterman stated that nothing bugged him more than people making claims based on very small sample sets. I'm not sure if 75 first round stoppages is a very small sample set, but it definitely isn't a big one, so I will come right out and say that all this should be taken with a grain of salt. By the same token, MMA is still a young enough sport that it will probably be quite some time in the future before there have been enough fights to really get good data for things like this and what am I supposed to do in the mean time? Not attempt to analyze what we have? I think not.
After the jump, a look at how both the winners and losers of one-minute-or-less fights fare in their subsequent bouts.
WINNERS
Of the 75 winners, 9 were recent enough to not have yet fought since. If you are interested in which upcoming bouts involve a quick winner, Joe Lauzon faces Anthony Pettis, Che Mills meets Rory Macdonald, James Te Huna is up against Aaron Rosa and Jake Ellenberger faces Diego Sanchez. (Note that the fighter listed first is the guy who won his last fight within the first minute).
Of the other 66:31 won their follow up bouts, while 35 lost.
Newsmaker Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, Mike Swick & Andrei Arlovski are tied for the most first minute victories, with three. Swick has a perfect 3-0 record in his follow ups, while Rumble has gone on to lose each one of his subsequent fights. Meanwhile, Arlovski has lost twice after scoring a quick victory.
Other fighters who have had multiple quick stoppage victories (two) are Drew McFederies, Johny Hendricks, BJ Penn, Frank Mir and Joe Lauzon. Hendricks & Lauzon were victorious in their lone follow ups thus far while McFederies and Penn lost both of their follow up fights. Mir split his fights.
All told, fighters with multiple first minute victories have 7 wins and 10 losses in their follow ups, with a win percentage of .411
LOSERS
Of the 75 losers, 14 either never fought in the UFC again or do not have a UFC fight booked, while 5 are awaiting their follow up fights, booked in the UFC. Who is coming up? Of course we have the aforementioned Melvin Guillard facing off with Jim Miller, Mark Hominick vs Eddie Yagin, Chris Cope vs Matt Brown, Jake Shields vs Yoshi Akiyama and George Sotiropoulous squares off against Takanori Gomi.
Of the other 56:
18 won their next bout in the UFC, 13 won their next bout after being cut from the UFC, 20 lost their follow up bout in the UFC and 5 lost their follow up bout after being cut from the UFC. To simplifiy:
31 wins, 25 losses.
C.B. Dollaway, Melvin Guillard, Ricardo Romero, Stefan Struve, Jonathan Goulet, Keith Jardine and Matt Hughes have all been stopped twice within the first minute. Hughes lost both his follow up fights, Guillard lost his first follow up and faces Miller in his second, Ricardo Romero lost consecutively within the first minute and hasn't been heard from since, Dollaway and Goulet are 1-1, while Struve and Jardine bounced back and won each time they were stopped quickly.
In total the group is exactly .500 with six wins and six losses.
RANDOM INTERESTING FACT
Don't take a fight with Josh Koscheck if you are coming off a fight that lasted less than a minute. Koscheck has faced four opponents in that scenario in his career and he has beaten each and every one of them, including three who were first minute winners!
Anything to take from this?
As I said earlier, the sample size is small, so it's difficult to think that this proves anything at all. That being said, if you wanted to take anything from the data, it would be that fighters who win quickly have a bit of a hard time in their next bouts, while fighters who lose quickly seem to get some motivation from it to ensure it doesn't happen again.
As for Melvin Guillard this Friday? He's already lost in this scenario once, against a less than stellar fighter in Rich Clementi. He lost by submission and seeing as he's facing a guy who has a good chin and even better submissions in Jim Miller, I'm going to have to say it doesn't look good for "The Young Assassin".
As always, thanks for reading! Comments and criticism welcome.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, bout, minute
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendBellator reveals opening round rumbles in Season 6 featherweight tournament
After confirming the main event for Bellator 61 yesterday the fight promotion has now announced the bracket for opening round action in the Season Six Featherweight Tournament which is also set to take place at March 9 event.
More specifically, Marlon Sandro takes on Roberto Vargas, Ronnie Mann locks horns with Wagnney Fabiano, Alexandre Bezerra battles Genair da Silva, and Daniel Straus meets Jeremy Spoon.
The eight combined fighters all have sparkling resumes, giving Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney plenty of high hopes for a thrilling event.
“The Midwest is known for great fighters and great fight fans,” said the excited executive. “To be hosting an event of this magnitude in our backyard is like Christmas morning; plus you get to see Chicagoland’s own, rising superstar Pat Curran vie for the World Title against one of the toughest fighters in all of MMA – Joe Warren. As a diehard MMA fan, I can’t wait for March 9th to get here at Horseshoe.”
Sandro was a finalist in the Season Five tourney and sports a 19-3 career mark. Comparably, Vargas, a former wrestler at Cal-State Bakersfield, is 12-1 in his MMA career with three KO wins and four submission victories.
Looking at the other pairings, Mann is 20-4 with ten submission wins while opponent Fabiano is 14-3. Bezerra is 12-1 and Da Silva carries a record of 11-4.
The remaining quarterfinal pits the 17-4 Straus, a Season 4 finalist, against Spoon (12-0).
Whichever fighter can navigate his way around a group that holds an overall record of 117-20 will receive $100,000 and a future championship shot at the Bellator featherweight title.
PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR
Posted in: bellator, mma, fighter, season, event
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC On FX: Is Pat Barry Fighting For His Job?
Tomorrow night, Pat Barry steps into the Octagon for the 8th time as he faces Christian Morecraft on the UFC on FX show. Barry has had his ups and downs in the UFC, putting together a 3-4 record during his 3 year run with the company, so he is no stranger to adversity. But this time, he comes in on back to back loses, facing a tough 7-2 fighter in Morecraft. With a potential third straight loss looming, I have to ask - is Pat Barry fighting for his job?
Conventional wisdom says yes. A 6-5 fighter with a 3-5 UFC record and 3 straight loses seems like an obvious candidate for unemployment. But it's not a guarantee by any means. The last time I asked this question it was about Dan Hardy, then on a 3 fight losing streak and heading into a fight with Chris Lytle. General consensus was that Hardy was indeed fighting for his job - but he lost, and he's still here.
Like Hardy, Barry could find himself still employed even after a loss, and for many of the same reasons as Hardy. Both men have big, outgoing personalities, and have used those personalities to stand out from the crowd in their respective divisions. Both men have been in some tremendously entertaining fights - Barry has one Fight of the Night award under his belt (against Antoni Hardonk at UFC 104) and has been in some memorably fun fights with the likes of Mirko Cro Cop, Cheick Kongo, and Stefan Struve. Those two factors - personality and entertaining fights - go a long way. Add in the fact that Heavyweight is a somewhat thin division, and you have good reason to keep Barry around.
But the attribute that most stands in his favor is the same one that benefitted Hardy - potential. In Barry, you see a fighter with a world of potential. He's a K-1 striker, with killer kicks and stand-up skills. And he's been an MMA pro for less than 4 years. It's easy to forget that fact since Barry was fast-tracked to he UFC just 7 months after his MMA debut. This is a fighter with the potential to dominate on the feet who is still learning the game.
Or is he? There are two big knocks on Barry. The first is his lack of a killer instinct. People complained a lot about that after the Joey Beltran and Cro Cop fights, and it was a worthy complaint. Unfortunately for Barry, he showed that killer streak against Kongo, only to be stopped cold by a miraculous comeback. The second criticism is, in my eyes, far more damaging - his inability to develop a ground game. This has been the gap in Barry's game since his 2nd UFC fight, when Tim Hague took him down and effortlessly choked him out. It cost him again versus Cro Cop of all people. But despite these loses, Barry has not added the ground game needed to complement his stand-up.
That could change against Morecraft. Until now, Barry has been training under Duke Roufus - a fantastic stand-up coach, but perhaps not the most well-rounded. Now, he is training at DeathClutch, and has gone on record stating that his ground game is vastly improved. If it has, it will potentially close this gap in his game and allow Barry to more fully reach his potential.
And that may be necessary. Because while Hardy and Barry have many similarities, they also have some key differences that work against Barry. Barry is not a fighter who can be used to draw in a foreign market, and he's not a former #1 contender whose name can be used to build up another fighter. Those factors kept Hardy alive, and with their absence, a Barry loss could indeed mean the end of his UFC tenure.
If that happens, perhaps it will be the motivation Barry needs to tune up that ground game, find that killer instinct, and claw his way back to the UFC. If not, then Friday night could be the last time we see HD set foot in the Octagon.
SBN coverage of UFC on FX
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Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, game, barry
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMMA fighter whitehead imprisoned for sex assault
MMA fighter Michael (Iron Mike) Whitehead faces prison time following an attempted sexual assault at his home in April 2010.
Posted in: mma, fighter, whitehead, assault, prison time
Read the full article at sportsnet.caMaximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage Slated for UFC 145 in Atlanta
Sengoku veteran Maximo Blanco will move to the UFC featherweight division after a single Strikeforce fight and is expected to make his 145-pound debut against The Ultimate Fighter 14′s Marcus Brimage at UFC 145 on April 21 in Atlanta.
Both fighters have verbally agreed to the matchup, according to MMA Weekly.
Venezuela’s Blanco (8-3-1) suffered a second-round submission to Pat Healy in Strikeforce in December following six-straight wins in Japan, while Brimage (4-1) earned a unanimous decision over TUF 14 teammate Stephen Bass at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in December.
The April 21 event was recently renamed UFC 145 after the UFC scrapped plans to visit Montreal in March, with most of that card’s fights expected to be shifted to Atlanta.
For the latest UFC 145 news and UFC 145 rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, atlanta, strikeforce fight, secondround submission
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyRich Franklin: for an MMA fighter it shouldn't take longer than a minute to defeat a street fighter
submitted by muayguy [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fighter, mma fighter, street, street fighter, shouldnt
Read the full article at RedditRoop Defends UFC on Fighter Pay
George Roop, on “Beatdown,” discussing his compensation as a UFC fighter:
Posted in: ufc, fighter, beatdown, george roop, roop
Read the full article at SherdogGrappling with Issues 1/19/12
Is Jose Aldo destined for dominance in 2012? Have UFC fans seen the last of Anthony Johnson inside the Octagon? Who should Rousimar Palhares fight next? How big of an issue is “fighter pay” in the UFC?
Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!
Welcome to Grappling with Issues, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from myself and resident workhorse Jeremy Lambert whose general contributions and “Scorecard” event-breakdowns can be regularly found on Five Ounces. As always, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t hesitate to offer your own take on the topics in the “Comments” section below.
“Fighter pay” in the UFC is a small/big/non issue?
Lambert: It’s a small issue. If it were a big issue, I think we’d hear more about it from fighters, but it’s obviously not a non-issue since I’m sure fighters probably aren’t getting paid what they’re worth given how much time they put into the sport. The bigger issue is PEDs. Another fighter (Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal) got popped this week and now Zuffa is going to test every incoming fighter for PEDs. How about they test fighters already on the roster? Maybe it’ll prevent the new signings from not cheating (at least at first), but that doesn’t mean that guys who are already still employed won’t keep cheating.
Conlan: Agreed that the issue is relatively small and certainly not as inflated as ESPN’s recent report would have had viewers believe. I think Lorenzo Fertitta made a good point in the less-edited version of the network’s interview with him as far as saying you could go into any locker room, or any job for that matter, and find disgruntled employees who think they deserve more than they’re making. However, numerous fighters – even those who aren’t on the roster anymore like Sean McCorkle – have come out since the feature to back how the UFC handles pay and I’d rather listen to them than a bunch of anonymous sources or guys who haven’t been part of the company for 5+ years.
I’ll save my take on PED testing for a future GWI when it’s like, you know, the actual topic being discussed.
Will Anthony Johnson ever fight again inside the Octagon?
Lambert: I’m sure he will. Dana White has already said that he likes Johnson as a person, which never hurts, plus he was only missing weight. I know that’s a huge deal and completely unprofessional but he wasn’t using steroids, and plenty of guys who have been busted for steroids still compete in the Octagon. If Johnson takes some fights on smaller shows, proves he can make weight, and picks up some victories, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be brought back sooner or later.
Conlan: I think so too. “Rumble” is only 27 and, as Jeremy said, all he needs to do is show he can consistently avoid coming in heavy to earn another shot in the UFC. He might even want to consider making a permanent move to light heavyweight. At 6’2” with a physique chiseled from marble he certainly has the size to be a 205er and cutting 15-20 pounds instead of 30-40 pounds would keep his cardio on point (not to mention be a lot safer in terms of his long term health). Also, accepting he’s too big for 170/185 would provide an additional layer of comfort for his former employers in terms of bringing him back on board since there’s no question he can safely hit THAT mark.
More likely ending to Friday night’s headliner at UFC on FX – Jim Miller submits Melvin Guillard or Guillard knocks Miller out?
Lambert: Well, since I’m predicting Miller to win via submission, I’m gonna go with that one. Guillard has that one punch power, especially early in the fight, but he has a tendency to fade, while we know Miller can keep up a high pace for all fifteen minutes. Plus, it’s not like Guillard has an outstanding chin and Miller does have power in his hands. If Miller can rock Guillard like Joe Stevenson or Joe Lauzon did, he may end up locking on a submission without securing a takedown.
Conlan: Without question the first scenario. Miller has three losses, all by way of decision. Guillard has nine losses, eight by way of submission (including all five of his defeats in the Octagon). Granted, Miller hasn’t faced a striker with Guillard’s power but he’s definitely faced opponents with more-than adequate stand-up like Bart Palaszewski and Duane Ludwig.
Will Jose Aldo lose in 2012?
Conlan: No, at least so long as he remains at 145 pounds since he’s unproven as a lightweight. There aren’t any dominant contenders looming on the horizon and the challengers that are out there aren’t at a significantly higher skill level than any opponent Aldo’s beaten already. Sure, he could get clipped behind the ear a la Georges St. Pierre-Matt Serra or shred his knee mid-round like Patrick Cote, but outside of some sort of freakish occurrence taking place I think Aldo’s incredible win streak will continue throughout the rest of the year.
Lambert: I would say not. Aldo has some tough fights at 145, like the Hatsu Hioki vs. Palaszewski winner or Dustin Poirier, but I don’t like the chances of any of those three fighters against Aldo. Even if he moves to 155, he stated he’ll only move up for a title shot, and given his skills, I don’t think it’s all that farfetched to say that Aldo could beat Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson, or whoever the lightweight champ may be later this year. Though, if I had to design a perfect fighter to beat the current featherweight champion, it would be whoever he faces next.
Play UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva and book Rousimar Palhares’ next fight.
Conlan: The UFC is certainly set on that front given their January 28 lineup on FOX. Palhares, who just fought himself and will be ready to go in a few months, would be perfect for either the loser of Michael Bisping-Chael Sonnen or winner of Demian Maia-Chris Weidman. Since I see Sonnen and Weidman coming out of the show with a freshly printed “W” next to their names I’ll go with Bisping who certainly has the striking to take out Palhares but lacks the ground-game to fend off the powerful Brazilian’s BJJ-based attacks.
Lambert: I’ll be extremely cruel and say Mark Munoz. What better way to welcome a guy back from a knee injury than to have him face Palhares? Alright, even though that would be a terrible “welcome back” gift for Munoz, it is a fight that would make sense. Palhares obviously needs a step up in competition and Munoz isn’t one to back down from a challenge.
Is Pat Barry fighting for his job at UFC on FX 1?
Conlan: 100% yes. As entertaining as Barry’s personality and style may be a loss to Christian Morecraft would make him 3-5 inside the Octagon and that simply doesn’t cut it, especially when you’re looking at an undersized heavyweight whose BJJ/wrestling are subpar in comparison to most of his peers.
Lambert: I think he is, but I’m not willing to go 100% like Bren. Going 3-5 in the octagon doesn’t cut it, but all the higher-ups in the UFC love Barry because of his charisma and the fact that his fights, win or lose, are usually entertaining for as long as they last. Plus, even with the addition of the Strikeforce big guys, the heavyweight division is still pretty shallow and Barry, while obviously not a world beater, is a serviceable heavyweight who has some name value.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, miller, issue
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainJim Miller Primer
The UFC goes “all in” on the FX Network on Friday night with UFC on FX: “Guillard vs. Miller”, and as you might have guessed, that marquee bout does indeed feature a fighter named “Miller” – Jim Miller, to be exact. By now you’ve no doubt seen the lightweight dynamo fight countless times. He’s been calling the Octagon home since 2008, and in that period, the New Jersey native has been busy winning nine out of eleven fights, along the way evolving from intense wrestler with dangerous submissions to jiu-jitsu black belt to dude capable of landing flying knees on exposed jawlines. Yup, with a work ethic unparalleled and a willingness to fight anyone at any time, Miller has ingratiated himself to both his bosses and the fans. How fitting, then, would be a profile on the dude on the eve of the first UFC event he’s ever headlined? (Answer: very fitting.)
-As you probably know, Jim is the “little” brother of fellow UFC fighter Dan (Dan’s a middleweight), and the siblings train out of the AMA Fight Club camp (with so many top level fighters, your head would spin if I listed them all). Jim wrestled briefly in college, but after he entered the MMA scene in 2005, he kept racking up wins and eventually became one of the top 155-pound fighters in the Northeast. His contemporaries on the local circuit included future UFC champ Frankie Edgar and future IFL and WEC veteran Deividas Taurosevicius.
-Miller has only lost three times, and all were by decision. His first loss was to Edgar, at a regional event called Reality Fighting. The bout went the distance and was hard-fought all the way, and in the waning seconds of the final frame of the three-round championship match, Miller landed a high-kick upside Edgar’s head that caused the cartilage in Edgar’s cauliflower ear to spurt out and onto the canvas. It. Was. Nasty. After getting the “W”, Edgar’s next bout was against Tyson Griffin in the UFC – a testament to how tough Miller was in UFC matchmaker Joe Silva’s eyes.
-The UFC was interested in Miller after his definitive submission victory over Octagon veteran Chris Liguori in a Ring of Combat event. But Miller was contractually obligated to fight for the IFL then, so he had to face one of their best guys in Bart Palaszewski before Dana White could adopt him. The New Jersey fighter beat the tar out of Palaszewski, dominating all three rounds, and not long after, when the IFL folded, Miller was UFC bound.
-Miller’s first opponent in the UFC was French judo specialist David Baron. Expectations were high for Baron, as he’d just tapped out the very highly-rated Hayato Sakurai; Miller crushed the Frenchman, submitting him in the third round. Baron has yet to fight in MMA again.
-Along with Edgar, Gray Maynard and Ben Henderson are the only other two guys to have defeated Miller. Maynard went on to have an epic trilogy with Edgar, and Henderson’s win over Miller earned him a shot at Edgar’s belt. To have your only losses come at the hands of champions and top contenders means you’re one bad mofo, no?
-I see Miller every now and then at local New Jersey show, where he’s sometimes cornering teammates. His beard and lumberjack-esqe demeanor have become so pronounced, I often wonder if he’s eschewed living in a house and instead sleeps outside. Seriously, the last time I saw him I asked him if he’d become a “mountain man”.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, miller, edgar
Read the full article at MMA Convert
UFC 142 review podcast: Graduate work complete Aldo shows he's on the doctoral level in MMA
By D.J. San Marco Podcast Powered By Podbean A friend of mine wrote today, "Chad would have worn him out in the later rounds" followed by "no one else can beat Chad in the weight class"; true enough my friend, but last night Jose Aldo proved to all the world that there is in fact no style that exists as his "kryptonite". Aldo has beaten great strikers such as Mark Hominick, submission guys like Uriah Faber, Mike Thomas Brown & Cub Swanson, and now the best wrestler at 145 pounds in Chad Mendes. Former WEC champions Faber and Brown also possessed a wrestling pedigree thought to be problematic for Aldo but each proved equally ineffective as Mendes.Looking into his post graduate WEC-UFC study, there is no secret to beat Aldo. There is no style to beat Aldo. Only a better fighter with an overwhelming ability will beat Aldo. Be it wrestling, striking or jiu jitsu a guy extremely dominant in one of those disciplines and versed in the others might erase Aldo's other worldly striking and athletic advantages. Prior to the fight a few pundits earmarked Aldo vs. Mendes as a potential Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen clash but as the champion stormed out of the cage in victory the analogy did not prove apropos. The UFC 142 Brazilian striker versus American grappler bout differed because Sonnen had an huge wrestling advantage, but equally important is that it was coupled with an apparent core strength advantage. Mendes did not enjoy this advantage over Aldo. The Brazilian champ had the size as well as core strength advantage in his favor and used it to effect. Nobody is unbeatable and if you've read that anywhere about any fighter, then immediately discontinue reading the musings of said writer. Jon Jones, Aldo, GSP, and Silva, are all beatableand it's only a matter of time until a foil emerges. Aldo proved unequivocally that he is to be counted among the absolute elite of MMA.So with his finals and labs complete Saturday night in the form of complete obliteration and violence against yet another game challenger, Aldo I assert is now a "Ph.D. of prize fighting". To this point in his career all who have attempted to impose their game plan against the Nova Uniao fighter have been turned away. Aldo has sometimes spurned his opponents with a hematoma while others in face exploding fashion, but turned away nonetheless.
Posted in: fighter, advantage, aldo, mende, jiu jitsu
Read the full article at UltMMAMichael Bisping: Criticism of UFC Fighter Pay Makes Me Mad
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, bisping, criticism, ufc fighter, mattyblayze link
Read the full article at RedditFocus On The Undercard: Round 1, Alcantara v Omigawa. UFC RIO 142
I didn't publish the fight camp rankings yesterday, as I think I'm going to start doing those bi-weekly, or perhaps monthly. The schedule is pretty busy so I'm going to let the fighting play out and analyze it less often.
UFC Rio was such a great event, with incredible story lines and action at the very top of the card, so much so that some of the undercard action maybe wasn't given the attention it should deserve. Gabriel Gonzaga had a very clinical performance in his victory over Edinaldo Oliveira, there are plenty of fights he could win in this division in that style. Perhaps the winner of Barry/Morecraft is in his future?
In other undercard action, the first round of the featherweight bout between Michihiro Omigawa and Yuri Alcantara had some of the best technical fighting of the night and included a spinning back elbow knockdown and a very deep armbar at the buzzer. I thought I'd recap the round, including a couple clips of the most impressive techniques. I'm new at trying to incorporate gifs into posts, so I wasn't able to put in all the clips that I would have liked. In place of clips I noted the time on the UFC round clock, so you can refer to those when watching, or re-watching, this fight.
Bout breakdown after the jump. Gifs from http://ironforgesiron.com
The fight started off in bit of a strange manner.
Omigawa awaited the start of the bout by standing next to the Octagon, one hand on the fence, his eyes cast downwards. Both Alcantara and referee Leon Roberts seemed visibly unsure of what he was watching. It was no matter as the fight started though. Omigawa continued his odd behavior, walking out to the center of the cage with a zombie like determination, until Alcantara met him with a stiff knee to the body. (4:58) Joe Rogan immediately noted that Omigawa was hurt by the blow, and the Japanese fighter spent the first ten seconds of the fight trying to shake the blow off. Does Omigawa start all his fights like this? I honestly can't recall, but if this was a spur of the moment attempt to make himself one with the cage, it certainly didn't seem like it worked well.
The first minute of the round was spent with Alcantara utilizing his longer reach to score on the shorter Omigawa. Rogan was very on point in this fight and was already stating the need for Omigawa to control the distance better. The Japanese fighter would find a bit of success, jumping inside and scoring a nice left hook. (3:47) In general though, the early part of the bout belonged to Alcantara. He found the most success with a well timed one two combination that he landed cleanly on Omigawa twice. (3:11, 2:16) Other than those two combinations, Omigawa did well to limit the damage to single strikes while he struggled to find the range to land his own strikes.
Shortly after the 2:00 mark, an incredible exchange of techniques occurred between the two fighters. By this point in the round, Alcantara has noticed that Omigawa tends to bob down to his left as he closes the distance and he starts to attack the tendency, first with the one-two combination, then with another one-two and a knee from the thai clinch. He is able to establish the clinch because he cuts Omigawa's movement off with the one two, catching him slightly with the second punch, (the left) and leading Omigawa's head into his waiting right collar tie. Omigawa separates from the knee and backs off as Alcantara throws a front kick and a reaching left hook. As Omigawa steps in again, Alcantara times his tendency to sway down and to the left perfectly and connects with as beautiful a spinning back elbow as we've ever seen in the Octagon. As this was happening, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg had gotten into a conversation about the durability of Omigawa, and as if on cue, he is forced to display it following the elbow strike. Alcantara swarms on him with punches and Omigawa does a good job of avoiding any finishing blows as he works to grab a leg. To cap off the exchange, Omigawa briefly grabs hold of a single leg and attempts to spin Alcantara to the mat. He is probably a bit too disoriented to be able to power through the technique, as Alcantar seems to easily slip out of the single leg, take Omigawa's back and drag him to the ground, all the while establishing both hooks. The whole exchange takes place over the course of about 25 seconds, from 2:02 to 1:37 and you can see it all in this gif:
via 1.bp.blogspot.com
The technical wizardry wasn't done with after the fight hit the ground. Omigawa continued to show the durability that Rogan and Goldberg were discussing, absorbing a number of blows from Alcantara as he defended himself from the rear naked choke. Omigawa is a judo champion, which means he has fantastic balance and core strength, also known as "base". He utilizes this to stand up with Alcantara on his back and as the Brazilian pulls him backwards, Omigawa finds a way to twist himself around, winding up on top, inside Alcantara's full guard. (1:25) This move in particular was very impressive to me. To be able to take the amount of punishment Omigawa did during the previous 30 seconds and find away to stand up and twist around with a BJJ black belt on his back was awesome.
Unfortunately for Omigawa though, there would be little time to rest, as Alcantara immediately secured wrist control on Omigawa's left arm. Alcantara thought about attempting an armbar at (0:45) but did not have control of Omigawa's posture and didn't pursue it. Both fighters seemed content to get a little bit of rest, and Omigawa worked some light ground and pound before working a pass into Alcantara's half guard, on Alcantara's right side. (0:34)
The final sequence of the round was started by Alcantara recovering his full guard with a neat technique, shifting Omigawa off balance to his left and pushing his leg that way, back into his waiting guard. From there he showed the ability to learn from past exchanges in real time during a fight, as he secured the posture of Omigawa before working for wrist control. As Omigawa postured up, Alcantara opened his guard and again perfectly timed his technique, locking an armbar on with just 0:05 seconds left on the clock. Here is a look at the lock from multiple angles.
via 2.bp.blogspot.com
Oh my Omigawa! Either he is extremely flexible or he suffered non debilitating damage, or his elbow was dislocated and re-located. On the overhead camera angle it looks like his arm flops down with the joint at a weird angle and then it pops back in when it bumps Alcantara's ankle. It also could be argued that he tapped once, although most accounts I've read do not agree with this theory. In any case, it's a gruesome lock and the fact that he didn't tap out or get hurt bad enough that he couldn't continue is quite stunning. Joe Rogan exclaimed "this fight is over", and Joe Silva nearly entered the cage, adamantly claiming that he saw a tap. Yet Omigawa made it back to his corner, took his minute of rest and continued to fight on.
The second and third rounds of the fight were not nearly as entertaining or violent, but both fighters earned full marks from me for this incredible round of fighting.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, omigawa, alcantara
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendUFC on FX 'Guillard vs Miller' fight card: Duane Ludwig vs Josh Neer preview
Two heavily experienced combat sports veterans will duke it out this Friday night (January 20, 2012) as recently crowned UFC fastest knockout record holder Duane Ludwig takes on 11 fight UFC veteran Josh Neer in the co-main event of UFC on FX: "Guillard vs. Miller" in Nashville.
Duane "Bang" Ludwig has experienced a huge career revitalization since moving up a weight class to welterweight, winning his past two fights including a very strong performance against The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season seven winner Amir Sadollah at UFC on Versus 5. He's looking for his third straight UFC victory against a highly experienced foe in Josh Neer.
Josh "The Dentist" Neer has been competing off and on in the UFC since 2005. His current stint in the promotion is his fourth, primarily due to his dominance of fighters on the regional circuit (21 first round stoppages outside the UFC) and his extremely fan-friendly and aggressive fighting style. Neer returned with a crushing victory over Keith Wisniewski this past October and is hoping to even his UFC record with a victory over Ludwig.
Will Duane go out with a "Bang" against Neer? Can "The Dentist" make his fourth stint last the longest with a strong showing? What's the best path to victory for both men on Friday night?
Let's find out:
Duane Ludwig
Record: 21-11 overall, 4-2 in the UFC
Key Wins: Amir Sadollah (UFC on Versus 5), Nick Osipczak (UFC 122), Yves Edwards (Strikeforce: Destruction)
Key Losses: Jim Miller (UFC 108), Lyle Beerbohm (Strikeforce Challengers 2), Takanori Gomi (Sengoku 1)
How he got here: Duane "Bang" Ludwig has spent a lengthy career in both mixed martial arts and kickboxing. He actually started both professionally at about the same time back in 2000, when he fought five times in MMA and at least three kickboxing matches.
His overall kickboxing record was 48-7-1 but he's no longer a regular competitor in the sport, instead choosing to focus on MMA.
After a successful run outside of the UFC, including a brilliant knockout of former UFC champion Jens Pulver, he made his UFC debut against Genki Sudo, winning a close split decision. In his return to the UFC nearly three years later, he would go on to score the fastest knockout in UFC history against Jonathan Goulet, so fast that the timekeeper didn't realize the fight was over already and the knockout is still officially recorded as 11 seconds despite happening nearly twice as quickly.
Ludwig spent much of the next three years competing in Strikeforce as well as the Colorado MMA promotion ROF before again returning to the UFC against Jim Miller in early 2010, losing via arm bar in the first round. His return fight against Darren Elkins would be cut short after a freak injury to his ankle while defending a takedown forced a stop to the fight.
After healing up for eight months, the Grudge fighter moved up to welterweight and eeked out a close split decision victory over Nick Osipczak in Germany. He followed it up by taking on Ultimate Fighter season seven winner Amir Sadollah and severely outstriking him over the course of three rounds in his best performance in the UFC since his return to the promotion.
He'll get an opportunity to keep the momentum rolling on Friday night.
How he gets it done: Duane Ludwig loves to strike. What more can be said about the man with the fastest knockout in UFC history as well as 56 professional kickboxing matches? He's got a strong base in Muay Thai kickboxing and he'll be looking to use his excellent technique against Neer, a man known for being more of a scrapper and "in-your-face fighter than a technician on the feet.
Don't be fooled by his six career submission victories, most of them were from exhaustion or from strikes. Just like his nickname, Ludwig will want to stand and "Bang."
Expect to see the Grudge product move to the center of the Octagon and stand in the pocket, ready to trade blow for blow. He will likely be the larger man this time out as both fighters have competed at lightweight and welterweight throughout their career, so clinching would not be a bad idea as he'll likely tire Neer's shoulders out.
The key for Ludwig is to keep Neer from setting the pace of the fight and to utilize his technique advantage in every exchange.
Josh Neer
Record: 32-10-1 overall, 5-6 in the UFC
Key Wins: Melvin Guillard (UFC Fight Night 3), Mac Danzig (UFC Fight Night 17), Keith Wisniewski (UFC on Versus 6)
Key Losses: Eddie Alvarez (Bellator 17), Gleison Tibau (UFC 104), Kurt Pellegrino (UFC 101)
How he got here: Josh Neer has been here before, this is actually his fourth stint in the UFC for the 28 year old Midwestern scrapper. "The Dentist" originally entered the UFC after accumulating a 13-1-1 record on the regional circuit, but was submitted in his UFC debut by Drew Fickett in the inaugural UFC Fight Night event.
He was brought back four months later most likely as a feeder to Melvin Guillard, but Neer surprised fans and UFC execs by submitting "The Young Assassin" in the first round and then following up his victory by defeating Ultimate Fighter season two winner Joe Stevenson, halting his nine fight win streak.
Neer would find himself on the outside looking in after two straight losses including a submission defeat to Nick Diaz, but would work his way back once more by going 6-1 in regional shows over the next year. In his third stint with the UFC, the native Iowan defeated Din Thomas, lost a close split decision to Nate Diaz and then tapped out Ultimate Fighter season 6 winner Mac Danzig with a triangle choke to earn some high profile fights.
He found himself on the receiving end of consecutive decisions after being controlled by wrestlers Kurt Pellegrino and Gleison Tibau which again left him looking for work outside the UFC. Neer bit off a bit more than he could chew in losing to Eddie Alvarez in a Bellator "superfight" but worked his way back to the UFC with four straight first round stoppages. He performed admirably against Keith Wisniewski in his return, elbowing his opponent into oblivion which forced a doctor stoppage at the end of the second round.
With the victory, Neer gladly accepted a bout against fellow veteran Duane Ludwig.
How he gets it done: The biggest difference in skill for this fight is on the ground, but can Neer put Ludwig there, and would he want to? Josh Neer is the type of fighter who loves to stand and scrap if he's able to, and scoring a big fight against a striker like Duane Ludwig might present a challenge that he wants to conquer.
If he chooses to stand and "Bang," Neer absolutely needs to put a ton of pressure on Ludwig. He can't sit around on the outside trying to match technique for technique because he's going to get destroyed that way. The key for Neer in the stand-up is to constantly be moving forward, force Ludwig to fight from his heels and really get in the Grudge fighter's face.
If the fight enters the clinch, Neer has two options: he can try to work those vicious elbows which helped put him over the top against Keith Wisniewski his last time out, or he can work for takedowns whether it's some sort of throw or if he can try to drag the Muay Thai fighter to the canvas. Once on the ground, he should have a serious edge and scoring a submission would be a real possibility but again, he has to actually want to put the fight on the ground.
"The Dentist" might wait until he's absorbed a ton of punishment before trying and by then, it could be too late.
Fight X-Factor: The biggest X-Factor for this fight has to be striking technique. Josh Neer is one hell of a scrappy brawler, and he loves to stand and bang, but he could seriously be biting off more than he can chew this time around if he wants to just trade blow for blow with the former I.S.K.A. Muay Thai World Kickboxing champion. Even if Neer attempts his in-your-face style and puts a ton of pressure on Ludwig, "Bang" should be very comfortable up close due to his proficiency with short elbow and knee attacks in Muay Thai from all those years of sparring and competing.
If this turns into a stand-up fight and Josh Neer is too stubborn to utilize the rest of his skill-set, he could be in some major trouble.
Bottom Line: Both of these men put forth tremendous efforts every time out and their biggest weakness (strong wrestlers) is almost certainly not going to be exploited here. This fight almost has the perfect recipe of a fan-friendly stand-up battle. Both Neer and Ludwig are likely expecting to come forward and throw down with big punches and kicks, so despite not having much of an impact on the welterweight division, this should be the type of fight that viewers are tuning in to see. Expect some fireworks.
Who will come out on top at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller? Tell us your prediction in the comments below!
Poll
Which veteran welterweight will score a big victory on the national state this Friday night in the co-main event of UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller?
Duane Ludwig
Josh Neer
8 votes | Results
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, neer, ludwig
Read the full article at MMA ManiaZuffa announces implementation of pre-contract screening for PED use
Beginning immediately, Zuffa has put in place a pre-signing screening for performance enhancing drugs that any and all incoming fighters will have to pass before they are signed.
The news of this test comes as positive results have come back claiming fighters such as 145-pound champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos and former light heavyweight champ Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal have tested positive. Both compete for Strikeforce, which is owned by Zuffa.
“We’re committed to the health and safety of our athletes and we take it very seriously,” Zuffa chief executive Lorenzo Fertitta said in an official statement on the matter. “We already work closely with athletic commissions to protect our athletes and now we’re taking it one step further. We’re going to test any potential UFC or Strikeforce fighter before finalizing their contract. This shows that we don’t want performance enhancing drugs in our sport.”
The policy, which has been retroactively dated to the beginning of the new year, means all future fighters must undergo testing procedures before they are official. UFC President Dana White added, “Our new testing policy for performance enhancing drugs only further shows how important it is to us to have our athletes competing on a level playing field.”
Lawal, a former wrestler in college, has claimed the test is false and that he has not taken anything illegal. Santos also said much the same, adding that her positive test was for a supplement given to her by her a respected trainer.
Posted in: fighter, test, drug, zuffa, precontract screening
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainProElite and DREAM form new promotional partnership and fighter exchange program
LOS ANGELES, CA. (January 17, 2012) - ProElite MMA (PK:PELE) and DREAM, the largest Japanese MMA organization, have initiated a promotional partnership and fighter exchange program, jointly announced today. The alliance will foster co-promoted events, both in the United States and in Japan with fighter exchanges featured on the cards of both fight promotions, respectively.
"Our partnership with DREAM forms a promotional bond with the most prominent Japanese MMA organization," said Billy Kelly, President of ProElite and COO of Stratus Media Group Inc. (SMDI:OTCBB) -- parent company of ProElite. "Dream has developed a stable of great fighters on their roster and a strong team behind the scenes. With this exchange, the two organizations are building a cultural and fight-event bridge that our fans are sure to welcome.
The initial fighter exchange debuts this Saturday, January 21, in Hawaii when DREAM star and Japanese fan favorite Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa takes on Kendall "Da Spyder" Grove in the ProElite main event at the Neal Blaisdell Center.
"I'm really honored to join the partnership with ProElite," said DREAM Event Producer Keiichi Sasahara. "It is important for us to exploit Asian or Pan-pacific markets by improving relationships with foreign organizations like ProElite. We would like to make this fighter exchange program a first step to generate synergistic success for both organizations."
DREAM Light heavyweight tournament runner-up Tatsuya Mizuno will take on Ilima Maiava, also on the Honolulu fight card while the always exciting voice of Japanese MMA, Lenne Hardt, will be joining the shows as the fighter walk out announcer. The ProElite main fight card will be televised live on HDNet at 10:00 P.M. EST. Tickets are on sale at the Neal Blaisdell Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), www.ticketmaster.com, and www.proelite.com.
Posted in: fighter, proelite, dream, organization, exchange
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMAWeekly.com Breakout Fighter of the Year: Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger
The fans voted and their voices have been heard. Jake Ellenberger is the MMAWeekly.com Breakout Fighter of the Year for 2011.
Posted in: jake ellenberger, jake, ellenberger, fighter, mmaweeklycom
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyONE FC: Rustam Khabilov vs Rodrigo Ribeiro Encapsulates the International Nature of Modern MMA
During the early days of mixed martial arts (MMA), competitors tended to train in only one discipline, which would often be dictated by their geographical locations. Cross training was virtually non existent as boxers, kickboxers, karate 'experts' and Judoka were just thrust into the fray together.
It was a melting pot in which fighters quickly discovered what worked and, more often than not, what didn't. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) was, of course, devastatingly effective, a point which Royce and Rickson Gracie repeatedly proved. Igor Vovchanchyn showed that stand up specialists could also hold their own while fighters like Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn flew the flag for wrestling.
In the modern era of MMA, one dimensional fighters will only get so far. BJJ, wrestling and kickboxing alone are seldom enough to succeed and elite level mixed martial artists need to be accomplished at all three elements of the MMA equation.
Fedor Emelianenko showed that Sambo can be a pretty effective alternative to BJJ as a ground fighting base and there are successful MMA fighters using either Sanda, Muay Thai, boxing or kickboxing as the basis for their style of stand up fighting.
However, regardless of the combination of styles, a fighter elects to employ it is absolutely essential that they are well rounded and one martial art on its own is almost never enough to suffice. For this reason, elite fighters are starting to travel more than ever before in search of the type of training which they they need in order to continue to compete at the highest level.
Some members of the Evolve MMA fight team. From left to right. Zorobabel Moreira (BJJ world champion), (Leandro Issa BJJ world champion), Shinya Aoki (Dream FC champion), Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn (Muay Thai world champion), Orono Wor Petchpun (Muay Thai world champion), Yoddecha Sityodtong (Muay Thai world champion).
From the days when fighters who trained at their local gym and represented only one martial art would come together to compete, the sport has evolved to the extent that we have intriguing international match ups such as the one next month between Combat Sambo world champion Rustam Khabilov and BJJ world champion Rodrigo Ribeiro.
This fight, which will be taking place at ONE Fighting Championship 'Battle of Heroes' in Jakarta, is remarkable because Ribeiro, a Brazilian, is now based in Singapore where he works with a team of trainers from Thailand, Brazil and the US whereas Khabilov, a Russian, trains under renowned American tactician Greg Jackson down in New Mexico.
Ribeiro is part of the fight team at Evolve MMA, a state of the art training facility which is also one of the most successful and rapidly growing businesses in Singapore. It is home to multiple Muay Thai champions from Thailand like Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn, Anuwat Kaesamrit and Orono Wor Petchpun and a number of BJJ champions from Brazil such as Rafael "Gordinho" Correa de Lima, Leandro Issa and Zorobabel Moreira.
Evolve MMA also recently recruited two Americans, former Team Quest owner and US Olympian Heath Sims who will head the wrestling program and NCAA Division One wrestler Jake Butler and they also have a boxing world champion in Yodsanan Sityodtong. To find a team of trainers which encompasses the three key elements of MMA they have recruited in three different continents, a truly global approach.
Ribeiro, a third degree BJJ black belt, will be constantly taken out of his comfort zone by the team at Evolve MMA and forced to work on his wrestling and striking as well as his already world class ground fighting. Khabilov will probably be undergoing a similar experience at Jackson's Submission Fighting in Albuquerque as he works to improve on his Combat Sambo based style with one of the most renowned training teams in the world.
Whereas Evolve MMA scour the globe to find trainers in each discipline Jackson's Submission Fighting tends to recruit from a little closer to home with coaches who have long term experience of the MMA game. It also boasts an extremely impressive roster of fighters including UFC regulars Jon Jones, Brian Stann, Leonard Garcia and Donald Cerrone.
It is the perfect environment for a fighter like Khabilov, who has already acquired a 12-1 record fighting primarily in Russia, to take his skill set to the next level. He is almost ten years younger than his opponent but will never have faced anyone with a ground game as sophisticated as Ribeiros.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones poses for a photo with his trainers Greg Jackson (L) and Mike Winklejohn (R)
He will need to have his submission defense in order when he faces the Brazilian because even the slightest mistake is likely to be ruthlessly exploited. For his part, Ribeiro will be working hard with the world class wrestling coaches at Evolve MMA to prevent Khabilov from picking him up and slamming him to the ground.
Ribeiro will be rubbing shoulders in training with the likes of Shinya Aoki from Japan, Rafael Dos Anjos from Brazil Eddie Ng from Hong Kong and Yodsanan Sityodtong from Thailand, who together make up one of the most ethnically diverse fight teams on the planet. Khabilov's English might not be the best but working with such an array of UFC veterans at Jackson's Submission Fighting will only help him to improve as a fighter.
In total, these two fighters have traveled a cumulative 14,000 kilometers to leave their hometowns and join two of the most respected training teams in the whole MMA game. From Rio De Janeiro to Singapore and from Rostov to New Mexico, they have traversed the globe to become better mixed martial artists and on February 11th in Jakarta, their two worlds will collide.
In the old days, putting champions from different disciplines together didn't necessarily make for the most competitive or entertaining fights. Ribeiro is a BJJ world champion and Khabilov is a Combat Sambo world champion, but both will enter the cage as truly well rounded fighters in a match up which encapsulates the modern era of MMA.
Posted in: world, mma, fighter, team, champion
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDREAM and ProElite announce new partnership
In what seemed like a foregone conclusion, ProElite and DREAM have announced a partnership that will see the two organizations co-promote events and swap talent as a result of the deal. DREAM recently had a partnership with Strikeforce, but things fell apart once Zuffa purchased Strikeforce in early 2011.
The relationship starts this Saturday night in Hawaii as DREAM mainstay Ikuhisa Minowa takes on Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Kendall Grove in the main event of ProElite: Da Spyda vs. Minowaman.
President of ProElite Billy Kelly commented on the new affair by saying, “Our partnership with DREAM forms a promotional bond with the most prominent Japanese MMA organization. Dream has developed a stable of great fighters on their roster and a strong team behind the scenes. With this exchange, the two organizations are building a cultural and fight-event bridge that our fans are sure to welcome.”
Also on the card will be DREAM light heavyweight grand prix runner-up Tatsuya Mizuno taking on Ilima Maiava. Plus, the voice of Japanese MMA, Lenne Hardt, will introduce the fighters as they walk down to the cage before battle.
“I’m really honored to join the partnership with ProElite,” added DREAM Event Producer Keiichi Sasahara. “It is important for us to exploit Asian or Pan-pacific markets by improving relationships with foreign organizations like ProElite. We would like to make this fighter exchange program a first step to generate synergistic success for both organizations.”
Posted in: fighter, proelite, dream, partnership, organization
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainRampage Jackson on 'King Mo' Lawal's steroids drug test failure: It's just karma
You just knew when Muhammed Lawal failed a drug test for anabolic steroids, someone would seek out his arch nemesis, Quinton Jackson, to get his opinion.
Sure enough, Karyn Bryant took up the cause and got this quote from "Rampage:"
"He talk a big game, he say all this stuff, he's calling people bums and everything and it's just karma. Look at him. He's a very cocky individual. I feel like any fighter that has to use steroids to go in a cage and fight somebody is not a true fighter. Some people have problems, like okay, go to the doctor and get it sorted out. There are some fighters out there who are of age and they're doing the right things to stay healthy and stay competitive but somebody blatantly taking anabolic steroids to get in the cage, it's a sad case. It's a sad case."
What do you think, Maniacs? Agree with Jackson here?
Posted in: jackson, fighter, muhammed lawal, steroid, right things
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMichael Bisping: Criticism of UFC Fighter Pay Makes Me Mad
Filed under: UFCMichael Bisping doesn't mince words when you ask for his take on the thorny issue of fighter pay in the UFC.
"I'm absolutely ecstatically happy with it," the British middleweight told MMA Fighting earlier this week. "Words cannot describe."
Then again, when you look at what the six-year UFC veteran is making every time he steps in the cage, it's not hard to understand his enthusiasm. In his most recent bout against Jason "Mayhem" Miller in December, for example, Bisping pocketed a cool $425,000 for his TKO win, according to the official payouts reported by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. That figure included a win bonus of $150,000, but didn't factor in any money he may have earned through sponsorships or undisclosed bonuses.
In other words, Michael Bisping is doing just fine these days. That's why, when he saw the recent ESPN report and the ensuing online discussions about fighter compensation in the UFC, he found himself getting more than a little worked up about all the criticism he was hearing, he said.
"To be honest, it makes me mad, because people don't understand," said Bisping. "I've worked hard, and I get [the amount stipulated in the contract], but when Dana comes into the locker room and gives me a check afterwards, they don't have to do that. Far from it. I was already very happy with the money I was getting, but then they'll hand you another check on top of that and say, 'Well done...good job,' and there'll be another huge check inside the envelope."
Of course, few fighters would complain about making what Bisping makes to fight in the UFC. His per fight guarantee is among the highest in the organization for non-title holders. It's the guys further down the totem pole -- those making just a few grand to show and a few to win -- who most critics of the UFC's pay structure focus on.
But according to Bisping, even those fighters have no cause for complaint the way he sees it.
"When I was an up-and-coming fighter I used to fight in these sh---y little shows and make no money," he said. "I used to sleep in my car. I couldn't pay my bills. I had to work on the weekends. So if I had to go out now [as an incoming UFC fighter] and I had to win a few fights, make six [thousand dollars to show] and six [thousand dollars to win], that's $12,000, plus maybe two or three thousand more in sponsors, and fight three or four times a way, that's not bad money. I'd be able to pay my bills and train full-time."
It's more or less the same argument put forth in the UFC's video response to the ESPN Outside the Lines story. The basic thesis is the UFC is a venue for up-and-coming fighters to show their talent and gain some fan recognition, so they should see the meager starting pay as an investment and an opportunity, which is exactly how it's worked out for Bisping, he said.
"If you win, and you start getting some notoriety with the fans and put on a good show, your pay's going to quickly go up. You start at six and six because the UFC is running a business. It's not, 'Oh, this guy's good enough to be in the UFC? Let's pay him a quarter of a million dollars.' It's not like that. They'll pay you a decent amount just for showing up, and even that's a big jump up from the regional show that you're used to. If you do well, they'll take care of you. They'll probably give you a bonus backstage and you'll quickly be in a new contract with a significant pay raise. If you put on good shows, you'll find success."
The way Bisping sees it, it's that 'if' that makes all the difference. If you win, and if fans want to see you fight again, more money is on the way. If not, then maybe you didn't belong in the UFC to begin with.
For Bisping, it's a formula that's worked out perfectly so far. Like other Ultimate Fighter winners, he started out on the lower end of the pay scale. Now he's clocking six figures just for stepping in the cage.
"From my initial involvement with the UFC on, the UFC has done nothing but take great care of me and my family," said Bisping. "They've always gone above and beyond the call of duty. They really have. With bonuses, with care, if I ever have injuries they give me access to the best doctors and then pay for everything. Myself and my family, we're living a great lifestyle. ...I'm making more money in one fight than I could have in 20 years of my old job. So you'll never hear a bad word come out of my mouth about the UFC's pay structure." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, money, bisping
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseJosh Neer - Proudly Representing The Old School
Josh Neer doesn’t ask for much. He doesn’t have a ten deep entourage to cater to his every whim, doesn’t request that the brown M&M’s to be removed from a candy bowl. All he wants is that when you sign to fight him, you fight him.It should be a simple request, but Neer has seen his aggressive style get nullified more than once in the past, and it even cost him his UFC job in 2009 when he lost back-to-back bouts against Kurt Pellegrino and Gleison Tibau. It could have been the sign for him to make a drastic stylistic overhaul, but that’s not his style. Yet while the attitude remains unchanged, he did add a few wrinkles to his game over the last couple years to make life a little easier on himself.“I didn’t get the best matchups that I wanted to get,” said Neer of his bouts against Pellegrino and Tibau, both of which he lost via unanimous decision. “I think that I do better against the actual fighters. I think there are a lot of guys that are just athletes that are fighting, as opposed to actual fighters. I fought two good athletes and I didn’t go in there with the right gameplan. I went out there thinking that they’re gonna come out and try to fight me and beat me, and really, they went in there just with the gameplan to try to win the fight. Guys say that they’re gonna stand up and trade and get Fight of the Night and everything else, but most of the time they’re really not gonna fight that way, especially those types of fighters like the athletes. I realized that I have to go in there and defend the takedown and try to stay up and make it a more exciting fight.”Iowa’s Neer may be just 28 years old, but he’s got an old soul when it comes to fighting. When you’re estimated to have had close to 100 amateur fights, countless gym wars, and 44 “official” pro bouts, that’s probably as old school as you’re going to get, and as far as he’s concerned, when you have the gloves on, you’re not supposed to engage in a wrestling match.“In the old days, it was mainly just fighters that were in the UFC, and now, I think there are more athletes in there and it’s more of an athlete thing than an actual fighter thing,” he said. “But there are still a lot of veterans around, and a lot of them are at the top right now. Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Shogun (Rua), Wanderlei (Silva). Those guys are still around.”Neer may not have the accolades of the above group just yet, but he is cut from their cloth, and he’s got the respect of his peers. What earned him even more is his route back to the UFC following his release in 2009. Unlike many cut fighters who will engage in one or two easy bouts and then light up matchmaker Joe Silva’s cell phone asking for a return, Neer did what he always did – fight. If the call came, great. If it didn’t, he still had to make a living.“I like to fight wherever,” said Neer, a pro for nearly a decade. “The UFC chose to cut me so I had to fight elsewhere.”As for those “other” guys that try to shortcut their way back?“Guys that do that kind of annoy me,” he said. “I think those guys are just looking to get noticed and get attention. I don’t really understand it, but I like to fight, and I tried to fight good competition when I was outside the UFC, just trying to earn my way back, as opposed to just winning a couple of easy fights and then try to get back in. I earned my way back in.”That he did. From 2010 to his callback to the organization for last October’s bout against Keith Wisniewski, Neer fought seven times, losing only to Eddie Alvarez. All of his victories came by way of knockout or submission, making his return an unsurprising one. It was still nice though. “It was good to get the call back and get back in there and get to fight some of the best guys.”Neer also got a willing dance partner for his first fight back, as fellow veteran Keith Wisniewski went toe-to-toe with “The Dentist” for 10 minutes and took a series of hellacious shots until the Octagonside physician called a halt to the bout at the conclusion of the second round.“I knew he was a tough guy because we fought on a couple of the same cards, and I knew it was gonna be a tough fight,” said Neer of Wisniewski. “He’s experienced, he’s well-rounded, and he’s been around forever, so it was a tough fight, but yeah, some of the shots I hit him with, I thought he was done, but then he just kept coming. He was like the Terminator.”It was precisely the fight that Neer craves, and he’s likely to get a similar scrap when he takes on Duane “Bang” Ludwig this Friday night in Nashville. Ludwig is another vet who was fighting back before fighting was cool, and when he steps into the Octagon, all the kind words and handshakes go out the door. That’s Neer’s kind of fighter.“He’s a real technical fighter, and he’s the type of fighter that I like to fight,” said Neer of Ludwig. “He’s gonna try to finish and not just win by points. I think he’s good.”But what of Josh Neer’s future in the game? He’s won big fights, earned Fight of the Night bonuses, and beaten top-level opposition, but he has never put together the kind of streak that would land him in the title picture. Is reaching the top of the welterweight division still the goal?“I think everybody that fights should want to be a world champion,” said Neer. “That’s definitely one of my goals, but I think more of a realistic thing is to be someone like Chris Lytle that has exciting fights every time I fight, and go in there and be remembered that way.”Well, “Lights Out” wouldn’t be a bad role model, as you won’t find anyone with a cross word to say about the recently retired Indiana native. Neer could live with having that type of legacy.“That definitely is a big deal for me,” he said. “You look at Wanderlei Silva and he’s never been the champion of the UFC, but he has everyone’s respect. The same thing with Chris Lytle.”And Josh Neer.
Posted in: fight, guy, fighter, ’t, neer
Read the full article at UFCProElite and Dream Form MMA Partnership
ProElite MMA and Dream, the largest Japanese MMA organization, have initiated a promotional partnership and fighter exchange program.
Posted in: mma, fighter, proelite, dream, partnership
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC, Strikeforce To Test New Fighters for Performance Enhancing Drugs
The UFC and Strikeforce will now test all incoming fighters for performance enhancing drugs before a contract can be signed with either promotion, their parent company Zuffa announced today.
The news comes on the heels of positive steroids tests by Strikeforce’s “King” Mo Lawal and women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.
“The health and safety of our athletes is our top priority,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’ve seen the issues performance-enhancing drugs have caused in other sports and we’re going to do everything we can to keep them out of the UFC and STRIKEFORCE. Our athletes are already held to the highest testing standards in all sports by athletic commissions. Our new testing policy for performance-enhancing drugs only further shows how important it is to us to have our athletes competing on a level playing field.”
The testing will also include competitors on The Ultimate Fighter, which moves to FX for its 15th season in March, while current fighters will continue to be screened by athletic commissions at their fights and at random.
For the latest UFC news stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: UFC President Dana White
Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, fighter, drug, ufc news
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyZuffa Institutes Mandatory, Pre-Contract PED Testing for New Signees
All fighters hoping to compete under the Zuffa banner must now provide proof that they are clean prior to signing with either the UFC or Strikeforce.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, zuffa, zuffa banner, zuffa institutes
Read the full article at SherdogESPN Reporters Address UFC Fighter Pay Story Criticism
It’s pretty safe to say that ESPN reporters John Barr and Josh Gross have taken a ton of flack for their UFC fighter pay story, not only from the UFC, but also from fans and fellow media members. Rather than try to respond to all the criticism on outlets like Twitter, Gross brought Barr onto his podcast, Gross Point Blank, to address the situation and defend their decision to run the story despite not having clear evidence proving or disproving that UFC fighter pay is as “brutally low” as their anonymous sources claim.
For what it’s worth, former UFC fighter Sean McCorkle went on the UG to talk about his experience with the promotion.
I keep hearing so many things back and forth on the issue I thought I’d give the UG the real story on UFC pay. At least as it pertains to me.
During my 3 fight stint with the UFC the paid me exactly 150% what they were contractually obligated to pay me. That is without a KO/Sub/Fight of the night bonus of any kind. That is even though I lost 2 of my 3 fights.
I got a discretionary bonus after all 3 of my fights, even an amount equal to my what would have been my win bonus after my embarrassing performance against Stephan Struve. I was told that was given to me based strictly on the effort I put in to promoting the fight, and not because of how I performed.
I am currently unaware of any pro sports franchise that pays any player more money than they are obligated to do so.
Sponsorship wise during those 3 fights I made an average each fight of about 75% of what I was contracted to be paid by the UFC. So if my purse for fighting was $10,000 I made approximately $7,500 in sponsors on average.
Take an average fighter’s reported pay for a televised fight, and double it, and you’ll have a rough number of the amount he made on that fight. So if a guy is reported at $12,000 to show, and $12,000 to win, chances are he’ll make around $50,000 by the time it’s all said and done for that fight.
Recommended reading: What We Talk About When We Talk About UFC Fighter Pay by MMA Fighting’s Ben Fowlkes
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, story, ufc fighter
Read the full article at MMA ConvertAll UFC/Strikeforce signees must undergo pre-contract drug screenings for PEDs
Zuffa is making it a bit more difficult to become a UFC or Strikeforce fighter.
Officials today announced that all potential UFC and Strikeforce fighters, including those who compete on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series, must first pass a mandatory pre-contract screening for performance-enhancing drugs.
The policy has been put into immediate effect.
Posted in: fighter, strikeforce fighters, ufcstrikeforce signees, peds zuffa, precontract screening
Read the full article at MMA JunkieA Lesson in Street MMA: Your pre fight preparation should not include alcohol
Street MMA fighters don't always have time to prepare. Usually if they are lucky, all they have time for is a quick neck stretch and a knuckle crack before they head out into the arena to fight for their honor (or survival). Sometimes, a fighter gets nervous and needs to have a little liquid courage before his battle before the public. Ironically, chances are it's that liquid courage that caused the Street MMA match to get sanctioned in the first place. A self fulfilling Street MMA prophecy if you will.
Bottom line, don't get super drunk and fight. The only thing you should be drinking before combat is some water, maybe coconut water, and if you are a member of the Machida family a healthy glass of urine: not booze. If you absolutely have to get drunk and stumble into a sanctioned Street MMA match, talk to the commission and try to get matched up with an equally inebriated fighter; like these guys.
Props to KickYoNuts for the find.
[Source]
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, street mma, street
Read the full article at Middle EasyKing Mo Lawal Drug Test Positive for Steroids, Denies Taking Anything
Popular Strikeforce fighter Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal has tested positive for an anabolic steroid.
Posted in: fighter, mo, king, lawal, muhammed
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyProElite to Partner With DREAM
Filed under: News, ProEliteProElite and DREAM have entered into a partnership that will see fighter exchanges and possibly co-promoted shows.
T. Jay Thompson, the head of fighter operations for ProElite, leaked the news while stopping by Tuesday's installment of The MMA Hour.
"We will be partnering with DREAM not only with a fighter exchange program," Thompson told host Ariel Helwani. "But some serious talks about bringing DREAM to the U.S. and bring ProElite to Japan."
On Saturday, UFC veteran Kendall Grove will take on popular Japanese fighter Ikushia Minowa in the main event of ProElite 3 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Thompson said DREAM officials will be in attendance and another DREAM competitor, light heavyweight Tatsuya Mizuno, has joined Saturday's card to face Ilima Maiava.
Thompson plans on establishing ProElite as a fun company and is excited with its matchmaking options now that there's a strong possibility of fighters such as Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri entering the fold.
"With the brain power and relationship between (ProElite matchmaker) Rich Chou and I, we're going to put on high-quality MMA cards," Thompson said. "And the matchmaking styles leads into some of these great Japanese fighters."
ProElite is expected to announce details of its fourth card, most likely in early April, during Saturday's event. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fighter, proelite, dream, saturday, thompson
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFighter Pay Explained By Former UFC Fighter Sean McCorkle
Sean McCorkle's UFC career fits a somewhat standard UFC model. He was able to manage a win over Mark Hunt in his promotional debut, dropped back-to-back fights to Stefan Struve and Christian Moorecraft and was released. He fits comfortably into that mid-tier fighter who couldn't quite make it in the UFC. In other words, he is very similar to the fighters in the range that the recent ESPN "Outside the Lines" feature focused on in terms of potentially being underpaid.
McCorkle hit up The Undergroundto defend the UFC's pay structure and to give some details about how he was paid during his time in the promotion:
During my 3 fight stint with the UFC the paid me exactly 150% what they were contractually obligated to pay me. That is without a KO/Sub/Fight of the night bonus of any kind. That is even though I lost 2 of my 3 fights.
I got a discretionary bonus after all 3 of my fights, even an amount equal to my what would have been my win bonus after my embarrassing performance against Stephan Struve. I was told that was given to me based strictly on the effort I put in to promoting the fight, and not because of how I performed.
I am currently unaware of any pro sports franchise that pays any player more money than they are obligated to do so.
Sponsorship wise during those 3 fights I made an average each fight of about 75% of what I was contracted to be paid by the UFC. So if my purse for fighting was $10,000 I made approximately $7,500 in sponsors on average.
Take an average fighter's reported pay for a televised fight, and double it, and you'll have a rough number of the amount he made on that fight. So if a guy is reported at $12,000 to show, and $12,000 to win, chances are he'll make around $50,000 by the time it's all said and done for that fight.
There's plenty more in his full post there, but it's good information to have.
As I mentioned during the Lorenzo vs. Friday Night Fights post, I have no problem with the way the UFC actually pays fighters other than that I don't like the bottom pay guys making only a disclosed $6k if they lose. I'd rather see something closer to a $10,000 to show/$3,000 to win structure for the bottom end. Enough to help offset camp costs, have a bit of money left over and still have a bonus for winning the fight.
But that's a relatively minor concern and, as long as the pay doesn't remain stagnant over the next few years as the promotion grows with the Fox involvement, it's pretty fair.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, bonus, mccorkle
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWhat We Talk About When We Talk About UFC Fighter Pay
Filed under: UFCIt probably tells us something that UFC president Dana White knew he hated ESPN's Outside the Lines segment on fighter pay well before he saw it. One gets the sense that he hated the topic more than the source or the approach, and the UFC's heavy-handed response to the story only confirms that this is a conversation the UFC would probably rather stop before it starts.
ESPN tells us that many UFC fighters are practically despondent about their pay, even if it can't name any of them or produce any meaningful, verifiable financial figures that make the case. It questions Lorenzo Fertitta's claim that the UFC pays somewhere "in the neighborhood" of half its revenue to fighters, as most major sports leagues do, but it can't disprove it. And when ESPN's John Barr says he's spoken with "more than 20 current, former, and potential UFC fighters," the savvy viewer is right to stop and ask just what he means by "potential" UFC fighters, and how many of the former fighters are guys like Ken Shamrock, who is the only fighter quoted in the piece, and who is, shall we say, not the most reliable or unbiased of sources on the topic.
In response, the UFC crafted a clever little piece of propaganda featuring interviews with fighters Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell, and Matt Serra, all of whom have nothing but positive things to say about how the UFC compensates its fighters. Shocking right? And here I thought that when the UFC showed up at Griffin's house with a camera he'd have used the opportunity to unload on his employers with one bitter complaint after another. And who could have guessed that Liddell, who was given a cushy, do-nothing corporate gig with the UFC once his fighting days were finished, would be so supportive? Never saw that one coming, I tell you.
The UFC loves to tout its post-fight bonuses, all that off-the-books money that it gives away out of sheer generosity and appreciation, and it does so again in its video rebuttal. It's true that the UFC literally gives away money that it doesn't have to. I've talked to dozens of fighters who have told me stories of White writing them a check that they didn't earn, contractually speaking. I've also talked to fighters who thought they went out of their way to hype a fight or put on a great show, only to have the UFC pat them on the back and send them on their way without the extra monetary appreciation they were expecting.
The current bonus system keeps fighters in a constant state of financial anticipation. They know the big money is out there somewhere, but unlike in most employer/employee relationships, it isn't laid out in print anywhere exactly what they need to do to get their hands on it. In that sense, fighters are like a primitive tribe of people worshipping inscrutable gods. They keep putting different offerings on the altar, trying different dances to make it rain. Sometimes it rains, and sometimes it doesn't. Some guys are thirstier than others. Some guys are better dancers.
One thing the ESPN piece and the UFC response have in common is a lack of detailed financial information. For a conversation entirely about money, there aren't a lot of numbers being thrown around here. ESPN would probably blame the UFC for that, arguing that because it doesn't release information about how much it makes and how much it pays out, we can't really know whether Fertitta's claims are accurate. That's true, but as Fertitta points out, the UFC doesn't have to release any of that information, and it's definitely not going to invite a closer scrutiny of its books if it doesn't have to. What company would?
The problem is, this is a circular argument that gets us nowhere. ESPN says fighters want more money, which isn't at all hard to believe. So do NFL and NBA players. The difference is how they go about getting it.
It's easy to swat the UFC upside the head about fighter pay and ask why it isn't sharing a bigger slice of the revenue pie with fighters, but it's also naive. Why should the UFC be the lone company in this capitalist dogfight of ours to simply decide, out of sheer altruism, to give more and take less? If fighters are really unhappy with the deal they're getting from the UFC, they need to do what athletes in every other major pro sport have done: form a union.
What would it take to form a fighter union? The same thing it takes in any industry: a willingness to stand together, and the participation of a few key people. If Georges St. Pierre, Jon Jones, and Anderson Silva banded together with a few of the lower-tier fighters, the UFC would have little choice but to recognize their union. If it didn't -- if it decided instead to cut its top three champions for daring to organize -- it would bring such an avalanche of bad publicity down upon itself that it would wish it had signed a blank check instead. A mess like that could easily end in congressional hearings and a sponsor exodus, and no one at the UFC wants either.
Then again, what do GSP, Jones, and Silva need a union for? They're doing fine as it is. They're rich and well taken care of by the UFC, so why speak up and potentially cost themselves money? Why should they care what Octagon newbies are getting paid?
In other words, the people who are most capable of creating a union and addressing issues like fighter pay and general transparency are the people who need it least. It's pointless to address these complaints to the UFC, which isn't going to simply decide to give away more money just to keep reporters away. Instead, bring it up with GSP. Bring it up with Dan Henderson and Frankie Edgar. Ask them if they're willing to do what's necessary to secure a better future for the fighters of tomorrow, even if it means angering the UFC brass today.
That might be a harder sell in the fight business than it is among pro baseball or football players. Those guys are used to working together against a common foe, and maybe that makes it easier to unite them against greedy owners. MMA fighters, on the other hand, are more accustomed to a certain brand of self-reliance. They're used to a world where there's only one champ in each division, one man sitting at the head of the table and eating his fill for as long as he can hold on to the chair. They're all certain that they'll be that man some day, so none are eager to complain that he's the only one getting a decent meal. You come into that world and tell them to unite in service of the fighters they either don't know or don't care about, and you might not get such a warm reception.
But this is how it's gone in every pro sport. The NFL players of today might enjoy great salaries, solid pension plans, and health care for their later years when the bill for all they've done to their bodies comes due -- all things that UFC fighters need and deserve -- but they didn't get it by waiting around for the owners to give it up voluntarily. It never works that way. Not in any business.
If fighters want to do something about their pay and their treatment in the UFC, it's up to them to join together and make it happen. For that, they need powerful leaders who don't need them. If those leaders decide it's not worth it, that they're doing just fine on their own, then at least we'll have our answer. But asking the UFC when it's going to fork over more money to fighters is like asking a CEO when he's going to give himself a pay cut so factory workers can get a raise. Change won't come on its own, via some self-imposed sense of fairness. It's going to take a struggle, and that struggle is going to have to begin with the fighters. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, money, need, theyre
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseSean McCorkle on UFC fighter pay.
submitted by SirSnickers [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc fighter, sean, sean mccorkle
Read the full article at RedditWhile we're on the subject of fighter pay, Jon Fitch talks about how he was casted on TUF 1, quit his job, and then was told he wasn't casted 15 minutes before his flight.
submitted by SpiderFan [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: fighter, wasnt, casted, spiderfan, flight
Read the full article at RedditUFC responds to ESPN piece
The UFC released its response to ESPN’s feature on fighter pay. Dana White introduced ESPN’s full-length interview of Lorenzo Fertitta and called ESPN’s story “a piece of trash.”
The response video is what the UFC calls the unedited version of Fertitta’s interview which implies that ESPN edited its story to fit with what it wanted to portray. In the UFC’s response, Fertitta points out that some of the boxers featured on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights received $275 and that the UFC pays its lower tier fighters much more than that.
Seems like a good comparison but for the fact that the UFC and boxing structures are different. Also, ESPN’s role in its Friday Night Fights is not the same as the UFC’s.
Bad Left Hook sets us straight:
First of all, ESPN is not a fight promoter. This is an enormous difference. For a UFC card on FX, the UFC is pretty much in control of everything. ESPN just airs fights. They have the right to turn down a proposed fight, but that’s about it. Everything is really up to the promoters of the actual fight card.
Fertitta claims, and I’m sure he’s telling the truth, that someone fought on Friday Night Fights in a four-round bout for $275. What Fertitta doesn’t reveal — or perhaps does not actually know — is that anyone in a four-round fight that winds up on the broadcast, on TV, was positioned in a swing fight that was going to air only if there was time remaining in the two-hour time slot. There are no four-round fights purposely scheduled to air on ESPN’s series. A four-round fight is the lowest level of professional boxing, and frankly to call the majority of four-round bouts “professional boxing” is kind of a stretch; the fighters don’t often resemble what we’re used to seeing on TV, even from the middle-of-the-pack guys that get on ESPN or HBO or Showtime. It’s kind of like comparing high school football to the NFL most of the time.
Additionally, Scott Christ reiterates the sentiments I have had when the UFC-Fox deal became a reality:
UFC wants to play with the big boys in sports now. That means attention from big boy sports media, and that inevitably leads to criticism and a realistic assessment of their product and their business. The rah-rah days are dying, and it’s because of White’s ambition as much as anything else. He’s brought them here. Now they have to accept where they’re at and what comes along with that standing.
How much Zuffa revenue goes to fighters is another issue in the fighter pay debate. Dave Metzler points out that without the financial information the percentage of revenue going to fighters is a moving target:
In an attempt to use figures based on Zuffa’s percentage of an 800,000-buy show, which is the rough industry estimate on UFC 141, the $3.1 million live gate, using listed fighter pay, announced bonuses, estimates of unannounced bonuses, and percentages of pay–per-view revenue built into the main eventers’ contracts, give you a very rough figure of 28 percent going to talent. However, for the Jan. 7, Strikeforce show in Las Vegas, with a very small gate figure and a full roster of fighters to pay, that figure could easily have been in the range of 50 percent.
Metzler goes on to assert that pro wrestling, not boxing, is a closer business model to the UFC:
The closest business model to UFC is that of World Wrestling Entertainment, which is believed to pay in the range of 13-15 percent of its total revenue to its performers. While some will argue WWE is a form of performance art and not a real athletic competition – and thus the performers don’t deserve as much money – the dollars WWE derives from its performers, who take a legitimate physical pounding, is every bit as green as those which UFC makes.
Payout Perspective:
I think the UFC response (minus Dana White’s usual pleasantries to opposition) is compelling but it obviously has some flaws. From a purely PR standpoint, its a good response to the ESPN piece. What would have helped the UFC in its response is if the UFC had some up and coming fighters state how much they are paid and agree that its great. Realistically, I think the UFC could have done this because I’m sure some fighters are just glad they are getting a shot. Having Serra, Liddell and Griffin talk is fine but they are all “company men”; well-established, past champions of the UFC.
If you didn’t read Metzler or Christ’s great piece over on Bad Left Hook, most people exposed to this debate would look at the UFC response and say, “Hey, that’s true. What about boxing’s pay?” But, its hard to compare the UFC to other sports league due to the difference in business models. The fact remains that with success comes scrutiny. ESPN, like every other TV investigative show, likely had an agenda when interviewing Fertitta. That does not necessarily mean ESPN is bad or “hates the sport.” But, it means that the UFC should be aware of the issues it now faces with more exposure.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, espn, response
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC fighters come out on the record to discuss pay issue
While ESPN and UFC Executives have been going back and forth over the past week relating to an Outside the Lines feature from the sports’ network focused on fighter-pay in the UFC, some of the voices lost in the debate belong to the men who actually lay it all on the line inside the Octagon. While ESPN’s story featured input from Ken Shamrock and Ricco Rodriguez, neither man has fought under the Zuffa banner for more than five years and are not necessarily as in tune with the way things work in 2012 when compared to those currently calling the UFC home.
On that note, the UFC has released a video addressing ESPN’s claims with input from former champions Chuck Liddell, Matt Serra, and Forrest Griffin who defended their employers’. Liddell retired in 2010 after a storied career in the infamous eight-sided cage while Griffin and Serra are still on the organization’s roster.
“These guys that are just starting off in the UFC and they’re starting off with whatever number they’re starting off with, they have a good night and the next thing you know they’re getting a sick pay day,” said Serra. “And that opportunity is for a guy that’s been with them, like myself, for ten years or a guy that’s green and it’s his first time in there.”
As far as Griffin’s take, the original Ultimate Fighter winner explained, “The UFC has guys that technically they lose money on; that they’re paying $10-$15,000 to fight that nobody’s really watching. Nobody bought the PPV to see that guy, maybe like 300 people in his hometown if he’s lucky. But they’re paying that guy to get better, to keep fighting, because maybe he’ll catch on and be that next thing.”
“They’re putting an investment in all their guys, all of us. The UFC wants you to succeed,” he continued. “The more any fighter succeeds, they succeed. I mean even guys that aren’t making a fortune are making enough to where they don’t have another job and they can concentrate on getting better as a fighter so they can put themselves in a position to make good money.”
Check out the fighters’ version of things below in addition to more behind-the-scenes footage from Lorenzo Fertitta’s interview with ESPN:
Posted in: ufc, guy, fighter, espn, ’re
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainESPN and UFC Battle Over UFC Fighter Pay
In case you haven’t heard, ESPN aired an Outside The Lines segment and published an accompanying report titled “UFC fighters say low pay simply brutal” over the weekend on UFC fighter pay that ruffled a lot of feathers, especially with the UFC. If you follow Dana White on Twitter you probably noticed Dana going apeshit on ESPN and the two reporters who put the pieces together, John Barr and Josh Gross, and this was before he even saw the final OTL piece that aired yesterday morning.
I’m not going to dive too deep into the report — MMA Fighting’s MDS and Yahoo! Sports Dave Meltzer already did that if you’re looking for solid, measured analysis of it — but I will address the crux of it.
The report quotes a bunch of anonymous UFC fighters who refused to go on the record for fear of retribution, which really doesn’t accomplish anything other than making the UFC look like bullies. Lorenzo Fertitta vehemently denies that fighters aren’t allowed to speak out, but looking back at how Roger Huerta was benched at the end of his UFC career after complaining about pay to FIGHT! Magazine, it does seem like keeping quiet is the wiser choice.
Nevertheless, what the report boils down to though is the percentage of revenue the UFC pays it’s fighters. Fertitta says it’s “not far off what the other sports leagues pay as a percentage of revenue,” which is around 50%, however Rob Maysey, founder of the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, went on the record, calling that an “absurd statement.” Based on his estimation it’s more around 5%, but he doesn’t have the whole picture.
And therein lies the problem with this subject. No one has the full picture except the UFC, and unless they open their books, which they won’t and don’t have to being a private company, we’re not going to get the full picture.
And even if we did have the exact number, we would we have no way of telling if that number is fair to the fighters or not without knowing how much the UFC spends to grow the sport and keep the machine rolling. For argument’s sake, let’s say the number is somewhere in the middle, say 30%. Okay, that looks low compared to the other major sports leagues, but the UFC operates on a completely different business model than those sports. How do we know if the UFC would be able to sustain their business if they raised it to 50%? We don’t. What we do know is many other promotions, most notably Affliction, went out of business by not managing their payroll correctly, so the UFC must be doing something right to still be here going strong even after a down year. We may know they’re not overpaying their fighters, but no one except them can definitively say they’re underpaying them or not.
Bottom line: It is virtually impossible to form an informed, intelligent opinion on the fairness of UFC fighter pay without knowing all the facts. So while this report has certainly kicked up a lot of dust and got many people in a tizzy, most notably Dana White, it never finds the real answer it was looking for.
You can check out the OTL piece above and the UFC’s response below which includes the UFC’s edit of Lorenzo’s interview with ESPN and the full uncut version of the interview.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, sport, report, ufc fighter
Read the full article at MMA ConvertDana White reacts to ESPN’s Outside the Lines feature
It didn’t take long for UFC President Dana White to respond to an ESPN program on Sunday morning directed at criticizing the amount of money UFC fighters make in comparison to the company’s revenue with an emphasis on the public’s fear of speaking out on the issue. Earlier today White addressed the piece in a video where he blasted ESPN’s biased stance being disguised as legitimate journalism and provided uncut footage from Outside the Lines’ interview with Lorenzo Fertitta as well as clips of prominent fighters talking about pay.
“I know I get a little fired up about this stuff, I need to calm down, but people don’t realize ESPN doesn’t care about this sport; ESPN hates this sport,” explained White to the camera. “They won’t even cover it. They don’t cover the sport. They don’t do the great stories about this brand and the sport that should be done. They don’t tell stories about the fighters. Do you ever see any in depth, great story about UFC fighters on ESPN? Hell no you don’t.”
Check Out ESPN’s Version of Things in the Network’s Outside the Lines Episode
“They’re dirty, they lie, and they never really give you all the facts,” he added.
In the ESPN feature former fighters Ken Shamrock and Ricco Rodriguez were the only two Mixed Martial Artists to go on record as having a problem with the way UFC handled pay while numerous other anonymous sources were cited as well.
Check out the UFC’s version of things below:
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, espn, ’t, espn ’s
Read the full article at Fighters.comVideo: Dana White Responds to ESPN on Fighter Pay
For more on this story, check out ESPN and UFC Clash Over Fighter Pay.
Posted in: fighter, espn, story check, ufc clash, video dana
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyDana White's response to the Outside the Lines "expose" on fighter pay in the UFC.
submitted by kevinisms [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, white, response, kevinism
Read the full article at RedditDana White Responds to ESPN’s Fighter Pay Piece
ESPN's 'Outside the Lines" looked into the UFC's pay structure, and now UFC President Dana White has posted his response.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, espn, dana, piece espns
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyExamining Lorenzo Fertitta & UFC's Response To ESPN 'Outside The Lines'
In the wake of the ESPN "Outside the Lines" feature talking about UFC fighter pay one of the biggest discussion points has been the UFC's first released video of what amounts to an outtake of the Lorenzo Fertitta interview. In this video, Lorenzo makes an attempt at a "gotcha" by pointing out that on Friday Night Fights (on ESPN2) fighter pay is fairly low. He even singles out a fighter who made $275 on a Friday Night Fights card in Vegas.
Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook broke down Lorenzo's argument in a recent article:
First of all, ESPN is not a fight promoter. This is an enormous difference. For a UFC card on FX, the UFC is pretty much in control of everything. ESPN just airs fights. They have the right to turn down a proposed fight, but that's about it. Everything is really up to the promoters of the actual fight card.
They are a network that broadcasts a low-budget boxing series for nine months out of the year. To compare Friday Night Fights to a UFC show on cable is an attempt at trickery at best. It's just not the same thing.
The budget for FNF is small: $100,000 per show. This is not a big-time showcase for top fighters. It is, more or less, somewhere for prospects and mid-tier veterans to fight.
He also talked about the fighter who was paid $275 and what exactly that means:
Fertitta claims, and I'm sure he's telling the truth, that someone fought on Friday Night Fights in a four-round bout for $275. What Fertitta doesn't reveal -- or perhaps does not actually know -- is that anyone in a four-round fight that winds up on the broadcast, on TV, was positioned in a swing fight that was going to air only if there was time remaining in the two-hour time slot. There are no four-round fights purposely scheduled to air on ESPN's series. A four-round fight is the lowest level of professional boxing, and frankly to call the majority of four-round bouts "professional boxing" is kind of a stretch; the fighters don't often resemble what we're used to seeing on TV, even from the middle-of-the-pack guys that get on ESPN or HBO or Showtime. It's kind of like comparing high school football to the NFL most of the time.
The UFC line is that everyone on their roster is there because they're among the best in the world. Obviously no one is being paid $275 to fight on a UFC card, but Friday Night Fights is not known to be, nor is it advertised as being, a showcase for the world's best boxers.
Follow after the jump for much more...
The Friday Night Fights card in Vegas prior to that interview would have been the July 29, 2011 show headlined by Lamont Peterson vs. Victor Cayo. There were only two four round fights on the card and if I had to guess who the guy getting a low rate of pay was, I'd assume it was Timothy Hall Jr. Hall entered the night with a 6-11 record, but had lost ten of his previous twelve bouts. There's also a possibility that it was Razvan Cojanu, a local Vegas heavyweight who came into the night with an 0-1 record and, despite winning and only being 24 (an age where boxers fight every couple months) has not fought since.
I can't stress enough how bizarre I find the defending of Lorenzo's larger point. I don't think there is anything particularly wrong with fighter pay in the UFC. I'd like to see mid-tier guys get a little bit more of a boost and I think the $6,000 to show, $6,000 to win model for undercard guys should be changed to a flat $10,000 (or something in that neighborhood) as it's crippling for guys to show up after a camp, lose a tough fight and walk away with $6,000 (yes, in disclosed pay). But those aren't huge issues.
The problem is with treating Lorenzo's argument like it's some heavy blow to ESPN. The deep undercard of a small boxing card with a limited budget like you get with Friday Night Fights is made up of prospects just starting out, local fighters filling spots and warm bodies being put in the ring to give a better fighter some experience. That's not in any way similar to what the UFC is supposed to represent, where even guys in a curtain jerker role on a card are supposed to represent someone near the pinacle of the sport.
If anything, I think the UFC is overreacting to a feature piece by ESPN that, while not particularly flattering, wasn't exactly the a sledgehammer to the credibility of the UFC. I think the amount of attention they're giving it, with swinging back with a video like this (which falls apart under any sort of critical thinking) they're not doing anything but appeasing their own fans by giving them something to shout about. It doesn't prove anything, it doesn't actually make ESPN look bad and it only serves to further the "us vs. them" narrative.
But maybe that's just what they actually set out to do.
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fighter, espn
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White Calls ESPN Report 'Piece of Trash' As UFC Releases Its Own Report
Filed under: MMA Media Watch, UFCUFC President Dana White promised before ESPN's Outside the Lines reported on fighter pay that the UFC would release a video of Lorenzo Fertitta's full, uncut interview with ESPN. But what the UFC actually posted online on Monday was something more than that -- it was a full-on rebuttal of the Outside the Lines report that featured not only Fertitta's comments but also comments from White and some of the UFC's fighters.
White introduced the UFC's video by referring to the Outside the Lines report as a "piece of trash" and "one-sided." And while Outside the Lines is generally well-respected for producing high-quality sports journalism, White also said he doesn't respect the kind of journalism that ESPN does.
"They're dirty, they lie, and they never really give you all the facts," White said.
The UFC's response makes the case that the pay scale in the UFC is better than the ESPN report would have had viewers believe, noting that many UFC fighters have become rich for what they did inside the Octagon. However, the Outside the Lines report didn't dispute that -- Outside the Lines acknowledged that the UFC's best draws are doing well financially. Outside the Lines was more concerned with how much the entry-level fighters are making.
Where the UFC's rebuttal report is lacking is in offering any specifics about how much money the low-tiered fighters are making. Fighters like Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Matt Serra are featured saying they're satisfied with their pay, but those three guys are popular former champions. There still isn't a lot of information available about how much entry-level fighters are making. Fertitta says specific payroll numbers are not something the UFC is interested in revealing.
"We're not hiding anything from anybody, it's just that we don't publish it for everybody to see," Fertitta says. "We're not a public company. There's no reason for us to do that."
The strongest part of the UFC's response comes at the very end, where Ken Shamrock is shown after his final UFC fight talking about how much money he made in the UFC. Shamrock was featured on ESPN talking about how fighters don't get paid enough by the UFC, so that quote from Shamrock is a strong rebuttal.
But featuring Shamrock is something of a distraction from the real issue at hand. The issue isn't whether well-known fighters like Shamrock are making good money, it's whether the undercard fighters are making good money.
The UFC has also chosen not to release information about how much fighters are making from sources like sponsorships and pay-per-view bonuses. For some fighters, those sources of income represent more than what they make in their purses. But we don't know for sure which fighters are getting those kinds of bonuses because the UFC has chosen to keep that information private.
Ultimately, Outside the Lines and the ESPN response offered two sides of a story. And neither side has told the whole story. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, espn, line, report
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe 25 Best Fighter Staredowns of 2011
We have seen the dissolution of the Japanese circuit, where many of its prominent fighters have come stateside, some faring better than others.
Posted in: fighter, stateside, japanese circuit, fighter staredowns, dissolution
Read the full article at Low KickUFC 142: From A To Z
Aldo, first name Jose, marched toward the Octagon to Jay-Z’s “Run This Town (Tonight)” and did exactly that, snatching his 14th straight victory in front of his Rio de Janeiro faithful. The first-round knockout of No. 1 contender Chad Mendes will force even the most stubborn minds to rethink whether Jon Jones or Anderson Silva or Georges St-Pierre really is the most talented fighter on the planet. Fresh off his fifth world title defense, Aldo is now a certified superstar – and it is legitimate to speculate if there is any current fighter at either 145 pounds OR 155 pounds that will beat this guy on his A game (You have to think that Aldo would be favored against anybody at either weight class). Scary part: he is only 25 years old, nowhere near his physical prime. Brazilian fighters added more ammunition to claims that they produce the world’s best mixed martial artists by rewarding home fans with a 7-1 record on the night against opponents from other nations. The UFC has held three events in South America’s largest country. In those shows Brazilian fighters have amassed a combined (and staggering) 16-2 record against foreigners. Can’t conceive how Anthony Johnson failed to make weight BY 11 POUNDS!!! Will forever boggle the mind, no matter how many excuses are conjured up. Let’s put this Cardinal Sin of professional fighting into historical perspective: Up until the 142 weigh-in, the Poster Boy for jaw-dropping overweightedness had been Paulo Filho, another incredible talent who famously tipped the scales at seven pounds over before his middleweight world title defense against Chael Sonnen for WEC 36. Those who cheer for Karma to always prevail in the end can take comfort in this: Being overweight for a main card fight is usually a bad omen for the perpetrator. Filho, like Johnson, was as much of a failure in the fight as he was during the weight cut. Both Filho and Johnson paid for their transgressions not only with reduced paychecks, but also losses inside the cage. Disqualification of Erick Silva for alleged strikes to the back of the head, wiping away what would have been a jubilant 29-second triumph in front of his countrymen, was heart-wrenching to watch, especially since video replays showed scant evidence of the fouls. Reminds me of Jon Jones losing via disqualification after annihilating Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter finale 10 (illegal elbows being the culprit, the lone “loss” of Jones’ career). Though he remained poised and polished during an interview with Joe Rogan immediately following the defeat, Jones went backstage, away from fans and cameras, and was emotionally devastated. I can’t help but think that Erick Silva (13-2, 1 NC) was the same Saturday night in Rio after being deprived of what have been the finest moment of his career thus far. Extraordinary is my thought on Joe Rogan’s impromptu interview with referee Mario Yamasaki following the Prater-Silva shocker. How often do you see that? Rogan is just so brutally candid, which I happen to think is generally a good quality in people. He felt Silva’s pain and wanted Yamasaki – one of the sport’s most competent and veteran referees – to explain the call. Fight of the Night bonuses ($65,000) went to Edson Barboza and Terry Etim. Gabriel Gonzaga, whom some had written off after he lost three of four UFC fights and embarked on a one-year hiatus, returned to the Octagon with a vengeance. The 250-pound BJJ world champ had lamented relying too much on his striking and returned to his roots with a rear naked choke that dealt Ednaldo Oliveira (13-1-1, 1 NC) his first career loss. Heel hooks are rarely successful in the UFC, but Rousimar Palhares is an exception to the rule. The 185-pound ball of muscle clamped onto Mike Massenzio’s ankle early in the first round and, before Palhares even commenced any of the limb, Joe Rogan accurately predicted that trying to escape so early in the bout without benefit of sweat was futile: “Fight’s over,” Rogan said. And it was, just 63 seconds in, giving Palhares his seventh win in nine UFC fights. One remark: I’ll bet you Massenzio spent the majority of his camp focusing on how to defend heel hooks, leg locks and kneebars. But it’s hard to mimic the kind of beastly latch Palhares imposes on a limb. Only Frank Mir can be considered an equal in that department, as both are clearly the last two guys you want cranking on your limb. I suspect that Anthony Johnson, after missing weight three different times under the UFC banner, could someday return to the UFC. But if I was him, and that forgiveness and opportunity for redemption ever comes, I might opt for the 205-pound weight class instead (just to be on the safe side).Jose Aldo’s spontaneous sprint into the stands at HSBC Arena – for those who might think it unprecedented was not Jr.’s first foray into the crowd. An overflow of emotion prompted him to do the MMA version of a “Lambeau Leap” after a first-round knockout of Rolando Perez four years ago at WEC 38 (in San Diego, Calif.). Word is that Aldo’s renowned trainer, Andre Pederneiras, was not too fond of the Aldo running into the stands (nor was he fond of Aldo’s daring habit of doing somersault’s off the Octagon following wins). Aldo had been much tamer in his celebrations until Saturday, as the energy in the sold-out arena and the sentimental value of the moment apparently overcame him (and also probably scared the crap out of the security officials responsible for the arduous task of extracting the raging showman from a virtual mosh pit of fans). Knockout of the Night went to Edson Barboza, whose spinning wheel kick to the face sent Terry Etim to the canvas stiff as a wooden board. By coincidence, the third-round knockout happened just as Joe Rogan was noting that Etim, likely trailing on the judges’ scorecards, might need to attack more. Rogan wondered aloud, “Do you want to take a chance and risk getting knocked out? (at that moment Barboza spun and the heel of his foot thumped Etim’s jaw).“Oh!!” Barboza, a lightweight, improved to 10-0. Lovely Brazilian women in the crowd didn’t get as much love from the cameras as some of us would have liked. Miscellaneous fact worth mentioning: There are at least four different fighters named Anderson Silva in MMA, PLUS another named “Wanderson” Silva. “THE” famous Anderson Silva is 31-4 in his legendary career. The combined record of the three other Anderson Silvas (and Wanderson Silva) is 10-15. Not since March 2001, back in his days with Pride, had Vitor Belfort submitted an opponent in live competition (Bobby Southworth being the answer to the trivia question). Though Belfort is renowned for his hand-speed and punching prowess, that decade-long submission drought is remarkable when you consider that Belfort has been a BJJ black belt since the tender age of 19 (receiving the honor under the late, great Carlson Gracie). Another important point about Belfort: His career resurgence is as admirable as it is rare. Here is a man who, in the mid-2000s, fought seven times AND LOST FIVE OF THEM. Many – including myself -- wrote Belfort off entirely, thinking “The Phenom” had all the physical talent in the world but lacked the mental toughness and drive to rise to elite status again. And now? The 34-year-old Belfort has won seven of his past eight, which is a credit to his own mental maturity and the fine team he has assembled around him, which includes kickboxing coach Ray Sefo, Gilbert “Durinho” Burns (BJJ black belt world champion) and Ginastica Natural pioneer Alvaro Romano. Opinion: The Vitor Belfort-Wanderlei Silva rematch, slated for later this year, will not go past one round. But me, like you, will darn sure be watching every second of their fisticuffs. It’s been more than 13 years – 13 YEARS – since these two icons collided. I don’t remember ever waiting 13 years to see a rematch. I’m sure Wanderlei has often fantasized about revenge since absorbing that 44-second annihilation to Belfort back in 1998. But their looming sequel might prove to be another example of “Be Careful What You Wish For.” Priceless: An arena filled with passionate, flag-waving Brazilians. Nobody does it better.Q is for Quicksand, the moniker of one Mike Pyle, who earned the distinction of being the only foreigner to defeat a Brazilian on the night. Angered and embarrassed after being steamrolled by Rory MacDonald in his last fight, the Las Vegan standout blitzed Ricardo Funch with a sizzling right hand and knees en route to a first-round stoppage. “I want to thank my wife for putting up with me all during my camp,” Pyle said afterwards. Might not be the last time a pro fighter uses that line. Really curious whom Aldo’s next challenger will be. Erik Koch (13-1) has to be in the mix. Dustin Poirier (11-1) goes for five straight at UFC 143 next month. Both are tall, lanky, aggressive fighters. But neither can match Aldo’s speed. Strange coincidence: Both Aldo and Belfort wished their mothers Happy Birthday following their fight Saturday night. Thiago Tavares is finally living up to his potential. Tavares’ decision win over Sam Stout pushed his record to 4-1-1 in his past six contests. Unbeaten: Edson Barboza, whose standup, speed and ferocious leg attacks have drawn comparisons to Jose Aldo, improved to 10-0. The two other unbeatens on the card, Chad Mendes and Ednaldo Oliveira, suffered their first losses Saturday night.Vitor Belfort said he cut over 20 pounds in the days leading up to his fights. As any athlete who has ever cut weight knows, it is often the most miserable of processes, a test of mental fortitude and discipline. So when a fighter misses weight, his opponents usually view it not only as unprofessional, but also a sign of weakness. A sign that a fighter couldn’t hack the misery of the process necessary to make weight. Seeing a fighter not make weight is analogous to seeing a fighter “break” or give up in a fight. Once a fighter senses that quit in an opponent, it is like a shark seeing red. Welterweights beware: Mike Pyle says he’s bringing the same intensity to you that he brought against Ricardo Funch. X-cellent: Still wondering when a fighter will be daring enough to use an X-guard BJJ sweep in the Octagon. Yuri Alcantara won a unanimous decision over fellow featherweight Michihiro Omigawa. Alcantara is now 26-3. (Pardon the creativity) Mike MassenZio, a former Junior college national wrestling champ and BJJ black belt, jumpstarted his pro career at 9-1 but has now dropped five of his past eight.
Posted in: fight, fighter, belfort, weight, aldo
Read the full article at UFCUFC responds to ESPN's Outside The Lines video on fighter pay
Right back at ya!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White said he would be ready to attack the "hack jobs" at ESPN and he wasn't kidding.
In response to ESPN's "Outside The Lines" interview with UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta, in which he was grilled about the always hot topic that is fighter pay and whether or not the UFC is a monopoly, company President Dana White tweeted this video via his official Twitter account of a clip that was not aired during the ESPN version of the interview.
In the clip, Fertitta defends his fighter pay scale and turns the tables on reporter John Barr, questioning him about the low pay some boxers receive to compete on ESPN boxing events.
It will be very interesting to see the UFC's full version of the interview which Dana White said he would air very soon. You didn't think Fertitta and company were going to sit their with their arms crossed and do nothing, did you?
Check out the clip after the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, espn, interview, clip
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC Releases Lorenzo Fertitta ESPN Interview Clip, Slams Network's Pay To Boxers
This past week, UFC President Dana White promised a video clip that would put ESPN in its place following Sunday's Outside The Lines investigative piece on fighter pay. White made good, releasing a 64-second clip via the organization's YouTube channel that points a finger at the network for their pay to boxers.
In the clip, Zuffa co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta is talking with journalist John Barr and points out that analysts believe ESPN will make $2.8 billion in 2012. He then says he's looked back and for "ESPN fights" (think Friday night boxing events), some fighters made $275 for a four round fight.
"I think six and six is pretty good compared to that," Fertitta said. "There's multiple guys on those ESPN cards who make in the hundreds of dollars. For our fights we put on cable on Spike TV and Versus, we pay 10 times to the fighters what ESPN pays to the fighters."
"Six and six" is a reference to the thousands of dollars that entry level pay UFC fighters receive to show up and then win, respectively.
Since Zuffa signed a deal with Fox, White has been more outspoken about ESPN and their coverage of the UFC, reaching a boiling point this past week with the news the story was going to be released. Similar to how things have deteriorated with former broadcast partner Spike TV in recent months, it seems things are going to get a whole lot worse between Zuffa and ESPN before they get better.
White said more of the unaired parts of Fertitta's ESPN interview will come soon. See the clip after the jump.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, espn, clip, fertitta
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowESPN on Fighter Pay and UFC’s Unseen Video Footage Response
ESPN's Outside the Lines looks at fighter pay in the UFC, and the UFC responds with a video of their own with footage not aired during owner Lorenzo Fertitta's interview with the cable station.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, espn, ufc ’s, footage
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyESPN investigates UFC fighter pay
ESPN examined the question of fighter pay in an article published earlier this week as well as a piece on its investigative show, “Outside the Lines.” OTL ran Sunday morning as it discussed issues of fighter wages and whether the UFC is a monopoly.
Dana White has denounced the article and promised a response. As MMA Fighting points out, White will likely point out factual errors with the piece but some of those errors deal with the fact that Zuffa, as a private company, does not have to disclose financial information which would reveal how much revenue Zuffa generates. The number could show how much it shares with its fighters. The OTL feature compares revenues of other leagues (NBA, NFL and NHL) with the percentage it shares with its players. However, that information is not publicly known for the UFC.
The article specifically looks at fighter pay in the UFC. No other organizations are featured in the piece to compare or contrast. Notably, the piece takes issue with the relatively low pay that entry-level UFC fighters receive – $6,000 a fight. On the other hand, Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva make millions per fight with GSP making between $4-$5 per fight. Its not clear whether this amount is the base or (more likely) after inclusion of sponsor, bonus and PPV cuts.
The ESPN article also interviews an unnamed UFC Figher which revealed the following:
“Training expenses in an average year can run $22,000, and that’s with no travel. For a typical fight, you and your corner man share a room. You fly in on Tuesday and leave Sunday and get a $50 per day per diem. If you bring anybody extra, they take it out of your show money.”
He also indicated that locker room bonuses range from $5,000 to $10,000 although most are $5,000. These are the bonuses that are not included in the salary payroll or 3 bonus categories.
The article shows the difficulty in covering a very sensitive subject. In the ESPN and OTL feature, no UFC fighters would publicly comment with their name. As one fighter put it, “It would be the end of my career.” While ESPN does speak with a “Fighter X” no names are attached so Zuffa could still dismiss the claims made. Also, Ken Shamrock and Ricco Rodriguez have had past troubles with the UFC. Zuffa could easily claim their opinions are merely ones of spurned former employees.
Another issue to point out is that entry-level fighters still have training expenses such as gym, trainers, nutritional supplements and travel. These things are usually covered for top tier guys by sponsors or are written into their contracts.
Some interesting notes from ESPN’s interview of Lorenzo Fertitta:
• Since 2005, the first year the UFC became profitable, the company has paid more than $250 million to its fighters.
• 39 UFC fighters have become millionaires as a result of their earnings from the company.
• 29 fighters on the current roster receive a cut of pay-per-view profits.
• Since 2005, fighter pay has grown at twice the rate of revenue growth
MMA Payout will have more on the issue later this week. The story shows the great divide between entry-level fighters and the main event fighters. Its interesting that the question of a fighter union is not discussed more. Of course, if any fighter tried to put together an effort to unionize, they would be blackballed.
There is the argument that Zuffa is like any other private company. Entry-level workers start out with less pay while the best workers make the most. The company can decide how much (or how little) the worker is paid and what type of pay raise or bonus they may receive. The worker can take it or leave it.
With the UFC trying to move into the mainstream, we’ll see if this issue receives more scrutiny.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, espn, issue, article
Read the full article at MMA PayoutVIDEO: ESPN's UFC Fighter Pay Story Interesting, Informative, Not Damning
Outside of UFC 142, one of the hot button topics last week was ESPN's Outside The Lines doing an investigative piece on UFC fighter pay. Aggressive reaction and a promise of a counterstrike from UFC President Dana White came quickly as ESPN is apparently back on his bad side.
The segment ran, a panel discussion followed and the consensus (among social media anyway) was that it was a good, interesting piece but not exactly damning of the UFC. In reality, the tone, numbers and the feel was in the written companion feature that debuted earlier this week. Yahoo's Dave Meltzer recapped the issues last week, as he as interviewed for the feature but wasn't used in the final cut.
John Barr was the journalist in the nine minute opening segment that focused heavily on Zuffa co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta, crediting him and brother Frank with the revival of the UFC. Fertitta was asked about an MMA monopoly, which he said is ridiculous. Enter Ken Shamrock who is not in the good graces of the UFC, who essentially said that it is. Promoter/manager Monte Cox explained that he has to take what the UFC gives his fighters and that only the fighters who "fight through the gauntlet and get to the top" get paid.
Fertitta was asked about why fighters are scared to come out and talk publicly to which he explained that anyone can say what they want and there's no retribution. He said they've paid out $250 million to fighters and made 39 millionaires. The piece then shifted focus to the entry level fighters and the graduating scale for their first three fights (ex. $6000 show/$6000 win for opening fights), explaining that the scale is better than what some boxers get but not close to the four major league sports.
The real crux of the story was the focus on how much of the organization's revenues goes toward the fighters. Fertitta didn't give an exact number, but said it was in the "neighborhood" of 50% like the four major sports. This was disputed in the panel discussion that followed the segment with some estimating that number to be around 10%. The discretionary bonuses were covered in full with a claim by an unnamed fighter that you have to "kiss ass" to get them.
At no point was health insurance brought up, nor was marketing/promotional/event expenses which would have made the story a bit more well rounded. For the full video and what happened during the OTL panel discussion, join us after the jump.
The panel discussion (not yet available online) featured host Bob Ley, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez, ESPN reporter Josh Gross and Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association' head Rob Maysey. Ley brought up some of the angry comments that White had on Twitter and that White declined to be on the show.
Ley asked Rodriguez about his past dealings with White to which Rodriguez said that his conflicts about pay with White are a major reason he's not in the UFC. He talked about having to fight in other countries and organizations to make money, but didn't come across bitter. Rather, he seemed resigned to the situation at hand.
Maysey looked nervous and didn't add much to the discussion, while Gross reiterated a lot of the points he and Barr made in the online story. However, he did bring up some positives like how White and Fertitta made a private donation to Dan Miller's efforts to get a kidney transplant for his son.
Will this cause sweeping change or some sort of uprising? It's doubtful as most hardcore fans will simply shrug because a lot of the info was already known and unless mainstream journalists start to point to the issue, the casual fans won't care either.
Watch the video and comment below about what you think about all of this. Is White overreacting? Do you care about fighter pay? Was this an attack job by ESPN or simply a good journalistic piece?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, discussion, fertitta, panel discussion
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Owner Lorenzo Fertitta Hits Back at ESPN Over Fighter Pay
Filed under: MMA Media Watch, UFC
Hours after ESPN's Outside the Lines aired an investigation of the way the UFC pays its fighters, the UFC released its own video of a portion of UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta's interview with ESPN -- a portion that didn't make it on the air, in which Fertitta said UFC fighters make better money than boxers who fight on ESPN.
In that interview, Fertitta points out that ESPN is in a better financial position than the UFC, and yet boxers who appear on ESPN's Friday Night Fights make less money than fighters who appear on basic cable fight cards in the UFC.
"ESPN's gonna make $2.8 billion," Fertitta said. "ESPN -- do you know what fighters make on ESPN fights? There was a guy who walked away in this last fight here in Vegas. ... He walked away with $275 for a four-round fight."
Fertitta said that compared with what those boxers make, the UFC's typical entry-level fighter pay of $6,000 to show and another $6,000 if they win is a good contract.
"I think six and six is pretty good compared to that," Fertitta said. "There's multiple guys on those ESPN cards that make in the hundreds of dollars. I can tell you that our fights that we put on cable, on Spike TV or on Versus, we pay ten times to the fighters what ESPN pays to their fighters. Ten times. And we don't make $2.8 billion. I can tell you that right now."
ESPN and the UFC aren't completely comparable, as the UFC is a promoter, while ESPN is a broadcaster that pays a license fee to boxing promoters. But Fertitta makes a fair point: Will Outside the Lines also investigate how much the boxing promoters who do business with ESPN are paying their boxers?
Fighter pay is an important issue that should be tackled by journalists. But it's an issue in both boxing and MMA, and ESPN's report could have been strengthened by providing some context by contrasting the pay of UFC fighters with the pay of boxers.
UFC President Dana White said that his company taped Fertitta's entire interview. It remains to be seen whether the full, uncut interview will be made available to the public, either by the UFC or by ESPN. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, espn, fertitta
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC 142 results: Jose Aldo’s star rises with pound-for-pound-worthy performance in Brazil
Whether it's Anderson Silva, Jon Jones or whichever top fighter is performing, the battle to be considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts (MMA) is often swayed by the guy who fought last. Perhaps it's because between these two and Jose Aldo, they've stocked the highlight reels for years to come.
Aldo had looked sluggish in his last two fights, tiring late against Mark Hominick and, quite frankly, tiring early against Kenny Florian. But he's obviously made the proper adjustments, because he looked his fantastic old self against Chad Mendes, an unbeaten challenger with a ton of ability and horsepower to potentially test the champ, in the UFC 142 main event last night (Jan. 14, 2012) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While an obvious fence grab denied Mendes what would've been a clear takedown and a likely slam onto the mat, moments later, Aldo scuttled all hopes of an upset with a move that was precisely executed: spinning out of a back-control clinch by Mendes, Aldo rotated around and, while still gripping Mendes' wrist, rammed home a booming knee.
It was pretty much like hitting a T-ball given the control he had of Mendes, and one hell of a veteran move. Like every good wrinkle that turns into a highlight-reel moment, you can bet you'll other fighters trying it more often in the coming months and years.
But, the visual after the fight was what truly captured the gravity of Aldo's win. Sprinting into the crowd, he celebrated the victory with his fellow Brazilians. That kind of thing really captures the hearts of fans, and will go a long way toward helping him fill Silva's shoes if and when the "Spider," who turns 37 in April, decides to retire.
With a talent-rich lightweight division, and a title that could well change hands several times in the next few years, Aldo faces a tough call. He seems head and shoulders above everyone at 145 pounds presently, but that also is an opportunity to string together some good defenses and continue building his name and fame.
What's scary is he took at a contender in Mendes that right now would be at least a 2-1 favorite over anyone else in the UFC currently fighting at featherweight. The guess here is we'll see more 155-pounders drop down given the circumstances in both divisions.
Meanwhile, as long as Aldo stays Aldo, getting to the top of that mountain will a tough assignment for anyone.
For a recap of the fight between Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes click here and here. To check out complete UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" results click here.Jason Probst can be reached at www.twitter.com/jasonprobst
Posted in: ufc, fighter, aldo, mende, years aldo
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 142: Rosi Sexton On Anthony Johnson And The Risks Of Weight Cutting
This is a guest editorial by Rosi Sexton, top 10 pound-for-pound women's MMA fighter and osteopath responding to the debacle that ensued at UFC 142 when middleweight Anthony Johnson couldn't make 185lbs to face Vitor Belfort.
Weight cutting is a frequent topic of obsession for fighters and debate amongst fans. Some have argued that it amounts to cheating. Others point out that when done badly, it can be one of the most dangerous aspects of MMA. Dehydration can result in heat stroke, kidney failure or heart arrhythmias. Although there's very little research on this subject, it's possible that fighters quite commonly dehydrate themselves to a level that affects kidney function. And when it goes badly wrong, it can kill you.
Fighters also know that at the top level, fights are rarely scratched over weight issues. Perhaps this makes some more willing to take greater risks with their weight cuts, knowing that they can negotiate if they fail to hit the target. Sometimes towards the end of a tough cut, taking a 20% pay cut may start to seem like a small price to pay in order to avoid having to drop those extra few pounds, especially when there's a significantly larger win bonus at stake. Missing weight is frowned upon, but fans can be quick to forgive a popular fighter after an impressive win.
What can be done? It's often suggested that weigh-ins should be held just before the fight, so that fighters wouldn't have time to rehydrate and put weight back on. Fighters would no longer gain an advantage by cutting weight, and so the practice would die out. At least that's the theory.
In my opinion (and experience), many fighters would still cut weight for same day weigh-ins. A fighter whose diet doesn't go to plan, and is over the limit on the day will inevitably end up dehydrating to make the required weight, even if he knows it will hurt his performance. Weight cuts might get smaller, but this would be replaced by fighters competing while still dehydrated. This carries its own risks, and should certainly be avoided (and is why Belfort's stipulation that Johnson be re-weighed on fight day would probably not have been accepted by most US athletic commissions).
Another suggestion is that officials measure each fighter's hydration level at the weigh-in, with there being a minimum acceptable standard that fighters are not allowed to drop below. The problem here lies with the business reality of MMA. Nobody - promoters, fighters and fans alike - wants to see a fight fall through. For all the talk about fighter safety, pulling a fighter from a card because he's just a little too dehydrated when he steps on the scales is unlikely to besomething the industry can accept.
It's a problem without easy answers. So far, I have yet to see a practical solution that I'm convinced would eliminate extreme weight cutting. Until then, fighters at all levels need to educate themselves about the process and the risks involved, and take personal responsibility for getting it right, safely.
SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes
Related blogs by Rosi Sexton:
Weight cutting and your kidneys.
Weight cutting dos and don'ts.
Weight cutting how tos.
Posted in: fight, fighter, weight, level, risk
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowOutside the Lines Investigates UFC Pay, But Questions Remain
Filed under: MMA Media Watch, UFCSunday morning marked the airing of an Outside the Lines segment on ESPN that was denounced by UFC President Dana White before he had even seen it -- a show that presented the UFC's pay model as one that richly rewards a handful of favorite stars while paying the majority of fighters as interchangeable drones.
White has already promised a response, and he'll surely say that ESPN's report contained incomplete information about how much the company pays its fighters. And he'll surely be right, for the simple reason that the UFC, like many private businesses, keeps what it pays its workers confidential. ESPN deserves credit for attempting to uncover the closely guarded secret of how much UFC fighters actually make, but specific dollar amounts were lacking in this report.
For all the work that went into the Outside the Lines report, we still don't know how much the UFC really pays its fighters.
"Outside the Lines has spoken with more than 20 current, former and potential UFC fighters, as well as agents and promoters," ESPN's John Barr said as he strolled around a cage in the televised segment. "To a person, they say UFC fighters have not received their fair share of the company's rapidly increasing revenue. Nearly all of them also refused to speak on camera, for fear the UFC would blackball them."
But the fact that ESPN couldn't get any active fighters to speak -- and especially to reveal specific dollar amounts -- was the biggest flaw in the report. The report did make a strong case that highly paid UFC fighters make far more than low-level fighters make. In that respect the UFC follows a pay model similar to that of Hollywood studios, where a handful of stars make the bulk of the money, and the bit players are left with much less.
And while UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta claimed that the UFC pays its fighters in the neighborhood of 50 percent of all the promotion's revenues, ESPN's investigation made a convincing case that the UFC actually pays less than that.
However, there were also some weaknesses of ESPN's reporting, which pegged the actual amount the UFC pays its fighters as "roughly 10 percent of the revenue."
ESPN.com initially reported that the median annual income for UFC fighters was $17,000 to $23,000 a year, citing figures compiled by Rob Maysey of the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association. ESPN later corrected that report and said the $17,000 to $23,000 figure was actually the median pay per fight, not per year. However, even those corrected numbers do not appear to include sponsorships, bonuses and other forms of income that UFC fighters make.
And median pay per fight isn't necessarily a particularly telling statistic. Consider a low-level UFC newcomer who signs a contract that guarantees him $6,000 to show, and another $6,000 to win for his first fight, then $8,000 for his second fight and $10,000 for his third. If that fighter fights three times, wins all three fights and earns a $75,000 Knockout of the Night bonus in his third fight, his median pay per fight would only be $16,000. But his total pay for the three fights would be $123,000, for an average of $41,000 a fight.
For an example of an entry-level fighter who has cashed in big time with bonuses, look at Edson Barboza, who signed with the UFC in 2010 after having six pro fights in small regional promotions. Barboza's "show money" is reportedly just $6,000 a fight. But Barboza has won all four of his fights, meaning he also got a $6,000 win bonus for all four fights, and Barboza has received three Fight of the Night bonuses and one Knockout of the Night bonus (including both Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night on Saturday at UFC 142). Thanks to the UFC's bonus-heavy pay structure, Barboza's total take for his first four UFC fights is at least $348,000, even before any sponsorships or other sources of income.
Even without bonuses, entry-level fighters aren't necessarily doing too badly. One such fighter is UFC featherweight Jim Hettes. Hettes was an unknown in MMA circles, fighting on the regional scene, until he caught a break in August and signed with the UFC on a deal that paid him $6,000 to show and $6,000 to win on his first fight, and then $8,000 to show and $8,000 to win on his second fight. Hettes won both fights, for a total take of $28,000, and is now looking like one of the brightest young prospects in the featherweight division.
For a 24-year-old like Hettes, making $28,000 in five months while fighting in the UFC, with a good chance of making a lot more than that in the future, is a dream come true. ESPN didn't quote any active fighters complaining about their pay on the record and indicated that the inability to find such fighters was a sign that fighters were scared to speak out. But maybe the reality is most UFC fighters are OK with what they make.
In fact, when low-level fighters are released from the UFC because of losses they suffer in the Octagon, they almost universally express a desire to win enough fights in other promotions to earn the right to return to the UFC -- which strongly suggests that they don't view the contracts they've just been released from as onerous.
The handful of mid-level fighters who have been released from the UFC for reasons having to do with issues outside the Octagon (fighters like Jon Fitch, Nate Marquardt and Miguel Torres) also generally apologize for their transgressions and ask to return to the UFC. Again, that suggests that the contracts they were released from were better than the contracts they could earn in other promotions.
And the few prominent fighters who have become free agents, like Tito Ortiz, have generally decided when the dust settled that the grass was greener inside the Octagon than out of it. UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock appeared in the Outside the Lines report, and it may not have been clear to viewers who aren't MMA fans that Shamrock made millions of dollars in the UFC, or that Shamrock left the promotion because he wasn't good enough to win inside the Octagon anymore, not because he objected to the terms of his contract. That was clarified, however, in the panel discussion that took place after Barr's taped Outside the Lines report.
It is true that a handful of well-known fighters have been able to leave the UFC and make more money elsewhere. That includes former heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, who both left the UFC to sign with Affliction in 2008. But Affliction fell apart after putting on just two fight cards, which suggests that its higher-paying business model didn't work.
ESPN's report would have been strengthened by addressing other promotions' business models, including not only Affliction but also Bellator and other smaller American MMA organizations. The UFC is by far the biggest MMA promotion and therefore deserves to have by far the greatest scrutiny, but a comparison of the UFC's pay scale with other promotions' pay scales would have provided some valuable context.
Ultimately, as former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez said on Outside the Lines, "The UFC gives you the best opportunity." It would be great to see more opportunities for more fighters, but at the moment, even if UFC pay is lacking, it beats the alternatives in MMA. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, espn, ufc fighters
Read the full article at AOL FanhousePay for UFC fighters under the spotlight (Yahoo! Sports)
The UFC's pay scale is a hot topic, but figuring it out is easier said than done.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, yahoo, ufc fighters, topic
Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.: Jason Chambers
Reggie Warren is back with another edition of his new MiddleEasy feature: '11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.' this time featuring fighter turned television star turned agent, Jason Chambers, a guy that I've partied with in Hollywood on a number of occasions. For those not familiar with Reggie Warren, he's notorious for wearing pajamas and interviewing fighters. That's not a gimmick, it's routine behavior for Reggie. Also, Reggie Warren Jr. is not a big fan of 'cocky Brazilians.' Now check out 11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.: Featuring Jason Chambers' and be sure to follow Reggie Warren Jr. on Twitter.
You can also check out more interviews from Reggie Warren Jr. here. Be sure to check out Reggie Warren's documentary 'The Main in the Arena.' Thanks to Esther Lin for the wizard-like photography.
Why the hell didn’t you visit my dojo when shooting that damn show called The Human Weapon? And how could you let any of those foreigners beat you up?We wanted to visit your dojo and I was told on several occasions that the producers were in discussions with you however they fought your demands for "The finest pelts and a barrel of scotch from King Henry the VIII " was a bit much.
I told you that I would allow you to be my fight manager, but then you stopped calling me once Dana White said he would never allow me to try out for the UFC. Do you now realize that I’m being punished for my talents and numerous 5th Dan’s from all around the globe?Let's be honest, Dana knows what would happen to his champions if they had to face you. It's very smart of him to protect his brand. Aside from the fact that you were adamant about a mixed gender bout, they will not be doing that until 2014. So perhaps there is still hope.
Did you feel like less of a pussy after you watched Thiago Alves destroy guys like Matt ‘John Deere lover’ Hughes and Karo Parsnipianish? No. The same level of said pussy was experienced.
Do you feel you can be a better manager of fighters cause you were once a fighter yourself?I believe that I have a plethora of experience that coupled with my amazing team can help leverage opportunities for the athletes.
Has anyone ever told you that you look like a pretty boy Yankee, dipshit soap star actor that I’d like to beat the shit out of after the first time you looked at me in a crowded bar?Aside from the nine voicemails you left me, no.
If you could recommend one piece of invaluable advice to a talented up-n-coming no holds barred fighter, what would that advice be? (I don’t care to know…just wondering for some of my friends)Get with a good team. "Good " obviously is subjective to your own perception. In my opinion " good " means a team that can help motivate, mold, push and assist you in all phases of your career development. I am a big believer that modeling, in the business sense, works. If you are able to find a team that has put out high caliber fighters in the past, one would believe they have a process whereby they could replicate those results. Also great teammates only make you better.
Would grabbing someone’s carotid artery in a fight be considered pinching? And is pinching legal in a UFC fight?To answer your second question, no...pinching is not legal . I would assume the style in which the "grab" was administered could or could not be indicative of it being called a pinch.
You’re in a crowded bar and some guy with a fat mans beard and a bunch of tribal and Chinese symbol tattoos looks at you and says, “You like a douche bag pussy boy soap opera actor! I’m gonna beat your yankee ass!” He has 20 friends with him. You can have your choice of 4 fighters to back you up. Who you picking?Whichever ones carry guns.
Favorite fight movie? Favorite specialty ice cream flavor? Favorite submission move?My favorite fight movie has to be Fight Club. It appeals to men on a visceral level and it has proven to be a movie that keeps you interested after watching it 10 times. I am also a huge fan of the classics like Raging Bull and Rocky, which are close 2nd and 3rds. Pralines and cream is mighty tasty. Head and ARM triangle for the win.
Do you think the guys who you beat in fights are ashamed because of the way you look and the fact that your nickname was “Hollywood”? That’s really embarrassing. I mean how tough could you possibly be with a joker like grin and has anyone ever told you that you look like a pussy soap opera actor?Since Reggie Warren was taken my friends thought Hollywood was the second most douchbaggy name they could think of. It was really more of a throwback to the fact that I used to spray tan and dye my hair like Chris Leben before a few fights.
Ok, now I’ll let you talk a little bit about your new position and company. Thanks for your time. You pussy actor!I began a full service sports agency in Aug 2011, more information can be found at www.ApexSportsAgency.com. I thought the timing was right and the stars aligned. The UFC was getting ready to make the transition to network tv and this means a myriad of opportunities will be available. Having seen this business from the viewpoint of a fighter, promoter, commentator, matchmaker and the entertainment side, has really allowed me to amass a superabundance of knowledge and some wonderful relationships. We are arguably the most selective sports agency in the extreme sports field. It is a disconnect for me when I see guys take on 30,40,50 clients . They are really only servicing 2-3 or them. The rest are all thrown against a wall in a "see who hits" fashion. My goal is to be ultra selective and also have my team be ultra motivated to assist in building a fighters brand, far beyond single fights.
Posted in: fight, fighter, warren, jr, reggie
Read the full article at Middle EasyWhat's It Like to Be a Foreigner Fighting in Brazil? Ask the Guys Who've Done It
Filed under: UFCUFC welterweight David Mitchell got his first hint that fighting in Brazil would be a little different than your average Las Vegas fight night when he was in the airport on his way down to Rio de Janeiro. While waiting for his flight, he got to talking to a Brazilian traveler about his role in the UFC's first event in Brazil in over a decade, and he casually mentioned that he was slated to fight Paulo Thiago -- an accomplished, but far from famous welterweight, by North American standards.
"He told me that Paulo had just done a big movie or something," Mitchell recalled. "I thought, okay, whatever."
The movie, Tropa de Elite, was actually a wildly popular Brazilian film about the BOPE -- an elite police unit that Thiago serves in. It was also the source of Thiago's entrance music when he and Mitchell squared off at the HSBC Arena in Rio that Saturday night, and the response from the crowd was enough to jar Mitchell out of his pre-fight game face, if only for a moment.
"I think he got the biggest response from the crowd of anybody," Mitchell said of Thiago. "I didn't expect him to be so popular. It was just an electric environment. When I walked out to go fight, it was just 15,000 Brazilians spitting snake venom at me."
More Coverage: UFC 142 Results | UFC 142 Weigh-In Video
For foreign fighters -- but especially Americans going up against Brazilians -- it's a unique fight night environment, and one that not all fighters are fully prepared for when they arrive.
"Some guy just told me I was going to die," Forrest Griffin said moments after arriving at the open workouts on Rio's famed Cobacabana Beach. "But he said it in very poor English, so I was able to ignore him."
'Hostile' is one word to describe the environment for visiting fighters. All week long, at press events and weigh-ins, they were greeted by gleeful chants of 'Vai morrer!' You're going to die. Granted, it seemed good-natured and not at all intended literally by most fans, but as some fighters admitted later, it was a little unsettling the first time they heard the translation.
Unlike in the U.S., where fans might start up the occasional 'USA' chant but generally spread their loyalties out according to their own individual whims, the Brazilian fans tend to be both exuberant and unanimous in support of their countrymen.
"They're so passionate," said UFC lightweight Spencer Fisher, who faced Brazilian Thiago Tavares at UFC 134. "The Americans, it seems like they're always for whoever wins. If a guy's losing they don't like him, but if he comes back they'll switch sides. But in Brazil, they're country strong and they're loyal."
Fisher, too, was met with a partisan crowd when he walked to the cage -- and like Mitchell, he also ended up on the losing end that night. But also like Mitchell, Fisher insisted that the hostile environment didn't affect his performance in the cage.
"I remember Jose Aldo saying once about the Americans, 'They can scream all they want to, because I don't understand what they're saying.' I kind of felt the same way."
If anything, the enthusiastic reception -- whether negative or positive -- actually helped fighters like Mitchell, who came into the bout struggling with a neck injury that required a cortisone shot just to get him into the cage, he said.
"Honestly, after everything I'd been through, dealing with injuries and a real difficult training camp, it was like I had to go fight this guy in his hometown or I was going to get cut. After all that, the crowd, if anything, was a positive," said Mitchell. "It was a charged atmosphere, like a World Cup game or something."
That's something that Anthony Johnson's coach, Mike Van Arsdale, is planning on when it's his fighter's turn to take on Vitor Belfort at UFC 142.
"Anything like that, whether they want him to win or don't want him to win, he feeds off that. It's like Rashad Evans, everywhere he goes they boo him. It makes him fight better. I hope they don't cheer for Rashad ever. I really do."
For American heavyweight Brendan Schaub, who took on Brazilian MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on the card, it helped that he'd had a chance to come down a couple months before the bout for an early press conference. He even paid for an extended stay out of his own pocket to do some training and visit the favelas as part of a community outreach program, which made him a little more comfortable when he returned for the fight, he said.
"It was definitely hostile once the fight got going, but one thing I did right was getting down there and embracing the culture and giving back to the community. I think that went a long ways."
Of course, Schaub, Fisher, and Mitchell all lost that night, as did most foreigners on the card. Of the eight fights that pitted a Brazilian against an outsider, only one -- Stanislav Nedkov's TKO of Luiz Cane -- didn't go the way the crowd wanted it to. It's one thing for fighters to say the environment didn't play a factor, but it clearly didn't help much either.
And yet, the fighters said, once their bouts were over it was as if all the vitriol vanished immediately. They were no longer the enemy. Suddenly they were beloved former foes, and were embraced with the same energy that had gone into despising them moments before.
"When I came out they were booing me, hating me, but I think I earned their respect," said Mitchell. "When I walked back people were cheering for me and hugging me. This little kid wanted my hat, so I gave it to him. I ended up just kind of cruising around and meeting people. I met the mayor of Rio. It was really cool."
Even Schaub, who suffered a heartbreaking knockout loss, managed to make the most of the sun, sand, and surf once the fight was over.
"Obviously, I planned on it going a different way, so it wasn't the best time," he said. "Still, it's never a bad time when you're on the beach in Brazil."
For Fisher, the post-fight experience ended up being even worse than fight itself. While playing pool volleyball with "Shogun" Rua the next day, he said, he felt as if he'd gotten water in his eye. The sensation didn't go away all day, and continued even when he returned to the U.S.
"It just kept getting worse and worse," he said. "I was like, man, how can I still have water in my eye? Then we started boxing and right away I could tell it was something else. That's when I realized my retina was detached."
Five months later, Fisher still doesn't have full vision back in his eye. His doctors tell him it was likely a mix of accumulated damage and blows he took in the fight that night in Rio, and his peripheral vision still hasn't returned.
"They said I'll never have the 20/20 vision I had before. Now I'm near-sighted," Fisher said. "So it was good trip, but a bad one at the same time." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fight, fighter, brazilian, mitchell, fisher
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC Pay: A Closer Look At ESPN's Story
On Thursday January 12, 2012, ESPN released an article authored by Josh Gross about the economics of the UFC in conjunction with an upcoming episode of Outside the Lines. Gross has been a harsh critic of the UFC for several years. Now he's got a big platform from which to address the very controversial issue of fighter pay in the UFC and whether or not its comparable to rates in other major sports.
To sum up the article for those that have not taken the time to read it, Gross spoke with several fighters who chose to remain anonymous when addressing the issue of fighter pay. Not because they had nothing to say but because they fear backlash from the UFC if they spoke "on the record" about such a hotbed issue. The one person that did speak on the record with Gross is Rob Masey, the founder of the MMA Fighters Association whose website has not been updated in months.
The first point of contention is that MMA fighters are not paid the same as other major sport athletes. It's a valid point and on the surface one that is pretty much impossible to argue against. A deeper look at the UFC's value and structure though will reveals that Zuffa is worth roughly the same as the average NFL team ($1billion). The $350 million in gross PPV sales cited in Gross' article fails to take into account for the 50% split the UFC shares with the cable provider. So the $350 million PPV is actually closer to $175 million. This $175 million accounts for roughly 75% of the UFC's net yearly revenue. The other 25% is comprised of TV licenses, site fees, gate revenue and merchandise meaning the UFC makes roughly $218 million in net revenue each year.
So looking at the initial numbers, Zuffa has more in common financially with an NFL team than the NFL which brings in $9 billion in revenue annually. However, Zuffa has 300 fighters under contract instead of the 46 players that are on the active roster of an NFL team. Even the comparisons to an individual team don't quite hold up given revenue sharing from all teams across the league, athletes who are unionized, set salary guidelines..etc. So the comparison to the big five sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer) is not quite apples to apples almost any way you choose to look at it.
However, that isn't the case when Rob Masey gives an unverified number stating that the median pay of UFC fighters is between $17,000 and $23,000 a year.
More after the jump...
That number is not only unverified, it's highly questionable. In fact, the MMA website MMA Manifesto ran an ongoing tally for 2011 and based on their report, 89 fighters broke the six-figure mark and 169 roughly earned above $36,000 in 2011. The average is dragged down by the "one-and-done" guys who earn roughly $6,000 to show and another $6,000 to win.
But what about those guys, right? The low-tiered guys should definitely be making more, right? Well the base for those debuting fighters is not only higher than they make on the regional scene, it actually encourages the UFC to sign prospects. A fighter such as Paulo Thiago would never have been given the chance to fight in the UFC if he came with a $30,000 price tag. Those that perform well are rewarded with better follow up contract. Those that don't return to the regional scene with the ability to earn more because they are "former-UFC fighters."
The other comparison drawn by Josh Gross and Rob Masey is to the boxing model. The chosen representative is Lou DiBella, an upper-mid-tier boxing promoter. DiBella explains that in boxing it is common for a 70-30 split with 70% of revenue going to the boxer and 30% going to the promoter. This again sounds great on the surface; but in many cases the revenue split heavily favors the main event fighters over the prelim boxers, not that differently from the UFC model.
The UFC is far from perfect. They actively compete in a market and make it difficult for competition to gain a foothold in the sport and discussion of fighter pay will without a doubt lead to opponents arguing for a fighters union. Unfortunately, the article and story that could been a great first step down that path was sullied with inaccuracies and fact-checking failures which ruined the message. MMA is still young and going through the awkward phase to find its niche in a competitive market. Until the UFC's yearly revenue is that of the other major sports, fighter pay will continue to grow slowly. If low level guys are still making $6,000 to show then it may be time to investigate the business practices. Until then, it's time to give the promotion time to mature.
Posted in: ufc, mma, revenue, fighter, team
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSo you want to see how much money your favorite UFC fighters earned last year?
After factoring in a $300,000 Bentley, Jon Jones still walks away with more money than 85% of the UFC roster for his busy 2011 schedule according to data compiled at MMA-Manifesto. All the while, Bisping is squirting his metaphorical bottle of water all over that Bentley with his 2011 earnings. Bisping could buy 2012 Aston Martin Vantage + James Bond’s entire wardrobe and still walk away more cash than 95% of the UFC’s roster. Coaching The Ultimate Fighter and staying active has proven the most lucrative route to success in this business. However, in 2012 We should all be aspiring for “Tito Ortiz money”. Wanting “Anderson Silva Money” is an outdated joke. Not only did Lyoto Machida earn more money than Anderson Silva, so did eleven other fighters in this list compiled below.
1 Tito Ortiz* $1,495,000
2 Michael Bisping* $850,000
3 Jon Jones* $785,000
4 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira* $750,000
5 Vitor Belfort* $620,000
6 Lyoto Machida* $604,000
7 Frank Mir* $575,000
7 Rampage Jackson* $575,000
9 Mauricio Rua* $565,000
10 Donald Cerrone $494,000
11 Junior dos Santos $485,000
12 Rashad Evans* $480,000
13 Anderson Silva* $475,000
14 Wanderlei Silva $470,000
15 Cung Le $420,000
16 Brock Lesnar $400,000
17 Forrest Griffin* $400,000
18 Georges St-Pierre* $400,000
19 Alistair Overeem $385,714
20 B.J. Penn* $375,000
21 Nate Diaz* $364,000
22 Frankie Edgar* $339,000
23 Cheick Kongo* $330,000
24 Dan Henderson $320,000
25 Chris Lytle* $310,000
26 Urijah Faber* $305,000
27 Clay Guida $301,000
28 Nick Diaz $275,000
29 Johny Hendricks* $270,000
30 Diego Sanchez $260,000
31 Randy Couture* $250,000
32 Martin Kampmann* $247,000
33 Jose Aldo* $225,000
34 Gleison Tibau* $224,000
35 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira* $210,000
36 Ross Pearson* $200,000
37 Kenny Florian* $195,000
38 Edson Barboza* $194,000
39 Ben Henderson* $193,000
40 Dong Hyun Kim $193,000
41 Melvin Guillard* $190,000
42 Chris Leben* $184,000
43 Brian Stann* $181,000
44 Josh Koscheck* $181,000
45 Brandon Vera $180,000
46 Mark Munoz* $180,000
47 Brian Ebersole* $177,000
48 Joe Lauzon* $173,000
49 Michael McDonald $161,000
50 Jeremy Stephens* $156,000
Posted in: fighter, money, silva, anderson silva, ufc fighters
Read the full article at Middle EasyOutside the Lines Hits UFC on Fighter Pay, Dana White Vows to Hit Back
Filed under: UFCESPN's Outside the Lines will air an investigation into the payment for UFC fighters on Sunday morning that already has UFC President Dana White steamed, even before he's seen the report in full.
A portion of the Outside the Lines segment is available at ESPN.com, along with an article headlined, "UFC fighters say low pay simply brutal." White wasn't pleased with that, and he wrote on Twitter on Thursday that he'll have a public response to the show after it airs. He added that his people also taped ESPN's interview with UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta, and that the UFC will show fans the complete, un-edited interview.
ESPN wasn't able to get any active UFC fighters to complain about their pay on the record, and the only former fighter quoted on the record criticizing the UFC is Ken Shamrock, who has lost legal battles with the promotion. So the report is lacking any fighters who can specifically document how they've been treated unfairly by the UFC.
Where ESPN's report appears strongest is in its presentation of how much more the top fighters make than the lowest-paid fighters: It notes that the biggest stars can make seven-figure paydays for each fight, while the lowest-paid fighters make four figures per fight. There's no question that at the bottom, UFC fighters aren't making a lot of money.
However, some of the numbers presented both on the Outside the Lines broadcast and in the accompanying ESPN.com report don't seem to add up. For instance, the report refers to the median pay of UFC fighters as between $17,000 and $23,000 a year, and yet an unnamed "Fighter X" who is quoted as saying, "I'm in the middle tier of fighters," reveals that he has made as much as $80,000 in a year. If a middle-tier fighter makes $80,000, then the claim that the median pay of UFC fighters is $17,000 to $23,000 a year is bogus.
And even though it is true that some UFC fighters make less than $10,000 a fight, those are the largely interchangeable fighters who fill up the bottom of the undercard on UFC shows. Those fighters would be comparable to NFL practice squad players, who are sometimes signed for as little as a week at a time and paid as little as $5,700 for their week on an NFL team.
The Outside the Lines piece also would have benefited from exploring what has happened to rival promotions that have paid fighters more money than the UFC pays. The most notable example is the clothing company Affliction, which made a splash as an MMA promoter by signing several high-profile fighters to contracts that paid them significantly more money than they could make in the UFC. Affliction, however, went belly-up after promoting just two events.
So while it may be true that some low-paid fighters consider the UFC's pay scale to be "brutal," the UFC's business model is also the only one that has proven to be a viable way for MMA fighters to remain employed and for an MMA promotion to remain in business.
Outside the Lines is a well-respected show that often stirs up important debates inside the sports world. We'll see with Sunday's episode what kind of debate about fighter pay begins. And what kind of response White offers. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, line, report, ufc fighters
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDana White not happy with ESPN and Josh Gross' piece on UFC fighter salaries
submitted by graeme420 [link] [6 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, espn, josh, salary
Read the full article at Reddit2012 World MMA Middleweight Scouting Report: #4 – Bojan Velickovic
Photo by borilacki-klub.com
Name:
Bojan Velickovic
Nickname:
Veli
Age:
23
Height:
5'11"
Location:
Novi Sad, Serbia
When it comes to high-quality mixed martial arts talent, the country of Serbia isn't normally in the conversation. In fact, it's hardly ever mentioned as a region that enjoys MMA, let alone producing top-tier talent. While that perception won't change in the near future, the country has to start somewhere, and 2012 is the year we get a glimpse of things to come.
Hailing from Novi Sad, Serbia, Bojan Velickovic (6-0) is likely a shock to most readers of our report. How is it that this 23-year-old, originating from Serbia, is slotted in our #4 spot? That's a good question.
Most of Bojan's appeal lies in his versatile skill-set. He's a rangy southpaw fighter with surprisingly diverse stand-ups skills. He uses his reach well, throws an effective jab, and uses kicks to keep opponents guessing. Velickovic is amazingly disciplined in his approach, executing crisp, straight combinations that have proven to be problematic for his opposition.
Those skills are, however, second to Velickovic's grappling game. While his 5'11" frame makes him vulnerable to bulkier fighters who can overpower him, he makes up for it with savvy submission skills. Five of his six wins have come by way of submission.
Interestingly enough, Velickovic made his way to the United States in August, blasting Grudge Training Center's Jason Lee (4-1) in one minute and thirty-nine seconds at Ring of Fire 41. The win not only erased some of the doubt associated with fighters from the region not finding success in the United States, but it hopefully opened up a working relationship that will bring more Serbian fighters stateside.
Velickovic has a tremendous amount of upside, but his continued progression depends on his willingness to find a better training camp. He's also stuck in a region in which he's clearly the dominant middleweight fighter. He'll have to rely on small regional promotions to put up the cash to bring in better talent to face him, which probably won't happen for awhile. If he can get a few more fights stateside and build a relationship with a top camp, a move to the U.S. in 2012 is a no-brainer.
Check out video footage of Bojan Velickovic after the jump...
FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight
#1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz
#1 - Hacran Dias#2 - Joey Gambino#3 - Brandon Bender#4 - Lance Palmer #5 - Jim Alers#6 - Anthony Gutierrez#7 - Max Holloway#8 - John Teixeira#9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins
#1 - Fabricio Guerreiro#2 - Alessandro Ferreira#3 - Adriano Martins#4 - Justin Salas#5 - Neilson Gomes#6 - Eduard Folayang#7 - Zorobabel Moreira#8 - Anton Kuivanen#9 - Jordan Rinaldi#10 - J.P. Vainikainen
WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight
#1 - Andrey Koreshkov#2 - Dhiego Lima#3 - Brandon Thatch#4 - Nordine Taleb#5 - Hernani Perpetuo#6 - Brock Jardine#7 - Alan Jouban#8 - Mohsen Bahari#9 - Andre Santos#10 - Stephen Thompson
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - Bojan Velickovic#5 - Ildemar Alcantara#6 - Michal Materla#7 - Elvis Mutapcic#8 - Tor Troeng#9 - Jack Hermansson#10 - Tim Ruberg
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
Bojan Velickovic winning Serbian/Croatian MMA reality show Vatreni Ring, final fight starts at 2:30 mark
Bojan Velickovic vs. Marko Lukacic
Nemanja Uveric vs. Bojan Velickovic
Bojan Velickovic vs Svetislav Nikolajev
Bojan Velickovic vs. Daniel Bobu - Kickboxing (early 2010)
Posted in: fighter, vs, velickovic, bojan, serbia
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC CENTRAL Aldo vs. Mendes predictions
Fighters make their picks on who they think will walk away with the featherweight title Saturday at UFC 142 in Rio.
Posted in: ufc, title, fighter, prediction, aldo
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC fighters say low pay might be most painful hit of all - ESPN
submitted by sealtron [link] [22 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, espn, ufc fighters, sealtron
Read the full article at RedditWorst fighter photo on Wikipedia?
submitted by gnomesane [link] [7 comments]
Posted in: fighter, photo, wikipedia, gnomesane, fighter photo
Read the full article at Reddit2011 Year in Review: UFC Fighter Salaries
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, review, salary, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditMy first interview with a Pro Fighter, Nabil Khatib, for Wreck MMA. Tell me how I did.
submitted by WreckMMA [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, wreck, wreck mma, nabil, wreckmma
Read the full article at RedditTitle Writing: Numbers For Nerds 6 'Jackson's MMA: Myth or Legend?'
Numbers for Nerds is a weekly series that uses statistics to test various parts of the mixed martial arts gospel. Last weeks installment can be found here.
Yesterday on Head Kick chris81203 wrote a very good article challenging the reputation of Greg Jackson as a master strategist. This reputation was built on the shoulders of Georges St. Pierre, who has become synonymous with fighting safe and smart. Chris used Leonard Garcia, who fights neither safe nor smart, and the lack of on-the-fly adjustments in Donald Cerrone's recent fight with Nate Diaz as examples to show that Jackson may not be all he is cracked up to be as a game planner.
Chris' article led me to look at Jackson's win/loss record. As of September 2007, according to Sherdog's database of team records, Jackson's fighters were winning 81% of the time. Today, his fight team has a lifetime winning percentage of 71%. The 10% drop was all I needed to convince me that this subject merited some in-depth research.
After the jump I take a closer look at the results of Jackson fighters in the past two years.
In order to evaluate Jackson's abilities as a game planner, I think there are a few important statistics to take into account. As mentioned, I started with his win/loss record. The Sherdog numbers are lifetime and also include smaller shows that I don't see as fully relevant, so I narrowed it down to just his UFC and WEC wins and losses.
Second, I looked at the camp's finishing rates as compared to the rest of the UFC. If Jackson advocates doing the bare minimum to get the decision, you would expect to see his fighter's go to decision more often than everyone else in the UFC. You might also expect that they would lose more often by decision than by finish, since fighting safe promotes going to a decision.
Finally, I looked at the record of his fighters in the fights that went to decision. All things being equal having the superior strategy should get you the nod, should the fight go to the judges. I didn't compare this to the rest of the camps out there but I did think it would be interesting to see what was happening to his fighters when the fight went the distance.
I chose to limit my research to 2010 and 2011 in an attempt to keep it focused on his current roster of fighters and also because his reputation has only come under scrutiny in the past few years. Here are the results:
1. Win/Loss %
Jackson's camp is finding it harder and harder to maintain their sublime winning percentage from back in the day. In the past two years Jackson's gym has won 62% of the time out, with a record of 52-30-2. If you took away Jon Jones and Georges St. Pierre they would be a very pedestrian 51%.
2. Finish % vs the rest of the UFC
Of all the fights involving a Jackson's fighter, 58% of the time the fight was finished inside the distance. During the same stretch, 52% of all UFC fights were finished inside the distance. Of those fights that were stopped, Jackson's was on the winning side 67% of the time (33-16). This leads us to the final statistic:
3. Win/Loss % in Decisions
The camp had a 57% victory percentage in fights that went to decision over the past two years, (19-14).
************
So what to make of these numbers? First of all it should be stated right away that the rest of the MMA world has caught up to Greg Jackson and his team. The days when a Jackson's fighter entered the cage almost assured of a win are long gone. The idea that he favors a safe fighting style? The evidence does not support this, at least not over the past two years. Jackson's fighters not only finish fights more often than the average UFC fighter, they lose more often by finish than they do by decision. As for the notion that Jackson is a master game planner? There isn't much there to support that either. His fighters are winning decisions more often than they are losing them, but certainly not by much.
Is it possible that Jackson has changed his ways in the past few years in an effort to produce more finishes and those changes are responsible for the drop in overall winning percentage? It could very well be the case. What about the notion that he is the Phil Jackson (a good coach made great by the talent that he has to work with) of the MMA world? When I look at the 9-0 record that Jon Jones and GSP have compiled over the past two years, I tend to think that might be the case.
Whatever the explanation may be, what Chris suggested through anecdotal evidence seems to be borne out by the scientific evidence I gathered. Greg Jackson is not the master of all things MMA that he is made out to be. He might once have been, but he certainly is not anymore.
Thanks for reading. Comments are welcomed below!
Posted in: fight, jackson, fighter, decision, year
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendAnderson Silva Can Finally Fight His Clone In UFC Undisputed 3
Anderson Silva once said he the person he really wants to fight is his clone. Well, it looks like he finally can in UFC Undisputed 3. This roster trailer reveals that gamers will now be able to make “mirror matches,” pitting the same fighter against themselves like gamers have done for years in the Street Fighter series.
Posted in: fighter, silva, anderson silva, roster trailer, clone
Read the full article at MMA ConvertESPN's E:60 Tackles UFC Fighter Pay and Monopoly Concerns
ESPN's "video magazine" E:60 is going to be running a piece in the near future about the UFC and fighter pay. There is a one minute preview of the feature which talks briefly to Lorenzo Fertitta and Ken Shamrock and talks about the control the UFC can exert over fighter wages.
Here's the clip:
Here's a transcript of the meat of the video:
Lorenzo Fertitta: "We have a better product, we put up our money and we were smarter than everyone else."
Narrator: "Many within the sport are convinced the company is well on it's way to becoming a monopoly. Able to exert even greater control over fighter wages. At the lowest levels the UFC pays its fighters just a few thousand dollars per fight."
Ken Shamrock: "The UFC has gone out and strategicaly bought out every company or they cut the knees out from underneath them when they tried to get started by putting on shows when their shows were on. Which is fine, there's nothing wrong with that kind of business. But when you get into that kind of position, then don't use that kind of position to hold the fighters hostage."
Lorenzo: "We're giving these guys tremendous opportunity to be able to make more money, get bigger exposure, get bigger sponsors. And when you throw out the term monopoly, that's the most ridiculous thing anyone could ever say."
Of course, the immediate backlash is an ignorant "ESPN doesn't like MMA"/"They're mad about the Fox deal." But that's not really how E:60 works. Given that they've done pieces critical of every major sports it's foolish to act as though the UFC should be kept clear of a critical eye.
Let's be honest, to an outsider it has to look strange that the UFC's grand moment of putting on a heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos and Velasquez takes home $100,000 in reported income, that looks a little strange. Especially when the same night saw Joel Casamayor get $100,000 on the undercard of the Pacquiao vs. Marquez show just to drag his far past its prime body into the ring and take a beating. And this is another good chance to point out that saying "boxers are paid too much" is pretty dumb given that you're talking about Bob Arum promoting them, meaning that the "greedy pig" (as Dana White called him) is voluntarily paying fighters more than they're worth.
That's not to say that the pay structure of the UFC is completely off. I've said before that I don't think their salaries have scaled quite in line with the promotion's growth, but that doesn't mean there is a criminal underpaying going on. Just simply that it's not hard for an outsider to look at a sport that is in a boom period where all but a small group aren't exactly making life changing sums of money.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc fighter, ken shamrock, espn doesnt
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWhat happens to the legitimacy of UFC fighters when they start aligning themselves with movie stars...
What happens to the legitimacy of UFC fighters when they start aligning themselves with movie stars and pro wrestlers? The boys over at MMA Nation answer that question and more right here.
Posted in: fighter, ufc fighters, legitimacy, movie stars, aligning
Read the full article at MMA ManiaGreg Jackson: The Overrated Strategist
For some time now, Greg Jackson and his gym have had a reputation of being the very elite of strategic fighting. For the most part, this stemmed from the ever-increasing risk-averse style of Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. Since UFC 94, where GSP completely broke BJ Penn, St. Pierre has fought more and more to his opponents weaknesses; content to take decisions instead of striving to finish. Specifically, in GSP's title defense against Dan Hardy, between rounds Jackson told the champion not to pass guard. This was seen by many as irrefutable proof that Greg Jackson encouraged his fighters to take the easiest way to victory. Yet, there's much more evidence to the contrary.
The problem with the stigma Jackson's gym carries, is that the logic just doesn't follow it. If Jackson was such an amazing strategist, we'd see drastic style changes in the gym's fighters fight-to-fight. Granted, we've seen this from GSP before, but rarely from any other of Jackson's fighters. In fact, thinking over the last couple of years, I'm inclined to think Jackson is highly overrated as a strategist.
via a.espncdn.com
Despite the reputation of Jackson as a strategist that encourages his fighters to play it safe, he has several fighters under his banner that never adhere to that. First is the oft-mocked Leonard Garcia. Garcia is well reputed to win fights on heart and missed arm punches alone. His first bout against TUF vet Nam Phan is a prime example. Despite his detractors, Garcia wins fights by relentlessly pressuring his opponent swinging for the fences. Despite being battered by fighters like Nam Phan and Chan Sung Jung, no one seems to be able to slow down Garcia's propensity for engagement. However, despite his advantage in resiliency and cardio, Garcia's fighting style is never tempered to exploit his opponent. There's never any doubt that when Leonard Garcia steps into the cage that he'll march forward winging looping punches hoping to out work his opponent.
The same can be said for long time Jackson-fighter Keith Jardine. Any time the Dean of Mean steps into the cage, the audience is treated to rhetoric concerning Jardine's "unorthodox striking". In this case, "unorthodox" means sloppy. Jardine is a long armed fighter with unconventional movement. This served Keith well earlier in his career and, at his peak, he was able to defeat two former Light Heavyweight champions in Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell. However, it didn't take long before his opponents realized that, by not succumbing to Jardine's off beat tempo, they could defeat him with technical striking.
Now, by no means, am I trying to discredit either Garcia or Jardine, who have both enjoyed success at the highest levels of MMA. However, in both cases, the fighters seem to lack progression in making their offense reach its most effective. This seems especially peculiar since both train at a gym where strategy is reputed to be the main focus. In this case of both fighters, we've yet to see Garcia refine his relentlessness with straight punches to pressure his opposition, or Jardine improve his footwork and lateral movement to make his herky-jerky style more effective.
This problem was never more apparent than the Fight of the Night between Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz at UFC 141. Throughout the first round, Cerrone was barraged by Diaz throwing a multitude of quick, straight punches. For those 5 minutes, Cerrone made the mistake of planting his feet waiting to land his own strikes while Diaz overwhelmed him. Going in to the fight, this may have been part of Cerrone's game plan - to counter the Stockton Slap with power punches. However, after 5 minutes it was clear that wasn't going to be the case. My problem here isn't with Cerrone's performance, it's with Jackson's inability to recognize the problem.
via www.blogcdn.com
In between rounds 1 and 2, Jackson never once mentioned distance or movement to Cerrone. He didn't tell him to counter or circle away. He observed Diaz's overwhelming style and told Donald to "end your leg kick with punches and look for the takedowns." This is by no means bad advice, but in the second round Cerrone repeatedly showed that he was not willing to follow Nate to the ground. He found some success sweeping Diaz's leg with low kick sweeps, but never followed him to the mat. Again, late in the round he was eating punches at the the end of Nate's reach. Between rounds 2 and 3, the only thing heard from Jackson is for Cerrone to "give [him] five minutes of Hell!" Despite the rousing pep-talk, from the start of the round we see Donald making the same mistake he made in the first two rounds in standing right at the end of Diaz's punches.
Now, I'm not here today to negate the achievements of Greg Jackson's fighters opponents. However, to me, there is a problem when so many fighters under the banner of an elite strategist are unable to evolve. For Cerrone, Jackson was impotent in his attempt to adjust his fighter's strategy to gain the advantage. For both Garcia and Jardine, Greg Jackson has been completely unable to develop these fighters in a way that maximizes their strengths and negates their weaknesses.
As an analyst this pattern makes me very skeptical of how Carlos Condit will be able to handle Nick Diaz when the two fight for the Interim Welterweight Championship at UFC 143. Condit is known as a powerful and creative striker and grappler. Nick is a relentless volume puncher and elite grappler, known for overwhelming his competition. Condit, with out a doubt, is up to the challenge, but I question how helpful his corner will be if he's troubled by Diaz's unrelenting attack.
Posted in: jackson, fighter, round, cerrone, garcia
Read the full article at Head Kick Legend
Fedor is First Step to Helping Revive Japanese MMA Scene
Japanese fans love Fedor Emelianenko, as the Russian fighter bounces back from a three-fight losing streak in Strikeforce. In doing so, Fedor can also help give JMMA a desperate spark needed to help rejuvenate a nation with a faltering MMA scene.
Hans Thompson, HDNet commentator, noted that the most recent DREAM fight on New Year’s Eve didn’t have the same flare as past events.
I would say that it didn’t have quite the luster that even last year’s event – which was a relatively small event – because although there were a lot of good fighters, a lot of them had been fighting on Dream events all year long. I didn’t have big expectations for the card, but it turned out to be an entertaining – if not long – night of fights.
In terms in size of the live audience, it looks the same as it did last year, but the absence of a major TV deal is a big obstacle for them. I think if they can get that sorted out, it will change the scale of the NYE shows and they might approach the scale of the shows in the past. But it’s a big if.”
JMMA is said to be dying — and it’s honestly very hard to argue against that — but DREAM has continued to do its best to keep things going. However, as MMA begins to explode in China, Singapore, and other parts of Asia in 2012, there is a good chance some of that will trickle back to Japan.
In addition to keeping its current stars active and successful, the next generation of Japanese fighters must begin to take the reigns. We’ll see if changes can be made in 2012, as Japanese MMA fighters and promoters seek methods to
Posted in: mma, fighter, japanese, event, year
Read the full article at MMA Opinion“The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Expected to Air on Fuel TV
As expected, The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, the first international edition of the UFC reality series, will likely be televised in the U.S. on Fox’s Fuel TV channel, UFC President Dana White recently told ESPN 1100 in Las Vegas.
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil features UFC middleweights Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort as coaches of a roster of middleweights and lightweights from their native country.
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil is expected to begin airing in late-March, while The Ultimate Fighter 15 featuring UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as coaches debuts on March 9 on FX.
For the latest UFC news stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Wanderlei Silva
Posted in: ufc, fighter, vitor belfort, brazil, fighter brazil
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC 142's Sam Stout doubtful that Thiago Tavares will trade punches
Sam Stout now finds his own openings.
Five months after the untimely death of his trainer and brother-in-law, Shawn Tompkins, the 27-year-old fighter listens to several voices as he engages a sparring partner.
Before, the UFC 142 fighter had to rely on only one.
Posted in: punches sam, thiago tavares, sam, ufc, fighter
Read the full article at MMA JunkieAll UFC 141 Drug Tests Come Back Clean
All drug tests came back clean for fighters tested following last month's UFC 141 card in Las Vegas. In all, 19 of 20 fighters on the card were tested.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, las vegas, drug, drug tests
Read the full article at Heavy MMA‘Ultimate Fighter’ Brazil To Air on Fuel TV
Everyone has wondered where the new 'Ultimate Fighter' in Brazil would air in the United States, but it appears we have our answer.
Posted in: fighter, tv, brazil, everyone, answer
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyStrikeforce ‘Rockhold vs. Jardine’ Fighter Salaries
The NSAC has released the fighter payouts for Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Jardine.” Keep in mind, these figures represent the base contracted pay the fighter receives from the promotion. These figures do not include any additional bonuses or sponsorship money, which in many cases exceeds a fighter’s base pay. These numbers also do not account for taxes, insurance, and license fees.
Veteran middleweight Robbie Lawler was the only fighter on the card to break the six-figure barrier with a flat $150,000 payday. Two fighters came close though. King Mo was right there with a $95,000 purse followed by middleweight champion Luke Rockhold with $90,000 in total disclosed earnings.
Payouts
Courtesy of MMA Junkie:
Luke Rockhold: $90,000 ($65k + $25k win bonus)
Keith Jardine: $30,000
Robbie Lawler: $150,000
Adlan Amagov: $10,000
Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal: $95,000 ($80k + $15k)
Lorenz Larkin: $17,000
Tyron Woodley: $60,000 ($30k + $30k)
Jordan Mein: $9,000
Tarec Saffiedine: $31,000 ($16k + $15k)
Tyler Stinson: $4,000
Nah-Shon Burrell: $8,000 ($4k + $4k)
James Terry: $9,000
Gian Villante: $20,000 ($10k + $10k)
Trevor Smith: $4,000
Ricky Legere: $10,000 ($5k + $5k)
Chris Spang: $6,000
Estevan Payan: $8,000 ($4k + $4k)
Alonzo Martinez: $5,000
Total Payout
A disclosed total of $566,000 was paid out to the fighters.
Posted in: fighter, rockhold, jardine, king mo, sponsorship money
Read the full article at MMA Convert'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' expected to air on FUEL TV
The first international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series appears to have a broadcast home in the U.S.
"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," an upcoming version of the show that features Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort as coaches, is expected to air on the FOX-owned FUEL TV.
UFC president Dana White recently shared news of the plans.
Posted in: fighter, vitor belfort, fuel tv, fighter brazil, broadcast home
Read the full article at MMA JunkieIn Defense of Tyron Woodley's Tentative Performance
I'm not sure where the term "lay and pray" began. But I do remember the experience of being a frustrated viewer while watching Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock II at UFC 5. A few things amplified the experience. For one, the action preceding it was fantastic. Well, a Shakma level of 'fantastic' given the presence of Jon Hess and whatever S.A.F.T.A was supposed to actually be.
Then there was the hype of the two best fighters going at in the UFC at the time. What ensued between Shamrock and Gracie wasn't a fight: it was a nightmare. It was competition in limbo.
Watching and reading the reactions of fans and observers to Tyron Woodley's performance is what I would expect in response to a dud of a fight. Nothing happened. I'm not the type to judge a fighter's performance when he does what he needed to do to win. But that's not to say I enjoyed it.
However, what exactly do fans want? I found myself stuck in a debate with readers over "lay and pray", and what should be 'done' with it: as if a fighter's methods need to be discriminated against like an emerald-colored Bruce Banner in an arm wrestling contest. Aggressive stand ups, judges giving less weight to top control and takedowns, yellow cards, and making knees to downed opponents legal are the typical suggestions.
Knees to the head I can get behind. Although ironically I'd argue that wrestlers wise in the ways of Dave Schultz would benefit more. Less weight to top control? I can also get behind that assuming that the fighter on bottom is active, and showing effective aggression while the fighter on top simply takes damage.
On the point of aggressive stand-ups: no. The idea that a fight should be stood up simply because nothing is happening is ridiculous and as we've seen before, aggressive stand ups allow fighters on bottom to simply hold on for dear life in order to force a stand-up. It allows fighters to be lazy.
I understand the criticism. Even established sports like the National Hockey League, with former debates about the two-line pass and sudden death, have been forced to manage the relationship between sport and spectacle.
But for all the criticism thrown Woodley's way, it's the loser that deserves equal if not more condemnation. Jordan Mein knew exactly what Woodley was gonna do. Why not plan accordingly?
It's not as if the sport lacks precedent in this regard. Diego Sanchez won round 2 (not according to all judges, granted) off his back against Clay Guida by peppering him with elbows (Mein started to do this, and then simply stopped). Why not use butterfly guard to create space? Or attempt the many different sweeps to reverse position?
To me, an even better example exists in the Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim scrap at UFC 132. On paper, Kim's key to victory was simple: lay on top of him, and ride out the clock. He did this previously against Nate Diaz at UFC 125. And I'm not sure there are many people that would argue Condit is a far better grappler than Nate. Nate has experience against serious competition in the grappling world, and for proof, look no further than his match with Ryan Hall at the US Open in 2007, which he won via kimura. So we're not talking about the difference between a better grappler and a lesser one: we're talking about the difference between tactics.
Condit used the kitchen sink. When they were on the feet he didn't restrict himself to simply punches. When they were on the ground, he didn't limit himself to simply throwing up submissions from his back (scoring a beautiful sweep that rattled Kim's confidence). It's not like fighters don't have options on the feet either. Against Kenny Florian at UFC 136, Jose Aldo got into the habit of moving laterally immediately following a combination so that he was never in the way of a direct route for a double leg.
Yes, I know. 'Easy for you to say Castillo, you silly armchair blogger". And that's a fair point. I'm not saying Woodley gave some kind of inspired performance. You won't ever find me watching that fight again. Even on first viewing, the fight was a test, and I found myself a stereotype of impatience as I returned to clips from Big Trouble in Little China in an open window while grabbing a coke and a handfull of Blue Diamond chocolate almonds.
But the importance of "lay and pray" (such as it is) is that it forces fighters to find solutions on their own. It forces opponents on the bottom to dare to be 'exciting' themselves. I want to see fighters learn through trial and through error. I want to see innovation; not accommodation. And that innovation should be organic. Criticize Tyron Woodley (still a bright prospect who has room to grow just as many wrestlers before him who were once one dimensional) all you want, but don't forget the guy on the bottom. It takes two to avoid the tango.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, woodley, bottom
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTen Best - 2011 Fighter of the Year
Picking the man at the top of the Fighter of the Year list was easy. The rest, not so much, as the past 12 months was filled with consistently stellar performances from some of MMA’s best. But enough yapping. Without further ado, here’s the unofficial list of the top UFC fighters of 2011.10 - Dominick Cruz Being the man tasked with leading the 135-pound weight class into the UFC was a pressure-filled position for former WEC boss Dominick Cruz, but “The Dominator” gladly took on the job and showed fight fans just what high-level bantamweight action was like, winning a Fight of the Year candidate against Urijah Faber in July, and then turning back the challenge of number one contender Demetrious Johnson in October.9 – Donald Cerrone The busiest man in the sport, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone would have landed even higher on this list had he beaten Nate Diaz at UFC 141 last month, but even with that exciting Fight of the Night loss, there’s no downplaying of the year this lightweight contender had, as he turned back Paul Kelly, Vagner Rocha, Charles Oliveira, and Dennis Siver before the Diaz bout, picking up either a Sub, KO, or Fight of the Night bonus in three of those four wins.8 – Mark Munoz Middleweight standout Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz lived up to his nickname in 2011, impressively stopping CB Dollaway and Chris Leben and pounding out a hard-fought decision win over Demian Maia to earn himself a title elimination bout later this month against Chael Sonnen. He’s come a long way since losing his debut at light heavyweight to Matt Hamill in 2009. 7 – Johny Hendricks Johny Hendricks continued to develop his overall MMA game in 2011, and while opponents still fear his wrestling attack, it’s his punching power they should really be looking out for, as he sent TJ Waldburger and Jon Fitch to knockout defeats. In between, the newly christened “Bigg Rigg” gutted out a three round decision win over Mike Pierce, proving that whether the fights are 12 seconds or 15 minutes, he’s got the tools to win.6 – (tie) Nick Diaz and Dan Henderson I never like to include fighters who fought just once in a calendar year on these lists, but I couldn’t resist when it came to Nick Diaz and Dan Henderson. Both came back to the UFC after fighting in the Strikeforce organization, where Diaz defeated Evangelista Santos and Paul Daley in 2011, and Hendo knocked out Rafael Cavalcante and Fedor Emelianeko before returning to the Octagon. Those four combined victories would have been enough for Fighter of the Year consideration if we included non-UFC wins here, but then both upped the ante, Diaz defeating BJ Penn at UFC 137 in October and Henderson winning the Fight of the Year over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139 in November. What more can you say about the year both men had? Welcome back. 5 – Benson Henderson After losing his WEC lightweight title to Anthony Pettis on the organization’s final card in December of 2010, Benson Henderson was destined to make a low-key UFC debut in 2011, and he did, decisioning Mark Bocek at UFC 129. But then “Smooth” kicked into gear, ending Jim Miller’s long winning streak in August, and then winning one of the best fights of the year against Clay Guida. And while it took a year longer than originally expected, Henderson finally has his UFC title shot coming up against Frankie Edgar.4 - Frankie Edgar The
biggest hit to come out of New Jersey since Springsteen, Frankie Edgar
had to dig into the depths of his fighting heart to come back from a
horrific first round in both of his two five rounders against the only
man to beat him, Gray Maynard, but come back he did, drawing in the first bout at UFC 125 and
then knocking out Maynard and handing him his first loss at UFC 136. It
was stirring stuff, and when some compared him to the late Arturo Gatti
in terms of being able to pick himself up off the canvas to win, that’s
high praise.3 - Anderson Silva MMA’s pound for pound king kept on rolling in 2011, first making the front kick to the head the move du jour as he knocked out Vitor Belfort in February, and then going on to headline the UFC’s return to Brazil in August with a knockout of the last man to beat him, Yushin Okami. If the Silva is slowing down at all at 36, it’s certainly not showing on fight night, as his record shattering performances continue.2 – Junior dos Santos The latest star from Brazil, Junior dos Santos was in top form in both of his bouts in 2011, winning a lopsided three rounder over Shane Carwin in June and then capturing the UFC heavyweight title with a 64 second knockout of Cain Velasquez in November. But as spectacular as his performances were, his poise in going from contender to superstar was even more impressive. With his knockout power, poise, and improving overall game, his reign at the top may be the one to break all existing records.1 – Jon Jones Well, when you defeat an unbeaten prospect (Ryan Bader) and three current or former UFC champions (“Shogun” Rua, “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida), taking the 205-pound title in the process, not only did you have the best year of any fighter in 2011, but you’ve had one of the best years ever. And did I mention that Jon Jones also foiled a robbery on the day he won his UFC title in March? Oh yeah, this was the easiest call of any award this year. Jon “Bones” Jones is your 2011 Fighter of the Year.Honorable Mention – Jose Aldo, Jake Ellenberger, Chan Sung Jung, Brian Ebersole, Alex Gustafsson, Tony Ferguson, Michael McDonald, Chris Weidman, Rory MacDonald, Aaron Simpson, Frank Mir, Urijah Faber, Clay Guida, Nate Diaz, Danny Castillo, Jacob Volkmann, Michael Bisping, Gleison Tibau, Dustin Poirier
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, henderson, year
Read the full article at UFCApocalypse Now! 4 Things to Hope for in 2012
A final look into this strange new year before we inevitably find ourselves gazing back, it is...Four Things to Hope for in 2012...
A Change in Format for TUF
As I've noted previously, The Ultimate Fighter has not only grown stale, but it also seems increasingly ineffectual, as with every season the number of quality recruits to the UFC shrinks. As the show moves from Spike TV to FX, maybe producers will take the change of network as an opportunity to change the show itself, at least a little. Whether that means leaving more time in between seasons for talent pools to deepen before the show fishes them for new fighters, or featuring a smaller cast in a more documentary-style fashion, I don't know. At this point, I think any little tweaks would be for the better.
New and Improved UFC Policy
Fans and pundits alike spend a lot of time criticizing Dana White and company, be it for strictly regulating sponsors or rewarding performances of uncertain technical merit. Credit where credit's due, though: as the UFC grows, its fighters are sure to profit. From hefty fight night bonuses to health coverage for fighters, the UFC has made great strides recently in supporting its mixed martial artists. One hopes that the organization continues to build on these accomplishments, perhaps with co-promotion or a formal PR policy that helps fighters like Miguel Torres keep themselves out of hot water.
After the jump, more stirring optimism...
The Growth of Women's MMA
Many suspect that Cristiane Santos' recent suspension will serve as a death knell for WMMA in Strikeforce, but I think it may just free up event space and promotional resources to push the underexposed yet promising bantam and, perhaps, flyweight divisions. The fact is, now that Strikeforce is operating under the Zuffa banner, WMMA may be the organization's most distinguishing characteristic. As it continues its partnership with Showtime, it would make sense for Strikeforce to make greater use of this relatively untapped resource.
Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans
One of MMA's great white whales of 2011. This fight started out as an intriguing, grudge-laden affair and has become some sort of weird, phantom match-up that hovers over pretty much anything that Jones or Evans is involved in, be it Evans' upcoming fight with Phil Davis, or Jones' rumored match-up against Dan Henderson (which will, of course, only push a fight with Evans further into the realm of the hypothetical). At this point, I half-way want the fight to happen just to get it off our minds. Am I aware that by talking about it I'm perpetuating the problem? Yes. Can I help it? No.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, evan, point i
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendFighters kissing during the staredown. When did this happen?
submitted by kthanx [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, staredown, kthanx, kthanx link
Read the full article at RedditUltimate Fighter Brazil Expected to Air on Fuel TV
Filed under: MMA Media Watch, UFC, NewsThe first international season of The Ultimate Fighter will be available on American television.
UFC President Dana White said on ESPN 1100 in Las Vegas that although the UFC isn't ready to make an official announcement yet, the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil is slated to air on Fuel TV, which White hailed as one example of why the UFC's new television deal with fights on Fox, FX and Fuel is a major plus for UFC fans.
"The UFC has so much content that even Spike, if you look at what a huge percentage of their content we used to be, we still needed more," White said. "The Ultimate Fighter Brazil will air on Fuel TV. All this unique content that we're doing in other parts of the world, Fuel TV is going to take. I've been saying for the last six months, if you're a UFC fan and you really love the UFC, it's impossible not to have Fuel."
It's not yet known whether the Brazilian season of the UFC's reality show will be taped in advance, as past seasons have been, or whether fights will be shown live, as the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter on FX will be.
The UFC has announced that Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort will coach against each other on the Brazilian reality show and then fight against each other at the end of the season, and the Brazilian season will conclude with a live Ultimate Fighter Finale, just as the American show always has. And American fans will be able to watch it all, if they're in the minority of households that have Fuel TV. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, fuel tv, fuel
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseKing Mo uses his fists to brutalize his way to another win
Seconds after tonight's King Mo vs. Lorenz Larkin fight, I received a text from my cousin that read: 'Riverside bell was rung, never paint a target on the side of your head for your opponent. Mo smashed him out!' That's pretty much the summary of the entire fight condensed in a three-line phone message. I should pay him for that, instead I'll just steal it and not text him back. Swagger jacking 101, now I know how Rashad Evans feels.
I don't think I've ever witnessed a fighter cradle his opponent's head with one hand while he used the other to launch javelin missiles directly to his dome. In fact, it's somewhat of a considerate thing to do. In an alternative universe, King Mo would get a $50,000 'Most Compassionate Fighter of the Night' bonus to stick in his pocket after the fight -- but unfortunately we do not reside in that world.
King Mo takes fighters that have won twelve out of their last twelve fights and devours them. There's really not a lot you can say to a dude that used to hire a chick to hold an umbrella above him at the weigh-ins. Unfortunately, Strikeforce yanked King Mo's schtick when the company was purchased by ZUFFA, so all we can do is pretend an invisible posse of fly girls walked out with him during tonight's Strikeforce fight. Props to King Mo on pounding out an impressive second-round finish over an undefeated opponent.
Posted in: fight, fighter, king mo, mo, king
Read the full article at Middle EasyRosi Sexton On Cyborg: 'Now We Can All Stop Pretending'
This is a guest editorial by Rosi Sexton, top 10 pound-for-pound women's MMA fighter and osteopath.
When I saw the news on twitter last night, I felt a little like a ten year old whose parents have just admitted that Santa Claus doesn't exist. A tiny bit disappointed, but mostly relieved that now we can all stop pretending.
I'm not going to talk about Cyborg, though. Partly because we haven't yet heard her side of the story, but also because she's only the tip of a very large iceberg. It's the issues that the story raises that I'm interested in.
To people within MMA, it usually comes as no surprise when a fighter tests positive for steroids. It's generally accepted that there are a lot of fighters out there who use banned performance enhancing drugs (estimates range from "a significant minority" to "almost all"), but most of the time they get past the limited testing that is put in place either by timing their steroid use carefully, using masking agents or both. It's only when someone makes a mistake that they get caught.
Because of this, performance enhancing drugs are often seen as a non-issue. "They're all taking it anyway, so what's the problem?".
The problem is that this is a combat sport. In most sports, the consequences of failure might be measured in pride, status or money. In MMA, you add physical damage and injury. In female MMA, for example, you can find yourself watching a fighter who is essentially (in hormonal terms) male, beat up a woman. It often makes for uncomfortable viewing. It's bad for the sport, and most of all it's bad for the fighters. It sends the message that following the rules is penalized by getting your face smashed in.
Nobody doubts that those fighters who use illegal substances still have to work hard. To be amongst the best in the world, that's essential. But there are physiological limits to what can be achieved with hard work alone. At the top levels, where most fighters are already working close to their maximum training capacity, and everyone has solid technique, the added advantage that performance enhancing drugs can give is significant and in some cases insurmountable.
For fighters, then, there's a huge incentive to exploit any loopholes. You might not want to cheat to gain an advantage over your opponents, but at the same time you don't want to be at a disadvantage if "everyone else is doing it".
Tougher penalties alone won't do. The testing procedures used in MMA are (on the whole) outdated enough that fighters are confident that with a little knowledge they can avoid getting caught. Occasionally, a fighter is careless or unlucky enough to test positive and receives a fine and a ban as a token sacrifice to the gods of public opinion and sporting legitimacy. Meanwhile, other fighters breathe a sigh of relief that on this occasion it wasn't them. Everything carries on as normal.
This approach isn't working. So what's the answer?
We have a choice to make. We can decide that we want steroids out of the sport. In that case, athletic commissions, governing bodies, promotions alike need to work together to implement gold standard drug policies. The World Anti-Doping Agency work with sporting organizations and produce model rules and protocols for testing. As a minimum, off season random testing of fighters is essential. It might never be possible to get rid of performance enhancing drugs entirely, but it's possible to tighten the net and change the balance between risk and reward in favour of the clean athlete. Some of the athletic commissions are starting to move towards stricter testing, but much more still needs to be done.
Or, we can decide that all this is too much trouble. The point is often made that MMA is more a business than a sport, and it's true that many casual fans are more concerned about seeing exciting fights than what the athletes are taking before they get into the cage.
If this is the route we want to go down then we should change the rules and allow athletes to use these drugs freely, without the stigma of "cheating" attached. Of course there are risks and side effects - but we could at least have an honest, grown up discussion about the medical issues, without the hypocrisy that surrounds the subject at the moment. Athletes could make an informed decision to balance the risks of the drugs against the risks of being the one not taking them. Neither set of risks should be underestimated.
As a fighter I've never used steroids, and I don't want to start now. Of the two options, I'd prefer to see an improved standard of testing. But the important thing for the sport and everyone involved in it, is that we come clean about it one way or the other.
Rosi's blog can be read here and you can visit the Combat Sports Clinic for her osteopathic work.
Posted in: mma, fighter, sport, drug, testing
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFuel TV will be the home for “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil”
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, brazil, fuel tv, mattyblayze, mattyblayze link
Read the full article at RedditWomen's MMA Responds to Cris Cyborg Positive Steroid Test on Twitter
The World of Women's MMA has had a few hours to digest the news that Cristiane 'Cyborg' Santos has failed her most recent PED test following her last fight against Hiroko Yamanaka in California at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal.
Ronda Rousey has already made an "I told you so " comment we posted yesterday, but here is what some of WMMA's other top fighters had to say through the medium of twitter.
No#3 ranked 125lbs WMMA Fighter and qualified Osteopath at the Combat Sports Clinic Rosi Sexton pulls no punches and addresses the heart of the issue:
@RosiSextonRosi Sextonjust heard the news. That's a real shame, but I guess in honesty I'm not surprised.
let's be honest here though - she's by no means the only one.
increased chance of getting caught reduces offending more than tougher penalties. Better testing must come first.
I have a policy... I don't speculate about individual fighters until there's evidence.
I think it's a particular problem when it happens in WMMA. You may as well have a woman fighting a man.
either test properly, or legalise it so the rest of us can get on it with a clear conscience. Enough with the hypocrisy.
Look "just working hard in the gym" won't give a woman muscles like that any more than eating worms and flapping your arms will make you flyJan 07FavoriteRetweetReply
Check out other WMMA tweets after the jump
Strikeforce WMMA 135lbs Champion Miesha Tate takes the diplomatic approach:
@MieshaTateMiesha Tate Have u guys heard about this? Wow... http://t.co/Qg8BHUEg
Ya..... I don't really know what to say, it's unfortunate she was using :-/it's really unfortunate to find out she was using, I'm disappointed to say the least, I don't know what to sayWell I am disappointed to find out she was using I gave her the benefit of the doubt too & really admired herI'd really like to hear what Cris has to say b4 I make any judgementWell I personally choose to hear Cyborg out first, I will wait till she makes her statement to make mine.Yes I am a woman myself I know very well but I still would like to hear her out
Jan 07FavoriteRetweetReply
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Former 135lbs Champion Sarah Kaufman
@mmasarahSarah Kaufman Im interested in hearing what cris has to say RT @SeanPeconi: Cris cyborg tests positive for anabolic steroids #MMA#UFC thoughts?Jan 07 via EchofonFavoriteRetweetReply
Former 135lbs Champion (and former Cyborg opponent) Marloes Coenen
@MarloesCoenenMarloesCoenen Get a lot of tweets about Christiana. Don't want to 'kick an opponent when she's down'. I still respect her & we will meet again at Invicta!Jan 07 via UberSocial for BlackBerryFavoriteRetweetReply
145lbs fighter Julia Budd:
@JuliaBuddJulia Budd "@BobbyERT: @JuliaBudd interesting things to come for the 145lbs division. Cyborg just tested positive for steroids." wtf r u serious?
I think cheating is cheating. That's bullshit she woulda killed yamanaka without
... I think it means I gotta make 135 next fight. Jan 07 via Twitter for iPadFavoriteRetweetReply
Shayna Baszler:
@QoSBaszlerShayna Baszler Im not defending cyborg or not, but its not always accurate how the media blows things up or paints things
RT @JoshLBarnett: Let's hear her piece. @jrcooner @JoshLBarnett what are your thoughts on Cyborg?Jan 07 via txtFavoriteRetweetReply
.
Other notable fighters such as Gina Carano, Tara LaRosa and Liz Carmouche have yet to comment on twitter.
Posted in: fighter, lb, cyborg, cri, wmma
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThere and back again: A rebirth at 185 pounds could put Keith Jardine back in the spotlight
With heavy steps, the kind only a feeling like disappointment can bring out, Keith Jardine walked through the back corridors of the Palms Casino Resort. Each time his foot pressed onto the floor, it triggered a new -- and frightening -- question in his mind. He had the same job for nearly five years but as he left the Octagon that night, as he made his way backstage for a doctor's examination and to get his wraps removed, an anxious, almost nauseating feeling began to creep into his gut. It's the feeling you get when your boss catches you sleeping at your desk or you screw up a major project and your employment status suddenly comes into question.
How did I get here?, Jardine must have asked himself. Just a year prior he was two rounds away from fighting for the 205-pound title and enjoyed a healthy notoriety thanks to his stint of the second season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Fighters like those -- the Chris Lebens, the Stephan Bonnars and the Mike Swicks -- don't necessarily need standout win/loss records to keeping getting a paycheck with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) logo on it.
But four losses in a row -- and five in six fights -- is a bullet that even the beloved Chuck Liddell couldn't dodge. Five days after the majority decision loss to Matt Hamill, Jardine hit the Octagon cutting block.
How did he get there? And with his first title shot tonight at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine, is he on his way back to mixed martial arts (MMA) relevance?
Jardine had good wins. "The Iceman" being chiefest amongst them but his list of accomplishments also includes finishing another former light heavyweight champion in Forrest Griffin. Sure, his embarrassing knockout loss to Wanderlei Silva will long be a staple of Pride Fighting Championships fanboys' dreams and Jardine was also put to sleep by Houston Alexander but who knew the UFC debutee had cinder blocks for fists?
"The Dean of Mean" almost always found a way to win and almost always frustrated his opponents into settling for a judged victory. He did the former against Liddell and Brandon Vera and the latter against Quinton Jackson and Hamill.
It was the fight against Jackson that would have earned Jardine a crack at the 205-pound title. He had won two of his last three including the career-defining split decision victory over Liddell. "Rampage" had lost his title to Forrest Griffin -- a man Jardine had defeated -- but bounced back with a brutal knockout loss to Silva -- a man who trounced Jardine. MMA math is the most absurd method to help decide who would win a hypothetical fight and the UFC 96 main event served as a classic example of why.
It took Jardine three years -- from when he first entered the TUF house -- to get to that point but it took only three rounds for all of his work to come undone. "The Dean of Mean" achieved come success in the first round but soon the experience, technique and power of his opponent took over. Immediately after the fight, then-teammate Rashad Evans stepped inside the Octagon to challenge Jackson and in the ensuing brouhaha, Jardine was left in the shadows, an afterthought in the light heavyweight division.
Everyone cared about Evans/Jackson -- well, at least a million pay-per-view (PPV) buyers did over one year later -- but it didn't seem like anyone gave a second thought to a man who had defeated two champions -- one former and one future -- and had just taken a third to a decision. But Jardine doesn't seem to have the "it" factor and in a marketing sense isn't viewed as "sexy." The cold, hard truth is there's very little money to be made off a fighter like that. The only fighter who fits that description and has banked -- Fedor Emelianenko -- needed a flawless 10-year span to pull it off.
After the loss to "Rampage," Jardine's career began to free fall. Two knockout losses in a row to Thiago Silva and Ryan Bader put his Octagon future in doubt and the fourth and final loss to Hamill ensured his walking papers. In his first fight outside the UFC -- a bout with another UFC also-ran Trevor Prangley for the Shark Fights promotion -- Jardine suffered his fifth straight loss.
But just like any smart fighter should know, two or three wins on the regional MMA circuit and a willingness to jump into a bout on short notice can get almost any former UFC fighter back into the promotion. That's exactly what happened when Gegard Mousasi's original opponent in Mike Kyle fell to injury and "The Dean of Mean" stepped in a week before the event.
It was another typical performance from Jardine: grinding but ugly in which he took a highly regarded fighter and made him look terrible. A point deduction kept the Armenian from winning the fight and both men had to settle for a draw. Tonight, once again taking advantage of injury and Strikeforce's shallow roster, Jardine takes on Luke Rockhold in what will be the middleweight champion's first defense while also being Jardine's first dip into the 185-pound talent pool.
Jardine will turn 37-years old this year. Time is not on his side. A loss against Rockhold would cement the UFC veteran as a "good but not great" fighter, always within reach of the brass ring but never quite able to come away with it.
If he hopes to rewrite his legacy, it has to start tonight.
Posted in: fight, fighter, loss, year, jardine
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJoe Rogan: Retiring from MMA is incredibly difficult
For most regular folks, the day they can retire and cash in on those 401K benefits can't come soon enough.
Normally, retirement comes when one is in their 60's, some sooner, some later. For a professional fighter, though, it usually comes sooner rather than later.
Whether it's an injury or age that forces a fighter to hang up their gloves for good, the decision to walk away from the sport they have dedicated blood, sweat and tears to is, undoubtedly, a very hard one to make.
Often times, a pro fighter tries to hang on to the glory days of yesteryear and takes one too many fights, such as the case of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer Dan Severn, who, at the age of 53, is still competing, losing back-to-back fights in 2011.
Via a post on "The Underground", UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, who has been around MMA for over 14 years and has developed relationships with a lot of yesterdays and today's top stars, gives his insight on just how hard it can be for a professional fighter to reach the decision to step away from the sport:
"One of the things I think about sometimes with all the great fighters that I've seen come and go is just how difficult it must be for some of them to leave behind the incredible excitement and intensity of the world of being a professional fighter and then reset your life and find yourself something else to dedicate your time and interest to. Fighting is such an all-encompassing job. It really has to be, especially at the highest levels for you to be successful. The competition is so steep that to compete at the top of the sport of MMA you really need to be completely dedicated to training and improving all day every day. When it's time to move past that and into a new phase of life I would think that for some it must be incredibly difficult. And that's not even taking into consideration how difficult it is for some of these ultra competitive guys to know when it's time to step away. What got many of them to be successful at fighting is an incredible belief in themselves that defied the odds and the doubters. In their mind often only they know what they're capable of, and in the long run they've often proven people wrong many times on the way to being a professional. It must be very difficult to judge exactly when you want to end your career. One of the many things I love that the UFC does is they use a lot of fighters as commentators, they've got Chuck Liddell an awesome position in the company - they help these guys have options. I really enjoy watching guys step away from competing and become great coaches as well. All in all, a fighter stepping away from the sport must be a tough decision for some. "
2011 was a year that saw several tops stars walk away from competing in MMA, namely B.J. Penn after his loss at UFC 137 to Nick Diaz and Matt Hughes after his first round loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage, though he says he is simply "on the shelf" for the time being.
Most recently, Brock Lesnar, who battled diverticulitis on two separate occasions, walked away from MMA at the age of 34 after his first round loss to Alistair Overeem last weekend (Dec., 30. 2011) at UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem."
After 14 years in the game, Tito Ortiz came to the decision that he will retire this year once he competes one more time this summer. Another star who may be in the twilight of his career is Wanderlei Silva. Though he has no plans of calling it a day anytime soon, UFC President Dana White has stated he wouldn't mind seeing "The Axe Murderer" hang up his gloves.
Regardless of what leads to the tough decision, the day will come when a professional fighter has to cross that bridge and realize it is simply time to walk way.
It won't always be easy, but it will always be necessary.
Posted in: ufc, time, fighter, day, decision
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFormer UFC fighter Hermes Franca sentenced to 42 months in prison for sexual abuse of underaged student
submitted by sicount [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, sicount, underaged student, herme
Read the full article at RedditCris Cyborg Suspended for Positive Steroid Test
Filed under: StrikeforceCristiane "Cris Cyborg" Santos, widely regarded as the best female fighter in mixed martial arts, has been suspended for testing positive for steroids.
The California State Athletic Commission announced on Friday that it has suspended Cyborg because her drug test following her most recent fight, a 16-second knockout of Hiroko Yamanaka, came back positive for metabolites of the anabolic steroid stanozolol. The result of the Cyborg-Yamanaka fight will be changed to a no decision.
"Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters," CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd said in a statement. "Anabolic agents and other banned substances put not only the users of those agents at risk, but their opponents as well. The commission simply will not tolerate their use."
The CSAC's announcement did not say how long Cyborg will be suspended. She has also been fined $2,500.
This is bad news for Cyborg, Strikeforce, Showtime and for all of women's mixed martial arts. Cyborg has been the most dominant female fighter in the sport and one of the few women who draws fans to Strikeforce broadcasts on Showtime. It also calls into question whether her accomplishments in the cage have always been tainted by the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Women's MMA, which is struggling just to survive, just saw one of its highest-profile fighters get a major black eye. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fighter, women, cyborg, csacs announcement, arts cyborg
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseCheck out the new LiverKick.com heavyweight rankings
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
Welcome back to the LiverKick.com rankings. These rankings are an attempt to break down the top 10 fighters in three different weight classes - Heavyweight, for fighters above the 85kg limit, Middleweight, for fighters at the 70-72.5kg limit, and Light Heavyweight, for fighters at the 77-84kg limit. Our rankings are based on in-ring accomplishments and recent wins and loses. We hope they reflect where these fighters currently stand, although we recognize that all rankings are inherently subjective.
Heavyweight actually saw a lot of movement this time around, which after a rather static year in 2011 was refreshing to see. While it does feel a bit odd to still include Semmy Schilt as #1 in the division due to A) not winning the 2010 World Grand Prix and B) he did not fight in 2011 at all, he is still the measuring stick for success within the division. It is safe to say that as long as Alistair Overeem, the 2010 World Grand Prix winner, is under a contract to the UFC, he will not be kickboxing anytime soon.
Check out the Heavyweight Rankings...
Posted in: fighter, heavyweight, ranking, kg, limit
Read the full article at Middle EasyLuke Rockhold Says With Brock Lesnar Retired, Time to Focus on 'True Fighters'
Luke Rockhold takes to the Strikeforce cage tomorrow night for a middleweight title defense against Keith Jardine. The bout represents a chance for Rockhold to continue his attempt to emerge as one of the faces of the "new Strikeforce."
But in addition to talking about the fight with Jardine, Rockhold is also finding time to talk about the biggest story in MMA at the moment, the retirement of the UFC's Brock Lesnar. And what Luke had to say on ESPN 1100 in Las Vegas was not particularly kind to the big man (Via Yahoo! Sports):
"Did you see him singing the rap country? When he started rapping along to the country song I was like ' what the hell is this guy doing?' I almost saw his lip quivering as he was walking into the cage. He just looked like he was playing a role. He was kind of believing his own hype that people were putting in his ear. I saw true confidence out of Overeem and a true fighter,"
...
"I think he brought a whole new audience to the sport. So I can't exactly say it's a negative. People really need to see who the true fighters are. Lesnar's not the best in the world. He just got the right matchups and the right fights,"
Might not exactly be untrue, but ouch.
SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine
Posted in: fighter, rockhold, right fights, jardine rockhold, right matchups
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowStrikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine - Pre-Fight Press Conference Video
With Strikeforce set for their next show Saturday night on Showtime, the fighters and Scott Coker sat down on Thursday for the pre-fight press conference. The event takes place from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Main event fighters Keith Jardine and Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold were on hand to discuss their fight as well as co-main event fighters Robbie Lawler and Adlan Amagov. The always outspoken "King" Muhammed Lawal was also there to discuss his bout with Lorenz Larkin.
As a reminder, while the main card will be shown on Showtime starting at 10 p.m. ET, the preliminary fights will start at 8 p.m. ET on Showtime Extreme.
We'll have plenty more coverage as the event nears with today's weigh-ins, our staff predictions, live coverage, reactions and much more. So keep your browser locked in to Bloody Elbow.
SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, lorenz larkin, event, todays weighins
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow2012 World MMA Welterweight Scouting Report: #6 – Brock Jardine
Photo by Jeff Sherwood, Sherdog
Name:
Brock Jardine
Nickname:
The Machine
Age:
26
Height:
5'11"
Location:
Orem, Utah
In retrospect, Brock Jardine (8-1) might have some words for the people responsible for casting the thirteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. The 26-year-old sat on the sidelines while the man who handed him his only loss, Tony Ferguson, dominated the field, eventually beating Jardine's teammate, Ramsey Nijem, at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale in June. Jardine was able to take Ferguson deep into the fourth round of a title affair at PureCombat 12 last September before retiring via technical knockout. Fortunately for Jardine, Ferguson has proved his legitimacy as a genuine up-and-coming prospect, and the fact that Jardine was able to take Ferguson into the late rounds speaks volumes about his own progression as a fighter. In the two fights following the loss, Jardine spent less than one minute in the cage combined, submitting Boyko Ranchev at a Showdown Fights event in Urem, Utah in April and knocking out Kenny Ento at Fight for Wrestling 3 in Bakersfield, California in May. He had previously amassed a 6-0 record in the span of two years before the loss. At the heart of Jardine's skill-set is an extensive background in wrestling. He was a high school wrestling champion at Warren County High School in Virginia, winning three state titles, two in freestyle and one in Greco. He moved on to Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania before transferring to Utah Valley State where he recorded a 6-5 record during the 2006-2007 season. Obviously, he was far from an outstanding NCAA Division-I wrestling standout, but those skills have transitioned well to the cage. He's strong on the ground, transitions quickly to more dominant positions, and possesses the know-how to submit his opponents. As his career has progressed, so has his striking, and those improved stand-up skills are the key to beating the stiffer competition he'll face in more prominent organizations. With any luck, Jardine will get to showcase those skills on a bigger platform in 2012.
Check out video footage of Brock Jardine after the jump...
FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight
#1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz
#1 - Hacran Dias#2 - Joey Gambino#3 - Brandon Bender#4 - Lance Palmer #5 - Jim Alers#6 - Anthony Gutierrez#7 - Max Holloway#8 - John Teixeira#9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins
#1 - Fabricio Guerreiro#2 - Alessandro Ferreira#3 - Adriano Martins#4 - Justin Salas#5 - Neilson Gomes#6 - Eduard Folayang#7 - Zorobabel Moreira#8 - Anton Kuivanen#9 - Jordan Rinaldi#10 - J.P. Vainikainen
WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight
#1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - Brock Jardine#7 - Alan Jouban#8 - Mohsen Bahari#9 - Andre Santos#10 - Stephen Thompson
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
Kenny Ento vs. Brock Jardine
Brock Jardine vs Kirt Patterson
Posted in: fighter, ferguson, jardine, brock, urem utah
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowYou Decide MMAWeekly.com’s 2011 Breakout Fighter of the Year
It was a stellar year in 2011 for a lot of fighters that have been trying to break into the limelight of mixed martial arts. We want you to choose who was most successful.
Posted in: fighter, year, mmaweeklycom, limelight, breakout
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTUF Winners Square Off at UFC 145
A lightweight match-up of former 'Ultimate Fighter' winners has been added to UFC 145 in Montreal with season 6 winner Mac Danzig facing season 8 winner Efrain Escudero.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, winner, fighter winners
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTorres back after twitter termination
MMA Fighting reported last week, Dana White reinstated Miguel Torres after he was let go 20 days prior for an inappropriate tweet.
Torres had sent a quote from FX television show, “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” which caught the ire of White.
Via MMA Fighting:
A soft-spoken Torres said he visited five different rape crisis centers in the Chicago area, donating money and talking with the people there about the power his words have, even in an off-hand attempt at humor on Twitter, he said
Payout Perspective:
Although this occurred last week, its an interesting case of impulsive administration rectified. Another example of this occurred in October when Nick Diaz was taken off the UFC 137 card after no-showing two press conferences. He was then put back on the same card against BJ Penn.
Certainly, the UFC can do what it pleases in terms of disciplining its fighters. However, Torres’ dismissal appeared not planned out thoroughly. Its debatable whether Torres should have been fired for his tweet after Forrest Griffin had a tweet mentioning rape. But, Griffin is higher in the fighter food chain than Torres. The UFC could have just suspended Torres for a period of time. Realistically, a suspension has the same effect of discipline yet does not have the stigma of a termination. It would have still had the same message to other fighters to be weary of what you tweet.
From the standpoint of Torres, he was admirable in doing the right things to try to get back with the UFC. Its good to see someone that makes no excuses and is proactive with their career. Obviously, Torres’ underlying goal in visiting rape crisis centers was getting back to the UFC. However, the interview seems like Torres took away some valuable information.
The good news is that White accepted the meeting with Torres and then let him back in. With social media so much part of the UFC, it would be best if the UFC designed a set of rules for fighters to abide by so as to not get in trouble. Although this may have been hashed over at last year’s fighter summit, it appears that a refresher course may be necessary. As the UFC moves forward with its relationship with Fox, it must present and maintain an image to the new viewer. Standards and practices for fighter behavior should be known and not just subjective. There will be obvious cases where a fighter must go (Paul Daley sucker punching Josh Koscheck), but Torres case seems like the punishment did not fit the crime.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, torre, case, tweet
Read the full article at MMA PayoutBrock Lesnar was never the best, he just got the right match-ups
That's according to Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold.
After former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight kingpin Brock Lesnar decided he had seen enough of the Octagon, following his first round technical knockout loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" this past weekend (Dec. 30, 2011), the gates were left wide open for new stars to emerge and possibly take the place of the massive pay-per-view draw that was Lesnar.
Though the UFC has plenty of star power on its roster with champions such as Jon Jones, Junior dos Santos and Anderson Silva, Rockhold believes a lot of fighters weren't given their proper due because Brock was always promoted as "the best."
Sour grapes? Or reality check?
The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product claims Lesnar was never really the best, rather he was just built up by the media and played a role -- all while getting the right fights at the right time, therefore creating the grand illusion that the 6' 3," 265-pound behemoth was "The Baddest Man on the Planet."
Rockhold elaborates to ESPN1100/98.9 FM in Las Vegas (via Yahoo! Sports) and says now that Lesnar is gone, it's due time to start focusing on the "true fighters."
Check it out:
"I think he was just playing a role. I saw right through him. His confidence looked very ... it didn't appear real. Did you see him singing the rap country? When he started rapping along to the country song I was like ' what the hell is this guy doing?' I almost saw his lip quivering as he was walking into the cage. He just looked like he was playing a role. He was kind of believing his own hype that people were putting in his ear. I saw true confidence out of Overeem and a true fighter. Lesnar's what I thought. All the media and all you guys had Lesnar taking it. The fighters had Overeem. I think he brought a whole new audience to the sport. So I can't exactly say it's a negative. People really need to see who the true fighters are. Lesnar's not the best in the world. He just got the right matchups and the right fights."
If you were asked to identify all the Strikeforce and UFC champions, you would probably have no trouble picking them out of a line-up. Most of them, some more than others, had their time to shine in the spotlight and get promoted by their respective organizations.
However, some may have trouble identifying Luke Rockhold.
Not because he isn't talented; he is very talented, actually, amassing an 8-1 overall mixed martial arts (MMA) record and currently holding the Strikeforce middleweight championship.
Rockhold simply has not had his opportunity to shine and be promoted as a champion.
Overshadowed by titleholders such as Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Gilbert Melendez, and non-champions such as a fighter that holds the biggest shadow of them all, Brock Lesnar, Luke's star has been dimmed in the company of those men.
Now, Rockhold will get his opportunity to stand out and become a breakout star of his own as he headlines his first-ever Strikeforce event as a champion when he takes on grizzled veteran Keith Jardine this Saturday night (Jan. 7, 2012) in Las Vegas, Nevada, at Strikeforce: "Rockhold vs. Jardine," live from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Will Rockhold show he has what it takes to becomes one of MMA's next biggest stars? Or will Jardine slow his momentum and begin his own trail back to stardom?
Posted in: right, fighter, star, rockhold, lesnar
Read the full article at MMA ManiaLuke Rockhold thinks that a few key wins can put him in a position for Anderson's belt
Can I just get this out of the way: I'm so thankful Strikeforce is still around. If Strikeforce wasn't in existence we wouldn't be able to have these fascinating interviews with Strikeforce champions using MMA math to leverage title shots in the UFC.
You know what? They should just make an entirely new reality show focusing around the Strikeforce fighters. It can focus on all of the fighters that the general public doesn't know about and build the brand and the fighters like TUF did. There can even be built in rules, like if you win the title and defend it twice then you are granted the next possible title shot in your weight division in the UFC. Fighters from the UFC will be calling out the fighters from Strikeforce, there will be cross promotional fights and all the while human stories could be told outside the training and cage. Hopefully at the very least this show could get Tim Kennedy and Jacare more fights. Zuffa, you can email me Jason@MiddleEasy.com if you want to flesh out this sure fire hit show.
Now I will get off my TV show pitching soapbox. Watch this interview with Luke Rockhold explaining to LayzieTheSavage what he thinks his future looks like in the Strikeforce middleweight division, and what a good run of wins can do for his chance at Anderson.
Posted in: title, strikeforce, show, fighter, luke rockhold
Read the full article at Middle EasyLuke Rockhold thinks that a few key wins can put him in a position for Anderson Silva's belt
Can I just get this out of the way: I'm so thankful Strikeforce is still around. If Strikeforce wasn't in existence we wouldn't be able to have these fascinating interviews with Strikeforce champions using MMA math to leverage title shots in the UFC.
You know what? They should just make an entirely new reality show focusing around the Strikeforce fighters. It can focus on all of the fighters that the general public doesn't know about and build the brand and the fighters like TUF did. There can even be built in rules, like if you win the title and defend it twice then you are granted the next possible title shot in your weight division in the UFC. Fighters from the UFC will be calling out the fighters from Strikeforce, there will be cross promotional fights and all the while human stories could be told outside the training and cage. Hopefully at the very least this show could get Tim Kennedy and Jacare more fights. Zuffa, you can email me Jason@MiddleEasy.com if you want to flesh out this sure fire hit show.
Now I will get off my TV show pitching soapbox. Watch this interview with Luke Rockhold explaining to LayzieTheSavage what he thinks his future looks like in the Strikeforce middleweight division, and what a good run of wins can do for his chance at Anderson Silva.
Posted in: title, strikeforce, show, fighter, luke rockhold
Read the full article at Middle EasyDoes UFC Need to Pad Records to Build New Stars?
Brock Lesnar retiring -- along with Georges St. Pierre likely being out of action for the entirety of 2012 -- has left the UFC in a dilemma. Not only were they the biggest draws for the company, but they were the most significant draws for a company that has yet to find a close runner up in audience attraction.
Anderson Silva has to be considered in the twilight of his career on age alone, and his drawing power is only just now being fully realised after years spent dominating his division. Had Silva not fumbled with a trio of bizarre, frustrating performances against title challengers he should have otherwise blown away, he'd arguably be the headline act UFC could most depend on without Lesnar or GSP.
Silva's ability to draw though is now dependent on a viable contender people believe has a shot at beating him, which partly explains why his fight with Vitor Belfort did a lot better on Pay Per View than his fight with Yushin Okami, and why a rematch with Chael Sonnen is perhaps the most anticipated fight in 2012.
This year it's expected Jon Jones will be looked on to carry the UFC as its most dominant champion, but fans and critics alike are already wondering who could possibly present a competitive challenge for him, and that this might pose a problem in Jones' ability to become a big attraction at the gate and on PPV.
Herein lies the issue. UFC fans have been conditioned into believing the best should always fight the best, and that there are no easy fights in the UFC because it's something that Dana White -- as the UFC's main spokesman and figurehead -- likes to to use to trumpet the UFC's promotional model over that of Boxing's. But if the fans perceive what they're given as anything less, there's usually outcry (for example - most European cards).
To their credit the UFC has managed to bring certain fighters along slowly in order to develop them, whether it be current and former champions in Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez or Jon Jones, but also with some prospects such as Alexander Gustafsson.
Bringing prospects along slowly, or even building their champions without appearing to feed them nothing but cans is going to be a difficult balance to strike. Casual fans and even some hardcores usually revel in one sided destructions, and generally speaking the more dominant and consistent a fighter is, the easier it is to build a following and fanbase. The problem is having mismatches that would likely result in quick finishes as PPV headliners.
Watching a fighter get squashed by an obviously superior opponent is ideal for free Television though, and the increased number of shows UFC plans to put on thanks to its new partnership with Fox is an ideal opportunity to puff up fighters the UFC has long term plans for.
For the UFC to build a fighter like a Mike Tyson or like a Roy Jones Jr, the raw talent MMA's equivalents have is out of their hands. But, like Tyson and RJJ, the UFC can protect certain fighters to a degree so they can develop but also so they can showcase their abilities against outmatched opponents and wow audiences.
Using the Fox/FX shows to build number one contenders and present occasional title fights will work best with the right opponents used to elevate them and we're less likely to see the pass-the-parcel of title contenders (or even title holders) that have become somewhat common in the UFC. Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar should be put on free TV to squash an opponent and build his base, but instead risks being ignored on an international show which will feature less press coverage as a result, against an opponent who could quite possibly beat him. Similarly, Fox opting out of showing Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida was a missed opportunity to build either as a title contender and sell some PPV's.
Phil Davis vs Rashad Evans headlining UFC on FOX 2 sounds like a fantastic match to give to fans, but you wonder if it would have made more sense to build both guys and line them up sequentially as the next to face Jones rather than set one of them back. Keeping Davis' undefeated record intact or almost guaranteeing Evans a chance to destroy a lesser fighter in a similar fashion to his fight with Tito Ortiz would have kept both in better standing going into a championship bout with Jones and may have generated a bigger buzz about their chances. As it stands, either Evans' grudge match with Jones is derailed, or Davis' streak ends and fickle fans write him off as a potential challenge. Neither scenario is particularly good for business.
The ability of the UFC to build new stars to fill the void left by Lesnar and GSP in 2012 is going to be a point of debate perhaps for the rest of this year, and it's safe to say the UFC would like to do better on PPV than it did in 2011. Building these stars starts with the matchmaking, and maybe a little padding of records on free TV needs to be part of the process.
Posted in: ufc, fight, jone, fighter, fan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAsian MMA Update: Legend FC Signs Jumabieke Tuerxun and Taiyo Nakahara, ONE FC 2 Undercard Announced
There are major news coming out of two of the top promotions in Asia.
First off, Legend FC has beefed up their bantamweight roster and has picked up two very talented fighters, Jumabieke Tuerxun (10-0) and Taiyo Nakahara (12-6).Jumabieke Tuerxun, or 'Bieke' is a very popular undefeated fighter who is widely considered as one of the best bantamweights in China. He's a talented Sanda fighter and trains out of Xian Physical Education University, the gym where Team Quest standouts Pat Healy and Brad Hannah conducted a 6-week training camp to help develop the talent in the country. Also of note, Bieke already has a win over current Legend FC bantamweight champion, Yao Honggang. The two faced back in 2009 when Yao made his MMA debut, losing by TKO in the second round.Taiyo Nakahara on the other hand, hails from Japan, and is the former top contender for SRC / Sengoku. He's currently on a 4-fight winning streak and throughout his career he has faced the likes of Akitoshi Tamura, Rani Yahya, Mike Brown, and Adrian Pang.
In ONE FC news, the promotion has just announced the undercard for their 2nd event this February. The more notable bouts have already been previously reported here, such as Jessie Rafols vs. Sung Min Yen, and Alex Silva vs. Geje Eustaquio, but they did add three more bouts which features Malaysian actor Peter Davis along with 4 Indonesian locals. The most notable local fighter would probably be Victorio Senduk, a San Shou Silver Medalist in the 2011 South East Asian Games.
Check out the complete fight card for their event in Jakarta, Indonesia after the jump. As always, stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more updates, and follow me on twitter -- @antontabuena
With the announcement of the undercard this completes their official fight card:
ONE FC 2: Battle of HeroesFebruary 11, 2012 - Sports Mall Kelapa Gading, Jakarta, Indonesia
Main Card- Ole Laursen vs. Felipe Enomoto- Eric Kelly vs. Bae Young Kwon- Rustam Khabilov vs. Rodrigo Ribeiro- Gustavo Falciroli vs. Soo Chul Kim- Rolles Gracie vs. Bob Sapp
Preliminary Card- Victorio Senduk vs. Raymond Tiew- Alex Silva vs. Geje Eustaquio- Jessie Rafols vs. Sung Min Yen- Ngabdi Mulyadi vs. Peter Davis- Zuli Silawanto vs. Agus NaNang
Posted in: fighter, vs, card, fc, taiyo nakahara
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowLooking for the MMA Yao Ming
While it's generally considered racist to point out the inferior driving skills and genital size of Chinese people, we've apparently gotten to the point where we can all admit they're not quite measuring up when it comes to their MMA development. So the UFC is taking it upon themselves to try and speed things up a little:
Fertitta said it made sense to bring the fighters to Las Vegas given the large number of gyms as well as elite fighters and coaches based there.“Vegas is kind of the Mecca of mixed martial arts in a lot of ways,” Fertitta said. “We just said, ‘Hey, let’s get them exposure with, literally, the best trainers in the world.’ … They literally will go from gym to gym every day to train and learn different aspects of MMA.”Among the trainers will be UFC fighter Fredson Paixao, noted jiu-jitsu coach Robert Drysdale, wrestling and grappling expert Ricky Lundell, striking coach Jimmy Gifford and DellaGrotte. The Chinese fighters will spar at Wanderlei Silva’s gym.Shelby said they may expand the program to include other trainers, but they’re going to take it on a day-to-day basis.“Really, what this is is an effort to find our version of Yao Ming,” Fertitta said. “There’s more than a billion people in China and I guarantee you, somebody there can fight. Our goal is to find that guy.
The UFC isn't the only group chasing a mythical Yao unicorn. Hong Kong based promotion LegendFC is taking the wacky attitude that maybe instead of bringing the fighters to the camp, they should bring the camp to the fighters.
Legend FC, one of the top Asian MMA promotions sent several members of Team Quest such as Pat Healy and Brad Hannah to one of the biggest camps in the region. They didn't only have them experience a few days of working out with talented coaches, they actually conducted an entire training camp that lasted for several weeks. Team Quest taught several of the best fighters in the country about how an entire high-level training camp should work, so they could get the best practices, workouts, and schedules in order to maximize learning, and peaking on the proper time for a fight.
Based on how long it took for the British to stop churning out duds, I'd say this should bring China up past North American by ... oh, 2024. Which is probably about 10 years more than we got on the economic side, so let's enjoy this MMA supremacy thing while we got it.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, coach, camp
Read the full article at FightlinkerApocalypse Now! 4 Things to Brace for in 2012
With a new weight class in the UFC, a condensed heavyweight talent pool, and some excellent title fights on the way, 2012 is shaping up nicely. But, lo! I give you four things to brace for in the coming year...
The Retirement of MMA Mainstays
Tito Ortiz is already labeling his next match a retirement fight, but he's not the only one planning an exit from the ring. Forrest Griffin, who Ortiz named as a potential opponent, has appeared increasingly disinterested in the cage and, in a recent radio interview, admitted "I'm realizing that I don't have much left. This is the end of the road for me. I want a couple of more fights...." Matt Hughes and B.J. Penn have both mentioned retirement as well, though in less certain terms. Penn might just be going on hiatus, while Hughes, for his part, expects that he'll come back only for a marquee match-up. And less remarked was the post-fight interview Jeff Curran gave after his last appearance in the XFO, declaring that he would make one more campaign through the UFC before calling it quits.
These announcements, combined with the lengthy and recently rocky careers of Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, and Quinton Jackson suggest that MMA might see a great deal of turnover in 2012.
Further PR Gaffes
More surprising than the apparent absence of any official code of conduct for UFC fighters is the ability of those same fighters to so frequently find the wrong things to say. Given the multitude of social networking applications and the many fighters encouraged to make use of them, we might as well prepare for a few more cringe-inducing jokes. And maybe another cell phone pic of Tito Ortiz's genitals. The evidence of which I refuse to link to.
The Continued Decline of Japanese MMA
Attendance is down. Funding is down. Big-time draws like Kazushi Sakuraba are nearing retirement, and promoters are having to bolster fight cards with pro-wrestling matches. It seems less and less likely that the Japanese fight scene will make a return to its Saitama Super Arena heyday. The UFC's upcoming return to Japan presents a new wrinkle in the story of Japanese MMA, but with homegrown promotions dialing back their shows' size and frequency, it seems that JMMA will contract further before it can begin to improve.
The Persistence of Injury-Riddled Cards
The rash of short-notice fight cancellations in 2011 might have had something to do with plain bad luck. I suspect, however, that there are other, more quantifiable reasons for so many scuttled matches.
The first is the UFC's insurance policy, which allows fighters to seek care for injuries rather than take a fight in desperate need of cash to pay medical bills. The second and perhaps more significant cause is the overall evolution of MMA. Training camps are becoming more intense and complex. At the same time, there's more at stake with every outing, and the more technical, nuanced performances turned in by fighters make increasingly stringent demands of their bodies. Expect fighters to approach their careers with due care.
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fighter, retirement
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendPerosh Welcomes Penner at UFC on FX 2
Australian fighter Anthony Perosh has taken an opportunity and run with it, and he’ll continue sprinting at UFC on FX 2 on March 3 in his hometown of Sydney.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fx, perosh, penner
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyAmerican Top Team reduces fees to assist up-and-coming fighters
American Top Team has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts teams for the past ten years. Led by Ricardo Liborio who was awarded his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1993 from Master Carlson Gracie, ATT is located in Coconut Creek, Florida. There are many ATT gyms located throughout the country opened by ATT students.
Some of the top fighters produced by ATT throughout the years include former UFC #1 welterweight contender Thiago Alves, former WEC featherweight champ Mike Brown, UFC veterans Yves Edwards, Cole Miller, Din Thomas, Gleison Tibau, and Jeff Monson. Undefeated Strikeforce welterweight contender Tyron Woodley is also one of their top prospects and has just opened up an ATT affiliate in St. Louis.
They have also produced current Bellator middleweight title-holder Hector Lombard, Bellator Season 5 welterweight tournament finalist Ben Saunders, as well as the man who defeated him, Douglas Lima. Furthermore, Antonio Silva, Brian Bowles, Denis Kang, and Thiago Silva are a few others who train with American Top Team.
Due to the poor economy American Top team has come up with a program designed to help younger fighters receive the proper instruction they deserve without breaking the bank. In a press release sent to Fighters.com from ATT general manager Richie Guerriero it appears the school has reduced their management/training fee to 5%. Here are the specifics of the offer:
“Please be advised that American Top Team is changing the rates it charges for management and training. The prior rates of 20% for management/training and 10% for training only are being replaced by a flat fee of only 5%. The 5% covers both management and training. If a fighter has his own management, the fee is still 5% for training. Each month, the 5% will be paid out to the staff at the gym. Everyone who works at the gym, from coaches to front desk personnel, will share in the 5%.
We are making this change for a couple of reasons. The obvious reason is to help our fighters by allowing them to keep more of the money they earn. Next, this change will help all those who work at the gym and do so much behind the scenes to make our team successful by giving them a monthly bonus equal to the 5%.”
While ATT may not get the attention that Jackson Submission Fighting or American Kickboxing Academy gets they can still offer the same high quality training in all of the necessary disciplines. Their boxing coach Howard Davis is a 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist in Boxing. Liborio is a 1996 BJJ World (Mundial) Champion. The list goes on and on. Add all that to the many top mixed martial artists one would get to train with on a daily basis choosing ATT would be a wise decision.
For more information on American Top Team please visit their website at www.americantopteam.com or check them out on Twitter (@AmericanTopTeam).
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Posted in: fighter, team, training, american, fee
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC fighter Matt Hughes has a message for the 'idiots' at PETA
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, matt, idiot, mattyblayze
Read the full article at RedditLiverKick.com Exclusive Miran Fabjan Interview
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
We sat down with Miran "Rocky" Fabjan, a fighter in the underappreciated weight range around 80kg. Miran is nipping at the heels of breaking into the Top 10 at Light Heavyweight. For the better part of his career, Miran has fought in Slovenia for WFC, where he's made a name for himself. He's looking to make a name for himself internationally in 2012, as he enters the 2012 Tatneft Cup, which features some of the best Light Heavyweight fighters in the world. We talked to Miran about a plethora of subjects, including his background as a fighter and the popularity of kickboxing.
Liverkick: To the people who don't know you, introduce yourself and tell us about your fighting background.
Miran: I am Miran Fabjan. I am a 26 year old fighter from Slovenia. I started training Muay Thai at Yaksha Combat Team at 19 years old. After one year I moved - The first event I had seen was (Giorgio) Petrosyan vs. Tavelek. And I was so impressed with Petrosyan and I watched him everywhere he fought. And he trains like 30 minutes away from my house and after one year of training at Yaksha I spent three years training with Petrosyan with Alfio Romanut. I did like 9 fights after for that gym and then I moved back to Yaksha Combat Team where I startedto train again with my first trainer. But I keep a very good relationship with Petrosyan. Now I started to do professional fights and I hope it will continue this way.
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Posted in: fighter, year, petrosyan, miran, fabjan
Read the full article at Middle EasyIn Strikeforce, Even Champs Face Difficult Questions in Confusing Times
Filed under: StrikeforceYou can't exactly call Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold and former light heavyweight champ Mo Lawal disgruntled, but neither can you call them satisfied. As they sat down alongside Strikeforce's Scott Coker for a little pre-fight Q&A with media members in Las Vegas last week, they did not seem like men who were thrilled about the state of their careers.
Instead, they seemed more like people who were making the best of a bad situation. They were dealing with it. They were getting by. They didn't have much choice.
It's a tough time to be a Strikeforce fighter. If you complain too loudly about being stuck in Zuffa's second-tier organization, you risk the wrath of an upper management that is still trying to pretend that it's a first-tier organization. If you stay too quiet, you risk becoming the closed mouth that never gets fed a top contender.
As Rockhold put it when he made the case for bringing some UFC fighters over to compete in Strikeforce: "You don't want to get distracted from what you're doing, but you've got to try and build those fights and let people know that we're legit."
Especially when you examine the alternatives, you have to admit that he has a point.
Take Rockhold's current situation, for example. He's the new 185-pound champ after taking the belt from Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in front of a depressingly small crowd in Cincinnati this past fall. Now, for his first title defense, he gets journeyman fighter and UFC castoff Keith Jardine in a January 7 bout that will mark Jardine's debut at 185 pounds. If Rockhold does nothing -- if he plays the role of the quiet company man and acts like he's happy to be taking a fight that can do almost nothing positive for his career at this point -- where will that leave him?
When talking to reporters, Rockhold did his best to put a positive spin on the match-up, but even he had to admit that it was "far-fetched."
"I was definitely just dumbfounded by that one," Rockhold said. "It didn't make much sense. But I started to think about it outside of the box a little bit, and this is my first main event. He does have a big name, so it brings some name value to the card, and it'll bring some eyes and some ears to the card. Me beating him will show me to the rest of the public."
That is, if the public is watching. The last time Rockhold fought was at the "Barnett vs. Kharitonov" event in September, which even Coker said was "something that I would say is below what would be acceptable for our standards" as far as the live gate went. The event featured a night full of great fights, but both Showtime and Zuffa took a hands-off approach to promoting it, resulting in a dismal rating on the TV side and an embarrassing live crowd.
Most fighters will tell you that stuff like low ratings and empty seats don't bother them; they're simply there to fight and win. But then, most fighters feel compelled to lie about things like that, if only to avoid making their employers look bad. One fighter who rarely feels such an obligation is "King" Mo, who also notched a victory on that same fight card in Cincinnati, and who has never shied away from some real talk.
"When I fought for the belt on CBS I thought, okay, people are going to be watching," Lawal said. "When [Rockhold] was fighting 'Jacare' people didn't give him a chance, but I thought it may be the perfect time to promote this fight, as well as Daniel Cormier and the guys in the heavyweight tournament, so the world could see the talent we have in Strikeforce and they could see my boys at AKA do some work. When I saw the arena I was like, man, this is a joke. I was kind of mad."
Maybe anger is the only rational response. After all, the fighters at or near the top of the Strikeforce organization are elite, proven athletes. If guys like Rockhold and Lawal were free agents whose contracts had just expired in an organization Zuffa didn't already own, you better believe the UFC would be eager to snatch them up and inject some new blood into the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. But because Zuffa has a contract with Showtime -- and because Showtime seems to want to continue airing Strikeforce, though without putting significantly more effort into making it a success -- some quality fighters are stuck playing to smaller crowds and taking on lesser-known opponents.
Coker -- ever the optimist when it comes to the brand he built from the ground up -- stressed the benefits that Showtime's free preview weekend could bring to this card, noting, "Instead of being in 20 million homes...you're going to be in 70 or 75 million homes."
Then again, with a 10 p.m. ET start time on Saturday, you're also going up against the end of the Lions-Saints NFL playoff game that starts at 8 p.m. ET. You're also sandwiched between a UFC pay-per-view and frantic streak of UFC events that runs all the way through January and February before pausing for a breath. If you're an MMA fan -- even a hardcore fan who knows enough to know why Rockhold-Jardine is an odd pairing for a main event title fight -- you're probably more likely to sit out a Strikeforce event than you are to miss Carlos Condit-Nick Diaz or the UFC on FOX.
This is just one of many problems for Strikeforce fighters. As the UFC cranks up the dial on its own events schedule from 'intense' to 'insane,' something's got to give. It's only reasonable that Strikeforce would be the first to get thrown overboard when resources get scarce. The top fighters will quickly run out of top opponents, and the public will continue to regard the UFC champs as the de facto MMA champs. Meanwhile, all Rockhold can do is beg for the UFC to send him a contender and let him prove himself, but without annoying the powers that be in the process.
"All the top ten guys or whatever are in the UFC," Rockhold said. "I'd love to see some of the guys jump over, because I don't think we get enough credit in Strikeforce. I think we've got 'Jacare,' me, and [Tim] Kennedy -- I think all three of us can beat anybody in the top ten. I think if they want to build Strikeforce...a huge thing would be to bring over a top contender from the UFC and throw him in the mix here with all of us."
Of course, when you pan over to Coker for his response on the likelihood of any of that happening, you get an answer that tells you everything you need to know: "You have to talk to Dana about that one."
And Uncle Dana, if you haven't noticed, is sort of busy with this whole UFC thing at the moment. Strikeforce fighters? They can leave a message at the beep. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, fighter, event, rockhold
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseA day in the life of UFC 142 fighter Vitor Belfort.HT: UFC
A day in the life of UFC 142 fighter Vitor Belfort.
HT: UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, life, vitor, ht
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 141 Medical Suspensions; Several Stretch up to Six Months
Several fighters could be out for six months or more following Friday night's UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem in Las Vegas.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, month, lesnar, friday
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTitle Writing: Mopping the Mats 5 "UFC 141"
This post edited and promoted to the front page by Cory Braiterman
Hello,
Mopping the Mats is a weekly Monday feature meant to wrap up the weekend that was in Mixed Martial Arts. Due to the holiday it's coming out on a Tuesday this week. Last week I made a few predictions for 2012. This past weekend featured the final UFC show of 2011 along with the annual Dynamite!! Japanese New Year show put on by Dream. I have to admit that I didn't watch the Dynamite show but I checked out a couple of the bigger fights on the card, including Fedor's second consecutive victory since suffering three straight defeats, so I'll have a few words to say about that.
THE EVENT: UFC 141
I felt the final card of the year was a little bit undervalued going into the show and after it was all said and done with I'm confident I was right. It was one of the better main cards of the year, with three quick knockouts and two decisions: a one-sided beat down and a high paced striking battle. The undercard also contained some good action, although it was more about who won then how they went about doing it. Overall the card cleared up a few questions that sat at the top of welterweight, lightweight and heavyweight divisions and revealed potential contenders in the featherweight and light heavyweight divisions.
THE RESULTS: Overeem arrives in America at the expense of Brock Lesnar.
The biggest story after the event was the retirement of Brock Lesnar, who announced that he would no longer be competing inside the Octagon immediately after being knocked out of the main event by a kick to the liver from Overeem. There has been a lot of good writing about Lesnar and his mixed martial arts career around SB Nation and I would encourage you to check out some of it:
Ben Thapa looks at failure in sports and the public response.
Brent Brookhouse asks if Brock is the Ultimate Quitter
MostDiabolicalHater pays tribute to Lesnar here at Head Kick
Among many other good articles those were my favorites from the weekend. As for my own experience with Lesnar, I must admit that I was interested in the UFC but not nearly as much until Lesnar arrived. I didn't really know who he was before he stepped into the cage at UFC 81, I just knew his name as a pro wrestler. I was intrigued by the reaction of a number of my co-workers at the time, who were positively giddy about Lesnar coming into real fighting. They all expected him to lose badly to Frank Mir and while he did lose in less than two minutes, it was surely not the way anyone expected it to go. From that point on it was destination television whenever Lesnar had a bout. He brought a lot of eyes to the cage and, due to his one dimensional skill set, while he never completely succeeded in making the transition from promotional star to a legitimate combat superstar he is leaving the sport in a better position than it was. That should be his legacy.
As for Alistair Overeem, I can't help but feel like we aren't fully appreciating him for what he is just yet. Brock's penultimate battle with Cain Velasquez was a fight. Brock came out like a freight train, Cain withstood the onslaught, they traded strikes and then takedowns and up until Brock whirligigged around the cage you weren't sure who was going to come out on top. Contrast that to his final contest, which didn't look much in doubt from the start. Lesnar looked timid and never fully committed to a takedown attempt; Overeem looked calm and ready for whatever came his way. He shrugged off the only takedown Brock would latch on to. He easily avoided the only real power punch Brock attempted, the same long, straight right that dropped Heath Herring. He bullied Brock against the cage and landed a trio of devastating knees before the telling body kick. If you've ever watched THE REEM documentary, you would be familiar with the sight of a hulking Alistair standing over a prone sparring partner; the image in the cage on Friday night could have been straight out of his training footage. Joe Rogan called Overeem the most technical striker in the heavyweight division, by far. He is also the most powerful. To finish Brock Lesnar in the fashion that he did was very impressive, whether Brock was fully invested in the fight or not. Alas, I feel he won't truly get his due unless he beats Junior Dos Santos, which isn't really fair. Overeem should be recognized now as one of the great heavyweights in combat sports history.
Across the globe, in Japan, another of the great heavyweights of all time made quick work of his opponent as well. Fedor Emilianenko defeated Satoshi Ishii in 2:29, looking like the changes to his fighting style that he showed against Jeff Monson were here to stay. Fedor was measured in his approach, using leg kicks and single shots to soften Ishii up until he was able to land a nice three punch combo that finished the fight. Ishii has less MMA experience than Brock Lesnar, so excitement about this victory should be muted. That being said, it's been refreshing to see Fedor use his cerebral skills in these last two bouts. During his three fight losing streak he looked like the game had passed him by. He was using the same strategy that had worked for years against fighters who just weren't at his level: Come out throwing hay-makers and when one inevitably landed, finish the fight. Fabricio Werdum showed him you couldn't just dive headlong into guard these days while Dan Henderson reminded him that the elite fighters are as quick as he is and have just as good of a chin. To his credit, Fedor went back to work, tightened up his technique and reigned himself in. When MMA fighters lose "it", they often lose it quickly and it never comes back. If Fedor could notch a few more wins before riding off in the sunset he would be one of the few greats who didn't go out a loser and it would be yet another indication that he is the greatest fighter of his era.
THE TAKEAWAYS: Diaz, Hendricks, Gustaffson on the rise
Lesnar and his fellow heavyweights dwarfed the rest of the action on the weekend, which actually held quite a bit of relevancy for the top of three divisions. In the most impressive fight of the weekend, Johny Hendricks knocked out Jon Fitch with the first punch he threw. Fitch has long been considered the best welterweight in the world not named Georges St. Pierre. He's also been a fly in the UFC ointment in the form of refusing to fight teammate and fellow contender Josh Koscheck and bringing a fighting style that is at best described as "grinding" and at worst described as "a cure for insomnia". Dana White must have been celebrating inside as Fitch wandered glumly around the cage post fight, wondering what went wrong. Fitch joins Cain Velasquez as the second member of the American Kickboxing Academy to have been knocked out in the first round in their comeback from injury, which has to be discouraging for the camp. Luke Rockhold and King Mo have big fights in Strikeforce this weekend and they are both the favorite. I'm going to be watching closely to see if they can regain some of the momentum they've lost.
As for Hendricks, he joins the ranks of welterweight title contenders at the perfect time. He probably isn't quite in line for a title shot but he's certainly one fight away. I'd like to see him fight the winner of Jake Ellenberger/Diego Sanchez, with a title shot given to the winner.
In the co-main event Nate Diaz, one of my favorite fighters, put on a boxing clinic in his much anticipated fight with Donald Cerrone. No one welcomes animosity towards themselves more than the Diaz brothers. It fits their fighting styles perfectly; they like to get into high paced striking battles which favor their all world cardio. Make your opponent hate you and you are pretty likely to get them to come at you with all the have. If I were Carlos Condit, I would fore go all training, start meditating immediately, and bring the zen to the cage against Nick Diaz at UFC 143. It's boring, but the only way to beat the Diaz brothers is to avoid the drama and wrestle them. Nate is in the title picture now, as I expected he would be after this fight. I like his chances against Frank Edgar much more than his chances against Ben Henderson and if he's not going to get the title I love the style match up against the winner of Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon.
Finally, the last piece of business from last weekend is the rise of Alexander Gustafsson, who is looking he might be the only guy in the 205 pound division who has much of anything for Jon Jones. He would at least be close to even on physical terms with Jones, who has used his length to eviscerate all comers. I say close to even because, despite being slightly taller than Jones, Gustafsson still gives up eight inches in reach. While that doesn't make me like his chances, The Mauler is a great young fighter, the type of guy that we need more of in this division. His victory over Vladimir Matyushenko was exactly the type of performance I like to see from a young fighter facing a gatekeeper. Gain the upper hand early and finish them when the opportunity presents itself. The longer a fight goes, the more it favors an experienced fighter and Gustafsson has shown himself to be a finisher in his last two fights, against Matt Hamill and Matyushenko. I'd like to see him step into the top of the division against Shogun Rua in Sweden, although that might not be something Rua is that interested in.
Overall it was a very appropriate way to wrap up 2011. There was closure on the biggest MMA story of the past few years in Brock Lesnar and at the same time we got a number of glimpses into what the future will hold in 2012.
Thanks for reading. Comments welcome as always!
Posted in: fight, fighter, lesnar, weekend, brock
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendAsian MMA Update: Rolles Gracie vs. Bob Sapp, Laursen vs. Enomoto, Among 5 Bouts Added to ONE FC 2
On February 11th, ONE Fighting Championship hosts their second event in Jakarta, Indonesia. The promotion is expected to announce all the fights soon, but the card is already shaping up with various outlets announcing several bouts on the card:
Rolles Gracie vs. Bob Sapp: I think it's safe to say that these are probably the two most recognizable names on the card for American fans. The UFC veteran in Gracie tweeted the news yesterday, saying that he has just signed the contract for the "biggest" fight of his career against the 340 lb. former PRIDE and K-1 star, Bob Sapp.Sapp (11-9), who was a very popular personality in Japan, hasn't exactly enjoyed much success in MMA recently, and has lost his last 3 bouts. Rolles on the other hand, is 5-1 on his MMA career, and has won his last two bouts since losing his UFC debut against Joey Beltran back at UFC 109.
Ole Laursen vs. Felipe Enomoto: The #8 Ranked Lightweight on the 2011 World MMA Scouting Report, Ole Laursen (5-2), was supposed to headline this card against Bernardo Magalhaes, until the Australian CFC champ pulled out due to injury. Now, according to Tiger Muay Thai, the popular Danish-Filipino fighter is set to take on fellow striker Felipe Enomoto (5-3).Felipe has faced the likes of Akira Corassani and Rich Clementi, and is the younger brother of M-1 Champ, and SRC contender, Yasubey Enomoto.
Gustavo Falciroli vs. Soo Chul Kim: This bantamweight bout was announced on MMA Mania, and it features CFC champion and highly regarded prospect, Gustavo Falciroli (11-3-2), who is a 2nd degree BJJ blackbelt and is one of the best fighters coming out of the Australian promotion. He takes on a very durable and well rounded fighter in Kim, who had a very gritty performance on his ONE FC fight against BJJ champ, Leandro Issa.
Rustam Khabilov vs. Rodrigo Ribeiro: Also announced on MMA Mania, this features a bout between a 25-year-old Russian prospect in Khabilov, and a 3rd degree BJJ blackbelt and Evolve MMA product in Riberio.
Alex Silva vs. Geje Eustaquio: According to MMAOrient, this is a huge possiblity for the card as well. Silva (1-0) is a BJJ champion from Evolve MMA who made a successful MMA debut at DARE last September, while Eustaquio (2-1) is a Wushu-based fighter from Team Lakay, who last fought at PXC 28.
Also rumored as competitors for the event are Igor Gracie and Deep Welterweight Champion, Yuya Shirai.
Former boxing champ, Yodsanan Sityodtong and URCC Champion, Kevin Belingon were earlier announced to be participants for the event, but sources have informed us that both fighters have been pulled off the card due to injuries.
So far those are the 5 bouts rumored and reported on for the upcoming ONE FC 2 card in Jakarta, Indonesia. There are probably going to more news on the card this week, so as always, follow me on twitter and keep it here on BloodyElbow.com.
Posted in: mma, fighter, bout, vs, card
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow2012 World MMA Lightweight Scouting Report: #1 – Fabricio Guerreiro
Name:
Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva
Nickname:
Guerreiro
Age:
< 30
Height:
5'10"
Location:
Santana, Amapa, Brazil
Closing out the 2012 World MMA Lightweight Scouting Report, Brazil's Fabricio Guerreiro (12-1) tops our list as the #1 prospect on this year's countdown. The Amapa native has amassed a 12-1 record over the course of a three-year career in the sport. His current three-fight winning streak hasn't featured the strongest competition, but Guerreiro did finish worthy veterans Adson Nascimento, Rafael Bastos, and Joao Paulo Rodrigues de Souza in previous encounters. Those three fighters alone boasted a combined record of 93-38-4. Guerreiro's lone loss came against Rafael Bastos at W-Combat 14 in July. The outcome was, however, marred by the referee's decision to stop the fight prematurely, thus a rematch was scheduled a little over a month later at King of Combat. As expected, Guerreiro shined in front of an enormous crowd of supporters, submitting Bastos via arm-triangle choke in the third round. Guerreiro's appeal stems from his well-rounded skill-set and ability to put opponents away. In thirteen career bouts, Guerreiro has finished all but three, usually putting away his opponents within the first five or ten minutes of the fight. He has an incredibly slick Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu base that's supported by a strong foundation in traditional Judo, and his striking is brutally effective. Incredibly, Guerreiro has learned all of these skills while remaining in the remote northern region of Brazil known as Amapa. While the region does have its own growing MMA scene, it's similar to that of Mossoro in that it doesn't have all of the luxuries that larger metropolitan areas can offer fighters. Guerreiro learned how to strike by picking up bits and pieces of technique from teachers and teammates, similarly to how bantamweight prospect Leandro Higo was able to learn. Furthermore, Guerreiro's gym, the Ronildo Nobre Judo Club, is, in fact, a Judo academy that focuses on Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Guerreiro, under the tutelage of Nobre, has won multiple regional championships in both martial arts, but he's found the knack for knocking out his opposition with brutal ground and pound and speedy, powerful punches on the feet. It's surprising considering the lack of high-level training at his disposal in the striking department. Among our top five, there are fighters who have glaring weaknesses that they need to work on, but Guerreiro stands out as one of the most well-rounded among all of our rankees. His technique needs some additional work, but his skill-set boasts all of the weapons we like to see from a top-tier fighter. It's a ballsy pick on our part when stacked up against Alessandro Ferreira, but we're confident Guerreiro will prove his worth in 2012.
Check out video footage of Fabricio Guerreiro after the jump...
FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight
#1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz
#1 - Hacran Dias#2 - Joey Gambino#3 - Brandon Bender#4 - Lance Palmer #5 - Jim Alers#6 - Anthony Gutierrez#7 - Max Holloway#8 - John Teixeira#9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins
#1 - Fabricio Guerreiro#2 - Alessandro Ferreira#3 - Adriano Martins#4 - Justin Salas#5 - Neilson Gomes#6 - Eduard Folayang#7 - Zorobabel Moreira#8 - Anton Kuivanen#9 - Jordan Rinaldi#10 - J.P. Vainikainen
WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight
#1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Joao Paulo Santos de MeloEquinocio Fight - November 26, 2011
Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Rafael BastosKing of Combat - August 20, 2011
Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Adson NascimentoIron Man Vale Tudo 22 - June 19, 2011
Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Eliel 'Topete Dourado' dos Santos e SantosW-Combat 3 - July 3, 2010
Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Carlos AugustoUltimate Finus Fighting 2 - January 15, 2011
Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Billy MendigoEvolution 3 - July 4, 2009
Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Tibucha
Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Bruce
Posted in: fighter, vs, fabricio, judo, guerreiro
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDennis Siver eyes the move down to Featherweight in 2012
According to MMAFighting.com, UFC Lightweight contender Dennis Siver will move down in weight classes to Featherweights, with sights on a title run in 2012.
"Former lightweight contender Dennis Siver is planning a move to featherweight in 2012, sources close to the fighter confirmed with MMAFighting.com. No word just yet on when the German fighter will make his debut in the 145-pound weight class."
The Russian-German fighter is currently 19-8 in his Mixed Martial Arts campaign, making his Ultimate
Posted in: fighter, featherweight, weight classes, siver, denni
Read the full article at Low KickThe Legacy of Brock Lesnar
For a fighter with a 5-3 record, Brock Lesnar's legacy will always be remembered as something special to the history of mixed martial arts and the UFC.
Posted in: fighter, brock lesnar, lesnar, brock, legacy
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTen Best - 2011 Import of the Year
2011 was a pivotal year in the history of the UFC, as it was when fighters from the Zuffa-owned WEC, and later Strikeforce, organizations began cementing their place in the Octagon. So when it came time to put together the 2011 slate of awards, it was almost unfair to put true Octagon rookies in with those who came over to the UFC after fully-established careers in the WEC or Strikeforce. In response, for the first (and likely last) time, we’re instituting the unofficial Import of the Year award for those standouts who may have debuted in the UFC in 2011, but who had already begun building their championship level resumes in two other top level promotions.10 (tie) – Danny CastilloIt was disappointing to hear boos greet Danny Castillo’s split decision win over Anthony Njokuani at UFC 141 last Saturday night, because if anyone deserved an ovation for his 2011 efforts, it’s “Last Call,” who stepped up to the plate four times, impressively defeating Joe Stevenson and Shamar Bailey and eking out a close one over Njokuani, with the only blemish being an August loss to Jacob Volkmann. So let this be an unofficial round of applause for Castillo, a fighter who has earned himself a nice little vacation.10 (tie) – Alistair OvereemIt’s always a tough call putting in a fighter with just one UFC fight under his belt into these lists, but former Strikeforce, Dream, and K-1 champion earned his stripes in just two minutes and 26 seconds, as he blasted out former UFC champ Brock Lesnar in last Saturday’s UFC 141 main event. “The Reem,” besieged by a break with his management company and longtime gym, as well as his mother’s illness, put everything aside for one night and delivered on the sport’s biggest stage. In the process, he earned a shot at Junior dos Santos’ heavyweight crown, already making 2012 a year to look forward to.9 – Chad MendesUnbeaten in a weight class where it’s difficult to get any win, let alone avoid a loss, Chad Mendes has been “Money” thus far in his career, using an unstoppable ground attack to sail to the top of the featherweight division. In 2011, he followed up his 4-0 stint in the WEC with victories over Michihiro Omigawa and Rani Yahya, and if he can keep his streak going by defeating Jose Aldo for the featherweight title on January 14th in the main event of UFC 142, he will become a frontrunner for 2012 Fighter of the Year honors.8 – Michael McDonaldCurrently the youngest fighter in the UFC, 20-year old Michael McDonald may eventually turn into the best 135-pounder in the organization if he keeps on the track he’s currently on. McDonald debuted in the Octagon in March with a Fight of the Night decision win over Edwin Figueroa that was notable for McDonald’s offensive variety and Figueroa’s resilience after nearly being finished numerous times during the bout. In May, McDonald won his second UFC bout, as he decisioned tough Chris Cariaso, and he finished up the year with a Knockout of the Night victory over Alex Soto in November. With his youthful energy, aggressive style, and well-rounded skills, his potential is almost limitless.7 – Dustin PoirierAnyone who watched Dustin Poirier’s final WEC fight, a 53 second blitz of Zack Micklewright in November of 2010, knew that the Louisiana kid was a certified blue chip prospect. But raise your hand if you thought that he would blow through fellow phenom Josh Grispi at UFC 125 in January. Thought so. But that’s just what he did, scoring a dominant three round decision win in a bout that was as one-sided as you can get without a knockout being scored. In June, “The Diamond” made it two in a row in the Octagon with a decision victory over highly-regarded Brit Jason Young, and he showed even more polish in a UFC on FOX submission of fellow prospect Pablo Garza. Expect big things from Poirier in 2012.6 – Chan Sung JungAfter his classic 2010 brawl with Leonard Garcia and his subsequent knockout loss to George Roop, Chan Sung Jung promised to show more dimensions to his game in 2011. And did he ever, putting his all offense / no defense “Korean Zombie” style to the side but still bringing the fireworks, as he pulled off the first Twister submission in UFC history against Garcia in their March rematch and then knocking out Mark Hominick in just seven seconds in December. What can the “Zombie” do for an encore? We can’t wait to find out.5 – Urijah FaberFormer WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber’s bantamweight experiment continued to prove to be a successful one in 2011, as he sandwiched solid wins over Eddie Wineland and Brian Bowles with a razor-thin decision loss to Dominick Cruz in their July title fight. The action-packed bout has prompted a 2012 rubber match that will be preceded by a coaching assignment for both on season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter. It’s the perfect vehicle to not only build anticipation for their third bout, but to introduce the uninitiated to what top level bantamweights bring to the Octagon night in and not out.4 – Donald CerroneUnlike baseball, numbers don’t often tell the story of a fighter’s performance in the Octagon. But when it comes to Donald Cerrone, all you need to look at to describe his 2011 UFC campaign is the fact that he fought five times, won four, and brought home four post-fight awards. And though he’ll probably point to his Fight of the Night win over Paul Kelly, KO of the Night over Charles Oliveira, and Submission of the Night over Dennis Siver as the highlights (and let’s not forget his decision win over Vagner Rocha), for fight fans, his year-ending loss to Nate Diaz in yet another Fight of the Night may be the indelible image of 2011’s final fight card.3 – Benson HendersonIn December of 2010, it was expected that then-WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson was going to beat Anthony Pettis in the final WEC event and then go on to a UFC title fight. It didn’t happen that way and after losing to Pettis, “Smooth” scored a workmanlike decision win over Mark Bocek in his Octagon debut at UFC 129. But then Henderson kicked into gear, and with back-to-back wins over Jim Miller and Clay Guida that captivated the fight world, he earned his 2012 title shot against UFC lightweight boss Frankie Edgar, and he did it the only way we expect things to be done by the Arizonan – in exciting fashion.2 – Jose AldoAlready a WEC champion at 145 pounds and a member of the mythical pound-for-pound club, Jose Aldo picked up where he left off in the UFC, scoring a hard-fought five round win over Mark Hominick at UFC 129 in April and then turning back the challenge of Kenny Florian at UFC 137 in October. That’s ten rounds of action against world-class opposition, and while he hasn’t been blasting out foes the way he did in the blue cage, he showed more facets of his game in both UFC bouts, making him an even more complex puzzle for challengers to figure out in 2012 and beyond.1 – Dominick CruzIf you look down at the list of top bantamweight contenders, UFC champion Dominick Cruz has defeated most of them, and in 2011, he introduced himself to UFC fans with two more stellar performances, evening the score with Urijah Faber in their July rematch and then turning back the challenge of talented Demetrious Johnson three months later. With his fellow Ultimate Fighter 15 coach Faber waiting in the wings for a third bout, and Brazil’s Renan Barao knocking on the door, Cruz is likely to have a busy 2012, but that’s the way “The Dominator” likes it.Honorable Mention - Ricardo Lamas, Scott Jorgensen, Renan Barao, Joseph Benavidez, Cung Le, Demetrious Johnson, Diego Nunes, Miguel Torres, Erik Koch, Anthony Njokuani, Anthony Pettis, Bart Palaszewski, Yves Jabouin, Chris Cariaso
Posted in: ufc, fight, night, fighter, decision
Read the full article at UFCUFC making inroads in China one fighter at a time (Yahoo! Sports)
Training Chinese MMA talent in Las Vegas is a first step at educating a country of 1.3 billion people.
Posted in: fighter, las vegas, training, la, chinese
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsDennis Siver Dropping to Featherweight
A loss or two are apparently good motivation to drop a few pounds. UFC fighter Dennis Siver, who has competed as a lightweight for his entire 27-fight career, will apparently be moving down for his next bout. MMA Fighting has the info:
Former lightweight contender Dennis Siver is planning a move to featherweight in 2012, sources close to the fighter confirmed with MMAFighting.com. No word just yet on when the 19-8 German fighter will make his debut in the 145-pound weight class.
Siver had won four fights in a row going into UFC 137, and was considered to be a contender in the division. Unfortunately for him, he was TKO'd in the first round of his bout with Donald Cerrone and was forced to go back to the drawing board. He joins a long list of long-time 155'ers that have decided to drop to featherweight lately, including Tyson Griffin, Cole Miller, and Bart Palaszewski.
Posted in: fighter, featherweight, donald cerrone, siver, denni
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowULTMMA Best of 2011-Dot Com features, interviews and breaking news
Spider Bites: MMA pound for pound king Anderson Silva reacts to Jon Jones UFC 128 win & remains mum on possibility of super-fightsIn March, ULTMMA.com had the unique opportunity to watch the UFC 128 pay per view with current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (31-4). Silva's perspective on Jon Jones (15-1) championship performance versus Mauricio Rua (20-6) provided great insight into how fighters view their peers. NBA dreams and MMA heavyweight aspirations- an interview with Walt HarrisCollege basketball player turned MMA heavyweight prospect Walt Harris (7-2) finished 2011 with three first round wins. In the always fragile state of the MMA heavyweight division, Harris' entry into the sport makes him a big man prospect to watch in 2012. Loyalty and potential - An interview with bantamweight prospect Mike EastonBantamweight prospect Mike Easton's (11-1) flirtation with the major leagues of MMA was fulfilled in 2011. Easton signed with the UFC in July and the 27 year old won his debut with the promotion in October. NWCA All-Star Classic notebook: Anthony Robles interview, C.B Dollaway update and other college wrestling newsThe NWCA All-Star Classic is the premier preseason college wrestling event. Among notable amateur wrestlers that have competed at the All-Star Classic over past few years include MMA notables Ben Askren, Phil Davis and "King Mo" Muhammed Lawal. "So I was Scared." Dos Santos and MMA Own Their On Fox MomentThe UFC's television with the Fox broadcasting company was by far the biggest story of 2011. The seven year deal began in November with a card in California, where heavyweight Junior Dos Santos (14-1) became first UFC star on network television. ULTMMA Podcast Episode 5: A interview with Ultimate Fighter 14 star John Dodson of Jackson's MMAUndiscovered bantamweight star John Dodson (12-5) ran through the season 14 of the Ultimate Fighter. A longtime member of Jackson's MMA in New Mexico, Dodson gave a very candid interview in episode five of the ULTMMA Show. 2011 NCAA champion Bubba Jenkins set to make MMA debut at Tachi Palace Fights 11Several months after capturing a NCAA championship for the Arizona State Sun Devils, prospect Bubba Jenkins (1-0) booked his MMA debut. ULTMMA.com broke the news of Jenkins, a four star prospect, first fight for California's Tachi Palace Fights. From barnyard Toughman scraps to the Bellator cage- An interview with Kenny FosterAfter Kenny Foster's (9-4) upset of decorated NCAA wrestler Eric Larkin (3-1) the New Yorker's story came to light as he advanced in the Bellator 145 pound tournament. A key member of the Team Bomb Squad gym Foster's back story into the Bellator cage goes slightly off the beaten path. Who is Jacob DeVree? Arizona featherweight is ready for Bellator tourney spotlightA seven fight win streak earned Arizona featherweight Jacob DeVree a slot in Bellator's summer tournament. The 24 year old out of Power MMA remains one of the rising stars to come out of the Gilbert, AZ based gym.Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission suspends 11 fighters and one trainer in phony blood work scandalIn one of the more odd regional MMA stories of 2011 a nearly dozen Georgia amateur and pro fighters were busted for falsified blood work. The scandal set a dangerous precedent for the already under regulated game of performance enhancing drugs on the regional MMA scene across the United States. A breakdown of the ULTMMA50 2011 & a look at the 50 best unsigned prospects in MMAThe 2011 edition of the ULTMMA50 was published in April 2011. The top 50 snap shot in time takes a look at which unsigned prospects are inches away from the big show as well as which fighters have the potential to graduate to the national scene one day.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, prospect, interview
Read the full article at UltMMAMMA Quick Quote: Fedor Emelianenko is a bus-hogging diva
"Thanks to all who watched our 9 HOUR live DREAM show! It was FUN!!! BTW Fedor is SUCH a DIVA! Other fighters & us sat on bus for about 90 min after show because Fedor apparently needs a bus all to himself! Even Bibi Fernandes and his team were booted off the second bus because 'that is Fedor's bus,' mind you these are like 70 seat tour buses! Seriously, it was just plain RUDE. Fighters want to get to their hotel we ALL HAD TO WAIT & Bibi had to clear off the Fedor bus. If greats like Hoost, JLB, Sefo, Schilt, Hunt, Hug, Aerts etc can all bus share, Fedor can too. Fancy booting Bibi Fernandes & his team off ONE BUS and onto the other more crowded one. Dude just won the B/W GP! #rude Not to mention sitting there for 90 mins on a bus at 1230am waiting, waiting, waiting... I get the 'special treatment' thing but hey, hire a small private van or a limousine, I'v seen that done before. Don't keep others waiting. Sucked that I had to wait but more so guys who had fought their hearts out -- Bibi, Banuelos, Saadulaev etc waiting 90 min! No hate, I love Fedor's style of fighting, huge fan, just saying the diva bus demand was harsh on other fighters waiting to go. Trouble is that management reflects on their clients, hence this reflects on Fedor."
Step aside, peasants, and make way for the mighty Russian "Emperor," who commands a 70-seat tour bus all to himself. DREAM play-by-play man Michael Schiavello vents his frustration on Twitter after Fedor Emelianenko created a parking lot log jam outside the Saitama Super Arena following his New Year's Eve knockout over Satoshi Ishii. While fighters participating in the "Genki Desu Ka!!" supershow were quick to defend the former PRIDE champ, "The Voice" contends that even if M-1 Global was behind the tour bus takeover, it still reflects poorly on the one-time WAMMA jamma. Anyone think Fedor had the last laugh? Or just cruised out of Japan completely indifferent to the woes of the common man?
Posted in: fighter, fedor, fedor emelianenko, bus, bibi
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBest of the Best: The 2011 MMA Awards
2011 is officially in the books! It was an extremely memorable year in the MMA world filled with fantastic fights, ascending superstars, and major stories such as the UFC buying Strikeforce or signing a deal with FOX.
Today we’ll look back at the past twelve months to re-live a few of the highlights by naming Fighters.com’s “Best of the Best” from 2011. In some cases you may not agree with our choices but bear in mind that is simply testament to how incredible the year was, not a matter of being right or wrong.
- Biggest Story of the Year -
UFC-FOX: It was only a matter of time before the UFC signed a deal with a network but the scale of their agreement with FOX could only have been dreamt of. With multiple live shows expected to air on FOX, Fuel, and FX, as well as live Ultimate Fighter match-ups, the next few years look extraordinarily bright for MMA.
- Biggest Disappointment of the Year -
UFC’s Handling of Strikeforce: When the UFC bought Strikeforce it was unexpected and extremely exciting. However, after being promised “business as usual”, the UFC signed away most of Strikeforce’s stars and did little to promote the organization as a whole. Instead of either creating a competitive league or feeder promotion Zuffa let Strikeforce die on the vine.
- Knockout of the Year -
Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry: Sure, Johny Hendricks made a late run at the honor by finishing off Jon Fitch, plus there was also the front-kick mastery of Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva to consider, but for our money Kongo’s KO of Barry at UFC Live 4 was the cream of the crop. Barry had put Kongo on downhill path to Dream Street twice in the opening minutes of action only to get caught, the crash to the canvas in a creepy eyes-wide-open ending.
- Submission of the Year -
Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: This was an epic finish for a few reasons. First, Nogueira had never been tapped out before and was seen as being the heavyweight division’s BJJ king. Secondly, Mir pulled off his Kimura after being on the cusp of defeat courtesy of Nogueira’s crisp, powerful striking. Finally, he snapped his arm like a twig, and though it was not a highlight I’d watch repeatedly there’s something to be said about the brutal nature of a “tap or snap” scenario.
- Fight of the Year -
Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua: Few and far between are the remaining match-ups involving decorated champions with a decade of success behind them who are in the same weight class and never crossed paths. However, in the case of Henderson-Rua fans were witness to just that and it delivered beyond the expectations of many. The PRIDE/UFC legends locked horns for twenty-five minutes, battling back and forth with each nearly seeing his night end thanks to the other’s abilities. It was every bit as epic as the participants themselves and easily 2011’s crown jewel where fights are concerned.
Honorable Mention: Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez was every bit as fantastic but lacked the historical significance.
- Female Fighter of the Year -
Ronda Rousey: Though it could be argued Rousey won this award by default since Miesha Tate and Cristiane Santos only fought a single time in 2011, Rousey is certainly deserving of the honor as a rising star who went 4-0 with four first-round finishes. Her Olympic background in judo coupled with a ferocious appetite for Armbars have made for a dangerous combination, while her personality and looks have earned her a spot as one of the most popular fighters, male or female, of the year’s latter half.
- Male Fighter of the Year -
Jon Jones: Not only did no other fighter come close to having the year Jones did but we aren’t sure any in history has. “Bones” beat four opponents including three former UFC champions (Quinton Jackson, Machida, Rua) and one then-undefeated contender named Ryan Bader. Furthermore he dominated all four fights, becoming the first person to finish “Rampage” in more than five years, as well as the first ever to stop “Shogun” with strikes and tap out Machida.
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Posted in: ufc, fight, strikeforce, fighter, year
Read the full article at Fighters.comMMAjunkie.com reader poll: Who is the 2011 Fighter of the Year?
Each year MMA pundits and media sources reflect on the previous 12
months of in-cage action and announce the fighter they consider to have
accomplished the most.
MMAjunkie.com decided to instead poll our readers to vote on the fighter
they believe deserves the title of 2011 Fighter of the Year.
Tens of thousands of votes were cast, and as was perhaps was to be
expected, one fighter rose head, shoulders and "Bones" above the
competition.
Posted in: fighter, year, incage action, year tens, head shoulders
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC 141: A Look at Failure in Sports and How the Public Responds
What is failure within a combat sport?
Is it losing in the dying moments of a five round title fight that you spent twenty-four minutes dominating? Is it losing a decision to one of the best in the world? Is it waking up and seeing the referee looking down at you with concern? Is it being forced to accept you no longer have anything to offer at the elite level? Being outpointed by a sparring partner? Missing opportunity after opportunity?
Wherever the goalposts for success are set, it should be clear that there are infinitely more ways to screw up than there are to succeed. A hooking left can land on your chin the instant before yours on his. A bob instead of a weave leaves you in the face of an onrushing shin freighted with bad intentions and terrible velocity. Waiting an instant too long means fighting off a takedown against the cage all round long - instead of implementing your own gameplan. There comes a moment when fighters fail, when their bodies do not respond to commands, when their concentration stutters and sparks or when every decision leaves them further mired into the quicksand that leads to a Loss - one defined by others beyond their own brains and entered into their permanent record.
The way fighters face this dementor-like specter varies - much like our own responses to more mundane failures - becomes an individually unique calculus of physical sensations and emotional attachments to their families, careers, self-belief, combat sports and public/private identity.
The positive response to that idiosyncratic combination is apparently the "heart" that defines champions, the "fuel" that drives a comeback to the top of the mountain and the "noble competitive spirit" that allows athletes to risk Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and other lifelong debilitating ailments for hunks of plated metal and cereal box covers.
The negative response to such things by an athlete prominent in the public eye is somehow ridiculous and something worth heaping every iota of scorn that can be possibly be mustered. A decision to quit, to move on or to say that the rewards are not worth the risks cannot be sane or sporting. We expect our fellows humans to always dig deep and do superhuman things. Not measuring up to that ideal can mean the redaction and rewriting of an athlete's legacy and an opinion rendered: "You were never that good."
The same shit that happened to Ricky Williams is happening to Brock Lesnar. He can't walk away in peace or take the sport on his own terms. The vocal public feels the need to arbitrate that process. Yet, the fighter alone deals with professional and personal success being possible - or even probable - within a few months all disappearing down the gaping void of a Loss at the hands of a better fighter.
All of the other fighters on the UFC 141 card are sitting somewhere and wondering how deep do they have to go within themselves to fix those bad habits or the weakness that lost them the fight. How they bounce back will be a microcosm of how all combat sports athletes deal with failure. How we treat them should reflect how we view failure in our own lives.
The best - and perhaps only - way to improve is by failing. High, loud and repeatedly. Stringing together random syllables until first words are spoken. Tennis racquets whiffing on those fuzzy neon green ovoids. Staring blankly at an electrical engineering diagram. Most of the time, we fail in practice - which for a professional mixed martial arts means tapping out to chokes, getting pinned by better wrestlers or being outpointed by the local stand-up badass. They are able to take these micro-failures, internalize them to learn the lessons taught and move past the negative aspects of not succeeding because the goal posts of success have been moved to the fight night that they are training for. The little failures are the means by which the end is accomplished and the ring or the cage will be the stage where successes and failures are determined by a fighter, by the judges and by the audience at large.
Which is why things get so emotional when someone takes a Loss. What the training leads up to and what Fight Night turns out to be can diverge from one another in a fashion that can really mess with heads. Earlier this year, Randy Couture retired on the spot after Machida sent his tooth flying and his consciousness winging into the Temporary Black Hole of Unexpected Sleep. Matt Hughes, an unquestioned legend in the sport, is taking time off to assess things after Josh Koscheck unceremoniously knocked him out. B.J. Penn, one of the baddest men to ever walk the earth, has no idea when or if he'll return to the cage after Nick Diaz swiped that third round from him.
Only Penn has received anywhere near the criticism Brock Lesnar has gotten and will receive for stating that he wants to walk away from the sport with a 5-3 professional MMA record, a UFC title belt and millions of dollars after being summarily dispatched by Alistair Overeem. It seems that the perceived waste of extraordinary talent is a worse sin of omission than any of the more mundane committed sins by other athletes or public figures. People just can't stand someone not doing as well as they think that person could and if that person walks away from the sport while they're still performing at a high level, the gods help them. The reactions seem to split evenly between complete bemusement or violent backlash. We've seen this elsewhere in sports with Marvin Hagler, Barry Sanders and Ricky Williams.
Hagler retired because Sugar Ray Leonard wouldn't fight him again. The man was 33 years old and probably could have beaten everybody else in the division at the time. But no Sugar Ray fight that year? Marvin was gone. He's never looked back either. Barry Sanders faxed his resignation to the Wichita Times in 1999 and that was that. The most electrifying running back in NFL history stayed home with barely a word said and his health intact. Nobody understood him, but the overall public opinion seemed to settle in a grudging respect for that decision - much like they did with Hagler.
Williams had a far different set of reasons for walking away from football - some of which were drug testing-related - yet he took an unbelievable amount of flak for saying that the sport of American football and the rich financial rewards that went with being a star running back were not worth it anymore for him. Winning a Super Bowl title or being named Most Valuable Player were not the things that Ricky wanted. Williams eventually worked his way back into the NFL, but he did it on his terms and with the creation and refinement of support systems that allowed him to stay happy. He also took an enormous amount of negative public commentary, dealt with constant questioning and probably wished he was good at and famous for something else less close to the hearts of vitriolic fans at least a bajillion times.
Why do the vocal members of the public not learn from these sporting sagas? Why is Lesnar being treated more like Ricky than like Hagler or Sanders? Losing in swift and violent fashion to one of the elite fighters within the heavyweight division should be small cause for shame. Alistair is Sagat personified. Lesnar has had eight fights, with perhaps the hardest string of opponents any MMA fighter has ever attempted - despite Paulo Thiago's best efforts - and he won most of them. Dominated a couple too. If I had the analogous success in my grappling pursuits, I'd be pretty happy. Going 5-3 against people like Marcelo, Leo, Pablo and Kron? I'd take that in a heartbeat, retool and keep trying. But I am not Lesnar. I do not know him. I have not experienced what he has and will go through.
We outsiders do not know the individual calculus Lesnar is using, how much weight he attaches to each and every thing and person in his life. What that math tells him, and tells all the other combat sports athletes taking a break, is something we can only guess - and probably very, very badly - at. Respecting that decision to leave and moving on in a mature fashion yields only benefits.
Let Brock Lesnar walk away in peace.
Maybe he'll come back rested and ready - if the math feels right.
Posted in: fight, fighter, sport, lesnar, failure
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDonald Cerrone: Nate Diaz said he didn't want to do 'any of that gay wrestling sh*t'
Oh, these silly Ultimate Fighters.
Despite Greg Jackson's exhortations between rounds, stubborn "Cowboy," Donald Cerrone, chose to stand directly in front of Nate Diaz for all three rounds of their UFC 141 slobberknocker last night (Dec. 30, 2011) in Las Vegas, Nevada.. At the post-fight press conference, he revealed why.
He could have phrased it a lot better, though.
A battered Cerrone informed the gathered media that Nate Diaz, who has expressed disdain in the past for wrestlers with the gall to do what they needed to to win, didn't want to to "any of that gay wrestling shit".
Oh, boy.
After getting soundly outgrappled by the larger Dong Hyun Kim, Nate told the media that, essentially, he didn't need to work on his wrestling, but the rules needed to stop helping wrestlers. It seems that getting manhandled by Rory MacDonald in his very next fight didn't change his mind.
But what's truly troubling is the adjective he (or possibly Cerrone, depending on whether he added to the quote) used to describe it.
The wrestling aspect of MMA has been described as "gay" for as long as the sport has been around. Fossilized blowhard Bob Arum once berated mixed martial artists for "rolling around on the ground like a bunch of homosexuals," and following UFC lightweight Anthony Njokuani's submission loss to Shane Roller, the Nigerian posted the following message on his Twitter page:
"Roller wants to come out and say that it was easy. I don't think so. Let me be in the right state of mind and will see if its easy, fag. Be a man and stand. We're here to fight not make love."
Njokuani did go on to get knocked clean out standing by Polish banger Maciej Jewtuszko in his next fight, but the karmic retribution wasn't enough to erase the significance of the quote. Michael Bisping has also gone on record saying he "fought like a fag" against Dan Miller and used that word as his go-to insult before his fight against Jorge Rivera.
Perhaps it's just sour apples on the parts of the fighters (considering that both Cerrone and Diaz both go for takedowns when they think they can get them), and I can already hear the fans shaking their heads and telling the media to grow thicker skin, but this is really a legitimate issue.
Like it or not, the UFC is making every effort to become more mainstream; the FOX deal is the major example, but the Twitter bonuses and harsh penalties involved in saying the wrong thing are also indicative of their efforts to become more than a niche sport. Having half of it, the half that most new fans will likely be more ignorant about (punching people in the head tends to be a pretty universally-understood thing) insulted by the fighters themselves isn't helping anything.
And that's not even mentioning the homophobia .. and it is homophobia. The people insulting ground fighters are using implied homosexuality as an insult, like they're lesser men for using it. Alienating an increasingly vocal segment of the population, one that includes Neil Patrick Harris (who is twice the man any of these guys are), is also less-than-helpful.
With the UFC cracking down on rape references, it's disheartening to see them doing nothing to fix a detrimental stereotype that the fighters seem only too happy to propagate.
Baby steps, I suppose.
Posted in: fight, fighter, nate diaz, cerrone, didnt
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 141 Fighter Salaries: Brock Tops List, but Calls it Quits
The post-fight UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem fight salary payouts following Friday night's event in Las Vegas.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, friday, salary, brock
Read the full article at MMA Weekly$75,000 Bonuses Handed Out Following UFC 141
The Ultimate Fighting Championship handed out $75,000 bonuses for in-Octagon performances following UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem on Saturday. Three fighters took home the bonus checks.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, check, bonus, inoctagon performances
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 141 Results: Jim Hettes Puts on Flawless Performance
Jim Hettes didn't get to 9-0 prior to UFC 141 by accident, and he showed why with an absolutely dominant performance over former 'Ultimate Fighter' competitor Nam Phan.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, performance, jim, hette
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem Fighter Salaries
The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Friday released the UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem fighter salaries, with the headliners the obvious big winners.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, lesnar, nevada state, salary
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 141 Fight Card: Ross Pearson makes featherweight debut against Junior Assuncao
Dropping weight classes seems to be all the rage these days for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters. Often times, a fighter will dip down as a last ditch effort to resurrect/refresh a struggling mixed martial arts (MMA) career that never really got off the ground.
That is not the case, however, for Sunderland, England's own Ross Pearson.
"Real Deal" won The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 reality television competition as the best 155-pounder on the show. As a lightweight in the UFC, Pearson compiled a record of 4-2. Not shabby by any means.
Pearson merely felt that he could make more of an impact at featherweight, a decision that will be tested tonight (Fri., Dec. 30, 2011) as he squares off against Junior Assuncao at UFC 141 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Assuncao will be fighting from a similar place as he, too, has recently made the drop from lightweight to featherweight, winning his 145-pound UFC debut against Eddie Yagin with a unanimous decision win at UFC 135 on Sept. 24, 2011, in Denver, Colorado.
Join me after the jump, as we take a look at the UFC 141 match-up between these two, newly minted featherweights, Ross Pearson vs. Junior Assuncao:
Pearson's base is largely predicated upon boxing, judo and Taekwondo. He likes to stand and trade -- it's his modus operandi. Assuncao is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt who has seven submission victories throughout the course of his seven-year professional MMA career.
Styles make fights.
As is generally the case, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva doesn't throw his fighters any softballs. Pearson is being done no favors by being handed Assuncao as his inaugural featherweight opponent.
Indeed, Assuncao will certainly look to give Pearson a harsh welcome to the division. He will also almost certainly look to take matters to the mat, early and often.
This fight sincerely feels as though the result will depend on which fighter is able to impose his will first.
Will Pearson be able to make a victorious featherweight debut? Or will Assuncao play the role of spoiler and use his jiu-jitsu to foil Pearson and come out on top?
Sound off!
Be sure to join MMAmania.com this evening for LIVE, detailed UFC 141 results of all the "Lesnar vs. Overeem" PPV action. It will include blow-by-blow coverage of the Facebook video stream, Spike TV "Prelims" bouts, and of course, the PPV broadcast. We'll start RIGHT HERE at around 7 p.m. ET and carry straight on through early Saturday morning.
See you then!
Posted in: ufc, fighter, pearson, assuncao, featherweight
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 141 Fighter Salaries: Brock Lesnar to Make $400K
Filed under: UFC, NewsFormer UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, win or lose, is set to earn $400,000 for Friday's fight against Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, Overeem in his UFC debut has the chance to make close to that if he defeats Lesnar. Overeem's purse is set at $264,285.71 to show with $121,428.57 as a win bonus.
Below are all the UFC 141 fighter salaries, as provided by the Nevada state athletic commission.
Please note, these purses do not necessarily represent a fighter's total earnings. In addition to sponsorships, fighters sometimes receive performance bonuses from the UFC.
Pay-Per-View Bouts
Brock Lesnar ($400,000, no win bonus) vs. Alistair Overeem ($264,285.71, win: $121,428.57)
Nate Diaz ($37,000, win: $37,000) vs.Donald Cerrone ($30,000, win: $30,000)
Jon Fitch ($60,000, win: $60,000) vs. Johny Hendricks ($26,000, win: $26,000)
Vladimir Matyushenko ($40,000, win: $40,000) vs. Alexander Gustafsson ($16,000, win: $16,000)
Nam Phan ($8,000, win bonus: $8,000) vs. Jimy Hettes ($8,000, win: $8,000)
Spike TV Preliminary Bouts
Ross Pearson ($20,000, win bonus: $20,000) vs. Junior Assunçao ($8,000, win: $8,000)
Anthony Njokuani ($12,000, win bonus: $12,000) vs. Danny Castillo ($19,000, win: $19,000)
Facebook Preliminary Bouts
Dong Hyun Kim ($41,000, win bonus $41,000) vs. Sean Pierson ($8,000, win: $8,000)
Jacob Volkmann ($16,000, win bonus: $16,000) vs. Efrain Escudero ($10,000, win: $10,000)
Matt Riddle ($15,000, win bonus: $15,000) vs. Luis Ramos ($6,000, win: $6,000)
Manvel Gamburyan ($18,000, win bonus: $18,000) vs. Diego Nunes ($12,000, win: $12,000) Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, vs, lesnar, bonus
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUSA TODAY/MMA Nation December 2011 Consensus Rankings: Heavyweight
Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank
1
Junior dos Santos
425
UFC
1
2
Cain Velasquez
406
UFC
2
3
Alistair Overeem
387
UFC
3
4
Brock Lesnar
354
UFC
4
5
Frank Mir
337
UFC
6
6
Fabricio Werdum
336
UFC
5
7
Shane Carwin
303
UFC
7
8
Daniel Cormier
294
Strikeforce
8
9
Josh Barnett
284
Strikeforce
9
10
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
260
UFC
10
11
Antonio Silva
202
Strikeforce
11
12
Fedor Emelianenko
176
M-1 Global
12
13
Cheick Kongo
146
UFC
13
14
Roy Nelson
135
UFC
14
15
Brendan Schaub
134
UFC
14
16
Sergei Kharitonov
107
Strikeforce
16
17
Travis Browne
104
UFC
17
18
Mike Russow
99
UFC
18
19
Cole Konrad
89
Bellator
19
20
Matt Mitrione
76
UFC
20
21
Stefan Struve
72
UFC
21
22
Mark Hunt
71
UFC
22
23
Pat Barry
59
UFC
23
24
Dan Henderson
59
UFC
24
25
Dave Herman
57
UFC
26
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, ranking, point
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow2012 World MMA Lightweight Scouting Report - #9 - Jordan Rinaldi
Name:
Jordan Rinaldi
Nickname:
--
Age:
24
Height:
5'10"
Location:
Charlotte, North Carolina
The Carolinas aren't known for producing top-tier mixed martial arts talent at a blistering pace. Over the years, fighters such as UFC veteran Rodney Wallace, Strikeforce veteran Tim Kennedy, and women's 135 lb. fighter Tara Larosa have emerged from the region as quality fighters worthy of stints in the major leagues of MMA. It's our hopes that we can help add another name to that list in the future.
Team R.O.C.'s Jordan Rinaldi (5-0) may be the man to bring prominence to North Carolina once again. The 24-year-old lightweight has impressed in his five-fight professional career so far, finishing off four of his five opponents and remaining undefeated over the last year-and-a-half. As an amateur, Rinaldi amassed as 5-1 record, finishing four of his five wins inside the opening frame.
While his record is respectable on the surface, it takes some digging to find the awe in what he's accomplished so far. In his fourth professional appearance, Rinaldi submitted The Ultimate Fighter 14's Dennis Bermudez (7-3) in only two minutes and thirteen seconds. He was scheduled to face fellow prospect Dakota Cochrane (11-2) after the win, but the fight fell through. In its place, Rinaldi accepted a bout with Tenyeh Dixon on five days notice at welterweight. At fight time, Dixon outweighed Rinaldi by roughly twenty to twenty-five pounds.
As you can imagine, Rinaldi didn't have the easiest time dealing with the sheer size of Dixon, but he survived a brutal beating on the feet to submit his opponent in the second round to win the Complete Devastation welterweight crown.
Rinaldi's strong wrestling and purple belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills provide a solid foundation of offense for the Charlotte, North Carolina-based fighter. He relentlessly works for takedowns, utilizing his physically superior frame to power through his opposition. On the floor, Rinaldi is a legit submission threat, normally working toward the back or attempting to isolate a limb from mount.
Jordan's one area of concern is his striking, although that isn't to say he isn't improving in that department either. It's difficult to assess where exactly he stands, especially when Dixon, who was a borderline middleweight, had reach and power on Rinaldi in their bout in November. Against opponents more his size, Rinaldi has been respectable enough on the feet to damage opponents and avoid being knocked out.
Rinaldi is currently trying to make it onto the fifteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Considering the fact that he has a win over The Ultimate Fighter 14's runner-up Dennis Bermudez, it isn't a reach to believe he will make it on the show. If he doesn't, however, I wouldn't worry too much. Rinaldi has the tools to become something much bigger than a regional superstar. At only five fights, we were hesitant to rank him any higher, but 2012 could be the year he proves he is a top five prospect in the lightweight division.
Check out more video footage of Jordan Rinaldi after the jump...
FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight
#1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz
#1 - Hacran Dias#2 - Joey Gambino#3 - Brandon Bender#4 - Lance Palmer #5 - Jim Alers#6 - Anthony Gutierrez#7 - Max Holloway#8 - John Teixeira#9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - Jordan Rinaldi#10 - J.P. Vainikainen
WelterweightMiddleweightLight HeavyweightHeavyweight
#1 - #2 - #3 -#4 -#5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - #10 -
Jordan Rinaldi vs. Joe Carroll
Jordan Rinaldi HL
Jordan Rinaldi vs Tenyeh Dixon - Complete Devastation 2
Dennis Bermudez vs Jordan Rinaldi
Michael Gallese vs Jordan Rinaldi
Jordan Rinaldi Vs. D'Juan Owens
Posted in: fighter, vs, jordan, rinaldi, dixon
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowLatest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of December 25, 2011
Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar pictured above, we can all "get along."
Teaming up with MMA sites like MMA Fighting, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.
This week, Lowkick speaks with Vladimir Matyushenko, The Fight Nerd picks the worst New Year's Eve fights ever from Japan and Bleacher Report speaks with returning UFC fighter Efrain Escudero.
The full list of links is after the jump.
- Interview and photoshoot with Vladimir Matyushenko (LowKick)
You are 4-1 since returning to the UFC. Do you consider it the best time of your career right now?
Yeah, I think so. It's not just because it's the best time in my career, but overall MMA is having great success. My career is going good as well, so yeah, I'm really enjoying being part of the UFC and MMA.
- 12 gifs of Brock Lesnar being awesome (Cage Potato)
- Gabriel Gonzaga comments on UFC return (Five Ounces of Pain)
"It was natural," Gonzaga explained of return to the UFC. "I feel I never left. The UFC is my home, they take care me very good (and) I have a lot of friends there. I am excited to see everyone again!"
- An Examination of Alistair Overeem's Recent Fight History (MMA Fighting)
Headed into Friday night's UFC 141 main event, the question of just how good Alistair Overeem is remains one of MMA's heated topics. His supporters point out that he's won titles in Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1. His detractors suggest he's done most of that while facing non-elite competition.
In some ways, both sides have valid points. Perhaps his performance against Brock Lesnar will provide answers about his place among the heavyweight elite, but until then, it's worth a look at his recent history.
- Dana White: Jon Fitch is in the welterweight mix, not the doghouse (5thRound)
Most don't believe Jon Fitch owns the most aesthetically appealing game in the business, but UFC president Dana White states the former top contender is right back in the welterweight title mix if he reigns supreme this Friday against Johny Hendricks at UFC 141.
- Liver Kick's top 5 knockouts of 2011 (MiddleEasy)
Our readers came together to choose the top 5 knockouts of 2011. Our good friend and Liverkick.com's own StillW1ll packaged them together in an awesome video like only he can do. For knockouts of the year, we've got:
- Top 10 Worst New Year's Eve MMA fights in Japan (The Fight Nerd)
As 2011 comes to a close, MMA fans can look forward to one thing - New year's Eve MMA events in Japan! Truly the best of the best when it comes to events, these super shows usually have great matches with the top talent fighting each other. In the past, we have seen some amazing cross-promotional events, such as Pride VS K-1, and great moments, such as Dan Henderson and Takanori Gomi winning their respective Grand Prix tournaments, and Fedor crushing many a man placed before him.
However, it would not be a NYE show in Japan without a few freak show fights to drag things on. That is why today, only days before the next big NYE event in Japan, we take a look at some of the worst, strangest, and weirdest MMA fights from Japanese New Year's Eve shows!
- Antonio Inoki's shadow war on NYE (Fight Opinion)
If the impending 2011 Inoki MMA/IGF card at Saitama Super Arena looks like a familiar friend to you, that's because it is. The booking is reminiscent to the card produced by Inoki and promoted by PRIDE in 2000 at the Osaka Dome, where you had a mixture of MMA blending in with a pro-wrestling atmosphere. MMA fighters want to be pro-wrestlers just like the wrestlers want to be MMA fighters (if they could do so). The Osaka Dome show would launch the kakutougi boom in Japan, a dream period that Antonio Inoki had imagined was coming for decades.
- 11 for 11: No. 3 Zuffa offers its fighters insurance (MMA Payout)
This year Zuffa offered its 400 fighters in the UFC and Strikeforce health insurance beginning this past June. Zuffa is paying the premiums for all of its fighters under contract.
- Efrain Escudero: These last 13-14 months have been hell (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
"It changed my perspective of everything, Escudero told me. Not just personal, kinda like personal life as well. Not just inside the octagon. You live and learn. Some people are really good at it just right off there back."
"It took me a little speed bump and stuff. I got carried away. Now, I'm a gym junkie. I'm back to being the same old me that was before I went into The Ultimate Fighter. The one that had nothing to lose and everything to gain and just do it and love the sport, love the adrenaline rush, love everything."
"A lot of people say, "Why be in there if your gonna be nervous or scared or doing it for the paycheck?" I have a college degree. If I want a paycheck, I'll do my normal job. I do this because I love it."
- UFC 141 Lesnar vs Overeem preview (MMA Convert)
Have you seen the weigh-in pics of UFC 141's main event? If ever there was an example of two expertly-drawn comic book characters stepping off the pages and coming to life, it's Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, who seem to have taken the words "monstrosity" and "man-mountain" to the extreme. Seriously, they look like photoshops that North Korea would use as propaganda ("See," said the late Kim Jong-Il. "We make superheroes. America will fall!"). Their physiques are so improbable in human beings, steroids have tested positive for "Brock Lesnar" and "Alistair Overeem" and been faced with suspension.
- Karo Parisyan rediscovering the fire to compete (Fightline)
Karo Parisyan is tired, you can hear it in his voice. Tired like he's just waking up from a years-long nightmare in which someone else was living in his body, fighting and making his decisions for him. What makes it all worse is that there was no dream, that Parisyan has been the pilot all along, the reason for his own derailment. Now, frustrated but attaining clarity, he's just hoping it's not too late to fix his mistakes.
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fighter, brock lesnar
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUSA TODAY/MMA Nation December 2011 Consensus Rankings
December's USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings are now live. Be sure and pick up a hard copy of USA TODAY Friday to see them in print.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA sources to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
More details on our methodology in the full entry.
NOTE: We have modified our method of gathering our rankings because the strict scheduling requirements of USA TODAY clash with the more irregular schedules of many of the MMA rankings sites. That was causing us to use a different set of sources almost every month. That combined with the small number of sites doing top 25 rankings was causing the Consensus rankings to have a lower "signal to noise" ratio than we would like -- that is if fighters are going to be moving up or down I would like it to be because there has been a change in the consensus opinion, not a change in our sources. Therefore we have cut back our sources to just those sites that we can depend on to update every month. We have also contacted many of the rankers that only publish top 10 lists and asked them to provide top 25 lists. As always we listen to your suggestions and are always working to improve the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings.
Also worth noting is that this month we instituted a rule that a fighter must have competed within a given weight class within the last 450 days in order to be ranked in that class in an attempt to improve the overall quality of our product.
Check out the USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings to see who's rising and who's falling.
Posted in: mma, fighter, ranking, consensus, consensus rankings
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 141: Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks Dissection
UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem will host a dogfight between two of the more reputable wrestlers in the welterweight class in Jon Fitch and Johny Hendricks.
Fitch, an AKA product and the longstanding number-two-man to Georges St. Pierre, has always been surrounded by a buzz ... both good and bad. In the timeless "sport vs. entertainment" debate, he's often inserted as an argument for the former, which has created a rift with fans: some knock him for fighting safe, not finishing and winning by control, others don't give a sh*t because he wins and that's the point.
Regardless of his methods, the former Purdue wrestler gets the job done. He's a tenacious and hard-nosed takedown artist who plants almost everyone on their ass and makes no apologies if fans don't dig it. Transitioning from D1 wrestling to MMA, Fitch adopted Dave Camarillo's "Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu" philosophy, which is the AKA grappling coach's custom-tailored MMA ground fighting system that combines and adapts Judo, wrestling and BJJ to MMA's unique environment.
Excluding the decision against GSP and losses to UFC-caliber fighters Mike Pyle (rear-naked choke) in his first fight and Wilson Gouveia (KO) in his fourth, Fitch has cleaved through everyone else in front of him. He mounted a nine fight surge after Gouveia and won eight (with one No Contest) to earn a UFC contract. There, a simple list of the fighters he's overcome says it all: Brock Larson, Josh Burkman, Thiago Alves (twice), Kuniyoshi Hironaka, Luigi Fioravanti, Roan Carneiro, Diego Sanchez, Chris Wilson, Akihiro Gono, Paulo Thiago, Mike Pierce and Ben Saunders, along with a draw against B.J. Penn. That's thirteen wins in fifteen fights with one loss to an untouchable deity and one draw with a former lightweight and welterweight champion. Egads. Give the man some respect.
Facing this unshaven leviathan is Johny Hendricks, one of the select few who might have the credentials to match Fitch's grappling maelstrom. Hendricks was a two-time national D1 wrestling champion, a four-time All American and three-time Big Ten conference champion at Oklahoma State University. In high school, he secured three state titles and one national championship.
Additionally, Hendricks holds a black belt in BJJ and has made impressive strides with his boxing. If superior wrestling credentials (on paper), a better submission grappling rank and more accomplished striking sounds like the perfect amalgam for Fitch's proven style, Hendricks agrees. "I think I might have solved it," he told UFC.com.
While the match up variables appear to favor Hendricks, his sole career loss -- a decision against Rick Story at the TUF 12 Finale -- is the best tangible evidence to refute that. Story successfully laid out the kind of high pressure grind-fest that Fitch is famous for. All other accolades in all other sports go completely out the window in the context of MMA, and Fitch has been the perennial king of contenders for a damn good reason.
Match up analysis in the full entry.
SBN coverage of UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem
Despite being fairly one-dimensional, Fitch is ridiculously durable, reliable, consistent and resilient. The only real signs of mortality he's exhibited (again, other than against GSP) was eating a third-round flurry from Mike Pierce that wobbled him slightly. I've heard a few claim that Fitch's stand up is under-rated. I'm not really buying into that and would deem it average at best, but Fitch definitely has a fine-tuned ability to transition back and forth with boxing and takedowns.
His footwork and timing are exceptional and generally allow him to dart into contact-range completely unscathed. His intelligence and composure are also laudable assets, as you'll rarely see him taking unnecessary risks or stuck in a bad position as a result.
I can understand the fan's cacophony over Fitch's excessive rate of decisions. I cannot, however, stomach the notion that he's "boring" or "lays on people" as he's unquestionably aggressive and active. Sure, he's a position-first fighter but it's no coincidence that your chances of winning dwindle in a horrible position and skyrocket from dominant positions. When it comes to avoiding damage, imposing your will, rendering your opponent helpless and winning, few are better than Jon Fitch.
It's up to Hendricks to forge the right weapons from his wealth of abilities. Since the fight starts where Fitch is weakest, the southpaw's crisp boxing will dictate his fate. With heavy emphasis on evasive footwork and never over-committing, Hendricks has the speed, power and technique to give Fitch hell on the feet.
He typically keeps his punches basic and simple with few kicks, which is a wise selection for one aspiring to fend off takedowns. By restricting his punches to one-twos with an occasional hook or uppercut splashed in, Hendricks should have the ideal stance, balance and hand-position to sprawl and snake in under-hooks to defend Fitch's enveloping takedowns. Of course, common sense would imply that his wrestling background will be a suitable fallback if he is tied up, but I'm not sure Hendricks wants to play with fire and think he'd be wise stay in open space and work his hands whenever possible. Anytime Fitch has hands on you, he is either dominating or about to, so I'd encourage Hendricks to put all his eggs in the face-punching basket and only use his wrestling and BJJ to enable free movement.
I think there's a direct correlation to the wrestling savvy of Fitch's past opponents: he's trounced everyone he could take down with ease, but the three fighters who could hang in the wrestling department had the most success. GSP is ... well, he's GSP. The other two are Diego Sanchez and Mike Pierce, who both lost two rounds soundly but mounted substantial comebacks in the third. Additionally, it was their auxiliary weapons -- Sanchez's BJJ with two late sub attempts and Pierce's stifling combinations -- that nearly sealed the deal.
For this reason, I'm going out on a limb with a nod for Hendricks. I don't think he can contest Fitch in the wrestling department despite his glossy credentials, but he should be stalwart enough to keep a good amount of the fight standing, where the speed and accuracy of his boxing will vault him ahead on the cards. I'm well aware that, scoring-wise, the distorted view that a fighter is still being effectively aggressive and in control when he's failing on takedown attempts makes this even riskier.
My Prediction: Johny Hendricks by decision.
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Jon Fitch vs. Johny Hendricks
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Posted in: fighter, fitch, he, hendrick, johny
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowInteresting reach statistics on UFC fighters, worth a look
submitted by BoosterJuice [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc fighters, statistic, boosterjuice
Read the full article at RedditUFC 141: The Laughable Scrutiny That Saved Alistair Overeem vs. Brock Lesnar
"Wait a second... what the hell are you talking about?". Those were my words when the assistant to the district attorney told me that my inability to turn in my proof of insurance form to the Secretary of State's office held a penalty of a low-class felony charge. Previous traffic violations had apparently made the process of providing a copy of my insurance card mandatory, and by mandatory -- I was going to spend an evening in the slammer if I didn't comply.
At the time, I bickered to anybody who would listen about how unfair "the man" was treating me. Seriously, how can not turning in a tiny copy of an insurance form land me in the clink? Luckily, the adrenaline-filled panic of the news put me into survival mode. I claimed confusion to the judge, asked for a continuance, pestered the Secretary of State's office to no end, and found a way to resolve the issue within four hours of leaving the courthouse. Two days later, the judge slammed his gavel down to dismiss my case, and I narrowly escaped the clutches of a day in jail.
Strangely, my experience in traffic court shares a lesson that former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem hopefully learned on December 12. If a task affects your life, make sure it gets done before it's too late. In Overeem's case, it didn't matter how late he was.
Overeem's saga began on November 17 when he was asked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) to take an out-of-competition (OOC) drug test along with his UFC 141 opponent, Brock Lesnar. Both men were given 24 hours to set up and presumably take the test, and both men failed to follow those simple rules.
On December 12, the NSAC held a commission meeting, and one of the items on the agenda was Alistair Overeem. Rumors were rampant in the lead-up to the hearing, but the most credible rumor suggested that Overeem missed a random drug test. That rumor became a reality as NSAC commissioners questioned Overeem about his whereabouts on November 17.
Overeem responded with a story that he had flown home to be with his sick mother in Holland. He departed on the evening of November 17, after his manager was notified that Overeem must submit a sample for testing that day. As you can imagine, this detail led to an accusatory Q&A session and the consequence of a conditional license with further scrutiny in the form of more random drug testing attached to it.
The punishment wasn't enough, nor was it a consequence that set a fearful precedence for other fighters who may be asked to submit a drug test randomly. Overeem's excuses were acceptable to the dummy tribunal created to regulate combat sports, but in a U.S. court of law -- he would have been asked for proof to corroborate his answers instead of being taken for his word. Imagine the reaction if I told the judge that my assistant didn't forward me a piece of mail demanding that I submit proof of insurance on my vehicle. I wouldn't have received any sympathy.
Neither should Alistair Overeem, but the body responsible for punishing him isn't under state or federal law. The by-laws of the NSAC are the law of the combative sports landscape in Nevada, and those laws are vague and open to interpretation when it comes to out-of-competition drug testing.
SBN coverage of UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem
The largely ignored issue that stemmed from the December 12 meeting was that Brock Lesnar wasn't punished at all for missing the deadline. The actions taken by the NSAC make it look as if Overeem's actions are far worse when, in fact, Lesnar is just as punishable for the same offense. Both men missed the deadline to take the test. Both should be punished.
That issue in itself is large enough to condemn the NSAC, but other major questions loom. Why wasn't a test window written into the by-laws before the program was started? Why isn't the NSAC asking for evidence to corroborate Overeem's claim that he bought a plane ticket two days before the test was asked of him? What's stopping a manager and a fighter from collusion, especially if the commission gives sympathy to fighters who blame managers? Why isn't the NSAC contacting fighters directly? Why isn't there any accountability?
The NSAC had the opportunity to set the expectations high for out-of-competition drug testing. They had the chance to set a precedence, not only to fighters, but to managers and promoters as well. If managers can't be trusted to get the word to their fighters, you can be sure that the UFC would find any means necessary to contact a fighter who is one month away from a main event title fight that could make the company millions upon millions of dollars in revenue. Instead, Overeem got a slap on the wrist, and the rest of the combat sports world got a blueprint on how to circumvent the out-of-competition testing policy in Nevada.
As much as it pains me as a fan to see a fight of this magnitude slip through the cracks, Friday night's UFC 141 main event between Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar should have been sacrificed for the profound message it would have sent. Understandably, I was asking for a state athletic commission to do the unthinkable, something even more drastic than the United States Anti-Doping Agency guidelines suggest, so I'm not surprised that a "Shock and Awe" decision wasn't made. The message being sent for those of us who care, however, is that we shouldn't care. If inadequacy is the foundation for which the NSAC stands on, what's the point?
Posted in: overeem, fighter, test, state, nsac
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow2011 World MMA Scouting Report Review - Featherweights
This is a guest post by Rory MacLeod (smoogy)
A year ago, we selected the inaugural class of fighters that would make up the first edition of the World MMA Scouting Report. It's been a gratifying experience to see some of the athletes we selected go on to succeed in major fight opportunities, and a heartbreaking one to see others come up just short. For each pick that claimed a significant title in 2011, there were at least two that didn't make their breakthrough, or fell off the rails entirely. Here's a recap to give you a sampling of the highlights (and lowlights) from a tumultuous time in the careers of these MMA prospects.
1. Antonio Carvalho (13-4)
Antonio Carvalho was a controversial top pick for our featherweight report last year due to his age, as well as his prominent place in Shooto's 143lb division prior to Zuffa's adoption of the 145 lb. weight class. But considering his lack of mileage due to a self-imposed hiatus from the sport between 2008-2010, we had a hunch that "Pato" would try to make up for lost time in a division that appeared to have left him behind.
After a June win over UFC veteran Doug Evans (13-10) put him at 3-0 since his return, the UFC inked Antonio to a contract and set his debut for August against Brazilian standout Yuri Alcantara (26-3). An injury to Carvalho in training scratched the bout, and now he will face the man who replaced him in that bout, Felipe Arantas (13-4), at UFC 142 in Rio on January 14th. At 32, he's hardly the oldest rookie the promotion has ever seen.
2. Taiki Tsuchiya (9-3)
After running his Shooto win streak to six straight, including a win over former champ Hideki Kadowaki (14-11-3), Taiki Tsuchiya was booked for the biggest fight of his young career against another former title holder, the legendary "Lion" Takeshi Inoue (21-5) at Shooto: Tradition 2011 in April. Tsuchiya held his own for the first half of the three rounder with effective use of his uptempo, fleet-footed striking style. But like many challengers before him, he was unable to sustain his work rate and weather Inoue's heavy blows as the fight wore on, forcing Taiki to be saved by the referee late in the second round. Unfortunately, he hasn't fought since, and there's been no word on what's next for him since vacating the Shooto Pacific Rim lightweight championship after the loss.
3. Mark Adams (6-0)
Having posted a perfect 5-0 record two years into his campaign as a professional fighter, it wasn't a surprise when Mark Adams got the call to challenge for the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA) featherweight championship against Germany's Alan Omer (17-3) in May 2010. As the inexperienced underdog, Adams wasn't expected to control the fight from top position for the full five rounds and defend everything thrown at him from Omer's dangerous guard like he did. Though the decision was hotly disputed, the judges favored the grappling of the Portsmouth, England-based athlete, bringing the belt back to the UK. A February title defense against journeyman Robbie Olivier (17-9-1) was cruelly cancelled due to a snowstorm, and the promotion hasn't found space for Adams on any of their three subsequent events; his span between pro fights now stands at 18 months (and counting).
4. Alan Omer (17-3)
As a Kurdish-German former Iraqi refugee, Alan Omer isn't a stranger to turbulent times. While it hurt Omer's standing in the UK to take the BAMMA featherweight championship off Paul Reed (19-9-1) only to drop it to unheralded Mark Adams (6-0) in his next fight, he hasn't let the setback faze him. Since then he's built a three fight win streak, mostly recently submitting Dutchman Joziro Boye (4-1-1) with an omoplata in Germany. Omer was passed over for inclusion in The Ulitmate Fighter 14; UFC ought to take another look now.
5. Koichiro Matsumoto (15-3-1)
It took winning 11 of 12 fights in Deep across four years for promotional featherweight champion Koichiro Matsumoto to get his big shot, a featherweight contest with "Lion" Takeshi Inoue on the DREAM: Fight for Japan card in May. Once again, Inoue played spoiler to a younger, up and coming countryman, wearing Matsumoto down for the TKO finish 6:51 into the ten minute opening round. Koichiro appeared to rebound nicely with a second round stoppage over Yoshida Dojo prospect Tatsunao Nagakura (6-2) at Deep 55 in August to retain the title, but afterwards made the stunning announcement that he was retiring from MMA to pursue a career in comedy. Matsumoto left the door open for a return at some point, so at just 25, let us hope he fails as a standup comedian.
6. Tom Niinimaki (16-5-1)
There may not be another prospect in Europe who is as skilled and well prepared for an opportunity on the world stage as Tom Niinimaki. Unbeaten as a featherweight and currently riding a seven fight win streak, he's also one of the best in his division on the Euro grappling circuit and is nationally ranked in amateur boxing. For whatever reason, Niinimaki can't find any opportunities outside of Finland, and the lack of capable opposition nationally leaves him with few worthy matches unless international opponents agree to fight him on his home turf. It was almost a year between fights when Tom dispatched France's Johnny Frachey (14-9) via knockout in 69 seconds at Cage 15 in November. Maybe he should beat up his manager next because at 29, Niinimaki is ready to make the leap sooner rather than later.
7. Marcos Vinicius Costa Silva (7-2)
Like 2011's #6 Bantamweight Adrian Wooley, a little luck would have gone a long way for Marcos Vinicius in 2011, but there was little to be found. He followed a March split decision loss in his home base of Recife, Brazil to Brazilian Top Team journeyman Janailson Lima (24-14) with another one to Nova Uniao's Rodolfo Marques (14-1) in April. A win in the latter fight could have put him in DREAM's inaugural Bantamweight Grand Prix to boot. Where's a hometown decision when you need one? To add insult to injury, a December rebound fight in Recife Fighting Championships was scratched at the last minute. Expect Marcos to resurface in RFC in 2012; he remains bound to the region as the head instructor of his NineNine academy.
8. Matt Fiordirosa (14-1)
When we check in with Matt Fiordirosa a year ago, it seemed like "Sunshine" had his stop-and-go career back on track. Following a three year break from professional fighting, two wins in 2010 for the Ingleside, Illinois based fighter put him back at the top of the discussion of the state's best fighters. Fiordirosa has other career aspirations outside of fighting, and his studies at Trinity International University have kept him out of the cage for 2011. He further splits his time as the head wrestling coach of nearby Lake Forest High School. Matt is still listed as a member of Team Curran, but there is no word on if or when he will return to action.
9. Isaac DeJesus (9-4)
Back in February 2010, Isaac DeJesus was fresh off of clobbering Nam Phan (17-9) in under three minutes to take the vacant Tachi Palace Fights featherweight championship. An opporunity in a major promotion loomed large, but a disastrous four-fight winless streak suggests he may have found his ceiling as a fighter.
A misguided move up to face Rob McCullough (19-8) at 160lbs. earned DeJesus a first round TKO beat down. He failed to make weight for a title defense against The Ultimate Fighter 14's Micah Miller (17-4), so while he was submitted in that fight, he retained the title in the process. A May 2011 knockout of Fresno's Russ Miura (9-1) was overturned due to Isaac testing positive for marijuana, and the belt was vacated. DeJesus was awarded another chance at the strap in December, but Bellator veteran Georgi Karakhanyan (17-3-1) took it home with a slick first round triangle choke submission. Tachi Palace promoter Jeremy Luchau continues to give Isaac good opportunities, but he simply hasn't risen to the occasion as expected.
10. Mitch Gagnon (8-1)
It would be fair to say that some of the 2011 featherweights fell short of expectations (see above), but at least Sudbury, Ontario's rising star Mitch Gagnon ends this review on a pleasant note. The reigning Ringside MMA featherweight champion first defended his belt in April against Rejean Groulx (5-1) at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The back and forth affair was one of the best fights of the year in Canada, punctuated by a devastating third round slam that put Groulx away. Mitch moved down to challenge for the bantamweight championship in November against Stephane Pelletier (5-1), but a late change of opponent due to injury meant he had to settle for a catchweight contest with Detroit's David Harris (6-3-1). Gagnon made short work of the late replacement, latching on with an arm-in guillotine to score the submission win at 2:09 of round one. Gagnon will now face Johnny Bedford as a late replacement for Eddie Wineland on the UFC on Fox 2 card next month.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, year, featherweight
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWatch today's UFC 141 fighter weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com at 7 p.m. ET
LAS VEGAS - UFC 141 fighter weigh-ins take place today, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on
MMAjunkie.com.
Today's weigh-ins take place at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena, and the first
fighter is on the scale at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time).
In addition to the video streams, you can get live weigh-in updates in our text-only results post on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.
Posted in: fighter, video stream, place today, weighin, weighin updates
Read the full article at MMA Junkie11 for 11: No. 3 Zuffa offers its fighters insurance
This year Zuffa offered its 400 fighters in the UFC and Strikeforce health insurance beginning this past June. Zuffa is paying the premiums for all of its fighters under contract.
The accident-insurance coverage covers up to $50,000 (annually) of medical costs for each fighter. Its an unprecedented move to cover fighters and its a sign that the organization is moving in the right direction if it wanted to be thought of as a major league sport.
So far, fighters have taken advantage of the health insurance without any issues. Cub Swanson became the first fighter to utilize the health insurance one day after it went into effect.
While insurance may not be the most exciting business story of the year, it is one of the more important ones for the fighters covered. A fighter’s health is very important from the business side of things as we know from this year’s constant reshuffling of main events. Insurance may alleviate some of the concern for the mid to low tier fighter that is concerned about what happens if they are hurt while training for a fight. While the $50K may not cover a serious surgery or procedure, it still helps with the financial burden placed on fighters that likely fought without insurance prior to Zuffa’s coverage. In a related story, this week, Combat Sports Insurance announced an accident-related insurance policy that would allow any pro MMA fighter to receive insurance for just “a little over $20 month.”
Posted in: fighter, zuffa, insurance, health, health insurance
Read the full article at MMA PayoutHow Will Donald Cerrone Respond to 'Maniac' Nate Diaz? Even He Isn't Sure
Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS -- By now you've probably heard about the run-in Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone had well before their fight at UFC 141 was ever agreed to, but if you haven't, here's the short version: Cerrone saw Diaz talking with his best friend and training partner Leonard Garcia one day in the Ultimate Fighter gym, so he figured he'd go up and say hello.
"I see Leonard talking to him and I'm like, maybe he's a cool dude," Cerrone told reporters on Tuesday. "I never met him before."
Cerrone introduced himself and offered his hand, which Diaz slapped away with a muttering curse or two, then walked off. Again, both men agree they hadn't encountered one another before this moment, and neither had given the other a specific reason to dislike the other. So what gives?
Allow Diaz to explain it in the form of a helpful hypothetical.
"Let's just say for a second you're fighting some maniac from the street who's killed 20 people and they're just like crazy as hell, but you get a fair fight with him," Diaz said on Tuesday. "And he's just like, biting his arm off and talking crazy [expletive]. And then, you're going to fight this nice guy who goes to church and comes up and [says], 'Hey, nice to meet you, it's going to be a good fight.' Who are you going to feel more comfortable fighting?"
And before you ask, yes, Diaz does realize that, at least in this imagined scenario, he's the babbling, murderous maniac. But still, you have to admit that he kind of has a point.
For years Diaz has bristled at any attempt by the UFC, which he sees as intentional, to put him in contact with people he may fight at some point. From overlapping open workout schedules that force him to catch a glimpse of other fighters, to rides to and from the airport, everywhere Diaz looks he sees this subtle brand of sabotage. Why it seems to bother him so much more than other fighters is a question for another day, but you have to admit that he's come up with an effective way of shutting down any camaraderie before it starts.
By maintaining open hostility toward all potential opponents, Diaz said he prevents other fighters from feeling comfortable around him, which is true. From lightweights to welterweights (and probably a few guys both higher and lower on the scale), very few UFC fighters would tell you that being around either of the Diaz brothers is a comfortable experience.
The way Diaz sees it is pretty simple: "You stay on your side, I'll stay on my side."
Fortunately for him -- or perhaps unfortunately, depending on how you think about it -- Cerrone is just fine with that philosophy.
"Whatever he has to do in his mind to justify his fighting tactics, that's what he does," Cerrone said. "I don't care. I could fight Leonard, you know. That's my best friend, we'll go in there and get paid. That's what we do for a living. So what he has to do to get ready, whether that's talk [expletive] or not [be] friends with people, I understand where he's coming from."
The question for Cerrone is, what do you do with that? While "Cowboy" said he was expecting plenty of expletives and middle fingers when he gets in the cage with Diaz, he admitted he wasn't entirely sure how he'd react to it. After all, he's not exactly the wholesome choir boy from Diaz's hypothetical. Will it help him to give the vitriol right back to Diaz, or would that be playing right into his opponent's hands?
"And that is what I'm working on," Cerrone said. "I don't know. Do I get mad at him? Do I use what he's been doing all week, slapping my hand, against [him]? I've got to figure that out."
The failed introduction was still fresh in Cerrone's mind when he was offered a fight with Diaz, he said. He hadn't yet returned to his locker room when a UFC official mentioned Diaz's name as a possible next opponent, and his reaction was immediate: "Cool, let's go."
Only now that the simmering hostilities are about to give way to the sanctioned brutality they both get paid for, what is Cerrone supposed to do about Diaz's unique approach to relationships with colleagues? Even if you don't want to be the guy's friend, does that mean you have to give him what he wants and be his enemy? Is it smart? Is it helpful?
At that, even "Cowboy" shrugged.
"I do not have an answer for it yet," he said.
Maybe it's the kind of thing you have to find out for yourself on fight night. Maybe once it starts, how you react to it isn't even entirely up to you. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, cerrone, he
Read the full article at AOL Fanhousetraining intensity and longevity
This is a question more geared towards the training aspect of mma rather than entertainment. My question is regarding the relationship between frequency/intensity of training and longevity for mma athletes. I was watching an interview recently with Shinya Aoki on grapplingdummy and he stated that "American fighters train so hard, they use a lot of supplements. So their fighting peak is pretty small." Does anyone agree with this statement regarding hard training? That is, excessive high volume, high intensity training reduces a fighter's longevity and gives him a shorter athletic prime. If this is correct, one would expect wrestlers to peak earlier than other mma fighters, which doesn't work when you consider guys like Randy Couture and Dan Henderson. Then again, Dan Henderson is on TRT, which could be making a huge difference in his training and performance and there has been speculation that Couture has used HGH or other PEDs. I am a young athlete (BJJ) without an extensive formal education in athletic training. Does anyone have any knowledge, first had experience with this, or thoughts in general? Happy training everyone. submitted by zat0ichi [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: mma, fighter, dan henderson, training, longevity
Read the full article at RedditAlistair Overeem, ‘The Bigger the Stage, The Better I Am’
Call it the UFC curse. Call it the UFC jitters. Call it whatever you want, but there's definitely something that happens to a lot of first time UFC fighters in their debut in the Octagon.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, curse, ufc jitters, ufc curse
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Official “Best of 2011” List
As 2011 eases its way out the door and 2012 creeps in, we’re left with the usual retrospective thoughts of what was in the past year. And “what was” in terms of major stories, we had Zuffa gobbling up its main competitor in Strikeforce, and we witnessed the marriage of the century when FOX slipped a ring on the UFC’s gnarled finger and said “I do”. But we also had some astounding fights and amazing fighters, all of which deserves some love and affection as we stroll down memory lane. So let’s gaze back fondly at them, yes? The “best of” 2011 warrants no less.
-Best Slobberknocker: Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler, Bellator 58 – A great fight ebbs and flows with a tide that turns on each cleanly-landed punch or unexpected high-kick, that greatness issuing forth whenever we’re treated to one competitor nearly wilting then rallying then stumbling in endless waves of violence. Such was the case with Bellator’s newest masterpiece, Alvarez/Chandler, which saw defending lightweight champ Alvarez get blasted, return the beatdown tenfold, and finally fall to the juggernaut-like challenger Chandler. How good of a slobberknocker was this bout that went into the deep waters of the fourth round? So good that Alvarez’s lips were horrifically torn at the edges and Chandler looked like he’d fallen off the back of a pickup truck doing 90 mph on the highway when it was all over, yet they had nothing but kind words for each other in their post-fight interviews – a sure sign that even they knew what’d they given us was awesome.
-Best Display of Grit: Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, UFC 139 – Lesser men who’ve been in the fight game as long as Henderson and Shogun would not have been able to provide us with the kind of action these two put forth at UFC 139. Never mind that the fight went the full five rounds with them giving it their all (and then some), or that at various times each one hung from the precipice, a punch away from getting TKO’d. These warriors would just not quit. Henderson/Shogun was so gritty, I had to vacuum up piles of sand that had inexplicably gathered around my television. That’s gritty.
-Best Poetic Justice via Submission: Chan Sung Jung vs. Leonard Garcia II, UFC Fight Night “Nogueira vs. Davis” – The “Korean Zombie” got screwed out of a decision when he first met Garcia in the cage (at WEC 48). Jung knew it, Garcia knew it, the whole world knew it. Therefore, when the two rematched at UFC Fight Night: “Nogueira vs. Davis”, and the beloved South Korean tied the American scrapper into knots before nailing the first-ever Twister seen in the Octagon, it was sweet. So, so sweet. Poetic justice via heretofore unsuccessful submission never tasted so good.
-Best Poetic Justice via KO: Alexis Vila vs. Joe Warren, Bellator 51 – The most annoying thing about Bellator 145-pound champ Warren is that his number one fan is Joe Warren. Why? Why should we have to listen to his cockiness whenever a microphone is thrust in his direction? Well, when Warren stepped into the cage to make his mark in this past season’s bantamweight tournament, Cuban Olympic wrestler Vila shut him up with a quickness courtesy of a minute-and-four-second fist to the chops and a starching knockout. Justice again, and again, so sweet.
-Best Resolution to a Trilogy: Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III, UFC 136 – Maynard was great at muscling around Edgar at UFC Fight Night: “Florian vs. Lauzon” back in 2008, and he did a fine job of nearly crushing “The Answer” early on in their second and third meetings at UFCs 125 and 136. But while their UFC 125 bout ended in a draw, their UFC 136 conflagration finished decisively – with Edgar’s slick transition from takedown attempt to knuckle buffet putting a knockout of a punctuation mark on the whole trilogy. Think Edgar doesn’t deserve the belt now?
-Best “Oh Snap!” Moment: Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, UFC 126 – On paper, Belfort should’ve been the most capable striker the middleweight champ has ever faced. After all, when Belfort flurries, it’s like watching a vehicle-mounted .50 caliber machine gun let loose. Silva’s answer? A freakin’ karate front snap-kick, fired with such precision that not only did it nail Belfort square in the chin and stun him, it also shaved off about a dozen whiskers. When he saw that from his perch in Heaven, Bruce Lee immediately dropped to his knees and began praying. To Anderson Silva.
-Just Plain Old Best: Jon Jones – In the beginning of 2011, Jones was facing TUF winner Ryan Bader for a potential shot at Shogun’s light-heavyweight belt. By the end of the year, he was defending his belt for a second time, overcoming Lyoto Machida’s standup-game riddle and choking the poor Brazilian into unconsciousness with a standing guillotine. There are good fighters and there are great fighters. Jones is what you’d get if you took all those good fighters and great fighters, boiled them in a pot, and condensed the mixture down into a single 205-pound human being. For that, he’s the best fighter of 2011.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, vs, warren
Read the full article at MMA ConvertThe Official ‘Best of 2011′ List
As 2011 eases its way out the door and 2012 creeps in, we’re left with the usual retrospective thoughts of what was in the past year. And “what was” in terms of major stories, we had Zuffa gobbling up its main competitor in Strikeforce, and we witnessed the marriage of the century when FOX slipped a ring on the UFC’s gnarled finger and said “I do”. But we also had some astounding fights and amazing fighters, all of which deserves some love and affection as we stroll down memory lane. So let’s gaze back fondly at them, yes? The “best of” 2011 warrants no less.
-Best Slobberknocker: Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler, Bellator 58 – A great fight ebbs and flows with a tide that turns on each cleanly-landed punch or unexpected high-kick, that greatness issuing forth whenever we’re treated to one competitor nearly wilting then rallying then stumbling in endless waves of violence. Such was the case with Bellator’s newest masterpiece, Alvarez/Chandler, which saw defending lightweight champ Alvarez get blasted, return the beatdown tenfold, and finally fall to the juggernaut-like challenger Chandler. How good of a slobberknocker was this bout that went into the deep waters of the fourth round? So good that Alvarez’s lips were horrifically torn at the edges and Chandler looked like he’d fallen off the back of a pickup truck doing 90 mph on the highway when it was all over, yet they had nothing but kind words for each other in their post-fight interviews – a sure sign that even they knew what’d they given us was awesome.
-Best Display of Grit: Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, UFC 139 – Lesser men who’ve been in the fight game as long as Henderson and Shogun would not have been able to provide us with the kind of action these two put forth at UFC 139. Never mind that the fight went the full five rounds with them giving it their all (and then some), or that at various times each one hung from the precipice, a punch away from getting TKO’d. These warriors would just not quit. Henderson/Shogun was so gritty, I had to vacuum up piles of sand that had inexplicably gathered around my television. That’s gritty.
-Best Poetic Justice via Submission: Chan Sung Jung vs. Leonard Garcia II, UFC Fight Night “Nogueira vs. Davis” – The “Korean Zombie” got screwed out of a decision when he first met Garcia in the cage (at WEC 48). Jung knew it, Garcia knew it, the whole world knew it. Therefore, when the two rematched at UFC Fight Night: “Nogueira vs. Davis”, and the beloved South Korean tied the American scrapper into knots before nailing the first-ever Twister seen in the Octagon, it was sweet. So, so sweet. Poetic justice via heretofore unsuccessful submission never tasted so good.
-Best Poetic Justice via KO: Alexis Vila vs. Joe Warren, Bellator 51 – The most annoying thing about Bellator 145-pound champ Warren is that his number one fan is Joe Warren. Why? Why should we have to listen to his cockiness whenever a microphone is thrust in his direction? Well, when Warren stepped into the cage to make his mark in this past season’s bantamweight tournament, Cuban Olympic wrestler Vila shut him up with a quickness courtesy of a minute-and-four-second fist to the chops and a starching knockout. Justice again, and again, so sweet.
-Best Resolution to a Trilogy: Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III, UFC 136 – Maynard was great at muscling around Edgar at UFC Fight Night: “Florian vs. Lauzon” back in 2008, and he did a fine job of nearly crushing “The Answer” early on in their second and third meetings at UFCs 125 and 136. But while their UFC 125 bout ended in a draw, their UFC 136 conflagration finished decisively – with Edgar’s slick transition from takedown attempt to knuckle buffet putting a knockout of a punctuation mark on the whole trilogy. Think Edgar doesn’t deserve the belt now?
-Best “Oh Snap!” Moment: Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, UFC 126 – On paper, Belfort should’ve been the most capable striker the middleweight champ has ever faced. After all, when Belfort flurries, it’s like watching a vehicle-mounted .50 caliber machine gun let loose. Silva’s answer? A freakin’ karate front snap-kick, fired with such precision that not only did it nail Belfort square in the chin and stun him, it also shaved off about a dozen whiskers. When he saw that from his perch in Heaven, Bruce Lee immediately dropped to his knees and began praying. To Anderson Silva.
-Just Plain Old Best: Jon Jones – In the beginning of 2011, Jones was facing TUF winner Ryan Bader for a potential shot at Shogun’s light-heavyweight belt. By the end of the year, he was defending his belt for a second time, overcoming Lyoto Machida’s standup-game riddle and choking the poor Brazilian into unconsciousness with a standing guillotine. There are good fighters and there are great fighters. Jones is what you’d get if you took all those good fighters and great fighters, boiled them in a pot, and condensed the mixture down into a single 205-pound human being. For that, he’s the best fighter of 2011.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, vs, warren
Read the full article at MMA ConvertCombat Sports Insurance aims to bring medical coverage to all MMA fighters
UFC fighters aren't the only ones with accident insurance these days.
Six months after the UFC parent company announced a program to cover
athletes outside the cage, a Tennessee-based insurance company offers a
plan that costs a little over $20 a month.
Fighters are not only covered out-of-competition but are eligible to
receive compensation for injuries suffered during fights and get a
$100,000 life insurance policy, according to Jeremy Augusta, CEO of
Combat Sports Insurance.
Posted in: fighter, month, insurance, accident insurance, month fighters
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMMA Face Swap - Guess the fighters!
submitted by adminmma [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, face, adminmma link, adminmma, swap
Read the full article at Reddit/r/post from r/wtf Who is this fighter and where can I watch the fight?! [NSFL]
submitted by DayGreedy [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, fight nsfl, daygreedy link, rwtf, nsfl
Read the full article at RedditUFC 141: Vladimir Matyushenko Explains Why He’s Top 10 and Alexander Gustasson Isn’t
If you ask UFC 141 fighter Vladimir Matyushenko if he feels he's a top 10 fighter, he won't be shy about saying yes.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, isn, matyushenko, vladimir
Read the full article at MMA Weekly2012 World MMA Featherweight Scouting Report: #9 - Cody Bollinger
Name:
Cody Bollinger
Nickname:
--
Age:
20
Height:
5'10"
Location:
Sultana, California
During our arduous journey through the sport's vast prospect pool, one trend stood out as a prevalent course moving forward. Young fighters are gaining the experience and skill they need to succeed at the highest levels at a much quicker pace. It isn't surprising considering the theory that the talent pool would get younger was a topic of discussion only a few years ago. The second generation of fighters, the kids who sat alongside their fathers or siblings watching MMA and became enamored with it, are now rising to the top.
One of the fighters on the cutting edge of that movement is Cody Bollinger (12-2). The 20-year-old featherweight fighter, who trains at Millennia MMA and with Greg Jackson, has already amassed thirteen career fights in over four years of fighting, making him only sixteen years of age when he first stepped into the cage.
Impressively, Bollinger has made quite a name for himself regionally, defeating The Ultimate Fighter contestant Cameron Dollar in September at an event in Oklahoma. He followed up the victory with another decision win, this time against Gladiator Challenge lightweight champion Aaron Neveu, on December 4th.
As one might expect, Bollinger's quick success at such a young age is backed by a strong wrestling base. At his high school in Sultana, California, Bollinger wrestled all four years, amassing a 45-3 record his senior year. He went on to join the wrestling squad at close-to-home Cerritos College in 2010, recording a 19-5 record for the year.
The most notable element of Bollinger's style is his fondness of the clinch. He works well at pressuring opponents to the fence, securing a body lock, and toppling them to the ground. If he happens to get stuffed, his relentless, tireless pace eventually finds a way to get a fight to the ground. On the floor, Bollinger isn't an adept submission specialist by any means, but he possesses solid ground and pound skills and the know-how to slap on an armbar or rear naked choke when the opportunity is there.
Bollinger can stand to improve the most in the striking department, specifically from range where he's awkward at times. In the scramble, however, Bollinger is dangerous and threatening, utilizing quick hands and decent power to stun and even stop opponents. At 5'10", however, it's unsettling to think he has no recourse if he can't find a way to get his opponent to the ground, especially with such a long frame.
Bollinger's youth and lacking strength of record were the key determinants in his late ranking. While a victory over UFC veteran Cameron Dollar looks good going forward, we aren't casual fans being tricked by name value. Bollinger needs to fight better competition if he wants the recognition as a top prospect. The next season of The Ultimate Fighter could act as a platform for achieving that goal. Unfortunately, last season featured the featherweight division, making lightweight the only possibility for Bollinger. It's possible he can pull it off, although I think a good showing and a cut to 145 lbs. after the show concludes is more likely. The good news is that both scenarios will play out next year, which should give us a definitive idea where Bollinger sits among his fellow prospects.
Video footage of Cody Bollinger after the jump...
FlyweightBantamweightFeatherweightLightweight
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#1 - Rony Mariano#2 - Aljamain Sterling#3 - Chris Holdsworth#4 - Josh Hill#5 - Fabiano Fernandes#6 - Claudio Ledesma#7 - Sirwan Kakai#8 - Kyoji Horiguchi#9 - Leandro Hygo#10 - Pedro Munhoz
#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - #6 - #7 - #8 - #9 - Cody Bollinger#10 - Bubba Jenkins
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Cody Bollinger vs. Mike Christensen Gladiator Challenge - Hostile - April 22, 2011
Cody Bollinger vs. George SanchezGladiator Challenge - Royal Flush - October 24, 2010
Cody Bollinger vs. Sam RodriguezGladiator Challenge - Bad Behavior - June 27, 2010
Cody Bollinger footage
Check out all of his wrestling footage from high school and college on Google Videos as well.
Posted in: fighter, year, ground, cody, bollinger
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowCameras follow coach Wanderlei Silva for TUF Brasil announcement
When the UFC recently revealed the coaches for the organization’s upcoming Ultimate Fighter season based in Brazil there were few better choices to represent the brand, country, and sport in general than Wanderlei Silva. A ferocious competitor inside the cage who possesses a heart of gold outside of it, “The Axe Murderer” is one of MMA’s true icons and a hero in his South American home.
Silva provided a revealing look at the moments leading up to, during, and after the UFC’s historic announcement regarding TUF Brasil, by allowing cameras to follow them while capturing his thoughts on the entire process.
Jose Aldo Hopes to Coach Future Season of TUF Brasil
“I want to really show how we prepare for a fight,” said the hard-hitting Silva. “Good luck to all the fighters trying out. And to the chosen ones, grab this opportunity, because this is a unique opportunity.”
The 35-year old also showed gratitude to his employers for the “unique opportunity” he’d been given to head one of the two teams, the other being coached by Vitor Belfort.
“Thanks to the UFC for bringing TUF here to Brazil. This beautiful country. A great country with talented fighters. We have everything for it to be a success. I feel very honored being chosen to coach on the show. I hope to be able to do a great job.”
As kind and humble a spirit as there is in Mixed Martial Arts. Silva also hopes to achieve a goal much more meaningful than having his team win more fights or even handing out a TUF trophy.
“We’ll also be showing out of the 300 fighters in the UFC…I don’t know how many came from a rich family. It’s not my case and it’s not the case of any of my friends, who like me came from humble beginnings,” Silva revealed. “We prove that through hard work and dedication you can achieve things you would never imagine.”
Check out the full video below:
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, silva, tuf, opportunity ”
Read the full article at Fighters.comNew Fan's Introduction to Mixed Martial Arts: The Clinch
While the striking game most sports fans are somewhat familiar with from watching boxing, either in movies or the actual sport of boxing. Even with the additions of kicks, knees and eblows the striking game is something everyone can understand, hit the other fighter without getting hit. The clinch is an area of the fighter many beginner fans don't fully understand.
In a boxing match when the two fighters get tied up the ref steps in and breaks them apart so the action can start again and many criticize MMA as simply "men hugging" but in martial arts like Muay Thai or wrestling the match is just getting started with the fighters clinch.
The clinch can be generally defined as when fighters are standing but have grabbed ahold of each other. There are two offensive strategies in clinch fighting, looking to strike or takedown the opponent. But which ever strategy a fighter is using the clinch game has the same basic goal; be the one in control.
When striking from the clinch, a fighter wants to be in control of his opponent and create space to send a powerful strike towards the head or body of the controlled fighter. And once that space is created fighters have everything from uppercuts, to knees, to elbows at their disposal.
Some fighters prefer what is often refereed to as the "dirty boxing" clinch:
Chris Leben used the "dirty boxing" clinch to perfection against Wanderlei Silva. The match is a match up of wild brawlers and they start out trading wild hooks but once the distance is close enough Leben grabs the back of Wanderlei's head, immobilizing it. Leben forces Wanderlei's head down and then throws upper cuts, connecting perfectly with Wanderlei's chin. That moment of immobilization of the Brazilian's head caused by Leben's had was all the heavy handed southpaw needed to end the fight.
Clinch striking is a central aspect of the kickboxing art of Muay Thai, were knees and elbows are allowed. As a result, Muay Thai matches are a chess game in the clinch as fighters position themselves to best deliver punishment. The ideal position for delivering knees to the head is refereed to as 'the Muay Thai clinch'. There are few better in MMA at using this clinch than UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.
Here is Silva, at the time a challenger for the UFC belt, using the Muay Thai against then Middleweight Champ Rich Franklin. Silva has both his hands behind Franklin's head, controlling Franklin's posture, and keeping his elbows in Franklin's chest to create the space for him to drive his knees upward. Silva gets his hips far back from Franklin and then steps in to each knee strike, generating maximum power, strikes likes these are some of the most damaging in MMA.
While fighters will throw strikes from any position in the clinch there are many fighter's who look for takedowns from the clinch. There are many different kinds of takedowns but there are three major arts that focus on taking opponents down: Freestyle Wrestling, Greco-Roman Wrestling and Judo.
Freestyle Wrestling one of the Olympic styles of wrestling that is a catch all, it allows participants to use any and all non-submission grappling techniques to takedown and pin their opponent. NCAA wrestling is a form of a Freestyle, and fighters from that background tend to favor 'shot' takedowns, either the double leg or single leg takedown.
Greco-Roman wrestling refers to a wrestling that comes from the ancient tradition from you guessed it.... Greece and Rome. In Greco-Roman wrestling, no grabbing below the waist is allowed so the standing grappling takes place exclusively on the upper-body. Like clinching to strike, wrestlers want control of their opponent but unlike the striking clinch they want to get close in to score a takedown.
The position pictured above is called double underhooks, which means one fighter has his arms clasped around the other fighters torso and is able to get his hips in close, and get in position for a throw. Fighters will prevent from getting in this position by what is called pummeling and normally fighters will find themselves in over-under grips in which both fighters have one underhook.
Similar to Greco-Roman Wrestling is the Japanese art of Judo, which focuses mainly on manipulating the upper body to throw opponents to the ground, but Judo does allow attacks bellow the waist. So in addition to Judo's iconichip throws, it has a wide array of clinch takedowns, trips and footsweeps. Judo players have trouble transferring their techniques to MMA however because of the lack of the gi, and the grips it provides. But Judo techniques are becoming more and more common in MMA.
The cage plays a big role in clinch grappling and it is common strategy for the controlling fighter to press the other into the cage to constrict breath and space to strike or counter grapple. The clinch is one of the most grueling positions in MMA, the constant push and pull is exhausting. And a fighter cannot let up for one second, because a moment of relaxation can lead to being throw through the air or getting an elbow in the face.
Next time we hit the mat and talk about positional and submission grappling.
Posted in: mma, takedown, fighter, strike, position
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Ultimate Fighter Comes to Brazil (Video)
As the UFC made it's commitment to The Ultimate Fighter in Brazil official, Wanderlei Silva took gave everyone a behind-the-scenes look and his take on The Ultimate Fighter: Brasil.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, silva, brazil, brazil video
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThis tornado head kick KO is everything Ryu and Ken dreamed of
If I'm Ryu, I will defeat anyone in Street Fighter 2 -- just ask Sean. You don't need to know who Sean is. Just know that there's a dude out there named Sean that will confirm that I will defeat anyone in Street Fighter 2. It's nothing to be shamed about, really. I'm sure your Street Fighter 2 skills are exceptional. However, you must understand that my childhood consisted of passing an arcade every time I walked home from school. I didn't even eat lunch at school just so that I can save my $2.50 to slay older kids at Street Fighter 2. At one point, my teacher thought my parents were poor and enlisted me in a free lunch program. In short, if you're going to step to me in Street Fighter 2, you better be on performance enhancing drugs. Actually, let me correct that. You need be on better performance enhancing drugs than me.
Get warm and cozy in front of your fireplace this Christmas Eve and let me set the mood for you. December 22, 2011. Volgograd, Russia at the Profsoyuzov Sorts Hall for League S-70. Godzilla appears from thin air and starts jamming out to MGMT. Nah, even better. This tornado head kick KO takes place and fortunately for your eyes, there's video of it. [Source]
Posted in: fighter, time i, sean, street, everything ryu
Read the full article at Middle Easy11 for 11: No. 7 Twitter bonuses for UFC fighters
Where would the world of sports, and sports reporting without twitter? The UFC has been on the cutting edge of social media at made twitter a requirement for its fighters.
Starting in June, the UFC announced quarterly bonuses for fighters using twitter. As part of its Fighter Summit held in May, the UFC held a workshop for fighters on utilizing twitter. The first quarterly bonuses came out in November with fighters receiving $5,000 each. The UFC intends to expend $240,000 in annual twitter bonuses.
While the UFC promotes its fighters to use twitter to promote the UFC, there are pitfalls to twitter usage. Forrest Griffin, a winner of one of the twitter bonuses, was criticized for a tweet he sent about rape. Griffin quickly apologized and donated money to a rape crisis center. Dana White defended Griffin in explaining away the tweet.
In contrast to Griffin, Miguel Torres was fired for a tweet in which he referenced a line from FX’s “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
And, as always ,Dana White is very active and outspoken on twitter. The phenomenon of twitter continues to help and hurt UFC stars (as well as other sports stars) as there is no filter and the user must self-edit their thoughts lest they get caught in PR problems like Griffin and Torres. We will see if fighters change their twitter usage in 2012 or will they continue to push the envelope to gain more followers.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, twitter, bonus, griffin
Read the full article at MMA PayoutTop 10 fighters not under the UFC/Zuffa banner (Updated)
In the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and its parent company, ZUFFA LLC, have a stranglehold on the best fighters in the world.
The promotion/company has literally made millions since its dubious inception, bringing the sport to the limelight. Fighters have went from having one raw style in the early days to now having three or more at their disposal by the time they enter the hallowed Octagon.
We have seen true legends of the sport emerge like Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and Fedor Emelianenko, to the current champions (and future legends) such as Georges St. PIerre and Anderson Silva. But as far as MMA goes, there are many more fighters than just those competing in the UFC.
Indeed, there are great fighters who -- in many peoples opinions -- will go down as some of the greatest even if they compete in the UFC. That raises the burning question: Are the best in the sport decided by the fans or an organization that claims to have to best fighters in the world?
Regardless of your opinion, which you are encourage to share in the comments section below, there are many greats outside of the UFC. Check out the new and improved list after the jump:
10.) Cole Konrad
NCAA champion and current Bellator Heavyweight Champion, Cole Konrad is a powerhouse wrestler with solid ground and pound and top control.
Why is he ranked so low? Konrad has yet to be tested against a solid heavyweight with more than a puncher's chance. He struggled with Paul Buentello once he tried to strike. but Konrad has the potential to evolve and become a great fighter in the near future.
9.) "Crusher" Tatsuya Kawajiri
Tatsuya Kawajiri was a top lightweight fighter and is now perfect (1-0) in the featherweight division. He boasts solid TDD, brutal ground and pound, solid striking and is one of the best Japanese wrestlers today.
Why is he ranked so low? "Crusher" has fought some tough lightweights, but unfortunately, has come out on the losing end of those fights. He was stopped by Takanori Gomi in his prime, Gilbert Melendez and Shinya Aoki. Kawajiri's status at lightweight was becoming nothing more than a gatekeeper; however, at featherweight, Kawajiri's status is highly likely to improve.
8.) Glover Teixeira
Teixeira is a very durable striker with vicious knockout power in both hands, he has very solid submissions and takedown defense and is without a doubt one of the scariest looking dudes in MMA today. He possesses a ton of natural potential and may very well be the best light heavyweights outside of ZUFFA.
Why is he ranked so low? Teixeira's last victory was over Ricco Rodriguez by knockout, which now isn't as hard a task as it was six or seven years ago. Teixeira hasn't fought a solid veteran or someone coming off of a dominant win streak in quite some time.
7.) Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler proved against Eddie Alvarez that he was the "chosen one" to bring gold back to Xtreme Couture, showing incredible wrestling, improved boxing, punching power and the heart to be a champion. Not to mention he put on one of the best fights in recent memory.
Why is he ranked so low? Name his last opponents prior to the "Pitbull" win? Chandler showed weaknesses in the Alvarez fight and seemed to be slowing down as the fight went on. He has all the potential in the world right now and hopefully we will see this man rematch Alvarez sooner rather than later.
6.) Mamed Khalidov
Khalidov has brutal knockout power in both hands, high level kickboxing, brutal submissions and a vastly improving all around game. Khalidov may not be fighting the cream of the crop at middleweight and light heavyweight, but the way he is winning and how easily he is doing it deserves recognition.
Why is he ranked low? Well, as stated before, Khalidov just isn't fighting the cream of the crop, and he has two losses to Jorge Santiago, who had an extremely unimpressive UFC run.
5.) Nate Marquardt
Nate Marquardt -- although inactive since -- March still holds impressive highlight-reel knockouts and submissions over top fighters while he was in the UFC. Marquardt now competes at welterweight, posing a significant threat to any welterweight or middleweight fighter outside Zuffa.
Why is he ranked low? Marquardt has been inactive for a while and unheard from for quite some time. Marquardt's unimpressive losses that many, most notably Dana White, believe he because of choking have hindered him from being ranked higher.
4.) Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko
The King is no longer with Zuffa! Fedor Emelianenko will go down in history as one the greatest fighters to ever walk the face of this Earth. Despite his recent setbacks, Fedor is a dangerous opponent for any heavyweight fighter and has proven this time and time again.
Why is he ranked low? Fedor had an unimpressive run in Strikeforce, losing to Antonio Silva, Fabricio Werdum and Dan Henderson, who all cannot be overlooked. Fedor was the favorite in all three of those fights, which he lost by being finished by all three of those men. Fedor's dominant aura has been slowed up and he may not be the fighter he once was. Regardless, he's still a dangerous dude.
3.) Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki
Shinya Aoki has collected more arms than Ronda Rousey, more legs than Paul Sass and more necks than Kenny Florian. He is a dangerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who can get the fight to the ground at any chance given and may just be the best MMA grappler on the planet.
Why is he ranked low? Aoki stepped up on the big scene and lost to Gilbert Melendez in a fight where "El Nino" shut himi down from start to finish. He also got defeated by a pure kickboxer in a "SPECIAL RULES" MMA bout. Aoki needs to work on his striking defense and offense if he hopes to someday rematch Melendez and/or compete in the UFC.
2.) Jussier Da Silva
Jussier Da Silva was the top dog before his loss to Ian McCall; however, since then he's rebounded with three wins over top 10 flyweight competitors, showcasing high-level jiu-jitsu and an ever improving striking game
Why isn't he number 1? Mainly because exposure to the flyweight division isn't all that good. He has struggled in the past and is lacking in the stand up area. However, if he continues to dominate, he will be in the UFC no time.
1.) Hector Lombard
Now that Eddie Alvarez has took a fall from grace, Lombard continues to reign over Bellator and the Independent region of middleweights.
Why is he number 1? Lombard looks unstoppable. He has dangerous striking and knockout power, solid submissions, good take downs and has proven to be one of the most dominant figures outside of ZUFFA for a long time. He is virtually a problem for any fighter at 185 pounds today.
Thanks for joining me guys and your NON ZUFFA Top 10 comments below and share opinions and thoughts, also don't forget to leave your votes on the poll. Who did I miss?
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Alvarez, Ben Askren, Jay Hieron, Bibiano Fernandes, Christian M'Pumbu, Daniel Weichel, Joe Warren and Patricio Freire.
Poll
Who is the best Fighter not under the ZUFFA umbrella
Hector Lombard
Glover Teixeira
J.D Silva
Fedor Emelianenko
Mike Chandler
Mamed Khalidov
Nate Marquardt
Shinya Aoki
Tatsuya Kawajiri
Cole Konrad
Bob Sapp
Other/express in comment section
189 votes | Results
Posted in: ufc, time, fighter, zuffa, fedor
Read the full article at MMA ManiaHistory in the Making: Anthony Njokuani earns three consecutive 'Knockout of the Night' bonuses
When you think of fighters who have earned almost as much money in bonuses as fight purses, names like Anderson Silva and Chris Lytle come to mind.
But neither of those fighters -- nor heavy-handed brutes like Chris Leben, Cain Velasquez or Quinton Jackson -- have achieved what Anthony Njokuani can claim to have done.
Over the course of eight months in 2009, "The Assassin" racked up three straight "Knockout of the Night" bonuses during his run in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), a feat that no other Zuffa fighter can match. Some have two straight and some even have scored three spread out over several fights, but Njokuani's performances remain unique.
Originally slated to compete at UFC 138, an injury to Paul Taylor left the Nigerian kickboxer without a fight. Shifting over a few months, "The Assassin" found a home on the New Year's Eve card. With his original opponent Ramsey Nijem injured, Njokuani is now set to face Danny Castillo at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem. Before he steps inside the Octagon for the third time, let's take a look at the three knockouts that put him in the record books.
Let's go!
Looking to rebound from a loss to Ben Henderson in his WEC debut, Njokuani stepped inside the blue cage opposite Bart Palaszewski at WEC 40. The first half of the opening round went by without much fanfare -- both fighters felt the other out and attempted to find their range. Aside from a takedown attempt early on from the Polish fighter, there wasn't a whole lot of action to be had.
That is until the Nigerian fighter connected with a solid right to Palaszewski's jaw that dropped "Bartimus." Njokuani swarmed in for the kill but was unable to secure the win. Allowing his opponent to get to his feet, "The Assassin" began to chip away at his opponent little by little throughout the rest of the round.
A takedown with half a minute remaining was too little, too late for the Polish fighter and he assuredly went into the second round knowing he was down on the judges' scorecards.
"The Assassin" didn't allow Palaszewski to dwell too long on that fact, however. Seemingly have figured out his opponent's stand-up strategy, Njokuani connected with a beautifully time and executed three-strike combination -- right hook, left body kick, right jab -- that staggered, rocked, and finally dropped "Batimus" to the mat.
Hunched over against the cage, his only defense was to cover up while Njokuani unleashed a fury of ground and pound. Seconds later, the Nigerian had picked up his first WEC win.
Four months later, Njokuani returned to his adopted homestate of Texas to take on Muhsin Corbbrey. In a first round that was strikingly similar to the one in his previous fight, "The Assassin" took his time to open up and engage with his opponent. When he finally did, he did so with ferociousness. He dropped Corbbrey but unlike when he did so against "Bartimus," Njokuanki's WEC 43 opponent was felled by knees. Once again the Nigerian was unable to finish his opponent off on the mat so he allowed him back to a vertical base.
Going into the second round, Corrbrey amped up his aggression but it proved to be his undoing. Despite early success, he was caught by a head kick that didn't connect flush but had enough impact to daze him momentarily. As small a window as that was, Njokuani seized it and threw a straight that crumpled his opponent to the mat. A repeat performance of the same ground and pound that ended Palaszewski's night earned Njokuani his second straight Knockout of the Night bonus.
"The Assassin's" next performance came only two months later at WEC 45 where the Nigerian fighter capped off what had been the best year of his then-six year career. Booked against former International Fight League (IFL) standout Chris Horodecki, Njokuani became the only Zuffa fighter to earn three consecutive bonuses for having the best knockout of the night.
The size difference between the two difference was immediately noticeable and just to add emphasis on it, Njokuani threw a quick jab that snapped Horodecki's head back. The IFL veteran attempted the same but his smaller frame didn't allow him to get inside as easily. Instead, he opted to grapple with the kickboxer and muscled him against the cage for a minute or so trying to get the fight to the mat.
They eventually broke off the fence and reset in the center of the cage, exchanging for a bit before Horodecki once again shot in for a takedown. This time, however, it was reversed and Njokuani nailed a beautiful hip toss before smoothly transitioning to full mount for a brief moment. The Polish fighter was able to kick his opponent off and got to his feet.
It was at this moment Njokuani told me he thought, "Where does he think he going?" Horodecki, after getting to his feet, began to literally jog away from his opponent who took the opportunity to launch a jumping head kick that ended up smacking "The Polish Hammer" across the jaw.
A little bit of ground and pound later and "The Assassin" was in the record books.
His career since then has had its ups and downs. After losing two of his final three fights in the WEC, Njokuani made an immediate splash inside the Octagon at UFC 128 when he and Edson Barboza battled it out in a three-round war which put an extra $70,000 in his pocket. Coming up short that night, "The Assassin" got back into the win column with a dominant win over Andre Winner four months later.
Can he make it two in a row -- and possibly add another highlight reel knockout to his resume -- this upcoming Friday?
Posted in: fighter, opponent, wec, njokuani, assassin
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMAterial Facts (12/23/11) : Holiday Season Edition
Welcome to this week’s edition of MMAterial Facts, where we feature articles from around the MMA community.
***
This week’s MMAterial Facts:
Courtesy of Strikeforce
- AP Athlete of Year Voting Snub Shows How Far Mainstream — Not MMA — Has to Go (MMA Fighting)
“Earlier this week, The Associated Press, which provides sports news to millions of readers around the world, named its male and female athletes of the year for 2011. Not a single mixed martial artist was named on a single ballot. It’s not as if non-traditional, non-stick & ball sports were not represented. Among those who received votes were sprinter Usain Bolt, surfer Kelly Slater and marathon swimmer Diana Nyad. “
- Randy Couture: Yeah, Title IX has really crippled wrestling programs badly (Fight Opinion)
“There are two groups of people who would like to see some very different visions for the future of fighting. One is hoping for a renaissance of Catch-as-Catch-Can… and the other has a more futuristic view of where the fight business should be heading.
…
First, the fine group of humans who are interested in catch wrestling. As you can see up above, I highly recommend Jake Shannon’s book on Scientific Wrestling. He and many others are doing their best to emphasize the importance of Catch on the sport of MMA. Randy Couture did an interview with Eddie Goldman last Friday talking about this very issue in relation to his new book called The Last Round w/ Sara Levin (who worked for USA Wrestling). Book ordering/background information can be found on Amazon & Facebook.
- Interview with debuting UFC flyweight Ian McCall (MMA Mania)
“The self-destructiveness, how have you been able to overcome that?
…
Ian McCall: It seems like jail and rehab will teach you how to do it. It’s just the kind of thing where you grow out of it. I just finally one day was like, “Okay, I’ve had enough. I’ve had enough fun. I’ve partied enough in my life. This is kind of over with,” and from there, that was before me and my wife got together and she got pregnant and it was the kind of thing where I did it on my own and we and my wife reconnected because we’d dated on and off for five years and one day we started hanging out again and surprise, now I’ve got two dogs and a baby and a wife (laughs).”
- Chael Sonnen vs. Michael Lansberg II Fallout: Sonnen Is ‘Done’ with Anderson Silva (MMA Convert)
“The bottom line is, I’m done with the guy,” the 34-year-old Sonnen said in an excerpt released prior to the show by TSN. “He and I have no business. . . . He’s so far over the hill and past his prime it’s not worth talking about.
…
“I’m going to become the No. 1 contender on January 28th, but despite what you may think, I am not going to use that voucher to fight Anderson Silva. I’ll be looking at Dos Santos, Jones and possibly St-Pierre.
…
“I will take that voucher to (UFC president) Dana White and I will pick one of those guys. My time with Anderson is done.”
- Surprise, Alistair Oveeem is in UFC Undisputed 3 and you have less than four weeks to unlock him (MiddleEasy)
“Ubereem could also come with me to Venice Beach sometime next summer and we can take our shirts off and toss a frisbee on the beach like heterosexual men. Ronda Rousey could judge us on our frisbee throwing techniques and at the end of the day, we could grub down on all the horse meat tacos we want. That’s my only New Year’s Resolution. If that doesn’t go down next year, then at least I’ll know that I’ve unlocked Alistair Overeem in UFC Undisputed 3 simply by liking THQ’s official UFC Undisputed Facebook page — and you can too if you check out the very limited promotion. We’ve even included a video of the first footage of Ubereem within the game for your viewing pleasures..”
- Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller Staying Positive And Pushing Onward (FightLine)
“Dana White was right,” Miller wrote in a recent blog post on his personal website. “He made some disparaging comments about my performance, and I agree with him. I displayed the worst of everything that night in the Octagon. I was tense in round one and I locked up after that. I didn’t perform to my potential, and I take full responsibility for it. That wasn’t a UFC caliber performance, and I’m not happy about it- I won’t, however, write a worthless diatribe on myself, because that is not constructive. I elect instead to take this misstep and make something positive out of it.”
- MMA Video Tribute: The 25 Most Brutal Finishes of 2011 (Cage Potato)
“With a little help from the Potato Nation, we spent the last couple days gathering videos of the nastiest, ugliest, most-painful looking knockouts and submissions from this year. Finding 25 of them was the easy part. (Damn, MMA fighters. You seemed especially angry this year. Problems at home?) Putting them in order was a little more challenging. Obviously, Frank Mir snapping Nogueira’s arm at UFC 140 was the people’s choice for #1. But how do you rank a head-kick knockout against a spinning-backfist knockout, when they both leave their victims zombie’d on the mat with their eyes open and their arms in the air?”
- Gift Giving: Shopping for Fighters (Five Ounces of Pain)
“It’s the holiday season and after fighting off crazed moms who just have to get that last bottle of Justin Bieber shampoo, I finally finished my MMA Christmas shopping. I couldn’t find a gift for everyone but I think I did well and hopefully all the fighters and MMA personalities appreciate all the thought and money I put into their gifts.
…
Lets have a look under the tree and see what we have, shall we?”
- Urijah Faber Shaves Head in Support of Sister (Video) (5thRound)
“Exactly four Fridays ago, Urijah Faber’s (Pictured) 19-year-old sister, Michaella Tastad, was involved in a horrific car accident. It was the morning after she had celebrated Thanksgiving dinner with her family.
…
Faber’s sister suffered a collapsed lung, spleen damage and received life-threatening head trauma that forced physicians to medically induce a coma at Sutter Roseville Medical Center in Sacramento, California.”
- Satoshi Ishii trains at Black House for the fight with Fedor Emelianenko (LowKick)
“In less than two weeks, 2008 Beijing Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo, Satoshi Ishii, will step inside the ring at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, for the biggest fight of his young Mixed Martial Arts career, against “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko. Ishii will be the eighth Japanese fighter to square off against Emelianenko, looking to become the first to defeat him.
…
The fight will headline the traditionally stacked DREAM’s New Year’s Eve fight card (Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011), which will feature blockbuster JMMA names such as Shinya Aoki, Katsunori Kikuno, Satoru Kitaoka, Hiroyuki Takaya, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and many others.”
- Top 10 Biggest MMA Upsets in 2011 (TheFightNerd)
“Everyone loves to see the underdog win, especially because they never expect it. In MMA, unpredictability is a constant variable that truly makes it one of the most exciting sports out there. Sometimes, it’s not even the underdog, but rather the fighter that most thought had zero chance at all to win, let alone survive the fight.
…
As this year wraps up, it’s time to look back and see who were the biggest underdogs that shattered expectations and, even if just for one night, made a name for themselves and proved everyone wrong. This is not a list of amazing comebacks in a fight, rather the matches that should have gone one way, and ended up entirely different. So, let’s jump into the top ten biggest MMA upsets from 2011!”
- The 2011 Last-Minute Gift List for Your MMA Fan (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
“This list is the top 10 gifts for the 2011 holiday season!
…
Do you have a special MMA fan in you life? Are you an MMA fan that is just looking for an excuse to buy more MMA stuff? Well, for the next 10 items, please think of yourself in the third person and shop as if you were shopping for someone else!”
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fighter, year
Read the full article at MMA PayoutGift Giving: Shopping for Fighters
It’s the holiday season and after fighting off crazed moms who just have to get that last bottle of Justin Bieber shampoo, I finally finished my MMA Christmas shopping. I couldn’t find a gift for everyone but I think I did well and hopefully all the fighters and MMA personalities appreciate all the thought and money I put into their gifts.
Lets have a look under the tree and see what we have, shall we?
To Dana White: A filter. This isn’t a filter that goes in your hot tub or pool though; this filter goes between your brain and your mouth. It catches anything stupid that you might be thinking of saying, like burying your former and current heavyweight champion in front of 8 million viewers or responding to trolls on twitter.
To Gilbert Melendez: Two more fences. Right now Melendez competes in a hexagonal cage. Add two more fences and he’ll be in an octagon, which is exactly where he should be. Melendez has proven himself in Strikeforce and he needs to be moved up before people start to sour on him for not finishing opponents or he ends up dropping a fight.
To Mike Goldberg: A thesaurus. I’ve harped on this for a very long time, but I’m pretty sure Goldberg only knows two adjectives to describe women; beautiful and lovely. There are three ring girls, can he not come up with another adjective to describe them? Or at least mix it up a bit? Brittney can be lovely, Chandella can be beautiful.
To Jon Jones: A replica UFC title. Will you sign this, please?
A Samer Kadi Stocking Stuffer – To Jones: Some fans.
To Jose Aldo: 5 less feet. For some reason Aldo has lost that killer instinct in the UFC. I’m just going to blame it the fact that the WEC cage was only 25 feet while the UFC cage is 30 feet. So for all Aldo fights, we’re just going to remove five feet of cage so Aldo starts finishing guys in spectacular fashion again.
To Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem: A game plan. Make sure you follow it. We can’t have the last PPV of the year and the #1 contender fight for the heavyweight title ending in 64 seconds because one of you guys didn’t follow the game plan.
A Samer Kadi Stocking Stuffer – To Lesnar and Overeem: A negative drug test.
To Any Average Heavyweight: Two less minutes. I vote that every heavyweight fight that doesn’t involve one of the top ten heavyweights in the world only have three minute rounds. That way guys don’t have to be carried back to their corner at the end of 10 minutes and still have to fight for 5 more minutes.
To Chael Sonnen: A free trip to Brazil. Go there to fight Anderson Silva, go there for a nice vacation, or give it to someone you hate. Just make sure you don’t bow upon arrival.
To Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre: A clean bill of health. These two men fought a combined three times in 2011. Jon Jones fought four times. They are two of the best fighters of all-time, one is the most exciting champion is the sport, one is the most purchased (PPV buys) champion in the sport, and yet neither of them saw enough cage time in 2011.
To Jon Fitch: Some respect. Because of his style, Fitch is often overlooked in the welterweight division. He’s only lost once in the UFC, to GSP, and he seems to be stuck in the same position he’s been at for years now. When a big time 170 fight opens up, Fitch usually isn’t the one getting the call.
To B.J. Penn and Forrest Griffin: Some matches. I don’t know what it is with these two but when they’re into the fight and feeling it, you know you’re in for a great fight. But when they’re not feeling it or they’re taken out of the fight by their opponent, it’s just sad to watch these former champions pack it in. Hopefully some matches help them regain that fire.
To Michael Bisping: Tuition. Now that I’ve paid for your tuition, you can finally get some class.
To Muhammed Lawal and Jason High: Pads and time. We always see those cut ins during broadcasts of fighters hitting pads with their coaches. Well High and Lawal have promised to imitate Kevin Hart imitating Floyd Mayweather Jr. if they’re ever cut to during the broadcast.
To Fedor Emelianenko: The chance to fight anyone in the world, no M-1 Global attached. I just want to know whom he’d choose. Not his management, but him. Is he content on fighting guys like Satoshi Ishii or does he want to battle against Junior dos Santos? Honestly, I have no clue how Fedor thinks since he’s so protected by M-1 Global but I’d hope he’d take on top competition.
To Junior dos Santos: Some cardio because, according to Dana White, you have none.
To Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar: A spotlight. That’s what should be on these two in February. Unfortunately, due to the lack of lightweight drawing power and UFC 144 being in Japan (overseas shows never draw well), only 300,000 people will see this fight live, which would be a shame since it has the potential to be the best fight of the year.
To Gray Maynard: A sticky note that says, “There are four more rounds.” That way he remembers to keep fighting after the first round.
To Quinton Jackson: Some leg kicks. So Joe Rogan will shut up about you never throwing leg kicks. In all seriousness, it would be nice to see Jackson add some new wrinkles to his game because, no matter how good of shape he’s in, if he’s still the same counter boxer, it really doesn’t make a difference.
To Frank Mir: A Sudoku puzzle. Mir is the most puzzling fighter in the world to figure out in terms of skill because of how he wins and loses. So while I try to figure out just how good he is, he can figure out where all these numbers go.
To Mike Chandler: An Amazon.com gift card. This is an inside joke. Spend it wisely Mike.
To Wanderlei Silva: Any role that Morgan Freeman passes on. If Morgan Freeman doesn’t want to narrate a documentary about birds flying south for the winter or is over the Batman franchise, I demand that Wanderlei be given his role. Just imagine Wanderlei and his glorious accent talking about birds for an hour and a half or telling Christian Bale about his latest invention. Box office gold.
To Arianny Celeste: Super glue. It was just a cut.
To Clay Guida: Sympathy. If you don’t understand this gift, watch The Big Lebowski. I also do have some sympathy for Clay because he’s only one win away from a title shot but just can’t pull it off.
To Nick Diaz: An alarm clock. Hopefully he won’t miss anymore media appearances.
To Rashad Evans: A special night. Now stop ruining Jon Jones’ evenings.
To Donald Cerrone: Some. NOW YOU GOT SOME DONALD CER-RO-NE!
To Leonard Garcia: A baseball. Maybe you’ll find more success as a pitcher.
To Tito Ortiz: Goggles. Since you get poked in the eye in every fight, including fights where you’re on the ground getting hit in the body, these goggles should help you out. Mike Goldberg can call you the Kareem Abdul Jabar of MMA as well.
To Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz: Each other. Whether they want to admit it or not, these two bring out the best in each other. Without Faber, Cruz is fighting on free TV instead of headlining PPVs. Without Cruz, Faber isn’t fighting for the title and building up the division.
To Brittney Palmer: @jeremylambert88. I don’t need to know you better, you Tweet at me once, we go together.
Happy Holidays everyone.
Posted in: fight, time, fighter, ’t, ’re
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainFollowing risky move, Chicago MMA fighter paralyzed in amateur bout
This past Saturday at an MMA event in Joliet, Ill., 20-year-old amateur fighter Jeff Dunbar was stuck in a bad way.
In the ninth of 11 scheduled fights at a Dec. 17 Fight Card
Entertainment event, fellow fighter Rudy Bahena clung to Dunbar's back,
torqued a standing rear-naked choke, and had his opponent desperate
enough to try the unthinkable.
Believing to be out of better options, Dunbar dove forward, hoping he
could spike Bahena into the canvas. It was an ill-fated decision - one
that's now cost Dunbar the use of his limbs and forever changed his
life.
Posted in: fighter, mma event, dunbar, cost dunbar, illfated decision
Read the full article at MMA Junkie11 for 11: No. 8 The state of MMA sponsorships
With the purchase of Strikeforce by Zuffa, sponsors felt the squeeze as Strikeforce imposed the same fee (or tax) as the UFC does with its sponsors.
Strikeforce imposed the sponsor fee starting with June’s Strikeforce event. The fee also applied to Strikeforce Challengers’ sponsors. As a result, sponsors such as Ranger Up, CageHero and VXRSI are no longer sponsoring fighters in Strikeforce.
While some do not dispute the imposition of the fee, it severed relationships some fighters had with brands since they fought at small MMA promotions. For the sponsors unable to pay the $35,000 to $50,000 fee to have its logo on a fighters’ shorts, it meant revamping its marketing strategy.
Also this year, the state of sponsors in MMA was examined as many sponsors questioned the return on investment.
Recently, clothing brand Respect Your Universe (RYU) became the UFC’s newest sponsor and signed welterweight Jon Fitch. Despite RYU, some have been critical about the UFC’s lack of obtaining new sponsorships. It will be interesting to see how many new sponsors sign on in 2012. With the Fox deal, Zuffa should be able to take advantage of the momentum.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, sponsor, fee, sponsors sign
Read the full article at MMA PayoutAn MMA fighter is dead after agreeing to spar with someone on an internet forum
Not everyone should strive to be Bloodstain Lane and actually meet up with people solely for the purpose of punching them so many times that they puke off camera. Sometimes these things can take a turn for the worst, as illustrated by this KGW Portland story of an MMA fighter accepting a challenge from someone he met on an internet forum only to die in a local hospital hours later. Here's an excerpt from the news item.
Police are investigating the death of a mixed martial arts fighter from Chicago who came to Washington to spar with someone he met online.
Investigators said 38-year-old Salvador Flamenco met the unidentified Vancouver resident on www.allfighters.com and agreed to spar.
The two fought each other on December 15 and 16, after which Flamenco began to show signs of "medical distress," police said.
He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he later died.
Our condolences goes out to the family of the victim. Hopefully people will realize that trolling is simply an internet phenomenon. If applied in real-life, undesired and mixed results can occur. [Source]
Posted in: fighter, mma fighter, internet forum, hospital hours, vancouver resident
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC 141: Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem Predictions From the Key Players in Asian MMA
These promoters and CEOs may be the top honchos in Asian MMA, but when it comes down to it, they're also big fans of MMA just like you guys. I managed to get the founders of several of the top organizations in Asia to make time out of their busy schedules, to let their guard down, and to just talk about the sport they love. Here are the major players in the Asian MMA industry and their thoughts on the biggest UFC bout of the year.
Who will win the UFC 141 bout between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem?
Victor Cui, Founder and CEO of ONE FC: Who hasn’t been dying to see this match-up? It’s probably one of the most anticipated fights in the history of MMA and for most people, I’d say picking Overeem is an obvious bet. But it’s tough to say how he’ll deal with the new pressure of his mother’s unfortunate illness. I think Lesnar is finally healthy, has a lot to prove and I love the underdog. I’m predicting Lesnar to win by KO.
EJ Calvo, CEO and Promoter of Pacific X-Treme Combat (PXC): Brock Lesnar will ground and pound and win by unanimous decision.
Alvin Aguilar, Founder and CEO of the URCC: Even though I want Brock to win because I have always been a WWE fan, I really think this will be Alistair all the way. He is a K-1 level striker who has beaten one of the all time greats of K-1, in Peter Aerts. Also, we have seen that when Brock gets hit, he doesn't really take it very well. Alistair is also an ADCC level grappler, so we know he is no slouch on the ground. Brock's only chance would be to GNP him but if it stays standing he is going to be in a lot of trouble.
Chatri Sityodtong, Founder and CEO of Evolve MMA: I predict that Overeem will KO Lesnar by the 2nd round. Overeem has excellent takedown defense and KO power. Lesnar is awkward at striking with a tendency to run when he gets hit. Size and strength won't be as much as a factor in this fight because both guys are huge monsters.
Michael Haskamp, Promoter and Co-Founder of Legend FC: I give this one to Lesnar. I'm not a huge Brock fan, but he's an enormously strong and very gifted athlete with a great wrestling base, which is an Overeem weakness. More importantly, I think Overeem has a lot of things working against him:
a. Overeem has spent much of his career (and most of his recent fights) crushing cans. The guys he's gone up against have for the most part been second-tier heavyweights with some combination of clear holes in their game and momentum (e.g. a string of losses, age, etc.) working against them. For a long time he was signed with promotions that either didn't have good heavyweights to put up against him, or who didn't want to derail the marketing train by giving him fights he might actually lose. To a large extent, this was outside his control. I've seen this happen with a couple of fighters in some promotions, and it sucks to be in a position where you're not improving or gaining credibility because you're not being challenged.
b. Related to (a), in most cases where Overeem has been matched up against top-tier fighters, he's come up on the losing end. Examples include Shogun (twice), Nogueira (twice), and Kharitonov.
c. Apparently, his new UFC contract has caused a rift between him and his now former team (Golden Glory). Whenever a fighter leaves his team, it has a big psychological effect on him. Considering the circumstances under which Overeem in particular left his team, the increasing amount of negative press he's getting because of it, and the break in the consistency of his training, it's going to have a serious detrimental effect on his performance.
Then again, this is MMA, and with Brock's suspect chin, all it might take is for one Overeem punch to find its mark...
Picked Overeem: URCC, Evolve MMAPicked Lesnar: ONE FC, PXC, Legend FC
After the jump, each these key players in Asian MMA state their case on why UFC fans should also watch Asian MMA and their product.
Why should UFC fans watch Asian MMA and your product?
Michael Haskamp, Promoter and Co-Founder of Legend FC: Asia is the birthplace of martial arts. Almost everything that UFC fans love to see in the cage has its roots in this part of the world. And because in most of this region, MMA is still a relatively new sport, I find that fighters here are hungrier and looking to prove themselves more, which leads to more aggressive and exciting fights.
I think Legend in particular is the best place for US fight fans to watch Asian MMA because of our basic premise: focus exclusively on native Asia-Pacific fighters, find the best guys in every country in the region, and match them up in a contest for regional supremacy. If you're looking for the best in Asia-Pacific MMA, every single one of our fight cards reflects that promise from top to bottom. And given our broadcast footprint, UFC fans can find a way to watch us in nine countries around the world, including the US and Canada!
Chatri Sityodtong, Founder and CEO of Evolve MMA: The essence of Asian MMA is the exciting, adrenaline-pumping finish, be it by KO or submission. If you want to see lots of KOs and submissions, then just come watch the Evolve Fight Team from Evolve MMA. DREAM FC Champion Shinya Aoki from the Evolve Fight Team exemplifies the essence of Asian MMA and the fighting spirit on the Evolve Fight Team. Win or lose, he comes to finish fights in the most dramatic, electrifying manner. With World Champions in Muay Thai, BJJ, Boxing, MMA, and No Gi Grappling, the Evolve Fight Team is Asia's most decorated professional fight team.
Alvin Aguilar, Founder and CEO of the URCC: They should watch it because there are so many talented and exciting fighters they have not seen in Asia who are also world class. The fighters in URCC ALL go for the win. You won't see any spoiled fighters who are scared to lose, and play it safe with the time. The fighters in the URCC always go all out!
EJ Calvo, CEO and Promoter of Pacific X-Treme Combat (PXC): UFC & MMA fans in general should look to Asia for the future stars of the sport. Pacific X-treme Combat makes its home in the Asia-Pacific region, and turns out more UFC talent than any organization outside of Japan. PXC fighters fight at the highest level in Asia, and in 2012, we are expecting to see at least 2 more PXC fighters to move to the UFC ranks to compete with the best in the world.
Victor Cui, Founder and CEO of ONE FC: The best fighters in Asia fight for ONE FC. If you’re an MMA fans looking to catch world-class action on TV or at one of the major Asian cities ONE FC is going to, then following ONE FC is a no-brainer. ONE FC showcases the best fighters in Asia, in the best venues, with the biggest broadcast across the region – it’s simply one of the most exciting MMA events in Asia to watch.
Posted in: fight, mma, overeem, fighter, fc
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWhat fighter, based in America, would you like to learn more about?
I'd like to get back into writing a little bit more journalistic stuff, and one aspect of that I've wanted to explore is writing profiles. I'd like to write something that would at least be interesting to some people, so I was wondering what fighter(s) would you like to learn more about? The qualification about being based in America is simply to keep my phone bill low. submitted by neokeynesian [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fighter, america, id, phone bill, profiles id
Read the full article at RedditTeaser Clip – The Ultimate Fighter Comes to Brazil
The Ultimate Fighter Brasil debuts this Spring on Globo, and marks the long-awaited rematch between two Brazilian legends. Go behind the scenes.
Posted in: fighter, brazil, longawaited rematch, fighter brasil, brazilian legends
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Ultimate Fighter Comes To Brazil
Check out this quick preview video for "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," which debuts in early 2012.
Posted in: fighter, brazil, preview video, fighter brazil, brazil check
Read the full article at Heavy MMA2012 World MMA Bantamweight Scouting Report: #3 - Chris Holdsworth
Photo by Chris Garcia
Name:
Chris Holdsworth
Nickname:
--
Age:
24
Height:
5'11"
Location:
Las Vegas, Nevada
One would be hard pressed to find a résumé as extensive and impressive as Cobra Kai's Chris Holdsworth (3-0). The 24-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who is also an instructor at Marc Laimon's school in Las Vegas, Nevada, has decimated any and all challengers to his undefeated record. After capping off a 6-0 amateur record by defeating touted featherweight prospect Anthony Gutierrez (4-0) in only two minutes and thirty-two seconds last August, Holdsworth turned pro, winning all three of his bouts with a total cage time of only four minutes and forty-eight seconds.
Holdsworth's nine-fight run can be attributed to his excellent grappling chops and aggressive, in-your-face style of fighting. He's also physically superior to most of his competition as he sports a 5'11" frame, the largest on our countdown.
Fearlessness is also a key reason to his quick success. Holdsworth doesn't patiently wait for openings. He's an aggressive fighter who uses his reach and striking ability to distract his opponents before barreling into their midsections for takedowns. Once on the ground, Holdsworth is efficient, transitioning effortlessly to side control and mount, normally looking for the armbar or catching the back as his opponent rolls to avoid his grasp.
As a pro, his strength of record isn't high, but holding an amateur win over Guitierrez provides a glimpse into what Holdsworth could accomplish moving forward. He's clearly a gifted talent, but he'll need to fight stiffer competition to prove it to more prominent promotions like the UFC or Bellator.
With tougher competition comes the possibility of defeat, and in Holdsworth's case -- the chance that his fearless attack is humbled. Former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres knows what that feels like, and his case proves that defeat can have a profound effect on how a fighter performs. It remains to be seen how Holdsworth will react to such a trial.
In the meantime, Holdsworth is doing everything he can to maintain his unblemished record. He's moved to Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California to continue his progression as a fighter. A great move, not only for his development, but for his career. If he can supplement his grappling skills with a technically sound Muay Thai or kickboxing base, Holdsworth could have all the tools to become an upper-echelon fighter within the span of a couple of years.
Video footage of Chris Holdsworth after the jump...
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Chris Holdsworth vs. Gabe GonzalesChris Holdsworth Highlight
Chris Holdsworth vs. Gor MnatsakanyanAmateur - TUF-n-NUFF - February 26, 2010
Chris Holdsworth vs Gustavo LimonGladiator Challenge: Legends Collide 2 - February 20, 2011
Posted in: fighter, record, chri, he, holdsworth
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowJunie Browning Turns Himself In To Police
Former 'Ultimate Fighter' Junie Browning's long, strange trip through Thailand may finally be coming to a close.
Posted in: fighter, thailand, police, junie, browning
Read the full article at MMA Weekly4 Strikeforce Fighters from Dec. 17 Face Indefinite Suspensions
Four fighters who competed at Strikeforce “Melendez vs. Masvidal” have been indefinitely suspended by the California State Athletic Commission for medical reasons following the Dec. 17 event.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, event, dec, california state
Read the full article at SherdogThe cut to featherweight effed Kenny Florian up
Never believe anything a fighter says leading up to a fight. Or anything regarding how they feel or how preparation is going. Because before hand you'll hear stuff like "Kenny Florian on Cut to Featherweight: I've Never Felt Better." Then afterwards you hear stuff like this:
"Dropping to the featherweight division was way too much for my body to handle," said Florian. "The Diego Nunes fight was the worst I've ever felt on a weigh-in day. Luckily, I felt better on fight day and was able to pull out a victory."But, against Aldo it was a brutal weight cut, and I really didn't feel too great heading into the fight. In result, I had some medical issues I had to deal with. I had a thyroid issue that was based on the drastic weight loss."Those are the things you kind of ignore as a fighter, but it became very real to me after the fight. I'll now be moving and staying at lightweight."
Goddamn. I guess that ends our dream of Kenny competing for the bantamweight title. Now he has to deal with something that's normally the domain of elderly women. If he needs any advice or support, I can talk to my mom for him. It could be worse. There's some evidence to suggest that crazy cutting can lead to problems with testosterone production, which of course leads to fighters needing that much ballyhooed TRT treatment. Will Kenny have to start taking steroids?
Posted in: fight, fighter, florian, kenny, featherweight
Read the full article at FightlinkerTen Fighters Hit with Medical Suspensions After Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal
Main-event fighters Gilbert Melendez and Jorge Masvidal were among 10 fighters slapped with medical suspensions after their Strikeforce fights on Saturday.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, jorge masvidal, melendez, strikeforce fights
Read the full article at Heavy MMA7-1 Frenchman Arnaud Lepont discusses fighting in Thailand, future of SE Asian MMA
Arnaud Lepont is a French fighter with a 7-1 record who has been living and fighting in Asia for the past few years. After moving to Bangkok in 2011 he has rapidly become one of the stars of the recently formed DARE Championship and a name to watch in general.
In his first fight for DARE he blasted through top Malaysian fighter Jian Kai Chee in less than a minute and he will be back in action on January 7 when he takes on another top Thai fighter in Krzysztof Hajtalowicz.
Hajtalowicz, originally from Poland but now based in Chiang Mai, submitted the previously unbeaten Wiktor Svensson in the second round of his DARE debut and this clash is one of the most eagerly anticipated in Thai MMA history.
Lepont took time out from his training to talk to Fighters.com about the upcoming fights and his experiences of living and training in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia:
When did you start learning martial arts and why?
I started martial arts when I was five years. As a boy I was rather exuberant with an overflow of energy. My father decided to enroll in karate classes to channel the overflow. This is the best decision that my father took me. I do not think I’d be where I am today a time had he not made this decision for me.
Why did you decide to fight MMA professionally?
After winning the French Pancrase Championship. I won my four fights by submission in the first round, one against a good friend from my own team who is now the champion of a high level promotion in France call KOC…I’m proud of him. I heard that it is doing good.
Winning this tournament was like the unlocking process to become professional. A couple of years later I faced the new French Pancrase Champion champion in a Shooto fight in Belgium and got the submission in the first round by triangle choke.
Was it difficult to find fights in Europe back in 2007?
Yes, for sure. First because MMA is still yet illegal in my own country of France and a year ago we were taking the road to fight in England, Germany…it was weird. People were looking at us like underground fighters…
Why did you move to Asia?
I did several years of “back and forth” and the more time passed, the more I longed to stay there. Life in Asia is very different but it suits me better. I initially started my gym in Vietnam. Unfortunately my associates had troubles with the law and I was included in their problems because my gym was under their license. I did nothing wrong but I was asked to leave the country.
I lost everything and many people I called “My Family” have turned their backs. I was fortunate to come across great people when I arrived in Thailand, there are just over a year ago. I went back to training and as fate would have it I ended up signing with DARE FC.
You train at a lot of different places, why is that?
Because I don’t believe in the superiority of one camp. I think that if you want to improve yourself and get better, as a fighter, you have to share experience. That’s why I train in 13Coins and Phuket Top Team in Thailand and MuayFit in Malaysia. And believe me, I feel I’m a way better fighter now.
How did you enjoy fighting for DARE? What did you think of the show?
I love DARE! I love the MC Jon Nutt who I think he’s one of the best in the business. Jussi (Jussi Saloranta, the promoter) put in his show something new that everybody was waiting for. It’s like watching an interactive video game. Fights are not enough to make a good show, everything is important and living the DARE experience is unique and epic.
Is it true you are moving to Malaysia soon, can you tell us a bit about that?
Yes. It’s true. My friend Paul Teo has the will to build the first professional MMA team in Malaysia and he will bring in it some of the best fighters in Asia like Eric Kelly, Isamu Himura, and Kai Chee. I am already 31 and you know, my time is now, I still have dreams as a fighter. I want a shot at one of the big show - ONE FC, DREAM, or the UFC!
You have spent a bit of time in Malaysia lately, who are the fighters to look out for there?
There is a lot of good fighters. Some of these guys will emerge and will become the next step of MMA in Malaysia. Guys, keep a eye on Peter Davis, Jian Kai Chee, Samir Mrabet, and Allamurad “Pretty Boy” Karayev.
What are your thoughts on your next opponent, Krzysztof Hajtalowicz?
Cris is a nice guy. I have a lot of respect for him. I think he is maybe the next big fighter to come out of Thailand. His ground is deadly and his will is tough to break. I hate to face someone I like. But I have to stop him now. He is improving every day. We gonna have a drink after the fight but in the cage, will be a war…
For people who aren’t familiar with DARE can you tell them a bit about how it is different from other MMA shows?
DARE thinks that the fights are only a part of the show. All has to be entertaining! It’s a real experience to live. Lights, sounds…all is done to blow your mind…The cream of MMA fighters of Thailand are there. Buy your ticket for January 7…if you like MMA, this is the place to be !
With a 7-1 pro record you are probably one of the top French welterweights, what are your ambitions as a fighter?
Thanks but there is a lot a really good fighter in France! Seydina Seck, Gary Kono, Gael Grimaud, and Jess Liaudin are the top of the basket of welterweight French division…but in the others, there is guys like Christophe Gauthierot, the Fernandez Brothers, the Schiavo brothers, Patrick Vallee, Bryan Rafik, Christian M’Pumbu, Cyrille Diabate, Greg Babene…
I fight because I love fighting. I don’t do it for money. If you do it for the paycheck, I think it’s better to stop and become teacher. I love a good brawl.
I wish at least a fight in ONE FC or DREAM or UFC…just one shot…for me and those who believe in me. And to finish my career I want to make my last fight in MMA rules in Paris, France in front of my friends.
Tweet
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, year, malaysia
Read the full article at Fighters.com'Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal' medical suspensions: Four out indefinitely
Four fighters from this past weekend's "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal" event now face indefinite medical suspensions.
MMAjunkie.com recently requested and received the list of suspensions from the California State Athletic Commission.
Headliner Jorge Masvidal, main-card fighters Jorge Masvidal and Billy Evangelista, and prelim fighter Devin Cole all face indefinite suspensions.
Posted in: fighter, suspension, masvidal, california state, suspensions mmajunkiecom
Read the full article at MMA Junkie“Ultimate Fridays” to run opposite TUF-Bellator
Spike TV announced that it would air episodes from the past 14 episodes of The Ultimate Fighter on Fridays. The programming move runs opposite FX’s “The Ultimate Fighter” and Bellator on MTV2.
Via Spike TV press release:
Spike TV, the recognized home of mixed martial arts on television, has announced a new three-hour programming block debuting on Friday, March 2 (9:00 PM – Midnight, ET/PT) featuring the greatest episodes from the 14 seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter.” From Rashad Evans to Matt Serra, from Forrest Griffin to Kimbo Slice, “The Ultimate Fighter Fridays” on Spike TV will showcase all the incredible knockouts, unbelievable submissions, and tense drama from the seven years of the hit Spike series. The network will air special-themed editions of “The Ultimate Fighter Fridays” with input from fans via Facebook and Twitter. Details will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
I originally thought that Bellator moving to Friday night was a smart move because it could own Friday night. I was wrong as TUF will be on FX on Friday night and now Spike TV will air reruns of past TUFs. An interesting question posed by some is whether airing TUF on Friday would impact Bellator ratings.
John Morgan of MMA Junkie tweeted that a Spike TV executive stated the network chose Friday night because, “Spike has to monetize the library the UFC prefers we keep and run.” An obvious jab at the UFC.
Payout Perspective:
Spike TV’s programming decision will definitely impact both Bellator and TUF. Although reruns, many people will want to see the early seasons which include Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Rich Franklin and Randy Couture.The move appears to be a direct counter to TUF on FX rather than Bellator on MTV2 in the continued bad breakup between the two.This spring will be full of MMA Fridays and it will be interesting to see who will win the ratings war.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, tv, spike, friday
Read the full article at MMA PayoutStrikeforce Fighters’ Drugs of Abuse Tests Clean, Steroid Tests Still Pending
The California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday informed MMAWeekly.com of the fighters that were drug tested for last Saturday’s Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, drug, california state, abuse tests
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyStrikeforce ‘Melendez vs. Masvidal’ Fighter Salaries
The CSAC has released the fighter payouts for Strikeforce “Melendez vs. Masvidal”. Keep in mind, these figures represent the base contracted pay the fighter receives from the promotion. These figures do not include any additional bonuses or sponsorship money, which in many cases exceeds a fighter’s base pay. These numbers also do not account for taxes, insurance, and license fees.
Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi led the pack with flat $150,000 paydays. Strikeforce women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg was next in line with a $66,000 payday with her win bonus. It was a significant bump from the $35,000 she pocketed for beating Jan Finney at Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Werdum.” KJ Noons was right behind her with $65,000 in total earnings.
The total disclosed payroll came to $580,000, however the $154,000 live gate was barely enough to cover Gilbert Melendez’s purse, let alone the rest of the payroll.
Payouts
Courtesy of MMA Junkie:
Gilbert Melendez: $150,000 (no win bonus)
Jorge Masvidal: $23,000
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos: $66,000 ($33k + $33k win bonus)
Hiroko Yamanaka: $8,000
Gegard Mousasi: $150,000 (no win bonus)
Ovince St. Preux: $17,000
K.J. Noons: $65,000 ($35k + $30k)
Billy Evangelista: $20,000
Caros Fodor: $20,000 ($10k + $10k)
Justin Wilcox: $12,000
Roger Bowling: $14,200 ($7k + $7k + $200 Peoples weight fine)
Jerron Peoples: $1,600 ($2k – $200 fine to Bowling – $200 fine to CSAC)
Devin Cole: $12,000 ($6k + $6k)
Gabriel Salinas-Jones: $3,000
Eddie Mendez: $6,000 ($3k + $3k)
Fernando Gonzalez: $3,000
Herman Terrado: $6,000 ($3k + $3k)
Chris Brown: $3,000
Total Payout
A disclosed total of $580,000 was paid out to the fighters.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, bonus, melendez, taxes insurance
Read the full article at MMA ConvertErik Koch Injured; Dustin Poirier Awaits New Opponent for UFC 143
The next contender at featherweight might have been determined at UFC 143, but now one of the fighters is out of the bout with potential title implications on the line.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, contender, erik koch, title implications
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyHistory in the Making: Nate Diaz returns to lightweight and bulldozes Takanori Gomi
If success in mixed martial arts (MMA) was measured by the frequency and sternness of scowls, Nate Diaz would be the world's greatest fighter only behind his older brother Nick.
Thankfully, in addition to being able to mean mug with the best of them, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 winner is also one hell of a fighter. He steps inside the Octagon with the same ferocity that his brother does and has earned a legion of fans because of it.
He has a solid albeit unspectacular UFC record of 9-5 but two of those losses came at welterweight against men -- Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald -- whose only losses came at the hands of Carlos Condit who happens to be facing off against Nick Diaz in the main event of UFC 143.
What a tangle web we weave, indeed.
Fans who cheer Nate Diaz do so not only because of how he wins -- impressively and decisively -- but also how he comes up short. When he loses, he does so to some of the best and only by decision. He fought Clay Guida and Gray Maynard tooth and nail for 15 minutes and nearly pulled off the victory each time, losing to both men by split decision. He, like his brother, comes to fight. He doesn't step inside the cage for a sporting contest, he enters the Octagon much like he would a bar and fights his UFC opponents like he would a drunken patron during a brawl.
His next opponent is Donald Cerrone at UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem", a fight with the potential to be a last minute Fight of the Year candidate. It's also Diaz's second fight at lightweight since returning to the division in September. At UFC 135, he dropped back down to 155 pounds and took on Diaz family foe Takanori Gomi.
Let's dive right in.
The two meet in the center and begin pawing their jab out in an attempt to gauge the distance and find their range. Diaz snaps forward a quick jab that grazes Gomi who already is having trouble with the reach advantage his opponent has. Gomi has dealt with this before and more often than not, his opponent lay unconscious on the mat following an exchange.
A perfectly placed jab connects with Gomi's jaw as the former Pride Fighting Championships champion attempts a wild hook, dropping the Japanese fighter momentarily. He bounces right back up but has to deal with Diaz's newfound aggression. Back against the cage, Gomi is pressured relentlessly by Diaz. The Stockton fighter eats a solid punch to the body but it doesn't even seem to phase him. He continues the assault without pause, peppering Gomi with punch after punch.
Another body shot lands for Gomi but it seems to be the only offense he's able to mount. Midway through the round, Diaz has already started taunting the Japanese fighter like only a Diaz knows how. Hands down by his wait, chin sticking out, mouth spouting out who knows what. It's a scene that polarizes the MMA fanbase.
With a little over two minutes remaining, Diaz begins to connect with combinations rather than the single strikes he was serving up before. As the crowd begins to sound off, the TUF 5 winner throws a three-punch combo that drops Gomi before the third strike is even thrown.
The Japanese fighter is able to get back up but the barrage continues and Gomi is forced to revert to the early days of his career, dropping down for a takedown. Being the owner of a Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu brown belt and having won six of his eight fights inside the Octagon by submission, Diaz is more than happy to oblige his opponent.
Seconds into the groundwork, the American takes Gomi's back and hooks his legs in. He's in there for the long haul. Realizing the danger he's in, the former champ gets back to his feet forcing Diaz to do the same. There, the momentary lapse in the stand-up affair is corrected and Diaz goes immediately back to punishing his opponent with impressive boxing skills.
Gomi is then able to shove Diaz down onto the mat and drops down into the American's guard. For a brief moment, it appears as if fans might see some ground and pound from "The Fireball Kid." That thought is dashed when Diaz throws his legs up and cinches up a triangle choke before transitioning into an armbar.
It was a fight that many thought Diaz would lose. Gomi gave Nick Diaz all he could handle and most agreed that the elder Diaz was the better of the two brothers. But Nate proved those people wrong by not only beating Gomi but by doing it in a much more dominant fashion than his brother did.
While Nick is challenging for welterweight gold, a win for Nate next Saturday would definitely steer him in the right direction in his quest to earn his own division's title.
But first he has a "Cowboy" to deal with.
Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, opponent, gomi
Read the full article at MMA ManiaForrest Griffin Interview: Tito, Retirement and Ultimate Fighter
The original Ultimate Fighter Forrest Griffin talks to HeavyMMA about facing Tito Ortiz another time, when he'll retire and the impact of the long-running reality show.
Posted in: fighter, tito ortiz, tito, griffin, forrest
Read the full article at Heavy MMASpike TV Will Counter-Program Against UFC’s ‘Ultimate Fighter’ on FX
With the next season of "The Ultimate Fighter" moving to a new live format on Friday nights on FX, Spike TV, the show's former home, announced Friday night best-of-TUF counter-programming against the...
Posted in: night, fighter, spike tv, friday nights, fighter ’
Read the full article at Heavy MMASpike Debuts ‘Ultimate Fighter Fridays’ on March 2
Spike TV will counter program the new 'Ultimate Fighter' on FX with their own 'Ultimate Fighter Fridays' starting on March 2.
Posted in: fighter, spike, friday, march, fighter fridays
Read the full article at MMA Weekly2012 World MMA Bantamweight Scouting Report: #7 - Sirwan Kakai
Photo by Patrick Jenkinson
Name:
Sirwan Kakai
Nickname:
Zohan
Age:
22
Height:
5' 6"
Location:
Gothenburg, Sweden
Not to be outdone by the rest of the world in producing talent, Scandinavia has become a hotbed for prospects over the last few years. A rapidly growing support system of regional promotions and adequate training facilities have created an environment that helps fighters grow and compete at a high level. The growth has been so dramatic, in fact, that the UFC will head to Sweden in 2012.
One of the emerging prospects that the UFC may want to target is Sweden's Sirwan Kakai (6-1). The 22-year-old bantamweight is likely on the UFC's radar already after he participated in a casting call for The Ultimate Fighter season 14 earlier this year, making it past the first round of cuts before getting the axe himself. Despite not making it onto the reality series, Kakai has the potential to make a splash inside the Octagon in the near future.
Since turning professional three years ago, Kakai has put together a solid six-fight winning streak that was recently capped off by a win over Scotland's James Doolan at Superior Challenge 7 in April. Primarily a ground fighter early in his career, Kakai's stand-up game has evolved considerably since his professional debut. His performance against Doolan was the perfect showcase of those improved skills, frustrating the Scotsman with heavy leg kicks and an enhanced boxing game before winning via guillotine choke in the second round.
Kakai should have no problems continuing his progression into an elite level talent. A member of Team GBG in Sweden, which houses fellow prospects Bruno Carvalho, Assan Njie, and TUF'er Hamid Corassani, Kakai also trains with Brad Pickett, making trips stateside to American Top Team in Florida with the UFC bantamweight.
Kakai's potential is high with the people he's surrounded himself with, particularly a great bantamweight fighter like Pickett and the plethora of solid training partners at his disposal. He isn't quite a UFC-quality talent just yet however. His improving stand-up game still lacks threatening power, and his strength of record makes one skeptical of his chances against better competition stateside. On the upside, it's difficult to dismiss him as a future UFC fighter due to the shallow depths of the talent pool at bantamweight.
Kakai needs to climb the ladder in 2012. Specifically, he needs to test himself against stronger competition, which is hard to find within the confines of the 135 lb. weight class in Europe. Spain's David Aranda or England's Paul McVeigh may serve as the perfect opponents until Kakai can find something more suitable like a UFC washout. If he wins a couple of important bouts against legitimate competition, consider him a lock for a stint in the UFC in 2012.
Video footage of Sirwan Kakai in action after the jump...
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Sirwan Kakai Highlight
Sirwan Kakai vs. Thomas BackThe Zone FC - February 26, 2011
Sirwan Kakai vs. James DoolanSuperior Challenge 7 - April 30, 2011
Posted in: ufc, fighter, bantamweight, kakai, sirwan
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Outlaw and The Losing Streak
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting ExclusiveIf Dan Hardy had his way he would have shaved the mohawk by now. Five minutes with some clippers, one quick swoop down the middle of his head, and the signature hairstyle that makes him so recognizable to fight fans could be gone. Maybe then he could blend in. Maybe then he could get a moment to be alone with himself and figure out just what in the hell is going on.
He'd do it if he had it his way. But he doesn't.
It's a UFC fight week in Toronto and Hardy has come at the request of Xyience, a sponsor of his that has him scheduled for autograph signings and fan meet-and-greets all week. And Xyience? You better believe Xyience wants the mohawk. That's because the fans want the mohawk. They expect it. You book Dan Hardy and he shows up with a shaved head, it's like having Carrot Top show up as a blonde.
The fans want the guy they've seen on TV. They want the brash, cocky Brit with the punk rock swagger. But after a rough stretch of four straight losses in the UFC -- a 17-month span that dropped him from top contender to just barely employed -- he's not even sure where that guy went, or if he's ever coming back.
"I don't feel like myself right now," Hardy says.
You look in his eyes and you know he means it. He sits slumped in a plush leather chair in the lobby of a posh downtown Toronto hotel. He speaks so softly you have to lean in close just to hear him. The last thing he wants to do these days is draw attention to himself. He knows what people are thinking. And even if they aren't thinking it, they might as well be, since he hears their accusations in the wordless glances from across the room. It's not just the fans, either.
"I start to feel like other fighters are looking at me like, why is he still in the UFC? And I don't want people looking at me like that."
These days, he feels it more and more. When another fighter gets cut after two or three consecutive losses -- even when the possibility is merely mentioned, as it was when UFC president Dana White suggested that he might cut "Mayhem" Miller after one unimpressive performance -- Hardy's name gets dragged into it.
"That had nothing to do with me," he says. "But I'm constantly hearing about it."
Social media tools like Twitter, which is almost a job requirement for UFC fighters these days, make sure of that. Fight fans seem to think that an internet connection and a working keyboard entitle them to tell Hardy exactly how he should spend his days. It's gotten to the point where he can predict the tweets almost word for word.
"If I ever tweet something that's not about training or fighting -- anything, whether it's about a movie I've seen or I'm out on the [Las Vegas] strip and see something funny and send a picture of it -- I'll always get some jackass tweet back, 'Oh, don't you think you should be working on your wrestling?'" he says. "Every. Time. That really winds me up."
But he asked for his. He knows he did. He struck this bargain when he showed up on their TVs asking to be watched, judged, rooted for or against, maybe even loved. And nobody loves a loser. Least of all the one who's doing the losing.
****
How does it happen? How does a winning fighter become a losing one? In Hardy's case the answer seems to be: a little bit at a time, until it seems like it's been that way forever.
In March of 2010, he was the number one contender in the welterweight division. He'd won seven fights in a row -- four in the UFC -- and had earned the right to fight for Georges St-Pierre's 170-pound title. He was one step from eternal glory, already far beyond what most fighters ever achieve in their careers. Then he lost. And lost again. And again and again.
Oddly enough, the first one was the easiest to live with. It was at the hands of GSP, after all.
"To be honest, I went in there to give it my all," he says. "I didn't expect to totally dominate the fight or anything like that. I knew if I caught him with a good shot I could knock him out, but I also knew the chances were pretty slim on that because he wasn't going to play that game."
And he didn't. Instead he schooled Hardy in a grappling match for five rounds, nearly tearing his arm off with one submission attempt after another. But Hardy took it. He went the distance with the champ and lost a decision that at least had some dignity to it. Later, GSP would tell anyone who would listen that Hardy was better than he expected, much better than people realized. It was nice to hear, but it's like getting dumped by a girl who tells you that you're going to make someone very happy some day, even if that someone isn't her. Hardy didn't need compliments; he needed a rebound.
Seven months later he stepped into the cage again, this time back home in England against Carlos Condit.
"I knew I was going to win. No doubt about it. Then I opened my eyes and saw the doctor standing over me and I thought, man, it finally caught up to me."
Maybe it was inevitable. As much as Hardy loves to stand and slug it out, and as much as fans love to see him do it, he always knew it was a gamble. He always knew that, if he kept it up long enough, one day it would be his turn to find out what it felt like to wake up on his back.
"You know sometimes how you're watching the fights and you see a guy get knocked out, and then he opens his eyes and stands up and he's asking people what happened, did he win? And I always thought to myself, if I open my eyes and the doctor's standing over me, I'll know I didn't win. And then as soon as I opened my eyes and saw I was in that situation I thought, I'm the guy. That's me."
But so what? It was two fights. Anybody could lose two fights, especially if one of them was against the world's greatest welterweight. All Hardy knew was that he had to win the next one, because losing three in a row almost always means losing your job in the UFC. When he got offered the fight with Anthony Johnson, a fighter he knew and liked, he thought that at least he'd get a chance to go out on his shield in a striking war. He thought wrong.
"I got in there just expecting this blaze of glory," he says. All the way through training camp he'd exchanged emails and direct messages on Twitter with Johnson, both of them talking about what a slugfest their fight would be, how they'd steal the show in Seattle. But Johnson was the superior wrestler, and he knew it. Why trade bombs with Hardy if you didn't have to? And why not let him think he was walking into a kickboxing match, since that would only make him easier to take down.
"He punked me," Hardy says. "And he punked me good."
After three rounds of far more wrestling than slugging, an exhausted Hardy sat back in his corner and let the disappointment wash over him. He didn't need to wait and hear how the judges had scored it. Nobody did. Three in a row, he thought. That ought to do it. When he looked up, there was Johnson strolling over to him like a kid who'd just cheated his best friend out of his lunch money.
"He came over to me right after the fight was over and he hugged me and said, 'I'm sorry, man. I love you like a brother.' And I thought, dammit, he punked me. He knew he was going to do it all the way through training camp. He properly played me."
What's worse, he couldn't even really stay mad at Johnson afterward. If anybody understood that desperate need for a win -- a desire so strong you'd spend weeks lying just to get it -- it was Hardy.
"[Johnson] did the calculated thing. Whether you agree with it or not, he felt like he needed a win and that was the smartest way to get it. I know he got a lot of [expletive] for it, but he got the win and now he's progressing, in a good place in his career. And me? Not so much."
****
He expected to be cut. Maybe he even felt like he deserved it. The UFC has few official policy stances when it comes to deciding which fighters stay and which go, but he'd seen the three-strikes-and-you're-out rule applied so consistently over the years that it might as well have been passed down through the generations on a stone tablet. When the axe didn't come for him after three straight, he almost wished it had.
"It's like the ship went down and everyone else drowned, and I was the captain and I survived," he says. "You're like, how did that happen? I should be the first one to go."
When the UFC decided to not only keep him around, but also give him a main event bout against veteran Chris Lytle on a cable TV fight card, he was nothing short of baffled.
"I kind of felt like, I'm not sure why I'm getting this opportunity, but I've got it, I'm in the main event, and I'm going to try and make the most of it."
Of all the losses in this miserable streak, this is the one he still can't watch. He's tried. The guy on the screen looks like him, has the same recognizable haircut, but there's this strange disconnect, like watching video of yourself during a blackout. That's him doing those things, throwing these blows, but he doesn't feel any particular sense of ownership over it as he watches himself shooting for a takedown and getting choked into submission.
"It was just a terrible fight," he says. "I can't watch it."
Four in a row. This had to be it. He just knew it. But Twitter actually brought some good news for a change, this time in the form of a tweet from UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta.
"Will not cut @danhardymma," it read. "I like guys that WAR!!!"
That was all it took. Like getting a stay of execution via text message.
"When I saw Lorenzo's tweet...I just kind of thought, well now I have to turn this around," he says. "If I don't, I'm letting him down. I'm letting the UFC's reputation down, because they're the ones that only keep the best fighters in the world."
But if halting a skid like this was as simple as wanting it badly enough, he never would have found himself here in the first place. It wasn't as if he hadn't been putting in the work in the gym. If anything, maybe he'd done too much, worked himself too hard in search of a win. As the fear and the doubt piled up, it made everything worse.
It would be one thing if he had a regular job that he was struggling at, he thought. If he worked in an office he could go home at night and forget about it. Whatever went wrong, he could put it away on weekends and holidays. But for Hardy, his job had become his identity. He was a pro fighter, the guy with the mohawk who knocked people out. Then pretty soon he was just the guy with the mohawk.
"With a career like this, you're so invested in it that it affects everything," he says. "It causes issues with your personal relationships. I get down on myself and then I'm short-tempered, I'm angry most of the time. That's the hardest thing, is how it affects the people close to me. It affects everything. Like, my car breaks down, and it's just another thing on top of the pile of [expletive], another thing that's gone wrong. If my car had broken down after I fought Mike Swick, I could have laughed about it. But now, it's just another thing, like it's all just piling up."
That's why he hasn't jumped back in the cage just yet, he says. He needs time. Time to grow as a fighter, maybe even as a person. Time to step back and figure out what in the hell has happened to him, and what he can do about it. Maybe in the spring he'll be ready. May sounds like a good month for a comeback. All he knows is that he can't keep going like this. Something has to change.
"I want to be able to go to Lorenzo after my next fight and tell him that I appreciate him not cutting me and it was the right decision, you know? I want to validate that decision."
If only wanting it were enough. Then you could simply decide to win. But maybe then it wouldn't feel so good when you'd done it, when it was your turn to stroll back into the locker room grinning that bloody grin with all the exhausted losers slumped over on folding chairs in your wake, watching you go by and wondering to themselves, why does it look so much easier for him? Didn't it used to be that way for me? And if so, then what happened? What happened? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, guy, fighter, im
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseJens Pulver takes a nasty knock to the noggin
It looks like Jens Pulver may be angling to add himself to the “Sakuraba Club” of fighters who’ve been literally ripped apart in the cage. Pulver fought last weekend in Nebraska and got knocked out cold in the second round against 6-2-1 (7-2-1 now) fighter Timothy Elliot. Pulver then posted on twitter that he half-assed it during training only to hit the mat with his whole ass during the fight. Pulver looked so bad from his 2006 UFC return until the end of 2010 that watching his fights felt like having a grown man's bare ass rubbed in your face (of course, I know how this feels only because I asked Rakim Cleveland). But winning three of his four previous fights in 2011 made me hope that MMA's foremost authority on video games could once again surge like a comet onto the list of B-level fighters before starting to talk like James Toney. Of course, I also hoped that one of these days, Charlie Brown would kick the football. Based on economics, pride, and the power of denial, some fading veteran fighter is going to lose something much more important than an ear in the ring at some point in time. And it’s probably going to be someone who we know and like. I need someone to blame for all of this, and of course, I choose Dana White. Hopefully, along with the dental plan, every UFC fighter will henceforth be provided with a retirement annuity that includes access to palaces, sexy virgins peeling your grapes, and a cloud recliner instead of a steady stream of knockouts in regional D-league promotions. Round 1 after the jump.
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Posted in: fighter, course i, pulver, jens pulver, cloud recliner
Read the full article at FightlinkerSapp Time in Croatia!
Bob Sapp is the best fighter in combat sports today and we make it a point to keep you up to date on all his fights. Here he is in Croatia over the weekend showing the talent, skill, and determination that has made him such a feared competitor.
Posted in: fighter, sapp, talent skill, sapp time, croatia
Read the full article at FightlinkerM-1 Global doesn't want Fedor Emelianenko to fight mediocre fighters ...
... And that makes it very difficult to match him up when most of the talented heavyweights are locked up in a Las Vegas "prison."
That's according to M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein, who blasted the stranglehold of Ultimate Fighting Championship, one that made a sought after rematch against Fabricio Werdum "very difficult" and could impede plans to have a future fight opposite Josh Barnett.
Finky vents to Championat.com via (The Underground):
"At this moment, for us, the key thing is the level of the opponent, and not how much we get paid. I can say that if we were unable to agree with Ishii, we wouldn't participate in this tournament. We had concurrent offers with other DREAM fighters, but this is not for Fedor's level, and we didn't want to have a fight with mediocre fighters, taking a step backwards. We want to be taking steps forward and we will follow this in the future. We want to have three fights. One in Russia, one in Europe, and one in the USA. We really want to get a rematch with Werdum, but he is locked up in the prison called UFC, and because of that arranging for him to fight Fedor would be very difficult. Dana White is like a dog on hay -- he neither eats it himself, nor lets the others eat it. There are many other good fighters, whom we are considering. For instance, Josh Barnett. We need to wait for the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament to end and then we can see how likely it is that we can arrange a fight."
Could the Affliction: "Trilogy" main event be resurrected in 2012?
"The Last Emperor," who slammed the brakes on a three-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory over Jeff Monson last month in Moscow, Russia, will compete for the fourth time this calendar year by taking on Olympic Judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii on DREAM's upcoming New Year's Eve fight card on Dec. 31, 2011, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
After that?
Well, Finker and Co. don't want him taking "a step backwards" against mediocre competition. But can Emelianenko be considered above mediocre, based on his recent performances?
Or is the jury still out until after the Ishii fight?
Thoughts?
Posted in: fight, fighter, saitama japan, dream fighters, affliction trilogy
Read the full article at MMA ManiaVadim Finkelstein Calls Dana White 'A Dog on Hay' and Discusses Fedor vs. Ishii
In a recent interview with Vadim Finkelstein at championat.com, Fedor Emelianenko's manager has some choice things to say about UFC president Dana White. It starts out with him explaining that the only fight they were willing to take at DREAM was the fight they took against Satoshi Ishii and transitions into taking some shots at the UFC and Dana.
From the interview (transcribed on The Underground by judom):
- There is information that Fedor will get 500,000$ for the Ishii fight. This is a solid sum considering the financial problems DREAM has experienced lately.
The sum 500,000$ is incorrect. This is all nonsense. At this moment, for us, the key thing is the level of the opponent, and not how much we get paid. I can say that if we were unable to agree with Ishii, we wouldn't participate in this tournament. We had concurrent offers with other DREAM fighters, but this is not for Fedor's level, and we didn't want to have a fight with mediocre fighters, taking a step backwards. We want to be taking steps forward and we will follow this in the future.
- So, these steps forward, likely implies that next year will be rich in events. What will that be for Fedor ?
We want to have 3 fights. One in Russia, one in Europe, and one in the USA. We really want to get a rematch with Werdum, but he is locked up in the prison called UFC, and because of that arranging for him to fight Fedor would be very difficult.
Dana White is like a dog on hay -- he neither eats it himself, nor lets the others eat it. There are many other good fighters, whom we are considering. For instance, Josh Barnett. We need to wait for the StrikeForce HW's tournament to end and then we can see how likely it is that we can arrange a fight.
This is just the reality of having a heavyweight without a Zuffa contract. Ishii is about as good of an option as there is for Fedor. The only top 25 heavyweights who aren't currently signed to the UFC or Strikeforce are Fedor and Cole Konrad, and Bellator isn't letting Konrad fight anyone but other Bellator fighters any time soon.
With the Strikeforce heavyweight division being eliminated it may free up someone decent but I don't see Zuffa just dumping a high level heavyweight fighter.
SBN coverage of DREAM: New Year! 2011
Posted in: fight, fighter, heavyweight, fedor, ishii
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow2012 World MMA Bantamweight Scouting Report: #9 - Leandro Hygo
Name:
Leandro Hygo
Nickname:
Pitbull
Age:
22
Height:
5' 6"
Location:
Mossoró, Brazil
In the modern era of mixed martial arts, fighting at the highest level isn't just a grown man's game anymore. Experience may have had its advantages in the past, but thanks to a better understanding of what it takes to become an elite fighter -- younger fighters are entering the sport with a repertoire of weapons that surpasses what we've seen from prospects in the past.
Brazil's Leandro Hygo (7-1) fits that profile perfectly. At the time when an American teenager would make a visit to the DMV to get his or her driver's license, Leandro was beginning his MMA career, relying on his strong Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills and aggressive stand-up game to topple the opposition.
Despite fighting physically larger competition for most of his career, Hygo has been tough to beat, winning his first six professional bouts, most at 145 lbs., before running into 2011 World MMA featherweight prospect Marcos Vinicius (7-2) last May. After over a year away from the ring following the defeat, the now 22-year-old returned in September at bantamweight, defeating Wagner Campos (11-3) by decision at WFE 10 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Over this past weekend, Hygo entered the WFE cage once again, this time at WFE 11, to battle Erinaldo 'Pitbull' dos Santos Rodrigues. As expected, Hygo bested the Gracie Fusion fighter over three rounds to win by unanimous decision.
Surprisingly, Hygo has achieved all of his success as a part-time fighter with little assistance. The Mossoró, Brazil-based fighter lives in a region of Brazil that lacks the high-level striking coaches he could find in other parts of the country, and his job and family tie him to the area for training. With the help of highly-touted prospect Rony 'Jason' Mariano (10-3) and Team One Jiu-Jitsu, however, Hygo has progressed to where he stands today. An impressive feat considering the lack of resources.
Limitations aside, Hygo still possesses a solid takedown game coupled with adept submission skills. On the feet, Hygo has no problems landing accurately and evading his opponent's counter attacks with ease. It's surprising considering the limited training he's received. To tie it all together, Hygo boasts solid conditioning and speed, making him one of the more well-rounded bantamweights on our countdown.
Under a major Brazilian promotion like WFE, there's no doubt that Hygo will finally get the fights he deserves. The cut down to 135 lbs. will also benefit him greatly in his quest to become relevant. In fact, it could be the move he needs to rise through the ranks and get the attention he needs to progress to a major promotion like the UFC. Hygo could be one of the sleepers in our countdown with the chops to leap many of our higher ranked prospects. If only he could get the spotlight he deserves.
Video footage of Leandro Hygo in action after the jump...
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Leandro Hygo vs. Erinaldo PitbullWFE 11 - December 16, 2011
Leandro Hygo vs. Wagner CamposWFE 10 - September 16, 2011
Posted in: fighter, brazil, hygo, leandro, wfe
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowLegendary Filipino Lightweight Eduard Folayang set for Homecoming Fight at URCC Cebu 7
Eduard Folayang is a legend in the Philippines who followed up a gutsy win over A Sol Kwon at ONE Fighting Championship 1 by winning a gold medal in Wushu at the recent SEA Games in Indonesia. The fact that he still chooses to represent his country despite having signed a lucrative contract with a major international MMA promotion makes him a very popular figure and it was announced today that he will be returning home to fight in January.
Folayang is the most famous mixed martial artist in the Philippines and it is fitting that he should be appearing in the country's most prestigious MMA promotion, the URCC, which has been going strong since 2002 and gave him his debut as a professional back in 2007.
It is also something of a surprise as Folayang is one of the stars of ONE FC and was the fighter chosen to headline the inaugural card at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in September. His last four fights have all been in Singapore and he has overcome fighters from Slovakia, China, South Africa and Korea in some highly entertaining battles but he will be back on home soil at URCC Cebu 7 on January 13th.
Although other Filipino fighters such as Kevin Belingon and Eric Kelly have burgeoning reputations neither can compete with the popularity of Folayang who regularly features in national newspapers and whose humble, hardworking persona and fearless style of fighting has really captured the imagination of fight fans in the Philippines.
His presence on the card pretty much guarantees that URCC Cebu 7 show will be one of the biggest in the promotion's 10 year history and probably the most eagerly anticipated MMA fight the Philippines has ever hosted. It is only made possible due to the recently formed ONE FC network which allows contracted fighters to move freely between ONE FC and a number of domestic promotions including Cage Fighting Championships in Australia and Road FC in Korea as well as the URCC.
Although Folayang competes as a lightweight for ONE FC he holds a URCC belt at welterweight, which has an upper limit of 179 lbs. It is not known whether he will be defending this title on January 7th and rumour has it that opponents from Singapore and Saipan are currently being considered.
The URCC is looking to expand its regional fan base by putting on shows all over the country and having such a big name fighter on the card in Cebu should definitely help to boost provincial popularity as well as increasing awareness of and interest in the sport of MMA.
It also gives Folayang to get back in the ring sooner rather than later after only competing in MMA once in 2011 and as a fighter who likes to keep busy and loves to compete he will be grateful for the opportunity. He is a member of the legendary Team Lakay Wushu where he trains alongside URCC champions Roy Docyogen, Kevin Belingon and Honorio Banario and under the guidance of head coach Mark Sangiao.
Docyogen, Belingon and Banario are all tipped to follow in Folayang's footsteps by making a big impression on the international stage in 2012 but first the URCC welterweight champion will be going back to his roots by fighting in the Philippines for the first time in almost two years.
ONE FC are putting on cards all over Asia with shows in Indonesia, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur already confirmed and further headlining fights surely beckon for Folayang but on January 7th it is the turn of the Filipino fans to get a rare glimpse of their hero in action.
Posted in: fight, fighter, urcc, folayang, fc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaReview: ‘Raw Combat’ By Jim Genia
As we all know, Jim one of our writers, recently published the book, Raw Combat. Jim asked me to provide an honest unbiased review of the book, so I took him up on the offer. I got a free book out of it, so I figured why not.
Raw Combat closely follows the underground fight scene of the New York City area. It is written in an ambiguously informal first person tone with mixes of dark and witty humor sprinkled through-out. For instance, “mother fucker” can be found on the fourth page. About half way through the first chapter you’ll clearly tell Genia writes from a place of passion. He paints rather ornate images of gritty, dirty dojos polka-dotting the city. Worn-down mats, blood soaked faces, and sheer power in victory all come to life. I personally enjoy the vernacular Genia provides. The vocabulary throughout is advanced for sure, but it’s written in a way that makes easy for inferences and the like. As Jim writes almost exclusively about events he has personally attended, both sanctioned and less than legal, I found myself surrounded by a rich scene I was not privy to in the least. These first-hand accounts are second to none. The UCL (Underground Fight league) is New York City’s premier MMA fight club. Though the events are totally illegal, that doesn’t stop fighters from fighting. Jim really goes out of his way to give first-hand interviews from the fighter’s and trainer’s mouths. Quotes rattle through the chapters from promoters, fighters, and the ever-present fighter/promoter hybrid (i.e. Peter Storm The UCL’s “founder”) These interviews are gold mines; these are people that the average MMA fan would never be able to hear speak.
In the first quarter of the book, the legal issues surrounding The Empire State are looked into. I for one have always attributed MMA’s absence from New York to be the product of uninformed naysayers and the plain ignorant. I personally have never peered into the “behind-the scenes” workings of the state’s great MMA debate, but again I was afforded an insider’s perspective on the topic. Jim gives a clearly persuasive, but near entirely bias free, explanation of the issues blocking MMA’s legalization in his state. Most who know even the least of New York’s MMA struggles, know State Assemblyman Bob Reilly is the antagonist of the on-going legalization tale. A from-the-mouth rehashing of a meeting between Brian, a mixed martial artist with an omitted last name, and the sport’s Darth Vader if you will. Brian paints a surprisingly humble and respectful portrait of the one labeled villain by the sport’s fans. Though ignorant his views are, Reilly isn’t as far out and uninformed as I assumed him to be. The man illustrated in Jim and Brian’s conversation is a man with good intentions but is out of date/touch none the less. For example, Mr. Reilly seemed unaware that [Nevada] state sanctioning bodies had the power to medically suspend fighters based on injuries received during a sanctioned fight.
The second and about half quarters of the book lean more towards actual underground and sanctioned fights; the images of bloodied, beaten (wo)men run rampant. Tiger Schulmann’s Mixed Martial Arts or “TSK” is sung up to basically be THE place to train throughout the city. Jim goes deeply into Tiger’s pulling off massive success while all too many others falter miserably and fade away to irrelevancy. Though members of TSK are threatened with permanent banishment from their respective martial arts school, you’re left with a sneaking suspicion that some of the fighters fulfill they’re desire to fight illegally; though, this is never explicitly stated. Tiger’s fighters are seen as a brotherhood above all else. They display unparalleled loyalty and respect to one another; Jim explains that ‘anytime a Tiger Fighter fights, he brings an audience of other TSK followers with him.’
The later parts of the book are more based on the sport’s advancement and how some of the underground guys started to get a shot at the big time, Frankie Edgar for example. He profiles a specific fighter for a chapter more or less, and I actually was impressed how much he made me care about how some no name fighter’s career was going. It was also relieving to move the book forward and keep the topics fresh. Jim odes a good job of not focusing on one person or one thing for too long. My initial thoughts before reading the book were that it would only focus on the underground aspects of MMA. I’m glad to have been wrong.
My only complaints of the book are simple. The book is not written in a chronological state. I’m not saying there is anything inherently wrong with that, but it does seem to make some areas of the book hard to follow. Also, there are a lot of names. I mean a lot. Again I’m not saying Jim could do anything about it. It just makes you re-read a page from time to time to make sure you know who is who. That’s about it. I liked it over all, and for ten bucks you can’t go wrong. Pick it up, and give it a read. Why not?
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, book, jim
Read the full article at MMA ConvertStrikeforce: The MMA world's Purgatorio
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
In the realm of Mixed Martial Arts, there are some clear levels, much like Dante Alighieri wrote in his epic La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy). For Dante, there was a clear progression as he toiled through the afterlife, he was first led through Hell, then he was led through Purgatory before finally having a glimpse at Heaven. If you wanted to compare it to MMA, the smaller, regional promotions are the veritable Hell. Low pay, bad attendance, poorly organized and promoted, but for most fighters, a necessity to move on to the “big leagues.” For many fighters, the biggest achievement is to be accepted into the UFC, to walk amongst the gods themselves beyond the steel gates of the Octagon. For fighters, the UFC is Heaven.
For a promotion like Strikeforce, though, there is a sense of being left-behind, like a middle child. Strikeforce finds itself not a containing the same rigors and lack of pay like the small minor leagues, but does not include the perks and the money that comes with fighting for the UFC. Instead, it is a virtual Purgatory for fighters. Fighters are left to reflect on their careers and see that they aren’t deemed as good enough to be called into the UFC, but are beyond the toiling in the reigional promotions.
Last night proved to be the first bigger Strikeforce event since the Showtime deal was re-negotiated, and something about the show did not come off as planned. On paper, the card was exciting and showed a lot of promise, but in execution it was a mess. If a fighter is competing within a promotion that stands on its own, there is something for them to achieve, but when the promotion is a feeder league with parallel divisions, the whole scope of the game changes. Part of what helped with Strikeforce’s charm was the attitude and identity of the promotion. It felt like a spiritual successor to some of the bigger Japanese events, with a focus on entertainment and promoting the fighters, not just the brand.
Continue Reading about the Harrowing of Strikeforce...
Posted in: ufc, promotion, strikeforce, fighter, league
Read the full article at Middle EasyStrikeforce 'Melendez vs Masvidal' results recap: Cristiane Santos vs Hiroko Yamanaka fight review and analysis
After 18 months between fights, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos only took 16 seconds to complete her first fight back in the Strikeforce fold last night (December 17, 2011) in the co-main event of Strikeforce: "Melendez vs. Masvidal" in San Diego.
Santos had previously had issues with finding opposition for her 145 pound Strikeforce women's championship and as evidenced by her thrashing of Hiroko Yamanaka, those problems persist.
Believe it or not, but with an eight fight win streak and a 12-1 overall record, Yamanaka was ranked as the number two women's featherweight fighter in the world although it certainly didn't look it.
So how was "Cyborg" so successful in her return? And what's next for both fighters?
There's not much to break down in a 16 second fight, but I'll do my best. In typical Chute Box fashion, Santos charged forward looking to throw huge power strikes early. Yamanaka had to have watched "Cyborg's" fights before, she had to know this was coming so what did she do?
She met the champ in the center of the cage with her hands too low to protect her face and then to make matters worse, put both arms out extended as if that was enough to keep the Brazilian powerhouse from barreling forwards and blasting her.
She did just that, crushing Yamanaka with left hook and two quick right hands to drop her within three seconds. After considering a rear naked choke, she allowed Yamanaka to escape to feet only long enough to back her into the fence and crush the Japanese fighter with four huge hooks which dropped her again. At this point, the referee had seen enough and rightfully so, officially ruled a knockout just 16 seconds in.
For Hiroko Yamanaka, this was definitely a huge learning experience. She'd never fought outside of Tokyo before and to be thrown in against the most dominant champion in mixed martial arts today is a tall order. Many expected a quick finish, although probably not that quick. She came out with a horrible gameplan, keeping her hands too low and not defending herself from "Cyborg's" blitz attack in the opening seconds and it cost her. She likely would have stood no chance even if she fought the perfect fight so it doesn't really matter I suppose.
I doubt she gets another fight in Strikeforce. Instead, she'll likely scurry back to Japan with her tail between her legs.
For Cristiane Santos, that was a monster performance and it was exactly what fans had been hoping for. It appeared that she took out her 18 months of frustration in ever punch last night. There are no complaints coming out of my end for this one. Scott Coker called her "The Mike Tison of women's MMA" in the post-fight press conference and you'll have to search long and hard for someone who will disagree with that statement.
It'll be difficult to find another opponent. Yamanaka was number two in the world and she was a huge underdog in the betting odds If there's any options at 145, perhaps 10-0-1 fighter Rin Nakai could be offered as a sacrificial lamb. If Ronda Rousey doesn't decide to drop to 135, she could be an option as well. Santos has flirted with the idea of dropping to 135 herself, but that seems impossible at this point. She already cuts a ton of weight just to make 145 and to drop to 135 would require a serious decision to lose muscle mass and could be very dangerous physically.
We'll just have to play the waiting game in the time being.
So what did you think, Maniacs?
Is Scott Coker correct in comparing Santos to Tyson? Do you actually think she can make 135 pounds?
Sound off!
For complete Strikeforce: "Melendez vs. Masvidal" results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.
Posted in: fight, strikeforce, fighter, scott coker, yamanaka
Read the full article at MMA Mania2012 World MMA Scouting Report Kickoff
Editor - Leland Roling Contributor/Creative Director: smoogy2012 World MMA Scouting Report logo by smoogy
It's that time of year once again, fight fans. The 2012 edition of the World MMA Scouting Report will kick off in just a few hours, spotlighting ten prospects from around the world in each of the eight different weight classes. Last year's report proved to be a huge success with over 50% of the prospects on the report signing with a major mixed martial arts promotion in the following year. Even to this day, many of the prospects featured on the 2011 World MMA Scouting Report who weren't signed are now seeing interest, and we hope the same interest will come to this year's crop of fighters.
Unlike last year's report, we've been planning this year's edition for five months, combing through a countless list of prospects hidden in the depths of the sport's regional landscape. Unexpected moments of excitement weren't common during the endless nights of daunting research, but the few moments in which we watched greatness overcome adversity made it all worth our while. Here's a little teaser featuring a few of those moments. Get excited!
In order to make things easier and more focused, we've narrowed the criteria for inclusion on the report this year. Below is a list of the factors we outlined from the beginning of our research:
Limiting Factors
Prominence: Similar to last year, prospects are limited to unsigned fighters. Fighters in the UFC, Bellator, and DREAM were not considered. There is one exception to the rule however. Bellator has signed prospects to one-fight deals to fill out undercards. Those fighters are still under consideration until confirmed as tournament fighters or signed to long-term deals.
Age: Less than or equal to 30 years of age.
Exclusivity: All prospects are exclusive to this year's report. Prospects from previous year's reports cannot be included. Only fighters profiled in the end report honorable mention post are exempt.
Our ranking methodology is fairly straightforward. The prospects who have proven track records and possess the skills to make an immediate impact in a top-tier mixed martial arts organization top our divisional rankings. Strength of record is a factor among the top fighters while potential is a more significant factor among prospects in the middle or near the bottom. A fighter's environment, training partners, and background all come into play as well, but nothing is as important as what we see inside the cage.
Finally, this year's report will have some additions to the format. Last year was the inaugural edition, so there wasn't any room for features. This year, we will add two new features to the report: Honorable Mentions and 2011 World MMA Scouting Report Recaps, putting us at a grand total of 88 articles in 42 days.
2012 World MMA Scouting Report Structure
Profiles: Eight weight classes will be featured. Flyweight was a late addition since the UFC just announced its inclusion in their ranks. It will be featured after the heavyweight division concludes. Every day, two profiles will be posted, usually at 8 AM ET and 8 PM ET. Times should be treated as tentative.
2011 World MMA Scouting Report Recaps: These pieces will recap last year's report. Where are they today? What are they doing now? They will be posted alongside their respective division after the countdown of the division has concluded.
Honorable Mentions: At the conclusion of the report, we will publish a post outlining 8 fighters, one from each weight class, as honorable mentions. These fighters are still eligible for next year's report.
Readers can find all of the 2012 World MMA Scouting Report posts under our new section here. Last year's report profiles will eventually be added to the section. Follow me at @lelandroling on Twitter for updates. Enjoy!
Posted in: world, fighter, prospect, year, report
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowIntroducing Jimmy Buffer aka The Best Buffer
(via Full Contact Fighter)
Posted in: fighter, jimmy, contact, aka, buffer
Read the full article at FightlinkerDana White Quick Quote: Fighters Go It Alone
UFC president Dana White recently talked about how fighting is not a team sport, admiring the pressure that fighters are under to get in the cage and perform.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, dana, pressure, team sport
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDissecting the new Strikeforce on Showtime deal
It was widely speculated that Strikeforce would fold following the purchasing of the organization by Zuffa and the conclusion of their Showtime deal, but rumors of their demise were greatly exaggerated.
Strikeforce will be sticking around on Showtime and things will be “business as usual” moving forward.
What does this mean for the world of MMA? Well, I’m glad I asked myself.
PRO: More MMA. I’m never going to complain about more MMA on my television. Unless there’s a Taylor Swift concert in town, I’ll cancel my plans to watch any MMA event. And even if there is a Taylor Swift concert in town, I have a DVR to record the event. More MMA can be a bad thing because it makes lesser events feel even less important, but as a hardcore fan and someone who covers the sport, usually from the comfort of my own home, I’m always happy when there is fighting on my TV.
CON: Fighters will want to be in the UFC and will be moved to the UFC. No matter what Dana White says about, “Strikeforce fighters will stay in Strikeforce,” we all know he’s lying. Just like when he said, “business as usual,” and then poached champions Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem, and Nick Diaz from the organization. Fighters will be moved and they’ll want to be moved. Everyone sees UFC as the big time and they don’t want to be stuck on that second level. You really think Gilbert Melendez will stay in Strikeforce if he wins this weekend? Even if he does, he won’t be happy, because all the top lightweight talent is in the UFC. Muhammed Lawal has already expressed his interest in the UFC, as has Tim Kennedy. Dana says that Gilbert is, “very excited to stay in Strikeforce” and unless that means UFC will be sending over top talent like Clay Guida or Gray Maynard to fight Melendez, I think Dana and Gilbert might have different definitions of “excited.”
PRO: Women’s MMA has a home. Even though the talent pool isn’t all that deep, the women who compete in MMA are very talented and usually deliver exciting fights. Without Strikeforce, they would have been reduced to up-and-coming promotions or Bellator, if they decided to commit to higher women’s weight classes. With Strikeforce sticking around fighters like Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Cris Santos, and others will have a chance to showcase their skills in front of a larger audience. It also gives younger or mid-level female fighters a goal as they’ll see Strikeforce as the top promotion for female MMA.
CON: Strikeforce won’t have top fighters and their shows won’t seem all that important. The next major Strikeforce show (not the one this weekend) is headlined by a middleweight title fight between Luke Rockhold and Keith Jardine. You read that right. A relatively unknown Rockhold and UFC wash out Jardine will be headling a major Strikeforce event. Strikeforce shows are going to suffer from what I like to call “WEC Lightweight Syndrome.” Every time there was a big WEC lightweight fight, it never felt important because, since Zuffa owned WEC just like they own Strikeforce, we always figured the top lightweights were in the UFC and if guys like Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson were really that good, they’d be in the UFC. Rockhold might be a good fighter, but until he’s beating the middleweights in the UFC, he’s never going to the respect that he may deserve.
PRO: Showtime is behind the promotion. If they weren’t behind them, I’m sure they wouldn’t have re-signed with them. They aired a video package on the last Strikeforce Challengers show that no one watched, highlighting some of the bright spots in the promotion, this weekend the lead-in to the event is a big boxing match between Andre Ward and Carl Froch, and preliminary fights will start airing on ShowtimeExtreme. Obviously they could do a better job promoting the organization, but as a premium network, they don’t really promote any of their shows or events on regular networks. It’s not like I see ads for Dexter or Homeland, two of Showtime’s highest rated shows, when I’m watching ESPN or even ads for Showtime Boxing events.
CON: Zuffa is not behind the promotion. We all know that any resources that Zuffa has is going towards the UFC. They’re not going to commit extra funds or man power to the organization. The Zuffa employees are already going to be working hard with the five million shows that UFC is planning on running next year, they’re just not going to be able to give a 100% effort to Strikeforce. Zuffa could do little things to make Strikeforce look important like secure a DVD deal for the organization or even purchasing ad time on networks, but they’re just not going to do that and until they do, no one should be naive enough to believe that Zuffa really committed to Strikeforce.
PRO: More opportunities for fighters to fight and get paid. Besides money mark promotions that are willing to pay guys like Ben Rothwell $250,000 to be a punching bag, Strikeforce is the second highest paying promotion out there. So with them around, it gives fighters more income and more chances to fight. UFC already has an over-crowded roster, and while I’d much rather see guys like Jason High, Tarec Saffiedine, and Josh Thomson in the UFC instead of all the TUF wash-outs they keep around, they don’t have room for every fighter in the world.
The overall theory here is that Strikeforce sticking around is good for fighters and fans, but doesn’t seem like a very smart business move.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding this deal. Dana sounded very excited about things during yesterday’s media call, but he then proceeded to give a bunch of half, non-committal answers when asked things like, “will we see UFC/Strikeforce cross-over fights?”
Stephen Espinoza, Scott Coker, and Dana all said, “Strikeforce will not be a secondary promotion,” but I have my doubts. Does anyone really think that UFC will lend Strikeforce some of their top stars or best fighters, unless those guys are fighting for a title? And lets just say that we get Guida vs. Melendez in 2012 for the Strikeforce lightweight title and Guida wins, doesn’t that pretty much prove that Strikeforce is secondary if a guy who has failed to secure a UFC lightweight title shot can win the Strikeforce belt? Or if Melendez wins and people speculate, “could Gilbert beat the UFC champion?” does anyone really think Melendez vs. the UFC champion will take place on a Strikeforce event?
Strikeforce is already eliminating their heavyweight division due to “lack of depth.” Less than a year ago we all argued whether or not Strikeforce had a better heavyweight division than the UFC. Now, by the middle of next year, they won’t even have a heavyweight division.
This is definitely a “wait and see” deal for Strikeforce, Showtime, and Zuffa, but as it stands, I’m pretty skeptical.
Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, fighter, ’t, event
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainGrappling with Issues – 12/17/11
Despite the new Showtime deal will Gilbert Melendez still join the UFC if he wins tonight against Jorge Masvidal? What’s next for Frank Mir? Will Miguel Torres be back in the UFC within the next year? Is Gegard Mousasi better off at 185 pounds?
Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!
Better late than never, welcome to Grappling with Issues, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from myself and resident workhorse Jeremy Lambert whose general contributions and “Scorecard” event-breakdowns can be regularly found on Five Ounces. As always, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t hesitate to offer your own take on the topics in the “Comments” section below.
TRUE/FALSE – Gegard Mousasi should fight as a middleweight.
Lambert TRUE. Although my answer would change if he successfully defeats Ovince St. Preux this weekend. Since I think OSP will pull off the upset though, and he’ll do so by using his size, strength, and wrestling, then it might be best for Mousasi to drop to middleweight where he won’t be at such a size disadvantage. Really though, until Mousasi improves his takedown defense, he’s going to have a tough time against an elite level fighter at any weight class. He’s a good fighter but a bit overrated given the level of competition that he’s faced.
Conlan: TRUE, though not necessarily for any of the reasons Lambert listed since I’m confident Mousasi will pull out a decision win over St. Preux and I can’t remember ever thinking he was THAT undersized for the light heavyweight division. I simply feel he’s shown he can make 185 in the past and should take advantage of a thinner division where he can shine rather than a shark-infested pool like 205 where any fighter other than Jon Jones can lose on any given Saturday.
Who should Frank Mir face in his next match-up?
Lambert: Cain Velasquez. Whether you like it or not, Mir is one win away from a title shot. He’s won three straight and there’s no one else in the division who is on a run equal to Mir’s. I know people will want to see Brock Lesnar vs. Mir 3 if Lesnar loses, but matching up a guy whose lost two straight against a guy whose won three straight isn’t good match-making, even if it would do a huge PPV number. Although Cain is coming off a loss, it was a quick TKO and there’s not much top level depth at heavyweight so a win for Cain over a top fighter like Mir could definitely earn him another title shot.
Conlan: I hadn’t thought of Velasquez but I love the match-up. Fabricio Werdum might also be an interesting option if he gets by Roy Nelson in early February. He’s got BJJ on par with Mir’s if not better and has improved as a striker since his first run in the UFC. He’s also a big guy meaning he’d match up well physically with Mir too.
Cris “Cyborg” Santos will be MORE/LESS dominant at bantamweight than she is as a featherweight.
Lambert: More, pending she can make weight and not be completely drained on fight night. She’s still going to be bigger than everyone in the division and that’s what has allowed her to dominate at 145 like she has. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s a talented fighter who hits like a truck, is a good striker, seems to have a good chin, has solid takedown defense, and an above average ground game. She already destroyed Marloes Coenen, who may have been undersized at 145, but if Santos drops to 135, then everyone will be undersize compared to her.
Conlan: Less. I think the “pending” Jeremy added could be a huge factor since she’s already said making 145 can be a struggle at times. Even if she slims down and is a similar competitor at bantamweight I think the divisional depth has to be taken into account. With fighters like Sarah Kaufman, Liz Carmouche, Ronda Rousey, and Miesha Tate waiting in the wings “Cyborg” has a much harder road ahead of her than she did prior.
Most likely to lose in 2012: Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, or Jon Jones?
Conlan: St. Pierre. Silva already took Chael Sonnen’s best and still stopped him, while I don’t see Mark Munoz or Michael Bisping posing much of a threat to him on any front. Jones certainly has a few challenges in front of him as well in terms of Rashad Evans/Phil Davis and Dan Henderson but, similarly to Silva, I also don’t see him stumbling against anyone in the bunch. That leaves St. Pierre who will face either Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit when he returns to the ring late in the second-half of 2012. Though I think GSP certainly has what it takes to beat either, when they lock horns next year he’ll be coming off an eighteen-month layoff and testing out a new knee as well. Based on those factors I think he’s definitely at risk of losing his belt, at least in comparison to Jones/Silva.
Lambert: I’m not sure “Bones” Jones will ever lose again, much less in 2012. Silva will have a tough test against either Sonnen or Munoz, both of whom are great wrestlers, and Sonnen, who has relentless ground and pound or Munoz, who has brutal ground and pound. Still, I have to agree with Bren that GSP is the most likely of the three to lose thanks in large part to the layoff and knee surgery. Diaz and Condit aren’t really great welcome back gifts for “Rush” given their ability to take a shot and just keep walking forward with an aggressive style that give plenty of fighters fits.
Will UFC pick up Gilbert Melendez if he wins tonight?
Conlan: Yes. I know Dana White came out recently and said Strikeforce fighters are staying put but Melendez is the #2 lightweight in MMA. As such, why would Zuffa keep a guy with his credentials in a lesser organization as opposed to pairing him with the UFC’s 155-pound elite. In baseball terms, it would be akin to having Albert Pujols play for your AAA team as a means of establishing the smaller squad rather than calling him up to shine in “the show” to play against comparable talent.
Lambert: I sure hope so. Not just because Melendez is one of the top lightweights in the world, but also because, who the hell is left for him to fight in Strikeforce? As much as I’d love to see a third fight between him and Josh Thomson, Josh is coming off a loss (not like that matters in Strikeforce) and I’m fairly certain he’ll just get injured before the fight anyway. Point is, there’s no one to challenge Melendez in Strikeforce. Even Masvidal seems like a stretch, although I’m pretty excited for this weekends tilt.
BUY/SELL – Miguel Torres will be back in the UFC by 2013.
Conlan: BUY. Torres was cut from the roster based on a bad joke and his lack of accountability in its aftermath, not because he didn’t perform up to par inside the Octagon. He’s not a drug-user or criminal – he’s just a guy who made a few mistakes. If Torres picks up a few wins outside of the UFC and toes the line outside of the ring I can definitely see him getting a second chance. At 40-4, and with the bantamweight division needing as many stars as possible, it makes too much sense not to do.
Lambert: BUY. Of course he’ll be back. Dana kind of sorta proved a point by making an example out of him and now he’ll forgive him. In fact, I think he’ll be back after just one victory in a smaller promotion, as long as he doesn’t say something stupid between now and then or sign with Bellator. I’d advise Miguel to spend less time on twitter though, because with the amount he tweets and the amount of his Tweets that are sarcastic or funny to him, he’s bound to get himself into more trouble.
PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, mir, lambert, conlan
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainStrikeforce Main Event Breakdown: Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal
Filed under: StrikeforceDuring a recent interview with the press, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez voiced his displeasure with some of the people who discounted his next challenger, Jorge Masvidal.
"A lot of people have been talking nonsense; that Jorge, like he's no good. That you're going to run by him," Melendez said. "And that talk kind of bothers me because some people are ignorant. They don't really follow the game that much. If you don't fight in the UFC, they think you're no good."
Like most fighters, Melendez is much more attuned to the subtleties of an opponents' fight style and skills than most observers, and he understands he's truly in for a fight in Saturday night's Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal main event. And he probably understands he's in a no-win situation as well.
If he does emerge victorious, that's exactly what he was supposed to do, and if he loses, detractors will say his consensus No. 2 lightweight ranking was never quite deserved.
Masvidal (22-6) is a crafty fighter with a style Melendez hasn't really experienced in the cage. He keys his offense off a long jab that lengthens his reach and moves his opponent backward, an important strategy that plays into his preference for counter-fighting. Overall, though, he's a very complete fighter.
Despite having no real base in wrestling, he's proven his excellence in that department through the most recent part of his career. For example, his last fight was against KJ Noons, who loves to strike and uses his wrestling to keep the fight upright where he thinks he has an advantage. That has largely been a successful strategy for him. According to FightMetric, Noons has successfully defended 71 percent of takedown tries against him, but Masvidal took him down on seven of nine attempts en route to a dominant win.
So that's one thing for Melendez (19-2) to be concerned about. The other is Masvidal's striking. As mentioned, Noons has a reputation as a striker but Masvidal had a field day against him on the feet, knocking him down once and out-landing him 73-38 in signature strikes. That's a fairly common outcome for Masvidal, who has one pro boxing fight under his belt and prides himself on his offensive skills and defensive movement.
Masvidal lands about 50 percent of his strikes while his opponents land less than 30, according to FightMetric. In addition to his jab as a favored weapon, he is one of few fighters who takes advantage of criminally underused body punching, occasionally firing off left hook liver shots. His easy motion and comfort level in his standup often lull his opponents into a false confidence, and then he can use his speed to strike or shoot in for the takedown. But other times, he himself might slow things down, too. That's good in some matchups, but it's not the best idea for this one.
Melendez's style is much more well known than Masvidal's. Melendez has refined his boxing over the last few years, adding power along the way (four of his last six wins are by KO or TKO). Coupled with an effective wrestling game and ability to create a grinding match, he often forces opponents into a fight that favors his skills. Melendez is also one of those fighters who can take his foe's best weapon away and turn the bout into his favor that way.
But really, Melendez's most important single trait is his conditioning, a quality that allows him to push the fight in any direction he wants with little fear of running out of gas. Particularly in five-round bouts, many fighters will pace themselves early, aware that they might need reserve fuel in case they still find themselves fighting 20 minutes or so later. Melendez doesn't have to think about that.
He's also trained for five-round title fights multiple times. This will be his seventh straight time preparing for the 25-minute distance, while Masvidal is doing it for the first time.
From a pure skill level, Masvidal is certainly capable of the upset, but it's hard to overlook some of his past uneven performances. In a fight against Paul Daley that took place in Sept. 2010, for example, the win was there for the taking in round three after the two split the first two rounds, and Masvidal never showed a sense of urgency to seal the deal, allowing Daley to steal it on the scorecards. Given Melendez's aggression, any kind of passivity may be Melendez's undoing.
Masvidal has to be more offensive than usual and push forward, but that's not really not his style, and it's not likely he'll change that overnight. If he sits backs and waits to counter, Melendez's more straightforward style will make a bigger impact with the judges. Masvidal has the chin and boxing skills to bring this fight into the late rounds, but Melendez's stamina will be the edge to get him to the finish line first. Expect this one to be closer than the wide odds indicate, but Melendez holds on to the belt with a decision win. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fight, fighter, masvidal, melendez, he
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseStrikeforce: ‘Melendez vs. Masvidal’ Preview
Shoo away those circling vultures and other carrion feeders, because Strikeforce is going to live! But you knew that already, just as you knew that Dana White had rolled up his sleeves and entered into the consecrated offices of the Showtime network with the determination to keep some kind of worthwhile MMA property on the channel. So yes, Strikeforce will remain alive, albeit without its heavyweight division, without its low-calorie Strikeforce Challengers series, but with female bouts and no more fighters fleeing for the greener pastures of the UFC’s Octagon. Wahoo! More MMA! Which brings us to Saturday night, and an event headlined by a meeting between Strikeforce champ (whatever that’s still worth) Gilbert Melendez and the always-scrappy Jorge Masvidal. Savor that bout, for reasons that will soon follow, but ultimately, savor the fact that the event won’t be one of the organization’s last. Because without Strikeforce in our lives, what MMA show would we watch on Showtime eight times a year? M-1 Challenge? Ha!
-Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal – Given his hard-fought win over Josh Thomson, his dominant performance over Shinya Aoki, and his prison-rape of Tatsuya Kawajiri, Melendez can be considered among one of the best lightweights in the world (but the inter-dimensional portal between Strikeforce and the UFC has closed, so we’ll never know if he’s the best!). And with his wrestling mixed with pinpoint striking and laser-like intensity, it’s not hard to see why he’s such a badass. The dude is a machine. Challenger Masvidal is no slouch, either, but he’s not quite the same caliber of machine as Melendez. Put another way, if Melendez is a T-1000 Terminator-kind of machine, then with his competent jiu-jitsu, solid Muay Thai, accurate high-kicks and propensity for starting somewhat slowly, Masvidal is an espresso maker. Which, hey, is a great machine if you like coffee-type drinks, but when it comes to dethroning one of the best 155-pound fighters in the world from their royal seat, forget about it. Melendez is finishing this one via TKO early.
-Cris “Cyborg” Santos vs. Hiroko Yamanaka – There’s a tale Brazilian mothers tell their children to scare them into behaving, a tale about a creature that lives in the jungle and comes out at night to devour the unwary. That fabled creature – that feared monster that preys upon mankind – is called the dreaded “Lobisomem”. Recently, Strikeforce 145-pound female champ Cyborg was hungry, so she ate the Lobisomem. And now she wants to feed again. Who’s next for her, and is it someone who stands a chance? Sadly, it’s not Ronda Rousey, so the answer is “no”. A well-rounded Japanese fighter named Yamanaka is the one that gets sacrificed to appease the appetite of Cyborg, which means we have to wait a while longer for something meaningful to happen in female MMA. Given her unyielding aggression and ability to strike better than most of the men on the planet, Cyborg is winning this one via TKO in what should be a quick, violent and ugly match.
-Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux – I admit, I drank the Kool-Aid when it came to believing that DREAM champ Mousasi was the next big thing. Then King Mo laid on him and took his Strikeforce belt, and he drew against Keith Jardine, and I realized that maybe, just maybe, there were some holes in the ace striker’s game. Oh well, he can still be exciting, and his skills are nothing to be trifled with. Which begs the question: will St. Preux, who sometimes likes to stand and bang as well as get guys down and manhandle them, trifle with Mousasi’s superior submissions and superior face-punching? If you’re the up-and-coming St. Preux’s coach, you have to hope your kid plays it smart and tries to grind out the win. I’m guessing that’s not what’s going to happen, though. Mousasi is finding St. Preux’s chin in the later rounds, and that’s all she wrote.
-Billy Evangelista vs. KJ Noons – Despite his top-notch boxing and ability to avoid trouble on the ground, Noons got completely housed by Masvidal and Nick Diaz in his last two fights, while the well-rounded Evangelista blew his chance at breaking out into the big time when Masvidal beat him too. Well, here we are, with a pair of guys who aren’t the best, but who are very capable at throwing leather and putting on a show. Which actually seems like a pretty good metaphor for Strikeforce itself – it’s pretty much not going to be the absolute best fighters throwing down, but it’s going to be good, skilled fighters doing it in entertaining fashion. In that spirit, I see this bout going the distance. The winner: who cares! It will be fun no matter what!
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, vs, masvidal, melendez
Read the full article at MMA ConvertGypsy curse lady in bad mood; three UFC 142 fighters off card
Over the past few days, I was starting to suspect that the Gypsy Curse Lady had started leaving the secret ingredient out of her potions (I guess she ran out of Gary Shaw’s semen). Although the remorseless, decrepit hag with scraggly old cunt hair did her best to ruin UFC 141, her plans were foiled, as Alistair Overeem was granted a license by the NSAC even though he skipped a drug test and Brock Lesnar's court date for letting deer meat spoil got pushed back to January. But now everyone’s least favorite gorgon is at it again, proving that she hasn’t lost the zing in her spells. This time she’s working triple time to ruin the lives of MMA fans, taking out three UFC 142 fighters in one week:
First off, heavyweight Rob Brougton has been forced off the Brazil card and out of his fight against Ednaldo Oliveira.
Feared striker Siyar Bahadurzada is the next fighter to fall prey to injury. He is now out of his scheduled bout against rising Brazilian phenom Erick Silva.
Finally, Stanislav Nedkov has been forced out of his fight against Fabio Maldonado due to visa issues coming to Brazil.
The UFC is actively searching for replacements for all three fighters and new bouts should be made in the coming days.
It’s nice that this shrivelled up old biddy has lost some confidence in her powers and is taking a break from targeting main events, but I was really looking forward to seeing how Bahadurzada would do in the UFC. Would he continue kicking asses, or is the title of United Glory World Series Tournament Champion just window dressing? I want answers, goddamnit, but with this raging, nomadic whore taking her revenge on us all the time, I might die waiting. If I’m guessing correctly as to what this is all about, GCL, I’m sorry I didn’t sleep with you, and at this point I’d be willing to reconsider and take one for the team. I take back everything I said about your odor.
Posted in: ufc, time, fighter, time i, potions i
Read the full article at FightlinkerIt doesn't bother Tyron Woodley when UFC fighters can't make eye contact with him
Tyron Woodley and MiddleEasy.com were born into the MMA world only mere months apart. T-Wood made his pro debut in February of 2009 and we wrote our first article ever in April. Since then Woodley has moved through the welterweight ranks at a blistering speed as we've looked on impressed. Now the Missouri wrestler is digging into his St Louis roots and will be opening the latest American Top Team gym this weekend: ATT Evolution. We got the chance to speak to the new gym owner and top ranked Strikeforce welterweight and he tells us all about the big fish/small pond theory and how he plans to run the welterweight division in Strikeforce and out. And yes, UFC fighters aren't making eye contact with him.
You did it, you finally opened you gym. How do you feel? It's been a long journey man, it feels good. The name of the gym is ATT Evolution and it takes from the tradition of American Top Team and the things they do so well but place a lot of our spin on it and we will take MMA training even further.
Have you wanted a gym of your own for a long time? I knew for a while that it was something I wanted to do, and with all the people in my life that helped me out and made it possible for me to train all the and I've had a lot of people show me the behind the scenes and really helped me and opened my eyes...Now I want to do that and help out these fighters that need it.
So you will be offering training down their that has pretty much been previously unavailable? Yeah, oh yeah. I used to train in St Louis but then it got to the point where I was having to go out of town for a lot of my training and I was only doing strength and conditioning, maybe boxing around here. But now we can offer everything, the gym has four boxing rings, we have a BJJ area a wrestling area, cardio anything anyone needs, myself or my members need...I have a full sized training facility now to prepare for it.
Nice, so you will be spending more training camps at home I presume? Yeah it's nice. I'm going to get some favors returned, it's gonna be nice. The last five years I've been going out and helping guys like Thiago Alves and Yves Edwards and various guys and Team Quest and so now the favors are getting returned. Din Thomas and Thiago are getting in Monday. Cormier and Jason High will be in town to help me with Jordan Mein. It's just been incredible the response and how many people are behind this project. It's great, great workers, everything is great. Everyone is seeing the big picture and we are all striving towards the same goal.
You've said for a while now that your focus is on being a complete fighter and not just a wrestler, we saw some of that against Paul Daley, but is the opening of the gym effecting your development? Do you plan on standing with Jordan Mein? Well he's a Mixed Martial Artist and he does everything well. I think that him and his angles and it being an MMA fight I think he's gonna stand and I think I will stand but actually think he's going to try to take me down. I don't think you'll see the quote unquote striker Vs, wrestler thing going on. I think he's a more complete MMA fighter than that so I will do what I do best and I will show the world why i should be fighting for the title.
Anything cool in the works for your next Clinch Gear tee? Of course! Clinch Gear has always been there for me. Since I was a nobody on the undercards. They were sponsoring me then when it wasn't even televised. You look at my gym now though and it's covered in Clinch Gear. So yeah I will be definitely wearing a Clinch Gear shirt and I'm glad that you said that so I can call them about a walkout shirt design. But Eric and Dan Henderson have really helped me in every facet of the game. They have to be if not the number one brand they have to be in the top two performance brands in the sport. The quality speaks for itself, and at any event you will always see some Clinch Gear.
That and their shirts just look cool. Yeah they do a real good job with the design. They have multiple graphic designers that put a lot of thought into their work. They have a lot of guys that will be thinking of ideas and really just bouncing stuff around,. I don't know how they do it.
We just found out Strikeforce will continue to live, do you think that will lead to more fights for you? Yeah I think so man, I think they are planning for me to fight maybe after January in March or April. For me, it's not the fact that I can't fight it's just that they shuffle guys to try to keep them busy and making sure everyone gets fights. You know, with limited means and funds. Now that we have the machine behind us in Zuffa I think that will help a lot. All of these fighters that came up through Strikeforce like King Mo and myself and Cormier, maybe we can get some star power behind it. Now they can put some marketing behind of our guys.
Hypothetical question: if you moved to the UFC where do you think you would be in the mix? I should land in the top 5. I think I'm a top 10 fighter right now. Guys like Jordan Mein and Tarec and obviously Andre Galvao was better in Jiu Jitsu. So I think the guys I've fought are game opponents. I'm on the cusp right now and basically I think a win over this guy then a title will put me in the top ten when I go over there. I have no interest in working my way up from the bottom. I did that for three years in Strikeforce so now I want to fight the Jake Shields and Nick Diaz and Carlos Condits. Those are the guys I want to fight. Some of the guys in the top 20 aren't even that tough or not a great style matchup. I'm gonna put it on the line and go out there to get at the GSP's.
Speaking of style matchups, you hold the wrestling Kryptonite for a lot of people., including Nick Diaz. Do you think he jumped ship at the right time? Do you think he ducked you a bit? Nah. I think he made a good choice in his career, obviously financially and he had the belt. He has to prove it again against GSP...I've never seen the kid duck anybody and he's a pure fighter but you know what? It's not that great of a style matchup. I'm sure he would be down for the fight and go out there and give the fans what they want. I think it's a good matchup for me and if it happens in the future do I think I could beat him? Yeah. Easy fight? No. I think overall I just have to take what God has for me and get through Mein and then I will sit down and think about the title.
So Jorge Masvidal Vs. Gilbert Melendez, what is your official prediction? I want Masvidal to win man, I want him to win in the worst way. Whenever I'm on the couch and I'm watching with my wife she hates it because I'm always leaning around on the couch. Everyone knows he's a funny dude and charismatic but man that guy busts his butt working as hard as he does. I've trained with him and I know. Out of all the American Top Team fighters, all sixty some fighters, he's the one who says 'hey, I want more rounds' or 'lets do more sprints'. He is always pushing. When I was driving out to Coconut Creek I saw the work he puts in with pro boxers and strength and conditioning coaches. I want to see that pay off with him. I'm a fan of Gilbert and he's a great fighter but Jorge goes for broke every time. I mean all those guys at the Cesar Gracie camp don't even have to really use that Jiu Jitsu which they are known for. Those guys are just a different breed. It's gonna be good. We are actually showing the fight, December 17th at the gym here in St Louis. Having a viewing party at ATT Evolution, so it should b a great time in support of a teammate of mine Jorge Masvidal.
What do you think about Masvidal's addiction to Call of Duty and cheeseburger eating? That's hilarious, I didn't know you guys knew about that. I think he's with Dolce now so I'm positive he's not eating cheeseburgers anymore haha.
What would be better in your opinion: being in the deep UFC roster with possibly being lost in the mix or being one of the faces of Strikeforce? Oh I'm positive I wouldn't be lost in the mix in the UFC. I've been backstage and many locker rooms and I wont say any names but I've been there and UFC welterweights won't look me in the eye. That doesn't bother me. They know who I am and I'm not saying that I'm the man and you should know about me, but I don't think I would get lost in the shuffle over there. I've been in Strikeforce since 09 and it's been a long journey but my goal was to be Strikeforce champion. I feel like we should be finishers not only in the cage but in everything we do in our life. I'm right on the cusp of that. Right now anyway, that isn't an option so I'm gonna get my belt. After that it will work itself out. Look how Shields and Diaz went over. They went right to the top five because they went over with a belt. So it will only help my cause to have some hardware in the future. Strikeforce is a good organization and I'm glad they are going to be around. I don't liek to talk too much about the UFC and all that because I'm with Strikeforce and they are promoting me and they market me and they tell y story as a fighter. As long as my contract says Strikeforce I'm Strikeforce. If anyone wants to check me out on Twitter I'm @Twooodley or check out ATTEvolution.com. Check us out December 17th for the fights and then our grand opening is on December 19th capping it off with Randy Couture, Yves Edwards, Din Thomas, Thiago Alves and Mike Chandler so come check it out.
Posted in: fight, strikeforce, guy, fighter, im
Read the full article at Middle EasyThe Friday Afternoon MMA Link Party
It's Friday and MiddleEasy has officially made the commitment to produce all videos in full 3D from now on. Gilbert Melendez will be the first fighter we will shoot in 3D. You will need glasses, so step your MiddleEasy viewing game up. We're about to link up with Melendez now, but in the meantime check out links from our buddies across the MMAverse.
[list class="bullet-6"] [li]Ovince St. Preux a Confident Underdog Against Ex-Strikeforce Champ Mousasi. [MMAFighting]
[/li] [li]Hot Potato: 10 Photos of Cage Warriors Ring Girl Brooke Lynette. [CagePotato]
[/li] [li]“Cyborg” Santos plans to put on a show Saturday night. [Fives Ounces of Pain]
[/li] [li]Martin Kampmann and Thiago Alves set to headline UFC's return to Australia. [LowKick]
[/li] [li]Forrest Griffin Says He’s Nearing ‘The End Of The Road.’ [MMAConvert]
[/li] [li]UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger” Fight Card Updated. [5th Round]
[/li] [li]Old School Fighters We'd Love to See Now. [Bleacher Report]
[/li] [li]Check out the original call for fighters UFC ad from 1993! [The Fight Nerd]
[/li] [li]Strikeforce: 'Melendez vs Masvidal' predictions, preview and analysis. [MMAMania]
[/li] [li]Keith Kizer: Urine is ‘obviously’ better than blood for steroid testing. [FightOpinion]
[/li] [li]UFC 140: Payout Perspective. [MMAPayout]
[/li] [li]UFC 143 Officially Announced, Dana White Talks Diaz Vs. Condit. [Fightline]
[/li] [/list]
UFC 142 is On Pace to Becoming the Number 5 Most Cursed Card in UFC History
Posted in: ufc, fighter, vs, li, meantime check
Read the full article at Middle EasyPotential UFC flyweight Da Silva makes quick work of Santos at Fort MMA’s inaugural show
By D.J. San MarcoNATAL, BRAZIL-- It took a leg kick and a few strikes from Jussier da Silva (12-1) before Rodrigo "Indio" Santos (4-1) decided he wanted take the main event of Fort MMA 1 to the ground. The inaugural Fort MMA show jumped off from Natal's Brazilian Industrial Social Services Gymnasium.After some clinching along the cage Santos finally brought the fight to the floor, but the very tough jiu jitsu stylist from Belem found himself overmatched by the more experienced "Formiga" who used a innate ability to take his opponent's back and quickly sink in the rear naked choke as he's done so many times before in his six year pro career. The stakes of 125 pound Fort MMA main event rose to even great heights this week with the announcement of the UFC's addition of the flyweight division. The obvious notion that one punch can change everything in a fight spoke to the great risk da Silva incurred in taking on undefeated Santos. Undaunted and with yet another victory on his resume, it appears the 12-1 "Formiga" has secured his position as a "must have" for the UFC 125-pound division.In the hours before the fight da Silva, seemed very unaffected by the pressure and before a fight that may have altered the course of his career, he was just joking & hanging out with his teammates; just another day at the office for "Formiga"."He was very tough and showed very good skill did Rodrigo "Indio" Da Silva told ULTMMA.com "but I think it was a good idea to fight him in front of my home fans". In the co main event Pitbull Brothers fighter Guiherme Rodrigues (12-8) battled muay thai striker Anderson Salustino (3-2) to a decision win. Guilherme with his wrestling and jiu jitsu was able to ground n' pound his way thru the first two frames. A resurgent Salustino started to pour it on with an array of kicks in the third round but it was not enough. A victorious Rodrigues told ULTMMA.com "I really wanted the finish tonight, as my last fight went to decision and I thought I had won, not to disrespect that opponent, but I didn't want this one going to decision." "I also wanted to showcase my striking, but I'm a brown belt in jiu jitsu and I did what I had to do to win the fight." Said Rodrigues.The stars were in attendance once again, UFC fighters Renan Barao, & Ronny Markes, and Bellator sensation Patricio Pitbull Freire. The latter two also acting as celebrity referees for the nights action. They alternated officiating the bouts, If Pitbull Bros had a fighter in the cage, Ronny Markes handled the duties, if a Kimura fighter was in the cage, then Markes was coaching alongside Mestre Jair Lourenco while Pitbull officiated the action.As a whole the matchmaking of Fort MMA and Matheus Aquino held true despite having to replace 3 or 4 matches due to injury that the promter felt would be absolute wars in the cage. A near sellout crowd went crazy every time a Kimura-Nova Uniao fighter went into the cage as their academy went 2-1 on the night. The entire building rocked to chants of "KI-MU-RA...KI-MU-RA", similar cheers were heard for the Pitbull bros fighters or anyone from the city of Natal that took to the cage.Fight of the night visually and by the roar of the crowd appeared to be Ciro "Bad Boy" Rodrigues (10-4) and Anderson de Queiroz Diniz (3-2). This was action from start to finish with the uber aggressive "Bad Boy" bringing offense from everywhere with an array of spinning back-kicks, leg kicks, and nearly every strike imaginable. Diniz seemed to have an answer for all of it and played the role of counter fighter. Diniz showed off amazing timing and counter boxing your likely to see on a local show, he seemed to have a counter for every single strike that Rodrigues threw and with only a sprinkling of leg kicks, he used subtle bit of foot work and head movement to avoid the assaults of Rodrigues was the more effective striker. Ultimately he was taken down and mounted late in the 3rd but survived to earn a unanimous decision. The other highlight of the undercard was the brilliant circling technique, cardio and footwork by Valdinez Silva (6-3) who took on aggressive striker Joao Paulo Rodrigues de Souza (34-13-1). There was a great display of camaraderie and sportsmanship between both men, but the elusiveness of Silva that was poetry in motion for the Pitbull Bros trained fighter. Silva earned a unanimous decision win over Rodrigues de Souza after three rounds.
Posted in: fight, fighter, silva, rodrigue, pitbull
Read the full article at UltMMAThree Fighters Out of UFC 142 in Brazil
The injury bug has bitten down hard on the UFC 142 card in Brazil with three fighters falling out this week.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, week, brazil, injury bug
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyStrikeforce: Can Gegard Mousasi Reclaim His Former Glory?
Two years ago, Gegard Mousasi looked like a man on the verge of greatness. At 24 years old, he had already compiled an impressive 27-2-1 record along with a list of accolades. He was the undefeated Dream Middleweight champion and the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion. He had tried his hand at kickboxing and effortlessly KO'd K-1 veteran Musashi. He was on a 14 fight win streak and hadn't lost since facing Akihiro Gono in Pride back in 2006. He was being mentioned as a possible top 10 pound for pound fighter in the world. He was, beyond a doubt, one of the names to watch.
Today, he is largely forgotten. As Mousasi gets ready to face Ovince St. Preux at the Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal card this weekend, that momentum of two short years ago is gone. That's not so odd though - in this sport, fighters can fall hard and fast. But what's strange is this - in those 2 years, Mousasi has only seen 1 loss. He's gone 4-1-1 in MMA, plus defeated the K-1 Heavyweight champion Kyotaro under K-1 rules.
So why have fans forgotten about Mousasi?
Two factors are at play here. First is the nature of that 4-1-1 record. The 4 wins have all come in Japan, and so have not been seen by many casual fans. On the other side, that loss and draw were both under the Strikeforce banner, here in the US in significantly higher profile fights. And both of those performances were not Mousasi at his best. First was the loss to King Mo Lawal on the Strikeforce CBS show. There, Mousasi just had no answer for Mo's wrestling, being taken down repeatedly and ultimately unable to mount an offense. It was an easy, one-sided decision for Mo that greatly hurt Mousasi.
After that loss, his next US appearance was meant to be against Mike Kyle, but when Kyle was injured, Keith Jardine stepped in on one week's notice and fought Mousasi to a draw. Again, Mousasi did not look great in this fight. And worse, he didn't look great against a man who casual fans had last seen in the UFC on a disastrous 1-5 run. After those back to back Strikeforce fights, many casual gave up on Mousasi.
Also at play for Mousasi is the decreasing perception of Japanese MMA. As fighter after fighter has come over from Japan and failed to impress, fans have begun to write off the level of competition there as significantly lower than in the US. Despite Mousasi's record, even hardcore fans now look at him and see a fighter who has only succeeded in Japan, only against talent that are either past their primes, or have never had their own successes outside the US. And so, like the casual fans, many hardcore fans have given him up as well.
This Saturday, that can change. If Mousasi gets a big win over OSP - if he shows the kind of domination that led him to highlight reel stoppage wins over Mark Hunt, Jacare, Babalu, and more - then those Mo and Jardine fights will fade, as will the complaints about his Japanese run. They won't disappear, but they will grow a bit quieter. And the fans who once looked at Mousasi as a future great will be reminded of what made him special.
And if Mousasi loses, or wins and looks uninspiring in the process? Then fans will decide they were right all along and the hype was always unjustified.
It's a tough position to be in, but Mousasi holds his future in his hands. Let's see what he does with it on Saturday.
SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal
Posted in: fight, strikeforce, fighter, fan, mousasi
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowLatest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of December 11, 2011
Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Gilbert Melendez and Fedor Emelianenko pictured above, we can all "get along."
Teaming up with MMA sites like MMA Fighting, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.
This week, Lowkick interviews rising Strikeforce prospect Ovince St. Preux, The Fight Nerd gets Chael Sonnen to open up about his upcoming fight and Bleacher Report speaks with Strikeforce lightweight K.J. Noons.
The full list of links is after the jump.
- Ovince St. Preux isn't scared to go toe-to-toe with Gegard Mousasi (LowKick)
"It's definitely safe to say that Mousasi is the biggest name I fought in my career," said St. Preux. "Everyone knows he's one of the Top 10 guys out there. He's a great challenge for me as a fighter. He will try to impose his will with striking, but he's one of those guys who also has a very good ground game too. With him I have to be prepared for a war in both stand up and on the ground."
- The procrastinating fight fan's last minute holiday gift guide (Cage Potato)
Pick these items up in your size and favorite color and if nobody visits you at Christmas, keep them for yourself.
- Carla Esparza reflects on recent win over Felice Herrig (Five Ounces of Pain)
Women's MMA and its rise in popularity can be attributed to a list of stellar competitors like Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Megumi Fujii, and Gina Carano. However, while certain stand-outs may receive the bulk of the public's attention there are a number of highly-talented females throwing down in the ring on a regular basis. One such fighter is Carla Esparza
- Winners and losers in the new Strikeforce-Showtime deal (MMA Fighting)
That news will have a wide-ranging impact on the mixed martial arts world, including the fighters, the promoters, the networks and the fans. We examine who the winners and losers are in the new Strikeforce-Showtime deal below.
- Fuel TV kicking off partnership in style (5thRound)
- Junie Browning wants US Embassy to save him from Thai mafia (MiddleEasy)
Sigh. The saga of Junie Browning's Thailand terrorization continues so it seems. It seems that it's not just the cops looking for Junie-now according to a post on Junie's facebook page: the Thai Mafia wants to wack his Kentucky ass.
- Chael Sonnen talks fight against Mark Munoz & why he won't coach a season of 'TUF' (The Fight Nerd)
Fight Nerd correspondent Hiroko Yamamura spoke with UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen at the UFC on Fox 2 press conference in Chicago. We spoke to him about his next fight against Mark Munoz and what to expect, where he plans on taking his career next and why he does not want to coach on a season of "The Ultimate Fighter," and how he wants peoples perceptions about his fighting style to change. This is an interview not to be missed!
- Keith Kizer believes urine is 'obviously' better than blood for steroid testing (Fight Opinion)
Tuesday proved to be quite the day on the radio circuit if you were interested in commentary about the situation between Alistair Overeem and the Nevada State Athletic Commission over drug testing. If you didn't follow the details of Monday's NSAC meeting, read the details here.
- Strikeforce and Showtime reach new deal (MMA Payout)
It has been speculated for months, but it was finally made official today. Strikeforce and Showtime have reached an agreement to televise live MMA for 2012, starting with the January 7th event headlined by Keith Jardine vs Luke Rockhold, which will air during a free preview weekend for the premium cable TV network.
- Interview with K.J. Noons (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
"My performance of my last fight was very poor. I got beat. He (Masvidal) came and had a good gameplan. Guys' tricky to fight. He's elusive. Got that in the past and changed the camp up, mix it up, do a few different things, be a better all around MMA fighter, really changed the camp up. Now I'm ready to go for this next fight. Showcase different skills to San Diego where I train and where I live at. So I'm super excited and I'm really excited to be back on Showtime."
- Review: The Principles of Unarmed Combat by Mark Jacobs (MMA Convert)
Yes, traditional martial arts - the world of dojos, starched gis and Bruce Lee's "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do". It's a world many an MMA fan fled like a combative sport refugee, and yet it's a world that still exists, kept alive by the inquisitive collective mind that hungers for the answers to such martial questions as "What works in a fight?"
- The Daily Line: Keeping Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce is a mistake (Fightline)
So, you're telling me that the guy who could barely contain his excitement at the prospect of joining the UFC roster back when the Zuffa/Strikeforce deal was initially announced, now all of a sudden wants to continue to compete in Strikeforce where it's been established the top-tier talent no longer resides?
Posted in: fight, mma, strikeforce, fighter, fight nerd
Read the full article at MMA ManiaZombie Strikeforce press conference notes
It's official! Strikeforce and Showtime had a press conference this afternoon officially continuing the relationship between the two for 2012. Let's break down all the nitty gritty:The deal is for 6-8 shows, which will set it on the exact same schedule the WEC used to be on. Who knows why there's two events worth of wiggle room, but whatevs. The heavyweight division is toast. Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier will fight to wrap up the HWGP and then whoever wins that will fight 'a top ranked heavyweight' in an attempt to make the tournament seem less pointless. After that the UFC will cherrypick the division and shut it down.Women's 135 & 145 divisions will stay, which is really good because Cris Cyborg dying of kidney failure trying to cut to 135 would have made for some bad headlines.Scott Coker will run the day to day operations (at least the ones that have been left to him by Zuffa)The current broadcast team will stay the same because we love them all SO MUCH and there is no room for improvement there at all.Undercard fights will now air on Showtime Extreme, a channel I never knew existed that I'm sure no one really gets. But hey, that's neat. Maybe Strikeforce will stop outsourcing their prelims to local promotions now.Strikeforce Challengers is dead, and thank baby Jesus for that. The whole concept of a B-league for the B-league was always pretty stupid, and now it is no more.Of course, that doesn't mean that Showtime is willing to admit Strikeforce is a defacto B-league. Keep that delusion strong, new ShoSports dude:
"Let's be real clear: Strikeforce is not a secondary brand," Espinoza said. "Luke Rockhold is not a secondary fighter, Cris Cyborg is not a secondary fighter, GIna [Carano] is not a secondary fighter, Gilbert [Melendez] is not a secondary fighter. This is a top-tier organization. It was a top-tier organization as a brand when Scott [Coker] was running it independently of Zuffa, and it will continue to be now that they're in partnership with Zuffa."
Dana White also chimed in on that note:
“There’s nothing wrong with being a feeder league, but that’s not what this thing’s going to be.”
Which is kinda too bad, because whatever the fuck Luke Rockhold vs Keith Jardine is, it doesn't do much for me.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, toptier organization, bleague, zuffa dana
Read the full article at FightlinkerAll UFC on FOX 1 Drug Tests Come Back Clean
All fighters at UFC on FOX 1 passed testing for recreational and performance-enhancing drugs.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, drug, performanceenhancing
Read the full article at Heavy MMADetails About New Strikeforce/Showtime Deal
Heavyweight division eliminated, fighter rosters expanding, the future of the women's divisions. All that and more details for the new Strikeforce on Showtime.
Posted in: fighter, division, detail, fighter rosters, womens divisions
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyOne More Shot: Five Fighters Who Deserve a Return to the UFC
Mary Pickford once said “If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.”
Many Mixed Martial Artists have come and gone through the UFC‘s system. Some performed so poorly that they will never be seen again wearing the signature gloves to the Octagon. Some have performed so well that they may never fight wearing anything but. Some have fallen to the outside, but performed well enough that they deserve a shot once again. After falling out of favor with the UFC, Efrain Escudero did and said all of the right things, and he’s been welcomed back for a fight at UFC 141.
Here’s a look at some of the others who should get a look for their call back to the big show:
#5 – Soa Palelei
Palelei isn’t a name that comes to many fight fans’ minds this side of the Pacific. In fact, his stint in the Octagon lasted one fight against then blue-chip prospect Eddie Sanchez. Palelei didn’t fight for a year after his UFC 79 appearance, however, he has gone 5-1 since his return, all with first round stoppages. He’s heavily improved on the ground, and has towering size and strength to turn heads in the Heavyweight division. His last fight, a 13 second effort in his native Australia, was essentially a one punch knockout with his off hand. If Palelei isn’t back with the UFC for at least one fight next year, look for him to get eyed by one of other major North American players to compete for them.
#4 – Pat Healy
It wasn’t very hard to stick Healy on this least. In his storied career, he’s got one of the most impressive list of wins for somebody who has only competed in the UFC once. At various times in his career (and granted, many of these fighters have continued improving as he has,) he’s defeated the likes of Dan Hardy, Carlos Condit, Paul Daley, and Ryan Ford (twice.) In February, he handed Lyle Beerbohm his first career loss, and came in on short notice to defeat Maxi Blanco in September. His only losses in his last ten fights are to Josh Thomson and TJ Waldburger with the latter being a title fight. Healy’s enthusiasm and vigor (he started a social media campaign to urge Strikeforce to give him the Blanco fight when Thomson had to pull out due to injury) are matched by his tenacity in the cage, and his continued efforts to becoming a more complete fighter. His first go-around with the UFC only lasted a couple of minutes, but a second opportunity should last much longer. He would make a good addition to the UFC’s lightweight division, as his experience and track record would have him in a good spot to start taking on some of the division’s best.
#3: Jason High
“The Kansas City Bandit” is another card carrying member of the UFC’s “One and Done” club. After taking Charlie Brenneman the distance at UFC Fight Night 21 he was shockingly released from his contract. Since then, High is undefeated, going 6-0 with victories over the likes of Jordan Mein and Mach Sakurai. High, as of late has been fighting for Strikeforce Challengers, and with that series discontinued going forward, he’ll either find himself on the cards of the upcoming events, or looking for a place to go once his contract is up. The UFC would be a good fit for the middleweight, who could always use a few more welterweights to fill the ranks out. If he continues winning the way he is now, his Strikeforce contract could easily turn over into a UFC contract before long.
#2: Patrick Cote
Cote is a talented anomaly. At age 24, he came in on almost no notice and took Tito Ortiz the distance. He’s beaten a who’s who of Canadian fighters, including Jason MacDonald, as well as defeated numerous UFC veterans outside the Octagon. In fact, he’s 12-0 when competing in a ring not owned by the UFC. Inside, however, he’s 4-7, losing a few fights he should have won, but showing flashes of brilliance nevertheless. He was at one point the #1 contender for the title, and did what he could to push forward during his fight against Anderson Silva become succombing to injury. Since getting cut from the UFC, Cote is a perfect 3-0, defeating three former UFC vets. His continued involvement with the UFC’s French-Language broadcasts mean he’s never too far outside the peripheral vision of UFC brass. At only 31, he’s got plenty of time left in his career, and if not now, one more win means should be back for another go-around in the UFC by the end of 2012.
Cote Lobbying for Another UFC Fight
#1: John Alessio
How many mixed martial artists can say they choked out a porn star and knocked out Phil Collins in a six-month span? Last year, Alessio submitted War Machine, and then sent MMA’s version of the famous singer down to the canvas enroute to winning nine of his last ten. Alessio is a former two-time UFC vet who has made appearances in almost every major promotion you can think of. To be honest, it’s not as though Alessio did horribly in his two UFC fights either. He took the then-undefeated Diego Sanchez the distance at UFC 60, and withstood the punishment of Thiago Alves during the Brazilian’s jaw dropping power punching phase. In fact, in one streak of 10 Alves victories, nine of them were by KO, and the other was the Alessio decision win.
Within his last ten fights, Alessio has displayed an improved mix of crafty submissions and crisp striking, resulting in 8 stoppage wins (his only loss in the last 18 months has been to current UFC fighter Siyar Bahadurzada). He’s turned a lot of heads outside the cage for his fight flexibility as well. Twice he’s been booked to fight for Superior Cage Combat, and twice his opponents have changed. He then went through a rigorous training camp to fight Ryan Healy, only to find out he too was injured, and his replacement opponent then could not obtain licensing.
The results, flexibility and his new outlook on his career all add up to somebody who deserves another go around. Alessio recently dropped down to lightweight, and can step in at 155 and mix with anybody his way back in. Alessio’s improving with age, and at 32, looks nothing like the fighter he was five years ago. Whether it be at 155 or 170, Alessio’s definitely a quick step away from a UFC callback, and has to be near the top of the list of fighters to bring back.
Honorable mentions to Dan Lauzon (4-0 with 4 stoppages since leaving the UFC) and Sean McCorkle (3-0 with 3 submission wins since leaving the UFC.) These are all very capable fighters who have made an impact in their time outside the big show, and have a definite case to obtain a UFC contract in the near future.
PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE
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Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, career, alessio
Read the full article at Fighters.comJose Aldo interested in coaching future season of the Ultimate Fighter
Dominant featherweight champion Jose Aldo’s struggles while growing up in Brazil are well-documented. Dealing with abject poverty from a young age, Aldo was fueled more by an overwhelming desire to become a professional fighter more so than by actual food. Now, with his dream fulfilled and status as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in MMA, Aldo has turned his attention towards one day coaching a season of the Ultimate Fighter set in his home-country.
The 20-1 Aldo spoke some about it earlier this week at a press conference related to his upcoming bout at UFC 142, a show taking place in Rio de Janeiro, where he mentioned he hopes to follow in the footsteps of Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort who are poised to coach the inaugural run of TUF Brasil.
Aldo Staying at 145 for Foreseeable Future
“I dream about it and I hope someday I can be a coach of TUF. I hope it’s here in Brazil, because it’d be wonderful, so that I can show you a new champion as good as me in Ultimate,” said Aldo in a post-presser interview with TATAME.
In fact, Aldo believes he actually has some insight into the process even though he’s never been part of the popular reality show before. Before hitting his stride in WEC/UFC Aldo lived with a group of his Nova Uniao teammates.
“I lived in the gym with people from other places in Brazil and I became a champion. That’s the result of a lot of work. My past was great, it helped me to become the champion I currently am.”
Aldo will face Chad Mendes on January 14 in the main event at UFC 142. He will enter the bout on a thirteen-fight winning streak including past victories over Urijah Faber, Mark Hominick, and Kenny Florian.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, champion, brazil, aldo
Read the full article at Fighters.comStudy Finds Fear Runs High in Mixed Martial Artists
There was a fascinating paper that ran in Social Psychology Quarterly titled "Managing Emotional Manhood: Fighting and Fostering Fear in Mixed Martial Arts." The paper focused on how deep fear runs in even such supposedly "manly" men as mixed martial artists and the social mandate that such emotional reactions be hidden.
A small sample from early in the paper:
While fighters in the locker room prepared for combat in the cage, two men from the previous fight staggered in. Juan1-the victor-had shiny contusions under both eyes and made it to a folding chair where he sat staring into space. As two paramedics tried to keep him conscious, he cracked a smile with swollen lips and tried unsuccessfully to communicate meaningfully. As the paramedics carried Juan off on a stretcher, Mike-his opponent-leaned against a wall and talked with his trainer. As blood flowed from his nose and mouth, Mike began to sob. His trainer handed him a towel, which he brought to his face with shaking hands. When asked if he was upset about Juan, he pulled away the bloodied towel and said, "I don't like losing."
...
Although MMA fighters' emotion management may appear unique, it reflects a long-lived cultural mandate that "real men" control their fear and other emotions (Kimmel 1996). Peers (Fine 1987), parents (McGuffey 2008), and coaches (Messner 1992) often ostracize boys who express fear, pain, empathy, and sadness. Boys learn that they are supposed to exhibit emotional restraint and "quiet control" (Messner 2009:96). As adults, men often face fear, whether at work (Haas 1977), on the street (Anderson 1999), or in leisure activities (Holyfield and Fine 1997). And not letting fear get the best of you-exhibiting bravery-is a culturally revered quality of manhood (see e.g., Connell 1995). But how do men control their emotions, and what does this have to with gender identity?
More after the jump...
The paper also talked about some of what motivated the fear that they faced:
MMA fighters most commonly talked about fearing injury and losing. Fighters understood how painful injuries were and that serious ones could end their fighting careers, or worse. There have been two well-publicized deaths of fighters resulting from brain injuries sustained in North American MMA fights since 2007. Although interviewees agreed that, as Rocky put it, "in most cases you're going to come out of it [and] you're going to live," death lurked in the shadows of the cage. When asked what he worried about before his fights, for example, Kenneth said, "You are wondering if they are thinking of this incredible move that is really going to kill you." Dominic said, "This sport is not golf; you can't get hurt or killed playing golf." The possibility of death elevated MMA's manhood quotient.
...
In addition to fearing injury, cage fighters also feared losing. Casey feared looking "like a chump in front of all these people . . . if you get knocked out at your first fight in three seconds, then that's all they will remember." Mike said, "You really don't want to let your family or teammates down," and Kenneth said, "The name of the [MMA] school is kind of riding on you. You have to represent for your school." Minutes after Dean lost a fight, he said, "I feel like shit! I came out in front of my hometown and I got tapped out in like under a minute." Buster said "the feeling of losing is the worst feeling in the world, especially when you sell 100 tickets and you have a lot of your friends and family there." Jimmy said that when a fight starts going bad: "You start getting down on yourself. Like, ‘Oh no, he's going to get the chicken wing-he got the chicken wing and it hurts. Ow! I look stupid out here. I'm losing.'" Echoing others, these men suggested that they feared losing because it made them feel embarrassed and ashamed-emotions that are antithetical to cultural definitions of manhood.
It's an interesting thing to have been around the sport in various capacities and hearing how often guys talk about "nerves" and such. I actually trained with a pro fighter with well over thirty fights for a period of time to whom I confessed that I felt some degree of nerves before heavy sparring sessions, even after having sparred in boxing gyms prior to training at an MMA gym.
He said that he felt the same thing even after fighting for over ten years. That the possibility of even being embarrassed in the gym never really faded for him. Even in this space that is meant to teach, where failure should provide room for improvement, the nerves still existed.
It's interesting how well they captured the backstage atmosphere of fights and give a readable (but still scientific) overview of the fear driven motivations of the fighter.
I seriously urge you to go give it a read.
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, men, fear
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDiaz vs. Condit for Interim Belt - Tickets on Sale Friday
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that two of the sport’s top welterweight contenders will vie for the interim 170-pound title. Nick Diaz, a fiery and unpredictable southpaw riding an 11-fight win streak, will battle the division’s most fearsome knockout artist, Carlos Condit, when the UFC returns to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 4.“With GSP out for 10 months, we are going to have Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit fight to crown an interim welterweight champion,” UFC President Dana White said. “I’ve had my differences with Nick, but he is a fighter through and through. The one thing I can guarantee is that come fight night, he is going to throw down. We all saw that in his last performance against BJ Penn. Carlos Condit is no different. He’s knocked out his last three opponents and believes he is the best fighter in the division. I get goose bumps just thinking about this fight!”Additional fights scheduled for this event include: welterweight bad boy Josh Koscheck vs. powerful wrestler Mike Pierce, as well as a pivotal featherweight bout pitting Erik “New Breed” Koch vs. Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier.Tickets for UFC®143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT, presented by BUD LIGHT®, go on sale TOMORROW, Friday, Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $750, $500, $350, $225, $125 and $75. Tickets will be available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.UFC®143: DIAZ vs. CONDIT will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.Official UFC VIP packages are also available at http://vip.ufc.com. These packages include tickets to UFC 143, official event merchandise, as well as special VIP experiences with backstage tours and meet and greets with top UFC stars. Get closer to the action than ever before with this unique UFC VIP opportunity.During his reign as STRIKEFORCE welterweight champion, Nick Diaz (fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) defeated archrival KJ Noons and finished both Evangelista Santos and Paul Daley en route to becoming the organization’s best 170-pound fighter. Returning to the UFC with his destruction of Penn last October, Diaz - whose brother Nate is also a UFC competitor – looks to knock off Condit and secure his first UFC world title.“I wanted to fight Georges St-Pierre and I still want that fight when Georges comes back,” Diaz, who owns a record of 27-7, 1 NC, said. “Right now, I’m focused on beating Carlos Condit. He’s tough and he’s knocked a lot of guys out, but that doesn’t concern me. I know I’m a better fighter in all areas. I’m gonna win that belt on February 4.”Nicknamed “The Natural Born Killer,” Carlos Condit (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) is a 27-year-old former WEC champion with four straight wins, three of which came by way of knockout. A pupil of renowned trainer Greg Jackson, Condit (27-5) now has the chance to fulfill a lifelong goal of winning the UFC welterweight title. He’s also motivated by the chance to fight one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound best.“Ever since I began my career in mixed martial arts, it has been my goal to be a UFC champion,” Condit said. “Upon hearing the news that I would be fighting for the interim welterweight title, I cannot begin to describe the mix of emotion that came over me. I am thankful to have such an opportunity. This will be the biggest fight of my career and I am ready to show that I am deserving of it.“Nick is a great fighter,” Condit added. “He’s also a hungry and motivated fighter. Both of us want to be the champion more than anyone could imagine. I look forward to training for the challenges that he will present in the Octagon. We both have aggressive styles, and that should provide for an entertaining fight for both the UFC and the fans.”An elite competitor who has fought some of the division’s toughest names, Josh Koscheck (fighting out of Fresno, Calif.) is fresh off a knockout victory over UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes in September. A member of the renowned American Kickboxing Academy and a former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler, “Kos” now turns his attention to ending the rise of Mike Pierce (fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.). Having won four of his last five fights, Pierce (13-4) is a hard-charging wrestler known for his ferocious ground and pound. He looks for the biggest win of his career when he meets Koscheck (18-5) on February 4.A pupil of renowned striking coach Duke Roufus, Erik Koch (fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) has made an immediate impact since joining the UFC earlier this year, knocking out Raphael Assuncao in March and besting The Ultimate Fighter® season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins in September. To earn a crack at the featherweight title, the 23-year-old Koch (13-1) must defeat another surging prospect in 22-year-old Dustin Poirier (fighting out of Lafayette, La.). With a perfect 3-0 mark since dropping to featherweight at the start of 2011, the gritty Poirier (11-1) has impressed many thanks to decision victories over Josh Grispi and Jason Young, as well as a dynamic submission win over Pablo Garza in November at UFC® on FOX. Eyeing his own shot at the 145-pound crown, Poirier is gearing up for what should be an incredible bout with Koch at Mandalay Bay.Additional bouts will be announced at UFC.com in the weeks to come. All bouts live and subject to change.
Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, fighter, condit
Read the full article at UFCULTMMA Podcast Episode 9: Fort MMA preview with Matheus Aquino and an interview UFC lightweight Gleason Tibau
Podcast Powered By Podbean The show opens with an interview with upstart Brazilian MMA promoter, Matheus Aquino. Aquino talks about how he scouted all the talent for this his first card, his reasons for choosing each fighter, and maybe the most interesting part being his insight into how people must look beyond the fighters record to see which way a fighter is trending in his skills and development. Aquino preaches that MMA scouting requires more evaluation to know what a fighter will do in his or her next fight rather than only using their last fight as the sole source for your judgment.At the Fort MMA weigh-ins we were treated to a beachside hotel on the coast of Natal in a large room with a big block of chairs centered on the room for fighters and trainers. The weigh-in stage had a large inlaid wooden background that had a huge Fort MMA banner affixed to it. Aquino was onstage making final preparations while his assistants were getting the sound set-up and milling about. Four fighters were late to add to management frustration and was one of the many hurdles for first time MMA promoters. Podcast Powered By Podbean UFC stars arrived in full force with Renan Barao, Ronny Markes, and a gigantic 155 pound fighter Gleason Tibau made an appearance to the delight of all in attendance. Tibau spoke with ULTMMA.com spoke about his UFC career, how he cuts weight, Frankie Edgar, and his expectations for Fort MMA in Brazil. After a weigh-in with rising tension between each combatant on stage, the main event between world ranked flyweight Jussier Da Silva (11-1) and prospect Rodrigo "Indio" Santos (4-0) ended after their faceoff with a simple handshake and a hug. ULTMMA.com will be on the scene for more interviews and recap of the first ever Fort MMA event.
Posted in: mma, fighter, aquino, fort, interview ufc
Read the full article at UltMMAAfter 2 Knockouts in 3 Weeks, CSAC Regrets Licensing Jose Figueroa
Filed under: M-1 Global
Jose Figueroa fought in Moscow on November 20 and was knocked out in the first round. Then he fought in California on December 9 and was knocked out in the first round again. Now the California State Athletic Commission says it regrets allowing Figueroa into the ring for that second knockout loss -- but the Commission says it was Figueroa who failed to disclose his prior knockout loss when he filled out the Commission's paperwork at the weigh-in on December 8.
"Prior to the bout, Mr. Figueroa was required to file out a pre-fight questionnaire indicating his last bout and the outcome of that bout. Mr. Figueroa did not list that fight nor did he list that he lost by KO," CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd told MMAFighting.com. "If CSAC would have know that Mr. Figueroa had fought in Russia three weeks prior to this event and lost by KO, we would not have allowed this fight to occur. We take health and safety of combative athletes very seriously, but the athlete also has a responsibility as well."
Dodd says he is looking into the possibility that Figueroa may face disciplinary action from the California Commission, something that Dodd says he hasn't had to do before.
"I haven't taken any type of disciplinary action since I've been here against a fighter not stating his previous fight," Dodd said.
But even if Figueroa failed to list his last fight on his paperwork, why didn't the CSAC do its own research? It's not like Figueroa's Moscow fight was a secret: It aired live on pay-per-view in the United States as the co-main event on the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Jeff Monson card, and Figueroa's loss was listed as part of his record on several online databases, and also mentioned in several news articles about the Fedor-Monson fight. (A Google News search of Jose Figueroa's name reveals more than 10 articles that referenced Figueroa's November 20 loss prior to his December 9 fight.)
Dodd says the California Commission was relying on a database that had not been updated with Figueroa's November 20 fight.
"The California State Athletic Commission reviews the Association of Boxing Commission (ABC) mixed martial arts website to review past fights and suspensions of fighters," Dodd told MMAFighting.com. "They did not list Jose Figueroa's previous fight in Russia nor did it list that he was on any type of suspension."
Dodd acknowledges that allowing a fighter to get knocked out twice in less than three weeks can have potentially serious health consequences.
"I think with any type of fighter that's been knocked out, a rush into the ring is the same thing as a football player who's been knocked out -- the secondary concussions are just as traumatic or more traumatic than the first one," Dodd said. "The brain and the body haven't healed themselves. So I take that seriously. In light of that, the fighter is at a greater risk when his body isn't able to recover after a KO loss. I'm not a medical doctor but in my experience and from what I've read about post-secondary concussions, yeah, it's definitely dangerous."
Ultimately, the responsibility to prevent a fighter from getting knocked out twice in rapid succession is on everyone involved, Dodd says.
"A fighter has the responsibility as well to ensure that he takes care of himself and doesn't put information down that could lead to disciplinary action against him," Dodd said. "They have a responsibility -- I think there's a lot of people that have the responsibility." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fight, fighter, commission, dodd, figueroa
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseMMA Fighter Phillipe Nover drains his Cauliflower elbow / bursitis after his fight at Bellator 59
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: fighter, mattyblayze, phillipe, cauliflower, drain
Read the full article at RedditMMA Top 10 Pound-for-Pound: Jon Jones Moves Ahead of GSP
Filed under: UFCJon Jones has just completed one of the greatest calendar years in MMA history. Georges St. Pierre is in the midst of the most disappointing year of his MMA career. As a result, Jones has leapfrogged St. Pierre on the latest list of the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts.
And Jones is No. 2 with a bullet: He's getting awfully close to dethroning Anderson Silva as the top fighter in the sport, in any weight class. Considering that Jones is 12 years younger than Silva, it's only a matter of time before Jones is recognized as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
For now, I have Silva just ahead of Jones, and St. Pierre next. See how I rank the rest of the Top 10 fighters below.
Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in MMA
(Number in parentheses is the fighter's rank in the last pound-for-pound list.)
1. Anderson Silva (1): The reckless style and killer instinct Jones has shown over the last couple years reminds me of the way Silva looked early in his UFC run. Silva is a little more cautious now, but his 14-0 record in the UFC leaves him a shade above Jones in my estimation.
2. Jon Jones (3): Jones's 2011 is the best year anyone has ever had in the UFC. In other MMA promotions, the only fighters I can recall who have had comparable years to Jones in 2011 -- in terms of staying active and earning quality wins over good opponents -- were Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in 2002 and Shogun Rua in 2005. Top-level fighters just don't fight more than three times a year these days, and for Jones to go 4-0 and beat four high-quality opponents handily, all in one year, is something to celebrate.
3. Georges St. Pierre (2): St. Pierre hasn't fought since April, and it will likely be late in 2012 before his surgically repaired ACL allows him to return to the Octagon. That's a year and a half of his prime without a single fight. That's a major disappointment for a great champion.
4. Frank Edgar (4): The lightweight champion of the world will finally get a new opponent when he faces Ben Henderson in February, after fighting only Gray Maynard in 2011 and only B.J. Penn in 2010. Edgar is the quickest fighter in the lightweight division and maybe the quickest in any division, and that should be a big edge against Henderson.
5. Jose Aldo (5): Aldo will defend the featherweight at home in Brazil when he faces Chad Mendes in January. Aldo has never fought a wrestler as good as Mendes before, but Mendes has never fought a striker as good as Aldo before.
6. Junior dos Santos (9): Dos Santos reached a big audience when he took the heavyweight title from Cain Velasquez on Fox. He'll have a huge fight in 2012 against the winner of the upcoming Brock Lesnar-Alistair Overeem bout.
7. Dominick Cruz (6): Cruz and Uirjah Faber will coach against each other on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter and then meet in the cage for the third (and, presumably) final time in the summer of 2012. Cruz hasn't really caught on with MMA fans yet, but being featured every week on FX will introduce him to a new audience.
8. Dan Henderson (NR): Two things we need to remember when ranking Henderson on a pound-for-pound list: One is that he's the only elite light heavyweight who has also had success fighting at middleweight. The other is that one of Henderson's recent wins was over a heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko. Henderson's ability to transcend weight classes earns him a spot on the pound-for-pound list.
9. Joseph Benavidez (NR): I've been saying for years that Benavidez would be the best flyweight in the world if he fought in a promotion that had flyweights, and the UFC's decision to launch the 125-pound class with a four-man tournament will be Benavidez's opportunity to prove that. Benavidez is 15-2 in his MMA career, with both losses coming to Cruz, despite fighting a weight class too high. He'll take on the reigning Shooto 123-pound champion Yasuhiro Urushitani in March.
10. Rashad Evans (NR): With one more win, against Phil Davis in January, Evans may finally get his chance to fight Jones. As great as Evans is, that's a fight hardly anyone will pick him to win. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: mma, jone, fighter, year, poundforpound
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFirst man to submit Anderson Silva in PRIDE, Daiju Takase, signs multi-fight contract with DARE Championship
Japanese mixed martial arts legend Daiju Takase has been signed to participate in DARE Championship's 16 man middleweight tournament and will be fighting in Bangkok on January 7th 2012.
He will take on Bangkok based American Brandon "BK" Kesler in the double headlined main event of the DARE 1/12 in the Insomnia Night Club. The winner will advance to the quarter finals of DARE's middleweight tournament and move one step closer to claiming their share of the 1,000,000 Dollar Grand Bonus.
Takase made his professional debut back in 1998 and has fought for the UFC, Pride and Pancrase. He has faced the likes of Jeremy Horn, Nate Marquardt and Hector Lombard and is best known for submitting Anderson Silva in the opening round of their fight at Pride 26. This places Takase on the list with only two fighters in the world to ever submit the Brazilian.
Also on the card at DARE Championship 1/12 will be a contest between two of the top welterweights in Thailand. Krysztof "HAJA" Hajtalowicz, who defeated previously unbeaten Wiktor "THE SLAYER" Svensson with a second round submission at DARE 2/11, is taking on Arnaud "THE GAME" Lepont who destroyed Jian "KAI" Chee in less than a minute at DARE 1/11.
Originally from France but a long term resident of South East Asia, THE GAME - Lepont has an outstanding record of 7-1 and is a very well rounded fighter. HAJA - Hajtalowicz from Poland has a perfect professional record of 3-0 and is a submission specialist who has won numerous BJJ tournaments.Other match ups to have been announced so far are AJ "PYRO" Vaa from Malaysia vs Majee "MAJOR" Overall from Japan, American Shane "RONIN" Wiggand against Finland's Marko "MAD DOG" Huusansaari and an all Thai affair between outstanding amateurs Tondamrong "TDR" Panjabutra and Teerapak "EZ2DJ" Saetae.
DARE Championship is a Bangkok based promotion which was founded in 2011. So far it has put on two highly acclaimed events which have featured outstanding fighters such as Adam Kayoom, Zorobabel Moreira and Brian Choi.
DARE 1/12 on the 7th of January 2012 will be streamed live on the internet and is available worldwide on www.gfl.tv and www.darelive.tv. For more information about DARE, please visit: www.darefightsports.com.
Posted in: fighter, anderson silva, championship, takase, game lepont
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAn International manhunt is underway for exiled UFC fighter Junie Browning, who is being sought by...
An International manhunt is underway for exiled UFC fighter Junie Browning, who is being sought by Phuket police in Thailand for his participation in a bar-room brawl that carried over to a local hospital. To read a first-hand account of "The Lunatik's" ordeal click here.
Props: Phuket Wan
Posted in: fighter, barroom brawl, phuket police, props phuket, phuket
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFormer UFC Fighter Junie Browning Subject of City Wide Manhunt in Thailand
Former 'Ultimate Fighter' bad boy Junie Browning is currently the target of a city wide manhunt in Thailand after two incidents over the weekend.
Posted in: fighter, city, boy junie, junie, manhunt
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyWanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort Named Coaches for ‘The Ultimate Fighter Brazil’
Brazilian MMA legends Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort on Tuesday were named coaches for the first international edition of "The Ultimate Fighter" by Dana White.
Posted in: fighter, silva, coach, vitor, vitor belfort
Read the full article at Heavy MMAVitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva as Ultimate Fighter Brazil Coaches
Filed under: UFCThe UFC is ready for the first international season of its longstanding reality show The Ultimate Fighter, and on Tuesday UFC President Dana White announced that Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva will be the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, which will make its debut this spring.
"This show in the United States is huge -- it's one of the longest-running reality shows," White said at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro. "It's incredibly popular, it's been huge for us there. We think it's going to be 1,000 times bigger in Brazil. The amount of talent that's in this country right now? There's an undiscovered Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, Vitor Belfort or Wanderlei Silva."
Belfort and Silva are both very popular fighters among Brazilian MMA fans (and Belfort is also known even among non-MMA fans because his wife, Joana Prado, is an actress and model), and the fight between the two coaches after the season will be a very big deal in Brazil. But that fight will be a long way off: Belfort first has to fight Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 in January, and the Belfort-Silva fight won't take place until after the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, likely early in the summer.
The UFC has a deal lined up for Brazilian television, although it is not yet known how American fans can watch the show. The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Finale will air live in both Brazil and the United States.
Belfort vs. Silva will be a rematch 14 years in the making for the two fighters -- the two of them met in the first UFC Brazil show in 1998. That night, Belfort exploded across the Octagon and drilled Silva with hard punches, needing just 44 seconds to win by TKO. But both Belfort and Silva said they don't think that fight is particularly relevant today.
"It's a great honor to fight against Wanderlei," Belfort said. "I see it as a new fight and not a rematch."
"I think the first fight was very quick, I couldn't perform as well as I wanted to," Silva said. "I think this is one of the biggest rematches in all of modern MMA and I'm very pleased to give this to my fans and to once again fight in Brazil. This is a dream."
Tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter Brazil are taking place this week, and the UFC is expected to announce the cast members in early 2012. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fight, fighter, silva, belfort, brazil
Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse‘TUF 14’ Finale Draws 1,909 Spectators, $452,700 Live Gate
Final numbers have been released for “The Ultimate Fighter 14" Finale.
Posted in: gate, fighter, number, finale, spectator
Read the full article at SherdogVideo: What do UFC/MMA fighters want for Christmas? FightHub scoured Las Vegas, Nevada, asking your...
Video: What do UFC/MMA fighters want for Christmas? FightHub scoured Las Vegas, Nevada, asking your favorite MMA fighters and personalities what is on their wish list this holiday season! Cameos by: Jon Jones, Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva, Phil Davis, Ross Pearson, Jay Glazer, Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Chandella Powell, Donald Cerrone, Roy Nelson, Ryan Couture, Molly Qerim, Natasha Wicks and many more! What do you want for Christmas, Maniacs?
Posted in: fighter, mma fighters, christma, ufcmma fighters, christmas fighthub
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTUF 14 Finale Drug Tests Clean
All 18 fighters who were tested at "The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale" were clean, including main event fighters Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
Posted in: fighter, michael, bisping, drug, finale
Read the full article at Heavy MMATUF 14 Finale Drug Test Results
There were 18 fighters drug tested at the TUF 14 Finale. The NSAC released the results on Monday.
Posted in: result, fighter, tuf, drug, finale
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTUF 14 Finale Drug Tests Come Back Clean
Drug tests from the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale event earlier this month have come back clean for all 18 fighters who were tested, including headliners Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller, the Nevada State Athletic Commission announced today.Also tested were Diego Brandao, Dennis Bermudez, T.J. Dillashaw, John Dodson, Johnny Bedford, Tony Ferguson, Marcus Brimage, Stephen Bass, Dustin Pague, John Albert, Roland Delorme, Josh Ferguson, Steven Siler, Josh Clopton, Bryan Caraway and Dustin Neace.Bisping scored a third-round TKO of Miller in the main event between the middleweight coaches, while Brandao and Dodson were crowned winners of The Ultimate Fighter 14′s featherweight and bantamweight tournaments. The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale drew 1,909 fans (1,348 paid) to The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas for a live gate of $452,000, while the payroll topped $708K with Bisping alone earning $425,000.MORE: The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale ResultsPictured: Michael Bisping
Posted in: fighter, bisping, nevada state, finale, middleweight coaches
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyTUF 14 Finale officially draws 1,909 attendance and $453K gate
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale officially drew 1,909 attendees for a $452,700 live gate.
Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer today emailed the figures to MMAjunkie.com.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale took place Dec. 3 at The Pearl at the
Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Michael Bisping scored a third-round
TKO victory over fellow "TUF 14" coach Jason "Mayhem" Miller in the
evening's Spike TV-broadcast main event.
Posted in: gate, fighter, tuf, spike, finale
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale drug test results come back clean for 'Bisping vs Miller' on Dec. 3 in Las Vegas
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale drug test results are in from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), who today confirmed that 18 fighters tested for illegal/banned substances after competing at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale: "Bisping vs. Miller" on Dec. 3 have all passed with flying colors.
Main event participants Michael Bisping, Jason Miller, Diego Brandao, Dennis Bermudez, T.J. Dillashaw, John Dodson, Johnny Bedford, Tony Ferguson, Marcus Brimage, Stephen Bass, Dustin Pague, John Albert, Roland Delorme, Josh Ferguson, Steven Siler, Josh Clopton, Bryan Caraway and Dustin Neace were all screened for performance enhancers such as steroids and drugs of abuse like cocaine and marijuana, among others.
Results from these battery of tests all returned negative.
The fighters mentioned above were randomly selected. However, athletic commissions typically test the main event participants and fight night winners, as well as those who have failed drug tests in the past.
"Bisping vs. Miller" featured former TUF season three winner Michael Bisping becoming a force in the middleweight division by pounding fellow TUF 14 coach Jason "Mayhem" Miller for nearly 15 minutes before it was halted.
But that's not all.
Diego Brandao and John Dodson became winners of The Ultimate Fighter season 14 by defeating Dennis Bermudez and T.J. Dillashaw by first round stoppage respectively.
Also, TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson continued his stellar 2011 by squeaking by veteran lightweight Yves Edwards with a close decision.
But don't take my word for it.
Complete Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale: "Bisping vs. Miller" results, commentary and updates are all right here.
Posted in: fighter, miller, tuf, bisping, test
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMA Fighters Sound Off on Christmas Wishes
Fight Hub TV does a great job of getting interesting video interviews with fighters and, in the spirit of the season, they caught up with several fighters and MMA personalities to ask what they want for Christmas. As we sit here waiting for news on what is going to come from the Alistair Overeem / Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting, now is a good time to sit back and watch a bit of a lighthearted video.
Give it a watch:
Jon Jones:
"Just to remain being healthy and spend time with my best friends and family."
Bruce Buffer:
"I was thinking about...you know...a brand new 70 inch 3D TV. Which...nobody can buy for me, I'm gonna have to buy that myself. But actually, you know, honestly? All kidding aside I just want health and happiness for my loved ones and them to have a great 2012. I'm very unselfish when it comes to gifts."
Burt Watson:
"Money! That's all I want baby, a little bit of money!"
A few more after the jump, but again, watch the video.
Donald Cerrone:
"I want it to be summer."
Ronda Rousey:
"I want to fight Meisha Tate for Christmas. That's it."
Chael Sonnen:
"I'm more of a giver than a receiver. I'm gonna get my mother something very nice. Got her something nice the last couple years so I gotta...I gotta outdo it. You know? She's one of those moms that says 'don't overdo it' but I'm gonna be at the store for a while."
Posted in: fighter, im, mma personalities, video interviews, commission meeting
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAlistair Overeem discusses decision to move to heavyweight
Former Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem will face the biggest fight of his career later this month when he steps inside the Octagon against Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. With a win, Overeem would become the #1 contender to divisional title-holder Junior dos Santos and position himself to become recognized as one of the t ruly elite fighters in the world.
However, not too long ago, “The Reem” was competing in the light heavyweight division. For the powerful Dutchman the transition to the heavyweight ranks was a long time coming.
“Everyone around me, including friends of mine I have known since we were kids, knew right away it was the right call when I moved to heavyweight full time in 2007,” wrote Overeem, in his blog for Yahoo! Sports. “Some fans and MMA media didn’t understand it, they thought, ‘How is he going to do any better at heavyweight, he will not do as well as at 205 lbs,’ but I make the decision after taking a hard look at myself.”
Overeem has fended off talk of using performance enhancing drugs for much of his career, but he counts eating better and heavy lifting as the reason his body took to the heavyweight division instead.
“I knew putting on enough weight to where I was able to compete with the top heavies would take time. I also know that as soon as I started eating well and had the energy to work out with the weights, I would add mass right away,” Overeem wrote. “But it took time for me to get bigger and grow into a powerful heavyweight.”
He also revealed the division’s relatively shallow pool was appealing, writing, “Plus – and this is something fighters never ever usually admit – the fact is 205 lbs is a division stacked with talent and the heavyweight division doesn’t have that many world class fighters. I am happy to admit that. At 205 lbs., you have a great champion in Jon Jones, and very talented guys like Lyoto Machida, (Quinton Jackson), Ryan Bader, Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, (Mauricio Rua) – the list goes on and on. Anyone in the Top 15 at light heavyweight is a dangerous fight, while at heavyweight, if I am honest, there’s maybe eight or nine true world class fighters competing at heavyweight.”
Overeem will make his Octagon debut when he tackles Lesnar on December 30 from Las Vegas, Nevada. Other fights for UFC 141 include Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone and Johny Hendricks against Jon Fitch.
PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE
Posted in: time, overeem, fighter, heavyweight, division
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainNew Fan's Introduction to Mixed Martial Arts: Standing Striking
Be it the UFC on Fox show, the past season of the Ultimate Fighter, that classic match between Henderson and Shogun or UFC 140 that convinced you to come looking for more MMA, welcome!
Now maybe you throw a mean double jab followed by a 5-8 or maybe you don't know a triangle from an octagon, either way this article is for you. This piece looks at the arts, techniques and strategies that make up this quickly evolving sport. And we will start the way every fight starts, standing on the feet. While the striking technique of MMA fighters is often decried, the sport boasts some of the best functional strikers in the world and the skill is a critical one for success at the upper levels of the sport.
Now if you are a fan of striking arts the one thing you might notice right away is the range at which MMA striking exchanges take place. Because of grappling, takedowns and knees, an inside boxing game consisting of shoulder rolls and counter punching is not practical, so those looking to strike keep a healthy distance from their opponents.
This longer distance makes the most foundational punch in boxing, the jab, even more important in MMA. While there are plenty of fighters who don't use the jab effectively in MMA but those who do command the distance at which the fight takes place.
gifs after the jump
Here is UFC Welterweight champion using his jab against then UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn. As you can see a jab is a simple straight punch with the lead hand, and it is not meant as power punch. The jab is mean to hurt, notice how Penn's head snaps back, but it also disrupts the vision and can stop an attack before it starts. The jab can also be used to measure distance and test an opponent's defensive reactions. As a result the jab is often the lead punch in combinations, the most famous being the 1-2 or jab-cross. Fighters who don't use the jab effectively are often reduced to simply lunging in for simple one or two punch attacks that can be easily countered.
While the hands are the place most fighters feel most comfortable starting to learn striking, it is important to remember that in MMA there is more than just punching. Kicks are just as effective offense tools and nobody kicks more effectively than Muay Thai fighters.
In Muay Thai the head kick is devilishly difficult to land, requiring deception and timing to use effectively, the body kick is dangerous because an opponent could easily catch the kick and then throw the kicker, and as a result the leg kick is the primary offensive weapon. This kick is like a body punch in boxing, used to sap an opponent's energy and add up over the course of a fight.
Here is UFC Welterweight Thiago Alves showcasing his excellent leg kicks against John "Doomsday" Howard. There are two basic types of leg kicks: inside and outside. The inside leg kick is normally thrown with the lead leg and targets the inner thigh and the groin muscle. Most low blows in MMA are often the result of inside leg kicks gone wrong. The outside leg kick targets the outer thigh and is often throw with the back leg and so has hip rotation behind it making it very powerful.
The ideal leg kick results in contacting shin bone with the meat of the thigh, and since there are major nerves traveling up both sides of the leg, the pain can be extreme. The damage done by repeated leg kicks can be serious and can stop fights, but it requires repeated kicks to the same spot. Now unlike the jab, the leg kick is often the strike used to finish combinations with targeting the leg the opponent is putting his weight on to maximize its effectiveness.
These two techniques are just small steps in the world of striking. A wide array of strikes are open to MMA fighters;hooks, crosses, uppercuts, knees, head kicks, spinning strikes and many other exotic techniques. Integrating all these together is part of the challenge and appeal of MMA.
While the offensive abilities translate very well from other arts, were accomplished strikers often run into trouble in the defensive aspect of striking. One of the culprits of this is the gloves, MMA gloves are much smaller than boxing gloves.
The boxing guard uses the arms to protect the body from hooks to the liver and uses the padded gloves to protect the face. While this works well with the large gloves, the smaller gloves of MMA leaves too many places for punches to slip through if a fighter simply 'puts on his earmuffs'.
Here is former UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell unleashing one of his signature salvos of punches. His victim is another former champion Tito Ortiz, who employs a class boxing guard and while it does stop a few strikes many of Liddell's punches slip through all the openings.
As a result MMA fights more frequently use a block that comes from Muay Thai.
Quentin "Rampage" Jackson used this block to perfection in his final fight with Wanderlei Silva. Instead of using his gloves to defense his head, Jackson brings up his entire arm to cover his chin when Silva comes in throwing hooks. He sweeps his hands over his head bringing up forearms, biceps, and elbows all to deflect the incoming punches. This guard is very effective for protecting the head but leaves the body wide open to punishment.
There are many other ways to deflect punches with their own varying risk-reward balance from parrying punches toblocking punches at the biceps.
Head movement is an important aspect of defensive striking in MMA because of the reduced effectiveness of gloves for blocking. Slipping punches, using slight movements of the head to avoid a punch by a small margin and then counter (often called slip-and-rip), is a vital skill in upper levels of MMA striking. Dramatic bobbing and weaving is not often seen in MMA, though it is sometimes, but there is a serve risk of weaving your way right into a knee or head kick KO, so most fighters tend not use this.
The most effective defense in MMA against strikes is footwork. Fighters cannot hit what they can't catch and proper use of angles and footwork can keep a fighter out the proper distance to be struck.
There is no fighter in MMA better at this than former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, who because of his karate background has light and quick footwork. He uses that footwork to dictate the distance at which the fight takes place. He throws a quick leg kick and when Rampage Jackson looks to respond, Machida quickly retreats. Anyone from a boxing background may be appalled at his straight back retreat but the space fighters are given in the cages of upper level MMA promotions is much greater than a boxing ring and this make short bursts straight backwards more practical.
Machida creates enough distance that Rampage's punches don't land and when Machida reaches the cage he begins to move sideways and with no more space to open the distance he throws a quick punch and enters into the clinch, too close to be struck. The horn then ends the round.
The difficultly of developing high level defensive skills in striking means many MMA fighters tend to either rely on their offensive skills to stifle any offensive output of their opponent or their own natural ability to absorb blows (often called 'chin') to make up under-developed defense.
So that is the bear basics of the standing striking in MMA, catch this series next time for a break down of when fighters close into the clinch.
Posted in: mma, fighter, leg, punch, kick
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC boss says Jon Jones vs. Anderson Silva not 'happening anytime soon'
TORONTO - After defeating his third former champion in a nine-month
span, current UFC light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones is unquestionably among the hottest fighters in the entire sport
of mixed martial arts.
In fact, UFC president Dana White is now certain "Bones" has leapfrogged
Canadian welterweight titleholder Georges St-Pierre and should now be
considered the second-best fighter on the planet.
But if a potential meeting between Jones and the man White (and most
everyone else) considers the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport,
Anderson Silva, piques your interest, don't get
carried away.
Posted in: ufc, jone, fighter, ninemonth span, interest dont
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTorres tweet causes dismissal
MMA Junkie reported late last week that Miguel Torres was fired due to a tweet he sent out in reference to rape. White announced Torres release due to his tweet regarding rape.
Torres stated that the tweet, which was erased and then revised to omit the offending language, was a gag in the FX show “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
Payout Perspective:
Irony that Torres’ tweet originated from a Fox show?
The Torres dismissal underscores the competing interests of Zuffa fighters. From one perspective, they encourage to tweet and serve as a brand ambassador for the UFC. As incentive for their use of twitter, Zuffa awards quarterly bonuses. On the other hand, fighters must know the parameters of their behavior and be responsible for their tweets.
Rashad Evans’ Penn State comments directed to alumnus Phil Davis and Forrest Griffin’s “rape is the new missionary” tweet are examples of questionable comments by fighters that went without punishment. With these as examples, perhaps Torres felt he could push the line with the twitter joke and get noticed by the twittersphere.
One of the winners of Zuffa’s first quarterly twitter awards, Griffin apologized for his tweet and did some damage control by donating money to a local rape crisis center. Not that it is an excuse, but Evans’ comments were made in the heat of trash talk with Davis. While the intent was there, the analogy to the Sandusky situation was unfortunate.
The recent remarks prompted the debate on whether a personal code of conduct should be instituted. This was dismissed by White as Torres was made an example for others not to follow.
Practically, Zuffa fighters must be smart about their place in the company. Evans and Griffin will be given much more leniency than a Miguel Torres. Regardless, fighters must recognize that they may be held accountable for what they say or tweet. While there is an award for being creative, fighters must figure a way to do it while knowing what’s appropriate.
From a PR standpoint, the UFC cannot condone its fighters joking about rape or child molestation on any communication platform. Torres was made an example as Evans and Griffin are more known within the UFC. As the UFC moves into the mainstream, it cannot have its fighters make any kind of joke regarding rape.
Posted in: fighter, evan, torre, tweet, rape
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC 140: Without exaggeration, Jon Jones may be the greatest fighter on the planet
Five minutes into the UFC 140 main event, it seemed like Jon Jones might have finally met his match. Less than five minutes later, we were all slapping our collective foreheads for ever doubting the light heavyweight champion.
That's because after surviving a first round scare at the hands of former champ Lyoto Machida, "Bones" did exactly what fans have been seeing him do since he debuted for the UFC: dominate.
In the past year, we've seen the young champion run through Ryan Bader, Mauricio Rua, and Quinton Jackson. "The Dragon" was the icing on top of what has to be the most successful 12 month period in any fighter's career. Three of those men are former champions themselves and were at one point or another recognized as the best light heavyweight in the world.
That title now belongs to Jones. But besides being the best 205-pounder in the game, he might very well be the best fighter period.
Ladies and gentlemen of the Maniac jury, allow me to present the evidence.
Exhibit A: Level of competition
"Bones" is undefeated. That "L" on his record next to Matt Hamill's name? It's a mere technicality. "The Hammer" didn't beat Jones that night any more than he can hear the beat of a drum. Of the champ's 16 fights, 10 have been in the UFC, the highest level of the sport.
During his tenure, he has absolutely dominated each and every opponent he has faced. From Andre Gusmão in his Octagon debut at UFC 87 to last night's second round submission that put "The Dragon" to sleep -- a real life Skyrim hero! --, Jones doesn't seem to even break a sweat when he fights despite being inside the cage with some of the world's best fighters.
"Rampage" is the man who put Chuck Liddell on ice and unified the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships titles. "Shogun" went through a veritable minefield of light heavyweights in 2005 to win the Japanese promotion's grand prix that year. And Machida had lost only twice before last night -- to the two previously named fighters -- and is the only man to hold a victory over Rashad Evans.
Should Jones get past Dan Henderson and "Suga," there'd be nothing left for him to accomplish at light heavyweight. There'd be nowhere left to go but up.
Exhibit B: Youth
Jones is only 24-years old. You know what I was doing when I was that age? I was managing a clothing store at the mall and my biggest problem was running out of the t-shirt we were supposed to put on the front table. "Bones" is the youngest UFC champion in the promotion's history and already has enough talent to make most think there isn't a suitable challenge for him in his current weight class.
Being as young as he is, a move up to heavyweight could definitely be in the cards for him. He would give up the guaranteed size and reach advantage in some fights but would retain a lot of his speed. With rumors going around that Alistair Overeem might be out of his main event fight with Brock Lesnar at UFC 141, it wouldn't totally surprise me -- giving his history of taking fights on like, three hours notice -- if Jones stepped in to take on the former WWE Superstar.
Likely? No, of course not. But not unbelievable!
Exhibit C: Move over Kenny Florian...
And finally, Jon Jones finishes fights. Georges St. Pierre is as dominant a champion as there ever has been but his 25-minute bouts aren't so much wars of attrition between him and his opponent but rather between fans and Mr. Sandman.
When "GSP" is taking guys like Dan Hardy and Jake Shields to a decision and the next time they step inside the Octagon, they're getting laid out by Carlos Condit or Jake Ellenberger, one has to question if "Rush" even entertains the notion of being ... well, entertaining.
Judges must love scoring the 205-pound champion's fights because essentially, they don't have to. They can catch up on their Twitter timeline, grab some nachos and a brewski or hit the bathroom when "Bones" steps up to the plate. He hasn't needed a judge to name him the winner of a fight in nearly three years.
Ever since his "loss" to Hamill, he's had six stoppage victories, three by knockout or TKO and three coming via submission.
Ever since "The Iceman" lost the title, the light heavyweight division has been the most chaotic in the promotion. While the 170- and 185-pound weight classes are secured safely with St. Pierre's and Anderson Silva's bussom, the 205-pound strap has been hot potatoing around from fighter to fighter, never sticking around longer than a couple of fights.
With his victory at UFC 140, Jones earned his second defense, something that hasn't been done in over five years. He needs only four more victories to break Tito Ortiz's record but he might not reach that goal. Are there even four more light heavyweights who would stand a chance?
After last night, methinks not.
Posted in: ufc, fight, jone, fighter, heavyweight
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAlistair Overeem says move to heavyweight partially inspired by division's lack of depth
Five years ago Alistair Overeem was a 205er struggling to find consistency in the cage including a seven-fight stretch where he went 2-5. Today he’s one of the top heavyweights in MMA, deciding to move up rather than down as is often seen when a fighter endures a rough stretch in the ring.
The powerful Dutchman recently elaborated on his change in divisional home where he said the main factors motivating him to do so related to health as well as the lack of competition there in comparison to light heavyweight.
“Everyone around me, including friends of mine I have known since we were kids, knew right away it was the right call when I moved to heavyweight full time in 2007,” wrote Overeem in his Yahoo blog. “Some fans and MMA media didn’t understand it, they thought ‘How is he going to do any better at heavyweight, he will not do as well as at 205 lbs,’ but I make the decision after taking a hard look at myself.”
“I took an honest look at myself and made some hard decisions,” the 31-year old continued. “While I had some impressive results like beating Vitor Belfort twice, I was not living up to my potential and I took a good look at the reasons why. I decided that one of the main reasons I wasn’t living up to my talents was I was starving myself to make 205 pounds. I could not eat correctly, could not train weights. I was weak at the weight and wasn’t even healthy, much less fit and healthy.”
However, the additional weight suiting his physical frame was far from the only reason Overeem left light heavyweight, adding, “Plus – and this is something fighters never ever usually admit – the fact is 205 lbs is a division stacked with talent and the heavyweight division doesn’t have that many world class fighters. I am happy to admit that. At 205 lbs., you have a great champion in Jon Jones, and very talented guys like Lyoto Machida, (Quinton Jackson), Ryan Bader, Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, (Mauricio Rua) – the list goes on and on. Anyone in the Top 15 at light heavyweight is a dangerous fight, while at heavyweight, if I am honest, there’s maybe eight or nine true world class fighters competing at heavyweight.”
“There are some fighters who I think are born great, guys like Georges St. Pierre and Jones. I was born a very good fighter, but I have to work very hard to get to ‘great’ and that’s why I have made so many sacrifices already to win the UFC title,” Overeem concluded.
Winner of Overeem vs. Lesnar to Receive Title-Shot
Overeem will find out if his sacrifices have been worth it when he faces one of the division’s strongest foes in the form of Brock Lesnar before year’s end at UFC 141.
PHOTO CREDIT – K-1
Tweet
Posted in: overeem, fighter, heavyweight, ’t, alistair overeem
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC 140: Jones vs. Machida Results - Jon Jones is the Best Fighter on Earth
I've made no bones about the fact that I don't care for Jon Jones' personality. Something about him rubs me the wrong way.
Until the bell rings and he starts to fight.
At UFC 140, Jon Jones put his amazing talent on display again when he faced Lyoto Machida.
Machida didn't make things easy on Jones. In fact, Lyoto won the first round using his solid game of movement and opportunistic striking from distance. Jon went back to his corner and actually looked a bit confused and even worried sitting on the stool between rounds.
But in the second round, something clicked. Jones stopped being so willing to stay on the outside, reach not being a huge asset against Machida, and took to the inside. In the clinch, Jones owned Machida and it became quickly clear that he knew it. Once he got a takedown and landed an elbow that opened up Machida's head you could see Jones get a surge of confidence (something he confirmed at the post-fight presser).
The choke finish by Jones seemed almost inevitable once Machida was cut and Jones came on strong.
In the aftermath of the fight I had to sit back and really think about it before typing this. But, I'm ready to call Jon Jones the best fighter in the world. I have trouble thinking of any fighter at 205 who can give him trouble. I'm a big fan of Rashad Evans, but I find it hard to believe that Rashad could stop Jones or win 3 of 5 rounds. The idea of Anderson Silva being able to withstand the attack of the much bigger Jones just doesn't click for me either.
Jonathan Snowden touched on this over at MMA Nation:
Jones looks completely unstoppable against the top fighters in the world. He's never looked like Silva did underneath Chael Sonnen before a miracle win rescued his title. There is no way a fighter like Jake Shields intimidates Jones the way the former Strikeforce star scared St. Pierre.
Jones is the one person in MMA who I can't see losing right now. That isn't to say he's unbeatable, no one in MMA has that claim. Simply that Jones should be a sizable favorite against anyone who isn't a top heavyweight (and maybe even then).
I feel like I'm in full hyperbole mode, but what we saw last night was a special fighter and one of the most amazing talents the sport has ever seen. And I'm sold on him as the best fighter in the world.
Posted in: jon, jone, fighter, round, machida
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 140: Dennis Hallman won last night, but he shouldn't have even stepped inside the Octagon
Full disclosure: I've never had to cut weight.
That being said, from what I've read and heard, it's probably the worst part of being a professional fighter. It's taxing on not only the body but the mind, seemingly draining as much resolve and will as it does water and just about every fighter hates doing it. It's so bad that some of them -- including greats like Mauricio Rua -- fight at a weight class above what would be considered ideal to avoid elongating the process.
But it's a part of the job and it comes with the territory of being a fighter which is why the leniency shown to those who miss weight is baffling to me. Fighters sign a contract -- a legally binding document -- to face an opponent at an agreed upon weight and when one of them breaks that stipulation, a 20% reduction in their purse is the only punishment they receive while the grueling task of shedding those last two or three pounds is left for that other sucker who managed to successfully complete every facet of his job.
Their opponent has the option of turning down the bout but one of the only times that idea was even entertained -- when Cristiane Santos came in overweight for her bout with Hitomi Akano -- Strikeforce threw enough money at the Japanese fighter to make the problem go away. Unfortunately, it's not a good look for a fighter to turn down a bout at the last minute and they're put in the awkward position of having to accept a fight against someone who now has an unfair advantage.
What it boils down to is fighters who miss weight aren't fulfilling their contractual obligations. The punishments must be harsher. Forget taking just a percentage of their pay. Fight promotions should take the whole thing. And while you're at it, a giant "L" on their record would suffice too.
And here's why.
Dennis Hallman walked into the Octagon last night after coming in two and a half pounds over the 156 pound limit and steamrolled his opponent. When something like this happens, I can't help but wonder what led to the outcome. Was it because he was the better fighter? Did he have the perfect strategy melded with the right tools and skills to defeat John Makdessi?
Or was the overweight fighter fresher because he didn't have to subject his body to the rigors of actually cutting down to the proper weight? Those last few pounds are supposed to be the hardest and some fighters might prefer to take the pay cut over subjecting their bodies to future punishment. Despite "Superman's" post-fight comments that the fight was a wash, I can't help but think that he didn't even bother to attempt a second weigh-in.
I wholeheartedly believe that fighters who come in overweight should not only have their entire purse docked but the fight shouldn't even take place. They should take the loss on their record at the scale while their opponent walks away with the win.
Like previously stated, cutting weight -- as awful as it may seem -- is part of the job. Being a professional fighter at the height of the sport involves -- among other things -- harsh training, a strict diet regimen, and yes, cutting weight. When someone drops the ball of any one of those aspects, it's disrespectful to their opponent and to the organization.
Fighters who come in with poor cardio and gas out within minutes get lambasted for their poor training habits. Combatants who step inside the cage with some pudge get railed for not sticking to a proper diet. Where's the outrage for fighters who come in overweight? Because unlike the previous two examples, not having to go through the trouble of sucking out those last extra pounds will actually improve one's performance rather than hinder it.
I can understand that there can be extenuating circumstances. Perhaps a fighter rolls their ankle and can't get in the proper cardo exercise to maintain their weight cut on schedule -- how many times have we heard that one? -- but those situations are few and far between. Besides, they could alert the UFC brass of the situation as soon as possible so that their opponent can agree sooner to a catchweight bout rather than on the spot, half naked in front of hundreds of people.
I'm sick of these so-called professional athletes acting so unprofessionally but as long as the punishment is a simple slap on the wrist, there won't be any reason for them to change.
Posted in: fight, pound, fighter, opponent, weight
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJust saw this on the UFC Fighter Profile for Jones, and I have to say it - I'm impressed.
submitted by KevinDurden [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, im, profile, kevindurden
Read the full article at RedditDana White: Strikeforce Fighters Are Staying In Strikeforce
UFC president Dana White shares details about Strikeforce's immediate future.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, dana, strikeforce fighters, shares details
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 140 Post-Fight Press Conference Notes
Six fighters attended the UFC 140 post-fight press conference alongside company president Dana White: reigning light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, his opponent Lyoto Machida, and main card winners Frank Mir, Rogerio Nogueira, Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ebersole.The event's Fight of the Night bonuses went to headliners Jones and Machida. Jones stopped Machida in the second, but was rocked by the former champ in the first, seemingly the first time in his young career that Jones has been in danger. White reminded the media that Jones is the first light heavyweight since Chuck Liddell to defend his belt and said he has no doubt that "Jon Jones is the real deal."The award for Submission of the Night went to Mir. White dubbed the brutal armbar of Minotauro Nogueira the "Submission of the Century." KO of the Night went to Jung, aka the Korean Zombie, for tying the official UFC record for fastest knockout. Jung's fight against Canadian favorite Mark Hominick ended in just seven seconds.Each bonused fighter received $75,000.At the press conference, White also announced the introduction of the UFC's 125-pound flyweight division, beginning with the March 3 event. Video highlights from the following fighters are linked below:Jon JonesFrank Mir
Posted in: ufc, jone, fighter, card winners, century ko
Read the full article at UFCDana White Announces Four Man Flyweight Tournament For March 3rd
Dana White hinted that he had a major announcement regarding the rumored flyweight division at the UFC 140 pre-fight press conference and that he'd make it sometime this weekend. At the UFC 140 post-fight press conference the UFC president announced that the flyweight division will join the UFC ranks in March 2012 with a four man tournament to establish the first flyweight champion.
Ian McCall will face Demetrious Johnson on one side of the bracket white Joseph Benavidez will face Yasuhiro Urushitani on the other side. The winners of each fight will face each other in the finals and will be crowned the first UFC flyweight champion.
Both Benavidez and Johnson have been mentioned as fighters who would excel at 125 pounds. Both fighters have challenged UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz for his title and come up short in their title fights.
With the UFC committing more resources to the lighter weight divisions, expect for more fighters to drop from 135 to 125 shortly. This will be the first weight class added since the absorption of the WEC.
SBN coverage of UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida
Posted in: ufc, fighter, flyweight, title fights, flyweight division
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Awards $75,000 Fighter Bonuses for UFC 140
The UFC handed out $75,000 bonuses for in-Octagon performances following UFC 140 on Saturday, having several stunning finishes to choose from.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, bonus, award, inoctagon performances
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyJonathan Snowden says that "Jon Jones Proves He's The Best Fighter In The World Against Lyoto...
Jonathan Snowden says that "Jon Jones Proves He's The Best Fighter In The World Against Lyoto Machida." Read it at MMA Nation.
Posted in: fighter, jon jones, jonathan snowden, snowden, lyoto machida
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowCanadian fighters go 2-5 at UFC 140
It was a rough night for Canadian fighters as they went a disappointing 2-5 at UFC 140 in Toronto Saturday.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, toronto, canadian, canadian fighters
Read the full article at sportsnet.caWords Can’t Describe How Happy Jake Hecht Is After First UFC Win
It's always a great story when a fighter gets the chance to step up on short notice and makes the most of it. Jake Hecht is exactly that fighter at UFC 140.
Posted in: ufc, jake, fighter, hecht, jake hecht
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 140 fight card: Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida, eras (not just a world title) on the line
Mistakes happen.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) color commentator Joe Rogan prematurely (and incorrectly) christened the beginning of the "Machida Era" moments after Lyoto Machida destroyed then-light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans at UFC 98 back in 2009.
Who could blame him, really, "The Dragon" was undefeated (15-0) at the time and none of his opponents seemingly were able to put up much of a fight. Mauricio Rua changed all that in short order, exposing a chink in the Brazilian's armor in his next fight and then completely exploiting it in their immediate rematch seven months later at at UFC 113 with a vicious knockout victory.
Machida hasn't been the same fighter since.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Jon Jones impressively climbed the 205-pound contender ranks and ultimately secured the top spot with one-sided beatdown of "Shogun" earlier this year. He's already defended his light heavyweight belt, which is no small task, considering Quinton Jackson -- the man he defeated little more than two months ago -- has been the only other man to do it in the past five years.
With another former champion teed up to take out, this time at UFC 140 from the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, later tonight (Dec. 10, 2011), "Bones" is on the cusp of doing something special:
Demonstrably declaring the start of his very own "Jones Era."
Jones has been absolutely dominant, finishing six of his last seven opponent inside the Octagon with a sinister blend of (technical) knockouts and submissions. And he's been able to do it, seemingly, without getting touched ... certainly not hurt. In fact, no one has ever wobbled the 6'4" young phenom, who is just 24 years old.
It wasn't too long ago, however, where guys like Rogan, as well as an entire chorus of impressed fans, were saying the same things about Machida. He was an elusive enigma, a fighter that appeared flawless and was able to turn in seemingly effortless winning performances.
Sure, he didn't have the same finishing prowess that Jones possesses, but at the time, we didn't know any better,
When Jones and Machida touch gloves in the UFC 140 main event, it's going to be a test of strong wills and styles -- Jones the calculated and dynamic aggressor, Machida the careful and economic counter striker. On paper, it's terribly difficult to predict an outcome because both fighters are so unpredictable in their very own unique ways.
One fighter will look to usher in his era, while the other will look to reclaim his. Both will need to be mistake-free to make that happen.
Posted in: ufc, jone, fighter, era, machida
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White: Extreme Confusion
We’ve all overreacted at some point in our lives to something. I do it all the time when watching a hockey or football game, and I’m willing to bet that most of you reading this overreact or react on instinct and emotion to sports as well.
So when Dana White overreacts to certain aspects of his company, like fights not delivering or his fighters doing something stupid, it’s to be expected.
The difference between you, me, and White is that he’s in charge of a multi-million dollar company.
P.S. - If you’re reading this and you’re in charge of a multi-million dollar company, hook a brother up with a job.
Moving forward, on Thursday night Dana fired Miguel Torres for an unfunny tweet about a rape van. Dana didn’t see the comment prior to being interviewed in Canada by Michael Landsberg, but made the decision shortly after the interview to release Torres without talking to the bantamweight star.
Earlier in the day, Rashad Evans made a comment about Penn St. and their child molestation scandal directed towards his upcoming opponent and PSU alum Phil Davis. Instead of firing or fining Evans, Dana talked to the former UFC champ, let him explain himself, and decided that Rashad was sorry and that it wouldn’t happen again.
We all see the double standard here. Even though Rashad’s comment was far worse than Miguel’s, Miguel was the one released because he’s never headlined a PPV that did a million buys. Lets not look at the double standard though.
Instead, lets look at Dana and his overreaction to one situation and his sensible reaction to the other. With Torres, he was essentially blindsided with news of the tweet and reacted immediately without giving the fighter a chance to explain himself. With Rashad, even though his comment was made just a few feet away from White, he claims he didn’t hear the comment but once he got news of it, he let Rashad explain himself.
It’s not like this is the first time Dana has overreacted to a situation. The problem with his overreactions though is that he always takes the extreme. It’s either the worst thing in the world to happen or the best. There’s no middle ground with him. And once again, when you’re the head of a multi-million dollar company, it’s probably not the best idea to take the extreme.
When Quinton Jackson had his run in with the law or certain female reporters, Dana allowed “Rampage” to explain himself and let him off with nothing more than a warning, much like he did with Evans.
When Junior dos Santos defeated Cain Velasquez in 64 seconds, Dana overreacted to the negative extreme. He was obviously upset that his big main event lasted just over a minute, but instead of praising JDS, he instead decided to bury both fighters on national TV.
When Jason Miller lost to Michael Bisping last weekend, Dana took to Twitter to call it, “the most one-sided fight in UFC history,” even though there was a fight not three hours before that was more one-sided. Once again, it was an overreaction to the negative extreme.
When Frankie Edgar came back to defeat Gray Maynard at UFC 136, Dana took the positive extreme and called Edgar the #2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
There are plenty of other examples of Dana reacting to one extreme or the other to all kinds of situations. Unfortunately it’s usually more negative than positive, but I get it. Dana is a very emotional guy. If you don’t believe me, just watch him and Joe Rogan scream at everyone to order the PPV even though we can hear him just fine.
We can all agree that Dana has done great things for the sport of MMA and that the UFC likely wouldn’t be in this position if someone else were in charge. He’s a guy that inspires confidence in his group, thanks in large part to his emotions. But that emotion is going to get him into trouble, especially now that he’s even more in the public eye thanks to the FOX deal.
Personally, I think Dana needs to step back a little bit. Right now he’s the face of the UFC. Whether he’ll admit that or not, he is. He’s the most public figure in the company. He has the most twitter followers, he’s in the Bud Light commercials, he does more interviews than any other figurehead in any other major sport, and he does video blogs every week, and he’s always in the public eye.
When you’re as emotional as Dana and when you’re in front of the public as much as Dana, you’re going to say stupid things. It’s the environment he’s created. You want to know why guys like Forrest Griffin, Torres, and Evans make rape and molestation jokes or why guys like Frank Mir say they want to kill other fighters? It’s because Dana, the head of the company, reacts on emotion and calls journalists “b*tches” and “c*nts” and throws around “f*ck” like it’s a football and he’s Aaron Rodgers.
Dana isn’t going to change his ways, but he can tone down just how much he does. Let Lorenzo Fertitta be in front of the camera a bit more at press conferences and on media calls, definitely don’t allow Dana to be front and center on the FOX shows like he was on November 12, and someone should probably monitor what he puts out on twitter as well.
MMA is a sport where guys get paid to punch each other in the face. We shouldn’t expect them to act like Taylor Swift, although they could learn a few things from her about how to become a media darling, but they have to know when they’re crossing line. But before Dana can police his fighters, he needs to do a better job policing himself.
Posted in: fighter, ’t, dana, company, ’re
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUrijah Faber, Clay Guida And Brittney Palmer Going On December USO Tour
Urijah Faber, Clay Guida and Octagon girl Brittney Palmer are heading to Italy next week as part of a USO tour.
The three will visit U.S. troops and their families deployed in Italy from December 12-20, signing autographs, taking pictures and putting some MMA clinics.
"Words can't explain how excited and honored I am to be one of the few and lucky fighters to be selected to go visit and support the troops on this USO tour. It will be very a memorable experience visiting my ancestors' home country," Guida said in the event release. "It’s all about the troops. Our freedom is not free. We fight for them because they put their lives on the line for us. Words just cant explain how much this mean to me."
For 70 years, the USO has provided entertainment for U.S. troops around the world and there has long been a tie with MMA as fighters like Tito Ortiz, Mike Swick, Kyle Kingsbury, Ed Herman and Chris Leben have contributed time.
Faber recently defeated Brian Bowles to earn a shot at UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and will be a coach on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter in early-2012. Guida is coming off a loss to Ben Henderson at UFC on Fox 1, while Palmer returns to "ring girl action" at this weekend's UFC 140.
Posted in: fighter, guida, uso tour, troop, uso
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWin or lose, Krzysztof Soszynski just wants to put on good fights
Krzysztof Soszynski realizes that fighters are going to lose fights, regardless of how great they are.
Soszynski will put his two fight win streak on the line tonight when he meets Igor Pokrajac at UFC 140 as part of the ION-televised prelim portion of the show.
Since his time on The Ultimate Fighter 8, Soszynski has put together a respectable 6-2 record, including wins over Stephan Bonnar and Mike Massenzio. However, being 34 years old and a veteran of the sport, “The Polish Experiment” realizes that putting on exciting fights is the most important aspect to the game.
“I don’t have the greatest talent when it comes to mixed martial arts. I feel like I’m decently well-rounded, but one thing I like to go do is put exciting fights on,” said Soszynski, in a recent interview with the UFC’s website. “It’s not about winning or losing to be honest. I’m going to lose fights – fighters are going to lose fights – but it’s how you lose them.”
Soszynski and Pokrajac were set to meet this past June, but injuries ended the fight before it could happen. Along with rehabbing his own woes, Soszynski also took part in Kevin James‘ MMA-film, “Here Comes the Boom” and was Mickey Rourke’s stunt double for Immortals.
“For right now, I’m having a lot of opportunities outside of fighting coming my way, and I’m exploring those opportunities as well; they’re great,” Soszynski said. “But first and foremost, I’m a fighter; that’s how I make my living, and I’m really looking forward to continuing that.”
The prelims start on ION at 6:00 PM EST and run until the PPV fires up at 9:00 PM EST with headlining action between light heavyweight champ Jon Jones< and former title-holder Lyoto Machida.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: fight, fighter, i ’m, ’m, soszynski
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainOlder Brother’s ‘Toughness Training’ Made Jared Hamman
Jared Hamman talks about his relationship with his brother and how it made him into the fighter he is today.
Posted in: fighter, training, brother, jared, hamman
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFun with Numbers: UFC 140 Main Card
What better way to get ready for a big event than to be bombarded with a list of factoids and figures? None, I say! And so, without further ado, the numbers...
165 total number of bouts fought by UFC 140's main card participants. 107 of them (approximately 65%) ended in victory.
87 submission victories shared among the ten fighters scheduled to appear on the pay-per-view broadcast. Brian Ebersole and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira alone account for nearly half of those, with twenty each.
22 decision losses likewise shared, making it the most common method of defeat among the main card.
100 percentage of losses that Frank Mir has suffered by (T)KO. With a total of five, he's been defeated by (T)KO more than any other fighter on the broadcast.
5 number of UFC champions, past or present, fighting at UFC 140.
&&
1997 the year of Tito Ortiz's professional debut. He's had the longest career of anyone scheduled for the broadcast and is one of only two who began their career before the year 2000. The other is Rodrigo Nogueira, who debuted in 1999. Dennis Hallman, appearing on the undercard, has them both beat, having got his start in '96.
After the jump, more numbers!
25 times Tito Ortiz has taken to the Octagon. As you might guess, he also holds the distinction of most UFC victories with fifteen. Frank Mir comes in at a close second with fourteen.
24 age of Jon Jones, the main card's youngest fighter (Chan Sung Jung is four months older).
14 bouts fought by Chan Sung Jung, the least experienced of anyone on the main card.
0 times before tonight that pay-per-view debutante Claude Patrick has fought on the main card of a UFC event.
1 number of fighters appearing at UFC 140 who also fought at UFC 57, the first UFC pay-per-view my family and I ever watched. That night, Frank Mir took to the cage for the first time since his disastrous motorcycle accident and lost by TKO to Marcio Cruz. After just over five years, only four of the eighteen fighters from that event are still active in the UFC today.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, card, number, payperview
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendM-1 Challenge 30 results: Enomoto stops Zavurov to capture title, Damkovskiy settles the score
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA (Dec 9, 2011) - M-1 GLOBAL's final U.S. outing for 2011 featured a rematch for the M-1 Challenge Welterweight title as Yasubey Enomoto stopped former champion Shamil Zavurov in the last minute of the bout to claim the gold. The mixed martial arts (MMA) event titled M-1 Challenge XXX: Zavurov vs. Enomoto II took place at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California and aired LIVE on SHOWTIME.
Many considered their first meeting the M-1 Challenge fight of the year, a 5 round classic that would be very difficult to live up to. Both champion and challenger appeared up to the task. The two fighters started the fight at a break neck pace that continued deep into the bout. Early in the fight, Enomoto dropped Zavurov who immediately bounced back to finish the round strong. The two fighters proceeded to battle and exchange rounds as they entered the fifth and deciding frame. A review of the judges scorecards after the bout revealed the fighters were deadlocked up to that point.
As round five progressed, both fighters began to show signs of fatigue due to an incredible pace. Zavurov appeared desperate to land a shot throughout the round, as Enomoto remained busy showing off his takedown defense. With less than a minute remaining in the bout, and neither fighter with a clear advantage, Zavurov attempted a final takedown. Yasubey Enomoto telegraphed the shot and locked in a lighting fast guillotine choke causing Zavurov to tap. With the victory Enomoto improves his record to (9-3) and becomes the M-1 Challenge Welterweight champion. In defeat Shamil Zavurov is now ( 18-2) and sure to be on a mission to reclaim the gold.
In the night's co-main event, Artiom Damkovskiy needed just 2:19 to avenge a March 25th loss to Jose Figueroa. The noticeably more aggressive Damkovskiy threw punches and kicks heavy and often finally catching Figueroa with a shot to the head that dropped the former champion. Damkovskiy quickly swarmed his downed opponent causing the referee to jump in and halt the action.
M-1 Challenge XXX complete results:
Aaron Miller def. Paul Webb, Unanimous decision
Bao Quach def. Alvin Cacdac, Submission (Triangle Armbar) Rd 1, 3:33
Tyson Jeffries def. Eddie Arizmendi ,Submission (Brabo Choke) Rd 2, 2:08
Alexander Sarnavskiy def. Sergio Cortez, Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Rd 1, 1:46
Artiom Damkovsky def. Jose Figueroa, KO (Punch) Rd 1, 2:19
Yasubey Enomoto def. Shamil Zavurov Submission (Guillotine Choke) Rd 5, 4:10
Mauro Ranallo called the action from ringside with Pat Miletich serving as expert analyst. The telecast was produced by Chuck McKean and directed by Craig Farrell. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.For information on M-1 Global, go to the official M-1 website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global Facebook fan page
Posted in: fighter, round, challenge, zavurov, enomoto
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAs just a fan with no intentions of disrespect. Why do some fighters not look at their opponent during a weigh in? Is it because its really awkward, strategy, insulting?
submitted by sevennineseven [link] [6 comments]
Posted in: fighter, fan, strategy, disrespect, intention
Read the full article at RedditUFC 140 Jones Vs. Machida Predictions
Jon Jones vs Lyoto Machida
Brent Brookhouse: The Rampage fight keeps hanging out in the back of my mind. Yes, Machida came out in the third and almost got the finish, but he felt his way through the first two rounds so much that it allowed Rampage to build up a lead. If he plays around for two rounds, he’s going to possibly put himself in a bad position as Jones will attack and attack hard from the opening bell. Jones is dynamic, versitile and able to do things that almost no one else can. Still, Jones has issues with his footwork and I don’t buy his conditioning for a competitive fight (not one where Rampage doesn’t try to do much of anything). Machida is going to make it hard for Jones to find him, make him chase and work for everything. I think Jones will wear down some in the third round and Machida will turn it up. I feel weird picking this given that I’m reading everyone else’s picks and seeing that I’m very much not alone, but Machida by TKO, round 4.KJ Gould: This may be the hardest pick of the night. It’s easy to get caught up in the Jon Jones hype storm, but Machida remains one of the most awkward fighters out there. We’ve seen what Jones can do in the clinch, but Machida is hard to engage and is very good defensively from -- would you believe it -- training in Sumo. Also because of this I’m not sure how much of the fight will take place on the ground. I think this will simply come down to Machida’s straight line attack of Karate versus Jones’ curve line attack of Muay Thai. Can Machida get inside and do damage with his crafty footwork, or has Jones learned enough in his young career to angle to the outside as Machida’s coming in and put pressure on him to go for a finish like Shogun did? Could it be Machida who works sneaky trips if he ends up catching a kick from Jones, and would he choose to work on top on the ground or just use trips to wear down Jones who has to get up again? Could we see a dangerous guard used from Jones lanky legs and could we see Machida caught off guard and submitted? There are loads of unknown variables in this fight and an in-shape Machida should be seen as the biggest test of Jones’ career thus far. I’m going to take a gamble and call for an upset. Machida by TKO.T.P. Grant: Jon Jones fights are becoming the hardest fights to pick. It is completely reasonable and defensible to expect him to walk into the cage and dominate. But there are so many unanswered questions about Jones, what does he look like off his back? How would his cardio hold up in a truly close fight? How quickly can he recover when he is hurt? Lyoto Machida maybe the fighter to make Jones pay for his inability to throw more than one or two strike combos, his training in both Judo and Sumo may allow him to fend off Jones’ clinch game. Or it may not. All I know is that Machida is known for throwing hard, accurate strikes and has solidly struck every opponent he has faced square on the jaw at least once. This fight literally could have any outcome from a quick Jones highlight reel win to an ugly spilt decision, but I’ll jump off the cliff with KJ. I say Jon Jones gets squarely punched by Machida and does not like it one bit. Machida by TKO, round 2. Tim Burke - During the rise of Bones, I've often wondered if Machida's unique elusive style could be the answer to Jones' length and ridiculous athleticism. Now that it has come about, I'm not confident in Machida's chances. Machida's normal method of staying on the outside for long periods of time isn't something Bones is likely to put up with, and his wrestling will likely be too much for Machida to handle, sumo or not. Jones is going to tool him. Jon Jones by TKO.David Castillo: Honestly, I expect an ugly fight. I think Machida can avoid the takedown since they typically come from the clinch with Jones, and on the feet it’s not like they’re gonna be exchanging like Shogun and Henderson. Jones will keep range, Machida will stay outside, and whatever action occurs on the inside will likely get canceled out. It’s kind of a bad fight for Jones in terms of the public perception, and whether or not he’s liable to look good, but who knows...maybe I’m overselling Machida’s chances. Still, I don’t feel like Machida will be active enough to secure himself a victory. Jones by Decision. Fraser Coffeen - Wow, so much Machida love! I seriously contemplated picking Lyoto earlier this week, and I still think he has a shot, but I’m going with the champ for a few reason. 1) Lyoto really only has one area where he may have an advantage and that is inside/in the clinch. 2) Jones is a smart, strategic fighter who will not give the fight away by letting Lyoto control him inside. 3) I have not seen anything from Lyoto off his back that tells me he has an answer for Jones’s mighty top control. It’s a great, close fight, but I think Jones slowly ups the pace, puts just a bit more hurt on Lyoto every time, and eventually gets ahead of him. Jon Jones by TKO, round 4.Ben Thapa: I think people are making too much of Machida’s long-past sumo training and judo. The man is difficult to take down, but nobody we’ve seen in the Octagon has given Jones much of a problem at all with his takedowns. Jon has the timing and the power to finish those. That being said, once he gets on the ground, Machida is probably popping right back up and isn’t going to give up an easy submission like Bader did. On the feet, I think Machida can find the range, explode at the right times to score points and frustrate Jones all night long. This will be a growing experience for the young champion. Lyoto Machida by decision.Dallas Winston: I was convinced that Rampage could upset Jones but I don’t have much hope for Lyoto, which makes no sense. The catalyst of Jones’ offense is his dynamic cage motion, which is precisely what distinguished Machida initially. Maybe I’m putting too much emphasis on it, but I thought Machida’s footwork and motion against Rampage was uncharacteristically shoddy and the main reason he lost. If he can revivify the vintage "Machida-era" footwork and striking I think he’ll give Jones a good run but still struggle to fend off his takedowns. Jon Jones by decision.Staff Picking Jones: Castillo, Burke, Coffeen, DallasStaff Picking Machida: Grant, Gould, Brookhouse, Thapa
SBN coverage of UFC 140: Jones vs. MachidaFrank Mir vs Antonio Rodrigo NogueiraBrent Brookhouse: It’s pretty easy to pick Mir here. I mean, other than assuming Nogueira is healthier this time around, there’s no reason to expect much different from the first fight other than maybe Big Nog making it to a decision. But I’ve made this very clear in the past, I will not be picking against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira any time soon. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by decision.T.P. Grant: This fight is pretty simple to me. Frank Mir has real heavyweight go-to-sleep power and Nogueira gets hit flush in the face by every man he fights. Unless Mir is completely overlooking Nogueira this should be a repeat of the first match. Mir by KO, round 1. KJ Gould: I like that Mir is training with Ricky Lundell. A LOT. If you’ve not heard of Lundell as a trainer, I think you may do soon enough. Just know he’s a BJJ blackbelt that was able to be a walk on for Cael Sanderson’s Iowa State Cyclones at the D1 level with no Folkstyle background. I think his experience with high level Jiu Jitsu and Wrestling gives him better insights than most in the importance of staying on top in MMA. Of course all this might be a non-factor, since Mir is more than capable of beating Nogueira on the feet and Nogueira may favor fighting from the guard anyway. If it does end up on the ground, I can see Mir doing his best to shut Nogueira’s guard down. I just don’t think a win over Schaub means Nogeuira has had a total career resurgence and Mir is constantly adding more relevant tools to his belt to succeed at high level MMA. Frank Mir by TKO.David Castillo: Mir, all day, everyday. I do think Nog is better now than the flicking corpse we got in their first match, but it’s still a bad match-up for Nog. Mir is a big guy, and I think he has enough power in his hands to put Nog away yet again. Nog’s no longer a jiu jitsu fighter at this point and Mir is the better striker at this point. Mir may not have better fundamentals, but I expect him to maintain effective offense - and if he’s being effective, that means he’s landing. Frank Mir by TKO, round 2. Fraser Coffeen - Second verse, same as the first. These guys aren’t going to roll their way to a jiu jitsu battle, as much as I’d like to see that. This will be a stand-up fight. Mir surprised us with his improved stand-up last time - this time it’s even better, just not a surprise. The way to beat Mir standing is to be explosive, and while Big Nog is many things, that ain’t one of them. Frank Mir by decision.Ben Thapa: I’m still not sold on the Mir hype wagon. In his last three fights, he decisioned a pneumonia-ridden Roy Nelson, miraculously finished a decrepit Cro Cop (in one of the worst main events ever) and capitalized on several dumb mistakes by Kongo. Big Nog nearly finished Couture a couple times, got starched by Cain and had the feel good moment of UFC: Rio when he knocked out the rising Brendan Schaub. I don’t expect this to be a brilliant technical match on the ground, but I do think Nog still has the smarts to not make a series of terrible mistakes Mir can take advantage of on the feet and the boxing chops to batter Mir for a few rounds. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by decision.Dallas Winston: I’m actually a big fan of both fighters but agree with Mr. Grant. it sure seems like Mir’s punching power and improved wrestling offer many more avenues to victory, especially considering Nog’s standing defense. Frank Mir by decision.Staff Picking Mir: Grant, Gould, Coffeen, DallasStaff Picking Nogueira: Brookhouse, ThapaTito Ortiz vs Antonio Rogerio NogueiraBrent Brookhouse: I initially was willing to write Ortiz off here. I don’t think he’s a very good fighter anymore but then I really looked at the recent fights from both guys. As long as Tito is smart, he’s going to take Nogueira down pretty much at will and tear him up with elbows. This isn’t another guy who is simply a bad style match-up and can keep the fight standing. This is a guy with really bad takedown defense. Tito Ortiz by TKO, round 2.T.P. Grant: Both of these fighters are easy to dismiss as both on are on the declining ends of their careers, but they have both made efforts to round out their game. Tito’s striking, while not excellent is much improved, and Nogueria showed impressive strides in defensive wrestling in his match with Phil Davis. I expect a good deal of this match to take place on the feet, where I feel Nogueira has the technical advantage while Tito has the power. On the mat, Tito I think actually has the advantage as he will likely be on top and able to use his base to deliver elbows at a sedate pace. If Tito fades in rounds two and three, as he has been prone to do lately, I think slightly smaller Nog gets his hand raise. Nogueira by DecisionKJ Gould: Yeah, I can’t see Ortiz doing much here. Lil’ Nog is the better striker, and Ortiz is not the wrestler Davis is who had problems taking Nog down until he switched to Single-Leg takedowns, something I have a hard time recalling Ortiz ever doing. Ortiz will try to strike on the feet, Lil Nog should be able to pick him apart, Ortiz will try to shoot Double-Legs, Nogueira will stuff them, Ortiz will get frustrated but will be unable to adjust thus losing a lopsided decision. Nogueira by decision.David Castillo: I don’t think Lil Nog has terrible takedown defense. Sure it’s rudimentary, and Davis had little trouble getting him down once he switched to single legs, but Ortiz is not the kind of wrestler capable of adjusting like that. Still having said that, I don’t like what I see from Nog. He’s got skills on the feet, and has a mean half guard, but he gets hit a lot. Ortiz may not be a power puncher, but he’s been fighting with conviction lately. In stark contrast to Nog, who doesn’t. I’m being bold here, and not for boldness sake. Ortiz by Guillotine, round 2. Fraser Coffeen: Tito Ortiz gets beat when he faces guys who are better strikers than him (unless those guys are Ryan Bader), and Nog is a better striker. Nog gets beat when he faces guys who are better wrestlers than him, and Tito is a better wrestler. So, a pick em? Well, it would be if Tito fought like a wrestler. But he doesn’t. Tito likes to stand and trade. He’ll do so again here, and he’ll get picked apart for it. Nogueira by decision.Ben Thapa: I’ve been accused of jiu jitsu bias before and sometimes it’s been true. I don’t think it applies here and the first round of Phil Davis vs. Lil Nog seems to bear my logic out. Lil Nog shut down those half-hearted double leg takedowns of Davis and won the edge on the feet. I don’t see this as being as vicious a beatdown as the second half of the Evans/Ortiz fight was, but I do believe that Tito won’t adjust in the second and third rounds by abandoning the cage double legs he likes so much. All Lil Nog has to do is watch out for that sneaky left Tito works and stay smart. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by decision.Dallas Winston: I thought Nog’s hands, takedown defense and scrambling looked pretty damn sharp against Bader and Davis, and he will exact vengeance for judges worshipping too much the takedown with a surprisingly crisp sprawl and brawl. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by TKO.Staff Picking Ortiz: Brookhouse, CastilloStaff Picking Nogueira: Grant, Gould, Coffeen, Thapa, DallasClaude Patrick vs Brian EbersoleBrent Brookhouse: I don’t like Brian Ebersole for some reason. I think it’s that I don’t really think he’s all that good combined with some weird personality thing that just doesn’t do it for me. I don’t know why, but somehow I was shocked when reminded that Patrick was 3-0 in the UFC. I’m not even picking based on who I do or don’t like, it’s simply a style match-up thing. I think this turns out to be one of the worst fights of the night and one that Patrick wins. At least the home crowd will be happy. Claude Patrick by decision.KJ Gould: Catch-As-Catch-Can! Ebersole and Frank Shamrock, back together! I’m not sure how much help Frank Shamrock will truly be for Ebersole especially since Shamrock seems to have shied away from his grappling roots and focused far more on striking at the tail end of his career. Having shot knees doesn’t help either, but it makes you wonder how much he’s forgotten when having to endure him on Strikeforce commentary. I’d like to think he’s helped Ebersole on the finer points of Kneebars or maybe helped out with organising his strength and conditioning, but who knows really. Ebersole is experienced and unorthodox enough to give most mid-level fighters problems, and he also has the ability to finish when the tide turns in his favor. Patrick is on a role and is riding a 13 fight win streak in a 14-1 record, but who has he beaten? Ebersole beating Lytle and running through Hallman is more impressive than Patrick’s entire record, even his 3 fights in the UFC. I can see Ebersole being a test Patrick’s not ready to pass just yet in his career. Ebersole by TKO.T.P. Grant: Brian Ebersole is the more experienced, more tested fighter and I think Claude Patrick will be out gritted over the course of this fight. Ebersole by DecisionDavid Castillo: I hate picking Patrick. His fight with Roberts was terrible, and the action Ebersole brings to the cage has been the opposite of that. Still, I think Claude has the type of top game to neutralize Brian’s ground game. As he showed against Roberts, he’s more than willing to grind out a uninteresting decision. Not to sound like the guy that complains about "wrestlers wrestling" (I defend Jon Fitch), but Patrick is a limited fighter, and his few strengths play into Ebersole’s few weaknesses. Patrick by Decision. Ben Thapa: Tasers are illegal in the cage. Despite Ebersole’s crowd-pleasing pluck and improving skills so late in life, Patrick has the ground game to stay out of trouble and the aggression to control Ebersole. Claude Patrick by decision.Dallas Winston: I could be dead wrong but I see Ebersole’s strength and aggression dictating this one. Every one of Patrick’s subs came from a dominant perch, which I don’t see him getting here. Brian Ebersole by TKO.Staff Picking Patrick: Brookhouse, Castillo, ThapaStaff Picking Ebersole: Grant, Gould, Coffeen, DallasMark Hominick vs Chan Sung JungBrent Brookhouse: Bad, bad, bad fight for Jung. He’s going to run into strike after strike and while his chin is good, it’s not that good. Mark Hominick by TKO, round 2.T.P. Grant: Chan Sung Jung is a fun fighter, but his brawling style is not going to serve him well against a striker on the level of Mark Hominick. I fully expect the Canadian to survive an early storm, find his range and the work over the Korean Zombie. On the ground I think Hominick is able to escape from the bottom and damage from the top. Hominick by TKO, round 3. KJ Gould: Hominick all the way. This is one of the clearer examples of two fighters at different levels competing, with Hominick showing how big the gap in skill and ability is as he dismantles Jung wherever the fight goes. I think it stays on the feet, and while Jung is durable he’ll get beaten soundly and fairly with none of that Leonard-Garcia-esque judging nonsense needed. Hominick puts him away whenever he wants. Hominick by KO Round 1.David Castillo: Ugly fight for Jung. Hominick doesn’t always fight to the best of his abilities (see the Grispi loss), but Jung doesn’t have the skills to exploit Hominick even on his worst day. I do think Jung can have success on the ground, but that would require patience, and sound technique on the feet when they do exchange. Jung may not be the brawling goon from an extra in a Double Dragon game that Leonard Garcia is, but Hominick ‘minds the gap’, and will pepper shots through his defense with ease. Hominick by TKO, two minutes into Round 1.Fraser Coffeen: Yeah, this is a disaster for Jung. Hominick is just way too precise and will pick him apart. But the Roop fight aside, Jung is notoriously hard to finish, and Hominick has no issues pointing a guy into oblivion if needed. Mark Hominick by decision. Ben Thapa: There are two MMA-related shirts that I own. One is the Don’t Be Scared Homie steez and the other is of the Korean Zombie in a graveyard holding his own arm. It is unreservedly awesome and Jung’s fights reflect that ethos. I can’t pick against Chan Sun Jung, even if my brain tells me Hominick is a better puncher. I feel as though KZ can walk through those punches, put Hominick against the wall and push him down for three rounds. Or get another gigantic hematoma on Hominick’s face going. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Elephant man redux... Chan Sun Jung by decision.Dallas Winston: Damn haters. I feel like his uncharacteristically disappointing showing against Roop sucked out any and all hopes for Jung and the first match with Garcia is held against him. Coming up overseas, he was a smooth killer on the mat and his wrestling and sub-game is better than Hominick’s, who also happens to have five losses via submission. Throw in his solid chin and reach advantage and … mark it, dude. Chan Sung Jung by submission.Staff Picking Hominick: Grant, Gould, Castillo, Brookhouse, CoffeenStaff Picking Jung: Thapa, DallasKrzysztof Soszynski vs Igor PokrajacBrent Brookhouse: As the guy who has to liveblog this one, thanks a lot, UFC. Pokrajac is really good at stopping really average talent. I’d put Krzysztof in the "above average" group where Pokrajac gets beat down over a couple rounds before getting finished. Krzysztof Soszynski by TKO, round 2.T.P. Grant: Soszynski has proven himself an able gatekeeper for entry into the UFC’s Light Heavyweight divisson and Igor Pokrajac shall not pass. Soszynski by kimura KJ Gould: Hmm, it’s tempting to pick K-Sos from experience, but I’m battling my prejudice against spelling Polish names once again. Croation names aren’t a problem though. Pokrajac is coming off a win, but then who the hell is Todd Brown other than a 0-2 UFC fighter who lost to Patrick Cote his first fight after leaving? Yeah, my social tolerance is clearly improving. K-Sos by Submission (Kimura)David Castillo: Soszynski, like Bonnar, is a durable gatekeeper type. Pokrajac is a gatekeeper too, but less durable. There’s no reason why Krzysztof shouldn’t do what Stephan Bonnar did to Igor. Soszynski by TKO, round 1. Ben Thapa: Krzysztof made me crack a giant smile with his Aussie Aussie chant at UFC 110 after the unfortunate ending to the first Bonnar fight. Burke hates him. K-Sos trains with Munoz and the Reign guys regularly, so I think he’s refining his abilities to put people down and get his favorite submission - the kimura. Krzysztof Soszynski by submission, Round 2.Dallas Winston: Pokrajac might have the more polished sub-game but K-Sos should be a little stronger and better everywhere Pokrajac excels. Unless the Croatian can connect on a homerun, Krzysztof Soszynski by TKO.Staff Picking Soszynski: Brookhouse, Grant, Gouldszynski, Castillo, Coffeen, Thapa, DallasStaff Picking Pokrajac: John Makdessi vs Dennis HallmanBrent Brookhouse: Hallman will likely look good early but Makdessi tends to get things going as he figures out timing on the fly. Hallman is going to start getting caught in the second and, while I think he makes it to the cards, I don’t think he can win two rounds against Makdessi. John Makdessi by decision.T.P. Grant: Dennis Hallman is a great veteran on MMA and is 2-0 lifetime against the great Matt Hughes, but I’m not sure the modern Lightweight division is the place to breath life into his career. Too many good fighters at 155 lbs and he is running head long into one of them. John Makdessi will be too fast and too fresh later in the fight for Hallman to over come, and as Hallman slows down I fully expect Makdessi to pour on the spinning kicks. Makdessi by TKO, round 3KJ Gould: Hallman deserved a beating in his last fight for two reasons, both of which presented themselves during the course of his loss to Brian Ebersole. I’m of course talking about spending too much time on his back, and for being sponsored by Training Mask. Ahem. Hallman is clearly being used as a step up in competition for Makdessi and if Hallman’s destruction at the hands of Ebersole was anything to go by, it’s hard to think Makdessi won’t find similar success against ‘Superman’. It’s a shame as I’d like to see more Submission Wrestling from Hallman. Oh well. Makdessi by TKO.David Castillo: I’m shocked that Hallman is back in the mix in the UFC after washing out with a loss to Jorge Rivera in 2005. Although not as shocking as his bikini at UFC 133, I tend to favor him in this fight. Makdessi, for all of his skills, hasn’t fought anyone of real consequence. Hallman will be focused to get the fight to the ground where Makdessi’s striking won’t mean much, but I can’t ignore Hallman’s history of gassing terrible. Makdessi by TKO, round 3. Ben Thapa: Am I alone in saying that I thought the Hallman banana hammock was hilarious? And so is his complete ownage of Matt Hughes? A fighter can be caught once, but to do it twice inside 20 seconds means that he has Hughes’ number dialed in. Remember that Hallman was winning the Howard fight until that last minute KO and Makdessi has a tendency to go Shlemenko at times with his spinning strikes. I am going to juke here and say Hallman by late submission. Hallman, submission, Round 3.Dallas Winston: No Ben, you are not alone. Makdessi is an exciting and creative new prospect but his takedown defense is unproven and his grappling is unseen. Audinwood barely attempted any takedowns and Watson is a slick sub-guy but not a strong wrestler. His appearance at the weigh ins and missing the mark make me even more nervous about it, but Dennis Hallman by submission.Staff Picking Makdessi: Gould, Grant, Castillo, Brookhouse, CoffeenStaff Picking Hallman: Thapa, DallasYves Jabouin vs Walel WatsonBrent Brookhouse: Really difficult fight to pick because I feel like I need more information on Walel at this level than we have. Jabouin is a gamer with flaws and this kind of strikes me as a fight that was set up with a purpose in mind. Watson by submission, round 2T.P. Grant: Yves Jabouin is a great guy to test young Bantamweights and Walel Watson made a good impression on UFC and in his debut at UFC on Versus 6. The 27-year-old Watson is looking to climb the ranks in a division still sorting itself out while Yves is fighting to stay relevant. That said I think Yves fights desperate here and lets his heavy hands go, putting the young lion to sleep. Jabouin via KO, round 2. KJ Gould: Jabouin has more experience, being a WEC vet before moving to the UFC, Watson is an up and comer looking to make a name for himself. Jabouin looks to TKO guys, Watson though has a string of success with a variety of chokes -- the most efficient submission fight ender. Jabouin being caught with a flying triangle at the hands of Pablo Garza may have been a one-time only deal as almost anyone can be caught off guard, but I can see Watson hunting for guillotines and anacondas should Jabouin mistakenly present his neck for them. I think Watson continues his rise and Jabouin is a good scalp to collect. Watson by submission.David Castillo: I like what I saw from Watson, but he’s clearly dealing with a better fighter. Yves Jaboiun’s fight with Hominick was a personal favorite of mine. But he lost for the same reason he loses in every other fight: a really bad gas tank. I’m not sure Watson is the guy to exploit that, but Yves lacks power, and so I think Watson will be there all night, with just enough time to lean on Jaboiun and threaten with a submission. Watson by Guillotine, round 2. Ben Thapa: The Brazilians booed Jabouin for slowing this fight down to a pace where he wouldn’t gas out in the Loveland fight, but Yves did get the (split) decision win. Walael gets all of his subs done in the first or early in the second. Jabouin can pull this one long and get the nod again. Jabouin by decision.Dallas Winston: Watson might turn out to be a serious talent with Jones-like proportions for the weight class, but as of now he’s in deep waters with a powerful and technical striker. Yves Jabouin by TKO.Staff Picking Jabouin: Grant, Coffeen, DallasStaff Picking Watson: Brookhouse, Gould, CastilloMark Bocek vs Nik LentzBrent Brookhouse: I like Bocek here on his ability to finish the fight at any point vs. Lentz being more of an opportunistic guy. I don’t really think there’s an area where the fight can go that Bocek isn’t more dangerous and slightly better. Mark Bocek by decision.KJ Gould: I can’t pick against Minnesota MMA guys out of principal, since I really rate Greg Nelson as an MMA coach. Of course that doesn’t mean all his fighters follow his advice to the ‘T’ and can get in all sorts of problems like Lentz did against Oliveira. Both Lentz and Bocek are veterans with the Canadian being a bit more experienced UFC-wise. I just think Lentz’s clinch game against the wall is a big factor, plus his general improvement in looking for finishes might surprise a few people. Some say Wall’n’Stall, I say Lentz’n’Fence. The Carnie by Decision.T.P. Grant: The name Nik Lentz receives almost as much venom from fans as Jon Fitch. His style is decried as "Wall and Stall" or "Lay and Pray", but the man has real skills, just ask Brock Lesnar and is excellent at drawing fighters into his game. Mark Bocek is a very underrate fighter also, lost in the shuffle of lightweight. His grappling is flat out excellent and should be enough to counter Lentz’s brand of fighting and earn a submission win. Bocek by Submission David Castillo: Bocek, Bocek, Bocek. As much as I enjoy the fact that Lentz came out of his "lay and pray" shell for the Bronx fight, he’s still not quite as talented as Mark, and if anything, the best comparison I’d make for Lentz is as a poor man’s version of Bocek. Let’s not forget Mark has been consistent, and fought a very close fight with Jim Miller. He’s the much more polished fighter, and Lentz isn’t dynamic enough to end the fight early. Bocek by D’Arce, round 1. Ben Thapa: I believe in Nik Lentz as a UFC-caliber fighter, but I also believe in Bocek’s ability to flip Lentz over and work on Nik until the submission comes. Lentz won’t stop coming forwards and he’ll be able to get out of quite a few submission attempts by Bocek, but those wear you down and when you get tired, you make mistakes. Can Nik avoid these mistakes? This seems an awful lot like the Bendo/Miller fight to me, with Bocek being the more dangerous submission fighter, but Lentz having the stamina and the situational awareness even after two high paced rounds (which he’ll need to build his points lead) to squeak out and maintain his lead. Calling the upset here in Nik Lentz by decision.Dallas Winston: This seems to be a stylistic nightmare for Lentz. Bocek is slow in all aspects on the feet but has surprising power and is quite graceful on the ground and in scrambles. I don’t see many options for Lentz, who also has a tendency to drop his hands when trading in the pocket. Mark Bocek by submission.Staff Picking Bocek: Brookhouse, Castillo, Coffeen, Grant, DallasStaff Picking Lentz: Gould, ThapaRich Attonito vs Jake HechtKJ Gould: Everyone should support Rich Attonito for TKO’ing Jamie Yager last year. Attonito and Hecht have similar records but since Attonito has the UFC experience and this is a debut for Hecht, those good ol’ Octagon jitters may well be a factor. Attonito by Decision.David Castillo: I do support Attonite for TKO’ing Yager. And that’s why I’m picking him here. But also because Hecht isn’t UFC-level. He’s a top position kind of fighter, and if you want a blueprint for what to expect, watch Hecth’s loss to Che Mills. Attonito will defend his takedowns with ease, and score some savage punches on the feet. Attonito by TKO, round 1. Ben Thapa: Hecht loves the early rush out and takedown strategy. Problem is that Attonito sprawls pretty effectively. Tape shows Hecht to be a fighter who prefers to control his opponent and deal out little bits of damage over time, rather than busting some heads, passing guard and/or grabbing smooth submissions like a fledgling elite fighter should be doing. Rich decisioned Daniel Roberts back at UFC Live on Versus 4 and looked like he wasn’t ever in danger. This is a similar stylistic match-up and I bet Attonito can get to Hecht’s back and finish from there. Attonito, submission, Round 2.T.P. Grant: I also support Attonio for KO’ing Yager. That said I also suppor Jake Hecht’s 100% legit credentials for making his UFC debut, a 10-2 prospect with wrestling and boxing experience to go with a Ricardo Liborio black belt makes him high on my list of new welterweights I want to see compete. Jake Hecht by Decision Dallas Winston: Hecht, on paper, reminds me of Lance Benoist, who was a firecracker in his debut. Hecht is a Liborio black belt, a good wrestler and a former Golden Gloves boxer. I took Attonito in my preview but I’ll change it up and take a chance on Jake Hecht by decision.Staff Picking Attonito: Brookhouse, Gould, Castillo, Coffeen, ThapaStaff Picking Hecht: Dallas, GrantMitch Clarke vs John CholishKJ Gould: I’m assuming this is 9-0 Canadian Mitch Clarke making his UFC debut taking on New York’s John Cholish, who will also be entering The Octagon for the first time. Very similar fighters who like to grapple. Cholish does have a win over former TUFer Marc Stevens at a Strikeforce event, but otherwise both have fought at the regional level. Could we see another phenom emerge from the Great White North, or will the tough New Yorker prevail? Both have wrestling backgrounds, Cholish getting his mat time at Cornell while Clarke’s experience is with the Canadian CIS program (think Canadian NCAA). Clarke making his UFC debut in front of a partisan crowd will either boost him or overwhelm him. It’s a hard pick, but since Cornell is one of the top Division I universities for Wrestling in the USA I would think that would have to give Cholish the edge in a hard fought decision. Cholish by decision.David Castillo: I favor Cholish. Against Marc Stevens, Cholish looks relatively fluid, on the feet, and on the ground, where he has solid chops with his ground and pound. He’s not world class, but I think the fact that he’s more dynamic than Clark, who is your standard wrestle-sort-of-boxer type, will net him the victory. Cholish by Decision. Ben Thapa: Cholish is a genuinely witty person - and a pretty mean fighter in his own right. I watched the Stevens kneebar live and what I took away from that - other than Cholish’s odd gait that looks quite a bit like Sherriff Bullock’s from Deadwood - is that Cholish is apt to bust out a dangerous submission at any given time. It clicks in his head in a way that it doesn’t for many fighters with more years in the sport. Clark looks like a tough, game opponent, but I doubt he has the chops to stifle Cholish for three rounds. Cholish, submission, Round 2.Dallas Winston: I’m not overly familiar with Clarke but know Cholish is a well-trained beast with a better level of competition. John Cholish by TKO.T.P. Grant: I’m also not overly familiar with either fighter but what I do know about Cholish I like. Cholish by DecisionStaff Picking Clarke: CoffeenStaff Picking Cholish: Brookhouse, Gould, Castillo, Thapa, Dallas
Posted in: fight, jone, fighter, round, machida
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWhy The UFC Needs to Establish an Official Twitter Policy
Back in May of this year, the UFC decided to reward it's fighters for successfully using Twitter to gain fans. This was an innovative idea and a seemingly great way to encourage fighters to promote themselves. Fighters like Anderson Silva, Demian Maia, and "Minotauro" Noguiera were all awarded the $5000 dollar bonus for number of followers. Joe Benavidez, Joe Lauzon, and, most notoriously, Forrest Griffin were all awarded the same bonus for their creativity.
Now, let me preface by saying that encouraging this kind of self-promotion is a smart move by the UFC. Many of the fighters are very good about interacting with their fans on Twitter and this can only be positive for the UFC. However, while implementing the plan to reward their fighters for making constructive use of social media, the UFC failed to put a policy in place for misuse of their Twitter accounts.
Shortly after the announcement of the Twitter awards, Forrest Griffin made an insensitive comment regarding the recent controversy at Penn State University. Griffin quickly apologized and made a charitable donation. This wouldn't be the last Twitter-related problem for Dana White, either. Just yesterday, Miguel Torres followed Griffin's example, making some incredibly off-base comments and was promptly released from his UFC contract.
Regardless, of anyone's personal opinion of the fighters' respective statements, the issue here is incredibly simple: Zuffa set up a system to reward certain actions without a system to hold the fighters accountable for the same actions. There are plenty of ways to rationalize why Griffin's and Torres's situations are different, but essentially Miguel is suffering a much greater punishment for essentially the same offense. If Dana intends to continue with the Twitter bonuses, he must also devise a systemic punishment for transgressions.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, twitter, bonus, griffin
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendONE FC Anounce Major Indonesian TV Deal with Ole Laursen and Igor Gracie Set for Jakarta Card
Indra Senduk, Victor Cui, Zorobabel Moreira and Yodsanan Sityodtong in Jakarta yesterday
ONE Fighting Championship hosted a press conference yesterday to reveal details about its Jakarta show. The event, which will be taking place at the BritAma Arena on February 11th, is the first professional MMA promotion to take place in Indonesia in over five years.
Although the fight card is still being completed the identity of a number of the fighters was revealed including:
Ole Laursen, PhilippinesIgor Gracie, BrazilKevin Belingon, PhilippinesYodsanan Sityodtong, ThailandYuya Shirai, JapanYoune "Indra" Victorio Senduk, Indonesia
PLUS:
Winner of the Cage Fighting Championship (CFC) bantamweight title fight between Gustavo Falciroli and Nick Honstein.
No match ups were announced but it seems probable that Igor Gracie will be up against DEEP welterweight champion Yuya Shirai and the winner of the CFC Bantamweight title fight will face Kevin Belingon. The influence of the recently formed ONE FC Network can already be felt with champions promotions such as the URCC, CFC, and DEEP all set to star in Jakarta.
A lot of attention will be on Filipino born kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter Ole Laursen. He has been out of action for over a year after suffering a couple of injury setbacks and will be looking to recapture the form which saw him submit BJJ purple belt Eduardu Pachu in a fight of the night performance at Martial Combat 2 last year.
Ole Laursen in action against Eduardu Pachu at Martial Combat 2
With a perfect professional record of 9-0 Belingon is already regarded as one of the best bantamweights in Asia and the URCC Flyweight Champion (they have unusual weight classes) will be looking to extend his unbeaten run, possibly against the winner of tonight's CFC title fight in Sydney, Australia.
Yodsanan Sityodtong is one of the best boxers ever to transition to MMA and put in an impressive performance on his debut at ONE FC 1, showing good Muay Thai skills as well as his incredible punching power to blow away Daniel Mashamaite early in the second round.
They will be joined on the card by Youne Senduk who recently won a silver medal representing Indonesia in Wushu at the SEA Games. ONE FC has also signed a TV deal with a major Indonesian sports network in Indonesia and will be shown on Global TV which is the highest rated sports channel of the nation’s largest and only integrated media company, Media Nusantara Citra.
There will be some sort of qualifier taking place in Indonesia later this year which will give more Indonesian fighters the chance to compete for a coveted spot on the ONE FC card. The identities of the remaining fighters and the actual match ups will be announced between now and February.
At present ONE FC has shows booked in Singapore and Malaysia, as well as Indonesia, with events in Korea and the Philippines also believed to be close to completion. 2012 looks set to be a very busy year for the organization and it will kick off with three shows in three countries in the space of three months starting in Jakarta in February.
Indonesia actually has a long history of BJJ and MMA with camps all over the country teaching the various components of mixed martial arts. In the past fighters had little or no opportunity to compete professionally but by putting on televised shows in major arenas ONE FC looks set to change all that and with the support of the biggest promotion in Asia behind them a new breed of mixed martial artists could be all set to emerge from Indonesia.
The ONE FC cage, coming soon to Jakarta, Indonesia.
Posted in: fighter, year, fc, jakarta, indonesia
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMiguel Torres sacrificed to the Gods of PC
In what I can only describe as the culmination of a bunch of pussies wringing their hands over quasi-offensive comments, the UFC has fired Miguel Torres. He made a joke on twitter about rape vans (welcome to the fucking internet) and now he is out of a job.To explain how we got here, we have to take this back to last month. Forrest Griffin said something vaguely flippant about the Jerry Sandusky case on twitter while everyone was still in riot mode about it and took some epic shit for it. It turned out he was completely misunderstood but that didn't stop several groups from going after him, the UFC, and FOX over it. Apologies were issued, donations were made to rape crisis centres, and another mini public relations controversy was eventually laid to rest.Then a few days ago during a press conference, Rashad Evans debuted a little line of smack to Phil Davis that once again referenced Sandusky: "I'm going to put my hands on you worse than that dude on those kids at Penn State." This again caused a big tizzy and people looked to the UFC for some sort of resolution. How can the organization let one of their fighters get away with saying something like that? When is the UFC going to do something about these guys saying offensive things?Well, something was finally done. Miguel Torres was fired for tweeting "If rape vans were called surprise vans, more people would get in them because everyone loves surprises."Now I'm no expert in having a giant stick up my ass, but I'm pretty sure working specific incidents of child rape into your smack talk during a press conference = worse than making a joke about rape vans on twitter. But there's been one too many rape jokes made in a short period of time and someone has to go down for it. Not only does this take the heat off the UFC for those other incidents, but it also sends a message to other fighters to stop it with this dumb shit.Here's Dana White laying it out to Ariel Helwani:
If you're a UFC fighter watching this, the bottom line is all these guys are smart. Use your common sense. You know what to say and what not to say. If it has something to do with rape or any of this crazy stuff, shut up! Don't be talking about it, you know what I mean? You have no place talking about it unless you're on a show and the topic is rape, which none of our fighters should be on a show like that anyways. It's just one of those things where you have to have common sense. If I was dealing with stupid people - if i had a bunch of dummies fighting for me ... stupid is stupid, you can't fix stupid. I don't have stupid fighters. I have guys who are smart, intelligent, most of em went to college, most of em have families. Use your common sense. You know what to talk about and what not to talk about.If you think something is funny... keep it to yourself. You're not a fucking comedian. What you think is funny, other people might not. Unless you wanna stop fighting and go become a fucking comedian and open up for Rogan, we dont wanna hear your jokes. We don't wanna hear what you think is funny.
On one hand, I gotta agree. As someone who's taken many lazy trips down the rape joke trail, I will always defend people's right to make jokes about controversial material. But it's obviously not the smartest thing for UFC fighters to be joking about, and the sooner they're explained this, the better.We live in a world where saying 'the wrong thing' can result in a lynch mob forming that won't rest until you've been punished, fined, or fired. I hope the UFC realizes the precedent they've set by throwing Miguel Torres under the bus. The mob will be back, and who knows which head they'll want on a platter next time. It could even be Dana White's.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, something, joke, rape
Read the full article at FightlinkerWatch today's UFC 140 fighter weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com at 4 p.m. ET
TORONTO - UFC 140 fighter weigh-ins take place today, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on
MMAjunkie.com.
Today's weigh-ins take place at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and the first
fighter is on the scale at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).
In addition to the video streams, you can get live weigh-in updates in our text-only results post on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.
Posted in: fighter, video stream, today, place today, weighin
Read the full article at MMA JunkieWhat's Missing From UFC's Response to Miguel Torres, Rashad Evans? Consistency
Filed under: UFCHere's a question that became very important, yet difficult to answer this week: If you're a UFC fighter living in this wild world of social media, how do you know when you've crossed the line between edgy and irredeemably offensive? Better yet, how do you know when crossing that line will get you chewed out by your boss, and how do you know when you've committed an offense so egregious that it's cause for termination?
Answer: You don't. Not until it's too late. Not until your fate is already sealed. And that, whether you think of yourself as a shockingly clever Twitter comedian or a press conference trash-talk specialist, is a problem.
It's a problem for fighters, and it's a problem for the UFC. It's also a problem that has a solution, if the UFC cares enough about fairness and clarity to implement it.
As you probably know by now, two UFC fighters made the issue of sexual assault into fodder for their own attempts at entertainment this week, but with very different repercussions.
At a UFC on FOX press conference earlier this week, light heavyweight Rashad Evans referenced the Penn State sex abuse scandal when trying to zing former Nittany Lions wrestler Phil Davis. Meanwhile on Twitter, bantamweight Miguel Torres joked about "rape vans," suggesting that if they were renamed "surprise vans," maybe people would be more likely to ride in them.
Go out on the street and present these two cases to strangers who know nothing about the world of the UFC. See if they can guess which guy got fired, and which got off with just a stern talking to. I'll bet you a six-pack of your finest domestic ale that more people guess wrong than right.
And honestly, who could blame them? At the risk of getting into the nebulous business of doling out offensiveness points for each remark, I feel pretty confident asserting that what Evans said was far worse than what Torres tweeted. Evans took a real situation, involving real, living children who have suffered through an unimaginable nightmare (here we insert that useful qualifier allegedly), and made light of it for the purposes of insulting a future opponent.
Torres? His tweet similarly made light of sexual assault, but at least he wasn't using a specific incident involving living people as his springboard to comedy. At least he was dealing more in the abstract, and at least he didn't say it while trying to promote a fight being broadcast by the UFC's new network TV partner.
But really, that's splitting hairs. Both guys messed up. Both should have known better, especially after Forrest Griffin made headlines with the exact same mistake very recently. But the consequences for Evans and for Torres were so bafflingly different, it's hard to call it anything other than open hypocrisy on the UFC's part.
UFC president Dana White told our own Ariel Helwani that he likes to decide these things on a case-by-case basis. He talks to the parties involved (or, in the case of Torres, has someone else talk to him and report back), asks them to explain just what in the hell was going on in their heads when they made these remarks, then decides on how to deal with them.
In the case of Evans, the explanation was that he got carried away trying to burn a college rival for the entertainment of others. This, apparently, was good enough. He got a lecture from White, and that was that.
In the case of Torres, he was trying to be funny. As anyone who follows his Twitter already knows, it's something he strives for often, and he probably hits more than he misses. This time he missed, and it cost him his job. Could he have possibly known beforehand that this tweet would get him fired? Not really. He should have known that it might get him in trouble, that it was a bad idea and a pretty tasteless attempt at humor, but there was no precedent to suggest that a UFC fighter might lose his job for joking about sexual assault. Those jokes had happened already, but the firings hadn't.
That's the problem with the whole case-by-case basis method, as presented by White. Fighters are put in the position not of figuring out what's right and wrong, or what's a good idea and what's a bad one. No, they just have to figure out how the boss is going to react, and that seems largely dependent on who they are and what they mean to the company.
Don't believe me? Imagine for a moment that Brock Lesnar had sent out the exact same tweet as Torres. You think he'd be headed back to the WWE with his pink slip in his enormous hands right now? Not a chance. He'd have gotten a phone call from White and a slap on his enormous wrists, and that would have been that.
But Torres? He sends out a tweet that Michael Landsberg uses to surprise and embarrass White with on Canadian TV, and on the week of an event in Toronto? Screw him. He's done.
Not only is that not fair, it doesn't even serve the desired purpose. It doesn't make UFC fighters in general more sensitive to what might offend others. It just makes them perform an internal calculus to assess their own standing and value to the UFC before they determine what they can get away with.
This is only part of the reason why the UFC needs a clear, consistent code of conduct for its fighters. It needs some formal policy that not only tells fighters in plain English (or Portuguese or Japanese or French, etc.) what not to do before they do it, but also what's gong to happen to them if they do it anyway.
The UFC needs this not just for tweets and jokes and public comments, but also for more serious issues like drug abuse and criminal offenses. Anybody remember Vinicius Quieroz? He's the Brazilian fighter who was released after one fight when the UFC's independent drug tests nabbed him for steroid use. Meanwhile, Chris Leben tested positive for the same exact steroid on a different fight card, then tested positive for prescription painkillers Oxycodone and Oxymorphone in his most recent outing, and he got off with suspension in both cases.
That's what you call a double-standard. When two UFC employees can commit the same offenses and receive different punishments, it tells everyone -- fans, fighters, media, sponsors -- that this is not a level playing field. All are not equal in the UFC's commonwealth. Some guys can be jerks and get away with it, while others get fired.
It's not just a question of forcing the UFC to slap all the wrists equally. When White says he doesn't see the point of reading some canned statement written by a lawyer just to mollify critics, he makes a good point. That wouldn't accomplish much, and it would clearly be an empty gesture designed solely to get people off his back.
But neither does it help to apply a hazy standard of decency unevenly after the fact. If no one knows for sure what's permitted and what isn't, some people are bound to mess up without realizing what they've done. As of now, UFC fighters have no way to determine how the UFC will punish them, or even if it will punish them at all.
That's not fair to the guys like Torres, who got made an example of even after previous examples got away with almost the exact same thing. It's also not helpful to guys like Griffin or Evans, who have essentially learned that they can get away with the kind of stuff that will get the Miguel Torreses of the UFC world fired.
That's why the UFC needs a code of conduct that spells out which infractions will result in which punishments. It needs to let fighters know where the line is before they've crossed it. It needs to let fans know that it's serious about making sure fighters conduct themselves like professionals, and not just with smacking them around after the fact, with the force and severity of the blows dependent on how many pay-per-views they sell. It needs a little consistency and a little fairness. The sooner it institutes such a policy, the sooner it can stop some of this stuff before it starts. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, evan, torre, what
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseHistory in the Making: Chan Sung Jung and Leonard Garcia go to war in WEC's version of Griffin/Bonnar
At the end of the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), the make or break experiment for the UFC concluded with a rousing success. The fight between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar all but assured the promotion would not only survive but thrive en route to becoming a major sporting powerhouse.
Last year World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was in a similar boat. Having been the subject of merger talks for years, the sister company plugged along on Versus with minimal ratings and paltry purses. The end seemed nigh for the blue caged promotion.
Before they gave up the ghost, they dove into the pay-per-view (PPV) game with WEC 48: "Aldo vs. Faber" and a lineup of some of the company's best and brightest. Much like the UFC does, two fights were aired on free TV before the paid portion of the event to help sway any fence-sitters who had yet to make up their mind.
One of those fights was Leonard Garcia taking on WEC debutee Chan Sung Jung and while it didn't have the same impact as Griffin/Bonnar, the fight -- two men giving their all, leaving everything inside the cage -- seemed eerily familiar and cemented its place in any "best of WEC" compilation that will ever be made.
Jung takes on Mark Hominick this Saturday at UFC 140: "Jones vs. Machida" so we'll take a look back at the "Korean Zombie's" star-making turn, a bout that made up in fun and heart what it lacked in technique.
Let's dive right into it.
The "Korean Zombie" opens the fight up with a stinging leg kick before stalking his opponent around the cage. Back against the fence, Garcia opens with a combination that misses its mark and eats a body kick for his troubles. He circles out, lands a leg kick, and circles around again. A minute into the fight, it seems Garcia's strategy -- hard to believe the brawler ever even has one -- is to stick and move, waiting for the right moment to land the big shot.
"Bad Boy" checks a leg kick and narrowly avoided a missile-like straight from his opponent while whiffing a left of his own. Both fighters crudely connect with right hooks and that's when the fireworks really begin.
Garcia is known by some for his reckless abandon and by others for his sloppiness inside the cage. They're one and the same, to be honest. "Bad Boy" often taps into that primal, visceral part of many MMA enthusiast's fandom with the way he swings his wild, looping hooks and sticks his chin out. For half a minute, Jung delves into that same territory -- a devolution or not is up to the viewer -- and engages Garcia is an all-out brawl.
Thirty seconds later, they're clinched up against the fence as heartbeats -- both inside and outside the cage -- begin to slow down. Only a minute passes before "Korean Zombie" begins to press onto the gas. Bullying his opponent against the cage, he lands punches and knees, forcing Garcia to circle around and once again adopt the strategy from the early minutes of the fight.
A huge right hook from Jung misses its mark but immediately a left smacks right onto Garcia's jaw, sending the Mexican-American to the mat in a heap. The crowd explodes as "Korean Zombie" goes in for the kill. But there's still some fight left in Garcia as he immediately begins to threaten with a submission attempt. Jung walks away from the fracas unscathed and with arms intact and the two continue the fight on their fight.
It's here that Jung begins to pull away from Garcia. His strikes land with more frequency and power and by the end of the round, it would be obvious to any passerby on the street which of the two men had just been involved in a fight.
The second round begins with the same whirling dervish that was the highlight of the first stanza. Swinging wildly, both fighters are looking to score one big punch to put an exclamation point on an already exciting fight. Jung controls early but when you swing as much as Garcia does, one is bound to land and land hard.
"Korean Zombie" is staggered by a big punch and loses his footing temporarily but is able to recover quickly. Midway through the round, after a minute or so of throwing leather, Jung takes advantage of a missed strike on Garcia's part and takes the Greg Jackson-trained fighter's back. Threatened with a rear naked choke, "Bad Boy" starts to work towards reversing the position and nearly does before his opponent releases his hold and both fighters once again go vertical.
The second round ends with both fighters simply standing in front of each other -- technique be damned -- and throwing just about every single strike each has in their arsenal in hopes of getting the other to drop. It's altogether exhilarating and sloppy, fun and clumsy.
The final five minute set proves that this bout is a one of a kind fight. While fighters usually start off crisp and tight before regressing into a survival instinct-filled brawl, these two men went the opposite route. Brawl first, technique later. The third round is almost nothing like its two predecessors as both Jung and Garcia opt to pick their strikes carefully and utilize a strategy beyond "keep punching and hopes he drops before I do."
Hotter heads prevail and that all goes out the window in the final minute as they're unable to keep from just wailing on each other. As the seconds tick away on the clock, "Korean Zombie" and "Bad Boy" stand toe to toe, both refusing to relent. They're not only fighting for themselves, they're going to war for the fans.
Punches miss more often than they connect, kicks only graze their intended targets, knees land but without the force to put someone to sleep ... and the crowd absolutely loves it. It's a culture that lauds fighters who "go out on their shield" and decries those who do just enough to earn a judge's decision.
It's why -- after three losses in four fights -- Garcia remains employed in the UFC. It's why Jung is one of the most beloved fighters despite losing the WEC 48 bout which was also his stateside debut.
Sometimes MMA fans want to see a fight. Not a contest, not a sporting event but a fight.
"Korean Zombie" and "Bad Boy" were more than happy to oblige us.
Posted in: fight, fighter, jung, minute, garcia
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJon Jones - What Does He Do For An Encore?
Despite being at the center of a whirlwind 2011 campaign that saw him go from phenom to champion to defending champion in the space of the year, Jon Jones likes to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to his fighting career. There’s no running down the list of contenders, no tape watching of challengers he may fight a year from now. It’s all about what’s right in front of him – now.“I watch the fights, especially if there are top contenders involved, but as far as really studying them or being obsessed with them or anything like that, I just take them as they come and I just focus on the one I’m fighting next,” said Jones, who’s upcoming opponent, Lyoto Machida, may be the only fighter out there to break that mold.See, the former 205-pound titlist has been attached to Jones for longer than the time it took to announce their UFC 140 main event this Saturday night in Toronto. And Machida might not even know it, but Jones certainly does. “I remember it vividly.”It was Machida the champion who Jones was asked about by a USA Today reporter in June of 2009, and when the New Yorker replied that the Brazilian was “very beatable,” he got caught in a storm of criticism considering that he was only two fights into his UFC career and here he was, talking about the champion of the division.Little attention was paid to the fact that Jones was the one asked about Machida, and that he later explained that “a great Muay Thai champion” would be the one to beat Machida.“It started me off with a big group of haters because they were like ‘who’s this kid to be talking about Lyoto Machida?’” recalled Jones. “’ That was my first controversy of my career where people lashed out at me for what I said. But it was something I felt that was true, and my prediction was a hundred percent correct – “Shogun” (Rua) was that great Muay Thai fighter.”The backlash was a taste of what Jones would get in the aftermath of his March 2011 win over Rua, and that’s usually how it goes for young, gifted, and charismatic athletes like the 24-year old, who has nonetheless taken the negativity with grace and a smile. And as soon as he defended his title for the first time with a fourth round submission win over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in September, the critics began to fade into the background. Even Jackson gave the champion his just due in a post-fight interview, something that made the fight a win on a number of levels.“It meant a lot to me,” said Jones of Jackson’s post-fight praise. “But the way I look at Rampage means more. He was so gracious, and he totally earned my respect. He made me a huge fan.”More importantly though, the win let Jones know that he is on the right track as a fighter and champion.“That fight really just helped me to believe even more in my abilities, that nothing’s been a fluke, and that our hard work is truly paying off in the Octagon,” he said. “That’s what I believed the whole time, even when I had no right to believe, and I’m really starting to believe now and getting even more comfortable in my own skin, more comfortable with my skill set, and trusting in it.”The statement of Jones believing when he “had no right to believe” is a telling one, mainly because it shows you how a fighter must think if he’s going to do anything in this sport. You may not blurt it out to the world, but if you want to make it, you have to believe, even against all odds. Jones, despite his status as a junior college national wrestling champion, had no other significant fighting credentials when he entered the UFC for the first time in 2008 against Andre Gusmao, and he’s even admitted to learning some of his early striking moves off youtube.com videos. So what gets you by in situations like that, in addition to natural talent? Guts, smarts, and belief.“I just realized how cold the world can be, and this is a world with very little mercy,” said Jones. “You gotta go out there and make something of yourself, believe in yourself, and trust in your own abilities, or else the world will pass you by. There’s a quote that says ‘you might as well be happy, because nobody cares if you’re miserable,’ and it’s kind of the same way in MMA. You gotta believe in yourself because the odds are always against you.”Not anymore. In fact, as Jones encounters Machida, he is the favorite and no longer the hunter, but the hunted. He kinda likes it though.“I’m definitely very comfortable with it,” he said. “Where they can all watch and try to come up with a strategy for what they need to do, I’m watching the one that’s in front of me and becoming obsessed with his style and everything about that guy. I think that target being on my back is only gonna force me to become better.”As for Machida, Jones says, “I don’t think he’s adjusted his game too much. The thing about karate is that it’s strict on form and strict on repetition and a way of thinking, and he’s been doing it for so many years that it’s in his hard drive to fight a certain way. No matter who he fights against, it’s nearly impossible for him to try to truly change his style for a certain fighter. I guess he can become better at wrestling or learn some more skills of Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu, but he’s a karate fighter because that’s his life. It’s almost impossible to change a fighter who’s been fighting his whole life a certain way. The Lyoto Machida that fought Shogun, the Lyoto Machida that lost to Rampage, the great Lyoto Machida that originally came to the UFC, I’ve been studying his fights repeatedly, and it’s the same exact thing. There’s not that much unpredictability once you really break him down and study to see what he’s doing.”If you were anyone else but Lyoto Machida, this would be the right time to hit the panic button, because it’s the moment you realize that as good as young Jon Jones has proven to be thus far in his career, he’s also studied your every move in order to knock you out or submit you. That’s scary, but it’s also something Machida has done to his opponents in the past. On Saturday, we’ll find out who has done their final homework assignment of 2011 the best.Jones is betting he’s the one. And he hasn’t been wrong yet.
Posted in: fight, jone, fighter, champion, machida
Read the full article at UFCBloody Elbow Round Table: What Is GSP's Legacy If He Retires From Knee Injury?
Matthew Roth: There's a rumor out of TriStar going around right now that if the knee surgery doesn't go well, St. Pierre could retire. If Georges St. Pierre was to retire tonight, what is his legacy? Is he the best welterweight to ever live or does the fact that he never faced Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit open up the discussion that he was just a really good fighter that utilized wrestling to win rounds?
Fraser Coffeen: Diaz and Condit are the arguments against his legacy? No way. Those are fun potential match-ups, and I'll be sad if we never get GSP vs. Diaz, but St. Pierre has nothing to prove by beating them. Best Welterweight of all time? It's him or Hughes, undeniably. Do people think his failure to finish counts against him here?
Josh Nason: I think his legacy is one of the best fighters of the modern era (2005-on) and an interesting case for where he would fit in the Top 10 best of all-time. The Diaz fight would be a great topper and a bummer if it doesn't happen, but it's not a make-or-break for his career.
The one thing that may hurt his standing with some is the lack of finishes. He did put a hurting on a lot of guys in a row and didn't lose a round in years, which the educated understand. But he wasn't an overly violent guy in a violent sport (think Chuck Liddell highlight finishes), nor an outlandish personality. He'd be appreciated by the masses but not beloved to the point of Randy Couture...except in Canada, that is.
KJ Gould: I think if he's forced to retire, his legacy was never fully realised. He never took fights in other weight classes -- something both Silva and Penn have done -- and his inability to finish in his last string of fights has caused all sorts of criticism, particularly when some of his former opponents were finished handily the next time they stepped foot in the cage. The dynamic fighter that built his reputation and fanbase seemed absent in recent fights either due to a lack of refinement in technique, or a lack of urgency and willingness to take any risk in the process.
GSP is / was absolutely a very good fighter and the best of his division for the last few years, but in Boxing so was Joe Calzaghe -- and neither guy was able to set the world on fire. If GSP was Welsh he wouldn't be the draw that he is, even if everything else about him stayed the same. GSP will be surpassed in years to come by more dynamic, destructive fighters because that's what the majority of full contact combat sport fans look for and are drawn to.If GSP beat Diaz and Condit the same way he's been beating recent opponents, his legacy is unchanged because there'd be nothing remarkable about it.
Continued after the jump...
Fraser Coffeen: Josh's mention of Chuck made me think about one upside to his legacy should he retire now, which is that he won't linger past his prime. So many great champions have that awful losing streak to end their careers - Fedor, Chuck, Tito, Wanderlei, Hughes. We end up, to some degree, allowing those late career loses to influence our views of their entire career. Just look at this very question - Hughes should absolutely be considered alongside GSP, but it's kind of hard to forget the image of Alves crushing him, Penn KO'ing him, Hughes screaming as GSP hits the armbar. For now, those are more dominant images in some minds, when it should be Hughes choking out Trigg, crucifixing Newton...GSP retires now, and he avoids that and retires as the unbeaten champion, which is a big deal.
KJ Gould: I think GSP is at least couple of years away from being in a similar situation, and the real shame is a serious injury as sidelined him rather than taking too many in-bout beatings. I can fully appreciate a little bit of conservatism for pro fighters to lengthen their careers, I just think GSP has been too conservative in recent fights which end up lacking that WOW factor. I just wish when it became clear early in a fight that his opponent has nothing for him, then that would be the time for him to do something astonishing since he certainly has the skill and ability to do so. Fighters transcend when they rise to a challenge and overcome, but if a challenge isn't there then I feel a champion's supremacy needs to be punctuated with an exclaimation point, rather than just murmured. Instead GSP's legacy for me is marred by being risk averse and it comes down to the old adage, "No Guts, No Glory".
Josh Nason: I can't sign off on the 'no guts' for GSP remark. Last night, I thought about this subject more and wanted to mention that his competitive drive is something to be admired. He wasn't a wrestler and learned it so well there was the Canadian Olympic team rumors being thrown around. He cross-trains to a ridiculous end and he simply wants to win, win and win. That's something I've always loved about his approach. I did an interview with Phil Nurse a few months ago and he reiterated what a competitive guy GSP is, even from the day he first met him/ I think he'll be back at a high-level and will continue to be an upper echelon fighter for a few more years.
KJ Gould: I don't see hard work and dedication as the same thing as 'guts' when it comes to fighting. GSP absolutely is hard working and dedicated and constantly looking to improve. 'Guts' for me is a different character trait that relates to risk taking, killer instinct, gritty endurance and choosing Fight over Flight when in a survival situation. I think fighting with reckless abandon and throwing caution to the wind is a bad idea; I just think GSP has gone too far to the other end of the spectrum. Fighters with a good balance of skill and strategy coupled with that animalistic, mean streak is what interests me the most about fighting and GSP has just lacked that in recent fights. Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit possess this balance (though admittedly it might not be a completely equal balance), and as a result I'm far more interested in them fighting for the interim title than I would be with either against GSP. Since we're still talking about a fight at the end of the day, I do think it can impact that legacy far more than other, non-combative sports.
Ben Thapa: Are you people insane? Look at who Georges St-Pierre has beat in his career. He's already a legend in the sport and will go down as being better than Matt Hughes. In an era of beastly wrestleboxers, GSP has decisively beaten every challenger since the first bout with Matt Serra. GSP beat everyone put in front of him and a good chunk of them are better than Hughes ever was. If we magically could rewrite time without GSP, Jon Fitch would likely be ruling the division with an iron fist. Fitch is a truly diverse mixed martial artist who cannot be put away and has the chops to implement his will on just about everybody else at welterweight. In the real world, Fitch is looking on the outside while fresher talent bubbles up and hype gets built.
A mean streak is not necessary to great success in any sport. Marcelo Garcia is perhaps the nicest human being alive and he wins durn near every grappling tournament he enters. Kevin Durant is an all-world talent and his teammates and people in Oklahoma rave about his approachability and personality. A mean streak makes it easier to sell a person to the masses, but being vicious is not a surefire path to great success. There probably isn't a more vicious person in the ring or cage than Wanderlei Silva and he never quite lived up to his legend. To win, all GSP has to do is to be better than the other fighter within the rules of the fight. In the face of some stiff challenges, he's done that time and again. He's given of his time, body and spirit to put on amazing performances against some of the best mixed martial artists we've yet seen. Perhaps the bout with Anderson Silver never materializes, perhaps he retires in the next year a well-compensated, but hobbled fighter, but his legend is already secure as one of the best mixed martial artists and one of the most respected and loved combat sports athlete ever.
Matthew Roth: Ben you bring up his legend. But what exactly is his legend? A fighter who won one-sided dull decisions? A fighter who was once exciting until suffering the only knockout of his career? St. Pierre is a talented guy and has dominated everyone he's faced insofar as he has the ability to keep the fight on the ground. But even when he had Koscheck broken, he never went for the kill. He was content with riding out a decision. While fans may disagree, it's a bad look when Jake Ellenberger and Chris Lytle finish guys that GSP decisioned.
Back to the original point though. The lack of the Diaz and Condit fights will loom over his head. Fans truly believe without the UFC's marketing machine that Condit and Diaz could actually beat St. Pierre because they are dangerous on the feet and ground. They truly are well-rounded and have that mean streak to finish the fight when they have their opponent hurt.
Dallas Winston: Wow, it's crazy to think about him retiring at this point.
I've always liked and respected GSP, especially because he plays the "aw shucks", sheepish nice guy so well. When he trolled Koscheck on TUF into picking Marc Stevens first and whispered, "It's a strategy!" while trying to be all stealthy and inconspicuous -- I don't know why, but I burst into laughter and still do when I recall that. He almost seems to have the utterly disarming charm of a little kid with grown-ass man MMA skills.Anyway, I think being this close to fighting Diaz on two separate occasions will dull the luster a little on his legacy. Diaz represents so many things that GSP hasn't encountered and might struggle with: equal reach length, an impenetrable chin, an innate desire for a down and dirty brawl and elite submission skills. The last one might be the most salient. Hughes and Penn were the only apex submission fighters he faced, and Hughes caught him once and I think Diaz is significantly more proven and effective off his back than Penn.I really have no problem with GSP's lack of finishing though I understand why others do. I thought he started to really excel as a complete fighter and come into his own about the same time he went on the decision streak. His footwork, jab and overall kickboxing skills seemed to become just as formidable as his wrestling, which is the best in the world at 170. I suspect his offensive submission game is somewhat mediocre, as evinced against white-belt Dan Hardy, but that's another aspect I was looking forward to seeing more of and how he's developed it.
Dallas Winston: My opinion on Roth's question is that GSP's legacy was isolating himself as a rising phenom and handling Matt Hughes before getting caught in their first fight. Then, he established his freakish wrestling prowess by dominating Sherk, Trigg, Hughes twice (both finishes) and Koscheck.
That's what I'll always remember him for. However, I would never put GSP on the same level legacy-wise as someone like Anderson Silva, who has annihilated everyone in the UFC. GSP has two legit losses to Hughes and Serra -- the latter interrupting his surging momentum -- that elevate Anderson into a different category.
KJ Gould: Ben, guts and instinct aren't necessary for success. It just makes that success more poignant. Plus I don't find the Marcelo Garcia reference apt, because Garcia is a finisher even at the highest level. All but one match of his at this year's ADCC was finished, where as Pablo Popovitch took dull decision after dull decision. Garcia gutting out a guillotine from Kron Gracie isn't something that can be likened to GSP; Popovitch insta-tapping to Andre Galvao's toehold can be if you think about GSP tapping to strikes. These aren't perfect comparisons by any means, but more on point than your original reference in my opinion.
As I said, GSP's recent dominance is more of a murmur than an exclamation point. It's why I think he'll probably be the most successful Welterweight there's been, but he's not that deserving of any greater accolade. He is eclipsed by Anderson Silva, and I think Jon Jones from a purely fighting standpoint could be on his way to eclipse him if he continues to run through opponents in devastating fashion.
Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, hughe, gsp
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowIf you could sign one UFC fighter to a 10-year contract, who would it be? MMA Nation's Jonathan...
If you could sign one UFC fighter to a 10-year contract, who would it be? MMA Nation's Jonathan Snowden examines the shelf life of a mixed martial arts fighter right here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, contract, ufc fighter, shelf life
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White Discusses Why He Released Miguel Torres Over Tweet
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, News, VideosTORONTO -- MMA Fighting spoke to UFC president Dana White Thursday evening about why he decided to release Miguel Torres after the bantamweight fighter tweeted about a "rape van" recently. White explained his reasons for the release, why he didn't release other UFC fighters who appeared to make light of rape, and what kind of message he is sending to his fighters.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, release, miguel torres, ufc mma
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC 140: Dana White Pre-Fight Interview
Dana White discusses The Ultimate Fighter 15 coaches and live fight format, Jones vs. Machida and much more in this exclusive interview.
Posted in: fighter, dana, coach, interview, machida
Read the full article at Heavy MMAAll UFC 139 Steroid Tests Come Back Clean
All 12 fighters tested for steroids following UFC 139 had their drug screens come back negative, Sherdog.com confirmed with a California State Athletic Commission official on Thursday.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, california state, drug screens, commission official
Read the full article at SherdogUFC 139 Drug Tests Come Back Negative
All 12 fighters who submitted samples for UFC 139 were clean, including main event competitors Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Dan Henderson.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, shogun, dan, rua
Read the full article at Heavy MMABellator inks polarizing fighter War Machine
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, machine, mattyblayze, bellator inks, ink
Read the full article at RedditUFC Plans to Announce Flyweight Class This Weekend
Filed under: UFC, NewsCHICAGO -- The wait is almost over for the arrival of a 125-pound weight class in the UFC.
UFC President Dana White said Wednesday that he expects to make a formal announcement about a flyweight class within a matter of days, likely when he's in Toronto for UFC 140.
"This weekend. We should have something by this weekend. But it's happening," White said.
Several current UFC bantamweights, including Joseph Benavidez, Demetrious Johnson, Charlie Valencia and recent Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson, would appear likely to move down to 125 pounds. But that will be their decision alone. For his part, White said he won't tell any bantamweights to move down.
"I'm not moving anybody. Those guys can make that decision themselves," White said.
At the moment, the flyweight class is known only to the hardest of hard-core MMA fans, but White said he sees that changing in a hurry, and he thinks adding flyweights will help the UFC attract more fans in Asia and Latin America.
"I have a feeling that 125-pound division is going to be as talented as 155 and 170," White said. "I've been working on it for months. At 125 pounds you're going to see a lot of Hispanic, a lot of Asian fighters now coming to compete at that weight. Traditionally when you look at boxing, Asians or Hispanics have dominated those weights."
The most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter, which featured featherweights and bantamweights, is part of what has White bullish about smaller fighters -- especially Dodson.
"If anything proved how awesome the small guys are it was this season of The Ultimate Fighter," White said. "How about that Finale? The Finale was incredible The Diego [Brandao] fight was probably the best one round I've ever seen. And John Dodson is just phenomenal. The guy is an amazing, explosive athlete."
And he could be a future flyweight champion. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, pound, fighter, flyweight, flyweight class
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFormer UFC Fighter Jon 'War Machine' Koppenhaver Signs With Bellator
Filed under: Bellator, NewsJon "War Machine" Koppenhaver, the fighter who first gained fame on The Ultimate Fighter before his career was sidelined by legal troubles, has signed on with Bellator, fresh off his release from jail and a win in his first fight back.
Bellator confirmed the signing on Thursday.
Koppenhaver's signing is actually the second time he's hooked up with the organization. In 2009, he was set to start with the group but was cut before ever actually fighting for them after posting published comments that were seen as threatening to U.S. President Barack Obama.
That was just one of a series of problems in a topsy-turvy life that has included among other things, serving one year in jail for a felony assault conviction, and briefly performing in adult movies.
Bellator chairman and CEO said he thought long and hard before bringing Koppenhaver into the fold.
"Jon's not had an easy road," he said. "And there's no doubt he's made some poor choices, but after having had conversations with him since his release, he really seems to understand where and why things went wrong and wants to make them right. And, when he's focused on nothing but training and fighting, he's a talented and exciting fighter. I hope he's able to turn this second chance into something positive."
In his fight career, he is 12-4, and has fought once since regaining his freedom, defeating Roger Huerta by third-round TKO in November.
Bellator did not offer details on when he might debut, but a source close to the fighter told MMA Fighting that he would be included in the upcoming welterweight tournament when their sixth season begins on March 2.
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Posted in: bellator, fighter, welterweight tournament, he, koppenhaver
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseOpinion: Jason Miller's journey towards UFC relevancy hits "E" at TUF 14 Finals
By D.J. San MarcoJason Miller was on a journey toward UFC relevancy, but Saturday night on the trips final leg he ran out of gas... It's been over six years since the entertaining and engaging host of MTV's Bully Beatdown fought in the UFC. Since then Jason Miller (23-8) has fought in Dream, Strikeforce, the WEC, HDNet, Icon, and the WFA. Since his 2006 loss to Georges St-Pierre, Miller had reemerged as a bigger, stronger and more stout looking fighter, who had worked with fighters like Mark Munoz to improve his wrestling, and Chute Boxe legendary coach Rafael Cordeiro to better his Muay Thai striking. Miller has also built up a loyal online fan base the Mayhem Monkeys, which was an impressive for a fighter outside of the UFC's marketing machine. All indications were that we would see a much improved Miller from the one who earned a DQ versus Jacare Souza in their Dream rematch or fought 25 minutes with Jake Shields in a 5 round decision loss.With the loss of Chael Sonnen to his PED debacle hopes were crushed for a potential Sonnen/Anderson Silva Ultimate Fighter season. The UFC's plan B for their 14th campaign on Spike TV was a call to British star Michael Bisping (22-3). Opposite of Bisping would be newly signed Strikeforce fighter Miller. The Ultimate Fighter gig is a multi-million dollar opportunity netting its participants airtime on a major cable network and is highly coveted by every fighter in the game. With his coaching selection on TUF 14 Miller quickly became the envy of many who had put considerable time in the UFC. A ten episode season on Spike TV led to the coaches' fight between Bisping and Miller at The Ultimate Fighter 14 finals Saturday night in Las Vegas. Whether there was some underlying medical condition that caused Miller's poor showing is still unclear. What was clear is that after taking a close first round from Bisping, an almost completely gassed Miller emerged in the second round even though he was in dominant position for most of the first. Bisping went to work on Miller who lost the ability to put together a combination with his hands and failed with his failing wrestling game. Miller looked completely outclassed by an attack that while not blistering, was enough offense from Bisping to take him out of the fight in the third round. You cannot take away from Bisping's win, who showed a variety of different MMA skills over the course of three rounds, but the bigger question post-fight was what happened to Miller? Miller rarely appeared that gassed or that out of it in previous fights. Was it conditioning? Was it Bisping? Or was it the moment? Fans and media are left to wonder, but UFC President Dana White already stated the obvious in his post-fight comments; Saturday night, an MMA fighter who has entertained us all looked as though he didn't belong in the UFC. With peak rating average of 3.4 million viewers the TUF 14 Finals were the highest rated Ultimate Fighter live card since the Kimbo Slice TUF 10 finals in 2009. The viewers have spoken and they will surely want to see Miller back in the Octagon. The reality show star's shot at the middleweight top ten is unlikely as comments from White and a sub-par performance in the cage have Miller walking a long road to gain back the UFC's faith in him.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, round, miller, bisping
Read the full article at UltMMAI went to UFC presser in Chicago today. It blew my mind.
While we did get to hear some choice quotes from Sonnen, for me the best part was the fan interaction. Demian Maia, my favorite fighter, was kind enough to spend around 5 minutes just chatting with me. In fact, all fighters spend around 90 minutes interacting with fans, signing autographs and taking pictures. This was completely unlike any athlete interaction I've ever had. For those who still question, Sonnen is a perfect gentleman in person. He was kind enough to have an encouraging word for his fans, listen to their stories and sign autographs/take pictures. Munoz, Rashad, Bisping and Davis were no different, though there wasn't much demand for Davis or Bisping. This was my first interaction with UFC fighters, apart from the ones who come to my gym for a seminar etc. and it just blew my mind. submitted by carlender [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, fan, interaction, ufc presser, question sonnen
Read the full article at RedditFrank Mir Thinks Big Nog Is Pretty Much the Same Fighter as Last Time
Frank Mir wasn't jumping up and down about facing Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira again after knocking him out in their first bout.
Posted in: fighter, mir, wasnt, nog, mir wasnt
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFinishing With Strikes: A Multiple Choice Question
A popular topic to bring up whenever Michael Bisping has a fight coming up – or in this case, one just completed – is the notion that the Brit is a pillow-fisted striker who couldn’t stop a taxi with a hundred dollar bill waving in the air. This is one of those half-truths that seem to become accepted as common wisdom in MMA without much real consideration. It’s true that Bisping doesn’t possess the one-punch knockout power of someone like Dan Henderson, there’s no arguing that. At the same time however, Bisping is now 12-3 in his UFC career, with eight of those twelve wins being TKO stoppages. What gives? I thought this guy punched like my Grandmother?
The point I’m making here is that having huge power isn’t the only way to stop someone with strikes in MMA, as much as some would have you believe. It is not the only stopping method worthy of praise either.
Sure, you have the Dan Hendersons, Melvin Guillards, and Junior dos Santoses (or is it Junior dos Santi?!?) of the sport, who are capable of crumpling a foe with a single shot, but the majority of fighters don’t have that ability. Even looking at just the striking aspect of MMA, as I’ll be doing, there is far more than one way to skin the proverbial cat. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the different styles in which strikers in MMA finish fights, nor would I be naive enough to think that every fighter could be pigeon-holed into one of the following five categories. Some fighters can be placed in two or three of these categories, while some wouldn’t fit in any of them.
Bisping Outclasses Miller En Route to TKO Win at TUF 14 Finale
Here then, are some of the most-common types of finishers we see in MMA today, and a couple fighters who fit into each category to use as a frame of reference:
The Johnny Flamingo One-Shot Bingo
These are the guys mentioned in that previous paragraph, and those like them. If they connect, on your chin, temple, or even body, they can put you down and there’s a good chance you’re staying there. As we’re so often told on MMA broadcasts, this is the great equalizer in a fight. You don’t need to be the most technical guy in the world to make this type of power work (although some fighters show great technique to go along with it), it just works. There’s really not much else to explain here.
The Technician
These guys are both entertaining and befuddling to watch at times. You may look at their strikes and think that they’re not hitting all that hard, but for some reason they seem to drop their opponents on a regular basis. Anderson Silva is the epitome of this type of finisher (as Rogan and Goldberg remind us no fewer than a dozen times during each of his fights). When he hits somebody, he hits them clean and exactly where they need to be hit. There is something to be said for this type of finisher, because it likely shows the most striking skill out of all those on the list. Sometimes these fighters can end a bout with one blow (Silva vs. Vitor Belfort) and sometimes it takes more (Silva vs. Yushin Okami), but rest assured that however many it takes, they will all be on point.
The Swarmer
Now we’re getting into the types of fighters who really don’t have the ability to stop an opponent with one strike, and that’s not a bad thing, since many of the best in the world would fall into this category. These are the guys who have the capacity to hurt an opponent with a single shot, but never seem to be able to put them completely out with it. Former UFC champion Mauricio Rua is an example of a quintessential swarmer. When he gets an opponent hurt with a big shot, he jumps all over them. Bringing the strikes in as rapidly as possible these finishers simply never give their wounded prey a chance to breathe and mount any sort of defense. Think of the massive number of KOs and TKOs ‘Shogun’ has amassed over his career (17), now think of how many of those have been from a single punch… not so many.
The Nagging Wife
Whereas the swarmer has the ability to hurt his opponent with a single shot at any point, this type of finisher simply doesn’t. Still, because of their high-volume of strikes – and the accuracy that accompanies them – they are able to wear opponents down to the point that either they have no cardio left (getting punched in the face or body is tiring business), or simply don’t want to get hit any more. Think of it like a nagging wife (or mother, for those who don’t have wives), they simply take all the energy and will to continue that you possess. These guys are able to force their opponents to quit, even if they couldn’t necessarily stop a fresh version of that opponent. Say hello to Nick Diaz and Bisping (gasp!) in this category of finisher. Obviously this is MMA, and tiny gloves do wacky things, so occasionally you’ll see a guy in this category lace his opponent with a KO (Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler, for instance), but it is far from the norm.
The Changeup
These types of finishers are much like the swarmer, in that they can hurt with a single shot, but rather than coming down with follow-up strikes, they use the opportunity when their opponent is foggy to switch over into grappling mode. UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones has become quite adept at finishing in this manner, as has Donald Cerrone. I must admit that watching a fighter string together a nasty combination of strikes to daze his rival and then finishing it off with some slick grappling technique is truly sublime, and shows what MMA is all about. Every time we get a nice finish set up by strikes I enjoy watching it, but I must say that these are my personal favorites.
So next time you’re breaking down a bout, forget the talk about “Heavy Hands” and “Pillow-Fisted” strikers when thinking about a potential stoppage. Instead, look at whether or not a particular fighter is a finisher or not, because they come in many different forms. Just because someone may not have that one-punch knockout power, doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of stopping the fight before the final bell, and doing so in entertaining fashion.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: mma, fighter, ’t, opponent, strike
Read the full article at Fighters.comGeorges St. Pierre Out of UFC 143: Are His Prime Years Gone?
Today's shocking news that UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre is injured and out of UFC 143 leaves a lot of questions to answer. How will the Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit interim title fight play out? How will the UFC deal with the loss of one of its biggest stars? And I'm sure Nick Diaz will demand we ask if GSP is ducking him. All of these are important questions, but to me the big one is this:
Has Georges St. Pierre just lost the best years of his career?
According to Dana White, the champion will be out of action for 10 months. Add in training time to get back in shape and we could be looking at early 2013 for a St. Pierre return. He already has not fought since UFC 129 in April and his defeat of Jake Shields. So now, we could be looking at a near two year gap between fights for St. Pierre.
In the world of sports, and for a fighter in his prime, those two years are an eternity. St. Pierre will have to come back against either Condit or Diaz (or, potentially, some other challenger who wins the belt in the meantime), which will be a serious test for a fighter with such ring rust. And it is not just time off that is an issue - it's time off with a serious injury. We've seen fighters come back from big, injury-filled lay-offs and just not be the same. Shogun Rua, Frank Mir, Thiago Alves - there's a large list. Can St. Pierre do what he has done so many times before - prove that he is on a different level and win in the face of this adversity? It will be a tough road.
Beyond just his immediate return, there is also the question of GSP's long-term run at the top. He fought Shields at the age of 29, and will return at 31 (or 32 if the recovery takes some time). Those are prime years of athletic peak that St. Pierre has had taken away from him. He already has 9 years of experience and 24 fights under his belt. Even without this injury it was fair to ask how much longer he could stay at the very top. Now, the question becomes even more important.
As the leg injuries accumulate, and the years stack up, is it possible that we have seen the end of St. Pierre's run of dominance? Will it be that time and injury - those two enemies of all - have dethroned one of the top two fighters of this era? Obviously, it's too early to say. But when he comes back, I know we will all be watching closely to see if the St. Pierre that has dominated the division for 4 years is still here, or if that fighter is a thing of the past.
Posted in: time, fighter, pierre, st, year
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White: Mayhem Miller Has 'The Worst Standup I've Ever Seen'
Filed under: UFC, NewsCHICAGO -- With a few days to reflect on it, UFC President Dana White remains baffled by how easily Michael Bisping beat Jason "Mayhem" Miller at Saturday night's Ultimate Fighter Finale.
"I still don't know," White said of Miller's performance. "It was bad. To be honest, believe me, my Twitter has been blowing up with all the Mayhem fans blasting me, but facts are facts. It was the worst standup I've ever seen in my life. I don't know if I've ever seen worse standup. The guy's been in the business for over 10 years. It looked like it was his first fight ever. It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen."
White said Miller's issues in his third-round technical knockout loss go beyond ring rust or nerves and seem much more fundamental.
"Some of the punches that were thrown by Mayhem Miller in this fight, you could go to a girls' Tae Bo class and see better form, better stand-up. It was embarrassing," White said.
Miller was the fan favorite against Bisping, who has long been promoted by the UFC as a valuable fighter for the U.K. market but hasn't caught on with American fans. White said he's become accustomed to fans booing Bisping, but he maintains that Bisping has proven himself as an elite middleweight and a legitimate future title contender.
"Michael Bisping is easy to hate so people want to discredit him because they don't like him, but Bisping is the real deal. He's a tough guy," White said.
White has resigned himself, however, to the fact that Bisping will never be as popular in the United States as he is in England. And he says he's not bothered by the fact that Bisping got confrontational with the fans who booed him at the Ultimate Fighter Finale weigh-ins.
"Bisping is who he is," White said. "There are certain people, there's something about them that you're not going to like. Michael Bisping is one of them and so is Josh Koscheck. These guys could try to go out there, make everything better, say nice things, and you're still not going to like them."
As for the weigh-in incident, White said fans have to expect fighters to react that way when they're taunted the day before the fight.
"The day of the weigh-ins, these guys have been away from their families for eight weeks, they're cutting weight for the last two days, they're miserable and nasty, and if you say something to him, he's a fighter, what do you think he's going to say?" White said. "This isn't the NFL, this isn't the NBA, this is the fight business." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fighter, miller, fan, bisping, he
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseCastillo Replaces Injured Nijem, Faces Njokuani at UFC 141
Ramsey Nijem, runner-up of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13, has suffered an undisclosed injury and will be unable to compete as expected at UFC 141 against Anthony Njokuani.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, nijem, runnerup, njokuani
Read the full article at SherdogGSP out 10 months with ACL injury
Canadian fighter Georges St-Pierre will be out of action for almost a year after suffering a serious knee injury.
Posted in: fighter, gsp, injury, canadian, stpierre
Read the full article at sportsnet.caSt-Pierre out 10 months with serious knee injury
Canadian fighter Georges St-Pierre will be out of action for almost a year after suffering a serious knee injury.
Posted in: fighter, injury, canadian, knee, stpierre
Read the full article at sportsnet.caGSP out 10 months with serious knee injury
Canadian fighter Georges St-Pierre will be out of action for almost a year after suffering a serious knee injury.
Posted in: fighter, gsp, injury, canadian, knee
Read the full article at sportsnet.caDominick Cruz and Urijah Faber announced as Ultimate Fighter 15 coaches
Unlike in previous years, UFC officials didn’t make fans wait long to find out who will serve as coaches on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter as it has been announced that UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and top contender Urijah Faber will mentor up-and-coming lightweights and welterweights on The Ultimate Fighter 15. The season will debut on March 9 on FX with a two hour premiere episode at 9PM EST and then move permanently to a one hour format at 10PM the following week. The season is scheduled to last 13 weeks.
The show, which has aired on Spike TV since it’s premiere in 2005, will move to FX starting in 2012 and take on a live format for the first time ever. Each week fans will not only see Cruz and Faber train their team of competitors but they’ll see the elimination fight live on the show.
“We’re producing ground-breaking television with ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Live,’ and we can’t wait to kick this season off with FX in March. It’s going to be can’t-miss TV,” said UFC president Dana White. “Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber are two incredible personalities who also happen to be two of the best fighters in the world. They genuinely dislike each other, and I expect this to make for the best season yet.”
Once the show wraps up, Cruz and Faber will meet for a third time in a five-round title fight for Cruz’s divisional strap. The two are 1-1 in their series with Faber handing Cruz the only loss of his career back in 2007 in a featherweight title fight via Guillotine Choke. Cruz extracted a measure of revenge earlier this year in July when he defeated Faber by unanimous decision and defended his bantamweight title.
Both fighters are upbeat about not only coaching on the show, but also to get another chance to beat each other up.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a gym rat and love learning and teaching mixed martial arts,” stated Cruz. “This is a dream come true. To get a chance to coach TUF and beat Faber again is all the motivation I need. This is going to be an insane season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’”
Faber had similar thoughts, saying, “I am looking forward to mentoring a bunch of hungry and talented fighters. The new cast needs to be ready to work hard and learn. Having Dominick coach on the opposite side couldn’t be more perfect. I’m not too thrilled about being in each other’s space for an extended period of time, as I am sure we are going to get on each other’s nerves. But I can’t wait to mentally beat him up as a coach and then literally beat him up in the cage and swipe that UFC strap.”
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: fighter, season, coach, cruz, faber
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainThe Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV: Best and Worst of the Series, part 1
As my ol' granddad used to say: "'Tis the season to bequeath informal awards to combat-sport-based reality shows!"
And so welcome to part one of a two-part series wherein we gaze back more or less fondly upon The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV, recognizing the best and worst that the series has had to offer.
Strongest Cast
From extraneous hostess Willa Ford to the practice of eliminating fighters before they got to compete, the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter was in many ways a clumsy affair. There's one thing that season got right, though: putting a bunch of nasty mothertruckers into the UFC.
Of the original sixteen cast members, 50% were retained by the UFC beyond the handful of customary, post-TUF appearances usually tossed to contestants. All of those eight are still cracking skulls in the Octagon. One, Forrest Griffin, went onto become light-heavyweight champion. Four contestants--Josh Koscheck, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, and Nate Quarry--challenged for a UFC title, and six of the original cast have appeared in or near the Top 10 of their division. Most excellent.
Honorable Mention: I have a soft spot for the series' fifth season, featuring coaches Jens Pulver and B.J. Penn. Six of that original cast are still in the UFC, with two--Gray Maynard and Manvel Gamburyan--having challenged for a title. More significant to me, however, is the raw talent and dynamic performances of the group, which includes Matt Wiman, Joe Lauzon, and Cole Miller.
After the jump, "Weakest Cast," "Biggest Surprise," and more...
Weakest Cast
There are, unfortunately, far more candidates for this category, and so we end up with a three-way tie. On the one hand, you have the sixth season, coached by Matt Hughes and Matt Serra. Anyone with a passing knowledge of the contestants could have guessed from the outset that Mac Danzig was going to waltz through the competition, making the whole show feel kind of meaningless. And while season standout George Sotiropoulos managed to sneak up on the Top 10, it's hard to ignore that he's part of a slim 12.5% of the original cast to remain in the UFC. And there was the little matter of Joey Scarola, who despite the pleas of Matt Serra and Ray Longo (not only his coaches, but his personal friends) gave up his spot in the house because he was, like, bored or something.
On the other hand, you have The Ultimate Fighter: USA vs. UK. While a fair 25% of the cast has been retained, none have made any impact, and James Wilks, the welterweight champion of the show, hasn't yet been able to string two wins together in the UFC.
On a third, irradiated mutant hand, you have season 13, coached by Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos. You'd think, given that this recent crop has had less time to screw up, that more of them would, just by sheer chance, still be in the UFC. Yet, beyond lightweight winner Tony Fergusson, only a couple have managed to stick around. I cannot say enough about how little I have to say about this cast.
Biggest Surprise
Heading into the house last picked and under-sized, it seems that everyone considered Rashad Evans to be the weakest link among the Season 2 heavyweights. Three years and nine UFC fights later, he became the UFC's first undefeated light-heavyweight champion.Honorable Mention: Season 8's "Urine in Fruit Salad."
Biggest Disappointment
I don't know how and I don't know why, but at one point Dana White insisted that Phillipe Nover, who has won approximately zero fights in the UFC, was the next Anderson Silva. No one (including Anderson Silva, when you think about it) can feel good about the way things played out.
Honorable Mention: Season 8's "Urine in Fruit Salad."
Worst...Just the Worst
The knee-jerk reaction may be for us as a community to take our semi-annual dump on Noah Inhofer, who despite punching (or arm-barring, as it were) his ticket into the Season 3 quarterfinals decided to quit and go home because his girlfriend wrote him a letter accusing him of cheating on her. But then again, the abysmal track record of Quinton Jackson--who had not one but two whole seasons to figure out how to give a crap--might also fit here nice and snug. Or what about the predictable appearance of thong underwear during the show's weigh-ins, which, despite how tired and flatly stupid the gag is, somehow manages to always draw uproarious applause. There's also the sad fact that I've more or less memorized, by osmosis, the lyrics to The Ultimate Fighter theme song. Bear witness to the fitness! Awards for everyone!
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, spike tv, cast
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale ratings average 2.5 million viewers on Spike TV
This is a surprise.
Last Saturday night's (Dec. 3, 2011) Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 15 Finale drew an average of 2.5 million viewers for the live Spike TV broadcast from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to numbers released by the cable network today, the conclusion to the reality series garnered an overall household rating of 1.7 with a 2.4 among men 18-49 and a 2.9 among men 18-34.
By comparison, TUF 13 Finale back in June drew an average of 1.8 million viewers and a 1.32 household rating, featuring Anthony Ferguson's crowning and Clay Guida vs. Anthony Pettis.
The numbers come as a shock due to the fact that neither Spike TV nor the UFC did much of anything to promote the show. There wasn't even a pre-fight press conference and when UFC sent out information regarding the show, it simply told fans to "check your local listings."
Intense rivalry is intense. But, this time, all parties got what they wanted without even trying. Can't beat that.
TUF 14 Finale featured middleweight coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller squaring off to settle the differences they created in the TUF gym inside the cage. And that's what they did, as "The Count" brutalized an exhausted "Mayhem," stopping him via strikes in the third round.
It was "most lopsided fight" UFC President Dana White has ever seen.
In other action, John Dodson and Diego Brandao were crowned Ultimate Fighters in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions, knocking out and submitting T.J. Dillashaw and Dennis Bermudez, respectively.
For complete TUF 14 Finale results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here and here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, tuf, spike tv, finale
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJung Packing More Tricks Than Your Average "Zombie"
Just like “The Axe Murderer,” “The Assassin,” or “The Hitman,” if you’re nicknamed “The Korean Zombie,” you’re expected to fight a certain way. For Chan Sung Jung, his moniker almost required him to walk through hellacious amounts of punishment, shake it off, and then chop down his opponent.Then came his rematch with Leonard Garcia in March. Their first bout in April of 2010 was dubbed “Fight of the Decade” by Joe Rogan, and it lived up to “Zombie” standards in terms of Jung taking everything Garcia threw at him and then roaring back to deliver his own form of payback. And though he lost a close decision in the WEC bout, Jung gained a legion of fans in his United States debut.Nearly a year later, they met again, this time in the UFC’s Octagon, and the second time around, Jung evened the score, defeating Garcia in the second round. But it was how he did it – with a finesse move that had never finished a UFC fight before, “the Twister” popularized by Eddie Bravo. He was no longer just “The Korean Zombie.” Now Jung was something a lot more dangerous.“It was nice to be able to show some of the aspects of my game,” said Jung through translator / manager Brian Rhee. “I think a lot of fans who aren't familiar with me don't think I have a ground game at all, that I'm just a brawler. Don't get me wrong, I do like to brawl, but I'm trying to develop as a fighter. My goal is to always be better in each fight than I was in my last. So, it was great to show the fans something that many of them haven't seen before.”If you haven’t seen the Garcia fights, go back and watch them now, if only to realize the contrast in the way the Po-Hang, South Korea native fought each bout and how he evolved as a mixed martial artist in the space of a year. That should be every fighter’s goal, to keep improving and adding wrinkles to his game, but Jung also got a little wakeup call in between his two clashes with Garcia in the form of a second round knockout loss to George Roop in September of 2010. That defeat, Jung’s lone setback by knockout, made him aware that despite his nickname, he was not bulletproof. “I still need to work on being more well rounded as a fighter,” said the 24-year old. “In this game, you always have to be working on getting better, or someone else is going to pass you by. I think I made progress after my fight with Roop. It was definitely the right decision to develop my style, but I don't know if I'll ever be completely satisfied.”That’s a good thing, and while he continues to work with his Korean Top Team squad, he’s also open to work with other fighters, such as when number one lightweight contender Benson Henderson made a recent visit to their gym.“Unfortunately, we didn't get to train together very long, but it was a great experience,” said Jung. “Ben's a great guy and he has all the makings of a champion. We met a while back and we had invited him to come train with us at Korean Top Team, so it was nice that he finally came. He said that he plans to come back later train with us for a little longer next time.”The training sessions came at a perfect time, as Jung now prepares for his Saturday bout with Mark Hominick. The UFC 140 fight takes place in Hominick’s home province of Ontario, which is no problem for Jung.“I think being the underdog makes it easier sometimes I don't feel as much pressure when everyone's rooting against me,” he said, but truth be told, few, if any, Asian fighters have made the positive impact in North America that Jung has, and he’s thankful for his new fanbase.“I think it's my fighting style,” said Jung when asked about his appeal. “From my first fight in the WEC against Leonard Garcia, I showed people that when I fight, it's going to be a show and they're going to be entertained. I try to leave it all in the Octagon every time I go out there.”The fight with Hominick is as close to a can’t miss as you’ll find in this sport. It could almost revisit Garcia-Jung I in terms of action, but “The Korean Zombie” knows that there will be no wild home run swings coming from a precision striker like Hominick. “His striking is crisp and technical and he has very good takedown defense,” said Jung of his opponent. “He's a very good fighter.”The Thamesford native is also a recent featherweight title contender looking to get back in the conversation for a shot at champion Jose Aldo, so if Jung can pull the upset, all of a sudden he’s the one moving up the ladder.“I'm not looking past Hominick,” said Jung. “It would be a huge win and I think it would put me in the mix in the division. Hopefully a win over a great fighter like Mark would put me one step closer towards the championship. And making a statement in this fight would be a start. Being a big underdog in this fight, with everyone saying that Hominick's striking outclasses mine, I think that winning by knockout would put people at attention.”It certainly would. But which Jung will show up on Saturday, the brawler or the technician? He’s not giving anything away, though he does admit that when the crowd starts roaring, all bets are off.“Yeah, that temptation (to brawl) is always there,” said Jung. “I like brawling and I like putting on a show for the fans, but I just don't give into it. I just have to stay calm and stick to my game plan.”
Posted in: fight, hominick, fighter, jung, garcia
Read the full article at UFC'The Ultimate Fighter 15' coaches revealed: Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber
UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and top contender Urijah Faber will serve as coaches on the "The Ultimate Fighter 15."
The UFC today announced the coaching assignments.
"TUF 15" (which officials have dubbed "The Ultimate Fighter: LIVE") is the first to air on FOX-owned FX and the first to air live fights. It debuts March 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT with a two-hour episode. Subsequent episodes air at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Posted in: fighter, air, ufc today, episodes air, twohour episode
Read the full article at MMA Junkie'TUF 14' Finale Earns 2.5 Million Viewers in Final Spike Broadcast
An average of 2.5 million viewers tuned in for “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 finale on Saturday night, Spike TV officials announced Tuesday.
Posted in: fighter, viewer, spike, spike broadcast, finale
Read the full article at SherdogMMA fighters promote anti-bullying to students
Mixed martial arts fighters took an anti-bullying message to students in Toronto today.
Posted in: fighter, mma fighters, antibullying message, arts fighters, antibullying
Read the full article at sportsnet.caA Striking Difference: The Magic Mitts of Gil Martinez (2/3)
In order for a fighter to be able to respond to Martinez’ mid-fight instructions like that, he has to have put many hours into his training. According to Martinez, his fighters typically put in three to four hours each day during training camp, and that includes everything from working on technique to drills to sparring.
Many fighters would call him a taskmaster, though it is said with the utmost respect and affection. According to Hall of Famer Randy Couture, a five-time UFC champion, “Gil Martinez is a master at what he does! I remember the first time I worked with him. I thought I was going to trip on a lung. There is nothing static about how he holds. You better be ready to move your feet and keep your hands up and eyes open, because those mitts come back at you almost as much as you throw at them.”
Martinez has a seemingly endless supply of energy. At 42 years of age, he moves with the speed of a much younger fighter. He is light on his feet and seems to glide across the cage floor, constantly moving forward as he works with his fighters. His brow glistens with sweat, his hands are a blur as they let loose a flurry of punches to demonstrate technique to his fighter. Never one to sit on his laurels, Martinez makes it a point to seek whatever further learning he needs to in order to be the best coach possible for his fighters. Couture observed that, “Gil has a very open mind. It’s not unusual to see him at grappling practice or working with a kickboxing coach, trying to understand the whole MMA game, not just boxing.”
Martinez was asked about working with elite level fighters like Couture, Vitor Belfort, and others, and he was similarly complimentary of Couture and Belfort. “Those are probably two of the best known and most popular fighters in MMA. It’s really a pleasure working with those guys.” His approach when working with fighters of Couture’s and Belfort’s caliber and experience is just to enhance what is already there and change it up a bit. “As a coach, I just try to help them to learn new ways of doing what they’ve been doing for years, because they already know how to fight.” Martinez was impressed with Belfort’s and Couture’s ability to remain humble and down to earth despite their personal and professional achievements. He indicated that this mentality and attitude of equality and being “just one of the guys” carried through to all of the fighters and staff at Xtreme Couture.
Working with elite-level fighters has its ups and downs, including occasionally losing those fighters to retirement or to another gym. Martinez takes it all in stride and said that it was part of the business. “You do grow to have a good relationship with them and it’s hard to see them go, but at the end of the day, they have to do what’s best for them. That’s how it goes.” Martinez always wishes his fighters well in their careers when a change occurs.
As a coach, Martinez has had the opportunity to train female fighters, and finds that there are some significant differences between men and women who fight. In his experience, he has found it easier to train the women because they come in with a clean slate. Martinez said, “They are so willing to learn, and they don’t come in with the mentality that they know how to throw a punch.” The Xtreme Couture motto is to check your ego at the door, and the female fighters take this seriously. “I think they don’t have an ego about learning from somebody else, so it makes it a lot easier to teach them,” said Martinez. He continues to work with females to prepare them to be their competitive best.
In light of MMA garnering more mainstream acceptance, Martinez advised young up and coming fighters to take their careers seriously. “The fighters who are successful are the ones who stay focused and are disciplined enough to do their jobs.” Although he admitted that there is some glamor that is associated with being a professional fighter, there is much more to it than that. There is a great deal of work to be done before the broadcast starts and still more to be done once the cameras shut off. Martinez emphasized how unique fighters are, “It takes a special kind of person to be a fighter. It takes a special kind of person to have somebody punch you in the face and then want to come back the next day and have it done again.”
He didn’t want to discourage anyone from pursuing their dreams of success as a professional fighter. Rather, he wanted them to have a realistic concept of what it actually takes. He said, “I think as long as they’re doing it for the right reasons and understand what kind of work they have to put forward to be successful, I think they go for it, but they gotta jump in with both feet.” Martinez compared a career in fighting to a marriage where the priorities are no longer about hanging out with friends and partying all the time. The priority becomes being disciplined and taking care of business. He indicated that at the end of the day, after all the punches, kicks, takedowns, submissions, and all of the pain, it’s still the best profession in the world.
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Read the full article at Fighters.comA Striking Difference: The Magic Mitts of Gil Martinez
Even with eyes closed, it’s not easy to mistake the slapping sounds of glove meeting mitt and the whispering whoosh as breath is expelled on contact.
Jab, jab, jab. The one-two combo, and the fighter drifts back as he is met with the fast hands of Xtreme Couture striking coach Gil Martinez. To the casual observer, it looks like a choreographed dance. Martinez moves forward, muscles bunched as his body absorbs the kinetic energy of each blow. To those in the know, it is either a test of the mettle of the fighter, or one of the long hours of training in preparation for the cage or the ring.
The soft tenor and shyness in his voice belies the fact that he is a fierce coach who gives it his all each and every time he steps into the cage with someone trying to achieve their dreams of fighting success, whether that dream is as a boxer or a mixed martial artist.
So what is it that makes him special? What is it that defines Martinez as a “Master Mitter?” One word sums it up pretty effectively. Passion. Martinez has passion for the sport and his role in it. In Martinez’ own words, “I really feel blessed to be able to do what I do and make a living at it. I don’t really consider this a job because I love what I do.
His co-workers and fellow trainers have noticed this about him as well. “He’s a great guy and he loves what he does. He’s very passionate about coaching and the people he works with,” said Ray “Sugarfoot” Sefo, five-time Muay Thai World Champion.
Even the grueling schedule that he maintains does not detract from his fervor nor diminish his drive. A typical day for Martinez can begin as early as 6 a.m. and doesn’t end until 9 p.m. He works with amateurs and pros, giving private lessons and doing team coaching, working with people at the intermediate level to the most advanced techniques.
Xtreme Couture fighters have had the benefit of his coaching for more than three years now, and many agree that there is nothing mediocre about Martinez. UFC welterweight Mike Pyle said, “Gil is the best at fine tuning a fighter’s basic boxing skills.”
Martinez’ modesty prevented him from acknowledging his reputation as one of the best striking coaches in the business, but when asked his secret to success, he was adamant about treating each fighter as an individual. He looks at each fighter’s style and enhances it, rather than trying to change them. “I try to have a game plan for the way that they fight and train them to the way that they fight,” said Martinez. He emphasized their individuality. “I try to accommodate and work with whatever style best suits them because when they’re in the fight, it’s them that is in the fight, not me.”
Although many mixed martial artists may be compared to both modern day and historic fighters, Martinez insists that no two fighters are exactly alike. “They have to be able to fire on their own cylinders based how their brain is wired. They have to feel comfortable in there.” Martinez credits the personalized game plans with his ability to help his fighters be successful.
Although Martinez’ training techniques are superb, once the fighter steps into the cage, things can change. The fighter doesn’t always do what he’s been trained to do. Martinez denied that this was a source of frustration for him because even when that is not the case, even when the fighters implement their training, there is still someone else in the cage with them. He indicated that, “You have to be able to go with the flow and change the game plan as the fight is progressing sometimes, because the opponent is not going to do exactly what you want them to do.” Even when the fighter does exactly what he’s been trained to do, there are no guarantees. Martinez was philosophical about that. “There has to be a winner and there has to be a loser, and sometimes you learn more from a loss than from a win.”
This is why Martinez’ voice can be heard over the din of the crowd, shouting both encouragement and instructions to the fighter for adjusting the performance. “You start seeing what your opponent is doing wrong. You look for what your guy’s doing wrong and you adjust on the go, right at that second,” said Martinez.
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Read the full article at Fighters.comScott Coker: No Announcement on Showtime-Strikeforce Extension, But 'Optimistic'
Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsWith 2011 rapidly coming to a close, word of an agreement to extend the soon-to-be-expiring deal between Strikeforce and premium cable TV partner Showtime has yet to come.
In the wake of the Strikeforce buyout by UFC parent company Zuffa, negotiations between Strikeforce and Showtime got off to a rocky start, but a management shakeup at Showtime seemed to open the door for renewed hope. Still, they've yielded no firm results just yet, according to Strikeforce's Scott Coker.
"There's nothing to announce, but I'm optimistic at this point," he said on Tuesday.
Asked for a possible timeframe on a decision, Coker declined to offer any specifics.
"That's something that we'll have to just wait and see," he said. "I think things are going well and I think we'll have something to announce shortly, but right now, I have nothing official to announce."
The uncertainty puts the Strikeforce team in something of a strange position. On a Tuesday teleconference designed to promote the upcoming December 17 event that will match lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez against Jorge Masvidal in the main event, both fighters were repeatedly asked about the possibility of soon moving to the UFC.
The promotion has also had to continue planning for future possibilities during a time of flux. For example, Coker mentioned that he is hoping to host the finals of the heayvweight World Grand Prix in March. Meanwhile, fighter contracts constantly need to be addressed, and future venues and dates have to be determined.
Essentially, Coker and the rest of his team must continue as though Strikeforce's future existence is a guarantee. For his part, Coker is plowing ahead with the belief that he'll be promoting events far into 2012 and beyond.
"In the history of Strikeforce since the relationship with Showtime was developed, we put on, I think some of the best fights in the history of MMA," he said. "We've done our part to grow the sport, and that's going to continue. There's still a lot of great fighters on the roster. And we're going to keep building these fighters. We're going to continue putting on great fights. To me, that's not going to change. So everybody can tune into Showtime and watch in 2012, and we're going to put on some amazing, amazing fights." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, showtime, future, coker
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseTachi Palace Fights 11 Fighter Salaries: Gomez Earns $12K
Filed under: NewsThe fighter salaries for last Friday's Tachi Palace Fights 11 event in Lemoore, Calif. ranged from $1,000 to $12,000, according to salaries reported to the California athletic commission.
Ulysses Gomez (9-2), who has fought at the Tachi Palace his entire career except for one Bellator fight, was the highest earner on the card. Gomez picked up $6,000 to show and another $6,000 as a win bonus in his guillotine submission victory over Cody Gibson to claim the TPF bantamweight title.
Check out the rest of the salaries below.
Georgi Karakhanyan: $3,500 + $3,500 win bonus = $7,000 def. Isaac DeJesus: $5,000
Ulysses Gomez: $6,000 + $6,000 win bonus = $12,000 def. Cody Gibson: $2,500
Dustin Ortiz: $4,500 + $2,500 win bonus = $7,000 def. Josh Rave: $4,500
Phil Collins: $3,000 + $2,000 win bonus = $5,000 def. Andrew Martinez: $3,000
Francisco Rivera: $4,500 + $4,000 win bonus = $8,500 def. Brad McDonald: $4,000
Savant Young: $4,000 + $4,000 win bonus = $8,000 def. Robert Washington: $4,000
Bubba Jenkins: $2,000 + $1,500 win bonus = $3,500 def. Josh Williams: $1,000
Paul Ruiz: $750 + $750 win bonus = $1,500 def. Anthony Figueroa: $1,000
Jesse Bowen: $1,000 + $1,000 win bonus = $2,000 def. Sergio Quinones: $1,000
Edgar Diaz: $500 + $500 win bonus = $1,000 def. Alex Perez: $2,000
Javy Ayala: $750 + $750 win bonus = $1,500 def. Freddie Aquintania: $1,500
Notes: The four fighters in title bouts (Karakhanyan, DeJesus, Gomez and Gibson) were all drug tested and passed. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fighter, bonus, salary, tachi palace, gomez
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFive Fights To Make After The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
Taking a look at five potential new UFC bouts for the winners from the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, finale, ufc bouts
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Forward Roll: The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Edition
Filed under: UFCNot long after Michael Bisping was pulled off of Jason "Mayhem" Miller, signifying a TKO victory in the TUF 14 Finale main event, UFC president Dana White voiced his displeasure, calling it "the most one-sided fight I might have ever seen in the UFC."
Given that Miller won the first round on the scorecards of many observers, that seems a bit harsh. This year alone, there have been plenty of other main events, let alone less significant matches, that were far more one-sided than Miller-Bisping. Less than one month ago, Junior dos Santos beat Cain Velasquez in just 64 seconds. In the fall, Jake Ellenberger KO'd Jake Shields in just 53 seconds. In March, Jon Jones beat Mauricio "Shogun" Rua from the opening horn until the third-round finish. Yet Bisping-Miller is the fight he singled out.
That can't be seen as a good sign for Miller, who gave the UFC an entertaining season of TUF, but now awaits word of his future.
To date, no TUF coach has been cut from the UFC after losing in his first match after the show ended, although there are two asterisks worth noting. After TUF 9, Dan Henderson beat opposing coach Bisping, then left the promotion when the sides couldn't reach a deal to extend his expiring contract. And in his first fight after TUF 11, Chuck Liddell was knocked out by Rich Franklin and later retired.
In my opinion, Miller deserves another opportunity. While his offense can be unorthodox, he is still a competitive fighter and brings entertainment value with his presence. The UFC insists they want game fighters who come to put on a show. Even though he lost, Miller did that. He didn't go quietly or surrender. He took a beating and fought on until the referee put common sense ahead of courage. Cutting Miller would send a conflicting message from what fighters have always been told.
On to the future matchups...
Michael Bisping
Another strong performance from the Brit, who remains perpetually underrated and underappreciated despite few holes in his game. After his win, White alluded to the possibility of Bisping being added on to the UFC on FOX event. That would be a fast turnaround, but Bisping always seems to answer the UFC's call. The question is who would be worth his while.
Right about now, a Bisping vs. Vitor Belfort fight would make good sense, but Belfort is locked into an evening with Anthony Johnson, and the UFC generally doesn't like to shuffle fighters around after they're already in the midst of preparing for something specific. So what's left? Mark Munoz and Chael Sonnen have a date, Anderson Silva is on the shelf, and Brian Stann is coming off a loss. Barring anything unexpected, that leaves one choice.
Prediction: He faces Demian Maia
Jason Miller
It would be a mistake to cut Miller. He's one of the few non-champions able to generate interest from mainstream media due to his TV stint as a host on "Bully Beatdown," and this recent loss aside, he's a credible fighter.
For his return, I'd give him a name the fans know, and one who is also teetering on the brink of unemployment.
Prediction: He fights CB Dollaway
Diego Brandao
Brandao received an extraordinary amount of praise for his promise and success throughout season 14, and he also showed poise under pressure in the finale, overcoming a rough start in the early moments of the first round of his featherweight final with Dennis Bermudez before rebounding with a highlight-reel armbar submission.
For all the raves that have come his way, Brandao has much to work on. His striking can be too wild, he can be lured into wars, and he doesn't have great takedown defense. At just 24 years old, he has time to work on those shortcomings, and shouldn't be brought along too quickly.
Prediction: Brandao faces a promotional newcomer in the spring
Dennis Bermudez
Bermudez looked excellent for nearly the entire first round until making a mistake on the ground and leaving himself open to the arm bar. Unfortunately, that seems to be a running theme for Bermudez, who has lost each of his last three pro bouts by first-round submission.
He'll likely get another shot in the octagon but it's going to be sink or swim for him next time around.
Prediction: Bermudez faces either Marcus Brimage or Steve Siler
Tony Ferguson
The standout fighter on season 13 of TUF, Ferguson moved his record to 3-0 in the octagon with a solid decision win over veteran Yves Edwards. Such a victory shouldn't be discounted. To defeat someone with a reservoir of experience on which to draw on is a feat worthy of our attention, particularly given the way Ferguson accomplished it in a workmanlike fashion.
His combination of striking and wrestling ability will make Ferguson a tough out as his confidence grows and he continues on up the ladder.
Prediction: Danny Castillo is coming off a strong win of his own. He sounds about right for Ferguson.
John Dodson
The littlest guy in the house might have been its baddest dude, as he KO'd three of his four opponents in the bantamweight bracket on the way to taking the TUF crown among 135ers.
Dodson has flashed big power as well as the ability to dump opponents on their backs when necessary. Combine those attributes with his athleticism and speed, and you've got yourself a pretty intriguing fighter. Sure, he should probably be fighting at flyweight, but that long-rumored division doesn't seem much closer to happening now than it did 12 months ago, so he's going to have to roll with the bigger guys until then.
Prediction: He faces Ken Stone
TJ Dillashaw
Dillashaw reminded me of Dollaway a bit, a hyped wrestler who fell short in the TUF finals to a smaller man, but regardless of the disappointing performance, he has some undeniable talent which leads me to believe he'll rebound and make himself a force in the division somewhere down the line.
Though his roots are in wrestling, he does show a good striking game with the exception of keeping his hands so low. At his experience level, a loss isn't the worst thing in the world, as it will allow Dillashaw a chance to progress at a more deliberate pace.
Prediction: He faces Alex Soto Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, miller, tuf, prediction
Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse'TUF 15' tryouts attract 350 fighters, including Jamie Yager, Kultar Gill, to Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS - "The Ultimate Fighter 11" veteran Jamie Yager and K-1
kickboxing vet Kultar Gill were among approximately 150 welterweights
who attended Monday's open tryout session for "The Ultimate Fighter 15."
Additionally, more than 200 155-pound fighters also attended the all-day
session, which aims to secure a cast for the upcoming edition of the
reality series, which is set to begin filming in early 2012.
The prospective cast members gathered at the Fertitta family-owned Texas Station Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas.
Posted in: fighter, vega, la, tryout session, cast members
Read the full article at MMA JunkieLesson learned: don't mug someone cause they could be an MMA fighter. Fuckin' idiot
submitted by munchee420 [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: mma, fighter, someone, dont, mug
Read the full article at RedditFight Game results: Joshua 'The Destroya' Montoya's gritty win in Dallas, Texas
In the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), the fight game is unforgiving and brutal.
Young fighters enter and exit almost in the same breath and the opportunity for success whips right by in the blink of an eye. Thousands of athletes enter into the fight game every year hoping to conquer their regional scene on their way to a big show and world title hopes.
In this young sport it is very easy to get caught up in the hype of records, gym affiliation and accolades. But the truth is, MMA is a combat sport where two fighters are locked into a cage and they both try and use their skills to come out on top after dueling hand to hand in a contest of both physical pain, emotional control and mental toughness.
The old clichés like "war of attrition" apply here as well as the beautiful display we often see from guys who have the intangibles. The guys who have heart, dedication and competitive edge, the qualities that no gym could teach and no person could develop.
Either you have them or you don't.
A very good friend of mine has been a staple of consistency in all three of those categories and has proved time and time again to be an inspiration to anyone who can appreciate a gritty, tough fighter with a knack for wanting to entertain all the fans of mixed martial arts.
For more on this young man, a photo gallery and more, follow me into the extended entry.
Joshua "The Destroya" Montoya is a Santa Fe, New Mexico native who at 21-years old has already amassed a 10-7 professional mixed martial arts record with some professional boxing experience and loads of grappling experience.
A fighter who has lived through the grind of mixed martial arts has studied previously under the tutelage of notable coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn and more recently under grappling ace Rich Chavez and some of Albuquerque's more recognized mixed martial artists.
However, the young Montoya for the most part trains in his own gym that is located in his home town. A gym affiliated with Best Way BJJ and American Top Team. While scheduled to receive his Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Andre "Dedeco" Almeida who has direct lineage to the famed Helio Gracie, Montoya has had his share of notable fights during his three year career.
None more monumental then the fight that took place on Dec. 1, 2011.
Frisco, Texas, was home to the fight promotion "Fight Game" of the Universal Fight League which housed its 32-foot circular cage inside the Dr. Pepper Arena. The co-main event of the evening would showcase the cities most beloved and recognized fighter Jason "Wild Thing" Sampson who was not only undefeated at 8-0 and the top ranked fighter in his state at the weight class but already defeated his opponent, Joshua Montoya, only months before in his home state, inside Albuquerque's famed venue "The Pit" for the inaugural "MMA Fight Pit" promotion.
Sampson would win the fight inside the first round via armbar in a very short and anti-climatic fight that saw the two fighters feel each out before a scramble that allowed Sampson to take advantage of a slight error on the part of Montoya.
Still, when the fight opportunity came just a little over two weeks before the scheduled date of the fight there was no hesitation to once again accept the fight in hopes the result would be different.
Sampson being undefeated was rumored to be courted by the big promotions with 1-2 more impressive wins and Montoya riding the longest losing streak of his career would be at a hypothetical cross road even though he was still so young.
The fight didn't necessarily go down as it would read on paper, from the Texas MMA site:
The event would see a surprise result in the co-main event of the evening as Joshua Montoya (Jackson's MMA) would come into his opponent's backyard and leave with the split decision in a rematch of their last bout which Jason won in New Mexico by submission this past August.
The bout saw a ‘fight of the night' performance for all three rounds as both fighters gave it their all while trying to one-up each other using their respective strengths. True to his "Wild Thing" nickname, Jason would come out like a fastball in the beginning while showcasing his ever-improving striking skills to take the early lead. Montoya would come back in the second round with his own striking prowess with deftly defending his opponent's grappling in an impressive display of takedown defense.
As the fight wore on, it would turn more and more into a standup battle as the two traded shots on the feet. The fight would seemingly come down to the third round with Sampson threatening a rear-naked choke at one point on the ground while Montoya would try and score points on the feet. In the end, two out of three judges saw it in favor of the visiting fighter, 29-28, 29-28, and 28-29 in favor on Montoya to give Sampson the first defeat of his career and Montoya his 10th win.
The fight would be an epic brawl between two very skilled fighters and Montoya was able to edge the highly-touted prospect in his home town earning the victory he knew was possible prior to his quick submission loss in August. With a roaring and shocked crowd who would be torn between satisfaction of a war and disappointment in their fallen star the 21 year old Montoya would now have a Cinderella Story to add to his memory book.
The fight was deemed to be so enjoyable and monumental that the fight would be dealt to Time Warner to be distributed to as many homes as possible. It would be an additional to Montoya's memorable but rarely seen wars that include a split decision loss to famed world champion grappler Rafael "Barata" de Freitas and a razor thin unanimous decision loss to another Texas native Francisco Barragan.
Montoya, sponsored by Trauma Combat and MMAmania.com, would share some pictures from the event taken both by his corner men and TXMMA.com.
A video will be added when it becomes available.
Hope you Maniacs enjoy a good upset story!
Posted in: fight, fighter, home, montoya, sampson
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMachida 'Completely Different Fighter' Since Losing 205-Pound Title
Since he joined the UFC as the then-youngest fighter in the promotion in 2008, nobody in the light heavyweight division has been able to slow down Jon Jones.
Posted in: pound, fighter, division, machida, thenyoungest fighter
Read the full article at SherdogBisping Tops 'TUF 14' Finale Payroll With $425,000
Michael Bisping gave arguably the finest performance of his career at "The Ultimate Fighter 14" Finale on Saturday, and he was rewarded handsomely for his efforts.
Posted in: fighter, michael, career, bisping, finale
Read the full article at SherdogMichael Bisping Makes $425K at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
It's not a good couple of days if you hate Michael Bisping. First he drubbed Jason Miller at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale and now the fight payout info has been released and Bisping made $425,000 to do it. $275,000 of that was his standard fight pay while $150,000 was his win bonus. On the other side of the main event coin, "Mayhem" Miller banked $45,000 in an effort that had Dana White calling the fight one of the most lopsided he'd ever seen and suggesting that Miller may not return to the UFC.
All the fights involving fighters from this season's Ultimate Fighter paid out $8,000 to each fighter with the winner receiving an additional $8,000.
The only other non-TUF fight on the card saw Tony Ferguson make $30,000 ($15k/15k) in a somewhat debated decision over Yves Edwards. Edwards took home $16,000 for a very solid effort.
But back to the Bisping pay. Let's be real here. The guy made more for this fight, on a TUF Finale, in disclosed pay than Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua combined for their UFC 139 main event. He took home $105,000 more than Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez combined for their heavyweight title main event of the first ever UFC on Fox show (again, in disclosed pay).
The truth is, Bisping has been vital in their attempted UK expansions and has seemingly been completely willing to work with the UFC at every turn. He does PR with a good amount of frequency and is a legitimate star in the UK, one of the few capable of basically selling out an arena anywhere on his own name alone.
That, and a little bit of good management, will get you some serious money without even having to run through the top end of your division.
SBN coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, bisping, michael bisping
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTUF 14 Finale Fighter Salaries: Michael Bisping Banks $425,000
The NSAC has released the fighter payouts for the TUF 14 Finale. Keep in mind, these figures represent the base contracted pay the fighter receives from the promotion. These figures do not include any additional undisclosed bonuses or sponsorship money, which in many cases exceeds a fighter’s base pay. These numbers also do not account for taxes, insurance, and license fees.
Michael Bisping far and away made the biggest payday at the TUF 14 Finale with a $425,000 purse after his win bonus. Bisping’s last two purses weren’t released since both those fights took place overseas, but it is a huge jump from the $190,000 he made at UFC 114 last year. His opponent, Mayhem Miller, only made a fraction of Bisping’s $275,000 show money with a $45,000 purse. All TUF 14 cast members on the card fought under a $8,000/$8,000 contract, however Diego Brandao brought home an additional $80,000 in Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night bonus money for what nearly became a six-figure payday. Dennis Bermudez and John Dodson also made out well with their $40,000 bonuses.
Payouts
Courtesy of MMA Junkie:
Michael Bisping: $425,000 ($275k + $150k win bonus)
Jason “Mayhem” Miller: $45,000
Diego Brandao: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Dennis Bermudez: $8,000
John Dodson: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
T.J. Dillashaw: $8,000
Tony Ferguson: $30,000 ($15k + $15k)
Yves Edwards: $16,000
Johnny Bedford: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Louis Gaudinot: $8,000
Marcus Brimage: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Stephen Bass: $8,000
John Albert: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Dustin Pague: $8,000
Roland Delorme: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Josh Ferguson: $8,000
Steven Siler: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Josh Clopton: $8,000
Bryan Caraway: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Dustin Neace: $8,000
Bonuses
$40,000 bonus to each fighter.
Knockout of the Night – John Dodson
Submission of the Night – Diego Brendao
Fight of the Night – Diego Brendao vs. Dennis Bermudez
Total Payout
A disclosed total of $868,000, including all bonuses, was paid out to the fighters.
Posted in: night, fighter, tuf, bisping, bonus
Read the full article at MMA ConvertTUF 14 Finale Fighter Salaries: Bisping Dwarfs Card
The NSAC released the TUF 14 Finale fighter salaries on Monday with Michael Bisping dwarfing the payroll of the rest of the fight card combined.
Posted in: fighter, fight card, bisping, salary, finale
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyBryan Caraway broken hand pic from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale
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Posted in: fighter, bryan, finale, mattyblayze link, hand pic
Read the full article at RedditTUF 14 Finale Salaries: Bisping takes home more than all other fighters combined
The fighter salaries for this past weekend’s season finale of “The Ultimate Fighter 14” have been released and the big winner of the night was Michael Bisping, who took home more than every other fighter on the card combined.
Bisping earned his salary by dominating Jason “Mayhem” Miller during rounds two and three of their scheduled five round fight. The contest ended at the 3:34 mark of Round Three via TKO.
Full salaries for the “TUF” 14 finale:
Michael Bisping:
Posted in: fighter, round, bisping, salary, finale
Read the full article at Low KickJon Jones: 'I'm the Best Fighter I've Ever Been Right Now'
Filed under: UFC, NewsUFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones says he'll be better than ever when he steps into the Octagon with Lyoto Machida at UFC 140.
Jones said on The MMA Hour that he's been training four times a day, and that he's physically stronger, in better shape and a better mixed martial artist than he's ever been before.
"Judging on my numbers in the weight room, judging on my numbers in the cardio tests, it's the best I've ever been," Jones said. "I'm the best fighter that I've ever been right now."
If that's true it would be bad news for Machida, as in Jones's last two fights he had no trouble running through two fighters who have previously beaten Machida, Shogun Rua and Rampage Jackson. Jones also said that he believes that dealing with Rampage before their previous fight -- when Rampage frequently denigrated Jones -- has made him mentally stronger.
"Rampage elevated me in a way of being able to handle future opponents who are going to get under my skin and try to trash talk me," Jones said.
As Jones has become one of the freshest faces and brightest young stars in the UFC, there's been something of a backlash among MMA fans , and Jones said he hears from fans on Twitter who tell him he's too cocky or arrogant. Jones said he's not sure what he's done to inspire that kind of backlash, but he has learned to accept it.
"I could see if I was Floyd Mayweather," Jones said, referring to the brash boxing champ who seems to delight in making fans hate him. "I deal with it by realizing that not everyone's going to love you."
Although Jones has become a star, he says that hasn't changed who he is deep down -- even though he has changed as a fighter and become, in his own mind, better than ever.
"In high school I got the free lunch because we didn't have the finances to go to Wendy's for lunch like the other kids," Jones said. "That I got good at fighting ... that changes nothing about the real world. I have changed as an athlete -- I believe in my heart that I'm the best, I believe I won't lose to Lyoto, or Rashad [Evans], or [Dan] Henderson or any of the other guys. ... As 'Bones' I'm growing and yeah I'm a little cocky and it's important to be that way. But as Jonathan, in the real world, everyone who meets me will say I treated them with the utmost respect." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: rampage, jone, fighter, he, im
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseBryan Caraway broken hand pic from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale
So, anyone out there still think Bryan Caraway is too soft to become an "Ultimate Fighter?"
The submission-savvy featherweight, who struggled with his anxiety on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), made a splash in his Octagon debut at last Saturday night's (Dec. 3, 2011) live finale, strangling fellow contestant Dustin Neace en route to a second round tapout.
And he did it with a broken hand.
Caraway (16-5) may have not only gotten over his pre-fight jitters, but also demonstrated his heart with this weekend's gritty performance at the Palms. If nothing else, he'll at least move on to bigger and better things inside the 145-pound division.
Anyone else ready to give "Kid Lightining" a second look? Or have you already seen enough?
Too soon to tell?
Let's hear your thoughts on his performance from last weekend and if you missed it, you can read our live play-by-play of the fight by clicking here.
Posted in: fighter, fighter tuf, submissionsavvy featherweight, round tapout, kid lightining
Read the full article at MMA ManiaSo we all know Dana's not happy with Mayhem, but do you actually think that he'll get fired?... Again?!
He's become one of my favorite fighters and I know if he had another chance at the UFC magical things will happen Also, most one sided fight in history? Dana is trippin submitted by DayGreedy [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fighter, dana, history dana, trippin, daygreedy
Read the full article at RedditGive Jon Jones the Ball, He Wants to Run With It
Jon Jones embraces his role as champion and face of the UFC, and no amount of interviews will distract him from his goal of being the best fighter on the planet.
Posted in: jon, jone, fighter, jon jones, ball
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale results recap: Winners and losers from the Dec. 3 showdown in Las Vegas
It's a wrap, people.
On Sat., Dec. 3, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) successfully completed what was perhaps the most exciting season of Ultimate Fighter (TUF) we've ever seen with The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Trophies were awarded. Bonus checks for $25,000 were given out to a few lucky competitors. Some talk was backed up, while other chatter turned out to be merely bravado.
MMAmania.com takes a look back at the event to highlight which fighters came out with an increase to their star power, as well as a recap of which fighters walked away with their legacy a bit more tarnished than before.
Let's do this.
WINNERS
Diego Brandao -- Yep. That's right. I went a bit unconventional with my first pick. You didn't "count" on me going Brandao right out of the gate. We'll get to that other guy in a second. In a fight that will go down as one of the better featherweight scraps we've seen in a while, Brandao was able to come out on top by way of a crazy armbar that seemed to come out of nowhere. It was quick, it was brutal and his opponent, Dennis Bermudez tapped like his arm depended on it. Turns out, it did. Brandao is a little beast. It'll be very exciting to see what's next for the 145-pound spitfire out of the Jackson's MMA camp.
Michael Bisping -- Love him or hate him (and it's really one or the other), you'd have a hard time not complimenting the performance that Bisping put on versus his TUF coaching rival on Saturday night. His cardio was superior. His boxing was worlds better. He was faster, stronger and flat-out better. He won't get a shot at Anderson Silva next, but he was honest afterwards in admitting that he doesn't think he deserves it yet. Maybe there's hope for this guy yet.
Dennis Bermudez -- I know. He lost. But did he really? In the big picture? You can't tell me the UFC and Joe Silva can't use a featherweight like Bermudez who goes out there and lays it all on the line, giving the fans a hugely entertaining match in the process. He lost to the better man on Saturday night, but there were several moments where it looked like it could have gone the other way. Bermudez has a bright future and I, for one, hope that the next time we see him will be in the Octagon again.
John Dodson -- Not everyone was a Dodson fan. He didn't make himself easy to love. He has a big mouth and a laugh that would makes nails on a chalkboard sound like angels singing a lullaby. His obnoxiousness aside, you can't knock his ability. All he does is win. If his opponents keep underestimating his power, they will keep finding themselves waking up from a nap in the middle of the cage wondering what happened and what day it is.
LOSERS
Jason Miller -- This was "Mayhem's" chance to make his way back into the UFC. This was his chance to shut Bisping up once and for all. It was his chance to grow his brand and show people he was more than just a television host who paid other professional mixed martial artists to beat up thugs and bullies. He did none of that. After a pretty good first round that saw Miller in dominant top position, the one-time international star faded quickly. He gassed. He used a poorly thought out strategy. He got beat up and beat up badly. His "star power" will probably get him another chance with the UFC bigwigs, but he'll need to fare far better next go-round.
Dustin Pague -- I'm gonna go easy on Pague here. He was fighting a guy in John Albert who I believe will make some noise in the UFC's bantamweight division. He's good and I don't think we've seen his best stuff yet. That said, Pague got worked under the big lights and it happened way too fast. Pague is 24 years old, so he still has time to refine his skills. He'll need to if he wants to secure a contract with the biggest MMA promotion in the world.
Yves Edwards -- I know it was a super close fight between Edwards and Tony Ferguson. That said, Edwards has now lost two of his last three fights and at 35, he's not getting any younger. The match-up between he and Ferguson was a pairing of a young prospect looking to make a name for himself against an aging veteran gatekeeper. It's not a role Edwards wants to be pigeon-holed in. Hopefully, he can get back on track with a win his next time out.
You Maniacs think you can do better? Prove it. Who were your winners and losers from Saturday night's finale event?
To check out complete The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale results and detailed blow-by-blow coverage click here.
Posted in: ufc, saturday night, fighter, brandao, edward
Read the full article at MMA ManiaOne armed MMA fighter Nick Newall is now 6-0
submitted by hyperinsane [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: mma, nick, fighter, hyperinsane, newall
Read the full article at RedditUFC Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Results Video: Dana White Positive Showtime Deal With Strikeforce Continues
Following the Ultimate Fighter 14 finale, MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani caught up with UFC President Dana White to get his thoughts on the fights. Among the topics discussed are Jason Miller's performance and future in the UFC, the finals for the TUF crown, and Michael Bisping's next fight (White doesn't give any information, but hints that it's a huge fight). However, the most newsworthy tidbit is the future of Strikeforce.
Since the UFC's purchase of Strikeforce, it was assumed that eventually the company would be folded once the contract with Showtime ran out in February 2012. All signs pointed this way with various Strikeforce fighters getting the "call up to the majors" so to speak. However, some members of the media were adamant that the recently announced date for Luke Rockhold's title defense against Keith Jardine was a sign that talks between Zuffa and Showtime have improved and the chances of a contract extension were extremely high. White's comments to Helwani confirm this suspicion. He won't commit 100% to a new contract but if Dana White feels that there will likely be a new contract, it's probably likely that the paperwork is being drawn up right now and they are just waiting to put the ink on the paper.
SBN coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, fighter, dana, contract
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMMA fighters school pics.
submitted by Jam_med [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: mma, fighter, school, pic
Read the full article at RedditUFC Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale: Post-Fight Analysis and Reflections
Whether you like it or not, Michael Bisping is a contender in the UFC MW Division. His obnoxious behavior at the weigh ins (not doubt a reaction to the obnoxious behavior of the UFC crowd, to be fair) seems part and parcel of what we've come to expect from the Brit. Yes, Bisping is unlikeable, but like Antonio Margarito, he seems to be at peace with the comparisons fans make to him as a Bond villain, directing the damsel in distress with an AK to his secret lair next to his plans to take over the world.
That world is the MW division of the UFC. Was his destruction of Jason Miller enough to convince us? I'll talk about Miller's performance and just quote Jonathan Snowden at MMA Nation: "Mayhem" Miller turned out to be an illusion". 'That's a bingo', as they say in the Nazi business. Miller is now part of lineup that includes almost every fighter that has ever cut their teeth outside of the UFC, and not had the benefit of fighting elite competition, night in and night out. Yes, I know there are examples on the contrary. But it's the narrative for non-Zuffa fighters, and it's been fitting for the most part.
Dana White went on to tweet that it was the most one-sided fight ever. Fans have taken him to task for it, wondering where the hatred for Miller is coming from (the only explanation for such an insipid statement). It's not on the level of Dana's "criticism" in the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos scrap at the UFC on FOX, but it's nonsense nonetheless.
However, Jason Miller is expensive. For a fighter that had done nothing to deserve it, Miller had the red carpet rolled out for him: a spot on TUF as coach, and a fight against a guy already knocking on the contendership door. He did nothing to validate himself. He gassed out quick, and could only smile and eat shots when Bisping had him backing him. Sorry "Mayhem" fans, but if performance were the equivalent of cash, Miller wouldn't make a quarter of what Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez made: two fighters that stepped up when given the spotlight.
Despite all the hoopla, I wasn't impressed with Bisping. He still hesitates to sit down on his punches, and even with Miller throwing wildly, and clumsily, Bisping still got hit. It wasn't a performance to write home about given the opposition Miller was giving him. He's eager for a shot at Anderson Silva. Let him have his execution and hanging too. Better sooner than later.
Despite the criticisms, I don't think Miler should be cut. However, another performance like that and I''ll support the pinkslip.
Awesome, awesome performance by Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez. I was highly impressed by both guys. Bermudez is a tough kid, and he wasn't the guy I expected to see in the finals given his struggle just to get in the house. Jimmie Rivera dummied him on the feet, and looked to be the fighter to make it in the house before Dennis gutted out a TKO in the 2nd. It wasn't enough against Brandao, who scored one of the quickest armbars you'll ever see and amidst a barrage of ground and pound no less. They're both a bit raw (both can get hit, a lot), but they deserve to be in the UFC and deserved the 40 thousand in FOTN bonus money they received afterword.
It was the John Dodson show against T.J. Dillashaw. While Dodson is clearly a FW, he's good enough to pick up wins at BW. He just that good. The question is whether or not he can keep his head in the game during a fight, as he has a tendency to become uninterested.
Tony Ferguson leaves his head up in the air, but it made for great action against Yves Edwards. Edwards is clearly on the tail end of his career, but the guy can still throw a sharp left with his fist or foot. Ferguson appeared to eat the same kick that flatlined Josh Thomson. Another great fight that would have won FOTN were it not for Brandao and Bermudez.
Louis Gaudinot doesn't belong at BW, and probably not even in the UFC. Johnny Bedford kicked the crap out of him, and in near classic Chute Boxe style.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, miller, bisping, performance
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendTUF 14 Finale: Welcome to the UFC, 135 and 145-pounders; glad you could make it
Besides Pride Fighting Championships, no dead fight promotion was more loved and has been missed more than World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC).
Bought by UFC parent company Zuffa in 2006, WEC marched along with four nearly flawless years. The talent was phenomenal, the matchmaking was on point and each event was definitely worth watching. It was a bittersweet moment when the promotion's merger with its bigger brother was announced. While the WEC would be gone, its fighters would earn more coin and get more exposure.
The first was easily proven. Fight purses grew, sponsors became more plentiful. The second is less tangible and harder to point out. While the UFC is the king of the mixed martial arts (MMA) mountain and draws tons of eyeballs every single time it holds an event, a lot of the bantamweight and featherweight bouts in the past year have found homes on the prelims. Titles fights, of course, would headline or at least serve as co-main events but it wasn't until The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) doors were opened that a concrete promotional push could be seen.
Last night's The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale crowned the show's first bantamweight and featherweight champions. Twelve weeks ago 32 fighters -- 16 135- and 145-pounders a piece -- showed up at the TUF house to let the world know what the little guys could do inside the Octagon.
And boy, did they.
Thanks in part to the talent pool not being sucked nearly dry as all the other weight divisions in the UFC have been due to 13 previous seasons of the reality show, TUF 14 seemed both fresh and exciting. It was something that show hadn't been in quite a while. The last time I remember being genuinely excited about the cast was way back in the fifth season when lightweights got a similar introduction -- or reintroduction as it were -- to the TUF fanbase.
There is an entire world of 135- and 145-pound prospects out there that remains untapped. A lot of fans doubt that there is anyone that can challenge featherweight champion Jose Aldo and he should vacate his title and move up in weight. True or not, that remains to be seen but the right challenger might not be fighting inside the Octagon right now. He may be someone most of us have never even heard of. That's a possibility that simply doesn't exist in the five other traditional weight classes.
After a season of great fights, the two finals themselves kept up the trend and were displays of both unabashed brutality and razor-sharp technique.
Stepping inside the Octagon on the bantamweight side was John Dodson and T.J. Dillashaw. Dodson had earned his way to the live Finale by knocking out Johnny Bedford in devastating fashion. Dillashaw dominated Dustin Pague over three rounds to punch his ticket to the finals.
When they met inside the cage, it didn't take long for Dodson to find the same sweet spot he had against Bedford. Less than two minutes into the fight, a punch connected that put Dillashaw down. Replays showed that "The Magician's" entire forearm collided with his opponent's jaw leading up to his ear, causing the disruption in equilibrium. A little bit of ground and pound later and the referee was left with no other choice than to stop the fight.
10 pounds heavier, Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez took each other on to decide the featherweight champion. The Brazilian seemed to be getting the better of his opponent until a picture perfect counter from Bermudez stopped "Ceara" dead in his tracks. He collapsed to the mat but recovered quickly enough to not allow Bermudez to finish him off like Dodson had done to Dillashaw one fight earlier.
The New York-native tempted fate a little too long while inside Brandao's guard and was soon getting his arm torqued and bent back thanks to a perfectly executed armbar with only seconds to spare in the opening stanza. It was MMA at its finest, proving that technique almost always trumps strength.
Both men -- along with a handful of their TUF 14 castmates -- could certainly have bright futures in the UFC. Their bouts were exciting and even a few people on my Twitter feed were already calling for Brandao and Bermudez's back and forth to win "Round of the Year" honors.
For the first time since the merger one year ago, the WEC seemed more alive and well than ever. The small guys inside the cage going at it and doing it better than their larger counterparts was something the defunct promotion was known for and that's exactly what fans got last night.
Now that TUF 14 is in the books and the UFC's two newest weight classes have completed every rite of passage needed, it'd make sense to welcome the bantamweight and featherweight fighters already under contract to the company as well as any future fighters who will now get that once nonexistent chance. It's a fantastic opportunity for them and a boon for fans who get to see the fights.
So welcome to the UFC, boys; everyone sure is glad you could make it.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, tuf, featherweight
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC Ultimate Fighter Finale Results: Winners, Losers, and Other Thoughts
It's Sunday. While I'm waiting to beat Mike Fagan at fantasy football, it's time to reflect back on the night of UFC fights and discuss who the biggest winners and loser were on the night. It was the second to last UFC broadcast on Spike TV and the last season of The Ultimate Fighter before the series airs live on FX in 2012. As with all major events there are some big winners and some huge losers on the night. Let's take a look at the results and see who came out on top.
WINNERS
Michael Bisping - I'm not a Michael Bisping fan by any definition of the word "fan" but his performance last night was impressive. He's made massive improvements to his takedown defense and his boxing was solid. His ability to keep the fight standing made Jason Miller look like a complete amateur. He'll never be a fan favorite but there is no doubt that he belongs in the top 10 discussions at middleweight.
Diego Brandao - I wasn't sold on him because as powerful of a puncher he is, he also isn't really all that technical. He relies on his ability to put an opponent to sleep to really level the playing field when dealing with someone with better stand up. The armbar was slick as all hell and he has a killer instinct that most fighters don't have.
John Dodson - Dodson is like Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benevidez: undersized for bantamweight but uses speed to make up for the difference in weight. At flyweight he never really made the big jump to being elite because he didn't have the speed advantage. He's an interesting prospect because of the knockout power and speed he possesses at bantamweight. His fight record means that he doesn't have to be brought along as slowly as past TUF winners so he may be in the shark tank sooner than we think.
Johnny Bedford - I said last night that it was a mismatch and I meant it. Perhaps my wording was incorrect because people were under the impression that I was faulting Bedford for being so much bigger than Louis Gaudinot. Bedford is a massive bantamweight and he put on a helluva performance against Gaudinot. I need to see him do it against someone in the weight class that isn't a flyweight to see what he actually can do but he's an interesting prospect for sure.
John Albert - The TKO was awesome. It's very rare to see a fighter gift wrap his opponent which makes the finish all the more special.
Bantam and Featherweights - The divisions needed this season. Prior to TUF 14, no one cared about the under 155 pound guys. Had the season been boring or filled with questionable talent, it may have set the divisions back even further. Instead the finale is super fun and not a single fight ended up being boring.
Losers and other thoughts after the jump...
SBN coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
LOSERS
Mayhem Miller - Dana White is talking about how that performance could be another "one and done" for Mayhem. Honestly, I'm not sure I disagree with the UFC President. Mayhem was more concerned with the walkout than he was with the fight and looked like dogcrap after the first round. I don't know if it was an adrenaline dump or just poor conditioning but that was the worst case of gassing since Slice/Alexander. Shame since the season of the Ultimate Fighter made him such an endearing personality. C'est la vie I guess?
T.J. Dillashaw - The season already made him see like a guy who tried taking the easiest road to the finale. Last night he got knocked out by a blown up flyweight. I know he's still extremely young and has plenty of room to grow but he didn't do himself any favors with his performance last night.
Josh Clopton - Before the finale I had no idea who Josh Clopton was. After the finale I feel like I'll never really know.
Dennis Bermudez - He really didn't look bad against Brandao and was holding his own on the feet. I figured when he got the takedown he'd ride out the round and get the 10-9 from the judges. Instead he gets arm barred and loses the fight. To add to that, the arm bar snapped his arm and now he's out for an extended length of time while he has to heal up.
Louis Gaudinot - I know he's a flyweight but he had absolutely nothing for Johnny Bedford last night. Everywhere the fight took place he was outclassed. I'm not sure he's going to stick around if he can't hang with the 135ers until the UFC starts the flyweight division.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- The pacing last night was godawful. The first 45 minutes of the SPIKE TV broadcast featured 10 minutes of fighting. The rest was video game and movie trailers. I get that commercials keep the lights on but that's a terrible stat when you're trying to endear fans to the sport.
- The relationship with SPIKE is over and in all of his post-fight interviews Dana reiterated that he has no hard feelings. He is either showing enormous maturity in not burning the bridge on the way out or he's waiting until 2012 to unleash the dogs of war on SPIKE.
- Rogan and Goldie were terrible last night. I don't know what's going on with these two but they've been off their game since UFC 137. I'm hoping it's just a case of being burnt out on the ridiculously busy schedule and not some other underlying issue.
- Marcus Brimage is awesome. His shout out to Alabama was fantastic and his post fight interview with Ariel Helwani was hilarious when he had to explain what "white girl wasted" was and why he exclusively dates fat girls. Hopefully his talents can develop since he's got the personality to be a star in this sport.
- Hopefully the performances from both Brandao and Dodson can put to rest the "Jackson Fighters are boring" meme. Let's instead change that meme to "Georges St. Pierre is boring" and call it a day, okay?
Posted in: fight, night, fighter, finale, he
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 results recap: Tony Ferguson vs Yves Edwards fight review and analysis
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 13 winner Tony Ferguson faced his toughest test thus far last night (December 3, 2011) when he took on motivated veteran Yves Edwards on The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale main card in a very entertaining lightweight tilt.
Ferguson had had his way with every opponent he'd faced thus far in the UFC, knocking out all three of his opponents during the filming of the show and then finishing both Ramsey Nijem and Aaron Riley in the first round in his first official bouts with the promotion.
There would be no easy victory last night, as Edwards, a veteran of 60 fights, gave him all that he could handle over the course of three rounds.
When it was all said and done, Ferguson was awarded a unanimous decision.
So what key factor may have swayed the judges in "El Cucuy's" favor? And what's next for both fighters?
Ferguson came out aggressively with kicks, but Edwards was wise to his game. By the time he threw his fourth leg kick, "The Thugjitsu Master" was already checking them expertly. Both men had some very entertaining exchanges but Edwards landed the first seriously significant blow.
Just as Ferguson wades in with a big right hook, Edwards catches him with a beautiful short counter punch of his own.
As "El Cucuy" backs up away from danger, Edwards steps forward and throws a nasty head kick that cracks Ferguson in the side of the head.
To make matters worse, he then follows it up with a swift right hand that completely catches Ferguson off guard as he's simply trying to regain his composure after absorbing some heavy strikes that he never saw coming.
Incredibly, though, Ferguson just kept pressing action. The kid has as iron of a chin as there is in the lightweight division. Despite taking some very big blows, I'm not sure he even was wobbled.
Ferguson would have his revenge two minutes later, when he caught Edwards with a very slick lead left uppercut.
As Edwards backs away, Ferguson cuts him off along the fence and catches him again with the same punch, this time following up with a right hand.
This time, Edwards was in trouble, losing his balance along the fence and he was forced to cover up as "El Cucuy" unloaded on him with some very heavy blows. Thankfully he was able to block most of them or he would have been put to sleep for sure.
After slightly regaining his wits, Edwards attempted a takedown at the end of the round to perhaps steal the round on the judges scorecards.
Not only was his takedown stuffed with easy by the TUF 13 winner, but from top position, Ferguson showcased some very solid grappling skills of his own, locking in an omaplata and rolling Edwards.
Watch how quickly he locks up Edwards' shoulder from top position. The set up is terrific and he completely caught the veteran off guard with it.
If he hadn't already sealed the round by hurting Edwards just seconds earlier, this display of grappling prowess put him over the top in the judges' eyes as Ferguson clearly won round one.
While Ferguson was able to take round one, both rounds two and three were incredibly close. Both men landed solid strikes, but Edwards did a great job of turning up the aggression and forcing Ferguson to move backwards, even bloodying up "El Cucuy's" nose a bit.
I think the key reason that the judges unanimously sided with Ferguson was how he responded to getting hit. Despite Edwards landing some very nice shots throughout the fight, Ferguson walked right through most of them. The guy has a ridiculous chin so he can make it look like punches and kicks weren't nearly as powerful as they actually are. When Edwards got hit hard, he would get wobbled a bit, showing signs of noticeably getting rocked.
I certainly thought the final result was closer than the (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) scores indicated for Ferguson.
For Yves Edwards, this was as good as he's looked since making his return to the UFC. He was crisp in his striking, his defense was tight and he did a great job of mixing in kicks to keep Ferguson guessing. He did just about everything correct to make it a close and entertaining fight. The only thing missing was the decision. While I don't think he got robbed or anything, he definitely deserved a closer scorecard than he got.
He definitely will be back after that strong showing. I'd like to see him against a tough veteran like Shane Roller or someone who will be willing to throw down with him like Rafael dos Anjos or Mac Danzig.
For Tony Ferguson, perhaps he's not quite the superstar that we thought he was. He's got some terrific awkward and unorthodox strikes but his defense still has a long ways to go. He can only rely on his ability to take a punch for so long before that starts to catch up to him. Hopefully he puts in some serious time on slipping and blocking strikes before his next fight because it's not going to get any easier for him from here on out.
I'd like to see him get in there against someone along the lines of Danny Castillo, Cole Miller or Terry Etim in his next fight. Let's see what this powerful fighter is capable of.
So what did you think, Maniacs?
Did you think Ferguson won this fight? What did you think of Yves Edwards' performance over the course of three rounds?
Sound off!
For complete Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire pay-per-view (PPV) event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.
All gifs by Zombie Prophet via IronForgesIron.com.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, ferguson, edward
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale & Cotto vs. Margarito - Post-Hangover Thoughts
It's never an easy night when you have to cover one show that ends around 1 a.m. ET and then get through a Tivo'ed three hour show. As such, I'm in pretty rough shape this morning.
That being said, I'm also really happy with the action from both the Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito and Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. Having had a night, or at least part of a night, to sleep on it, let's go through the events of last night for some thoughts.
Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller went pretty much exactly as I expected. Bisping hasn't exactly beaten the best fighters in the world, but being active against at least good fighters is a lot better than the two years Miller has gone since fighting Jake Shields.
In the end Bisping is simply a better fighter. He takes a bit to get going sometimes, as was the case last night, but even when Miller was working toward the mount he wasn't ever in danger. Once Mayhem tried to secure it, that's when Bisping felt the trouble and stood up. And in terms of cardio, striking and just general all around fighting ability, Bisping is the better fighter.
Diego Brandao has huge flaws in his game, he wings his strikes so wide that he is easy to counter or take him down, but he is a blast to watch. Dennis Bermudez fought well and took advantage of the ease with which Brandao can be hit, but he left an arm in for just a second and that was all it took. Brandao has a killer instinct that some fighters just never pick up, and that will serve him well in his career.
More thoughts after the jump:
While I believe that size absolutely matters in the fight game, speed can make up for it when the skill levels are close. That's what allows John Dodson to look so good and hurt so many bigger men as he did against T.J. Dillashaw. He's able to get in, hit hard and quickly and then get out of danger if needed. While it'll be interesting to see if Dodson can continue to be as effective against the UFC's 135 pounders. The speed will serve him well, but as the skill level of his competition increases the size may come into play.
Tony Ferguson and Yves Edwards put on a fun fight that saw both men have their moments. I wasn't really scoring the fight as I watched but it seemed clear to me that Edwards had won at least one round. I'm not sure where 30-27 Ferguson comes from, but that's just me. I still have my doubts about Tony's future as he seems like a talented guy who might not always fight up to how talented he truly is.
Like I said in the predictions, the UFC seemed to want Johnny Bedford to stick around and matched him to get that done.
On the HBO pay-per-view boxing card, the fights were interesting but the crowd and announcers actually took away from a fun undercard. During really good fights between Brandon Rios and John Murray as well as Pawel Wolak vs. Delvin Rodriguez, the commentary and production crew spent most of their time talking about the main event and desperately trying to fit in as many shots of Cotto and Margarito backstage as possible. And the crowd was just dead as they were mostly Cotto supporters waiting for the main event.
Mike Jones looked way better than I thought he would against Sebastian Lujan. Lujan is a pressure fighter that breaks guys down over the fight and Jones has had cardio issues in the past. Rather than getting pulled into an ugly fight, he used his size and technique to just outclass Lujan.
Pawel Wolak vs. Delvin Rodriguez 2 was not as good as the first fight but was still very good. Wolak simply can't be in a bad fight and Rodriguez has a good style compliment. Delvin did a really good job of using the keys he figured out in the first fight in the rematch. Understanding when to catch him on the way in, to use uppercuts and hooks and just wear out Wolak.
Brandon Rios looked awful for much of the fight against John Murray. He was sluggish and by the third or fourth round was taking deep sighing breaths. But, despite all his character flaws, he has tremendous heart and guts. Despite clearly being affected by the bad weight situation he just kept punching and punching and took advantage of Murray's tremendously bad defense. It was a decent showing for both men but may have been the best kind of thing Rios could do. Proving the level to which he is willing to go to win. Now, let's just hope that his camp tells him that he is not a lightweight anymore.
Miguel Cotto got his revenge and it's hard to say a lot about. The feeling was always that Margarito was a pretty shot fighter. He has looked tremendously slow since the Mosley situation and for some reason he hasn't been able to hurt anyone with a punch since he was caught with his corner loading his handwraps. Cotto was too good, too fast and too strong for Margarito and blasted away at his bad eye until the doctors were forced to stop it.
One got the feeling when Cotto said that Margarito is now nothing to him, he truly meant it. He's now poised for another huge payday with potential fights against Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, while Margarito is reduced to likely being an opponent for someone like Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. who just need a name opponent they can beat.
Posted in: fight, night, fighter, margarito, cotto
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 results recap: Diego Brandao vs Dennis Bermudez fight review and analysis
After a full season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and several extra months to prepare for their featherweight finale, both Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez came out swinging fearlessly last night (December 3, 2011) on The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale from the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas.
Brandao had built a reputation on the show as a complete monster, laying waste to everyone in his path, but Bermudez was not intimidated with him for a second, willing to stand toe-to-toe with him and trade big strikes.
The result?
One of the best fights of 2011, and certainly one of the best rounds you'll ever see.
Despite being known for his tremendous knockout power, it was Brandao's Brazilian jiu-jitsu that saved the day, and boy was it dramatic.
So how did he pull it off to become the next "Ultimate Fighter?" And where do both talented 24 year olds go from here?
Bermudez showed no fear whatsoever early on, getting in Brandao's face with punches and kicks, even throwing a flying knee for good measure and that was just in the first 30 seconds.
When Brandao attempted to respond, Bermudez caught his kick, took him down briefly and dropped some big punches before attempting a guillotine as the Brazilian tried to get to his feet.
Just when it appeared that "The Menace" had gained full control of the first round, Brandao showed exactly how dangerous he truly was.
Watch how quickly he was able to close the distance on Bermudez, launching forward with a perfectly thrown overhand right.
Bermudez also made a big mistake in backing up straight instead of using angles to avoid the blow. It completely caught him off guard. Fortunately for him, he has an incredible ability to recover and he popped to his feet almost immediately.
With the momentum now on his side, Brandao took the initiative, landing big leg kicks, powerful counters and even slamming the Long Island MMA fighter to the canvas with a big takedown, but he couldn't keep the wrestler down for long.
In typical Brandao fashion, he charged in recklessly looking for the knockout with a minute left in the round but this time Bermudez was ready for him.
He backed up just enough to avoid the lead left hook and countered perfectly with a short straight right of his own which, while it didn't have his full body behind it, still landed right on the button.
Bermudez also did a great job of planting on his back foot to put a little extra "oomph" into the blow and Brandao went down hard. His follow-up short left hook could have put a hurting on Brandao as well.
From here on out, it was a race to the finish as Bermudez looked to finish Brandao with ground and pound while the Brazilian tried to remain calm on his back and throw up submissions. A heel hook attempt was quickly shrugged off and "The Menace" was smelling blood.
While Bermudez was looking for the finish, he got a little careless, leaving his left hand ripe for the picking while dropping big right bombs on the ground.
Watch how quickly the Brazilian latched onto his left arm, put his right leg up over Bermudez's face and then rolled him over into one of the slickest armbars you'll ever see.
It's even difficult to keep up with in slow motion and Bermudez is instantly forced to tap out, although his arm may have been broken regardless. This was picture perfect technique by Brandao.
Despite the fight lasting just 4:51, both young men were awarded the $40,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus with Brandao also taking home "Submission of the Night." It looks like he'll have no problem buying a new home for his mom back in Brazil now.
For Dennis Bermudez, he shouldn't be disappointed with his performance one bit. He avoided getting off to a slow start and really took the fight to Brandao unlike anyone had done on the show. By forcing the Brazilian to move backwards, he gained an early upper hand and he even nearly finished Brandao after landing that beautiful straight right counter. Hopefully his arm isn't too severely damaged and we get to see him in the Octagon soon. This kid has some serious talent.
When he's feeling better, I'd love to see him against someone like Jason Young, Eddie Yagin or if they feel he's up for the challenge, perhaps someone along the lines of Tyson Griffin. He's definitely got potential.
For Diego Brandao, that was a tremendous showcase of his ability to perform under the most intense pressure he's ever been under. Despite nearly being finished, he was looking to end the fight from bottom and he pulled off one of the most dramatic armbars in UFC history. Training out of Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, I have a feeling that this kid is going to be a force in the division for a long time, as long as he can keep that reckless attacking style slightly in check.
Potential opponents for Brandao could be someone along the lines of Darren Elkins, Ricardo Lamas or potentially Javier Vazquez if he's ready for a major step up in competition. Either way, Brandao should be a welcome addition to the UFC featherweight division.
So what did you think, Maniacs?
Was this one of the most exciting back-and-forth battles of 2011? What did you think of Brandao's miracle armbar thrown up from the brink of defeat?
Speak up!
For complete Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire pay-per-view (PPV) event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.
All gifs by Zombie Prophet via IronForgesIron.com.
Posted in: fight, right, fighter, bermudez, brandao
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 results recap: Michael Bisping vs Jason Miller fight review and analysis
After a full season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) to build up their middleweight fight, coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller finally got an opportunity to settle their feud last night (December 3, 2011) on The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in Las Vegas.
"Mayhem" Miller could talk the talk, but unfortunately for him, he simply couldn't walk the walk.
Not even close.
This was Miller's big opportunity, he was the first major Strikeforce fighter to cross over to the UFC, but after a strong season of coaching on TUF, his fighting ability left something to be desired, resulting in what UFC President Dana White would later call perhaps "the most one-sided fight he's ever seen in the UFC."
So how did Michael Bisping lay the smackdown, and what went horribly wrong for Miller? Also, where do both fighters go from here?
Miller opened very aggressively, throwing leg kicks, punches and knees while looking to clinch and potentially take Bisping down. Early in the fight, his strikes, while not exactly technical, were finding a home.
Unlike Bisping's straight on attack, most of Miller's blows were slower, more looping and they were thrown with the intent to close the distance and potentially get a takedown.
It may not have been pretty, but "Mayhem's" attack actually seemed to be working.
He could throw kicks because he wasn't afraid of a takedown, as evidenced in the gif to the left and he had the ability to throw with power because he has a terrific chin and could absorb Bisping's counters. Miller stood and traded for nearly the first two minutes of the fight.
This was just long enough for Bisping to lower his defenses slightly as Miller threw a big left hook and then ducked down, grabbing a big double leg to drop "The Count" onto his back. While he didn't do a ton of damage once he put the TUF season three winner down, he was able to advance to quarter mount along the fence for two full minutes to allow him to potentially win the first round on the judges' scorecards.
The tides turned drastically in round two, primarily because Miller was a completely different fighter. Instead of setting a tone, he was more desperate in his takedowns and he was looking to purely counter Bisping. This allowed "The Count" to get comfortable in his striking and he really started laying into "Mayhem" with a plethora of unanswered strikes.
Eventually, it just looked like Miller was moving in slow motion and Bisping began picking him apart piece by piece.
Notice how much different Miller looks in the gif to the right, nearly nine minutes into the fight than he does in the one above which was just one minute into the fight.
Whether it was an adrenaline dump, a bout of lactic acidosis or he just plain gassed, Miller switched from fighter to punching bag in the final two rounds of the fight. His only response to getting punched in the face was to occasionally taunt Bisping, perhaps trying to get "The Count" to punch himself out.
By the end of the round, Bisping wasn't even afraid to go to the ground with Miller, dropping major ground and pound on "Mayhem's" face to close it out.
If fans were hoping "Mayhem" had been playing possum, their fears were not assuaged after an opening blitz in the beginning of round three. Miller again looked very desperate with his takedowns and eventually, he was just turtling up on the ground while Bisping wailed on him with punches and knees to the body. It was not pretty and the referee repeatedly warned Miller that he had to do something or he'd put a stop to it. When he turtled up again and couldn't fight back, the stoppage was more mercy than anything.
For Jason Miller, this was his second appearance in the UFC and it was the second time he'd been completely dominated. Worst of all was the fact that he completely gassed out by the second round in what was potentially going to be a five round fight. How he could let that happen is beyond me, but he'll have a long time to think about it on the plane ride home. Outside of a decent first round, he had absolutely nothing for Bisping. Perhaps there was a huge skill disparity, perhaps gassing was the primary reason, but it got ugly fast and he made Bisping look like a superstar with how little he was able to fight back in rounds two and three.
If Miller is given another shot in the UFC, he's going to have to go way down the totem pole in the division. Possible options include fighters who have recently lost like Tom Lawlor, Nick Ring or perhaps Kyle Noke.
For Michael Bisping, he looked terrific. That may not make the American fans who wanted to see him get his face punched in happy, but he went out there and he did his job last night. It's not his fault that his opponent gassed out and looked lost. He controlled what he could and he didn't let Miller off the hook which is exactly what a professional should do.
Dana White hinted that Bisping could be getting another fight soon, but he's currently very high up the ladder in the division so that would likely limit his options. If they decide to put him on the upcoming UFC on FOX show in Chicago, the only options would be Alan Belcher or perhaps if they pulled either Rousimar Palhares or Vitor Belfort out of their upcoming fights. There really aren't that many great options that would make sense at this point and time. Regardless this was a big win for Bisping and he should enjoy it. He's had difficulties against the elite fighters in the division and he's likely not going to get any more gimme's from here on out.
So what did you think, Maniacs?
Were you impressed by Bisping's domination? Or were you more disappointed that "Mayhem" gassed so quickly in a five round fight?
Sound off!
For complete Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire pay-per-view (PPV) event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.
All gifs by Zombie Prophet via IronForgesIron.com.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, miller, bisping
Read the full article at MMA ManiaSome words on Michael Bisping.
I understand I am in the minority on this subreddit when I say I am fan of Michael Bisping, but I will make that clear first and foremost: I like the guy. So I feel I must defend him. That said, I would like to attempt to clear some things up. There are a lot of comments about Miller and how he gassed. Yes, he gassed. However, Bisping said it best. I will paraphrase him- when you are getting your face beaten, your gut punched, and your ribs kneed, your ability to recover (get your breath) will be tremendously affected. I know it's folly to cite personal experience on the Internet due to credibility issues, but I train and spar with fighters (I do not compete) and I have been punched, kicked, and kneed. Believe me or not, I don't care. When you get hit with a clean shot in the right area, it can take everything you have. Just one kick or punch can stop you from ever recovering during a fight. So, if there are any other fighters or guys who have been punched incredibly hard in the face or dropped by a vicious body shot, please back me up.. you know how it feels. Okay, now on Bisping as a fighter. I love reddit. This is my favorite subreddit. There are so many knowledgeable, courteous, and funny people in this forum. However, I feel a lot of people have accepted this attitude of hating on guys purely on their personality- Bisping as the clear favorite. How is it fair to fighters when we judge them on what they say, not what they do. Bisping made Miller look like a little boy in there. There's no sugar coating it. Miller's strikes were awful to look at, his shots were set up very sloppy, and his taunting during the round made him look even worse. Bisping was calm and technical. After giving up one take-down, he stuffed all the others and picked him apart the rest of the fight. He outclassed him. Now on Bisping as a person. He's brash, arrogant, and has an accent that pisses off a lot of Americans. Don't deny it, many people don't like guys they can't understand a lot of the time. Northern English are a great example. You only have to look at the media and movies/television. Northern Brits don't make it in America. Their accents are too thick and alien to American's "perception" of how English people talk. Anyway, I guess my point is- can we be more like Redditors and less like meat head douches when we talk about fighters? Talking shit is for youtube. Go do it there. Judge men - particularly fighters - on their ability to back up what they say. Remember folks, I'm not trying to call out a bunch of people here. I'm just drawing attention to an issue. If everyone could be civil that would be much appreciated. submitted by SneekyMAN [link] [8 comments]
Posted in: guy, fighter, bisping, people, dont
Read the full article at RedditUFC Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Results Video: Michael Bisping Talks Fan Response at Weigh Ins
Ariel Helwani caught up with Ultimate Fighter 14 coach Michael Bisping after his win tonight over Jason Miller. Helwani immediately jumps into the interview to get Bisping's take on his performance in the fight. Bisping believed that he was too much for Mayhem. Helwani also asks about Bisping's feelings on the crowd's reaction to him at the weigh ins. Bisping came in .2 pounds over and was berated by the Las Vegas crowd. The big news from the interview is what's next for Michael Bisping. It was rumored that the 'Count' would face Mark Munoz; however, today the UFC announced that Munoz would face Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago. When pressed for an answer Bisping played his cards close to the chest. It's obviously a big fight but didn't want to give away the announcement until contracts are signed.
SBN coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
Posted in: ufc, fighter, michael, bisping, helwani
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Results: Post-Fight Analysis and Other Thoughts
The Ultimate Fighter's run on Spike TV has come to a close. The UFC and Spike's relationship has soured and fans will no longer watch episodes of TUF lead into Blue Mountain State. This season though was stacked with great talent and two coaches who are both charismatic and talented. The Ultimate Fighter 14's finale didn't disappoint by any definition of the word. From top to bottom, fans were able to enjoy some extremely fast paced fights from the bantam and featherweight divisions. The headlining bout between Michael Bisping and Jason Miller was an exciting affair which saw Bisping dominated in the first only to come back and wear out Miller in the second to finish him in the third round. With the fight's fresh in mind, let's take a look at the night.
The way that Bisping can make any of his opponents likable is a great character trait. His ability keep a pace of output shows how far he's come since winning the third season of the Ultimate Fighter. It should be said that there were various illegal strikes thrown by Bisping including the attempted headkick at a downed Mayhem as well as the 12-6 elbows. It was nice seeing him humble in victory.
Mayhem Miller cared more about the walkout than the actual performance in the fight. He gassed after the first round and just couldn't implement any kind of offense. His chin is phenomenal but that doesn't win fights when he can't actually do anything to change the tide. The final round was as one sided as I've ever seen and really calls into question his desire to put in the time to be a full time fighter.
Diego Brandao is a monster. The stand up he displayed was explosive. His punching power shouldn't ever be doubted and his ability to regain his faculties after being rocked by Dennis Bermudez shows that he's definitely going to be a must-watch fighter at featherweight. That was one of the slickest arm bars I've ever seen and can't wait to see him enter the octagon again. He's still sloppy but his power and grappling with take him far in the UFC's featherweight division.
John Dodson will be a monster at flyweight if he chooses to drop when the UFC adds the division in 2012. The big question is will he still have the speed and power advantage at 125 that he displayed tonight at 135? For the man that was the "villain" of the season, he's definitely made me a fan after the performance that he put on tonight. The kid is nonstop and like his teammate Diego Brandao, I can't wait to see him fight in the UFC again. He's just too fun to keep sidelined.
While Tony Ferguson picked up a nice win over Yves Edwards, I don't agree with the score cards. Scoring the fight 30-27 is hilarious to me. I personally had the fight 29-28 for Yves and wasn't upset with the 29-28 card for Ferguson, but there is no way that was 30-27. Tonight was the best that Edwards has looked in years and showed us that Ferguson may not be as good as advertised. I hope that Zuffa gives Edwards another shot because of the questionable judging.
The Johnny Bedford-Louis Gaudinot match was ridiculous. The size difference was apparent and was essentially a lightweight vs. a flyweight. Gaudinot may not be a great fighter, but he deserves a better matchup than a guy who is absolutely massive for 135. Bedford is a nice addition to bantamweight but he's gotta show he can beat up people that are his same size.
Additional thoughts after the jump...
SBN coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
The undercard was highly entertaining. Steve Siler looked great in the clinch using the thai plumb to batter Josh Clompton with knees. I've never seen that dominant usage of the thai clinch before and if he can figure out how to generate more power on those knees, he'll be a monster. He's only 24 and can become a bit of a force if he can develop as a fighter.
It's a shame that Dennis Bermudez' night ends with a broken arm because he looked great against Diego Brandao before the arm bar. I have no doubt that he'll be back in the UFC but it's gonna take time for that wound to heal both physically and mentally.
T.J. Dillashaw still has a future in the UFC but he's obviously not the bantamweight prospect that we were led to believe he was. He opted to stand and trade with a faster, stronger, and more technical striker and paid the price. Was the stoppage a bit premature? Probably. But that doesn't change the fact that he was getting annihilated on the ground before Herb Dean stepped in.
John Albert's ground work was so good. That was an incredibly dominant performance. It's a shame that Dustin Pague went out like that since he was one of the more likable fighters of the season.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, power, he
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBisping Bullies, Finishes Mayhem in TUF 14 Finale Headliner
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping handed Jason “Mayhem” Miller a beating he will not soon forget.
Posted in: fighter, season, winner, bisping, mayhem
Read the full article at SherdogTUF 14 Finale results: Michael Bisping demolishes 'Mayhem' Miller in coaches' fight
LAS VEGAS - After months of buildup and trash-talking and bold predictions, Jason "Mayhem" Miller simply proved no match at all for a dominant Michael Bisping.
The fighters met Saturday in a season-ending fight between coaches of "The Ultimate Fighter 14," and Bisping reigned supreme in a one-sided whitewash that ended via third-round TKO.
The scheduled five-rounder headlined the main card of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale,
which aired on Spike TV following prelims on Facebook. The event took
place at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Posted in: fighter, bisping, thirdround tko, seasonending fight, onesided whitewash
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Results: John Dodson Clocks T.J. Dillashaw Quickly and Violently
For the bantamweight finals of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, Team Alpha Male's T.J. Dillashaw took on Team Jackson's John Dodson.
Dodson was a bundle of energy right out of the gate, clipping Dillashaw with a stiff left and even throwing a rare jumping front-kick. He continued to beat Dillashaw to the punch, side-stepping with angles to set up his quick counters. Dillashaw charged with a combination and Dodson caught him with the exact same sequence he finished Johnny Bedford with, which was a fast pivot to his right and a clobbering left hand that wobbled Dillashaw. Dodson connected with another punch immediately after that was only detectable through the instant replay.
Dillashaw seemed to keep his wits about him and was recovering after being floored, but referee Herb Dean intervened and waved the fight off. Though the crowd was not pleased and the stoppage was quicker than the norm, it was still a good one.
John Dodson, who came into the show ranked as a top-ten flyweight, now becomes the Season Fourteen bantamweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter, extending his record to twelve wins and five losses.
Posted in: fighter, john, john dodson, dillashaw, dodson
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Results: Tony Ferguson Wins a Decision Over Yves Edwards
TUF 13 winner Anthony Ferguson encountered his stiffest competition to date against veteran Yves Edwards at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale tonight on Spike TV.
The first frame was a high paced slugfest that unfolded with Edwards stinging precise counter strikes on the feet. Ferguson unveiled how durable his chin is by eating a handful of punches and one high kick, but continuing to plug away with combinations of his own that started to shift the momentum in his direction. To close the round, Ferguson hit a beautiful rolling omoplata that Edwards managed to worm free of.
The second round was more fan-friendly striking with both fighters digging in and throwing their hands with bad intentions, landing at a fairly equal clip. Ferguson rolled out a diverse set of attacks with low kicks, high kicks, a head-snapping lead uppercut and a takedown to finish the round.
Edwards hung tough and remained a counter striking threat in the third, catching the young fighter with more kicks and his straight left, but Ferguson's resilience was on full display. "El Cucuy" kept lancing long punches and low kicks of his own while constantly pressing forward.
The final result was a unanimous decision for Ferguson with two 30-27 scores and one 29-28.
Posted in: fighter, round, ferguson, edward, round ferguson
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Results: Johnny Bedford Beats Up Louis Gaudinot
In the first fight on the main card of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, bantamweights Johnny Bedford and Louis Gaudinot clashed in a lopsided match up.
Gaudinot is a Ring of Combat flyweight champion and ranked in the top ten at 125-pounds, but the disadvantage of his 5'3" frame was glaring against the Bedford, a lanky, 5'10" fighter. Bedford dominated the first two rounds, taking Gaudinot down at will and climbing into a devastating high mount to pelt with unending strikes.
After two commanding rounds, Bedford dropped Gaudinot with a knee in the third and mercilessly punished the turtled fighter with brutal knees and kicks to the body to force the stoppage. Johhny Bedford wins his UFC debut with a third round TKO over Louis Gaudinot.
Posted in: fighter, louis gaudinot, gaudinot, bedford, louis
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 105: The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Review
Bloody Elbow Radio, presented by Bad Boy, will be LIVE! at 11:30 p.m ET/8:30 p.m. PT for another edition of the show. Join hosts "The DA" Neil Wagner, Forrest Lynn and MMA Mania's Brian Hemminger as they review tonight's "The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale," which is headlined by a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Jason Miller. Also on the card, a bantamweight and featherweight Ultimate Fighter will be crowned and veteran Yves Edwards faces TUF13 champion Anthony Ferguson.
We'll review all the bouts on the card while taking your calls, emails, comments and tweets.
Bloody Elbow Radio is sponsored by Bad Boy. Bad Boy, the 2010 and 2011 World MMA Awards winner for "Best Technical Clothing Brand" can be found at BadBoyMMA.com. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook and tell them Bloody Elbow sent you.
How to listen:
Live/archived on the player below I iTunes I RSS feed I Direct download link (available after live broadcast)
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SBN coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
Posted in: fighter, radio, elbow radio, elbow, boy
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTUF 14 Finale results: Marcus Brimage tops Stephen Bass in slugfest
LAS VEGAS - Although former teammates, Team Bisping featherweights Marcus Brimage and Stephen Bass looked anything like it during a hard-hitting three-round slugfest at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
Both fighters inflicted and received substantial damage, but a resilient Brimage walked away with the unanimous-decision victory.
The fight concluded the preliminary card at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, which streamed live
on Facebook prior to the Spike TV-televised main card.
Posted in: fighter, brimage, finale, unanimousdecision victory, spike tvtelevised
Read the full article at MMA JunkieThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Results: Bisping Stops “Mayhem,” Brandao and Dodson Win TUF 14 Finals
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale took place tonight in Las Vegas, featuring a main event between coaches Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller along with the finals of the season’s bantamweight and featherweight tournaments.
In the main event, Bisping bounced back from a slow start to put away Jason “Mayhem” Miller away with an impressive barrage of ground and pound in the third round.
In the first ever TUF featherweight final, Diego Brandao managed to recover from a brutal short right with a slick armbar to defeat Dennis Bermudez in an exciting first round stoppage. The win marked the second Jackson’s MMA fighter to pick up a TUF championship.
In the inaugural TUF bantamweight final, John Dodson made quick work of TJ Dillashaw with an impressive sequence of strikes that put the Team Alpha Male product on wobbly legs. While Dodson’s future likely lies in the upcoming UFC flyweight division, he will be a welcome addition to an already deep 135-pound weight class.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale results:
MAIN CARD
Michael Bisping def. Jason “Mayhem” Miller via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:34
Diego Brandao defeats Dennis Bermudez via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:51
The Ultimate Fighter 14 featherweight final
John Dodson def. TJ Dillashaw via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:54
The Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight final
Tony Ferguson def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Johnny Bedford def. Louis Gaudinot via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 1:58
PRELIMINARY CARD
Marcus Brimage def. Stephen Bass via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
John Albert def. Dustin Pague via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:09
Roland Delorme def. Josh Ferguson via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 0:22
Steven Siler def. Josh Clapton via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bryan Caraway def. Dustin Neace via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 3:38
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale play-by-play:
MICHAEL BISPING VS. JASON MILLER
Round 1 – No touch of gloves and Miller opens with a leg kick. Strong body kick from Mayhem but Bisping reverses him against the cage. Bisping isn’t doing much as Miller works for the thai clinch. Fighters separate, and we’re back in the center. Counter overhand right lands on Bisping. Mayhem with another nice counter overhand right and he takes down Bisping. Mayhem moves to a modified mount position against the cage and utilizes body punches and shoulder shots to pin Bisping. Mayhem blasts Bisping with two hard hooks as Bisping tries to escape. Bisping escapes with just over a minute left. Bisping is up with a sense of urgency now. Bisping with a great counter left. Mayhem misses an overhand right counter but Bisping cannot capitalize. Round ends and Bisping is immediately going hands on knees. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Mayhem.
Round 2 – Miller misses a takedown but catches Bisping with a knee. Mayhem is leaving openings but Bisping isn’t capitalizing. Mayhem takes a single and Bisping counters with an over under tie that pulls Mayhem off his leg. Fighters both go to throw strikes and they accidently crash heads. After a quick break we’re back on. Mayhem ducks a punch but misses a shot. Bisping lands a hard knee. Bisping throws a headkick at Miller on the ground that thankfully misses and Miller shoots in. Bisping defends well though. Bisping with a nice combo. Bisping landing at will now. Miller is all busted up. Hard knee to the head from Bisping. Bisping looks fresh while Mayhem looks rough. Bisping throws two 12-6 elbows that aren’t called and the round ends with Mayhem getting pounded. MMAFrenzy scores the round 10-9 Bisping (19-19)
Round 3 – Mayhem’s face is busted up and he comes out with wild shots. Beautiful right hook from Bisping forces Miller to shoot to recover. Bisping won’t follow to the ground though.Bisping is landing at will. Miller is taking it with a smile though. Nice upper cut from Bisping. Brief stoppage after an accidental eyepoke from Mayhem. Bad shot from Mayhem and Bisping takes back side mount. Mayhem is getting pounded and rolls to guard. Brutal ground and pound from Bisping. More ground and pound and Mayhem gives his back up. Bisping tees off and Steve Mazzagatti steps in to stop the fight as Mayhem cannot defend. Both fighters look tired but Mayhem is all busted up.
Michael Bisping def. Jason “Mayhem” Miller via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:34
DIEGO BRANDAO VS. DENNIS BERMUDEZ
The Ultimate Fighter 14 featherweight final
Round 1 – Fighters immediately get to work as Bermudez looks for a takedown and Brandao looks to level him. Bermudez gains front headlock position early but can’t do anything with it. Hard body shot from Brandao and he barely misses a huge overhand right. Brandao slips and Bermudez attempts an ugly flying body kick. Brandao rocks Bermudez but cannot follow up and Bermudez recovers. Brief exchange and Brandao cracks Bermudez on the jaw again. Brandao ends up on top breifly and lands a few shots. Brandao uses a supplex to try to keep Bermudez down but he escapes. Brandao gets over-extended and eats a trememdous short right from Bermudez that drops him. Brandao survives however and attempts an armbar and misses. Big shots from Bermudez but Brandao traps an arm and executes an absoulutely beautiful armbar that injures Bermudez and the fight is over. What a fight.
Diego Brandao defeats Dennis Bermudez via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:51
JOHN DODSON vs. TJ DILLASHAW
The Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight final
Round 1 – Fighters circle early as Dillashaw looks for kicks. Size differential is huge here. Both fighters miss combos and Dillashaw with a nice body kick. Dodson lands a show and presses forward but Dillashaw recovers. Dodson tieh an absolutely massive left hook that devastates Dillashaw, Dodson drops him with another, and he quickly follows up with strikes before Herb Dean literally throws Dodson off the clearly dazed Dillashaw. Stoppage was a little early, however, Dillashaw was clearly struggling to stand after the stoppage.
John Dodson def. TJ Dillashaw via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:54
YVES EDWARDS VS. TONY FERGUSON
Round 1 – Referee Chris Tognoni gets us started and the fighters touch gloves. Tony looking to lnd kicks early. Edwards misses a combo. Good movement from Ferguson sets up a leg kick. Ferguson lands three strong legkicks to Edwards. Ferguson looking to bait Edwards to drop down and eat a hook. More kicks by Ferguson. Brilliant headkick from Edwards, the fighters exchange and Edwards connects again. Yves getting the better of it now. Yves with a good combo but Ferguson lands a stiff right that clips Yves. Nice uppercut by Ferguson and Yves is hurt. Edwards just trying to survive the onslaught and then lands a wicked headkick. Edwards lands a takedown but Ferguson goes for a rolling omplata that Edwards defends. Very good round with Ferguson taking it late. MMAFrenzy scores it 10-9 Ferguson.
Round 2 – Fighters circle amd more kicks from Tony. Fighters exchange combos with no advantage. Yves clips Ferguson and then follows up with a headkick that breifly stuns Ferguson. Edwards with a flying knee that lands and another knee from the thai clinch and amazingly Ferguson seems fine other than a busted nose. Hook from Ferguson lands but Edwards is fine. Brutal uppercut lands from Ferguson but Edwards keeps moving. Hard body kick from Yves. Ferguson lands a hook and Yves ducks away. Yves lands a strong shot but eats a brutal counter. Tony secures a takedown right before the round ends. MMAFrenzy scores it 10-9 Edwards (19-19).
Round 3 – Fighters touch gloves again and we’re underway. Good combo by Edwards but he slips on the way out. Another headkick from Yves followed up by a hard right but Ferguson is unfazed. Good body kick by Ferguson. Solid inside legkicks from each fighter. Nice overhand from Yves finds the mark and he fires another headkick. Fighters keep missing power shots. Another headkick but Tony is fine. Fighters echange strikes til the bell sounds. MMAFrenzy scores the round and the fight for Ferguson 29-28.
Tony Ferguson def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
JOHNNY BEDFORD VS. LOUIS GAUDINOT
Round 1 – Fighters start with a touch of gloves. Gaudinot misses a kick badly and Bedford lands a good combo. Bedford pressures forward and scores a smooth takedown against the cage. Gaudinot attempts an escapes and ends up in front headlock position. Nice knees from Bedford there and Gaudinot works back up to clinch. Bedford with more knees. Gaudinot separates but Bedford with a beautiful takedown and passes to full mount easily. Elbows and strikes from Bedford are finding their mark. Bedford looks for a misdirection armbar but it’s not there. Gaudinot gives up his back and Bedford sinks the hooks in. Heavy strikes from Bedford and Gaudinot escapes only to eat knees to the body as the bell sounds. Dominant round from Bedford and MMAFrenzy scores it 10-8.
Round 2 – Bedford lands a big shot and lands more knees from the thai clinch. Spinning backfist from Bedford barely misses. Bedford with a takedown and lands more strikes. Gaudinot escapes and just eats more strikes against the cage. Gaudinot breifly blocks a Bedford takedown but Bedford is relentless and scores the takedown. Bedford is switching to body blows while in Gaudinot is in guard. Bedford uses an impressive guard flow array and passes to knee on the belly. Bedford lands a big shot and rains down a hard flurry. Bedford plays it smart though and doesn’t punch himself out. Bedford moves to north-south and then to mount. Hard elbows and punches there. 12-6 elbow misses and Bedford gets a warning from Mazzagatti. Bedford is just hammering Gaudinot. Bedford with a straight armbar attempt but took his time and he’s unable to finish before the bell sounds. Extremely dominant round again. MMAFrenzy scores it 10-8 (20-16) for Bedford.
Round 3 - Fighters circle early before Bedford grabs the thai clinch and lands some nice shots. Fighters separate and both miss strikes. Bedford rocks Gaudinot and drops him with a body shot to thai knee combo. Gaudinot just turtling now. Bedford with brutal needs to the shoulder/body and Steve Mazzagatti finally calls the fight for Bedford. Fight was never close.
Johnny Bedford def. Louis Gaudinot via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 1:58
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller (via UFC.com)
Posted in: fighter, round, bisping, mayhem, bedford
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyMichael Bisping Beats Down Jason Mayhem Miller in UFC Main Event
Filed under: UFCThe main event of Saturday night's Ultimate Fighter Finale featured Jason "Mayhem" Miller getting a bully beatdown, as Michael Bisping dominated the second round before finishing the fight with a technical knockout in the third.
Bisping and Miller had coached against each other on this season of The Ultimate Fighter and developed a rivalry, but it wasn't much of a rivalry in the Octagon on Saturday night: Although Miller got off to a fast start, Bisping took it to Miller as the fight wore on and won it handily.
"He's a tough son of a gun," Bisping said of Miller afterward. "I'm here to entertain. I think me and Jason put on a fantastic season of The Ultimate Fighter. ... I'm proud to be part of The Ultimate Fighter, proud to be part of the UFC."
Miller came out swinging and hit Bisping hard in the initial exchanges in the first round, and Miller got exactly what he wanted a couple minutes into the round: He took Bisping down and mounted him against the cage, pinning Bisping's legs together with a triangle. However, Miller wasn't able to do much with his advantageous position and Bisping eventually got back to his feet. It was a good first round for Miller, although he missed an opportunity to capitalize on the ground.
The second round was another story altogether, as Bisping took complete control in the stand-up, peppering Miller's face with punches and turning his face into a bruised, bloody mess. Miller tried to act like he wasn't hurt and even dropped his hands to challenge Bisping to keep bringing it, but it was clear that Bisping was hurting Miller with punches. Late in the round Bisping started to mix in knees, and at the end of the round Bisping knocked Miller down, jumped on top of him and was close to finishing him with elbows when the horn sounded.
And then in the third Bisping really went to work, hitting Miller with even more punches and then following Miller to the ground when Miller attempted a takedown. Bisping hammered away at Miller, beat on him with punches and elbows, and it was finally knees to the body that led referee Steve Mazzagatti to stop the fight.
The win improves Bisping's record to 22-3. Miller falls to 23-8, and he told the fans afterward that he did all he could against a tough opponent.
"I trained really hard for this fight," Miller said. "I'm sorry, guys, I got tired. I can't make any excuses about it. For all the boos Michael Bisping gets, as a fighter he deserves your applause."
Bisping deserved plenty of applause for what he did on Saturday. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fighter, round, miller, bisping, michael bisping
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDiego Brandao Submits Dennis Bermudez in Wild Ultimate Fighter Finale
Filed under: UFCIn a wild, crazy, back-and-forth brawl, Diego Brandao submitted Dennis Bermudez to win the featherweight tournament in Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter.
The fight lasted just 4 minutes, 51 seconds, but it was one of the most exciting rounds of the year in MMA: It had explosive striking from both men in the early going, and a tremendous comeback arm bar from Brandao after it appeared that Bermudez was about to finish him off with punches on the ground.
"I just waited for the right moment to choose the arm bar," Brandao said afterward, before adding that his six-figure UFC contract would take care of his family: "Now I'm going to be able to by a house for my mom in Brazil."
More: TUF 14 Finale Results | Diego Brandao vs. Dennis Bermudez Live Blog
Bermudez got off to a good start, landing the harder punches and grabbing hold of Brandao near the cage, briefly attempting a standing guillotine. A minute later, however, Brandao knocked Bermudez down with a hard punch. With two minutes to go in the first round Brandao landed a hard knee that knocked Bermudez down, and Brandao then got on top and took Bermudez's back. Bermudez managed to get back up, and then a perfect right hand leveled Brandao and left him flat on his back.
Amazingly, Brandao managed to hold on for dear life as Bermudez pummeled him on the ground, and when Bermudez got a little too wild with his punches, Brandao grabbed hold of his arm and rolled over into a textbook-perfect arm bar, instantly forcing Bermudez to tap out.
The victory makes Brandao the featherweight Ultimate Fighter winner, and it also makes him one of the most impressive Ultimate Fighter contestants the UFC has had in recent years. Brandao used his striking to defeat everyone he faced during Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter, and now he's used his grappling to finish Bermudez in the Finale. Brandao is a rising star.
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Posted in: fighter, punch, bermudez, brandao, dennis bermudez
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseJohn Dodson Stops T.J. Dillashaw to Win The Ultimate Fighter
Filed under: UFCJohn Dodson is The Ultimate Fighter's bantamweight tournament winner.
Dodson beat T.J. Dillashaw with a short and sweet first-round technical knockout, easily winning the fight while barely breaking a sweat. Dodson knocked Dillashaw down with one punch, and when Dillashaw got back up but looked wobbly, Dodson landed another punch that knocked Dillashaw down again. Dodson pounced, and referee Herb Dean quickly stepped in to stop the fight.
The fight lasted just 1 minute, 54 seconds.
Dillashaw got back up immediately after the stoppage, and some fans booed Dean for stopping the fight as quickly as he did, but Dillashaw didn't seem to be all there, and Dean's stoppage was justifiable.
More Coverage: TUF 14 Finale Results | John Dodson vs. T.J. Dillashaw Live Blog
For Dodson, the win is a huge step forward in his career: Although he's a tiny bantamweight who's been more comfortable fighting at flyweight previously in his pro MMA career, he showed on The Ultimate Fighter that he can beat bigger opponents. Dodson is a fighter with a lot of promise.
"Words cannot describe how I feel right now," Dodson said afterward. "Oh, my God. Did I just end it that quick?"
Dodson did finish it that quickly: He put on a great show.
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Posted in: fight, fighter, tj dillashaw, dillashaw, dodson
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseTony Ferguson Stays Unbeaten in the UFC, Decisions Yves Edwards
Filed under: UFCFormer Ultimate Fighter winner Tony Ferguson got the most significant victory of his MMA career on Saturday night, taking a unanimous decision from Yves Edwards at the Ultimate Fighter Finale.
The victory, which improves Ferguson to 3-0 in the UFC (not counting his wins on the Ultimate Fighter reality show) and 13-2 overall, came after 15 very entertaining minutes of action.
"I didn't think it was going to go all three but I'm glad it did," Ferguson said afterward. "I learned a lot from this fight and I had a hell of a time."
More Coverage: TUF 14 Finale Results | Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards Live Blog
The first round was sensational, with Ferguson doing most of the damage with his trademark hard punches and getting Edwards on wobbly legs late in the round. But Edwards also landed a couple of good head kicks, and they had a great exchange on the ground, with Ferguson attempting to roll into an omoplata, in the final minute of the round as well.
Both men appeared to be a bit worn down after that fast and furious first five minutes, but the second round had plenty of action as well, with Edwards hitting Ferguson with some clean shots, but Ferguson showing off a good chin and charging forward and hitting Edwards with plenty of his own.
By the third round neither fighter had as much pop on his strikes as they had early on, but it remained an entertaining kickboxing battle for five more minutes. At the final horn either man could have been declared the winner, but the judges scored it 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Ferguson.
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Posted in: fighter, round, ferguson, minute, edward
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUSA TODAY/MMA Nation November 2011 Consensus Rankings: Featherweight
Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank
1
Jose Aldo
400
UFC
1
2
Chad Mendes
369
UFC
2
3
Hatsu Hioki
362
UFC
3
4
Pat Curran
315
Bellator
4
5
Marlon Sandro
281
Bellator
6
6
Diego Nunes
248
UFC
8
7
Kenny Florian
234
UFC
5
8
Mark Hominick
231
UFC
7
9
Dustin Poirier
223
UFC
12
10
Erik Koch
205
UFC
10
11
Bart Palaszewski
167
UFC
NR
12
Manny Gamburyan
146
UFC
11
13
Tyson Griffin
135
UFC
9
14
Hiroyuki Takaya
134
DREAM
14
15
Patricio Freire
133
Bellator
16
16
Tatsuya Kawajiri
132
DREAM
15
17
Joe Warren
121
Bellator
13
18
Darren Elkins
101
UFC
20
19
Michihiro Omigawa
99
UFC
17
20
Robert Peralta
97
UFC
21
21
Bibiano Fernandes
96
DREAM
18
22
Rani Yahya
89
UFC
18
23
Ricardo Lamas
69
UFC
36
24
Masanori Kanehara
69
XPlode Fight Series
24
25
Mike Brown
66
UFC
22
25
Kazuyuki Miyata
66
DREAM
23
DREAM's New Year's Eve event will feature two high level featherweight clashes between #16 Tatsuya Kawajiri and #25 Kazuyuki Miyata as well as between #28 Takeshi Inoue and #14 Hiroyuki Takaya.
UFC 141 will feature #34 Junior Assuncao welcoming Ross Pearson to the featherweight division.
#8 Mark Hominick will return to the Octagon for the first time since challenging #1 Jose Aldo when he takes on #38 Chan Sung Jung at UFC 140.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, dream, ranking, point
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter Finale: Johnny Bedford TKOs Tiny Louis Gaudinot
Filed under: UFCWhen and if the UFC implements a flyweight class, Louis Gaudinot will be ready to move down. Because Gaudinot found out the hard way at the Ultimate Fighter Finale that he's just too small for bantamweight.
Johnny Bedford, who at 5-foot-10 is seven inches taller than Gaudinot, easily won in the first Spike TV fight on the Ultimate Fighter Finale card, and the story of the fight was the size difference: Although Bedford and Gaudinot both weighed in at the bantamweight limit of 136 pounds, they're a very different 136. Bedford is a big, strong guy who cuts a lot to get down to 136, while Bedford is a tenacious but tiny fighter who could easily make 125 pounds.
Bedford battered away at Gaudinot in the first round for what should have been a 10-8 round, and in the second round he continued to completely overpower Gaudinot. In the third, Gaudinot just had nothing left, and after Bedford whaled on him for a couple minutes, referee Steve Mazzagatti finally stepped in and stopped the fight.
"I'm ecstatic right now," Bedford said afterward. "I'm just fortunate and blessed to be here, to have an opportunity in the UFC."
It was a solid showing for Bedford, who has now won seven of his last eight pro fights. He's a good addition to the UFC's bantamweight division.
As for Gaudinot, he could be a good addition to a future flyweight division. But at bantamweight, he's going to get beaten up by bigger opponents. That's what Bedford did to him on Saturday night. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fight, fighter, bantamweight, gaudinot, bedford
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale: Preliminary Card Dissection
Starting at 5:15 p.m. ET, the UFC will stream six preliminary fights from The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale on their Facebook page. Interest in this undercard has been average at best but I thought I'd still provide a very brief and quick assessment of the match ups.
Johnny Bedford vs. Louis GaudinotStephen Bass vs Marcus BrimageJohn Albert vs Dustin PagueJosh Ferguson vs Roland DelormeJosh Clopton vs Steven SilerDustin Neace vs Bryan Caraway
Johnny Bedford (17-9-1) vs. Louis Gaudinot (5-1) -- Gaudinot is a natural 125er and Ring of Combat flyweight champion. He's a good wrestler, very scrappy and much better than he showed in his loss to Dustin Pague (who happens to be the Ring of Combat bantamweight champion). Gaudinot and Dodson (another ranked flyweight) are the smallest guys on the show (5'3") and Bedford is the tallest (5'10"). Bedford is decent everywhere (striking, BJJ, wrestling); Gaudinot probably has more more punching power and is stronger but should struggle with the huge size difference.
Stephen Bass (10-0) vs. Marcus Brimage (3-1) -- I don't know a lot about Bass but Brimage is an athletic but inexperienced ATT fighter with sweet stand up. He's really quick, strong and seems to have a knack for fighting. He might have a submission disadvantage but he's tough to take down and has feisty scrambling. I think his striking will be too much for Bass here.
More after the break.
SBN coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
John "Prince" Albert (6-1) vs. Dustin "The Disciple" Pague (10-4) -- Albert was considered one of the weaker guys on the show who fought Dodson first instead of Dillashaw. He's a member of Victory Athletics where he trains alongside Dennis Hallman and Brad Blackburn. Pague was a nice surprise with sharp kickboxing (he's 5'9" with a long -- 74" -- reach) and also a good grasp of BJJ (subbed Gaudinot). He trains at the Tapout Ranch with Cerrone and, besides losing his first MMA fight, lost three straight halfway through his career to Jeff Lentz (former TUFer), Anthony Leone (former WECer) and Din Thomas. I'm anticipating a strong finish for Pague, likely clipping Albert on the feet and then subbing him, but I don't have the best grasp on Albert's potential.
Josh Ferguson (8-3) vs. Roland Delorme (6-1) -- Delorme lost to Dillashaw (he had the swollen foot/staph concern) on the show but submitted Ferguson's brother to get into the house. Ferguson lost to Bedford on the show by decision but is a really tough and mean little spark plug with good strength and aggressive kickboxing. He'll be smaller (5'5" vs. 5'9") but I still think he can win with footwork and boxing. Delorme has a formidable arsenal of submissions and could finish if he can get it to the floor.
Josh Clopton (6-1) vs. Steven Siler (18-9) -- Clopton was decisioned by Neace in the first episode and didn't make the show but did have a really solid performance despite the loss. He's a Skrap Pack fighter with the likes of Gilbert Melendez and Matt Wiman. Siler threw everyone off by whipping Micah Miller's ass but then fell to the devastation of finalist Diego Brandao in 30 seconds. He has losses to Chad Mendes and Cole Escovedo. I'm leaning towards Clopton but Siler is a tough and experienced gamer who could pull off a win.
Dustin Neace (23-17-1) vs. Bryan Caraway (15-5)-- This is actually an intriguing scrap. These were probably the two best wrestlers on the show. Neace lost to Akira Corassani in the "fake tap" debacle and seems to have some decent sub skills to match his wrestling. Caraway has the most experience: in the WEC (lost to Mark Hominick and Fredson Paixao), in EliteXC (he was subbed by Bellator's Wilson Reis) and in Strikeforce (on the Melendez vs. Thomson undercard; won by sub). Caraway supposedly has some kind of Fila or US wrestling credentials but I thought his takedowns and set ups on the show were mediocre. Neither is known for their striking -- Neace might be a tad better -- so it will probably come down to takedowns and control. I think Caraway should be the favorite but Neace could take it.
Posted in: show, fighter, vs, he, neace
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowHow much do fighters actually weigh when they enter the cage?
I've read that it's normal to cut 10% or more of your body weight for weigh-ins, but by the time the fight comes, how much do the fighters end up weighing (in general)? submitted by sdrawkcabton88 [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: fighter, body, cage ive, fighters end, body weight
Read the full article at RedditEnd of an era: The best, worst and most memorable moments from UFC's The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) on Spike TV
It just about saved the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC and its president, Dana White, didn't even want to do it.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) premiered on Spike TV in Jan. 2005, lighting a fire underneath the keister of mixed martial arts (MMA) in the United States. Thanks to the reality show, MMA went from being on life support to one of the fastest growing sports in the entire world.
After seven years and 14 seasons, TUF bids farewell to the cable network that helped start it all, Spike TV, having signed a landmark television deal with FOX Sports a few months ago, under which all future seasons of a renewed TUF will air on FX.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale airs tonight (Dec. 3, 2011) with Michael Bisping and Jason Miller facing off in the final fight on the TUF/Spike era, a bittersweet moment for just about any fan. It's fantastic that the UFC is moving onto bigger and better things, but one also can't forget where you came from.
Going through each season, I listed what I thought were the best and worst moments or aspects along with any lasting effect that was felt.
It's been a crazy ride, hasn't it? Let's take a nostalgic look back at the show that started it all for the UFC on Spike TV:
The Ultimate Fighter 1: Team Liddell vs. Team Couture -- The one that started it all. I can't tell you how excited I was to see MMA on basic cable and now you can barely flip the channel without seeing someone getting knocked out or tapped out. The show ended with the first Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar fight, a 15-minute war that every MMA fan should have seen by now.
Best: Um, everything? It was the snowball that rolled into the avalanche that brought the sport to where it is today.
Worst: It would definitely have to be Bobby Southworth hitting below the belt in a verbal bout with Chris Leben, infamously calling him a "fatherless bastard." Although it did end with the best outcome ever: whenever two people had beef on your basic reality show, they would have a dumb, boring house meeting or something. Leben and Josh Koscheck had beef so they fought to settle it!
Lasting effect: Look around you! You probably wouldn't be reading this without the first season of TUF.
The Ultimate Fighter 2: Team Hughes vs. Team Franklin -- Some intrigue that existed in the first season was taken out since the two coaches weren't slated to fight each other at the end of the season. The UFC wouldn't make that choice again since it removes a lot of the drama.
Best: In the 10th episode, Luke Cummo and Sammy Morgan collided in the semi-finals to determine who would move onto the finals. Cummo delivered a brutal knee that knocked Morgan out cold and I know for a fact the knockout converted at last one lukewarm person into a hardcore fan.
Worst: Before this season, Matt Hughes was seen as an all-American good ole' boy who dominated the 170-pound weight division. Afterward, he became the jerk of the UFC, smug and somewhat of a bully.
Lasting effect: Two words: Rashad Evans. Unlike fellow former champ Forrest Griffin, Evans has stayed near the top of the light heavyweight mountain after losing the title with wins over Quinton Jackson and Tito Ortiz. A bout with Phil Davis will likely determine the next contender.
The Ultimate Fighter 3: Team Ortiz vs. Team Shamrock -- Oh, man, what a change of scenery. As opposed to the previous season where Hughes and Rich Franklin were all chummy since they wouldn't have to fight when filming ending, Ortiz and Ken Shamrock absolutely hated each other. And it made for fun television.
Best: Ortiz's awesome coaching abilities came to light. Well, maybe they just seemed great compared to Shamrock's. "The World's Most Dangerous Man" didn't bring in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) coach, but instead brought on a dietician. Shamrock was also almost always on the verge of completely losing his mind, which was hilarious.
Worst: But, it was also a shame for the guys who were on his team. Those poor guys missed out on some quality training because of Shamrock's shenanigans. And what was up with Noah Inhofer leaving because his girlfriend thought he cheated on her? Look, I love my special lady too, but if I've got a chance to fulfill my biggest dream, she can go ahead and think I strayed. I'll handle that business when filming ends.
Lasting effect: The UFC realized that grudges equal ratings. If the two coaches hate each other or even don't particularly like each other, Dana White won't think twice about booking them on the show.
The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback -- An awesome concept that I wish would come back at least one more time. The UFC brought back fighters that had already fought inside the Octagon before but ended up losing and getting cut. The two winners got a title shot in their respective weight classes.
Best: When Matt Serra and Shonie Carter took each other on at UFC 31, Serra was on his way to winning a decision when a spinning backfist from "Mr. International" ended his night early. Their rematch -- won by Serra -- was long overdue. Another great moment was Edwin DeWees' first bout that saw him getting busted open like a horror movie victim but still coming back to win the fight. And who didn't have their heartstrings pulled when Jorge Rivera got to see footage of his daughter being born?
Worst: Yeah, Travis Lutter? You're going to win a title shot and then come in overweight? Tsk tsk.
Lasting effect: Matt Serra, Houston, UFC 69. The little "Terror" that could ended up beating -- no, SMASHING -- the odds and knocked out Georges St. Pierre and became the welterweight champion. The man Serra beat in the finals -- Chris Lytle -- wouldn't reach the same heights but experienced as fantastic a second wind as any UFC fighter would ever have.
The Ultimate Fighter 5 -- LIGHTWEIGHTS! Enough said.
Best: Did I mention lightweights? Fans also got to see B.J. Penn and Jens Pulver -- the two coaches -- collide in the rematch of their UFC 35 classic for free! And who can forget Karo Parisyan showing up to give some tips to his cousin Manvel Gamburyan and then proceeding to get into a verbal confrontation with Nate Diaz. Oh, those Diaz boys will mouth off to anyone. You know who he is?!?!?
Worst: Gabe Ruediger showing up overweight causing him to come in heavy when he was slated to fight was a complete and utter disgrace. What a slap in the face!
Lasting effect: It formally reintroduced fans to the 155-pound division and kickstarted the Penn era of dominance. I'd say those are some pretty good credentials to hang your hat on.
The Ultimate Fighter 6: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra -- A feud that started on TUF 4, Serra and Hughes were booked as rival coaches after "Terror" won the title from "Rush." And once again, Hughes came off looking kind of like a jerk while Serra endeared himself to fans week in and week out.
Best: This is the season that introduced the MMA world to War Machine! Known as Jon Koppenhaver at the time, the loose cannon ended up getting released from the UFC, starring in porn, going to jail and most recently knocking out Roger Huerta. Also, long-time regional veteran Mac Danzig -- the winner of this season -- finally got his day in the sun.
Worst: Joe Scarola -- one of Serra's main dudes back home -- decided, "WELP! This ain't for me" and deuced out. So not only did he miss out on getting a shot at fighting for the UFC, Serra handed him a pink slip for when he got back to New York.
Lasting effect: Besides Danzig, only George Sotiropoulos remains in the UFC from the TUF 6 cast. After the amazing cast from the previous season, it became obvious that the talent pool was beginning to shrink.
The Ultimate Fighter 7: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest -- Season seven was the first instance that a TUF original got to coach. Sure, Serra had coached the season prior but he had also already fought in the UFC before while Griffin was an Octagon virgin before TUF 1. He would go on to best "Rampage" over five rounds and became the first TUF winner to hold UFC gold.
Best: The best part of this season? The knockouts, baby! In particular the ones handed out by Matt Riddle and Matt Brown. Those two boys put their opponents to sleep in amazingly brutal fashion.
Worst: The finals was supposed to be Amir Sadollah taking on Jesse Taylor, but the square-jawed wrestler went on a drunken rampage and was removed from the fight. And while Shamrock takes the award for "Worst TUF Coach Ever," Quinton Jackson takes a close second. Making someone who hates to train the person who is supposed to be in charge of a bunch of other people's training was not the best choice.
Lasting effect: This was the first season that introduced the "fight to get in" concept. Before, the UFC would bring in 16 fighters and let them sort it out over three months. This season, they flew in 32 and made each fighter win a bout to get into the house. Genius!
The Ultimate Fighter 8: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir -- Heavyweight coaches take the stage for the first time this season. Both were excellent coaches and while many thought the American would be in over his head when he stepped inside the cage against "Big Nog," the former UFC heavyweight champ proved each and every doubter wrong.
Best: Maybe I'm just a Pride Fighting Championships fanboy, but the best part of the season for me was Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira coaching. Too bad he ended up getting stopped by Frank Mir when they stepped inside the Octagon.
Worst: There was a lot of bad going in this season. First off, there was "Leben 2.0" Junie Browning but like all sequels, part two failed to live up to the original. Secondly, Clay Guida's big brother Jason came in overweight just like Ruediger did and was cut before even getting to fight. And finally, there was enough bodily fluid mixed into food items that anyone would be an absolute moron to eat anything that came from the fridge inside that house.
Lasting effect: Aside from Travis Lutter who won "The Comeback" season, TUF 8 lightweight winner Efrain Escudero was the first to be released. Kendall Grove and Joe Stevenson followed but Escudero's firing proved that even TUF golden boys weren't immune from getting the axe.
The Ultimate Fighter 9: United States vs. United Kingdom -- The first and only country based feud that TUF has used. White has gone on record as saying this theme -- also used with UFC 58: "USA vs. Canada" -- isn't a favorite of his so don't expect to see this bad boy again.
Best: Seeing the U.K. team band together and work as a team was awesome. WIth their "all for one and one for all" outlook on training, they ensured that three of the four finalists were Englishmen.
Worst: Where was "The Count?" While it was great to see the U.K. fighters really work together as a team, it was mostly out of necessity because of their coach being missing in action for a majority of the time.
Lasting effect: A foreign country hasn't been the focus of TUF since this season but that may change. Word is that TUF 16 will go south of the equator to highlight Brazilian talent. And Bisping getting absolutely murdered at UFC 100 was pretty sweetl
The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights -- Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson didn't like each other. If it wasn't for them jawing back and forth, this season would have been just about unwatchable because of the poor conditioning of the fighters.
Best: Anyone who thinks the trash talk about Evans and Jackson wasn't the best part of this season is wrong, just flat out wrong.
Worst: Cardio. Or rather, the lack of it.
Lasting legacy: This will forever be known as the "Kimbo Slice season," by countless casual fans.
The Ultimate Fighter 11: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz/Franklin -- The biggest rivalry in UFC history took center stage as "The Iceman" squared off against "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy." What started so promisingly ended with a whimper rather than a bang. Ortiz dropped out due to injury and Liddell would end up retiring after suffering a loss to replacement coach Rich Franklin.
Best: Call me a dork but my favorite moment of the season was when Liddell -- who was on Dancing with the Stars at the time of filming -- came waltzing into the UFC training facility much to the delight of everyone there. Who would have thought Liddell would be light on his toes?
Worst: Bait and switch numero uno as I call it. Ortiz had to bow out near the end of the season due to a back injury so he was replaced -- on the show and in the traditional coach fight as well -- by Rich Franklin.
Lasting effect: This was the first season to introduce the wild card system. Two fighters that were eliminated in the first round were given the chance to continue if they were deemed worthy by both coaches and Dana White. The wild card stuck around for a few years after but isn't featured in the current season. It remains to be seen if this option will make the transition to FX.
The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck -- The second biggest UFC draw finally gets the chance to coach TUF. He was opposite TUF 1 alumni Koscheck who may have been the most railed against coach since Shamrock.
Best: Holy crap, did "GSP" bring in awesome training partners for his team. From Gia Sissaouri to Mike Tyson, being a part of the welterweight champ's squad definitely has its perks.
Worst: Koscheck came off looking like an absolute tool through the 12 week season. From making fun of "murses" to getting physical with members of St. Pierre's camp, the fuzzy-haired loudmouth did nothing to win over any fans that had already written him off as a jerk.
Lasting effect: It is still too early to tell but finalists Jonathan Brookins -- who won -- and Michael Johnson are both excellent prospects with tons of potential. Regional veteran Nam Phan is a good grab, as well as Alex Caceres, who looked fantastic in his last bout.
The Ultimate Fighter 13: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos -- With "GSP" down, the UFC needed only Brock Lesnar to coach a season of TUF to perfectly marry the show with pay-per-view (PPV) buyrates. Unfortunately, the best laid plans of mice and men go often awry.
Best: We got to see more of current heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. While before he was a Brazilian wrecking machine who spent more time in the bathroom after lunch at Chipotle than he did inside the Octagon knocking his opponents out, a season of TUF let his personality be known to fans.
Worst: Bait and switch, numero dos. Lesnar nearly retired after a bout with diverticulitis and a second flare up after the season began to air led to the former champ dropping out and Shane Carwin stepping in against dos Santos. I don't blame Lesnar for getting sick -- that'd be dumb -- but the rivalry between him and the Brazilian was rendered moot after he was replaced.
Lasting effect: Without getting too negative, I think this season will be truly remembered as when the format officially jumped the shark. Bantamweights and featherweights would inject one last shot of life into the next season but the announcement that fights would be live going forward with TUF 15 was one that definitely needed to be made.
The Ultimate Fighter 14: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller -- Miller made his return to the UFC and Bisping made his return to the coach's role earning him the honor of being the first TUF alumni to return twice as a coach.
Best: While most coach rivalries were bred from actual dislike -- or in Ortiz and Shamrock's case, flat out hatred -- Bisping and Miller went through the season with a simple, competitive spirit. Neither man likes losing so while there may not be any bad blood there, it was definitely fun to see the two go at it.
Worst: This one may be a bit personal but Johnny Bedford's knockout in the penultimate episode was devastating and a bit scary. He's a hometown boy and I've had the pleasure of interviewing him before. Seeing anyone get put to sleep like that is bad enough but it's worse when it's someone you have history with.
Lasting effect: A formal introduction to the newest and lightest weight classes the UFC employs, TUF presented a fantastic vehicle to get fans more familiar with the little guys inside the Octagon.
Seven years and 14 seasons, Maniacs.
What are your favorite memories from the TUF era on Spike TV?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, team, tuf
Read the full article at MMA ManiaKid Nate opines that "Bisping, Miller, Ultimate Fighter Contestants Collateral Damage In Spike TV...
Kid Nate opines that "Bisping, Miller, Ultimate Fighter Contestants Collateral Damage In Spike TV Feud With UFC" at MMA Nation.
Posted in: fighter, bisping, kid nate, bisping miller, collateral
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUSA TODAY/MMA Nation November 2011 Consensus Rankings: Lightweight
Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank
1
Frankie Edgar
400
UFC
1
2
Gilbert Melendez
377
Strikeforce
2
3
Gray Maynard
367
UFC
3
4
Ben Henderson
352
UFC
4
5
Shinya Aoki
321
DREAM
6
6
Clay Guida
289
UFC
7
7
Jim Miller
277
UFC
8
8
Donald Cerrone
241
UFC
13
9
Anthony Pettis
230
UFC
9
10
Michael Chandler
226
Bellator
42
11
Eddie Alvarez
185
Bellator
4
12
Joe Lauzon
113
UFC
15
13
Nate Diaz
112
UFC
12
14
Gleison Tibau
109
UFC
19
15
Melvin Guillard
105
UFC
11
16
Dennis Siver
95
UFC
10
17
B.J. Penn
93
UFC
14
18
Sean Sherk
87
UFC
16
19
Evan Dunham
80
UFC
17
20
Rafael dos Anjos
77
UFC
18
21
Matt Wiman
71
UFC
20
21
Sam Stout
71
UFC
22
23
Josh Thomson
69
Strikeforce
23
24
Jorge Masvidal
68
Strikeforce
21
25
Kenny Florian
67
UFC
25
By far December's biggest lightweight fight scheduled is #2 Gilbert Melendez vs. #24 Jorge Masvidal at Strikeforce's 12/17 event.
The next biggest event is debatable as #5 Shinya Aoki will face #37 Satoru Kitaoka at DREAM's New Year's Eve show while #8 Donald Cerrone is scheduled to to take on #13 Nate Diaz at UFC 141.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, ranking, point
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Live Results and Play-by-Play
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale takes place tonight in Las Vegas, featuring a main event between coaches Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller along with the finals of the season’s bantamweight and featherweight tournaments.
MMAFrenzy.com will have live results from The Ultimate Fight 14 Finale starting at 5:15pm ET for the preliminary card, which streams on Facebook.com/UFC, and 8pm ET for the Spike-televised main card.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale live results:
MAIN CARD
Michael Bisping vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller
Diego Brandao vs. Dennis Bermudez
The Ultimate Fighter 14 featherweight final
John Dodson vs. TJ Dillashaw
The Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight final
Yves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson
Johnny Bedford vs. Louis Gaudinot (8pm ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Stephen Bass vs. Marcus Brimage
John Albert vs. Dustin Pague
Josh Ferguson vs. Roland Delorme
Josh Clopton vs. Steven Siler
Dustin Neace vs. Bryan Caraway (5:15pm ET)
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale play-by-play:
MICHAEL BISPING VS. JASON MILLER
Round 1 -
DIEGO BRANDAO VS. DENNIS BERMUDEZ
The Ultimate Fighter 14 featherweight final
Round 1 -
JOHN DODSON vs. TJ DILLASHAW
The Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight final
Round 1 -
YVES EDWARDS VS. TONY FERGUSON
Round 1 -
JOHNNY BEDFORD VS. LOUIS GAUDINOT
Round 1 -
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller (via UFC.com)
Posted in: fighter, round, vs, jason, finale
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyThe Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale: Nashville Brawl behind him, Jason Miller finally returns to the Octagon
"Sometimes these things happen in MMA."
Reading reactions on websites like MMAmania following that statement, you would have believed that Showtime announcer Gus Johnson might as well have taken the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) behind the barn and plugged one in the back of its head. The bubblegum-flavored lip balm aficionado, flustered for words, said that infamous statement following an all-out brawl, a fracas that has become synonymous with the Strikeforce: Nashville card from April 2010.
And smack dab in the middle of it was The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale headliner Jason Miller.
"Mayhem" had fought earlier in the night, earning a relatively easy win over Tim Stout. It put him back in the win column after he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Jake Shields, a bout that decided a new middleweight champion after Cung Le absconded to Hollywood to film Fighting 2: Electric Boogaloo.
Shields beat Miller, surviving a tight third round choke, and became the 185-pound champion. Five months later, he overcame yet another early scare in his bout with Dan Henderson and would go on to defend the title in a fashion similar to how he won it in the first place.
Celebrating his come from behind win over Henderson with his Cesar Gracie teammates in tow, while Johnson asked a litany of standard post-fight questions, Shields was taken by surprise by a familiar face who had unexpectedly dodged, ducked, dipped, dove and dodged his way inside the cage.
"What's up? Where's my rematch, buddy?" Miller said with the Cheshire Cat grin that is perpetually attached to his face.
That's when all hell broke loose.
Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez was first to step up to plate. He tried to get an arm in between his training partner and Miller while Shields, nervous smile creeping across his face, gave his former foe a small shove to one shoulder. A stronger, two-handed shove was delivered from the middleweight champ immediately after and "Mayhem" -- still grinning like a madman -- fell back into Shields' sponsor banner.
But, by this point, Miller was no longer focused on the middleweight. Nick Diaz -- and this should come as a surprise to absolutely no one who knows even the slightest bit about the Stockton fighter -- had started throwing punches, apparently home sick the day in kindergarten where everyone is taught that differences are settled with words, not fists.
"Mayhem" was eventually wrestled to the ground where Diaz delivered a flurry of body shots to the kidneys -- even in a brawl, he remembers good technique! -- while younger brother Nate did his best Wanderlei Silva impersonation and tried to stomp away as the former "Bully Beatdown" host.
That was right about when Johnson said that infamous line and followed it with several, "Gentlemen! We are on national television!"s like an old schoolmaster at her wit's end, trying to control a classroom full of petulant children.
When the dust finally settled, there were fines levied against several of those involved, but no dollar amount could ever compare to the drama that followed the incident. Miller and Diaz engaged in an all-out war of words, bantering back and forth about catchweights and which of the two homies was, in fact, scared.
The fight never materialized. Diaz went on to defend his welterweight title three times before making the jump back to the Octagon and maybe/maybe not retiring B.J. Penn. Diaz's unwillingness to sign on the dotted line to face "Mayhem" caused some fans to cry foul.
But like just about anything in the world - and especially the fight game - there was more to the story. Miller was quietly "banned" from Strikeforce because of his involvement in the "Nashville Brawl" and had to sit out the remainder of his contract. He took a fight against Kazushi Sakuraba in DREAM but the decision to keep him outside a Strikeforce cage makes his bout with Michael Bisping his first in over a year.
A year is pretty much an eternity for a fighter. They can train day in and day out the entire time but without stepping inside the cage and putting those skills to test in an actual fight, there's no way to be sure whether any definable progress is being made.
Was the brawl worth sitting a talented, marketable fighter on the sidelines for that long? Absolutely not. Despite Johnson's poorly timed statement, these things DO happen in MMA. It happened in Pride Fighting Championships several times and hell, it even happened in Strikeforce once before when K.J. Noons and his daddy got into it with - you guessed it - Nick Diaz.
Sure, it gives ammunition for those who don't like the sport to load into their buzzword and rhetoric guns but the simple fact is, people love drama. The only thing better than something good is something good turning chaotic. That's the element that Miller brings every time he fights and now brings to the Octagon. He's not nearly clinically insane like "Krazy Horse" Charles Bennett but he's pretty damn close.
And that's the kind of a fighter people will pay money to see.
Posted in: fight, diaz, strikeforce, fighter, miller
Read the full article at MMA Mania'TUF 14' vet Louis Gaudinot aiming for UFC contract, waiting for flyweight division
Like many fighters who appear on "The Ultimate Fighter," Louis Gaudinot is not fighting at his natural weight class.
Although his turn on show's 14th season came as a bantamweight, he's actually a top-10 ranked fighter at 10 pounds lighter at flyweight.
So when Gaudinot meets fellow "TUF" contestant Johnny Bedford at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, he's hoping a win not only gets him a UFC contract but holds his place in line if the promotion opens the 125-pound division.
Posted in: fighter, ufc contract, weight class, flyweight division, bantamweight hes
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMMAterial Facts (12/02/11) : TUF History – By the Numbers, Bisping vs Miller, & Drug Testing
Welcome to this week’s edition of MMAterial Facts, where we feature articles from around the MMA community.
***
This week’s MMAterial Facts:
Courtesy of FightNerd.com
- The Ultimate Fighter History in Review: Stats, Facts and Figures (MMA Fighting)
“As a superstar production unit, the show has had mixed results. It began with a splash in 2005, launching the careers of Forrest Griffin, Kenny Florian, Josh Koscheck and others, but in time, competition for talent from other organizations made it more difficult to land prime talent. That’s led to criticism from some who believe it no longer serves a real purpose as a feeder.
…
That debate is worth an exploration, though it’s ultimately moot as the franchise will continue in a newly revamped style on its new cable home on FX in 2012. But for now, let’s take a look at the first 13 seasons of TUF in stats, facts and figures (season 14 is excluded because its competitors have yet to officially fight in the octagon).”
- Would a confidential drug testing program help out UFC fighters? (Fight Opinion)
““I read all the blog sites and everybody’s all caught up, is it a performance enhancer? It’s a banned substance, it’s not a performance-enhancing substance list, it’s a banned substance list. And this is a place where sports in general and MMA in specific are trying to look out for the well being of the fighters because getting on this type of medication, as anybody will tell you, is very, very, very hard to get off. I don’t call these types of medications, the opiates, the narcotics, the Dilaudids, performance enhancers. I call them performance enablers.”
…
He’s exactly right. Semi-retired wrestler Lance Storm talks about how dangerous taking painkillers can be because when you are injured and feeling the pain, you’re body is telling you to stop and you’re popping a pill to basically continue on without feeling the natural pain you’re supposed to. The end result is more physical damage to your body, including your organs should you take one too many pills.”
- Interview with TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson (MMA Mania)
“When I fought Aaron Riley, he shook my hand in the back, you might have saw it but we were in the back, his jaw was broken and he shook my hand and he looked at me and I finally got it. It was a passing of the torch, you know? It was like, “Okay, you beat me, now do something with it,” and that’s what I want to do.”
- Pic: BJ Penn Was Mobbed For Autographs In The Philippines Today (MMA Convert)
“For quite awhile the UFC had targeted the Philippines for their first international TUF season until they found out first hand just how hot the Brazil market was. And it’s not hard to see why considering the massive turnouts for public appearances by Chuck Liddell, Brandon Vera, Georges St. Pierre and now BJ Penn.”
- Ryan Jimmo Interview: The sequel to the worst movie ever made and his move to the UFC (MiddleEasy)
“Did it take you longer than you expected to get to the UFC? Yes…and no. I think I would be able to hold my own and compete there a while ago even if that’s an untested theory. My manager and I had a plan. We didn’t want to go in too school. We wanted to make sure my skills were in place, my wrestling was in place. Now my wrestling is fantastic, I’m out wrestling wrestlers. I wanted to make sure my stand up was correct and my confidence was good enough. I wanted to make sure my life was in the right place and financially I was OK. We wanted to take all of these steps and make sure all of our ducks are in a row so we don’t go up there like some guys that have no wrestling or Jiu Jitsu, that are so happy to be in the UFC, but make a quick exit. That’s not what I envision for myself. I’m a complete fighter and I’m going to make my mark there.”
- Video: Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s Fight Journal Part 2 (FightLine)
“MMAFighting’s E. Casey Leydon spent some time with Mayhem as he gears up to face Bisping this weekend, producing a Fight Journal video to get an inside look at Mayhem’s life leading up to the fight.
…
We posted the first part of the video earlier this week, you can check out both parts below.”
- CagePotato Tribute: The Failure to Intimidate (Cage Potato)
“Hoping to gain the mental edge, Tito channeled his inner high school bully and made a lunge toward Liddell. While such tactics work wonders on members of the glee club, the mere suggestion of physical contact hardy registers a blink from dudes who get punched in the face on the regular. The Iceman was sick of Tito’s tough guy routine and primed to dole out the beating he’d dodged for so many years. He’d leave Ortiz crumpled in the fetal position in just over one round the following evening. Undaunted by his failure to intimidate, Ortiz continued to employ the same psyche-out strategy throughout his career with mixed results. Mental giant Ken Shamrock took the bait with hilarious results, while Ryan Bader could barely muster up a grin in response.”
- Grappling with Issues – 12/2/11 (Five Ounces of Pain)
“Would you have cut Chris Leben after his latest run-in with drug/alcohol abuse?
…
Conlan: … The reality is the UFC has some culpability in the situation because they’ve created an environment where things that would result in most folks being fired don’t have long-term repercussions. They need to be cognizant of the perception it creates, the responsibility they have as his employer, and understand the company/sport could suffer a major blow to their reputation if Leben slips up again to the point someone’s life is dramatically affected whether his own, a friend/family member, or even an innocent victim.”
- 2011 World MMA Award Winners (5thRound)
“Fighters Only’s 2011 World MMA Awards took place Wednesday night at The Pearl inside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The who’s who of the mixed martial arts world, except yours truly, attended the fancy black-tie ceremony.”
- TUF 14: Bisping vs. Miller Weigh-In Video and Results (LowKick)
“The event is co -headlined by the TUF 14 Featherweight Finale bout between Dennis Bermudez and Diego Brandao, while T.J. Dillashaw takes on John Dodson in the TUF 14 Bantamweight Finale bout. The main card will be completed with Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards, and Johnny Bedford vs. Louis Gaudinot.”
- Bellator FC 59 Results & Exclusive Photo Gallery (TheFightNerd)
“Bellator Fighting Championships returned to Atlantic City, N.J. to end its historic fifth season LIVE on MTV2 and in HD on EPIX from Caesars Atlantic City. While two tournament finals were scheduled for Bellator 59, only one Tournament Championship was decided as Eduardo Dantas collected an impressive win over Alexis Vila in the Bantamweight Finals. The Heavyweight Finals was declared a no contest, as Thiago Santos delivered what was ruled an accidental illegal blow to the groin of Eric Prindle, which eventually halted the fight and was declared a no contest.”
- Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller, TUF 14 Finale: Who Has the Most To Lose? (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
“Bisping is one of the UFC’s most marketable fighters thanks to his international appeal. He is also one of the company’s most hated fighters because of his antics both in and out of the Octagon.
…
Many fighters in MMA talk trash. But Bisping has gone beyond that, being disrespectful to fans and fighters alike.
…
It’s easy for Bisping to talk trash. But if he really wants to shut up his doubters, he will have to get wins over big-name opponents.
…
If he loses against Miller, it will show that he may never be a top contender. “
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, tuf, bisping
Read the full article at MMA PayoutThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale discussion thread
LAS VEGAS - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from The
Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in
Las Vegas.
Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in The Ultimate
Fighter 14 Finale live-results post, and then discuss the event in the
comments section below.
Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 5:15
p.m. ET (2:15 p.m. PT local time) for the preliminary card and 8 p.m. ET
for the main card.
Posted in: fighter, pm, card, card updates, finale
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTUF 14 Finale Prelim Results - "Prince" Albert crowns Pague in 69 seconds
LAS VEGAS, December 3 - Caution was thrown to the wind by bantamweights John “Prince” Albert and Dustin Pague in their TUF14 Finale prelim bout Saturday at The Pearl at The Palms, as both fighters immediately met in the middle to start the bout, with Albert promptly dropping Pague with a wide left hook early in the first 20 seconds. With Pague (10-6) still trying to find his bearings on the canvas, Albert pounced on top and proceeded to tie up one of Pague’s arms and rain down punches on the trapped fighter until referee Herb Dean halted the action just 69 seconds into the fight. “Pague’s probably the best kickboxer on the show,” said Albert, who improved to 7-1. “I just really worked my hardest. I’m a ground fighter first and I work with the best ground fighter in the world, Dennis Hallman, so…”ROLAND DELORME VS. JOSH FERGUSONRoland Delorme entered this bout eager to ‘beat the red off Josh Ferguson’s neck.’ The 27-year-old Canadian didn’t put that kind of butt-whipping on Ferguson, but he was able to drop the stocky Kentuckian with a stiff left jab to start the third round, then swiftly submitted a stunned Ferguson with a rear naked choke just 22 seconds into the frame. Delorme, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, had threatened to end the bantamweight battle in the first round, trapping Ferguson in a triangle choke for a long time and reigning down elbows in the process. Yet Ferguson (7-4) – also a BJJ black belt – gamely defended and escaped the choke. STEPHEN SILER VS. JOSH CLOPTONHow should you defend when trapped in a Muay Thai clinch? Josh Clopton will probably spend a lot of time seeking that answer after Stephen Siler relentlessly abused, bloodied and perplexed him from the Muay Thai clinch. The Muay Thai clinic was vaguely reminiscent of Anderson Silva’s Muay Thai bludgeoning of Rich Franklin at UFC 64, save for the fact that Siler’s strikes are considerably less potent and he was unable to finish Clopton. Instead, the lanky Utah product settled for a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28 across the board. The victory for Siler (19-9) knocked Clopton from the ranks of the unbeaten (6-1-1). Clopton finished with a blood-smeared face despite occasionally cracking Siler with hard shots and scoring several takedowns.DUSTIN NEACE VS. BRYAN CARAWAYFormer Motorcross standout Bryan Caraway notched his first official UFC win, cinching in a rear naked choke at 3:38 of the second round to put away friend and former TUF 14 teammate Dustin Neace. The 27-year-old Caraway – best known by some for being the boyfriend of Strikeforce women’s 135-pound champion Miesha Tate -- carried round one on strength of a crisp left hook to the temple area that briefly wobbled Neace, and controlled the Team Alpha Male fighter after scoring a takedown, passing guard and fishing for an armbar as the round expired. Neace (23-18-1) played the aggressor early in round two, with Caraway (16-6) curiously hesitant until he scored a takedown midway in the frame, later transitioning to the back and cinching in a rear naked choke beside the fence at 3:38 for the win.
Posted in: fighter, round, ferguson, pague, siler
Read the full article at UFCSPOILERS - TUF 14 Finale Main Event Results
Bisping Halts Miller in ThreeLAS VEGAS, December 3 – They showered Michael Bisping with a heavy chorus of boos, “U-S-A! U-S-A!” and “Miller! Miller! Miller!” Yet none of the mass disdain mattered as the fiery Brit wore down and battered Jason “Mayhem” Miller and forced a referee stoppage late in the third round. The clash of The Ultimate Fighter 14 coaches and two of the UFC’s most colorful enemies was fun while it lasted though. Miller (34-9, 1 NC) had jumped all over Bisping early, scoring with a takedown, ground and pound and some effective striking despite an obvious ugliness to his standup techniques. But the frantic pace caused the zany Californian to wilt heading into the second round, which spelled doom against Bisping, a cardio machine. “I feel tired,” Bisping (23-3) said afterward. “He’s a tough guy. I knew I would have a hard time to finish him. You’re all booing, whatever… We had a fantastic season of the Ultimate Fighter. Congratulations UFC. Thank you UFC, to my wife and three kids. … Everybody who has helped, thank you very much.” Winner of five of his past six fights, Bisping has the look of a top contender to middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva. However, the British fighter conceded that his showing against Miller left something to be desired. “If it was against the champion, a first round like that wouldn’t cut it,” Bisping said. “So I’ve got some work to do.” Miller, meanwhile, was gracious in defeat. “I trained really hard for this fight. I’m sorry guys, I got tired,” said Miller, his left eye badly swollen. “I can’t make excuses about it. For all the boos that Michael Bisping gets, as a fighter, he deserves your applause.”
Posted in: ufc, fighter, miller, bisping, michael bisping
Read the full article at UFCBrydon on Bisping: Count me a supporter
Michael Bisping didn't earn himself any fans with his actions on Friday, but that doesn't take away from his skills as a fighter.
Posted in: fighter, brydon, bisping, count, bisping count
Read the full article at sportsnet.caThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale weigh-in photos: An MMAjunkie.com image gallery
LAS VEGAS - MMAjunkie.com was on scene for today's official The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale fighter weigh-ins and captured images of all 20 competitors.
Today's ceremony was held at the Key West Ballroom at the Palms Casino
Resort in Las Vegas, which also hosts Saturday's Spike TV-televised
event.
A vocal crowd of several hundred fans packed the ballroom and booed headliner Michael Bisping, both at the behest of Jason "Mayhem" Miller and on their own; "The Count" responded by launching into an expletive-laden rant and flashing them the middle finger on more than one occasion.
Posted in: fighter, las vegas, west ballroom, middle finger, todays official
Read the full article at MMA JunkieThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Official Weigh-in Results: Bisping Misses on First Attempt
Main event middleweight Michael Bisping was the only fighter to miss weight Friday for Saturday's TUF 14 Finale in Las Vegas.
Posted in: fighter, bisping, weight, la, weight friday
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Ultimate Fighter Finale Weigh In
submitted by coldmma [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fighter, finale, fighter finale, coldmma
Read the full article at RedditUSA TODAY/MMA Nation November 2011 Consensus Rankings: Welterweight
Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank
1
Georges St. Pierre
400
UFC
1
2
Jon Fitch
376
UFC
2
3
Nick Diaz
343
UFC
5
4
Jake Ellenberger
335
UFC
6
5
Carlos Condit
333
UFC
3
6
Josh Koscheck
328
UFC
4
7
Jake Shields
304
UFC
7
8
B.J. Penn
238
UFC
8
9
Martin Kampmann
216
UFC
14
10
Anthony Johnson
199
UFC
10
11
Diego Sanchez
165
UFC
12
12
Thiago Alves
164
UFC
11
13
Rory MacDonald
152
UFC
13
14
Ben Askren
145
Bellator
18
15
Rick Story
139
UFC
9
16
Charlie Brenneman
129
UFC
14
17
Johny Hendricks
124
UFC
19
18
Tyron Woodley
108
Strikeforce
17
19
Paulo Thiago
106
UFC
16
20
Jay Hieron
103
Bellator
20
21
Brian Ebersole
78
UFC
21
22
Paul Daley
77
Ring Side
26
23
John Hathaway
72
UFC
22
24
Siyar Bahadurzada
71
Ultimate Glory
27
25
Douglas Lima
70
Bellator
32
The first "relevant" welterweight bout of December will be at UFC 140 where #21 Brian Ebersole will take on unranked Claude Patrick.
UFC 141 promises better 170 lb action though, with #2 Jon Fitch meeting #17 Johny Hendricks and #27 Dong Hyun Kim facing unranked Sean Pierson.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, ranking, point
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Weigh-In Video and Results
Bloody Elbow will be providing live updates when all 20 fighters on the card step on the scale at today's Ultimate Fighter 14 weigh-ins from the Key West Ballroom in The Palms Casino in Las Vegas, NV. You can catch it live over at MMA Nation, SBN's home of live video. The weigh-ins begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
The main event is a five-round battle between TUF coaches Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Both fighters will have to make the middleweight non-title limit of 186 pounds.
Join us and share your thoughts as the weigh-ins unfold.
Main Card:
Michael Bisping ( ) vs. Jason Miller ( )John Dodson ( ) vs. T.J. Dillashaw ( )Diego Brandao ( ) vs. Dennis Bermudez ( )Anthony Ferguson ( ) vs. Yves Edwards ( )Louis Gaudinot ( ) vs. Johnny Bedford ( )Preliminary Card:
Dustin Pague ( ) vs. John Albert ( )Marcus Brimage ( ) vs. Stephen Bass ( )Josh Clopton ( ) vs. Steven Siler ( )Bryan Caraway ( ) vs. Dustin Neace ( )Roland Delorme ( ) vs. Josh Ferguson ( )
Posted in: fighter, vs, card, weighin, fiveround battle
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWatch Today’s Ultimate Fighter Finale Weigh-Ins Live at 7 p.m. ET
Watch a live stream of today's Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale weigh-ins from Las Vegas right here at HeavyMMA.com.
Posted in: fighter, today, finale, weighin, today ’s
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUSA TODAY/MMA Nation November 2011 Consensus Rankings: Middleweight
Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank
1
Anderson Silva
400
UFC
1
2
Chael Sonnen
384
UFC
2
3
Yushin Okami
359
UFC
3
4
Mark Munoz
333
UFC
4
5
Demian Maia
298
UFC
6
5
Vitor Belfort
298
UFC
5
7
Michael Bisping
259
UFC
7
8
Brian Stann
244
UFC
8
9
Luke Rockhold
233
Strikeforce
10
9
Nate Marquardt
233
BAMMA
9
11
Ronaldo Souza
194
Strikeforce
11
12
Hector Lombard
182
Bellator
12
13
Alan Belcher
141
UFC
14
14
Tim Kennedy
138
Strikeforce
15
15
Chris Leben
128
UFC
13
16
Wanderlei Silva
116
UFC
18
17
Mamed Khalidov
104
KSW
19
18
Rousimar Palhares
102
UFC
16
19
Jorge Santiago
98
UFC
17
20
Chris Weidman
90
UFC
21
21
Robbie Lawler
79
Strikeforce
20
22
Alexander Shlemenko
65
Bellator
31
23
Alessio Sakara
62
UFC
28
24
Jake Shields
61
UFC
27
25
Dan Henderson
60
UFC
23
Quite possibly the only truly relevant middleweight contest scheduled for December is this Saturday's clash of #7 Michael Bisping and fellow TUF coach #30 Jason Miller.
Fortunately, the new year promises a return to action from #3 Yushin Okami, #5 Vitor Belfort and #18 Rousimar Palhares among others.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, ranking, point
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowGrappling with Issues – 12/2/11
Should Chris Leben have been released after failing another drug test? Who do you see coming away with an Ultimate Fighter Season 14 trophy? Does Michael Bisping deserve a title-shot if he beats Jason Miller? What was your favorite moment of Bellator Season 5?
Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!
Welcome to Grappling with Issues, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from myself and resident workhorse Jeremy Lambert whose general contributions and “Scorecard” event-breakdowns can be regularly found on Five Ounces. As always, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t hesitate to offer your own take on the topics in the “Comments” section below.
Would you have cut Chris Leben after his latest run-in with drug/alcohol abuse?
Lambert: No, I would get him some help. Leben has never been the most mentally stable person and even though we hear stories about how he’s doing better and how he’s turned his life around. I think being popped for pain killers proves that to be false. Painkiller addiction is a serious problem and one that Leben hopefully beats. To beat that though, he’ll need to go to some sort of counseling, not only for his addiction but for all the other problems that he’s had throughout his life. This isn’t a one off with Leben like it is with other guys. It’s clear that he needs help in his life and I hope UFC officials push him into taking the right steps to truly turn his life around.
Conlan:No, though I would have made him fully aware that any other drug-related transgression such would result in his immediate termination (even a DWI or public intoxication). I might even consider implementing internal testing because the UFC is putting itself at risk of being considered an enabler. Like Jeremy said, Leben needs help and the UFC needs to reach out and give it to him if nobody else will because he clearly can’t do it on his own.
The reality is the UFC has some culpability in the situation because they’ve created an environment where things that would result in most folks being fired don’t have long-term repercussions. They need to be cognizant of the perception it creates, the responsibility they have as his employer, and understand the company/sport could suffer a major blow to their reputation if Leben slips up again to the point someone’s life is dramatically affected whether his own, a friend/family member, or even an innocent victim.
On a scale from 1-10 (ten being the best), how would you rate TUF 14?
Lambert: I guess I’ll say a 7 or 8. Honestly though, despite watching every episode and even doing the live blog for the site, I almost immediately forget about the show and what happened on it after it goes off air and never think about it again until the following week. This hasn’t been a bad season though. I can’t really remember a bad fight, there have been some funny pranks and lines, and the coaches have built a nice rivalry. So it’s been a fine season, but the show ran its course for me a long time ago and now it’s something that I watch mainly because I need and have to, not because I really want to.
Conlan: I’d go in the 7-8 range as well for the reasons Lambert listed, though I won’t go as far as to say I’m jaded to the point I don’t still enjoy the show. I like learning about what makes fighters tick and can always appreciate a good throwdown. I appreciated the qualifying round being set inside Mandalay Bay and the frenetic pace set by most. The fighters were talented, many of whom I can see sticking around the UFC (especially once flyweight is opened up) for the next few years, and the coaches’ personalities made for an entertaining season. All in all a solid way to close out TUF on Spike TV.
TRUE/FALSE – Michael Bisping should get a title-shot if he beats Jason Miller at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale?
Lambert: FALSE. Unless the winner of Mark Munoz vs. Chael Sonnen goes down with an injury, they’re pretty much guaranteed to get the next crack at Anderson Silva. My guess is that Bisping, should he beat Miller, will face the winner of Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson. UFC usually holds a show in England at the end of the year, so if Bisping keeps winning and the timing works out, we could see “The Count” challenging for the title in his home country at the end of 2012.
Conlan: FALSE, but only because Silva is expected to be out until June and Bisping needs to stay active. I definitely think a fourth straight win coupled with the marketability of the match-up is enough to merit a title-shot for Bisping, at least in the context of UFC criteria, and I know a lot of people who would buy the PPV just in hopes of seeing “The Count” get knocked silly. However, Bisping was out for a major chunk of time in 2011 due to TUF 14 and I don’t want the same to be true in 2012. As such, I’d put him up against Sonnen or Munoz (the former has implied he’s already lined up for the winner of Bisping/Miller) and let that fight serve to determine the “lucky” individual who draws Silva in Brazil next summer.
Better chance of winning this weekend: TJ Dillashaw or Dennis Bermudez?
Conlan: Dillashaw. He has the fundamentals and wrestling to hang with John Dodson, plus a camp full of killers at Team Alpha Male, while Bermudez is facing an absolute beast in the form of Diego Brandao. Bryan Caraway, who is a solid grappler, couldn’t deal with the Brazilian’s fury despite repeated attempts to take him down and I see the same being true with Bermudez (a wrestler by trade).
Lambert: I think Dodson is a tougher match up for Dillashaw than Diego is for Dennis. I know Diego is a wild man with plenty of power but I’m still not sold on his cardio or ground game. I mean, the dude has a 13-7 record. It’s not like he’s some undefeated monster who no one has figured out. I think guys got it in their head that Diego couldn’t be beat and so they lost. I’m pretty sure we can all agree that was the case with Caraway. Dennis showed that he has a ton of heart and even if he starts slow, I think he can come back and win.
Besides Mike Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez, what was the most memorable moment from Bellator Season 5?
Conlan: Other than the ring-girl vs. ring-girl grappling sessions? Alexis Vila knocking out Joe Warren is right up there for sure. In the past Warren had always been able to overcome adversity, even landing a few highlight reel finishes along the way, but such was not to be when he ran into fellow Olympian Vila. Early into the fight Vila landed that beautiful left that sent Warren down to the canvas on his back, arms extended in the air, and that’s all she wrote on one of the greatest knockouts of 2011.
Lambert: Alright, I’m cheating here but I’m going to say the entire welterweight tournament. I realize that seven fights that spread across three events isn’t really a “moment” but this is my portion of the column and I’ll play by my own rules.
I thought the 170-pound tournament was fantastic from start to finish. We had some close fights in the early rounds and then the final three fights all ended in spectacular fashion, including the finals when Douglas Lima knocked out Ben Saunders. I know it’s tough to get behind these Bellator tournaments because they all scream “second rate” since UFC boasts the best fighters in the world, especially at 170, but this was a great tournament that showcased some lesser known fighters in MMA.
What UFC 144 fight featuring a Japanese fighter are you most looking forward to?
Conlan: Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski. There are some other good options but for my money Palaszewski’s pairing with Hioki is the cream of the crop. Both fighters are well-rounded, veteran competitors who are coming off big wins. The winner of this bout could be on the cusp of a title-shot, possibly even earning one depending on how things unfold for Hioki. I’d definitely see it as a “Fight of the Night” type match-up on most cards and would here too if the lineup didn’t boast Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar and Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon.
Lambert: Obviously I’m looking forward to the “greatest fighter in Japanese history,” Yushin Okami, fighting on the undercard against Tim Boetsch.
In all seriousness, I’m pretty excited for Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields because it’s a huge fight for both men. Akiyama, who hasn’t looked good at all in the UFC, is in desperate need of a win and is cutting down to 170 in order to find some success there while Shields, once considered the second best welterweight in the world, is in desperate need of a victory after dropping back to back fights. It’s a must-win fight for both guys and it’s very possible that it’ll be the only fight where the Japanese fans may actually favor the foreigner.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, ’t, lambert
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainCotto vs. Margarito 2: The Story, the Preview, and the Prognostications
There's a kind of theatre to any rivalry, and what we love about combat sports is that it offers the most primal of resolutions to such conflicts. It's what made season one of The Ultimate Fighter, at least for the moment that it was distanced from lectures on asparagus and Diego's drunken ravings about aliens, sort of compelling. Chris Leben and Josh Koscheck had scores to settle, and they settled it in the cage.
This weekend, another score will be settled when Michael Bisping and Jason Miller face off. Despite the criticisms, it's a good fight. But the rivalry feels forced. It needed a season's worth of wits being traded, pranks being pulled, a heated game of air hockey, Bisping's garish demeanor, and the tired interjection of Dana White that "these guys don't like each other" to finally simmer. The fight itself might be compelling, but the theatrics are defiantly not. Which brings us to a rivalry that boils on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Before Miguel Cotto fought Antonio Margarito in 2008 at the MGM Grand, observers felt like he was walking in the shoes of another great Puerto Rican born fighter in Felix 'Tito' Trinidad. He wasn't the lights out puncher that Tito was, but he was undefeated until then, and had a crowd pleasing style.
Margarito, meanwhile, was the guy "everyone was ducking". 'Everyone', for many critics, was a shot at Floyd Mayweather. But the division pressed on. And so Cotto answered the call to battle against the rugged, iron chinned boxer from Tijuana (coming off a win over another Puerto Rican upstart in Kermit Cintron).
The fight itself was what you'd expect out of prizefighting at its most brilliant. Cotto blazed through Margarito in the first round, strafing him with punches from all angles. Against a normal man, that kind of dominance would been foreboding. But Margarito, as if made of crocodile skin, walked through them. Cotto may have been winning exchanges, and scoring points, but he was never comfortably ahead. In fact, the fight felt like it had already been decided by round 7.
Margarito threw 130 punches in round 7, landing 46 power shots. The significance of this statistic created the most indelible image of the fight as Cotto, fatigued and visibly discouraged, slowly retreats toward the ropes while a small waterfall of blood leaks from his nose. The fight would end in the 11th. It was a definitive win. Sort of.
If you haven't been following the story, the controversy goes like this: before Margarito's fight against Shane Mosley (directly following his win over Cotto) in 2009, Mosley's trainer noticed something peculiar about Antonio's handwraps. Sure enough, the pads in question were found to contain sulphur and calcium, which help to form plaster of paris.
And so Miguel Cotto asked the logical question: 'did he load his wraps in his fight with me?' While typically soft spoken, he perks up during an episode of 24/7 when he reveals what he considers to be damning evidence: the pad confiscated in the Mosley fight possesses a red stain in the same area as the wraps used in his fight with Cotto.Then there's what appears to be a "crack" in Margarito's handwraps, which Cotto offers up as additional evidence (and which Margarito dismisses as a "booger"). Neither act as smoking gun level evidence, but there's nothing insincere or misguided about Cotto's suspicions. He's at once curious, and outraged.
It's the perfect black hat vs. white hat scenario. And Margarito wears the hat well. During HBO's 24/7 we see Cotto shedding tears with his mother in a heartbreaking scene, reflecting on the recent passing of Miguel Cotto Sr. Then we see Margarito, mocking Cotto for 'crying so much', and laughing off any notion that he cheated. Margarito's smile just feels unclean. Scott Chris at Bad Left Hook even asks the question "is he happy enough just to be here, when he knows that he shouldn't be?" And every flash of his pearly but uneven whites brings us back to when Margarito made fun of Freddie Roach's Parkinson's with stablemate, and self-proclaimed clown, Brandon Rios.
But what of the fight itself? Will the rematch be the same classic that the first one was?
Watching the first fight, it was clear that Cotto was the better boxer. But it was also clear that in between his combinations, he needed oxygen: room to breathe in the center in the ring. And Margarito never gave him that. For Cotto, the path to victory is clear: fight in the center, and stay on that bicycle when needed.
However, there are questions surrounding whether or not Cotto still has the faculties that for a time, made him a star. In his last bout with the brash, and bizarre Ricardo Mayorga, Cotto seemed tentative at times. And his combinations lacked 'sizzle', if you will. Against an elite boxer, Cotto's performance might be justified, but Mayorga is irrelevant and hasn't cared about the sport of boxing in years. Autopilot for most fighters entails a dull performance, but for Mayorga, 'autopilot' is a reference to his hypermacho theatrics, and the type of bar room brawling you wouldn't find at a wet t-shirt contest. Nonetheless, it's a dynamic that confounds even superior boxers (see Forrest, Vernon, RIP). And so perhaps Cotto gets a pass.
But it's not a performance he'll want to replicate against Margarito, who will do what he always does: take shots, move forward, and land his own. For Margarito, a different kind of doubt hovers above his future: how many times have his wraps been loaded? Does the revelation of loaded wraps recast his identity as a fighter? It's a difficult fight to predict for these reasons. But I think with a chip on his shoulder, Cotto will outbox Margarito in another fantastic affair.
When Chris Leben and Josh Koscheck settled their score, it was a lackluster resolution. The layers of drama (insofar as being sprayed with a water hose supplied the foundation for drama) were limited to the actions that preceded the fight, as the fight itself lacked both crescendo, and overture. This won't be the case for the boxers in The Garden. For Cotto and Margarito, expect the drama to continue in the ring, as it did in the first fight and as it has leading up to the rematch. The reason is simple: their rivalry, is 'as real as it gets'.
Poll
Who do you got?
Antonio Margarito
Miguel Cotto
0 votes | Results
Posted in: fight, fighter, boxer, margarito, cotto
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUSA TODAY/MMA Nation November 2011 Consensus Rankings: Light Heavyweight
Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank
1
Jon Jones
400
UFC
1
2
Dan Henderson
375
UFC
6
3
Rashad Evans
364
UFC
3
4
Mauricio Rua
352
UFC
2
5
Quinton Jackson
336
UFC
4
6
Lyoto Machida
332
UFC
5
7
Phil Davis
286
UFC
7
7
Forrest Griffin
266
UFC
8
9
Gegard Mousasi
194
Strikeforce
9
10
Rafael Cavalcante
191
Strikeforce
10
11
Muhammed Lawal
167
Strikeforce
11
12
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
162
UFC
12
13
Alexander Gustafsson
153
UFC
13
14
Thiago Silva
146
UFC
16
15
Rich Franklin
138
UFC
14
16
Tito Ortiz
124
UFC
15
17
Ryan Bader
118
UFC
17
18
Vladimir Matyushenko
79
UFC
18
19
Renato Sobral
78
Strikeforce
20
20
Stanislav Nedkov
67
UFC
21
21
Stephan Bonnar
63
UFC
29
22
Ryan Jimmo
62
UFC
22
23
Roger Gracie
61
Strikeforce
22
24
Brandon Vera
58
UFC
25
25
Luiz Cane
56
UFC
27
Following a fight of the year performance against #4 Mauricio Rua in his return to the UFC, #2 Dan Henderson has vaulted ahead of inactive fighters such as #3 Rashad Evans, #4 Quinton Jackson and #6 Lyoto Machida.
Machida's inactivity is approaching its end though as he is set to challenge #1 Jon Jones for the title at UFC 140 next Saturday.
#12 Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and #16 Tito Ortiz will also square off on December 10 as they both struggle to stay "in the mix."
The following weekend #35 Ovince St. Preux will face his toughest test to date in #9 Gegard Mousasi.
At UFC 141, #18 Vladimir Matyushenko will play springboard to another surging LHW prospect in #13 Alexander Gustafsson.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, ranking, point
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTUF 14 Finale: Bisping vs. Miller Weigh In Results
The 14th season of the 'Ultimate Fighter' comes to a close on Saturday night, but first the fighters will hit the scales to weigh in on Friday at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
Posted in: night, saturday night, fighter, bisping, scale
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTUF 14 Finale: Preview & Predictions
Previewing Saturday's Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale and the headlining bout between middleweights Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
Posted in: fighter, miller, michael, bisping, finale
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUSA TODAY/MMA Nation November 2011 Consensus Rankings: Heavyweight
Rank Fighter Points Promotion Last Rank
1
Junior dos Santos
400
UFC
2
2
Cain Velasquez
382
UFC
1
3
Alistair Overeem
364
UFC
3
4
Brock Lesnar
330
UFC
4
5
Fabricio Werdum
325
Strikeforce
5
6
Frank Mir
304
UFC
6
7
Shane Carwin
287
UFC
7
8
Daniel Cormier
276
Strikeforce
9
9
Josh Barnett
265
Strikeforce
8
10
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
248
UFC
10
11
Antonio Silva
186
Strikeforce
11
12
Fedor Emelianenko
166
M-1 Global
12
13
Cheick Kongo
132
UFC
13
14
Brendan Schaub
122
UFC
14
14
Roy Nelson
122
UFC
15
16
Sergei Kharitonov
105
Strikeforce
17
17
Travis Browne
102
UFC
16
18
Mike Russow
97
UFC
19
19
Cole Konrad
87
Bellator
20
20
Matt Mitrione
74
UFC
18
21
Stefan Struve
70
UFC
22
22
Mark Hunt
69
UFC
21
23
Pat Barry
57
UFC
25
24
Dan Henderson
56
UFC
26
25
Gabriel Gonzaga
55
Reality Fighting
23
Following his 64 second destruction of former #1 Cain Velasquez on the UFC's debut on Fox, Junior dos Santos is the undisputed #1 heavyweight in the world as well as UFC Heavyweight Champion.
UFC 140 on December 10 offers up a heavyweight rematch between #6 Frank Mir and #10 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira that could put the winner back "in the mix."
#4 Brock Lesnar will face #3 Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 on December 30 to decide who will get first crack at the newly crowned Junior dos Santos in 2012.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, ranking, point
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFriday Link Club: TUF 14 Finale Preview, The Must-See Lyoto Machida Karate Kid Spoof
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Main Event Breakdown: Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller | MMA Fighting
‘TUF 14′ Featherweight and Bantamweight Finals Odds | 5thRound
Michael Bisping says loss to Dan Henderson was the best thing to ever happen to him | Five Ounces of Pain
Bloodstained Fangs: MMAmania interview exclusive with Ultimate Fighter 14 finalist Dennis Bermudez | MMA Mania
Chael Sonnen: What sets me apart from these liars is that I’m honest and respectful | LowKick
Anderson Silva: Chael Sonnen Means “Nothing” to Me | Bleacher Report
Hot Potato: 22 Photos of MMA Ring Girl (And U.S. Marine) Shannon Ihrke | Cage Potato
Pic: Jon Jones “Tebowing” at the 2011 World MMA Awards | MiddleEasy
Survey: UFC has growth potential but some still skeptical | MMA Payout
You Can Now Call Tito Ortiz ‘The People’s Champ’ | FightLine
Would a confidential drug testing program help out UFC fighters? | Fight Opinion
Kurt Pellegrino’s Retirement Speech at Bellator 59
| TheFightNerd
Posted in: mma, fighter, dan henderson, bleacher report, mma payout
Read the full article at MMA ConvertTUF 14 Finale Weigh-In Video
Filed under: UFCAll the fighters stepping into the Octagon for Saturday night's Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Finale will first step onto the scale at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale weigh-in, and we'll have the live video right here at MMAFighting.com.
In the fight between the coaches, Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller will have to make the middleweight limit of 186 pounds. In the featherweight finale, Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez will have to make 146 pounds. And in the bantamweight finale, John Dodson and T.J. Dillashaw will have to make 136 pounds.
The weigh-in starts at 7 p.m. ET and the video is below.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: pound, fighter, finale, dennis bermudez, saturday nights
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Ultimate Fighter History in Review: Stats, Facts and Figures
Filed under: UFCPrior to the 14th and final season of The Ultimate Fighter on Spike, 210 men had flown to Las Vegas and lived in a phone-free, television-free, internet-free environment for all or parts of six weeks with the hope of winning a tournament and earning a UFC contract.
During that time, the idea of being selected for TUF and having your face plastered on television for a few months has come to be considered one of the fastest ways to gain instant fame and credibility as a fighter in the eyes of a mass audience.
For the UFC, TUF has come to be the equivalent of a major league farm team, a way to evaluate talent, bolster depth and hopefully develop a superstar or two along the way.
As a superstar production unit, the show has had mixed results. It began with a splash in 2005, launching the careers of Forrest Griffin, Kenny Florian, Josh Koscheck and others, but in time, competition for talent from other organizations made it more difficult to land prime talent. That's led to criticism from some who believe it no longer serves a real purpose as a feeder.
That debate is worth an exploration, though it's ultimately moot as the franchise will continue in a newly revamped style on its new cable home on FX in 2012. But for now, let's take a look at the first 13 seasons of TUF in stats, facts and figures (season 14 is excluded because its competitors have yet to officially fight in the octagon).
3
Fighters who captured a UFC title after appearing on TUF. The first to do it was Matt Serra, who beat Georges St-Pierre in an upset for the ages at UFC 69. Forrest Griffin was next, beating Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 86, and Rashad Evans was the last do do so at UFC 92, wresting the belt from Griffin.
10
Fighters who competed for a UFC title after appearing on TUF. Aside from Serra, Griffin and Evans, the others were Nate Quarry, Florian, Diego Sanchez, Koscheck, Joe Stevenson, Patrick Cote and Gray Maynard. Travis Lutter won a title shot against Anderson Silva but missed weight, costing himself a chance at the gold.
.642
The winning percentage of the season 1 cast in the UFC, by far the best mark of any of the 13 casts with official octagon experience. The next best mark comes from the season five cast. Highlighted by Gray Maynard, Nate Diaz and Joe Lauzon, that group has a collective .604 win percentage.
.333
The winning percentage of the season 12 cast in the UFC, the worst mark of any group. To be fair, though, that group has only had 18 combined matches, so it is a small sample size. Six of the 13 casts have losing records in the octagon.
425-391-2, 1 no contest
The combined record of every TUF fighter in official UFC fights.
8
The most fighters from one cast never to get an official UFC fight. This happened in season nine, when Santino DeFranco, Richie Whitson, Jason Pierce, Mark Miller, Jeff Lawson, Martin Stapleton, Dean Amasinger and David Faulkner all failed to ever see the octagon in a non-exhibition bout.
Season-by-season cast records in UFC matches
Season 1: 86-48
Season 2: 60-56-1
Season 3: 38-36
Season 4: 54-69
Season 5: 49-33-1, 1 NC
Season 6: 19-24
Season 7: 27-23
Season 8: 31-33
Season 9: 15-19
Season 10: 18-17
Season 11: 15-11
Season 12: 6-12
Season 13: 7-10
Most successful alumni by season
1: Forrest Griffin, 9-5, former UFC light-heavyweight champion; Josh Koscheck 14-5
2: Rashad Evans, 11-1-1, former UFC light-heavyweight champion
3: Michael Bisping, 11-3
4: Matt Serra, 9-7, former UFC welterweight champion, Chris Lytle 10-10
5: Gray Maynard, 8-1-1
6: George Sotiropoulos, 7-2
7: Amir Sadollah, 5-3; Matt Riddle, 5-3
8: Ryan Bader, 6-2; Krystzof Soszynski, 6-2
9: Ross Pearson, 4-2
10: Matt Mitrione, 5-1
11: Court McGee, 3-0
12: Jonathan Brookins, 1-1; Kyle Watson, 1-1
13: Tony Ferguson, 2-0
Most UFC Wins by TUF Alumni
14 - Josh Koscheck
12 - Kenny Florian
12 - Chris Leben
12 - Diego Sanchez
11 - Rashad Evans
11 - Michael Bisping
Most UFC Losses by TUF Alumni
10 - Chris Lytle
8 - Joe Stevenson
7 - Chris Leben
7 - Keith Jardine
7 - Jorge Rivera
7 - Matt Serra
7 - Patrick Cote
TUF Notes
Jason Thacker is one of few fighters to have his one and only pro fight in the UFC. He participated in season one, lost to Chris Leben in the finals, and never fought again.
Rashad Evans had the best start to a UFC career of any TUF alumni, going unbeaten in his first nine fights (8-0-1) before Lyoto Machida finally defeated him. That remains the only loss in his career.
Season two's Jason Von Flue may be little remembered for his UFC run, but he did find a way to make his name memorable when he tapped out Alex Karalexis with a shoulder choke from side control at The Ultimate Fighter 3 finale, a submission that had never before been seen in the UFC. The move was immediately christened "The Von Flue Choke" in his honor.
Season 6 alumni George Sotoripoulos won seven fights in a row without a loss or draw after appearing on TUF, the longest such stretch. Interestingly, Sotiropoulos hadn't even won his season, losing in the semifinals.
Season 1 alumni Kenny Florian is the only fighter in UFC history to compete in four different weight classes, starting his career at middleweight and working his way downward to welterweight, lightweight and eventually featherweight.
Season 6 alum Jared Rollins fought a war with Jon Koppenhaver in the finale, a bout that won Fight of the Night, but he was still cut after the loss. He never fought again.
Season 7's Matt Riddle and Amir Sadollah both have the distinction of having their entire careers in the UFC. Ironically, they're both 5-3.
Season 10's Jon Madsen might have the most legitimate gripe about being prematurely released. The heavyweight won his first four bouts in the octagon, then got let go after his first loss dropped him to 4-1. Season 7's Gerald Harris also had a similar fate, getting released following his first loss after a 3-0 start.
Post-UFC lives of some memorable characters
Sam Hoger
Accused of stealing items from his fellow cast members on season 1, Hoger went on to a 2-3 record in the UFC before being cut, although two of his losses were to decisions to eventual champions Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida. Hoger went 4-1 in his post-UFC career and now runs his own gym in Houston.
Corey Hill
A contestant on season five, Hill was an intriguing talent with a 6-foot-4 body somehow cutting down to lightweight. He famously (and grotesquely) broke his leg on a kick against Dale Hartt back in December 2008, and never fought in the UFC again. After over a year away from the sport, Hill returned. He's gone 2-2 since and is facing another former TUF veteran, Charlie Rader, in Florida on Friday night.
Tommy Speer
Speer, from season 6, showed great promise during the show, beating Jon "War Machine" Koppenhaver, Ben Saunders and George Sotirpoulos. But he lost to Mac Danzig in the finals, then was KO'd in spectacular fashion by Anthony Johnson. That marked the end of his UFC run, and he quietly retired soon after. But that retirement didn't last long, and Speer, who is still just 27 years old, has won six of his last seven during his comeback.
Junie Browning
Browning might win TUF's most hated castmate in a poll, nearly getting kicked off the show multiple times, but he predicted great things for himself during season 8. Browning went just 1-1 in the UFC before being released, and since then, he's gone just 1-4. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, loss, tuf
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Weigh-In Results and Video
Weigh-ins for tomorrow’s The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale event take place today in Las Vegas, as headliners Michael Bisping, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and the rest of the card will weigh-in to make their fights official.
MMAFrenzy.com will have TUF 14 Finale weigh-in results and live video of the weigh-ins below at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale weigh-in video:
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale weigh-in results:
MAIN CARD
Michael Bisping vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller (five rounds)
Diego Brandao vs. Dennis Bermudez
The Ultimate Fighter 14 featherweight final
John Dodson vs. TJ Dillashaw
The Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight final
Yves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson
Johnny Bedford vs. Louis Gaudinot
PRELIMINARY CARD
Stephen Bass vs. Marcus Brimage
John Albert vs. Dustin Pague
Josh Ferguson vs. Roland Delorme
Josh Clopton vs. Steven Siler
Dustin Neace vs. Bryan Caraway
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Michael Bisping
Posted in: fighter, vs, michael, finale, weighin
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyThe following fighters have had their profiles removed from UFC.com in recent days, likely...
The following fighters have had their profiles removed from UFC.com in recent days, likely indicating that they've been released by the promotion:
-Eliot Marshall
-Jason Brilz
-Danny Downes
-Shamar Bailey
-Clay Harvison
-Edward Faaloloto
-Matt Lucas
-Paul Bradley
Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Posted in: fighter, day, jason, profile, ufccom
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSaying Goodbye to The Ultimate Fighter Finale on Spike
There's something about The Ultimate Fighter Finale. Even as the show itself has become stale and repetitive, the live finale on Spike has continued to deliver some of the biggest moments of the year. This Saturday, we once again come together for The Ultimate Fighter Finale, and this time, it's not just the end of a season, it's the end of an era. Because this event marks the end of the road for the Ultimate Fighter on Spike. It's a relationship that was instrumental in turning the UFC around, and despite the need for a revamp, it will be odd to watch The Ultimate Fighter on any channel other than Spike in the future.
There's plenty of discussion to be had regarding the business side of this change, but for now, I want to focus on the product itself with a reminder of just what has always made this particular event special.
And really, there's only one place to start this discussion - Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar. The inaugural TUF final, Griffin vs. Bonnar has gone down as the fight that saved the UFC, and one of the most important moments in the history of the sport. These two men felt that their fighting lives were on the line, and they fought their hearts out, pouring everything into those 15 minutes to create a once in a lifetime fight. In all the seasons since, Griffin vs. Bonnar still hasn't been topped.
That's not to say some finalists haven't tried. For the first three seasons, the show culminated in a Fight of the Year candidate, with Joe Stevenson vs. Luko Cummo, Rashad Evans vs. Brad Imes, and Ed Herman vs. Kendall Grove all rising beyond what you might have expected. Since then, none of the final matches have been quite as dramatic, through there have still been amazing moments - Roy Nelson's huge KO of Brendan Schaub, Amir Sadollah submitting an incredulous CB Dollaway in his MMA debut. There have also been great moments from the eliminated Ultimate Fighter contestants. There's the sloppy, yet highly dramatic War Machine Jon Koppenhaver vs. Jared Rolins fight from season 6, and for dramatic moments, it doesn't get much better than Scott Smith's amazing comeback KO on Pete Sell in season 4.
But even if the actual TUF contestant fights have not delivered, the Finale has continued to produce fireworks. Nick Diaz vs. Diego Sanchez, Roger Huerta vs. Clay Guida, Deigo Sanchez vs. Clay Guida - each of these fights ranks among the UFC's best, and all took place on the Finale.
Finally, there is history to the event. It's the site of Jon Jones's controversial only loss, the home to the much derided Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan robbery. It is also the home of the final fight of the late Evan Tanner. The former UFC Middleweight champion fought for the last time on the season 7 Finale, dying just 3 months later.
So even if you gave up on The Ultimate Fighter a few seasons ago, even if you have not watched a moment of Team Bisping vs. Team Mayhem, even if you don't know names like Dennis Bermudez and T.J. Dillashaw, you should tune in this Saturday. It's place as the final Spike Ultimate Fighter Finale already gives it a historic context. The question is, will it deliver one last all-time classic moment on its way out?
Posted in: fight, fighter, season, vs, finale
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTUF 14 Finale live and official weigh-in results (7 p.m. ET)
LAS VEGAS - MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from today's official fighter weigh-ins for The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
Today's festivities take place at the Key West Ballroom at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The same Sin City venue plays host to Saturday's Spike TV-televised event.
Join us beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time) for live updates as all the fighters hit the scale.
Posted in: fighter, pm, las vegas, west ballroom, la
Read the full article at MMA JunkieWatch today's TUF 14 Finale weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com at 7 p.m. ET
LAS VEGAS - The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale fighter weigh-ins take place
today, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on
MMAjunkie.com.
Today's weigh-ins take place at the Key West Ballroom at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas., and the first
fighter is on the scale at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time).
In addition to the video streams, you can get live weigh-in updates in our text-only results post on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.
Posted in: fighter, las vegas, today, place today, weighin
Read the full article at MMA JunkieLatest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of November 27, 2011
Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Jason Miller and Katsuyori Shibata pictured above, we can all "get along."
Teaming up with MMA sites like MMA Fighting, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.
This week, MMAFighting sits down with Jason "Mayhem" Miller for 20+ minutes, Five Ounces of Pain hands out it's own Ultimate Fighter awards and Bleacher Report speaks with Miesha Tate about her recent feud with Ronda Rousey.
The full list of links is after the jump.
- Bisping will be looking to KO Miller from the start (LowKick)
- The failure to intimidate (Cage Potato)
"Hoping to gain the mental edge, Tito channeled his inner high school bully and made a lunge toward Liddell. While such tactics work wonders on members of the glee club, the mere suggestion of physical contact hardy registers a blink from dudes who get punched in the face on the regular. The Iceman was sick of Tito's tough guy routine and primed to dole out the beating he'd dodged for so many years. He'd leave Ortiz crumpled in the fetal position in just over one round the following evening. Undaunted by his failure to intimidate, Ortiz continued to employ the same psyche-out strategy throughout his career with mixed results. Mental giant Ken Shamrock took the bait with hilarious results, while Ryan Bader could barely muster up a grin in response."
- The Ultimate Fighter awards - Spike TV edition (Five Ounces of Pain)
Most Useless Coach - Ken Shamrock
Shamrock's coaching highlights consisted of calling opposing coach Tito Ortiz a "bitch monkey," bringing in a nutritionist as one of his assistant coaches, and holding a training session that included his fighters watching highlight of, you guessed it, Ken Shamrock. He'll forever go down as the worst coach in TUF history.
- Mayhem Miller reflects on long road back to the UFC (MMA Fighting)
Ariel Helwani sat down with Jason 'Mayhem' Miller on Wednesday to discuss his long road back to the UFC, the promotion for his fight against Michael Bisping on Saturday, his coaching stint on TUF, whether he ever thought about leaving MMA during his time away from the UFC and much more.
- Junior dos Santos breaks down Alistair Overeem vs Brock Lesnar (5thRound)
When it comes to top-tier heavyweight action, not many expect for the fights to go the distance. If you were to ask UFC champion Junior dos Santos, the shorter Brock Lesnar can make his top contender scrap against Alistair Overeem, the better chance Lesnar has at advancing to a title bout.
- 11 Questions with Reggie Warren (featuring Pat Miletich) (MiddleEasy)
"I think MMA guys need to spar two times a week based on the fact, most have to catch up in the striking aspect of fighting. Boxers do a lot of sparring when they are younger and know how to box. They simply need to get in shape and get sharp again for fights. From the looks of it, a lot of MMA guys aren't sparring enough. Lots of sloppy striking in MMA."
- Kurt Pellegrino's retirement speech at Bellator 59 (video) (TheFightNerd)
At the post-fight press conference for Bellator 59, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said that he would do his best to bring Kurt back into the octagon to fight again. Kurt Pellegrino gave his farewell speech afterwards, stating, "This isn't the way I wanted it to end," Pellegrino said in the post-fight press conference. "You know, walking up the stairs I wanted to honestly tell you that you guys would never ever ever see me fight again unless you're watching old tapes. It's just getting a little hard. I missed my daughter's first words, which were ‘dad,' preparing for this fight."
- Would a confidential drug testing program help out UFC fighters? (Fight Opinion)
In the fight game, heavy usage of pain killers, PEDs, sleeping pills, and alcohol (both separate and in concert with each other) is the norm, not the exception. Anyone who is connected to a sport like the NFL or an industry like pro-wrestling can tell you the damage inflicted by heavy usage of painkillers. It's not just the sports world, either, it's American society at large. Addiction to prescription drugs is a terrible problem.
- Survey: UFC has growth potential but some still skeptical (MMA Payout)
The Sports Business Journal released its results from its annual reader's survey. While the UFC received some praise, the most telling result was whether sponsors should align its brand with the UFC.
- Miesha Tate says Ronda Rousey is biting off more than she can chew (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
"I think it's stupid. i think that either she's not being herself and she's completely trying to hype the fight or she's an idiot. There are plenty of women who can give her a challenge on the ground, one of them being myself. I don't appreciate her arrogance to be honest. If she wants to challenge me and she wants to make it a ground battle, I'll be happy to give it to her and she's not gonna like it."
- The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale preview (MMA Convert)
As TUF finales go, what's in store for us on Saturday night isn't half bad. A TUF winner-turned-reviled coach is taking on a happy-go-lucky former "Bully Beatdown" host, a quartet of promising bantamweights and featherweights are vying for the coveted brass ring of "The Ultimate Fighter" status (which guarantees them a few somewhat easy fights as they're eased into the Octagon proper), a TUF winner from last season gets to take on someone who was once the uncrowned UFC lightweight champ, and the baddest dude with green hair you'll ever know gets another crack at glory.
- The Ultimate Fighter finals predictions (Fightline)
In his first and last fights on the show, Bermudez was dropped multiple times early on before coming back and winning with the use of his grappling. In this fight, I don't think he'll make it to the second part of that equation. Brandao hits too hard and is too unforgiving for Bermudez to last for long. Brandao via first-round TKO
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fighter, tuf
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Stag Party: Mixed Martial Arts in Asia
MMA in Asia- it happens. I know that the blogosphere stateside enjoys a good ole fashioned Chicken Little stance on things, however, as much as the media fights it- Mixed Martial Arts in Asia is far from dead. In fact, Asian MMA is in a ridiculous moment of Weeee!Two huge press conferences went down in the East on Monday, and if the news hasn’t drifted Westerly to you we are here to break it down! Enter Gal’s Guide to MMA’s second male chromosone - Mountaineers101. Prepare yourself for a Stag Party as we bring you the digs and what it means for this wonderful sport we love so much!Midge: So we have some big news coming out of the East this week, my friend. Where do we even begin?Mountaineer: Well, we could always talk about ONE FC becoming the equivalent to sliced bread in Asia when it comes to MMA. What we have here is an alliance of epic proportions from camps and promotions joining forces to make ONE FC one of, if not THE elite promotion in Asian MMA.Midge: Too true. As Monday’s edition of Japan’s post-Pride MMA lovechild, DREAM, we have a total of 38 organizations within the network! We have the big boys of each country. DREAM from Japan. URCC from the Philippines. CRC from Australia. Road FC from Korea. And many more! All of these promotions are working together to create champions to send to the big show. All roads lead to ONE FC.Mountaineer: Not to mention some spectacular regional promotions and monster camps. You have camps such as Lakay Wushu out of the Philippines, sporting some absolutely scary prospects in Eduard Folayang and Kevin Belingon. Then, you have the famous Phuket Top Team of Thailand. You can catch any fighter coming in and out of there to sharpen their knees and elbows, like Mike Swick and Roger Huerta. And finally, the emerging juggernaut of Evolve MMA in Singapore. Muay Thai champs like Yoddecha Sityodtong and grappling gods like Shinya Aoki and Rafael dos Anjos? This looks to be the beginning of something spectacular.Midge: The only thing that could make the ONE Asia Network Partnership any more epic would be Pride rules. Oh wait, ONE FC rolls with soccer kicks and head stomps! I said it in 2002 and I’ll say it in 2012. Pride Never Dies! With a reach of over one billion households across Asia (with more broadcast deals to come), the essence of what Asian MMA is alive and well.Mountaineer: Not to mention the chance of revitalizing a dying (or perhaps it was on life support) promotion in DREAM. The exposure to all of the stars in Asia under this umbrella could provide the perfect CPR that DREAM and Japanese MMA needs. You can take your PUJI money and we’ll take our Shinya Aokis and Eduard Folayangs, thank you very much.Midge: Very true. This partnership is like an adrenaline needle to the heart of a junkie. It is a perfect immediate influx of resources that DREAM was looking for. Plus, the Network has created a feeder system for fighters which Asia has never had. Each promotion in the network will be bringing fighters along within their organization in order to crown a champion, who will inevitably move up to ONE FC to face a champion of another organization! I love the "Champion vs. Champion" marketing, but I love what this does for the fighters as well. In America we have amateur events, then regional events,and then the big show. It gives fighters a chance to develop before being thrown into the shark tank of the UFC. Asian fighters have never really had that opportunity to gradually raise their level of competition. This partnership creates an atmosphere where fighters coming out of Asia in the next ten years will have every opportunity their Western counterparts already have. And just in time, as Zuffa begins their assault on the East. You want more MMA in Asia? We've got more! Head on over to Gal's Guide to MMA, where the Stag Party continues.
Posted in: mma, promotion, fighter, fc, asia
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendTweets of the Week - 12/2
TUF 14 FinaleCutting weight. Watching Food Network. Mental training. -Jason Mayhem Millerimg.ly/b222 Check it!! Unlucky @mayhemmiller -Michael BispingMr @musclepharmpres, I would fit right in w/ ur @MusclePharm brand lol @ClayGuida & I would the best HAIR tag team! Followers what u think? -Louis Gaudinotthanks to all my fan and friends support im my twitter BOOM obrigado a todos amigos e fans que me ajudaram a chega onde estou @JacksonsMMA -Diego BrandaoTryin 2 relax & watch a movie with @jbmma155 but Master Thong hid the remote n his underwear so we have 2 watch soccer pic.twitter.com/m4LZgot0 -TJ DillashawContinue voting for me my beloved twitterans, KO of the season and fight of the season http://t.co/Z4xsuSlp Much love and thanks to you all -Akira Corassani#TUF14 might be over, but @BrutalBedford is going to be around for a while! Keep checking my Facebook and Twitter! Much more to come! -Johnny BedfordPlease please please y'all vote for me and @LouGaudinotUFC for fight of the season! Tell everyone you know! Love you all -Dustin PagueAt the MMA Award with my #DL CREW -Marcus BrimageChael Gonna Be ChaelMy gift from Arianny... http://t.co/E94RxZUg -Chael SonnenThat’s WhateverJust herd theres gonna be mma awards tonight in Vegas it's a good this wasn't something I was expected to show up to -Nick DiazPerspective with Danny CastilloYou don't realized how gross fighter rooms get until u walk into one and ur not fighting. -Danny CastilloThe Outlaw in a Singlet: Comedy GoldWrasslin' time! #SingletsAtTheReady -Dan HardyBam Bam on the Breakfast Burrito There is no faster, more efficient way to eat breakfast then the breakfast burrito. Nothing beats it! -Patrick HealyLanguage in the Internet EraWhat do you call someone who sends too many emoticons? Overly emoticontional? -Ronda RouseyProof is in the PosterI told u guys I train @UFC haha pic.twitter.com/ROHdMHfl -Duane LudwigJoseph Benavidez’s Prestigious JOBE AwardsOkI 'm gonna need the participation of all fans n media to pick the winners for the #JobeAwards ! These r the categories that really matterAnd The JOBE for "best looking fighter" Female: @rondarousey Male: @UrijahFaber @Showtimepettis and of course Sexyama! Congrats #JobeAwardsVotes r in! JOBE for "funniest fighter twitter" goes 2 @HypeOrDie @forrestgriffin @kennyflorian @dannyboydownes congrats guys! #JobeAwardsAnd the JOBE for "2 fighters that look like eachother award" goes to Big Nog and Lil Nog ! Congrats guys #JobeAwardsAnd the "Slashie Award" for best fighter/actor goes to. @NEWBREED04 Erik Koch for his role in "Powder" congrats bud pic.twitter.com/aqGTYOXnthe JOBE for "fighter that looks most like someone/something else award" is a tie @RichFranklin & Jim Carrey. @kennyflorian & Ben StillerJOBE 4 "fighter with best nickname" goes to @koreanzombiemma @MightyMouseUFC and of course "the axe murderer" @wandfc congrats #JobeAwardsAnd final JOBE b4 we move on 2 the big ones "Fighter to most likely be mistaken for a homeless person" goes to @thecodymckenzie #JobeAwardsHad 2 revoke @thecodymckenzie s JOBE award for "fighter most likely to be mistaken for a homeless person" lookin good pic.twitter.com/RS7mJrB0 -Joseph Benavidez
Posted in: fighter, award, amp, congrat, jobe
Read the full article at UFCVoting Launched for The Ultimate Fighter 14 Year-End Bonus Awards
Fans can cast votes for The Ultimate Fighter 14's season-ending $25,000 bonus awards, including TJ Dillashaw.
Posted in: fighter, bonus, award, dillashaw, yearend
Read the full article at Heavy MMAHistory in the Making: Jason Miller travels across the Pacific and submit Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba
Jason Miller is a character.
A perfect combination of showman and fighter, the former Strikeforce middleweight title challenger is a welcome and colorful change from the usual "I respect him, it's going to be a good fight"-type blandness that is the norm in mixed martial arts (MMA).
Long before he steps inside the cage/ring, his personality shines through in his pre-fight interviews and in his elaborately choreographed entrances. And once the cage door closes, the jokes stop and the fighting begins. Only seven losses in more than a decade is the legacy "Mayhem" has built for himself.
On the flip side, he's beyond obnoxious. His behavior is often that of a 15-year-old stuck in perpetual adolescence, riding a never-ending sugar high brought on by an endless supply of candy bars and Mountain Dew. His shtick is tired and immature, combining the worst aspects of meathead fraternity jocks and that guy who always takes jokes a little too far.
For someone who runs his mouth constantly, his best win is over Robbie Lawler five years ago and he's best known for getting laid on by Jake Shields for 25 minutes. His entrances? They're just pale imitations of Genki Sudo. Who is Jason Miller?
The truth is he's a little from column A and a little from column B. Depending on your point of view, "Mayhem" may be one of the best entertainers in MMA or a fighter who has skated by more on personality than actual talent. Then there are some who haven't decided what to make of the former "Bully Beatdown" host. The good news is that this Saturday (Dec. 3, 2011) will help form their opinions.
That's when he steps inside the Octagon for only the second time in his career to take on rival The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 coach Michael Bisping in the show's traditional season-ending showdown. While the TUF 14 Finale will end up crowning the first bantam and featherweight champions in the show's history, many will tune in to see the cocky, loudmouth Briton take on the cocky, loudmouth American.
For Miller, it's his first fight in more than one year. The last time he squared off with someone, he stood opposite Japanese MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba. Inside of a DREAM ring, "Mayhem" accomplished something that had never been done before in a legitimate MMA contest.
What'd he do? You have to keep reading to find out!
For Miller, it wasn't an opportunity to fight "The Gracie Hunter" so much as it was an honor. He idolized the Japanese fighter, but made sure to announce his intentions of being the first man to ever make Sakuraba tap.
When the opening bell sounds, Miller immediately takes the center of the ring, forcing his opponent to circle the outside. Sakuraba opens up with a cross that misses its mark and gets backed into a corner. Miller closes the distance, eating a punch on the way in.
Like his fellow middleweight Chris Leben would say, "Mayhem" takes one to deliver a couple of his own. He grabs the Japanese fighter by the back of the head and barrels a Muay Thai knee straight into Sakuraba's skull before "The Gracie Hunter" is able to break free and circle away.
The size difference is definitely noticeable early on as the American towers over his opponent. Sakuraba finds it difficult to connect with any punches as he's forced to nearly dive toward Miller every time he strikes. One such instance sees "Mayhem" deliver a counter flying knee that drills itself into Sakuraba's ribcage.
"The Gracie Hunter" follows up with a takedown attempt that is easily stuffed and the Japanese fighter immediately turns onto his back, inviting Miller into his guard. "Mayhem" stands over him, delivering a trio of punches while Sakuraba grabs onto a leg. Firmly grasped, the Japanese fighter begins to work towards a submission but it's defended nearly perfectly by Miller who ends up on his opponent's back in the ensuing scramble.
Punches begin to rain down and all Sakuraba can do is try to block them. Miller takes this opportunity to give a little shout out to all of his fans -- Monkeys he calls them -- in a moment that just about sums him up perfectly. If you enjoyed his impromptu peace sign flashing, you likely consider yourself a "Mayhem Monkey" and if you didn't, you probably didn't like Miller to begin with.
Turning onto his back to avoid more punches, "The Gracie Hunter" actually puts himself in a worse position. Miller begins to deliver more punches -- these with more power -- on the increasingly desperate Japanese fighter. The legend attempts to turn away, ending up on his side and this is where "Mayhem" strikes.
Catching Sakuraba's shoulder and head in his grasp, Miller secures an arm-triangle choke and as he hops his legs over to his opponent's side, his grip tightens and "The Gracie Hunter" has no option -- beyond going unconscious -- other than to tap out. A respectful Miller stands up and bows to his hero, still laid out on the mat.
Miller said he wanted to come home with a submission win and ended up doing so in the most impressive way possible. He completely dominated the fight and secured the tap in a little over two minutes.
Will he do the same in roughly 48 hours? Or will his second fight in the UFC go as well -- read: poorly -- as his first? "Mayhem" has some impressive names on his resume. Frank Trigg, Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields are among them. Some of those men he defeated, some he came up short against.
Where will Michael Bisping's name fall on that list?
Posted in: fighter, miller, sakuraba, mayhem, japanese fighter
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJon Jones Named Fighter of Year at World MMA Awards
Jon Jones followed up his 2010 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year award with the Fighter of the Year trophy at the 2011 World MMA Awards
Posted in: fighter, jon jones, award, year trophy, year award
Read the full article at Heavy MMATUF 14 Finale: Michael Bisping Pre-Fight Interview
"The Count" discusses his dislike for Mayhem Miller, previews their big grudge match on Saturday and talks about the talented fighters from season 14.
Posted in: fighter, bisping, prefight, count, grudge
Read the full article at Heavy MMAIAMA Professional MMA fighter trying to make it into the UFC (r/iama xpost).
submitted by JiveMonkey [link] [comment]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, mma fighter, xpost, jivemonkey link
Read the full article at RedditUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale fight card: John Dodson vs TJ Dillashaw preview
After several weeks of filming, months of editing and a full season of television, the first bantamweight 'Ultimate Fighter' will finally be decided this Saturday night (December 3, 2011) when Greg Jackson-trained John Dodson takes on Team Alpha Male's T.J. Dillashaw on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale.
Dodson was the pint-sized brawler on the show, always showing a fun-loving attitude. He was branded a traitor for revealing fight match-ups to the opposite team but he persevered and advanced to the finals with his speed, power and proper foot movement. Winning The Ultimate Fighter would be an incredible accomplishment due to the fact that he's so undersized.
T.J. Dillashaw was a major favorite to take it all, simply because of who he trains with. Team Alpha Male fighters have been very successful in the UFC and he was equally successful on the show, dominating three foes with superior wrestling to advance to the finale. He's confident and ready to fulfill the already high expectations on Saturday night.
Will Dodson be the David to Dillashaw's Goliath? Can Dillashaw continue Team Alpha Male's success in the UFC? What does each talented bantamweight have to do to become the next Ultimate Fighter?
Let's find out:
John Dodson
Record: 11-5 overall, 0-0 in the UFC
Key Wins: Clint Godfrey (Ring of Fire 27), Jessie Riggleman (UWC 8)
Key Losses: Mike Easton (UWC 4)
How he got here: Despite just being 27 years old, John Dodson has been competing professionally for seven years now. He was a highly decorated high school wrestler and was recruited to train with Greg Jackson as early as 2002.
At 5'3 and being able to easily make 125 pounds, Dodson had significant trouble finding opponents his size and moved up to both bantamweight and featherweight, which is one of the primary reasons behind his losses, all of them being decisions.
The eccentric scrapper signed up for The Ultimate Fighter season 14 and scored a first round knockout to gain entry into the show. During the season, he defeated John Albert via decision and then knocked Johnny Bedford out cold to advance to the finale.
How he gets it done: Dodson will enter his fight against T.J. Dillashaw with a height, reach and strength disadvantage. The key for him will be speed and footwork. Training with Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn should be a big boost for him in that department.
Dodson showed that he does have power, knocking out two opponents on the show, so he needs to either counter or find the perfect angle to get in, do damage and get out. While he was a terrific high school wrestler, Dillashaw was a strong collegiate wrestler and he trains with great wrestlers as well so Dodson would be ill-advised to stay inside for extended periods of time and risk being put on his back.
The convivial combatant is very flexible and can throw strong kicks, but that would be a bad idea as they could lead to takedowns. He popped back to his feet easily on the show, but Dillashaw would be a whole different level of top control and it's not worth the risk. If Dodson wants to win, he's going to have to work his angles and avoid getting cornered.
T.J. Dillashaw
Record: 4-0 overall, 0-0 in the UFC
Key Wins: none
Key Losses: none
How he got here: T.J. Dillashaw was a successful college wrestler at Cal State Fullerton and UFC middleweight Mark Munoz was one of his coaches. When his collegiate career was over, he gravitated towards Munoz and found himself recruited by Urijah Faber and the Team Alpha Male camp.
He adapted quickly to mixed martial arts, posted a 2-0 amateur record and after a 4-0 start to his professional career, he was given an opportunity to compete on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter.
On the show, he was labelled arrogant, but he proved himself with three straight victories, the last over scrappy Muay Thai specialist Dustin Pague to punch his ticket into the finals.
How he gets it done: Dillashaw will need to take advantage of his size and strength in this fight. He can't let John Dodson dance around him on the outside, he must cut him off and either take him down or put him against the fence where he has no escape.
Standing and trading wouldn't be the worst thing in the world either, but why take the risk when you can wear your opponent down with ease?
If Dodson overcommits to a punch or kick, don't be surprised one bit if Dillashaw either changes levels and takes him down, or catches the kick and takes him down. The ground is Dillashaw's bread and butter and his opponents had serious issues dealing with his wrestling on the show.
With how much bigger he'll likely be than Dodson on fight night, he has a very good opportunity of breaking his spirit either on the ground or if he can pin him against the fence.
Fight "X-Factor:" The X-Factor here could be experience. John Dodson is the smaller fighter, but he's faced UFC level competition several times throughout his career and he's been competing professionally for five and a half years longer. As talented as Dillashaw is, there's no way he's absorbed enough information in his two years to make up for what Dodson knows.
There is a very real possibility that something happens in this fight that Dillashaw might not be prepared for and he'll be forced to adapt with no first hand knowledge to fall back on. That could be Dodson's moment to pounce.
Bottom Line: Both young fighters will be welcome additions to the UFC bantamweight division (at least until the flyweights are added for Dodson) and both are very talented fighters. Depending on how Dodson is able to fend off takedowns, this fight could either be taking place primarily on the ground or it could become a stand-up battle. Both men are capable strikers and with the size disparity, it should be a very entertaining bout to watch live. There's definitely some potential for a bonus-winning stoppage if either man can connect solidly.
Who will come out on top at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale? Tell us your predictions in the comments below!
Poll
Which bantamweight will win the six figure contract and become the next Ultimate Fighter?
T.J. Dillashaw
John Dodson
2 votes | Results
Posted in: fight, fighter, john, dillashaw, dodson
Read the full article at MMA Mania2011 World MMA Awards: Jon Jones voted Fighter of the Year
The 2011 World MMA Awards went down last night from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fourth annual ceremony, which was organized by Fighters Only Magazine and hosted by UFC Middleweight Chael Sonnen, alongside CBS Sports' Molly Qerim, revealed winners in 22 different categories.Among those honored were UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones, who was voted the Charles "Mask" Lewis Fighter of the Year, as well as the late Shawn Tompkins, nominated for a Special
Posted in: ufc, jone, fighter, year, shawn tompkins
Read the full article at Low KickBisping, Miller each send two to TUF 14 finals
Featherweight Diego Brandao and bantamweight John Dodson win in decisive fashion to advance to the finale of Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter.
Posted in: fighter, bisping, diego, fashion, bisping miller
Read the full article at sportsnet.caThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Fight Card Complete with Dodson-Dillashaw, Brandao-Bermudez Finals
The lineup for Saturday’s The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale is now complete following last night’s final episode on Spike TV, as John Dodson and TJ Dillashaw will meet in the finals of the bantamweight tournament, while Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez will sqaure off in the featherweight tourney final.
Both bouts will be featured on the Spike-televised main card, which is headlined by coaches Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller and also includes TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson vs. veteran Yves Edwards and TUF 14 bantamweights Johnny Bedford and Louis Gaudinot.
The preliminary card is filled with The Ultimate Fighter 14 castmembers, including bantamweights John Albert vs. Dustin Pague and Josh Ferguson vs. Roland Delorme as well as featherweights Stephen Bass vs. Marcus Brimage, Josh Clopton vs. Steven Siler, and Dustin Neace vs. Bryan Caraway.
The complete TUF 14 Finale fight card features:
MAIN CARD
Michael Bisping vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller
Diego Brandao vs. Dennis Bermudez
The Ultimate Fighter 14 featherweight final
John Dodson vs. TJ Dillashaw
The Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight final
Yves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson
Johnny Bedford vs. Louis Gaudinot
PRELIMINARY CARD
Stephen Bass vs. Marcus Brimage
John Albert vs. Dustin Pague
Josh Ferguson vs. Roland Delorme
Josh Clopton vs. Steven Siler
Dustin Neace vs. Bryan Caraway
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Jason “Mayhem” Miller
Posted in: fighter, vs, ferguson, card, josh
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyIf you look close enough, you might see Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 semifinalist Johnny Bedford....
If you look close enough, you might see Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 semifinalist Johnny Bedford. "That's what happens when you get knocked out," according to fellow contestant Akira Corassani. See the rest of his thoughts on Wednesday night's episode here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, johnny, bedford, semifinalist
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAkira Corassani has the final installment of his Ultimate Fighter blog at MMA Nation. See who he...
Akira Corassani has the final installment of his Ultimate Fighter blog at MMA Nation. See who he picks in the Finale.
Posted in: mma nation, fighter, fighter blog, corassani, akira corassani
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Announces Full Card for The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
The Season 14 Finale of The Ultimate Fighter has its card complete following Wednesday's season-ending episode.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, card, finale
Read the full article at Heavy MMA10-Bout Roster Complete for ‘The Ultimate Fighter 14’ Finale
Following Wednesday’s final episode of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the veil has been lifted from Season 14’s live finale
Posted in: fighter, fighter ”, finale, roster, wednesday ’s
Read the full article at SherdogThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Episode 10 Recap
Complete recap of the final episode of the Ultimate Fighter 14. The finals are set at bantamweight and featherweight; who made the cut? Find out inside.
Posted in: fighter, bantamweight, episode, featherweight, recap
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUltimate Fighter Finale Predictions
Filed under: UFCWill Jason "Mayhem" Miller earn his first UFC victory, or will Michael Bisping give Mayhem the beating he's been promising? Will Diego Brandao continue to look like a wrecking machine, or will Dennis Bermudez win the featherweight final? And who takes the Ultimate Fighter bantamweight tournament, T.J. Dillashaw or John Dodson? We try to answer those questions as we look at the Ultimate Fighter Finale below.
What: The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
When: Saturday, the Spike televised card begins at 8 PM ET.
Where: Palms Resort Casino, Las Vegas
Predictions on the four televised fights below.
Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller
Miller, the Bully Beatdown host and former Strikeforce and Dream fighter, finally returns to the cage after more than a year away following his victory over Kazushi Sakuraba at Dream 16. A big question facing Miller is whether he'll come in sharp and in shape, or whether ring rust is an issue.
A victory would put Bisping on a four-fight winning streak, and he has said he thinks he's in the hunt for a middleweight title shot if he gets that fourth win in a row. Realistically, that's not going to happen: Even if he beats Mayhem, he'd need at least one more win before the UFC would give him a shot at Anderson Silva.
But a win would solidify Bisping's place in the middleweight Top 10, and I think this is Bisping's fight. I don't see him finishing Mayhem, but I do think his wrestling and his boxing are good enough that he should control the fight standing or on the ground, and he'll win a decision.
Pick: Bisping
Dennis Bermudez vs. Diego Brandao
If there's anyone from this season of The Ultimate Fighter who has the potential to become a breakout star it's Brandao, who has looked absolutely terrorizing in winning all of his fights this season. Brandao has said Wanderlei Silva is his favorite fighter, and he looks a lot like a young Axe Murderer: Brandao doesn't waste any time in going on the attack and looking for a knockout.
Can Bermudez avoid being Brandao's latest victim? I don't think so. It's true that Bermudez has a background as a college wrestler, and if Brandao has a weakness it's his wrestling. But I don't think Bermudez is going to be able to withstand the barrage of strikes that Brandao is sure to go after him with. I like Brandao to win by TKO.
Pick: Brandao
T.J. Dillashaw vs. John Dodson
In the bantamweight final, we have a couple of good wrestlers who train with a couple of good camps: Dillashaw is part of Team Alpha Male, and Dodson is part of Team Greg Jackson. I think both of these guys have more sophisticated, complete games than we usually see from Ultimate Fighter contestants.
The advantage Dillashaw has is his height, reach, size and strength: He's a good-sized bantamweight, while Dodson is a small 135-pounder and would be fighting at 125 pounds if the UFC had a flyweight class. If Dillashaw can exploit his reach advantage standing up and out-muscle Dodson from the top position if the fight goes to the ground, Dillashaw can win.
But I think Dodson's experience edge is big here: He's been fighting professionally since 2004 and has an 11-5 record. Dillashaw only started fighting in 2010 and has a 4-0 record. Dodson is going to be a lot more confident and at ease in the biggest fight of both their careers, and I think Dodson will execute his game plan well and win a decision.
Pick: Dodson
Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards
Ferguson won the last season of The Ultimate Fighter and then looked outstanding in his first fight after that, brutalizing Aaron Riley at UFC 135. The 35-year-old Edwards, who has fought all over the place in a 15-year career, is 41-17-1 and is a step up in competition for Ferguson. This is not an easy fight for Ferguson at all.
But it's a fight that I think Ferguson should win, because his punching power will test the somewhat suspect chin of Edwards. In fact, I like Ferguson to win this fight in spectacular fashion and add a highlight reel knockout to his growing resume.
Pick: Ferguson Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fight, fighter, brandao, dillashaw, dodson
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseFull TUF 14 Finale Card Announced
The final three fights have been announced for the 'Ultimate Fighter' season 14 finale.
Posted in: fight, fighter, season, tuf, finale
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyTUF 14 Finale prelims add 135ers Gaudinot-Bedford, Pague-Albert, Delorme-Ferguson
With the tournament finales set without them, six bantamweight cast members from "The Ultimate Fighter 14" will get a second chance to secure a home in the UFC.
They're part of a string of matchups that has been added to Saturday's preliminary card for The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
The 135-pound matchups include Louis Gaudinot vs. Johnny Bedford, Dustin Pague vs. John Albert, and Roland Delorme vs. Josh Ferguson.
Posted in: fighter, vs, finale, matchup, tournament finales
Read the full article at MMA Junkie2011 World Mixed Martial Arts Awards Winners
Fighters Only’s 2011 World MMA Awards went down earlier tonight at the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
The show was filmed, but it won’t air until Sunday, Dec. 11, on Fox Sports Net at 8pm ET/PT. Chael Sonnen and Molly Querim hosted the event, so even if you know the winners, it’s probably worth checking out just to see Sonnen do his thing.
The results are below for those who want spoilers. The awards were based on achievements from September 2010 – August 2011 so don’t get pissed when you don’t see Shogun vs. Hendo nominated for Fight of the Year.
Results
Winners in bold
International Fighter of the Year
Michael Bisping
Alexander Gustafsson
Joachim Hansen
Alistair Overeem
Dennis Siver
Gym of the Year
Alliance MMA
Black House
Jackson’s MMA
Roufusport
Xtreme Couture
Referee of the Year
Herb Dean
“Big” John McCarthy
Dan Miragliotta
Josh Rosenthal
Mario Yamasaki
Comeback of the Year
Marloes Coenen vs. Liz Carmouche (Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson)
Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry (UFC Live 5)
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (career)
Tito Ortiz (career)
Joe Warren vs. Joe Soto (Bellator 27)
Best Technical Equipment
Bad Boy
Everlast
Hayabusa
Rival
Venum
Journalist of the Year
John Morgan
Gareth A. Davies
Josh Gross
Ariel Helwani
Ben Fowlkes
Coach of the Year
Rafael Cordeiro
Eric Del Fierro
Cesar Gracie
Greg Jackson
Shawn Tompkins
Best Lifestyle Clothing
Affliction
Bad Boy
Form Athletics
RVCA
TapouT
Promotion of the Year
BAMMA
Bellator Fighting Championships
DREAM
Strikeforce
UFC
Media Source of the Year
“Inside MMA” on HDNet
MMAFighting.com
“MMA Live” on ESPN
MMAjunkie.com
Sherdog.com
Best Technical Clothing
Bad Boy
Hayabusa
Jaco
Sprawl
Venum
Personality of the Year
Bruce Buffer
Jacob “Stitch” Duran
Joe Rogan
Bas Rutten
Burt Watson
Female Fighter of the Year
Marloes Coenen
Zoila Gurgel
Sarah Kaufman
Ronda Rousey
Miesha Tate
Entrance of the Year
Yoshihiro Akiyama (UFC 133)
Vitor Belfort (UFC 133)
Dave Herman (UFC 131)
Mark Hominick (UFC 129)
Jason “Mayhem” Miller (DREAM.16)
Breakthrough Fighter of the Year
Donald Cerrone
Daniel Cormier
Phil Davis
Demetrious Johnson
Brian Stann
Submission of the Year
Chan Sung Jung vs. Leonard Garcia (UFC Fight Night 24)
Pable Garza vs. Yves Jabouin (UFC 129)
Richard Hale vs. Nik Fekete (Bellator 38)
Vinny Magalhaes vs. Viktor Nemkov (M-1 Challenge 25)
Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader (UFC 132)
Ring Girl of the Year
Arianny Celeste
Kelli Hutcherson
Brittney Palmer
Chandella Powell
Mercedes Terrell
Leading Man of the Year
Scott Coker
Lorenzo Fertitta
Marc Ratner
Bjorn Rebney
Dana White
KO of the Year
Patricky “Pitbull” Freire vs. Toby Imada (Bellator 39)
Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry (UFC Live 5)
John Makdessi vs. Kyle Watson (UFC 129)
Lyoto Machida vs. Randy Couture (UFC 129)
Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC 126)
Fight of the Year
Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick (UFC 129)
Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber (UFC 132)
Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (UFC 125)
Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley (Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley)
Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann (UFC Live 3)
Fighter of the Year
Dominick Cruz
Nick Diaz
Dan Henderson
Jon Jones
Anderson Silva
Lifetime Achievement Award
Shawn Tompkins
Image via Tracy Lee
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, vs, year
Read the full article at MMA ConvertFerguson Returns to Familiar Territory Saturday
Tony Ferguson’s last visit to The Palms in Las Vegas was only six months ago, but it might as well be forever, considering the change in circumstances since he was preparing to fight Ramsey Nijem for the Ultimate Fighter season 13 title in June.Back then, he was like all other TUF finalists from throughout the years, hoping to earn a UFC contract and secure his situation as a professional fighter. Now, he’s two wins into his career in the Octagon and hoping to make it three in a row when he faces veteran Yves Edwards this Saturday on the TUF14 finale card. Quite a change in fortunes.“It’s awesome to know that all I have to worry about is fighting,” said the 27-year old, who knocked out Nijem for the TUF 13 crown and then stopped Aaron Riley in September. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do that. And that’s every fighter’s thing because not everybody has the opportunity to be able to train all day every day.” So if anyone on Saturday’s card can relate to what the TUF 14 fighters are going through right now, wondering if they’ll be UFC fighters or back to the local circuit on Sunday morning, it’s Ferguson.“It was intense,” he said of the fight week anticipation. “It’s like a rollercoaster ride. The shorter that the line goes, the more the intense that the feeling is gonna get. (Coach) Marty Morgan was there to help me alleviate a lot of that by my intense workouts, being in a structured environment, and just being able to make sure that I was under control.”He also took emotion out of it, a key for him not only on that night, but moving forward.“I went into that one (against Nijem) with no anger,” said Ferguson. “I went in there strictly technical and I had nothing against anybody. We were talking to people and they were like, is there any animosity between us, and there wasn’t. And once I have that, that nervousness is gonna turn into fear.”Calm, cool, and collected on fight night, Ferguson took just 3:54 to halt his fellow prospect, then in September he dropped to 155 pounds and stopped Riley, a seasoned vet who taught Ferguson plenty in the five minutes they spent together in the Octagon.“That’s the whole purpose of all this,” he said. “Regardless of the money and everything else, the one thing you need to be able to take away from all this is the experience you gain from the opponent that you’re facing. My dad used to tell me ‘don’t go up to the wrestling chart. It’s not gonna matter what name or what record is in front of you; you have to worry about what you’re gonna do.’ And that’s what I took to Aaron Riley. I did my research and my homework on him afterwards.” That’s not the case this time around though, as he prepares for one of Riley’s old rivals from back in the Hook ‘n Shoot days – Yves Edwards.“I’ve done my homework on Yves, but he’s all over the place,” said Ferguson of a fighter who has won 15 fights by knockout and 17 by submission. “I’ve asked some Muay Thai guys and they said that he’s a little bit older and might not want to stand up with me. Then you get mixed feelings from everybody else, but you’ve got your own intuition as well, so that’s why I make sure all my T’s are crossed and my I’s are dotted. I’m not just looking at one thing. I have to learn from every single fight. I’ve done that since my first amateur fight, and this is a new game.”Not for Edwards it isn’t, so when the bell rings, the creator of “Thug-Jitsu” will not only have his talent to work with, but over 14 years of pro experience on his side. Ferguson remains steely in his conviction that his time has come though.“I see that I’m Yves ten years ago,” he said. “I’m exactly how he was – hungry. We’re in a new spot and in a new evolution of mixed martial arts and the possibilities are endless now. With Yves, he’s coming back, but he’s not gonna beat me. The way I see it, I’m the new generation. It’s the transition between the guys that started this stuff and the guys that are coming up now. If anything, Ferguson, 13-2, has earned the right to be confident heading into his third UFC bout, yet while he is convinced that he has the skill set to do big things in the sport, he knows that Edwards is a huge test in front of him and one he has to respect. So he does.“Nothing is ever after your opponent,” said the Oxnard, California native. “I’m not a UFC lightweight champ, I’m not anything else. I won the 170-pound Ultimate Fighter and that basically got my foot in the door. Now I have to take it to another level. If I preach this evolution of a fighter and I’m not doing anything, it’s just a lot of jibber-jabber.”So when you ask him for some words of wisdom to give to the fighters now standing where he stood just six months ago, it’s all about the work.“My best advice for those guys would be to go out there and work your ass off,” he said. “There’s not much you can do now. It’s what (TUF13 coach) Brock (Lesnar) told me – the hay’s in the barn.”
Posted in: fight, fighter, ferguson, tuf, ’m
Read the full article at UFCTwo Bantamweight Bouts Added to TUF 14 Finale
A pair of bantamweight bouts have been added to the 'Ultimate Fighter' season 14 finale show taking place Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Posted in: fighter, bout, bantamweight, finale, bantamweight bouts
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Live Discussion [Episode 10]
Hey guys...this will be the last time we do this. I mean not the last last time but like the last time this year. We've laughed, we've cried, and I think we've come a long way as a community. Like Rocky said, "If I can change and you can change, anyone can change."
This season has honestly been one of the best in years. The interaction between Mayhem and Bisping made the season memorable and fans got to see that Jason Miller is more than just a wacky personality. The way that he connected with his team and coached his fighters through the fights made him an easy to like fighter. On the flip side, the season reaffirmed the perception that Bisping is who we thought he was. His personality was grating and his tirades of professionalism were hilarious in their hypocrisy.
Tonight will feature the last two fights of the season to decide who will face Dennis Bermudez and T.J. Dillashaw at the finale. Diego Brandao fights Bryan Caraway and Johnny Bedford and John Dodson face off at bantamweight. Join us tonight at 10 PM ET/9 PM CT for the Ultimate Fighter.
Posted in: fight, fighter, season, bisping, weve
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMMA fighter gets 60 days for assaulting wife
Mixed martial arts fighter Brett (The Grim) Rogers has been sentenced to 60 days in jail for assaulting his wife in their Minnesota home.
Posted in: fighter, day, roger, mma fighter, wife
Read the full article at sportsnet.caJohn Olav Einemo returns to the Octagon in January against Mike Russow
The Golden Glory/UFC battle over paying fighters seems to be nearly completely over, as John Olav Einemo will make his return to the Octagon in January against Mike Russow. The UFC cut ties with all fighters that train under Golden Glory due to problems with how fighters were paid. However, the UFC signed Alistair Overeem, a former member of the renowned Dutch team, earlier this year, thus opening a window for other Golden Glory fighters to return to both the UFC and Strikeforce.
Einemo-Russow will take place at UFC on FOX 2, a show planned for January 28 from Chicago, Illinois’ United Center. News of the match-up was first reported by MMAFighting.
Submission-specialist Einemo lost his UFC debut to Dave Herman at UFC 131 this past June, dropping his record to 6-2 overall as a fighter. The bout was named the card’s “Fight of the Night”.
Comparably, Russow is 14-1 in his career, holding a highly memorable win over Todd Duffee, as well as a victory against Jon Madsen, inside the Octagon.
UFC on FOX 2 is currently set to be headlined by Rashad Evans and Phil Davis and is also rumored to featured a bout for middleweight contendership between Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, january, return, mike russow
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainMiller vs. Bisping: Is Jason Mayhem Miller Ready to Be a UFC Fighter?
This Saturday, Jason Miller will return to the Octagon for the first time since losing to Georges St. Pierre all the way back at UFC 52. Much has happened in the career of Mayhem during those six years. He's become the host of Bully Beatdown, appeared as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, been involved in the infamous Strikeforce brawl, and feuded with Nick Diaz. But there is one thing conspicuously missing from that list.
Fighting.
You know, fighting? The thing that is, in theory, Mayhem Miller's primary job? Since 2007, there has been precious little actual in-ring fighting in the career of Mayhem, and even less against legitimate top level talent. Miller had a solid 2006-2007, going 6-1 with wins over Robbie Lawler and Tim Kennedy. But since then, he's stalled out. Only 7 fights in the last 4 years, and only 2 in the past 2 years. Since defeating Kennedy in 2007 he has not defeated a single opponent of any merit, with his biggest win coming against Kazushi Sakuraba. And when your biggest win in years is against the 2010 version of Sakuraba, that's an issue.
Instead of fighting, Mayhem has been focused on what marketing folks would call "establishing his brand." He's become a personality, not a fighter. And so far, it's worked. It's greatly increased his profile, and landed him a TUF gig that a fighter with his credentials normally would not be close to qualifying for. So, success, right?
Not exactly. Mayhem is now in the UFC, and this is where the trouble comes in, because now, Mayhem is going to have to fight. And he's going to have to win. With Kimbo Slice, Dana White showed that simply being a personality is not enough to guarantee you a UFC slot, particularly if you are not a homegrown UFC talent. Miller will bring some attention with him, but like Kimbo, it's not attention based on his in-ring skills, but on his persona. And that persona can only carry him so far.
A loss to Michael Bisping on Saturday won't set Mayhem back much. Bisping is a top 10 Middleweight potentially on a path to a title shot. Miller can survive that loss. But what if the next time out is a step down in competition and another loss? And another step down after that? Like Kimbo, Miller has a high enough profile that it doesn't make sense to have him fighting unknowns on the prelims, so at some point, he will need to prove he can hang in the best Middleweight division in the world.
Does he have the skills to do it? Based on the past four years, I don't know how you could honestly say with any confidence that he does. Yes he looked good in his Dream loss to Jacare, and yes he had some success against Jake Shields, but even those fights were 2-3 years ago. We simply have not seen Mayhem fight enough lately to know where he stands.
For now, the only person that may know this answer is Jason Miller. Is he motivated to once again become a fighter and not a personality? If he is, he could give Bisping real troubles, and could make a move in the UFC Middleweight division. But if not, his UFC return could be a lot of hype, and no substance. We'll take the first step towards answering this question on Saturday.
SBN coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
Posted in: ufc, fighter, miller, year, mayhem
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTUF 14 wraps up season on Sportsnet
Watch on Sportsnet as The Ultimate Fighter: Bisping vs. Miller wraps up its season Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET ahead of Saturday's live finale.
Posted in: fighter, season, bisping, sportsnet, season wednesday
Read the full article at sportsnet.caWould a confidential drug testing program help out #UFC fighters? @LucaFury @MMASupremacy @ULTMMA
Chris Leben got busted for usage of heavy-duty painkillers. We know a lot of fighters use PEDs and painkillers. So, how do we slow down this negative trend and its predictable consequences?
Posted in: fighter, testing, painkiller, heavyduty painkillers, trend
Read the full article at Fight OpinionDiego Brandao: I Came in Here to Destroy Everyone
Filed under: UFCWednesday night's final episode of The Ultimate Fighter will show Diego Brandao getting the fight he asked for, against Bryan Caraway, with a spot on Saturday night's Ultimate Fighter Finale at stake.
In an interview with MMAFighting.com, Brandao said Caraway was the guy in the Ultimate Fighter house he most wanted to fight because he took personally some of the things Caraway had said to him.
Brandao also talked about the reputation he has developed over the course of this season of The Ultimate Fighter, with both UFC President Dana White and coach Michael Bisping saying that Brandao looks like a beast whom the other fighters shouldn't want to touch. And Brandao gave his thoughts about why he couldn't always get along with the other guys in the house.
The interview is below.
Michael David Smith: You said you wanted to fight Bryan Caraway. Why did you want him?
Diego Brandao: Because Bryan Caraway got in my face and challenged me. He'd come up to me in the house and say he wanted to fight me, and I'd just say, 'F-- you man. If you want to fight me we'll see who's the best.' I didn't come in here to make friends. I came in here to destroy everyone.
As you were preparing for that fight, were you able to formulate a specific game plan for Bryan? Did you have a sense for what you would need to do to win?
No, it wasn't so much planning anything. I just thought, 'This is the guy I need to beat.' And I wanted to finish him. I don't like to leave it to the judges. I like to destroy the guy.
Dana White said no one should want to fight you. How does it feel to hear that?
It's true that no one wanted to fight me inside the house. I feel good about it but that's not in my mind yet. I'm not the best because Dana says it. I want to show I'm the best because I can beat everybody else. That's what I'm out to prove. I feel confident that I can fight the toughest guys.
You didn't really seem to fit in with the other guys in the house. Did you not get along?
I didn't like when the other guys would get drunk every day while I was pushing myself. Those other guys weren't training enough for me. Even if they didn't have their own fights to train for I needed them to be ready because I needed to be training and I needed people to roll with, people to hold the pads for me. I was taking it seriously and some of them weren't.
Your attitude in the house seems a lot like your attitude in the cage. You mean business and you're not in there to be nice to anybody.
What I want is to be like Mike Tyson. I want to become like a Wanderlei Silva, a guy who gives a great show in every fight. The guys in the 145-pound class should be scared of me. I just go out there and do my job. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: fight, guy, fighter, brandao, house
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Ultimate Fighter: The End of the Spike Era
Saturday night, the current season of UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter” reality/ competition show for up and coming MMA fighters will come to a close. Not just for the season but on the Spike network and the way it is produced and broadcast to the masses for the last fourteen seasons. Walking away from this relationship, [...]
Posted in: fighter, season, spike, mma fighters, spike network
Read the full article at Fighthub TVChael Sonnen vs Mayhem Miller: UFC fighters vote on MMA's best trash talker (Video)
So, who is the best trash talker in all of mixed martial arts?
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) stars Ryan Bader, Miguel Torres, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio Rua, Dan Henderson, Stephan Bonnar and more cast their vote on the sport's top mudslinger.
Will it be Chael Sonnen or Jason Miller?
Sonnen is best known for verbally abusing UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, former PRIDE star Wanderlei Silva and just about every other Brazilian fighter on the Zuffa roster, but has also ventured outside of South America to slam UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste.
Miller, by comparison, has been focusing much of his verbal venom on opposing Ultimate Fighter (TUF) coach Michael Bisping, who "Mayhem" fights on Saturday night (Dec. 3) in Las Vegas. Prior to his heat with "The Count," the "Bully Beatdown" host exchanged barbs with Nick Diaz, Jake Shields and Ronaldo Souza.
You've heard what the fighters have to say, now let us get your vote. The UFC's best trash-talker is ...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, vote, miller, trash talker
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale fight card: Michael Bisping vs Jason Miller preview
Two head coaches of The Ultimate Figher (TUF) season 14 will finally clash this Saturday night (December 3, 2011) as former TUF season 3 winner Michael Bisping matches up against former Strikeforce title challenger and UFC returnee Jason "Mayhem" Miller in a bout with middleweight title implications.
Bisping has been put on ice ever since his controversial fight against Jorge Rivera in Australia earlier in the year in which he landed an illegal knee and then spit at his opponent's corner for his post-fight celebration. He traded pranks and insults with "Mayhem" over the course of TUF season 14 and now it's finally time to fight.
Jason Miller was put in MMA purgatory after his participation in the now infamous Nashville brawl that he instigated. He was finally signed by the UFC earlier this year and his personality was the perfect foil for Bisping during season 14 of TUF. He's hoping to launch himself firmly into "the mix" with a huge victory on Saturday night.
Will Bisping continue to infuriate American fans with another victory? Can "Mayhem" stop the Brit in his tracks with a slick submission? What's the key to victory for each fighter in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale?
Let's find out:
Michael Bisping
Record: 21-3 overall, 11-3 in the UFC
Key Wins: Chris Leben (UFC 89), Yoshihiro Akiayama (UFC 120), Dan Miller (UFC 114)
Key Losses: Dan Henderson (UFC 100), Wanderlei Silva (UFC 110), Rashad Evans (UFC 78)
How he got here: Michael Bisping entered season three of The Ultimate Fighter with a spotless 10-0 record and having been a Cage Warriors star in his native England. He dominated the competition and, despite being an undersized light heavyweight, won his first four fights in the UFC.
His momentum was finally halted when he dropped a decision to Rashad Evans, and he decided to make the cut to middleweight immediately afterwards. Bisping won his first three fights at 185 as well and was potentially in line for a title shot against Anderson Silva, but first he had to coach season nine of The Ultimate Fighter against Dan Henderson.
Bisping faced Henderson at UFC 100 and was infamously knocked out in one of the greatest knockouts in MMA history. "The Count" rallied against Dennis Kang at UFC 105 in his native England, but once again, he'd have his momentum halted by another Pride legend, this time Wanderlei Silva who was dropping down to 185 for the first time.
Since that loss, Bisping has won three straight, although his last performance against Jorge Rivera was full of controversy with a blatant illegal knee and the spitting incident afterwards. The Brit decided to coach another season of The Ultimate Fighter in his downtime and didn't do himself any favors with the fans by pretty much acting like a jerk for much of the season. He'll finally square off with his rival coach "Mayhem" Miller on Saturday night.
How he gets it done: Bisping has developed a style which plays into his skill-set very well in the last couple years. He doesn't have a ton of power in his strikes, but he's very good at getting in, landing blows and getting out.
His opponent, Jason Miller, isn't known to be much of a striker, so don't be surprised so see Bisping be a little more aggressive in his stand-up over the course of the bout. Sure, he'll likely employ his "hit and run" attack early, but as he gains confidence, he's definitely going to follow up with some of his power strikes.
Even if they don't knock Miller out, the power strikes have potential to open cuts and they definitely will score points with the judges.
Footwork will be key for Bisping as well. He needs to dart in, do his damage and dart out before Miller can get his hands on him. "The Count" has some pretty solid takedown defense and his ground game is vastly superior to most of his countrymen, so as long as he doesn't do anything crazy and come in throwing haymakers, he should be able to defend against most of Miller's attacks.
Jason Miller
Record: 24-7 (1 No Contest) overall, 0-1 in the UFC
Key Wins: Tim Kennedy (HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon), Robbie Lawler (Icon Sport: Mayhem vs. Lawler), Kazushi Sakuraba (Dream 16)
Key Losses: Jake Shields (Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers), Ronaldo Souza (Dream 4), Georges St. Pierre (UFC 52)
How he got here: Jason "Mayhem" Miller fought for a plethora of smaller promotions across the continental United States for the first four years of his career and had notable battles against the likes of Chael Sonnen, Dennis Kang and Tim Kennedy. He made his UFC debut against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 52 in 2005, losing a unanimous decision. He would not fight for the promotion until this upcoming Saturday night.
Miller would also never fight at welterweight again, as the cut was too draining for him. Miller became a staple of Hawaii's Icon Sport promotion, winning the middleweight title, but he would find his true home in Japan.
Miller's outgoing and at time outrageous personality was a big hit in Japan and he competed three times for the Dream promotion. After his last fight, a no contest against Ronaldo Souza, Miller also began hosting a series called "Bully Beatdown" on MTV.
The popularity of the show helped earn "Mayhem" a title shot against Jake Shields for the vacant Strikeforce middleweight belt. Miller would lose a unanimous decision, but came the closest to finishing the fight when Shields was saved by the bell from a rear naked choke at the end of round three.
Miller has been sidelined for a considerable time due to his participation in the "Nashville brawl" after interrupting Shields' post-fight speech and asking for a rematch. With his Showtime contract expired, he was the first Strikeforce fighter to hop over to the UFC and he was a logical choice as a coach of The Ultimate Fighter season 14 opposite Bisping.
How he gets it done: Miller is rather unpredictable in the stand-up department. He isn't the most technical fighter, but he can attack with anything from kicks to spinning back fists. The key for him, though, is to get inside and do whatever it takes to get the fight to the ground.
An important element in Miller's attack is going to be closing the distance. However he can do it, he has to get inside and get either in the clinch or work for takedowns. Footwork will be tricky because Bisping will likely be circling away from him and darting in and out for much of the fight.
If Bisping comes in too aggressively with a "hit and run" attack, Miller needs to capitalize with a body lock and either a trip takedown or by dropping down for a single or double leg takedown. There's almost not chance that Miller can win this fight standing.
If he can get the fight to the ground, "Mayhem" needs to stay heavy, smother Bisping and really try to keep him on his back. That's more important than passing guard and attacking with submissions. If he can wear Bisping out and force him to waste precious energy fighting to get back to his feet, that will be vital to his success.
Only once he's tired "The Count" out should Miller begin passing guard, attacking with ground and pound or hunting for submissions.
Fight "X-Factor:" There are two key factors for this fight. One is time. Jason Miller has fought one time since the infamous brawl in Nashville and that was against an ancient Sakuraba over a year ago. Sure, he's been putting time in and getting himself in terrific shape over at Reign Training Center and King's MMA, but that's not a substitute for actually getting in there and fighting. Cage rust is real, even if the theory has been taking a hit lately due to some impressive comeback performances. Miller will need to shake it out quickly or he's going to find himself in a deep hole against Bisping.
The other factor is obviously where the fight takes place. If Miller can't get the fight to the ground, he's going to have problems. Striking is not one of his strongsuits and I just don't see him winning if he doesn't put Bisping on his back.
Bottom Line: This fight has potential to be terrific, what with a full season of The Ultimate Fighter to build some hype for it, but there's also a huge possibility of a letdown. Bisping is a solid striker and if he can keep it standing, it could be a terribly rough night for Miller while if "Mayhem" can put Bisping on his back, it could be a very one-sided victory for him as well. The only possibilities for this to be a back-and-forth scrap are if both men have really put the time in to work on their weaknesses and can either create more interesting scrambles or striking exchanges than I'm expecting.
Either way, the outcome of this fight is not easy to predict, so there should still be plenty of surprise in store for UFC fans.
Who will come out on top at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale? Tell us your predictions in the comments below!
Poll
Who will shake up the UFC's middleweight division with a victory on Saturday night at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale?
Michael Bisping
Jason Miller
10 votes | Results
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, miller, bisping
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJason Miller obsessed with beating up Michael Bisping
Jason “Mayhem” Miller took the high road before beginning his coaching stint opposite Michael Bisping on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter. Miller, who made a name for himself as host of MTV’s Bully Beatdown show, decided to avoid forming an opinion on Bisping before the two started as coaches on the hit reality show.
However, much like many before him have found out, Bisping is difficult to like. Miller quickly took to itching for December 3 to roll around so the two could square off at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, an event taking place this Saturday night.
Miller and Bisping spent six weeks going back-and-forth, but the two had to avoid any actual punches during that time. That all changes when they close the Octagon door behind them and the bell rings.
“I didn’t have an opinion. I didn’t formulate one. I didn’t care. I never really paid attention to the guy. I thought as far as a fighter, I thought, ‘Oh, I can beat this guy,’” said Miller, in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I fell in line with everyone else’s opinion that he’s a giant douche or a turd sandwich. One or the other. I can’t wait to kick his ass on December 3.”
Miller has faced some of the best fighters in the world, including the likes of Jake Shields, Tim Kennedy and Robbie Lawler, but finding motivation to face Bisping was not difficult at all.
“I’ve thought about nothing but beating up Michael Bisping since we filmed that show. He’s super overrated,” Miller said. “They put him up in there with guys he gets to have an easy little kickboxing match with, and he gets to dictate the pace by throwing jabs out there and his right hand. He’s not going to be able to do that with me. He bit off more than he can chew. He’s going to feel bad about the day he agreed to fight me.”
Fans can watch the middleweights square off in the main event of Spike’s 8:00 PM EST broadcast of the show. Other bouts include Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards and the respective finals from TUF 14‘s bantamweight/featherweight tournaments.
PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC
Posted in: show, fighter, miller, bisping, michael bisping
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainMailbag: Best of Spike-era ‘TUF’ (Yahoo! Sports)
With the last live UFC show on Spike TV on tap, here’s a look back at ‘The Ultimate Fighter’s’ best moments.
Posted in: show, fighter, spike tv, ufc show, fighter ’s
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsBJ Penn: Manny Pacquiao is my kind of fighter ... I'm a fan of his
Count former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn among the legions of fight fans who are down with boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.
"The Prodigy," who is in the Philippines on a promotional tour for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), told ABS-CBN News that "Pac-Man" is an "exciting fighter" who "tries to go for the finish:"
"Pacquiao, he's my kind of fighter, I'm a fan of his. I like his style. He tries to go for the finish. I would like to see Pacquiao win because I know if Pacquiao wins, it's gonna be an exciting victory. Boxing is part of MMA. You need to be able to know how to fight MMA. Boxing is huge, and it all blends in somehow with ultimate fighting."
Of course no conversation about Pacquiao would be complete without the inclusion of pugilistic nemesis Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who continues to bash the Filipino for "not being on his level."
From Fight Hype:
"I made more money in my last 2 fights than (Pacquiao) made in his whole career. How can you even say a guy like this is on my level? I'm telling you now that I'm the best that ever did it, even without the Pacquiao fight. Like I said before, I'm extraordinary. I make every fighter look ordinary. May 5th is the date. Sign the contract, I'm waiting. You said you're a clean fighter... May 5th, I'm ready. I can sign today. But if I sign today, you better sign tomorrow."
Pacquiao, who is considered by many combat sports fans and journalists to be the pound-for-pound king of the "sweet science," fought Juan Manuel Marquez to a controversial majority decision win earlier this month in Las Vegas.
Some have even argued that he lost.
Mayweather is coming off his own controversial victory, a knockout win over Victor Ortiz in September, and refuses to fight Pacquiao if the Filipino phenom doesn't agree to undergo random blood and urine tests.
If they ever do fight, at least we know who B.J. Penn will be cheering for.
Posted in: fight, fighter, pacquiao, im, fighter im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWelcome to the new Fighter’s Only Website
Hello and welcome!
As you may have noticed, Fighters Only has a new website. It has been some time in the making but it is finally here and we hope you like it as much as we do.
If you’ve been a regular visitor over the years you’ll notice a number of changes, including significantly improved video and pictures. We’ve also opened the news articles up to comments, so readers can interact (we are still waiting for the registration system to go live so for now comments have to be activated by a moderator – don’t be alarmed if your comment does not appear right away).
Other changes include a more system-friendly build which has eliminated a lot of unnecessary flash and graphic content to make for a quicker, smoother load that won’t have your processor struggling to render it should your internet connection be running a bit slow.
Launching the new site today is not a coincidence – November 30th is also the day of the Fighters Only World MMA Awards in Las Vegas. So after you’ve had a little browse around the site, make sure to hit FOXSports.com tonight for the live stream of this year’s awards ceremony.
We are really happy with the new site and we hope our readers will be as well. We’d love to hear what you think, via the comments box below (please also bear in mind the site is a few hours old at this point and there may still be some teething difficulties).
JJ O’Regan
Website Editor
FightersOnlyMagazine.co.uk
Posted in: fighter, ’ve, site, fighter ’s, ’ll notice
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUltimate Fighter 14 Weigh-Ins Held Friday in Las Vegas
Official fighter weigh-ins for Saturday's Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale will take place Friday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Posted in: fighter, vega, place friday, la, friday
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Prelims to Stream on Facebook
The preliminary card from Saturday’s The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale event will stream live and free on Facebook.com/UFC, according to MMAjunkie.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale is headlined by coaches Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller, while the season’s bantamweight and featherweight tournament finals and a lightweight bout between Yves Edwards and Tony Ferguson fill out the Spike-televised main card.
The prelims will mainly feature The Ultimate Fighter 14 castmembers who didn’t make the finals, but the matchups won’t be announced until after Wednesday’s final episode.
For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: Michael Bisping
Posted in: fighter, bisping, prelim, yves edwards, finale
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyJohn Olav Einemo Back in UFC, Likely to Face Mike Russow at UFC on FOX 2
Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsShortly after losing in his UFC debut in a bout that won Fight of the Night at UFC 131, John Olav Einemo was surprisingly cut from the UFC. As it turned out, Einemo was part of the fallout from an ongoing business issue between his Golden Glory management team and the UFC.
Now, it appears a resolution has been struck, as Einemo is back with the promotion and will take on Mike Russow as part of the upcoming UFC on FOX 2 card on January 28, MMA Fighting has learned.
Sources confirmed that both sides have verbally agreed to the bout.
Einemo (6-2) faced Dave Herman at UFC 131, and engaged in a hard-fought battle before falling in a second-round TKO. The fight had been his first MMA bout in over four years. But even after the spirited scrap, he was one of several Golden Glory fighters -- including Alistair Overeem and Marloes Coenen to be dropped by Zuffa.
UFC president Dana White later said the issue stemmed from Golden Glory's management practice of having promoters pay them directly instead of the fighters.
"We don't work that way," White said then. "It's not the way we do business. It's not how it works in the United States with the athletic commissions. You don't pay the managers and the managers pay the fighters. You pay the fighters and the fighters pay the managers."
It remains unclear how the issue was resolved, and whether Einemo -- like Overeem -- parted ways with Golden Glory or found a way to work within the UFC framework.
Meanwhile, Russow (14-1, 1 no contest) will be hoping to extend his impressive 10-fight win streak. In his most recent fight, Russow stopped Jon Madsen by TKO in the second round of their March 2011 encounter.
UFC on FOX 2 will take place from the United Center in Chicago. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, way, glory, einemo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale weigh-in slated for Friday, Bonnar hosts Q&A
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale weigh-ins are slated for Friday.
The ceremonies take place at Key West Ballroom at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
The first fighter is on the scale at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time), and Stephan Bonnar hosts a UFC Fight Club Q&A session at 5 p.m. ET.
Posted in: fighter, pm, las vegas, west ballroom, bonnar
Read the full article at MMA JunkieYour Weekend in Combat Sports (December 2-4)
Indy/Puro fans, as well as Colorado football fans suffered another tough loss last week with the passing of Mark "Bison" Smith. He was always a gruff, private guy, but on Cabana's podcast, as everyone does, he really opened up and I liked him a lot more. Fucking month and change later he's gone. Rest easy, Bison.On a better note, Your Mom! Onto YWICS.
This fanpost was promoted to the front page by Tim Burke
And That's the Way it Was: Ten Fighters after last weekend who are shining. No fading allowed:1. Saul Alvarez2. Eduardo Dantas3. Adrien Broner4. Mamed Khalidov5. Marius Zaromskis6. Patricky Freire7. Gary Russell Jr.8. Dave Menne9. Jesse Bongfeldt10. Karl Amoussou
Friday December 212:30am Shark Fights (Fuel TV)1:00am James Tillis vs. Pinklon Thomas (ESPN Classic)2:00am Dwight Braxton vs. Matthew Saad Muhammed I (ESPN Classic)2:30am Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto I (HBO Zone)3:00am Al Lewis vs. Muhammed Ali (ESPN Classic)3:30am Tim Coleman vs. Vernon Paris (ESPN 3D)4:00am Benny Paret vs. Gene Fullmer (ESPN Classic)10:00am SportsCentury: Mike Tyson (ESPN Classic)3:30pm ProElite: Big Funs (HDNet)4:00pm Face Off: Cotto/Margarito (HBO2)8:00pm 24/7 Cotto/Margarito (HBO)8:00pm Inside MMA w/Michael Bisping, Ian McCall, Nick Newell (HDNet)8:00pm Cut Thorat MMA: Invasion 4 (GoFightLive $9.99)8:30pm 24/7 Cotto/Margarito (HBO)8:30pm Tachi Palace Fights 11: Redemption (Sherdog.com)9:00pm 24/7 Cotto/Margarito Overtime Live (HBO)9:00pm XFC 15: Tribute (HDNet)9:00pm UFC 140 Countdown (Fuel TV)10:00pm Legend Fighting Championships 3/4 (Fuel TV)11:00pm Anthony Dirrell vs. Renan St. Juste/Chris Avalos vs. Jhonatan Romero (Showtime)11:30pm 24/7 Cotto/Margarito (HBO)Saturday December 312:00am 24/7 Cotto/Margarito (HBO)12:30am 24/7 Cotto/Margarito Overtime (HBO)1:00am Inside MMA w/Michael Bisping, Ian McCall, Nick Newell (HDNet)2:00am Anthony Dirrell vs. Renan St. Juste/Chris Avalos vs. Jhonatan Romero (Showtime Extreme)2:00am XFC 15: Tribute (HDNet)3:00am Legend Fighting Championship 3/4 (Fuel TV)9:00am The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)10:00am 24/7 Cotto/Margarito (HBO)10:30am 24/7 Cotto/Margarito (HBO)11:00am The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)11:00am 24/7 Cotto/Margarito Overtime (HBO)11:30am Face Off: Cotto vs. Magarito (HBO)12:00pm The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)1:00pm The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)2:00pm The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)2:00pm Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto I (HBO Zone)3:00pm The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)3:00pm 24/7 Cotto/Margarito (HBO Zone)3:30pm 24/7 Cotto/Margarito (HBO Zone)4:00pm The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)4:00pm 24/7 Cotto/Margarito Overtime (HBO Zone)4:30pm Cotto/Margarito: In & Out of the Ring (HBO Zone)4:30pm David Lopez vs. Hugo Centeno (FSN)5:00pm The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)5:00pm Fight Day Now! (HBO Zone)6:00pm The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)7:00pm The Ultimate Fighter 14 (Spike TV)7:00pm The Warriors Cup XIII (GoFightLive $14.99)8:00pm The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale (Spike TV)9:00pm Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto II (PPV)9:00pm Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko/Anselmo Moreno vs. Vic Darchinyan (Showtime)9:00pm Legend Fighting Championships 3/4 (Fuel TV)10:00pm Epic Fighting 9: California State Finals (GoFightLive $9.99)11:30pm Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko/Anselmo Moreno vs. Vic Darchinyan (Showtime Extreme)Sunday December 412:00am The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale (Spike TV)9:00pm UFC 140 Countdown (FSN)
Under the Radar: Names that aren't on American broadcasted shows this week.Felix Sturm vs. Martin Murray (December 2, Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany)Alexander Povetkin vs. Cedric Boswell (December 3, Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland)Manabu Inoue vs. Shintaro Ishiwatari (Pancrase Impressive Tour 13, December 3, Differ Ariake, Tokyo, Japan)Geronimo dos Santos vs. Cristiano Souza (Golden Fight 3, December 3, Amapa, Brazil)John Alessio vs. Ryan Healy (Score Fighting Series 3: Alessio vs. Healy, December 3, RBC Center, Sarnia, Ontario)
Best Viewing Options: A man who has been thoroughly impressed with the new and improved Beavis and Butthead this season attempts to point you in other fruitful viewing ventures.1. Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto II: Not so much for the main event, which I could take or leave, but the fucking undercard. Wow. Brandon Rios, Mike Jones, and the rematch of my FOTY, Wolak vs. Rodriguez. YUS! THAT'S how you craft a fucking undercard.2. TUF 14 Finale: I won't be breaking any new ground with hatespeak on Bisping, so I'll add this. Sonnen would 30-25 Bisping and Mayhem. In no way should the winner fight Silva yet.3. Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko: You know, Diamond MMA makes a cup...4. Tachi Palace Fights 11: Oh, this should be good. On the heels of the EPIC viewing experience that was Tachi Palace Fights 10, the good folks at Sherdog bring us the eleventh installment from the godfathers of WEC. Come for Bubba Jenkins, flyweights, and free high--level MMA. Stay for the streaming quality of 7th-grade girls intramural volleyball, Jordan Breen, AND THE CIRCLE OF DEATH. I strongly urge all of you to find the TPF 10 Live Thread. That's one of the funniest goddamn three hours I've ever spent.5. 24/7 Cotto vs. Margarito: The final installment of the epic series for these two.6. Inside MMA: Bas is currently asking on Twitter what your favorite Bas moment is. I'm on hour number ten.7. XFC 15: Wow, is this a shitty card. This makes one of Legacy or Titan's HDNet cards look like UFC 92. Jesus. But hey, the return of Imani Lee! I know I've needed a little more Imani Lee in my life. Plus, Nick Newell, one-armed fighter! I don't want to bag on XFC too hard, and they've put on some decent shows in the past, but when your two main draws are a 350-pound super heavyweight and a one-armed fighter. Yeah, that's a fucking gimmick card.8. The Warriors Cup XIII: Something that's NOT a gimmick. Warriors Cup Muay-Thai! Damn your $15 price tag!9. Al Lewis vs. Muhammed Ali: Who doesn't love some hot Cassius Clay action at 3AM? NOT THIS GUY! Though, I think Joe Louis would destroy him in each of their primes...discussion for another time.t10. Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto I: Last chance to catch it before the rematch, kids.t10: Anthony Dirrell vs. Renan St. Juste/Chris Avalos vs. Jhonatan Romero: Meh. Sure.
BV Loses You Money: Ahhh...back on the losing side this week. Feels right. Cozy.Last Weekend's Hangover:If you put down $100 on each of my predictions last week, you'd have today:$113BV Lost You: $87!On the Year: -$635This Weekend:Miguel Cotto -200 Antonio MargaritoUnder 10.5 rounds Cotto/Margarito +145Joseph Agbeko -115 Abner MaresBrandon Rios -1200 John MurrayJason Miller +175 Michael BispingLines courtesy of BetUS
Fight of the Week: The scene is Jungle Fight 1 at Manaus in 2003, where a 3-0 Stephan Bonnar (with all wins by submission to that point, including a win over Brian Ebersole) faces off against 1-0 prospect Lyoto Machida. SOMEBODY'S O HAS GOTTA GO!!! I'm so sorry. Even with so little experience, Machida's counter-fighting is fantastic to watch.
Stephan Bonnar vs Lyoto Machida (via oyzterslush)
Take a Knee: Even the biggest combat sports fan needs to recharge their batteries before diving back in. Here are five games that are nationally broadcasted this weekend that deserve your eyes as well on Friday and Saturday. (Note: I'll be excluding my teams from this to avoid homerism.)Georgia vs. LSU (Saturday, 4:00, CBS): SEC Championship game! Georgia is a damned solid team....but they're not LSU. Last step to LSU-Bama II for the National Title game.UCLA @ Oregon (Friday, 8:00, FOX): First-ever Pac-12 title game and it features the mighty Oregon Ducks against...UCLA? Hm. Alright.Montreal @ Los Angeles (Saturday, 3:30, NHL Network, CBC, Fox Sports West): All I want for Christmas...is Mike Richards and PK Subban fighting to the death. A steel-belt boy can dream.Toronto @ Boston (Saturday, 7:00, NHL Network, CBC, NESN): If Kessel and Seguin just threw down at center ice, the CBC feed would explode and Don Cherry would have a stroke. Quite frankly, there's still time, gentlemen.Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State (Saturday, 8:00, ABC): BEDLAM!...would have meant a lot more two weeks ago. As it is, still a great game, but definitely loses some stank on it.
Your YouTube Finale: The fine men of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in one of their crowning achievements, Space Mutiny. Also, for those that don't know, they're still around doing a project called Rifftrax.
Best of MST3k: Space Mutiny (via theblackwolf72)
Posted in: hbo, fighter, vs, tv, cottomargarito
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Mayhem Miller Primer
The finale for the fourteenth season of the Ultimate Fighter is set to grace our television sets on Saturday night, and with that grand SpikeTV exit (no more TUF on SpikeTV!) comes a marquee matchup between TUF 14 coaches extraordinaire Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Now, everyone in the TUF Generation knows “The Count” – he won TUF 3, coached a season of the reality TV show opposite Dan Henderson, and is so beloved outside the cage that fans pelt him with rocks and garbage whenever they see him in public. But Mayhem… what did he do again? Ha, fear not, my uninformed friend, because here’s a nice little primer on “Mr. Wacky-Zany Character Guy” (as Bisping called him in this season’s sixth episode). You might be surprised to learn that before his stint as Chief Riot Starter in Strikeforce and host of MTV’s “Bully Beatdown”, he ruled the Hawaiian circuit with an iron fist, and once fought Georges St. Pierre when the Canadian was still a young doe-eyed kid coming up in the Octagon. Or maybe you won’t be surprised. I don’t know. Just read on.
-Mixing aggressive jiu-jitsu (he has a black belt) with Muay Thai, Mayhem is one of those “go for it” kinds of fighters who doesn’t wait for openings as much as he tries to create them. This, plus the fact that he’s not afraid to pause while in a dominant position and mug for the crowd, has endeared him to fans since about when his career began ten years ago. (The whole mugging thing has also ended up creating more than a few instances of post-fight turmoil, but hey, that’s Hawaii for you.)
-In 2004, Mayhem schooled Hawaiian fighter Ron Jhun so deftly on the ground in a Superbrawl championship bout that Joe Silva invited him to the UFC. There, Miller took on St. Pierre, who was considered an up-and-comer in the welterweight division at the time. The fight went the distance and Mayhem got his ass kicked throughout, but even when he was beaten and bloody he was still grinning at the crowd.
-After that venture into the Octagon, Miller returned to the minor leagues and pretty much submitted everyone (including Robbie Lawler) for the next year and a half – a feat that earned him an Icon Sport championship title. Frank Trigg out-struck him when they clashed, though, and when Miller fell stunned to the canvas, Trigg absconded with the middleweight belt and that was that.
-Mayhem’s next loss was about a year and a half later, and it came via decision at the hands of Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at a DREAM event in Japan. They eventually rematched, although that one ended with a “no contest” after Miller inadvertently punted the Brazilian in the dome and Souza couldn’t continue.
-For racking up wins over the likes of Denis Kang, Egan Inoue, Falaniko Vitale, Robbie Lawler and Tim Kennedy, the big question mark that’s always hung over Miller’s head was something along of the lines of “Why isn’t this badass fighter in the UFC?” and that talk persisted even after his loss to St. Pierre. But the always-grinning, always-wise-cracking Georgia native has done well for himself outside of the Octagon, and when Jake Shields needed an opponent for the vacant Strikeforce middleweight strap back in 2009, few objected when Mayhem got the slot. And sure, Shields pretty much controlled him on the ground, but there was the briefest moments in Round 3 of their five-rounder when Miller very nearly had Shields tapping to a rear naked choke. Bottom line: the dude’s got skills.
Posted in: fighter, ’t, miller, tuf, mayhem
Read the full article at MMA ConvertStrikeforce GP Final on January 7th?
Strikeforce’s next event is set to take place on January 7th, Fighters Only has learned.Zuffa has applied to the Nevada State Athletic Commission...
Posted in: fighter, january, gp, nevada state, strikeforce gp
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyIs it just me, or has the UFC gotten way less aggressive with cutting people?
A while a go it seemed a fighter could sneeze the wrong way and get cut, but I realized that I'm not hearing as much about people getting cut these days. Is the UFC looking to keep more fighters on their roster to be able to fill up more cards? Does anybody know anything about total # of ufc fighters and how that has changed over time? submitted by disco1stu [link] [5 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, way, people, ufc fighters
Read the full article at RedditWho is the most 'jacked' fighter in the UFC?
Mixed martial arts (MMA), like any other sport, requires commitment and dedication. Aside from the time spent perfecting their respective craft, any athlete must also dedicate time to their body.
Not every mixed martial artist has the "Adonis" body type (here's looking at you, Roy Nelson), nor is it a pre-requisite, but most fighters dedicate the time to their physique as much as any other athlete as say, the NFL or NBA.
The toll training camps and the fight themselves have on the body is brutal and taxing to say the least. A good physique can help aleviate that toll and can often times equate to a strength advantage over the opposition; though it does not necessarily mean victories.
So, who is the most "jacked" fighter in the UFC?
According to the "Top 100 Most Jacked UFC/MMA Fighters" list created by muscleprodigy.com it's none other than "The Demolition Man," Alistair Overeem.
Standing at 6'5 and weighing in at 260 pounds, Overeem truly is a behemoth among men.
Once competing in the 205 pound division, Overeem has gained over 50 pounds of pure muscle mass over the years in order to compete with the big boys of the heavyweight division.
Aside from having good genetics and ingesting a heavy dosage of horse meat as a source of protein, Alistair has obviously put his time in at the gym -- as have the rest of the fighters who made the list.
Make the jump to see the rest of the top 10 most "jacked" fighters in the UFC.
# 2 Cheick Kongo
#3 Sean Sherk
#4 Georges St. Pierre (UFC Welterweight Champion)
#5 Rousimar Palhares
#6 Thiago Alves
#7 Papy Abedi
# 8 Melvin Guillard
#9 Kyle Kingsbury
#10 Anthony Johnson
There you have it, the top 10 "jacked" fighters in mixed martial arts today. What say you, do you agree with the rankings?
To see all 100 fighters on the list, click here.
Posted in: ufc, time, fighter, arts today, strength advantage
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFighters and fans line up in support of punching Bisping’s face for a good cause
Ranger Up, a main sponsor of fighters Tim Kennedy and Jorge Rivera, put together a video asking people to punch Michael Bisping in the face to save the planet.
The hatred between Ranger Up and Bisping started when the current Ultimate Fighter coach was accused of spitting on Rivera’s corner after their fight at UFC 127 earlier this year. Kennedy, a Strikeforce competitor, has displayed his dislike of “The Count” for quite some time, making several pitches to face off with him on TUF.
Instead, the coaching job went to Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who will get the next shot at punching Bisping in the face when the two meet this Saturday night in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter Finale 14.
Bisping won his third straight fight by knocking out Rivera, adding to wins over Yoshihiro Akiyama and Dan Miller. He is 7-2 since 2008, with his lone losses coming to Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva. Miller is on a two-fight win streak, having defeated Kazushi Sakuraba and Tim Stout following a loss to Jake Shields.
Check out the video below:
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: fighter, face, miller, bisping, rivera
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainMichael Bisping to Jason “Mayhem” Miller- “I will TKO him in the 2nd or 3rd round”
Ultimate Fighter season three winner Michael Bisping looks to welcome Jason “Mayhem” Miller into the Octagon this Saturday in The Ultimate Fighter season 14 finale in Las Vegas. The tension between the two fighters has been mounting since filming of the show and though the two have not physically seen each other in person for [...]
Posted in: fighter, jason, las vegas, michael bisping, fighter season
Read the full article at Fighthub TVMichael Bisping to Jason “Mayhem” Miller- “I will TKO him in the 2nd or 3rd round”
Ultimate Fighter season three winner Michael Bisping looks to welcome Jason “Mayhem” Miller into the Octagon this Saturday in The Ultimate Fighter season 14 finale in Las Vegas. The tension between the two fighters has been mounting since filming of the show and though the two have not physically seen each other in person for [...]
Posted in: fighter, jason, las vegas, michael bisping, fighter season
Read the full article at Fighthub TVMMA Clinic/Warrior Promotions acquires Fiore MMA, now boasts 50 big-show fighters
The MMA Clinic/Warrior Promotions - a company that promotes shows, represents fighters and operates training facilities - is getting even bigger.
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship CEO Graham Boylan today told MMAjunkie.com the group has acquired the U.S.-based Fiore MMA.
As part of the deal, the upstart training facility will be part of MMA Clinic Gyms, and Warrior Promotions Fighter Management will take over its client list. Marc Fiore will remain with the company as a full-time trainer and fighter manager.
Posted in: mma, promotion, fighter, cage warriors, fiore
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale fight card: Tony Ferguson vs Yves Edwards preview
Youth meets experience this Saturday night (December 3, 2011) as The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 13 winner, Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson meets the original uncrowned UFC lightweight champ, Yves Edwards in a big-time 155 pound showdown on The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
Ferguson has looked terrific thus far in his UFC career, scoring knockout or technical knockout (TKO) finishes against all five of his opponents on The Ultimate Fighter and in the UFC. He'll be looking to add a serious name to his career resume with a victory on Saturday night over Yves Edwards.
Yves Edwards' record speaks for itself. He's faced some of the best in the world time in and time out during his 14+ year career fighting professionally and has competed in 29 different promotions. He's been there, done that and he'll be looking to prove his experience counts for something against the much heralded prospect on Saturday night.
Will Ferguson keep his crazy knockout streak alive against the battle-tested veteran? Can Edwards utilize his "Thugjitsu" and put a halt to the TUF 13 winner's momentum? What's the best path to victory for each man on Saturday night?
Let's find out:
Tony Ferguson
Record: 12-2 overall, 2-0 in the UFC
Key Wins: Aaron Riley (UFC 135), Ramsey Nijem (Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale)
Key Losses: none
How he got here: Tony Ferguson began fighting professionally in 2008 and compiled a 10-2 professional record before becoming a season 13 cast member on TUF. His last three pro fights were all technical knockout (TKO) victories and he brought that power into the show.
The third pick for Team Lesnar, Ferguson scored an incredible up kick knockout in his first fight against Justin Edwards and he followed up his performance by blasting Ryan McGillivray in less than a minute to secure his second straight first round finish. He put away Chuck O'Neil via third round TKO to advance to the finals for a chance to become the next "Ultimate Fighter."
On the finale, Ferguson withstood some aggression from Ramsey Nijem and then again landed a big hook to knock his castmate out to be crowned The Ultimate Fighter. In his first fight outside of the show, "El Cucuy" broke veteran Aaron Riley's jaw in round one and his opponent was unable to answer the bell for the second frame.
He'll be looking to continue his momentum against another veteran in Yves Edwards on Saturday night.
How he gets it done: Ferguson has a strong wrestling background, being a Division II national champion but it is his striking that will likely carry him to victory against Edwards, as it has carried him in every fight he's had thus far either on The Ultimate Fighter or in the UFC.
Ferguson's technique isn't perfect yet, but his power is terrific. He's got impressive hand speed and he's capable of finishing fights with both his left and his right. Against Edwards, he shouldn't be afraid to take one to give one, as the veteran's chin has deteriorated over the years, as evidenced by his vicious knockout loss to Sam Stout this past summer.
Ferguson should primarily utilize his wrestling to keep the fight standing and then use his footwork to stay in the pocket or closer where he will have the range to land his big hooks. If he can find a home for that big left, it will likely be "night night" for Edwards.
Edwards was also nearly put away in his last fight against Rafaello Oliveira when the Brazilian swarmed him early and just went for it, throwing big bombs and getting in his face. This actually seems like a strategy that would fit perfectly in Ferguson's wheelhouse so don't be surprised if he tries something similar if he sees an opening.
Yves Edwards
Record: 41-17-1 overall, 9-5 in the UFC
Key Wins: Josh Thomson (UFC 49), Hermes Franca 2x (UFC 47, Euphoria: USA vs World), Cody McKenzie (UFC Fight for the Troops 2)
Key Losses: Sam Stout (UFC 131), Duane Ludwig (Strikeforce: Destruction), K.J. Noons (EliteXC: Return of the King)
How he got here: Yves Edwards was once considered perhaps the best lightweight fighter in the world. A veteran of professional fighting for over 14 years, the "Thugjitsu Master" had a terrific stretch from 2002-2005 where he went 11-1 defeating the likes of Hermes Franca twice, Josh Thomson and Rich Clementi.
Since that time, the veteran has been very up and down. His name attracts high profile fights and he suffered losses to the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Mike Brown, Mark Hominick and Joe Stevenson during a very rough one year stretch from 2006-2007.
Since then, he bounced back competing in EliteXC, Strikeforce, Bellator, MFC and was impressive enough to be granted another stint in the UFC at 34 years old. In his most recent stint with the promotion, he's gone 3-1, defeating John Gunderson, Cody McKenzie and Rafaello Oliveira although he was knocked out cold by Sam Stout earlier this summer at UFC 131.
If he can dispatch Tony Ferguson on Saturday, it will be his most high profile victory in about six years.
How he gets it done: Edwards can no longer afford to have even exchanges with his opponents, especially someone as young and dangerous as Ferguson. His key to victory likely lies with keeping his distance or trying to get the fight to the ground. Edwards has some dangerous submissions in his arsenal, but getting the fight to the ground will likely be a major problem for him due to Ferguson's wrestling credentials.
If Edwards has any major advantage, it is his kicks. He's scored some of the craziest knockouts in MMA history with his kicks and a head kick actually set up his most recent finish against Rafaello Oliveira at UFC on Versus 6. While his chin may not be what it used to be, Edwards is still incredibly dangerous and can still put up a highlight reel finish.
Edwards should primarily use his punches to keep his distance and leave an opening for his kicks. Don't be surprised to see him go to the legs and body first, potentially slowing Ferguson down and also creating the possibility that he can surprise his opponent when he goes high.
Fight "X-Factor:" I would have initially chosen Edward's experience as the biggest factor, but Ferguson recently took out Aaron Riley in his last fight, a man who's been competing exactly as long as Edwards and with almost exactly as many fights. In all honesty, the biggest X-Factor for this match-up will likely be chin strength.
Tony Ferguson hasn't had his chin tested much in his TUF and UFC career, but Edwards has. He was knocked out badly by Sam Stout earlier this year, a fighter who'd never scored a knockout in his UFC career despite having the nickname "Hands of Stone" and he was nearly put away by Rafaello Oliveira in his most recent fight, an opponent who'd never scored a knockout on any major stage before.
This is a bit of a troubling sign against an opponent of Ferguson's caliber who has the crazy type of power that can either put his opponents to sleep or break their jaws. Edwards can't afford to make a single mistake in his striking defense or there's a very real possibility he's going to be staring up at the ceiling at some point.
Bottom Line: This should be a terrific match-up, with a young and hungry TUF winner squaring off against the seasoned veteran who still feels like he has something to prove. Edwards has a terrific skill-set and he's likely going to be pushing Ferguson to his limits early on. Neither of these fighters are the type to sit back and let the fight come to them. They enjoy going forward and pressing the action. This should be a fun stand-up battle from start to finish and there's some serious potential that this ends in a big knockout.
Who will come out on top at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale? Tell us your predictions in the comments below!
Poll
Which talented lightweight will come out on top on the main card of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale this Saturday night?
Tony Ferguson
Yves Edwards
10 votes | Results
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, ferguson, edward
Read the full article at MMA ManiaONE FC and DREAM announce official partnership beginning March 31
Asia’s largest MMA promotions, ONE Fighting Championship, and DREAM, have officially entered into a mutually exclusive partnership which will see DREAM become a part of the ONE FC Network which Victor Cui (pictured above) is busy putting together.
The network already includes Cage Fighting Championship in Australia, Road FC in Korea and URCC in the Philippines and the addition of Japanese promotion DREAM gives it a reach and scope which is unprecedented in MMA history.
According to the press release "ONE Fighting Championship and DREAM have agreed to co-promote events together and have also agreed to fighter exchanges. Fighter exchanges are expected to happen with immediate effect. It means that any ONE FC fighter will automatically be eligible to compete on DREAM and any DREAM fighter will automatically be eligible to compete on ONE FC."
The card for 'Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011' on New Year's Eve is close to completion with seven MMA fights, including the Bantamweight Grand Prix final, already lined up. A heavyweight fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Satoshi Ishii is rumored to be on the rocks and it is possible that one or two ONE FC fighters could be booked.
It is only a matter of time before the DREAM fighters do get to test themselves against mixed martial artists from elsewhere in the ONE FC Network with a cross promotion between the two organization's set to take place in Singapore on March 31st.
That event is tentatively titled 'ONE FC / DREAM in Singapore' but is subject to approval by media partners and other third parties.There will definitely be a show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium at that date as well as in Jakarta on February 11th and Kuala Lumpur on April 27th so there will be plenty of opportunity for DREAM fighters to appear on ONE FC cards.
The advantages to both parties are obvious, DREAM gets to and expand its fan base outside of Japan and raise the profile of its existing fighters while ONE FC gets access to one of the most prestigious rosters in the sport including Singapore based lightweight champion Shinya Aoki.
ONE FC has been widely described as the 'UFC of the East' but with 20 shows under its belt DREAM could also lay legitimate claim to that title, although it does not have the same sort of pan Asian appeal. Now that the two organizations have joined forces, along with well established promotions from Korea and the Philippines, there is no doubt where the power lies in Asian MMA.
ONE FC fighters Brian Choi and Vuyisile Colossa are in action at Road FC 5 in Korea this weekend and CFC lightweight champion Bernardo Magalhaes is rumoured to be pencilled in to face Ole Laursen at the BritAma Arena in Jakarta in February. The likes of Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Hiroyuki Takaya are also likely to be coming soon to a ONE FC card while fighters such as Eduard Folayang (above), Leandro Issa and Eric Kelly can move in the opposite direction.
Victor Cui, CEO/Owner of ONE Fighting Championship, said,
"I am thrilled by this partnership. Japan has the highest level of MMA fighters in Asia due to its long history in the sport. DREAM is the most prestigious event in Japan. With this partnership, ONE Fighting Championship and DREAM will continue to showcase the most exciting fights between the best fighters in Asia. I am truly excited by the potential of this partnership to create new opportunities for fighters, gyms, sponsors, advertisers, and media partners."
Keiichi Sasahara, Event Producer of DREAM, said,
"DREAM and ONE Fighting Championship will work together to lead the sport of MMA in Asia to a better future. DREAM has some of the best fighters in the world and we also have deep experience of putting on world-class events. ONE Fighting Championship has the largest media platform in Asia and many other assets. I see many great synergies with this partnership. It is certainly a new era for everyone in Asian MMA."
www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder
Posted in: mma, fighter, dream, championship, fc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWhy was there no Ultimate Fighter last week?
That's all. Well, maybe, is there one this week? submitted by nestle_raisinets [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, week, that, week thats, nestleraisinet
Read the full article at RedditNeuLion-UFC introduce new UFC.tv phone app
NeuLion, Inc. has introduced an all-access mobile phone app for the Android platform. The app allows Android users to stream UFC PPVs.
As one might recall, NeuLion and UFC entered into a partnership which would enhance UFC.tv.
Here are the features of the UFC.tv app via UFC and NeuLion joint press release:
-Live streaming of Pay-Per-View events, weigh-ins and press conferences
-Multiple live video and audio feeds during the broadcast: English, Spanish, Red Corner and Blue Corner
-Ability to score the fight in real-time and get an aggregate of every vote
-UFC fighter index sortable by weight class. Each fighter’s profile has key stats — wins/losses, height, weight, etc.
-Access to the UFC Fight Library of video
-Free videos including: event countdown shows, fighter interviews, press conferences, event previews, fighter workouts and other UFC free video content
TV schedule
-Video highlights and VOD events
-Constantly updated news section featuring articles about the latest UFC fighters, events, interviews and profiles of fighters
Payout Perspective:
The Android app makes sense considering Android made up 44 percent of mobile app downloads in 2010.. While this app definitely allows for continued growth for the UFC audience, the price points remain the same for PPVs. Unless you are on the road, paying for a UFC PPV on your phone for the same price as you would have to pay at home seems disproportionate. Still, it appears that there is access to free content which might make this app something UFC fans may seek to download.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, video, event, app
Read the full article at MMA PayoutTUF Coaches - By The Numbers
On December 3rd, four fighters will compete for two UFC contracts in the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter’s 14th season. Yet while the focus is primarily on the fighters at this time, being the coach of the winning competitor is also a prestigious honor, and over the past 14 seasons, UFC Hall of Famers, champions, and top contenders have held the reins for the hopefuls trying to fight their way into the Octagon.So what better time than now to turn the spotlight in the direction of the coaches? Who has produced the most TUF champions, and whose selections have gone on to the most success in the UFC after the show? Let the numbers tell the tale…Michael Bisping (seasons nine and 14 – 14 not included here)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 2Season Finalists: 3Fighters still in UFC: 2UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 47% (10-11)Dean Amasinger - David Faulkner -Jeff Lawson -Nick Osipczak 2-3Ross Pearson* 4-2Martin Stapleton -James Wilks* 2-2Andre Winner** 2-4Randy Couture (season one)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 0Season Finalists: 1Fighters still in UFC: 4 UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 60% (37-24)Stephan Bonnar** 8-6Alex Karalexis 1-2Chris Leben 12-7Nathan Quarry 7-3Chris Sanford 0-1Lodune Sincaid 0-1Mike Swick 9-3Jason Thacker 0-1Junior dos Santos (season 13)Fighters coached: 7Season Winners: 0Season Finalists: 1Fighters still in UFC: 3UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 33% (3-6)Shamar Bailey 1-2Mick Bowman -Zach Davis -Justin Edwards (replaced Keon Caldwell) 1-2Ryan McGillivray 0-1Ramsey Nijem** 1-1Javier Torres -Rashad Evans (season 10)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 1Season Finalists: 2Fighters still in UFC: 3UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 62% (17-10)Jon Madsen 4-1James McSweeney 1-2Matt Mitrione 5-1Roy Nelson* 3-2Brendan Schaub** 4-2Darrill Schoonover 0-1Mike Wessel (previous UFC fights not included)Justin Wren 0-1Rich Franklin (season two, season 11 (partial)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 1Season Finalists: 2Fighters still in UFC: 2 UFC Champions: 1Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 55% (40-31-1)Marcus Davis 9-6Rashad Evans* 11-1-1Melvin Guillard 10-5Jorge Gurgel 3-4Brad Imes** 0-3Keith Jardine 6-7Seth Petruzelli 0-4Anthony Torres 1-1Forrest Griffin (season seven)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 1Season Finalists: 1Fighters still in UFC: 3UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (13-13)Matt Brown 5-5Tim Credeur 3-2Nick Klein -Dante Rivera 0-1Amir Sadollah* 5-3Jesse Taylor 0-1Cale Yarbrough 0-1Luke Zachrich -Dan Henderson (season nine)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 0Season Finalists: 1Fighters still in UFC: 1UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 45% (5-6)Santino DeFranco -Jason Dent (previous UFC fights not included) 1-1Cameron Dollar 0-1DaMarques Johnson** 4-3Frank Lester 0-1Mark Miller -Jason Pierce -Richie Whitson -Matt Hughes (seasons two and six)Fighters coached: 17Season Winners: 2Season Finalists: 4Fighters still in UFC: 1 UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 39% (24-37)Dan Barrera 0-1Blake Bowman -Josh Burkman 5-5Dan Christison 1-1Luke Cummo** 3-4Mac Danzig* 4-5Paul Georgieff 0-1Rob MacDonald 1-2Billy Miles 0-1Sammy Morgan 0-2Tom Murphy 1-0Dorian Price 0-1Jared Rollins 0-1Tommy Speer** 0-2Joe Stevenson* 8-8Jason Von Flue (Replaced Burkman) 1-2Mike Whitehead 0-1Quinton Jackson (seasons seven and 10)Fighters coached: 17Season Winners: 0Season Finalists: 1Fighters still in UFC: 3UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 53% (15-13)Paul Bradley 0-2Dan Cramer 1-1Mike Dolce -CB Dollaway** 5-4Gerald Harris 3-1Zak Jensen –Marcus Jones 0-1Scott Junk (previous UFC fights not included)Jeremy May -Matthew Riddle 5-3Demico Rogers -Patrick Schultz -Brandon Sene - Kimbo Slice 1-1Wes Shivers -Wes Sims (previous UFC fights not included)Abe Wagner -Josh Koscheck (season 12)Fighters coached: 7Season Winners: 0Season Finalists: 0Fighters still in UFC: 1UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 20% (1-4)Sako Chivitchian 0-1Jeff Lentz -Sevak Magakian -Andy Main -Nam Phan 1-2Marc Stevens -Aaron Wilkinson 0-1Brock Lesnar (season 13)Fighters coached: 7Season Winners: 1Season Finalists: 0Fighters still in UFC: 3UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (4-4)Nordin Asrih -Len Bentley -Chris Cope 1-1Tony Ferguson* 2-0Clay Harvison 1-2Chuck O'Neil (replaced Myles Jury) 0-1Charlie Rader -Chuck Liddell (seasons one and 11)Fighters coached: 15Season Winners: 3Season Finalists: 4Fighters still in UFC: 8 UFC Champions: 1Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 67% (60-29)Rich Attonito 3-1Charles Blanchard -Josh Bryant 0-1Kenny Florian** 12-5Forrest Griffin* 9-5Joseph Henle –Sam Hoger 2-3Josh Koscheck 14-5Court McGee* 3-0Kyle Noke 3-1Josh Rafferty 0-1Diego Sanchez* 12-4Alex Schoenauer 0-1Bobby Southworth 0-1Brad Tavares 2-1Frank Mir (season eight)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 0Season Finalists: 1Fighters still in UFC: 4UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 47% (17-19)Junie Browning 1-1Dave Kaplan 0-2Tom Lawlor 3-3Vinny Magalhães** 0-2Eliot Marshall 3-3Shane Nelson 2-2George Roop 2-4Krzysztof Soszynski 6-2Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (season eight)Fighters coached: 8 Season Winners: 2Season Finalists: 3Fighters still in UFC: 2UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 50% (14-14)Ryan Bader* 6-2Jules Bruchez 0-1Rolando Delgado 1-2Efrain Escudero* 3-2Kyle Kingsbury 4-2Phillipe Nover** 0-3John Polakowski 0-1Shane Primm 0-1Tito Ortiz (seasons three and 11)Fighters coached: 15Season Winners: 2Season Finalists: 4Fighters still in UFC: 3 UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 55% (33-27)Danny Abbadi 0-2Seth Baczynski (Replaced Chris Camozzi) 2-1Michael Bisping* 11-3Kendall Grove* 7-6Matt Hamill 9-4James Hammortree 0-1Josh Haynes** 0-3Noah Inhofer - Kris McCray** 0-3Clayton McKinney -Nick Ring 2-1Rory Singer 2-2Mike Stine -Kyacey Uscola -Jamie Yager 0-1BJ Penn (season five)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 0Season Finalists: 0Fighters still in UFC: 3UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 59% (26-15-1, 2 NC)Allen Berube 0-1Rob Emerson 3-3, 1 NC Gray Maynard 8-1-1, 1 NCJoe Lauzon (previous UFC fights not included) 7-3Gabe Ruediger (previous UFC fights not included) 0-2Andy Wang 0-1Matt Wiman 8-4Noah Thomas -Jens Pulver (season five)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 1Season Finalists: 2Fighters still in UFC: 3UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 54% (19-16)Nate Diaz* 9-5Manny Gamburyan** 2-4Brian Geraghty 0-1Corey Hill 1-2Brandon Melendez 0-1Cole Miller 7-3Marlon Sims -Wayne Weems –Matt Serra (season six)Fighters coached: 9Season Winners: 0Season Finalists: 0Fighters still in UFC: 1UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 55% (15-12)Matt Arroyo 1-2Richie Hightower 0-1John Kolosci 0-1Jon Koppenhaver (replaced Roman Mitichyan) 1-1Troy Mandaloniz 1-1Roman Mitichyan 1-1Ben Saunders 4-3Joe Scarola -George Sotiropoulos 7-2Ken Shamrock (season three)Fighters coached: 8Season Winners: 0Season Finalists: 1Fighters still in UFC: 1 UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 36% (9-16)Tait Fletcher -Jesse Forbes 0-3Ed Herman ** 6-5Solomon Hutcherson 0-1Mike Nickels 1-1Ross Pointon 0-2Kristian Rothaermel 0-1Kalib Starnes 2-3Georges St-Pierre 12Fighters coached: 7Season Winners: 1Season Finalists: 2Fighters still in UFC: 4UFC Champions: 0Fighters’ Post-TUF winning percentage in UFC: 38% (5-8)Jonathan Brookins* 1-1Alex Caceres 1-2Michael Johnson** 1-2Cody McKenzie 1-2Spencer Paige -Dane Sayers -Kyle Watson 1-1***MOST SEASON WINNERSLiddell 3Bisping, Nogueira, Ortiz, Hughes 2MOST FINALISTSLiddell, Hughes, Ortiz 4Nogueira, Bisping 3Franklin, Pulver, St-Pierre, Evans 2MOST FIGHTERS STILL IN UFCLiddell 8St-Pierre, Mir, Couture 4Lesnar, dos Santos, Evans, Griffin, Pulver, Jackson, Penn, Ortiz 3BEST POST-TUF UFC WINNING PERCENTAGELiddell 67%Evans 62%Couture 60%WORST POST-TUF UFC WINNING PERCENTAGEKoscheck 20%Dos Santos 33%Shamrock 36%COACHES WHO HAVE COACHED MORE THAN ONE SEASON OF TUFLiddell, Hughes, Franklin (partial), Ortiz, Jackson, Bisping (season 14 not included here)*TUF winner** TUF finalistEd. Note – Since season four of TUF didn’t have team-specific coaches, that season is not included here. Plus, Rich Franklin’s late season replacement of Tito Ortiz on TUF 11 is not counted towards his coaching tally.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, winner, posttuf
Read the full article at UFCDo female MMA fighters where any kind of protection for the groin?
submitted by Athiestnate [link] [comment]
Posted in: kind, fighter, mma fighters, athiestnate link, protection
Read the full article at RedditVoting now closed in the World MMA Awards 2011
Voting has now closed in the World MMA Awards 2011.The awards, presented by Fighters Only and sponsored by Bodybuilding.com, are in their fourth year and...
Posted in: world, mma, fighter, award, voting
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUFC on FOX 2: Shonie Carter campaigns for spot on Jan. 28 fight card in Chicago
Well, the man has certainly paid his dues.
Back in November 2010, Shonie Carter was trying to break into World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Fast-forward almost a year later and now he's trying to break into Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Again.
"Mr. International" was one of the contestants on season four of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF); however, "The Comeback" was short-lived thanks to a unanimous decision loss to eventual-winner Matt Serra.
And in spite of his 2-8 record over his last 10 fights, Carter makes a solid argument for competing at UFC on FOX 2 on Jan. 28 at the United Center in Chicago (via The Underground):
I know it has been a while since UFC fans have seen me in the Octagon. I am just asking the Zuffa Org. to do this not just for the fans, but the community of the west side of Chicago. Chicago has been good to me over the years when it come to appreciation. Chicago has the 3rd largest PPV market in the country. The potential revenue from me being on the card has not only a great potential but also it will give a new dream to all of the inner city youth a brighter hope in trying to reach their dreams no matter what they are. I am not asking for an extended contract in doing this. I am asking for just a one fight deal to give hope to those people who struggle everyday walking a lonely path in trying to reach their goal.
After the jump, Carter explains why he's more than just a spinning backfist.
Just for your info on me beyond a spinning back-fist:--I am the first UFC fighter from Chicago--I am the first MMA World champion from Chicago.--I am the first Black MMA UFC fighter to be in a video game.--I have championed more belts and titles in various traditional and MMA events than any other fighter from Chicago and most other places.--I have rededicated myself to just training and re-becoming the martial artist that I once was.--I am the only one other than adopted "Andrei Arlovski" that has had world champion attached to his name.--I am an 11 minute bus ride away from the United Center.--This is the only and last chance for my family to see me fight at home. My father is a cancer survivor and my mom isn't well.
After 84 professional fights and many mixed martial arts "firsts," I'm not sure there would be too many fight fans opposed to his inclusion in the "Windy City" pay-per-view, even if it was a preliminary card match-up.
Unfortunately he's pushing 40 and has struggled to stay competitive on the regional circuit, losing six straight bouts before finally winning a unanimous decision over Landon Showalter just last month.
We'll see how nostalgic UFC President Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva are feeling as we get closer to showtime. Anyone want to argue for -- or against -- a one-and-done return?
Opinions, please.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, chicago, carter
Read the full article at MMA ManiaCount-Down - Bisping's Most Memorable Moments
After a ten month absence and a coaching stint on season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter, Michael "The Count" Bisping returns on December 3rd to headline the TUF14 finale in Las Vegas in a five round bout against his coaching nemesis Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Here are his 12 most memorable moments... Mark Epstein I – July 10, 2004 – Cage Rage 7Result – Bisping TKO2Unbeaten, yet untested, a young Michael Bisping was just 2-0 as a pro when he got the call to take on then 6-3 Mark ‘The Beast’ Epstein, and almost immediately, Bisping got a rude welcome to the next level as he was dropped to a knee by a punch and later sent to the canvas, where he spent the majority of the first round fighting from his back. And though Bisping was obviously still raw as far as technique was concerned, his resilience was already evident, and he came out strong in the second round, eventually stopping Epstein at the 1:27 mark. He would notch a KO win over Epstein in their rematch four months later, and the 24-year old from Manchester was on his way to the top.Josh Haynes – June 24, 2006 – TUF 3 FinaleResult – Bisping TKO2With British fighters Mark Weir, Ian Freeman, Lee Murray and Leigh Remedios only having spotty success in the UFC, you wouldn’t have been criticized too much for suggesting that Bisping, along with Ross Pointon, weren’t going to make much noise on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter. And while Pointon made more fans for his personality than his fighting, Bisping quickly soared to the finals of TUF3, with his two round thrashing of Josh Haynes in the finale a mere formality. The UFC had a new Ultimate Fighter, and England finally had someone in the organization who looked like he would be staying around for a while.Elvis Sinosic – April 21, 2007 – UFC 70Result – Bisping TKO2After getting his first post-TUF win over Eric Schafer at UFC 66, Bisping was the natural choice to lead the UFC back into the UK for UFC 70 in Manchester. It was the type of pressure cooker environment that could very well break a fighter, but Bisping took it all in stride, and from the moment he entered the M.E.N. Arena to Blur’s “Song 2”, he owned the hometown crowd. Sinosic took a little more convincing, but after scoring a knockdown and almost locking in a kimura, the Australian was stopped by Bisping in the second round, and a British star was born.Matt Hamill – September 8, 2007 – UFC 75Result – Bisping W3Having done no wrong thus far in his UFC career, it was inevitable that somewhere along the line, Bisping would hit a bump in the road. That bump was his TUF3 housemate and rival Matt Hamill, a fighter Bisping figured he would have his way with given his superior striking. But it was Hamill who showed up with improved standup that night in London, and after three closely contested rounds, many thought the fighter ending up with a “1” on a previously unbeaten record would be Bisping. But it was Hamill on the short end of the split decision, sending fans into a frenzy on internet message boards for weeks. As for Bisping, he got the win, and wasn’t shy about letting people know about it. “Of course, don’t insult me like that,” said Bisping when asked at the post-fight press conference if he believed he deserved the decision. “I’ll give him the first round, I won the second, and I won the third.”Rashad Evans – November 17, 2007 – UFC 78Result – Evans W3Two months after the Hamill bout, Bisping was back in action, and this time he was being asked to headline a pay-per-view event against fellow unbeaten Rashad Evans. This would be the true barometer of both fighters’ popularity, and after an entertaining war of words leading up to the bout, he and Evans delivered on all fronts, as the match garnered a considerable buzz by the time the opening bell rang. In the Octagon though, it would be Bisping falling short of victory for the first time, as Evans held off a late charge from the Brit to take a three round split decision.Charles McCarthy – April 19, 2008 – UFC 83Result – Bisping TKO1After the loss to Evans, Bisping decided that it was time to test the waters at middleweight, where he wouldn’t be forced into the role of ‘small guy’ every time he fought. Of course, TUF4’s Charles McCarthy took exception to being Bisping’s ‘break-in’ fight at 185 pounds and he let Bisping know it at every opportunity. Such talk between the two made the fight perhaps the second most anticipated to Georges St-Pierre’s triumphant Montreal homecoming against Matt Serra, but Bisping wasn’t about to get into a prolonged war with ‘Chainsaw Charles’. Instead, Bisping stalked his foe, avoided a mid-round submission attempt and then proceeded to unleash a barrage of knees that broke McCarthy’s arm and forced a halt to the fight at the end of the first round. Middleweight? No problem.Chris Leben – October 18, 2008 – UFC 89Result – Bisping W3After the win over McCarthy, Bisping made short work of Jason Day at UFC 85 and was then given another headlining gig against Chris Leben in Birmingham, England. Now matched up with a striker for the first time since his TUF3 win over Haynes, Bisping was expected to engage in a toe-to-toe brawl with Leben. But showing maturity and restraint, Bisping used a disciplined stick and move strategy that kept the wild-swinging Leben at bay and allowed him to sail to a three round unanimous decision victory. It wasn’t going to win any Fight of the Year awards, but in victory, Bisping showed that he wasn’t the same fighter that beat Mark Epstein four years earlier. He was a versatile and dangerous contender now.Dan Henderson – July 11, 2009 – UFC 100Result – Henderson KO2Following the win over Leben, Bisping locked horns with MMA superstar Dan Henderson as a coach on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter and led two members of his team, Ross Pearson and James Wilks, to victory on the show. Bisping wasn’t going to be so fortunate against Hendo when they met in the Octagon at UFC 100, and in a night when nothing went right, ‘The Count’ was knocked out in spectacular fashion by the former two division PRIDE champion. It was a devastating defeat for Bisping, one that would take some time to recover from.Denis Kang – November 14, 2009 – UFC 105Result – Bisping TKO2When Bisping returned to action after the KO loss to Henderson, the entire MMA world was watching to see if the Brit was going to be able to recover – not just physically, but mentally – from the defeat. And he didn’t get any gimmes in his return, as he was pitted against another international star in Denis Kang, a fighter who wasted no time in testing Bisping’s chin in the first round. Yet after some shaky early moments, Bisping – his back pinned to the wall careerwise – roared out of his corner for the second round and halted Kang in the second round. ‘The Count’ was back, proving that fighters aren’t defined by how they get knocked down, but how they get back up.Wanderlei Silva – February 20, 2010 – UFC 110Result – Silva W3After his stirring return against Kang, all Bisping needed to kick off 2010 in fine fashion was to defeat the legendary former PRIDE champion Wanderlei Silva. And for much of the fight it looked like Bisping would do just that, but surges from “The Axe Murderer” at the ends of round two and three that saw the Brit caught in a guillotine choke and then dropped by a hard right hand did enough to sway the judges and award Silva the unanimous decision win.Dan Miller – May 29, 2010 – UFC 114Result – Bisping W3Next up for Bisping after the Silva bout was tough New Jersey product Dan Miller, a fighter who didn’t have the name recognition of a Silva, Henderson, or Evans, but who was just as capable of pulling off the win on fight night. Bisping knew it, and he prepared accordingly, delivering a mature and dominant performance en route to a three round unanimous decision victory over his game foe.Jorge Rivera – February 27, 2011 - UFC 127 Result – Bisping TKO2 The lead-up to this bout between the veteran middleweights was beyond heated, yet on fight night, it was Bisping who got his revenge on “El Conquistador,” as he stopped Jorge Rivera in the second round. It wasn’t a win that was going to move “The Count” closer to a title shot, but it was a solid victory, and if he can mimic that performance against Miller on December 3rd, 2012 should promise to be a good one for the pride of Manchester.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, round, ’t, bisping
Read the full article at UFCHistory in the Making: Nick Pace busts out a new submission against Will Campuzano
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 Finale did more than just crown Jonathan Brookins as that season's champion. And it did more than host the first ever featherweight bout in the company's history. It also holds the distinction of being the first time a 135-pounder stepped inside the Octagon.
Either with this fight or in bantamweight's official Octagon debut a month later which "Yum Yum" also took part in, Will Campuzano will go down in the history books as the man who welcomed his division into the UFC. Nick Pace will go down in history as the man who choked him out.
Pace came in two pounds over the allowed weight when he stepped onto the scale the afternoon before the TUF 12 Finale so his fight with Campuzano was reworked into a catchweight bout. After two forgettable rounds, the Mexican-born fighter lit his opponent up in the stand-up late in the fight but Pace managed to sink in a never before seen choke -- at least not in mixed martial arts (MMA) -- to walk away with the victory.
In nine days, the 135-pound division truly becomes a part of the UFC when the T.J. Dillashaw takes on either Johnny Bedford or John Dodson to determine the the first ever bantamweight TUF champion. It's been quite a year for the division led by Dominick Cruz and we'll take a look back at it as well as the bout between Campuzano and Pace as we gear up for The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.
Are you ready?
In the year since Campuzano and Pace stepped inside the Octagon opposite each other, the bantamweight division has reached heights once thought impossible. Cruz defended his title against Urijah Faber in the main event of UFC 132, winning the Fight of the Night bonus after the dust settled. The division would add a similar notch to its belt six events later when Brad Pickett and Renan Barão took Birmingham, England by storm.
A sense of satisfaction comes from those accomplishments after the weight division and its roster of talented fighters weren't afforded the same exposure their UFC counterparts were given. In the four years Zuffa owned World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), the 135 and 145-pounders were stuck on the Versus channel and saw pay-per-view (PPV) only once. That all changed when the two companies merged and Pace and Campuzano were there to kick off the festivities.
Let's a closer look, shall we?
Pace stands and exchanges with his opponent for only half a minute before dropping the Texas-based fighter to the mat. Pressing Campuzano up against the cage, Pace stifled any and all attempts his opponent makes to stand back up. The Mexican is able to get vertical momentarily but is just as quickly dropped back down.
The New York City-based fighter's grappling is simply too much for Campuzano in the first two rounds. With legs like vices and a grip that would crush a coconut, Pace grinds into his opponent for nearly 10 minutes straight. Some might decry it as lay and pray but Pace works constantly, even advancing into mount a couple of times.
By the time the third round begins, Campuzano is swinging for the fences. He knows he's down on the scorecards and needs something dramatic to pull out the win. After sweeping Pace following a takedown, he seemed well on his way to perhaps pulling off the minor miracle needed.
Some devastating ground and pound from Campuzano puts the end of the fight in question but when the Mexican fighter takes a quick breather, with seemingly no submission threat in sight, Pace begins to work. Holding his opponent in rubber guard, Pace slips his arm underneath Campuzano's chin, using his forearm to apply press against the windpipe. He uses that same arm -- along with his other hand -- to keep his leg in place and the air begins to seep out of Campuzano's throat.
Take a look for yourself (via IronForgesIron):
After the fight, the winner dubbed the submission the "Pace," although it had already existed in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) as a pillory choke. You can also look at it as a modified armless triangle but even if Pace didn't invent the move, he still managed to pull it off -- for the first time ever in an MMA fight -- in flawless fashion.
Campuzano dropped his next bout and was cut from the UFC. He was set to drop down to flyweight -- 125 pounds -- and challenge Ian McCall on next month's Tachi Palace Fights 11 card but bowed out due to injury. Pace would also end up losing his next couple of bouts, most recently at UFC 139 where he once again came in overweight. It wouldn't be a surprise to see a pink slip in his immediate future.
Will next week's TUF winner find more longterm success inside the Octagon?
Who do you Maniacs like in the bantamweight bracket?
Posted in: fight, fighter, division, pace, campuzano
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 140: Krzysztof Soszynski is not a technical fighter, but he'll be swinging for the fences against Igor Pokrajac
He may not be a "great" fighter, but that doesn't mean he can't put on a great fight.
That's Krzysztof Soszynski's mindset heading into his UFC 140 light heavyweight showdown against Igor Pokrajac, scheduled for Dec. 10 at the Air Canada Center in Toronto.
"The Polish Experiment" breaks it down for Aaron Tru:
"I'm a huge fan of the Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar type of fights, I love them. I have two great wars with Stephan Bonnar. I always go out there and try to put on a great show for the fans. I'm not a technical fighter, I never have been. I'm not great at jiu-jitsu, I'm not great at wrestling, I'm not great at striking, but I'm decent at all three. The most important thing about me is I got heart. I'm gonna go out there, swing for the fences and do my best and as long as the fans and the UFC are happy, that's all that matters."
More from "K-Sos," who's riding a two-fight win streak following back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Goran Reljic and Mike Massenzio, after the jump.
For all the latest news and notes on UFC 140: "Jones vs. Machida" hit up or event archive right here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fan, igor pokrajac, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMikes Gym: More than just a gym
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
There are many gyms throughout the world of combat sports. Some fighters stay at the same gym with the same trainer for their entire careers. Some fighters switch from gym to gym. Some gyms are more than just a gym, displaying a true family-like bond between fighters and coaches. Mike's Gym is more than just a gym.
The bond between trainer and fighter at Mike's Gym is a special one. Fighters like Melvin Manhoef and Badr Hari have rejuvenated their careers under the tutelage of Mike Passenier. Mike has taken fighters from deep struggles and they have risen to prominence with him by their side.
The moments before the fight are intense. Most intense are right before the fighter makes his way to the ring. Mike reminds the fighter of everything they've been through, how they got to their current position and to go out there and leave it all in the ring. In a way, it unleashes the inner beast of a figure like Badr Hari or Melvin Manhoef. Badr went from a skinny Moroccan kid to an absolute monster of a man under Mike Passenier.
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Posted in: fighter, mike, gym, badr hari, mikes gym
Read the full article at Middle EasyA subjective look at the 12 best Thai boxers in the world
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
With the formation of the Muay Thai premier league, shows starting to pop up in the U.S, and notable events happening almost every week in Europe, boxing in Thailand seems to have taken a backseat. Buakaw Por. Pramuk, Kem Sitsongpeenong, Sudsakorn Sor. Klinmee, Yodsanklai Fairtex etc... are the Thai fighters that get most of the attention because they frequently fight outside of the country. However they are nowhere near the best fighters in Thailand. I don't know if its because the best fighters are genetically smaller than "international level" fighters, or because people stereotype stadium boxing as a type of sameness, but for some reason or another Muay Thai in Thailand is viewed as something that is just... there, and nothing more for a lot of people. The best Thai boxers in the world are all 132 pound and under Thai's. I'm not bitter, just perplexed as to why the best fighters minus Saenchai aren't getting a fair shake, or even attention.
1. Saenchai Sinbimuaythai: It's impossible to not have Saenchai at #1. The guy has proven time and time again that he is the best stand up fighter on the planet. One week he'll go to another country at 140 pounds and dominate, 2 weeks later he'll get down to 127 and teach the hottest fighter in Thailand a boxing lesson. Vision, speed, balance, technique, he has it all. At 31 and 300 fights to his name you'd think the decline would have started by now, but if anything he's getting better and plans to fight for 4 or 5 more years. Next month he's scheduled to fight F16 Rajanont at the Lumpinee birthday show where he'll be giving up a full weight class to F16.
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Posted in: fight, fighter, thailand, thai, thai boxers
Read the full article at Middle EasyWill Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua Ever Be the Same Following UFC 139?
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There's an expression in prizefighting you hear all the time: "leave it all in the ring". Sometimes observers feel like athletes leave too little. With little aggression or urgency, critics feel like it's fair to say 'fighter A choked, and failed to test the boundary between victory and defeat'. This has been the narrative surrounding Kenny Florian since his loss to B.J Penn at UFC 101 in what many feel was a questionable performance: one in which critics feel was rightfully punished. But if Florian's performance at 101 is an example of being unwilling to leave it all in the ring, the performances of Mauricio Rua and Dan Henderson at UFC 139 must be an example of being perhaps too willing to leave it all in the ring.
As viewers, what we catch are snapshots of who these men are as fighters. We don't see the dedication and work that goes into being able to master a performance like those found in San Jose this past weekend. You don't get to the top, like both Shogun and Henderson have (both former champs), without already pouring much of your life into the work required to make the most of it when the public gets to observe those snapshots.
There were periods in the fight where both men could have given up. Rua took shots from Henderson in the 3rd round that knockout out Fedor, Feijao, and Sobral after taking shots from Henderson in the 1st that knockout out Fedor, Feijaro, and Sobral. Dan's ensuing assault should have been enough. Rua fought through it.
Then it was Dan's turn. In the 4th, already exhausted from a brutal 15 minutes of action, Rua landed punches that have felled fighters like Machida, Overeem, and Griffin. But Dan fought through it.
I don't know a damn thing about fighting. But combat sports has seen instances of fighters who after certain performances, were never the same again. Meldrick Taylor might be the golden standard for this: the famous boxer who was knocked out with 2 seconds left in the 12th in a dramatic bout with Julio Cesar Chavez.
I can only articulate my suspicions, but I wonder if the kind of punishment we saw this weekend, like a sort of PTSD, doesn't leave an imprint on both fighters. Maybe in a future bout, they find themselves hurt against a different opponent, and feel the sting of a memory not worth reliving.
Or maybe they sense the onset of another war and fear seeing the reflection of 139 with the smell of the San Jose crowd, the sight of the crimson shorts, and the struggle to get up that Sunday morning.
The Taylor comparison isn't meant to be a direct one. Taylor suffered severe injuries following his loss to Chavez. Henderson came away, unbelievably, with only a sprained thumb. Rua, however, endured a possible facial and skull fracture.
But the Taylor comparison does illuminate the possibility that Rua and Henderson might still feel the effects of their now iconic bout for years to come. Both guys are so tough I'm not sure they'll notice. But an immediate rematch, which Shogun has expressed he's wanting, would probably answer many of these questions. It'd give us a unique look into the psychology of both fighters about how they think of their first fight. That's why I hope they don't grant Shogun his wish. "You've been brave enough for one day".
Posted in: fighter, henderson, dan henderson, rua, performance
Read the full article at Head Kick Legend'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' hosts tryouts in December, series debuts in 2012 | MMAjunkie.com
submitted by alphahouse44 [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, december, brazil, december series, tryouts
Read the full article at RedditThe Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil open casting call for Dec. 14 in Sao Paulo
Calling all (Brazilian) TUF guys!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently announced an open casting call for yet another installment of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) franchise on Dec. 14, 2011, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Lightweight (155-pounds) and middleweight (185-pounds) hopefuls are required to be over the age of 21 and have a professional fight record with a minimum of three fights (two of which must be wins).
Dress code would be that of a normal sparring session and candidates are expected to bring the appropriate gear and equipment.
TUF Brazil, filmed entirely in Portuguese and airing via Globo, will follow TUF 15 on FX, which will have its own tryouts on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, following the TUF 14 weekend finale.
No coaches have been named for either season; however, expect TUF Brazil to (duh) feature a pair of the promotion's more popular Brazilian fighters.
If you live in Brazil and think you've got some skill, apply for the upcoming season of TUF Brazil by clicking here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, dec, brazil, tuf brazil
Read the full article at MMA ManiaKendall Grove vs. Ikuhisa Minowa Targeted for ProElite 3
Filed under: News, ProEliteFormer UFC middleweight Kendall Grove will meet Ikuhisa Minowa at ProElite 3 on Jan. 21 in Hawaii, MMAFighting.com has learned from sources close to the fighters. When contacted by MMAFighting.com, ProElite head of fight operations T. Jay Thompson would not confirm or deny the upcoming fight.
While not officially announced, ProElite 3 is scheduled to be held at the Neil S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, HI, site of ProElite 1.
According to sources close to the Japanese fighter, Minowa has signed a three-fight North American exclusive deal with ProElite.
Minowa, a 51-32-8 veteran of the sport, will be making his debut for ProElite. He has fought for Pancrase, PRIDE, DEEP, DREAM, and once in the UFC. The popular and charismatic Japanese fighter, nicknamed "The Punk" and "Minowaman," among other names, has won his last four fights in a row.
The 29-year-old Grove got back on the winning track when he defeated Joe Riggs at ProElite 1 in August. That fight marked his first since his release from the UFC following a second straight loss. The season 3 TUF winner ended his UFC run with a 7-6 record.
Also rumored for the Jan. 21 event is the return of Sara Mcmann and the semi-finals of the promotion's heavyweight tournament. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, proelite, minowa
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseObama pot-shot suspect had an MMA fight once
It's always great to read headlines like 'Murder-Suicide performed by MMA fighter' or 'MMA fighter tears out friend's heart.' Sometimes there's enough truth to warrant the headline like in Harold Howard's case. Oftentimes the person just has one random amateur fight somewhere. Like in the case of that wannabe Obama assassin:
A man alleged to have shot a semiautomatic rifle at the White House was also an MMA fighter, according to a report issued Sunday by the "The New York Times."
Records show Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, a 21-year-old from Idaho Falls, Idaho, fought an amateur bout in July at the "Southeast Idaho Summer Smackdown" and earned a second-round TKO over Zack Marrow.Now Ortega-Hernandez stands accused of attempting to assassinate the president 10 days after reports of gunfire at the White House led authorities to an abandoned vehicle registered in his name.
But rather than focus on Oscar's MMA cred, how about we check out some of his more solid affiliations:
A video of Ortega-Hernandez has surfaced in which he asks to appear on TV with Oprah Winfrey and claims he is the second coming of Jesus Christ. Family members said he read a 45-minute politically-tinged speech at his 21st birthday earlier in October but did not seem violent, the Times report said.
"Anything suspicious? Well, he did give a crazy speech for nearly an hour during his birthday. But that's totally normal, isn't it?" I'd like to point out this is the third MMA fighter who's tangled with Obama. Coincidence? Or is the culinary union using covert mind control technology to try and ruin MMA by having a fighter murder the president??? I think you know what you have to do, Jesus.
Posted in: mma, fighter, mma fighter, report, ortegahernandez
Read the full article at Fightlinker"The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" hosts tryouts in December, series debuts in 2012
Brazilian prospects, get ready. "The Ultimate Fighter" is coming your way.
UFC executives recently announced that Brazilian middleweight and
lightweight fighters are invited to an open tryout session on Dec. 14 in
Sao Paulo.
Interested fighters must be between the ages of 21 and 35 years old and
have at least three professional fights, two of which must be victories.
Posted in: fighter, sao paulo, december series, tryout session, brazilian middleweight
Read the full article at MMA JunkieCompetitive Fire Still Burning for Lytle
Chris Lytle has only been retired for a few months, but already he understands why so many fighters struggle to walk away from the sport for good.
Posted in: fighter, sport, lytle, fire, fighters struggle
Read the full article at SherdogLe tops fighter payouts for UFC 139
The California State Athletic Commission released the payroll for UFC 139. Notably, Cung Le topped the list of fighter payouts with $350,000.
Le also received a $70,000 bonus for being co-fight of the night.
The fighter list via MMA Junkie:
Dan Henderson: $250,000 (no win bonus)
def. Mauricio Rua: $165,000
Wanderlei Silva: $200,000 (no win bonus)
def. Cung Le: $350,000
Urijah Faber: $64,000 (includes $32,000 win bonus)
def. Brian Bowles: $19,000
Martin Kampmann: $58,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus)
def. Rick Story: $19,000
Stephan Bonnar: $68,000 (includes $34,000 win bonus)
def. Kyle Kingsbury: $10,000
Ryan Bader: $48,000 (includes $24,00 win bonus)
def. Jason Brilz: $13,000
Michael McDonald: $14,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus)
Alex Soto: $6,000
Chris Weidman: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Tom Lawlor: $12,000
Gleison Tibau: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
def. Rafael Dos Anjos: $16,000
Miguel Torres: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
def. Nick Pace: $4,000
Seth Baczynski: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Matt Brown: $12,000
Danny Castillo: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
def. Shamar Bailey: $8,000
Payout Perspective:
Most people would have believed that Dan Henderson would have been the top draw here. Le’s salary is surprising considering he hasn’t fought in over a year and his last fight in Strikeforce it was reported he made $100,000. Le was a hometown draw, somewhat of a movie star and a marketable fighter but the salary seems quite high. Le signed a 6 fight deal with the UFC but with movies on the horizon, its unlikely the 39 year old will finish the contract.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, payout, bonus, fighter payouts
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC 139 ‘Shogun vs. Henderson’ Fighter Salaries
The CSAC has released the fighter salaries for UFC 139. Keep in mind, these figures represent the base contracted pay the fighter receives from the promotion. These figures do not include any additional undisclosed discretionary bonuses, pay-per-view revenue sharing bonuses or sponsorship money, which in many cases exceeds a fighter’s base pay. These numbers also do not account for taxes, insurance, and license fees.
It wasn’t Dan Henderson, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua or Wanderlei Silva who made the biggest disclosed paydays at UFC 139. It was Cung Le who pulled $420,000 (after his FOTN bonus) for being the first fighter in the UFC to get up close and personal with The Axe Murderer’s patented Muay Thai knee strikes. Notice I said “disclosed” payout though. While it’s unknown if Hendo, Shogun and/or Wand are on the UFC’s pay-per-view revenue sharing program, it’s certainly possible given their standing in the sport. If not though, all three fighters still made out well with respective $320,000, $235,000 and $270,000 disclosed payouts with their FOTN bonuses factored in. Urijah Faber also broke the six-figure mark with a $134,000 disclosed payout with his submission bonus.
Payouts
Courtesy of MMA Junkie:
Dan Henderson: $250,000 (no win bonus)
Mauricio Rua: $165,000
Wanderlei Silva: $200,000 (no win bonus)
Cung Le: $350,000
Urijah Faber: $64,000 ($32k + $32k)
Brian Bowles: $19,000
Martin Kampmann: $58,000 ($29k + $29k)
Rick Story: $19,000
Stephan Bonnar: $68,000 ($34k + $34k)
Kyle Kingsbury: $10,000
Ryan Bader: $48,000 ($24k + $24k)
Jason Brilz: $13,000
Michael McDonald: $14,000 ($7k + $7k)
Alex Soto: $6,000
Chris Weidman: $24,000 ($12k + $12k)
Tom Lawlor: $12,000
Gleison Tibau: $34,000 ($17k + $17k)
Rafael Dos Anjos: $16,000
Miguel Torres: $60,000 ($30k + $30k)
Nick Pace: $4,000
Seth Baczynski: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Matt Brown: $12,000
Danny Castillo: $34,000 ($17k + $17k)
Shamar Bailey: $8,000
Bonuses
$70,000 bonus to each fighter.
Knockout of the Night – Michael McDonald
Submission of the Night – Urijah Faber
Fight of the Night – Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le
Total Payout
A disclosed total of $1,924,000, including all bonuses, was paid out to the fighters.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, henderson, payout, bonus
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC 139 salaries: Le ($350K) and Henderson ($250K) top fighter payroll
Cung Le, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua were the top earners at this past weekend's UFC 139 event.
Overall, the 24 fighters competing on the card earned purses totaling $1,524,000.
MMAjunkie.com recently requested and received the
list of disclosed paydays from the California State Athletic Commission.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, henderson, california state, purse
Read the full article at MMA JunkieStrikeforce Challengers 20 medical suspensions: Three fighters face long layoffs
Three fighters from this past weekend's Strikeforce Challengers 20 event face potential layoffs of six months.
The list includes main-card fighters Lumumba Sayers and Julia Budd, as well as preliminary-card competitor Matt Ricehouse.
MMAjunkie.com today obtained the list of medical suspensions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Posted in: fighter, nevada state, fighters face, layoff, julia budd
Read the full article at MMA JunkieStrikeforce Challengers 20 Fighter Salaries
The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday released the Strikeforce Challengers 20 fighter salaries.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, challenger, nevada state, salary
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Emotional Tug-of-War of MMA's Careless and Cautious
It occurred to me on Saturday night as I watched former UFC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres dismantle Nick Pace on the UFC 139 undercard that we really are a bunch of petulant children. Despite the fact that Torres beat Pace in every department, whether it be on the feet or the ground, we bitched incessantly about Torres' hesitance, relegating him to a landfill of past greats who tasted the leather and didn't survive. In the minds of many fans, Torres was washed-up goods, and his performance against Pace only confirmed that he didn't fit into the mold of what we love.
Five fights later, Stephan Bonnar dominated Kyle Kingsbury with an exhibition of his underrated grappling acumen in the opening bout of the UFC 139 main card. As one would expect, Bonnar was met with boos during the post-fight interview, and it only got worse when Bonnar confirmed that he didn't want to let Kingsbury pull off the incredible by doing something stupid in the late rounds of the bout.
Even former ruler of the mixed martial arts' world Fedor Emelianenko isn't immune to the criticism. He shocked fans with an evolved approach against hulking heavyweight Jeff Monson on Sunday morning at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia, utilizing quick footwork, a ranged kicking game, and short punching combinations to lessen the risk of being caught. The reaction? The Twitterverse erupted into one of the winiest daycare facilities on the face of the Earth, complaining that Fedor had lost his edge and should have finished Monson in the first round.
I'm not going to fabricate an opinion that I'm completely disgusted with the majority of MMA fans out there who think Torres is boring, Bonnar should have went for the finish, or Fedor should have blasted Monson into next week. Obviously, there is a part of me that wants to see Alvarez vs. Chandler, Rua vs. Henderson, and Silva vs. Le over and over again because those types of battles are pleasing to the mind and eye. Like the emotional struggle within a fighter to find, as Joe Rogan stated during the Torres' bout, the delicate balance between the two styles, fans also have that internal emotional struggle.
It's much simpler for fans however. Our lives aren't dependent on the choice. The choice only affects how we see the entertainment value in a fight. I can make a conscious decision to believe Torres' performance was great. He won, he won decisively, and he is a presence in the upper-echelon of the division. Conversely, I can write him off as boring and the value of his future fights, in my mind, isn't remotely close to what it was when he was wrecking everyone put in front of him during his early days in the WEC.
For fighters, the choice is difficult and temporary. It can change from fight-to-fight, but it's more likely that, with age, a fighter makes the conscious choice to pick his health over fame. The careless, immature 20-year-old brute who buried his opponents in a whilring dervish of violence ten years ago isn't the same fighter he used to be. Now, he has a wife and kids who nervously sit in front of the television hoping he makes it out of a fight unscathed and makes it home for dinner every night.
Naturally, the heavy-hearted thoughts of a person whose riddled with regrets and slowed speech are prevalent among fighters. They understand the risks they are taking every time they step into the Octagon. They also understand that fighting carelessly and recklessly can bring massive success, help you keep your job even when you lose, and give you a chance to earn an enormous bonus check at the end of the night. In order to make next month's mortgage payment, which makes the most sense?
Posted in: fight, fighter, fan, torre, bonnar
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBoxer Zab Judah Says Anyone Can Be a MMA Fighter, No Skill Needed
God knows if there is anyone who thinks there is no need for some sort of pointless "MMA vs. boxing" rivalry, it's me. I love both sports deeply for their various charms, but it is interesting to me to hear the thoughts of fighters from both sports on the other. Even if it's only out of a strange sense of curiosity.
So when our friends at FightHub caught up with Zab Judah and asked for his thoughts on MMA, I checked out the video:
Zab's quote:
"MMA? I mean hey, it is what it is. It's..some people like to see. You know? I think the difference between MMA and boxing is anybody can be a MMA fighter it just takes...uh...you know, just brutality. You know what I'm sayin'? It's not a skill level thing. For me to get in and get your arm in a lock and try to pop it off, you know, as fast as I could? Anybody could do that. But when it comes to boxing, boxing is a skill, you know what I'm saying? It's an acquired entree. It's not for everybody."
The point of this isn't "let's all get angry at Zab for what he said." Obviously he's speaking from a place of ignorance when it comes to MMA. The proper application of an armbar, kimura or any other arm lock is more than "grab arm and twist" we all know that. Hell, Zab probably knows that himself.
I find the "acquired entree" thing to be the interesting part because it's something that I hear from MMA and boxing fans/participants alike when defending their sport.
Both sports are very easy to understand and appreciate when you're watching James Kirkland vs. Alfredo Angulo, Micky Ward vs. Arturo Gatti, Mauricio Rua vs. Dan Henderson or Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin. Those are bouts which are, at their very core, what people expect a fight to look like.
But watching an MMA fight which is a struggle for takedowns and positional control against submission attacks is something that does take a certain level of understanding and willingness to appreciate. To many people struggles against the cage or ground battles will never be appealing and they'll never understand what is going on because they simply don't care to.
Similarly, many people watch a boxing match between two fighters with different styles and see clinching and hate that the guys keep "hugging" and the ref has to separate them. Boxing fans understand that in many cases it's a matter of dictating the space and distance at which the fight takes place or to break up the rhythm of the other fighter. There are a myriad of reasons why a clinch takes place or any other number of more subtle things in boxing. But many people won't care either way because they, again, simply don't care to.
Both sports are acquired tastes and I don't think either is free from misunderstanding or falls gracefully into "everyone wants to see a fight" given that the definition of fight for most people falls well outside of anything a strategic fighter engages in.
Of course, anyone can appreciate this:
Too mean?
Posted in: mma, fighter, sport, boxing, people
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 139 Results: Wanderlei Silva Thinks Cung Le Should Thank Him for New Hollywood Look
Wanderlei Silva is one of the UFC's most beloved fighters, an honor he has earned through a long career filled with memorable fights and an easy to appreciate desire to put on thrilling fights. At UFC 139 he picked up a very big win after stopping Cung Le with strikes in the second round.
Now Silva tells MMA Heat's Karyn Bryant that Cung Le should thank him for the beating he handed out. Best quote from the video (ht: MMA Mania):
He's a really good fighter, he's a tough, tough guy. Right now with that nose, he's going to make more money in Hollywood because now he looks like a more real fighter. He should thank me for making his nose look better. For his job, it's so good.
Maybe he is on to something. Then again, this isn't exactly a good look for the big screen:
via Cung Le's Twitter account
If nothing else, Cung has plenty of reason now to want to get back to making movies and stay away from another beating like the one he got this past Saturday.
SBN coverage of UFC 139: Henderson vs. Rua
Posted in: ufc, fighter, cung, he, fighter hes
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowStrikeforce Challengers 20 Fighter Salaries
Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsThe Strikeforce Challengers 20 fighter salaries were made available Monday by the Nevada state athletic commission for last Friday's event on Showtime from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Women's MMA standout Ronda Rousey, who scored a 39-second armbar win, earned $8,000 in her co-headlining bout.
Adlan Amagov was the only fighter to bank five digits with $5,600 for show plus a $5,000 win bonus. Amagov's extra $600 on his show purse was due to his opponent Anthony Smith forfeiting 20% of his purse for failing to make weight.
Purses for all 18 fighters on the card after the jump. Please note that the salaries are the numbers reported by Strikeforce to the commission and doesn't necessarily represent a fighter's final earnings.
Andreas Spang: $2,500 + $2,500 win bonus = $5,000 def. Willie Parks: $3,000
Quinn Mulhern: $3,500 + $3,500 win bonus = $7,000 def. David Hulett: $3,000
Bobby Green: $4,000 + $4,000 win bonus = $8,000 def. James Reese: $3,000
Matt Ricehouse: $4,000 + $4,000 win bonus = $8,000 def. Bill Cooper: $3,000
Derek Brunson: $4,500 + $4,500 win bonus = $9,000 def. Nate James: $3,000
Trevor Smith: $3,000 + $3,000 win bonus = $6,000 def. T.J. Cook: $3,000
Adlan Amagov: $5,600 + $5,000 win bonus = $10,600 def. Anthony Smith: $2,400
Ronda Rousey: $4,000 + $4,000 win bonus = $8,000 def. Julia Budd: $3,500
Lumumba Sayers: $3,000 + $3,000 win bonus = $6,000 def. Antwain Britt: $6,000 Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, bonus, salary, purse
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC 139 results recap: Winners and losers from 'Shogun vs. Henderson' on Nov. 19 in San Jose
There are moments when a sporting event becomes more than just a competition. Time stands still. Conversations cease. Athletes become immortalized.
Last night (Sat., Nov. 19, 2011) was just such an occasion, as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) delivered what will go down as one of the greatest fight cards of all time with UFC 139: "Shogun vs. Henderson" in San Jose, Calif.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) legends fought to keep their legacies (and careers) alive. Prospects looked like savvy veterans. Title shots were on the line and boldly claimed.
As is usually the case, MMAmania.com will take an in-depth look at whose stars shone the brightest, as well as whose stock took a nosedive.
Check out who UFC 139's biggest winners and lowliest losers were:
WINNERS
Mauricio Rua and Dan Henderson -- It's impossible to separate these guys from each other after Saturday night's grueling war. It may remain that way for the rest of time. From now on, is it even possible to mention "Shogun" in a sentence that doesn't also include "Hendo?" To put it bluntly, the fight was ridiculous. For five rounds, Rua and Henderson beat each other mercilessly, painting the canvas with their sweat, blood and tears. It was the kind of fight that made you turn your cell phone off and ask your girlfriend to stop talking. Though Henderson did get the decision nod, both of these men earned the respect of all who watched.
Wanderlei Silva -- "The Axe Murderer" is back. How long will he stick around? Hard to say. In the post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White still sounded like he wants to keep Silva on a short leash. After his quick and brutal knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 on July 2 in "Sin City," many were calling for "Wandy" to hang up the five-ounce gloves and call it a career. Many of those same nay-sayers expected Silva to have problems with Cung Le's kicks and martial arts pizzazz. In the first round, it looked like they were right. Silva was puzzlingly keeping his distance from Le, allowing him to stick-and-move and use his advantage. In the second round, Silva did a great job of cutting off the distance, stalking his opponent and lighting him up with his signature heavy hands. By the end of the fight, Le, the former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, was hardly recognizable. It's unclear what is next for Silva, but for now, he can rest easy with the knowledge that he's bought himself some more time.
Urijah Faber -- This is what Faber looked like during his dominant days fighting for World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). For one round, it looked as though "The California Kid" was merely doing "recon" on his opponent. He methodically figured out where the holes were and stored the information away for the next frame of the fight. In round two, Faber jumped all over Brian Bowles, never giving him room to breathe or a moment to recover. Faber was not fighting a bum. Bowles has only lost once and it was to current Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz. He's a dangerous striker and a very well-rounded fighter. Faber made him look like he didn't even belong in the cage with him. Maybe he didn't. The trilogy between Faber and Cruz is now in the works. Buckle up.
Michael McDonald -- He's 20 years old. He can't even buy a beer yet. Some companies wouldn't even let him rent a car from them. Yet, this "kid" has no problem taking center stage in front of thousands of people and engaging in professional combat. All of that is an accomplishment in of itself. But that's not enough for "Mayday." He doesn't just want to compete; he wants to make a name for himself while contending for a title as soon as possible. He's had three fights thus far in the UFC. Two of them earned him a fight bonus. All three revealed just how explosive he is as a fighter. Right now, the world is his oyster. After his thrilling knockout victory over Alex Soto, ESPN analyst Brett Okamoto tweeted: "I want to see Michael McDonald fight Joseph Benavidez. Don't tell me it's too soon, either." I won't. I'd personally love to see it.
Ryan Bader -- After two terrible back-to-back guillotine losses to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz, respectively, Bader sorely needed a win. He looked good. His quick knockout win over Jason Brilz would have earned him "knockout of the night" on most UFC cards. It's hard to get super worked up over this win, as Brilz has now lost his third fight in his last four appearances. Still, a win is a win and a first round knockout is good enough to get a fighter back into the "relevant" category. Big win for "Darth."
Miguel Torres -- I'm not going to prattle on here. This wasn't a win that will catapult Torres back into his position as one of the pound-for-pound greats in the world. A finish would have been nice. That said, I believe Torres showed a newly acquired ability and willingness to adapt his game to his opponent and not just go out and rely on his athleticism and gangly arms and legs. Torres used some very good "dirty boxing" to beat up Nick Pace and break his will with a plethora of violent elbows and knees. Is he back to where he was? The jury is still out.
LOSERS
Matt Brown -- "The Immortal" has now lost four of his last five UFC fights. The one win that he did notch during that run was a terribly uninspired decision win over John Howard, who was let go by the promotion directly after the fight. Each of the four losses was a second round submission. Brown is a popular fighter for his willingness to scrap and to "bring it." He'll fight anyone. Just ask him. I'm not saying I don't respect that, but at some point, you need to beat "anyone" if you want to keep getting opportunities in the Octagon.
Shamar Bailey -- Fail to make weight? Check. Try to use your go-to weapon, wrestling and get totally handled in the process? Check. Prove that you may just not have the necessary skill set to be a competitor for the world's biggest MMA organization? Check. Bailey just hasn't got it done and it's questionable if he is going to. His wrestling is not enough to make him a dominant or even a top-flight fighter. Truth be told, Bailey needs to take a step back, find a good camp and really figure out what weight class he should be fighting in. For each of his last five fights, he has weighed something different than the last. It's time to get that worked out if he really wants to make a run at being a professional fighter.
Jason Brilz -- As recently stated, Brilz has lost four of his last five fights. The 36-year old former Omaha high school state wrestling champion has got some soul-searching to do. Is this what he wants to keep doing? Brilz is the assistant wrestling coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He's also a trainer at Omaha's Premier Combat Center. Fighting in the UFC is not his full-time job. After his showing Saturday night, it might not be his part-time job either.
Referee Dan Stell -- It doesn't happen often. Most of the time, MMA referees do a fantastic job of stopping a fight right when they need to. If anything, we see more early stoppages than failures to end things in a timely manner. That's why what happened in the fight between Chris Weidman and Tom Lawlor is such an anomaly and raises red flags. In the first round, Weidman was able to sneak in a "filthy" d'arce choke that left Lawlor unconscious. The problem? Weidman had to actually tell Stell that Lawlor was out. By the time Stell pulled Weidman off of him, Lawlor was asleep and looked like he had been for a few seconds. That's dangerous. Every second that a fighter continues to squeeze after the blood has been cut off to the brain is an important and scary one. Stell wasn't in position to see what was going on and that's a problem. We've got to do a better job of educating our officials.
That's a wrap, Maniacs. Think you can do better? Prove it. Who were your winners and losers from this fantastic UFC event?
To check out complete UFC 139 results and detailed blow-by-blow coverage click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fighter, round
Read the full article at MMA ManiaHistory in the Making: Pablo Garza introduces the UFC to 145-pounders in impressive fashion
In the waning days of October last year, UFC President Dana White made the announcement that fight fans had been longing to hear since 2006 when Zuffa purchased World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC).
WEC's 155-pound division would merge with the UFC's and the Octagon would welcome for the first time inside its chain link fencing featherweights and bantamweights. It wasn't that fans wanted to see the smaller promotion gone, it was that the fighters under their employ were so talented and provided so many great fights that they deserved to be on the bigger stage that the UFC provides.
Less than six weeks after the announcement, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 Finale hosted the company's first featherweight bout. Securing their names in the history books, Pablo Garza and Fredson Paixão agreed to fight on the undercard of the "Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck" card.
Now two seasons later the weight division finds itself no longer relegated to the preliminaries but rather the star of TUF and next Saturday (Dec. 3) -- nearly a year to the day -- the UFC will crown its first 145-pound TUF winner in The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. To prepare, let's take a look at Garza's and Paixão's bout from that evening.
Dive in.
Garza wanted to fight on the TUF 12 Finale even before featherweights were invited into the Octagon. He fought for a place in the house but lost out to eventual runner-up Michael Johnson. He went back to his native North Dakota and rattled off two quick wins before catching the eye of Zuffa yet again.
He was signed by the WEC as a replacement five days out but ended up losing to Chinese fighter Tiequan Zhang in the first round. Not known for forgetting fighters that step up on short notice, the UFC gave Garza the opportunity to fight less than six weeks later at his new home of 145 pounds. His opponent was Fredson Paixão, himself a four-fight WEC veteran.
Let's take a closer look.
Immediately apparent is the over half a foot height advantage Garza holds over his opponent. Standing at an inch over six feet tall, the former TUF hopeful towers over the 5'6" Paixão. The corresponding reach advantage comes into play almost as quickly when the Brazilian gets his head snapped back by a jab.
He returns fire with a leg kick but continues to eat jabs. Early on into the historic bout, Paixão is having trouble getting on the inside of his taller opponent. Height and reach aren't something learned in the gym, you've either got it from birth or you don't. Garza was lucky enough to be blessed with the offensive tools and uses them completely to his advantage.
It's unknown whether or not Paixão would have figured out the riddle that is "The Scarecrow's" reach because less than a minute into the first round, Garza correctly anticipates a takedown attempt from his opponent and launches his body into the air with his knee leading the charge.
Bone smacks against bone and the lights don't simply go out for Paixão, the whole damn power grid fails. His entire body freezes up, stiffer than shot of whiskey and he falls straight back like a giant redwood. Garza lands another shot for good measure before the referee is able to literally jump in between the two fighters.
It was a jarring and exciting introduction for the audience who was only versed in the UFC and hadn't seen featherweight action inside the blue WEC cage. There's been a long held -- and incorrect -- belief that smaller weight classes means less power which in turn produces fewer knockouts.
Garza put the stereotype to bed as quickly as he did Paixão.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, wec, garza
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 139 results recap: Urijah Faber vs Brian Bowles fight review and analysis
It was supposed to be a battle between two of the top bantamweight fighters in the world, both having a score to settle with current UFC champion Dominick Cruz.
Brian Bowles lost his WEC bantamweight title to "The Dominator" in February of 2010, but hadn't lost since while Urijah Faber had a well-documented feud with the champ, splitting a pair of fights with him and desperately wanting to win the rubber match.
What was expected to be an evenly matched battle of former beltholders last night (November 19, 2011) on the UFC 139 main card turned into a squash match as "The California Kid" had his way with Bowles before putting him away early in the second round with his patented guillotine choke.
I'll explain what went wrong for Bowles and what went so, so right for Faber after the jump. Also, we'll speculate on what's next for both fighters.
Faber put some doubt into Bowles very early in the fight, not only using terrific movement to make the former champ miss on nearly every strike, but also using lightning quick speed and even catching some of Bowles' punches with his open hand as if to tell him, "Did you seriously think that would hit me?"
The Team Alpha Male headmaster also mixed things up very well in the fight.
Look at how effortlessly and quickly he ducked a 1-2 combination from Bowles, grabbed a double leg, lifted the former champion up, turned him sideways and dropped him on his back. The camera could barely keep up with him for Pete's sake.
Bowles attempted to fend him off with a guillotine choke, but that's simply not something that's going to scare Faber.
The only decent offense that Bowles even landed in the entire first round was a solid up kick while planted on his back and he couldn't even get away with it because he was actually countered by a huge dropping right hand from Faber.
If round one was bad for Bowles, round two would be brutal.
Faber had been looking to land his uppercut the entire first round. It definitely appeared to be part of the gameplan as Bowles leans forward during exchanges. He finally found a home for it just 25 seconds into the round.
Observe how Faber sits back on the uppercut and explodes upwards with his whole body. His hips are just as important in the power of this punch as his fist.
When it connects on the chin, it sends Bowles reeling into the fence and sets up a furious flurry of violence from "The California Kid" which would lead to the finish.
Thankfully, we've got the whole thing in gif form.
Faber originally drops Bowles with a huge knee along the fence followed by a flurry of punches but the former champion held him off temporarily with a single leg takedown attempt.
Faber opens up the pain again with a heavy knee to the body but the blow that truly took all the fight out of Bowles was the right elbow.
Watch how Faber holds Bowles' head down with his left hand and then cocks back with his right elbow like he's pulling back a bow, then dropping it square to the Georgian's temple with tremendous force.
From here, Bowles practically gives him the guillotine choke as Faber latches it on, and easily passes to mount to force a quick tap. At that point, it was obvious he had zero chance of winning the fight.
For Brian Bowles, this was the kind of loss that makes you want to reevaluate everything. He was so thoroughly dominated from start to finish in every department. He's got two choices. Learn from this defeat and continue to evolve, or let the game pass him by. This had to be a humbling experience for a fighter who's been in control of just about every professional bout he's ever competed in.
Despite how badly he was beaten, Bowles is still a top 10 bantamweight. He deserves a fight against a top fighter coming off a loss. A match against Demetrious Johnson wouldn't be a bad idea. Other possibilities include Brad Pickett and Eddie Wineland.
For Urijah Faber, this was one of the most dominant and complete performances in his career. His intensity was almost exactly as high as when he choked out Jens Pulver in his 2009 rematch when he was hungry to get his title back again. At 32 years old, he's clearly still got plenty of fight left in him. His movement was terrific, his striking continues to improve and he showcased some serious power and accuracy in his punches.
This was a performance of a man who could become the UFC bantamweight champion and he'll have another shot sometimes in 2012 as Dana White confirmed that Faber will be next in line to challenge Dominick Cruz for the title. Depending on the status of Cruz's broken hand, Faber could potentially coach against "The Dominator" on season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter as the Alpha Male fighter campaigned for the opportunity during the post-fight press conference. That would certainly be a terrific way to introduce the elite 135 pound fighters to the casual fans.
So what did you think, Maniacs?
Did Faber's dominance of Brian Bowles convince you he not only deserves another shot at the belt but that it might go differently this time? Does he still have what it takes to become champion again?
Sound off!
For complete UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire pay-per-view (PPV) event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.
All gifs by Zombie Prophet via IronForgesIron.com.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, faber, bowle
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White Predicts Double the Viewers for Ultimate Fighter on FX
UFC President Dana White is expecting big things when the 'Ultimate Fighter' moves over to FX. As a matter of fact, he believes double the number of viewers after the switch.
Posted in: fighter, fx, dana, viewer, fighter moves
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC weigh ins provide comedy, branding opportunity
UFC 139’s weigh-ins last night provided some comic relief and three overweight fighters in preparation for tonight’s PPV. With some of the weigh-in comedy, one wonders whether the weigh-ins are now a place to work on fighters’ personal branding.
Remember when putting on a Jabawockeez mask to intimidate your opponent at the weigh-ins caused a near riot? It seems like the weigh-ins are becoming much more entertaining than just that.
Here are some highlights from yesterday:
-Danny Castillo wearing a tux which you could zip off from the back scored major points in the creativity department
-Tom Lawlor going Steven Seagal (shooting glasses and all). He also did his best Baron Von Raschke impression during the staredown as he gave the infamous claw. He also sported an XBox 360 shirt. In speaking with an XBox rep, Xbox is sponsoring Lawlor for its launch of the Kinect Sports 2. Demetrious Johnson remains as the only UFC fighter to be exclusively sponsored by XBox.
-Kyle Kingsbury and Stephan Bonnar hammed it up with a WWE-type posedown on the scales. With his patented fanny pack, Kingsbury is Zubaz and doo-rag away from being a 1980s wrestler from the Mid-South region.
-I’m not sure why more t-shirt sponsors of fighters allow the sponsored fighter to throw out free shirts to the crowd at weigh-ins. It gets your brand out there to the fans with the hopes of them coming back to purchase shirts. Of course the other side of that is the crowd is a considerable distance from the fighters. Thus, you get the Rick Story problem as he was unable to reach the crowd with some of his t-shirt throws. Since the NBA is out for some time, could the UFC borrow some of those t-shirt cannons to shoot out into the audience?
-Was Nick Pace confused in what division he was fighting in? Six pounds over really means that he should fight at 145 not 135.
Payout Perspective:
The weigh-ins seemed unorganized in terms of the actual weigh in. Whether there were issues with the scale or operator error, the weigh-ins seemed much more of an issue. Even though there were several fighters overweight, it usually doesn’t stop the pace of the weigh-ins. Also, it didn’t seem like the woman operating the scale knew about the one pound weight allowance as she grimaced each time she had to move the scale.
Similar to how the UFC wants its fighters to use twitter as a way to market themselves, the weigh-ins seem like an opportunity for fighters to promote themselves as well. Yes, the weigh-ins are usually something people pass over as its just guys getting on a scale. But, with a little more personality, it could be something that can be capitalized on in the future.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, xbox, weighin, scale
Read the full article at MMA PayoutUFC 139: Urijah Faber vs. Brain Bowles Preview and Prognostications
Urijah Faber is coming off a fantastic performance in one of the best fights of the year at UFC 132 against Dominick Cruz. It was a performance good enough to have fans interested in seeing both fighters conclude their trilogy, and perhaps that's why Faber, coming off a loss, is once again matched up with a contender.
Brian Bowles, the former champ, is fresh off one dominating win over Damacio Page, and one sort of lackluster win over Takeya Mizugaki. He's also been dealing with injuries.
This has been Bowles' story. Not only that he has frail hands, but that that frailness has become an element of his mental toughness, or lackthereof. Brian Hemminger over at MMAMania asked Bowles about this, contrasting what happened against Cruz with Faber's rematch with Mike Brown, in which Faber broke both of his hands but put on a gutsy performance despite the injuries.
Apparently Bowles also had a rib injury. It sounds like typical fighter excuse jive, but who am I to judge? Anyone that steps into that cage is obviously tough. But there are degrees, and I think Faber is the tougher fighter, mentally and physically.
Faber wins this one. What is underrated about Faber's game is his sheer ability to transition. To 'phase shift'. He transitions like few other fighters can. Against Cruz, we also saw little improvements on the feet. While he still leaves his hands low, he at least seems concerned with defense as opposed to ignoring it completely if not outright mocking it (Faber vs Griffin/Brown) at times.
I do think Bowles has the power to put Urijah down, but he's too flat footed to land with any regularity. His striking is similar to Assuncao: Bowles is a better striker than Raphael, but he isn't capable of throwing in combination like Assuncao. And I'm not sure Brain has the speed to catch faber.
On the ground, I definitely give the edge to Faber. Urjiah has a rear naked choke that might as well be the equivalent of a KO punch. He has that 'grappler's chance' precisely because he's so good in the transitions. It's a rare gift, and one I think will give Faber the edge when he needs it: Faber by RNC, round 2.
Poll
Who do you got?
Urjiah Faber
Brain Bowles
0 votes | Results
Posted in: fighter, faber, bowle, judge anyone, fabers game
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendUFC 139: Stephen Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury Preview and Prognostications
It's been awhile since we last saw 'The American Psycho'. I never found that particular nickname fitting until Bonnar's highly inexplicable victory pose at UFC 116. However, he's 2-1 for the year 2010. He wasn't all that impressive in his last outing, but a win's a win. Even if it's over Igor Prokrajac.
Kyle Kingsbury has been an unlikely success story. Most guys that lost in the house on TUF have a very limited shelf life. Kingsbury, who will always be known for blasting his goof juice into Dave Kaplan's sushi, has found the atypical success.
Neither fighter will ever be mistaken for contenders. But they're both tough, and rugged gatekeepers. And more importantly for entertainment purposes, they're both active, violent fighters. Perhaps the most interesting story is the work Victor Conte is doing with Kingsbury. Kyle is doing what's called fourth generation intermittent hypoxic training: high altitude simulation without the high altitude basically (the idea being that actually training at high altitude isn't good for your immune system).
But the story of the fight itself will essentially be a matter of who folds. Stephan Bonnar is a decent boxer, all things told. No, his Golden Gloves championship Rogan and Goldie will belabor the point of mentioning hasn't paid dividends. But what he lacks in skill he makes up for in toughness. His ability to take a few to give a few is the reason for his success.
I don't expect this fight to go to the ground. On the feet, I think Kingsbury isn't as good at fighting at a distance, and therefore needs to find his rhythm in the clinch. Don't expect this fight to hit the ground: both guys have sturdy enough takedown defense to negate the limited wrestling of their respective games.
While I think Kingsbury has slightly more pop in his strikes, he won't find success at a distance. On top of that, Bonnar is the more durable fighter. In fact, Bonnar has never been stopped with strikes or a submission in his entire career (his two TKO losses are by cut).
I expect to see an all out war, but also a lot of clinching. It'll probably look like Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman II, but with less compact elbows. I hesitate to do it, because I think if they clinch a lot, Kinsbury should earn the decision victory, but in the center of the cage, Bonnar will have the edge. I think Kinsbury will oblige him. Bonnar by decision.
Poll
Who do you got?
Stephan Bonnar
Kyle Kingsbury
0 votes | Results
Posted in: fighter, bonnar, kingsbury, kyle, altitude isnt
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendDamn, not even MMA skills will keep you safe from the dangers of falling killer cows
This next story just proves that you just can't trust a cow anymore. They hang around in fields being all quiet and reserved chewing on grass and appearing harmless and docile. It's all a farce though. Cows are killers. You see them on Chick Fil-A billboards all over the US asking you to 'Eat more Chicken' and all I can think now is it must be some diabolical evil plan for cows to gain our trust, take out all the poultry of the world and then ulitmately kill off the humans. As a matter of fact their evil plan is so advanced that even after their death they are still able to kill humans. Even strong healthy MMA fighter skill toting guys.
According to a Mirror UK story, the evil cows latest victim is Ally McCrae. He was a 23 year old amateur fighter from Dumbarton UK who died after a dead cow carcass fell on him at work this week.
A MAN died after a cow fell on him in an abattoir where he worked.
Ally McCrae, 23, was trapped when the carcass fell off a hook and he suffered head injuries which triggered a heart attack.The super-fit amateur cage fighter was rushed to hospital but surgeons were unable to save his life. His trainer John Nicolson said yesterday: 'Ally was such a joker and when I heard the bizarre circumstances, I thought he might be playing a joke.He was known for his banter so we sort of expected to see him post on his Facebook that this was all a bad joke. He was very talented and was a promising mixed martial artist. He was always at the gym. It’s going to be very difficult not having him around.'
What a sad story. Rest in peace Ally McCrae. [source]
Posted in: fighter, story, cow, ally, mccrae
Read the full article at Middle EasyRyan Bader’s Learning Curve Leads to UFC 139
Ryan Bader learned some tough lessons in his last two fights, but he believes it's made him a stronger and better fighter, and he hopes to show that at UFC 139.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ryan, bader, curve
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 139: Shogun, Hendo on weight; two miss
Two legends made weight while a few had trouble making their prescribed numbers as fighters stepped on the scale ahead of Saturday's UFC 139 in San Jose.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, jose, weight, scale
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC 139: Three miss weight, two lose money
There were extraordinary scenes at the official weigh-ins for UFC 139 as several fighters missed weight by large margins.One fighter missing weight is...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, weight, official weighins, marginsone fighter
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUFC 139 Weigh-In Results
Filed under: UFCSAN JOSE, Calif. -- The UFC 139 fighters took to the scale to make it official at the HP Pavilion on Friday afternoon, but it wasn't exactly smooth sailing all the way.
There was trouble early when several fighters missed weight, some badly, and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan claimed that there was a discrepancy between the California State Athletic Commission's scale and the one fighters had been using to check their weight backstage. The problems were mostly confined to the first few fighters to weigh in, however, with those higher up on the card clocking in on the mark with no apparent problems.
Just to make things more interesting, middleweight Tom Lawlor did his best Steven Seagal impression on his way to the scale, and things got a tad physical on the stage when Rick Story got too close for Martin Kampmann's liking. All in all, an interesting day on the scales in San Jose.
Full weigh-in results are below.
Main card (pay-per-view)
Dan Henderson (203) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (205)
Wanderlei Silva (185) vs. Cung Le (185)
Urijah Faber (136) vs. Brian Bowles (136)
Martin Kampmann (170.5) vs. Rick Story (170.5)
Stephan Bonnar (205) vs. Kyle Kingsbury (205)
Televised prelims (Spike TV)
Ryan Bader (205) vs. Jason Brilz (204)
Michael McDonald (136) vs. Alex Soto (135)
Internet prelims (Facebook.com)
Tom Lawlor (185) vs. Chris Weidman (185.5)
Gleison Tibau (155) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (155.5)
Miguel Torres (137)* vs. Nick Pace (141)**
Matt Brown (171) vs. Seth Baczynski (171)
Danny Castillo (155) vs. Shamar Bailey (158)**
* Torres came back to the scales and weighed in at 136.5. He has an hour to lose the extra half-pound.
** Pace and Bailey will both be fined 20% of their respective purses.
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, vs, scale, commissions scale
Read the full article at AOL FanhousePick a Card: UFC 139 (PRELIMS)
Thanks to all of you who participated in our giveaways the last few weeks. We might do it again in the near future, but there isn’t anything this week. Winners have been contacted and all remaining prizes will go out to the winners shortly!
We’ll have a look at the Topps Finest MMA card set very shortly, and there will be more giveaways from there. Everything we pulled will be up for grabs, and I will be sharing that with you in the coming days.
Now on to UFC 139, one of the biggest cards of the year featuring six former champions on the PPV portion of the event as well as a plethora of talent beyond the former title-holders. Today we’ll take a quick look at the UFC 139 prelims and tomorrow morning I’ll be back with a breakdown of the main card.
An Extended Look at UFC 139
Shamar Bailey vs. Danny Castillo
Castillo, an explosive force in the lightweight division of WEC, has been a bit timid in his UFC career in comparison. His striking has been slightly muzzled, and he probably won’t get much of a chance to show it off against a freestyle wrestler like Bailey. Both need victories to make a good case to stay in the UFC, so I’m not looking for either to take a bunch of risks. Both fighters have good wrestling, and their power striking is very similar too, with Bailey getting the benefit of having Chris Lytle as a frequent training partner. However, Bailey’s lost three of his last four and can’t afford to lose this one. Take him in a closely fought contest, with Castillo getting another chance to stay on with the UFC in the near future.
Prediction: Shamar Bailey def. Danny Castillo via Unanimous Decision
Matt Brown vs. Seth Baczynski
“The Immortal” Brown has had one of the biggest rises and falls from immortality in recent memory. After racking up a trio of quick wins in the UFC, Brown lost three straight before rebounding against John Howard in June. Taking on BJJ fighter Baczynski, winner of four of his last five (all by stoppages), he draws someone who brings in who will prefer to take him to the ground with his relentless takedowns and submission expertise. Brown would be wise to get back to basics and stay standing against Baczynski, but may get caught trying to get inside on the reach and size advantage he gives up. They are both are well disciplined on the ground, but Baczynski’s size and experience might be too much for Brown in the end. Give this one to the “Polish Pistola” in a decision.
Prediction: Seth Baczynski def. Matt Brown via Unanimous Decision
Miguel Torres vs. Nick Pace
After his meteoric rise, Torres is about the last fighter you’d expect to have a losing record in his last five fights. He draws choke-enthusiast Nick Pace in what could be the final fight in the Octagon for the latter with a loss. This is Torres’ rebound fight in essence. He needs to go back to what made him so intimidating for so many years. His powerful striking, overwhelming presence, and his domineering BJJ won him 36 of his first 37 fights. Things have changed since his loss to Brian Bowles, however, as he’s appeared pensive and often overwhelmed which cost him the Benevidez fight and possibly even his bout against Demetrious Johnson as well. However, Torres is too good to lose 4 of 6, and I can’t see a way for him to lose this fight if he goes at it with the determination that started to help him right the ship against Antonio Banuelos and Charlie Valencia prior to the UFC/WEC Merge.
Prediction: Miguel Torres def. Nick Pace via Submission
Gleison Tibau vs. Rafael dos Anjos
It’s a little known fact that prior to his MMA career, Tibau was the lead singer of the Fine Young Cannibals. Don’t believe me? Go watch the music video for “She Drives me Crazy” and tell me Roland Gift and Tibau aren’t the same person.
Now that I have the song stuck in your head, both fighters have looked good winning 4 of 5 each. Despite his credentials, Dos Anjos was supposed to be a rebound fight for George Sotiropoulos but ultimately won in under a minute with a stunning knockout, his first in a seven-year career. As a fan of ground-based grappling this is probably my most anticipated fight on the card. Both fighters bring in world class BJJ, and the fight should feature some very advanced techniques countering other advanced techniques. Where this fight will be judged closely will be cage control and who can maintain dominant position on the ground. Dos Anjos will be giving up much size to Tibau, who regularly adds 12-15% water weight after weigh-ins. Tibau’s strength and balance make him very hard to take down, and even harder to keep down. While Dos Anjos will be the favorite in a standing battle, I don’t see it being one of those, and I’m going to give Tibau the nod in a razor thin decision.
Besides, I can’t pick against the guy who brought us “Good Thing.”
Prediction: Gleison Tibau def. Rafael dos Anjos via Split Decision
Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Weidman
Welcome back “Filthy” one! It’s been over a year since we saw Lawlor last, a bout where he escorted Patrick Cote out of the UFC thanks to the judges’ scorecards. A trail of injuries have delayed his return, but he’s back now facing the undefeated Weidman. This is a perfect matchup for Lawlor, as it will be a perfect indication of which fighter that shows up on Saturday night – the deadly one who fought Cote or the uninspired one who fought Joe Doerksen. It’s hard not to think that Lawlor’s the underdog here, as Weidman’s dominance on the ground pushed him to a quick submission victory back in June and a finesse victory over Alessio Sakara. Weidman possesses a dangerous combination of high level wrestling and BJJ, so the only chance Lawlor has of winning this fight is if he comes in with the same level of gumption and determination he displayed against Cote and CB Dollaway. I’d say Weidman’s got the edge on all technical aspects of the fight, and Lawlor’s going to have to look to catch him offguard to make a quick night of things, otherwise it might be a quick night. I’m taking Weidman here, who is one of the up and comers at middleweight. This is his stepping stone to bigger fights at 185.
Prediction: Chris Weidman def. Tom Lawlor via Submission
Michael McDonald vs. Alex Soto
This fight features two of the more interesting stories in the UFC. There’s McDonald, who isn’t old enough to drink in his home state yet, and Soto, the retired Army infantryman who now trains dolphins as a member of the US Navy. Both fighters are undefeated over the last two years, both have very versatile skillsets, and both have fun-to-watch fighting styles. McDonald is viewed a bantamweight blue chipper, yet Soto’s got a great team around him and isn’t to be overlooked. This will come down to whomever has the better ground game. McDonald is a BJJ brown belt and has great striking, while Soto has a very seasoned submission game and can hold his own in a fistfight. McDonald should be able to overpower Soto and take this fight. He’s on the rise right now, and should expect to see someone of Demetrious Johnson’s caliber sometime soon.
Prediction: Michael McDonald def. Alex Soto via TKO
Ryan Bader vs. Jason Brilz
This fight again is being viewed as a rebound fight for Bader. Few people have given Brilz much of a chance, despite solid wrestling skills, a .500 record in the UFC, with one of those being a razor thin loss against Antonio Rogerio Noguiera that could have either way. Brilz was KO’d silly by Vlad Matyushenko last time out, and a loss here will all but seal his fate with the promotion. Bader, on the other hand, stormed to an 12-0 record before submission losses to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz. With their wrestling pedigrees both fighters look very comfortable on the ground, though Bader has had trouble finishing fights when action hits the mat. Brilz began his career with a slew of submission victories, but has not added one to his record since joining the UFC. I would wager fans shouldn’t expect to see a submission here either. Bader is consistent if nothing else, at least in terms of his approach to fighting. You know you’re going to get strong wrestling mixed with a bit of crisp, powerful striking, as well as a lot of cage control and a dominant, possibly unspectacular performance. Ditto on Brilz if he gets the chance. This won’t be the Fight of the Year, and almost certainly won’t be Fight of the Night, but the match-up should draw TUF and wrestling fans all the same, and ultimately turn into an entertaining encounter.
Prediction: Ryan Bader def. Jason Brilz via Unanimous Decision
That’s it for the preliminary pairings. Make sure to check back here tomorrow morning for my breakdown of the UFC 139 main card including bouts between Urijah Faber/Brian Bowles, Martin Kampmann/Rick Story, Wanderlei Silva/Cung Le, and headliners Dan Henderson/Mauricio Rua.
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Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, submission, lawlor
Read the full article at Fighters.comWatch today's UFC 139 fighter weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com at 7 p.m. ET
SAN JOSE, Calif. - UFC 139 fighter weigh-ins take place today, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on
MMAjunkie.com.
Today's weigh-ins take place at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and the first
fighter is on the scale at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time).
In addition to the video streams, you can get live weigh-in updates in our text-only results post on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.
Posted in: fighter, video stream, weighin, weighin updates, video streams
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTIL the Marine Justin Timberlake went to the MC Ball with is also an MMA fighter with at least one fight in which she badly fucked up her opponent.
submitted by Modernist1849 [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fighter, mma fighter, justin, mc ball, mc
Read the full article at RedditUFC Launches New Android App
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) and NeuLion, Inc. (TSX:NLN), the true end-to-end technology service provider for delivering live and on-demand content to any Internet-enabled device, today announced the debut of a new UFC mobile app for Android. Fans of the UFC can stream live Pay-Per-View events via UFC.TV, Roku and now Android. This announcement deepens the UFC’s partnership with NeuLion and extends the reach of the organization to the mobile marketplace and will enable the UFC to capitalize on the continued growth of the Android platform. Android commanded 44 percent of mobile app downloads in 2010, according to a study released by ABI Research and Nielsen in September. In addition, twice as many consumers in the U.S. purchased Android smartphones compared to Apple’s iPhone in 2011*. “We’re always trying to stay ahead of the curve with technology and the UFC TV Android app is just another example of that,” UFC President Dana White said. “With our new UFC TV Android app, fans can keep track of their favorite fighters and watch UFC Pay-Per-Views live. We’re leveraging NeuLion’s streaming capabilities for live sports events and continuing to give our fans unique access to the UFC.”Developed by NeuLion, the UFC TV Android app features:• Live streaming of Pay-Per-View events, weigh-ins and press conferences• Multiple live video and audio feeds during the broadcast: English, Spanish, Red Corner and Blue Corner • Ability to score the fight in real-time and get an aggregate of every vote• UFC fighter index sortable by weight class. Each fighter’s profile has key stats – wins/losses, height, weight, etc. • Access to the UFC Fight Library of video • Free videos including: event countdown shows, fighter interviews, press conferences, event previews, fighter workouts and other UFC free video content • TV schedule• Video highlights and VOD events• Constantly updated news section featuring articles about the latest UFC fighters, events, interviews and profiles of fighters“Major sports brands and sports leagues understand that delivering mobile access for their content is key towards continued growth,” said Marc Sokol, Executive Vice President at NeuLion. “The new UFC TV Android app showcases how a dynamic sports brand can utilize mobile to further their relationship with their fans.” Visit the Android Market to download the UFC app for your Android device today. *For the three months leading up to the study.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, event, app, android
Read the full article at UFCFight Day: T.J. Dillashaw Talks TUF 14 Finals, UFC 139
Ultimate Fighter 14 finalist T.J. Dillashaw discusses his time in the Ultimate Fighter house after the UFC 139 press conference in San Francisco.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fighter house, dillashaw, tj
Read the full article at Heavy MMABellator 58 weigh in results
All fighters were on weight at the official Bellator 58 weigh-ins, which took place in Hollywood, Florida ahead of Saturday night’s event. The headline...
Posted in: bellator, fighter, headline, weight, hollywood florida
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings remain steady for episode nine at 1.4 million viewers
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings are in for episode nine of the Spike TV reality show.
According to numbers released by the cable television network earlier today, the latest episode garnered a 1.44 rating in males 18-49 and a 1.71 in males 18-34 for an average audience of 1.4 million viewers, exactly the same as episode eight last week.
Here's a look at how the TUF 14 numbers stack up to date:
Episode one: 1.5 million Episode two: 1.6 million Episode three: 1.3 millionEpisode four: 1.5 millionEpisode five: 1.6 millionEpisode six: 1.6 millionEpisode seven: 1.5 millionEpisode eight: 1.4 millionEpisode nine: 1.4 million
Nine episodes down, three more to go.
TUF 14 episode nine featured the usual shenanigans associated with the reality show along with T.J. Dillashaw advancing to the bantamweight finals with a unanimous decision victory over Dustin Pague.
To check out a complete detailed recap of The Ultimate Fighter 14 episode nine click here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, episode, decision victory, millionepisode
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJessica Aguilar excited about showing Lisa Ellis-Ward the new "Jag" at Bellator 58
This Saturday night the second and third ranked fighters in the world of their weight class step into the cage in a can’t-miss fight with definite title ramifications with a bout featuring two of the elite female flyweights in the world.
At Bellator 58, fan-favorite Jessica Aguilar takes on Lisa Ellis-Ward for the second time. Aguilar, affectionately known as “Jag” in the MMA community, is one who enters challenges fearlessly with a positive attitude and undying passion for what she does. Rarely will you see her without a smile on her face, or passing along words of inspiration to others.
Aguilar was originally scheduled to fight Zoila Gurgel at a Bellator event in October, but broke her foot while training and was sidelined for a few extra weeks. When asked about her current status and mobility, she assured fans she was okay, saying, “I’m great. My foot’s healthy. I’m good to go! I’m ready for Saturday,” in an exclusive conversation with Fighters.
Ward and Aguilar are meeting in the cage for the second time. They first fought in 2006 when Ward, in her fifth pro fight, met a debuting Aguilar who was filling in as a last minute replacement. Aguilar had only been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a matter of months, and had been honing her skills for a full MMA fight for less than a week. While she lost in the second round, she took the defeat as invaluable experience, another indicator of her always-positive demeanor.
“I don’t regret anything, you know? It’s all about the story. (Back then) this was never my dream, and this was never my passion. I didn’t even know what I was doing. I don’t know that I was going to continue practicing and fighting. I didn’t have a real plan. I just kind of did it. That’s who I am – I’m a daredevil, I’m a spontaneous kind of person. I’m grateful that I got my first taste of MMA when I did, and how I did it, but I don’t have any regrets.”
Despite having a few options on the table that night against Ward, her training throughout helped decide fighting was for her.
“For me, I just thought “Oh my gosh, look what I can do,” Aguilar explained. “There was just so much to learn, like in the submissions and grappling. I just wanted to learn more. It was like an addiction. So I started competing, and I started winning. I’m an athlete by nature, and I’m competitive, and that’s what drew me, and that’s what caught me. Now it’s become my passion and I’m so happy that I am where I’m at today.”
She does, however, urge female fighters in her shoes to think twice before jumping in, warning that, “Looking back, I can tell other female fighters not to do that — not to go into fights with five days training. I don’t really have any regrets, but I would tell other female fighters to find a gym, start training and get educated on the sport. Get some experience first before they go on to their first professional fight. If they go out there and do it? That’s fine, but I would advise not to”
Since that debut in 2006, she now has eleven wins to her name, as was as multiple Gold Medals representing Team USA in International Grappling Championships, and has earned a Purple Belt in BJJ. A self-professed workaholic, it isn’t unlikely that Aguilar will put in many long days, and uses every possible second as an opportunity to improve.
“My sleeping is a part of my training. My eating is a part of my training. Everything I do from when I wake up to when I go to sleep is a part of my training. Hours that I put into the gym? About 6-8 hours. In between, I’ll have my naps, have my meals. I’ll work, do my thing. It’s all a part of my lifestyle. From when I wake up to the time I go to sleep, it’s all to do with my training. It’s just my lifestyle.”
With that vigor, enthusiasm and her focus, Aguilar has vaulted herself into the spot of a highly ranked flyweight and has put herself on the map as a future Bellator champion. Her best exposure may well be her performance in last year’s women’s 115 lb tournament, where she defeated Lynn Alvarez with a rarely seen arm triangle choke before fighting Gurgel in the semi-finals. That fight, which ended in a controversial Split Decision, saw Aguilar pushing forward in a grueling battle many saw in her favor. Two judges, however, saw it differently (despite the other giving it to her 30-27 in her favor) and she was eliminated from the tournament.
“I just know I need to finish the fights now, you know. Not leave it in the judges hands,” proclaimed Aguilar.
Finish she has. She bounced back with a quick 1st round submission victory in March, and now rides six of seven victories coming into November 19. This Jag is much different than the one that fought Ward five years ago.
“I know Lisa well. We’ve travelled together for the US Grappling Team. We’ve seen each others’ Bellator fights. I’ve seen her fight. She’s seen me fight,” Aguilar said, adding how much trust she puts in her coaching. “I leave the strategy and the videos in the hands of my trainers. I just focus on me – on how healthy I feel, on how my training is going, and to be ready for whatever comes.”
While not looking past Ward, Aguilar has a clear-cut goal for her MMA career. “My goal is to become #1, and that’s where I’m going. That’s my goal. That’s all I see.” she said.
Asked if the ranking meant more than a championship, she replied “Yeah, it does. The belt doesn’t mean anything to me. I know I won that fight, and I believe the #1 pound for pound fighter in the world is still Megumi Fujii. I mean, I’d love to have the ranking more than the belt.”
She outlined some of her long-term goals for us as well, revealing she would like, “To help other females grow in the sport. For me, it’s all about helping. We all have to help each other. I’m not against anyone. We’re all a team – This is all our sport. I want to help everyone I can help, and maybe one day create my own charity. I haven’t figured what I want to yet, but I want to help, you know? I like to help. That’s what I’ll do. One day I’ll have my gym, one day I’ll have my clothing brand. Those are just ideas and things, but you know, that obviously takes money and investors and things, but with time, everything will come. She was quick not to dismiss her current goal, however. “Right now, my main focus is to become #1, and then after that, everything else will fall into place.”
It has been quite the journey for Aguilar thus far, and as she nears that goal, she wanted to take a moment to recognize some of the many people that have helped her so far, making sure to show love to the entire group.
“I want to my sponsors, just thank them thank them thank them all for all the support they’ve given me. They keep me alive. They give me the opportunity to do what I love to do and I’m very appreciative. I really don’t want to miss anyone. I want to thank my fans, the MMA media. Without you guys I wouldn’t be here! I’m so grateful and honored to be blessed with such a fanbase, and the media support and everybody behind me.”
She stopped to laugh and add that she doesn’t use her Facebook fan page much, but asked for all of us to “please please please like it” and continued with her thanks. “My team. Miami Sports Performance. American Top Team. Palm Beach Boxing. I couldn’t do it without my team either. I have the best trainers in the world. Just everyone, you know! I’m blessed.”
Before finishing up, Aguilar made sure to offer up the words of inspiration that she leaves her friends and fans time and again.
“Like I always say – Just smile and believe. You know, there’s times where you’re going to be down. It’s gonna be okay. Just smile and believe!”
Back we say – Smile and believe, Jag. Saturday is your night to shine!
You can follow Jessica Aguilar on Twitter at (@jagatt) and like her on Facebook too.
She also has a website including more of her story, links to all of her sponsors, photo galleries, booking opportunities and her merchandise (Jagwear) at www.jessicaaguilar.com.
PHOTO CREDIT – KIMURAWEAR
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Posted in: fight, time, fighter, training, aguilar
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on FOX 1 Fighter Salaries
The CSAC has released the fighter payouts for UFC on FOX 1. Keep in mind, these figures represent the base contracted pay the fighter receives from the promotion. These figures do not include any additional undisclosed bonuses or sponsorship money, which in many cases exceeds a fighter’s base pay. These numbers also do not account for taxes, insurance, and license fees.
Junior dos Santos not only won the UFC heavyweight championship at UFC on FOX 1, he also scored the card’s biggest disclosed payday. He brought in $285,000 after bonuses while the former champ, Cain Velasquez, only earned $100,000 in disclosed purse money. Ben Henderson and Clay Guida also did well for themselves. Each broke the six-figure mark with their Fight of the Night bonuses.
Payouts
Courtesy of MMA Junkie:
Junior Dos Santos: $220,000 ($110k + $110k)
Cain Velasquez: $100,000
Ben Henderson: $60,000 ($30k + $30k)
Clay Guida: $40,000
Dustin Poirier: $20,000 ($10k + $10k)
Pablo Garza: $8,000
Ricardo Lamas: $20,000 ($10k + $10k)
Cub Swanson: $15,000
DaMarques Johnson: $28,000 ($14k + $14k)
Clay Harvison: $8,000
Darren Uyenoyama: $12,000 ($6k + $6k)
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto: $15,000
Robert Peralta: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Mackens Semerzier: $8,000
Alex Caceres: $16,000 ($8k + $8k)
Cole Escovedo: $5,000
Mike Pierce: $36,000 ($18k + $18k)
Paul Bradley: $18,000
Aaron Rosa: $12,000 ($6k + $6k)
Matt Lucas: $6,000
Bonuses
$65,000 bonus to each fighter.
Knockout of the Night – Junior dos Santos
Submission of the Night – Ricardo Lamas
Fight of the Night – Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida
Total Payout
A disclosed total of $923,000, including all bonuses, was paid out to the fighters.
Posted in: ufc, night, fighter, bonus, clay
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC on Fox 1 Fighter Salaries: dos Santos Wins Big
UFC on Fox 1 fighters totaled a disclosed fighter payroll of $654,000. It was no surprise that new heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos was the big money winner.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, do, heavyweight champion, fighter payroll
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyBisping a double winner on TUF 14 episode
Coach Michael Bisping wins air hockey challenge and fighter T.J. Dillashaw dominates Dustin Pague in the 135-pound semifinal on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter.
Posted in: fighter, coach, episode, bisping, semifinal
Read the full article at sportsnet.caAkira Corassani has another installment of his Ultimate Fighter season 14 blog at MMA Nation. He...
Akira Corassani has another installment of his Ultimate Fighter season 14 blog at MMA Nation. He couldn't believe the coach's challenge was air hockey.
Posted in: mma nation, fighter, corassani, akira corassani, coachs challenge
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBas Rutten slams Alistair Overeem for not wanting to 'pay the people who made him'
Former UFC heavyweight champion and three-time King of Pancrase, Bas Rutten, has a new show coming to Fuel TV called "Punk Payback."
The message is simple: Give people what they've got coming to them.
Perhaps that's why "El Guapo" is in such a tizzy over the current feud between PRIDE, K-1, Strikeforce and now UFC fighter Alistair Overeem and his former training camp, Golden Glory.
"Demolition Man" recently split from his Netherlands-based management team citing a "breach of trust," which in financial terms equates to allegedly being owed $151,000 in earnings, including a signing bonus he was reportedly promised when he signed with Zuffa.
Rutten disputes that claim in an interview with Paul Lazenby and slams "The Reem" for not wanting to "pay the people who made him."
Take a look.
"It's a money thing. He simply doesn't want to pay the people who made him ... It's funny how fighters think. When it goes bad with them, their team is everything to them, and they love their team. In interviews after they win a fight, they say: 'I owe everything to my team.' Then when the management starts to put great fights together for them, directing their careers and the fighter gets better and better, some of them simply can't handle it, and it gets to their head. I had a bad feeling already when he called himself, after he won the K-1 Grand Prix, a 'legend.' He actually said in an interview right after he won: 'I am a legend now.' I don't think a fighter can ever make that comment about himself. Also, a few months ago, when they started to get close to a good deal with the UFC, he realized that he could make a lot of money. The first thing he did was go to Cor Hemmers, his striking coach, and tried to renegotiate the 10% trainer's fee ... Yeah, he tries to let the rest of the world think that the coaches and other fighters are on his side, and that it's only the management he has problems with. But that is absolutely NOT the case. I mean, go to Cor Hemmers' gym and look at the posters with pictures of Alistair on there, see what his fellow fighters did to them ... And you know what he said to Martijn? I know this because I talked with Martijn personally three days ago. When he told Martijn he didn't want to pay the 10% trainer's fee--and remember, Cor and Martijn SPLIT the 10%, so it's not 20% in total--Martijn told him that he was there with him for TWELVE YEARS, and that they trained him for so long and went through the ups and downs, especially the downs. And on top of that, he said that he was Alistair's friend this whole time, and made a big contribution to Alistair's success. But Alistair said: 'Yeah, if we have to talk about people who contributed to my success, then I also have to mention my cleaning lady who cleans my house for eleven and a half Euros an hour.'
Trouble had been brewing for some time, dating back to when Dana White had a well-publicized spat with Golden Glory that resulted in the release of all its fighters from every Zuffa-owned promotion.
Shortly thereafter, Overeem announced his split from his longtime fight camp, eventually relocating to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas to help prepare for his upcoming Octagon debut.
But it was far from a clean break.
Overeem, who will be fighting Brock Lesnar at UFC 141: "Lesnar vs. Overeem" on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas, filed suit against Knock Out Investments (KOI) and Golden Glory and they, in turn, are preparing to sue him back.
At least we know which side "El Guapo" is on.
How about you? Too soon to know all the facts? Or have you already passed judgment? And will this be too much of a distraction for Overeem on fight night?
Opinions, please.
Posted in: overeem, fighter, las vegas, alistair, people
Read the full article at MMA ManiaChampionship caliber: Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez predicts to finish Michael Chandler early on Nov. 19
As one of the top-ranked fighters on the planet not employed by Zuffa, Eddie Alvarez keeps himself grounded by surrounding himself with champions.The Bellator lightweight star trains regularly alongside Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 155-pound titleholder Frankie Edgar, as well as Bellator bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky at his hometown gym, The Philadelphia Fight Factory.
Alvarez currently sits atop the lightweight division in Bellator, having won the promotion's inaugural title with three consecutive submission stoppages in 2009. Currently ranked the number four 155-pound fighter in the world, he defended his title for the first time with a dominant five round decision against Pat Curran this past April.
And he's ready for the next challenger in Xtreme Couture fighter and former Division I All-American Wrestler Michael Chandler.
Alvarez will fight to retain his belt this Saturday night (Nov. 19, 2011) at Bellator 58 in Hollywood, Florida. The Philadelphia, Pa., native was recently a guest on Bloody Elbow Radio where he spoke with myself and Matt Bishop about recovering from injury, what he expects from the Chandler challenge and reaching his potential as a fighter.
And more. Check out our interview with Alvarez after the jump:
Matt Bishop: I know you're coming off an injury so how has training been into this fight?
Eddie Alvarez: Training's excellent, man. Unfortunately, I had to postpone. I lost myself a lot of money in the postponement because the original time and place was at Atlantic City a month earlier and it would have meant a lot more money and revenue for myself but I had to do the smart thing and the better long term thing for my career and we're here now and looking back in retrospect, it was something that needed to be done. I'm happy I'm here. I'm injury free and I'm ready to fight.
Matt Bishop: How did that decision process go for you? Did you have people around you advising you either way or did it just come down to what you felt was the right decision for you?
Eddie Alvarez: It definitely wasn't my decision. I'm a fighter first and I do everything I can to fight and I've been in situations in my career where, especially during the Dream tournament where I was very badly injured and if you would have gave the decision to me, I would have fought. I would have dealt with anything after the Kawajiri fight and begged them to let me go fight and the doctors told me, "No," and everyone who knew about the injury advised against me fighting and when I look back, it was the better decision.
I could have went blind then and in this case, I could have set myself back a ton not only if I took a loss due to the injury but just the injury itself could have got worse. It wasn't a good thing and I talked to the people around me. Ricardo Almeida really helped me through it, speaking with him and his experiences. My wife helped me through it, just the people that sincerely care about me and what I do, I listened to their opinion and what they thought and they definitely helped me.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You didn't reveal the nature of your injury which is completely understandable but you have mentioned that it was caused by going a little too hard, too soon in your training. Did you have to take a step back, slow down a little bit? What precautions did you take in this last six weeks or so to make sure that you came in fully healthy?
Eddie Alvarez: Sometimes, you overdo it. I spent the last three and a half months convincing myself that Mike Chandler actually has a shot at beating me and I sincerely convince myself every training camp that whoever fights me, they have a shot, they have a sincere shot of beating me and dominating me and that sort of is what drives me every training camp to push as hard as I do. It was a lot of that, pushing myself, waking up early, going to bed late and just pushing a little too hard and I ended up injuring myself. It happens but I learned from it and I learned how to pull through it and hopefully it don't happen again.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): We had Michael Chandler on the show last Thursday and he said that he doesn't think you'll be able to stop his takedowns. How big of a concern is his wrestling coming into this fight?
Eddie Alvarez: It's a concern and it's something we addressed coming into my camp. It's great that he's coming into the fight with that sort of confidence. I don't want to defend my belt against a guy who's not so sure of his ability. Everybody sees themselves fit to be unstoppable and you don't know until you get in there. Usually when you're that confident and you get in there and you realize, "Damn, these things that I thought were gonna work aren't really working," that's when they usually change their tune, change their attitude and everything goes south from there. That's what we're planning on doing to him at a very early stage in the fight. Everything going south for him and him realizing that he's a lot less dominant than he thinks he is.
Matt Bishop: Eddie, did you have a chance to really watch him? How much of the lightweight tournament did you have a chance to watch in terms of scouting your other opponents and what did you think of Chandler's performance in those three fights?
Eddie Alvarez: Mike, he reminded me of myself early in my career. He seemed like the better athlete, the better conditioned, the more responsible, more accountable fighter in that he's been training serious and everything like that. He reminded me a lot of myself. He's very used to dominating and very used to being in dominant position but he's yet to be in a fight. He hasn't been in a real fight. He doesn't know what MMA is. He don't know what a fight is. To deal with some serious adversity and have to bounce back.
I was young and I thought I knew what fighting was about when I was beating guys up and knocking guys out left and right but it wasn't until someone put me in a fight and put me in positions that were very unfamiliar to me that I learned how to fight. That's sort of my goal on Saturday, to make this a true fight and the people tuning in will see that. We'll see how it goes with that.
Matt Bishop: Can you talk about Philadelphia Fight Factory, which is really becoming one of the best unheralded gyms out there right now. Also. what fighters do you pattern yourself after, do you take anything out of a certain fighter's styles?
Eddie Alvarez: Yeah, I just watch fights in general. I'm a big fight fan and I try to pick stuff up from each person. I kinda am developing. I feel like every day I'm developing my own style. I don't try to emulate anyone but Fight Factory as far as up and coming gyms, we can make a case, I'm a world champion, we've got Zach Makovsky, he's a world champion. Sam Orepeza, he's inactive now but he's doing really well and we've got a lot of up and coming guys who are unknown but anybody who comes into Fight Factory on any given Saturday knows real fast that there's some high level guys.
They're unknown but they're very high level guys whether it's boxing, wrestling or jiu-jitsu. It's always a really highly competitive atmosphere at the Fight Factory and we have people that come in just to get ready for their training and with me and Frankie Edgar sort of forming an alliance, that's helped us grow stronger because Frankie's coming in. We have guys, Lyman Good came in a couple times. More and more people are starting to come in and recognize the name and when we have outside guys come in, we end up getting different looks and we start improving as a team.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): There's already rumors before this fight with Michael Chandler about you taking on Shinya Aoki in February. Is that a bit of a distraction at all?
Eddie Alvarez: Nah. I haven't even thought about it. I don't even know. As far as I'm concerned, it's not even, I hear that he's signed and it's whatever but as far as I'm concerned, it's not even real. I have one goal in mind and I've only had one goal in mind for the past four months and that's Mike Chandler and I feel, I really feel like in these last four months, I've grown leaps and bounds from what I was as a fighter in every aspect of the game and to me, the outcome of this fight means shit. I've gotten so, so much better as a fighter in general. Nobody can take that away from me and I feel like that's really, really gonna show come Saturday and I'm just psyched to get out there and let it out.
Matt Bishop: You mentioned this improvement your making and you just turned 27 years old. Do you feel like you haven't even come close to hitting your peak as a fighter yet?
Eddie Alvarez: I haven't. I haven't because I haven't, how can I say this, I haven't dove into the single aspects of the sport as I wanted to and I did that this camp. I haven't dove into the single aspects of wrestling. I haven't dove into the single aspects of jiu-jitsu and when you start doing that and training them literally and then taking them and knowing that, "Man, I can use this sort of wrestling to set up these punches," or, "I can use these punches to set up this sort of wrestling," or, "I can use this jiu-jitsu move to create a scramble," that's when you start really opening your eyes up. For this fight, of course I'm fighting a wrestler and I got to really dive in and understand the mentality of a wrestler and how they fight and what they want to do and what they're gameplans are and it just opened up my eyes big time. Me, myself, have become better at each aspect and I'm just really happy with the gains that I've made.
Matt Bishop: This is a question submitted from our listeners. One person wants to know, as a great fighter, is it difficult for you to know when not to fight in other situations in life?
Eddie Alvarez: Well I'm married and I have three kids so I'm a big believer in picking and choosing your battles. For the most part, I'm pretty passive aggressive. When I was younger, I thought I had to prove a lot to everyone around me, even to random people who didn't matter and these days, I feel like there isn't a situation that comes up that can't be resolved not through anger or fighting but just by simply figuring it out and taking your time and looking at yourself and saying, "What can I do to make this situation better?" rather than pointing fingers all around and telling everyone they're doing things wrong. I don't feel like, as a person in every day life, jeeze, I'm not a fighter at all. I'm always trying to put out fires and resolve situations. It's only a couple times, maybe three-four times a year that I have to actually get in there and let my aggression out.
Matt Bishop: Another listener question. When is your brother Albert going to make his pro debut and what does he look like as a fighter?
Eddie Alvarez: Albert has another amateur match coming up on December 3rd. The name of the promotion doesn't come to my head but I spoke with Albert a while back and he didn't want to necessarily fight MMA because he thought, "Well everyone's gonna judge me, say I'm doing it because you're my older brother," and I kinda told him, "Even if you do MMA and you become world champion, people are still gonna talk shit. They're still gonna say things so you might as well do what's in your heart and do what you want to do regardless of what anybody thinks," so he's doing it. He's 3-0 as an amateur. He scored an eight second knockout in his second fight. He has all the tools. He has the genetics. He has everything it takes to be a fighter. He's a good listener and he's gonna do well. He's on the right path.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): This question is from Ben Thapa and it's something he's always wanted to ask you. Going back to your Japan days, what was going through your mind during the Kikuno crucifix and after you got out? That was one of his favorite Japanese MMA moments of all time.
Eddie Alvarez: The crucifix, sincerely, I didn't feel when I was in it that I was in danger. I put my thumbs up to the ref, I told him I was fine. I just didn't really feel like I'm in a wrestling move here. I'm not gonna tap to this and so it wasn't until after he let me go when I went to take a step that I realized my legs weren't under me and that's when I got a little bit panicked and I actually turned around and I ran (laughs) because I didn't want him to catch up with me so soon when I was not ready for him but to be honest with you, when I was in it, I was thinking, "Ok, this'll pass," sort of like if someone has you in a head lock. You know you're not in a submission but you just kinda stay still and wait for them to waste their energy.
That's sort of the mentality I was thinking. When I stepped out of it, i realized my legs were a little wobbly and I knew there was a fight ahead of me. I ran, he caught up with and thank God when he caught up with me I caught him with a good shot. That kinda backed him off a little bit and gave me enough time to recover but yeah, that was a stick situation. I've never been in that before so I've got to add that one to the adversity bank and move on.
Matt Bishop: You mentioned you've been looking only at Michael Chandler for four months now. The fight is finally gonna be here on Saturday. What do you see happening when you and Michael Chandler step into the cage on Saturday on MTV2?
Eddie Alvarez: As much as Mike trained and I know he trained with the guys at Xtreme Couture, I have a ton of respect for them guys and they're a great camp and everything but they haven't been crazy successful lately. If you guy's have seen, Gray didn't beat Frankie, my teammate and Jay Hieron took an "L" and they just seem to be losing left and right so we want to keep that streak going. I don't feel like they have a guy in their camp that is gonna be able to mimic my speed, mimic my footwork and the things I'm able to do in there so I don't see anything other than being completely dominant. I don't know if Mike will be able to keep up with the way I move and how fast I move. Look for some lightning quick movement and in all honesty, this should not go the distance. It should end early and it should end fast.
You can follow Alvarez on twitter @EdAlvarezFight and you can check out his website AlvarezMMA.com.
So what do you think, Maniacs?
How big of a threat is Michael Chandler to "The Silent Assassin's" Bellator lightweight title? Do you agree with Alvarez that he's too quick and too skilled for his opponent?
Sound off!
Posted in: fight, fighter, eddie, he, im
Read the full article at MMA ManiaInterview with Team Lakay Wushu Founder and Head Coach Mark Sangiao
This FanPost Was Promoted to the Front Page by Anton Tabuena
Mark Sangiao is the founder of Team Lakay Wushu which has a burgeoning reputation in the MMA world and is home to many of the best fighters in the Philippines. He first started fighting back in 2003 and amassed a record of 5-2 but now his attention is now focused full time on training top Filipino fighters like Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario and Kevin Belingon.
The Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) is the pinnacle of Filipino MMA and its champions can lay claim to being the best in the country at their respective weight class. Team Lakay Wushu is so dominant that it currently boasts an incredible four URCC champions amongst its ranks.
Folayang has the welterweight belt, Banario is the lightweight champ, the flyweight strap belongs to Belingon and another Lakay Wushu fighter, Roy Docyogen, holds the pinweight title. It's an impressive collection of silverware, particularly given how high the standard of MMA in the Philippines is becoming.
Lakay Wushu, which is based in the mountains in Baguio, came from humble beginnings. Sangiao started it in the days well before the UFC became a multibilion dollar business and MMA had impressed itself on the consciousness of the Filipino nation,
"I started Lakay Wushu legally in 2006 but it really started in 2004, only it was just called just Wushu then. I was training alone from 2003 to 2006 and watching youtube footage. I also joined a Judo team and I have a background in Wushu from before plus I did Jiu Jitsu training in Baguio."
This team of one has grown in the intervening years and now boasts almost 30 professional fighters who train together everyday. Some of them have jobs, some of them are still students but the likes of Belingon, Banario and Folayang are all full time fighters.
(from l-r) Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario and Mark Sangiao at Colt 45 URCC XX
Folayang is starting to make headlines all over the world after following up three solid wins at Martial Combat last year with a very impressive performance against highly rated Korean A Sol Kwon in the main event at ONE Fighting Championship 1.
He has trained with Sangiao for an entire decade and his coach feels that it was only a matter of time before he made the breakthrough into the international mainstream,
"I first met Eduard when he started training kickboxing with me at 16 years old, then when I started training Wushu he changed to Wushu too. I am not surprised how successful he has been because I know how he trains and his attitude in training. Even if he is the first to arrive he will still be sprinting at the end of the session and that is reflected in his fights."
Folayang is extremely popular in the Philippines and his exploits fighting overseas have helped to raise the profile of Lakay Wushu. Sangiao feels that as well as being a fantastic fighter he is also a great ambassador for the sport because he consistently puts on exciting fights,
"His style is really entertaining for the fans but it makes me worried because when I saw his nose was broken in his last fight I started to worry that maybe the doctor would stop it. He really has the heart of a fighter, even if he has broken his hand or broken his nose or is covered in blood he will still persist and will never give up."
The win over Kwon was the most lucrative of Folayang's career because he walked away with a $5,000 fight of the night bonus which he is using to build a house in Baguio. Sangiao believes his other fighters are not far behind and it is a matter of when, not if, they make their mark on the international stage,
"Eduard is very famous now in the Philippines, when he walks down the street people recognize him. Maybe one year or two years from now I think Kevin, Honorio and Roy will also be famous. Kevin has a lot of potential and his career will be good. All the fighters have different styles, Kevin likes submissions, Roy likes to use his hands and powerful takedowns, Honorio like to use boxing but Eduard is complete."
Lakay Wushu recently signed up to the ONE Fighting Championship network meaning that its fighters will be able to fight for URCC, Dare Championnship, Road FC and Cage Fighting Championship as well as ONE FC itself. Sangiao was delighted to put pen to paper on this deal and thinks it will have huge benefits for all his fighters,
"I was really happy to sign this deal with ONE FC. I was amazed by how big the first event was and I was not expecting this because it was much much bigger than Martial Combat last year. I heard that the ONE FC network would be putting on 35 events in 2012 and I think this will give a lot of opportunity to our fighters so it is very good for Lakay Wushu."
Muay Thai tourism in nearby Thailand is huge but the Philippines has yet to attract many visitors looking to train martial arts. Sangiao is aiming to expand Lakay Wushu in order to allow tourists to come and train alongside his team of Filipino fighters,
"It will help our team and our gym to have more students coming and training with us. There are already a few tourists, they are always welcome and we are planning to set up a permanent camp up in the mountains in Baguio with accommodation so everyone can stay at the camp."
Sangiao teaches Jiu Jitsu and Wushu himself and employs additional coaches to help with boxing. He is also the tactician and masterminded Folayang's strategy for the fight with Kwon,
"He had a knee injury before that fight so we focused on his boxing skills. In his fights in Martial Combat he took his opponents down so we thought the Korean would focus on defending takedowns and we changed the plan. When we spar we always spar striking so we are more focused on striking."
There are some excellent grapplers in Baguio, including Eric Kelly who used to train with Lakay Wushu and has a 6-0 record with all six wins coming by way of first round submission. Sangiao does not know exactly where the ground fighting knowledge comes from, and no-one in Baguio seems to have ever been graded or have any idea as to the linage of the techniques they learn,
"None of us have belts in BJJ because we never do anything with the gi but when we compete we sometimes beat those who have belts. I don't think submissions is our weakness but we want to punish opponents, not submit them, that is our style of fighting."
Banario recently scored the first submission win of his career at URCC 20 and admitted afterwards that he had wanted to finish the fight in this way to show that Lakay Wushu fighters did have ability on the ground. Sangiao thinks that the URCC provides a fantastic platform for Filipino fighters and also helps give them the edge when they compete overseas,
"The URCC helps Filipino fighters a lot because there are the only promotions in the Philippines, there are others but they are not as stable. I also think fighting 10 minute rounds helps the fighters because they have more cardio and when they fight overseas they can easily fight five minutes because they are used to fighting 10."
For more information about Lakay Wushu visit: www.wix.com/lakaymma/online
Posted in: fight, fighter, wushu, lakay, sangiao
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter Season 14 Live Blog
Last week on The Ultimate Fighter 14, the semifinals kicked off with Team Miller’s Dennis Bermudez defeating Akira Corassani to punch his ticket to the featherweight finals. Also, the pranks continued as Michael Bisping used a fire extinguisher to clear out the gym, upsetting not only Team Miller but his team as well.
Rather than a simple recap, throughout the festivities, this fall 5 OZ will be providing live commentary during each episode including assessments of each fighter and breakdowns of the action, not to mention a snarky remark or two relating to the behavior of coaches and contestants.
Read below to get our take on things as they unfold in this week’s episode (and make sure to join in on the discussion in the “Comments” section below:
Posted in: fighter, team, team miller, featherweight finals, fire extinguisher
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainStephan Bonnar ready to make things ugly at UFC 139
Some fighters avoid getting dirty at all costs through constant counterpunching or opting to lay-and-pray their way to victory. UFC light heavyweight Stephan Bonnar is not among that group.
Though Bonnar has unquestionable talent and could likely play it safe if so inclined, “The American Psycho” recently admitted he prefers the opposite based on the effect absorbing damage appears to have on his performances in the cage.
“My coaches know that the uglier the fight gets, the more I get hit, the more I rise to the occasion and the better I fight. Sometimes that is what it takes to get it out of me,” Bonnar explained in an interview with the UFC’s website. “When I fought Rashad (Evans) he kept taking me down and playing jiu-jitsu on top. After the fight I just wished he would have started smashing me in the face a couple of times to light a fire under my ass. Then maybe I would have got up and made it a fight instead of playing jiu-jitsu. So sometimes I need to get into a really ugly fight to dig deep and draw the best out of myself. I hate to say it, but it’s the truth.”
The site of blood streaming from Bonnar’s brow is nothing new to longtime followers of the 34-year old who undoubtedly remember his epic encounter with Forrest Griffin in 2005. Though their back-and-forth battle may have changed the course of MMA history, Bonnar himself has remained the same in terms of his approach to competition.
“Yes, I will be chasing a bonus; I’m going for Fight of the Night. I’m not going to fight a smart fight – I’m going to try to put people on the edge of their seats,” Bonnar explained of his match-up this Saturday at UFC 139 against Kyle Kingsbury. “I mean, if I can catch him in a submission then I’ll take that. But if I lose the fight, and get Fight of the Night, I’ll make more than if I just win the fight boringly so…that’s part of my gameplan.”
Bonnar Plans to Avoid Ever Becoming a Boring Fighter
Bonnar will enter bout with a pair of wins in his rear-view mirror including a strike-based stoppage of Krzysztof Soszynski and an outpointing of Igor Pokrajac at the Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale. However, the fight with Kingsbury is his first of 2011 after being sidelined with a knee injury.
Bonnar vs. Kingsbury is set to open up this weekend’s main card with other PPV pairings including Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story, Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles, Cung Le vs. Wanderlei Silva, and headliners Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, vs, bonnar
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC Quick Quote: Frankie Edgar is an amazing fighter but he's not unbeatable
"Frankie's tough. He's shown it again and again. But Gray kind of laid out a blueprint for how to beat Frankie for one round, so now if someone could figure out how to keep it up for two, three, four, five, I think they'll possibly be successful. He's an amazing fighter and I think he'll have the belt for a while, but there is no one that you feel can't be dethroned or that is unbeatable or anyone you fear, at least in my opinion. I think he's a great fighter, but, again, I don't (label) him untouchable."
-- Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez tells Heavy MMA he thinks UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar is an "amazing" fighter. But that doesn't make him untouchable. In fact, Gray Maynard laid out the exact blueprint for defeating "The Answer" at both UFC 125 and UFC 136. In short, put the pressure on and knock the crap out of him for five rounds. That's easier said than done, of course, as evidenced by the fact that "The Bully" failed in his conquest, though he had one very successful opening round in both fights. Is Melendez the guy who can take that game plan and make it work for all five rounds? He may very well be but first, he'll have to get through Jorge Masvidal on Dec. 17. Edgar, meanwhile, has a date with Ben Henderson, who could also execute that strategy, on Feb. 26 in Japan. If both men emerge victorious, it's highly likely a unification bout will be in order. Anyone care to venture a guess on how that fight would play out? Would Melendez be the one to take Edgar's title away with the strategy Maynard couldn't keep up?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, edgar, frankie, he
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBas Rutten says Alistair Overeem doesn’t want to pay the people that made him
Bas has done everything you could possibly imagine in MMA, including things that you once imagined, but forgot when you realized that you should focus on your school work instead of living vicariously through what you believe someone's life consists of. That's an incredibly long sentence. Some people's attention span will turn off mid-way through, but you must persevere through the rest of the sentence. It's a complete thought, you must believe. Believe in the English language. Also, don't forget to believe that Bas Rutten absolutely went off on Alistair Overeem in Paul Lazenby's blog including saying that Overeem won the K-1 World GP due to a string of incredible luck.
It's a money thing. He simply doesn't want to pay the people who made him. When he lost three fights in a row...well, like pretty much 5, I mean, he lost, won, lost three times in a row, won, and lost again...and nobody wanted to have him.
But his management kept pushing and using the power that they have because they have other great fighters. Like, for example [they would say]: "If you want Semmy Schilt to fight, then you have to take Alistair as well."
It's funny how fighters think. When it goes bad with them, their team is everything to them, and they love their team. In interviews after they win a fight, they say: "I owe everything to my team". Then when the management starts to put great fights together for them, directing their careers and the fighter gets better and better, some of them simply can't handle it, and it gets to their head.
I had a bad feeling already when he called himself, after he won the K-1 Grand Prix, a "legend". He actually said in an interview right after he won: "I am a legend now". I don't think a fighter can ever make that comment about himself.
And talking about the Grand Prix, let's face it, he had a great deal of luck as well there. He fought Peter Aerts who had a WAR with Semmy Schilt [previously that night] and was completely banged up, and then he fought [Gokhan] Saki, who had a broken arm AND hand, in the finals! At that moment when you win, you should say: "I'm very happy with the result, the stars were in line for me tonight, I also got a little bit of luck". Because everybody is going to say that about you anyway, you might as well simply say it yourself to keep the people respecting you, but NOT: "I'm a legend".
I KNOW what Golden Glory did for him. He couldn't punch or kick when he came to them, and I mean, HE COULDN'T PUNCH OR KICK! Some fighters get big and then forget who was fighting for them when they were losing. Two months ago, he wanted to make a belt for the Golden Glory team with "FOR CHAMPION MANAGEMENT" engraved on it. Those were HIS words after they made this huge contract for him, and now he says they are morons? He used them to negotiate the best deal and when they did it, now suddenly they are morons? Explain that to me. It's unreal.
Also, a few months ago, when they started to get close to a good deal with the UFC, he realized that he could make a lot of money. The first thing he did was go to Cor Hemmers, his striking coach, and tried to renegotiate the 10% trainer's fee.
You have to understand, [a deal like Alistair's UFC contract] is a dream for trainers, because there is a possibility that they create, with the help from management of course, a fighter who can make some REAL money for them. Because let's face it, most trainers don't live in a huge house, don't drive a big car, they do it for the love of the fighter they train. They put their whole heart and soul in there.
When a fighter's lost three in a row, and there is no hope for him, the trainer is always there for him, helping him again and again, and the management is trying to find fights for him. Understand as well that trainers like Cor Hemmers and Martijn de Jong are busy with the fighter 24 hours a day. I talked to Cor in the past and he told me he couldn't sleep from all the tension, and about thinking: "What's the best game plan for Alistair?" Also know that when Alistair [first] came to Cor, when he would get hit, he would turn his back to his opponent and didn't want to fight! You saw that when he fought his first K-1 fight in Holland, it was very bad. And when he was losing, [his trainers] were the ones who convinced him to go heavyweight since he was cutting way too much [to make light-heavyweight].
And you know what he said to Martijn? I know this because I talked with Martijn personally three days ago. When he told Martijn he didn't want to pay the 10% trainer's fee--and remember, Cor and Martijn SPLIT the 10%, so it's not 20% in total--Martijn told him that he was there with him for TWELVE YEARS, and that they trained him for so long and went through the ups and downs, especially the downs. And on top of that, he said that he was Alistair's friend this whole time, and made a big contribution to Alistair's success.
But Alistair said: "Yeah, if we have to talk about people who contributed to my success, then I also have to mention my cleaning lady who cleans my house for eleven and a half Euros an hour."
People, that's not even half of what Bas Rutten had to say about Alistair Overeem. I suggest all of you read the rest of the interview at Paul Lazenby's blog. No, in fact I insist that you do. [Source]
Posted in: fight, fighter, alistair, people, trainer
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC 139: Shogun Rua wants to become the first fighter to knock out Dan Henderson (Video)
When Mauricio Rua battles Dan Henderson at UFC 139 this Sat., Nov. 19, 2011, in San Jose, California, he wants to become the first man to ever knock "Hendo" out.
"I hope I can be the first to knock out Dan. He's a talented, experienced fighter. He has fought many tough fighters and been hit many times and has never been knocked out but I am confident and I trust my skills. I am going to go in there and give it my best. Hopefully I will be the first to knock him out."
Anyone think "Shogun" will be the man to finally knock Henderson out? Or will it be the Brazilian who falls prey to the dreaded "H-bomb?"
Posted in: fighter, henderson, dan, skills i, i trust
Read the full article at MMA ManiaHendo wants Bones Jones next
We deal in curses and the mystical here at MiddleEasy. Next to our alchemy lab in the office we have a state of the art GE brand disenchanting table with a healthy supply of vampire dust and troll lips. It's going to these lengths that we are able to identify the negative energy surrounding fighters that come out in sunglasses, have Eminem playing or God forbid in sunglasses with Eminem as their walkout music. If a fighter did that it may result in a serious injury, and we don't want to have that on our minds, we are guilty enough.
Normally when fighter X says he want's fighter Y next it's an MMA case of counting one's chicken's before they hatch, but maybe not for Hendo. MMAWeekly caught up with 'Decision Dan' (80% of fight fans misrepresent that nickname) to ask him about a bunch of stuff, then Jon Jones became the topic of conversation.
“I do think that would be a fight I would enjoy,” "He’s awkward and unorthodox and it creates something to think about and how to beat that, and that’s what excites me these days. Guys that are a big challenge, and he would be more cause he’s awkward and dangerous at the same time, but I think he matches up really well with me style wise.”
“I’m not one to buy into things too quickly. I’ve been doing this for a long time and seen a lot of guys beat a lot of tough guys really quick and then die out,”
Is this quote a case of Dan Henderson looking past Shogun this weekend? Or does Hendo know something more? I think he does and I will let you know what it is. Last weekend THQ released a video of Cain Velasquez defeating JDS in UFC Undisputed 3, later in the week they released this video of Hendo getting soccer kicked into oblivion by Shogun. Does the loser of the UFC Undisputed gameplay videos go on to win their scheduled matchup and does Dan Henderson somehow know and understand this? I guess we will find out this weekend.
[source]
Posted in: fighter, dan henderson, dan, hendo, fighter y
Read the full article at Middle EasyMMA Quick Quote: Fedor Emelianenko doesn't like lay-n-pray
"Still, I think there are some fighters who lay too much on their opponents, without delivering fans the exciting fight they deserve. In my opinion, MMA fighter should be a thinking fighter. That's the most important aspect - to think. And of course it's very important to be well rounded. It's great to see that a lot of young fighters keep moving in the right direction."
-- Mother Russia doesn't like lay-n-pray. Former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko, currently mired in an 0-3 slump, will try to get back into the win column against Jeff Monson on Nov. 20 under the M-1 banner at the Olimpiskiy Sports Complex in Moscow, Russia. And he'll try to do it (via LowKick.com) in a way that will please the fans, which means STAND-AND-BANG!!! Of course, that could have a lot to do with why "The Last Emperor" hasn't won a fight since 2009 but hey, at least he's delivering those exciting fights MMA fans crave so relentlessly. Anyone think this is the fight that will finally see the legendary Emelianenko return to form? Or will Monson utilize some good old lay-n-pray of his own and send Fedor to yet another defeat? Opinions, please.
Posted in: fight, fighter, moscow russia, laynpray, emelianenko return
Read the full article at MMA ManiaSubo Says: UFC on Fox (1?) Wrap Up
-First point: I didn't notice a number at the end of this event's name. Are numbering systems kaput? Will we see a Versus-style "just name it after the headliners" theme in the future? That seems unlikely, as it's been confirmed that every Fox card going forward will air two fights (and clock in at 90 minutes - fingers crossed for at least the possiblity of more fights making air). Just do the damn numbers - either integrate them with the PPV ones or start anew with Fox. You didn't spend all of these years conditioning us to dick with that now, did you?
-Second point: see the picture above. Nothing short of a flat-out slobberknocker would have satisfied the hardcores, who looked forward to this day in the same way that morons anticipate the Second Coming. This isn't pro wrestling: scripting what happens is a one-way ticket to oblivion and the federal pen. You put the best fighters in the world against each other again and again and you record what happens.
-Dana White has caught some flack for doing the same thing he always does after a card (ie, offer half-assed analysis of the main event while loudly proclaiming that he doesn't know what he's talking about). This time, he questioned why Cain was content to stand at distance with JDS instead of using his wrestling to try to secure an advantage. Well, news flash, everyone: so was Cain. He said after the fight that the game plan was to pressure and get in close, and that he just didn't execute what they had practiced. In addition to offering a more compelling fight and answering more questions (STILL don't know how JDS reacts to elite-level wrestling), doing so would have saved us another round of indignant blog posts in reaction to the most mundane of repetitive occurances.
-Benson Henderson really is a beast, and so is Donald Cerrone. Hendo's recent triumphs over Jim Miller and Clay Guida have really taken some of the shame off of Cowboy's 0-2 record against him; the guy is powerful, has great wrestling, is practically unsubmittable (prepares to e-mail dictionary in support of making that a word) and is putting time and energy into evolving his striking. Bendo won't be the biggest fighter or best wrestler that Frankie Edgar has ever faced, but his unique combination of attributes might be a tall order for the smaller champ.
-Anyone that doesn't like Clay Guida can fuck off.
-I still think Pablo Garza is awesome - it's just that Dustin Poirier is a better fighter right now. Great performance by the Diamond.
-I was impossibly wasted for the Facebook portion of this card (I'm going to blame it on excitement for the event - I mean. the UFC was on Fox last night. Wow. Holy cow. Can we just revel in that for a moment? As Letibleu said in response to Polly's post earlier, I miss just being a fan sometimes). Thus, I invite all of YOU to give ME... uh... YOUR favorites in the comments.
Posted in: fight, fighter, fox, clay guida, nbspgreat performance
Read the full article at FightlinkerRyan Bader ready to redeem himself after crushing losses
Ryan Bader stormed to the title of Ultimate Fighter winner by being aggressive and showcasing excellent wrestling. After a pair of losses to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz, however, “Darth” was unhappy with his changes in fighting style.
Now, after refocusing himself in camps with the likes of Aaron Simpson, the former NCAA Div. I All-American wrestler from Arizona State University feels like he is ready to put on a display that will impress the MMA world.
Bader faces Jason Brilz in a light heavyweight tilt this Saturday night at UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson. The bout will be televised by Spike TV.
“I’m going back to being that same fighter, but a more technically sound fighter,” said Bader, in a recent interview with UFC’s website. “I think I was missing some aggressiveness and was flat in the last couple fights. Looking at my training camps, I think I was over-training. The first fight with Jones was my first loss and a big fight, but what happened with Tito – I had to just put it behind me and move on.”
Bader’s new head coach, Tom Vaughn, has helped give him a sense of direction. He also started a gym with Simpson and C.B. Dollaway in Arizona called Power MMA & Fitness.
“He (Vaughn) has helped us out a tremendous amount. Having that game-planning, having that overall head coach. He’s been in the game for a while and he knows MMA,” Bader said. “I feel like a totally new fighter, especially in the stand-up area. I’ve learned from that loss and I’m happy with all the changes we made.”
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: saturday night, fighter, loss, bader, couple fights
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainThe most decorated team of stand up trainers in the world
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
Historically ambitious stand up fighters have flocked to Thailand to learn at the hands of legends like Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn and Anuwat Kaewsamrit but now an increasing number of renowned Muay Thai fighters are moving to Singapore.
Evolve MMA is putting together a collection of trainers which is unprecedented in the history of Muay Thai and includes Orono Wor Petchpun, Attachai Fairtex, Lamnammoon Sor Sumalee, Kongtoranee Payakaroon and Muangfalek Kitvichian as well as Namsaknoi and Anuwat. These are all names which live on long after their owners have retired because they belong to the very best fighters in the most competitive stand up sport on the planet.
Any fighter who wants to acquire world class stand up skils, be it for K-1, kickboxing, Muay Thai or even MMA would be well advised to come and learn from one of these Thai legends. The fighters currently at Evolve MMA include Shinya Aoki, Leandro Issa and Eddie Ng and with such a decorated team of trainers it is no wonder that their stand up skills are improving rapidly.
You could not find a team of Muay Thai fighters, past or present, anywhere else in the world to match the one currently in place at Evolve MMA and there is not even a camp in Thailand which can boast so many high calibre trainers.
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Posted in: mma, fighter, muay, trainer, thai
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC Sues The State of New York To Lift Mixed Martial Arts Ban
Despite their best efforts, the UFC has been unsuccessful in their bid to get mixed martial arts legalized in the state of New York in the past several years. Rather than wait for MMA legislation to stall out again, the UFC has decided to take a much more aggressive approach in 2012.
In short, they’re doing what they do best. They’re fighting it.
The UFC announced today that they’ve filed a lawsuit against the state of New York challenging the constitutionality of the state law that bans MMA, claiming the ban violates the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause, the Due Process Clause and other provisions of the United States Constitution. They believe the ban “infringes upon the rights of the fighters who want to publicly exhibit their skills as professionals and express themselves before a live audience, the rights of fans who would like to experience live professional MMA events, and the rights of those who train, publicize or otherwise advance MMA in New York.”
UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and Barry Friedman, one of the attorneys involved in the case, commented on the suit in the press release.
“MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and one of the most popular in the world,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of Zuffa LLC, owner of the UFC. “When we acquired the UFC, we went to great lengths to invite regulation and adopt substantial safety measures. MMA is now as safe as or even safer than many other sports and activities sanctioned in New York like boxing, for example, because it allows fighters to honorably tap out and involves far fewer hits. All the disciplines that go into mixed martial arts are performed live in New York; it is only their combination that is illegal. Denying fighters the chance to exhibit their training and skills before a live audience and denying thousands of New Yorkers the ability to watch their favorite fighters perform live is not only an injustice to them, but to the local markets that would reap tremendous economic benefits from hosting competitions. We believe the ban should be eliminated, and look forward to fighting live in New York.”
“It is unfortunate that we were forced to take the step of filing a lawsuit to overturn this senseless law, but the ban on live professional MMA infringes on the rights of countless New Yorkers,” said Barry Friedman, a constitutional law professor at New York University School of Law and co-counsel with Morrison & Foerster LLP for the Plaintiffs. “Despite sincere legislative efforts, the ban remains in place based on a flawed assessment of the sport’s supposedly ’violent message.’ This rationale is a patent violation of the First Amendment. In live events, fighters showcase their talents, communicate their convictions, show respect for their opponents and the art and tradition of MMA, and convey the importance of discipline, training and hard work. They also entertain their fans. Not only does the law prohibit live events, but as it is written it purports to ban other speech including media broadcasts and coverage of professional MMA. It is ironic that New York — in many ways the home of free expression, the global media, and the art world — would deny someone his or her fundamental freedom of expression. The Ban is contrary to what New York is all about. There is no legal basis for this unconstitutional ban to persist.”
To be clear, if the UFC wins the case, the ban will be lifted and MMA will be legalized in New York, according to Friedman.
Our resident NY MMA expert, Jim Genia, will have more on this story later today. In the meantime, a copy of the complaint can be found here.
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, york, ban
Read the full article at MMA ConvertThe UFC Hates Yoshihiro Akiyama
It shouldn't surprise anyone that Yoshihiro Akiyama, a true MMA star in Japan, will be fighting on the UFC's first Japanese card in over a decade at UFC 144. The confusing bit of news is his opponent, one time UFC title challenger Jake Shields. I don't know what Akiyama did to piss Joe Silva off, but the UFC is doing him no favors.
He's had one of the most perplexing careers inside the octagon. After narrowly defeating Alan Belcher at UFC 100, Akiyama has gone on a three fight losing streak; which is actually quite common for Japanese fighters. What's strange is who he's been matched up with after each individual loss. Typically when a fighter of Akiyama's popularity goes on a similar losing streak, he's given a fight that is expected to be at the very least competitive. That's not what has happened here.
His first (official) loss in the UFC was against Chris Leben, in what turned out to be an incredible slug fest between the two. It looked as if Akiyama would get his second consecutive win in the UFC until Leben secured a brilliant triangle in the third round, putting an end to the sexyama hype train. It was a tough loss for the Japanese star, and showed he wasn't exactly the fighter he had been made out to be. It would also prove to be the start of a serious decline in his career.
After the Leben fight, Akiyama would meet Michael Bisping; who was coming off a win over Dan Miller. It was a questionable decision by the UFC, but understandable considering Akiyama's international popularity. Despite finding some success in the first round, he would lose a lopsided decision to the brit. This is where things get really confusing.
Following the loss to Bisping, he was scheduled to fight Chael Sonenn. Yes, that's right; following two consecutive losses, Akiyama was expected to face a man who was not only coming off a loss to the middleweight champion, but nearly beat him! It was absolutely a terrible decision by the UFC, and thankfully didn't happen due to Chael's run in with the law. But it didn't get any easier for Akiyama; his replacement opponent was none other than Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort.
Vitor was also coming off a loss to middleweight champ, Anderson Silva, and was looking to get his career back on track. I have no idea how the UFC justified this match up, and the fight turned out to be as one sided as you would assume. Belfort finished Akiyama only two minutes into the first round with a violent knock out.
Now in a last ditch effort to save his career, Akiyama has decided to drop down to welterweight. Unfortunately, his first fight at the new weight class will be against Jake Shields. Although Shields is on a bit of a losing streak himself, one of those losses was to welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre; the second was a knock out loss to Ellenberger only a few weeks after the passing of his father. It seems the odds are once again stacked against Akiyama.
As you can see above, these weren't scrubs Akiyama has been losing to. These are champion caliber fighters, often coming off a title shot, or are in line for one now. It's truly incredibly that the majority of these fights wen't to decisions when you consider the level of talent he was up against.
So why has the UFC decided to give Akiyama special treatment like this? Whether or not it was intentional, his career inside the octagon has been unusually difficult. At first, I thought perhaps it's pay. It's not profitable to stick an expensive fighter on the prelims, but Akiyama only took home $45 000 at UFC 133. This is actually low when you consider his popularity and the fights he's been given.
Could it be the UFC's resentment towards Japenese MMA, and their intent on proving they have the best fighters in the world? This is actually quite possible. Since their feud with Pride, the UFC has always seemed to hold a grudge towards Japanese MMA. I personally feel even going to Japan is in a way gloating about their current dominance over the MMA landscape, but that's a story for another day. Akiyama will be fighting Shields in front of his home country, and a loss would not only be humiliating for him personally, but the country as well.
In the end, this is all just speculating on my part. I don't know why the UFC has decided to give Akiyama such a difficult path in the UFC, and I feel he deserves an easier match-up to gain some confidence back. After these incredible wars, he deserves it.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, loss, akiyama
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendUFC Sues to Overturn New York MMA Ban
The UFC and a group of plaintiffs that includes fighters, fans, and trainers have filed a lawsuit against New York officials challenging the state’s law banning mixed martial arts events.
The lawsuit, filed today in U.S. district court, alleges multiple violations of the U.S. Constitution, including infringing the rights of fighters to “publicly exhibit their skills as professionals and express themselves before a live audience” and the rights of fans “who would like to experience live professional MMA events.”
In their announcement of the lawsuit, the UFC says the ban was imposed in 1997 when the sport was unregulated and prohibited elsewhere, but nearly every other state now allows MMA. It also notes that individual martial arts, including jiu-jitsu, boxing, and wrestling, are legal in New York and are only illegal when performed together by professionals.
“MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and one of the most popular in the world,” UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said in a statement. “When we acquired the UFC, we went to great lengths to invite regulation and adopt substantial safety measures. MMA is now as safe as or even safer than many other sports and activities sanctioned in New York like boxing, for example, because it allows fighters to honorably tap out and involves far fewer hits. All the disciplines that go into mixed martial arts are performed live in New York; it is only their combination that is illegal. Denying fighters the chance to exhibit their training and skills before a live audience and denying thousands of New Yorkers the ability to watch their favorite fighters perform live is not only an injustice to them, but to the local markets that would reap tremendous economic benefits from hosting competitions. We believe the ban should be eliminated, and look forward to fighting live in New York.”
The lawsuit comes after New York State legislature declined to legalize MMA yet again this summer, though the movement has made progress in recent but continues to come up short of approval.
For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, york, lawsuit
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUFC Sues to overturn NY Ban on MMA
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 15, 2011- The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a group of plaintiffs including fighters, fans, trainers and others involved with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) announced today that they have filed a lawsuit against New York State officials challenging the constitutionality of the state law banning live professional MMA events and associated activities (the “Ban”). The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenges the Ban for violating numerous provisions of the United States Constitution, including the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges the Ban infringes upon the rights of the fighters who want to publicly exhibit their skills as professionals and express themselves before a live audience, the rights of fans who would like to experience live professional MMA events, and the rights of those who train, publicize or otherwise advance MMA in New York. Plaintiffs point to the following as evidence of the irrational, unconstitutional nature of the Ban:• The Ban was originally imposed in 1997, at a time when MMA was unregulated and prohibited in many other states. Today, MMA is a highly-regulated, broadly popular sport, which experts and supporting safety data verify is as safe as or safer than many sports and activities that are legal in New York, including boxing, football and rodeo.• MMA is widely available on television in New York, and many New Yorkers lawfully train and spar in MMA.• Live professional MMA can take place in virtually every state except New York. • The individual martial arts that comprise MMA, including kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, judo, boxing and wrestling, are legal and performed live regularly in New York - it is only their combination, performed live by professionals, that is banned in New York. “MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and one of the most popular in the world,” said Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of Zuffa LLC, owner of the UFC. “When we acquired the UFC, we went to great lengths to invite regulation and adopt substantial safety measures. MMA is now as safe as or even safer than many other sports and activities sanctioned in New York like boxing, for example, because it allows fighters to honorably tap out and involves far fewer hits. All the disciplines that go into mixed martial arts are performed live in New York; it is only their combination that is illegal. Denying fighters the chance to exhibit their training and skills before a live audience and denying thousands of New Yorkers the ability to watch their favorite fighters perform live is not only an injustice to them, but to the local markets that would reap tremendous economic benefits from hosting competitions. We believe the ban should be eliminated, and look forward to fighting live in New York.”“It is unfortunate that we were forced to take the step of filing a lawsuit to overturn this senseless law, but the ban on live professional MMA infringes on the rights of countless New Yorkers,” said Barry Friedman, a constitutional law professor at New York University School of Law and co-counsel with Morrison & Foerster LLP for the Plaintiffs. “Despite sincere legislative efforts, the ban remains in place based on a flawed assessment of the sport’s supposedly ’violent message.’ This rationale is a patent violation of the First Amendment. In live events, fighters showcase their talents, communicate their convictions, show respect for their opponents and the art and tradition of MMA, and convey the importance of discipline, training and hard work. They also entertain their fans. Not only does the law prohibit live events, but as it is written it purports to ban other speech including media broadcasts and coverage of professional MMA. It is ironic that New York -- in many ways the home of free expression, the global media, and the art world -- would deny someone his or her fundamental freedom of expression. The Ban is contrary to what New York is all about. There is no legal basis for this unconstitutional ban to persist.” “Performing MMA live in front of a crowd is an unrivaled experience and allows me to speak to my fans,” said Plaintiff and UFC competitor Brian Stann. “I was attracted to MMA during my time in the Marine Corps, after I returned from my first deployment to Iraq in 2005 and was looking for a path that allowed me to stay motivated, and inspire others, particularly fellow veterans. MMA is a brotherhood that demands respect for your fellow fighters and rewards mental discipline and skill. It has given countless veterans a way to rehabilitate and connect with other military veterans and I am grateful every day for the ability to compete and inspire my fans.”
Posted in: mma, fighter, art, york, ban
Read the full article at UFCRyan Bader ready to get back to old self with new skills
A year ago Ryan Bader was seen as the future of the light heavyweight division. An Ultimate Fighter champion with an accomplished wrestling career and knockout power, Bader was on the path to stardom when he ran into a planet-killing meteor by the name of Jon Jones in February. Five months later, Bader found himself being finished by over-the-hill Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz and is now looking at the prospect of a three-fight losing streak.
Bader will look to snap his skid against Jason Brilz this weekend at UFC 139 as part of a lineup headlined by Dan Henderson having it out with Mauricio Rua. “Darth” recently spoke about the match-up where he explained he plans to get back to his old ways rather than rely on his old ways with an improved approach to implementing them.
Ortiz Has UFC 132′s Top Performance with Upset of Bader
“I’m going to go back to being that same fighter, but a more technically sound fighter. I think I was missing some aggressiveness and was flat in the last couple fights. Looking at my training camps, I think I was over-training,” Bader began in an interview on the UFC’s website. “My fellow training partner Aaron Simpson felt the same way and now in his last fight he felt great with different people running our training camps. Before, we were just killing ourselves day in and day out and when it got closer to the fight we felt like we had to put more and more in, which just beat our bodies down. Now, we’ve got the right formula in not over training and the right coaches. I’m ready for this fight and I’m excited. I want to go in there and get the win. I feel good. I feel like everything is in place. Mentally, I feel good and physically I feel I’m the best fighter that I have been since I first stepped into the Octagon.”
According to Bader, he’ll need to be every bit the fighter he was when racking up twelve consecutive wins to open up his career.
“Jason Brilz, every fight he is in, you know he is going to come after you for three rounds hard. There’s no quit in him at all,” the 28-year old explained of his adversary. “He had a great fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. We have a few common opponents in Eliot Marshall, (Eric) Schafer, and Nogueira, and he comes after you. He might not have the most technical standup, but he has power in his hands and every punch he throws is hard. You don’t want to take too many of those. He obviously has a good wrestling background and good submissions. He’s a dangerous opponent and I’m ready for him.”
Ready indeed, with Bader stating, “The fighter I am today, I would destroy myself even a year ago.”
“I guess you don’t realize it because you are in here every day and you don’t realize how you’re growing as a fighter,” he continued. “It’s kind of like a parent who might not notice how much their kid is growing as opposed to someone who hasn’t seen them for a few months. I feel like that’s how it is in the gym, in the trenches, but you do realize it. Like I’ve had sparring partners that would beat my ass back in the day that I went with recently and I was like how did that ever happen? Your progression is about being around the right people and the right training partners and that’s what we have going on now. We’ve always had our core training partners and we’ve gotten even more now and a great coaching staff. I’ve brought in guys who are like Brilz that are great wrestlers. I feel better going into every camp, especially with these losses, and trying to get better for the next win. It forces you to get better. If you’re not trying to get better after a loss then you don’t need to be in this game.”
Fans can catch Bader vs. Brilz on the Spike TV preliminary portion of the UFC 139 broadcast starting at 8:00 PM EST. Bader holds an overall record of 12-2 with wins of Nogueira and Keith Jardine among others.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, training, bader
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC on Fox Recap: 3 Things We Learned From 3 Outstanding Fighters
Junior Dos Santos is Here to Stay We all knew that JDS had a real shot at knocking out Velasquez and that the fight would probably be over with quickly, but for JDS to come away without hardly a scratch and to totally dominate Velasquez was definitely not expected. The fight was over with in [...]
Posted in: fight, fighter, do, velasquez, jd
Read the full article at Fighthub TVRecharged Bader Has Some New Tricks Up His Sleeve for Brilz
“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.” - Winston ChurchillNo one remains undefeated forever. That goes double in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, which features a litany of 225-pound athletic, super freaks cutting down to 205 to throw their high-speed knuckle bombs with only a strip of leather to cushion the blow. The Ultimate Fighter season 8 winner Ryan Bader learned that the hard way by racking up back-to-back losses by guillotine choke this year. While that was a difficult lesson to digest, Bader believes he has made the necessary changes to bring him not only back to his usual winning ways, but push him further as one of top fist-missile throwers inside the Octagon.“It was kind of a weird place where I was at,” says Bader about his mindset following the loss to Tito Ortiz at UFC 132. “I was winning before using a certain style, whereas now I'm a lot better fighter than I was - better technique wise. It became, do I use this better technique or do I go back to the old me where I was going out there and throwing big overhands all the time trying to knock people out or do I be more technical and keep evolving? It was hard to say 'keep evolving' because of having two losses in a row. I feel like I had gotten to the point in my standup where I was hitting a plateau with some people and I got some new people and it has opened up a whole new world for me to see what striking is really like and how it works for me.” “So I'm going to go back to being that same fighter, but a more technically sound fighter,” he continues. “I think I was missing some aggressiveness and was flat in the last couple fights. Looking at my training camps, I think I was over-training. My fellow training partner Aaron Simpson felt the same way and now in his last fight he felt great with different people running our training camps. Before, we were just killing ourselves day in and day out and when it got closer to the fight we felt like we had to put more and more in, which just beat our bodies down. Now, we've got the right formula in not over training and the right coaches. I'm ready for this fight and I'm excited. I want to go in there and get the win. I feel good. I feel like everything is in place. Mentally, I feel good and physically I feel I'm the best fighter that I have been since I first stepped into the Octagon.”At 28 years old, the two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler from Arizona State University is not a star struck rookie under the bright lights of elite level competition. Bader knows the ups and down of sports - you win some (13) and you lose some (2), but you progress to do better next time. After three years of fighting inside the Octagon, including winning TUF 8, Bader is experiencing a rough patch, but in some way it is a blessing in disguise. Bader has re-evaluated what he was doing in training, addressed what he believed were problem areas, and feels he has improved overall because of it. “The first fight with Jon Jones was my first loss and a big fight, but what happened with Tito - I had to just put it behind me and move on,” explains Bader. “I actually acted upon it this time and made changes and it has gone great so far. I'm glad that happened because I don't know if I would have done any of that if I had went out and had beaten Tito, and I don't think I would have had made any changes. I wouldn't have evolved to the point where I'm evolving right now. Losing sucks. It is a horrible feeling. I hated losing in college wrestling and I hate losing in MMA. I want to put on an impressive performance and get a win, first and foremost.”The key change was hiring Tom Vaughn as head coach. The ASU cagefighting triumvirate of Bader, CB Dollaway and Aaron Simpson started their own gym last year in Gilbert, Arizona, entitled Power MMA & Fitness. While putting together their own MMA sanctuary, the team didn’t lack for excellent training partners or specific style coaches, but they didn’t have an overall head coach to help blend it all together, as well as be the overseer monitoring their training. They solved this by bringing in Vaughn from the Fit NHB gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as he’s a coach who has groomed such notable fighters as Carlos Condit. “He has helped us out a tremendous amount,” boasts Bader. “Having that gameplanning, having that overall head coach. He's been in the game for a while and he knows MMA. Before, we had individual coaches as far as a Muay Thai coach, boxing coach, a jiu-jitsu coach. They all want to see you excel in their discipline and rightfully so. They want you to use your kicks, use your boxing and so forth. But the head coach can come in and see your overall game, get a gameplan down, and oversee your practices. It's so when I show up to the gym, I don't have to worry about what I'm doing, I can just do what the coach says. I've been working a lot on restructuring my game for what best fits my fighting style. I've dropped some things and added some things and I think it really has helped out. I feel like a totally new fighter, especially in the standup area. I've learned from the loss and I'm happy with all the changes we made.”The first chance to put Bader version 2.0 into action will be on November 19th at UFC 139 against Jason Brilz. The three-time NCAA Division II All-American out of the University of Nebraska at Omaha is in a similar situation as Bader, as he’s suffered back-to-back losses and is in desperate need of a win. Brilz lost a controversial split decision to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 114, followed by a totally uncharacteristic one-punch knockout loss to Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 129 in April. Brilz and Bader are both great wrestlers, both are durable, both have heavy hands, and both need a win, which should equal a gritty and exciting light heavyweight bout.“Jason Brilz, every fight he is in, you know he is going to come after you for three rounds hard,” affirms Bader. “There's no quit in him at all. He had a great fight with Nogueira. We have a few common opponents in Eliot Marshall, ‘Red’ Schafer and Nogueira, and he comes after you. He might not have the most technical standup, but he has power in his hands and every punch he throws is hard. You don't want to take too many of those. He obviously has a good wrestling background and good submissions. He's a dangerous opponent and I'm ready for him.”It seems counter-intuitive, but fight fans should know by now that with two powerful wrestlers squaring off in the Octagon, it usually means one thing: striker’s duel. “They'll see a lot more polished standup where I will actually use it,” asserts Bader, who has shown marked improvement in his standup since his UFC debut, but he believes we’ll see a whole new beast entirely. “Also, a lot of little stuff I’ve learned, like little ground and pound stuff that I had never seen before and little transitions. Overall, I'll be more technical and a better fighter on my feet, on the ground, and just everywhere. That's what I'm looking forward to - putting on a good show and getting the win.”The one thing that hasn’t changed this past year is Bader’s confidence in himself as a professional fighter. Only fighting three or four times a year in a sport where a fight can go from bad to worse to over in a couple seconds, it’s difficult to gauge how much better a mixed martial artist is than they were. MMA isn’t a sport for individual statistics; it only has the fatalistic win or loss. The athlete themselves can see or feel when they have gotten better. Bader knows without a doubt he is better at this sport now and he aims to show the UFC fans against Brilz.“The fighter I am today, I would destroy myself even a year ago,” declares Bader. “I guess you don't realize it because you are in here every day and you don't realize how you're growing as a fighter. It's kind of like a parent who might not notice how much their kid is growing as opposed to someone who hasn't seen them for a few months. I feel like that's how it is in the gym, in the trenches, but you do realize it. Like I've had sparring partners that would beat my ass back in the day that I went with recently and I was like how did that ever happen? Your progression is about being around the right people and the right training partners and that's what we have going on now. We've always had our core training partners and we've gotten even more now and a great coaching staff. I've brought in guys who are like Brilz that are great wrestlers. I feel better going into every camp, especially with these losses, and trying to get better for the next win. It forces you to get better. If you're not trying to get better after a loss then you don't need to be in this game.”This weekend, a re-focused and re-energized Bader will look to put the pressure on Brilz and secure his first win in 2011. “I really feel I can go out there and get a finish in this fight, whether that's on the feet or getting on top and ground and pounding - I really do feel like I'm going to catch him,” says Bader, who wants to get back to playing the alphabet game in his favor by earning some W’s with a few TKO’s meaning a whole lot of L’s for his opponents. “The stuff that I have evolved with in my standup is going to throw a lot of fighters off if they're looking at my past tapes. He's going to be expecting one fighter and another fighter is going to come out there and he's going to be in trouble. I'm looking to go out there and definitely finish him.”We’re all taught that everything in life isn’t about winning or losing, but who are we kidding? No one plays a sport, especially professionally, to lose. At UFC 139, Bader is going to try and tear Brilz’s head off if he gets the chance.
Posted in: fight, fighter, coach, bader, im
Read the full article at UFCUFC on FOX 1 results recap: Ricardo Lamas vs Cub Swanson fight review and analysis
It may have taken 11 months, but Cub Swanson was the final notable WEC holdout to make his UFC debut last night (November 12, 2011) on the UFC on Fox preliminary card.
Fans of his aggressive and scrappy style were given quite a treat in the first round, where it appeared that the Greg Jackson-trained fighter was going to at least run away with a decision against Ricardo Lamas, if not worse.
And then it all went awry.
Despite being the better credentialed striker and jiu-jitsu player, he found himself forced to cry "uncle" or face the consequences of being put to sleep in front of 15,000 rabid Anaheim fans.
So how did Lamas come back? And where do both fighters go from here?
Swanson found his range early, much earlier than Lamas and he utilized it well, keeping the Chicago based grappler on his heels.
If Lamas had any major advantage, it was in the wrestling department and he timed a strike beautifully to secure a takedown at the midway point of the first frame, but that played right into Swanson's submission game.
Swanson baited Lamas by turning to his right and then snuck his arm underneath Lamas' chin, squeezing with everything he had with an arm-in guillotine attempt.
Lamas first tried to slam out of it to no avail and then stood back to his feet as a last-ditch effort before losing consciousness.
When Lamas walked forward briskly towards the fence, Swanson either slipped off or felt himself losing his grip on the choke and released the former D III All-American wrestler from his clutches.
When they got back into striking distance, Swanson again had Lamas in trouble, this time after tagging him with some beautifully precise strikes but he couldn't put the tough wrestler away. Instead, he was content to stuff one more takedown and then ride out the round dominating with top position until the last 10 seconds.
This came back to bite Swanson in round two. He got a little overaggressive early, losing his balance during a wild kick attempt and eating a head kick to the face. When he tried to retaliate with a big strike of his own, Lamas easily changed levels and put him on his back. Lamas at first seemed content to ride out from top position, but when the Greg Jackson-trained fighter attempted rubber guard from the bottom, it forced Lamas' hand and he postured up, raining down some big punches.
While Swanson was trying to work his way back to his feet with his arm wrapped around the back of Lamas' neck, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt under Daniel Valverda struck hard and fast.
With an arm isolated, Lamas latched onto an arm triangle choke with his left bicep and then slickly slipped dropped down to increase the pressure of the choke.
WIth both men stuck close to the fence, Swanson had very little room to escape and after a desperation bucking maneuver failed, he was forced to tap out.
For Cub Swanson, he may not have earned a victory on Saturday night, but he did just about everything right in the first round. He learned an important lesson in not getting careless with your striking (which led to the takedown) or while attempting to get back to your feet (which led to the submission). Even though he lost, he definitely gained some fans with his exciting fighting style.
Possible opponents for Swanson could be fellow UFC on FOX loser Pablo Garza, Ultimate Fighter season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins or perhaps a cast member who is ready to step up to the challenge after The Ultimate Fighter season 14 finale.
For Ricardo Lamas, he put on a show with some crazy kicks and some solid wrestling, but his striking defense and overall stand-up ability still needs some work. He's got the exciting maneuvers down, but he needs to put more time in on his basic fundamentals. Terrific strikers who can keep the fight standing are going to eat him for lunch unless he can improve. It was nice to see that he didn't give up despite a rough first round. Lamas took home a cool $65,000 "Submission of the Night" bonus to top off the evening and it was well-deserved.
Some intriguing opponents for Lamas would be former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown, Javier Vazquez or perhaps Michihiro Omigawa as all three are on one fight win streaks and would be credible challenges. It will be interesting to see if he can keep it up as he rises up the rankings.
So what did you think, Maniacs?
Do you think Lamas won this fight, or did Swanson blow a golden opportunity? What did you think of the fantastic finish?
Sound off!
For complete UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. dos Santos" results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire pay-per-view (PPV) event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.
All gifs by Zombie Prophet via IronForgesIron.com.
Posted in: fighter, cub swanson, swanson, lama, fence swanson
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWhoa, this must be why Dana stands between the fighters during the weigh-in. M-1 fight during staredown.
submitted by WoodStainedGlass [link] [11 comments]
Posted in: fight, fighter, dana, staredown, woodstainedglas
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox Results: Dana White Needs to Keep Promoting his Fighters, Not Bury Them
If there was a downside to the UFC's first Fox show, for me it wasn't the short length of the Heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Instead it was Dana White's apparent burial of Cain Velasquez as a fighter and his failure to build up Junior Dos Santos in his win, either, in his post fight show remarks.
Maybe Dana White and co. had hoped the fight would go longer, but then he was the one who kept saying it didn't matter if it went 30 seconds or 30 minutes because of his faith in the fighters delivering. Junior Dos Santos' knockout power delivered in spades.
Matthew Roth touched on Dana White's comments in his Post Fight analysis, and provided a transcript of the particular comments that quite a few others took issue with. To his credit, White admits up front he's not a coach or strategist but his words as the very public figurehead of the UFC will always carry weight in influencing the opinion of new and casual fans.
When Dana White says "I don't understand why they didn't go for the shot early" and "They should have shot in on Junior Dos Santos knowing that he has the power early in the fight ...", to the uninitiated he makes it sound like it's all too obvious and that Cain Velasquez is a fighting simpleton. As if shooting in for a takedown with no setup has no consequence, as if a well timed knee or uppercut could never happen. We know these possibilities and the benefit of setting up takedowns using strikes, but the brand new fans the UFC were going after only have Dana White's word to go on.
White then says almost immediately afterwards "But the truth is that Junior Dos Santos gets tired at the end of fights, you know?". He's just told this new audience that could help the UFC's growth that the new Heavyweight champion isn't physically fit enough to go the distance. That's not exactly a glowing endorsement of a fighter you're meant to be marketing and making money off of, nor does it help a fighter build a bigger fanbase so they can financially benefit as well. White spends more time on what Velasquez did wrong than what Dos Santos did right and it benefits neither man or the UFC in general.
With Pay Per View buys being significantly down year on year due to obvious factors like the lack of Brock Lesnar and Georges St Pierre, the UFC needs to do a far better job promoting its other fighters as it can not afford its mouthpiece stripping them of their value because of the lack of thought that goes into his opinion. Yes, Dana White prides himself on his honesty and frankness and No, I don't expect him to completely bullshit the audience if there's a bad fight or if a fighter under-performs. But when he puts more effort into being a character witness to defend a fighter that slips up using Social Media than he does in making people want to watch the former and current Heavyweight champion fight again it's clear his energy as a spokesman often isn't focused where it needs to be.
After the page-break, Matthew Roth's transcript of the comments in question.
Listen, I'm no strategist and I'm nobody's coach but I don't understand why they didn't go for the shot early. They should have shot in on Junior Dos Santos knowing that he has the power early in the fight and tries to knock you out. But the truth is that Junior Dos Santos gets tired at the end of fights, you know? Here he is standing right in front of him trying to trade and bang with Junior Dos Santos and gets hit with that big right hand right behind the ear and down he goes. Down goes his heavyweight championship. I'll say it again, not saying that I'm some strategy coach but I don't know why they wouldn't take the shot on him and wrestle early.
It's one thing to feel a fight out but when you're standing right in front of a guy that you know his biggest weapons are his hands and he can knock you out and this thing is a five round fight. Get in there and start working him. Stay busy and put him against the fence. Rough him up and tire him out a little bit and bring it into the later rounds where Junior Dos Santos is well known for getting tired.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, dana, do
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowWe love Damarques Johnson and we aren't even trying to hide it
D-Zilla, you let us interview you when we were a fledgling MMA site that was thrilled to have creds to see Bobby Lashley defeat Bob Sapp. You were a product of Jeremy Horn and an Ultimate Fighter stand out. Our color palatte was black and red and their was stars everywhere. You were just beginning your UFC tenure and somehow our souls intertwined in this strange world of MMA in a weird grappling match of love. We have grown together, Damarques. We have compared MMA fighters to combatants in Street Fighter II, broken down fights in the animal kingdom. You've told us about training with Matt Hughes and some of the greatest fighters ever. Now you let us plaster our logo on your butt (or thigh) and you go knock dudes out some of the biggest fight cards around. You are the man. For that very reason I will post your knockout victory from tonight below, and like the eternal flame for JFK, it will be here forever and we will never let it stop playing, you baller.
Now check out D-Zilla's post fight interview with Ariel Helwani.
[source]
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, jeremy horn, color palatte
Read the full article at Middle EasyUFC on Fox 1 Fighter Bonuses Net $65,000
UFC reached a milestone with its first major event on network TV on Saturday night. Several fighters delivered, earning $65,000 post-fight bonuses for their efforts.
Posted in: ufc, saturday night, fighter, bonus, network tv
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC on FOX broadcast airs on the 18th anniversary of UFC 1
Tonight we celebrate UFC on FOX: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos."
But 18 years ago to the day, an event, unlike anything anyone had ever seen, took place in Denver, Colorado. The event was called "The Ultimate Fighting Championship" (UFC). The purpose? To see who was the best fighter in the world.
Fighters from all disciplines, from all over the world, came to test their skills against one another.
Though the event was billed as "no holds barred," there were a few rules in place to protect the competitors, like no biting and no eye gouging. There were no weight classes which meant that, since it was tournament format, any fighter could easily outweigh his opponent by more than 25 pounds.
The fight card consisted of athletes that at that point, no one had ever heard of before.
Gerard Gordeau, Teila Tuli, Kevin Rosier, Zane Frasier, Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock, Patrick Smith, Trent Jenkins, Jason DeLucia and eventual tournament winner, Royce Gracie, all convened in "Mile High City" to see who truly was the best.
Gracie, who was the smallest competitor in the tournament, amazed everyone with a fighting technique that not many people had heard of before. The discipline was known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). The undersized Gracie submitted Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordeu as he became the first-ever winner, taking home bragging rights along with a $50,000 check.
Throughout the years to come, the UFC fought tooth-and-nail to get the recognition and respect it deserved. From battling politicians such as Senator John McCain, who labeled the sport "human cockfighting," to trying to gain fans to accept a new style of fighting, it took 18 years but the UFC has truly come full circle.
Thanks to Zuffa, the UFC has received a complete makeover.
From adding rules, weight classes and getting sanctioned by the majority of stateside athletic commissions (as well as traveling to countries all over the world), the UFC is now one of the biggest and richest sports organizations on the planet. The days of people shying away from the sport may now be over.
Now, blue chips sponsors such as Harley Davidson and Bud Light proudly display their product throughout the UFC and it seems that everyone is knocking at the door trying to get a piece of the MMA pie.
From dominating the pay-per-view arena, to making millionaires out of countless fighters, to selling out arenas all over the world, the UFC, with its new FOX partnership, has finally been accepted into the mainstream world. The UFC will hold its first title fight on free cable TV tonight (Nov. 12), as it debuts on the FOX network.
The same FOX network that carries the NFL's Super bowl and MLB's World Series.
Unlike UFC 1, in which a young and undersized fighter dominated the night, two of the biggest and best heavyweights in the world will take center stage at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos will battle for the right to be called UFC heavyweight champion of the world.
Like Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin at the first ever Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Finale, Velasquez and Dos Santos have a chance to do something special for the UFC. The two heavyweights will be responsible for introducing the sport of MMA and the brand that is the UFC to a whole new audience and in the process, usher the promotion into a whole new era that will change the landscape of MMA for the years to come.
Happy 18th birthday, Ultimate Fighting Championship.
For UFC on FOX results and live play-by-play for "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" click here.
Posted in: ufc, world, fighter, fox, do
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBellator 57: Official Weigh-In Results
All but one fighter successfully made weight for tonight's Bellator 57 event in Canada.
Posted in: bellator, fighter, weight, canada, official
Read the full article at Heavy MMAHistory in the Making: Cain Velasquez stops Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110 in Australia
Whether or not it was too big of a step up in competition didn't matter to Cain Velasquez.
He wanted a shot at the UFC heavyweight title. And mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was standing in his way.
The two combatants were seemingly representing their respective eras in the fight game. The Brazilian was pretty much the poster boy for the Pride FC age of heavyweights, the most impressive collection the sport had ever seen. The young American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) fighter was the prototype for the new breed of fighters over 206 pounds:
Strong as a bull, but with speed to match.
They met inside the Octagon at UFC 110 in the main event of the company's inaugural visit to Australia and left the fans "Down Under" with something to cheer about. A brutal knockout ended the Brazilian's night early and paved the way for this evening's (Nov. 12, 2011) big show, UFC on Fox 1.
Tonight, live on Fox, the UFC presents its heavyweight champion Velasquez, taking on Brazilian challenger Junior dos Santos in a historic fights that is a watershed moment for the company that was once months -- possibly weeks or even days -- away from bankruptcy.
Let's take a closer look at the champ's bout with "Minotauro," as we prepare for tonight's festivities.
Are you ready?
Nogueira throws out a jab and Velasquez responds with a combination. The Brazilian returns fire with a flurry of his own, but nothing from either fighter lands. Just as the commentator touts the future heavyweight champion's diverse striking, the Mexican-American nails Nogueira with a leg kick.
Another leg kick -- this time to the inside -- lands and Velasquez threatens with a string of punches, none of which land flush. He steps back and the two fighters reset. The former Pride FC champion is content to allow his opponent take the center of the Octagon, opting to circle around.
A head kick from Velasquez is blocked and he nearly eats a counter for it as "Minotauro" barrels a left straight down the pipe. Another leg kick from the younger fighter is followed by a flurry of punches as he appears to be moving in fast forward, while Nogueira is stuck in slow motion.
Velasquez sticks and moves like a boxer in his prime, while "Big Nog" merely sticks like a pugilist whose better days have long since passed. Sluggish or not, the Brazilian can still take a punch. He gets tagged right on his chin, but doesn't even begin to flinch.
Twice over the Mexican-American throws out a quick one-two punch combination as a distraction to the leg kick he lands immediately after. Had this fight gone on longer than it eventually would, no doubt the beating that Nogueira's leg was beginning to absorb would take its toll.
At this point, the Brazilian begins to become more aggressive. No longer moving along the perimeter, he finds a home in the center of the cage, forcing his younger opponent to the outside. Another leg kick from the AKA fighter lands without repercussion and the two exchange, Velasquez landing a solid punch to his opponent's ribcage. They clinch briefly and the younger fighter connects with a knee akin to that of Nogueira's countryman Wanderlei Silva.
Seconds later, the Brazilian wades in with a right that Velasquez ducks under and counters with a combination of hooks -- first left, then right, and ending with another left -- that tags "Minotauro" on the jaw. No one knew it then, but that exchange would be the appetizer for what would be a knockout main course.
A little more than two minutes into the fight, Nogueira lunges in with the same right and the future champ makes him pay. He weaves out of the way and unloads with the same combination. The first left hook lands well, but the second doesn't.
That's because the right hook forced the normally iron-jawed Nogueira to crash toward the mat.
It's a position the Brazilian had found himself many times over in his career. He had built his reputation around being able to take a beating but still coming out on top. However, this time there would be no heroic comeback for the MMA living legend.
Velasquez immediately swarms on his fallen opponent and lands five unanswered punches before the referee is able to stop the action. A little more than three years into his career and at only 27-years old, the young fighter had accomplished what fighters like Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Filipovic and Randy Couture could not do.
He finished Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
The win put him directly in line for a title shot against the winner of UFC 116's main event between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. The champion -- Lesnar -- would retain that evening and the stage was set for the two heavyweight behemoths to collide at UFC 121 in Anaheim.
Velasquez would go on to win the title in California, which we'll detail later this afternoon, but the road to tonight's big heavyweight showdown truly began in Sydney.
Posted in: fighter, nogueira, velasquez, land, brazilian
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFighters make weight ahead of Saturday’s bout
All fighters made weight ahead of Satuday's UFC on Fox fight headlined by Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.
Posted in: fighter, do, fox fight, weight, satudays ufc
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC on FOX: Five Fights to Watch to be An Informed Viewer
While only one fight will be shown on FOX, there are still some significant matchups. Today we'll take a look at five fights you should watch not only because they are good fights, but because they speak to what the fighters can do. Someitmes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
Cain Velasquez vs. Cheick Kongo at UFC 99
This fight is unique in that it's the one fight in which Cain looked vulnerable. For Dos Santos fans, it's also foreboding. If Kongo, a relatively mediocre HW could catch Velasquez, why won't Junior, who is a much better boxer? While I think it's a fair point, it's also worth noting the incredible difference between this fight and UFC 110.
Cain had never displayed himself to be a consummate striker. Early on, he showed himself to be a savage in the clinch, but nothing to indicate he could strike at a distance. It wasn't until his absolute shredding of Nog that he showed real versatility. While I give Junior the advantage on the feet, I don't think the Kongo fight is a fair place to gauge his chances.
Cain was still a blue chip prospect at that point. And besides, if you can think of a more brutal punch to land and not KO someone, I'd like to see it. Cain's chin is phenomenal. I love both fighters in this weekend's HW tilt, but I've gotta believe Cain's ability to take punishment and go five rounds at the pace he maintains will be a factor.
Junior Dos Santos vs. Joaquim Ferreira at MTL Final
If we want to look at the respective fighters at their most vulnerable, perhaps it's fair to consider Junior's only loss. As with Cain vs. Kongo, it's an unfair gauge if you're looking to play the betting game. This fight was very early on Junior's career.
While Dos Santos has yet to be put on his back, it's still interesting to see how he reacted. Against Ferreira, he still showed decent takedown defense:JDS excels at using the limp leg, and being able to scramble. In fact, when Junior is put on his back, it's actually pretty impressive to see him flick Joaquim, a really good black belt, off of him. Really, it's Junior's mistake that costs him in his only loss because instead of scrambling to his feet, he jumps into Joaquim's guard.
It's difficult to use either fight to judge how the match this Saturday will play out, but they're revealing in their own way. For Cain, we've seen how he reacts to getting hit, for better and for worse. For Junior, we see what's capable of when put on his back, for better and for worse.
Clay Guida vs. Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 117
I can't think of a fighter who closely resembles Ben Henderson off the top of my head. But I think the Dos Anjos match tells us a few things about Ben's chances.
For one, it's worth noting that Dos Anjos made this fight very competitive. Like Henderson, Dos Anjos is a highly active fighter, both on the feet, and on the ground. In addition to having a killer instinct. Guida is typically at his most vulnerable when he can't dictate the pace or find his rhythm. Dos Anjos is not at the top of contender list, but still found success against Guida by virtue of giving as much as he took.
Opponents tend to land more when Guida has trouble finding success with the takedown. it's how he got stuck into wild exchanges with Roger Huerta, and Diego Sanchez. Can Ben replicate their success and potentially fight Edgar in Japan in February?
Ben Henderson vs. Jamie Varner at WEC 46
Similar to Varner, Guida is a fighter that primarily wrestles, and has good raw power on the feet. Unlike Varner, Guida isn't a headcase...or at least he's not a headcase in a way that negatively affects him inside the cage. To say nothing of the fact that Guida doesn't crumble under pressure so much as he crumbles when he's forced to embrace it.
At WEC 46, Ben made comfortable work of Varner. He used calculated, varied striking (at one point landing a fairly brutal snap kick to Jamie's face) to earn the victory, and should he do the same this weekend, I wonder what kind of success he'll have trying to decipher Guida's awkward head movement. Henderson will likely benefit if he takes a more measured approach. But then again watching him go into beast mode against Jim Miller, and I think it doesn't matter how Ben fights: he just needs to show up and be the superior fighter that he is...once again smacking down another UFC LW underestimating just how good the WEC LW division actually was. Guida is on record as saying "I've fought better". No offense Clay, but how many of those better fighters did you beat?
Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Kazayuki Miyata
Because you can watch the fight as fast as you can say "As God as my witness, he is broken in half!"
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs Kazuyuki Miyata 5/3/06 (via ACL720)
Posted in: fight, fighter, vs, do, guida
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendUFC on FOX Weigh-In Results
Filed under: UFC, UFC on FOXSANTA MONICA, Calif. -- The fighters took to the scale inside the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Friday to make it official before Saturday night's debut event on the FOX network. All fighters made weight in front of the enthusiastic afternoon crowd, but the weigh-in was mostly a ceremonial matter for the two main event fighters, both of whom clocked in well below the heavyweight limit.
While UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez drew cheers by thanking "La Raza" for their support, Brazilian challenger Junior dos Santos kept his remarks short and direct.
"Just one thing," said dos Santos. "Get ready for a war!"
Full weigh-in results are below.
Live on FOX (9 p.m. ET)
Cain Velasquez (249) vs. Junior dos Santos (239)
Live on Facebook and FoxSports.com (4:45 p.m. ET)
Clay Guida (156) vs. Ben Henderson (156)
Pablo Garza (145) vs. Dustin Poirier (146)
Cub Swanson (145) vs. Ricardo Lamas (145)
DaMarques Johnson (171) vs. Clay Harvison (169)
Norifumi Yamamoto (135) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (135)
Mackens Semerzier (146) vs. Robert Peralta (145)
Alex Caceras (136) vs. Cole Escovedo (134)
Mike Pierce (171) vs. Paul Bradley (171)
Aaron Rosa (204) vs. Matt Lucas (203) Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, vs, weighin, ufc ufc
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseBreaking Down Bellator: Ben Saunders vs. Douglas Lima
On Saturday, Bellator will crown two Season 5 tournament winners with both men moving on to a title-shot with a $100,000 paycheck in hand to boot. One of the fields has featured wild finishes where every fight but one has ended with stoppage, while the other has been highlighted by a wild and enthusiastic personality taking on a slightly more reserved fighter who ended his last bout with a huge exclamation mark. Yesterday I looked at the middleweight final, while today I’ll examine the welterweight war between UFC veteran Ben Saunders and rising star Douglas Lima. I don’t often get things right around here, but these two were my odds-on favorites for making the finals, and this is the fight I want to see most, so I can’t wait for Saturday!
A Breakdown of the Season 5 Middleweight Final
Welterweight Tournament Final: Ben Saunders vs. Douglas Lima
American Top Team has to be proud since they own both spots in the finale here. Lima and Saunders bring two completely different approaches to fighting into the cage. The outspoken Saunders looks for ways to draw eyes to his fights through his brutal Muay Thai attack and somewhat strange promises online. His latest? If he should reach 12,000 Twitters before his fight, he’ll attempt to use a Tiger Uppercut on Lima at some point. He previously promised to throw a Guile Flash Kick and scream obscenities, the latter of which was muzzled by MTV2 and Bellator.
Lima, on the other hand, prefers to speak in the cage, remaining silent throughout the tournament, with the occasional thank you to his fans, and urge to watch his fights. You won’t see any crazy promises or open discussions of Street Fighter because the 23-year old is a bit more reserved in the way he goes about his business.
Saunders is undefeated since his release from the UFC, including perhaps the most impressive victory of his career coming one month ago against Luis Santos. Many wrote “Killa B” off if the fight took to the ground. However, in a fairly shocking turn of events, Saunders easily dominated Santos on the ground and made it look easy with a third round submission victory.
Up north, I’m sure that’s news to American Top Team Atlanta who had probably thought Lima would have a decisive edge if it went to the ground. Lima had floated around from promotion to promotion until he was picked up by Canadian staple MFC and took their welterweight division by storm including a victory over their (then) blue chip prospect Ryan Ford. He followed it up with two stoppages before signing with Bellator to appear in the Season 5 tournament.
Lima’s been nothing short of impressive since debuting. A couple hiccups against Steve Carl in the first round were eradicated with a painful looking knockout victory over Chris Lozano in a fight where many labeled him as the underdog following Lozano’s victory over Brent Weedman. Lima enters the cage Saturday riding an eight-fight winning streak looking to challenge for Bellator gold at the end of this tourney.
Let’s take a look at some of the important tools coming into this fight, and who holds the edge in which area.
Experience Edge: Saunders
This one comes down more to the caliber of opponent Saunders has faced. Saunders has been up there with some of the best fighters already, and found his success at a young age. Lima toiled a bit before making his break but hasn’t been tested very often against the world’s best. Saunders was a bit unfortunate during his UFC run, being placed right smack dab in the middle of Jon Fitch‘s comeback to contention and near the tail end of Mike Swick‘s rise. Saunders’ fight has evolved so much over the last 18 months that it shouldn’t surprise anybody that the results may be different if it were done over again.
Striking Edge: Saunders
I’d never seen Lima strike so crisply until the Lozano fight, which is why I would’ve said Saunders in a walk beforehand. I still think he’s got better strikes, though Lima’s no slouch. Saunders’ Muay Thai is world class, and his foot strikes are probably the best at 170 in Bellator. He’s defeated so many opponents time and again with punishing knees. If this ends up in a clinch, Lima’s going to be in extreme trouble and he’ll want to take it to the ground quickly to get away. Lima’s got great power in his punches, and he’s capable of ending Saunders’ night with a few smartly placed bombs, but Saunders brings the much more multi-dimensional striking game to the fight, and you have to favor him in a standup war.
Grappling/Ground Edge: Slight edge to Lima
Two months ago I would have said Lima without question. Saunders had been dominated on the ground so often that I would say this would be a no-brainer. However, Saunders has been so good so often since joining Bellator that it’s hard not to give credit where credit is due and say this is much closer than before. I still think Lima’s overall experience and versatility may give him the technique edge, however, if Saunders comes in the bigger and stronger fighter, his BJJ skills might work to his advantage.
Momentum Edge: Slight edge to Lima
As I said with the middleweights, sometimes the hot hand feeds to the confidence a fighter brings into their fight and gives them a psychological edge. Saunders entered the wheelhouse of a BJJ specialist, and came out of it making his opponent look like he’d never trained a day in that discipline in his life. However, Lima has title gold around his waist from a fairly major promotion, defeating a couple of respected opponents in doing so. His versatile game was very much on display against Lozano, and showed his striking was closer to Saunders’ level than originally thought. Give Lima a very slight edge, simply based on the quality of wins that brought him here, and the longer winning streak.
I deemed the middleweight final between Vitor Vianna and Alexander Shlemenko the possible “Fight of the Night” but this is the must watch match-up from an MMA purist’s perspective. While Vianna and Shlemenko might remain standing, these two might just stay on the ground the entire time and put on a submission clinic. Both fighters are more than game, and I’m sure they know each others’ game so well that this could be a standstill of skill, or a “Human game of chess” as former pro wrestler Larry Zbyszko so eloquently put it.
Both fighters bring very compelling arguments into the cage for their respective. No matter who is victorious, Call it a win overall for American Top Team who can use this tournament to serve notice that they’re putting some of the world’s most elite fighters.
I didn’t make a prediction for the middleweights, but my feeling coming into this was that Lima would shock the world and take the tournament. With all due respect to Saunders, who I continue to like as a fighter, I’ll stick to my original prediction and take Lima in a split decision. I know it isn’t Bellator’s style, but I hope both fighters get a shot at the title no matter what happens. They both deserve it.
Bellator airs live this Saturday night on MTV 2 in the US, and The Score in Canada. Make note of the new start time which will be 7 PM Eastern, and 4 PM Pacific.
See you cageside!
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Posted in: fight, fighter, edge, lima, saunder
Read the full article at Fighters.comMMA fighters Sonny South and Maryellen Cano die in murder-suicide
submitted by phrogxix [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, maryellen cano, sonny, cano, phrogxix
Read the full article at RedditUFC 137 Drug Tests Come Back Negative
All 17 fighters who submitted drug samples at UFC 137 this past October were clean, including main event winner Nick Diaz.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, drug, october, drug samples
Read the full article at Heavy MMAWatch today's UFC on FOX fighter weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com at 7 p.m. ET
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - "UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" fighter weigh-ins take place today, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on
MMAjunkie.com.
Today's weigh-ins take place at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California, and the first
fighter is on the scale at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time).
In addition to the video streams, you can get live weigh-in updates in our text-only results post on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.
Posted in: fighter, video stream, place today, weighin, todays ufc
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings down for episode eight, average 1.4 million viewers
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings are in for episode eight of the Spike TV reality show.
According to numbers released by the cable television network earlier today, the latest episode garnered a 1.37 rating in males 18-49 and a 1.81 in males 18-34 for an average audience of 1.4 million viewers, down slightly from the 1.5 million viewers episode seven garnered.
Here's a look at how the TUF 14 numbers stack up to date:
Episode one: 1.5 million Episode two: 1.6 million Episode three: 1.3 millionEpisode four: 1.5 millionEpisode five: 1.6 millionEpisode six: 1.6 millionEpisode seven: 1.5 millionEpisode eight: 1.4 million
Eight episodes down, four more to go.
TUF 14 episode eight featured the usual shenanigans associated with the reality show along with Dennis Bermudez advancing to the featherweight finals with a second round guillotine submission win over Akira Corassani.
To see what they are and for a complete detailed recap of The Ultimate Fighter 14 episode eight click here.
Posted in: fighter, reality show, tuf, episode, millionepisode
Read the full article at MMA ManiaJDS, Cain focused on their fight, not stage
Saturday Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos will be on a stage no UFC fighter has been on before. But to them, it's the same old Octagon.
Posted in: fighter, do, ufc fighter, stage, stage saturday
Read the full article at sportsnet.caReport: Georgia Fighter Victim of Murder-Suicide
According to a local news report, two Georgia-based fighters were found dead in their home on Wednesday as a result of a murder-suicide.
Posted in: fighter, report, news report, georgiabased fighters, murdersuicide
Read the full article at SherdogVelasquez-dos Santos: Something has to give (Yahoo! Sports)
Never in its 18-year history has the UFC pitted main event fighters who have been more dominant than Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, do, yahoo sports, event fighters
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsAll UFC 137 fighters test clean
Every fighter tested at UFC 137 provided a clean sample.The Nevada State Athletic Commission emailed Fighters Only with a list of names and their test...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, test, list, commission
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUFC on FOX 1: Weigh in results
All fighters competing at Saturday’s ‘UFC on FOX’ card made weight successfully on the first attempt. Headliners Cain Velasquez...
Posted in: fighter, weight, saturdayrsquos lsquoufc, attempt headliners, foxrsquo card
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyNearly Every Fighter Drug Tested at UFC 137
Nearly the entire UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz fight card was tested for drugs of abuse and performance enhancing substances.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, drug, fighter drug, abuse
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyStill fuming from loss, new dad Mike Pierce ready for redemption at UFC on FOX
Mike Pierce is confident his bout at Saturday's landmark UFC on FOX event will tell us what we already knew more than two years ago: He's a better fighter than Paul Bradley.
The two welterweights first met at a regional show in April 2009, and Pierce upset the then-undefeated fighter with a unanimous-decision victory.
"I already beat him once," Pierce told MMAjunkie.com Radio. "It may have been a couple years ago, but we've both gotten better, and I think I'm still a little bit better fighter than him."
Posted in: fighter, fox event, mmajunkiecom radio, couple years, dad mike
Read the full article at MMA JunkieONE FC fighter Eric Kelly returns to the ring at URCC 'Rogue Magazine Black Tie Brawl'
After making headlines all over the world with his spectacular submission win at ONE Fighting Championship Eric Kelly will be back in action in the Philippines later this month.
His fight against Ricardo Sapna will be the main event at URCC 'Rogue Magazine Black Tie Brawl' on November 19th. He sent the unbeaten Mitch Chilson to sleep in the opening round of his international debut at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 3rd but this time Kelly will once again be facing Filipino opposition.
Sapna has a record of 3-1 with his most recent win coming at URCC 'Digman Davao' in August. Kelly is 6-0 and has submitted every single fighter he has ever faced, his URCC featherweight title will presumably be on the line. Although he has an exclusive contract with ONE FC this fight is able to go ahead because URCC is a part of the ONE FC network which allows fighters such as Kelly to appear on any promotion within the alliance.
Other fighters to benefit from being a part of the ONE FC network are Brian Choi and Vuyisile Colossa. Both men will be in action at Road FC in Korea next month and Choi will be putting his unbeaten record on the line against Bae Young Kwon while world class stand up fighter Colossa will be up against Yui Chul Nam.
URCC 'Rogue Magazine Black Tie Brawl' is taking place at the New World Hotel Grand Ballroom in Manila and guests are required to dress formally. Also on the card will be a couple of fighters coming off big wins at last weekend's Colt 45 URCC XX.
Reydon 'Red' Romero, who defeated Jessie Rafols in an absolute war at the World Trade Centre, will be moving up to featherweight to take on Michael Dan Rubio while the 'world's tallest bantamweight' Will Chope will be looking to make it two wins a row when he faces Miguel Alo in a fight which will also be at 145 lbs.
The full card is as follows:
Mario Sismundo vs Bong Garchitorena
Rendel Camensi vs Keiff Mangusan
Will "The Kill" Chope vs Miguel Alo
Michael Dan Rubio vs Red Romero
Melchor Cases vs Mitch Malli
Ricardo Sapno vs Eric Kelly
For more information visit: www.urccmma.com.
Posted in: fighter, vs, urcc, kelly, tie brawl
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Episode 8 Recap
Complete recap and results for episode 8 of The Ultimate Fighter 14. Features Dennis Bermudez vs. Akira Corrasani.
Posted in: fighter, episode, recap, bermudez, akira
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUnderrated Lamas Gets Chance to Shine against Swanson
Ricardo Lamas doesn’t make a lot of noise. Maybe that’s why when discussion about the next generation of featherweight contenders hits the internet message boards, you don’t hear much talk of the Chicago native. The ice is starting to thaw though, with the former WEC standout getting plenty of positive notices for his UFC and 145-pound debut in June, when he blasted out tough Matt Grice in less than a round. But it’s this Saturday that will tell the tale, as he meets up with longtime contender Cub Swanson on the UFC on FOX card in Anaheim. With a win, he propels himself into that ever-intriguing featherweight contenders’ mix, and with a big win, he won’t be the guy under the radar anymore.“I’m just gonna sit back, keep doing what I’m doing, and keep working hard,” said the soft-spoken 29-year old. “I think that eventually, all my hard work and everything will pay off, and I will begin to get noticed. It’s just taken some time. When I came out on the scene, especially onto the Zuffa scene, I only had six professional fights. I was very young in my career, and I was kinda thrown in with the lions and had to learn how to sink or swim. It’s been a long road, I’m improving and I keep improving every fight, so I think eventually it will pay off.”In that sixth fight, Lamas made the kind of debut on the big stage that most fighters can only dream about, as he decisioned veteran Bart Palaszewski in a WEC show on March 1, 2009. Suddenly, the former Elmhurst College wrestler was a player in the second biggest MMA organization in the world behind the UFC, and the fighters that he was watching on television just a few months earlier were now his peers and opponents. So how was it getting, as he put it, thrown in with the lions?“It’s interesting,” said Lamas. “With Bart, he’s been around for a long time and when I was first starting my career as an amateur and then as a pro, I remember watching him in the IFL and kinda looking up to those guys in a certain way because that’s where I wanted to be and that’s where I wanted to get to. Even in this fight that I have now against Cub Swanson, I remember watching him before I got in the WEC, and he’s a really exciting fighter and I enjoy watching him fight. So I’m still kinda getting used to that awe factor when I go out to my fights and I see all these big name guys and I have to remind myself that I’m on the same level with them. It’s still something I’m getting used to.”Unfortunately, time to get accustomed to new surroundings and a new level of opponent isn’t a luxury afforded to newcomers, and Lamas saw his final five WEC fights filled with three solid wins over James Krause, Bendy Casimir, and Dave Jansen, but also bookended by knockout losses to Danny Castillo and Yuri Alcantara. That’s learning on the job in its most primal form.“There’s definitely that experience factor,” he admits. “They know what to do, they don’t panic when they get in bad situations and they know how to handle themselves in the fight. Stuff like that is definitely something that I’ve noticed.”Lamas also noticed that he was giving away any size advantage to his foes in the lightweight division, and it was something that struck him as early as the Palaszewski fight. But when the WEC merged with the UFC in late 2010 and there was a logjam at 155 in terms of getting everybody fights, Lamas figured that it was as good a time as any to make the plunge into the featherweight division.“In the transition from WEC to UFC, I had such a long layoff because of that logjam you were talking about, so I figured it was probably the best time to take my time and get my weight down the right way and finally make that drop to ’45.”And given his wrestling background, the cut was smoother for Lamas than it is for most.“I think it (his wrestling background) definitely helps out because I’ve had to deal with that for so long. With wrestling, you really have to learn how to manage your weight to a point where you can be really comfortable because you have to weigh in pretty much every single week. You really learn your body and what you need to do to keep your body weight down and still be able to perform at a high level.”He delivered on all his promise against Grice, breaking open what was expected to be a Fight of the Night candidate with the thudding power that finished his opponent off at 4:41 of the opening stanza. Lamas isn’t bold enough to suggest a similar outcome against Swanson; instead, he thinks he may be in for that war everyone was expecting when he fought Grice.“You can’t take him lightly at all and you definitely have to come prepared,” said Lamas of Swanson. “He likes to give the crowd what they want to see, he pulls off some crazy techniques and flashy techniques, and he’s just a really exciting fighter to watch. I’m really excited about this fight, and I believe that we can put on a Fight of the Night performance.”If they do, then maybe Ricardo Lamas will be on his way to becoming a household name. “2011 was the biggest year in MMA for me, and 2012 I think is gonna be even better,” he said. “I’m training even harder, and I get better every day, so I think the fans can expect to see a more well-rounded fighter, and hopefully more people can notice me in 2012 and get to know me as a fighter.”
Posted in: fight, fighter, ’t, ’m, lama
Read the full article at UFCMendez Coasting Into the Main with Cain
There is a fervor slowly brewing that has been amassing strength for a decade now and it’s beginning to sonically boom into the ears and eyes of the masses. This rising fever pitch is the UFC debut on FOX on Saturday, November 12th, in which millions who have yet to experience mixed martial arts at its highest competitive level will have the opportunity to do so on free TV. With the event centered around the storied heavyweight division’s two standouts - champion Cain Velasquez and number one contender Junior dos Santos - it is fitting that in the background lie those who have literally laid the foundation on which this momentous occasion can stand. One such soul is Javier Mendez, the head trainer for Velasquez, whose personal history in the sport goes far beyond his work with the young champion. “If you look back in the history I’m probably the only guy that’s been involved in UFC since 1996 that’s still there. No one knows that I bet but I’ve been there since 1996,” said Mendez. Mixed martial arts began for Mendez in July of 1996 at UFC 10 in Birmingham, Alabama, with his first MMA fighter, Brian Johnston. It was an event that resulted in Johnston advancing to the semifinals of that night’s tournament after a first round submission due to strikes victory over Scott Fielder, only to lose to Don Frye in the same manner in his next bout. The event however, marked a change in the career direction of Mendez, a former kickboxer.“Brian Johnston made an impact for himself, so as a result I met (former UFC 205-pound champion) Frank Shamrock,” said Mendez. “Then Frank Shamrock came to my gym and wanted to know if he could train there. Under my direction Frank never lost a fight. He was the first UFC middleweight (205-pounds at the time) champion, then he became WEC champion and then he was the Strikeforce champion. Frank never lost with me, and as a result of Frank coming to me, BJ Penn basically was around the gym and says to me ‘hey, one day Javier, when I’m done with the (Jiu-Jitsu) Mundials, that’s what I want - I’m going to focus on my jiu-jitsu and win that world title, then I’m going to want to come talk to you about doing MMA.’ I said sure, and of course BJ wins the Mundials and then he comes and asks me to train him. So I started training BJ and as a result of BJ, then a lot more attention started coming to the gym and its pretty much history that everybody started coming in little by little and migrating.”The word ‘migrate’ took a different meaning for Mendez growing up in San Jose, California. One of five boys growing up under parents who were migrant workers, the life of a gym rat was never in sight as a youngster.“We were too poor to get involved in sports, so I just did after school sports with my friends. I never got involved with any activities like wrestling or football or baseball because just getting enough to eat was a hardship within itself. My dad was a forklift operator for a cannery with fruit. My mom would work in the summers with all of us in the fields picking cherries, prunes, cucumbers and strawberries, and we would do that every summer after school.”After an early beginning taking boxing lessons at 12 years old and then Tae Kwon Do after high school, Mendez gravitated towards kickboxing, eventually going pro and winning the light cruiserweight championship and light heavyweight championship. The success yielded a gym and a departure from a real estate job to pursue in his words, ‘a dream that makes no money.’ However, from that point on, and many successful fighters later, he found and developed Velasquez, a fighter that he admittedly didn’t even want at first.“The first time I met Cain Velasquez, they’re telling me we got this kid that has an incredible gas tank, he never gets tired but then I heard the word ‘Mexican’ and I was like ‘whatever, I’ve never seen a Mexican that’s a heavyweight that’s extremely athletic.’ I thought he was probably overweight, so I‘m not that interested in him.”Then Cain popped through the door and I had to take a double look at him. Then I watched him work out and the unbelievable discipline he had and I said ‘wow, this kid is special.’ Everything he did surprised me and still to this day he has the same discipline; he hasn’t changed one bit. He’s not the greatest athlete but he’s the greatest fighter I’ve ever trained.”Since Cain’s meteoric rise through the heavyweight ranks another has emerged with the same aura of invincibility in Junior dos Santos. The two’s clash will mark a new phase in MMA’s development, and Mendez feels it is a great pairing.“Junior dos Santos is by far the most dangerous opponent that we have yet to face; Junior is dangerous in every single area of MMA. I think he chooses to stand more because that’s his preference, but Junior can wrestle, has jiu-jitsu, can kick and is a total MMA fighter. The UFC is putting together the two best fighters in the world bar none. That sends a strong message and shows what they are willing to do to make the sport more successful. The most eyeballs are going to be on this and I call this the American Idol for MMA. The Finals, that’s what I call this.”With the stage set, Mendez is readying his fighter’s mind for a long battle, but one where the victor where gallantly engage in the ultimate of glories.“Cain’s focused for a five round war and I believe we’re going to win that five round war. Anytime we fight someone on the caliber of Junior we’re not going to make any predictions on knockouts because its more of a disrespect to how great of a fighter Junior is, and if we’re thinking we’re going to finish him, that’s a bad mistake on my and Cain’s part to underestimate someone as dangerous as Junior. But I believe 100% we are going to win.”
Posted in: ufc, mma, fighter, ’re, mendez
Read the full article at UFCBermudez stops Corssani, heads to final
Dennis Bermudez has moved into the featherweight final of Season 14 of ``The Ultimate Fighter,'' stopping motor mouth Akira Corassani.
Posted in: fighter, bermudez, akira, dennis bermudez, corssani heads
Read the full article at sportsnet.caUltimate Fighter Season 14 Live Blog
Last week on The Ultimate Fighter 14, the first round of the tournament wrapped up as Team Bisping’s TJ Dillashaw choked out Roland Delorme in the second round. Despite the win, Team Miller still led the competition by a score of 5-3. Also, the semifinal fights were announced with both coaches agreeing on all the match-ups.
Rather than a simple recap, throughout the festivities, this fall 5 OZ will be providing live commentary during each episode including assessments of each fighter and breakdowns of the action, not to mention a snarky remark or two relating to the behavior of coaches and contestants.
Read below to get our take on things as they unfold in this week’s episode (and make sure to join in on the discussion in the “Comments” section below:
Posted in: fighter, team miller, snarky remark, semifinal fights, roland delorme
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainIntroducing Chael Sonnen: One UFC fan's story about the fighter you never knew - MMAmania.com
submitted by alphahouse44 [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, chael sonnen, story, chael
Read the full article at RedditReport: Alistair Overeem Files Lawsuit Against Former Managers
Filed under: UFC, NewsAlistair Overeem is preparing for his first fight in the UFC, but he's reportedly preparing for a legal fight as well.
According to TMZ, the decorated mixed martial artist who will debut in the octagon against Brock Lesnar on December 30 has filed a lawsuit against his management team for their alleged refusal to pay him money owed from their deal.
It's no small amount, as the lawsuit alleges that they're holding out on paying him more than $150,000 he's owed. He's also seeking a court order to break his management contract.
On Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, Overeem revealed that he had left his longtime home, Golden Glory, due to a "major breach of trust," moving his training camp to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Overeem also called Golden Glory "harmful management" in his interview, suggesting that he was taken advantage of.
The lawsuit claims that Overeem agreed to give managers 35 percent of his pre-tax earnings. You may recall that in July, the UFC parted ways with most of the Golden Glory fighters they had under contract, with UFC president Dana White alleging that they insisted on business practices that made it impossible to work with them. Among them was an insistence on the UFC directly paying Golden Glory rather than its fighters, as is required by most state athletic commissions.
"We don't work that way," White said then. "It's not the way we do business. It's not how it works in the United States with the athletic commissions. You don't pay the managers and the managers pay the fighters. You pay the fighters and the fighters pay the managers."
Overeem's complaint suggests that Golden Glory was directly paid to some degree, as part of his missing income includes a bonus he claims he was due after signing with the UFC.
Overeem was part of the Golden Glory stable for more than a decade, winning heavyweight championships in Strikeforce and DREAM as well as the K-1 World Grand Prix while fighting under their banner. His first time away from them will come in Las Vegas, in the main event at UFC 141.
A Golden Glory official did not immediately return a message from MMA Fighting seeking comment on the lawsuit. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, overeem, fighter, glory, manager
Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.: Featuring Conor Heun
Reggie Warren is back with another edition of his new MiddleEasy feature: '11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.' this time featuring Strikeforce lightweight, Conor Heun, who was recently robbed at the 2011 No-Gi worlds this past weekend. Reggie Warren is the only pajama wearing, self-proclaimed redneck we know that can get Connor Heun to tell us that he quit his journalism major after reading an article about a girl who missed a goal in a soccer match. Enough of this brevity, read '11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.: Featuring Conor Heun' or feel the wrath of this.
You can also check out 11 Questions with Reggie Warren Jr.: Featuring Gray Maynard right here. Thanks to Esther Lin for the wizard-like photography. Be sure to follow Reggie Warren Jr. on Twitter.
Your nickname is ‘The Hurricane’, but shouldn’t it be Conor ‘The you can break my jaw in half and snap my arm in a few places, but don’t worry buddy, I’m still going to try my best to CRUSH YOU!’ Heun?I think that's a little long winded for a nick name. I think "Hurricane" is just fine. If a hurricane's coming you just get the fuck outta dodge. If I'm coming to fight you, you gotta know that unless you knock me out or put me to sleep I'm still coming. I'm working on fighting more intelligently and working on picking my shots a little more but the bottom line is that underneath everything is a very angry young man who is appalled at the audacity of anyone willing to disrespect me by signing a contract to fight me. Once you sign that contract, you've agreed that you’re gonna try to kill me and I'm gonna try to kill you. If I'm still breathing I'm gonna be trying to end you.
You seem like a well spoken young man, did you attend a community college?I wish. Instead I wasted $150,000 on wrestling lessons at Ithaca College in upstate NY. I went in as Journalism major but got fed up with that pretty quickly after reading an article in the school paper about a girl who missed a kick on a goal in a soccer match. The paper basically blamed the whole team not making the playoffs on one girl’s missed kick. It was bullshit and gave me a bad taste in my mouth about the whole profession. I studied Organizational Communication Learning and Design, which is basically common sense and Power Point, for another year before finally switching and eventually graduating with an English degree.
Do you worry about how your family and friends are feeling when watching you fight bloody wars like your last 5 fights?
Worry about family and friends? You must be mistaking me for someone who has normal human emotions. I fight because I'm a fighter. I was raised as a fighter, and I'll always be a fighter. Anyone who is close to me knows that fighting is in my nature and it's a way that I express myself. Fighting is an outlet for me to show my heart and show my skill and medium for me to work through my own issues with self mastery, self discipline and self discovery. Anyone I care about knows that I have a lot of growth and evolution ahead of me and knows that the fight is a means to that end, a way to know myself. I know it might be hard out there for people who love me to watch me fight but I'm always fighting. The "fight" is just the one time where the internal battles that I fight within myself everyday become an external, physical struggle rather than the internal struggle for self actualization.
The fight is really just a physical expression or representation of my quest for self mastery and self knowledge. It is really just a test or a measuring point on the timeline of the evolution of my soul. The fight is just 15 minutes where I'm able to show the world my progress on my path towards mastery. I'm blessed to be in the public eye because it keeps me honest about my progress because it's out there for everyone to see. I post pictures of myself after the fight, so that the world can see what the consequences for my choices are and so that I can look back and see what I've overcome. The bloody wars are far more rewarding than the unspoken battles I fight every day. At least the fights can be seen and can be inspiring to others. The hardest fight, the one I fight every morning, is when I get out of bed and put on my running shoes or wrap up my fists. It's my daily fight against myself, fighting against meritocracy, fighting against the status quo, fighting against the doubters who tell me I'll never amount to anything, that I’ll never accomplish anything, that's the hard fight. The dance in the cage is a break from the smothering solitude of a lifelong quest for self mastery and those who know me see it as such and are happy that I'm able to get some recognition for my dedication and a platform on which to shine.
Cold beer, whiskey straight, or a delicious fruity liquor type drink (maybe with an umbrella)?Listen Reggie, I like my booze just as much as the next guy but I know that it's not good for me. I have a real hard time with moderation. It's what has lead to my success in athletics and it's what makes drinking and the Hurricane such a volatile mix. I like to go hard or go home, and when I go hard it usually involves tequila and I usually don't make it home. I'm in a constant struggle to try and learn to take joy from the little things and enjoy things in moderation, but for me the smartest thing to do with drinking is not to start.
What feels worse during a televised MMA fight: Getting your arm broken or being punched really hard and hearing funny siren sounds?I guess getting punched because you go into a fight with the goal of hitting and not getting hit. I'm actively working to avoid punches and getting rocked is a clear indicator that I'm failing to do my job. Getting your arm broken is almost always a choice. A warrior enters into battle knowing what he is willing to sacrifice for the victory. I know entering the cage that I am ready and willing to die and I know that my opponent will try and break my limbs en route to the victory. I've already decided before the fight whether a broken arm is gonna be enough to stop me so when I encounter the situation that my arm is breaking, I've already prepared and accepted that this may happen over the course of the fight. What feels bad is recognizing that my skills were so poor that I was forced to sacrifice my arm for the victory.
You’re stranded on a desert island, you can bring one album, one poster with a celebrity on it, and one item of food for an all-you-can-eat buffet…what are you bringing?I guess I'd bring my Holosync meditation music which uses brainwave entrainment to help you reach a Theta brainwave state for improved meditation. I'd bring a poster with the monk on it who set himself on fire in protest as a reminder that life is suffering and that I should be thankful for the lessons and I'd bring some Häagen-Dazs Special Edition Midnight Cookies and Cream ice cream.
What do you say to those boxer type guys who always claim, “MMA dudes ain’t fighters…they just love to wrastle and touch each other”?I don't associate myself with individuals of this type.
Is there a particular fighter that you watch and respect in the UFC that you would love to fight because you know it would be a guaranteed slugfest war?I'd love to fight Genki Sudo because of the spirituality that he brings to the fight. He understands that we are all on our own journey and how we help and advance one another’s quest through combat and challenge. And yea I know Genki retired, other than that I just want to fight the best and I want the world to witness it.
Ok, let’s play a make believe game and pretend you’re a Dad with a 7-year-old son. You’ve just dropped him off at his first wrestling practice and you have visions of him being the greatest fighter on the planet. When you show up an hour later to check up on his progress, you find him eating donuts and playing imaginary games with the headgear in the corner of gym. The coach looks at you and says, “I don’t think this sport is for him”. What do you say to your son?You know this one is a hard one for me. I don't know what I'd do. I know that I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for the drive instilled in me by my father, who was my wrestling coach. Everything I know about hard work, dedication, determination, character building, and teamwork came through the pursuit of excellence in wrestling so it is very dear to me. I think some kids are fighters and some aren't. I'd like to think that I'd have the insight into my son's personality to know long before we got to the practice room whether or not he was a fighter. I believe in the pursuit of excellence above all else, but not just athletic excellence. I'd like to think I would be supportive of my son in whatever outlet he might choose to pursue but I'll be honest with you, I'd be a little sad because I know how much wrestling has given to me and shaped my development as a young man and I'd be sad that my son wouldn't be able to share in that experience.
Is there anyone that you’ve fought and became good friends with after?I had a pretty good battle with Jorge Gurgel and really came to appreciate his heart over the course of that 15 minutes. I wouldn't say we are good friends because he lives on the other side of the country but I really love the guy and appreciate his warrior spirit. As for my boys back home, I've fought just about all of my close friends. I'm a fighter and I like fighters, we aren't like everyone else. Most of us are real sensitive but have learned different ways of dealing with our emotions that serve us in what we are looking to accomplish. I understand fighters much better than I understand, say artists for example. There is something about a fight that brings people together. You may think I'm nuts but it's hard not to feel for your fellow man after you've both just given everything you have to destroy each other. It's almost like the bond that is formed between two people who share a traumatic experience together. Both men have dug deep into their souls in an attempt to best their opponent and anytime you are in touch with your soul you are in touch with the "oneness" that bonds us all.
Joe Silva calls you up and says, “We want you to fight Reggie Warren Jr. next”. Do you? a) Say to Joe, “You have the wrong number”. b) Tell Joe that we’re best of friends and might even be related. c) Take the fight, but call your doctors in advance and tell them to get ready for ya. d)Try your best to get in as many privates with Harold Howard and Ken Shamrock. e)Quit fighting and claim that you have back problems. f) None of the above in fear that you don’t want to choose the wrong one and make me angry. I'd tell Joe that I'm in but that I want no time limits, no judges, and no rules. We are men of action and the sport of modern day MMA does not provide the necessary platform for us to truly bare our souls. Two men enter. One man leaves. To the death. We owe it to ourselves to truly be tested.
Posted in: fight, fighter, im, id, reggie
Read the full article at Middle EasyLorenzo Fertitta: UFC on FOX debut will cost Zuffa $16 million ... but it's a worthy investment
Chump change!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will make its network television debut this Saturday night (Nov. 12, 2011) with UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," a five-round main event title fight between reigning division champion Cain Velasquez and number one contender Junior dos Santos.
If you're thinking "that's a pay-per-view (PPV) quality headliner," it is.
But a short-term loss is a long-term gain. That's according to UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta, who told the Sports Business Journal that he expects a healthy return over the next ten years thanks to FOX:
"When we were on Spike TV, that was a launching pad. We look at Fox as a bigger and better platform that could elevate the brand. We’re flat out going to lose money on this fight. But that’s the investment we’re making. Those are the steps we’ve got to take to make Cain and Junior pay-per-view stars and lift up the whole thing. Maybe we think a little funny here, but that’s well worth forgoing $16 million. Take that out over the next 10 years and we get a healthy return."
Fertitta's goal is to convert 100,000 freebies into 100,000 PPV buys, using the FOX network to re-launch the brand into the mainstream market in much the same way Spike TV did (on a smaller scale) back in 2006 with The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
Speaking of TUF guys, the proving ground for up-and-coming fighters is moving to a live format when it transitions to the FX channel in Spring 2012, with 13 live episodes followed by an all-live season finale to crown the next Ultimate Fighter champion.
The landmark deal, one that spans seven years and is valued at $100 million, may just be a series of "commercials" to attract advertisers, sponsors and PPV buyers through the recruitment of new fans -- and the re-introduction to old ones.
Anyone think the UFC has put its best foot forward? Or have you reserved judgement until the fighters actually throw down?
For more on the "future investment" of the UFC click here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fox, year, fertitta
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter 14: Episode eight recap and discussion for 'Bisping vs Miller'
Episode eight of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 "Don't do this at home, kids," featuring middleweight coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller, gets underway a little later this evening at 10 p.m. ET on Spike TV.
Tonight, Team Bisping pulls off "the wildest prank in Ultimate Fighter history," right before Akira Corassani and Dennis Bermudez face off for a spot in the live finale.
Be sure to stay tuned immediately following the show for our complete recap. In the meantime, go ahead and sound off in the comments section on all things TUF.
See you tonight!
Posted in: fighter, things tuf, bisping, jason miller, team bisping
Read the full article at MMA ManiaMMA 101: Looking at the most used strikes prior to UFC on FOX debut
On Nov. 12, 2011, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will make a giant leap toward carrying the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) mainstream when it showcases a major world title fight, Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos, live (and free) on the FOX television network.
UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. dos Santos" will be the biggest heavyweight clash the sport has seen, as well as the first time two heavyweights that are ranked number one and number two, respectively, will compete for a title since Pride FC heavyweights Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira collided almost seven years ago.
Since the birth of the sport, we have seen several martial arts disciplines invade and take it over, whether it's the Brazilian jiu-jitsu of Royce Gracie to the wrestling of Mark Coleman to the kickboxing of Mirko Filipovic. From there, it has been an art to integrate all forms of combat to become well rounded enough to compete at any level against any opponent.
MMA has a very diverse audience and most non-fringe fans today are very informed when it comes to knowing what is happening when two combatants step inside the Octagon. Whether it is grappling and submissions like we discussed yesterday, or whether it be the simple, subtleness of the striking game.
With striking phenom Junior Dos Santos and heavy-handed Cain Velasquez fighting on Saturday night, this is as good an opportunity as any to look at some of the most used strikes we may witness on primetime television from our living rooms.
Follow me into the extended entry for the breakdown, analysis and .gifs included:
Every MMA fight starts standing, so all fighters must have at least the most rudimentary fundamentals down. Whether they study boxing, kickboxing or Muay Thai, the fighters have studied some sort of striking-based discipline.
Boxing is centered on the usage of just your hands as offensive weapons in addition to footwork and head movement as your defense. Fighters like B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz are shining examples of fighters who rarely throw kicks, but have a very boxing-oriented offensive attack. Jabs and straights are the main focus of these types of fighters, as well as evasive techniques to slip punches and find homes for their counters.
Kickboxing is built around utilizing your legs as additional weapons. Kick strikes to the head, body and legs focus on really neutralizing your opponent and allowing you to be versatile with two more limbs at your disposal. Fighters like Pat Barry and Cheick Kongo are just two of many fighters who have very strong kickboxing.
Muay Thai and Thai boxing is the art of eight limbs. The arts foundation is on the idea that each limb should be used in combat, not just the feet and hands, but also the knees and elbows. Anderson Silva and Mauricio Rua are two vicious Muay Thai fighters. As a result, they have more in their arsenals than most strikers being that they have much more options to use striking.
Dos Santos will main event the inaugural fight card on FOX this weekend. The number one heavyweight contender is on a tear as he has never lost since entering the UFC ranks. He has won eight fights straight overall, seven of those under the promotion dating back to Oct. 2008.
"Cigano" has outstruck each and every opponent during that time, including finishing five of those foes violently with strikes. Notorious for being considered one of the most dangerous strikers in the world, he will look to pry the title from current champion Cain Velasquez.
To do that he will need to unleash his striking arsenal on the champion.
Easily the most important strike in the combat world of striking is the jab. The jab is a lead punch that is thrown with your lead hand. It is the strike that lands quickest as the hand is usually the closest to your opponent. While it lacks the power of other strikes, its effectiveness is unparalleled to any other strike (For a very detailed breakdown on the jab, click here and here).
Dos Santos fights out of the orthodox stance, which means his left leg and leg arm lead his body and his right side is angled backward. With the right hand further back from the lead hand, the added space allows more space to create more force and velocity. But, before talking too much about power, the lead hand is the most important hand for a fighter.
As you can see, dos Santos is snapping his lead left hand straight and parallel to the ground toward the face of his opponent. The lack of space between the hand and the face of the opponent makes the strike the hardest to anticipate and block. Even though it lacks power, it often accumulates damage as the fight wears on and can even cause damage such as cuts and swelling.
What dos Santos also does with these jabs is set up other strikes. With the jab in your face it is hard to anticipate what comes next. When you throw a strike immediately after the initial strike it is called a combination, which is what dos Santos delivers in this clip. He throws additional strikes, while stuffing the jab as far as he can into his opponents face, using it to blind him for the next punch, as well as get an idea as to the range he will need to throw it.
Such a subtle strike, with such significant implications.
The next series of punches usually thrown are the cross and the hook. The cross will usually follow a jab and is thrown with the rear hand, the power hand, and it will take a straight path to your opponent immediately behind the jab. A hook will be thrown by either hand and will usually be a combination finisher as it is thrown with a hooking motion from the side of your posture. It typically lands on the jaw or the temple at such an angle that it can render your opponent unconscious.
Dos Santos, however, has another devastating punch in his arsenal.
In complete contrast to the jab, the uppercut is a strike that has violent power and is thrown with a longer wind up. It is rarely a strike you lead with, yet it is actually the most effective as a closing strike to a combination.
As you see dos Santos throws an angled jab, which could also be a lead hook, and follows up simultaneously with the uppercut. The strike is thrown in a sling shot motion from underneath the shoulder and parallel with the hips. The fist starts very low and is thrust in an arching motion upward and will more often than not land on the chin if not the nose. Such a powerful punch has put the long lists of opponents for dos Santos in worlds of troubles, including the likes of Mirko Cro Cop, Fabricio Werdum, Shane Carwin and the pictured Roy Nelson.
The strike is so dangerous for several other reasons. Against a power striker like dos Santos, it can at times become a habit to hide the head behind your gloves and make a ducking motion. Sometimes fighters with wrestling backgrounds like Velasquez make the habit of ducking under jabs and shooting for a takedown. Both are opportunities to land the uppercut.
Dos Santos doesn’t strictly use his hands either. A very effective kickboxer, the challenger also has showcased more of his arsenal.
Throwing a head kick is very energy sapping; however, the power behind a kick often is a superior strike in terms of power. It is very common to have a kick blocked, but the power tends to still make a mark on the person you are kicking.
When you are attempting to avoid jabs and straight punches, it is easy to forget to protect the side of your head. The head kick ideally will land on the side of the face if not behind the ear and will cover a lot of area if the entire foot connects. Dos Santos here lands a kick that is partially blocked, but as you can see, the power still does damage and throws Carwin off balance.
Mixing up strikes only makes it harder to counter for the opponent and harder to get into a rhythm.
Before Junior dos Santos attempts to showcase his striking in his title fight during the main event of the evening, the undercard fighters will look to make their mark on this historic fight card.
One of those fighters is Cub Swanson, a fighter who hasn’t been able to stay healthy since WEC 52 where he won a solid fight over a fighter who has found some success since their fight under the UFC banner.
Swanson highlights very effective elusive maneuvers in this small clip of his fight with Mackens Semerzier. He moves his body around, making for a very difficult target to hit. He wings big punches while moving to avoid the counters.
What he also does is show a technique perfect leg kick. This is another strike that is unheralded at times and is virtually the jab of the legs (For a break down of leg kicks click here).
Swanson plants his feet and launches his rear leg in a chopping motion directly at the area above the knee and below the mid-thigh. The strike not only stings but accumulated strikes make walking very difficult and takes the explosion out of strikes and takedowns. It is a case where an offensive strike actually works defensively, too.
Make sure to remember the simplest of strikes such as the jab and leg kick end up being game changers as they can dictate the pace of fights and can alter the direction with one well timed combination set up with one of these strikes.
For more on striking breakdowns, this fanposts are focused around the striking aspect of mixed martial arts. The body shot, range striking and Muay Thai basics.
That is all for now fight fans, these are just a few of the more common strikes you may see Saturday night for the UFC’s inaugural event on FOX. To read a detailed breakdown of the most frequent submission attempts that you may see on Saturday night click here.
Posted in: fighter, do, hand, strike, jab
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDo UFC Fighters Pick Velasquez or dos Santos?
UFC fighters make their picks for UFC on Fox 1. Who did they go with, Cain Velasquez or Junior dos Santos?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, do, velasquez, ufc fighters
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyGotta love that female mma :D am I the only one who would defiantly watch a season of female ultimate fighter?
submitted by Fyuryus [link] [9 comments]
Posted in: mma, fighter, season, love, fyuryu
Read the full article at RedditUFC on Fox Predictions: Fighters Weigh In on Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
The UFC on Fox is less than one week away, and the UFC's marketing department is churning out content to make sure this is one of the biggest events the UFC has ever produced. Obviously, all of the focus is centered around the UFC heavyweight title showdown between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, a fight that is so intriguing to fighters that even the pros have a tough time picking:
Roy Nelson, Cheick Kongo, Matt Mitrione, Donald Cerrone, and Joe Lauzon all weigh in with their thoughts on the fight, but Lauzon seems to be the only fighter ballsy enough to lay down a prediction. Cerrone believes it won't make it past the second round, and Nelson tells the camera that the first two-and-a-half minutes will decide the outcome of the fight. The general opinion among the fighters? This is going to be the type of fight where you won't want to blink.
SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, joe lauzon, sbn coverage
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Fighters Predict Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Posted in: ufc, fighter, do, velasquez vs, ufc fighters
Read the full article at MMA ConvertNo One Wants Fighters To Make Boxing Money More Than Dana White
Money is a hot topic in MMA. Despite the fact that purses have increased over the years, many people complain that fighters don’t make the same kind of huge purses that some of the boxers do. That kind of criticism bugs Dana White, because as he explains in this video from the UFC 138 post-fight press conference, no one wants mixed martial artists to make boxing money more than he does. It’s not hard to figure out why. If the fighters are making more money that means Dana White and the UFC is making more money.
Despite the lack of eight-figure purses though, Dana says they have made approximately 40 fighters millionaires, 20 of which have become multi-millionaires.
Video via Kimura.se
Posted in: fighter, money, dana, boxing money, eightfigure purses
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC holding Ultimate Fighter auditions in December, accepting applications now
Does your tie put you in a submission hold every time you get dressed for a wedding? Have you broken your hand trying to shadow box? Do you lose your breath while strapping your Velcro your shoes? Have you been knocked unconscious by a strong gust of wind? If you answered “yes” to any (even worse, all) of these questions then you may not be the Ultimate Fighter. However, if none of those situations applies to you, and you weigh between 155 and 170 pounds, then the UFC is looking for you!
The UFC is now accepting applications for TUF 15 featuring lightweight and welterweight fighters. Of course you’ll also have to have at least a three fight professional MMA winning record and be 21 years old or older.
The show that has had some great, and not so great, fighters work through it’s paces has yet to announce the two fighters that will assemble their teams. But if it’s one things you can count on is top notch coaches leading a young core of combatants such as Brock Lesnar, Rashad Evans, Chuck Lidell, Georges St. Pierre, Tito Ortiz, and the always entertaining Quentin Jackson. So bring your gloves, bring your skills, and your nude dancing talent (if that’s your thing), and apply to be on the next TUF when it airs on FX in 2012.
Check Out the Latest Blog from TUF 14′s Marcus Brimage
Click this UFC link for more details on how to apply.
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, tuf, shadow box, welterweight fighters
Read the full article at Fighters.comBattle of the Books!
This past weekend Jake and I put on some pants and left the confines of our comfy blog basement to hit up New York City. The reason: to check out the Battle of the Books, a dual book release party / underground MMA event. Those of you who are regulars on the site know Matthew Polly, who contributes posts from time to time and is about to release his latest book, Tapped Out. That bad boy comes out on November 17th.
Also regularly linked on Fightlinker is Jim Genia, most famous around here for his acid trip recaps of The Ultimate Fighter. His book Raw Combat: The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts, just came out on November 1st. As it's name implies, Raw Combat is all about the sketchy New York fight scene so Jim had the connections to set their book release party up in a small basement gym in Manhattan that would also host several quasi-legal fights. Since I hadn't gotten my copy of Jim's book yet I didn't know what to expect. I figured maybe dudes would fight in headgear or elbows would be disallowed. Two minutes into the first fight I realized how wrong I was. As the two fighters crashed to the ground, they started kneeing each other in the head, PRIDE style. We were all crowded around the cage so closely you could smell the sweat coming off the fighters. The building was full of book industry types who watched as quietly as the Japanese at Saitama. You could hear the knees bouncing off skulls with a dull tuk tuk tuk sound. It was pretty damn gritty and real.
The night featured four fights, although we almost got five. After the fight designated as main event finished in three minutes, the promoter announced they were going to find a second opponent for the winner. We'd joked earlier about people stepping out of the crowd to fight in the cage and all of a sudden it didn't seem like such an absurd possibility. Unfortunately, the only guy willing to fight on such short notice was an hour's subway ride away so things wrapped up without another match.
(The rest is after the jump!)
read more
Posted in: fight, fighter, book, i didnt, jim genia
Read the full article at FightlinkerChris Leben's dangerous cut
One round into his five round fight with Mark Munoz, Chris Leben looked like he was ready to keel over and die. It's pretty fortunate that the fight was stopped between rounds 2 and 3 on a cut because according to Fighters Only, Leben dropped enough weight last second that dying was a distinct possibility:
Chris Leben cut nearly 21 pounds in 24 hours to make weight for his fight with Mark Munoz, Fighters Only was told ahead of last night’s bout.The 31-year old middleweight had “a terrible weight cut” and was in such bad shape before the weigh ins that medical staff were keeping a very close eye on him.A source close to Leben told Fighters Only on Friday that Leben had been left “shattered” by the amount of weight he had to cut on weigh-in day.He was in the hotel sauna from Friday morning hooded up and wearing layers of clothing as he sweated water out of his body.His dehydration and general condition was such that one of the medical team backstage said Leben would be pulled from the fight if thing deteriorated any further.
21 pounds isn't an unusually high amount of weight for a fighter to cut, but most prefer to do it over the course of a few weeks so they still have enough fluids to keep their organs working and brains protected.
I know, I know. Every time I write a blog about stupid weight cuts I joke about livers screaming "Nooooooo!" and brains bouncing off the insides of skulls. But this isn't some theoretical possibility. If I was a betting man (and betting was actually allowed in this bastion of freedom we call North America), I'd bet the first death in the UFC will involve someone who cut way too much way too fast.I won't bother you with all the grisly downer stories of amateur wrestlers suffering heart attacks or rhabdomyolysis. You can read all about that here and here. You can also get a little look into how our bud Mark Hominick cuts weight properly over at our sister site MMA Training.
All this info certainly puts Saturday's main event into a new perspective. And I'm sure Thiago Alves will be happy to know people will probably stop giving him guff for nearly missing weight again. At least his diet guru Mike Dolce seems to know what he's doing. Maybe Leben should give him a call because whatever is going on behind the scenes in Hawaii just ain't working. It might have cost him the fight on Saturday ... and more importantly his life.
(pic via the UFC's excellent UFC 138 gallery)
Posted in: fight, fighter, weight, chri, leben
Read the full article at FightlinkerDana White: Since 2006, the UFC has made millionaires out of 40 fighters (Video)
"From 2001-2006, we were almost $50 million in the hole. Over that time, not one fighter ever got paid late, no check bounced, no employee at Zuffa, ever. The Fertitta brothers funded this thing for that long. In 2006 we started turning a profit. From 2006-2011, I can't remember what the number is, but it's like 40-something millionaires. 40-something millionaires, 20-something multi, multimillionaires and the list goes on and on. That's from 2006-2011. Boxing's been around for 100 years. It was a mainstream sport before there was television. What we've been able to do, in that much time, is pretty phenomenal."
Boxing may have bigger paydays, but in five years, the UFC has been able to make tremendous financial gains. Not just in profit, but also in payouts. That's according to promotion president Dana White (via Kimura.se), who made millionaires out of 40-something fighters since getting Zuffa out of the red. Anyone care to speculate who makes that list? Or the more prestigious list of 20-something multimillionaires?
Posted in: fighter, list, something, millionaire, payouts thats
Read the full article at MMA ManiaIs there a website showing fighters when they were younger?
I think it'd be pretty cool to see how big of a change today's fighters went through. submitted by HungryAndFoolish [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, website, change, itd, hungryandfoolish
Read the full article at RedditUFC 138 Fighter of the Night: Renan Barao Continues Impressive Streak
Renan Barao is on a notable winning-streak and continued it against Brad Pickett. He's is the MMAWeekly.com UFC 38 Fighter of the Night.
Posted in: ufc, night, fighter, renan, barao
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyDana White: The UFC has made Millionaires out of 40-plus fighters
Following last weekend's event in Birmingham, England, UFC President Dana White addressed the recent remarks made by Nick Diaz regarding the lack of money available for competitors in mixed martial arts. White admits that the promotion didn't begin turning a profit until 2006, but says in the time since the UFC has made millionaires out of more than 40 of it's fighters. Photo: Scott Hirano
Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, fighter, weekends event, promotion didnt
Read the full article at Low KickUFC Names Twitter Bonus Winners
The UFC Twitter incentive campaign, launched in May at the UFC Fighter Summit, awards 12 bonuses per quarter rewarding creative and successful uses of Twitter. Fighters are placed into one of four categories based on number of followers as of June 1, the beginning of the quarter. Three prizes are given out within each: most total followers at the end of the quarter, biggest percent increase in followers over the quarter, and most creative use of Twitter. Twelve bonuses of $5,000 each will go to the following nine fighters: Most followers: Anderson Silva, UFC middleweight champion - 604,511Minotauro Nogueira - 176,852Demian Maia - 69,792Cris Cyborg, Strikeforce women's featherweight champion - 12,252Biggest percent increase in followers:Anderson Silva - 106.5%Minotauro Nogueira - 290%Demian Maia - 157%Paulo Thiago - 301%Most creative:Forrest GriffinFrom the dawn of TUF through his best-selling books, Griffin has been revered for his unique and comic voice. On Twitter, his messages are sporadic but unmistakeably Forrest. Notified of his win, he wrote: "Irony: found put on twitter I won a prize for tweeting" and "When the @ufc says most creative what they obviously mean is incoherent ramblings." Joe LauzonLauzon used a multi-platform approach to scoop the MMA media and break the news of his UFC 136 fight against Melvin Guillard... with the blessing of the UFC, of course (no leaks!). He wrote a post on his own site with his reasons for taking the fight and his (ultimately correct) prediction for how it would play out, then tweeted a link. Benson HendersonHenderson live-tweeted during the UFC 133 pre-fight conference call, giving fans access to what is usually a media-only affair. He also took questions from fans during the call, fully incorporating them into the event.Joseph BenavidezBenavidez held a Twitter contest asking fans to suggest and then vote on a new nickname, which was to be announced by Bruce Buffer inside the Octagon at Benavidez' August fight. The contest received over 1,000 mentions and 250 nominations. Brazilian fighters in particular benefited from a surge in popularity due to August's UFC Rio event. All of the fighters who nabbed "Most followers" and "Largest percentage growth" are Brazilian. UFC President Dana White and the UFC have long been proponents of fighters taking advantage of the social media platform. White famously instructed his athletes to "Tweet your asses off," believing the platform is ideal for engaging fans and building fighters' presences. Statistics on number of followers are tracked by Digital Royalty, a social media brand management company. Nominees in the "most creative" category were submitted by fighters, fans, UFC staff and Digital Royalty; winners were selected by White.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, fan, twitter, follower
Read the full article at UFCThe Surprises Keep Coming for Pablo Garza
Expect the unexpected. It’s a cliche, but each and every UFC fighter needs to prepared for just about anything to happen inside the Octagon. Specifically, for the opponents of Pablo Garza, they need to be ready for something “flying”. Both of Garza’s Octagon appearances ended abruptly with high risk, high reward maneuvers that netted him two wins and two bonuses. What was surprising to him wasn’t the knee landing or the triangle sinking in, but that his life had even led him into the cage. “I never thought I would be fighting in the UFC,” he admits. “A lot of people in the UFC will tell you it's been their dream ever since they saw Royce Gracie fight Ken Shamrock when they were a little kid and this and that. For me, I remember seeing those videos when I was a kid too, but I never had that dream of becoming a UFC fighter then. I more fell into this. I fell into fighting because it was competitive. I played college basketball and got into MMA because it was competitive. It snowballed and I ended up in the UFC. It wasn't my dream to be in the UFC - it just happened. Now that I'm in it - I feel blessed to be in the UFC.”It’s a dose of refreshing honesty that he no more predicted being a professional cagefighter than fight fans could have guessed the outstanding outcomes to Garza’s only two UFC bouts. Ironically enough, the guy who never anticipated competing in the Octagon was actually a part of UFC history by fighting in the company’s first featherweight matchup at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale on December 4th against Fredson Paixao. Garza introduced this lighter weight class to the UFC faithful with a bang in the form of a flying knee that knocked Paixao out just 51 seconds into round one. “‘The knee’, I do train that,” states Garza of his highlight reel Knockout of the Night, which he emphatically says wasn’t a fluke strike, but something his 145-pound peers have to be wary of. “I'm tall and everyone is usually shorter, so with the height difference, I believe I can land that probably better than anyone in the weight class because I'm taller than everybody.”He followed up the unlikely KO with the almost unheard of in the form of a flying triangle at UFC 129. Garza’s second outing in the Octagon was also historical, as this time it was a landmark event in Toronto, Canada at the Rogers Centre in front of the UFC’s largest audience of over 55,000. The record crowd saw Garza take on fellow countrymen Yves Jabouin, and the fight lasted longer than a minute, but ended in as exciting fashion as Garza jumped for a triangle from a standing clinch with Jabouin, nailing it for another win and a Submission of the Night award. “To tell you the truth, when we were in the back locker room warming up, my coach was shooting in on me and grabbing a single leg takedown and when I was warming up I just jump triangled on him when he went for that single leg and I landed it,” tells Garza. “People looked at me and laughed and were like, ‘you better not try that in the fight or you'll end up on your back and getting hurt.’ In the fight, I was landing knees on him in the clinch. I noticed the second time we clinched he put his arms down to block my knees. I just felt like I could do it, so the third time we clinched when he put his arm down to block my knees and left the other one around my head, it gave me the opening to just go for it. It was just instinct. I just went for it and didn't think what would happen if I missed or if I landed it. I felt like I had an opportunity to do it, so I did it.”At 28 years old and with an overall 12-1 career, “The Scarecrow” is slated, yet again, to fight on another significant night for the company: November 12th at UFC on Fox. The headlining bout is the very well publicized UFC heavyweight title match between Junior Dos Santos and champion Cain Velasquez. The first bout announced to be on the card outside of the main event was Garza vs. fellow burgeoning star Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier. Clearly, the UFC’s top brass wants some more magic out of these two featherweights, who truly do shine when the bright lights are on.“Dustin's really tough,” asserts Garza. “He's beaten some really good people. He's a really strong striker and comes straight forward. He's a good all-around MMA fighter in general. It's going to be a good fight. It's going to be a great opportunity for me to show off what I can do and to do it against a really strong opponent in Dustin Poirier. He's ranked up there in our weight class as an up and comer. He's beaten a lot of good people; he destroyed Josh Grispi and Josh Grispi was supposed to fight Jose Aldo for the title when he did that. He also beat an awesome striker in Jason Young. I have a lot of respect for him and have been training hard and can't wait to fight.”To prepare for the 10-1 Poirier, Garza is training in his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota at The Academy of Combat Arts run by his head coach Dylan Spicer. “The Scarecrow” is also making the drive across neighboring state lines to The Academy, formerly known as the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, owned and operated by the world renowned Greg Nelson. The two gyms have similar names, but not by coincidence, as Spicer’s facility is an affiliate of Nelson’s as Spicer is a protégé of his. Although new to the UFC, Garza is busy training with Octagon regulars like Jacob Volkmann and Nik Lentz while being taught in a system which has helped produce former UFC champions like Sean Sherk and Brock Lesnar. “When I first started training, I thought I was in good condition fighting in these local shows,” says Garza. “Once I got to train with them and seeing what actual training was for legit professional fighters in the UFC, it was a big eye opener. It showed the type of dedication that someone has to have. When Dylan came down here from the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy and came to Fargo, North Dakota and opened his gym, the type of practices he made us go through I would think, ‘This is too much. There is no way my opponent is training this hard.’ Then when I started going to The Academy, I was like holy s**t these guys are training just like that. It was another thing that Dylan brought to my attention and the other fighters’ attention at our gym was that this was the type of training we had to do to compete at this level; it was going to be really rigorous and strenuous. It was a big eye opener, definitely.”All fighters must thank their coaches for helping mold them to be the fighters they currently are, so that they could be in the UFC today. For Garza, it is a step further than that because it was Spicer who convinced him not to quit MMA and to give it one more year. In that rollercoaster year, Garza went from more local shows to his Octagon debut against Paixao. Garza is thankful for Spicer’s insistence to see where this sport could lead in a year, as well as for his continuing presence as a coach and friend.“With Dylan, our relationship started out as coach and student,” expresses Garza. “We've evolved into really good friends. We're more than just coach/student - we hang out all the time. He's the type of guy that just understands the whole MMA game. He understands what you need to do to be disciplined in all these areas. A person can train their Muay Thai and train their wrestling and train their jiu-jitsu, but if a person can't bring it all together in an MMA fight and if they can't transition from striking to a quick takedown into their submissions, then a fighter isn't going to last. Dylan, he really understands that part of the game of bringing it all together and bringing it to one. That's what makes him so good. I can honestly compare him to famous MMA coaches like Greg Nelson. He does it all by the book of what Greg Nelson does. He can break down a fight and break down a fighter. He's one of the coaches who knows how to bring it all together and he can teach what is hard to be simple.”On November 12th in Anaheim, California, fiery featherweights will collide as “The Scarecrow” clashes with “The Diamond”. It should prove to be wildly exciting, as both fighters are young and hungry and have yet to fail to deliver those metaphorical fireworks in the Octagon. For Garza, he’s willing to roll the dice in the cage as he is sort of playing with house money by competing at the highest level of a sport he never envisioned himself in. Regardless of its lack of predetermination, Garza is certainly game and settling in nicely to being a professional UFC fighter.“I'm just starting to realize that,” divulges Garza. “My coach is always telling me, 'you know you're a professional fighter?' It's hard to picture myself as a professional athlete. When I think of a professional athlete I'm thinking of LeBron James or someone in the NFL. But I've been training like a professional athlete. I do my two-a-days, I watch my diet, and I do my strength and conditioning. It's weird when I think of myself as a professional athlete. But it's definitely a good thing. Yeah, definitely a good thing.”If he can keep “flying” through the weight division, then Garza and fight fans can expect him to be a professional fighter for years to come.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, training, garza
Read the full article at UFCMMA fighters subdue armed gunman in robbery attempt at Los Angeles hotel
Maybe they aren't "Superman" Jon Jones or Seattle crime fighter Phoenix Jones but a pair of mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters can take a bow today for their heroism.
This tale starts as many of this nature do. Brent Alvarez and Billy Denney, who hail from Oregon, were in Los Angeles for a jiu-jitsu tournament. One night they were walking through the lobby of the hotel they were staying at when they heard the clerk cry out for help.
He was doing so because an armed gunman had just walked behind the counter and demanded cash. After obliging him, the clerk yelled out and Alvarez and Denney showed up to the rescue.
The two budding professionals, who sport a combined amateur record of 9-2, proceeded to subdue the armed gunman via wrist control and a very carefully applied rear-naked choke. They then held on to the robber until police arrived.
And another one bites the dust.
Just a day in the life of a mixed martial artist walking through a hotel lobby. Watch the security footage of the entire incident after the jump.
Posted in: fighter, hotel, gunman, security footage, clerk cry
Read the full article at MMA Mania[x-post from r/LosAngeles] Pro-Tip: If you're about to rob a motel, try not to pick the one with MMA fighters in town for a No-Gi BJJ Competition.
submitted by ysc [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fighter, mma fighters, xpost, town, rlosangeles protip
Read the full article at RedditMe and some badass fighters..
I've been posting here awhile so I figured it's time to post some pics I took while working with some (at the time Strikeforce) fighters.. Cung Le friends faceoff the CLAW Dangerous Dan Henderson friends faceoff Gilbert Melendez he wanted this pic for his Dethrone Twitter account So there you go.. p.s. I hope this works.. submitted by ThunderDomePatrol [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fighter, friend, pic, pics i, friends faceoff
Read the full article at RedditUFC 138 Bonuses Net Fighters $70,000 Extra
It may have been a while since the UFC set foot on British soil, but their return with UFC 138 on Saturday provided numerous fireworks for the fans and big bonuses for the figters.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, bonus, british soil, figter
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyHas anyone ever been let go from the UFC off of a win?
I was just wondering if anyone has ever been let go from the UFC off of a win. Like a lower tier fighter ending their losing streak in their last contracted fight. submitted by FiniteStraw [link] [8 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, anyone, streak, tier fighter
Read the full article at RedditUFC fighters make their picks for UFC 138
Some of the UFC's top stars give their predictions for UFC 138.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, star, prediction, ufc fighters
Read the full article at sportsnet.caOpen-handed strikes in the UFC
Why do we almost never see any open-handed strikes in the UFC? I think they could be quite useful during clinching or on the ground. In the clinch, they could be used in a manner similar to elbows, and while they may be weaker, they could allow the fighter to maintain more control over the opponent. On the ground, a fighter in the bottom position could fully wind up and throw palm strikes to the temple instead of throwing those awkward, short punches after breaking the top-fighter's posture and tying him up. Additionally, it might allow the fighter to transition from striking to grappling slightly more quickly, although I doubt the difference would be significant. Overall, I feel that open-handed strikes such as palm strikes, could significantly increase the number of striking angles and make the fighter more versatile. What are your thoughts? Is this really an underutilized/overlooked skill or do fighters simply know better than a random guy on the internet? submitted by CognitiveDisconuts [link] [9 comments]
Posted in: fighter, strike, palm strikes, openhanded strikes, i doubt
Read the full article at RedditHard Lessons Drive Thiago Alves to UFC 138
Sometimes the the best lessons are the tough ones. UFC 138 fighter Thiago Alves can attest to this.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, lesson, alve, thiago
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 138 fighter Pickett does it with style
From fashionista to fighter, Brad (One Punch) Pickett has always had a sense of style.
Posted in: fighter, style, pickett, punch pickett, fighter brad
Read the full article at sportsnet.caTUF is holding steady. Wednesday's episode of The Ultimate Fighter 14 drew a little less than the...
TUF is holding steady. Wednesday's episode of The Ultimate Fighter 14 drew a little less than the last two weeks, but still fairly well, with an average of 1.5 million viewers. The event scored a 1.1 household rating, a 1.48 rating among males 18-49, and a 1.68 among males 18-34.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, episode, rating, wednesdays episode
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowAsian MMA Update: URCC 20 In-Depth Preview and Predictions
The Philippines' biggest MMA promotion, the URCC has been running for almost a decade now, and with their 20th major event happening this weekend, they're pulling out all the stops. To get you hyped, here's an excellent looking intro video of the 'URCC 360' that previews the milestone event. (Filipinos can catch the entire show tonight at 9:30 PM on Solar Sports):
For people outside of the Philippines, you can catch the actual event as it streams on their website on Sat, Nov 5, 8AM ET.
After the jump, more preview videos, plus predictions and analysis on the event that features six title fights.
There will be 6 title fights on the card that features 10 events, so let's focus on those. Headlining the event will be URCC interim bantamweight champion, Jessie Rafols and Reydon "The Filipion Bolo Punch" Romero. Here's the preview video of the bout:
Jessie Rafols vs. Reydon Romero [Bantamweight Super-Fight Title] - 'The Filipino Bolo Punch' is a talented featherweight contender that will be making the drop to bantamweight to take on Rafols, who is the interim URCC bantamweight champion. Romero is a good striker who has heavy hands, but Rafols is one of the most talented bantamweights in the Asian region, and I expect him to dominate and to live up to his monicker, "The Finisher". This is guaranteed to be exciting as both fighters are very gritty, but I think it's going to be Jessie Rafols by Submission.
For the co-headlining bout of the evening, it's going to be a light heavyweight championship bout between Australian fighter, Nicholas 'The Apprentice' Mann, and Chris Luna of DEFTAC. Here's the preview video of the bout:
Nicholas Mann vs. Christian Luna [Light Heavyweight Championship] - This is an excellent fight stylistically, which makes it very hard to predict. Both guys are well rounded fighters, but Hybrid Yaw Yan's Nicholas Mann, who also has black belts Kuk Sool Hapkido and a taekwondo black belt, will probably have the edge standing up, while Chris Luna, a DEFTAC fighter who is a purple belt in BJJ, will probably be better on the ground. The move to light heavyweight would be good for Nicholas, as he has faced larger men in the past, even competing against HW title contender, Igor Subora, who outweighed him by almost 50 lbs. Chris Luna has been working a lot on his stand up, but will it be enough when he takes on the bigger and more experienced fighter in Mann? Will he be able to take things to the ground and apply his BJJ game? This fight could go either way, and while most pundits are picking Luna to take this, I'm leaning slightly towards the Australian on this bout. Nicholas Mann by Decision.
Next up, the heavyweight championship bout. Check out the video preview:
Igor Subora vs. Ryan Paglinawan [Heavyweight Championship] - Igor Subora is a large heavyweight fighter from Ukraine, he has good strikes and good takedowns that stems from his Sambo background. As with all heavyweight fights, things can get a bit sloppy, but I do expect this to be very explosive and quick, with Subora getting his hand raised after a brutal mugging. Igor Subora by TKO.
Froilan Sarenas vs. Robin Jose [Middleweight Championship] - Sarenas is the current URCC middleweight champion, coming out of Submission Sports Philippines, which is an Atos affiliated team. Atos, as some of you might already know, is the best grappling team in the world, and is home to guys like Ramon Lemos (Anderson Silva's BJJ coach) and Andre Galvao among others. That is where his strength lies, as he effectively uses his BJJ base to quickly clinch up and submit guys. His opponent, Robin Jose, is a late replacement coming in on short notice, and going against a guy as talented as Sarenas, that certainly isn't a good thing. Froilan is a bit undersized for middleweight, and he's probably looking to drop at least 1 weight class for future events, but I still think he outclasses Jose here. Froilan Sarenas by Submission.
Honorio Banario vs. Patrick Manicad [Lightweight Championship] - Honorio Banario is from the famed Lakay Wushu camp that is home to other top Asian champions such as Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, and Roy Docyogen. He's the youngest on the group, but he also has a lot of potential. He was supposed to take on MFC veteran, Sabah Fadai, but the Canadian had to pull out due to injury, so Manicad steps in against the Wushu fighter. Banario is young, and he's still learning, but I fully expect him to extend his perfect record to 6-0 after this. Honorio Banario by TKO.
Frank Navarro vs. Pete Brooks [Cruiserweight Championship] - Brooks is long and lanky with his 6-foot-6 frame, and he trains on high altitude in Baguio, as he prepares to secure the vacant cruiserweight belt (199 lbs.). Unfortunately, his original opponent, Mac Sabiano, was in a motorcycle accident that forced him to pull out of the fight on less than a week's notice. Although frankly, I would've picked Brooks against either guy, and even if his new opponent, Navarro, had a full training camp. Brooks takes this and improves to 5-0. Pete Brooks by Submission.
Videos from Headrush Productions
Posted in: fighter, bout, heavyweight, event, championship
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 138: Preview & Predictions
Get your complete preview of the entire UFC 138 main card, including the five-round non-title fight between main event fighters Mark Munoz and Chris Leben.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, preview, munoz, fiveround
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings down slightly for episode seven, average 1.5 million viewers
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings are in for episode seven of the Spike TV reality show.
According to numbers released by the cable television network earlier today, the latest episode garnered a 1.48 rating in males 18-49 and a 1.68 in males 18-34 for an average audience of 1.5 million viewers, down slightly from the 1.6 million viewers episode six garnered.
Here's a look at how the TUF 14 numbers stack up to date:
Episode one: 1.5 million Episode two: 1.6 million Episode three: 1.3 millionEpisode four: 1.5 millionEpisode five: 1.6 millionEpisode six: 1.6 millionEpisode seven: 1.5 million
Seven episodes down, five more to go.
TUF 14 episode seven featured the usual shenanigans associated with the reality show along with T.J. Dillashaw choking out Roland Delorme to advance to the semifinals. Speaking of which, all the match-ups were announced for said semifinals, which begin next week.
To see what they are and for a complete detailed recap of The Ultimate Fighter 14 episode seven click here.
Posted in: fighter, reality show, tuf, episode, millionepisode
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 138: Leben vs. Munoz Pre-Fight Presser (Video)
UFC 138 is just a couple of days away, but before the fighters hit the scales on Friday they met up in England for the pre-fight press conference.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, conference, presser, prefight
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Episode 7 Recap
The Ultimate Fighter 14 continued last night on Spike TV with the final quarterfinal matchup, as Team Bisping’s T.J. Dillashaw faced Team Miller’s Roland Delorme with the final spot in the bantamweight semifinals on the line.
In the fight, Dillashaw dominated the first round before submitting Delorme with a rear naked choke in the second, giving Bisping 3 fighters in the semifinals compared to 5 for Miller.
UFC President Dana White then announced the semifinal matchups:
Bantamweight semifinal: T.J. Dillashaw (Team Bisping) vs. Dustin Pague (Team Miller)
Bantamweight semifinal: John Dodson (Team Miller) vs. Johnny Bedford (Team Miller)
Featherweight semifinal: Diego Brandao (Team Bisping) vs. Bryan Caraway (Team Miller)
Featherweight semifinal: Akira Corassani (Team Bisping) vs. Dennis Bermudez (Team Miller)
MMAFrenzy.com will have complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 every Wednesday leading up to The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale on Dec. 3.
Posted in: fighter, team, miller, bisping, semifinal
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyIs Akira Corassani a human being? Or a blood-sucking vampire? The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14...
Is Akira Corassani a human being? Or a blood-sucking vampire? The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 featherweight tells you in his most recent blog for MMA Nation right here.
Posted in: fighter, corassani, akira, akira corassani, vampire
Read the full article at MMA ManiaDana White Dreaming of Ultimate Fighter World Cup
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: world, fighter, dana, mattyblayze, cup
Read the full article at RedditDana White Dreaming of Ultimate Fighter World Cup
UFC president Dana White sees a future with 'The Ultimate Fighter' eventually producing a World Cup style tournament with all of the winners battling for one crown.
Posted in: world, fighter, dana, style, cup
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyBarao Representing Himself, Brazil, and The Bantamweights
The first time UFC 138 co-main eventer Renan Barao (who fights Brad Pickett this weekend in the UK) shared his thoughts with us, he made it clear that he wanted to be part of the UFC. And even though he was a bantamweight competitor and the UFC still hadn’t added this weight division to the organization, Barao wondered aloud about gaining some weight and going up to the lightweight division to make it.Well, the Brazilian-born Barao didn't need to enter into an extreme heavy diet routine to get a place inside the Octagon, as the UFC absorbed the divisions of the WEC in late-2010 and made the dreams of all those who aspired to fight in the most prestigious MMA organization on the planet come true.Barao made his debut in May, decisioning former WEC featherweight champion Cole Escovedo with a display of solid groundwork, excellent takedowns and a surprising standup game which featured an array of spinning back fists. Mission accomplished for the 24-year old? Not yet, as Barao still has a few goals to reach."My goal now is to bring the respect to the 135-pound division," Barao says. "Of course the fans still prefer the heavier divisions, but bantamweight has more speed, more technique, and don't get me wrong, the heavy guys do it too, but 135 combines some aspects that are nearly impossible for the higher weight categories."More attention seems to be a winnable war for the smaller UFC fighters, and if you have any doubt, take a second look inside the last bantamweight championship bout involving Dominick Cruz and challenger Demetrious Johnson. Both kept a high pace for 25 minutes inside the Octagon, a tough thing to do in a five round fight. Barao agrees that we’ve reached the point for the bantamweights to be considered the most frenetic and energetic division, it's just a question of time."I do understand that the division is still new if you compare it to the other five UFC has [considering featherweight to be a new division too]," he said. "But I think more fighters will appear, guys who are in small organizations now, and while the weight classes is packed with talent now, within one or two years this will be the most prestigious here."Considering what we have seen so far, Barao may be right. Besides him, there are a bunchof quality guys such as Miguel Angel Torres, Joseph Benavidez, Michael McDonald, Urijah Faber, Brian Bowles, Johnson, and Cruz, just to name a few, and this list will get bigger as the UFC expands and small, tough guys show up more frequently."I have the intention [of making it], and unconsciously the others have been doing it too with their performances in their fights," Barao says. "Everybody delivers in all classes, but 135ers prove the worth of the division after every fight. And this is still new, so more Brazilians, Americans, Japanese, and British fighters will arise to prove that."It’s a bit surreal hearing a 24-year old talking about young talents that will show up soon, but despite his youth, Barao has more experience than many older fighters. He has 30 fights, 28 triumphs, one defeat and one NC. He also has 12 submissions, which is common for a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu fighter, but not too common if the fighter in question - Barao - only got his black belt at the end of September, adding to the impressive nature of his previous performances. "A lot of people thought I was a black belt already, so they didn't understand when my graduation was reported on the internet," Barao smiles. "It is even more motivation for my training in order to face Pickett in England."The ground game will be ultra-important to take out a guy with the nickname "One Punch." And the moniker wasn’t given because he's a one trick pony; Pickett has it because of his power, so if one punch connects, it is game over. Barao says he's not afraid of the standup, but he understands that his lethal weapon is the ground game."I have been training with some of the best strikers in MMA like Jose Aldo, Eduardo Dantas, Johnny Eduardo, Zeilton Rodrigues, Felipe Olivieri, plus Davi Souza of state of Pará boxing team, and I feel good on the feet," he reveals. "But I am aware of my quality on the ground - if his plans of knocking me out don't work and he needs to fight on the ground, I know I'm better and I can sub him from the bottom or on the top."Fighting in his foe’s home country of England, Barao knows that boos will be a constant during the match. And though the support Pickett will have can be a fuel for the Brit, for the Brazilian, the crowd will make the show look better, not intimidating. "I can't deny that I got a bit nervous in my first UFC fight, but I was well-trained and I listened to my corner, so I could handle the adrenaline and let my game flow," he says. "Pickett posted on his Twitter account that it's time to see if I'm for real, and he wanted to provoke me. But I read it, stayed calm and focused, and I’m ready to show what I trained and to unfold the strategy we worked on."From the preliminary card to the co-main event, Barao already achieved a lot of what he wanted to, to give the 135-pounders more attention. However, he says that it was the combination of exposure and his performance in the Octagon that did the tough job, because without it, words are only words."In the old times, the focus was on the main card, and you had to pray that the diehard fans and your family inside the arena for the whole card got some buzz out about you, because they were the only ones who watched these first fights on the card [laughs]. But now the UFC puts fights on Facebook, and they became more accessible, so the jump from the bottom to the top of the card will be more natural from now on. And now, I belong to this co-main event."
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, division, barao
Read the full article at UFCPapy Abedi - Unbeaten and Ready to Make an Entrance
To make it to the UFC in just eight pro fights, you’re probably a pretty good fighter. To get a former world title challenger like Thiago Alves in that first Octagon bout, you had better be a pretty good fighter.Papy Abedi is that guy, and not surprisingly, the unbeaten welterweight isn’t shaking in his boots about squaring off against the “Pitbull” in a UFC 138 main card bout on Saturday, though he was surprised when the call first came in.“I was really surprised when my manager called me and said that my first fight would be against ‘Pitbull,’” said Sweden’s Abedi through his manager / translator Manos Terzitane. “At first I thought he meant that I was supposed to fight against my teammate, who is called ‘Pitbull’ as well, but then I realized it was Thiago and I was really happy about it.”You know you’re dealing with a real fighter when he says that he’s happy to be facing one of the best strikers in the 170-pound weight class in his first UFC match and actually means it, but with a perfect 8-0 record that includes seven finishes, the 33-year old isn’t used to backing down to anyone, not even Alves, who though five years his junior, has 30 pro MMA fights under his belt, half of them taking place in the UFC. So if you ask him about dealing with the experience advantage the Brazilian has over him, Abedi scoffs at such a notion.“He (Alves) is a very good fighter but I don’t see him having any advantage on me,” said Abedi. “I am better than him in all areas of the game. I also have everything to lose in this fight so I am the one to have all the pressure. I am undefeated and I don’t want to make any changes to my record. Only the W counts for me. I have trained very, very hard for this fight and I am in the best shape of my life. It is the first time in my career that I have trained like a professional. All my other fights I have worked eight hours a day and trained after work. This time I have trained four times a day, six days a week. I have never felt this strong and in such a great shape ever before.”A former electrician, Abedi was born in Kinshasa, where he says that judo is the discipline of choice when it comes to combat sports. And though he now makes his home in Stockholm, he still talks to family members over there daily, and notes that MMA is even starting to make inroads in the land of his birth.“Judo is very big in Congo and they have started to train MMA now also,” he said. “My dream is to one day open a MMA school in Congo and help all the kids there.”Achieving such a dream will be a lot easier should he be successful in the UFC, and if you go by his own description of his fighting style, fans who don’t know him now may grow to love him if he delivers on Saturday night.“My style is kickboxing with a background in Judo and I like to slam and KO my opponents,” said Abedi, who will find a kindred spirit in Alves, whose Muay Thai background and desire to knock his opponents out meshes nicely with the style of “Makambo,” who, despite his confidence, has plenty of respect for his foe. “Thiago is one of the best fighters in the UFC,” said Abedi. “He has a good ground game, good takedowns, good submission defense, good ground and pound, and good standup. He is basically good at everything and one of the best fighters out there. I respect him a lot as a fighter and I know a lot of fans respect him as well as a fighter. This is really good for me because after I win no one can argue how good I am.”He’s right. Because regardless of how many foes he’s dispatched on the local European circuit, nothing would top upsetting Alves this weekend. It’s an enticing prospect for Abedi, one so appealing that he decided to drop from middleweight to welterweight to take it.“It was a natural move for me to change weight classes because of my height,” said the 5-11 Abedi. “I was always shorter than my opponents and I think that welterweight is better for me because of my height and also because I can train like a professional now and I have the time to drop weight.”Yet what getting Thiago Alves as a first opponent shows is that there are no warm-up fights at 170 pounds in the UFC. Every fight’s a dogfight against a top level opponent, and that’s something Abedi will find out immediately on Saturday. But with his talent and confidence, he’ll have tools to deal with such a rude awakening. And in addition, he also has the mental edge of knowing that no one has forced him to deal with defeat yet, an intangible that can do wonders on fight night.“I have never experienced a loss in my career because a loss is not okay for me,” he said. “The mental advantage for me is that I know that Thiago can lose, as he has done it before, while I have never experienced a loss and don’t plan on doing it. I want to end my career undefeated.”Tough talk from a tough guy who will find out just how tough he is on Saturday night in Birmingham, England. And with Abedi showing such confidence, is there any doubt that fight fans will be tuning in to see if he can back things up? But the fighter isn’t going to be spoiling things with predictions. He’ll keep some things to himself.“I don’t want to tell too much,” he smiled when asked what fans should expect from him against Alves. “It is better for the fans to tune in and watch UFC 138. If I tell them what to expect or how it will end, it will be like spoiling the end of a great movie.”
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, ’t, abedi
Read the full article at UFCJohn Dodson’s TUF 14 Sherblog
John Dodson has plenty of “TUF” talking points for this week.| Photo: Dave Mandel
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 bantamweight John Dodson (www.twitter.com/JohnDodsonMMA) will blog for Sherdog.com all season long, giving his thoughts, reactions and behind-the-scenes insights on the show. “The Ultimate Fighter 14” airs Wednesdays on Spike, 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Roland’s foot was bad. The staph infection had taken him out for a week; he couldn't train to get ready for T.J. He hadn’t been rolling with any of the guys or even been at the gym. He had to basically just stay home and keep his foot elevated to make sure the swelling would go down.
Roland got antibiotics to help clear him up and get him back in training faster, but he only had a few days to train. He didn’t get much work in before his bout with T.J. I know that he said he wasn't feeling the effect of the infection, but we all could see it did. But, we all knew that Roland is one tough dude and wasn’t going to let this get him down.
During our training session, Rafael Cordeiro came in and worked out with us. It was cool having a legend of the sport stop in to help out us and show us drills that would help out with our footwork. He was showing me how to be a little more active with my strikes and the more important aspect of making opponents miss and making them pay for it.
Rafael was so laid back, and great as a trainer. If you had any little twist to your game, he wouldn’t try to change you, just work with you. Like any real artist, he would show us one thing and would want to see how creative we can get with it and make it our own. People see us as just fighters, but I look at the sport as an art, where we all learn the same brushstrokes but we create different masterpieces, depending on the individual’s style.
Posted in: fighter, ’t, john, roland, hadn ’t
Read the full article at SherdogUltimate Fighter Season 14 Live Blog
Last week on The Ultimate Fighter 14, Diego Brandao made short work of Steven Siler with an impressive first round KO, extending Team Bisping’s winning streak to two. John Dodson swung things back into Team Miller’s favor though when he picked up a decision victory against John Albert. Also, Team Bisping grew tired of TJ Dillashaw‘s superior attitude and Roland Delorme ended up going to the doctor to get an infection checked out.
Rather than a simple recap, throughout the festivities, this fall 5 OZ will be providing live commentary during each episode including assessments of each fighter and breakdowns of the action, not to mention a snarky remark or two relating to the behavior of coaches and contestants.
Read below to get our take on things as they unfold in this week’s episode (and make sure to join in on the discussion in the “Comments” section below:
Posted in: fighter, team, john dodson, team bisping, john albert
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainThe Ultimate Fighter 15 to Feature Lightweights, Welterweights on FX
The Ultimate Fighter 15 will feature lightweights and welterweights when it debuts on its new home on FX with a new format next year.
Tryouts for TUF 15 will take place on December 5 in Las Vegas, two days after The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale takes place in “Sin City.”
Welterweights have been featured five times, most-recently for TUF 13 earlier this year, while lightweights were featured for the fourth time on TUF 12 last year.
The Ultimate Fighter 15 fights will air live on FX on Fridays likely starting in March leading up to The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale, with the coaches fighting one week later.
For the latest UFC news and The Ultimate Fighter 15 coverage stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Pictured: UFC Preisdent Dana White
Posted in: fighter, year, tuf, lightweight, year tryouts
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyNew commentator Jon Anik says broadcast partner will be a UFC fighter (MMAJunkie.com)
Jon Anik still doesn't know who will be part of the UFC broadcasting "B team" with him.
Posted in: ufc, jon, fighter, anik, broadcast partner
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsTUF 15 Tryouts Kick Off in December, Show Expected to Start in March
The new version of the 'Ultimate Fighter' is on its way and fighters in the lightweight and welterweight divisions are up to bat.
Posted in: fighter, division, december show, welterweight divisions, bat
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyMMAWeekly Radio Wednesday: Chris Cariaso, Zoila Gurgel and Kris McCray
MMAWeekly Radio on Wednesday welcomes in UFC 138 fighter Chris Cariaso as well as Bellator champion Zoila Gurgel and former TUF fighter Kris McCray.
Posted in: fighter, wednesday, mmaweekly, gurgel, zoila
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC Undisputed 3: The PRIDE Fighters
We've got the entire roster of fighters from the highly-anticipated PRIDE mode in Undisputed 3. Check out the gallery inside.
Posted in: fighter, pride, roster, weve, highlyanticipated
Read the full article at Heavy MMA'The Ultimate Fighter 15' features lightweights, welterweights; Dec. 5 tryouts
"The Ultimate Fighter 15" - the first season of the UFC's long-running reality series to air on FX - will feature lightweight and welterweight fighters, officials today announced.
Hopefuls can apply online or attend an open tryout on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas.
"TUF 15" is the first season of the show to include live fights.
Posted in: show, fighter, season, welterweight, dec
Read the full article at MMA JunkieThe Ultimate Fighter 15 to Feature 155lb. and 170lb. Fighters
The Ultimate Fighting Championship made a historic deal with FOX networks earlier this year. One of the biggest stories to come out of that deal is the new Ultimate Fighter format. Each year will feature two seasons of TUF, which each weekly fight airing live on FX. The Friday night show will feature a wrap up of the previous week, leading into the live fight, followed by what has been deemed the aftermath portion. This means that for 26 Fridays next year, there will be a live fight on FX. The finales will also air live on FX.
Today the UFC announced that TUF 15 will feature lightweight (155 lb) and welterweight (170 lb) fighters. The coaches have yet to be named. Interested in trying out? Take a look at the application after the jump.
TUF 15 features 155lb and 170lb Fighters
TUF Application
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® 15 (on FX) TRYOUTS
The Ultimate Fighter® season 15 is open to Lightweights (155lb) and Welterweights (170lb) fighters.
REQUIRMENTS:
1. All applicants must be at least 21 years of age.
2. All applicants must have a winning record of at least 3 PROFESSIONAL MMA fights. All records will be verified on sherdog.com and mixedmartialarts.com. If we cannot verify your record on either of these sites you will NOT be considered.
3. All applicants must complete and sign the application.
THERE ARE 2 WAYS TO APPLY
1. Attend the Open Call in Las Vegas NV, on Monday, December 5, 2011
Texas Station
2101 Texas Star Lane
North Las Vegas, NV 89032
Tryouts will be held in the Dallas Ballroom
For room reservations please call 1-800-654-8888
All applicants must arrive between 8AM – 9AM for registration.
Fighters will be required to grapple and hit pads, so please dress appropriately and bring all necessary gear. (Mouth guard, cup, hand wraps & gloves)
Posted in: fight, fighter, year, tuf, lb
Read the full article at Octagon ManiaNew commentator Jon Anik says broadcast partner will be a UFC fighter
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [6 comments]
Posted in: fighter, mattyblayze, ufc fighter, anik, broadcast partner
Read the full article at RedditHatsu Hioki's Call to Japan and How Times Are Changing
There was a certain expectation in the minds of hardcore fans when Japanese featherweight kingpin Hatsu Hioki stepped into the Octagon this past Saturday at UFC 137 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Many of us hoped for a definitive answer to a question while others sought to lay more bricks onto the foundation of an argument that has become more prevalent as time has passed. Can Japanese fighters compete with their American counterparts?
Over the past few years, the answer has been a resounding no. Nearly every single high-level Japanese mixed martial artist who trains extensively in the Land of the Rising Sun has failed in the UFC, leading to even broader generalizations such as the notion that Japanese MMA is dead.
The USAT/MMA Nation consensus #2-ranked featherweight was supposed to, at least for one night, calm those fears. His perceived victim, The Ultimate Fighter season eight contestant George Roop, didn't play the part, however, giving Hioki all he could handle for three rounds and nearly pulling off his second consecutive upset. Fortunately for Hioki, two judges awarded him the win.
During the post-fight interview, Hioki touched upon the generalization that many of us have made about Japanese MMA:
"I want to say something to the world, even though we are in a tough situation, Japanese MMA is not dead," Hioki stated. "It's time to change."
Hioki is right. Japanese MMA isn't dead by any stretch of the imagination, nor will it ever actually cease to exist. Most fans understand that the exaggerated message is a less verbose way of saying it's at a low point. Among most fans, however, the verbal jabs and arguments are specific to the lack of evolution.
We've talked in great lengths about this subject in the past. Japan doesn't have the infrastructure to consistently create quality mixed martial arts fighters. A lacking amateur circuit, inadequate training facilities, lessened knowledge, and the absence of top-flight coaches in vital fighting arts like wrestling make it almost impossible for Japanese fighters to compete against the best fighters in the world. It's time to change.
Luckily for those of us hoping to see the underdog one day prevail, the wheels are already in motion for a momentous comeback. More Japanese fighters are traveling overseas and away from homes to improve. Hatsu Hioki trained under Firas Zahabi at Tristar Gym in the lead-up to Saturday's contest. Former Sengoku featherweight champion Masanori Kanehara has sought out the help of Greg Jackson in New Mexico after losing three of his last four fights. Akiyo Nishiura traveled to the U.S. to train with Matt Hume in the lead-up to his fight with Hideo Tokoro at DREAM 14.
Things aren't going to change for the better overnight, but breaking the stubborn practices that Japanese fighters have made in the past is a good sign. Times are changing and other Japanese fighters need to follow suit, not just for the betterment of their own careers, but for the good of the sport in Japan. In the long-term, these fighters are instrumental in helping the next generation of Japanese MMA fighters succeed. Why not instill the idea that it takes knowledge to succeed in the country's youth interested in combat sports?
Obviously, this doesn't solve every problem. The stubborn mentality, however, is the outer wall of the castle. With time and proof that Japanese fighters are improving by leaps and bounds by utilizing facilities outside of the country, a shift will eventually happen. Is Japanese MMA dead? No, just behind the times. Hopefully Japanese fighters will take the path less traveled and continue evolving. Perhaps one day, in our lifetime, Japan will rise again.
Posted in: time, fighter, japanese, hioki, japanese fighters
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUndefeated One FC star Eric Kelly proves he's a fighter to watch in the featherweight division
One FC’s first event took place amidst a blaze of publicity but once the dust had settled there was no doubt who the star of the show was – Eric Kelly.
Kelly went against unbeaten Mitch Chilson in a match the bookmakers had dead even but, in the end, the Filipino stunned the crowd by putting the Singapore-based American to sleep with a Rear-Naked Choke in the opening round of action.
It was Kelly’s sixth consecutive submission win and probably the most impressive performance of the URCC featherweight champ’s career. His record stands at 6-0 and he is already being talked about as one of the most exciting prospects to have emerged from the Philippines.
URCC Helping Spread Love of MMA in the Philippines
The up-and-comer recently took some time out of his busy scheduled to speak with Fighters.com and answered a few questions about Filipino MMA, his victory over Chilson, and life in general…
Were you nervous before the fight at One FC 1 because there were so many people there?
No sir! I’m not nervous, I’m so excited because I will represent my country again and this is what I want.
You have never fought in a cage before did that make a difference?
No it did not make a difference to me, because I’m a fighter I should be prepared to fight anywhere whether it’s standing or on the ground or in a cage or a in a ring.
Were you surprised when Chilson took you down?
I was not surprised because as a fighter you must be ready for absolutely anything that can happen.
That was a nasty cut you opened up with those elbows from the bottom, is that something you practice?
Yes I practice that, we have many strikes in Yaw Yan (a type of Filipino kickboxing) that can be used standing or on the ground
Did you have a game plan going into the fight?
I have no game plan, I just come to fight and to take on whatever the other fighter gives me although I did want to work my stand up in this fight.
You train at Yaw Yan Ardigma in Baguio. How many people train with you at?
They are many, we have gyms in Cebu as well.
How many times a week do you train?
I train two times a day, Sunday is my rest day to be with my family
Who are your trainers?
I had a good coach before when I was in Philippines team of Wushu Sanshou and I learned a lot from him which I try to apply. I have many friends to train with and I go to different gyms to work on different styles and find sparing partners
You and Eduard Folayang both come from Baguio, why do you think there are so many good fighters from there?
I think its partly because of the high altitude in our place but mainly because fighting is in our blood.
Did a lot of people in the Philippines watch your fight at One FC 1?
I think so because I received a lot of texts and messages from all over. I was really proud to represent my country in front of so many people.
Are you going to fight for One FC again?
Yes, I look forward to fighting for One FC for years to come – it’s the biggest honor for a fighter in Asia.
You are the URCC Featherweight Champion. How much did fighting in the URCC help you to develop as a professional fighter?
Every Filipino fighter wants to be in the URCC and it helped me a lot for me because it was my stepping stone to reach my dream to fight for One FC.
After the fight everyone was talking about you and Eduard, are you surprised by how much attention you have received?
Yes I’m so surprised but now it’s back to hard training so I will be ready for my next fight.
When you submitted Chilson the crowd went crazy and there was a lot of cheering, how much did it mean to you to have so much support?
I’m so much happy and I’m thankful for that support. It felt great to be a part of the ONE FC first show and I look forward to many more!!!!
For all the latest on Kelly check out his Facebook fan page.
PHOTO CREDIT – ONE FC
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Posted in: fight, fighter, i ’m, ’m, fc
Read the full article at Fighters.comBantamweight MMA Top 10 (135-pound limit)
The Top 10 MMA fighters from around the world in the bantamweight division.
Posted in: pound, mma, fighter, bantamweight, bantamweight mma
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFeatherweight MMA Top 10 (145-pound limit)
The Top 10 MMA fighters from around the world in the featherweight division.
Posted in: pound, mma, fighter, featherweight, featherweight mma
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyWelterweight MMA Top 10 (170-pound limit)
The Top 10 MMA fighters from around the world in the welterweight division.
Posted in: pound, mma, fighter, welterweight, welterweight mma
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyMiddleweight MMA Top 10 (185-pound limit)
The Top 10 MMA fighters from around the world in the middleweight division.
Posted in: pound, mma, fighter, middleweight, middleweight mma
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyZuffa announces first round of quarterly twitter bonuses
Zuffa announced its bonuses for fighter tweets (via MMA Junkie). This past summer, it announced it would hand out quarterly bonuses for UFC-Strikeforce fighters for maintaining a twitter account.
Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera and Demian Maia each won $10,000 for being multiple winners in different categories. Silva, Big Nog and Maia won in “most followers” and “biggest percentage of growth in followers.”
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos won $5,000 in the most followers category and Paulo Thiago won $5,000 for the biggest percentage of growth in followers.
In the “Most Creative” category, Joe Lauzon, Ben Henderson, Forrest Griffin and Joseph Benavidez earned $5,000 each.
Via MMA Junkie:
For the purpose of the UFC’s Twitter bonuses, all UFC and Strikeforce fighters are divided into four separate categories based on the number of followers they have at the beginning of the scoring period. The tiered system allows fighters such as Santos (13,000-plus followers) and Maia (94,000-plus followers) to compete along side superstars such as Silva (839,000-plus followers) and Nogueira (281,000-plus followers).
Payout Perspective:
As most can probably deduce, the Brazilians earned their bonuses based on UFC 134 Rio. Santos has not fought since June but is defending her title in December. It would be interesting to know what readers think of the most creative twitter winners. Did Zuffa get it right?
Are the bonuses less than it would have to pay a PR/Marketing agency? It certainly is a unique way to promote the UFC and Strikeforce. It also allows each fighter to create their own brand under the Zuffa umbrella. Zuffa has embraced social media and to have its fighters essentially serve as marketers for the company is very creative. It would be difficult to quantify and measure the value of Zuffa fighters tweeting but it definitely something to monitor next quarter.
And as others have done reporting on these twitter bonuses, you can find us at: Jason Cruz (@dilletaunt), @MMASupremacy and @MMAMetrics
Posted in: fighter, twitter, zuffa, bonus, follower
Read the full article at MMA PayoutWomen’s Pound-for-Pound MMA Top 10
The Top 10 MMA fighters from around the world in the women's pound-for-pound ranking.
Posted in: mma, fighter, women, poundforpound, womens poundforpound
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyWhite says gay UFC fighters should come out (Yahoo! Sports)
UFC president Dana White offered a defense against charges that he and the company are intolerant of homosexuals.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, company, ufc fighters, homosexual
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsMMA Fighters' Halloween costumes
submitted by killzy707 [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: mma, fighter, killzy, halloween, costume
Read the full article at RedditFew MMA related questions I have ...
Why does UFC hides the timer for the round in the last 10 seconds? Is it to build anticipation or to prevent you from focusing on the timer itself? Do the fighters usually root for their past opponents? I mean if you're a fighter and you got beaten by another fighter wouldn't you want him to succeed in the future so your loss doesn't seem so bad? If you won against him wouldn't you want him to do well after that against other fighters so your win seems more impressive? If the initial purpose of TUF is to show how respectful the sport is and how great of a human beings the fighters are why are the new seasons filled with 90% arguments, childish pranks and the destruction of the house and why is no one punished in any way for any of that? Is it the new purpose of TUF to just bring more ratings for TUF? Why are brazilian fighters so good? Is it because brazilian fighters in general are much more, is it because of BJJ, is it because of some other reason? Why people with so few years of training are able to do so well in the highest level of the sport? Jon Jones, Matt Mitrione, Patt Barry ... What is the skill level you have to reach for such level and what helps those people reach it so fast? Do you think after ~10 years there will never be a grappler vs striker match? Do you think after certain amount of years everyone competing in the highest MMA level will come from a lifetime of MMA training and all the skills and successful styles will be almost perfectly even and similar? Will that make the matches much less interesting than they are now? Are UFC (not main event level) fighters really underpaid? If they are what is the reason for that? Is it because UFC wants to spend almost all of their money for promotion investments or they really can't afford to pay everyone much more? Is there any truth that if new fighters are paid much less money they wouldn't be able to train in such high level and their big name fighters wouldn't get changed/beaten often? Is it true that if big name fighters get paid life-securing money they wouldn't have the motivation to continue fighting as often and as long as they can? If you could choose the perfect MMA fighter to have movie about his life who would it be and why? submitted by snstyles [link] [10 comments]
Posted in: mma, fighter, brazilian fighters, level, wouldnt
Read the full article at RedditBJ Penn - They Only Made One
“Hats off to Nick Diaz, he’s the man. Joe, it’s probably the last time you’re ever going to see me in here. I can’t keep, uh, I want to perform at the top level. That’s it, Joe, I’ll shake your hand right here. I’ve got a daughter (and) another daughter on the way. I don’t want to go home looking like this. I’m done.” – BJ Penn, speaking to UFC commentator Joe Rogan immediately following his unanimous decision loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137. Needless to say, those heart-felt comments from a physically exhausted Penn, his left eye badly swollen and nearly shut, blindsided most spectators, especially the man holding the microphone and asking the questions. A haggard-looking BJ was just a few minutes removed from having absorbed and weathered the worst beating of his famed 10-year career. Yet the Hawaiian hero is only 32 years old. He is still in his physical prime, still a crowd-pleasing headliner, still in possession of some of the slickest boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills in the fight game. So his spontaneous declaration inside the Octagon, if BJ does indeed make good on it, would make him a notorious exception to the laws of probability: To my vast recollection, the number of legendary UFC fighters who have voluntarily walked away from the sport age 32 or younger is … ZERO. The enigma that is BJ has always walked to the beat of his own drum, so you can never discount that he will become the first to break the mold. But a great many fans, in keeping with the natural skepticism of many reporters and fans who have witnessed too many pro fighters flip-flop on retirement vows, will only believe in a BJ Penn denouement if they never see the former two-division world champ fight again over the next few years. Indeed, two days after his 15-minutes of riveting reckoning with Diaz secured Fight of the Night honors, Penn himself seemed to subscribe to the school of thought that fighters – like people in general – should refrain from making decisions while consumed by raw emotions or while the fresh wounds of battle make it hard to rise out of bed in the morning or scamper to the fridge. “I want to thank all of the fans for their love and support. I’m going to take some time off to enjoy life, train and teach. I will keep you guys’ posted with what’s next,” was what Penn wrote on his Web site, BJPenn.com, on Monday. I’ve seen a lot of gifted fighters up close. And if I endeavored to rank which fighters are must-see every time they fight, no matter who the opponent is, I’m not sure whom I would peg in the No. 2 slot. But the guy who consistently and always delivers as the No. 1 fighter-as-entertainer is easy: My vote goes to BJ Penn. Unequivocally. Without hesitation, no need for deliberation. I don’t have a Hawaii birth certificate and have no ties whatsoever to the Aloha State. Fortunately, you don’t need to hail from the nation’s 50th state to have been emotionally moved time and again by the former lightweight and welterweight world champion, who was game to fight anybody – even going up three weight classes to take on 205-pound Lyoto Machida. The baby-faced Hilo fighter, Hawaii’s most popular and adored athlete, alongside Philadelphia Phillies All-Star center fielder Shane Victorino, never needed a Fight of The Night bonus check as incentive to leave it all in the cage. BJ just always brought it. Straight from the heart. That was the one certainty with him – whether he stepped into the cage shredded at 155 pounds or slightly bloated at 170 pounds, whether fighting on a full tank or on fumes, he always came to throw down and to take the other guy out. He “brought it” despite the fact that everything else about his training camp preparation, diet, etc., was usually a humongous question mark leading up to his fights. You know the questions that always shadowed him: Which BJ will show up? How hard did he train for this fight? How much longer does he want to fight? Is his heart still in it? Penn has often been cast as a supreme athlete, with uncanny fight instincts, who never quite poured 100 percent of himself into fight preparation. Yet every time this guy fought, electricity filled the arena. He never backed down when the fists were flying, never backpedaled, never stopped trying to finish a fight. And he never ran from an a—whipping if he had to be on the receiving end once his cardio had betrayed him. And, in my mind, even before he ever stepped into the cage, Penn (16-8-2) was a force to behold. For my money, his walkouts are among the three or four best in the sport’s history, neck and neck with Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell. As I’ve often said, many times in sport (and in life) the anticipation of THE MOMENT can actually be as compelling and gripping as THE MOMENT itself. BJ Penn embodied the power of anticipation. His walkouts to the late Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’s hybrid anthems of “E la E” and “Hawaii 78” are so visceral and palpable. You can feel in that moment, while witnessing his accelerated swagger toward the cage, that he is not only fighting for himself, out of personal pride, but for the pride of all his people. BJ is to Hawaii what Manny Pacquiao is to the Philippines. Only Hawaii has just 1.35 million people, versus 92 million for the Philippines. BJ is the Hawaii fans’ ambassador, a representation of their ferocious will. It is a role that differentiates him from nearly all other fighters, who fight for their own fulfillment and dreams. With BJ, despite a rather privileged upper class upbringing, it is always as if he had showcased extra heart because he would much rather suffer tremendous physical agony than disappoint his people, his fans. Even when his legs went wobbly in the Octagon, even when his heart-rate shot up and lactic acid overwhelmed his muscles – as they did in contests against Georges St-Pierre, Jon Fitch and Diaz -- he dared not let his fellow Hawaiians down. He dared not quit, even when his not-quite-in-peak-shape body screamed for him to quit. So you must understand that when BJ walks to the cage to “Bruddah IZ,” it is a particularly emotional experience for his sympathizers, who view him as a brother, a loved one. Those songs hold deep symbolic meaning to the Hawaiian people, signifying unity and a preservation of their proud island culture during times when outsiders tried to take their lands. “When that song plays, every Hawaiian in the house stands up and it gives you chicken skin. BJ lifts everybody’s spirits up,” said Blaise Soares, a 36-year-old Hawaii native who is a former pro boxer and Golden Gloves champion. “BJ Penn is the biggest name in Hawaii culture. Hawaiians love MMA because fighting is something we’ve been doing since we were in diapers. We all learn how to fight in the backyard with the boxing gloves or wrestling. People love BJ because he brings it. He brought the fight to Diaz. There were a few moments where I thought the fight might get stopped, but BJ just kept coming back, which prevented the referee from stopping the fight. But it hurt me to see him take so many punches, the big shots. I think that took a lot out of (our) people.”It was a battle between two stallions who should be the poster boys for the slogan, “Let’s Scrap.” BJ Penn had to be transported to the hospital for treatment immediately following the fight, so he could not attend the post-fight press conference, which featured Dana White making a very poignant observation about what had transpired in the cage.“In the 10 years we’ve all seen BJ Penn perform and fight,” White said, “you’ve never seen BJ Penn get busted up. He got busted up tonight, let me tell you.” That “leather skin,” as Dana called it, could not withstand the nearly 260 strikes unleashed by Diaz – an extraordinary volume of punches. While Diaz’s punches often appear to be moving in slow-motion, those blows inflict much more damage than often meets the eye because of the tremendous snap and whip Diaz puts on them – enabling him to not just land “arm” punches, but to also put the force of his body weight behind them. Those are the kind of punches that can split even a fighter with “leather skin.” While BJ had claimed Diaz was a near mirror image of himself, the difference in the all-out war of attrition was that Diaz has the limitless cardio of a Triathlete. There will be naysayers who criticize Penn for his at times questionable work ethic, the fact that he did not appear as obsessive or disciplined in all facets of his training as some other elite pros. There is the prevailing perception, even among his most ardent defenders, that BJ could have given more to his art. That he should have left Hawaii more frequently for better training camps, that he should have dieted more stringently throughout his career. So, despite two world titles, and a BJJ black belt world title, it is possible that we never really saw the Best B.J. there could have been. Yet what Penn ACTUALLY accomplished should not detract from all that he MIGHT HAVE accomplished. He was such a sponge, such an instinctive wonder, a one-in-a-million natural fighter and entertainer. In fact, his perceived flaws are perhaps part of the reason so many people empathize with him. There is a vulnerability that emanates from BJ and his aura. He does not fight like a stoical machine, as some do, but as an emotional human. He is impulsive. There is an unpredictability about him. You never really know what the guy is going to do next (even when he says he’s retiring!).Personally, I prefer my fighters emotional, with a chip on their shoulder, as if they’re out to exact some revenge for something disrespectful you said. That was BJ Penn. A BJJ wizard who often preferred to beat the other guy up standing and excelled at it. He made you pick your poison. BJ’s legacy is bulletproof. Two wins over Matt Hughes, triumphs over Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, and Jens Pulver and Takanori Gomi in their primes. You could also make a strong case that BJ deserved to get the nod in his first fight against St-Pierre (which Penn lost via split decision despite inflicting more damage on the Canadian). If he does return, my best guess is it’ll be at 155 pounds. BJ is 1-3-1 in his past five fights and seems better suited when he has defined abs and is competing against guys his own size. Some day the UFC will host a show in Hawaii, and maybe we’ll see 60,000 plus people in an outdoor stadium. Wouldn’t it be awesome if BJ was on that card? How could he resist being on that card?It is fitting that one of the sport’s most enigmatic figures again has the rest of us guessing. His opponents in the cage often had no idea what was coming next. Once again, nobody knows BJ’s next move.“BJ Penn will always be a legend to the people of Hawaii,” Soares said. “Hawaii has a lot of up and coming fighters and there will be another Hawaiian champion someday. But I don’t think there will ever be one as big as BJ Penn.”You got that right. They didn’t make two. They didn’t make two.
Posted in: fight, fighter, penn, bj, hawaii
Read the full article at UFCUFC 137 Medical Suspensions Detailed
Brandon Vera and Bart Palaszewski earned the longest suspensions of ten fighters from the UFC 137 card.
Posted in: brandon vera, bart palaszewski, ufc, suspension, fighter
Read the full article at Heavy MMAMMAWeekly Radio Monday: UFC 138′s Mark Munoz and Pro Elite Fighter Mark Ellis
MMAWeekly Radio kicks off another week with a big show including UFC 138 main event fighter Mark Munoz and Pro Elite 2 heavyweight Mark Ellis.
Posted in: ufc, mark, fighter, mark munoz, elli
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 137 Fighter Salaries: Diaz, Penn & Kongo Top Payouts
The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday released the UFC 137 fighter salaries with Nick Diaz, B.J. Penn, and Cheick Kongo topping the list.
Posted in: fighter, kongo, cheick kongo, nevada state, salary
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 137 ‘Penn vs. Diaz’ Fighter Salaries: Nick Diaz Got Paid
The NSAC has released the fighter salaries for UFC 137. Keep in mind, these figures represent the base contracted pay the fighter receives from the promotion. These figures do not include any additional undisclosed discretionary bonuses, pay-per-view revenue sharing bonuses or sponsorship money, which in many cases exceeds a fighter’s base pay. These numbers also do not account for taxes, insurance, and license fees.
For someone who cries poor so often, Nick Diaz sure makes a hell of a lot of money. Up from the $175,000 he made for his last fight in Strikeforce, Diaz pocketed a flat fee of $200,000 plus another $75,000 in Fight of the Night bonus money for his headlining fight against BJ Penn. It’s not the seven-figure payday he could have gotten if he had fought Georges St. Pierre, but I don’t think anyone is going to feel sorry for Nick making over a quarter million for one fight, especially not the other fighters who sat at the post-fight press conference and listened to him complain about money for the umpteenth time.
BJ Penn was right Nick with a grand total of $225,000 after his FOTN bonus. Next was Cheick Kongo who received $140,000 for beating up Matt Mitrione for one round.
Then came Donald Cerrone. With his Submission of the Night bonus, he made another six-figure payday, $129,000 to be exact. So far, Cerrone has made a whopping $389,000 in 2011 since joining the UFC, and he still has one more fight to go before the year is out. It’s probably safe to say no one is more happy about the UFC-WEC merger than Cowboy.
Brandon Vera continues to make big bucks off lackluster performances. That armbar Elliot Marshall nearly finished him with would have cost him a cool $60,000 had he tapped. Instead, Vera hung on, took the decision and pocketed $120,000.
And last but not least, Bart Palaszewski also broke the six-figure mark with a little help from his opponent Tyson Griffin. When Griffin missed weight he was forced to forfeit 25% of his $34,000 purse to Palaszewski. That put Palaszewski right over the edge with a $103,500 payday after his KO bonus.
Payouts
Courtesy of MMA Junkie:
Nick Diaz: $200,000
B.J. Penn: $150,000
Cheick Kongo: $140,000 ($70k + $70k)
Matt Mitrione: $10,000
Roy Nelson: $40,000 ($20k + $20k)
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic: $75,000
Scott Jorgensen: $33,000 ($16.5k + $16.5k)
Jeff Curran: $8,000
Hatsu Hioki: $30,000 ($15k + $15k)
George Roop: $8,000
Donald Cerrone: $54,000 ($27k + $27k)
Dennis Siver: $27,000
Bart Palaszewski: $28,500 ($10k + $10k + Griffin’s $8,500 weight fine)
Tyson Griffin: $25,500 ($34k – Griffin’s $8,500 weight fine)
Brandon Vera: $120,000 ($60k + $60k)
Eliot Marshall: $15,000
Ramsey Nijem: $20,000 ($10k + $10k)
Danny Downes: $5,000
Francis Carmont: $12,000 ($6k + $6k)
Chris Camozzi: $8,000
Clifford Starks: $12,000 ($6k + $6k)
Dustin Jacoby: $6,000
Bonuses
$75,000 bonus to each fighter.
Knockout of the Night – Bart Palaszewski
Submission of the Night – Donald Cerrone
Fight of the Night – Nick Diaz vs. BJ Penn
Total Payout
A disclosed total of $1,327,000, including all bonuses, was paid out to the fighters.
Posted in: fight, diaz, nick, fighter, bonus
Read the full article at MMA ConvertUFC 137 Fighter of the Night: The Grumpy Nick Diaz
MMAWeekly.com's Fighter of the Night segment is back. Nick Diaz and Donald Cerrone made strong cases for the unofficial award at UFC 137.
Posted in: ufc, nick diaz, fighter, donald cerrone, night segment
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 137 results: Big winners and lowly losers from PPV event on Oct. 29 in Las Vegas
The fights are done. The dust has settled. The drama has been resolved inside the Octagon.
Like so many times before, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) successfully rolled through Las Vegas, Nevada, last night (Oct. 29, 2011) and put on a very exciting event (for the most part) and then called it a day, leaving many new storylines in its wake.
If you're interested in merely knowing who the winners and losers of record were for each fight on the UFC 137 line up, that's simple -- just click HERE and read the "Quick Results."
However, "a win is a win" is not always an accurate statement. Some wins are massive, catapulting men into "hero" status. Likewise, not all losses have the same effect on a fighter's career.
Sometimes the wins and losses don't even happen inside the cage.
Take a look at UFC 137's biggest winners and lowliest losers were, after the jump:
BIG WINNERS
Nick Diaz -- Love or hate him, this guy wins big fights and wins them convincingly. He went from fighting Georges St. Pierre for the championship belt in the main event to fighting B.J. Penn in the co-main event to still fighting Penn in the actual main event. Granted, he did it to himself with some silly antics, but not a lot of fighters would be able to ride that roller coaster all the way in, while staying focused enough to put on the kind of display that he did on Saturday night. It wasn't B.J. Penn in his prime. No one is saying it was. Either way, Diaz took the best shot from one of the best mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters of all time, weathered the storm, recovered and then beat him violently. It looks as though he will now get his title shot against "GSP" on Super Bowl Weekend. If he can just stay out of trouble until then.
Donald Cerrone -- "Cowboy" has now won six fights in a row. He's not beating stiffs, either. Each win has been against formidable opposition. Coming into UFC 137, not many were giving Cerrone a lot of credit or much of a chance to beat Dennis Siver, for that matter. You may not appreciate his smack talk, but listen, he backs it up. Every word of it. Cerrone took this fight as somewhat of a short notice replacement, but Siver ended up looking like the fighter who hadn't had a proper opportunity to prepare. In any other division, Cerrone would be getting a title shot. Unfortunately for Cerrone, he happens to be fighting in possibly the toughest combat division in the entire world. For now, he'll have to bide his time, keep training hard and partying with equal intensity until he gets the call from the bosses.
B.J. Penn and Mirko Filipovic -- I know, I know. Both of these fighters lost and lost badly. That's a given. However, two careers came to a close. Two careers that deserve to be celebrated. B.J. Penn and Mirko Filipovic have served the MMA community well and thrilled fans for more than a decade. It would have been nice to see them both go out with a win, but the losses shouldn't tarnish the legacies they are leaving behind. Two classy guys. Two great fighters who always brought it.
Ramsey Nijem -- This guy just looks better every time we see him. He's gone from the "class clown" on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 13 to being a very well-rounded fighter that UFC lightweights should get to know. It would have been nice if he could have gotten the finish against Danny Downes, but that's one tough kid. Anyone else probably would have tapped. Nijem has a tremendous upside and it will be exciting to see how he continues to mature.
LOWLY LOSERS
Carlos Condit -- What's that you say? Condit didn't even fight on this card? I know. That may be where he began to lose. Look, I'm not gonna hate on the guy. He gets punched in the face for the living. I'm just a keyboard warrior. I admit that freely. That aside, by sitting out, "The Natural Born Killer" may very well have cost himself a title shot. Maybe he's better than Diaz. Maybe he deserves it more. Hard to say. Fans saw Diaz put on a fantastic show on Saturday at Mandalay Bay. History has proven that waiting for your title shot hasn't worked out. Just ask Rashad Evans. Condit is a very good fighter. He'll get his name back in the mix, but fighters don't get to perform their trade forever. Bodies breakdown. Windows of opportunities close. Here's to hoping that he'll get another shot at the belt eventually.
Cesar Gracie -- We all make mistakes. We all say stupid things. In the heat of the moment, sometimes we just see red and respond to adrenaline. You can make that argument for Nick Diaz. He had just spent 15 minutes in an absolute war with his MMA hero. He used some language, called out a champion and flipped off some people in the crowd. Pretty standard for Diaz, really. But Cesar Gracie should know better. He's supposed to be the steadying force in the life of a guy who, let's face it, is generally anything but steady. Instead, he gets in Diaz's ear the first chance he gets and starts yelling, "Find that mother f---- St. Pierre! Call that mother f----- out!" Really? After everything Diaz had to overcome (mostly self-imposed) to get to that point, Gracie would choose to try and instigate and push the buttons of a guy who could go off and destroy his own career, on a whim? It just looks "bush league." Let the fighters do the trash talking. You keep teaching them how to throw up armbars and make sure they get to press conferences. Cool?
Tyson Griffin -- You gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. Griffin is 27 years old, but he could pass for a man much older these days. After losing three fights in a row in the lightweight division, Griffin made the strategic move to 145 pounds, hoping to avoid being cut from the Zuffa roster. He was re-inventing himself. It was a whole new Tyson Griffin. Only, it wasn't. In his first fight at featherweight, Griffin won a very uninspired (and almost unwatchable) decision victory over Manvel Gamburyan. It certainly wasn't the jump start his career sorely needed. Saturday night, Griffin came in overweight, out of shape and was completely outclassed by Bart Palaszewski. It may be time to take a break. Maybe do some traveling. Fight a few fights on some smaller regional shows. Do a gut check. After his performance at UFC 137, the decision may no longer be up to him.
So that's it. What did we miss? Fill up the comment section with your suggestions, arguments and words of fond flattery! To check out complete UFC 137 results and detailed blow-by-blow coverage click here.
Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, guy, fighter
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 137 Results: Donald Cerrone's Destruction of Dennis Siver Vaults Him Into Relevancy
For most fans, WEC champion Anthony Pettis and the final challenger to his crown, Ben Henderson, were the only two fighters who might have an eventual impact at the elite levels of the UFC's lightweight division after the two promotions merged in December. They were obvious choices due to their status within the promotion's lightweight ranks, and a showdown between the two fighters at WEC 53 that became a fight of the year candidate only furthered the focus. In hindsight, we might have forgotten someone.
Donald Cerrone, who fought for the WEC lightweight crown three times and failed, wasn't thought of as a man who could become a relevant fighter in the UFC. His aggressive and entertaining style of fighting would almost certainly pit him against beatable opponents for fan-friendly action, but questions still arose about whether he could ever compete against the better competition that awaited him. Those same questions were asked about Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis, so why would anyone think Cerrone could have an impact when he couldn't sneak past Henderson on two separate occasions?
Almost a year later, our assumptions couldn't be further from reality. Henderson, while playing second fiddle to Pettis at the end of the WEC's existence, has become the promotion's top import while Pettis faltered in his debut. And Cerrone? He's been quietly and efficiently dispatching of every fighter the UFC has put in front of him, stringing together four straight wins in 2011.
Saturday night's performance at UFC 137 was icing on the cake for Cerrone. After beating up Paul Kelly, Vagner Rocha, and Charles Oliveira, he was finally given a challenge that fans felt was appropriate. The match-up had many of us questioning whether Cerrone could prevail. Unlike his WEC counterparts who were thrown tough opposition from the start, Cerrone was allowed to mature over the course of the year. That slowed progression has allowed Cerrone to develop his game, a more mature style than what we've seen from him in the past.
Impressively, Cerrone dominated Siver at his own game, landing multiple head kicks that caused Siver to put on his best dance routine in front of the fans at the Mandalay Events Center on Saturday night. Siver, who's well known for his powerful punching and unpredictable kicking prowess, couldn't answer, eventually succumbing to Cerrone's grips on the ground.
The victory puts Cerrone is a surprising position. He's gone from failing to win the WEC lightweight crown to sitting on the outside looking in at UFC lightweight contention in just a year. Even more impressive is Cerrone's focus and dramatic shift in his mentality. While he remains a fighter fueled by emotion outside of the cage, it couldn't be further from the truth inside the cage. The massive improvements he's made make a run toward the top a possibility next year. Is it possible we'll hear Donald Cerrone's name involved in contention next year? I think we will.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, year, wec, cerrone
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 137 results: B.J. Penn retires after a legendary career
"I've got a daughter. I've got another on the way. I don't want to go home looking like this again. I'm done."
And with those words, one of the greatest fighters on the planet hung up his gloves and stepped out of the Octagon for the last time.
Being a relatively new father myself, I can understand the sentiment. Children shift a man's priorities radically. For Penn, training for six weeks followed by getting punched in the face for 15 minutes was no longer near the top of his "To Do" list.
While many feel that we haven't seen the last of "The Prodigy" and the former champion was speaking merely out of emotion, I can't help but recall Penn's post-fight interview after his UFC 127 tilt with Jon Fitch. Squeaking out with a draw against the long-time welterweight contender, the Hawaiian spoke of retirement then as well.
At only 32-years old, he seems like he could just be entering his prime but a decade-long career has put unfathomable mileage on his body which, I guarantee you, is far more damaged than any normal man in his early 30s.
I truly believe the Hilo fighter has every intention of making his losing effort against Nick Diaz at UFC 137 his last appearance inside the Octagon. And if that's the case, he leaves behind one of the greatest and most exciting careers the sport has and likely will ever have.
Here's to you, "Prodigy."
Before he shook up the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), he was sending shockwaves through the Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) world.
He began training in 1997 under Ralph Gracie and after three short years had earned his black belt and was winning world championships in grappling, being the first American to do so. Penn had more than earned his nickname of "The Prodigy."
Following his impressive run through the world of competitive BJJ, the UFC managed to coax Penn into making his MMA debut inside the Octagon. We were finally going to see top-level BJJ in what was considered the modern era of the sport.
Or were we?
Penn knocked out his first opponent with seconds left to spare in the first round. Then he took on highly ranked lightweight Din Thomas who had impressive wins both stateside and in Japan. Penn knocked him out too.
Caol Uno was next on the chopping block. The Japanese fighter was the Shooto 154-pound champion and regarded as one of the best lightweights in the entire world. The young Hawaiian would surely have his hands full. 11 seconds into the fight, Penn connected with a flurry of punches that left his opponent unconscious.
"The Prodigy" was finally proven human when he lost to Jens Pulver at UFC 35 in a five-round war and then again three fights later when the previously easily felled Uno took him to a draw. His inability to beat "Lil Evil" and Uno -- for the second time -- took some of Penn's luster.
At UFC 46, he was eager to get it back.
Riding off the momentum of a three-round thumping he handed Takanori Gomi in Hawaii, Penn was booked against 170-pound champion Matt Hughes after the wrestler had seemingly run out of credible challengers in the welterweight division. It was Penn's first flirtation with weight jumping, a practice he continued throughout his entire career.
He choked Hughes out in the first round and capture UFC gold. But as quickly as his bicep flexed into his opponent's throat that night, he was just as quickly gone from the Octagon.
He signed with K-1 parent company Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) and was stripped of his title by the UFC. He spent his next four fights in Japan and Hawaii, fighting at welterweight, middleweight, and even as high as 191-pounds when he took on Lyoto Machida.
He finally made his return to the Octagon in 2006 and was immediately placed in a number one contender's bout against Georges St. Pierre. The Hawaiian dominated the first round but "Rush" was able to grind Penn out for the remaining 10 minutes and picked up the split decision.
Despite losing, "The Prodigy" was given a title shot after the French-Canadian suffered an injury during training. At long last, fans were going to see the rematch between Penn and Hughes.
Much like his bout with "GSP," Penn took the opening round at UFC 63 handily but faltered as the fight progressed. Trapped in a crucifix late in the third round, the Hawaiian was unable to defend himself against a barrage of Hughes' punches and the fight was stopped.
Faced with back to back losses for the first time in his career, Penn decided to return to the weight division he took by storm half a decade prior. And with a submission win over Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 Finale, he let every 155-pounder in the UFC know: "The Prodigy" was back at lightweight.
He won the vacant title at UFC 80 when he submitted Joe Stevenson and then Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez all fell at the feet of the mighty Hawaiian. The only blemish on Penn's record during this time was another ill-fated attempt at welterweight.
Penn seemingly had no equal at lightweight. It wasn't until he took on Frankie Edgar at UFC 112 that anyone proved up to the challenge "The Prodigy" provided. It was -- and still is -- a hotly debated contest that saw "The Answer" wrest away the lightweight title from Penn's waist.
If their fight in Abu Dhabi left any doubts, the rematch in Boston erased them all. Edgar thoroughly controlled the UFC 118 main event to make his first successful defense. "The Prodigy" had now lost two to Edgar, making a third match -- at least for the foreseeable future -- illogical. So Penn moved back up to 170-pounds to take care of some unfinished business.
The first matter was a rubber match between he and Hughes, a fight that ended in 21 seconds and with the Hall of Famer unconscious on the mat. The second matter was a third bout with St. Pierre and an opportunity for revenge. But standing in his way was American Kickboxing Academy product Jon Fitch.
Fitch has always been on the cusp of a second title shot but his fan-unfriendly style always put the kibosh on it. Both he and Penn knew their bout would help determine a number one contender.
Except it didn't. The bout was ruled a majority draw after "The Prodigy" took the first two rounds but gassed out in the third allowing Fitch to earn a 10-8 score. Neither got a title shot and both were booked against other welterweights while Nick Diaz was offered the chance to fight St. Pierre.
Fate intervened and the UFC 137 main event ended up being between the former Strikeforce champ and Penn. "The Prodigy" fought mightily but in the end, Diaz was too much to overcome. The Stockton fighter battered Penn's face to a bloody pulp in a record-setting performance.
His left eye nearly swollen shut from the damage he absorbed, Penn told Rogan he was done. The sacrifice has become too much for him, it seems. And no one can fault him. MMA can be the cruelest of mistresses, demanding so much and giving next to nothing in return.
There was no early period of Penn's career where he stalked the regional scene, evolving as a fighter with each fight he took. He exploded onto the scene on the sport's grandest stage and stayed there for 10 years. Almost more impressive than the list of fighters he bested is the list of men he lost to, all UFC champions at one point or another.
The Hawaiian was the perfect example of how far insane amounts of natural, raw talent can take you. And during his run as the 155-pound champion, that talent was combined with top-level training and produced one of the greatest fighters I've ever had the pleasure of watching.
Quite simply, there will never be another B.J. Penn.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, penn, prodigy
Read the full article at MMA ManiaRamsey Nijem Not Out to Prove Anything, Just Wanted to Dominate
When Ramsey Nijem lost to Tony Ferguson in the 'Ultimate Fighter' season 13 finale he didn't walk away with a chip on his shoulder.
Posted in: fighter, shoulder, nijem, ramsey nijem, ramsey
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 137 Results: Nick Diaz defeats BJ Penn, next up Georges St. Pierre
In the days leading up to the main event at UFC 137 it looked like Nick Diaz was going to have a tough time getting motivated to fight BJ Penn, a fighter that he had trained with in the past. Diaz seemed to find the motivation he needed during the weigh-ins on Friday when he and Penn went head to head and had to be separated by, among others, UFC President Dana White.
It was clear that both fighters, as well as the UFC, recalled Friday’s run in as the fighters were not permitted to get to
Posted in: ufc, diaz, fighter, penn, friday ’s
Read the full article at Low KickUFC 137 Results: Penn Retires After Defeat, Diaz to Fight GSP, and Other Post-Fight Analysis
UFC 137 was a decent enough card on paper. The Spike telecast boded well for the night with two excellent performances by its victors. Unfortunately once the main card got going, the night slowed to a crawl with relatively lackluster performances. To say Nick Diaz and BJ Penn more than made up for it would be an understatement.
In fact, it's an insult. The only thing more insulting than mentioning the rest of the main card in the same sentence as Penn/Diaz is the fact that it was three rounds. Granted, two more rounds, and Penn might have died in that cage, but it's the principle of the matter. Elite fighters should fight 25 minutes. Period.
For Penn, his exit highlights one of the more unique careers in mixed martial arts. I'll have more to say about Penn in the future, but for now I just want to say that the sport has lost one of its consummate prizefighters. If I were to introduce a person to MMA, there are few fighters that elaborate on what the sport's about better than Penn through performance. He doesn't bore you. He doesn't fight for points. His abilities no matter what aspect of MMA we're talking about are not mockable (see Aoki). He only ever confounds you with his talent, even in defeat.
And as Nick proved, he's also one tough sonofabitch. With Penn's head having been genetically fused with a coconut's exocarp, BJ is not a fighter you put down with one punch. After a competitive first round that Penn won, Nick began to run away with the fight, specifically in the 2nd round. It was worth asking whether Penn's corner should consider stopping the fight. They didn't, and it seemed like the correct decision, as BJ still had considerable fight left in him.
I'm not sure what will come of it, but Nick called out Georges St. Pierre. In an atypical display, GSP mocked the idea that he "was scared". Still, it's unclear whether or not Dana will give Nick the shot with Carlos Condit having been "promised". Of course, Condit is merely taking the shot Nick fumbled by being Nick. Update: According to Dana White, Nick Diaz is indeed set to face GSP.
I often feel like the village idiot, so it's with considerable pleasure that I say, I told you so. I always felt like Nick would present Penn with the interesting task of dealing with someone who would get in his face, and wouldn't be discouraged with BJ's counterpunching prowess. We're talking about a guy that took Paul Daley's best, and still kept coming. On top of that, I felt like Nick's reach wouldn't leave him open to as many counters as he might otherwise take. Granted, he still took a ton of shots, but where he keeps his head is just as important. He inches forward and maintains his range which keeps him from taking the entire force of the punches that he does absorb. It's still not great technique, and it's owed in large part to his chin, but it works for Nick because it allows him to stay active to the body, head, body, etc.
Here's where I go back to being the village idiot: I still think Carlos Condit is a more compelling matchup for GSP. Not by much, but St. Pierre won't stand with Diaz at all. And if he does, Nick will need time to land a barrage. Carlos still has the ability to kill in one shot. Either way, I'm not confidant either man can submit GSP from their back. Having said that, I'm perfectly fine with Nick getting the title shot next. Now he can say he's truly earned it. A win over Penn is simply more than what Condit has accomplished.
Oh Heavyweight MMA: you're the gift that keeps on giving the opposite of inspiration, and acumen. I feel bad saying that about Mirko, who should have retired well before this fight, but in a way his presence is symbolic. The division is so lacking that it allows fighters to stay relevant even passed their expiration date. I don't think any of the HW's were impressive. Kongo is still too tentative, and gets confused when fighters rush him. And as he and Roy Nelson were the winners, I'm confidant in saying there's nothing that interests about a Nelson/Kongo matchup except that I have to talk about it.
"Japanese MMA is not dead", Hatsu Hioki proudly proclaimed in his post fight victory speech over George Roop. Well, you wouldn't have known it by his performance. Much like JMMA, you would have been hard pressed to find a pulse in this fight. For one, Hioki's defense was just downright porous. I live in the middle in this JMMA debate. I don't consider it "fraudulent", as some of its critics do, but I think its proponents tend to ignore the tangible reasons for its decline. To Hioki's credit, he fought to his strengths in the 2nd round, but he still has problems doing that with any consistency. Hioki is a world class fighter who took Brian Geraghty (the guy on TUF who made Joe Lauzon look like Fedor Emelianenko) to a decision. The same thing happened in his loss to Antonio Carvalho, which he simply let slip from his grappling fingers. These are the kinds of mistakes can't afford to make at this level. If he struggles to live up to the hype, it will be because he doesn't always fight the way he's capable.
You know what is defiantly not dead? The WEC. Kudos to Donald Cerrone and Bart Palaszewski fo being the only other fighters to put on memorable performances. Cerrone's low to high kick transition to put Siver on queer street was magical. The guy is simply a killer. Message to Joe Silva and Dana White: if you don't match up Donald Cerrone against Nate Diaz in a five round fight (preferably on FOX), you don't love MMA.
Who would have thought Tyson Griffin would one day turn into a punchline? The guy misses weight tonight, having snapped a three fight losing streak by just barely beating Manny Gamburyan, and now he's yet another highlight on someone's knockout reel. Bartimus' went Rolling Thunder on Griffin, and once again Tyson disputes that he wasn't momentarily a vegetable.
Speaking of punchlines, Elliot Marshall holds the distinction of looking so lackluster even in victory, that the UFC cut him with a 3-1 record. Despite that, he nearly finished Brandon Vera on the feet, and broke his arm in two. I have no idea where Vera's head is, but it's not in this sport. For the genesis of this apathy, you might have to go back to the Jon Jones fight, when the interest in MMA got elbowed out of him.
Posted in: fight, nick, fighter, round, penn
Read the full article at Head Kick LegendPenn, 'Cro Cop' retire after UFC 137 losses (Yahoo! Sports)
Legendary fighters B.J. Penn and Mirko Filipvoic announced their retirements in the Octagon after losing at UFC 137.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, penn, cop, mirko filipvoic
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC 137 Results: Nick Diaz Starches BJ Penn To A Decision In A FOTY Candidate
This was the fight that everyone wanted to see. The fight that was hyped as the real main event prior to Georges St. Pierre dropping off the card due to a knee injury. In the lead up both fighters were incredibly respectful of the other's skills and never committed to the usual trash talk. It was only at the weigh ins that they showed even the slightest hint of animosity with Diaz and Penn going nose to nose on stage before Dana White jumped in to split them apart.
The fight was everything the fans hoped it would be, with both fighters coming forward in the first round looking to put the most hurt on the other. The clear aggressor was Penn who found his range early and head hunted Diaz the first five minutes. In the second round Diaz took over, forcing Penn against the cage and just battering him with punches in bunches. Penn's face showed the cumulative damage going into the final round and he was unable to keep up with the pace that Diaz set. There were times when Penn was landing well, he just wasn't able land with the same pop that he had in the first.
The judges scored the fight for Diaz who celebrated by calling out Georges St. Pierre making the claim that the champion wasn't actually hurt and was instead ducking everyone. To his credit St. Pierre didn't let the trash talk get to him.
This was the first time in his career that a fighter made B.J. Penn look old. He retired in the post fight and if this truly was the last time that fans will see the Hawaiian, he went out on his shield. He never backed down and stayed in the fight all the way to the final bell.
SBN coverage of UFC 137 Results: Penn vs. Diaz
Posted in: fight, diaz, fighter, st, penn
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowSay goodbye to one of the greatest fighters in MMA history - THANK YOU MIRKO CROCOP! /xpost from r/sports
submitted by Temporarily-stairs [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fighter, mma history, xpost, mirko, goodbye
Read the full article at RedditUFC 137: How Matt Mitrione has gone from 'zero' to 'hero'
What a difference two years makes.
Tonight (Sat., Oct. 29, 2011), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight fighter Matt Mitrione will be taking on French kickboxing specialist Cheick Kongo at UFC 137 in Las Vegas, Nevada for an opportunity to get his name in the mix of serious title contenders.
That may come as a shock to mixed martial arts (MMA) fans who have not been paying attention recently. Moreover, if you watched "Meathead" during the early stages of his career, you may even be asking yourself how he still has a job as a professional fighter.
With a perfect professional record of 5-0, Mitrione has grown by leaps and bounds between each one of his fights. The maturation seems to not only pertain to his abilities inside the cage, but also outside the Octagon as well.
Take a leisurely stroll with us down memory lane to see just how Mitrione got to be where he is today as a UFC fighter.
It all started in 2009 when Mitrione, a former defensive tackle for Purdue University, participated on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 10.
This particular season was far from being all about Mitrione. If you remember, it may as well have been called "The Kimbo Slice Show." On top of the "Kimbo" factor, the season was dominated by juvenile verbal sparring sessions and doors being broken by TUF season 10 coaches Rashad Evans and "Rampage" Quinton Jackson.
So how does a fighter get recognized amidst all of this "hoopla?" It's simple.
Act crazy.
That's exactly what Mitrione did. He played possum. He undersold his abilities. No one took him seriously. Not Dana White, not his own coach (Evans) -- not anyone.
Ultimately, Mitrione lost in the quarterfinals to James McSweeney. Remember? Yes, that James McSweeney.
Since that point in time, Mitrione has gone on a tear. Four of his five victories have come by way of (technical) knockout and, to be fair, all five may have ended that way if he'd not run into the cinder block skull of Joey Beltran.
To make things even more interesting, Mitrione is featured on tonight's card with another fellow TUF season 10 alum. Who is it, you ask? None other than "Big Country" Roy Nelson.
Why is that significant? Because Nelson was the winner of that respective season of the show. He got the six-figure contract. He got the see-through trophy.
In a short two years, the two fighters have almost completely swapped positions. Mitrione now finds himself in the co-main event on a card where Nelson is essentially fighting for his career.
Mitrione has dedicated his life to becoming a mixed martial artist. He's done nothing but get better. He's passed up almost everyone that he came in with. The UFC keeps setting 'em up. Mitrione knocks 'em down.
But you don't know that Matt Mitrione. You know the Mitrione that goes on Ariel Helwani's show and makes fun of Tito Ortiz's girlfriend. Old habits die hard.
Regardless of your opinion of Mitrione, a win over Kongo at UFC 137 would be huge. In a division that has been hurting lately, Mitrione could potentially step to the front (or close to the front) of the line in one fell swoop.
What say you, Maniacs? Are you impressed by the new and improved "Matt Mitrione 2.0?" Kongo has said he's not concerned with Mitrione's punching power. Should he be?
Sound off!
Posted in: ufc, fighter, season, mitrione, matt
Read the full article at MMA ManiaPick a Card: UFC 137 (MAIN CARD)
Welcome back fight fans. Yesterday, we looked at the preliminary card for UFC 137 where I predicted wins for (amongst others) newcomer Dustin Jacoby and Donald Cerrone.
Speaking of “Cowboy” Cerrone, don’t forget to enter yourself in our first giveaway done completely over Twitter. Anytime leading up to the start of the main event, Tweet me your fighter picks for the main card, and how you believe BJ Penn / Nick Diaz will end. If your picks beat mine, you’ll win the Cerrone autograph. In the event of more than one winner, the tiebreaker will be your main event end pick. If there’s still a tie, all eligible entrants go into an online randomizer where the winner will be picked.
A Breakdown of the UFC 137 Prelims
Let’s get going to fairly explosive main event, which could bring a lot of fans to their feet, and provide some headaches along the way. It’s not often you see two debuts on the main card but as luck (and injuries) would have it, it’s happening.
Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop
Hioki has long been considered one of the best featherweights in the world, and since the announcement of his signing to the UFC, fans and analysts the world over have been salivating at the thought of Hioki running roughshod over the Featherweight division. Standing his path is a man who defeated one of the best up and coming featherweights to get here: Roop. Roop was a heavy underdog going into his fight against Josh Grispi, but delivered one of the most wince inducing body shots in UFC history to bring that fight to a sudden halt. Former TUF participant Roop is a bit of an MMA chameleon, having fought in 3 different weight classes in his career.
Hioki’s wins read like a Featherweight list of stars of yesterday and today: Rumina Sato, Mark Hominick twice, Jeff Curran and Ronnie Mann among them. His most recent high profile victory was over Bellator tournament finalist Marlon Sandro. In fact, his only loss in the last four years was to current UFC vet Michihiro Omigawa.
Roop’s treaded a more treacherous path to this fight. His devastating loss to Hominick in January resulted in him becoming just another name floating through the division, and may have resulted in the loss his title chances as well. Defeating an undoubted top 5 Featherweight in the world would get him back on the right track, and he does bring in the advantage of fighting a Japanese UFC rookie, and the odd sense of immediate cage rust they seem to bring with them. Hioki’s biggest downfall will be this psychological edge Roop brings in, however, his training here in North America should have conditioned him to be ready for the confines and restriction of the cage, and it shouldn’t be an issue come fight night.
Expect Roop to try to keep this standing, and expect him to try to throw his usual brand of head and body punches and kicks. Hioki is best not to get drawn into this, and to take this immediately to the ground. Hioki has plenty of experiencing submitting some of the best fighters at 145, and he’s fought and easily blown through fighters that are better on the ground than Roop. If Hioki keeps his nerves in check, and doesn’t fall prey to the Japanese curse, this should be a pretty easy night for him enroute to a shot at Aldo.
Prediction: Hatsu Hioki def. Geroge Roop via Submission
Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran
MMA’s “Big Frog”, Curran, makes his return to the UFC after seven years away, and immediately draws one of the division’s finest in Jorgensen. They find themselves on the main card after a bit of reshuffling, and the loss of the Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit main event. Jorgensen is one of the hidden assets of the UFC Bantamweight division, holding wins over the likes of Brad Pickett, Antonio Banuelos, and Takeya Mizugaki en route to Curran. His explosive knockout victory over Ken Stone was one of the highlights of the Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, and served the division notice that he was going to be fighting a different fight going forward. In that fight, he displayed many striking characteristics uncommon to his usual style, and caught Stone, and many viewers offguard.
You should see Jorgensen return to his roots, however. Curran is an experienced BJJ fighter, and will look to quickly turn this into a wrestling vs. jiu jitsu match. He’s won four of five to bring him back to the UFC, however, lacks that one signature victory over a top tiered opponent in recent years. His biggest “name” win in the last four years is likely a 2009 win over Dustin Neace, and he had a fairly disastrous run through the WEC in 2009, going 1-4 before being shown the door. To be fair, all of his fights were against the division’s top opponents, and he was only stopped by Urijah Faber. Curran has said that could be his last hurrah, as he teased retirement if he finds he cannot compete at a level with the top bantamweights.
Jorgensen has the hot hand coming into this fight, but he’ll be giving up a slight height and reach disadvantage to Curran. He always wins when he needs to. It may not be a pretty win, but he always looks good doing it. Jorgensen is savvy enough to control Curran from the top, and keep from getting caught in his sweeps and submission attempts. Standing, you’ve got to give Jorgensen a slight striking edge. Curran’s never really been a power puncher, and his record shows, with 1 KO stoppage in 47 fights spanning nearly fourteen years. On a different night, this could easily be the fight of the night, and send submission fans into a frenzy, but with so many power punches and exciting fighters on the card, this will have to try hard to compete.
Both Team Curran MMA guys are probably the underdogs coming into their fights, but unlike Palaszewski, who I believe can pull off the upset against Griffin, this may be too tall a task for Curran. However, I don’t believe this will be the end of him. He’s too skilled, and too talented to hang his gloves up. Hopefully he’ll be back to fight another day.
Prediction: Scott Jorgensen def. Jeff Curran via Unanimous Decision
Mirko Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson
This is a tale of two fighters headed down the same path, both for different reasons. “Cro Cop”, one of the world’s most beloved mixed martial arts fighters of all time, has been an out and out disaster since coming to North America to continue his MMA career. Once one of the most feared strikers in the world, Filipovic has suffered one loss after another, while his erratic behavior toward MMA outside of his fights has led many to ask whether his heart is simply dwindling for the sport. Nelson’s heart, on the other hand, has never come into question. Never one to back down from a fight, Nelson’s conditioning has let him down, while his chin has kept him in all of his fights.
For different reasons, both men are standing at the exit door to the UFC, and one may be shown it at the end of the night.
Following two quick knockouts of Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve, Nelson has lost his last two (four of six overall) while taking ghastly amounts of punishment from Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir. The JDS fight was one of the most awkward beatings in recent memory, as JDS threw every tool in his arsenal at the advancing Nelson, but could not knock him out, almost to the point of throwing him off his game. Nelson faced a similar fate against Frank Mir. Mir threw everything he had at him, but Nelson refused to give up. In both fights, Nelson showed the true heart and spirit of a fighter, but the cardio of a 90 year old smoker, coming under major scrutiny. This time around, armed with a different training regimen, and enduring six months of new fat jokes from pal Dan Hardy, Nelson enters with a different outlook.
“Cro Cop” is one of MMA’s great enigmas. He defies all the rules of usual MMA fighters. No sponsorship, no wild outward personality and nothing flashy. Just a stoic attitude and a pair of Croatian flag shorts. His walkout shirts have no major sponsorship, just a yellow fonted “CRO COP TEAM” across the front. His previous handiwork speaks for itself. Victories over a venerable encyclopedia of MMA’s who’s who. Leg kicks so devastating they render opponents unconscious. Duran Duran song “Wild Boys” wasn’t nearly as fear-inducing until “Cro Cop” got a hold of it. But he’s not the same “wild boy” of old.
This is the fight that everybody’s looking forward to, but nobody’s looking forward to. Two of MMA’s favorite people meet, and it’s likely one will leave the UFC, possibly forever. Filipovic has stated on more than one occasion that he believes he’d be better off fishing. Nelson’s always wanted to fight, and that has never come into question. At this point, you’d have to give the edge to Nelson, whose underdog heart and ability to absorb copious amount of punishment are his biggest strengths coming into this fight. “Cro Cop” may be best to try and push Nelson into tiring himself out, and capitalize from there. Nelson’s hands have a history of staying too low when he’s tired, and that’s when “Cro Cop” can unleash his left kick. Filpovic would be best to utilize his reach advantage as well, since Nelson’s power in close is capable of knocking anybody out. Nelson’s boxing combos are his
As a long time “Cro Cop” fan, it pains me to say that I believe this is his last ride, win or lose. At this point, he cannot compete with the division’s elite, and has even shown trouble keeping pace with the lower tiered heavyweights. It might be time to walk into the Octagon one last time, fight once more, and call it a day.
Prediction: Roy Nelson def. Mirko Filipovic via Unanimous Decision
Matt Mitrione vs. Chieck Kongo
Mitrione is one of the most blessed fighters in the UFC. Not many MMA fighters out there get the pleasure of fighting a co-main event in only their 6th fight. Of course, a lot happened for “Meathead” to make it here, but here he is.
Kongo is one of the luckiest fighters in the UFC. His comeback against Pat Barry stands as one of the most unlikely in UFC history, as he was arguably out on his feet more than once, but was punched into conciousness and hit a Hail Mary hook to win and bring him to this fight.
With four knockouts and a Fight of the Night performance under his belt, chances are Mitrione won’t start a wrestling match with Kongo – At least not until he’s rocked a couple of times. Kongo hasn’t won by anything other than knockout in over four years, and though he’s well versed on the ground in a couple different disciplines, the man with the freakiest physique in the UFC (called “comical” once by Joe Rogan) will probably stand and strike with “Meathead”. Forget gameplans. Both fighters have little discipline when perturbed, and it will only take one hard punch for this to turn into a Joey Beltran-esque slobberknocker. This should be a matchup of raw power and nothing but. Neither fighter has expressed interest in technical fighting, featuring fantastic takedown defense, and great groundwork if the other is game to stand and strike. You’ll probably see the fight go to fence pretty often, where Kongo can often be susceptible to panicked defense. Mitrione may be able to get a bit of momentum when Kongo goes into panic mode, as he’s been known to hold the fence and hold shorts in those moments of lapsed judgement. Mitrione’s best shot would be to rattle Kongo early, and distract his discipline right away. That’s going to be his key to victory. If he can rattle Kongo’s cage without getting too antsy for a finish like Barry did, you could see Meathead possibly taking this, and starting to step up into the division’s elite. If Kongo relaxes, and fights the game that brought him those gusty victories against the likes of “Cro Cop”, Antoni Hardonk, and even the Dan Evensen fight, this bout should be his. The UFC is taking a huge risk on TUF veteran Mitrione, pitting him against someone of Kongo’s stature, and hoping it pays off. Schaub was in a similar situation against a (seemingly) aging Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria and couldn’t pull the victory off.
To be quite honest, this was the hardest fight to pick out of all of them. Break this fight in half, really. Mitrione has the skills to beat Kongo in the first seven and a half minutes, but after that, Kongo’s experience edge and gritty takedown style will start to kick into overdrive. If that happens, Mitrione needs to ensure he’s won the first two rounds, because Kongo will surely take the third. Give “Meathead” the benefit of the doubt here. His hands are heavy, and his head is, well, meat.
Prediction: Matt Mitrione def. Cheick Kongo via TKO
BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz
Now…the main event everybody wanted to see, yet nobody wanted to see. There’s no middle ground it seems. Either you’re interested in this main event, or you’re not. I personally veer to the latter. I’ve never been a Penn fan, yet I’d rather see him succeed more than Diaz. Diaz had a somewhat heartwrenching piece in Fight! Magazine approximately a year ago, outlining his upbringing, and how much good in his life was done by turning himself and Nate to MMA. A great piece that gave a bit of perspective into Diaz’s mind, and the way he operates. A small glimpse of that was available in Jack Burton‘s article here yesterday.
Diaz is a vastly different fighter than the one the UFC released years ago. He kept up that same level of maturity, but became a much better fighter. Diaz is one of the best pure boxers in MMA, so much so that he was considering leaving MMA to start a career there before Dana White convinced him to come back to face the welterweight elite.
Penn, however, is someone who is consistent to a fault. Fortunately, every time you see Penn, you know exactly what you’re going to get. Unfortunately, the same applies. With the exception of the Matt Hughes fight, Penn fight formula is simple: Overwhelm and out-power your opponent, then go in for the kill. Few in the business do it as well as Penn. His ability to make the most difficult victory easy has been one of his biggest strengths. That was as a lightweight, however. As a welterweight, he’s always looked a bit beatable. He gives up such a large size range that he comes off as a mere mortal in a division full of some of the most eclectic fighters in the world.
Diaz is one of those ecclectic fighters. His ability to do whatever it takes to win at all costs has made him an exciting fighter to watch (and one of the most conceited.) In fact, he has yet to taste clean defeat since his loss to Sean Sherk at UFC 59. His only loss in his last 16 fights is a doctor’s stoppage to KJ Noons, whom he easily defeated in a rematch. Nearly all of those wins have come by TKO or submission. He’s preferred to stand and strike his last few North American outings, and his victories against Evangelista Santos and Paul Daley showed he can quickly turn a fight in his favor and win from any possible position.
Diaz’s weakness, however, could be Penn’s key to victory. Penn has an eagle’s eye when it comes to finding the smallest opening to take advantage of, and counterpunches with the best of them. Diaz gets very sloppy when momentum shifts in his favor, and can start punching with his hands down. His chin was tested frequently by Paul Daley, and he was stunned a couple times, but powered through.
The difference in this fight probably won’t be who gets the last punch in, but who can grapple the best on the ground. With a larger target than Frankie Edgar to work with, Penn can put his ground game to work on Diaz. However, Diaz is like a sleeping cat on the ground. His ability to spring into a dangerous position from nothing immediately was shown at no better than against Santos, where he turned being taken down into an armbar victory in 20 seconds. Diaz’s awareness of his surroundings and his smarts in tight situations will be what ultimately powers him to a victory. As much as I hate to say it, I’m going to take Diaz with an armbar or rear naked in the late stages of the fight.
Prediction: Nick Diaz def. BJ Penn via submission (with Penn making excuses the following week)
As always, thanks for joining me for UFC 137 as I see it. Despite the loss of a few familiar names, it should be a good night of fights, and hopefully at this time next week, we can look back and take solace in the fact that it was a decent card after all.
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway. We’re hoping to make this a regular thing if it’s a success. See you cageside!
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Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC President Dana White: "If There's a Gay Fighter in the UFC, I Wish He Would Come Out"
The push for the legalization of MMA in New York has faced plenty of roadblocks, the most notable being the Culinary Workers Union Local 226. The union, who has ties to the Fertitta Brothers' Station Casino empire, continues to spend money campaigning against the UFC's efforts to land in New York.
Their latest creation, UnfitForChildren.org, outlines UFC President Dana White's anti-gay comments along with several other fighters under contract with the UFC. The goal of the website is to alert the public about how these comments are not only abusive to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, but also to children.
When White was asked about the campaign, he spoke about the possibility of a fighter in the UFC being gay (MMAFighting.com):
White said that while a few fighters occasionally step out of line, the vast majority -- "300-something," in his view are inspirational, role- model types to kids and adults.
Though there has never been an openly gay fighter in the UFC, White said there would be no problems for that individual under his watch.
"I'll tell you right now, if there's a gay fighter in the UFC, I wish he would come out," he said. "I could care less if there's a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is, and there's probably more than one. It's 2012. Give me a break."
White also comments on the abusive approach the union has taken in their attacks, stating that the campaign is trying to make everyone in the company look bad when that's the furthest from the truth. White also talked about policing himself and his own fighters, citing that he couldn't police every single word out everyone's mouth.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, union, there, ufc i
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowDana White welcomes the UFC's secret gay fighters
Recently, Culinary Union Local 226 accused the UFC of being anti-gay in an attempt to get the UFC's sponsors to renounce the sport like Elton John renounced pussy. Most people expected Dana White to reply with yet another "This is the fight business, you dumb fucking bitch!" comment. But on Thursday, he took the opposite tack, going out of his way to welcome gay fighters into the UFC’s soft, supple folds with a “UFC <3 teh homosquelchuals” rant:
"I'll tell you right now, if there's a gay fighter in the UFC, I wish he would come out. I could care less if there's a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is, and there's probably more than one. It's 2012. Give me a break."
About the idea that the UFC should be stopping people from saying that they don't want to train with gays, calling people gay for putting their sisters in headlocks, and teaching Japanese people to say "I am a faggot" on video, White had this to say:
"You're dealing with human beings. Everybody makes mistakes and everybody does things that are wrong sometimes. ... We do the best we can do. How do you really think that we could possibly police 375 fighters and try to control everything they say?"
"I do what I can do for these guys. You're dealing with human beings. I love when you get these organizations that try to ... I guess I call it the holier-than-thou approach. Really? So when these guys make mistakes and things happen, bad things happen, you want to point the finger and say the whole organization is bad and these are bad people because these are things they've done? F--- you. Guess what? Everybody makes mistakes and everybody does things that are wrong sometimes. Everybody. I don't care who you are, I don't care what you do for a living and what you've done. I don't deal with the holier-than-thou b-------. We do the best we can do."
This statement was pretty mindblowing, if only for its relative abandonment of his previous “bristly old bear” attitude. In order to soften the blow and avoid making our heads literally explode because of the apparent contradiction with how he normally acts, Dana evidently deputized Anderson Silva to prance around with Justin Bieber to set the stage for this announcement. 100 points to the first fighter who makes Dana reverse his new liberal attitude by dancing around in a speedo to entertain the UFC’s “new target audience”, which rumor has it is even more awash in disposable income than the regular 18-49 breeder demographic. If Dana White believes that “there’s probably more than one” gay fighter in the UFC already, this begs the question, to whom is he referring? Donald Cerrone and Leonard Garcia have been cohabiting like Ernie and Bert for quite some time, and Cerrone recently made the Achilles-vs.-Hector-like move of challenging the man who defeated his “best friend”. It’s common knowledge at this point that Achilles was gay, and so 2+2 being 4, these two are definitely under investigation. Okay, maybe we just like imagining Cowboy saying "I wish I could quit you!"
Other than that ... uuuuuh. Hmmm. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva were caught in a bit of a "compromising position", on camera no less. And Nick Ring... well, let's actually not discuss Nick Ring.
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Read the full article at FightlinkerShowdown on UFC 137: The edge
Which fighter has The Edge at UFC 137 in Las Vegas on Saturday?
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Read the full article at sportsnet.caUltimate Blogger Mitrione: Learning on the fly
While some other fighters are given time to develop in the minor leagues, Matt Mitrione has spent his career under the bright lights of UFC.
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Read the full article at sportsnet.caUFC 137: The Sober Reality of Nick Diaz's Continued Presence in MMA
It's difficult to reminisce about Nick Diaz's career without taking a journey down a dilapidated road of memories. Youthful and imperfect, Diaz waged war on anything that stood in his path, creating animosity between himself and his opponents that could only be described as borderline insane. One extreme example was the fight that broke out between Diaz and Joe Riggs at a hospital after Riggs won a punishing unanimous decision at UFC 57 back in 2006. Not surprisingly, there's more.
Diaz's involvement in a post-fight brawl after his teammate Jake Shields won the vacant Strikeforce middleweight crown in November of 2009 wasn't a surprise to most fans either. The famous image of both Shields and Diaz cocking back their fists to hit Jason 'Mayhem' Miller exudes Nick's persona in many ways. Some might describe him as a thug, others as a loyal friend. In either case, the image shows a Nick Diaz we have grown accustomed to over the years.
Like a fine wine, Diaz has begun to mature with age however. In more recent interviews, we've been humbled by a more mellow Nick Diaz. A man who talks deeply about family and friends, wants to make sure his mother is taken care of, and sings the praises of his younger brother Nate. Those thoughts don't subdue his opinions on the fight game or who's to blame for his irregular attendance at media functions however.
Those opinions have become more attached to thoughts on his continued presence in the sport. In the last couple of years, Diaz has went public with the fact that he isn't fighting because he has the competitive fire to compete. He's fighting for the money. He's a prizefighter, not a man bound to the sport by a cosmic force telling him that this was what he was born to do. He reiterated that opinion on Thursday in a candid twenty-five minute interview with Ariel Helwani.
When pressed by Helwani about why he continues to fight, Diaz succumbed to his natural abilities. He's great at fighting, and despite the fact that he doesn't like beating on someone's face -- it's what he's good at. Many fans can probably relate to that logic. After all, how many of us hate our jobs, yet are very good at what we do?
The prolonged presence of Diaz's dislike for the sport and all the intricacies that come along with being a top fighter creates an aura of uneasiness for some fans. B.J. Penn may be his opponent on Saturday night at UFC 137, but the reality is that Diaz may be on the brink of leaving the sport before the age of 30.
That story, when it finally comes down the news wire, will create conflicting opinions, likely heavily laced with fans selfishly spouting off about how they are somehow owed greatness from a warrior they grew up adoring. "He's only 30!", "Why the hell would he retire now! He's awesome!" are lines we'll see incessantly fill the conversation.
The reality is that Diaz's drive isn't as ingrained in him as it is for other fighters. Those fighters who are pushing themselves way past their prime are more willing to do what they need to do to continue fighting than a fighter like Diaz. For Diaz, his final moments in the cage won't be similar to that of Chris Lytle. He won't be fighting off the tears because he's leaving a sport he dearly loves. He'll be glad it's over. No cameras, press, or expectations.
If money is his motivation, who knows exactly when he'll say enough is enough? He's only 28 years old, and he is at the prime of his career. He could make a lot of money if he continues winning. I get the sense, however, that Diaz may be the next fighter who truly walks off into the sunset at the top of his game, not because he's worried about his health or wants to spend more time with family. Because he wants to walk away from something he hates to do. Conventional wisdom suggests that Diaz won't take that step, but when has Diaz followed the accepted norm?
Posted in: diaz, nick, fighter, sport, he
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowPick a Card: UFC 137 (PRELIMS)
Hello strangers! It’s been a while since we sat together and talked MMA after a gap between events and what a wild three weeks it’s been. Frankie Edgar silenced critics once and for all, and proved he IS in fact “The Answer”; we lost MMA’s “Warrior Princess” Zoila Gurgel for the next year with a terrible injury (for which I do wish her a full recovery,) and the landscape for the event we’re going to look at today has changed drastically.
The unflappable Georges St. Pierre had to postpone his fight with Carlos Condit at UFC 137 due to a moderate MCL Sprain in his knee, and we’re now looking at a different main event.
This event marks our fight giveaway as well. For more information relating to what we’re going, and how we’re doing it, click here to have a chance at winning Donald Cerrone‘s autograph.
I hope to make our giveaways as frequent as possible, and should to have more news about partnerships and giveaways in the coming weeks!
Back to the event, as you know, UFC 137 takes place this Saturday. Today we’ll take a look at the preliminary portion of the show, then move onto the PPV bouts tomorrow.
Dustin Jacoby vs. Clifford Starks
This fight is completely different than when it was booked. Originally scheduled to be Redneck Jiu-Jitsu specialist Tim Credeur vs. Brad Tavares, injuries to both have turned this into a UFC debut match. Starks and Jacoby enter the Octagon with undefeated records, most of which are stoppage victories, and have had fairly meteoric rises into the UFC. Jacoby is a very heavy handed quick finisher, racking up the majority of his wins in the first round, and in under two minutes. Starks fought just two weeks ago at Shark Fights, where he won by decision. He’s also primarily a standup fighter who exhibits decent ground defense, but may have to take the fight there, since he will be giving away a huge reach disadvantage, and about six inches of height on Jacoby. Jacoby will make his debut as the tallest middleweight since Kendall Grove, and will fare better keeping the action standing. Expect a lot of outside punching and explosive striking, as Jacoby will want to keep Starks at bay, and stop him from getting too far inside, where he could be in trouble. Jacoby isn’t afraid to be flashy, and throw unconventional strikes looking for a highlight reel win. Starks isn’t afraid to take Jacoby down, and possesses a strong wrestling base. Starks’ key to victory is to play it safe and wrestle out a victory. Should Jacoby be ready for a good ground fight and neutralize Starks’ wrestling, this fight could be over before fans are through the door.
Prediction: Dustin Jacoby def. Clifford Starks via TKO
Chris Camozzi vs. Francis Carmont
Fresh of six wins in his last seven fights, Frenchman Francis Carmont makes his UFC debut against returning vet Chris Camozzi. Carmont’s ticket to the UFC was paved with a short work TKO victory over Jason Day, while Camozzi has been off since May after beating Joey Villasenor. Camozzi has a Muay Thai background that he rarely gets to use, because his fights always spend a lot of time on the ground. The majority of his recent victories have been submission or decision wins. Carmont, however, brings a bit of variation to his game, splitting TKO and submission wins in his last six scraps. Carmont’s the kind of fighter who will fight anywhere, any way, under any circumstance. His flexible fight style has earned him the nickname “limitless” because his ability to adapt knows no boundaries. This all-out fight style has unfortunately led to a number of submission losses, which guaranteed Camozzi has studied, and will be utilizing to his advantage on Saturday afternoon. Camozzi’s BJJ and judo backgrounds mean he can adapt to Carmont’s advances. Carmont has the training edge, however, coming out of the Tristar gym, meaning he’s had the ability to roll, grapple and learn from the likes of GSP and Kenny Florian. There’s very little chance that either fighter will keep this standing for long, and this could be the dark horse for the ground battle of the night. Camozzi is smart enough not to keep himself open for submissions, so expect Carmont to throw a fair amount of strikes, and attempt to stop Camozzi before it becomes a wrestling match. Camozzi can be one of the most inconsistant fighters out there, and you never know how good he’ll be that night. Carmont will likely keep it close, but Camozzi has a little bit more to prove (having been released previously) and will probably grind this one out by the thinnest of margins.
Prediction: Chris Camozzi def. Francis Carmont via Split Decision
Ramsey Nijem vs. Danny Downes
Both fighters are coming off losses, though Nijem’s was a lot costlier. The popular Nijem came up short to Tony Ferguson at the last Ultimate Fighter finale for the season win, while Downes had a loss against Jeremy Stephens at the same card. Nijem is still relatively new to MMA, with only 6 pro fights to his name, though his road to the Ultimate Fighter finale was paved with tough fights against Clay Harvison and Chris Cope, both of whom he stopped rather handily. He’ll be making his return to the lightweight division against Downes. A Duke Roufus prodige, Downes trains alongside Anthony Pettis and arguably holds his largest win against the previously undefeated Tiequan Zhang. Quite honestly, I’ll be surprised if this match stays on the ground at Downes’ urging. Nijem is a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler who mixes things up in practice with Court McGee. Nijem’s wrestling skills with McGee’s tutelege could spell a dangerous night for Downes, who will need to be sharp standing in close to have a change. Downes has superior striking coming into this fight, and without his fists, he’s not going to be left with much to counter Nijem’s takedowns. Nijem is arguably the stronger of the two, and holds the edge on the ground. Expect his chin to be tested early, as Downes is a very fast starter, and will probably fly out of the gate looking to finish in the first 3 minutes of the fight. If he can dictate the pace early and often, this is his fight for the taking. If Nijem is allowed to take him down at will, this could play into his hands and wind up exactly like McGee vs. Dongi Yang. In that fight, Yang’s aggression got the better of him, and McGee was able to coast to a very methodical and smart victory. Expect nothing less of Nijem, who should fight a similar fight and come away with the victory here.
Prediction: Ramsey Nijem def. Danny Downes via Unanimous Decision
Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall
This, my friends, is a loser leaves town match. Both men are basically fighting for their UFC careers here. It’s been a long time since we saew either man. It took Vera about four months to find his nose after his loss (later no contest) against Thiago Silva, while Marshall has sat on the shelf after a quick KO loss against Luiz Cane in March. Vera was even cut by the UFC at one point, however, brought back after it was discovered Silva tampered with his own urine samples. Vera’s record within the UFC is a bit spotty. The word “potential” has been tossed about numerous times, and I’m sure you’ll still find those that say Vera isn’t living up to his potential, though at age 34, you wonder how much more there is that we haven’t seen yet. Marshall’s path in and out of the UFC has been a bit strange. “The Fire” (arguably one of the worst pun nicknames in MMA history) has been one of the UFC’s most cautious fighters in history, with the exception being the loss to Cane, where his nerves quickly overcame his rationale and left him laying on the mat. Vera says coming in that he’s not going to be the cautious one of the two, but that’s as obvious as saying Papa Smurf is the bearded one of the bunch. This is the fight Vera needs to get back on track, as if he cannot defeat Marshall’s passive and contemplative fight style, he has no place in the UFC. Marshall will be content to hang back, counterpunch and counter Vera’s aggressive takedown attempts, but Vera can quickly string together impressive combos to overwhelm him if given the opportunity. If Vera decides to get into a grappling match, however, this could be the most boring match of the night, and with both men clinging to their UFC contracts, and one false move resulting in release, don’t be surprised that this is fifteen minutes of Chariots of Fire-speed fighting. Give Vera the benefit of the doubt, however. He can be a much better fighter than we’ve seen his last three fights, and this is the perfect matchup for him to showcase his talents again. It’s been nearly five years since he knocked somebody out clean, but trust him to take this opportunity to stay around. Take Vera by terrible post-fight dance. You haven’t seen the last of him.
Prediction: Brandon Vera def. Eliot Marshall via TKO
That’s the shortened Facebook fight card. We’ve got two fights on the Spike prelims that could easily have been on the main card, so for those of you who aren’t watching the PPV make sure you at least catch these fights because they’re well worth the non-price of admission.
Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski
I’ve long dreaded the day Palaszewski makes his return to the Octagon because I knew I’d have to figure out how to spell his last name properly. Fortunately, there’s cut and paste.
“Bartimus” is one of the most tenured fighters never to fight in the UFC or Strikeforce coming into this one, and might be one of the few fighters out there to appear in as many UFC card sets as he has without actually setting foot inside the Octagon. This fight, his 49th, will shockingly be his debut. Griffin, on the other hand, is still trying to right his career after a string of losses, however, his contract likely teeters in the balance coming into this fight despite a fairly sound victory over Manny Gamburyan in June.
Palaszewski is one of the dynamic personalities of the UFC that has yet to be unleashed. Holding wins over numerous UFC vets, including “Showtime” Pettis, this BJJ Black Belt hangs and bangs with the likes of Jeff Curran, Pat Curran, and Mackens Semerzier at Curran MMA. His power striking has been a bit suspect in the past, but he puts together very crisp little combos, and he’s dynamite on the ground. He holds a ground edge over Griffin (who himself is no slouch.) Bart will likely be dictating the pace against Griffin, who has gone from contender to goat in the last year. After bursting onto the scene with KO victories over Duane Ludwig and Urijah Faber, Griffin started fighting a smarter game, which was highly effective in slowing down Clay Guida and Gleison Tibau. However, things went awry last year in Vancouver, when Evan Dunham defeated him, and set off a chain of three losses in a row. Griffin knows his fourteenth trip into the Octagon could be his last, and Palaszewski probably knows his first could be the last two. Don’t expect a boring fight. Griffin likes to take things to the ground, but Palaszewski will be right there with him. Griffin’s possibly got the power edge here if it comes down to it, however, Palaszewski’s combo striking and BJJ are a force to be reckoned with at 145, and if fans didn’t know his name before, expect them to know it Saturday. Just don’t expect them to pronounce it properly. I almost guarantee I’m in the minority here, but take the Polish Zangief here by decision.
Prediction: Bart Palaszewski def. Tyson Griffin via Unanimous Decision
Donald Cerrone vs. Dennis Siver
Since the GSP fight went awry, I admit this fight is probably the one I’m looking forward to the most. Cerrone is one of the Lightweight Division’s best chances are possibly dethroning Edgar (assuming the winner of Ben Henderson/Guida doesn’t do it,) but standing in his path is Dennis “Growing Pains” Siver (I think I just dated myself with that reference.) A Russian born German kickboxing champ, Siver has won eight of his last nine, including a controversial razor-thin victory against Matt Wiman in a decision that could have gone either way. Siver is no stranger to derailing possible title contenders, having beaten George Sotiropoulous at the peak of his winning streak. thus establishing himself as a dominant force at lightweight. However, despite his utter dominance over his last four opponents, his name is rarely thrown around in title talk. This fight, however could change that.
Without regard to advantages which fighter holds over the other, the biggest hurdle Siver will have to overcome (besides giving up a ton of reach almost 6 inches in height) is Cerrone’s unpredictability. Show someone a handful of Cerrone fights, and you’ll never see a similar fight, or fight style out of him. But it’s to be expected when you’ve trained with the likes of Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, and the even more-over-the-top Leonard Garcia. Siver is one of the most predictable fighters in the UFC, however, his raw power, and ability to neutralize all attacks are what has made him effective, and successful at 155. Siver’s ability to use effective bodyshots are one of the most underrated traits in all of MMA, and he’s exhibited that he has the ability to halt a fight with one kick.
This should be the smartest fought battle of the night and will probably go the distance with neither man game to risk ending their night. Both fighters are ridiculously intelligent inside the cage, and rarely take pointless risks, with the one exception being perhaps Cerrone’s second fight against (Ben) Henderson, which ended rather quickly. Failing that, both men represent legitimate threats at 155, though Cerrone’s easy victories over a mixture of fight styles and opponents likely give him the edge, and make him the favorite coming in. I don’t know that there’s anybody in his current class at 155 right now that could stop Cerrone, and I certainly don’t think Siver will be able to. Give this to Cerrone, though in the convoluted title picture at 155, this will will only be a subtle nudge in the direction of a title shot.
Prediction: Donald Cerrone def. Dennis Siver via Unanimous Decision
That’s today’s look at the prelim card. Don’t forget to enter our contest to win a limited item featuring Cerrone’s “John Hancock” on the front of it.
Until then, see you again tomorrow for the UFC 137 main card!
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Read the full article at Fighters.comDana White: If there was a gay fighter in UFC, I wish he would come out
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, dana, mattyblayze, ufc i
Read the full article at RedditDana White Defends Anti-Gay Accusations, Says UFC Would Welcome Gay Fighter
Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS -- With increased exposure comes increased scrutiny, as the UFC has learned through its fast rise to becoming a sports powerhouse.
As the promotion continues preparation for its network television premiere on FOX on November 12, they have faced a recent, ongoing campaign led by the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, charging that the UFC is unfit for children due to abusive and bigoted language by UFC president Dana White and his fighters, a charge White denies.
As part of that campaign, the union, which represents more than 50,000 workers on the Las Vegas Strip but is embroiled in bitter litigation with Fertitta-owned Station Casinos -- recently launched the website UnfitForChildren.org that details some of White's more controversial quotes. More recently, they have pressured some of the UFC's sponsors to pull advertising dollars from the promotion because of their " history of tolerating homophobic conduct that is hostile to millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people all over the world who struggle every day against bigotry and discrimination."
Asked about the recent developments, White argued that they were based in politics more than substance, and said the UFC would gladly welcome a gay fighter.
"Seriously, if you guys look at some of the stuff I said in the last 10 years, some of it stupid, some of it whatever, that's the one that bothers me. It's the only one that bothers me," White said. "The fact that these losers from the culinary union can go out and say I'm a homophobe and things like that, because It's the furthest thing from the truth. I think enough of you here know me that if I was, I'd tell you I was, and I'd tell you why I was. It's not true and it's just something these guys can throw up on a cute little website."
Asked whether he should be better policing anyone in his organization, White said, "I definitely should be policing myself," but noted that he has 375 fighters on his roster and said he could not possibly police every word out of their mouths. A letter to UFC sponsor Anheuser-Busch specifically targeted several recent incidences they termed "anti-gay," that involved Joe Rogan, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Antonio Roridgo Nogueira, Michael Bisping and White himself.
"I do what I can do for these guys," White said. "You're dealing with human beings. I love when you get these organizations that try to ... I guess I call it the holier-than-thou approach. Really? So when these guys make mistakes and things happen, bad things happen, you want to point the finger and say the whole organization is bad and these are bad people because these are things they've done? F--- you. Guess what? Everybody makes mistakes and everybody does things that are wrong sometimes. Everybody. I don't care who you are, I don't care what you do for a living and what you've done. I don't deal with the holier-than-thou b-------. We do the best we can do."
White said that while a few fighters occasionally step out of line, the vast majority -- "300-something," in his view are inspirational, role- model types to kids and adults.
Though there has never been an openly gay fighter in the UFC, White said there would be no problems for that individual under his watch.
"I'll tell you right now, if there's a gay fighter in the UFC, I wish he would come out," he said. "I could care less if there's a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is, and there's probably more than one. It's 2012. Give me a break." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, guy, fighter, thing, dont
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDana White: If there was a gay fighter in UFC, I wish he would come out
If you're gay and you fight in the UFC, Dana White doesn't care.
In fact, the promotion president was kind of hoping you would come out of the closet. Just don't expect to be Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's grappling partner if you do.
That's because "Minotauro" told UOL Esporte he won't train with gay fighters, because he doesn't want to get felt up by another man if they decide to take advantage of the situation.
Big Nog's sentiment came under fire from the Las Vegas chapter of the Culinary Union, who accused Zuffa of being an anti-gay organization.
White told reporters during yesterday's UFC 137 press conference (via USA Today) that not only is his fight promoton not anti-gay, but that he wants any gay fighters under his employ to make their presence known.
"The thing that Nogueira said down in Brazil, you know? And I'll tell you right now, if there was a gay fighter in UFC, I wish he would come out. I could care less if there's a gay fighter in the UFC. There probably is and there's probably more than one. I mean, it's 2012. Give me a break. But you're going to have guys like Nogueira who come from Brazil, who's got that macho, Latino -- doesn't want to roll with a gay guy. People are going to say stuff like this. But that's the best answer I can give you is, give me a (freaking) break and be honest. Come on. We're all human beings. We all make mistakes sometimes. It doesn't mean that the UFC is bad and we're unfit for children and all this other stuff. Tell you what: Out of the 375 guys, we've got a few lunatics; some guys that are nutty; and then we've got 300 and something that are incredible, awesome human beings who are inspirational to kids and adults and whoever else is a human being."
This is the UFC in 2012. And like White said, they have guys that are lunatics, nutty and awesome. And he's probably got some that are gay, too.
But is coming out of the closet really the best idea, considering the demographic mixed martial arts appeals to? And peer acceptance could be difficult, Nogueira's comments aside, because of the cliques that exist in training camps, the front office and beyond.
Anyone favor a don't ask, don't tell policy? Or is this one stone better left unturned?
Can of worms, you are officially opened.
Posted in: ufc, guy, fighter, nogueira, ufc i
Read the full article at MMA ManiaLatest UFC/MMA news and notes from around the web for the week of October 22, 2011
Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Caol Uno, Matt Serra, Din Thomas and B.J. Penn pictured above, we can all "get along."
Teaming up with MMA sites like MiddleEasy, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and Five Ounces of Pain, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport.
This week, The FIght Nerd reviews Jim Genia's new book on the New York underground fighting scene, Lowkick catches up with current Ultimate Fighter season 14 fighter Akira Corassani and Fight Opinion investigates some causes for the UFC's recent downturn in pay-per-view buyrates.
The full list of links is after the jump.
- Interview with TUF 14's Akira Corassani (LowKick)
"There isn't a right or wrong team. You see very early, it's not a team sport. People are selling each other out and eventually, when it goes down, everybody is going to fight each other. So, the whole thing was just a matter of what kind of fighter you are yourself. "
- Penn is mighty, but what's the point? (NBC Sports MMA)
No matter what BJ Penn does in his UFC 137 main event match with Nick Diaz, it's not likely to help him get another title shot.
- Video Timeline: MMA's greatest techniques of the year, 1993-2011 (Cage Potato)
Over the last two decades, MMA has evolved so consistently that fighters are still finding new and unexpected ways to destroy their opponents - while causing fans to spit their beers in shock. We decided to take a lil' spin through MMA history and identify the single most awe-inspiring technique from each year since the sport's modern inception.
- GUFC 137 breakdown: The undercard (Five Ounces of Pain)
Losing a marquee main event is a substantial blow for any card, let alone one headlined by a title fight featuring one of the sport's biggest stars. Luckily, this weekend's card had an equally compelling co-main event (which has now been promoted to main event status) and a potentially action-packed undercard, making UFC 137 a can't-miss show for MMA hardcores.
- Covering the bases with Dana White (video) (MMA Fighting)
Dana White discusses UFC 137, Showtime talks, Bellator sale and more
- Jake Shields signs with Authentic Sports Management (5thRound)
"This was a big decision for me, I took my time looking for the right management and I found it in Glenn Robinson and Authentic Sports Management," said Shields. "ASM feels like a family environment. It has good people who are working hard, and he seems to really care about the fighters."
- If you think you can out swim Nick Diaz, you're clearly delusional (video) (MiddleEasy)
Our videographer, LayzieTheSavage, was under the belief that he 'almost' beat Nick Diaz in a pool race the night he arrived in Las Vegas for UFC 137. Granted everyone's definition of 'almost' varies, but fortunately we have documentation of this swimming contest. If almost means he didn't even finish the second lap, then sure, LayzieTheSavage 'almost' beat Nick Diaz.
- Jim Genia on NY Underground MMA scene (TheFightNerd)
"New York doesn't allow MMA right now, so fighters have to go to New Jersey to fight where its sanctioned or they have to go underground in New York city... but the book isn't just about the underground fight scene in New York, it's also about the development of sanctioned MMA in the east coast... In New Jersey, there was a show called BAMA Fight Night run by Big Dan Miragliotta. His show was the only show for the longest time, there weren't sanctioned events in the North East, so Big Dan would hold these shows and people like Matt Serra, Nick Serra, Phil Baroni, they had their first fights at these events." - Author Jim Genia
- Dave Meltzer: Piracy is a major factor in why UFC PPV buy rates are declining (Fight Opinion)
Injuries & too many shows are the main reasons why UFC PPV buys are down this year. Those underlying causes are the reason for a reported spike in piracy of UFC PPV events being streamed online. Dave elaborated on this conundrum for the UFC during his interview with Jack.
- CageHero rebrands itself (MMA Payout)
MMA Payout had the opportunity to speak with the owners of CageHero, Mark Mastrandrea and Ian Parker as it recently re-branded itself focusing its business to target kids. Once a sponsor of fighters in the octagon, it has a new web site, a new clothing line and its CageHero Kid
- UFC 137 fight card: Which fighter has the most to lose? (BleacherReport.com/MMA)
UFC 137 houses a lot of names that have a lot riding on their fights. BJ Penn , Nick Diaz and Mirko Cro Cop all have a lot riding on their fights. But there is one guy who has more riding on his shoulders then these guys, Hatsu Hioki.
- Bellator 56 preview - Get ready for the man blanket! (MMA Convert)
It is a sad state of affairs when the most common thing said about an organization's champ is that he's a "work in progress". But such is the case with Bellator welterweight grandmaster Ben Askren, who is shockingly weak in the striking and submissions department, yet un-freakin'-stoppable when it comes to wrestling.
Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, fighter, sport
Read the full article at MMA ManiaWatch today's UFC 137 fighter weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com at 7 p.m. ET
LAS VEGAS - UFC 137 fighter weigh-ins take place today, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on
MMAjunkie.com.
Today's weigh-ins take place at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center, and the first
fighter is on the scale at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT local time).
In addition to the video streams, you can get live weigh-in updates in our text-only results post on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.
Posted in: fighter, video stream, place today, weighin, weighin updates
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTUF: Bisping's mouthguard goes for a swim... in the toilet
Dustin Neace has continued the tradition of (literally) foul play in The Ultimate Fighter house.Previous seasons have seen beds being urinated on and food...
Posted in: fighter, season, bisping, food, toilet
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyDana White hopes for gay UFC fighters to come out
There is not one openly gay fighter on the UFC roster - or many in professional sports at all, for that matter - but promotion president Dana White says...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, dana, ufc roster, ufc fighters
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyBrazilian TUF definite for early 2012
Brasil is set to become the first country outside the US to hold its own version of The Ultimate Fighter. The news, which makes sense given the enormous...
Posted in: fighter, brasil, brazilian tuf, country, sense
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUFC 137 weigh-in results
All but one fighter made weight at the official weigh ins for UFC 137, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada today.Tyson Griffin was the offending fighter,...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, weight, official, griffin
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyCain Velasquez ready to do whatever is necessary to beat Junior dos Santos
UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez knows the immense pressure that will be placed on him during his title match against Junior dos Santos November 12 on the UFC debut on FOX. For Velasquez, however, it is just another fight.
UFC on FOX 1 will be the focal point for several UFC specials on the network leading up to the meeting between the two. Velasquez, a former standout wrestler at Arizona State University, recently took part in a Q&A session with the Toronto Sun.
Many experts believe the ground game of Velasquez will be what helps push him past the hard-hitting dos Santos. The Brazilian, though, has been a difficult fighter to get to the mat in previous battles against the likes of Shane Carwin, Roy Nelson, and Fabricio Werdum.
“If (the opportunity) is there I’ll take it, but that’s not the game plan going in. He is good in that position, but I’m not afraid to put him in that position,” Velasquez said. “If I don’t get it, I’m going to stand up with him, punch with him and kick with him. We’re going to do everything.”
In his lead-up to fighting Brock Lesnar for the UFC title, Velasquez did not take part in any of the usual pre-fight trash talk that is becoming common place for fighters. That’s not the way Velasquez goes about it.
“I think he’s a well-rounded fighter. I think he’s one of the best boxers in MMA. He has good takedown defense and if he does get taken down, he’s able to pop up right away,” Velasquez said. “And he does throw kicks here and there. He’s just really well-rounded. I don’t see him as having a gas tank problem at all. He’s been in fights with a bunch of tough guys and he’s beaten them up every round.”
As for the pressure of the bout being the first chance for the UFC to display itself on network television, Velasquez said, “Business as usual. I’m just thinking about the fight in general.”
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fighter, velasquez, qampa session, standout wrestler
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Ratings Hold Steady For Episode 6
Episode 6 of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller drew 1.6 million viewers for a household rating of 1.5 among males ages 18-49 on Wednesday night.
Posted in: fighter, team, episode, rating, household rating
Read the full article at Heavy MMAUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings remain steady for episode six, average 1.6 million viewers
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings are in for episode six of the Spike TV reality show.
According to numbers released by the cable television network earlier today, the latest episode garnered a 1.5 rating in males 18-49 and a 1.7 in males 18-34 for an average audience of 1.6 million viewers, exactly the same average as last week's show.
Here's a look at how the TUF 14 numbers stack up to date:
Episode one: 1.5 million Episode two: 1.6 million Episode three: 1.3 millionEpisode four: 1.5 millionEpisode five: 1.6 millionEpisode six: 1.6 million
Six episodes down, six more to go.
TUF 14 episode six featured the usual TUF house shenanigans capped off by a pair of bouts that saw Diego Brandao knock out Steven Siler and John Dodson earn a unanimous decision win over John Albert.
For a complete detailed recap of The Ultimate Fighter 14 episode six click here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, episode, john dodson, steven siler
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUSA TODAY/MMA Nation October 2011 Consensus Rankings
October's USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings are now live. Be sure and pick up a hard copy of USA TODAY Friday to see them in print.
Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA sources to produce our consensus rankings. We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.
More details on our methodology in the full entry.
NOTE: We have modified our method of gathering our rankings because the strict scheduling requirements of USA TODAY clash with the more irregular schedules of many of the MMA rankings sites. That was causing us to use a different set of sources almost every month. That combined with the small number of sites doing top 25 rankings was causing the Consensus rankings to have a lower "signal to noise" ratio than we would like -- that is if fighters are going to be moving up or down I would like it to be because there has been a change in the consensus opinion, not a change in our sources. Therefore we have cut back our sources to just those sites that we can depend on to update every month. We have also contacted many of the rankers that only publish top 10 lists and asked them to provide top 25 lists. As always we listen to your suggestions and are always working to improve the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings.
Check out the USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings to see who's rising and who's falling.
Posted in: mma, fighter, ranking, consensus, source
Read the full article at Bloody Elbow'Cheick Kongo is a dirty fighter' and 13 other UFC 137 observations by Google search autocomplete
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Posted in: ufc, fighter, cheick kongo, likewildpotato, observation
Read the full article at RedditUFC Undisputed 3 downloadable content to feature roster additions for 2012 release
Why isn't Matt Mitrione on the UFC Undisputed 3 roster?
Well, just like the sport it's modeled after, sometimes you need to make tough cuts in the virtual world of mixed martial arts, which is why in addition to "Meathead," you also won't find Anthony Johnson, Stephan Bonnar, Joe Lauzon or Rory MacDonald.
At least, not yet.
Because THQ must plan far in advance which fighters it will actually include in the upcoming video game, the 2010 fight campaign weighed heavily when trying to figure out who should stay and who should go.
The good news is the digital publisher has already announced downloadable content (DLC) for UFC Undisputed 3, which is likely to introduce fighters who are new to the scene or have fought there way back into divisional relevancy.
Pasta Padre has more:
As has been noted throughout the roster reveal process there are several relevant fighters who for one reason or another didn’t make it for UFC Undisputed 3. Names like Nam Phan, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, Matt Mitrione, Joe Lauzon, and a number of others are nowhere to be found. Through their Twitter account THQ has confirmed there will be post-launch DLC offered for UFC 3 and that some of the names mentioned will be included.
It’s possible the company could look to implement a DLC plan similar to that of their WWE franchise. There it involves paying an upfront sum (offering a savings) that would include all DLC to be released over the course of the product lifespan – or the ability to buy the DLC piece by piece for something like $1 each fighter.
UFC Undisputed 3 is set for release in "early 2012," and will bring two new weight classes as well as a "PRIDE mode" to allow players to compete in the now-defunct PRIDE FC organization.
But would you be willing to lay out a few extra bucks for DLC if it means getting to play as your favorite fighter?
Thoughts?
For more on UFC Undisputed 3 click here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, weight classes, roster, dlc
Read the full article at MMA ManiaNext Great Prospect? Mitrione Appreciates Praise, Not Ready to Wear the Crown
Matt Mitrione appreciates being called 'the next big thing in the UFC', but he's heard that type of praise heaped on a lot of fighters who didn't live up to their potential.
Posted in: fighter, mitrione, prospect, prospect mitrione, praise
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 featherweight contestant Akira Corassani is going to be "that guy" on...
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 featherweight contestant Akira Corassani is going to be "that guy" on this season of the Spike TV reality show. What guy? Find out in his MMA Nation blog right here.
Posted in: guy, fighter, corassani, akira, contestant
Read the full article at MMA ManiaThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Episode 6 Results for “Team Bisping vs. Team Miller”
After Team Bisping scored its first win of the season on last week’s episode, The Ultimate Fighter 14 continued on Wednesday night with the final featuerweight quarterfinal and next-to-last bantamweight quarterfinal.
In featherweight action, Michael Bisping’s top pick Diego Brandao made quick work Steven Siler with a 30-second TKO, while Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s top bantamweight John Dodson advanced to the semifinals with a unanimous decision over John Albert.
Bisping’s match making leaves TJ Dillasaw and Roland Delorme to meet in the final bantamweight quarterfinal.
Team Bisping will look to build on the momentum on next week’s sixth episode and MMAFrenzy.com will have complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 every Wednesday leading up to The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale on Dec. 3.
Posted in: fighter, team, episode, bisping, tj dillasaw
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyWinkeljohn: Jones Can Make Machida Fight ‘Very, Very’ Easy
The first time Mike Winkeljohn helped prepare a fighter to take on Lyoto Machida, it didn’t go well.
Posted in: fighter, lyoto machida, machida, winkeljohn jones, winkeljohn
Read the full article at SherdogTJ Dillashaw’s Ultimate Fighter Blog: Episode 6
Our TUF 14 blogger shares his thoughts the drama surrounding his strategy to get through to the next round and last night's two fights.
Posted in: fight, fighter, round, thought, dillashaw
Read the full article at Heavy MMAFEG Officially Postpone K-1 World GP Final 16
Filed under: K1, JapanIt's the news we all knew was coming - Fighting and Entertainment Group announced to the media on Thursday that they are postponing the K-1 World GP Final 16 which was initially scheduled for Oct. 29 in Nanjing, China.
The postponement, which comes only two days before the original event date, was due to "visa issues and other problems" according to the FEG release. The official reason for the postponement is rather weak given that IT'S SHOWTIME president Simon Rutz declared K-1 promoter FEG "technically bankrupt" in a tell-all press release earlier this month. FEG are yet to address Rutz's comments.
Additionally, the word "postpone" is quite optimistic as sources indicate that there will be no chance of a K-1 World GP Final 16 this year. Significant progress has been made towards revitalizing the K-1 brand though with details regarding the possible sale of the world's leading kickboxing promotion likely to be announced next week. Although the K-1 World GP Final 16 will not be taking place in 2011, it is still possible that one event be held in mid-December.
As of Thursday evening, the K-1 website is yet to announce the postponement or acknowledge financial issues, currently only saying that changes are being made regarding ticketing.
Although FEG are yet to publicly admit any of the recent problems within K-1, fighters continue to flock from the promtion. Reigning K-1 heavyweight champion Kyotaro returned his belt earlier this week, announcing that he is leaving K-1 for the boxing ring,partially due to unpaid fight purses. Alistiar Overeem, Badr Hari, Tyrone Spong and Gokhan Saki have also left kickboxing or are possibly planing to leave soon. Jerome Le Banner, Ray Sefo, Peter Aerts and others have also been working the pro-wrestling scene in Japan.
K-1 legend Ray Sefo and HDNet Fights commentator Michael Schiavello have estimated that FEG owe fighters an astounding $10,000,000. In an interview with the Japanese media, Sefo stated that he alone is owed $700,000.
In an attempt to clear some of the debts, FEG reportedly offered some fighters positions in K-1 World GP Final 16 in exchange for waiving half the money that the promoter owed. It is not known who received these offers or what effect it will have on the fighters now that the 2011 K-1 World GP is officially postponed and most likely cancelled entirely.
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Posted in: world, fighter, feg, gp, sefo
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseUFC 137 Video: Danny Downes Fighter Diary In Preparation for Ramsey Nijem
The UFC has upped the quality of the video blogs they usually release with these 'Fighter Diary' installments that they have been producing lately. For UFC 137, they feature Danny Downes, as he prepares for his lightweight bout against The Ultimate Fighter 13 alum, Ramsey Nijem.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Downes, he's best known for being the scariest and most intimidating persona you will ever see in MMA. Check him out below:
The cerebral fighter, Danny Downes takes us on a journey full of training, humor, and dairy product education.
Main Card:B.J. Penn (16-7-2) -125 vs. Nick Diaz (25-7, 1 NC) -105Cheick Kongo (16-6-2) +110 vs. Matt Mitrione (5-0) -140Mirko Filipovic (27-9-2) +220 vs. Roy Nelson (15-6) -280Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) -325 vs. George Roop (12-7-1) +265Scott Jorgensen (12-4) -425 vs. Jeff Curran (33-13-1) +325Spike TV card:Dennis Siver (19-7) +190 vs. Donald Cerrone (16-3, 1 NC) -240Tyson Griffin (15-5) -300 vs. Bart Palaszewski (35-14) +240Facebook card:Brandon Vera (11-5, 1 NC) -500 vs. Eliot Marshall (10-3) +350Ramsey Nijem (4-2) -210 vs. Danny Downes (8-2) +170Chris Camozzi (15-4) -120 vs. Francis Carmont (16-7) -110Dustin Jacoby (6-0) -120 vs. Clifford Starks (7-0) -110
Posted in: fighter, vs, downe, danny, nc
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowMatt Mitrione's Second Act Continues
Days before the big stage get-it-on that will reveal if he can handle “the crème de la crème” of heavyweights, the talking machine that is Matt Mitrione is as chill and conversational as ever. It’s late Sunday night and the Indianapolis-based father of three is winding down after spending much of the day celebrating the birthday of his six-year-old son, Jacob (the highlight being a family trip to the chaotic kiddie paradise that is Chucky Cheese). The unbeaten UFC heavyweight (5-0) loves kids, but expressed no plans to rival Evander Holyfield, Antonio Cromartie or Shawn Kemp – notoriously fertile athletes that have fathered large nests. “We’re going to cap it at three kids,” Mitrione assured. For the uninitiated, one of Mitrione’s gifts to the world is his hyper-candor. The former NFL defensive lineman (New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings) seems willing and able to tackle any topic. You could throw him on CNN, for serious query, and he’d probably be compelling. Then you could throw him on the Howard Stern Show, under an outrageous and unpredictable line of questioning, and he’d likely prove even more entertaining. So, over the course of a 45-minute talk, The Ultimate Fighter alum indulges my curiosity and we spend quite a bit of time talking about things that have nothing to do with the super-ripped 6-foot-4 Frenchman that promised to knock him out this Saturday night in the UFC 137 co-main event. I ask: “Which current NFL players do you think have the temperament and physical skills to be elite fighters?” (Note: Deep down, fervent Baltimore Ravens fan that I am, I was hoping the name Ray Lewis would arise on Mitrione’s list). Alas, the man who proudly calls himself “Meathead” promptly disappointed me. “I think Jeremy Shockey would be a fantastic fighter,” Mitrione said of the two-time Super Bowl-winning tight end, who possesses a well-documented mean streak on the field and was a teammate of Mitrione’s when both played for the 2002 New York Giants. “And I think James Harrison, (All-Pro) linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, would also be phenomenal. The reason he would be excellent is … obviously he’s highly aggressive, highly athletic and highly coordinated, but he was also cut five times as an undrafted free agent and he stuck with it. So that shows resiliency, that his ego was in check. He had that mentality, ‘I know I’m better than this guy and I’m going to prove it, whatever stresses it puts me and my family through, this is something I have to accomplish.’ That kind of resiliency is the mark of a champion, an undying competitor. The relentlessness that I see in him is why I think he would be great. Not just an also-ran – he would be great.” There is a vicarious quality to Mitrione’s assessment of James Harrison. He once walked in the ferocious, hard-hitting linebacker’s shoes. Harken back to mid- October 2006, Week Six of the NFL season. Mitrione got called into a coach’s office and was immediately rocked with a haymaker he didn’t see coming; “We have to cut you.” Failure to perform his duties. No severance pay. No more checks coming in.The final pro stats for Mitrione, who had been undrafted, were not grand enough to inspire braggadocio. Plagued by foot injuries, Mitrione had played just two seasons, recording just four career tackles along the way. But, like most competitors, he thought he could beat the odds and be the exception. He flirted with the idea of a comeback and waited for a callback that never came. James Harrison’s NFL story featured triumph. Mitrione’s featured fizzle.“My son was born a week after I was cut,” Mitrione said. “I was 27. I thought, ‘I can’t rely on other people for a paycheck. I need to be responsible and stop chasing The Dream.’ So I went and worked for Corporate America for two years, designing and selling corporate employee benefit packages. I covered the entire state of Wisconsin, minus Milwaukee and Madison. I drove like 3,500 to 4,000 miles a month. I wore a suit and tie. And I was miserable.” By his own admission, Mitrione underachieved as a football player. This may seem odd given that he was All-State and honorable mention All-American in high school, and second-team All Big Ten at Purdue University with a keen knack for tackling the opposition behind the line of scrimmage for losses. The scouting report on him read like this: Pros: Intelligent. Athletic. Versatile. High motor.Cons: Way too much of a partier. Too smart for his own good. Undersized.Reflecting on his football career, he says, “I could have been much, much better. I was always a drinker and I partied pretty hard.” He started fighting MMA in 2009 after discussions with a buddy, former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth (now with the Washington Nationals), a fan of the sport and small show promoter. Thus began the professional rebirth of Matt Mitrione, and a determination to not party away his immense talent as he did on the gridiron. Highly regarded for his natural fight instincts and for being a virtual sponge of techniques, Mitrione also packs one-punch knockout power, making him a threat to win any fight, at any time, against any foe.“I bring leather just about as hard as anybody in the UFC,” he said. But against Kongo (26-6-2), the experience factor looms large. Kongo has the second-longest tenure in the UFC among heavyweights and will be making his 15th Octagon appearance Saturday night. Only Frank Mir, a UFC vet since 2001, has more fights among heavyweights. Mitrione, meanwhile, has just two years at the pro level and five pro fights. “Skillwise it’s a big step up,” Mitrione said. “But is it that much of a step up? I don’t know. We’ll find out on Saturday if I get my a-- kicked.” In Mitrione’s estimation, Kongo’s single greatest attribute makes him the equivalent of a human hornet’s nest. “He is most dangerous when he is in danger,” Mitrione said, mindful of Kongo’s miraculous comeback knockout win over Pat Barry in June. “That’s the one thing you have to be sharp about. If he (Kongo) gets knocked down he stays active. But I think that I’ve shown in the vast experience of my five fights that if I knock somebody down, I’m patient.” To beat Kongo, Mitrione said, he cannot afford to be “lazy on my feet. I’ve got to keep my feet moving.”I ask Mitrione how he sees himself. Does he foremost see himself as a football player who took up MMA or an MMA guy who used to play football? “I’m in that transition period now,” he said. “Maybe six months ago I was still a football player that was learning how to fight. I feel that now I’m much more of an MMA guy. I know more about my body, diet, cardio, grappling and setups. So I’m becoming an MMA fighter. But I think I’ll always be an athlete that can do this, that or the other. And I don’t know how to classify that.” Yet MMA has taught the 33-year-old Mitrione that athleticism can only take a man so far in the fight game. In fact, in many cases, he believes that being an elite athlete could be an obstacle. “Just because you’re a phenomenal athlete doesn’t mean you’re really coordinated -- and you have to be really coordinated to be a good fighter, from what I’ve seen,” Mitrione said. “It sounds silly, but some people can make incredible plays on the field but they can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. It’s strange to see but it’s true. So that’s not necessarily true that because a guy is a great athlete that he’ll be a great fighter. There’s a lot of times that you can be a great athlete … most of the time they are much more athletic and stronger than the average MMA athlete, even top-tier UFC fighters. “But a lot of times the best fighters are grinders and wrestlers because they’re just more mentally tough than a lot of football players are, and their egos are much more in check. Most of them (athletes who become the best fighters) weren’t allowed to whine or be babied in college, so they were required to be much more accountable than a lot of football and basketball players are. So I think that would be the downfall of a lot of football and basketball players that were trying to be fighters; they’ve been babied so much and their egos have been catered to so often. Whereas a wrestler gets told all the time by coaches, ‘You suck.’ Or they just get the s--- beat of them until they get something right. Now, if a great athlete could keep his ego in check and understand that sooner or later they’re going to get their a—kicked in front of five million people, then I think they would be fine.”
Posted in: time, fighter, mitrione, athlete, football
Read the full article at UFCUltimate Fighter Season 14 Live Blog
Last week on The Ultimate Fighter 14, Team Bisping snapped their four fight losing streak when Akira Corassani defeated Dustin Neace by decision. Also, Team Miller found out that John Dodson was the mole in their camp and Michael Bisping got Jason Miller‘s car towed for being parked in the handicap spot.
Rather than a simple recap, throughout the festivities, this fall 5 OZ will be providing live commentary during each episode including assessments of each fighter and breakdowns of the action, not to mention a snarky remark or two relating to the behavior of coaches and contestants.
Read below to get our take on things as they unfold in this week’s episode (and make sure to join in on the discussion in the “Comments” section below:
Posted in: fighter, michael bisping, team miller, john dodson, handicap spot
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainJapanese featherweight Hatsu Hioki ready to wow American fans
Featherweight Hatsu Hioki will make his U.S. debut this weekend when he faces George Roop at UFC 137. For Hioki, it is a chance to prove his status was one of the top fighters in the world after going 24-4 while competing mostly in Japan.
Hioki has lost just once since 2007, winning nine fights and going to a draw once with Hiroshi Nakamura. His lone defeat came at the hands of Michihiro Omigawa, who has since joined the UFC as well.
Several fighters have come over from Japan to the UFC and not fared well, including Omigawa, who has gone 0-2 during his stint in the Octagon. For Hioki, this fight is important because he wants to prove the worth of his country.
“Yes, I feel some pressure,” said Hioki, in a recent interview with the UFC’s website. “I will try to beat the pressure and Mr. Roop. My style is to utilize all MMA skills and control the pace of fights. Please expect to see the toughness of the Japanese fighting spirit.”
Hioki has held the Sengoku featherweight title, the TKO featherweight crown and the Shooto lightweight championship during his career. He was also a semifinalist in the 2009 Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix, missing the championship fight due to injury.
“The UFC looked to give me the best and the hardest challenge now with the current roster,” Hioki said. “The UFC featherweight division is stacked, and at the top of the division Mr. (Jose) Aldo has no holes in his game, it seems. He’s very explosive.”
Roop has went 2-1 in his last three fights and is 4-4-1 since his time on The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Their bout can be seen on the main PPV card when things fire up at 9:00 PM EST.
PHOTO CREDIT – SRC
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, featherweight, hioki
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC 137: Matt Mitrione's Rapid Rise the Exception, Not the Rule
Generally, the mammoth men who fit the size specifications of your average NFL defensive lineman aren't great candidates for fighting, let alone smashing into other behemoth monsters on the gridiron without a tremendous work ethic. Physical gifts and an excellent strength and conditioning program can bring out their true potential.
In mixed martial arts, particularly in the heavyweight division, the same rules apply. Unfortunately, due to the allure of the brighter spotlight and bigger wallets of other professional sports, the heavyweight talent pool is extremely thin. It's so thin, in fact, that it's common for a heavyweight bout to end in the first round unofficially because that's when most of us check out, wondering how an The Ultimate Fighter season ten replay made its way on the pay-per-view.
Poor conditioning and technical deficiencies seem to go hand-in-hand in many of the fights we've seen lately on the UFC's main cards. It's hard to blame the UFC however. There is still evidence that suggests the heaviest fighters are more appealing. One wouldn't find that opinion prevalent among the readers here, but it's a reality nonetheless.
As you might imagine, a thin talent pool makes the likelihood of a truly skilled athlete a rarity. Guys like Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos are hidden gems and we happen to live in an era in which both men are competing against one another for the UFC title. Both of those men are extreme exceptions to the rule.
Former NFL defensive lineman and current UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione, who will battle French Muay Thai striker Cheick Kongo on Saturday at UFC 137, is also an exception to the rule. The rule being that relevancy in the worldwide divisional ranks doesn't happen after only six fights.
Mitrione's former NFL player status and personality likely propelled him to a stint on the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. His bizarre, meathead tendencies caused a lot of fans to immediately discount his seriousness in the sport. After all, what is a washed up former defensive lineman going to do against real fighters?
Apparently beat them into the ground. After beating Marcus Jones by knockout at the reality show finale in December of 2009, Mitrione rattled off four straight wins, increasing the level of competition each time he stepped into the Octagon. Kimbo Slice, Joey Beltran, Tim Hague, and most recently Christian Morecraft all succumbed to Mitrione's improving skills, which have been honed under the tutelage of Duke Roufus at Roufusport in Wisconsin.
Unfortunately for fans, Mitrione is a surprise. Nobody thought he would be where he is today. He's an overwhelming exception to a rule that is becoming more and more dominant as the heavyweight talent pool wanes in quantity.
On Saturday night, one wouldn't be stepping over any lines in saying that Mitrione is one win away from relevancy. A dominant victory over a dangerous striker like Cheick Kongo would put Mitrione into a spotlight, despite the fact that many feel he's still a very green fighter. With only five fights to his name, who would believe he has the skills to challenge upper-echelon heavyweights? The real question is whether we should believe he does have those skills, or whether the division lacks talent. I think we may find out the latter is true long-term.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, heavyweight, mitrione, rule
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC fighters mauled by K-9 police dogs (Video)
UFC fighters Frank Mir, Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar and Dan Hardy get chewed out at the 21st Annual K-9 Trials, where law enforcement pooches demonstrate tactical obedience and handler protection.
Come for the K-9's, stay for the AC/DC.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, bonnar, handler protection, mauled
Read the full article at MMA ManiaOneFC Network Unites Asia - Cui Looks to Bring MMA to Every Corner
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on MMA-Japan, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
Victor Cui, owner and CEO of OneFC had some groundbreaking news today. What we will see go down in 2012 is a massive transition to a grand alliance of Asian mixed martial arts brands, teams, promotions, fighters, and the like. This creation of the OneFC Network will mark a first in not only in Asia, but throughout the entire mixed martial arts world.
The Network sets the tone for Asian mixed martial arts. It will give all of the fighters a plethora of opportunity, to compete at the desired level their skill allows. It will give fight teams throughout Asia exposure that otherwise would make it very difficult. Fighters, who depend highly on sponsorships, will have an opportunity like never seen before. With all of the above benefits, fighters will become mainstays throughout Asia and mixed martial arts will spread like wildfire.
Here is an example of how this could benefit a fight team, as well as fighters: XYZ Fight Camp is part of the OneFC Network. They have a roster of 20 fighters ranging from all different skillets and skill levels. Some are ready to compete at the top level, which will be OneFC, while others still need to develop. In doing so, the fighters that are in need of development will not have to rough it out on the smaller circuit due to the agreement in place. The fighters will have exposure to the organization to which they can compete and will have every opportunity to make it to the next level. The same fight team, XYZ, will also be able to lock in sponsors for each of their fighters much easier.
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Posted in: fighter, network, art, onefc, onefc network
Read the full article at Middle EasyOne FC Announces Exclusive Partnerships with Several Promotions and Gyms in Asia
One FC continues to expand its business in Asia as they have signed exclusive partnerships with most of the major promotions in the area along with adding 17 new fighters to their roster.
Posted in: promotion, fighter, partnership, fc, asia
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyViacom purchases majority stake in Bellator
Speculation surrounding the possibility of Bellator showing up on Spike TV as a replacement for the UFC was put to rest this morning when it was revealed parent-company Viacom had bought a majority stake in Bellator with the goal of airing air content, including live events and highlight shows, starting in 2013.
Though the UFC’s deal with Spike TV expires in a few months, the network is contractually unable to broadcast other MMA programming based on their ownership of the UFC video library which lasts until the end of 2012.
The landscape-altering news was first reported by USA Today where Spike TV President Kevin Kay explained, “As we realized that our relationship with UFC was likely to come to an end, our Viacom mergers and acquisitions folks, and us, started to have conversations with MTV2 about getting invested in a mixed martial arts promotion and become owners as opposed to renters. You’re building value in something that you own, and you own it for the long term. You’re not in a constant state of negotiation.”
“The tournament format (is), we think, a great way to get the audience invested in the fighters as personalities, as characters,” Kay continued. “I think we can help, with the expertise we have in building fighters as fighters that people want to see and come back week to week.”
Spike Executive Spotted at Bellator 48
Kay also went on to say they’ll be patient where viewership is concerned, citing Blue Mountain State and TNA Wrestling as programs having steadily grown into solid draws since initially debuting with less than satisfactory ratings.
As far as how the move will affect Bellator’s fighters, lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez pointed out the increased cash-flow as far signing talent and sponsorship go.
“They’ll have a ton of more money to negotiate with, As long as I keep doing well and do what I’m supposed to do, the future looks bright,” said Alvarez. “I’m smiling ear-to-ear right now. I couldn’t be any happier. Endorsements are hard to come by when you’re on ESPN Deportes and these other smaller channels.”
Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney summed the entire situation up nicely, stating, “”It’s a very, very good day for Mixed Martial Arts as a whole because now you have two groups in the space that have a very substantial presence that obviously isn’t going to go anywhere for a very, very long time.”
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Posted in: ufc, bellator, fighter, spike tv, spike
Read the full article at Fighters.comONE Fighting Championship: Changing the face of Asian MMA
ONE Fighting Championship today made an announcement which will potentially change the face of Asian MMA forever. In a statement ONE FC revealed that it had signed exclusive partnerships with the following organizations:
URCC (Philippines), Cage Fighting Championship (Australia), ROAD Fighting Championship (Korea), DARE Championship (Thailand), Team Lakay Wushu (Philippines), Tiger Muay Thai and MMA (Thailand), Tigers Gym (India), Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (Singapore), Legacy Gym (Thailand), Tough MMA (Taiwan), Synergy Jiu-Jitsu (Indonesia), Juggernaut FC (Singapore), Fightworks Asia (Singapore), PAK MMA (Pakistan), Team Force (Korea), MuayFit (Malaysia), Leverage MMA (Malaysia)
So what does this announcement, which comes hot on the heels of the news that ONE FC had booked 2012 shows in Indonesia, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, mean in practise? CEO / Owner Victor Cui outlined the benefits which such a large conglomerate would have for MMA in the region,
"Our goal is to unify Asian MMA and to build the sport that we all love dearly. With today’s announcement, many of the top MMA organizations and gyms in Asia have joined hands. We will be announcing another 23 additional MMA organizations and gyms to the ONE FC Network in the coming days and weeks."
"These strong partnerships will help to accelerate the development of Asian fighters and the sport of MMA in the region. Asian fighters need platforms to gain invaluable experience and to showcase their skills to the world."
"If you are an MMA gym, it will give your gym a turbo boost in terms of access to all the major shows in Asia for your professional fighters. If you are part of the ONE FC network, you will be offered plenty more fighting and sponsorship opportunities across Asia and, of course, the media broadcast reach of all the combined Asian shows together will be excellent for recognition for your fighters and your gym."
"If you are a ONE FC fighter, you will automatically be able to compete in the biggest MMA events across Asia within the ONE FC Network. If you are a sponsor, you will be able to leverage and target your sponsorship dollars across multiple platforms. If you are a fan, you will enjoy many more high quality MMA shows around Asia. Ultimately, as it continues to grow, the ONE FC Network will multiply in benefits for all parties involved."
It is a revolutionary approach from ONE FC. A lot of MMA promotions regard absolutely everyone else as competition and look to monopolize the market and jealously protect their brand by stockpiling contracted fighters ONE FC is taking a far more inclusive attitude and are looking to work with all the key stakeholders in Asia, be they promotions, camps, fans or fighters.
The benefits of this deal are already palpable with One FC fighters Vuyisile Colossa and Brian Choi both booked to appear on Road FC 5 this December. That card is taking place at the 7,000 capacity Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul and looks set to be the biggest in the promotion’s history. For fighters like Colossa and Choi it is a valuable opportunity to gain experience and get a payday in the process while fans in Korea get a glimpse at some internationally renowned fighters.
Any fighter falling under the ONE FC umbrella will be available to fight on five different promotions, putting on potentially 35 events between them in 2012. Whereas in the past mixed martial artists in Asia have been frustrated by the lack of opportunities they will now have the ability to fight as often as they like by moving between these different promotions without fear of contractual complications.
Fighters will also have an added incentive to fight for Cage Fighting Championships, Road FC, URCC and Dare Championships because they know that success in these domestic organizations will provide them with a direct route into ONE FC.
This deal should also help the individual gyms, promotions and fighters make money, something which hasn’t traditionally been easy in Asian MMA, because they will all automatically have a direct line to the official ONE FC sponsors.
It will also make Asian MMA a much more attractive market place for potential sponsors and companies looking to get involved in the sport because they will have access to a multitude of camps, promoters and fighters through the ONE FC network. In the past doing deals with people in so many different countries and cultures would have been a painstaking process involving extensive travel and translators but now ONE FC’s head office in Singapore will effectively be a one stop shop for all their sponsorship needs.
Fighters at the camps which are part of the ONE FC Network will not have to worry about agents or politics or the red tape which sometimes prevents fighters from earning their living by actually fighting. Instead they will be automatically eligible for five different promotions and will have the security of knowing that certain standards will be observed in terms of things like fighter safety and actually getting paid at the end of the night.
Other Asian promotions will benefit from becoming part of a ONE FC network which will allow them to leverage capital, sponsors, media, and fighter opportunities. For example, URCC is now able to offer its top fighters a chance to fight internationally on any of the major events in the ONE FC network. Additionally with co-promotions each promotion will be able to benefit from a lower cost structure with shared resources. The ONE FC network effectively creates immediate economies of scale and economies of scope for all the players within it.
Cui was also quick to emphasize that further deals were in the pipeline and that the door was not closed to anyone wishing to join the ONE FC Network’. ONE FC also say they have now signed 90% of Asia's top fighters (outside of Japan) and an announcement about this is imminent.
Sports fans in the US seem to be fond of using the expression ‘game changer.' Well for Asian MMA this truly is a game changer.
Posted in: mma, fighter, fc, asian, fc network
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter 14: Episode six recap and discussion for 'Bisping vs Miller'
Episode six of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 "Thrown to the Lions," featuring middleweight coaches and division rivals Michael Bisping and Jason Miller, gets underway a little later this evening at 10 p.m. ET on Spike TV.
Tonight, more fallout from the phantom tap that occurred in last week's featherweight fight between Akira Corassani and Dustin Neace, one fighter gets thrown to the lions and another gets sent to the emergency room. Good times!
We also have the following fights:
145 lbs.: Steven Siler (17-6) vs. Diego Brandao (13-7) 135 lbs.: John Albert (6-1) vs. John Dodson (11-5)
Will Dodson live up to his "magical" billing? Is Brandao crazy-good, or just crazy? Who calls Bisping "the most hated man in the UFC?" (Hint: It's not "Mayhem.")
Be sure to stay tuned immediately following the show for our complete recap. In the meantime, go ahead and sound off in the comments section on all things TUF!
Posted in: fighter, jason miller, middleweight coaches, brandao crazygood, emergency room
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz: Countdown to UFC 137
Nick Diaz and BJ Penn, the fighters that will face off on Saturday, October 29 in the main event at UFC 137 have been fairly quiet during the lead up to the fight. That quiet is most likely due to the mutual respect that is shared between the two. Both fighters have acknowledged that they are on friendly terms and have gone so far as to say that they are not happy to have to meet each other in the Octagon. However, both fighters know what their job is; so don’t expect any punches to be pulled
Posted in: diaz, bj penn, nick, fighter, penn
Read the full article at Low KickUFC 137: B.J. Penn Not Offended By Nick Diaz At All
Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn wrote a blog for Yahoo Sports in the leadup to his main event fight with Nick Diaz this weekend at UFC 137. He talks about a variety of things in it, including his feelings on Diaz, Georges St. Pierre pulling out of his fight with Carlos Condit, and not having a beef with anyone in MMA anymore. He starts off by saying he wasn't offended by the antics of his friend Diaz:
I didn’t find it disrespectful; I think it is Nick being Nick, and he’s not gonna change. He’s going to do what he’s going to do, and not do what he’s not going to do. That is cool. I know he will show up for the fight and it will be a great fight in the new UFC 137 main event.
That’s all that really matters – who wins this fight and who loses.
I thought the whole thing with the phone call was hilarious. At this stage in my life, I feel I am too old to talk smack. As I get older, what I realize is that all anyone remembers is who wins fights. I find the smack talking funny when fighters do it, but no one remembers anything except who wins the fights.
While I wouldn't necessarily agree with Penn on that (I remember some trash talk from fighters as vividly as the fights in question themselves), there's nothing wrong with Penn maturing as a person. He switches topics to GSP next:
That’s why I don’t really have anything to say about GSP pulling out of the title fight. I know he’s had problems with his knee before – that’s why I got to fight Matt Hughes the second time when GSP pulled out.
Another UFC fighter called me and said, "GSP is scared – he has to be 110 percent before he fights." Carlos is a very dangerous fight for GSP, so I don’t blame GSP for pulling out of the fight. Some fighters go in with bad injuries and some don’t.
...
When it comes to GSP, we have had our problems. I said what I said about him in the past, but if he felt like he had to pull out of the fight that’s what it is.
Finally, he talks about his feelings towards his own career and how he deals with opponents:
Right now, I feel I got a clean slate with anyone in the sport. I am happy with my career, winning two titles and beating some great fighters, but I also feel I have more to do. I have to get better and I have to show I am as good as people have said I am. I’m getting older. This is a career to me, but fighting is what I live for.
As far as having to hate everyone I fight, or proving I can outbox a boxer, or tap out the best BJJ guy, I don’t need to prove that anymore. What I want to do is fight hard, win some big fights and see what happens. I’d like to win the title, but I don’t think about that.
I like this more mature side of Penn, personally. I'm sure some people will see him as a bit too comfortable by saying stuff like this and will likely question his motivation, but I don't see it that way. I just see it as a sign of getting older and starting to understand the world around you a little better. If B.J. does truly have his head on straight, that's just another point in his favor against Diaz on Saturday.
More SBN coverage of UFC 137
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, gsp, i donrsquot
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowBloody Elbow Exclusive Interview: Rich Franklin Talks Injury, UFC Career, and His Future
Rich Franklin is one of the fighters that I've always wanted to speak with. He's never been in a boring fight and has been the guy that the UFC could always count on when they were in a tough spot. I had the chance to talk with him yesterday to talk about his injury and UFC career. With no return date set, Rich is focusing on other parts of his life to get some projects off the ground. You can follow him on twitter (@followace) and check out his website.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - Bring us back a little bit. As I remember, the timeline for UFC 133 was that Rogerio dropped off because of an undisclosed injury..
Rich Franklin - He injured his shoulder or his arm or something like that. And I was made aware of that three weeks, exactly three Saturdays prior to the fight that he was pulling out of the fight.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - And then you got pulled from the card soon afterwards. There were rumors that you'd be fighting Alex Gustafsson and then that fight never came to fruition. What happened on your end, what was going on with you?
Rich Franklin - Okay, when I found out that Noguiera was hurt, there was discussion between my manager and the UFC about a possible fight with Alexander Gustafsson. I didn't know who he was at the time. So we acquired some tape and I basically said to my manager "let me talk to my coaches about this and I'll get back to you as soon as I can." It was a Saturday at about five in the evening. The UFC at the time had some tremendous pressure that they were up against because there were so many injuries on that card. They were looking for a quick answer. I needed some time to speak to my coaches before I could give them a yes or a no on the fight. Basically, I was able to speak with my coaches and at around two o'clock the following Sunday, I called my manager and said "here's the deal, I'll take the fight. It's not really an appealing fight to me. It's kind of a win-lose situation." Gustafsson is a really tough tough fight and nobody knew who he was because he was a prelim fighter up until that fight. Long story short, between the call my manager made to Joe Silva and the UFC and all the other parties involved, by the time the call got back to my manager, there was a communication breakdown and they decided to pull the fight off the table.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - So the shoulder surgery that you just had, was that for a nagging injury that's been going on through your career or did something happen after you got pulled from the card?
Rich Franklin - The shoulder injury is completely unrelated to the fight altogether. I was just in the gym training about a month later and I dislocated my shoulder. At first I thought I was gonna be okay because the shoulder that was dislocated popped back in the socket on it's own. Long story short, I ended up seeing a doctor and found out that I had torn my labrum and that they were gonna have to do surgery. In the meantime, during this whole situation after I had injured my shoulder, the UFC called me interested in a fight between Tito and I, looking for it in November. I basically told them that I injured myself, I don't know how serious it is, I'm getting an MRI, if it's not surgical then I'm all about the fight. If it is then we have to look at a different approach. I ended up having surgery.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - So right now, you're expected to make your return this summer. I imagine right now you're at the beginning stages of rehab?
Rich Franklin - Yeah I am. I had surgery two weeks ago. So 14 days ago I had surgery and the doctor I had was very progressive. He's very aggressive with rehab and all that stuff. He gave me the day of the surgery a list of exercises. So the day after surgery he was having me do rehab exercises on my own and then six days after surgery I did my first rehab session. I did three rehab sessions last week and I'll have three again this week.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - So for you, you're a notable gym rat, you love working out, you love working hard. Is this kind of like the worst case scenario for you, just not being able to work out?
Rich Franklin - The nice thing, is that I can do some things. The doctor told me when I went in for my post-op that I could get on a bicycle so I've been going to the gym and doing the bike. I did a 22 miler yesterday, I'm pushing myself pretty hard. There are things that I can do so I'm not completely immobilized but yeah it is difficult. I'm used to going into the gym and training and sparring and I can't do any of that stuff.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - So when you do make your return, do you want to return at 205? Do you feel more comfortable at 205 or 185?
Rich Franklin - It depends. I physically feel more comfortable at 205 not cutting any weight is a blessing. The trade off is that the guys that I'm fighting are a lot bigger than me. So comfort is kind of a relative thing I guess.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - Alright, so you don't really know at this point? You're kinda waiting to figure out how the rehab goes and then go from there?
Rich Franklin - Yeah, that summer return is what I'm hoping for. Last May, early June. We have to see how the rehab goes and I can be a little bit flexible based on those things.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - Kinda changing gears. One of your good friends Matt Hughes, you both have this reputation as being "Mr. Dependable". You're always willing to step up when they need somebody to step up. Looking back on your career, do you believe you may have been better served if you had been more selective as opposed to being the guy that they could always count on?
Rich Franklin - In a couple situations I'm sure there were situations in my career where I took some fights that I shouldn't have but it's not the way I operate. I've turned one fight down in my career and that was when I fought Matt Hammil. Prior to Matt Hammil they offered me Reese Andy and I was using Reese as a training partner up in Seattle and basically when they offered me that fight I said "I can't, I've been training with this guy for the past six months". That's the only fight I've ever turned down and they found a replacement who was a similar opponent. There have been times in my career where I've been sick and I probably should have pulled out of fights or took fights when I shouldn't have and all these kinds of things. That is what it is. Those are decisions I've made. I don't regret any of them.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - Now speaking of Matt Hammil, you guys are Ohio Natives and I believe friends to a certain extent as well. You're starring as the coach in the upcoming movie about his life. What was that experience like?
Rich Franklin - It was kind of weird actually because the Hammil movie approached me shortly after Matt and I fought. Although Matt and I are friends, it was kind of weird in that time where we had just fought and they came to me and said "hey, we'd like for you to be in the movie" and I thought "really?" I was about to get ready for another fight so we were looking at how they were gonna cast me in the movie. My time was limited. They ended up casting me as I guess a nemesis in the movie as the Purdue wrestling coach who cut him from the wrestling team before he transfers to RIT.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - You're pretty much one of the first fighters and also one of the only fighters to find success with starting their own clothing company. What do you think made that possible and made you different with American Fighters than the guys who started a company and it failed or they had to give up on it?
Rich Franklin - One thing is just persistence int his business. Myself and Jeff Adler started American Fighter on an idea of doing it and it kind of built from there. I stuck by this brand even when I was being offered good sponsorship and endorsement money from other clothing brands. I passed up a lot of money in my career on it. And we did somethings where we were trying to co-brand with other brands and it just wasn't working for us. And finally we met up with Affliction and Affliction is kind of taking over the reigns of the company which is good for us because quite honestly we're just a small business here in Cincinnati. We don't have the contacts that we need to have in order to make this business grow out of internet sales off a website. Since the deal with Affliction, we've gotten into The Buckle in the malls and it should be this last quarter of this fiscal year, we should be in Bloomingdales and Macy's who all have verified purchase orders. It should be great for us because of the wintertime and Christmas. So right now, I'm starting to see the fruits of my labor with this company. The next six months should determine whether or not it was worth it or not.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - You also have the movie American Fighter, which is in the beginning stages. How did that come about? Who approached you about doing a biopic on your life?
Rich Franklin - Yeah, oddly enough talking about American Fighter the clothing brand, I'm assuming that's what they're calling the movie. We met with a gentleman who expressed an interest, someone by the name of Eric Eisner. He expressed an interest about doing a life-rights movie about me. So we went through the steps for him to acquire the rights. At this stage in the game, I've met with the writer. He came into the Cincinnati area for four or five days to spend some time with me and my training partners. He interviewed a few of my friends and family members. And I took him to a few of the places I'd go when I was growing up so he could get a feel for my life prior to fighting. They're at the point now where they're writing a script. I'm not sure how the whole movie process works with what unfolds next but they have things like casting and preproduction and production and post. So I wouldn't look for this to come out in 2012. There's too much work to be done between now and then.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - Some people noticed that the main character in Warrior, there were a lot of similarities between you and that character. They're both teachers. They're both UFC fighters. Is that something that you noticed as well?
Rich Franklin - I haven't actually seen the movie but I know that a lot of my friends have called me to find out if I got royalties for the movie because it resembled my life so much. It has nothing to do with me. It's just a coincidence. I don't know if the writers of the script a couple years ago decided to intertwine a story like mine and embellish it a little bit or what the deal was but that had absolutely nothing to do with me.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - Not only do you have the clothing brand American Fighter, not only is there a movie coming out called American Fighter, but you also had a reality show you were developing called American Fighter. What happened with that? Is the project still on the table or has that passed?
Rich Franklin - It is and it's not on the table. The funny thing about reality TV is that you kind of throw an idea out there and then things start to morph a little bit and things change. I should be headed out to L.A. next month to meet with the production company that we met with one other time about picking up a reality show that would involve me. The show's changed concepts. The original idea of American Fighter was people working through adversity. It'll keep a similar concept but I'm just not sure about the title. Nothing's 100% on that, we don't have a signed deal or anything. Anything can happen between now and when our names are put on the dotted line.
Matthew Roth (BloodyElbow.com) - For you, you've been fighting for an incredibly long time. You've been UFC champion. You've defended your belt which very few people have done. When everything's all said and done, I guess the first question is: how do you want people to remember Rich Franklin the fighter? And I guess the follow up is: what do you want to do after your fight career?
Rich Franklin - As far as my legacy goes, I think that my legacy is kind of taking shape. I think people will remember me as a fighter who was tough as nails. My past performances and future performances will take care of that, I'm not really concerned how people will remember me because one thing I've learned is that if you go on the internet there's gonna be people who will love you forever no matter how many fights you win or lose and there's gonna be people who will hate you forever. The future? I've done some work with films. I'm assuming that I'll do some more film work in the future and nutrition has been a passion of mine and we're starting to go that direction. We're starting a nutritional blog on my website. I will in some way shape or form be involved in that.
Posted in: fight, fighter, franklin, im, bloodyelbowcom
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowHendo's right hand, Ubereem's knee, Garcia's chin & heart; What's your favorite fighter with a super effective "specialty move"?
Anything a fighter has done sort of consistently and effectively enough to be considered part of their style and one of their moves to look out for whenever they are in the cage? Could be a submission, a strike, a takedown or a position they dominate from, anything really. I'll go first and say Randy's clinch game and dirty boxing submitted by toodees [link] [15 comments]
Posted in: right, fighter, anything, move, heart
Read the full article at RedditJapanese Star Hatsu Hioki Begins UFC Journey on Saturday
Hatsu Hioki knows what it means to the world of Japanese mixed martial arts for him to be successful in a UFC career that begins this Saturday night in Las Vegas against George Roop. He is well aware of what has happened to his countrymen Yushin Okami, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Takanori Gomi, “Kid” Yamamoto, and Caol Uno, in recent times, and he is determined not just to become the first Japanese fighter to win a UFC title, but to make a statement to the world.That statement is a simple, yet profound, one, and when asked how important a victory for him this weekend would be, not just for himself, but for the Japanese people, he answered, “It is very important since I would like to prove that the Japanese still can fight.” It’s a message of national pride from a fighter who has competed at a high level in several major organizations in his homeland like PRIDE, Sengoku, and Shooto, winning titles in the latter two promotions. Hence the high level of anticipation for his arrival in the Octagon, one which he knows comes attached with an equally high amount of pressure.“Yes, I feel some pressure,” he admitted through translator / manager Kei Maeda. “I will try to beat the pressure and Mr. Roop.”So why is Hioki’s debut such a big deal? Well, start with the fact that he is a groundfighting expert who has finished half of his 24 wins via submission, including victories over Mark Hominick and Chris Manuel, but he can also handle himself on the feet, making him dangerous anywhere the fight goes. He also owns victories over Jeff Curran, Baret Yoshida, Marlon Sandro, and Takeshi Inoue, but his biggest win may have been a 2008 TKO of Japanese legend Rumina Sato.“That was a huge boost to my confidence as a fighter,” said Hioki, who defeated Sato in the middle of a current 12-1-1 stretch where the only blemishes have been a 2008 draw with Hiroshi Nakamura and a controversial split decision loss to current UFC featherweight Michihiro Omigawa in 2009. Winner of four in a row, an April submission win over Donald Sanchez was also a key one, not just because it propelled him into the UFC, but because it was the first major event in Japan since the tragic earthquake and tsunami that rocked the nation in March of this year.“I feel really sorry for those who have been affected by the disaster,” he said. “It's my job to do my best in the fight as always, but I hoped that my fight had some positive and encouraging effects for them.” After the bout, the word started getting out that the Nagoya native was ready to seek out bigger game, and in June, Hioki made the move to the UFC.“The UFC looked to give me the best and the hardest challenge now with the current roster,” he said. “The UFC featherweight division is stacked, and at the top of the division Mr. (Jose) Aldo has no holes in his game, it seems. He’s very explosive.”The 28-year old Hioki is no slouch either, and he promises that new fans will see a bout to remember at UFC 137.“My style is to utilize all MMA skills and control the pace of fights,” he said. “Please expect to see the toughness of the Japanese fighting spirit.”It’s something that has never been lacking in the Japanese fighters competing in the Octagon, but for some reason, most have never been able to match their success at home with that in the UFC. When asked for his thoughts on the topic, Hioki said “there are so many reasons, like rules and cultures. However, just like Mr. (Takeya) Mizugaki, who just had a big win (over Cole Escovedo), winning streaks from Japanese fighters will emerge more from now on.”And Hatsu Hioki is more than willing to lead the charge. Working on “practicing elbows and imagining using the cage in sparring,” he will get a stern test in Roop, who has scored upsets over Chan Sung Jung and Josh Grispi in a little over a year’s time, but he’s ready for him and ready to take his first steps as a UFC fighter. “I always try to grow as a fighter and enjoy all aspects of this fighting game,” he said.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, japanese, hioki, japanese fighters
Read the full article at UFCFormer Strikeforce Fighter Brett Rogers Arrested Again on Monday
Former Strikeforce and Titan Fighting Championships fighter Brett Rogers was arrested again on Monday after failing to comply with all the conditions of his pre-release in September.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, roger, brett, monday
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyShark Fights 21: Tim Hague vs Bobby Lashley booked for Nov. 11 with Darrill Schoonover hurt
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter and Canadian heavyweight Tim Hague is on a five-fight win plan to get back into the world's biggest promotion. Since being cut from Zuffa, Hauge has gone an impressive 3-1 that includes knockouts over Zak Jensen and Travis Wiuff.
Hauge replaces former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 fighter Darrill Schoonover after Schoonover was injured with a shoulder issue. His opponent is none other the former WWE star and Strikeforce castaway Bobby Lashley.
The fight will be contested for the inaugural Shark Fights heavyweight championship.
Shark Fights 21 take place on November 11, 2011, live from the Fair Park Coliseum in Lubbock, Texas. The show will air via tape-delay on FUEL TV on Dec. 23.
So does Lashley beat the tough 'Thrashing Machine,' or does the man with the fastest knockout loss in the UFC continue his road to redemption?
Sound off in the comments section below!
Posted in: fight, fighter, lashley, lubbock texas, schoonover
Read the full article at MMA ManiaONE Fighting Championship Announce Upcoming Shows in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia
After a successful debut show in September all has been quiet from One Fighting Championship but the brand new promotion broke its silence in spectacular style this evening to announce three shows in three countries in the space of three months in 2012.
The official dates are as follows:
February 11: Jakarta, Indonesia at Kelapa Gading Sports Mall
March 31: Singapore at the Singapore Indoor stadium
April 27: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the Stadium Negara
A large number of fighters have also signed long term contracts with another announcement imminent this week. After testing the water with a successful show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 3rd which was witnessed by almost 7,000 people as well as many more watching on a free online stream One FC are set for an aggressive international expansion in 2012.
The first show featured impressive performances from URCC champions Eduard Folayang (below) and Eric Kelly with both Filipino fighters posting wins. The highlight for many in the crowd though was an emphatic first round victory for Singapore's first professional MMA fighter, Radeem Rahman and he is likely to be back in action on March 31st.
Rahman was not the only fighter from the world renowned Evolve MMA camp to impress that day. Eddie Ng from Hong Kong, former boxing world champion Yodsanan Sityodytong from Thailand and BJJ world champions Zorobabel Moreira and Leandro Issa from Brazil also registered decisive wins and might well be given a second chance to impress in front of the fans in their adopted home in March.
Adam Kayoom (below) is one of the most decorated fighters in Malaysian history and has been widely linked with a long term One FC contract. He hold multiple regional and national titles in BJJ and is a former Muay Thai world champion who was ranked top ten at Ratchadamnern, he also has a professional MMA record of 2-1 and, assuming he has signed, is highly likely to feature on the Kuala Lumpur card in April.
The actual One FC roster remains shrouded in mystery but according to the official Twitter feed a series of major announcements will be taking place this week which is likely to include the identities of the fighters who have been signed.
One FC have a TV deal with ESPN Star Sports which is Asia's biggest sports broadcaster and is available in 24 countries and the September show is scheduled to be shown early next month, after having already been screened on domestic TV in Singapore. This arrangement will presumably remain in place for future shows although there is always the possibility that ESPN Star might begin to broadcast the event live.
With ambitious plans and a budget which is believed to be unprecedented in Asian MMA history One FC is rapidly establishing a reputation as the UFC of the East. According to various online reports shows have also been booked in Seoul and Manila and if these stories are accurate it would mean five events in five different countries will be taking place in the first half of 2012.
Multiple shows in multiple countries was what One FC promised when it was launched amidst a fanfare of publicity in July and it appears that they are all poised to deliver in 2012.
Posted in: world, show, fighter, fc, singapore
Read the full article at MMA ManiaBAMMA Signs Top British Light Heavyweight Fighter
Fresh off another impressive knockout victory this weekend at UCMMA over Nick Chapman, British light heavyweight fighter Jimi Manuwa is BAMMA bound.
Posted in: fighter, light, bamma, knockout victory, bamma signs
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyCNN Presents “Fighter Girls”
submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]
Posted in: fighter, mattyblayze, girl, cnn, mattyblayze link
Read the full article at RedditCNN Fighter Girls Live Discussion
Tonight at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, news network CNN will be airing a segment on the pitfalls of Women's MMA during their show CNN Presents called Fighter Girls, and Bloody Elbow is the place to talk about it. Was the story fair and balanced? Did it have enough substance? Did they know what they were talking about? Join us here at 8 p.m. ET and let the community know what you think. Here's the preview spiel for the show:
Mixed Martial Arts, or M.M.A., is a full contact combat sport that was once banned in much of the United States. Today, it’s one of the fastest growing sports among men… and now women. But why would any woman climb into a cage for all-out combat for what amounts to almost nothing? CNN’s Amber Lyon steps into the Octagon to find out.
"Fighter Girls" is one of four riveting stories airing on CNN Presents hosted by CNN’s Soledad O’Brien and Dr. Sanjay Gupta this Sunday, October 23 at 8:00 pm ET, re-airing at 11:00 pm ET and 2:00 am ET.
You can also catch the preview video for the show here.
Posted in: fighter, pm, girl, cnn, fighter girls
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTUF 14 Finale: Anthony Ferguson vs Yves Edwards booked for Dec. 3 in Las Vegas
Uh-oh. "Boogeyman" in da howse!
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 13 winner Anthony Ferguson will return to the scene of the crime at the Palms Casino Resort on Dec. 3 when he takes on Yves Edwards at the TUF 14 Finale.
UFC.com has it:
"Verbal agreements are in for an explosive lightweight matchup between Ultimate Fighter season 13 winner Tony Ferguson and veteran striking specialist Yves Edwards December 3rd on the Ultimate Fighter Finale," confirmed UFC president Dana White today.
Ferguson, a former blogger for SB Nation, was last seen chin-checking Aaron Riley at the UFC 135: "Jones vs. Rampage" event back on Sept. 24. And by chin-checking I mean he shattered dude's jaw in short order.
It marked the fifth win in a row for "El Cucuy" and his second inside the Octagon. Another contender emerging, perhaps?
If he wants to prove he is he'll have to do so by sliding on by crafty veteran Yves Edwards, who is coming off an impressive win of his own at UFC on Versus 6 just a few weeks ago.
The "Thugjitsu Master" is 3-1 in his second run with the world's largest fight promotion and aside from a crushing one punch knockout loss suffered via Sam Stout's "Hand of Stone," he's looked like a beast.
Then again, Ferguson has the power to replicate that one-hitter quitter if he lands clean. Will he?
We shall see.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale goes down this coming Dec. 3, 2011, at the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. On top of crowning the first two "Ultimate Fighters" in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions, the event will feature this season's coaches, Michael Bisping and Jason Miller, settling their differences inside the cage in a five-round main event showdown.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com, as always, for more on this still-developing fight card.
Posted in: fighter, ferguson, edward, yve, finale
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTony Ferguson to Meet Yves Edwards at TUF 14 Finale
Ultimate Fighter 13 winner Tony Ferguson will look to continue his winning streak in the octagon when he takes on the master of Thugjitsu, Yves Edwards, at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in December. The bout all but guaranteed to make the television broadcast. UFC.com has the 411:
"Verbal agreements are in for an explosive lightweight matchup between Ultimate Fighter season 13 winner Tony Ferguson and veteran striking specialist Yves Edwards December 3rd on the Ultimate Fighter Finale," confirmed UFC president Dana White today.
Both fighters are coming off recent wins. Edwards stopped Rafaello Oliveira via second-round TKO at UFC on Versus 6 on October 1st, while Ferguson stopped Aaron Riley by breaking his jaw in the first round at UFC 135 the week before that. Ferguson finished every fight on TUF and has finished his two UFC bouts as well, but Edwards will be by far the toughest test of his career.
The show will be main-evented by a battle between the current TUF 14 coaches, Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller and will air on Spike TV.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ferguson, aaron riley, edward
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Embarrassing Reality of Local and Regional MMA Management, Promotion
"Hey man, have you ever heard or seen this guy named Jon Jones?", says a curious fan sitting in front of his computer as he looks over results of a local event the night before. "Nope, Google him.", fires back his friend after seeing Jones had crushed his opponent in quick fashion. The search reveals Jones' wrestling background, superior physical attributes, and a dominating trail of destruction. Videos of Jones obliterating other unsuspecting opponents causes both men to throw a few curse words around with giddy excitement. They are interested.,
A few months later, his name pops up on a couple MMA websites, and they intently follow his progress. Another win, another notch toward his ultimate goal of becoming a champion, and even more fans become enamored with his rise in the regional scene. By the time he makes his way into more prominent fights, he has a fanbase who is interested enough to buy tickets to local shows and watch him live.
Jones makes his way into the UFC a few months later, and there is enough MMA content and video footage of his run to the top to continue feeding the appetites of fans wanting to know more about this young phenom the UFC has just signed.
Unfortunately for most prospects, this isn't the case at all, and in some cases -- their accomplishments go completely unnoticed by their own managers and the promotions they call home. Quite frankly, some managers should be embarrassed with their job performance. As the editor of the 2011 World MMA Scouting Report, I've made countless connections with managers, fighters, and promoters with the idea of helping young prospects we believe are building their way to the top with a means of helping themselves get there. I've even forwarded correspondence from completely unknown local fighters who are barely on the map in their own town, let alone the regional scene, to managers I know will do the job to make sure they get noticed.
Every email I've received, I'm more than willing to help. It's the fighters that emailed their work history that feel embarrassed, usually hinting that managerial incompetence played a role. Why hadn't their manager been... well, managing their career?
There isn't a lot of incentive for managers at the lowest levels. If it's commission-based, there isn't a lot to be made on a $200, $300, or $500 purse. When the money involved reaches the thousands, there are still managers who bilk their fighters while doing minimal work. There are fighters who are promoting their careers better than these so-called management companies, having friends film their fights, girlfriends find sponsors, and families support their training.
Promoters aren't immune to criticism either. I've glossed over various local promotion Youtube! pages, peeping prospects to consider for the 2012 World MMA Scouting Report. Similar to last year, we cut some fighters from our ranking because we aren't willing to believe in hype over what our own eyes can see.
Managers have to jump over hurdles to film their own fighters however. I've seen first hand the sad reality in local shows. Promoters won't allow people to get in the way of fans watching, thus a video from 30 rows back on a fuzzy camera phone gets uploaded instead of something of substance. Some promoters film their own fights, editing all the bouts into highlight packages, but never releasing full fights. Sadly, many promoters don't film their fights at all.
One promoter responded to my inquiry asking what the advantage was of filming fighters. I referred him to the legacy that Ring of Combat has made for itself. One of its greatest selling points over the years has been that it has produced countless UFC veterans and a number of champions. That history lures fighters to its cage, and it can work the same way locally.
Another promoter complained that cost was an issue, citing that they would have to hire a crew to film the event. A DSLR camera with onboard HD video costs $600 bucks these days. Even more cost effective, a Flipcam with HD costs even less. That's all you need. That's it. This isn't the 90's anymore. The technology is readily available and cheap to produce quality video online.
When there is more video of Bulgarian heavyweights online than an undefeated prospect in Texas, there's a problem. It doesn't all fall on managers and promoters. Fighters working their way up can't afford the luxury of management, so it does ultimately come down to fighters doing a lot of it themselves.
Let's do a better job of managing careers while we're at it. Pitting a 5-0 guy against a legit BJJ black belt who has solid takedown ability is a bad idea for a guy who has two weeks training on the ground. If other fighters aren't willing to fight you, enter grappling tournaments, enter boxing tournaments, do whatever needs to be done to make yourself more well-rounded in the meantime.
When those fights against talent that can exploit your weaknesses presents itself, you'll be ready to face it head on instead of being thrown to the wolves. Don't ever believe you'll be the next Chuck Liddell, a man who can defend takedowns for his entire career and knock guys out. The sport has progressed too much for that to continue to succeed.
Baby steps for now, I suppose. Let's do a better job of promoting fighters. The trickle down effect of your deeds won't go unnoticed. Your stable of fighters will appreciate it, steer business your way, and promoters will be more willing to work with you. Promoters, the same logic applies. Let's cut the frugality and ignorance.
If you're a manager who can prove you fit the description I've outlined here, don't hesitate to shoot me an email, message me on Twitter. If you're a fighter who has had enough of being shunned to the dark reaches of the Internet with no hope in sight, do the same. Maybe we can make a few connections. Step your game up, people.
Posted in: fight, fighter, way, manager, promoter
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowChael Sonnen to host 2011 World Mixed Martial Arts Awards, annual event will air on FOX Sports Network
Fighters Only, the world’s leading mixed martial arts magazine, today announced that the most outspoken man in mixed martial arts will take center stage as host of the 2011 Fighters Only World MMA Awards ceremony in November.
Never one to be left for words, or opinion, UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen takes over from last year’s lead presenter Randy Couture to join beautiful co-host Molly Querim on the stage for the 2011 ceremony at the Pearl Theatre at the Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas on Wednesday, November 30th.
Known for his quick-wit and penchant for the controversial, Sonnen is destined to be the most outrageous presenter in the history of the awards, which brings together the very best of mixed martial arts for an evening of celebration.
In further exciting news, this year’s event will be broadcast in primetime slots across the East and West coast’s of North America by the FOX Sports Network and then later re-aired by FUEL TV and FSN.
The evening, sponsored once more by leading nutrition suppliers BodyBuilding.comand this year in association with Gaspari Nutrition, will be available in millions of homes across the US, providing fans with the opportunity to watch their favorite MMA stars throw down their fight gloves and throw on their tuxedos in anticipation of winning one of the coveted silver statues.
Rob Hewitt, CEO of Fighters Only, said today: "I say it every year that we want to make the awards show bigger and better and every year we have done just that. However, none of it would be possible with out the support of the MMA industry, the fans, our sponsors and TV and venue partners who all believe as much as we do in this project. To celebrate the sport we love and the people within it in the way that we do is a crowning moment of the year for Fighters Only and we can’t wait to reveal this year’s winners."
Tickets for the World MMA Awards 2011 are priced at $59, $79 and $99, plus additional fees, and go on sale on Friday, October 21st at noon. Tickets can be purchased at the Pearl Box Office, by calling 702-944-3200 or at any Ticketmaster location.
Doors for the event on November 30thopen at 6 pm, with show time at 7.30pm. Fan voting ultimately decides the winners of each award category, with the voting period scheduled to end on Friday, November 25th. To vote visit www.worldmmaawards.com or download the Fighters Only Lowdown app for free from iTunes.
Posted in: fighter, year, november, award, art
Read the full article at MMA ManiaYves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson Official For TUF 14 Finale
"The Ultimate Fighter 13" winner Tony Ferguson and veteran Yves Edwards meet at "The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale" in Vegas this December.
Posted in: fighter, edward, yve, finale, ferguson official
Read the full article at Heavy MMAFerguson-Edwards Set for ‘TUF 14’ Finale
Newcomer will meet pioneer on Dec. 3, as the UFC announced Friday that Tony Ferguson will square off with Yves Edwards at “The Ultimate Fighter 14” finale.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, yves edwards, yve, finale
Read the full article at SherdogTUF 14 Finale Fight Card Adds Ultimate Fighter 13 Winner
The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Finale fight card, still a month and a half away and usually loaded with fighters from the series, is already starting to flesh itself out.
Posted in: fight, fighter, card, winner, finale
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyYves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson added to December's The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
The "Thugjitsu Master" meets "El Cucuy."
UFC officials today announced that longtime veteran Yves Edwards will face "The Ultimate Fighter 13" winner Tony
Ferguson in a lightweight contest at The Ultimate
Fighter 14 Finale.
Featuring a headliner between "TUF 14" coaches Michael Bisping and Jason
"Mayhem" Miller, The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale takes place Dec. 3 at
The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
Posted in: fighter, thugjitsu master, finale, yve, edward
Read the full article at MMA JunkieFighters on weight for tonight's XFC 14 event, Varner and Jolly meet at catchweight
All fighters taking part in tonight's "XFC 14: Resurrection" event today made weight.
The event takes place at UFC Arena in Orlando, Fla., and the main card airs live on HDNet.
Former WEC champion Jamie Varner and fellow headliner Nate Jolly agreed to meet at a catchweight of 159.6 pounds, the weight both fighters logged at today's weigh-ins.
Posted in: fighter, card airs, event, weight, ufc arena
Read the full article at MMA JunkieUFC 137: Roy Nelson bringing Frank Mir and an epic beard into 'Cro Cop' training camp
A lot of fighters will drop a weight class when they lose back-to-back fights inside the Octagon, hoping a size advantage will bring them better results in a smaller division.
Roy Nelson figures it's much easier to just grow a beard.
That's because "Big Country" wants to stay just that -- big. He tells NBC Sports that "mean people" are going to talk about his weight anyway, so he might as well embrace it.
"My hair has grown out a little longer. My beard is a little longer. So definitely, we're going to see a different Roy Nelson. I just want to basically wow people with my beard, so definitely going for that. Everybody always talks about my weight, but that's throughout my whole entire life. It's nothing new. I'm sure everybody is going to talk about my weight next week, and then after my fight, and then my weight after that. It's just because people are mean. To me, I look in the mirror every day, my wife thinks I'm beautiful, so I'm going to say probably not (look different). I hope I just perform better. Looks are in the eye of the beholder."
In addition to his epic beard, Nelson is also enlisting the help of friend and former heavyweight rival Frank Mir to help prepare him for a UFC 137 showdown against Mirko Filipovic. Mir knows a thing or two about fighting Croatians, having Cro-cocked the former PRIDE fighter in their UFC 119 stinker back in 2010.
A lot of fighters will drop a weight class when they lose back-to-back fights inside the Octagon, hoping a size advantage will bring them better results in a smaller division.
Roy Nelson figures it's much easier to just grow a beard.
That's because "Big Country" wants to stay just that -- big. He tells NBC Sports that "mean people" are going to talk about his weight anyway, so he might as well embrace it.
"My hair has grown out a little longer. My beard is a little longer. So definitely, we're going to see a different Roy Nelson. I just want to basically wow people with my beard, so definitely going for that. Everybody always talks about my weight, but that's throughout my whole entire life. It's nothing new. I'm sure everybody is going to talk about my weight next week, and then after my fight, and then my weight after that. It's just because people are mean. To me, I look in the mirror every day, my wife thinks I'm beautiful, so I'm going to say probably not (look different). I hope I just perform better. Looks are in the eye of the beholder."
In addition to his epic beard, Nelson is also enlisting the help of friend and former heavyweight rival Frank Mir to help prepare him for a UFC 137 showdown against Mirko Filipovic. Mir knows a thing or two about fighting Croatians, having Cro-cocked the former PRIDE fighter in their UFC 119 stinker back in 2010.
Nelly can also return the favor, by helping the former heavyweight champion sharpen his grappling skills for his UFC 140 rematch against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on Dec. 10.
Win or lose, this is expected to be the last appearance of Filipovic as a UFC fighter.
The Croatian cop was put to sleep by division prospect Brendan Schaub at UFC 128 earlier this year, which was the second time he's gone limp in as many fights.
Can he get one more highlight reel stoppage from his vaunted left high kick before calling it quits for good?
Like Filipovic, Nelson has struggled against the upper echelon of the division in recent fights, losing back-to-back unanimous decisions to Junior dos Santos at UFC 117 and Mir at UFC 130.
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Champion started his Zuffa career with two straight knockout wins, but may find himself looking for employment elsewhere is he's unable to overcome Cro Cop in "Sin City."
Anyone think the Mir-powered beard will prevail?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, weight, nelson, beard
Read the full article at MMA ManiaA Review of “Raw Combat: The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts”
Since the MMA boom in 2005 there have been plenty of books written about the history of MMA, how the UFC took things to a new level, and autobiographies from various fighters and MMA personalities. Some books are actually informative while others are just cash grabs with information that you could find on Wikipedia.
Raw Combat: The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts by Jim Genia falls into the former category. It’s not your typical MMA book that profiles some of the top fighters in the sport or talks about UFC being banned on PPV. This book gets away from the glitz and glamour that you see on PPV or SpikeTV and focuses on fights that take place in gyms and can only be seen by people lucky enough to receive a text message.
The book explores the fight scene in New York, which, as most fans know, isn’t exactly legal in the Big Apple. Jim paints a pretty vivid picture of how fights and events go down in New York and things definitely have a Fight Club feel. I’m actually a little worried for Jim’s safety once this book comes out for talking about the subject and breaking the first rule.
The Underground Combat League (UCL) is the main subject of Genia’s writing. While it sounds like a place that houses some of the best bar fighters in the state, some talented competitors actually got their start in the UCL, including a current UFC champion. If you think you can show up to the UCL with your “I’ve watched a ton of MMA fights, so I know what I’m doing” training program and be successful, you’ll probably end up with multiple broken limbs.
The main character in the book is Peter Storm, who is not only the promoter of UCL, but also fights if another fighter decides to no-show or if he just feels like punching someone in the face. There are plenty of characters throughout the pages though, including a chapter on internet sensation Kimbo Slice. Jim does a great job telling the story of certain underground fighters, capturing not only their fight personality, but also giving you some background on the fighter and telling the reader why they fight and how it helps them. Furthermore, he follows up on a lot of the fighters who started in the UCL and how their career progressed or failed from there.
There’s more to the book than just the fighters though. Jim also talks about the local MMA scene in New Jersey and the history of MMA in New York. It’s actually astonishing at how long people in MMA have been trying to get the sport sanctioned in New York and Jim, who has been covering the sport for 10 years, has been there through it all.
More than anything I really enjoy Jim’s writing. As I just mentioned, he’s been covering the sport for a long time and, along with being a good storyteller, he writes with some snark, which I always appreciate. While the book does take a serious tone, profiling the ups and downs of the underground/local fight scene and certain fighters, Jim manages to keep things light throughout the book with witty comments and analogies.
If I have one complaint about the book, it’s that there might be too many characters. It’s kind of like Boardwalk Empire, where the characters are great and defined, and the stories are compelling, but there’s so much going on that sometimes you lose track of what’s going on and it takes a gunshot, or in this case a nasty cut, to remind you of why and how things happened.
If you want to dive deeper into MMA and read the stories of fighters starting at the bottom level and working their way up, then read Raw Combat. You won’t find a better book out there that covers the sport from where it begins, underground and local fights, and not from where it is now, national TV and PPV.
Raw Combat is available for purchase on October 25. You can pre-order the book now on Amazon. For more on the author, you can follow Jim on twitter @jim_genia.
Posted in: fight, mma, fighter, book, jim
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainTUF Winner Takes on Thugjitsu King at Bisping-Miller Finale
“Verbal agreements are in for an explosive lightweight matchup between Ultimate Fighter season 13 winner Tony Ferguson and veteran striking specialist Yves Edwards December 3rd on the Ultimate Fighter Finale,” confirmed UFC president Dana White today. Bisping vs. Miller Headlines TUF Finale on Dec. 3 updated October 3The Ultimate Fighting Championship® returns to the Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort on Saturday, Dec. 3 just in time for Michael “The Count” Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller
to settle a feud that has been spilling over for months. The
middleweights, who traded verbal barbs for months as coaches on season
14 of The Ultimate Fighter®, will meet in a long-awaited five-round main
event in Las Vegas. Plus, the first-ever bantamweight and featherweight
winners of The Ultimate Fighter® will be crowned.“Bisping and
‘Mayhem’ spent the last few months as TUF coaches and they really got on
each other’s nerves,” UFC President Dana White said. “On Dec. 3, the
talking finally ends and these two will go at it inside the Octagon.
There’s a lot at stake in this fight. Not only do they get to settle
their feud, but they get to prove that they belong in the mix to fight
Anderson Silva.”
Posted in: fighter, fighter ®, firstever bantamweight, longawaited fiveround, thugjitsu king
Read the full article at UFCManuwa on Chapman: "He's just a strong guy"
There are a number of fighters in the UK MMA scene who are highly touted, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone as hyped as UCMMA Light-Heavyweight...
Posted in: fighter, ucmma, scene, lightheavyweight, chapman hes
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyChael Sonnen to host World MMA Awards 2011
Fighters Only, the world’s leading mixed martial arts magazine, today announced that the most outspoken man in mixed martial arts will take...
Posted in: fighter, chael sonnen, art, chael, most
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings up slightly for episode five, average 1.6 million viewers
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings are in for episode five of the Spike TV reality show.
According to numbers released by the cable television network earlier today, the latest episode garnered a 1.86 rating in males 18-49 and a 1.9 in males 18-34 for an average audience of 1.6 million viewers, up slightly from the previous week's 1.5 million.
Here's a look at how the TUF 14 numbers stack up to date:
Episode one: 1.5 million Episode two: 1.6 million Episode three: 1.3 millionEpisode four: 1.5 millionEpisode five: 1.6 million
Five episodes down, seven to go.
TUF 14 episode five featured the still ongoing controversy surrounding SB Nation blogger Akira Corassani and whether or not he actually tapped to a heel hook from Dustin Neace. He maintains he did not, most feel that he did and he eventually went on to win a majority decision.
The whole thing was nuts so go check out the detailed recap of The Ultimate Fighter 14 episode five right here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, episode, rating, majority decision
Read the full article at MMA ManiaVila a late-blooming MMA star (Yahoo! Sports)
Most fighters aren’t on the rise at age 40, but then, most fighters aren’t former Olympic wrestling medalist Alexis Vila.
Posted in: fighter, ’t, vila, aren, medalist
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC Undisputed 3 Roster – The Middleweights
We continue unveiling the roster for the upcoming UFC Undisputed 3 game. Today, we're taking a look at the home of the best fighter on the planet.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, game, roster, planet
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThree of MMA's Most Underrated Fighters
In MMA, an entertainment-driven business, it seems competitors who aren’t necessarily flashy in front of a microphone and focus more on the fight at hand rather than self-promoting don’t receive the type of love someone like Chael Sonnen as the result of his behavior outside of the cage.
Call them part of the “Rodney Dangerfield” division if you must, but far too many fighters lack the respect they are due from fans. Here are three Mixed Martial Artists I see as being some of the most unappreciated in the sport today…
1. Donald Cerrone – ‘The Cowboy’ is an exciting, likeable fighter and is in my opinion one of the most underrated fighters on the Zuffa payroll. He has already fought three times for the UFC since February and is slated to fight again next Saturday at UFC 137. In each of the bouts he has taken on and beaten up up-and-upcoming 155ers, such as submitting Brit Paul Kelly in February and out-working Brazilian Vagner Rocha in June. He followed this up with an impressive strike-based stoppage over Charles Oliveira two months later. Cerrone brings professional kickboxing and Muay Thai experience with BJJ that is second to few, and is viewed as a legitimate threat to wrestlers when it comes to using Triangle Choke and Armbar attacks. Commanding a current pro record of 16-3, Cerrone should be considered Top 5 in the division by this time next year, and will hopefully get the attention he’s overdue.
2. Eddie Alvarez – At 22-2, Alvarez deserves some serious kudos on his form but is, unfortunately, unlikely to get recognition for his fights until the phone rings from the UFC so he can have a real proving ground. In Bellator he hasn’t had the opportunity to show off his talents against top flight competition and this shows absolutely no chance of changing with a scheduled fight against Michael Chandler at Bellator 58 in November. However, Alvarez has beaten some of the division’s best and would be spoken about in the same realm as Frankie Edgar and Gilbert Martinez with a higher-profile promotion behind him.
Xtreme Couture Trainer Gil Martinez Talks Alvarez vs. Chandler
3. Jake Ellenberger – A former US Marine, Ellenberger has been overlooked for the bulk of his career until last month when he came in as an underdog against contender Jake Shields only to end up knocking him out in fifty-three seconds. Ellenberger is a very competent wrestler given his NCAA background. While also being a very apt grappler, he compliments this with a reputation for extremely heavy hands, an opinion given support by the fact seventeen of his twenty-six total victories have come by way of knockout. Since joining the UFC from a brief stint at Bellator in mid-2009, he has had racked up a record of 5-1, only dropping a close Split Decision to Carlos Condit in his first fight with the promotion. Since then, a five-fight winning streak has lead him to a spot at the top end of the UFC welterweight. His credentials in grappling and his skills in the stand-up game make him a great match-up for the winner of Georges St. Pierre vs. Condit, whenever their bout may eventually take place. For now he is expected to face fellow contender Diego Sanchez at UFC 141 on December 30 in Las Vegas, a win that would definitely boost him into the upper-echelon on the division’s challengers and get him the recognition he deserves.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, division, alvarez
Read the full article at Fighters.comThe Best Thing about Fighters Walking Out to the Cage...
submitted by HonorableJudgeIto [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: fighter, cage, thing, honorablejudgeito
Read the full article at RedditMe watching my favorite fighter get KO'd
submitted by GenrlEisenhower [link] [7 comments]
Posted in: fighter, genrleisenhower, kod
Read the full article at RedditThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Episode 5 Results for “Team Bisping vs. Team Miller”
After Team Miller improved to 4-0 with a pair of wins one week ago, The Ultimate Fighter 14 returned to Spike TV on Wednesday night for the third featherweight quarterfinal matchup.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller chooses Dustin Neace, his third pick, to face Akira Corassani, Michael Bisping’s second pick, leaving Steven Siler, Miller’s last pick, to meet Diego Brandao, Bisping’s top pick, in the final 145-pound quarterfinal.
The fight quickly turns controversial as Neace lets go of a heel hook when he believes Corassani taps, but referee Herb Dean doesn’t call it and Corassani goes on to score a majority decision for Team Bisping’s first win of the season.
Team Bisping will look to build on the momentum on next week’s sixth episode and MMAFrenzy.com will have complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 every Wednesday leading up to The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale on Dec. 3.
Posted in: fighter, team, miller, bisping, majority decision
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyUltimate Fighter Season 14 Live Blog
Last week on The Ultimate Fighter 14, fans were treated to a two fight episode where Team Miller was victorious in both bout, pushing their record at 4-0 in the competition. Dennis Bermudez finished Stephen Bass in the second round with strikes while Dustin Pague choked out Louis Gaudinot in the second round as well.
Rather than a simple recap, throughout the festivities, this fall 5 OZ will be providing live commentary during each episode including assessments of each fighter and breakdowns of the action, not to mention a snarky remark or two relating to the behavior of coaches and contestants.
Read below to get our take on things as they unfold in this week’s episode (and make sure to join in on the discussion in the “Comments” section below:
Posted in: fighter, episode, team miller, snarky remark, fight episode
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Live Discussion [Episode 5]
Oh hello, I didn't see you there. Welcome to another installment of Murder Mystery The...I mean The Ultimate Fighter live discussion. For those that need catching up, Michael Bisping is an awful coach. Legitimately terrible. He really may be a worse coach than former Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips, and cousin, that man was an awful coach.
So far this season, Jason Miller has swept the fights, winning every single one against Team Bisping. There also has been some funny stuff at the house and gym with one of Miller's fighters playing the part of Benedict Arnold, giving away all of the team's secrets including the match ups. Unfortunately, even with knowing all the fights, Team Bisping can't win a single fight. Remember what I said about Bisping being a terrible coach? Yep, this is exactly why. Oh and his advice when his guys are in the cage.
This week, judging from the previews that were shown immediately after last week's episode, Jason Miller finds out who the spy is...SPOILER ALERT: It's John Dodson. There's also a bit of a scuffle at the gym between fighters and Miller and Bisping. I wonder if the Count spit in Mayhem's face, cause we all know he loves doing that.
Side note: What's with Miller always starting big brawls?
Another side note: How many times does Shia LeBeouf have to get beat up at a bar before he learns that Bumblebee is a fictional robot character?
Following the show, head on over to Most Diabolical Hater's Blue Mountain State Lovefest. Dude loves that show so much it's sickening!
The show starts at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m MT (I don't know what Spike does with you Pacific Timeline people). Tune in and join us for The Ultimate Fighter 14!
Posted in: fighter, team, coach, miller, bisping
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowShoulder surgery reignites UFC fighter Rich Franklin's passion for MMA
At 37 years old, stuck in the purgatory of being a between-weight-classes fighter, and now on the mend from a recent shoulder surgery, Rich Franklin could easily wonder if being a UFC fighter has lost its luster.
A former no-hassles champ and the UFC's longtime consummate professional, he's found adversity around every corner in recent years.
But if you think Franklin is losing his interest in the fight game, think again. In fact, he said it's quite the opposite.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, ufc fighter, franklin, shoulder surgery
Read the full article at MMA JunkieYouth MMA Finals To Determine Nation's Most Vicious Child Fighters
submitted by HonorableJudgeIto [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, nation, child fighters, youth, child
Read the full article at RedditCNN 'Fighter Girls' video preview for Oct. 23 premiere at 8 p.m. ET
Cable News Network (CNN) is taking a closer look at the lovely ladies of mixed martial arts (MMA) in the upcoming "Fighter Girls" special set to air on Oct. 23 at 8 and 11 p.m. ET.
While they don't have a place in the UFC, female fighters are still thriving throughout the regional circuit. What's your take on Women's MMA?
And do you think it will get a fair shake from CNN?
Posted in: fighter, cnn, arts mma, circuit whats, fighter girls
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUltimate Fighter 14: Episode five recap and discussion for 'Bisping vs Miller'
Episode five of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 14, featuring opposing coaches and division rivals Michael Bisping and Jason Miller, will air a little later this evening at 10 p.m. ET on Spike TV.
Tonight, "Mayhem" uncovers the mole that's infiltrated his team, one fighter goes "crazy eyes," a riot breaks out at the weigh ins and then again after the fight!
Good times!
Titled "Swagger Jacker," tonight's match-up pits featherweights Dustin Neace (22-16-1) of Team Miller vs. Akira Corassani (9-3) from Team Bisping.
Early predictions?
Be sure to stay tuned immediately after the show for our complete recap. In the meantime, go ahead and sound off in the comments section on all things TUF!
And any of our fighters out there ever have to deal with a mole in training camp? If so, how did you deal with it? And does anyone think it will make a difference come fight night?
Posted in: fighter, bisping, jason miller, training camp, riot breaks
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 137: New Nick Diaz Interview - "BJ's my favorite fighter.."
submitted by tekprodfx16 [link] [2 comments]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, tekprodfx, interview, bj
Read the full article at RedditMailbag: Jones the favorite for Fighter of the Year (Yahoo! Sports)
With one more win, Jon Jones will be a lock for Fighter of the Year. But what if he loses to Lyoto Machida?
Posted in: jone, fighter, jon jones, year, mailbag jones
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC's Flyweight Division Creates One More Title, Multitude of Problems
During the post-fight press conference at UFC on Versus 6 on October 1st in Washington D.C., UFC President Dana White was asked about the potential addition of a 125 lb. weight class. The question was appropriate considering challenger Demetrious Johnson was controlled by the much bigger champion Dominick Cruz in a main event bantamweight title showdown only minutes beforehand. The topic has also been tabled over the course of the last two years, never actually getting a confirmed approval from Dana White, only a glimmer of hope with vague undertones.
There was nothing unclear about White's answer this time around. He confirmed to reporters that the UFC would, in fact, promote a flyweight division in early 2012, causing questions to arise whether Johnson would make the transition down. Johnson wasn't receptive to the idea just yet, but it will inevitably happen as he's considered a natural flyweight with the potential to be the division's first champion.
The obvious impact of such a move is clear. A fighter like Jussier da Silva, who struggled to pay for travel expenses to fight in America, will have his tab picked up if he were in the UFC. Sponsorship money, salaries, and the media spotlight will increase dramatically. The added perk of fighter insurance will make it possible for some of these fighters to train full-time. In a nutshell, it makes it viable for some of these fighters to make MMA a career rather than a hobby.
There are, however, potentially detrimental effects that the addition of the division creates. Most notably, it will thin out the UFC's bantamweight division. Former title contenders Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson are the obvious choices to vie for the newly-minted title. That depletes the division of two potential repeat contenders, and that isn't factoring in the rest of the talent that would drop to 125 with the creation of the weight class.
The solution to that problem lies in the prospect pool. Surely there are a number of great bantamweights available to replenish the ranks, right? Wrong. The division is lacking numbers in the regional scene as well, and the addition of a flyweight division causes the exact same problem I outlined before. Some of these prospects will make the drop, thinning out the bantamweight talent pool. By the end of all the shuffling, the flyweight division will bilk one quarter to one half the worldwide bantamweight pool.
The good news is that regional promotions will more than likely begin adding flyweight fights to their roster. The bad news? Nobody cares about the bantamweights, at least in the sense that casuals are what make the UFC major revenue, and the flyweights will likely be seen as a step down in relevancy. Cruz vs. Johnson barely moved the needle with fans. Why should we believe Benavidez vs. Johnson, or any fight inside the flyweight division will deliver ratings or buys? We care, but does anyone else?
This isn't the boldest business decision by the UFC by any stretch of the imagination. It does allow them to put together more cards that feature two title fights, which is always great for business. The reality is that it creates two divisions that will have a thin talent pool to pull from, and they are both essentially competing with one another for fighters. The interest isn't there to fuel pay-per-views or ratings. It's also proven that the culture of combat sports is obsessed with larger fighters. Unless a shift, one that we see with Manny Pacquiao in boxing, occurs in MMA, the flyweight division is a money pit that will have a hard time driving revenue. Kudos to the UFC for giving these fighters their due, but is it the smartest decision when the division directly above it hasn't been able to fuel interest?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, division, bantamweight, flyweight
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowStrikeforce has talented fighters, gorgeous ring card girls and a history of delivering exciting...
Strikeforce has talented fighters, gorgeous ring card girls and a history of delivering exciting fights. So why is the typical mixed martial arts fan so apathetic towards its impending doom? MMA Nation's Jonathan Snowden gives one possible explanation here.
Posted in: strikeforce, fighter, ring, girl, arts fan
Read the full article at MMA ManiaRoss Pearson Planning A Run At The Featherweight Title
The former Ultimate Fighter winner talks about dropping down a weight class in hopes of fighting for championship gold.
Posted in: fighter, pearson, gold, weight class, featherweight title
Read the full article at Heavy MMATUF is boring, What does reddit think of my idea?
TITLE OF SHOW: Red vs. Blue FORMAT OF SHOW: Reality Series LOGLINE: The Ultimate Fighter meets White Collar Boxing meets Glenn Beck fights John Stewart. Self proclaimed Democrats and Republicans, who have no previous professional fighting experience, are selected to be trained and coached in Mixed Martial Arts for 10-12 weeks and live in a house together. They get to settle their political differences with their fists in the ring/cage. SYNOPSIS: Ron Profitt, Rand Paul supporter, head stomps a democrat party member at a political rally. Democrats are furious, but they can’t do anything to him. Profitt goes so far as in saying he wants an apology from the woman he stomped on. This past election (2008) has shown that Democrats and Republicans have moved beyond the point of disagreeing on ideology. The talking heads sit and verbally attack each other on news channels 24-hours a day, but it’s always just talk, no one ever concedes and no one ever wins. Let’s let them fight. Democrats and Republicans fight to prove who the toughest political party is in America. 14 people are selected to represent two teams in a team MMA fight. Of the 14 people, 7 will be self proclaimed Republicans and the other 7 self proclaimed Democrats (Red vs. Blue). They will all weigh between 150-220 lbs. They will live together in a large house, but train separately with their teams. Trainers from different disciplines of MMA (Kickboxing, boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jujitsu, etc.) will come and train the teams for their upcoming fights. The participants will be from all walks of life and include many professionals as well as blue collar workers. The common thread for each team is their passionate political stance. All participants must have a minimal knowledge of current politics and their liberal or conservatives views must be reflected in that knowledge. After initial training the fighters will participate in a one on one fight with a fighter from the opposing team and the winner will win a point for their political ideology. In the end, we will see if the Democrats or Republicans win the fight for America, or at least who’s tougher. The participants live together in a large house and must deal with living together as well as potentially facing each other in a future fight. The tensions will rise as they get annoyed with each other’s idiosyncrasies as well as the conflicts in political ideology. They will be participating in daily training routines taught by professional trainers to learn different aspects of mixed martial arts. The rules can be from any organization, but as UFC is the most popular MMA organization, UFC rules would be the best. The training sessions will be extremely intense and some participants will want to quit and they will have to push each other as a team to win. The matches will pit fighters of comparable weight against each other for two 3-minute rounds. If it is a tie at the end of the two rounds they will go to a third tie-breaking round. Scoring will be based on UFC(Or whatever organization we choose) rules. A fighter can win by knockout, technical knockout, submission or decision. The winner of each fight will earn himself a cash prize of which half will go to the fighter, and the other half go towards a political candidate or organization of the fighter’s choosing as a political contribution. The winning team will win another contribution to either the Democratic National Convention or the Republican National Convention and title of toughest political party in America. OUTLINE: Get to know the fighters before they move into the house, family background, career, etc. Show clips of the fighters where they have participated in political rallies as well as previous athletic backgrounds. The fighters can explain why they wanted to be on a show like ours and why they want to fight a member of the opposing political party. Describe process of show to fighters and audience. After initial day’s introductions we ask fighters, by secret ballot, to select the top 3 fighters on the opposing team they would like to fight based on first impression. Then we choose the best match and announce first fight for next week’s episode along with weigh-in results. The fighters meet their trainers and spend a few days training for their upcoming fights. The tensions in the house start to boil over as participants butt heads over political ideology. Trash talking ensues. Each participant is again asked to list the name of the top 2 other people on the opposing side that they would like to fight after spending time watching each other train as well as interacting in the house. Fighters who want to fight each other will put on a better show and better television. Choose match up for next fight based on fighter requests. Show first fight from selection of last week. Announce the next week’s fight and have a weigh-in at the end of the episode Follow the fighters scheduled for this week’s fight. Have more in-depth profiles about these participants as well as show their families and what has inspired and shaped their current political ideology. Follow antics in the house as more trash talking ensues. New twist to the fight selection this week. Participants have a contest this week where the winning team gets to select the next fight. Participants make calls to campaign contributors and try to raise money for their political party. The team that raises the most money gets to select the next fight. The participant who raises the most money on his team gets to select if he wants to fight next week and if so, who he wants to fight. If he opts not to fight, democratic vote by team to select fighters. More training, then show scheduled fight. The winner of the campaign contest stands up and selects who he wants to fight, or who the selected fighters are if he opts not to fight, they weigh in. Teams design political slogan t-shirts with help from political activists and clothing designers. Teams head out to a college campus to sell t-shirts and meet college students. Team that sells most t-shirts wins the event. Wining team gets taken out to get suits made. Winning team comes home in suits and shows off to other team. Gloating and trash talk in the house. More training, fighter background and then fight for the week. After the fight the teams get together. We are a democracy so each team gets to choose its representative for the next fight. Fighters are announced and weighed in. Teams put on new suits and now go door to door to rally voter support. The twist is that they must enter a district that heavily favors the opposing political party. Using their persuasive skills Team Democrats must convince citizens living in a Republican dominated district to sign a petition in support of climate protection or gay marriage and Team Republicans must convince Democrats to oppose Obamacare or support harsher immigration restrictions(AZ law). The team that collects the most signatures wins. Winning team goes to fancy dinner, wearing new suits, with a political candidate for the upcoming 2012 election. Show training, fighter background and fight for the week. The winner of the fight’s team gets to select the next week’s fighters, they will vote within the team. Announce fighters and show weigh-ins. Again follow the fighters who are going to fight on this episode. Then have host enter the house with a new team challenge. Both teams are sent to a location, probably a shopping mall or some other place that has many people, and set up a booth to register voters. Teams are competing to see who can register the most voters with whatever creative antics they can come up with. Winning team wins a (prize). Show training and the fight from this week. Describe the importance of voting and getting people out to vote. Demonstrate this importance by announcing the winners of the contest not only get the prize, but the ability to select the last two fights. Follow last four fighters and profile them, showing them train and finally their fight. Then tell teams there is another twist to competition. Intelligence and knowing the issues is also important to successful political discourse. Teams will compete in intellectual competition involving political trivia as well as questions about the Constitution, American Government, etc. Winning team gets to choose final wildcard match up, which allows them to select any fighter on their own team versus any fighter on the opposing team. The winner of the fight’s team wins a (prize). Show fighters prepare for their elected champions for the last and final fight of the event. After fight there is a celebration BBQ and the fighters reconcile. They have learned to respect each other after fighting each other and though they still disagree, they are willing to respect the opposing point of view (hopefully). All participants win a prize(Hopefully a sponsor steps up here) for raising political awareness amongst young people and money for the political process. Show ends with one political party named the toughest party in America. TL;DR Ultimate Fighter style competition but based on political ideology. Think Bisping vs. Hendo season, but instead of USA vs. Britain. Democrats v. Republicans submitted by hagen0 [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: fight, show, fighter, week, team
Read the full article at RedditTen Florida Fighters You Could See In The UFC
by: D.J. Mackie 1. Hector Lombard (MW) – He is the current Bellator Middleweight champ and owns a very impressive 16 fight winning streak that dates all the way back to 2007. Not many high level fighters have had records like this and not been in the UFC. He faces one of his tougher tests [...]
Posted in: ufc, fighter, florida fighters, level fighters, mackie
Read the full article at Fighthub TVOne fan's view: Why Chael Sonnen doesn't deserve Anderson Silva on Super Bowl weekend
FanPost edited and promoted by MMAmania.com
Some people call him a genius, a master in the art of baiting opponents and engaging fans to either watch him win or watch him get his comeuppance, but most people watch him. That was until he fought Brian Stann and the long-term fans of MMA remembered that without the insults and controversy, Chael Sonnen is just a wrestler who trains his strengths and makes strides towards becoming a well-rounded fighter.
No more, no less.
Sonnen turned in a dominant performance at UFC 136 against what I believe was a mediocre fighter with heavy hands, but that wasn't enough. What separates MMA from other sports is the sportsmanship. It's the respect that a fighter who dedicates his life to stepping in a cage in front of millions of people and fighting another man one-on-one has for the man who has done the same thing to get in there and do the same thing.
Chael Sonnen has thrown that out to talk his way into another title shot
It is one thing to appear racist, it's another thing to be convicted of a felony then brag "that's all i got caught for," or to test positive for performance enhancers and then get caught in a web of lies afterwards. Sonnen decided that wasn't enough and he was going to talk about putting his hands on Anderson Silva's wife, doing what no man, competitive or not, should ever do.
I keep reading these pieces online about Silva ducking Sonnen, a man he beat at UFC 117 on what could have been his worst day, and Sonnen's best day. I think Silva knows one thing through all of this, nobody cares about Chael Sonnen unless Silva is involved.
There was little fanfare when Sonnen fought ANYONE else, with perhaps the exception of Paulo Filho, only because Sonnen's controversy about phantom tapping in the first match and the then-unstoppable Filho seemingly checked out of reality for the second.
Silva owes Sonnen nothing.
For the lines he has crossed both professionally and personally, Silva doesn't owe him another fight or even an acknowledgement of his existence.
Anderson Silva is a fighter who fights the best in the world. Regardless of what his record is, that's what he does. He has the quality that makes an MMA fighter an MMA fighter, the lack of fear to fight another man. He did not get to where he is just by hand picking opponents and having fear in him that someone might beat him up.
Fear has nothing to do with this equation, power does.
When Anderson eventually accepts the fight with Sonnen, he will be doing him an enormous favor, both financially and professionally, and he knows it. I, for one, hope he makes Chael earn his title shot like everyone else, because if threats against spouses and testosterone injections are what it takes to earn a title shot, MMA is headed in a direction that will alienate a lot of its original fans.
Posted in: sonnen, silva, fighter, man, mma
Read the full article at MMA ManiaReport: K-1 Grand Prix 2011 Cancelled
It looks like the dreams of a 2011 K-1 World Grand Prix may finally be dead. Reports are beginning to surface that the Final 16 of the Grand Prix, scheduled for October 29 in Nanjing, China, has been cancelled, though there is still no official word from K-1.
The most credible report comes from Anil Dubar, manager to K-1 fighter Daniel Ghita, who announced on a Dutch blog that the Final 16 event was cancelled. This news is not much of a surprise, as it comes at the end of a week full of last minute scrambling on K-1's part.
As we reported last week, Tyrone Spong confirmed that, as of one week ago, he had not been paid for past K-1 fights and was unlikely to participate in this year's tournament. We've known for quite some time that many fighters were still waiting for payments, which could potentially cripple the 2011 tournament. Then, earlier this week, news came out that K-1 was working to take care of this problem, but in a rather odd way.
LiverKick.com reports that K-1 did indeed offer some of this year's Final 16 fighters a contract for the Final 16 event, but that by signing the contract those fighters would have to forfeit their rights to half of the money due to them from previous fights. It's unknown exactly who was offered this deal, or if anyone signed it.
One thing we do know - fighters represented by It's Showtime (the European organization who is helping promote the Grand Prix and manages many of the fighters involved) were not given this offer. It's Showtime President Simon Rutz has been very vocal about his fighters' lack of pay and the fact that if this was not sorted out, his fighters would not take part. He gave K-1 a deadline of this past Friday to receive payment. Again, LiverKick.com reports that as of Sunday, there is no word of that payment.
Finally, there is no mention of the event on the website for the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium (the alleged site of the show) nor any information on how to purchase tickets.
With only two weeks until the show, tickets not on sale, fighters and managers publicly saying that they are off the show, and K-1's biggest partner gearing up to pull their fighters, it certainly seems like this is a done deal. I would expect K-1 will keep trying to pull it together and will resist officially cancelling until the last minute. Given their track record, don't be surprised if they actually cancel the Final 16, but still say a Final 8 will happen in December. But at this point, it's time to accept facts. The best kickboxing tournament in the world is over.
Rest in Peace K-1 Grand Prix.
Posted in: fighter, week, tournament, prix, deal i
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowYour favourite fighters who were never top 10 ranked
Masakazu Imanari - Has such an interesting and bizarre style thats always fun to watch. He beaten some good fighters like Mike Brown and Maeda but never consistent enough to be a top name. Hideo Tokoro - Always brings it, has been in so many great wars but has had a pretty up and down career. Hes looking good fighting at bantamweight though but hes still outside the top 10. Pat Barry - Funny guy and a great kickboxer but his ground game is so abysmal that it'll be hard for him to move any higher in the ufc ranks, hopefully he puts it all together in a few years. Cung Le - Has such a cool style and could of been top 10 if he started mma earlier and fought tougher guys. Not sure if he cracked the top 10 after beating shamrock but i dont believe so. The Korean Zombie - Impossible not to like this guy but hes a bit too reckless to be a top featherweight. Leonard Garcia - Gets some hate for getting gift decisions but this guy never has a boring fight. He did fight mike brown for the title at one point so he could of been top 10 then but hes fallen a fair way since that. Masaaki Satake - Got his ass consistently beat in mma but put on some great fights, his war with igor was epic. Melvin Manhoef - Plenty of potential but his ground work is so poor that it screws him over a lot but its very hard to dislike this guy as a fighter, a true beast in the standup. submitted by AbeRudder [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fight, guy, fighter, he, fight mike
Read the full article at RedditWho Will Make Up Anderson Silva's Final Four?
Anderson Silva has dominated the sport in a fashion no other fighter has yet to match, or may ever be able to match for that matter.
Posted in: fighter, silva, anderson silva, anderson, fashion
Read the full article at Low KickSimon Rutz sets final deadline for K-1; It's Showtime fighters not offered "bad deal"
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
As we had reported previously, there has been a rumor that FEG has offered certain fighters an offer that would let FEG off of the hook for 50% of the money that they owe certain fighters. What many who read it neglected to notice was the last paragraph, which states that it was unclear who this offer was extended to, if anyone. LiverKick.com has received numerous reports that K-1 has been working to broker deals with fighters and managers this past week to solidify the K-1 Final 16 and that there were some fighters being offered a "50% deal."
It appears that It's Showtime's fighters were not offered this deal, at least that is what Simon Rutz says as of this morning. When a fan asked Mr. Rutz if It's Showtime fighters would be willing to take a cut of 50% to fight for K-1 he claimed that was not the case for It's Showtime's fighters, and in a reply to another fan's post he said that K-1 was not "blackmailing" them. This does not entirely rule out that some fighters have been offered a "bad deal," but in the case of It's Showtime it appears this deal has not been given to them.
Read More...
Posted in: fighter, deal, showtime, showtime fighters, simon rutz
Read the full article at Middle EasyMatt Hume talks Asian MMA and a possible move to flyweight for Demetrious Johnson
Matt Hume is best known in the US as the MMA mastermind trainer behind such top caliber fighters as Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix finalist Josh Barnett, former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and UFC bantamweight contender Demetrious Johnson.He is also a recognizable figure on the Asian scene as the former head official for PRIDE Fighting Championship, the rules director for DREAM Fighting Championship and the head official for the recently formed ONE Fighting Championship.
In short, he's kind of a big deal.He took time out to talk exclusively to MMA Mania about why he thinks Johnson came up short in his recent title shot, his involvement with One FC and the future for Asian MMA.
What were your thoughts on Demetrious Johnson's recent loss, were you surprised by how the fight went?
I feel DJ could have won the fight convincingly if he would have stuck to the game plan. DJ had a strong advantage on the feet but made bad choices to engage in wrestling and stay in clinches where he lost the fight. Had he stuck to the game plan and advice given between rounds, he would not have been in those positions and would have played to his advantage. He learned a lesson the hard way this time and will mature and be a much better fighter from the experience.
Johnson looks small for a bantamweight. Could he drop down to 125-pounds and is this something you have discussed with the UFC?
He is a natural 125 and fought most of his career at 125. He only went to135 to be in WEC and UFC because they don't have a 125 division. If UFC brings the 125 division in in the future we will consider dropping him to that division, but for now he is a 135 pounder.
What did you think of the first One FC show?
Great first event and huge potential!
You were in charge of implementing One FC's rules and scoring, how do you think they worked?
I thought they worked great.
Were there any fighters on that card who particularly impressed you?
Many of the fighters had individual aspects of their game that were impressive but they were already known to be great in those areas. What impresses me is when guys show skill outside of the area that they are already known to be good in.
Eddie Ng showed great poise in danger and killer instinct when the time was right. Yodsanan showed that he is developing his ground game and wont have to rely on his great boxing and Muay Thai. Colossa impressed me with his power and Muay Thai skill, he was already skilled in Muay Thai but I had never seen it first hand.
Rahman is very green but showed big heart and poise in front of his home town with major pressure for a young kid in his first bout. Zoro's elbows and Muay Thai are vastly improved and he didn't ever try to rely on his killer ground game.
Eric Kelly showed a slick ground game with killer instinct. Eduard Foyalang is well rounded and tough, with a huge heart. Those guys impressed me for those reasons, as well as some of the other fighters who showed skill and poise well beyond the skill level they were expected to be at. The level of Asian MMA is coming up quickly!
Were you surprised by how many people were there?
I had an idea that it was going to packed because I followed the promotion/marketing of the event and kept up on ticket sales. I have been to Singapore before and to Evolve, so I wasn't really surprised with the success.
Are you going to be involved in any more One FC shows?
For sure!You've been involved in a lot of MMA shows including Pride, Dream the UFC. How much potential does One FC have and how excited are you about it?
I think the timing right now is great for ONE FC and it is focusing in the right market. It has great potential and I'm excited to be involved with it from the opening bell!
You've also spent time with Rich Franklin at Evolve MMA, what did you think of that facility, were you impressed?
The facility is very nice, but what is most impressive are the people. The instructors are world class and the students are class. it is a very positive atmosphere regardless of your goals or lack of goals and a fun place to hang out. There are no egos, just nice people and awesome instructors.
You've been involved in the Asian MMA scene for a long time, how do you view the state of Asian MMA and what are your thoughts on the future of Asian MMA?
Asia is a huge place with vastly differing cultures depending on where you are in Asia. Some places will blow up and accept MMA other may not. I think the countries that had fighters on the last ONE FC event will grow very quickly in their fan base, some already have. Obviously Singapore is a great new MMA market, I think that Thailand, Phillipines, Korea, China, Taiwan and India have cultures and emerging fighters that will see growth of their fan base, I'm sure others will follow as well. Japan already has a huge base and will return to glory in the future as the surrounding Asian countries bring competition.
Matt Hume is the owner and head trainer at AMC Kickboxing and Pankration. For more information visit: www.pankration.com
Posted in: mma, fighter, . , fc, asian
Read the full article at MMA ManiaAntonio McKee: 'I'd Like to Vote Dana White Out of the UFC'
Antonio McKee made a lot of noise about his place in the sport when the UFC wouldn't sign him despite going fifteen straight fights without a loss. He eventually got his chance only to drop a decision to Jacob Volkmann and get cut from the UFC roster.
Recently, McKee has been a very vocal critic of UFC president Dana White. In an interview with TapouT Radio, McKee continued his criticism (transcription via Crooklyn's Corner):
"I'm here for the sport. I've been getting a lot of static about the stuff I've been saying about the UFC, and how I've been blasting them, but, at the end of the day, everyone, whether they like me or dislike me, whether they are a UFC fan or not a UFC fan, one thing they will say, if they're honest, is that McKee is right. I've been bashing away at Dana White for the way he talks about fighters, calling them p*ssies, calling women c*nts, and F this and F that, calling unions a bunch of idiots. You're an icon of the sport. The last thing we need is an icon showing this type of behavior to people who are engaging in this sport and support it. We need somebody to step up, that has a little bit of integrity and a little bit of respect for fighters, whether they're good fighters or bad fighters, the fact that they're fighters, and just show a little bit more appreciation. I'd like to vote Dana White out of the UFC and bring in somebody that has a little bit more courtesy and common sense, because this guy's definitely smoking some dust."
Antonio went on to say that he understands being cut as it is a business, but didn't like that it was after a split decision that he felt he won.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, dana, mckee, vote dana
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowVFC 36 results: Salas tops Ellenberger, begs for a UFC shot next
Justin Salas and Joe Ellenberger are seen by many as the two best 155-pound fighters not yet signed to a major mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. That may have changed for one of them last night (Oct. 14, 2011) at Victory Fighting Championship (VFC) 36 at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Salas earned a hard fought unanimous decision over Ellenberger in the main event of the evening. Both fighters knew that winning this fight could lead to more than the VFC title, which wasn't lost on Salas during the post fight interview, during which he called for a chance to compete in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
When two fighters with such good wrestling backgrounds square off, it’s either a lay and pray snooze fest or non-stop action. This fight was definitely the latter. Both fighters showed what a true MMA fight looks like.
Salas and Ellenberger went from going for the knockout to ground-and-pound to submission attempts, with a good dose of "Holy Sh*t" moments thrown in on both sides. Whether it would be Salas’s big right hooks of Ellenberger’s flying knees, the crowd was on their feet for the entire five round affair.
In the end, Salas’s speed, footwork and, surprisingly, cardio seemed to get the best of Ellenberger. He made a point of saying that Trevor Wittman, his coach at Grudge Training Center, put him through the hardest camp of his life for this fight, and it showed at the end of the fight when he looked like he could go five more rounds.
With both fighters saying they expect to eventually see the other in the UFC, this victory may have put Justin on the fast track. Only time will tell. But, these will both be names you will here in the future.
While the undercard may not have had potential big show implications, it was not lacking excitement. And with the anticipation for the main event almost a palpable commodity in the air, the other pros on the card did their part to make sure the fans got to see it as quick as possible.
Co main event fighter Vito Agosta made quick work of Daniel Wales by submitting him in the first round via d’arce choke. This marks Agosta’s third win in a row and after the fight, VFC promoter Ryan Stoddard announced the next time Agosta steps into the cage, it will be for a crack at the VFC 135-pound title.
Emerging pros Brandon Pfannensteil and Mirsad Bektic both moved to 2-0 with impressive first round victories over Shane Hutchinson and Derek Rhodes, respectively. Both fighters are looking to prove that they are people to watch out for in the future.
Bektic opened the pro side of the card with an absolutely brutal beating of Rhodes. From the moment the first punch was thrown, there wasn’t much doubt who would win the fight. Rhodes’s attempts at improving position only prolonged his agony. Thankfully for Rhodes, the fight was stopped in the first round.
Pfannensteil started off much the same way, dropping Hutchinson with his first punch and pouncing on him for the finish. While Hutchinson tried to work off his back, it was to no avail, as Pfannensteil quickly worked positions until he could take his back and sink in a rear naked choke.
The Victory Fighting Championship always starts off the night with the best amateurs around, and tonight was no exception.
Other VFC 36 results included:
Kevin Gray def. Darrin Minner via unanimous decision
Chuck Streblow def. Blue Peterson via guillotine
Summer Artherton def. Kelly Reilly via unanimous decision
Kassius Kayne def. Gilbert Loara via technical knockout referee stoppage
Jay Collins def. Eldis Sakanovic via unanimous decision
Posted in: fight, fighter, &rsquo,  , sala
Read the full article at MMA Mania'The Ultimate Fighter 14' ratings: Episode No. 4 scores 1.5 million Spike TV viewers (MMAJunkie.com)
Ratings for the fourth episode of "The Ultimate Fighter 14" rebounded slightly from episode No.
Posted in: fighter, episode, rating, viewer, tv
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsWarrior One MMA weigh in results from Miami for 'Reloaded' on Oct. 14 in Miami
The official weigh in event for W-1 MMA: Reloaded took place last night (Oct. 14, 2011) in Miami, Florida.
All fighters made weight except for Anthony Garavito and Davaun McKoy, who, incidentally, are fighting each other. Both fighters came in five pounds over the original 175-pound limit. Neither fighter was penalized and the bout will now be a 180-pound match-up.
"Reloaded" will feature a welterweight war between former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brawler Marcus Davis and Ultimate Fighter (TUF) competitor Chuck O'Neil.
The card will also showcase an exciting featherweight bout between Luis Palomino and Edson Berto, as well as a women's mixed martial arts (WMMA) throwdown between Kim Couture and Suzie Montero.
Here is the complete fight lineup for tomorrow night's W-1 card:
Marcus Davis vs. Chuck O'NeilEdson Berto vs. Luis PalominoSabah Homasi vs. Jonathan ManleyAllen Arzeno vs. Tom WatersNathan Coy vs. Patrick MikeszBruno Reis Da Maria vs. Kenny MossJoseph Watson vs. Frank CarrilloKim Couture vs. Suzie MonteroGiovanni Brugnoni vs. James WynnMichael Trujillo vs. Eric RaposoAnthony Garavito vs. Davaun McKoy
Remember that MMAMania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of "Reloaded," starting at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow night (Oct. 15).
It looks to be a very exciting card, so be sure to hang out with your fellow Maniacs and light up the comment section.
See you then!
Posted in: fighter, vs, tomorrow night, davaun mckoy, fight lineup
Read the full article at MMA ManiaFriday Fun: Stripping Strikeforce for Parts - Middleweight, Welterweight and Lightweight
Earlier today we started a fun project to pick five fighters from each division in Strikeforce that should be brought into the UFC if Strikeforce were shut down today. We started out with the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions, now we go through 185, 170 and 155.
Again, the one rule is: you must pick no fewer, and no more, than five fighters in each division.
Here are my picks. Share yours in the comments.
Middleweight:
In:
Luke Rockhold - The Strikeforce champ, a very personable guy and possessing a whole lot of talent. Rockhold is a no brainer, but he has to be handled carefully. He is only 26 and could be one of the guys in the running to replace Anderson Silva as the top 185'er in the world in a few years, but a few fights to build him up before throwing him in against Silva or Chael Sonnen makes a lot of sense.
Tim Kennedy - Sometimes we have a little fun at Tim's expense. He is overly serious sometimes ("It's JUST BLOOD!") and it makes for a laugh, but he's a good fighter and an easy guy to promote.
Ronaldo Souza - There are just so many interesting fights for Jacare in the UFC. He'd be the favorite to catch Sonnen with a submission, wouldn't he?
Robbie Lawler - Dana White loves Robbie Lawler. He may be 2-4 since 2009, but his style is fan friendly and I think Dana and the UFC would enjoy getting the last few wars left in him out in their cage. Plus, there aren't a lot of good 185'ers in Strikeforce.
Derek Brunson - I guess I'm going on hope here. Brunson trains with good camps, has wrestling credentials and has gone 8-0 while finishing 7 of those bouts. He's better than most of the guys that get on TUF these days and may be able to make some noise.
Notable cuts:
Benji Radach - Fought once in 2008, once in 2009, once in 2010 and is 1-3 in his last four fights.
Scott Smith - I just don't want to see Smith get punched in the head anymore. He's had enough wars in his career, there's no need for him to finish out his career getting knocked out in the UFC.
Follow after the jump for welterweights and lightweights.
Welterweights:
In:
Tyron Woodley - Welterweight in Strikeforce is a bit of a mess, but Tyron Woodley is by far the best 170 guy they have. He was still the best at 170 when Nick Diaz was still on the roster, too.
Bobby Voelker - I don't think Voelker is particularly special, but he has two wins over Roger Bowling now and does enough things well to maybe get a win or two on the prelims.
Nate Moore - 7-2 record with seven finishes. When he doesn't get the finish, he gets finished. At the very least, he's entertaining.
Tarec Saffiedine - Saffiedine is a lot of fun and only lost to Tyron Woodley during his time in Strikeforce. I could see Tarec becoming a staple of FX shows.
Jason High - High only got one shot in the UFC and that loss to Charlie Brenneman doesn't look very bad given Brenneman's defeat of Rick Story. I'd pick High to get a decision win over Dan Hardy at this point.
Notable cuts:
Roger Bowling - I'd take Bowling or I'd take Voelker. I'm not taking both of them.
Paul Daley - I'm just assuming Paul doesn't get to return to the UFC. If he does, I'd replace Voelker with him.
Lightweight:
In:
Jorge Masvidal - He's a fun fighter, he's young and he always comes to put on a show. Masvidal would make for very entertaining fights with a number of UFC lightweights, even if he isn't a top level fighter.
KJ Noons - He looked bad against Masvidal, but he's been very good at lightweight in his career and fights in the "fan friendly" style the UFC loves. I'd pay to see Noons vs. Melvin Guillard or Noons against Nate Diaz given the Noons/Diaz family history.
Justin Wilcox - Constant improvement and a solid record. Wilcox is a tough out for anyone at 155.
Gilbert Melendez - This one is obvious. He's one of the top fighters in the world and holds the title. No explination needed.
Caros Fodor - Grinding, hard working fighter who doesn't show signs of ever being elite, but he is just one of those scrappy guys that will work his way to wins in some fights you fully expect him to lose.
Notable cuts:
Billy Evangelista - He's a tough fighter but he has one stoppage win in his last ten fights, not a trait I like to see in a guy fighting mid-tier Strikeforce talent.
Conor Heun - Heun is fun to watch but he's not all that good. I don't think he could last a year in the UFC without getting cut.
Gesias Cavalcante - Since 2008 he is 2-3 (2 NC). Both of those wins were split decisions. That's simply not good enough.
Josh Thomson - I probably could have included him, but he is 33 with limited upside and a somewhat inconsistent schedule.
Posted in: ufc, fight, strikeforce, guy, fighter
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowK-1 Final 16 update: K-1 brokering deal with fighters for half of money owed
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
The K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 is just over two weeks away now and there has been no card announced and from reports inside of fight camps from managers and fighters, there are no finalized contracts for the fights. It's Showtime's Simon Rutz made a deadline for K-1 to pay up, which was last Friday, when this came and went the deadline was apparently extended to Wednesday of this week. We've been in contact with Simon Rutz and other employees of It's Showtime who could confirm that were some financial problems and disagreements and were still waiting for their payments before they could move forward. There has been no word over the past two days from the It's Showtime camp, though. LiverKick.com reached out to some K-1 officials who had no further details for us other than thanking us for our patience and telling us just to wait a little bit longer and there should be an update.
Now there are reports coming out of the Netherlands that K-1 has been offering a "deal" that reads a lot like a settlement to fighters who would like to participate in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16. The deal is for fighters to sign a contract by tomorrow, and that the contract waives a certain degree of K-1 and FEG's liability to fighters for past financial obligations. Signing this contract being offered by FEG assures the fighters a spot in the Final 16, but waives the fighter's right to half of the money that FEG owes the fighters, which in some cases will be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Only if those contracts are signed with FEG pay fighters any of the money that they owe, which begs the question of what happens to fighters like Ray Sefo and Alistair Overeem who are not looking to participate in the World Grand Prix this year but are owed a lot of money?
Read More...
Posted in: fighter, money, feg, contract, simon rutz
Read the full article at Middle EasyDebate Continues Over Frankie Edgar's Place in Pound-For-Pound Rankings
Frankie Edgar's stunning and brilliant UFC 136 victory over Gray Maynard cemented Edgar's on any sensible fan's pound-for-pound rankins. It's simply a matter of where on your rankings you have him.
Pound-for-pound rankings are extremely subjective and the fact that everyone seems to have their own ideas about what they actually mean makes for a lot of debate. But debate is fun and a good way to spend a Friday afternoon.
With that in mind, Yahoo! Sports has released their newest P4P rankings and, despite Dana White's assertion that Edgar should now be #2, he sits at number four.
Dave Doyle talks about the ranking at Yahoo!:
White went on to argue, with some merit, that Edgar is small by the current standards of the lightweight division and that if you're looking at the phrase "pound-for-pound" in a strict sense, then Edgar's size has to be taken into account.
But the UFC boss' words didn't make an impression with voters in the Yahoo! Sports poll, as for the third straight month, Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre were unanimous choices at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. Edgar, for his part, moved up one spot to No. 4 after his win.
...
That's not to say Edgar can't develop into a top-two fighter. Anyone with the moxie to survive Maynard's brutal first-round assaults in both of this year's bouts and remain champion is clearly a special breed. And if Edgar develops into a long-term champion in what is widely regarded as the company's deepest division, his stock will continue to rise. But as of Oct. 2011, the fighters ahead of him simply have stronger claims to their spots.
This notion that somehow being small for a weight class factors into pound-for-pound seems to have been pulled completely out of nowhere.
The concept was always much more simple when I was younger. It was a measure of overall skill and how that skill translated into success and dominance. Nothing crazy about pretending guys are the same weight and judging them or anything about being small or big for your weight. Simply how good and how successful a fighter was. Sugar Ray Robinson was an inch taller than Mike Tyson and the same height as Rocky Marciano but no one would make the case (or at least they shouldn't) that Tyson or Marciano were better pound-for-pound boxers than Robinson. Marciano also fought guys who were 10-40 pounds bigger his entire carrer, but that doesn't factor into his historical ranking.
But I've clearly fallen into the trap of arguing method for ranking pound-for-pound.
Edgar will have many more chances to make his case for being one of the top fighters in the world over the coming years. Regardless of if it's a bout against Gilbert Melendez (currently clocking in at #8 on the Yahoo rankings) or Dana White's desired path of having Edgar drop to 145 to face #5 Jose Aldo.
Posted in: edgar, pound-for-pound, ranking, frankie edgar, fighter
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowThe Top 10 Fighters To Never Win UFC Gold
Who is the best fighter to never win UFC gold? We've got our top ten - check 'em out and let us know who you would pick!
Posted in: ufc, fighter, check, gold, ufc gold
Read the full article at Heavy MMA5 Reasons to Get Really Pumped Up for UFC 137: St-Pierre vs Condit
By @Greg Riot 1.) Carlos Condit Will More Than Test GSP GSP is praised as being a complete fighter, but everyone will agree, including GSP, that he can’t finish fights. Condit can. He has finished 26 opponents and is also an all around fighter who has 13 wins by KO and 13 wins via submission. [...]
Posted in: fighter, vs, gsp, condit, everyone
Read the full article at Fighthub TVHistory in the Making: Donald Cerrone gets revenge on Jamie Varner in front of a hometown crowd
Those who make their living as mixed martial artists (MMA) are placed in a very unique situation. They are wholly different from the rest of us who are forced to settle our differences and find compromise in a somewhat civilized manner.
If we have a problem with someone else at our workplace, a strongly worded email might be sent or in the most extreme of circumstances, a meeting with a supervisor or another higher up might be in order. The cubicle – unlike the Octagon – has its own sets of rules when dealing with conflict resolution.
But for Donald Cerrone, emails and meetings weren’t needed. They simply didn’t apply. Jabs, body kicks, and guillotine chokes would settle the beef he had with former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) 155-pound champion Jamie Varner.
"Cowboy" steps inside the Octagon in a couple of weeks (Oct. 29) at UFC 137: "St. Pierre vs. Condit" in what will be his sixth – yes, SIXTH – fight in 13 months. While many fighters puff out their chest and make the "anyone, anywhere" claim, Cerrone might be the only one to back it up. Since making the jump from the WEC, the Greg Jackson-trained lightweight has become the quintessential company man.
It just so happens that in this particular company, Cerrone is allowed to punch, kick, and submit anyone he doesn’t get along with.
On October 29, he puts a five-fight win streak on the line against Dennis Siver, a streak that started with Varner at WEC 51. It was on that night that "Cowboy" got his revenge after nearly two years of trash talking between the former champion and challenger.
A closer look, shall we?
Cerrone has quickly gained the reputation as the 155-pounder to call when the UFC needs someone to step up and fight at a moment’s notice after another fighter bows out due to injury. In fact, Siver was expecting to face off against Sam Stout until an injury forced the Canadian off the card.
The former WEC star’s willingness to fight seems like a natural extension of his "good ol’ boy" persona. He just likes to scrap; he likes to mix it up inside the cage. And when that attitude is combined with world-class training like the kind Greg Jackson provides, you’ve got yourself one hell of a fighter.
His only losses have come at the hands of Varner and Ben Henderson which isn’t too shabby considering "Smooth" looks poised to challenge UFC champ Frankie Edgar with a win over Clay Guida next month.
As for Varner, Cerrone was able to get that loss back in convincing fashion in front of a decidedly pro-"Cowboy" crowd in Broomfield, CO. An hour and a half drive from his hometown of Colorado Springs, the audience was ready to see one of their favorite sons exact a measure of revenge against Varner.
In their first fight, an errant knee forced a premature decision in the fifth round. But even if Cerrone had won the final round, he still would have lost the decision. So why the outrage? It was Varner's unwillingness to continue after the illegal strike that drew the ire of fans. It seemed like more of the same from a fighter who -- after previously spitting his mouthpiece out during a bout with Rob McCullough -- already had a reputation for taking shortcuts.
When the time finally came at WEC 51, it seemed "Cowboy" couldn't wait to get his hands on his opponent. Storming out from his corner, Cerrone was eager to mix it up and landed a brutal knee that dazed the former champion. Varner staggered back with the Greg Jackson-product in hot pursuit.
Cerrone threw a flying knee and Varner's mouthpiece once again found its way onto the mat. The air was thick with so much booing that one that could have blamed the audience's anger for the thinner than usual air in Broomfield.
For almost the entirety of the opening round, Cerrone was the aggressor. He stalked his opponent, landing leg kicks almost at will while putting together crisp combinations. A monster of a left hook found its home directly on Varner's skull and dropped the former champ to the mat, much to the delight of the crowd.
The round was feverish, both fighters more than willing to engage punch for punch. While caution wasn't thrown entirely to the wind -- these are professionally trained fighters after all --the two seemed to throw with as much reckless abandon as their ingrained technique would afford them.
The next 10 minutes were an absolute clinic of mixed martial arts as it's intended to be. Cerrone mixed his striking – combinations that cut up Varner’s face and leg kicks that left him limping – with takedowns and always kept his opponent guessing.
When the fight ended, Varner looked to possibly bury the hatchet with his rival and made his way towards Cerrone. He was met with a forearm to the chest as "Cowboy" shoved him off. It seemed Cerrone isn’t all too willing to forgive and forget, even after a 15-minute shellacking.
It was a dominating win for "Cowboy" – 30-27 across all three judges’ scorecards – and one that assuredly felt better than almost any other win prior. Coming off his second loss to Henderson and his third missed opportunity overall at the WEC 155-pound title, Cerrone needed a win to stay relevant in a weight division that was on the brink of being culled by the UFC.
That fact that it came against Varner was just icing on the cake.
Cerrone fought once more for the company, at its final event which was fitting as the promotion and the fighter grew and evolved alongside one another for three years. He made his UFC debut less than two months later – replacing Stout coincidentally enough – and choked out Paul Kelly, bouncing the Briton from the promotion.
When many pundits claimed the best lightweights from the WEC were nothing more than middle of the pack UFC fighters, Cerrone has been doing his best to prove them wrong.
It’s just what he does. He fights.
Posted in: fighter, &rsquo, ndash, varner, cerrone
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUpset Alert: Why Lyoto Machida Will Beat Jon Jones
At this point in his (still young) career it seems crazy to pick against the UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones. He has achieved a level of dominance at 205 pounds that has not been seen since the heydays of former company poster boys Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, and you could make a good argument that Jones has fought better competition than either man. The craziest part of all this is that Jones is only 24 years old and has probably not even achieved the pinnacle of what he can do as an athlete in combat sports.
Even with all that being said, I think Lyoto Machida will beat Jones on December 10 in Toronto.
I may be wrong, as I’ve certainly been wrong about Machida before. Jones has appeared virtually unstoppable since arriving in the UFC, but of course the same was said about Machida during his run up to the title. MMAth certainly doesn’t help me, since Machida lost to Shogun and Jones beat Shogun with ease. Machida’s mystique has already been cracked yet Jones appears to be Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America every time he’s in the cage.
So why do I think “The Dragon” will dethrone “Bones” Jones?
The first reason is a matter of timing. Jones is a warrior and one of the best embodiments of a pure athlete, but he is also human. When Jones meets Machida in the center of the octagon in December it will be his fourth fight in a little over ten months. Add in to that the fact that he’s been training essentially nonstop between those fights and fatigue is a very real possibility.
Let’s not forget that those three fights he’s already had have been against some of the best fighters in the UFC. All three men were top ten fighters when Jones faced them, and you could make the case that the biggest challenge is yet to come. Machida may not be the invincible warrior he was a few years ago but he’s still one of the most unique fighters in the sport of MMA. I know Greg Jackson has a world-class facility in New Mexico but I doubt he has any guys on his team that are masters of Shotokan karate.
If this fight stays on the feet I have to believe that the edge goes to Machida. He’s still extremely hard to hit, although he’s obviously never faced anyone with the reach of Jones. If the two do engage any back-and-forth exchanges it’s probably going to be Jones that takes the most punishment. Let’s also not forget that Jones has yet to show any true knockout power since joining the UFC, and at the same time we don’t know how well his chin will hold up if it’s hit repeatedly over the course of a potential five rounds. If you don’t think Machida can knock Jones out, I’ve got a UFC Hall of Fame member’s tooth that I’d love to sell you.
It’s also important to note that this is Jones’ first time facing a southpaw. Jones is still learning how to be an effective striker, as his genetic gifts have been able to cover up a lot of the holes in his boxing. If there’s a single fighter at light heavyweight who is great at finding those holes and exploiting them, it’s Machida.
The easy solution may be for Jones to turn this into a ground battle, and it’s this area where he will likely win the fight if he is indeed victorious. Jones has some of the best ground and pound of any fighter in the modern era of the sport, and Machida will likely be in trouble if he’s put on his back.
That being said, I’m not sure if Jones can get the fight there. Jones brings those amazing throws and trips that work so well, but Machida’s balance is simply uncanny. He’s got plenty of experience in wrestling and sumo and has proven several times over that his takedown defense is top notch. If Jones decides to clinch with Machida he could be making a big mistake given how well Machida utilized the clinch in his destruction of Thiago Silva.
Again, Jones is a genetic freak so if anybody can put Machida on his back it’s probably the champ. We can’t forget that Machida is a black belt in BJJ even though we rarely see his ground game in effect during his fights. Jones’ reach advantage could work against him should the two fighters spend any real time on the ground, as those long limbs give Machida even more to grab a hold of before attempting any limb-based submissions.
Let’s review. Jones is facing (arguably) the toughest opponent of his career, on shorter notice than usual, at the tail end of a four-fight blitz through the upper levels of the division. Jones will have to figure out how to defeat the fighter that is like no other, who has very real knockout power, and who will probably test his chin like it’s never been tested before. If Jones wants to take Machida down he will likely have a very hard time doing so, and even if he gets the fight there he’s dealing with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
It’s so hard to try and accurately predict what will happen in the cage when these two meet in eight weeks. This is the fight I wanted to see from the moment Jones won the strap, and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds. Seeing as we’re still two months out I reserve the right to change my mind, but for now I like Machida’s chances to hand Jones the first legitimate loss on the young champion’s record.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fight, jone, fighter, machida
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainTwitter Mailbag: Jon Jones' Next Challenge, Hall of Fame Issues, and More
Filed under: UFCIt's time again to sort through the old Twitter mailbag, pausing every so often to separate out hate mail and letters to Santa, then dig right in to all those thoughtful questions of yours.
In this edition, we examine rankings, Hall of Fame status, and what the weight classes of the future could look like. And don't worry, we also find time to talk TRT and suggestions for getting your significant other to watch MMA with you. If you want to ask your own question or just look at cell phone pictures of my dog, find me on Twitter @BenFowlkesMMA.
@mma_fan1 twitter mailbag: who do you think poses more of a threat to Jones, Machida or Evans?
They're two very different threats, obviously, but I think Evans has the potential to be more problematic. Machida's style, while it can be confusing and frustrating for a lot of fighters, doesn't seem like it will be quite as effective against a guy with Jones' reach and quickness. Evans' wrestling ability gives him a better chance to nullify Jones' length, plus he's sparred with the guy and knows at least a little something about what it's like to mix it up with him. Then again, Evans has been known to get a little too emotionally jacked up in fights, and it's hard to imagine any fight being more emotional for either of them than a final Jones-Evans showdown.
Mostly though, I think that fight has to happen so we can stop talking about it (and so the UFC can stop shoving Evans in the cage after every fight Jones wins). The Machida bout feels more like a placeholder than a legitimate title fight to me, but that also has something to do with the fact that Machida is 1-2 in his last three fights. Call me crazy, but don't most guys have to do a little better than that to get a title shot? I guess not if they have the sense to wait around and let the other fighters hurt themselves. Another brilliant tactical move by that elusive Machida.
@TheMayoGuard how far away is nate diaz from a lightweight shot considering all the guys that are top 5 he beat or wrecked
I realize rankings are a funny thing, and your top five might not be the same as mine, but I really can't name too many top lightweights who have been beaten and/or wrecked by Diaz. He submitted Guillard a couple years ago, sure. And yes, Takanori Gomi did seem thoroughly wrecked after his loss to Diaz at UFC 135. Then again, Guillard wasn't top five when Diaz beat him and neither was Gomi. Other top lightweights like Gray Maynard and Clay Guida both own narrow decision victories over Diaz, so I'm not sure where that puts him. If the 155-pound division wasn't so stacked, two or three wins would probably be enough to earn him a shot. But with the way it's looking now, he's going to have to stack up the victories and wait his turn.
@keenanpress Time yet for a cruiserweight division in the UFC, especially if you tack on the strikeforce heavyweights?
You know what the best argument against adding a cruiserweight division is? Well, probably the proliferation of the lighter weight classes, which already strain the average fan's ability to keep them all straight. But you know what the second best argument against the cruiserweight division is? Cain Velasquez.
The current UFC heavyweight champ falls in the 240-pound range, and he doesn't seem to have too much trouble against the big boys. If you established a cruiserweight class at 230 or 235 pounds, Velasquez could easily cut down and fight there too, and what would be the point of that?
As for the Strikeforce heavies, I say bring them on. The UFC could certainly use guys like Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett right about now, and it wouldn't need to create a new weight class just to make room for them.
@dannyrube If GSP beats Condit & Nick Diaz beats Penn, does Dana White take the risk of making GSP/Diaz again? If so, does it headline?
This is exactly the thought process White should have gone through back when he decided on how he was going to shuffle things around in the first place. And who knows? Maybe he did. Maybe he realized right away that he was putting himself in a position to quite possibly end up with the exact same fight he'd started with, but he figured that by then maybe Diaz would have learned his lesson about the importance of press conferences.
But yes, if GSP and Diaz both win, then the UFC pretty much has to match them up again. It's still the fight that fans want to see at welterweight, and it will only gain momentum if they both win and look good at UFC 137. That's the good news. The bad news is, what happens if GSP and Penn both win? Then White will really wish he'd thought it through a little more carefully.
@MaxWdeVries if Chael does beat Silva, what is left for him to say?
Probably something along the lines of how he's the best there is, best there was, and best there ever will be. And this time people might actually believe it.
@jclamarca Since the series is 1-1-1, is it a bit premature to say Maynard/Edgar is over? What about a 4th fight 'rubber' match?
Have you lost your mind? They finally settled that issue, allowing the UFC's most talent-rich division to move on for the first time in nearly a year, and you want to see it again?! Why...that's just...gah! Where are my pills?
@BigNate870 what will become of MMA if TRT isn't prohibited?
Not much. Just testosterone being wildly and flagrantly abused as a performance-enhancing substance among fighters. Oh, I'm sorry. You wanted to know what will happen, not what is already happening due to hazy athletic commission standards and a hands-off approach by the UFC.
As it stands right now, there are an awful lot of 20 and early 30-something professional fighters out there who bizarrely have low testosterone levels. So they go get a doctor's note, take it to the relevant athletic commission (many of whom hide behind medical privacy laws when asked about it), and then they've got the green light to artificially increase their levels of a powerful hormone. Sure, they have to stay within a certain range (or at least test within it), but that's not so difficult if you know what you're doing. And maybe it means they fight with something close to normal levels in their system, but it also means they got a little artificial help throughout their training camp. Is that fair?
Personally, I think you ought to fight with the hormone levels you have and not the hormone levels you want. I don't care if your levels are low because you abused steroids or if it's just a consequence of aging. If we don't allow steroids, even for fighters who are getting older and weaker, why do we allow testosterone for anyone who can produce a doctor's note? Maybe because no one -- not athletic commissions and not the UFC -- wants to be the first to put their foot down.
@AiricReed Is there anybody tougher to get more then one word answers from then Grey Maynard in MMA?
Yes.
KevinMarshall How does the sharp increase in UFC events impact journalists (esp freelancers)? More events means more coverage. Are media outlets prepared to invest more time, space and money into it?
It's a double-edged sword. As long as there are events almost every weekend, there's no shortage of things to write about. When there's a lull, well, then you have to do stuff like mailbag columns just to create content.
I'm more curious how it impacts the ability of fans to follow the sport. I get paid to either attend these events live or else stay home on a Saturday night and work from my couch. Either way, I've got nothing to complain about. But the average fan might not want to invest all that money and prime social time (more on that here). If the UFC isn't happy with trends in pay-per-view sales, it might want to look at its own frantic calendar. Every market has a saturation point, and the UFC may have found it.
@jmhawkins You wrote last week that you watched UFC 125 with your wife. How'd you do it? I can't even get my wife to watch Sexyama fight.
Maybe the problem is your approach. Instead of trying to convince her to watch some people she doesn't care about bash one another's faces in, try instead to get her to watch something like The Smashing Machine -- the 2002 documentary about Mark Kerr. It's a well made film, but more importantly it's a film about the personal side of this sport, which can be hard to appreciate for some people if all they see at first is blood and mohawks. Kerr's story of struggling with addiction in an unforgiving world worked to get my wife hooked on the sport. Then again, she's been known to watch almost any documentary, so maybe that helped.
@JulianPaz7 Do u think everybody is sleeping on Jorge Masvidal, I mean this should be a great fight between him n gil.
People are absolutely sleeping on Masvidal, just like they slept on him against K.J. Noons. When he brings his best stuff, he's a nightmare for just about anybody. And you're right, it will be a tough fight. But, even fully awake and with my eyes wide open to Masvidal's ability, I still give the slight edge to Gilbert Melendez. He just can't approach it like it's his last day of work before getting promoted to the UFC.
@SlyBoston Ben Saunder's guard looked unstoppable Sat. Do you see a time where a deadly guard like that will nullify the elite wrestler?
First of all, it's a pet peeve of mine when people refer to various aspects of a fighter's game as 'deadly.' Maybe it's because, due to the nature of fighting, it actually could be deadly. I realize that's not the way it's intended, which somehow seems worse to me. It's not quite figurative, and yet not meant literally. And yeah, I realize I'm overthinking this. But if you're ever watching fights with me and you notice me cringing when Mike Goldberg refers to someone as a "lethal striker," at least you'll know why.
But back to your question. The use of the guard in MMA has changed tremendously over the last fifteen years or so, and I don't see why that won't continue, albeit at a slower pace. For a while it was a great offensive weapon, then the magic began to wear off as submission defense improved across the board.
No matter how good your guard is though, it's dangerous to rely on it too much. Judges still see the fighter on top as the fighter who's winning, even if you're trying every submission and sweep you can think of from your back. All an elite wrestler has to do is score one takedown after another, stay out of trouble as time ticks down, and let his opponent on bottom take all the risks. It's a good way to win decisions, even if it's fatal for his popularity. Ah, see? Now you've got me doing it.
@TheHarrison101 The Flyweights are rumored to be on the way. With the 135/145 divisions still developing, could they be lost in the shuffle?
Not if the UFC debuts the 125-pound division with a Grand Prix tournament to determine its first champion. Who wouldn't love to see that? It'd be like that tournament at the end of The Karate Kid, only the fighters are half the size and sporting slightly fewer '80s haircuts.
@michaelbond89 will Kenny Florian be in the UFC hall of fame one day for his long lasting impact to help the sport grow??
Maybe the better question is, how much does it matter whether the UFC puts him in its Hall of Fame? As of right now, those decisions are made by the UFC and the UFC alone. Florian's been a real company man over the years, so maybe he gets in based more on that than on his fighting ability. Or maybe he does something to upset the UFC brass and he never even gets close, whether he deserves such an honor or not.
See what I'm getting at? MMA needs its own independent Hall of Fame, where induction is a more transparent process. The UFC can still have its own version and it can still put whoever it wants in there, but the sport as a whole needs to have a way of honoring the greats that isn't dependent on company politics. As long as being disliked by Dana White is enough to keep a fighter out, no matter what the fans and his peers think of him, it will never be a true Hall of Fame that's really worth caring about. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, time, fighter
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseThe Ultimate Fighter 14 Ep. 4: 1.5 million
MMA Junkie reports that The Ultimate Fighter 14 episode 4 received an average of 1.5 milllion viewers. Episode 4 shows a small bounce back from the season’s low of 1.3 million.
Episode 1: 1.5 million
Episode 2: 1.6 million
Episode 3: 1.3 million
Episode 4: 1.5 million
Payout Perspective:
The episode featured two fights instead of the normal run-up to one. There does seem to be more fire by Bisping and Miller to coach up their fighters than other coaches in past seasons. But, I’m not sure how much will drum up more viewers. This week’s rating saw a small increase from Episode 3 despite going up against MLB baseball.
Posted in: fighter, i ’m, episode, season ’s, mlb baseball
Read the full article at MMA PayoutM-1 Challenge 27: All fighters make weight
All fighters for tonight’s M-1 Challenge 27 event made weight successfully at the official weigh ins, which took place at the Grand Canyon University...
Posted in: fighter, challenge, weight, &rsquo m, canyon university
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyUltimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings up slightly for episode four, average 1.5 million viewers
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 ratings are in for episode four of the Spike TV reality show.
According to numbers released by the cable television network earlier today, the latest episode garnered a 1.49 rating in males 18-49 and a 1.71 in males 18-34 for an average audience of 1.5 million viewers, up slightly from the previous week's 1.3 million.
Here's a look at how the TUF 14 numbers stack up to date:
Episode one: 1.5 million Episode two: 1.6 million Episode three: 1.3 millionEpisode four: 1.5 million
Four episodes down, eight to go.
TUF 14 episode four featured the usual reality show shenanigans including failed pranks, locker room drama and a British guy screaming "GET THE F' UP." Aside from that, Dustin Pague and Dennis Bermudez won their elimination fights and move on to the next round.
For a detailed recap of The Ultimate Fighter 14 episode four click here.
Posted in: fighter, tuf, episode, elimination fights, dennis bermudez
Read the full article at MMA ManiaTUF 14 TV Ratings Leveling Off in Week 4
As the fourteenth installment of The Ultimate Fighter enters into the meat of the season, the show’s TV ratings seem to be finding level ground.
Posted in: fighter, week, rating, tv, level ground
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyFormer K-1 fighter Hong Man Choi booked for assaulting a woman in Korea
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
Former K-1 and DREAM fighter Hong Man Choi (Choi Hong-Man in Korea) has apparently found himself in some legal trouble this week after a report came out that he purportedly assaulted her in his bar on October 8th while arguing over a bill. The woman claims that Choi had overcharged her and began to argue with Choi over the sum on the bill, which then escalated into a heated argument and ended with Choi punching her in the head. She waited until the next day and posted the complaint against Choi on an internet police portal.
Police have questioned Choi, who admitted that there was an argument with the female customer. The customer then began hurling insults at the former K-1 fighter before he claimed he could not take the abuse anymore and that he "pushed her just a little bit."
Read More...
Posted in: fighter, korea, choi, woman claims, choi hong-man
Read the full article at Middle EasyDennis Bermudez blog for 'The Ultimate Fighter 14,' episodes No. 3-4
"The Ultimate Fighter 14" cast member Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez, who blogs about
this season of the reality show exclusively for MMAjunkie.com, has
penned his lates weekly column.
The featherweight prospect and Team Miller fighter writes new blog entries each Thursday.
Check out today's entry as Bermudez recounts his fight with Stephen Bass, his teammate Dustin Pague's victory over Louis Gaudinot and the state of both teams with Team Miller winning the first four fights of the "TUF 14" season.
Posted in: fighter, team, reality show, blog, bermudez
Read the full article at MMA JunkieZach Makovksy - People Would Know Who I Am If I Fought In The WEC
Zach Makovsky is one of the top bantamweight fighters in the world, yet to most fans he's completely unknown. This is because he's not fighting in the UFC and never spent time in the WEC. Instead, Makovsky cut his teeth in the Bellator bantamweight tournament. I had a chance to speak with Makovsky about being a Bellator fighter and if he ever feels slighted because he hasn't spent time in a Zuffa run organization. He also gave me his thoughts on the current bantamweight field and who really impressed him in the first round of the tournament. He's an exciting fighter and a name that people should definitely become familiar with as he possesses the skill set to be a force in the division for years to come.
Recently there have been a string of Bellator fighters that have been outspoke on the amount of press coverage their fights received compared to the UFC. Bellator heavyweight Neil Grove went as far as publicly tweeting about Bloody Elbow's coverage of his promotion. I asked Makovsky if this was a common feeling on the Bellator roster, the "Us Vs. Them" attitude. He was pretty straight forward in his response saying, "I don't know. I try not to get caught up in any of that. It kind of is what it is. The UFC is by far the biggest name in the game. I would think to most casual fans, they don't know the sport is called Mixed Martial Arts. To them, the sport is Ultimate Fighting. It's frustrating from that kind of stand point. But at the same time you appreciate what the UFC is doing and they're obviously doing good things for their business."
He added, regarding the UFC's policy of treating fighters outside the organization as ones not to regard, "At times it takes away from other organizations, we also wouldn't be in the spot we're in now without what they've done for Mixed Martial Arts. I don't know what to say, they have the majority of the best fighters in the world and I don't think anybody argues that. But just because they have that doesn't mean there's not anyone else outside of the UFC, which I think they tend to neglect. They have the majority of the best fighters so I understand why they don't give us coverage."
Unlike many American bantamweights, Makovsky never fought in the WEC. Compared to his contemporaries, he's a relative unknown to most fight fans and because he doesn't have a WEC fight on his record, he's not regarded as a top fighter. He was honest about this, telling me, "I think it's just a matter of exposure, you know? Before I got into the Bellator tournament, I hadn't really fought on any big stages. I was never in a televised bout. I fought in EliteXC on the undercard and I fought over in Tokyo in DEEP, but I was never exposed to a large population of fans until I was on TV. And even now, it's still a much smaller amount of people than what the UFC would have on Spike or pay per view, but it's slowly growing and slowly getting more exposure and I thank Bellator for that opportunity."
"I mean, of course if I fought in the WEC earlier I would have had that exposure so people would know me better but I kind of really started building my name in Bellator. I kind of was under the radar until I got in the tournament and ended up winning it. There's not much else I could have done otherwise. I don't think the WEC would have had me in there before I created a name in Bellator which is a good thing about Bellator. They give you the opportunity to get into a tournament where you're not being matched up with a certain fighter here or there. You're in a tournament and you have a chance to win it, it's kind of cool that way."
He also spoke about the current field of bantamweight compettitors and who impressed him the most out of the semi-finalists in this year's bantamweight tournament. "There was a lot that went on there. Some I expected and a couple things I didn't. I thought Galvao and Beebe would be a close fight like it was. I thought it would be a split decision for one of them. Galvao came out on top. Ed West looked pretty good and did what he does well. He's a tall guy for that weight and used his height and high volume of kicks to control the stand up which I thought he would do and he did it well. I was impressed with Dantes really. For how young he is, he's really composed. He doesn't do anything really fancy, he does a lot of basic stuff but it's all sharp. He has a good ground game and a good striking game."
"And obviously Villa knocking out Warren, I think Warren kind of came in with a strategy where he wanted to strike with Villa. Villa's clearly got some power in his hands and when he plants and throws, you don't want to get hit by that. Joe got caught doing what he's done in the past with the reaching with his hands away from his head and not protecting himself and got caught with that big punch. He should have tried to wear him down or push him against the cage and wear him out a little bit before trying to really strike with him. I think I match up pretty well with them, Villa would probably be an interesting fight for me. I'm really interested to fight other wrestlers because I come from that background. So for someone on paper who is a much better wrestler than me, an Olympic bronze medalist, it would be a real test for me to see how well rounded I've become and a good way to challenge myself."
Makovsky fights this weekend in Atlantic City at Bellator 54 in a non-title fight against Ryan Roberts. The card also features the Middleweight Tournament semi-finals.
Posted in: ufc, fight, bellator, fighter, tournament
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowPhoenix MMA fans invited to today's M-1 Challenge 27 weigh-ins
Fans are invited today's "M-1 Challenge 27: Magalhaes vs. Zayats" official fighter weigh-ins.
The ceremony takes place at Metro Sportz Bar in Phoenix. The nearby
Grand Canyon University Arena hosts the following night's
Showtime-broadcast card.
The first fighter is scheduled to hit the scales at 8:30 p.m. ET (6:30
p.m. MT local time). All 14 fighters will also be available for
autographs and pictures following the weigh-ins.
Posted in: fighter, today, weigh-in, phoenix, showtime-broadcast card
Read the full article at MMA JunkieBrunt on UFC: Clearing a path
Jon Jones could be the one UFC fighter who really brings MMA to the forefront of the pro sports landscape.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, jon jones, ufc fighter, sports landscape
Read the full article at sportsnet.caTJ Dillashaw’s Ultimate Fighter Blog: Episode 4
Our TUF 14 blogger is back to share his thoughts on last night's two fights and how frustrating knowing he might not get to control who he fights.
Posted in: fight, night, fighter, fighter blog, dillashaw
Read the full article at Heavy MMAWhite: GSP is MMA pay-per-view king
Dana White says the Montreal fighter is the biggest MMA pay-per-view draw on the planet.
Posted in: mma, fighter, gsp, king, montreal fighter
Read the full article at sportsnet.caTank Abbott vs. Scott Ferrozzo II will go down with rules that resemble a classic ‘deathmatch’
Since we're out of a major MMA event for the next two weeks and Bellator's PR department intentionally makes it difficult for anyone in the media to get in touch with their fighters, we have to fill in MiddleEasy with exclusive content or fights on smaller promotions that you may mildly be interested in. Later today, LayzieTheSavage is going to spend some time with Dan Hardy, so that essentially takes care of our exclusive content. As far as bouts that will go down in the immediate future, get ready for Tank Abbott vs. Scott Ferrozzo II going down October 30th in Dayton, Ohio at the Dixie Cowgirls Night Club.
The venue is an old strip club and the 'dance stage' will be converted to a cage. The fight will use UFC 1 rules which essentially means the two fighters can headstomp, eye gauge, knee to the back of the spine -- pretty much all of those rules that were placed to prevent a fighter from being fatally injured in front of a live audience have been removed. According to Joe Show Radio, the fight will only be stopped if one fighter is about to die.
The venue has been selected, money is in escrow and the entire event will apparently be streamed live. Basically what we're trying to say is the match is the closest thing the world has to Supremacy MMA, which is available worldwide right now -- so pick it up. [Source]
Posted in: fight, fighter, rule, in dayton, pr department
Read the full article at Middle EasyFlint MMA "Riot" Not the Real Reason Regulation is Needed for Michigan Amateur Events
Last Saturday, an amateur MMA event in Flint, Michigan saw a "riot" break out as people from the audience stormed the cage and punches were thrown. It's just the latest in a string of dangerous situations taking place at amateur events in the state.
Here's the video:
As a Michigan resident, this is something I care about deeply.
Promoters will kick and scream when the idea of regulating amateur MMA in the state is brought up. Often they cite that the lack of ease with which to put on a show will lead to fighters being forced to either drive out of state or turn professional too early because no one is presenting amateur bouts under increased regulation.
But there are ways to regulate and license events in ways that simply ensure promoters operate their shows safely in accordance within the established guidelines. If a promoter meets the fighter safety requirements, has proper security and has proper medical staff ringside, then they can operate with a state issued license. If they fail to operate safely, they lose their license and their right to promote events.
The funny thing is, Greg Ahrens was involved with putting on the show that saw the riot take place. Ahrens has been one of the leading voices in Michigan pushing for amateur regulation. An article on MLive.com about the situation quoted him:
"I thought about putting out a press release saying someone died at one of my shows, but we weren't sure who it was," Greg Ahrens said. "So, when the state showed up, I would say ‘Yeah, the guy died, but since you don't require us to keep any paperwork, we don't know who it was, and his guys just hauled him out of there.'
"Think that would get some politicians' attention?"
...
"Young people are going to be put at risk," without regulation, Ahrens said. "And it becomes a matter of not if, but when, somebody will get killed."
I've never attended one of Ahren's shows so I can't comment too much on how they are run, but I've heard decent things. And there is a possibility of a brawl like we saw in the video happening at any event really.
But it is a moment like this that can provide the motivation to get things moving in the right direction to handle the issues present throughout all these promotions.
I've been to local amateur events where I've seen:
Fighters showing up to the "arena" with their fists already taped. What is to prevent someone from loading their wraps for a little advantage?
The only medical staff present being a man described as a local "diet doctor."
Teenagers who brag about not really training anywhere being given fights against experienced fighters out of legitimate camps.
Events run by local gyms where they intentionally book mismatches that favor their fighters so that the event works as an advertisement for their gym.
I've seen those same promoters who are also local gym owners stand fights up when a fighter they train has been mounted and is getting pounded on. I asked one such promoter to explain the stand-up and she explained that the fighter on bottom's mouthpiece was about to come out.
I've seen a "security team" which consisted of whichever fighters weren't in the bout taking place at the time.
There are some local promotions which basically book their fight cards based on requests for fights on their facebook page. Throwing together thirty fight cards with little idea of the quality of the fighters involved.
My former trainer has a professional record, having fought at least three fighters who spent time in the UFC, yet I've seen him compete with some regularity on local amateur shows. Just more of the danger in careless matchmaking.
These are the kinds of issues that really demand oversight in amateur MMA. It's easy to get up in arms over a brawl with the crowd jumping over the cage. Everyone can see that and it causes an easy emotional reaction. But it's the stuff that doesn't get talked about that happens every week in the state that is the concern.
Plenty of these events are safe, but enough of them aren't that it's simply worth the extra cost to ensure the long term viability of the sport. A few deaths at poorly run amateur events and we'll find ammy event made illegal altogether.
Posted in: fight, fighter, event, state, amateur
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter 14: Episode four recap and discussion for 'Bisping vs Miller'
Episode four of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 "Get the F' up" gets underway later tonight (Oct. 12, 2011) at 10 p.m. ET on Spike TV featuring middleweight coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller leading a group of bantamweight and featherweight fighters in their quest for a "six-figure contract."
Tonight, John Dodson gets called out for being a mole, a fighter complains that Coach Bisping was "too hard on him," and two fights go off in one episode!
145 lbs.: Team Miller's Dennis Bermudez (7-2) vs. Team Bisping's Stephen Bass (10-0)135 lbs.: Team MIller's Dustin Pague (10-4) vs. Team Bisping's Louis Gaudinot (5-1)
Be sure to stay tuned immediately following the show for our complete recap. In the meantime, go ahead and sound off in the comments section on all things TUF!
Also you can get up to speed on all the shenanigans from last week's episode -- and there are aplenty -- by clicking here.
Posted in: fighter, miller, episode, bisping, team bisping
Read the full article at MMA ManiaGrappling with Issues – 10/12/11
Was Frankie Edgar‘s win over Gray Maynard at UFC 136 the best performance by a UFC champion so far this year? Do Chael Sonnen‘s antics rub you the wrong way? Will Rashad Evans get his elusive title-shot in 2012? What’s next for Kenny Florian?
Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!
Welcome to Grappling with Issues, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from myself and resident workhorse Jeremy Lambert whose general contributions and “Scorecard” event-breakdowns can be regularly found on Five Ounces. As always, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t hesitate to offer your own take on the topics in the “Comments” section below.
Who do you have advancing this weekend in Bellator’s ongoing middleweight tournament?
Lambert: Bryan Baker and Brian Rogers. I think Baker has a very favorable match up against Vitor Vianna, who wasn’t all that impressive in his first round victory. Baker on the other hand was very impressive against Jared Hess, who is a tough guy Baker not only beat, but finished in the third round. The Rogers vs. Alexander Shlemenko fight is very intriguing. Rogers is a heavy hitter with explosive power while Shlemenko is more of a technical fighter known for his spinning strikes. I favor Rogers though just because of his power and Shlemenko is a very hittable fighter who leaves himself open with all his spinning attacks.
Conlan: I also have Baker going to the final, as I think he’s more polished than Vianna and has proven himself against better competition. However, I’d put my money on Shlemenko when it comes to filling the other slot. Rogers might have power but Shlemenko can take a punch as evident by the fact he’s only been stopped via strikes a single time in his 48-fight career. Whether or not the same is true in the case of Rogers remains to be seen and I’m pretty sure his chin will be put to the test by the 27-year old Russian who has 3X as many TKOs in his career as “The Predator”. Even if he can’t land a solid punch and put Rogers away I think his overall technique is good enough to pull out a decision and set up a rematch of the Season 2 Middleweight Tournament final (which he won by finishing Baker off with strikes less than three minutes into the opening round).
Fill in the Blank: Chael Sonnen’s professional wrestling schtick is _____.
Lambert: Overrated. He’s a great talker and has great delivery, but it’s not like he’s the greatest promo in the history of MMA like so many want to claim. Brock Lesnar‘s promo at UFC 100 was much better than most of the things Sonnen has said, mainly because what Lesnar said was real. We all know what Sonnen is doing is a schtick and it’s refreshing in the world of MMA when most fighters come off generic and boring, but the fact that what he’s doing isn’t exactly ground breaking and that what he says in his promos are a bunch of lies doesn’t make him the greatest promo-artist of all time.
Conlan: A sign of things to come. It’s only a matter of time before other fighters start catching on to the benefit of playing a character in front of cameras rather than responding to questions with the same cookie-cutter answers the public has heard a hundred times. Sonnen is not the first Mixed Martial Artist to market himself through soundbytes in hopes of becoming a bigger draw than he would by resting on the laurels of a mediocre record in the ring. However, he’s done it better than most as of late, and to be able to garner so much attention through ridiculous statements without any foundation in reality will absolutely inspire more fighters to behave in the same silly way.
And sorry Lambert, but Lesnar would be the first to tell you he was playing up a caricature of his true personality after his rematch with Mir. In fact, from the man himself – “People spend money and want to be entertained. If you don’t feel from UFC 100 that you got your money’s worth, you’re probably not gonna tune into something (with me). It’s good entertainment.”
What will Kenny Florian’s next move be?
Lambert: Back to lightweight. I don’t really know why he left in the first place, aside from the fact that he failed on two title shots, but he was a very good lightweight fighter. He beat top fighters and he only lost to top fighters. I think the weight cut is a little too draining for Florian and Frankie Edgar has proven that you can get by being a small lightweight as long as you have the tools to do so. Florian is a very good fighter, he has his flaws, but he’s a hard worker and has talent.
Conlan: Going back up a division works for me. He’s a little old to be cutting significant weight as is and, like Jeremy said, he had solid success before dropping down to 145 pounds. Florian’s only losses at lightweight were to B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard, yet he had wins over a number of reputable opponents like Roger Huerta, Joe Lauzon, and current contender Clay Guida. He needs to accept he’s not going to win a UFC title and take a few more big fights to cement his legacy in the UFC – three more and he’ll have 20 total bouts inside the Octagon – before trading in his gloves for an analyst’s microphone.
Does Ryan Jimmo deserve at least one fight in the UFC?
Conlan: Absolutely. Though watching his fight last weekend against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou may have felt at times like doing laps in a pool filled with chloroform, and he appeared to have earned little more than a “hometown” decision, Jimmo has still won sixteen straight fights including a handful over guys with UFC credentials. He’s a significant draw in Canada and would be perfectly suited for a show like UFC 140. In the best case scenario his name sells a few extra tickets, he wins, and the UFC has a new competitor at light heavyweight with an amazing run behind him for marketing purposes; in the worst his name sells a few extra tickets, he loses, and the MFC’s biggest star goes back to the promotion with his streak broken. Either way the UFC benefits in the short and long term.
And let’s not act like his decisions matter THAT much. He’s stopped as many adversaries as outpointed, a stat a number of UFC fighters can’t lay claim to.
Lambert: Give him the Antonio McKee treatment. McKee has an extremely long winning streak filled with lackluster performances, got one chance in the UFC, lost, and was cut. Jimmo is a lot like McKee. He’s beating less than stellar competition, not putting on exciting performances, but he’s winning. As Bren said, you could give him a fight in Canada against a guy like Luiz Cane, see what he’s really made of, and go from there. If he wins, then great. If he loses, then it’ll just prove that he’s not ready for the UFC and needs to spend more time in MFC or elsewhere.
That said, I’m not sure I’d bring him in after his performance against Sokoudjou. At least McKee was coming off a finishing performance against a solid Luciano Azevedo. Jimmo’s performance against a mediocre Sokoudjou did not help his UFC chances and could have actually hurt him.
Will Rashad Evans fight for the light heavyweight title in 2012?
Conlan: I’m pretty sure Jeremy will go opposite from me here no matter what I say since a solid case can be made for both sides. Regardless, I’m going with “yes”.
Health withstanding, Evans will fight three times in 2012. With Mauricio Rua, Dan Henderson, and Lyoto Machida already tied up the only options out there right now are Phil Davis and a rematch with Quinton Jackson. I’m fairly certain he’ll beat either of them as long as he’s in the same shape he was at UFC 133. That victory alone should cement him a title-shot and buy him a little more time on the sidelines if necessary (which he can’t afford right now after sitting on the sidelines earlier this year while waiting for a crack at the championship).
Even if he somehow loses, as long as he’s competitive, Evans could easily be back in the picture for an opportunity at winning gold by year’s end with success in a follow-up fight. It worked for Machida so why wouldn’t the same apply to a guy who was closer to contendership than “The Dragon” was when handed the UFC 140 bout with Jon Jones?
Lambert: I’m going to go the other way, just for fun.
I’m pretty convinced that the MMA Gods, like most MMA fans, don’t like Evans. His fight against Jackson got pushed back, he won that fight but didn’t get a title shot because he chose to sit out. While sitting out, he got injured and his title shot went to Jones. He was supposed to fight Jones, but Jones “faked an injury” and fought Jackson while Evans beat Ortiz. In beating Ortiz, Evans got injured and his title shot was handed to Machida. This guy was supposed to fight for the title in late 2010, possibly earlier if the Jackson fight happened in December 2009 like originally planned, and still hasn’t received his title shot.
I just think he’s cursed. Remember when Karo Parisyan had the chance to fight for the title against Matt Hughes, got injured, and never sniffed a title shot after that? I feel like the same thing could happen to Evans. The 205 division is very competitive at the top and it only takes one bad night for Evans to be put on the back burner.
Was Frankie Edgar’s UFC 136 performance the best championship performance of the year?
Conlan: I suppose it depends on one’s definition of “performance”. If the question is a matter of the bout’s entertainment value then I would say absolutely. He finished his rivalry with Maynard off in style after nearly seeing it slip away early. If it’s relating to a champion’s actual outing then I’d say it’s not even close since, after all, Edgar did get rocked in the first round and was close to being finished. When compared to Jones’ dominance against Silva or “Rampage”, or Anderson Silva’s mastery against Yushin Okami and Vitor Belfort, “The Answer” getting pummeled doesn’t measure up on that front.
Best or not, one thing I will say is that Edgar did a helluva job in Houston and I won’t ever doubt his ability to win again…until he fights Gilbert Melendez, that is.
Lambert: I know this is an overreaction on my part and concede that both of Silva’s performances were better, because he made it look so easy against really good fighters, but I’m siding with Edgar here.
When I think of a champion, I think of a guy who never quits and who has a ton of heart. That’s Edgar. He not only got blasted in the first round, but he survived, made adjustments between rounds, and came back to finish Maynard to leave it out of the hands of the judges. Making it look as easy as Jones, Silva, and Georges St. Pierre made it look in their title fights this year is a very tough task, but a true champion shows his colors when his back is against the wall. Edgar’s back was not only against the wall, he was getting punched in the face as well. Instead of dropping down and covering up though, Edgar pushed back, and showed why he’s a champion.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: ufc, fight, title, fighter, performance
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainKenFlo's Decision
Like all of you, I don’t know whether Kenny Florian will retire in the near future. But despite not being able to read his mind, there seems to be little left to prove for the 35-year-old southpaw. To fight fans. Or himself. If Saturday’s night’s setback to Jose Aldo was indeed the curtain call on Florian’s storied 8-year career, some will best remember the lanky Bostonian as the only man in UFC history to thrice compete for a world title belt, only to come away empty-handed each time. Others will appreciate him for being the only UFC fighter to compete in four different weight classes (astonishing, when you think about it). I, on the other hand, will foremost remember Kenny Florian as a fighter who literally squeezed every ounce of potential that he could out of his mind, body and soul toward a goal that most wouldn’t come close to reaching. In my mind, this is one of the highest compliments that I can give a person. And I can make that statement about relatively few professional fighters (though I could provide a lengthy list of more physically gifted fighters who underachieved throughout their careers and never came close to fulfilling their peak potential). When a fighter goes 0-3 in championship contests, as KenFlo did, it’s easy to point the finger at him and yell, “He choked!!” It’s the classic label, the knee-jerk reaction. Let me go on record as saying I don’t believe for a second that Kenny Florian CHOKED in any of his title fights. In fact, I believe Kenny Florian is rock solid mentally. To my point: lightweight kingpin Sean Sherk sported a 33-2-1 record back when he relied upon takedowns and superior wrestling en route to a unanimous decision victory over Florian back in 2006. Florian had entered the bout with an official 7-2 slate and simply lacked the experience and wrestling pedigree back then to pull the upset. In 2009, a motivated BJ Penn was simply the better man when he faced Florian – and the immensely talented Penn doubly benefited because he could hear many of the instructions being yelled from Florian’s cornermen. And the Aldo loss? Well, for starters, Aldo is 10 years younger than Florian and blessed with all the physical advantages that come with youth. So you can’t condemn Kenny Florian’s effort or psyche in big fights. They’re beyond reproach. But his ceiling just isn’t as high as Aldo’s and that, in my mind, was the difference between who had their hand raised Saturday and who hung their head when the decision was announced. Not determination. Not confidence. Not cage smarts. It’s why every one of us could go to a track, sprint as hard as we can for five years, 365 days a year, read as many books as we can on sprinting, and never come close to beating Usain Bolt in a 100 meter race. Not gonna happen folks. In other words, if you are an average athlete fighting a great athlete, you had best hope that the great athlete doesn’t train as hard as you do, or know as much as you do about technique, or have the same will to win or mental toughness that you do. Because if he does possess those ingredients, the less physically gifted fighter is probably in trouble. But Kenny Florian has earned my respect – and probably the respect of most fans. And there is no question that, at age 35, he could definitely keep competing another few years at a high level and perhaps remain a top 10 featherweight in the process. But one of the fundamental questions facing him is, “Do you want to wait around another two years to try and earn a title shot?” And, if you lose one fight along the way, do you want to wait maybe three more years for a potential title shot? As fast as the sport of MMA is evolving, with young fighters growing in leaps and bounds by the month, what is the likelihood that a 37 or 38-year-old Kenny Florian is excellent enough to beat the world champ in 2013 or 2014? Because, in my mind, by 2013 and 2014, we’re going to see champions with even greater skill sets than we’ve seen to date. We’re going to see Jose Aldo 3.0’s, Georges St-Pierre 3.0’s and Jon Jones 3.0’s. There is so much suffering, and borderline torturous work and deprivation required in the quest for a UFC world championship, and I honestly don’t think that any other sport comes close in what they demand of their athletes. Mind, body and soul. An avalanche of sacrifices. In baseball, a bad day is when you strike out three times in a game. In the fight game, a bad day is when you lose, get your butt kicked and make a visit to the hospital and find out you’re medically suspended for the next two months. MMA is the ultimate sport and anyone who thinks otherwise is ignorant and/or delusional. Kenny Florian, son of a thoracic surgeon, is a very intelligent young man. And he can follow in the footsteps of 40-somethings Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell and George Foreman if he wants to. But there is a key difference. Florian competes at a lighter weight, and in the lighter weights speed is paramount (135 kingpin: Dominick Cruz. 145-pound champ: Jose Aldo. 155 pounds: Frankie Edgar. All blazing quick). And when a fighter starts to age, speed is the first thing to go. Strength stays, cardio might too, but the middle-aged athlete’s reflexes start to slow down – and that is even more dastardly when you’re sharing cage space with speedsters like Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes or a Dominick Cruz. It’s Kenny’s decision, obviously. He could take another fight or two – one of those “fights that interest me” that vets like Couture, Matt Hughes and Matt Serra look for when retirement dialogue starts creeping more and more into their psyche. But that approach gets risky, because, as we know, most top fighters don’t leave the cage under idyllic, fairy-tale endings (Chris Lytle being the exception). Most of the time top fighters leave on their backs, with the ref waking them up. Most of the time accomplished veterans become gatekeepers or steppingstones who help fans delineate between the pretenders and the contenders. It’s an unfortunate fact. Kenny Florian fought competitively Saturday night against a fighter who has looked invincible and hasn’t lost in nearly six years. I personally believe that, if you throw out what a fighter has accomplished in his career, and just look at their recent body of work and rate their skill sets – if you just judge them based on the skill set that they possess today -- I would peg Aldo as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. So Kenny Florian’s performance was impressive, if not victorious. Now the waiting game has begun. We know that Florian is a talented UFC commentator and ESPN MMA analyst and a great ambassador for the sport. So if we have indeed seen the last of Kenny Florian as pro fighter, I hope fans remember him as a ridiculously good fighter and first-rate finisher who gave everything he had in the gym and in the Octagon. It is a quality that is worth admiring. Because you can’t ask anything more of a fighter, or a person, than that.
Posted in: fighter, ’t, florian, kenny, kenny florian
Read the full article at UFCUFC 140 Tickets on Sale Thursday
Toronto, Ontario (CANADA) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® returns to Toronto this December with an epic light heavyweight title fight pitting champion and rising superstar Jon “Bones” Jones against dynamic striker and former titleholder Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. A mere eight months after holding its largest event ever in Toronto, UFC® 140: JONES vs. MACHIDA hits the Air Canada Centre on Saturday, Dec. 10.UFC’s return to Toronto will also feature a rematch between former UFC heavyweight champions Frank Mir and “Minotauro” Nogueira, as well as a highly anticipated light heavyweight collision between former champion Tito Ortiz and “Lil Nog,” Rogerio Nogueira. Plus, Ontario’s own Mark “The Machine” Hominick takes on “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung, in featherweight action, while British Columbia’s Rory MacDonald looks to continue his ascent up the welterweight ranks when he meets Brian Ebersole.“After his performance against Rampage, there’s no doubt that Jon Jones is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport,” UFC President Dana White said. “He’s already beaten Shogun and Rampage this year and now he gets Machida, a former champion. Machida is one of the most elusive and dangerous strikers in the UFC and he’s motivated to get the belt back. We’re giving the fans in Toronto a really great title fight.”Tickets for UFC® 140: JONES vs. MACHIDA, which is presented by TapouT, go on sale on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $700, $500, $350, $225, $175, $125 and $85. Tickets will be available at the Air Canada Centre Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-5000 or online at Ticketmaster.ca. UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. Non-members may join at Ticketmaster on Thursday to take advantage of the pre-sale. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter
subscribers Friday, Oct. 14, starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.UFC® 140: JONES vs. MACHIDA will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, ShawTV, SaskTel,Viewer’s Choice Canada and Canal Indigo for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$54.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.After capturing the UFC light heavyweight crown by stopping Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in March, Jon Jones (fighting out of Endicott, N.Y.) made his first title defense at UFC 135 in Denver by dominating Rampage Jackson to improve to 14-1. The 24-year-old also owns wins over the likes of Stephan Bonnar, Vladimir Matyushenko and Ryan Bader, but knows Machida brings another dimension that he has never faced in the Octagon – one he must prepare intensely for.“I am thrilled to be fighting Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in Toronto, which is just a few hours from my hometown, Endicott, N.Y.,” Jones said. “He is an incredibly skilled fighter and one who poses numerous challenges inside the Octagon. He has only been defeated twice in his career and is coming off a big victory in April. For me, it will be important to just continue to focus on making myself better as a fighter, and keeping the fight at my intensity and aggression levels. It is my goal to become the first UFC fighter to defeat three former champions in one year.”With his unique and unorthodox style, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (fighting out of Belem, Brazil) is one of the most dynamic and technical fighters in mixed martial arts today. The 33-year-old former lightweight champion has defeated the likes of Randy Couture, BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and Stephan Bonnar and looks to end Jones’ reign as 205-pound champion. “I’m really excited to be fighting for the light heavyweight title again,” Machida, owner of a 17-2 record, said. “Jon Jones is a great fighter and a great champion. It’s going to be my experience and technique against his youth and athleticism. It’s going to be a great fight.” In a long-awaited rematch, Frank Mir (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) faces “Minotauro” Nogueira (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a clash of former heavyweight champions. The 32-year-old Mir (15-5) returns to the Octagon® following a unanimous decision victory over Roy Nelson in May. He’ll look to stretch his win streak to three straight when he meets the Brazilian legend. The 35-year-old Nogueira (33-6-1, 1 NC) is coming off a highlight reel knockout of Brendan Schaub in August and looks to avenge his 2008 loss to Mir when the two meet again in Toronto.Meanwhile, Nogueira’s brother Rogerio (also fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) faces off against a candidate for comeback fighter of 2011, Tito Ortiz (fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.). “Lil Nog” and the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” were originally set to meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night in March, but an injury sidelined Ortiz, and Phil Davis fought in his place. Since that time, the 36-year-old Ortiz (17-9-1) has had a resurgence in his storied career, scoring a submission win over Ryan Bader in July and battling with Rashad Evans on short notice in August. Now he meets Rogerio (19-5), a powerful boxer and grappler who owns wins over Alistair Overeem, Dan Henderson and Luiz Cane. Ontario native Mark “The Machine” Hominick (fighting out of Thamesford, Ontario, Canada) returns to Toronto – site of his valiant battle with featherweight champion Jose Aldo – to face sensational UFC contender “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (fighting out of Po-Hang, South Korea). The 29-year-old Canadian striker looks to return to his winning ways, having won five of his last six. He now faces Jung, who became the first fighter to pull off the ‘twister’ submission in the UFC to defeat rival Leonard Garcia at UFC Fight Night in March. Two fighters fresh off wins at UFC 133 in August will now battle each other to see who comes out on top in the jam-packed welterweight division as highly-regarded phenom Rory “Ares” MacDonald (fighting out of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada) meets the always entertaining and unorthodox Brian Ebersole (fighting out of Melbourne, Australia). The third youngest fighter in the UFC at 22 (behind Michael McDonald and Charles Oliveira), MacDonald (12-1) has impressed with wins over Mike Guymon, Nate Diaz and Mike Pyle en route to becoming one of the organization’s hottest contenders. His opponent, “Bad Boy” Ebersole (48-14-1, 1 NC), made quick work of Dennis Hallman in Philadelphia and dispatched of veteran Chris Lytle in Sydney to move to 2-0 in his UFC career.All bouts live and subject to change.
Posted in: ufc, jone, fighter, champion, machida
Read the full article at UFCFormer Fighter Joe Son Accused of Murdering Cell Mate
While awaiting his institutional placement for a felony torture conviction, former mixed martial arts fighter Joe Son is now accused of murdering a cell mate in California.
Posted in: fighter, cell, son, cell mate, mate
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyShah Bobonis – “I Don’t Mean Disrespect Calling Out ATT Fighters”
By DJ Mackie Shah Bobonis (12-6; Bantamweight) is a fighter out of the Freestyle Fighting Academy in Miami that has had a very impressive 2011. He has had four victories this year, and not a single one has made it to the final bell. He has had four bouts, with four stoppages, two of which didn’t [...]
Posted in: fighter, fighters ”., ) i, boboni, shah
Read the full article at Fighthub TVMailbag: Guillard needs to refocus (Yahoo! Sports)
Melvin Guillard would be one of the best fighters in the UFC if he readjusted his attitude.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, melvin guillard, guillard, melvin
Read the full article at Yahoo! SportsUFC Veteran Ben Saunders Paves Path to Success With Bellator
Sports fans can be the most cruel critics when a team or individual isn't performing well. Unforgiving and relentless, droves of fans will take to the streets, the stadiums, the offices, the schools, and the Internet to let everyone who will listen know of their displeasure. As a lifelong Bears and Cubs fan, I've participated in these types of prolonged criticisms, and judging from the Detroit Lions' utter destruction of the pitiful Chicago Bears' offensive line last night -- it's going to continue.
Those same criticisms run rampant in mixed martial arts. Fighters come in through talent acquisition or The Ultimate Fighter reality series and fail in some manner that fans see as embarrassing or undeserving of a shot in the world's premier organization. If those fighters fail again, it's likely they'll be sent back out into the regional proving ground, and many of them never make it back to the big show.
UFC veteran Ben Saunders, at first glance, didn't fit that profile. The 6'3" welterweight was cast on The Ultimate Fighter season six after amassing a 4-0-2 record in Florida's local MMA scene. His sheer size made him an immediate threat to anyone he was pit against on the show. Unfortunately, eventual finalist Tommy Speer grinded out Saunders in the quarterfinals.
After the show, Saunders made all the sacrifices to become a well-rounded martial artist, improving by leaps and bounds on both the feet and the ground under the watchful eye of one of the best camps in the world, American Top Team. Wins over Dan Barrera and Ryan Thomas proved he was progressing, but his brutal victory over Brandon Wolff at UFC: Fight for the Troops in December of 2008 was a rude awakening for anyone sleeping on Saunders as a rising prospect. The win earned Saunders bigger and better opportunities.
Unfortunately, Saunders faltered against the better competition put in front of him, amassing a 1-3 record in his last 4 appearances. He absolutely crushed UFC veteran Marcus Davis at UFC 106, but dropped decisions to Jon Fitch and Dennis Hallman at UFC 111 and UFC 117 respectively while also succumbing to strikes from Mike Swick at UFC 99 prior to his win over Davis. The two consecutive losses earned him a release from the promotion. Too much, too soon was a constant mantra repeated by fans in the aftermath.
As the old adage says "When one door closes, another one opens". Saunders signed with rival promotion Bellator six months later in February. The move was seen by some fans as a bad one due to Bellator's restrictive contracts, but I'd argue it was the perfect opportunity. I've watched countless hours of footage of every prospect on the planet, and there isn't a substitute for fighting against veteran competition while attempting to improve your skills.
Saunders skipped that segment of his career, mainly due to his incredible success in the UFC. Despite his failure to break through to the upper tier of the UFC's welterweight division, he's now doing exactly what he needs to do in order to become an elite level fighter. He's fighting known prospects and veterans who possess different styles. They may not be the most successful fighters on the planet, but they offer Saunders what he needed after The Ultimate Fighter... a consistent increase in competition while he improves the details of his skill-set.
Unlike many of the perished fighters of the UFC who washed away out of our memories, Saunders made the right call. The 28-year-old has demolished the competition in three fights with the organization, including a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu clinic on Scouting Report rankee Luis Santos this past Saturday at Bellator 53. He'll square off against heralded prospect Douglas Lima in the finals, an even greater challenge than his last. Win or lose, Saunders' choice is one that we don't see often, and other aspiring MMA fighters should follow in his footsteps.
SBN coverage of Bellator 53
Posted in: ufc, bellator, fighter, fan, saunder
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC Quick Quote: The greatest fighters in the world are named Chael Sonnen
"I got tunnel vision. I'm after the belt. Period. I'm not making any apologies or qualms about it. And the rest of the cowards in the back that just want to get their faces on TV and don't want to carry any heavy water, I've got no time for those guys. All of them. Every damn one of them that isn't named Chael Sonnen is nothing but a coward…. When you're the greatest fighter in the world the day they've got a name for you. They don't call you a great fighter, they call you Chael Sonnen."
-- Chael Sonnen, the self-proclaimed true champion, linear champion, peoples champion and best damn middleweight there has ever been, informs the mixed martial arts (MMA) community about a distinguished honor to which the best fighters in the world can now aspire. Forget "pound-for-pound" and "all-time great" discussions and replace them with Chael Sonnen because, well, that's apparently the new gold standard. One that nemesis Anderson Silva -- widely regarded as the best in the business and the best there has ever been -- will likely like to avoid like the plague. Sonnen, fresh off a big win, his first in more than one year, over Brian Stann at UFC 136 this past weekend, immediately executed the full court trash talk press on "The Spider," who was sitting ringside at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. And it doesn't appear that he intends to let up anytime soon. Not until he gets his rematch, at least, which he unofficially scheduled for Super Bowl weekend in early 2012. Will Sonnen emerge as the best Chael Sonnen in the middleweight division or will Silva maintain his Chael Sonnen status when the enemies finally collide?
Posted in: fighter, champion, chael sonnen, sonnen, chael
Read the full article at MMA ManiaGilbert Melendez wants recognition, immediate UFC title shot against Frankie Edgar
Gilbert Melendez has been riding the pine for six months and hasn't seen action since dismantling Japanese standout Tatsuya Kawajiri at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley on April 9, 2011.
"El Nino" is rumored to defend his 155-pound Strikeforce title against Jorge Masvidal in December; however, it is still uncertain if that fight will go on as planned or if he will instead be blended into the UFC mix to battle its lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
Melendez believes he has done enough to get the next shot at the UFC lightweight title. In addition, the Cesar Gracie-trained fighter believes that the only way to earn the respect he feels he deserves is to transition to the Octagon.
He said as much on a recent edition of the MMA Hour, expressing his desire to challenge "The Answer," as well as voicing his frustrations for not getting the proper credit as one of the best lightweight fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) today.
Check it out:
"I'm definitely impressed by Frankie. He's an amazing fighter. He's great, I honestly feel like I'm the number one contender and I feel like I'm ready for the title shot now. I've been focusing on Jorge Masvidal, he's the first guy in line. I think he's the No. 1 contender, as of now, in Strikeforce, and as of now I have to focus on that guy. He's real tough. But it's hard not to get excited when you hear all these rumors. The most frustrating thing is the recognition, a lot of people don't recognize me as a great fighter because I haven't beaten any UFC guys."
UFC President Dana White has yet to shine any conclusive light on who exactly will challenge Edgar after he emphatically (and finally) got rid of the ghost that has been haunting him since 2008 by viciously knocking out Gray Maynard this past weekend at UFC 136.
"El Nino" just wants to know where he stands:
"I just wanted to discuss my future with the organization; it looks like I have a good future. ... I just expressed that I want to fight the best. The UFC title is the best belt, I want that belt and I want it as soon as possible."
Following Melvin Gulliard’s stunning first round submission loss to Joe Lauzon this past weekend, the UFC contenders were whittled down to a select few, leaving Clay Guida and Ben Henderson as the top two lightweight candidates. The pair is scheduled to face off on the inaugural UFC on FOX 1 show on Nov. 12, 2011, which features UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez defending his title against Junior Dos Santos in the main event of the evening.
Has Melendez earned enough of your respect to deserve the next shot at Edgar’s title? Or should he wait his turn to see if either "Smooth" or "The Carpenter" can dethrone "The Answer"?
Posted in: ufc, title, fighter,  , el nino
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUK: CageWarriors introduces mandatory blood testing
CageWarriors Fighting Championship has announced that it is to introduce mandatory blood-testing for all of the fighters competing on its shows. “It...
Posted in: fighter, championship, cagewarrior, blood testing, blood-testing
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyCageWarriors introduces mandatory blood-testing
CageWarriors Fighting Championship has announced that it is to introduce mandatory blood-testing for all of the fighters competing on its shows. “It...
Posted in: fighter, championship, cagewarrior, blood-testing, ldquo
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyEvolve MMA aiming to be "Asia's BlackHouse"
Shinya Aoki has firmly cemented his status as the top fighter in Asia with six straight wins in the last 15 months. It has also been a good year...
Posted in: fighter, shinya aoki, aoki, asia, status
Read the full article at Fighters OnlyBellator sues Arizona promotion Desert Rage
MMA Fighting reports that Bellator has filed a lawsuit against Arizona promotion Desert Rage Full Contact Fighting (“Desert Rage”) claiming the local Arizona promotion interfered with its upcoming show October 22nd in Yuma, Arizona.
The lawsuit filed in the US District Court in Illinois (where Bellator’s principal place of business is located) states that Chance Farrar was paid to assist with Bellator’s April card in Yuma, Arizona. The Complaint filed by Bellator claims Farrar was given access to Bellator fight contracts as well as pertinent information related to negotiating with fighters. It also claims Farrar knew the terms of fighter contracts and knew the length and conditions of the contracts.
The Complaint goes on to allege that Bellator did not enlist Desert Rage to secure fighters for its upcoming event October 22nd in Yuma, Arizona. It began the process of finding fighters in August 2011. Bellator discovered that Desert Rage would be holding an event that same night in Winterhaven, California–9 miles from the site in Yuma where Bellator would hold Bellator 55. It also learned that the local promotion offered more money to fighters under contract with Bellator. A cease and desist letter (attached to the Complaint as Exhibit A) was sent to Desert Rage requesting that it not contact fighters under Bellator contract. In addition, Bellator claims that Desert Rage officials told fighters and others in the MMA industry that Bellator had cancelled its event on October 22nd. As a result of these claims, Bellator believes that ticket sales would be impacted.
Bellator has sued Desert Rage and Chance Farrar for 1) Intentional Interference with Contractual Relations; 2) Interference with Prospective Advantage; 3) Negligent Interference with Prospective Advantage; 4) Deceptive Practices under Illinois state law. and 5) Common Law Unfair Competition.
Bellator is requesting an order from the court which would stop Desert Rage from holding an event on the same night as Bellator 55 and from holding an event “within 50 miles of Yuma,” until after October 25th. It also is requesting that the court order Desert Rage and Farrar to not communicate with any fighters that are under exclusive contract of Bellator or are negotiating with Bellator. Bellator is also requesting actual damages of over $75,000, exemplary/punitive damages and attorney fees and costs.
CM_ECF LIVE, Ver 4.2 – U.S. District Court, Northern Illinois-CM_ECF LIVE, Ver 4.2 – U.S<>
Interesting notes in the Complaint:
- Bellator claims its production costs for Bellator 55 exceed $500,000
- Bellator is seen on television weekly by 250,000 viewers nationwide
- Farrar admits to receiving Bellator’s cease and desist letter although he personally denied telling anyone that Bellator’s card was cancelled.
As of this writing Desert Rage and/or Chance Farrar had not filed an Answer (response) to the Complaint.
H/t: The Fight Lawyer
Payout Perspective:
It does not appear that a non-disclosure agreement was signed by Farrar when he helped Bellator in April. But, it appears from the Complaint that Farrar was privy to Bellator fighter contracts and information related to fighter contracts. Whether or not the information Farrar received from working with Bellator was used by Desert Rage or himself will be important to this lawsuit. Certainly, Bellator is arguing that this information was used in recruiting fighters for Desert Rage’s card. More damaging to Desert Rage and Farrar is the claim that the Arizona promotion told fighters that the Bellator card was cancelled. It will be interesting to see how the court rules in this case.
DISCLAIMER
The information in this post is opinion only. In addition, and because this is my opinion, it is not intended to be (and is not) legal advice or an advertisement for legal services. This post provides general information only. Although I encourage interested parties to contact me on the subjects discussed in the article, the reader should not consider information on this site to be an invitation for an attorney-client relationship. I disclaim all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any contents of this post. Any e-mail sent to me will not create an attorney-client relationship, and you should not use this site to send me e-mail containing confidential or sensitive information.
Posted in: bellator, fighter, rage, desert, farrar
Read the full article at MMA PayoutNCAA Champ Jenkins: I Will Not Lay-and-Pray
Bubba Jenkins hasn’t fought in MMA yet, but he already knows what kind of fighter he doesn’t want to be.
Posted in: fighter, ’t, doesn ’t, jenkin, lay-and-pray
Read the full article at SherdogUFC 136 medical suspensions go to five fighters, Maynard gets longest with 60 days
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation issued medical suspensions of more than 10 days to just five UFC 136 fighters, and defeated main-event fighter Gray Maynard got the longest one with 60 days.
MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the list with commission officials.
A representative told MMAjunkie.com that official disclosed paydays for the Oct. 8 event won't be released, per state protocol.
Posted in: fighter, day, mmajunkie.com today, state protocol, commission officials
Read the full article at MMA JunkieTyrone Spong Talks Moving to MMA, May Not Participate in K-1 Grand Prix
Tyrone Spong is a name that every kickboxing fan already knows. The multi-time Muay Thai champion and (former?) K-1 fighter is one of the most accomplished kickboxers in the world. He's also begun testing the waters in MMA, training with Rashad Evans at the team at Imperial MMA full time in the past year. Matthew Roth of MMA Nation caught up with Spong at UFC 136, and got some great information on his future in MMA and K-1.
First up, the big news for K-1 fans - Spong makes it clear that, while he is currently scheduled to fight in the K-1 Grand Prix Final 16 later this month, that won't happen unless he gets paid the money he is still owed from last year's GP:
As of now, nothing is sure. K-1 still has to pay me and other fighters too, so if that happens...
This is potentially a crippling blow for the prospects of a 2011 K-1 Grand Prix. It's not just that losing Spong would be devastating (although, given the diminished field this year, his loss would absolutely further weaken the tournament). The greater issue is that Spong is managed by Simon Rutz and It's Showtime, the business partners to K-1 in this event. If Spong has not been paid and pulls out, then chances are good other It's Showtime fighters also have not been paid and could pull out. That would include tournament favorite Badr Hari, along with numerous other participants. Without these fighters, the Grand Prix is sunk.
So with K-1 dying a slow death, is Spong planning a move to MMA?
I'm looking to work with some professional big organizations. There are some negotiations with a few big organizations. I can't really say anything about it right now. I'm just getting ready. I owe Mo Lawal a lot. He's my very good friend. He introduced me to the states. Through him I got to learn to know Rashad Evans. He's one of my very close friends now. Very talented athlete. We worked with the whole Blackzilian team. I've moved over to Florida.
It certainly would appear that Spong could be headed to an MMA cage soon. If he can focus his work with Rashad and his team on developing a decent ground game to compliment those superb striking skills, then Tyrone Spong could very easily make some serious noise in a place like Bellator or the UFC. He's definitely a fighter to watch out for.
The full interview also has Spong's thoughts on Badr Hari making the move to boxing, and his love for dogs. Watch the interview in its entirety in the complete entry.
Posted in: mma, fighter, rashad evans, badr hari, spong
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUFC 136 Results: Jose Aldo Bestowed Greatness Despite Holes in Resume
Rankings. Just the mere mention of the term around mixed martial arts' fans can produce a collective sigh of frustration. Why are we so adamant to rank fighters? The UFC doesn't seem to care, nor should they since their business model revolves around entertainment. I can, however, see some relevance in divisional rankings, if not simply to give a fan a snapshot of where fighters stand among their counterparts.
Pound-for-pound rankings, on the other hand, have no significance. Whether or not Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is a matter of opinion, and there aren't any guidelines in determining who's better. We can't make Frankie Edgar a 265 lb. heavyweight and pit him in a fantasy fight with Cain Velasquez. We have no idea, if weight weren't an issue, who is the better fighter or how the added weight would affect a fighter. Shockingly, some people hold that as the definition. Others simply compare accomplishments.
For many fans and media, Jose Aldo belongs on that list, usually in the top five, maybe even in the top three. The combination of his blazing speed, knockout power, touted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, and solid takedown defense make him one of the most complete fighters in the world, regardless of weight. While I think pound-for-pound rankings are irrelevant, they do serve one purpose. They are a list of the current greats fighting in the sport today.
I'm not ready to claim that Jose Aldo belongs high on that list as many suggest. His dominant victory over Kenny Florian at UFC 136 this past weekend seems to have vaulted his stock even higher among fans. The win was undoubtedly a piece of evidence to prove the theory that Aldo is "one of the greats", but his track record, or as I alluded to in the headline... his resume, doesn't cut it.
Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Manvel Gamburyan, Mark Hominick, and most recently Kenny Florian are the fighters Aldo has ran through during his title reign. It's debatable how many of these names contribute to the legacy of Aldo. The wins over Urijah Faber and Kenny Florian stand out the most, and perhaps a showdown between Mark Hominick and Urijah Faber could settle whether the Canadian striker deserves the consideration. He's undoubtedly a great fighter, but is he an elite level fighter who has the skills to maintain that status?
I won't attempt to answer that question. The problem here isn't the level of talent Aldo has defeated. It's the fact that the division is relatively young in its progression. There still isn't a tremendous amount of confidence that fighters ranked highly in the division will maintain their standings. There isn't a barometer for us to say... yes, this guy is a legit talent. If you beat him, you are obviously elite. All we have to go on at this point is winning streaks and title defenses.
This isn't a critique of Jose Aldo by any means. He's an elite talent, but Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Manvel Gamburyan, Mark Hominick, and Kenny Florian don't possess all the tools to make me believe Aldo is one of the very best champions in the UFC. Urijah Faber is a great win, but he doesn't possess the wrestling acumen that his teammate Chad Mendes brings to the table.
Mendes, who is a two-time NCAA All-American who was once ranked #1 nationally, will likely step up to face Aldo next. That is, unless, UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar decides to move down to featherweight, a more natural fit for him. He provides the ultimate challenge. A well-rounded, speedy wrestler who can also box well. If Jose Aldo can beat both Mendes and Edgar, I'll be convinced that he's one of the best, if not the best champion in the UFC.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, jose aldo, urijah faber, aldo
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowFiras Zahabi Breaks Down Kenny Florian's Loss: 'We Weren't Able to Adjust'
Filed under: UFCTrainer Firas Zahabi was encouraged by what he saw out of Kenny Florian early on in his UFC featherweight title fight against Jose Aldo on Saturday night. But ultimately, Zahabi told Ariel Helwani on Monday's MMA Hour, their team just couldn't keep up with Aldo down the stretch.
"Aldo did a beautiful job of adjusting in the second, and I feel that our side had to adjust as well to keep the match going in our favor, but we weren't able to adjust," said Zahabi, who works with Florian at the Tristar gym in Montreal. "Aldo's a brilliant fighter and he had a brilliant counter to our attacks and he just did a great job."
The unanimous decision loss to Aldo was the third failed bid for a UFC title in Florian's nearly nine-year MMA career, and now the 35-year-old fighter faces some difficult questions about his future. As for how he'll decide to answer those questions, Zahabi said he doubts even Florian knows just yet.
"I feel we did everything we could to prepare him for Aldo and Kenny's going to have to let his mind take some time off, clear his mind, then make that decision for himself afterwards," Zahabi said, adding, "I don't think he's decided yet."
As for Zahabi, he must quickly turn his focus to his most celebrated fighter, long-time friend Georges St-Pierre, who puts his UFC welterweight title on the line against Carlos Condit at UFC 137 on October 29.
St-Pierre, who Zahabi still considers to be the world's best pound-for-pound fighter ("Of course I'm biased, like all coaches," he admitted), was originally slated to take on former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz before Diaz angered the UFC by no-showing a couple press conferences, which led to Condit replacing him in the main event.
The GSP-Diaz bout's champion-versus-champion angle might have been more interesting "from a marketing perspective," Zahabi said, "but in terms of skill, I think it's even harder with Carlos."
"He has good knees and good kicks. He's more of a diverse fighter standing up. And if you look at his record, he's very good at finishing. He's just got a few more threats. Diaz has a different style of boxing, which made him more of a threat with the hands, but I find that in terms of Muay Thai, we have to adjust for more of a Muay Thai fighter and less of a boxer."
Of course for St-Pierre, who has defended his title with four straight decision victories, the most common criticism concerns his perceived inability or unwillingness to look for the finish. Many fans and pundits accuse him of playing it too safe, but Zahabi said he encourages his fighter to put those matters out of his mind altogether.
"I think he has to focus on the process, not worry about the outcome, and let that part take care of itself. If he starts trying to finish him I think he'll have a harder time finishing him. He's just got to let it happen. I think that's the secret to finishing.
"When you're looking to knock the guy out, you telegraph more. You come out of your game plan. You start taking more risks and you start skipping steps. If you want to finish a guy, in my opinion, you have to go through all the steps, just keep adding more pressure, adding more attacks, tying your moves together until you get that finish. You don't have to jump to the end. You have to take every step along the way to get to that end."
Whether GSP can get to that end against Condit, who hasn't been finished since 2006, remains to be seen. If the bout ends with another decision win for the current champ, however, don't be surprised if many fans focus exclusively on the result, no matter what the process might have entailed. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: ufc, fighter, florian, aldo, zahabi
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseDana White has labelled Frankie Edgar the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world ahead of GSP
submitted by theaceoface [link] [9 comments]
Posted in: fighter, gsp, edgar, frankie edgar, frankie
Read the full article at RedditPower play: Former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin to become 'more aggressive' as a fighter
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Just over a year ago, hulking heavyweight prospect Shane Carwin was the scariest (expletive) on earth. Over a five year span, the full-time engineer had compiled a perfect 12-0 record en route to earning a big money match-up against then-division kingpin, Brock Lesnar.
Carwin would take center stage at UFC 116 after claiming the Interim heavyweight strap, which came at the expense of Frank Mir's ability to chew solid foods. His frightening stoppage over the former 265-pound deity continued a streak of violent finishes that on paper, read like a work of fiction.
12 straight wins. 12 straight finishes. There wasn't a fighter to date that was able to survive more than three and a half minutes against the 5XL fist bumps.
When the opposing goliaths eventually did hook 'em up on July 3, 2010, it seemed like just another day at the water plant for the Greg Jackson disciple. Lesnar wilted under the powerful paws of the beefy bumrush, and seemed seconds away from a technical knockout stoppage.
Then something happened.
After five straight minutes of cruel and unusual punishment, Carwin answered the bell for round two, the first time he was ever asked to do so in his entire career. Instead of picking up where he'd left off, he found himself in a state of suspended animation, as his muscular frame betrayed him after years of steadfast obedience.
In the end, he did what he had done his entire career. He was aggressive. Only this time, it cost him the fight -- and his shot at unifying the division titles.
Perhaps the cautionary approach in his next fight, a knee-jerk reaction in a number one contender's bout against brain-scrambling Brazilian Junior dos Santos, allowed "Cigano" to get the upper hand at UFC 131. And by "upper hand," I mean the kind of beating that gets most men 15-to-life in the state penitentiary.
Was Carwin embroiled in a Catch-22?
Too aggressive left him frozen beneath an eight-sided carbonite chamber. Not aggressive enough saw his blood sprayed across the canvas a la Jurgen Von Anhalt.
But what if, just maybe, his loss to Lesnar was more about gameplanning and less about agression? In a recent conversation with MMAmania.com, Carwin talked about his pending return, both to the UFC and to the strategy that got him there in the first place.
"Maybe at the end of the year, maybe the beginning of next year, we'll see what the UFC has lined up for me. I'm not in camp right now, but I'm working on the things I need to be working on to stay competitive. It's really up to the UFC, I'm taking it fight-by-fight. The division is full of talent and now we have the guys from Strikeforce coming over. Josh Barnett is a top heavyweight, you know there's actually a bunch of top heavyweights over there, just look at Daniel Cormier. Overall I think I've just got to go back to being a little more aggressive as a fighter. As long as I stay passionate about who as I am a fighter, as long as I still love it, then things will be fine."
Climbing out of an 0-2 hole at the tender age of 35 leaves no margin for error.
Fortunately the Coloradoan has enough highlight reel footage to make him a marketable contender -- as long as he continues to win. Another loss, at any level, would be disastrous for what is arguable his final run at the top.
Will he get there?
One thing is for certain, I don't envy any fighter tasked with the responsibility of stopping him. Just who that prospective opponent might be, at least for now, remains a mystery.
But that shouldn't let us, as fight fans, play matchmaker for his 2012 fight campaign. Let's hear your best guess in the comments section below.
Shane Carwin's next fight should be against ...
Posted in: ufc, fighter, heavyweight, year, carwin
Read the full article at MMA ManiaLet It Go: Frankie Edgar Doesn’t Need to Fight at Featherweight
I sincerely hope that Frankie Edgar has done enough to convince that he’s one of the best lightweight fighters in UFC history.
One would think that he’s proven this already. If you ask any fan who the best fighter ever to compete at 155 pounds is, they’ll probably tell you B.J. Penn. Of course, Frankie beat him twice. He’s also beaten a number of guys that have been considered amongst the best lightweights in the world, and on Saturday night he avenged the only loss he’s ever had in the sport.
On top of his recorded accomplishments he’s also showcased an ever-evolving understanding of the sport, as well as a true warrior spirit. His boxing has become second-to-none, and his wrestling still holds up against the strongest guys in the division. He also happens to have an iron will and an unbreakable spirit, as he once again came back from the brink of defeat to keep victory just out of Gray Maynard’s reach.
So why does everyone still insist that he should fight at featherweight?
Don’t get me wrong, I get it. Frankie would undoubtedly run game on a whole host of guys at 145 lbs. I wouldn’t want to pick a winner between him and Jose Aldo but I would love to see it someday. If and/or when he does lose the UFC Lightweight Championship he may want to consider dropping down in weight, but that’s his decision to make at the time he feels like making it.
Frankie would make a great featherweight, but you know what? Roy Nelson would make a great light heavyweight if he decided to start dieting. Thiago Alves would make a great lightweight if he stopped lifting weights so much. Stefan Struve would make…actually I suppose he’s kind of stuck where he is, so nevermind that one.
My point is this: I’m sick of people who aren’t fighters telling fighters what weight class they should be at. As Joe Rogan pointed out during commentary on Saturday, Frankie feels that his smaller size gives him an advantage. He’s quicker than most lightweights, and his conditioning has been simply outstanding in each of his five-round fights. If I was a fighter I would probably hate cutting weight too, so what’s wrong with Frankie being one of the few guys that doesn’t have to do it?
The results should speak for themselves. Edgar is making a strong argument for the distinction of being the best lightweight in the sport’s relatively-brief history. Let him make his case and stop trying to tell him he’s too small, because he will just keep proving you wrong.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Posted in: guy, fighter, ’t, weight, frankie
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainUFC 136: Will Kenny Florian's career be defined by what he hasn't accomplished?
Kenny Florian didn't actually have to say anything. The look on his face painted a more vivid picture than any answer he could have provided.
His thousand-yard stare indicated his emotions much more profoundly than anything explanation could have hoped for. He had been in this position before; twice, actually. He was so close to becoming a champion but yet so far. The brass ring eluded him for a third and possibly final time.
He stepped inside Octagon last night (Oct. 8) at UFC 136 for what was widely considered to be his last chance at UFC gold. Standing toe to toe with featherweight champ Jose Aldo, "KenFlo" once again came up short in a five-round fight. He had done so against Sean Sherk and again when he challenged B.J. Penn. When his options at 155-pounds evaporated, he decided to drop down to featherweight to test the waters there.
When Florian decides to hang up his four-ounce gloves, he will do so as a successful mixed martial artist (MMA). Already one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster due to his stint on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and an exciting fight style that saw him finish his opponents more often than not, Florian has guaranteed fans will remembered fondly. He currently holds an impressive 12-5 record in the Octagon which is incredible when considering the level of competition.
But like Charles Barkley -- who was in attendance last night -- and Patrick Ewing, Florian will forever be associated with his inability to pull the trigger or have all the dominoes fall into place at the right time and win a championship.
In a career that spans four weight classes and multiple headlining bouts, it might be what "KenFlo" didn't do that will be remembered.
Anyone who makes their living competing wants to be the best. If they say otherwise, they're lying or wasting their time. The drive that causes people to stack their talents up against someone else's doesn't usually have limitations. That particular beast is only satisfied when it is recognized as the best. And even then, it may still be hungry for more.
Take Randy Couture, for example. Here was a man who had already established himself as one of the best heavyweights in the world but looked to make a similar claim at 205-pounds. He simply wasn't satisfied.
That kind of drive is what creates athletes like Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter, and Georges St. Pierre. They desperately want to be the best and we, as fans, reap the benefits of their sacrifice and near-endless training. We marvel at their abilities and it becomes water cooler fodder.
On top of his accomplishment inside the cage, he's got plenty outside he can hang his hat on. From occasionally acting as a guest color commentator for UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) to acting as co-host for ESPN's MMA Live program, "KenFlo" has proved himself to be a skilled and thoughtful analyst.
Despite all these accolades and everything else he has done during his career, he never reached the pinnacle of every fighter's desire. No one puts their body through the hell a fighter does and not hope to one day be recognized as the champion, as the best in the world. One doesn't wake up in morning, sore from head to toe from a grueling training camp, in order to become the next Joe Rogan.
It's because of this that I can't help but think Florian feels there is something missing from his career. He has finished opponents with his hands, he's choked some out and threatened to snap the limbs of others. He outlasted the likes ofRoger Huerta and Diego Nunes. His name and status has been used to help sell pay-per-view (PPV) events.
The belt is the ultimate goal. The question is this: without it, is a career considered a failure? When Florian decides to call it a day, will he have any regrets or will he look back at the time he spent inside the Octagon with satisfaction?
It's hard to argue with what Florian has done inside the Octagon. But if those actions speak for themselves, what he hasn't done -- what he hasn't accomplished -- that positively yells.
What say you, Maniacs? When all is said and done, how will you remember Kenny Florian?
Posted in: ufc, fighter, career, florian, octagon
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 136 results: Who deserves to fight inside the Octagon?
Let's not delude ourselves. The fights the UFC chooses to stream via Facebook are not chocked with top-level talent or championship caliber fighters. UFC 136 was no different.
The Facebook feed is halfway filled with fighters who may one day become just that, young fighters who have untapped potential to make it to the top of the mixed martial arts (MMA) world. Prospects like Stipe Miocic who the fight promotion will build up slowly in hopes that they flourish into the next great champion.
The other half? Well, it's the exact polar opposite. Fighters who will never attain gold inside the Octagon or whose names wil never enter pound-for-pound conversations. They fill roles, essentially. Joey Beltran will always come out to stand and bang. If the UFC needs someone who is guaranteed to thrown down, they can always call on "The Mexicutioner."
Zhang Tie Quan is the only Chinese fighter under UFC 's employ and a seemingly integral part in their plans to expand to the most populous country in the world. Without a Chinese national, any plans the fight promotion has to gain a foothold in China would likely fall flat.
But according to some, these men's performances -- along with those of Steve Cantwell and Eric Schafer -- weren't indicative of what the Octagon hopes to represent. Their argument is if the UFC truly wants to take MMA to a global level on par with soccer, the majority of the roster must be the best of the best.
So what does "Octagon-caliber" mean anyway?
Steve Cantwell and Brian Stann traded the WEC light heavyweight title back and forth before the promotion was absorbed by the UFC. Once they made their way into the Octagon, it wasn't long before they both dropped to 185-pounds. But while Stann has flourished at his new weight class -- going undefeated until last night's bout with Chael Sonnen -- Cantwell floundered.
Cantwell started his middleweight debut off strong against Mike Massenzio, taking the fight to the New Jersey-native in the first round. He looked poised to dominate the fight and possibly looked towards a finish. Instead, he wilted and allowed "The Master of Disaster" to break his nose and earn a unanimous decision.
It was his fourth straight loss and will likely earn him his walking papers.
Eric Schafer returned to the Octagon and fought Aaron Simpson last night for what is now his third tour in the UFC. "Red" took a beating from "A-Train" and was essentially what amounted to a punching bag with a pulse. Cut and bloody, Schafer left the cage unsure of his future with the world's largest fight promotion.
Quan, the great Chinese hope for the UFC, has scored two wins under the Zuffa umbrella with a snake-like guillotine choke. His losses came when he couldn't secure the submission and seemed utterly lost. While Quan, at least in his current state, is by no means a wash, he seems a bit one-dimensional. I understand there are reasons far beyond "The Mongolian Wolf's" performances inside the Octagon that will keep him employed but he needs to become more well-rounded if he hopes to survive in the UFC.
The final prelim fight that aired on Facebook was what long-time wrestling announcer Jim Ross would call a slobberknocker. Croatian by way of Ohio Stipe Miocic made his UFC debut and took on the always durable Joey Beltran. The Latino fighter was brought into the company as a late replacement at UFC 109 and killed Rolles Gracie's career inside the Octagon before it even really began.
The loss against Miocic puts "The Mexecutioner" at .500 during his UFC career but his fan-friendly style of punching and eating punches until either he or his opponent go down will never tire. In the same vein, Dan Hardy may have been the most undeserving title challenger in the company's history but when he steps inside the cage, he doesn't go in to win a decision. He goes in for the finish, for the kill and endears himself to the fans and the front office.
Performances like those of Beltran, Hardy, and UFC 136 Fight of the Night winner Leonard Garcia spur a furious debate as to whether fighters like these deserve to be on the world's biggest stage. Winging punches with little to no technique and cardio that drains like a tub are arguments used against those fighters. An endless supply of heart and grit and the ability to get fans on their feet cheering are the points proponents bring up in their defense.
The truth is there is no clear cut criteria for who deserves to fight inside the Octagon. Anyone from a one-of-a-kind specimen like Jon Jones to a stand and bang fighter like Hardy can and are employed by Dana White and company.
Additionally, there isn't a set number of roster slots that the UFC has to adhere to. They can have as many fighters on staff as they want. That affords them the opportunity to cut paychecks to fighters like Georges St. Pierre and Mark Hunt alike.
"Bad Boy" will likely never make a second challenge for the 145-pound title, that much is almost certain but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to fight for the UFC.
Garcia, Beltran, Hardy, and fighters cut from the same cloth have a purpose just like Anderson Silva and Cain Velasquez do. Frankly, there isn't a single fighter on the planet that deserves to be in the UFC but isn't because they are still on the roster.
So tell me again why they don't deserve to be in the UFC?
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, fight promotion, octagon
Read the full article at MMA ManiaSorry Matt Brown, but there's a new "Immortal" fighter in the ranks of the UFC and his name is...
Sorry Matt Brown, but there's a new "Immortal" fighter in the ranks of the UFC and his name is Frankie Edgar. Find out why, despite the doubters, he could be the best lightweight fighter of all time by clicking here.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, matt, name, frankie edgar
Read the full article at MMA ManiaUFC 136: Breakthroughs
Turning the spotlight on three fighters who delivered impressive performances in non-title action at UFC 136 last night in Houston.
Posted in: ufc, night, fighter, houston, non-title action
Read the full article at Heavy MMAIs Frankie Edgar the Second Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World? (video)
Dana White, after Frankie Edgar defeated Gray Maynard at UFC 136, declared his lightweight champ the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Do you agree?
Posted in: fighter, edgar, frankie edgar, frankie, pound-for-pound fighter
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyUFC 136 Post Fight: Nam Phan Needed a Home Run with One Pitch To Go And He Got it
Former 'Ultimate Fighter' competitor Nam Phan felt like his back was against the wall heading into his rematch with Leonard Garcia, but he got the win he needed.
Posted in: fighter, phan, leonard garcia, nam phan, nam
Read the full article at MMA WeeklyBellator 53 Weigh-in Results and Preview: Welterweight Semis Set
The Bellator 53 main card is set after all fighters made weight for tomorrow’s card. Tomorrow night Bellator 53 kicks off live on MTV2 from the Tachi Palace Resort and Casino in Lemoore, California. The MTV2 televised card will air at 9pm with the preliminary card airing live on Spike.com starting at 7pm EST.
The event is headlined by the semifinals of the welterweight tournament, with former UFC fighter Ben Saunders taking on Brazilian prospect Luis Santos.
In the main event, Ben Saunders will once again have to fight without one of the deadliest weapons in his arsenal, his elbows. Saunders visibly had to restrain himself from throwing elbows several times during his opening round fight with Chris Cisneros and will likely have to do so again when he faces Luis Santos. Santos is a well-rounded fighter with an abundance of experience at the small show level. Santos striking is good but not great and against a strong Muay Thai fighter, he will likely look to get this fight to the ground. Saunders takedown defense will be on display in this bout but do not think that Saunders will not look to hit a few throws in the clinch if the chance presents itself. Saunders is the better fighter and has more expierience in the spotlight, so if he can avoid making silly mistakes he should be able to advance to the finals… where he can finally use his elbows again.
In the second welterweight semifinal, Chris Lozano will once again be the underdog to former MFC champion Douglas Lima. In his opening round bout, Lozano recovered from a shaky first round to put on a strong performance against Brent Weedman. Lima handled opponent Steve Carl in his respective opener at Bellator 49. Lozano utilizes a developing striking game in addition to strong wrestling to win fights and he will need it against Lima. Lima is a muay thai and BJJ fighter whose ground game causes frequent problems for those who take them down. Expect a close fight in this one where a decision is likely and a finish will only happen if a fighter makes a mistake.
In a featherweight bout, Ronnie Mann will face Kenny Foster. Mann is one of the better kept secrets in the featherweight division and a veteran of World Victory Road’s Sengoku series. Mann has very strong striking and despite a rough showing against Pat Curran, a decent ground game. Foster is a former D2 wrestler who has spent a lot of time rounding out his game since transitioning to MMA. Mann is favorite on paper, but Foster has the skillset to pull an upset.
A late addition to Saturday’s card is a heavyweight scrap with a possible heavyweight semifinals slot on the line. While Mike Hayes pulled off a huge upset of tournament favorite Neil Grove at Bellator 52, Bellator has reported that Hayes has received a 60-day medical suspension and may not be able to continue in the tournament. In the event that Hayes cannot be cleared, Bellator has arranged a fight between original tournament participant Thiago “Big Monster” Santos and Josh Burns. Santos was originally set to compete in the tournament and was thought to have been pulled from last week’s card due to injury. As it turns out, Santos had visa issues that have since been resolved. A win for either fighter will gain them an alternate’s slot in the tournament.
Finally, if there is one reason to watch the preliminary card, it is to watch one of the world’s best BJJ practitioners and trainers, middleweight Giva “The Arm Collector” Santana. Santana possesses one of the best armbar series in the world but the rest of BJJ game is strong as well. In his last fight, also at Tachi Palace, Santana scored a ridiculously fast technical submission victory over former WEC Doug Marshall. Expect opponent Daryl Cobb to be leery of even touching gloves with Santana if he is smart.
Full Weigh-in Results:
Main Card (MTV2)
welterweight semifinal – Luis Santos (170.5) vs. Ben Saunders (170.5)
welterweight semifinal – Chris Lozano (169.75) vs. Douglas Lima (170.5)
Kenny Foster (146) vs. Ronnie Mann (145.75)
heavyweight tournament alternate fight – Josh Burns (262.5) vs. Thiago Santos (263.5)
Preliminary Card (Spike.com)
Darryl Cobb (185) vs. Giva Santana (185.5)
A.J. Matthews (175) vs. Rudy Bears (174)
Raphael Davis (206) vs. Myron Dennis (204.5)
Emanuel Brooks (160.5) vs. Greg Scott (157)
Posted in: fight, fighter, vs, tournament, card
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyBellator's Daniel Straus says NAAFS title fight with Jason Dent determines Ohio's best
Like all fighters in MMA, Bellator's Daniel Straus is on a quest.
Sure, he wants to be the greatest fighter in the world. But first, he wants to be the greatest fighter in ... Ohio.
"I want to make a statement than I can be, and will be, No. 1," Straus told MMAjunkie.com Radio.
Straus takes another step toward that goal when he fights Cincinnati's native son, Jason Dent, in a lightweight-title-unification bout for the Ohio-based promotion NAAFS.
Posted in: fighter, daniel straus, strau, jason dent, fights cincinnati
Read the full article at MMA JunkieRin Nakai Taking Time Off
[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on MMA-Japan, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div]
Not everyone is immune from the insults that spread like wildfire over the internet these days. Specifically, fighter Rin Nakai, who has had her character slammed by these "keyboard warriors" has stated in her recent blog that she is going to take some time off and remove herself from the harsh attacks. Nakai went as far as reporting the ongoing incident to the police department. In what appears to be destroying her on the inside, Nakai is also in search of support to keep her going while she does take the time off. To top it all off, Nakai has put into question her ability to remain a professional fighter as the financial support is flat out not there.
So to recap - Nakai is taking time off to 1.) Get out of the limelight and allow the keyboard warriors to cool off and 2.) due to financial woes, possibly being unable to continue as a pro fighter.
Read More...
Posted in: time, fighter, keyboard warriors, nakai, rin nakai
Read the full article at Middle EasyWatch today's UFC 136 fighter weigh-ins live on MMAjunkie.com at 5 p.m. ET
HOUSTON - UFC 136 fighter weigh-ins take place today, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on
MMAjunkie.com.
Today's weigh-ins take place at Houston's Toyota Center, and the first
fighter is on the scale at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT local time).
In addition to the video streams, you can get live weigh-in updates in our text-only results post on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.
Posted in: fighter, video stream, weigh-in, mmajunkie.com homepage, toyota center
Read the full article at MMA JunkieMelvin Guillard: “The Only Person That Can Beat Me Is Me”
The surging lightweight talks about his growth as a fighter, his bout with Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, and his plans for a lengthy reign as the UFC lightweight champion.
Posted in: ufc, fighter, melvin guillard, melvin, joe lauzon
Read the full article at Heavy MMABehind the UFC 136 numbers: A complete statistical breakdown of 'Aldo vs. Florian'
Tomorrow night (Oct. 8) at UFC 136 in Houston, Texas, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo will try to continue to build his reputation as one of the pound-for-pound greatest fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA).
His opponent, Kenny Florian, will be looking to prove that he belongs in the 145-pound division and that he deserves to still be fighting the "cream-of-the-crop."
Yesterday, we showed you the detailed CompuStrike analysis for "Edgar vs. Maynard III." We know how you Maniacs love your statistics and, well, we felt like you've been extra good so far this month.
For your reward, here's a second helping of MMA-Math as we take a look at the numbers behind "Aldo vs. Florian."
You're welcome.
Both Aldo and Florian have world-class ground games. One would think that the numbers would show that both fighters spend the majority of their fights on the canvas.
One would be wrong.
According to the statistics (based on nine UFC fights for Aldo and 12 for Florian), both athletes prefer to stand. Here's the data to back that up:
Jose Aldo Total Fight Time - Standing: 101:03 | Ground: 80:25Kenny Florian Total Fight Time - Standing: 78:49 | Ground: 53:00
So we know their preference is generally to keep things standing up, but who holds the advantage if the fight stays on the feet?
Though both are dangerous strikers, Aldo would appear to be a vastly more accurate striker. Let's take a look:
Aldo: 57%Florian: 48%
They say every fighter has a "puncher's chance," but in a fight, one fighter always has an edge. The numbers show Aldo holding a slim advantage in this aspect:
Arm strike accuracy:Aldo: 19 of 53 -- 36%Florian: 16 of 47 -- 34%
In the "kicks" department, it isn't close. Though Florian is relatively accurate, there's no comparison to the precision of the current champion.
Aldo: 14 of 17 -- 82%Florian: 7 of 14 -- 50%
"Ground-and-pound" is a weapon that can be effectively used to stop a match. Here's a look at which fighter has the more accurate striking when things go south.
Aldo: 24 of 30 -- 80%Florian: 28 of 45 -- 62%
Aldo holds a dramatic lead in this category as well.
Last, but certainly not least, who is more effective with the takedown attempts?
Aldo: 7 of 10 -- 70%Florian: 15 of 30 -- 50%
Though skewed a bit, due to a disparity in attempts, Aldo is clearly more effective when he shoots in to take his opponents down.
On paper, Aldo appears to be strongly favored. But they don't fight on paper, they take care of business in the Octagon.
What do you think, Maniacs? Are you surprised by any of the data? Thinking twice about any wagers?
Posted in: fight, fighter, florian, aldo, aldo vs
Read the full article at MMA ManiaPick a Card: UFC 136 (PRELIMS)
So I’m about 30,000 feet somewhere over the Midwest as I check in with you this week for our look at UFC 136. There’s a noisy two year old that’s been either crying or yelling nonstop for the last ninety minutes in the row ahead of me, and I’m a bit disenchanted at the lack of free WiFi everywhere I’ve been so far. These are the perils of being an American Airlines customer, but then again, at least I get frequent flyer miles. I might be able to get a long awaited keychain soon! (Apparently I lead a very spoiled life)
Before I get started, I want to welcome Martin Kampmann to the Fighters.com family. I’m a big fan of Gil Martinez‘ blog here, as well as Pat Healy’s blog “Bam vs. Wild” on our sister-site Five Ounces of Pain, and it’s always nice to hear a bit more in depth about a fighter’s preparation and training for a fight. A belated congratulations as well for the new addition to his family, his son Xander.
Now on to business! Let’s take a look at how UFC 136 will break down, starting with prelims today, and ending with the main card tomorrow. It’s live this Saturday from the Toyota Center in Houston Texas. To those of you who attended the Fan Expo, I hope you had a great time. To those who didn’t, there’s always next time!
Steve Cantwell vs. Mike Massenzio
Poor Cantwell. Things haven’t been the same for him since he came back to fighting after a career threatening illness. Not only has he lost his last 3 straight, but I accidentally spelled his name “Can’twell” to start this off. This is probably his last stand. He hasn’t looked that great the last couple times out, and a loss here will all but end his UFC tenure. Same could go for Massenzio, though his lost was a short notice loss at UFC 131. That night, he was dominated relentlessly by Krzysztof Soszynski and looked nothing like he did his first go around. He’s in a more forgiving position, though a one sided loss to Cantwell should seal his fate too. Both men drop down to middleweight where you’ll probably see an all-out BJJ fest. Both men are desperate for a win at this point, and need to go back to what brought them to the show and made them successful to begin with. Cantwell’s biggest question mark will be how he handled the weight cut. Massenzio naturally fights at 185, so he should have no problem. Cantwell does hold a win over Brian Stann, however, it was a much different time in Stann’s career, and though you’ll hear that be pumped up quite a bit on Saturday, it’s the same as anybody laying claim to a 2007 or 2008 win over Melvin Guillard – same person, but different fight game. Give this one to Massenzio nevertheless, who shouldn’t look so outclassed or outdone at his natural weight.
Prediction – Mike Massenzio via Unanimous Decision
Aaron Simpson vs. Eric Schafer
My initial reaction to seeing “Red” Schafer was back was to question what he’d done since he left the UFC. I thought he’d fought a few fights since then, but didn’t realize he was injured, and was making it back after a quick win a couple months back. Simpson is an aging diamond in the rough in the middleweight division. If he were 10 years younger, you’d probably be talking a title shot sometime, but unfortunately, it probably won’t happen in his career.
Schafer returns to the UFC, possibly thanks in part to his affiliation with guys like Pat Barry. That isn’t to say he isn’t deserving. This fight’s going to come down to BJJ vs. Wrestling. Simpson is a guy I enjoy watching time in and time out. He’s relentless, methodical and focused. Schafer’s fighting at middleweight for the first time in his UFC career, and he’ll be a fairly lanky 185 on his 6′4 frame. The dropped weight will likely give him a bit more range and flexibility to try to offer up submissions to Simpson. Simpson, however, is a champion wrestler who will be game to the submissions, and he’s floated through BJJ specialists (Tom Lawlor and Mario Miranda) and come out on the winning side. In fact, his only career losses are to Mark Munoz and Chris Leben, who aren’t doing too bad for themselves nowadays I hear. Give the nod to Simpson, though expect Schafer to stay around and find better success at 185.
Prediction – Aaron Simpson via Split Decision
Darren Elkins vs. Tie Quan Zhang
It’s been a while since we saw Zhang. That night, “The Mongolian Wolf” bested Jason Reinhardt in less than a minute, and then took an extended vacation. Elkins, however, has had an interesting path to Zhang. He won a controversial decision over Michihiro Omigawa in Vancouver that many, including Dana White disagreed with. The win probably saved Elkins’ UFC career, which he looks to continue on against Zhang.
Funny thing is, Elkins was a ridiculously accomplished fighter before entering the UFC. He’s just been mired in controversy since he got here. He’s 2-1, though his other wins was the Duane Ludwig freak ankle injury bout. Before arriving, he stopped every one of his opponents coming in, with the exception of current Bellator standout Pat Curran, who took him the distance. Elkins hasn’t really had the chance to prove his capabilities, and what brought him to the UFC, which he’ll probably get against Zhang.
Zhang is a quick starter, and a quick finisher. In fact, he doesn’t know what it’s like to win outside the first round. The only fight of his that even left the first was a decision loss to Danny Downes. Elkins is fast, but Zhang is faster. If he’s not careful, he’s going to get caught with a really quick submission. Zhang is a much different fighter than Omigawa. Omigawa is cautious, while Zhang is almost reckless. That fast forward attitude of Zhang’s is capable of attacking from anywhere. Zhang has legitimate knockout power, and if that isn’t enough, he’s got fantastic submission transitions. I’d wager to say Zhang is one of the most complete fighters at 145, and a win for him will put him on notice as one of the top 10, if not top 5 guys at 145 in the UFC, and will score him something either on Fox prelims, or on the main card itself. He’ll probably get the winner of Hominick/Zombie. An Elkins win will probably get him up against a Josh Grispi or the winner of Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan. I give the edge on this one to Zhang. Elkins has been overwhelmed by quick starts before, and Zhang’s going to come out swinging at full speed.
Prediction – Tie Quan Zhang via Submission
Joey Beltran vs. Stipe Miocic
Barry. Maynard. Penn. These are all names Stipe Miocic has knocked off enroute to his UFC Debut. Yes, Paul Barry, Greg Maynard, and William Penn all met Miocic’s fist with their faces and fallen to him. Miocic likes to stand and strike, and I can’t think of a more perfect welcome to the UFC than Beltran.
Beltran is one of the UFC’s big blue collar guys in the heavyweight division. He’s the guy who puts the little guy on his shoulder that says “Maybe you should slow it down a bit” in his pocket and goes nuts. Every single one of his fights in the UFC so far have seen him throw, and eat some ridiculous punches and kicks. Anytime anybody goes up against Beltran, they can be assured that if they can stand and bang, they’re possibly in line for a fight bonus. Beltran’s last three fights could have been “Fight of the Night”, though he’s only walked away with 1 bonus.
Miocic is a striker. Beltran doesn’t want to do anything but strike. If you like these types of fights, don’t blink and don’t leave the room. There probably won’t be any technique. There probably won’t be any takedowns. Both guys will probably try and knock the smile off each others’ faces, and it’s tough to say whether one will succeed. Miocic’s chin hasn’t really been tested, and you know Beltran’s got a good one capable of taking a lot of punishment. This will probably be fight of the Facebook prelims, and contend for fight of the night. As is Beltran’s folly, however, it’s probably going to be overtaken by one of the title fights. With Dana White’s new style of not releasing guys that just bring it no matter how many defeats, Beltran might be a lifer win or lose.
Prediction – Joey Beltran via TKO
That’ll do it for the Facebook prelims. Now it’s time to talk Spike!
Anthony Pettis vs. Jeremy Stephens
It’s been a tough year for Pettis. He celebrated New Years as the #1 contender at 155 awaiting his title shot. After the Maynard/Edgar draw, he had the choice of waiting a year for his next fight, or sharpening his skills against Clay Guida. He chose the latter. Big mistake. A dominating defeat at Guida’s hands has Pettis having to work his way back to the top. A hungry Stephens awaits for his chance to rise up the ranks of the lightweight division. Stephens has won 4 of his last 5, including victories over Sam Stout and Marcus Davis. He even took Melvin Guillard the distance in a fight many felt he won. Stephens isn’t a household name, but he’s more than deserving of the opportunity to fight Pettis.
In both fighters, you get flashy strikers capable of sending opponents down in one shots. Three times Stephens has taken home the knockout of the night, and Pettis is always interested in thinking outside the box. This fight will probably remain standing for a good portion of the first round, and you’ll probably see a desperate Pettis pushing the pace. However, Stephens is very good on his feet, and after getting rocked a couple of times, expect Pettis to take it to the ground, where It should be most of the time. Pettis is a very good submission fighter, and once down to the ground, can make quick work of this fight. Pettis really can’t afford to lose here, because losing to Stephens would mean a recovery period of a couple years before he’d be in the title hunt again. A Stephens victory would put him into higher consideration for the big names, though things are getting a bit jammed at lightweight. Expect “Showtime” to come to his senses and go back to basics. He doesn’t need to win with the crazy strikes he’s been working on with Duke Roufus. He just needs to settle down and fight the way he was before the Ben Henderson fight: An overwhelming, fast paced style with quick ground transitions into a quicker submission. I’m hoping this is the back to basics Pettis, because that’s how I’m picking the victory.
Prediction – Anthony Pettis via Submission
Damien Maia vs. Jorge Santiago
Both fighters come into this after tough losses. Maia thought he’d done enough to beat Mark Munoz in June, however, the judges disagreed. Santiago came in red hot, and gave Stann a run for his money before getting TKO’d. Both are amongst the most accomplished BJJ fighters in the history of the UFC, with Maia holding a 3rd degree black belt. In typical Maia fashion, I’m expecting this one to try to go to the ground right from the start, and will probably stay there. Santiago is one of the best BJJ fighters Maia has ever faced, and won’t be in any rush to bring this fight up again. Santiago is one of the most exciting fighters on the ground, having won by almost every possible submission in the book. This one has “classic” in every sense of the word written on it. Santiago is vastly improved from the fighter he was four years ago in his first go around in the UFC, though I question whether he’s going to be able to contain Maia. Maia’s never lost two in a row (though to be fair, he’s only lost 3 times,) and he’s come out of those looking just as dominant as he did prior to the loss. Santiago’s going to be in tough here, and I just don’t think that this fight is going to go his way. Maia is one of the best fighters in the world at 185, and though his record has been bolstered by a few rebound-type wins over time, he’s got the skills to make another run at Anderson Silva’s title, though it’s going to take him a while to get back there.
Prediction: Damien Maia via Unanimous Decision
Should be a pretty solid set of prelims. Join us again tomorrow when we take an in-depth look at the main card.
See you cageside!
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Posted in: ufc, fight, time, fighter, zhang
Read the full article at Fighters.comUFC 136 Live Weigh-in Results (5 p.m. ET)
Live results from Friday's UFC 136 weigh-ins will be posted below as fighters take to the scales at 5 p.m. ET. Hit F5 on your keyboard to see the latest results.
Posted in: ufc, result, fighter, weigh-in, friday
Read the full article at SherdogUFC 136 Preview: Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo versus Kenny Florian
MMAFrenzy’s coverage of UFC 136 continues with our preview of UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo versus Kenny Florian. The fight will be the first of two championship fights on the fightcard. With the second being the main event between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar rematching Gray Maynard.
Jose Aldo versus Kenny Florian
Keys for the champion- Jose Aldo is one of the more complete fighters in MMA but like all fighters, his health is a key. Aldo appears much healthier for this fight than in his last bout with Hominick, where Aldo nearly passed out in a presser before the fight and apparently dealing with ongoing neck problems. Unfortunately for Florian, those issues appear to be resolved.
Aldo arguably possesses the most devastating leg kicks this side of K-1 and he pairs that with vicious knockout power in his hands. In Florian’s fight with Diego Nunes, Florian was dropped multiple times by the strikes of Nunes. Nunes, last KO was in 2007, 12 of Aldo’s 19 wins were by KO or TKO. This does not bode well for Florian. While Florian has never been knocked out, Aldo has the power to do it.
One thing to watch in this bout is whether Aldo decides to take this fight to the ground. Florian has spent a lot of time training his wrestling but so far, that has only shown through in his offensive wrestling and not his defense. With that said, Florian has often done the most damage with his elbows while in guard. So it may make more sense to keep this fight standing for as long as possible and only going to the takedown if Aldo finds himself in trouble.
Keys for Florian- Florian has tied Joe Riggs, and technically BJ Penn, for the most weight classes fought in. Of those weight classes, this is the second he will challenge for a title in. Florian has constantly worked to change his game and evolve to meet the needs of the game. Florian has always had strong BJJ and Muay Thai however. He will need that here. While Florian has developed an offensive wrestling game, Aldo has only been taken down twice since 2008, once by Mark Hominick and once by Jonathan Brookins.
Florian’s best opportunity is to weather what will be a brutal storm for the first few rounds. If Florian can do that, he can hopefully time Aldo’s kicks and look for a takedown. The only thing is that even on the ground Aldo is a handful. Florian just has to take what he can get against an opponent who is slightly better at the things Florian does best.
UFC President Dana White once said that Florian “chokes in big fights” and to be quite honest I think that is unfair and if I were Florian’s opponents in those fights that he “choked” in I would take offense more so than Florian should. If anything, Florian has suffered a fate similar to that of Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin, where the fighters he has fought in those big situations are simply better athletically or skill wise. Florian is a very good fighter, like Griffin and Franklin, but in order to beat a great fighter he will have to have everything possible go right this Saturday.
For complete coverage of UFC 136, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.
Posted in: ufc, fight, fighter, florian, aldo
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyGarcia Respects Phan, But Doesn’t Like Him
It’s usually the fighter who loses a bout that wants a rematch.
Posted in: fighter, rematch, doesn ’t, doesn, phan
Read the full article at SherdogIf Bones can beat Machida...
...can there be any argument that he is Fighter of the Year? Bader, Shogun, Rampage and then Machida - all in one year? And is that the best year for any one fighter ever? submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]
Posted in: rampage, fighter, year, machida, machida ....
Read the full article at RedditThe Ultimate Fighter's Akira Corassani Puts The Fear In People
Akira Corassani is blogging at MMA Nation and shared his perspective on being on the cast of the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter: Bisping vs. Miller. There are a lot of choice nuggets, but this was the most interesting to me:
It started out with some sparring and me putting the fear into people. You could hear them in the beginning saying 60% power, technical sparring. That's what Bisping said. You have to remember Marcus just lost his fight. Imagine losing and being eliminated from the tournament. Maybe Diego hit him first and it escalated? Maybe it was just one of those days everyone was pissed off. Everyone had 12 week camps before they fought to even get into the house. Then you have to fight again and diet. People are always talking crap and the sparring situation was all a result of stress. You could see me going 60%. You could catch my kicks. Maybe when I said I like to put fear in people it was out of context. It wasn't even the same day.My thinking behind the intimidation to put fear into my teammates was that it was a small house. Everyone wants to win and you have these eight guys who are going to be your friends for the season who you trust with your life. I don't think so. People are talking and spreading information so when I punch my people hard in the stomach I want them to go tell the other guys I'm dangerous. The whole thing with the show is how you want to see it. Do you see the subliminal messages and what's really going on?
That's what I like about TUF fighter blogs, the rare instances when they venture into meta-commentary of the editing of the show. It's like hearing from your goldfish about what goes on in the tank when no one is home.
More SBN Coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale
Posted in: fighter, people, fear, akira corassani, choice nuggets
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowTJ Dillashaw’s Ultimate Fighter 14 Blog: Episode 3
Our TUF 14 blogger sits down to share his thoughts on last night's episode.
Posted in: fighter, episode, blogger, dillashaw, share
Read the full article at Heavy MMAThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Episode 3 Recap for “Team Bisping vs. Team Miller”
After seeing The Ultimate Fighter 14′s featherweight tournament begin last week with Team Miller’s Bryan Caraway submitting Team Bisping’s Marcus Brimage, the bantamweight tournament kicked off on episode three, which aired Wednesday on Spike TV.
With Team Miller still in control, Jason “Mayhem” Miller chooses second-pick Johnny Bedford to face Bisping’s last-pick Josh Ferguson. Bedford outpoints Ferguson over the two round fight and is awarded the unanimous decision from the judges to move on to the 135-pound semifinals and puts Bisping down 0-2.
Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 14 every Wednesday before The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale on Dec. 3.
Posted in: fighter, team, miller, bisping, featherweight tournament
Read the full article at MMA FrenzyThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Episode 2 Recap & Review
The prank war starts to heat up and the first bantamweight fight goes down. Find out what happened in our Ultimate Fighter 14 recap.
Posted in: fighter, review, recap, bantamweight fight, prank war
Read the full article at Heavy MMAMMA Street Fighter: Mayhem v. GSP
submitted by Philll [link] [1 comment]
Posted in: fighter, gsp, philll, mayhem, mayhem v
Read the full article at RedditThe Ultimate Fighter 14: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Live Discussion [Episode 3]
Join Bloody Elbow every Wednesday night to discuss the latest episode of the Ultimate Fighter 14, featuring coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller.
So Mike Fagan is at the premier of a comedy show he wrote tonight so I'm taking over the live discussion duties. It's probably for the better after he bailed on you guys last week. Don't worry though, Matt "Cabbage" Roth still loves and promises to never forsake you.
The season is off to a great start with the lighter weight fighters showing what fans of the WEC knew all along: that bantam and featherweight are the most exciting weight classes in the world. The teams have been picked and the fighters have begun to settle into the sweet digs the UFC picked out for them this year.
Team Bisping got the first fighter pick last episode which allowed Michael Bisping to choose not just the first bantamweight fighter but the first featherweight as well. This allowed Mayhem to choose the first fight of the season. Bisping was unimpressed by the team that Jason Miller fielded and predicted that his squad would have no problem dispatching everyone on Team Mayhem.
Mayhem chose Bryan Caraway to represent his team in the first fight of the season against Marcus Brimage. Dana White thought it was a poor decision on Mayhem's part to pick such an athletic featherweight to be Bryan Caraway's opponent.
Bryan Caraway was able to overcome the mental errors that have hampered his career and not get caught up in Brimage's lethal stand up game. When he got the fight to the ground, Brimage was outclassed and was forced to submit to a rear naked choke in the second round.
The previews showed that Team Bisping is having issues coping with the loss as Brimage comes to blows with a teammate in practice. At the house, there are some pranks that cross the line and may lead to a real rivalry on the show.
Join us at 10:00 p.m. ET for the live discussion.
Preview is after the jump.
Sneak Peek - Lines Get CrossedGet More: Watch The Ultimate Fighter TUF 14 Michael Bisping Diego Brandao Marcus Brimage Akira Corassani Jason "Mayhem" Miller
Posted in: fighter, team, bisping, . , brimage
Read the full article at Bloody ElbowUltimate Fighter Season 14 Live Blog
Last week on The Ultimate Fighter 14; coaches Jason Miller and Michael Bisping picked their teams of featherweights and bantamweights, the fighters moved into the famous TUF house, and we had our first fight of the season. In that bout, Bryan Caraway submitted Marcus Brimage in the second round to become the first fighter to move on in the tournament.
Rather than a simple recap, throughout the festivities, this fall 5 OZ will be providing live commentary during each episode including assessments of each fighter and breakdowns of the action, not to mention a snarky remark or two relating to the behavior of coaches and contestants.
Read below to get our take on things as they unfold in this week’s episode (and make sure to join in on the discussion in the “Comments” section below:
Posted in: fighter, michael bisping, snarky remark, tuf house, marcus brimage
Read the full article at Five Ounces of PainWould r/MMA be interested in a fantasy league of sorts?
There's lots of fantasy MMA sites, but from what I've seen, they all work more like betting...where multiple users can pick the same fighters, and everyone receives points based on how well their picks did. I always thought it would be fun to have something more like a fantasy "league", something more akin to fantasy football, where the players actually form a team of fighters and are the sole owners of them. These are some quick rules I drafted just now, so really any of them could change. But I'm thinking we could do something like... It'd be limited to group of 8 of us, so we can each form a decent sized team. We'd have a mini draft where we each each got to pick 2 fighters on the UFC 136 card. We'd have to find a way to randomly determine who got 1st pick and such, but the order would reverse for the 2nd time around...the player who was unlucky enough to pick last would get first pick the 2nd time through, the guy who picked 7th would get to pick 2nd, etc. Of course, you can only pick a fighter that hasn't already been drafted. After 136, the scores would get tallied up. The scoring system can be as complex or simple as we decide, but for now I'll just say that a win nets you 1 point, a loss is worth 0, and a draw is worth 0.5. To determine the drafting order for the next event, you'd take your fighter that performed the best and match him up against everyone else's best-performing fighter. The criteria would be something like: The players who's best-performing fighter won get the first picks, determined by first by fastest finish, then by highest decision score (the average of the judge's score for the winning fighter divided by the average of the judge's score for the losing fighter). Ties would be broken by an arbitrary source, something like FightMetric's assessment of performance. For the players who's best performing fighter still lost, their draft pick would be sorted out be the above criteria, but sorta reversed: The loser who won the closest decision, followed by who survived the longest. Each subsequent draft pick after our starting pick for UFC 136 would only go around once, though, so each person would only get to draft one fighter for the next event. Later in the game, if there isn't at least 8 fighters available to be drafted, then the lowest players on the draft position get left out...for example, if there's only 6 available fighters on the next card, the guys who came in 7th and 8th don't get to draft anybody. To keep things fresh, if your fighter loses they leave your stable. So, say you had Gray Maynard on your team and he loses at UFC 136, he becomes a free agent again. However, he couldn't be drafted by someone else until he's fighting on an event that's being drafted for. So, say he fights again at UFC 143, he couldn't be picked until the draft order was set after UFC 142...he couldn't be drafted by someone immediately after he becomes a free agent after UFC 136. If two of your fighters end up matching up with one another, you have two options: You can either trade one of your fighters to someone else, or you can keep both your fighters but opt to take no points on the fight. If you opt to take no points, your best performing fighter is still determined as usual (say I had both GSP and Condit, and I decided I wanted to keep them both and get no points. If GSP knocks Condit out in 20 seconds, I'm probably still going to get first pick on the next event, I just don't get the 1 point to my overall score). As for trades, they're pretty basic and you can trade fighters at any time, with one exception: You can't trade a fighter after midnight of the day he's fighting. Once fight day is officially here, your roster is locked. If a fighter is pulled from a card thanks to an injury or missed weight, you can choose to trade that fighter for another free agent on the card. If you want to keep the offending fighter or there are no free agents and you have no other fighters on your team performing on the card, you just sit that one out. You can't gain any points, and your draft pick comes between the players who's best performing fighter won, and the players who's best performing fighter lost. Whew. I tried to cover any possible scenario that could arise, but I might've missed something. The rules are all up for debate, this is what I just threw together. The draft pick system is pretty simple, but I might not have conveyed it properly. If it's not making sense, I can provide an example of it in action. Like I said, to ensure that everyone has a good stable of fighters and usually has at least one of them performing on a card, this should probably be limited to 8 redditors. First come, first serve, so if this seems like something you'd be interested in, go ahead and comment. If this manages to get off the ground, we'll make a new subreddit for discussion and scores and everything. Current Player List - There's still three spots open! Phaeno cp3woo this1 BunchaFukinElephants theguardfighter submitted by Phaeno [link] [4 comments]
Posted in: fighter, point, player, draft, something
Read the full article at RedditBellator files lawsuit against Arizona-based MMA promotion
Not every fight in the Mixed Martial Arts world involves striking/grappling or takes places in a ring. Rather, some wars are waged inside the friendly confines of a courtroom with lawyers exchanging verbal blows rather than the physical kind.
The latest example of such being the case surfaced earlier today when it was revealed Bellator FC was suing Desert Rage Full Contact Fighting after the organization learned the proprietors Arizona-based promotion had attempted to negatively impact sales for Bellator 55 (being held in Yuma) by providing false information to fighters/managers/fans regarding the October 22 show.
According to a report on MMAFighting, Desert Rage is promoting their own card on the same day less than ten miles away from Bellator 55 and has been telling people Bellator’s offering has been scrapped.
In the filing, the suit reads, “On September 12, 2011, Bellator learned that Defendants had told multiple parties that BELLATOR 55 was cancelled. Upon information and belief, Defendants knowingly misrepresented the status of BELLATOR 55 to persuade important local fighters with whom Bellator was negotiating, as well as others currently under contract with Bellator, to participate in the Desert Rage X show instead of the BELLATOR 55 event.”
Bantamweight Semifinals Set for Bellator 55
Adding fuel to the fire, Desert Rage executive Chance Farrar worked intimately with Bellator in preparation for Bellator 41 (also held in Yuma) and had access to information including “Bellator’s process and rationale for signing certain fighters, its philosophy behind ticket sales, as well as each fighter’s production value,” as well as “long-term promotional contract terms of Bellator’s agreements with fighters, including its obligations to fighters under those contracts and its methods and systematic means of meeting those obligations.”
Bellator’s intent in the lawsuit was not mentioned in terms of involving a “cease and desist” order for Desert Rage X, financial terms, or a combination of the two.
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Posted in: bellator, fighter, desert rage, rage, desert
Read the full article at Fighters.comBellator Sues Desert Rage Full Contact Fighting
Filed under: Bellator, NewsIn a battle between MMA promoters that may be headed for the courtroom rather than the cage, Bellator is suing a small Arizona-based promotion called Desert Rage Full Contact Fighting, saying that Desert Rage is interfering with Bellator's contracts and attempting to harm its upcoming show in Arizona.
Bellator says it worked with Desert Rage and its promoter, the former WEC fighter Chance Farrar, on a previous Bellator event in Arizona. But Bellator says Desert Rage is now attempting to hurt the upcoming Bellator 55 event, which is set to take place on October 22 at Cocopah Resort and Casino in Yuma, Arizona.
The lawsuit provides an interesting look inside the MMA world, with details including the fact that the production costs of Bellator 55 exceed $500,000, and an accusation that Desert Rage is spreading lies about Bellator within the local MMA scene.
"Previously, Bellator engaged Farrar to aid in promoting Bellator's April 16, 2011 show in Yuma, Arizona," the lawsuit says. "As part of that engagement, Farrar communicated often with Bellator employees based in Chicago and was paid for his services by Bellator using its Chicago-based bank accounts. As part of the services he rendered in connection with Bellator's April 16 event, Farrar gained intimate familiarity with Bellator's business, including its method for setting up events, and recruiting talent for its shows. Farrar also had substantial involvement with, and developed an understanding of, Bellator's process of signing fighters for its events, including, but not limited to, Bellator's process and rationale for signing certain fighters, its philosophy behind ticket sales, as well as each fighter's production value. As part of his role in the April 16 event, Farrar saw Bellator's fighter contracts, which included material payment terms that Bellator negotiates with fighters as part of an oftenlengthy bargaining process. Farrar also was privy to the long-term promotional contract terms of Bellator's agreements with fighters, including its obligations to fighters under those contracts and its methods and systematic means of meeting those obligations."
Now, Bellator claims, Desert Rage has decided to put on its own event on October 22, just nine miles away from Bellator's location. And Bellator says Desert Rage is attempting to interfere with Bellator's business, by going after fighters who are already negotiating with Bellator and misleading the local MMA community about the upcoming Bellator show. Bellator is seeking a restraining order to prevent Desert Rage from putting on its October 22 show.
"On September 12, 2011, Bellator learned that Defendants had told multiple parties that BELLATOR 55 was cancelled," the lawsuit says. "Upon information and belief, Defendants knowingly misrepresented the status of BELLATOR 55 to persuade important local fighters with whom Bellator was negotiating, as well as others currently under contract with Bellator, to participate in the Desert Rage X show instead of the BELLATOR 55 event."
Last year the UFC sued Bellator, accusing the promotion of stealing trade secrets, and then less than two weeks later Bellator turned around and sued the UFC, saying Ultimate Fighter cast member Jonathan Brookins should not have appeared on the UFC's reality show because he was under an exclusive contract to Bellator. MMAFighting.com was not able to reach either Bellator or Desert Rage for comment on the latest lawsuit. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Posted in: bellator, fighter, desert rage, rage, desert
Read the full article at AOL FanhouseBrian Stann not afraid of what Chael Sonnen has to offer
If the UFC decides to have a batch of their athletes compete on the Joe Rogan-hosted “Fear Factor” it may want to consider the inclusion of middleweight Brian Stann, as it appears evident his time as a battle-tested Marine has given Stann an outlook on life few others have.
Stann opened up on his attitude in a recent blog entry where he explained the only true fear he knows is in relation to his role as a father.
“Fear is often the thing that separates professional fighters from those who simply dream of one day stepping inside the Octagon,” Stann wrote through FoxSports. “There are many types of fear — fear of failure, fear of being hurt, fear of being knocked out or choked out, fear of a broken nose or broken limb and fear of being dominated. Fighters are able to overcome these mental hurdles and push fear to the back of their mind. Experience reduces these fears. The fighters at the highest level rarely fear injury, rather the damage done to our pride after losing is what we fear the most.”
“My time in the military obviously introduced me to very extreme situations that make losing a fight comparable to losing a game of pick-up basketball,” he candidly continued. “I’ve never feared a fighter or a fight, and have only ever been concerned with whether I was truly good enough to get to the places I want to reach in this great sport of mixed martial arts. That comes from the pressure of providing for a family.
“Fear was strongly introduced into my life when I became a father, and there is only one thing in this world that will make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end — something happening to my wife or two daughters.”
“I wasn’t afraid of being a father, but I was afraid of the fact that fear had now entered my life,” Stann revealed. “I feared the illness that might one day afflict my daughter, I feared driving lessons, I feared college and I feared her leaving home and going out into the big, bad world. I experienced all the sudden fears I’m sure all fathers must feel on that s