MMA-URLS

About midway through the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix semi-final between Daniel Cormier and Antonio Silva, Silva attempted something perplexing when he attempted to shoot a straight double leg on Daniel Cormier. Cormier, like any freestyle wrestling world bronze medalist possesses excellent takedown defense, but Cormier's case is special and Silva's misguided take down attempt was particularly futile. Daniel Cormier happens to be the king of the go-behind. He can proficiently shoot singles and doubles, but these are not the skills that brought him close to amateur wrestling's summit. Daniel may be the best ever at stuffing opponents down and spinning behind them, in fact. he became a world medalist and Olympian based mostly on this distinct ability. Though "going behind" may sound dismissively primitive and it certainly is not the foxiest ways to succeed at wrestling, its effectiveness is undeniable. In an MMA bout, Cormier's incredible go-behind skills pose a big problem for any opponent, particularly those who want to take him down. This could lead to big problems for Josh Barnett, his opponent in Saturday's Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final this Saturday on Showtime. SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier Continue reading after the jump for a closer examination of Cormier's wrestling style and an argument as to why his brand of wrestling may be even better suited for mixed martial arts than Olympic competition. Daniel Cormier is one of the few truly elite wrestlers I have seen whose choice of a go-to move happened to be the very first move every wrestler learns. On every youngster's first day in a wrestling room, a coach will invariably explain that where a person's head goes, his body will follow. If one is to pull an opponent's head down to the mat, then his body will also drop, and if an opponent drops to shoot, the response is to sprawl and stuff the head, either allows for the first take down most wrestlers can successfully execute, the go behind. There is no takedown more rudimentary, and few, if any, were ever as good at it as Cormier. He was so good at it that he used it to take down the greatest college wrestler of all time. This is Daniel wrestling Cael Sanderson in the 2001 NCAA 184 lb. finals. (It is interesting to note that in the match immediately before this, Josh Koscheck won his NCAA title and in the match immediately after Mark Munoz earned his national championship) Wrestling does not get any simpler than this. Cormier catches Sanderson leaning forward, snaps his head down to the mat, cross-faces and rotates behind for a take down. This move can be seen repeatedly at any junior varsity wrestling tournament throughout the nation, and here Cormier uses it on folkstyle wrestling's biggest stage and against its biggest star. On many a wrestling room wall is a poster listing the 7 basic skills of wrestling: penetration, lift, back arch, back step, motion, positioning, and changing levels. This is wrestling on an ontological level. Every single wrestling movement reduces to one of these skills. A great coach once taught me that of all these 7 skills, the most important was positioning. If a wrestler can maintain perfect position, he can never be scored upon. By extension,a wrestler who continuously maintains position only needs his opponent to lose position once to win a match. This is wrestling's version of the "three yards and a cloud of dust" philosophy; he who makes fewer mistakes wins. Daniel took this philosophy to heart. He would beat extremely good wrestlers with an approach both brutal and basic: staying in position throughout a match, when an opponent lowered his head to shoot or he pulled it down by relentless pressure, he would stuff it and and go behind. I suspect that Daniel's wrestling style harkens back to his origins in Louisiana. Louisiana does not have much of a wrestling culture and those Louisianans that end up coaching wrestling most likely lack a high level of technical sophistication. Coaches can experience success without technical sophistication by teaching rigid adherence to sport's foundational principles, and I suspect that Daniel's early wrestling coaches did just this. Cormier took a bare-bones approach to wrestling, added SEC football scholarship level athleticism with an intense love of the sport and rose to wrestling's stratosphere: two Olympic berths and a world bronze medal. This is not to say that Cormier's approach was without technical merit when just the opposite is true. Though going behind a prone opponent seems like such a mundane matter, it requires technical involvement and the application of a variety of methods. Here is a small sampling of the many methods used by Cormier. This is Daniel, back in his days as Oklahoma State's 184 pounder, wrestling Iowa standout Jessman Smith. Jessman takes a shot and Cormier immediately catches him in his short offense. Cormier initiates the go behind by first pulling Smith forward onto his knees. Next Cormier places his head "in the hole", dropping the head behind the opponent's arm far enough that the back of the head is in the ribs. Placing the head on the other side of the opponents arm prevents that arm from being raised to block the go behind. Pressuring in with the back of the head actually improves the angle and shortens the distance between each wrestler's hip. Daniel finishes with his arm around Jessman's far hip. The next two go behinds feature Cormier wrestling FILA 2006 wrestler of the year, Georgi Gogshelidze (GG). Here, Daniel finds himself with a front chestlock on GG. Cormier lifts and poises to throw GG as a means of misdirection. While GG concerns himself with defending the throw, Cormier quickly steps back and spins behind. In a second go behind against GG, Daniel again has the chest lock. This time he uses his knee the same way he uses his head against Smith in the GIF above. The knee prevents GG's arm from raising to block just long enough for Cormier to secure a butt drag and pull himself around for the takedown. On the right is the finals of a U.S. Open where Cormier is wrestling Nik Fekete. I find it particularly impressive that Nik achieves a Russian control tie with both hand on Daniel's arms and Cormier manages to shuck him all the way to the mat with the arm being "controlled". This demonstrates remarkable power. Daniel Cormier bolstered his offense with good throwing and tripping ability as has already demonstrated this in his mixed martial arts career against some of his lower level Strikeforce competition. These techniques put Cormier's incredible explosiveness on display. Here are two for your enjoyment (admittedly, the second is a finish to a shot, which erodes the point of this piece a bit, but I couldn't resist inserting it). Unfortunately, the confines of Cormier's skill set are what probably prevented him from standing on top of an Olympic podium (that and some weight issues). While he dominated his weight class domestically for what seemed like forever and spent several years as one the top five wrestlers at his weight in the entire world, he ultimately came up short against his most skilled opponents, particularly those with the words "Russia" or "Iran" written on their backs. These wrestlers were good enough to score on his impressive defense and Daniel's inability to reliably convert leg attacks on the world's very best left him without the means to put the necessary points on the scoreboard. This was certainly the case against Russia's Khajimurad Gatsalov, possibly the greatest of all time in the 211 pound weight class, in the Athens Olympic semi finals. Here Gatsalov hits a superb knee-pull single off a collar tie on Cormier. Losing in the Olympic semis is not shameful, nor is losing to a wrestler of the caliber of Gatsalov, but those fans of Cormier the wrestler are left with the keenest disappointment of all, the disappointment of near success. Daniel was very close to ultimate wrestling success; he had enough talent to beat anyone in the world, and to his credit he had actualized most of it. Unfortunately, when it was all said and done, he simply lacked the pure point scoring firepower to consistently create his own offense against the world's best, and this kept him from world or Olympic gold. When Daniel Cormier walks into the cage against Josh Barnett you will see much of the same skills you saw with him on a wrestling mat, but I believe that his array of skills are even better suited for mixed martial arts than freestyle wrestling. Daniel's skillful trips and throws allow him to bring a fight to the ground without the risk of lowering a level and shooting. Without the need to shoot he will not get out of position and disrupt his world class takedown defense. Finally, Cormier, maybe as much as anyone in the entire world, possesses the ability to turn an opponent's offensive wrestling into take downs of his own. The difference, now that he is in a cage, is that now that Cormier has the offensive firepower that he always needed to consistently score big and win. This firepower packed away in his tightly clenched fists. Finally, my prediction for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final: Cormier by decision Mike Riordan is a high school wrestling coach, unsuccessful division one collegiate wrestler, and student of the sport of wrestling. He contributes to Bloody Elbow on matters of collegiate and Olympic wrestling.

Posted in: opponent, head, daniel, cormier, wrestler

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

x

Posted in: ufc, do, tv, head, shaloru

Read the full article at Sherdog

It's Aldo vs. Koch at UFC 149 in Calgary, Nick Diaz makes headlines and UFC heads to Fairfax.

Posted in: ufc, week, head, aldo, ufc heads

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

It's Aldo vs. Koch at UFC 149 in Calgary, Nick Diaz makes headlines and UFC heads to Fairfax.

Posted in: ufc, week, head, aldo, ufc heads

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

A lightweight clash pitting fan-favorite Joe Lauzon against English submission ace Terry Etim has been added to the fight card of UFC on FOX 4, currently slated for August 4, 2012 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Lauzon announced the match-up via his personal website on Wednesday, but didn't specify if it would take place on the preliminary card or the FOX broadcast. Both men head into the bout looking to rebound from brutal highlight-reel knockout losses. Lauzon (21-7) recently saw his two-fight win streak come to an end after dropping from a head kick just 81 seconds into his fight against former WEC champion Anthony Pettis. Likewise, Eitm (15-4) found himself on the mother-of-all-highlights after being floored from a Edson Barboza spinning wheel kick deep into their January contest. Previously, Lauzon and Eitm were slated to meet at UFC 118, however Eitm was forced to pull out of the fight with a broken rib, leaving Lauzon to fight Gabe Ruediger. "For both of us, this is kind of like deja vu because we have already trained for one another," Lauzon wrote on his website. "I liked the fight the first time around, but I really like the fight this time around as I have grown tremendously as an athlete and fighter." Additionally, UFC officials announced a pair of heavyweight match-ups for the California card. TUF 10 veteran Matt Mitrione (5-1), who looks to right the ship after suffering the first loss of his career in a listless unanimous decision to Cheick Kongo, is slated to meet British bruiser Rob Broughton (15-7-1), who heads into the contest fresh from back-to-back losses to Travis Browne and Phil De Fries. Also, English brawlers Oli Thompson (9-3) and De Fries (8-1) hope to get back into the win column after falling to Shawn Jordan and Stipe Miocic in their last outings, respectively.

Posted in: ufc, fight, card, head, lauzon

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

submitted by fobbymaster [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: time, ko, head kick, head, fobbymaster

Read the full article at Reddit

Tuesday, Floyd Mayweather met with reporters ahead of Saturday night's bout with Miguel Cotto and ended up turning a small question and answer session into a full-on rant. When the inevitable topic of Manny Pacquiao came up, Floyd launched into a tirade about how he has tried to make the fight, how American's don't support him despite his Olympic credentials while throwing their love behind foreign fighters and, of course, the fact that he believes Manny uses performance enhancing drugs. From Floyd's rant to the media: "Come on, it's basic common sense now. Guess what, it took me years to get to here. Go back and look at the pictures. His head is small and then all of a sudden his head just grew? Come on man, stop this. Ray Charles can see this shit. Go back and look at the pictures and tell me this man's head didn't get bigger. You're going to tell me this shit is all natural. Come on man, stop." Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook took the time to gather up a few pictures of Pacquiao over the years and put them in a single post so you can try to judge if his head has really gotten bigger. Bob Arum, Manny's promoter, decided that the blame for all of this falls on a Hennessy ad. Here's what Arum said to Yahoo about it: "There is this actor who sort of looks like Manny, but you can't really tell and they shoot it in a way that makes you think it's a younger Manny, and he's in a gym working out," Arum said. "Then it segues to a scene where it is Manny. So when Mayweather is talking about the size of the head, that's got to be where he gets it. He's seeing this commercial over and over and over in just about every NBA game that's on television and we know he loves to watch basketball. He's a basketball junkie. And yeah, there are two different-sized heads, but one's an actor's and the other's is Manny's." Which is kind of an "only in boxing" response to an "only in boxing" problem. The drug testing situation was a problem for a while, it appears not to be now. The real problem, as it always is, is money. Floyd claims that he offered Manny $40,000,000 guaranteed to take the fight, Manny (well, Top Rank more than Manny) wants a 50/50 split on everything. Neither side is likely to budge, and the fight isn't likely to happen until it's so far past it's expiration date that you might get sick just from coming into contact with it. In the end, both guys have fights they can take but Manny probably needs Floyd more than vice versa. Floyd got to Mosley first, he demolished Marquez while Manny continues to struggle with him, he won Cotto in the last round of "win the profitable opponent" and he'll likely have Canelo Alvarez waiting for him after serving his little jail stint. Manny is going to have a hell of a time just getting past Timothy Bradley (a fight I've gone on record multiple times saying Bradley will win) and even if he does, the options aren't exactly overflowing for the next fight. A fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez is out there, but it's questionable how many times people will pay $70 to watch that fight. The winner of the Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson rematch will represent a legitimate test, but not exactly a box office sensation if it's Peterson. Their careers will go on, they'll both make plenty of money, Floyd will shout about Manny using steroids, Arum will come up with crazy explanations for things and they'll keep not fighting each other. As for me? I'll just keep tuning in for great nights of fights like boxing fans got last Friday night with Friday Night Fights and ShoBox. And, yes, I'll even plunk down my hard earned dollars to watch Floyd take on an old, but still dangerous (enough), version of Miguel Cotto. More Mayweather-Cotto Coverage From SBNBad Left Hook | SB Nation | MMA Mania | Bloody Elbow

Posted in: fight, floyd, head, arum, manny

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

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 Elbow

the weight classes they currently have going on are already decent... why would they not be trying to build-up shallower pools? eta- damn... had welter in my head.... submitted by probl [link] [6 comments]

Posted in: head, weight, weight classes, pools eta, welter

Read the full article at Reddit

Jon Jones beat Rashad Evans by unanimous decision to retain his UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 145. While it may not have lived up to the expectations of many for being sold as a grudge match, it's another notch in the belt of the great Jones. Video is after the jump. Here's how Bloody Elbow described the first round of action in the live blog: They do touch gloves at the intro and both men drop to the three point stance before the opening bell. Jones walking forward. Jones to the body, Rashad with a counter but nothing really there. Head kick by Jones just misses. Knee by Jones after a missed punch by Rashad. Jumping side kick t the knee attempt by Jones. Big punches by Rashad land, nice combination. Head kick by Jones, right hand follow-up. Leg kick by Jones now. Halfway through the first round and Rashad lands a short right. Jab by Jones lands hard. Big left by Jones gets in. Leg kick by Evans. Body kick doubled up by Jones, he looks crisp early. Evans still not quite figuring out the range of the fight. Leg kick by Evans, left hook by Jones. Right hand by Evans, body shot by Jones. Head kick by Jones and Jon is hurt. Interesting first round, 10-9 Evans, but that head kick was a serious moment. You can read the whole fight description here. The video:

Posted in: jone, rashad, head, evan, kick

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

UFC 145 fighter Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson presents a new blog exclusively for MMAWeekly.com as he heads into his battle against Matt Brown in Atlanta.

Posted in: head, stephen, thompson, mmaweeklycom, wonderboy

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

UFC welterweight prospect Rory MacDonald might not be face the biggest name of his career in Che Mills at UFC 145, but it's the first time he's been in the co-main event and that comes with a lot of extra responsibility. MacDonald penned a blog on Sportsnet.ca where he talked about the extra duties involved in a high-profile fight, and how he prepares for stepping into the octagon. First, he gives a glimpse into what's required of him on fight week: In terms of my schedule this week, I mainly have UFC obligations to take care of, including media interviews, press conferences and so on, all stuff I am happy to do. Then I'll train once a day, usually late, just to keep me sharp and keep my heart rate up. I'll also be keeping a close watch on my diet during this time, as the weigh-in takes place on Friday. When you put all of that together -- the media obligations, the training and the weight cut -- there really isn't that much time left for downtime or sightseeing. Your mind is constantly occupied and there is always something to do or think about. He then goes on to discuss how he handles fight day, and gives some insight on what goes through his head as he heads towards the cage: When I'm actually walking to the Octagon on fight night, my focus becomes more intense and I'm thinking more about specific techniques and moves I plan to use. Everything becomes more defined and accurate at this stage. Rather than just a fight, it becomes a test of technique, and I'm strategizing, going over in my head what tricks I can use to get the better of my opponent as quickly as possible. There won't be any negativity in my head at this point. No doubt, anxiety or fear. I don't allow any of that stuff to enter my head. If anything, this is the most confident and self-assured I have ever been in my life. You have to be, moments before you step in the Octagon and fight. You have no other choice. Maybe it's just me, but that seems like a remarkably mature outlook on fighting for a dude that's 21. Perhaps that's why he's one of the best welterweight fighters in the world at such a young age. You can catch the rest of the blog here. SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans

Posted in: ufc, fight, macdonald, head, im

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

submitted by insickness [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: submission, head, james head, papy abedi, insicknes

Read the full article at Reddit

UFC Sweden came to an end and Siyar Bahadurzada’s incredible performance that still has me jumping up and down on my shag rug.  It has been at least an hour and I’m still bouncing.  If I was wearing a sauna suit, I’d probably have lost enough weight to compete at flyweight by now.  In retrospect, all of Siyar Bahaduzada’s recent fights have gotten the same reaction out of me.  If he fought every week, I’d never have to cut-weight or do cardio. I could just watch him fight and do all my exercise by celebrating his victories. It’s the right way to use my head. Below is this weekend’s edition of a lesson in Street MMA, which demonstrates the wrong way to use your head in the context of a fight.  Please watch it and quiver in squeamish excitement upon its conclusion.

Posted in: fight, head, use, street mma, cardio i

Read the full article at Middle Easy

STOCKHOLM -- This is the UFC on FUEL 2 undercard live blog for the UFC on FUEL TV 2 event from the Ericsson Globe Arena.There will be six fights on the undercard. Papy Abedi vs. James Head, Cyrille Diabate vs. Tom DeBlass, Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad, Reza Madadi vs Yoislandy Izquierdo, Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef and Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely will be the matches streamed live on Facebook.Check out the live blogs below. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL 2 Results | UFC News Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely Round 1: Wisely bobs and weaves his way in with a left hook, then scores again with the left seconds later. Young is largely stationary in the center of the cage, while Wisely’s bouncing around all over from the outside. Young takes Wisely’s back standing but can’t get him down. After some knees to the thighs from behind, the ref grows bored and separates them. The crowd does not approve. Young plants Wisely on his back, but can’t get much going from inside his guard, so he opts to stand and, when that’s no more successful, waves Wisely to his feet. Wisely tries a clever little heel kick, but only succeeds in getting taken down again. A meek horn sounds to end the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Young. Round 2: Wisely tries to get the left working again, but Young backs him against the cage and flings him to the mat. It’s clear he can get the fight to the floor. It’s the next part where he seems to run into a dead end. Wisely does a good job tying him up from the bottom, so Young stands up and works kicks to the legs before diving back down with a good right hand. Young tries to get his ground and pound on, but there’s not much there. The ref moves in for another stand-up, this time with a mixed reaction. Young puts him down one more time before the round is up, but is again unable to do much more. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Young. Round 3: Perhaps sensing he’s down on the cards, Wisely comes out hard in the final frame. He lands a nice left and a body kick. This fires up the crowd, and Young tries a jumping knee in response. Young puts Wisely on his back once more and tries again to get some ground-and-pound started. They trade elbows on the ground before Young decided to stand and try the leg kicks again. Young dives in with another right, but the ref moves in seconds later to stand them up. Young flashes a baffled look at this stand-up, but he doesn’t get a vote in this decision. Wisely slips on a head kick and we end the fight on the ground, in guard, where much of it has taken place. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Young. Jason Young def. Eric Wisely via unanimous decision (30-28, 29-28, 30-27) Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef Round 1: Yousef comes in swinging with an early combo and Thoresen stings him right back. Thoresen looks for a takedown but is stymied, much to the crowd’s delight. Huge hook from Yousef flies just over a ducking Thoresen’s head. Thoresen sees the same opening moments later and uses it to nab a takedown. Chants of ‘Besam!’ from the crowd. Yousef doing good work off his back, battering Thoresen with hammer fists from the bottom. Thoresen postures up and fires back, but can’t seem to get much on it. Just as they’re hand fighting in the guard, the ref moves in to stand them up. Take note, everybody. You’re not going to get much time to work on the mat tonight. Thoresen grabs Yousef in the clinch and lets loose with some knees. Yousef turns and lands a hard right at the ten-second warning. Good battle so far, and we’re only one round in. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Thoresen. Round 2: Thoresen paws with a jab early, and both men are looking a little fatigued after that blistering first round. Yousef wades in with wide hooks and Thoresen shoots back a straight left. Thoresen looks for another takedown, but ends up taking a battering from Yousef, who smells blood. Thoresen recovers well, but looks exhausted. He gets Yousef down and nearly locks in a bulldog choke. Yousef rolls to his back to escape, and Thoresen tries an anaconda. Yousef is staying alive, but barely. Thoresen gets mount and unloads from the top. Yousef rolls and exposes his back, which gives Thoresen the perfect opportunity to wrap up the rear-naked choke for the win.Simeon Thoresen def. Besam Yousef via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:36 of round 2 Reza Madadi vs Yoislandy Izquierdo Round 1: Madadi gets a huge ovation on his way to the cage. He’s wearing trunks the color of the Iranian flag, as a nod to his birth place, but he carried a Swedish flag. The fans here love this guy. Izquierdo fires off a sharp combo, but Madadi gets the takedown as chants of ‘Reza!’ start up. He can’t get much going on the mat. Back on the feet, Izquierdo lands a stinging kick. Madadi clinches him against the fence and gets a brief takedown, but Izquierdo pops right back up. More clinch fighting against the fence, but the ref moves to stop it and separate them. Yep, it’s going to be one of those kinds of nights. Madadi dives for a foot, but can’t get it. Izquierdo has the fight where he wants it, and he nails Madadi with a good head kick, then unloads with a vicious punch combination seconds later. Madadi is hurt, but he gets a takedown that saves him in the final seconds. Guillotine attempt by Madadi at the horn, but he’s out of time. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Izquierdo. Round 2: Izquierdo goes right back to work with his combos to start the second, and it’s clear that Madadi is just waiting for him to open up enough for a takedown. Soon enough he does, and after being chased back against the fence with punches, Madadi drops down for a takedown and puts Izquierdo on his back. He looks for the guillotine in the scramble, and Izquierdo defends well until Madadi sweeps him onto his back and tightens the choke. Izquierdo taps with both hands, since he can’t get one free to defend.Reza Madadi def. Yoislandy Izquierdo via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:28 of round 2 Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad Round 1: Stockholm’s Cedenblad is clearly the fan favorite against Montreal’s Carmont. Carmont starts us off with a takedown in the first minute. Cedenblad tries a guillotine on his way down, but Carmont pulls out easily. The lanky Cedenblad has a sticky, active guard, and as Carmont stands up to step away from it, Cedenblad grabs the oportunity for a takedown. Carmont tries to sweep Cedenblad from the bottom and ends up giving up mount, which then allows Cedenblad to take his back. Cedenblad nearly has the rear-naked choke, but can’t seem to finish. He settles for battering the side of Carmont’s head, but Carmont hangs in there and eventually manages to turn into him and get the top position in Cedenblad’s mount. He works a little ground and pound, but Cedenblad reverses just before the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Cedenblad. Round 2: Carmont immediately shoots for the takedown and gets it, with Cedanblad again trying for an unsuccessful guillotine. Carmont passes the guard easily, then gets full mount and begins hammering Cedeblad with punches from the top. Cedenblad may be spent, and Carmont is mauling him right now. Cedenblad rolls to his stomach, and -- after several punches that might have been somewhere in the neighborhood of the back of the head -- Carmont sinks the rear-naked choke. Cedenblad is forced to tap.Francis Carmont def. Magnus Cedenblad via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:42 of round 2 Cyrille Diabate vs. Tom DeBlass Round 1: Referee Leon Roberts gives the signal and Diabate meets DeBlass in the center of the cage. DeBelass moves forward, reaching for the clinch. Diabate tries to keep his distance, but eventually gets trapped against the fence and single-legged to the floor. DeBlass tries to pass, but seems hung up in half-guard as the crowd grows antsy. Finally, after an extended position battle that this evening’s previous refs likely wouldn’t have stood for, DeBlass gets to side control with about a minute left. Once there, he mostly settles for holding Diabate down as the crowd voices its disapproval. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for DeBlass, reluctantly. Round 2: Diabate marches forward and lands a stiff body kick in the opening seconds. DeBlass takes it on the ribs and then traps the leg against his body and uses it to put him right back down. Diabate tries to turn into him and nearly gets himself guillotined, but DeBlass gives it up in exchange for securing side control. Diabate gets to his feet and -- surprise, surprise -- now he takes DeBlass down. At least it’s something new. Diabate manages a few good punches from the top, but DeBlass eventually reverses and uses the threat of a leg lock to go from bottom to top. The crowd is not pleased, though it’s possible that this night of action has spoiled them thus far. Diabate reclaims the top position and softens up Diabate’s body with punches in the final minute of the round. Good diving left hand smacks off DeBlass’ head in the last ten seconds. His corner is not pleased as they move in with the stool. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Diabate. Round 3: Despite his height and reach advantage, Diabate isn’t doing much to keep DeBlass at a distance. He waits until the American moves in for a takedown and then nails him with a knee to the body. DeBlass is looking fatigued. Diabate opens up with his striking and catches DeBlass with a couple nice shots. DeBlass looks for a takedown, but ends up on the bottom, mouth hanging open as he gasps for air. Diabate is content to stay on top and pepper him with punches. DeBlass rolls back for a straight ankle lock, but again it’s only successful in getting him off the bottom. ‘Tommy, you gotta go!’ shouts his corner. They urge him to look for a finish, but it doesn’t seem like he has it in him. Final minute of the fight, and Diabate is back on top, picking away at DeBlass with punches. There’s the horn, and both men lie back exhausted. The crowd seems not terrible impressed with their effort tonight, but they get some polite applause anyway. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Diabate.Cyrille Diabate def. Tom DeBlass via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) Papy Abedi vs. James Head Round 1: Head goes on the attack with a punch combo early, then takes a couple leg kicks from Abedi before deciding to clinch up. Abedi whips him down with a single-leg, and the crowd launches into a chant of ‘Papy!’’ A lone person somewhere behind me starts up a ‘USA!’ chant, but sadly, no takers on that. Abedi maneuvers Head against the fence and tries to get some ground-and-pound going, but Head scrambles to his feet. Head finds a home for that right hand, and so he keeps throwing it. Abedi looks a little stunned as Head adds knees to the attack. Abedi’s on wobbly legs and another right from Head puts him down. Head uses a whizzer to get to mount, then sinks in the choke when Abedi turns. Abedi has to tap, and Head shoves him over as he gets to his feet. There goes that ‘USA!’ guy again.James Head def. Papy Abedi via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:33 of round one

Posted in: round, head, diabate, deblas, thoresen

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

James Head picked up his first UFC win in style, going into Stockholm and defeating Sweden's Papy Abedi via rear naked choke late in the first round. Once Head got his range and avoided the Abedi counter left, he was able to land solid right hands and back Abedi against the cage where he really went to town. A big standing elbow and three solid right hands dropped "Makambo", and Head took advantage and locked in a choke. The finish came at 4:33 of the first stanza. Head took the center to begin and ate some kicks from Abedi. He responded with a solid combination and landed a nice right. The fighters clinched up against the cage, with Abedi (a judo black belt) scooping Head up and planting him on the mat. The crowd cheered for Abedi, but he couldn't do much in Head's guard for a while. He finally passed to half guard, but Head rolled to his stomach and got back to his feet. Abedi landed two nice counter right hands, while Head looked for straight punches down the middle. Head landed a few times a row, and strafed Abedi against the cage with a big elbow. Abedi went down and Head jumped onto his back, looking for the choke. Head didn't look to have it fully secured, but Abedi was still forced to tap out.Abedi was looking for his first UFC win after a submission loss to Thiago Alves in his debut. Head made his UFC debut against Nick Ring at middleweight at UFC 131, but was stopped in the third round. This was his welterweight debut. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva

Posted in: ufc, right, head, abedi, right hands

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

The preliminary card for UFC on Fuel TV from Stockholm, Sweden has come to a close, and was full of exciting bouts. James Head and Papy Abedi put on a back-and-forth show with the local favorite Abedi scoring some success with top position before being rocked by Head and subsequently submitted via rear-naked choke. While it was not the result the fans were looking for, it was a great fight to watch as the preliminaries in Sweden came to a close. In other action, Francis Carmont fought a war against

Posted in: head, fuel tv, papy abedi, stockholm sweden, backandforth show

Read the full article at Low Kick

You couldn’t have found a more high pressure situation for 25-year old light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson, headlining the first UFC show in his hometown of Stockholm, Sweden, and doing it against a hungry knockout artist in the returning Thiago Silva. But Saturday night at the Ericsson Globe Arena, “The Mauler” continued to impress, decisioning Silva over three rounds to up his current winning streak to five. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Gustafsson, who improves to 14-1; Sao Paulo, Brazil’s Silva, fighting for the first time since January of 2011 due to a Nevada State Athletic Commission suspension, falls to 14-3 with 1 NC. His record in his last five fights is 1-3 with 1 NC.The always intense Silva wasted no time getting acclimated to the Octagon in his return to active duty, swinging a hard combination at Gustafsson’s head to begin the bout. Gustafsson got out of the way easily, establishing a stick and move strategy that would pay dividends throughout the 15 minute bout. Around 30 seconds in, Gustafsson made his first statement, dropping Silva with a quick right uppercut. As the crowd erupted, Gustafsson looked to finish, but Silva survived and made it to his feet, albeit with a cut on his forehead.After clearing his head, Silva resumed his forward march as Gustafsson potshotted effectively while easily eluding any return fire. The partisan crowd chanted throughout, adding a soccer-like atmosphere to the proceedings as their favorite son calmly put the first round in the bank.The fast pace continued in the second, with Gustafsson mixing things up with a slick trip to the mat in the opening minute. Gustafsson opted to keep things standing, allowing Silva to get back up. Front kicks to the head and body were added to the Swede’s arsenal as the round progressed, but he refused to get overconfident, knowing that one swing from Silva could change the course of the bout. Just past the midway point of the round, that one swing almost arrived in the form of a right hand that rocked Gustafsson. “The Mauler” backed up and tried to clear his head, and Silva was right on him, looking to land the finisher. But as the long-limbed Gustafsson got some room, he got his legs back as well, foiling Silva’s big chance.That would be the Brazilian’s last stand, as while he continued to stalk his foe in search of a fight-changing exchange, Gustafsson wouldn’t play along in the final round, and his superior speed, movement, and striking variety sealed the biggest victory of his young career.

Posted in: round, silva, head, gustafsson, mauler ”

Read the full article at UFC

James Head didn't believe the myth about first time Octagon jitters until he felt them for in his UFC debut last year...

Posted in: ufc debut, head, james head, octagon, octagon jitters

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: ufc, head, photo, mattyblayze, kickknee

Read the full article at Reddit

Check out some killer shots from HeavyMMA photographer James Law featuring nothing but the greatest head kicks in the UFC. Ready to get your bell rung?

Posted in: ufc, head, shot, killer, killer shots

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Check out some killer shots from HeavyMMA photographer James Law featuring nothing but the greatest head kicks in the UFC. Ready to get your bell rung?

Posted in: ufc, head, shot, killer, killer shots

Read the full article at Low Kick

Anyone missing their weekly dose of mixed martial arts (MMA) violence? Fear not, Maniacs, our weeks-long drought of upper-echelon ass-kicking ends this weekend (Sat., April 14, 2012), when Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) storms into Stockholm, Sweden, for the first time ever with UFC on FUEL TV 2. In the main event, 205-pound mangling machines Alexander Gustafsson and Thiago Silva go head-to-head with a place in the Light Heavyweight elite on the line, while Brian Stann and Alessio Sakara wait impatiently on deck to light up their a Middleweight slugfest. We took a deep dive into the first three UFC on Fuel TV "Prelims" bouts yesterday right here. Now join us after the jump for breakdowns of the remaining three that will stream live -- and for free -- on Facebook from the Ericsson Globe Arena: 170 lbs.: Papy Abedi vs. James Head One of the most highly-regarded European prospects this side of Alexander Gustafsson, hard-hitting Judo specialist Papy Abedi (8-1) turned heads by tearing through the local Middleweight divisions like wet tissue paper, all this despite standing a measly 5’11." Dropping to a more reasonable weight of 170 pounds, "Makambo" was immediately hurtled into the thick of things in his UFC debut, taking on the vicious Thiago Alves. While Abedi did well for himself in the early going, he was rocked badly near the middle of the first round and wound up giving his back, which Alves pounced upon for a rear naked choke finish. Against James Head (7-2) this weekend, he has a chance to prove that his reign of terror was reflective of his own prowess and not his opponents’ lack thereof. Head caught the attention of the UFC by stunning the freshly (and many thought unjustly)-cut Gerald Harris, defeating the recognized contender by unanimous decision. Sadly, Nick Ring proved just too fabulous in Head’s Octagon debut, unceremoniously whooping Head’s behind for 13 minutes before sinking in a merciful rear naked choke. Like Abedi, Head has yet to live up to his potential on the biggest stage in MMA, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he were fighting for his job come Saturday. While I still have questions regarding Abedi’s cardio, especially at this new weight class, Head had such a horrific UFC debut that I doubt it will become a factor. When Abedi is on, his combination of huge power and effective Judo are hard to match. He’s not Hector Lombard, but he’s got some real pop in his hands and should have the chops necessary to dictate where this fight goes. Honestly, though, it probably doesn’t even matter. Head had absolutely nothing for Ring, who I consider mid-tier at best, and despite somehow managing to beat Harris, I don’t think he’ll have much more luck against Abedi. Cutting 15 more pounds than usual won’t make you any less helpless off your back or save you from Abedi’s sledgehammers. Abedi by hometown beatdown. Prediction: Abedi via first-round technical knockout 205 lbs.: Cyrille Diabate vs. Tom DeBlass One of the few men in MMA so devastating on the feet that Mauricio Rua elected to take him down rather than trade strikes, the 6’6" Cyrille Diabate (17-8-1) proved he still had some life in those old bones of his, coming back from a knockdown to pummel Luiz Cane into oblivion in his promotional debut. Unfortunately for the big Frenchman, however, Gustafsson was on deck, and the young Swede blasted Diabate on the feet before locking in a rear naked choke. Diabate has split his most recent bouts, crushing Steve Cantwell before getting choked out by Anthony Perosh. At 38, there’s no telling how much time he’s got left, and as such, this may prove a career-critical bout for "Snake." A Ricardo Almeida Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, well-regarded Tom DeBlass (7-0) has spent his entire career fighting under the Ring of Combat banner, where he is its Light Heavyweight champion. After defeating Randy Smith with a 40-second heel hook in February, DeBlass gets the opportunity to prove his mettle on the biggest stage in MMA, replacing injured kickboxer Jorgen Kruth on short notice. On paper, the outlook looks rather bleak for DeBlass. Not only is he giving up seven inches to somebody who knows how to fight tall and has had significantly more time to prepare, but he also hasn’t fought outside of America. Unfortunately for Diabate, styles make fights. Frankly speaking, Diabate’s ground game is awful. He’s used his length to submit inferior competition, but DeBlass is in another universe on the ground. In addition, DeBlass has solid stand up and wrestling, both of which are more than enough to set up "Snake" for a grappling beatdown. Diabate definitely has the power and skill to put away DeBlass with little warning, but he just doesn’t have the grappling to stay on his feet or stay alive once he’s taken off of them. DeBlass by pretzellation. Prediction: DeBlass via submission in round one 185 lbs.: Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad A training partner of Georges St. Pierre, Francis Carmont (17-7) punched his ticket to the UFC with a solid five-fight streak, including a knockout of veteran Jason Day. "Limitless" proceeded to extend that streak to six with little difficulty, battering The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran Chris Camozzi for three painful rounds. At 6’3," Carmont has proven very effective at using his height and length to pummel opponents at length, and should he derail the streaking Cedenblad, could find himself knocking on the door of the division’s upper echelon. After losing his first two professional fights, Magnus Cedenblad (10-3) has been a man on a mission, winning 10 of his next 11 and seven of his last eight. Further cementing his status as one to watch, "Jycken" has finished nine of those opponents, seven in the first round. After trying out for TUF 13, but being denied after the show decided to only include welterweights, Cedenblad -- who also stands 6’3" -- finally has a chance to realize his dream against a dangerous opponent. While a lack of any up-to-date footage has left me relatively clueless as to Cedenblad’s present abilities, Carmont’s ass-kicking of Camozzi makes me think he’ll have a very bad day. Carmont’s cage experience, superior training camp, and well-rounded skills should be enough to win him the day. I apologize for the brevity here, but I haven’t located any video of Cedenblad less than two years old. In any case, Cedenblad has a good resume, but doesn’t strike me as capable of overcoming Carmont. Prediction: Carmont via unanimous decision Hell, it’s about time we got some UFC. Been too damn long. Remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on Fuel TV 2, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook scheduled for around 12:30 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the main card action as it happens throughout the afternoon this upcoming weekend. See you Saturday, Maniacs.

Posted in: ufc, head, abedi, diabate, deblas

Read the full article at MMA Mania

MMA Mania presents "MMA Talking Heads," a video discussion series featuring mixed martial arts (MMA) journalist Jason Probst with special guest co-host and first lady of MMA media, Meg May. The show touches on all aspects of the sport, with an insider's perspective. In this episode of Talking Heads, Jason Probst is joined by special co-host Meg May. We discuss Alistair Overeem's testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone, drug testing in MMA, and women's MMA with the upcoming Invicta show. Will the UFC be able to find an adequate replacement for the May 26 card? Can Invicta, an all-women's MMA promotion, get a foothold in the public eye? Have a question or comment? Send it to twitter.com/MMATalkingHeads and we will answer it on the next episode! Catch a new episode every week at this channel, or at www.mmamania.com. For past episodes of MMA Mania presents "MMA Talking Heads" click here, here and here.

Posted in: mma, episode, head, mma mania, invicta

Read the full article at MMA Mania

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon 'Bones' Jones heads up Monday's radio show along with UFC on Fuel 2 fighters James Head and John Maguire.

Posted in: jone, mmaweekly radio, radio, john, head

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

In an average day, UFC welterweight James Head will walk his dogs, work for hours for a major gas and oil company, get in a strength and conditioning workout, go back to the desk job, train for several hours, and then cheer on his St. Louis Cardinals before doing it all over again the next day. Just reading through that schedule is exhausting, but Head, who is facing Papy Abedi at UFC on Fuel 2 Saturday in Sweden, told Cagewriter it's perfect because he never gets bored. "It's mentally challenging and I like that. That's why I fight, because it's a mental and physical challenge. It keeps me sharp. I'm always learning things about my industry and fighting. That's how I was brought up. If I get bored with something, it's not really worth my time. I haven't gotten bored with any of the aspects of my life." The industry is petroleum engineering, where it is Head's job to design and implement oil wells that will produce oil and natural gas. He started fighting when he was studying engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla (now called the Missouri University of Science and Technology.) When boredom hit, he tried fighting.

Posted in: ufc, head, oil, dogs work, engineering

Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports

This Saturday's UFC on Fuel TV 2 card in Sweden will feature a Middleweight bout between James Head and Papy Abedi.  Head is confident about his chances heading into his fight against Papy Abedi, stating the following in an interview on fightline.com: "Right now I am training in Oklahoma City with a strong group of fighters at Lovato Jiu-Jitsu, I have Bellator Fighter Jared Hess, World Jiu_Jitsu Champion Rafael Lovato Jr., Matt Grice as well as some local guys who are solid. I'm not worried about

Posted in: head, james head, papy abedi, abedi, saturdays ufc

Read the full article at Low Kick

submitted by GibstDuKopf [link] [8 comments]

Posted in: fighter, head kick, head, amateur fighter, career ko

Read the full article at Reddit

The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Friday announced that a trio of bouts has been verbally agreed to for the TUF Live Finale on June 1 in Las Vegas.

Posted in: bout, championship, tuf, head, finale

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

James Head will be the first to admit that the infamous "Octagon jitters" got to him last summer. The Oklahoma-based fighter started strong, even hurting Nick Ring in the first round, but for the first time in his career, he was tired. He'd entered the fight in incredible condition like always, but for some reason he just couldn't catch his breath. And there were still two rounds to go. The fighter/petroleum engineer would go on to lose that bout in the third round, but has since dropped down to the more competitive weight of 170 pounds. Now 10 months since his UFC debut, Head will be traveling across the pond to Sweden to take on hometown hero Papy Abedi at UFC on Fuel TV 2 in Stockholm. Head spoke with MMAmania.com about getting over the Octagon jitters, dropping down a weight class and what he needs to do against Papy Abedi to secure a victory in this exclusive interview. Check it out: Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You talked about how you had a bit of the jitters in your last fight at UFC 131. You said that wasn't the "real" you against Nick Ring. I want to know what you consider the "real James Head" to be when you're stepping into a fight. James Head: That's a pretty good question. I think the real me is more aggressive. I made some mental mistakes that are uncharacteristic for me. I'd never felt tired in my entire life before and I think that adrenaline dump really affected my physical response. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You stole my next question. I was gonna say I've watched a lot of your fights and you've never seemed tired, not even against Gerald Harris, and you did get tired in your UFC debut. James Head: Oh yeah, it was the craziest thing that I've ever experienced in a fight because I'm always in shape, don't get out of shape and I don't ever fluctuate really over 190 pounds and I went into that fight really in the best shape of my life. That was an eye opener. I went back into the gym, I fought Saturday and was back in the gym Tuesday and I felt great. I went through a really hard CrossFit workout and didn't really even break a sweat. I couldn't believe how I felt. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): So now that you've actually been through it, do you feel you'll be a lot more composed the second time around? James Head: Yeah I do. I think I'll know what to expect. You've got Burt in the back screaming like crazy, "Let's go, it's UFC, let's go baby!" When I walked out to the cage to warm up the first time, it was like I was ready to fight right then. It was hours later until I got back into the cage. I think this time I'll approach it just like any other fight like I have dozens of other times in my life. I'm looking forward to it. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Now you spent the majority of your career at middleweight and you were originally planning on dropping down to welterweight at UFC 138. What was it that really motivated the drop? You didn't seem that small compared to Nick Ring. James Head: Nick Ring, he's a pretty good sized middleweight but he's not one of the big guys like Tim Boetsch or Okami or anything like that. Like I said, I've always kind of walked around at 195 pounds. To make weight weight for my last fight I just walked to the mall in Vancouver which is like four blocks. I woke up at about 187 pounds, walked to the mall, didn't eat anything that day, maybe had like a granola bar. That was Kenny Florian's first time cutting to 145 and I walked in and saw him doing all that work to cut weight and it was an eye opening experience to realize that it wouldn't be that difficult for me to cut to 170 pounds and be one of the bigger guys in the division. I felt it would impose a physical advantage for me. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Moving on to your upcoming fight, you're facing Papy Abedi and you're going into hostile territory. Abedi has never even left Europe and he's got a pretty strong following in his native Sweden. So what are your thoughts about heading in there and having a pretty large amount of people not on your side? James Head: I'm gonna love it. I fought once earlier in my career in Ireland and I fought an Irishman. I came out in my Rocky Balboa red, white and blues and I had the Hulk Hogan song "Real American" playing. Talk about a hostile crowd, they were screaming "spank the yanks!" so I kind of feed of it. It's gonna be good. Maybe I'll wear a viking helmet or something and swing the Swedish people behind me. I don't think it's gonna be an issue. Once they shut the door, it doesn't matter how many people are on the outside booing ya, it's just you and him on the inside. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Abedi is probably at his strongest in the clinch because of his judo base, but you're no slouch in the clinch yourself with your muay thai skills. That's probably one of your most dangerous positions. Do you expect an interesting battle if and when this fight enters the clinch? James Head: I do and I look forward to it. One of the things that makes GSP so good in this sport is he can beat you at your own game like when he outwrestled Josh Koscheck or really do whatever it is he wants to do if he wants to take away your strongest weapon. I feel clinch work is definitely strong for Abedi. It's not like I want to live in the clinch with him or anything but I'm not afraid to be anywhere with him. On the ground, in the clinch, I'm confident that my skills will be fine. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Abedi made his UFC debut against one of the top guys in the division, a former title challenger in Thiago Alves. He's said that he doesn't know much about you, hasn't watched much about you. Do you think he's underestimating you because you don't have as big of a name as his last opponent? James Head: Maybe, but anymore in the UFC, you can't underestimate anybody. If you look at Abedi, he's fought one guy that you could look on his record that you would recognize them and he didn't make it out of the first round. If he's not giving me respect, that's fine. It's his problem. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): In your last fight, you were having difficulties keeping it upright because you were having a lot of success on the feet. How much of a concern is it, having the ability to keep the fight standing against Abedi because he does have the possibilities of taking the fight to the ground with his judo if he were to close the distance? James Head: Yeah, that's a good point. That was one of the those mental mistakes that I was telling you about. In my fight with Gerald Harris, he's tough but Nick Ring was a much better wrestler and at getting the fight to the ground. If you would have asked me beforehand of who has the better chance of taking the fight to the ground, Nick Ring or Gerald Harris, I would have told you Gerald Harris 100 percent. I don't think, I'm not really concerned with Papy's takedowns. He hasn't really shown much. I haven't seen much on him other than the Thiago fight and a little bit of stuff he's got on the internet. As far as him coming out and outwrestling me, that's not going to happen. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I've got a couple last questions here about your background. Most fighters start in wrestling or some other martial art before transitioning to MMA but you got your start in mixed martial arts and then through that, you started doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments and then boxing and now muay thai. You're kind of like the reverse of a lot of fighters and I think that's really interesting. James Head: Yeah, I stumbled into MMA. My background growing up was just an athlete. I played everything, baseball, football, basketball. Anything I could compete in, I did, race motocross. When I went away to college, I still wanted to compete so I went to the Warrior Gym in Missouri and I thought it was a boxing gym at the time and the guy that owns and runs the place will be in my corner. That Saturday, Ken Sparks, he was a pro boxer that had just got started in MMA back, way back like 9-10 years ago. Once you get into it and start learning about it, I was just grappling for MMA and then I joined and put on a gi like that way so I thought I knew what jiu-jitsu was and then I put a gi on like, "Holy shit, what is this? I have handles on me now!" It's just been a really awesome journey and I'm still learning, I'm still getting better every day and that's what fuels me. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): What do you think has to go right the most in order for you to get a victory next Saturday? James Head: All I need to do is to show up and perform up to my capabilities and there's no way I can lose. James would like to thank R1 MMA, Matt Grice, Jared Hess, Tapout, Training Mask, Kevin Malahy, CrossFit 405 for strength and conditioning and his nutritionist. They made this next week possible. You can follow him on twitter @TheJamesHead. So what do you think, Maniacs? Will Head be able to conquer the Octagon jitters his second time around? Or will facing a top prospect like Abedi in hostile territory be too much for him? Sound off!

Posted in: fight, head, jame, brian, mmamaniacom

Read the full article at MMA Mania

submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]

Posted in: jone, head, bone, bones jones, mattyblayze

Read the full article at Reddit

The UFC has its home for the third FX card. After voting in the Harley-Davidson Hometown Throwdown, UFC on FX 3 heads to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – the UFC's first trip to the Sunshine State in more...

Posted in: ufc, fx, head, fx card, sunshine state

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

James Head will make the journey over to Sweden for UFC on Fuel 2. The card takes place in Stockholm on April 14 where the middleweight will meet Papy Abedi. For Head, more than the experience of fighting in an exotic locale, this fight is all about getting that first win inside the Octagon. Last year, Head was defeated by Nick Ring at UFC 131 when finding himself on the wrong side of a Rear-Naked Choke with less than 90 seconds left in the third round. Abedi is also searching for his initial UFC victory after falling to Thiago Alves in his debut. “I think the Nick Ring fight didn’t allow me to show my full potential. I let the fight get bigger than it actually was. I used to think it was bullsh*t when people said they had Octagon jitters, but I got them. It definitely affected my performance. I’m just so anxious to get back in there and perform up to my capabilities,” said an animated Head in an interview with FightLine. “Every fight is a must-win as far as I’m concerned, and I want this win badly.” Head had his two-fight win streak snapped by Ring and was forced to pull out of a planned pairing with John Maguire due to injury. As such, the Illinois native is itching to get back inside the Octagon “I’m really excited about fighting overseas for the first time,” Head added, then turning back to his expectations for the bout. “I plan on putting him to sleep. One way or another, I’m looking to end this fight early. The UFC pays us to show and to win; they don’t pay us any overtime!” UFC on Fuel 2 is headlined by a light heavyweight meeting between Thiago Silva-Alexander Gustafsson and also features bouts like Paulo Thiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada and Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, fight, head, octagon, octagon jitters

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

After a bone-breaking finish of Patricky Freire at Bellator 62, Lloyd Woodard says he'd consider it an honor to crack Rick Hawn upside his head at Bellator 66.

Posted in: head, rick, patricky freire, crack, lloyd woodard

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Some people say that age is nothing but a number, but those people are just pointing out that age isn't a letter or a shape. Age also isn't a glass of water or an office trashcan, yet those statements are nowhere as near as profound. Maurice Smith's 50-year-old foot has acknowledged that age is in fact only a number, yet that number has the ability to make people's head explode on contact. The last time Maurice Smith held the UFC heavyweight belt, Bill Clinton was still president. Netscape was also considered a viable internet browser and the first Sony Playstation most likely ruled your television with an iron fist. Tonight at RFA 2, Maurice Smith went up against Idaho's Jorge Cordoba and managed to execute a headkick KO that would even make a prime Cro Cop blush. Check out the .gif compliments of ZombieProphet, and just be happy that it wasn't your head.

Posted in: age, head, smith, maurice, peoples head

Read the full article at Middle Easy

I'm a pretty open guy, I'm willing to try new things, but I hope I'm never involved in a scenario where I'm unarmed and being robbed by a trio of Guatemalan bandits who are waving their machetes around with a gusto only Central American's can muster. No sir, I have no problem with needles but my greatest death fears involve being eaten by a medium sized shark and being hacked to pieces by machete wielding mad men...Or just being stabbed in general. Read this scary account of Cesar Gracie fighter Caleb Mitchell's trip to Guatemala, in which he fended off his attackers with the power of the 209. This is Caleb's Facebook post from Guatemala. He might still be stuck out there without his passport. Its hard to put all in writing better story told in person, had to just post highlights I was in a car with my friend Susan, driving to san marcos la laguna Guatemala from Antigua, Guatemala The road was blocked off with rocks one town over from san marcos in san Pablo la laguna I said “this isnt right seems like a jack move”, “dont get out roll up the windows and lock the doors” · she said what do we do, I said I dont know Susan said she would get out and move the rocks, if anything happens I can get out and protect her I said no way if anyone is getting out to do anything its me, you stay in the car because if you get out there is no way I will be able to protect you, we will both be helpless I still didn't want to get out I wanted to back up and wait for another car to come She said I am going to get out and move them, she unlocked her door and motioned to open it. I said NO, ok I will get out and move the rocks, if anything happens get out of here, do NOT get out of the car! I got out, quietly and quickly moved two rocks, grabbed the third one and they came out of the brush; two with machetes one with a rock in hand I ran a couple steps, tripped, they chased I got up and ran up a little mound of sand off the side of the road they caught up with me and were grabbing all over me Susan drove a few feet forward and then they threw a rock at her car, blowing out her back left taillight, and denting the fender a little. Then Susan, knowing that getting out of the car would only make matters worse, drove up the hill into town to get help and reinforcements I struggled a little with the banditios but said ok ok I will give it to you as they demanded for my money · they knocked me to the ground · holding me and trying to force hands in my pockets when I was on the ground I gripped a large rock thinking about hitting one in the head with it and then came to the conclusion that would be the death of me so I let go of it. They continued riffling in my pockets they couldn’t get my wallet out, too fat, and I had my hand in my pocket acting like I was going to take it out for them but really I was stuffing the pocket making it difficult for them to take the wallet One guy slapped me with the side of the machete in my left side I got pretty fucking scared for my life I stood up and one guy with a machete stuck one hand in my pocket leaving the machete in his other hand, I went for it, he started telling his friends that I was trying to take the machete. The rock guy grabbed a big rock and acted like he wanted to bash my head in with it, getting very aggressive, motioning towards me and telling his friends to move so he could get me I maneuvered the other two in between us as a shield and ducked behind them a little bit When I realized I was going to get my head bashed in by the rock, I made a strong move for the machete with both hands and twisted it out of the guys grip I swung the machete over him and nailed the guy with the rock in his left side ribs as he was holding his arms up motioning to hit me with his rock, he disappeared into the night Then my head and sight went a little blurry, I didn't realize it at the time but, I got hit in the side of the head with the other machete. I swung my machete back and think I hit the guy who hit me in the side as he ran by me to get away. I was still standing Only me and the guy that had slapped me with the machete and who I had disarmed, remained I pushed him, he tried to run but fell down the mound of sand into the road, I chased and could’ve hacked him up but instead I let him get up to run He ran three feet right into another pile of sand and fell again, he turned over facing upwards and motioning his hands upwards as to block any possible machete strikes coming down from me. I stood over him with the machete motioning-fainting as to hit him with the machete but really just wanting him to get up and run away saying git tss tsss.. he got up and ran , then I ran too, I ran as fast as I could up the road slash hill where Susan had driven off into the night i was still carrying the machete I ran faster than my legs would go so I fell, got up and continued running, looked back when halfway up the hill, thought about walking but then decided I better continue running as my life depended on it. I get to the top and there are a bunch of locals in san pablo la laguna I said did you see a girl…forgetting that they prob don’t understand English but, They said si ella va ariba para recoher la policia (Yes she went up to pick up the police) I ran my hands all around my head checking for blood, my head was throbbing, I was sure that I would be bleeding, miraculously there was no blood detected, and the natives said there was no blood as well. they gave me wáter Susan returned with the police and we went back down to search the area for my phones and passport I found my local phone and baggage claim ticket but nothing else, then we told the police, ok we are going to go now and they said ok…we drove off, no police report, no interview, nothing. When I reached my grandfathers place, My Mayan friend David was at the house and he and Susan treated my wounds, using alcohol, salt water and aloe vera…..I felt amazing, thinking that somehow played out about as well as it possibly could have, despite having scrapes and bruises on my hands, knees, elbows, knuckles and a throbbing headache from a machete chop to the right side of my head just above my ear. I still have the machete I was bleeding a little and had a horrible headache all night, I did not sleep in fear of a possible concussion and due to an overwhelming amount of adrenaline. I was not struck hard, I am alright, although there was a small blood line and cut about 3 inches long but not deep I did not draw blood on my adversary, or at least the machete had no blood on it ·I think it may have been too dull to cut through his clothes but I hit him full force swing so I think I must have broken a few ribs In conclusion, Guatemala is a dangerous place, but adventure makes life interesting. “The more I train, the luckier I get”. It is great to be alive so live everyday like it could be your last while still planning for the future and don’t be afraid to love because there is no time to hold back. Have no fear, because fear clogs cognitive thinking. Don’t be afraid to die because if you fear death you will never really live. / Caleb Mitchell 3 19 2012

Posted in: guy, head, hand, rock, machete

Read the full article at Middle Easy

Popular Brazilian journalist, Mario Filho, who is known for his daring head to head sparring sessions with MMA's most skilled champions, steps inside the cage with current UFC Light Heavyweight champ Jon "Bones" Jones...

Posted in: jone, jon jones, head, brazilian, champions steps

Read the full article at Low Kick

This Saturday night, Jason Jones returns to action for the first time in 2012 when he goes head to head with Przemyslaw Mysiala at BAMMA 9 from the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.A 25-fight veteran, Jones has competed in such organizations as M-1 Global, Shooto, and K-1, and heads into his BAMMA debut riding the momentum of a dramatic third-round KO victory over Shamil Abdulmuslimov at the United Glory 2010-2011 World Series Finals.Intent on making an immediate impact on BAMMA's Light

Posted in: jone, head, bamma, bamma debut, przemyslaw mysiala

Read the full article at Low Kick

submitted by Tokestra420 [link] [3 comments]

Posted in: ko, head, muay, thai, tokestra

Read the full article at Reddit

The animosity between former teammates Rashad Evans and Jon Jones is well-documented. The heat stemming from what seemed to be a misunderstanding has since snowballed into one of the premier rivalries in MMA today and well come to a head on April 21 when the light heavyweights face off in headlining action at UFC 145 with Jones’ divisional championship on the line. With the event essentially a month away the hype has been amped up with a recent preview for the match-up where the world is offered a reminder of how little the wound has healed on the broken friendship the two shared in the not too distant past. “A lot of my mentors have been talking to me, saying, ‘You know what, Jon, don’t let him get in your head.’ But the truth of the matter is he is in my head and I want him in my head, I like him in my head – that’s when I train better, that’s when I focus more, that’s when I study his fights more,” said Jones of Evans’ personal jabs at his attitude, labeling him as being an exceptionally cocky individual whose number he has. “Let’s not beat around the bush here. I’m the champ, he’s the challenger. He wants what I have. I’m not giving it to him,” explained a frank Jones, adding, “I’m trying to solidify a legacy and beating Rashad Evans right now is the biggest piece to the puzzle.” Watch the full preview below where bouts between Rory MacDonald-Che Mills and Brendan Schaub-Ben Rothwell are highlighted:

Posted in: jone, i ’m, head, ’m, evan

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

If you ever have a tough time deciding what kind of haircut you should get when you go to your barber/stylist, don't worry — I can help. This is the kind of haircut you should get. The "two pictures of Michael Jordan shaved into your head" haircut. Problem solved! We did it! Now, you will have to go to San Antonio to get this haircut, because that is where Razor Sharp Cutz is, and Razor Sharp Cutz is where master barber Joe Barber — which is a pretty lucky last name, considering the profession he chose — makes people's heads into love letters to Michael Jordan. (It remains unclear if he will turn your head into this love letter from Michael Jordan . I bet he would, if you asked nicely enough.) If you really care about looking great for your spring formal or that big job interview, though, you will spring for airfare, plus the $75 that Sweater Punch reports that this haircut will cost you. Sometimes you have to sacrifice for art.

Posted in: michael, head, jordan, michael jordan, haircut

Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports

submitted by thesnowflake [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: joe warren, head, referee, head trauma, thesnowflake

Read the full article at Reddit

MMA Mania presents "MMA Talking Heads," a video discussion series featuring mixed martial arts (MMA) journalist Jason Probst and special guest host Ian Parker. The show touches on all aspects of the sport, with an insider's perspective. In this episode, Jason and Ian discuss UFC on FX 2: "Alves vs. Kampmann," as well as this past weekend's Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey" fight card. We delve into the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight tournament, and Ronda Rousey's impressive submission to win the 135-pound championship over Miesha Tate. Maniacs, we want to your input! If there's a question you'd like answered on an upcoming Talking Heads, send them to www.twitter.com/MMATalkingHeads or jasonprobst@gmail.com. Thanks, and we'll see you next time on Talking Heads!

Posted in: ufc, mma, vs, head, ronda rouseys

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Lil' Nog isn't impressed by Alexander Gustafsson's stand-up. In fact, despite being among the most skilled BJJ black-belts in MMA, the 2007 Pan American bronze medalist says he has no concerns about standing with the Swede when the two go head to head at UFC on Fuel TV 2.

Posted in: head, gustafsson, alexander, bjj blackbelts, alexander gustafssons

Read the full article at Low Kick

submitted by sosa7712 [link] [comment]

Posted in: head, spoiler, head spoilers, sosa

Read the full article at Reddit

"This is my favorite win of all time. Coming in winning the Ultimate Fighter, it's really not in the UFC, you start over right when you get into the UFC. That is what I learned real quick. You know I had a couple of losses last year and I'm starting this year off right. Getting a win over Rampage, he's up there, he just fought for the title, he's top five in the division so I couldn't ask for more. He got that good slam, you know , I knew he was waiting for something because he was a little to relaxed right there with his hands and he was just waiting for me to knee the head and he caught me, he's a strong dude, so he picked me up and slammed me right on my head and I was out of it honestly for a little bit. But, I just recovered and that's what it's about, just staying in there and battling and that's what happened." -- Ryan Bader tells UFC.com that he was "out of it" for a little while after Quinton Jackson slammed him in the second round of their co-main event bout last night (Feb. 25, 2012) at UFC 144 from Saitama, Japan. "Rampage," who was known for power bombing opponents such as Kazushi Sakuraba and Ricardo Arona while fighting in Japan with Pride FC, had yet to show the stateside fans his incredible strength with his powerful slams that he was accustomed to doing in the Far East. Perhaps all it took a trip to "The Land of The Rising Sun" to inspire Jackson to do what he does best, and that's drop them on their heads. Bader, however, rattled after landing head first and awkwardly on his arm, shook of the split-second cobwebs to regain his composure and control the pace from that moment forward en route to a unanimous decision win. With "Darth" upsetting Jackson's large fan base in attendance, he propelled himself closer to the top of the mountain in the 205-pound division and handed Jackson his second consecutive loss. Impressed with Bader's composure after the slam from "Rampage" and his overall performance for that matter? It certainly looked like it could have been much worse -- the crunching slow motion replays were insane.

Posted in: ufc, rampage, jackson, head, bader

Read the full article at MMA Mania

All eyes head towards Saitama Super Arena this weekend.

Posted in: head, saitama, arena, eye, eyes head

Read the full article at Fight Opinion

Frankie Edgar knows that the loudest ones in the room are usually the ones that fall the hardest, so instead he just keeps his head down, works hard, and success keeps happening.

Posted in: head, edgar, frankie edgar, frankie, one

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

John Nash presents a revised and updated Fighting Presidents post from last year over on Head Kick Legend. Who knew that Abraham Lincoln was actually almost as awesome as the vampire huntin' movie makes him out to be?

Posted in: year, head, presidents post, abraham lincoln, john nash

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

submitted by 416fighter [link] [comment]

Posted in: head, use, nsac head, use exemption, exemption

Read the full article at Reddit

submitted by Like_Wild_Potato [link] [comment]

Posted in: head, point, dean, herb, likewildpotato link

Read the full article at Reddit

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.ca

submitted by insickness [link] [comment]

Posted in: head, body, xpost, insickness link, raskscience

Read the full article at Reddit

The co-main event on Wednesday's UFC on Fuel TV card seems to be a shoo-in for "Fight of the Night" honors. Stefan Struve, the tallest fighter in the Octagon, squares off with Dave Herman, the most eccentric character on the roster. Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve (22-5) has crammed the experience of a crusty veteran into his gangly, noodle-like frame. Just an inch shy of being a seven-footer, the Dutch mixed martial artist is a veritable tower in the cage who's accrued a guffawing twenty-seven fights at just twenty-three years of age, and this event will mark his tenth foray in the Octagon. In his promotional debut at UFC 95, Struve was unfortunate to draw eventual heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and was relegated to the Brazilian boxer's highlight reel. He rebounded from the first-round TKO loss with two rousing submission wins (Dennis Stojnic, Chase Gormley) and a hard-fought decision victory over savvy scrapper Paul Buentello. Roy Nelson and his Christmas-ham of a right hand would snap that three-piece streak but, undeterred, Struve trudged onward and finished two more in a row, this time by TKO (Christian Morecraft, Sean McCorkle). The pendulum would continue to swing as Struve incurred his third defeat to Travis Browne, but this one was particularly deflating in that all three losses had been crushing, first-round knockouts. He developed a rep for being "chinny" and unable to capitalize on his condor-like wingspan. The kid deserves credit for keeping his nose to the grindstone and exuding an admirable fighting spirit, which was on full display in his last outing against Pat Barry at the UFC Live 6 card. Struve unfurled his spidery limbs and latched a second-round triangle choke to get back in the win column. More UFC on Fuel TV Dissections Simpson vs. Markes | Miocic vs. De Fries | Dillashaw vs. Watson | Facebook Prelims Formerly known as "Pee Wee", the newly flocculent Dave Herman (21-2) now goes by the moniker "Sasquatch." Herman is a choice blend of barbarian in the cage and charmingly aloof quipster outside of it. For example, here are a few eclectic gems from his official Twitter page: "Took my first hot shower in a couple months today. It was everything I thought it would be." "I don't know how many more days of laying on the couch and not doing anything I can take. I think 2 more." "Have you ever had Doritos with honey on them? That way when you finish your Doritos you don't have to have any honey." Herman recently took a moment at the Fuel TV open workouts to reflect with MMA Junkie about his dapper pink scarf. "I actually made this scarf on Friday. I stayed up late and only got three hours of sleep before I got on the plane just to make sure I got it done. I knew it was going to be chilly, and I figured I should probably have a scarf. … I weaved it on a loom." Personally, I still shudder at the dark memories of finding myself in the filthy clutches of a spontaneous all-nighter on the loom. Alas, that's Herman's style and it works just fine when accompanied by electric wins like his UFC debut against Jon Olav Einemo. In his interview before facing the decorated sport grappler, Herman gave his technical outlook on Jiu Jitsu, confessing, "I don't really think it works." His face plastered with an inopportune perma-grin, Herman took more than he gave in the first and seemed genuinely preoccupied with some humorous distraction, as if each punch to the noggin was a joy inducing reminder he'd made it to the big leagues. He got a bead on Einemo in the second and unbolted a thunderous knee that triggered a rousing TKO, acquiring the Fight of the Night bonus in the process. A positive drug test for marijuana has sidelined Herman since UFC 131 last June though Herman refuted the charge. Pre-UFC, Herman was a virtual slaughterhouse, finishing fifteen straight opponents, fourteen of which were in the first round and thirteen via strikes. He then crossed the pond and incurred his first (and only legit) career loss to Mu Bae Choi in the Sengoku promotion. It was about this time Herman concluded that he should start training seriously. In his last six before signing with the UFC, Herman won five and ended four in the first frame, two of which were extremely rare finishing methods (TKO by axe kicks and an omoplata submission). His sole blemish was a DQ for firing illegal knees to the head of Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. The hardcore fan base took note of his gathering dominance but were increasingly mystified by Herman's in-cage lunacy. Though Herman never wrestled in high school, he was red-shirted by Indiana University and qualified for the NCAA championships his sophomore year after placing seventh at the Big Tens. He did not, however, embody your typical 6'5" Division 1 wrestler: Herman fought like a hyperactive kid who'd willfully neglected his Ritalin during a Bruce Lee movie binge, ricocheting around the cage in a whirlwind of flashy kicks with effectiveness that ranged from total failure to flawless execution. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV After such a gushing build up, it's only appropriate to begin with this animation of Herman, because it perfectly captures the true essence of his insanity, athleticism and creativity. Leading with one of his favorites, the jumping front kick, Herman tacks on a spinning roundhouse kick and not only misses the mark entirely, but flails to the canvas in a heap of limbs. Finding himself flat on his back and thoroughly vulnerable before the bewildered Sokoudjou, Herman immediately snatches his leg and transitions to the kneebar. Herman employed his wrestling to stay standing against Einemo and excellent scrambling to get back to his feet. Though there was a clear ebb and flow in the first, Herman's sketchy head movement and straight-line retreats got him in trouble. He loves to wander back while being pressed with strikes and then bounce off the cage with an unorthodox flurry. When trading in the pocket, Herman shrinks his head back and keeps it upright rather than bobbing and weaving, which is a flaw that Struve shares. Herman's kicks and knees are his best weapons and have fostered most of his TKO stoppages. Struve trains under old school kickboxing legend "Dirty" Bob Schreiber and won his first amateur fight by head-kick KO at age sixteen. He reminds me a little of Martin Kampmann in that, though a kickboxing-based fighter at heart who prefers to stand, he's not a big power puncher and his submission grappling seems to be noticeably smoother and much more effective. That aspect along with his steely composure is on full display to the right. When Pat Barry hoists him up Rampage vs. Arona style, Struve keeps the triangle tight but loosens up just enough to brace his fall, then constricts it tight to elicit the tap. While he takes flak for not applying his length to the fullest on the feet, Struve uses his frame well on the mat. He creates a continent of space between him and his opponent with technical use of his hips and also has strong wrist control. His sweeps are fundamentally sound and lightning fast; his base from the top is overbearing and his power is quite sufficient in the form of ground and pound. Struve's takedown defense is also burdened by his height, as the lower center of gravity and superior agility of his foes allows them to get deep on his hips. This is a total toss-up in the striking department. Both fighters have porous defense, lax head movement and substandard footwork, making them very hittable. However, they both have huge hearts and a knack for absorbing punishment only to persevere through an outpouring of their own offense. Struve has been wise to cut back on the kicks and flying knees and whittle his offering down to a straight one-two and basic, crisp punches. Herman will toy around with a litany of jumping front, spinning and axe kicks on the fringe and look to bury knees to the head and body at close range. I'd give Herman the edge in the clinch and he clearly holds the wrestling advantage, while Struve gets just a slight nod in submissions as Herman is deceivingly adept in that facet. It's worth mentioning that Struve has now filled out his frame and is tipping the scales at over 260-pounds, giving him some girth to match to his length. The betting lines favor Herman slightly. This is a tough call because each competitor has their fair share of weaknesses and both rely on rhythm and emotion. I think Struve will be a handful on the ground and I'd shoot takedowns if I were him just to keep the threat fresh in the D1 wrestler's mind. Struve's tremendous reach will also be a salient factor because of Herman's dangerous defensive tactics -- if he moves straight back and rests on the cage with his head stationary, Struve will tag him. Herman might also struggle to close the vast distance even more due to his odd head position while attacking. I'd consider this match about even but will side with a sentimental favorite. My Prediction: Dave Herman by TKO. Herman vs. Sokoudjou gif via "Caposa" All others via Zombie Prophet of IronForgesIron.com Poll Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman Struve Herman   0 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, vs, head, struve, herman

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Former PRIDE FC and K-1 star Gary Goodridge may no longer be competing in mixed martial arts, but that doesn't mean the 46-year-old bruiser isn't still fighting on a daily basis. His new opponents? Slurred speech and prescription pain killers. Indeed, according to a report from MMAWeekly.com, Goodridge was recently diagnosed with early onset CTE/pugilistic dementia stemming from his long career of taking shots to the head both inside the ring and outside it during training and various sparring sessions. Between MMA and kickboxing, Goodridge has amassed a staggering 80+ fights to his name since 1996. Unfortunately his career ended in a serious decline, as the Canadian was forced into retirement following seven consecutive losses dating back to March 2007. But despite his sickness and declining health, he doesn't regret a single second of it. "I have no regrets. I love the way I live my life, I mean I would like to make little changes, but no, I have no regrets. I loved the way my life was, I lived a good life, and I'm happy with what I did." As surprising as that may be, it's perhaps even more surprising that Goodridge doesn't actually blame MMA for his troubles. Actually, he says K-1 is the main culprit for his condition. "I would like to share with people, but I think most of my damage came from K-1. MMA really wasn't an issue because there's hardly any shots to the head. 90-percent of my injuries came from K-1, where there's nothing but head trauma, head injuries over and over again." Goodridge, regrettably, may not have found himself in a unique situation. Brain injuries stemming from repeated head trauma have been receiving more attention as the sport of MMA continues its global expansion, even prompting some fans to disassociate themselves with the sport. Because MMA is evolving so rapidly and fans (and the medical community) are still running to catch up, it may take several years for damage incurred today to show its lasting effects and long-term consequences. Does anyone else notice a difference in behavior/speech pattern in Chuck Liddell, Phil Baroni and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira? And do we have a responsibility to act on it? Gary may not blame MMA and it may, in fact, be safer than K-1, seeing as the focus isn't completely on repeated trauma to the head. But there's no doubt the sport is dangerous for those who choose to partake in it. There are no clear-cut answers, but as Goodridge has shown, it may get worse before it gets better. Thoughts?

Posted in: mma, head, condition i, goodridge, focus isnt

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Well, here’s some saddening news. K-1 and PRIDE veteran Gary Goodridge informed MMA Weekly recently that he’s been diagnosed with CTE/Pugilistic Dementia, or in layman’s terms, the same type of brain damage that many retired boxers and football players are suffering from later in life due to all the head trauma they incurred over the course of their careers. As you can imagine, it was difficult news to hear, but Goodridge says he doesn’t have any regrets. He also blames it more on his K-1 career than his MMA bouts. “You get the news you just have to deal with it, live with it,” Goodridge told MMAWeekly.com on Monday. “There’s no treatment that goes along with it. There’s pills to make it slow down the process, but it’s inevitable.” “I would like to share with people, but I think most of my damage came from K-1. MMA really wasn’t an issue because there’s hardly any shots to the head,” said Goodridge. “90-percent of my injuries came from K-1, where there’s nothing but head trauma, head injuries over and over again.” “I have no regrets,” said Goodridge. “I love the way I live my life, I mean I would like to make little changes, but no, I have no regrets. I loved the way my life was, I lived a good life, and I’m happy with what I did.” He may not have any regrets, but it’s still a sad story and unfortunately, it probably won’t be the last as MMA continues to mature. Now that Goodridge’s professional fighting career is over he plans to stay in combat sports by teaching seminars around the world. He also just released his autobiography, “Gatekeeper: The Fighting Life of Gary ‘Big Daddy’ Goodridge,” which was actually co-authored by one of our former writers, Mark Dorsey. We wish Goodridge the best. Image via Sherdog

Posted in: mma, life, head, goodridge, ctepugilistic dementia

Read the full article at MMA Convert

submitted by TallNStall [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: legend, diego, sanchez, head, downfall

Read the full article at Reddit

The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced Thursday that at least one UFC 143 drug screen has come back positive.

Posted in: ufc, head, drug, nevada state, screen

Read the full article at Sherdog

submitted by Avertr [link] [10 comments]

Posted in: head kick, opponent, head, kick, avertr

Read the full article at Reddit

The prelims are for UFC 143 have completed. Here they are. Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson destroyed Dan Stittgen with a head kick knockout @ 4:13 of the first round. Stittgen stood with him for some odd reason and damn, he paid a serious price for it. This will be your Knockout Of The Night. I don't care what else happens. Rafael Natal won a Unanimous Decision over Michael "Judo?" Kuiper (30-27x2 and 29-28). This one turned out to be pretty entertaining. Natal completed 5 takedowns in the first round alone prompting Joe Rogan to praise Michael Kuiper for his takedown defense (seriously). The second round was pretty much Natal landing absurd haymakers while Kuiper plodded forward and landed a number of strikes on his own. The third opened up with Kuiper crushing Natal with a right uppercut and nearly finishing the fight before Natal turned the tide and got Michael back to the ground, nearly submitting him with an arm triangle. I enjoyed this fight quite a bit. Matt Riddle defeated Henry Martinez by a garbage split decision. Martinez, despite a HUGE size disadvantage absolutely lit Matt Riddle up on the feet for the first round and a half. He landed crisp counters and dominated the fight until Riddle discovered body kicks and started mashing buttons at the very end of the second. Riddle clearly dominated the 3rd round but in no way deserved that decision. Martinez should get another chance and hopefully at his real weight of 155. Martinez got flat out jobbed here. Someone needs to make sure that isn't Leonard Garcia inside a Matt Riddle suit. Matt Brown put Chris Cope to sleep with a right-left combo in the second round. The first round was on the close side but a clear 10-9 for "The Immortal". Brown really started to get loose in the 2nd frame and it felt like a matter of time before he landed the deathblow and that was certainly the case as he dazed Cope with a right hand and then put him down with a left to the temple. A few shots on the ground and that was all she wrote. Edwin Figueroa defeated Alex Caceres via Split Decision in the LONGEST THREE ROUND FIGHT EVER!!! Caceres absolutely jackhammered Figueroa with a penis head kick (hat tip to Dennis Bermudez) in the first round. After a long recovery period and a "strong warning" from Herb Dean, Edwin came back and dropped Alex with a MASSIVE head kick (to the correct head) and nearly stopped him. Alex ended up getting out of it and taking his back before the round ended. Then in the 2nd round, Alex lands yet another vicious penis head kick on Figueroa. After another long recovery period, Herb Dean takes *2* points from Caceres. The third round was full of more back and forth action with Figueroa being vulnerable to infinite submissions but surviving due to Alex's inability to lock up a choke. After the fight, Caceres can't believe that there is not one more round. That head kick really scrambled his brains. I can't even get too mad at the judges decision, though. The fight was a complete cluster and easily one of the more bizarre fights I have ever watched. Dustin Porier submitted Max Holloway @ 3:23 1st round in what should be YOUR Submission of the Night. Porier got the takedown and went straight to mount. He locked up a tight armbar, transitioned to a triangle choke and rolled into mount. He finally got the tap from a nasty mounted triangle/armbar. Holloway is apparently only a white belt in bjj so that kind of stuff is likely to happen when you are in there with a monster like Porier. That was fantastic stuff. Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in: fight, round, head, kick, alex

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

At UFC 143, former UFC/Pride/Strikeforce fighter Fabricio Werdum returns to the Octagon for the first time in over three years. He's facing Roy Nelson in a fight that, on paper, looks to be a grappling showdown. But in this sport of MMA, we often see two closely matched ground specialists chose to decide the fight on their feet, and given these two men's histories (especially Nelson's), there is a strong chance we'll see more stand-up than ground action on Saturday night. So in anticipation of Werdum vs. Nelson, let us take a detailed look at the striking of Fabricio Werdum. Werdum is your classic high level jiu jitsu practitioner, with a pile of world class grappling and submission accolades. But over the years he has trained with Mirko Cro Cop and progressed his stand-up. So where do his striking skills now stand, and how will they hold up against Big Country? Let's break it down. DEVELOPMENT I'll start off by talking about development, because for Werdum, this is perhaps the biggest part of his striking game. His striking progress over the years has been phenomenal. When he first started in MMA back in 2002, he was undeniably a submission specialist. His striking in those early fights is rudimentary at its best - terrible at its worst. Watching his early fights you see a very sloppy fighter with terrible technique just winging wide punches with no form at all. He showed no defense, keeping his chin way up, his hands way down. You can see this in this early fight with Gabriel Gonzaga. Against Ebenezer Fontes Braga in 2004, he scored a win with a big overhand right, which in some ways showed promise for his game, but also hurt his stand-up. After the Braga fight, he became too reliant on this huge right, and would swing it wildly, overextending himself and falling off balance in the process. But by 2005, and in particular his Pride 30 fight with Sergei Kharitonov, that began to change. It was during this time that Werdum and Cro Cop began training together - ostensibly to help Cro Cop with his ground game, but you can also see the K-1 veteran's handiwork in Werdum's striking. He tightened up his defenses and got his wildness under control. Today, Werdum is still primarily a ground fighter, but he is now comfortable on his feet, and has made great strides to become an all around MMA fighter. Strengths, weaknesses, and more in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit STRENGTHS As I said above, Werdum's earliest skill in striking was in the power of his overhand right. That's still a decent punch for him, but his game is now based more on smaller, more nuanced technical striking rather than the big overhand bomb. He has two particular strengths to his game today. Head movement. Werdum is very good at using his head to evade punches. He will slip punches to the sides like a boxer, ducking and weaving his head to avoid strikes. This is an impressive technical skill, and an area where the majority of MMA fighters are lacking. He also does a better job keeping his chin tucked, which keeps him safe should he get caught while slipping a punch. This slip is his best striking defense. Distance. Werdum has a good sense of spacing relative to his opponent. He's not interested in getting into a standing shoot-out, so will stay just outside range when standing. From this position, he can quickly get in, land his shots and get out. Defensively, this also allows him to slip shots more easily, and using less movement, which conserves energy. It's not a powerhouse game, and it does tend to get overrated at times due to the progress he has made over the years, but Werdum is effective at what he does well on the feet. WEAKNESSES That said, there remain some notable issues in Werdum's striking - issues that have cost him. His biggest problem area is defense, particularly with his hands. From the very earliest stages of Werdum's MMA career, he was not great with his hands, allowing them to move away from his head while striking, or simply hanging them low while standing. He has made improvements here, but not enough. Those hands still have a tendency to drop at times. Against Junior dos Santos, he managed to keep his hands up, but also left them very wide apart. Cigano could have driven a truck between Werdum's hands, and when the powerful striker saw the opening, he easily blasted an uppercut through to put Werdum out. So a step forward in keeping the hands up, but he is still, 10 years into his career, not effectively closing the gaps to keep out incoming strikes. When Werdum does get pulled into more striking, these openings become more exaggerated. When striking, he often ducks his head to the point that he is looking down at an opponent's feet. He did this in the exchange with Fedor Emelianenko, though obviously was able to get through that and end things well for himself. This goes along with the idea of his overextending on the right punch - a habit he has mostly broken over the years, but can still fall back on. On the whole, he has a bad tendency to get himself out of a proper posture, allowing his opponent too many openings. VS. ROY NELSON The particulars of Werdum's strengths and weaknesses in striking are part of what makes the Nelson match-up at UFC 143 so fascinating. On the one hand, Werdum's habit of dropping his hands and exposing his head is an absolute disaster against Nelson. Big Country's stand-up game is very basic but effective - he'll try to land that heavy right hand and put you out. If Werdum drops his hands or drops his head and gives Nelson a direct line to that overhand right, Nelson has the power to put Werdum to sleep. On the other hand, Werdum can control the distance, stay outside, and use his head movement to avoid that right. He's a faster fighter than Nelson, and, for the most part, is better at controlling how the stand-up plays out. If he avoids the shootout, and successfully dodges the big KO punch, he can outstrike Nelson. The question then comes down to this - can Nelson get inside and put that big hand on Werdum's chin? My opinion is that he can't. But if Werdum makes too many mistakes in his striking, he's going to find himself down and out for the second time inside the Octagon - his big return spoiled by a technical flaw that he has spent 10 years unsuccesfully trying to correct. And if he has corrected it? Then welcome Fabricio Werdum back to the top of the UFC Heavyweight division. Here are a few closing gifs showing some of the things we discussed. First, the dos Santos KO from UFC 90. Note how Werdum's arms are wide, leaving his head so exposed. And finally, here's the standing exchange with Fedor where Werdum completely drops his head: Want more striking analysis? Check out my previous entry on Phil Davis. And for more UFC 143 technique, take a look at Kid Nate's Judo Chop on Nick Diaz, and mine on Carlos Condit.

Posted in: fight, head, hand, werdum, nelson

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Mike Pierce gets in Josh Koscheck's head in more ways than one at the UFC 143 Weigh In.

Posted in: ufc, way, head, josh, mike

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

There's something great about a flying KO. Flying kick, superman punch, jumping elbow - they are all glorious. But for me the quintessential flying KO move for MMA remains the flying knee. There's no shortage of flying knee KO highlights in MMA, but one of the best comes from UFC 143 headliner Carlos Condit. The last time we saw Condit in the Octagon, he was standing over the prone body of Dong Hyun Kim - the victim of a nasty Condit flying knee at UFC 132. In this Judo Chop, we'll get ready for UFC 143 and Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz by breaking down Condit's big KO over Kim and see how Condit's technique compares to other famous flying knees. And don't forget to take a look at the other side of this weekend's main event with Kid Nate's Judo Chop covering Nick Diaz's boxing and grappling techniques. Let's start by examining the basics of the flying knee. There are a number of different variations on this move depending on which leg you strike with, where you position your hands, and the direction your movement travels in. For example, kickboxer Chris Ngimbi is well known for his beautiful flying knees, which he often delivers by jumping straight up, bringing his knee up like an uppercut. But the most common kind of flying knee seen in MMA is the one essentially used by Condit. Assuming a fighter is standing in orthodox stance (meaning his right leg is in the rear power position), start by jumping both up and towards your opponent in a sort of diagonal. In mid-air, bring that right leg forward, with your foot aiming down and your knee in the lead. If you time it right, you'll drive the point of your knee into your target - ideally your opponent's chin. It's a great move because it quickly closes the distance, so can land from what your opponent perceives to be outside of striking range, and because the knee is such a hard striking surface. By giving it that forward and upwards momentum and driving all of your momentum into the point of your knee, you can easily score a KO if landed clean. Here's a somewhat goofy video explanation courtesy of Human Weapon (who do the models have to be naked?) that captures the basic idea: More breakdown, with gifs, in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit There are tons of examples I could use of this basic flying knee (and if you want to see gifs of many of them, check out this great gallery at Chicago's MMA). Above is one prime example from Pride 32. This is Robbie Lawler landing the knee of Joey Villasenor. Lawler is fighting in southpaw stance, but the movements are the same. At the start, his left leg is back - he then leaps forward, bringing the left knee up as he jumps, driving it into Villasenor's head. The result is a KO victory for Lawler and a spot on highlight reels. Against Kim, Condit took this basic flying knee and added a small, but beautiful variation. Like Lawler, Condit is in southpaw, with his left leg back. He jumps up, and initially brings his left knee up to land the knee in the more traditional style. But at the last moment, he switches in mid-air, bringing the right knee up instead. It's an absolutely devastating change that really shows off Condit's technique. By switching in mid-air, he gets even more momentum behind that right knee, landing it with KO force. This switch also allows Condit to land the knee clean. Note that Kim is throwing a punch on Condit's left side and turning his head away - had Condit stayed with the left knee, the strike would have been at least partially blocked. But Kim's strike leaves his own left completely exposed, and that is where Condit lands. Beautiful adjustment there. A quick side note on Condit's stance - Condit will switch stances, but is primarily an orthodox striker, meaning his right leg would be back. Against Kim, who is a southpaw, Condit switched stances frequently. He was in southpaw at the time he threw the knee. There's one other important aspect of this strike that we have only touched on, and that is hand positioning. If you compare the Lawler and Condit gifs, you'll notice that their hands are in very different places. Lawler brings his down to his sides. Again, this is more traditional, and when you see images of a flying knee, the hands are usually down and back in this position. The idea is that this motion gives you more power in your jump, which translates to more power in your knee. But there is a decided danger in this move, as it takes your hands away from your head and leaves the head exposed. A skilled opponent can capitalize on that opening to land a hard counter - as famously shown by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski (right). Arlovski went for the knee, dropped his hands like Lawler, and Fedor put him out. Condit takes a different approach with his hands that is often used in Muay Thai. As he jumps, he brings his hands up, and in fact slides his left hand around to the back of Kim's head (notice how at the end, his left is fully behind Kim). I prefer this movement as it serves a number of purposes. First, it keeps your own hands near your head, which helps to protect you from being Arlovski-d. Second, if timed right, you can use that hand behind your opponent's head to pull his head down into your flying knee. This is a great asset, as the impact of the knee is significantly increased if you combine your upward motion with a downward motion from your opponent. You can get that downward motion by timing the strike to land as your opponent comes in (as you see in this gif of Anderson Silva KO-ing Carlos Newton in Pride), or by pulling his head down yourself. Finally, if you don't get the KO, this hand position puts you in a better position when you land. With his hand behind Kim's head, Condit could have immediately grabbed the Thai clinch and started throwing knees from the ground. With his use of the double knee, as well as his hand positioning, Condit demonstrated not only that this is an effective technique, but also that he has the high level skills to masterfully pull it off. At UFC 134, we'll see how well he can use those skills against Nick Diaz as he fights for the UFC Interim Welterweight title. And finally, since we're talking about flying knees and Condit's technique of switching knees mid-air, I feel compelled to leave you with this - Jose Aldo's classic double knee KO of Cub Swanson. Enjoy:

Posted in: ko, condit, head, hand, knee

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

There is a certain beauty to a head kick knockout that takes place less than ten seconds into a fight, wouldn't you agree? It isn't every day we get to see the MMA equivalent to a plastic bag floating in the wind, but thank the omniscient being hanging out in the clouds above us for sending this pulchritudinous (synonym for beautiful, thesaurus.com ftw) amateur head kick knockout for us to gaze upon. Last weekend Robert Reese (Bob to his friends) made Cro Cop smile with this left leg head kick knockout at an CNY Battleground 5. Enjoy. [Source]

Posted in: head, knockout, kick, mma equivalent, fight wouldnt

Read the full article at Middle Easy

submitted by gildenlol [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: ko, head, kick, niche, gildenlol

Read the full article at Reddit

The UFC fighter is 22-3, yet fans and peers alike disparage him as he heads into a bout against Chael Sonnen.

Posted in: bisping, head, underdog, chael, ufc fighter

Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports

Heavyweight Pat Barry entered the Octagon this past Friday night with a few new tricks up his sleeve in the form of an improved ground game. Not only did Barry work his way out of having opponent Christian Morecraft on top of him in full mount but also escaped an Armbar attempt that in past days would have likely marked the bout’s conclusion. Barry spoke about his win at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller at the post-event press conference where he credited his teammates with helping him hone his craft on the ground but also made it clear that, as nice as his newly acquired taste for submission-grappling may be, he’ll always remain true to himself when it comes to throwing leather. Barry-Morecraft Named Fight of the Night “If you can become accustomed to having (Bellator champion) Cole Konrad trying to pull your arm off or Brock Lesnar trying to squeeze your head off, then you tend to stay a little bit more calm and relaxed, whereas before, as soon as you grabbed my forearm, I just started tapping everything,” Barry explained of his Deathclutch teammates. “I’ve definitely grown. My ground game is not as garbage as the world thinks.” Regarding his ability to render his adversaries into puddles of good, Barry has no illusions about the areas he excels in and feels he has the ability to one day become champion no matter how unlikely it may seem to some. “If I punch you in the head you’re gonna fall down. It’s gonna happen,” said Barry candidly before continuing, “Can a guy of my size be a title-holder? Absolutely. Frankie Edgar, supposedly, from what I hear, he’s really small for his weight class and the dude’s a stud.” Check out the rest of what Barry had to say, as well as the evening’s other combatants, in the video below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: head, friday night, barry, i punch, ground game

Read the full article at Fighters.com

In what is expected to be the final battle of the legendary Badr Hari's kickboxing career, "The Golden Boy" will go head to head with the formidable Gokhan Saki on January 28th from the WTC Expo in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Also competing as part of the stacked "It's Showtime" line-up, will be Daniel Ghita going head to head with Hesdy Gerges for the promotion's Heavyweight title, as well as Tyrone Spong, who takes on fellow heavy-hitter Melvin Manhoef.

Posted in: head, badr hari, tyrone spong, daniel ghita, showtime lineup

Read the full article at Low Kick

Filed under: UFCAfter a review of the controversial finish to UFC 142's Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater bout, UFC's vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner has decided not to overturn referee Mario Yamasaki's decision. Prater was awarded the victory when Yamasaki ruled that at least some of a series of Silva's finishing blows landed to the back of Prater's head, making them illegal. In a statement released by the UFC, Ratner noted that Silva had been previously verbally warned during the fight, making it "not the type of decision that can be reviewed." Ratner's decision not to overturn the ruling is understandable, as the promotion does not want to put themselves in a position where their power supersedes that of the referee or any presiding athletic commission. But it does highlight the need for two things: instant replay, and a clear and consistent definition of the "back of the head" a vague term that leaves things far too open for interpretation in a sport that is fast enough and hard enough to referee as it is. Depending on who you talk to, there are two explanations of it. Some referees use the term "mohawk," saying the illegal spot is an approximately one-inch wide strip right down the back of the head similar to the haircut. Others say the illegal area would be anywhere behind where a pair of earmuffs would be situated on the head. There is simply too much at stake for the athletes for vague definitions to continue to exist. Silva, who momentarily believed he had a 29-second knockout, was suddenly robbed of a win that would have extended his unbeaten stretch to 11 straight. Let's make one thing clear: the sport moves so quickly that refereeing a match becomes an exercise in split-second judgments. It's a difficult and often thankless job, and Yamasaki made his decision quickly and decisively. That, of course, doesn't mean he can't be wrong from time to time. Much like NFL games can turn to replay to see whether a pass was caught in or out of bounds, MMA fights should be able to go to review to see if a blow that ended a fight was in fact, illegal. The fact that he warned Silva first shouldn't matter; a mistake should be corrected, period. Replay and the vague definition are two separate issues, of course. Cageside instant replay was not available at UFC 142, but in a statement, Ratner said Zuffa has "decided to implement the use of instant replay at all international events that are self-regulated, and to encourage all regulators to consider the feasibility and effectiveness of instant replay in the sport of MMA." That change would be a positive step. Replay has been used in Nevada for a few years now. In one memorable case, ref Steve Mazzagatti consulted a replay screen to determine that Jon Jones had committed an intentional foul against Matt Hamill, a decision that ultimately led to the first and still only loss on the UFC champion's record. That is an example of a fair use of replay; Mazzagatti had doubt, looked over the video and made the right call. Expanded replay would give referees a chance to review their calls in pivotal situations. In the case of Silva-Prater, Yamasaki had to make his call, and then was faced with a situation where he was put on the spot to defend it when the replays were shown on the arena's big screens. Of course, it might not have been necessary if we had a more decisive definition of what exactly the "back of the head" was. Yamasaki was notably the referee in an August 2011 bout between Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama, a fight that ended with questions about Belfort's finishing strikes, which many believed were to the back of Akiyama's head. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to watch the Belfort-Akiyama and Silva-Prater fights and determine one to be fair and the other worthy of a disqualification. But those are the rules we play by in MMA today. As long as there's no clarification of the "back of the head" rule, we'll continue to face situations where the same strike will be interpreted as illegal in one fight, and never cause a blip of controversy in another. At least if we had a concise definition, we would know if our outrage is warranted. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, replay, head, referee, definition

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

Charlie Brenneman just couldn’t get going against Anthony Johnson in October, losing 2:49 into the first round on a head kick.

Posted in: anthony johnson, head, brenneman, october, couldn ’t

Read the full article at Sherdog

When his original opponent, Aghan prospect Siyar Bahadurzada, pulled out with an injury, it was expected that rising Brazilian welterweight star Erick Silva would be given an opportunity to showcase his immense talents last night (January 14, 2011) against an experienced but considerably less dangerous foe on the UFC 142 main card. Things seemed to be going according to plan in his fight against Carlo Prater when Silva blitzed him with a ferocious early onslaught and seemingly had beat the 40 second mark he set in his equally awe-inspiring Octagon debut at UFC 134 last August. Instead, controversy loomed as referee Mario Yamasaki ruled Silva's hammer fists had been illegal and instead of scoring another tremendous victory, Silva was disqualified. So what in the world happened? What went wrong? And what's next for both welterweights? After an extremely brief feeling out process, Silva exploded forward with a short combination. When Prater ducked down to escape the punches, Silva crushed him with a thundering left knee to the torso. Prater tried to hang on to a single leg takedown for dear life, but Silva responded with repeated hammer fists to the side of the head and apparently a couple to the back of the head. Watching the replay of the fight, you can clearly hear Yamasaki warning about back of the head, but then Silva switched to right punches to the side of the head before the ref stepped in and stopped the fight. The young Brazilian celebrated wildly and excitedly in the cage, but he was unfortunately about to hear some bad news as the referee had ruled that his warnings had been ignored and Silva would be disqualified for blows to the back of the head. The look of dejection on Silva's face was incredibly depressing. On further review, Silva may have landed a shot or two to the back of the head. It's a hazy area in the rules in which some referees use the "mohawk" rule for illegal shots to the back of the head while others use the "earmuffs" rule. One thing for certain is that Mario Yamasaki failed to follow protocol. If he views an illegal blow is affecting a fighter, he should call time, stop the action and give the opponent an opportunity to recover. That's what happens after knees to a downed opponent, kicks to the groin or accidental eye pokes. Hell, that's exactly what happened with Brock Lesnar in his UFC debut against Frank Mir with shots to the back of the head. Instead, though, Yamasaki stopped the fight, actually proclaiming it was over and then punished Slva after the fact. That's now how it's supposed to happen. If Yamasaki thought some illegal strikes had landed, he should have called time and given Prater five minutes to recover. This was a complete screw up on all accounts. For Carlo Prater, he didn't get an opportunity to do anything as Silva nailed him with a knee to the body and follow-up strikes. Hopefully he gets an opponent further down the ladder in the UFC welterweight division despite his "win." Someone along the lines of Rich Attonito, Carlos Eduardo Rocha or perhaps Dan Hardy would make sense as potential future oppoents. For Erick Silva, he's got to be devastated. He surpassed his UFC debut only to have victory taken away from my by some questionable refereeing. Hopefully this doesn't affect his killer instinct in fights as he's quickly built a reputation as a big time rising star to watch in the division. Despite the setback, in which he was still awarded his win bonus, he should continue to be given more difficult opponents at 170 pounds. Potential future opponents for the exciting Brazilian include Brian Ebersole, John Hathaway or fellow UFC 142 winner Mike Pyle. Silva still has a very bright future. So what did you think, Maniacs? Did referee Mario Yamasaki blow this one big time? What would you have done if you had been in his position? Speak up! For complete UFC 142 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, fight, silva, head, yamasaki

Read the full article at MMA Mania

"The Truth Is Out There." No -- this is not another seething diatribe insisting that the rule on illegal strikes to the back of the head needs to be clearly defined in order to end the perpetual confusion. This is a reminder that the illegal strike zone has been quite concisely clarified since the ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions) published their official report on MMA's Unified Rules after their annual meeting in New Orleans in 2008. Referee Mario Yamasaki is now embroiled in controversy after determining that Erick Silva utilized illegal strikes in his fight-finishing flurry of Carlo Prater at UFC 142 RIO: Aldo vs. Mendes. Because Yamasaki interpreted that one or more of Silva's punches fit the description of an illegal blow to the back of Prater's head, Silva was disqualified for the unintentional foul(s) and Prater was awarded the win by DQ. Two distinct questions have arisen from the bout's contentious outcome: Exactly what constitutes an illegal strike to the back of the head? Was Yamasaki's assessment and subsequent ruling correct or incorrect? While I will address both points, please understand that the second topic is inherently subjective while the first is black and white -- the guidelines for illegal strikes are either in place or they're not, and they are indeed. Each year, the ABC hosts a convention where personnel from the individual state athletic commissions are invited to discuss and review their rules and regulations for boxing and mixed martial arts. For MMA, the unified rules serve as an approved foundation for the rules, regulations, medical requirements, and general procedures as they pertain to officials, fighters and promoters. The key phrase there is "foundation": because each athletic commission is governed by the laws and statutes of the specific state they represent, they have their own set of guidelines but they are all intended to be closely based on the original backbone of the unified rules. However, minor deviations can and do exist: the state of California has their own method of prioritizing the scoring criterion, the state of New Jersey features a unique "sliding scale" for emphasizing striking vs. grappling based on how much fight-time occurred standing vs. on the floor, and the state of Nevada has provided additional guidelines for referee stand-ups and submissions. The two images in the graphic atop this article were copied and enlarged from the ABC's 2008 report, which can be easily referenced and even downloaded for safekeeping. The images depict the exact boundaries on the head where it is legal and illegal to land strikes. The notion that this rule is an undefined and ongoing perplexity is a fallacy. Continued in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC 142 RIO: Aldo vs. Mendes The following passage is the committee's written conclusion on the back of the head rule from page 9 of the 2008 report: Illegal Strikes to the Back of the Head- The Committee has found a compromise between the Mohawk definition and the headphones definition. The Committee recommends a nape of the neck definition. Basically, the group concluded that a strike that touches the ear is generally acceptable. Strikes are not permissible in the nape of the neck area up until the top of the ears. Above the ears, permissible strikes do not include the Mohawk area from the top of the ears up until the crown of the head. The crown of the head is found where the head begins to curve. In other words, strikes behind the crown of the head and above the ears are not permissible within the Mohawk area. Strikes below the top of the ear are not permissible within the nape of the neck area. With question number-one behind us, allow me to speculate on referee Mario Yamasaki's conclusion that Silva's punches were illegal. At this stage in the sport, the margin of error associated with making live-time decisions in such a lightning-paced sport will always be subject to human error. Last night, Yamasaki was forced to make the call without a monitor and without viewing the slow-motion replay of the sequence in question. As the only other person in the cage with the competitors, Yamasaki had a genuinely unique perspective that none of us can understand -- who knows what it looked like from whatever particular angle he was at when the blows in question took place. What I do know is that Yamasaki was not out of position during the finish and that -- again, in the context of real-time -- he was far from out of line in his final decision. The viewers have all been tainted with the luxury of reviewing the flurry several times, in slow motion and from the most ideal camera angle. Our frame of reference bears little to no similarity with Yamasaki's. Therefore, the question I ask myself is, "Is it conceivable that the punches could have been illegal in real time?" While many will disagree, it's entirely conceivable that the blows were illegal. It's unfair to knock Yamasaki for the call when none of us can speak from his perspective and, more importantly, when fighter safety will always be the paramount responsibility of the referee. To summarize, in this day and age of technology, a human being should not be burdened with making such a crucial judgment under such extreme duress. The answer? It already exists. Propagated by the Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns and Mirko Filipovic vs. Mustapha Al-Turk bouts, in which it was determined (after the fact) that an unintentional eye-poke played a crucial role in the outcome, the instant replay rule was implemented in certain states. It began in 2009 in the state of Nevada and, to my knowledge, is also available in New Jersey and California. Instant replay can be instituted in only one circumstance: when the referee suspects that a foul may have influenced the outcome of a fight that has already been stopped. Here is Nevada's description of the instant replay rule: "A referee at the conclusion of a contest or exhibition stopped immediately due to an injury to an unarmed combatant pursuant to NAC 467.718 and after making a decision, may view a replay if available in order to determine whether the injury in question was caused a legal blow or a foul." Safety is the sole reason why MMA has been able to surge forward, shed the ghastly image of "human cockfighting" and be accepted as a mainstream sporting competition. That's why I'll always give MMA's officials a considerable amount of leeway when they err on the side of fighter safety in split-second decisions made in the heat of battle. However, since "better than safe than sorry" is not always 100% accurate or fair to the fighters, the instant replay rule is in place to compensate for live-time judgments. That way we uphold the cardinal directive of fighter safety but also have the fallback option to scrutinize things with the best technology available. Unfortunately, since the unified rules only apply in the states and the UFC had ventured to Brazil, instant replay was apparently unaccounted for. MMA is still a young sport that will never be perfect, so continuous improvement is what we should all promote. Live and learn. Dana White spoke with MMA Junkie and revealed that the UFC is open to reviewing an appeal from Silva and also stressed the need for instant replay, leading me to believe that justice will be served and plans will be made to avoid calamity in the future.

Posted in: replay, head, strike, yamasaki, rule

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

The interim title will be up for grabs when top Welterweight contenders Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit go head to head in the UFC 143 headlining bout, set for February 4th from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, condit, head, carlos condit

Read the full article at Low Kick

submitted by PartyxAnimal [link] [7 comments]

Posted in: head, spoiler, head spoilers, partyxanimal

Read the full article at Reddit

Filed under: UFCIn the first week of the 2010 NFL season, Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson caught what appeared to be a game winning touchdown pass, only to have a referee overturn the call on an obscure, ill-defined rule about what actually constitutes a catch -- a rule that has come to be known as the Calvin Johnson rule by fans who still have a hard time understanding why Johnson's apparent catch was not a catch. Few things bother NFL fans more than the way the NFL's complex rules -- and the referees' enforcement of those rules -- detract from an otherwise thriving sport. The same could be said for MMA, where the UFC and the state athletic commissions have worked together to codify a unified set of rules -- only to find time after time that those rules aren't as clear as they should be, and that referees don't enforce the rules uniformly. The latest example came at UFC 142, where referee Mario Yamasaki disqualified Erick Silva for hitting Carlo Prater in the back of the head, even though no one seems to agree about whether a disqualification was the correct response, or even about what constitutes the back of the head. UFC President Dana White wrote on Twitter immediately afterward that disqualifying Silva was a "BS call," and he was right: Silva deserved to win. The UFC needs to work with the athletic commissions to more clearly define the rules, and to recruit and train better referees to enforce those rules. I don't know what the precise rule on strikes to the back of the head is, and neither do you, and neither does anyone. No one knows because there is no precise definition of "back of the head." Some referees use the term "mohawk," meaning the back of the head is an inch-side strip right in the middle of the back of the head, the area that would be covered by a mohawk haircut. Other referees use the term "earmuffs," meaning the back of the head is a larger area that includes everything that would be behind a pair of earmuffs. Under the "mohawk" definition, Silva didn't hit Prater in the back of the head. Under the "earmuffs" definition, Silva did hit Prater in the back of the head. UFC announcer Joe Rogan clearly was buying into the "mohawk" definition, and he went off on Yamasaki during an awkward post-fight interview in which Yamasaki clearly wasn't prepared to defend his decision. Yamasaki didn't inspire a lot of confidence by his inability to defend his decision, but in fairness to Yamasaki, referees aren't generally put on the spot the way Rogan put him on the spot, so it's not surprising that Yamasaki was caught off guard. Even if you think SIlva did commit a foul by hitting Prater in the "earmuffs" area, Yamasaki didn't handle it the right way. If Silva committed an illegal trike, Yamasaki should have stepped in and taken a point away from Silva, and only stopped the fight after having the doctor check on Prater and determine whether Prater could continue. Instead, Yamasaki stepped in and waved his arms to stop the fight instantly. A disqualification for an illegal strike should only take place if the illegal strike is what caused the fight to end. But it appeared that Silva's legal strikes -- a brutal knee to the body and several powerful hammer fists to the side of the head -- were enough to finish Prater off. Prater suggested after the fight that it was really the knee that did him in. "I'm not a judge," Prater said afterward. "I didn't stop the fight. All I know is that he hit me and it sent a shock of pain through my body unlike anything I've ever experienced. I don't know if the shots were legal. I just know it was unlike anything I've ever felt." It's frustrating for fans -- and could be dangerous for fighters -- to see how inconsistent referees are about enforcing the rule against hitting opponents in the back of the head. For high-profile examples of much more severe strikes to the back of the head that the referees let go, watch Vitor Belfort's victory over Rich Franklin or Shane Carwin's win over Frank Mir. In those fights, the victors landed much harder strikes to the back of the loser's head, and the referees let those strikes go. Consistency is needed in refereeing of any sport, and it's seriously lacking in MMA. UFC 142 Notes -- Gabriel Gonzaga landed only four strikes in his win over Ednaldo Oliveira, according to CompuStrike. But Gonzaga successfully completed both of his takedown attempts, achieved two dominant positions on the ground, and sunk in a rear-naked choke to end it. Gonzaga said, "I'm back," afterward, but that remains to be seen -- beating Oliveira doesn't prove that Gonzaga is back to his previous form as one of the elite heavyweights in the world. But there's no question that a fighter with Gonzaga's Brazilian jiu jitsu skills can make short work of a guy with a rudimentary ground game like Oliveira. -- Vitor Belfort finished Anthony Johnson off in the first round, a day after Johnson came in overweight by 11 pounds, and UFC President Dana White said afterward that he plans to cut Johnson. It's a shame that a fighter as talented as Johnson is losing his job, but if you can't make weight, you can't fight. And Johnson has repeatedly failed to make weight. UFC 142 Quotes -- "This was my first fight without Shawn. It was definitely an adjustment not having him in my corner. I hope Shawn would be proud."--Sam Stout, losing a tough decision in the first fight since his coach, friend and brother-in-law Shawn Tompkins died. -- "I went out there and proved to the people of Brazil that I belong in the Octagon. He was a very tough opponent. I had a tough camp and battled some injuries, but I was able to get in there tonight and control the striking and win."--Felipe Arantes, who put on a good showing in his victory over Antonio Carvalho and appeared ecstatic to win in front of his fans back home in Brazil. -- "This was like the World Cup for me tonight. To fight against a veteran like him was a true honor. I hope this win proved to the UFC that I'm ready for the main card. I felt like a complete fighter in there tonight."--Yuri Alcantara, using a soccer analogy to describe the feeling of beating Michihiro Omigawa at home in Brazil. Good Call -- When the first fight went to the judges' scorecards, it was a relief to hear all three judges get it right -- 29-28 for Felipe Arantes over Antonio Carvalho. Arantes clearly took the second and third rounds and deserved to win the fight, and it was also good to see that the judges didn't favor the Brazilian in the first round, as the Canadian Carvalho got off to a good start and deserved to win the first. Bad Call --Thiago Tavares took a unanimous decision over Sam Stout in a fight that easily could have been 29-28 either way. But the bad call was UFC announcer Bruce Buffer not announcing the judges' scores -- the fans were left with no idea how the judges arrived at their unanimous decision for Tavares, just that Tavares had won by unanimous decision. Announcing the scores is a must, especially in a decision so close. Stock Up Edson Barboza is now 10-0 in his MMA career after an incredible knockout kick of Terry Etim. We already knew Barboza was one of the most explosive strikers in the lightweight division, but no one could have predicted that he'd produce one of the all-time great knockouts against a good opponent like Etim. Barboza might struggle against some of the lightweight division's top wrestlers, but as a striker he's just about as good as it gets at 155 pounds. Stock Down Michihiro Omigawa has now lost three of his four fights since returning to the UFC early last year, after getting thoroughly dominated by Yuri Alcantara. Omigawa went on a tear in Japan in 2009 and 2010 and looked like one of the best featherweights in the world, but in the Octagon he simply hasn't been able to get the job done. He might be finished in the UFC. Fight I Want To See Next Jose Aldo put on such a show against Chad Mendes that I just don't see any challenges emerging for him in the featherweight division. The fight I want to see next is Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar. If Edgar beats Ben Henderson next month, I'd love to see both Aldo and Edgar keep their titles and meet at a catchweight of 150 pounds for a champion vs. champion superfight. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fight, head, referee, rule

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

Two quick finishes followed Edson Barboza’s head kick KO of Terry Etim at UFC 142, as Erick Silva had a 29-second TKO wiped from his record with a controversial disqualification against Carlo Prater, while Rousimar Palhares needed just 63-seconds to score another submission win over over Mike Massenzio. Silva quickly dropped Prater with a knee to the body and followed with punches to the head for what looked to be a first-round TKO, but referee Mario Yamasaki disqualified Silva for punches to the back of the head. Replays showed two punches at most landing illegally while the majority connected to the side of Prater’s head. Meanwhile, Palhares scored yet another leg lock submission, forcing Massenzio to tap to a heel hook just 63-seconds into the opening round. Check out MMAFrenzy.com’s UFC 142 play-by-play for Silva vs. Prater and Palhares by clicking here. UFC 142 is taking place on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes and Anthony Johnson vs. Vitor Belfort topping the card. Pictured: Rousimar Palhares

Posted in: ufc, silva, head, palhare, prater

Read the full article at MMA Frenzy

submitted by pangian [link] [4 comments]

Posted in: mma, head, rule, mma rules, pangian

Read the full article at Reddit

The welterweights were in action on the UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes" pay-per-view main card tonight (Sat., Jan. 14, 2012) at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as Erick Silva returned to the scene of his spectacular Octagon debut to take on Carlo Prater. His first time out, at the same arena, Silva knocked his opponent out in just 40 seconds. This time it took him even less time to earn a stoppage. Not so fast, though. As it turned out, Silva landed a swarm of blows that referee Mario Yamasaki deemed illegal, saying they were landing on the back of the head. Because of that, Silva was disqualified and the win was awarded to Prater. In the replay, it appeared as though the punches were landing on the side of the head. Joe Rogan voiced quite clearly that it didn't look as though the shots were landing to the back of the head and Yamasaki made a mistake. After watching the video, Yamasaki looked slightly sheepish, as though his mostly agreed. However, he has to make a judgement call on the spot and it's a disqualification. Thoughts on this controversial finish, Maniacs?

Posted in: silva, head, octagon debut, landing, carlo prater

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Jose Aldo stopped Chad Mendes with one devastating knee to the head with a second left in the first round Saturday night.

Posted in: jose, head, aldo, chad mendes, mende

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Jose Aldo stopped Chad Mendes with one devastating knee to the head with a second left in the first round Saturday night.

Posted in: jose, head, aldo, chad mendes, mende

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

In what is expected to be the final fight of the legendary Badr Hari's kickboxing career, "The Golden Boy" goes head to head with the formidable Gokhan Saki on January 28th from the WTC Expo in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

Posted in: gokhan saki, saki, head, badr hari, wtc expo

Read the full article at Low Kick

Before the UFC president heads to Rio de Janeiro for Saturday's UFC 142 card, he gives us a behind-the-scenes look at Fight Night for UFC 141.

Posted in: ufc, night, fight night, head, janeiro

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Filed under: StrikeforceRobbie Lawler knocked out Adlan Amagov in the first round of one of the strangest fights you'll ever see on Saturday night, one in which Amagov committed a blatantly illegal knee to the head, then got finished thanks to a legal knee to the head from Lawler. When the fight started, Amagov seemed to surprise Lawler by going for a takedown. That takedown was successful, but Amagov then landed a blatantly illegal knee to Lawler's head on the ground, leading to a point deduction for Amagov. After Lawler got a moment to compose himself and the fight re-started, he charged forward with a flying knee that appeared to only graze Amagov's head -- but which was enough to knock Amagov down, face-first. Lawler jumped on Amagov and bashed him with punches, and referee Steve Mazzagatti stepped in to stop the fight. More Coverage: Rockhold vs. Jardine Results | Latest Strikeforce News The whole fight lasted just 1 minute, 48 seconds. "I'm happy to win. I'm going to go back to the drawing board, work on my skills and look to knock people out in 2012," Lawler said afterward. Lawler is off to a good start on that front -- his knockout victory over Amagov was impressive, even if it was also an early contender for one of the oddest fights of the year. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, lawler, adlan amagov, head, amagov

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold believes he's getting no respect. He plans to change some minds by taking Keith Jardine's head off on Saturday night.

Posted in: rockhold, luke, jardine, head, plan

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

The UFC has announced via Twitter that middleweights Brian Stann and Alessio Sakara will take to the cage as part of the promotion's first Scandinavian event. Also on the card, James Head will make his welterweight debut against Papy Abedi. This will be Stann's first fight since his second round submission to Chael Sonnen last October. Prior to that loss, Stann had been on a three-fight tear at middleweight, including TKOs of Chris Leben and Jorge Santiago. UFC on Fuel 2 represents the first time Stann will have fought overseas. Alessio Sakara hasn't been in the cage since March of 2011, when he dropped a unanimous decision to the debuting Chris Weidman. Illness and injury kept him from competing since then. Like Stann, Sakara's recent loss interrupted a three-fight winning streak, including a victory over former title contender Thales Leites. Abedi and Head, meanwhile, will each be making their sophomore efforts at UFC on Fuel 2. Abedi suffered the first loss of his career after submitting to a rear-naked choke from Thiago Alves. The Swedish-trained slugger has taken five of eight victories by TKO and two by submission. James Head found himself in the UFC after a unanimous decision win over the traveling Gerald Harris. In his UFC debut, he took on Nick Ring for just over two and a half rounds before submitting to a rear-naked choke. Like Abedi, Head has an impressive knack for the finish, with four of his victories coming by way of TKO and two by submission. UFC on Fuel 2 takes place April 14 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Posted in: ufc, head, stann, abedi, fuel

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

Swedish resident Papy Abedi will fight in front of a friendly audience this April. MMAjunkie.com has confirmed with sources close to the fight that Abedi and former middleweight James Head have agreed to meet in a welterweight contest at UFC on FX 2. Both fighters seek their first octagon win in a bout first reported by MMAFighting.com.

Posted in: ufc, head, welterweight contest, abedi, april mmajunkiecom

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

A welterweight bout has been added to the upcoming UFC on Fuel 2 card in Sweden with Papy Abedi facing James Head.

Posted in: ufc, welterweight bout, head, papy abedi, abedi

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

I am so incredibly confused and mildly frustrated by last night. Jon Fitch got blasted in possibly an early stoppage in round one. Brock Lesnar now has one opponent that he's never taken down, and his name isn't Cain Velzsquez or Randy Couture or Shane Carwin, it's Alistair Overeem???????????? A professional fighter let a Diaz brother's juvenile antics completely obliterate any semblance of a gameplan and made him ignore the advice from his Greg Jackson led corner. I can't even wrap my head around it. First off, I watched the main and Spike portions only of the card at a TGI Fridays out near Clifton, NJ. Jersey City (where I live) is kind of weird in their PPV regulations in that they force restaurants to pay per their maximum capacity. So if a place can hold 200 people, like a standard chain place can, they'd have to pay $50 (or whatever PPV's cost these days) times 200. For those not quick on the math, that is ten thousand dollars that a place has to shell out to show a PPV, which is why no one in this city (the 2nd largest in the state) shows them. The plus and downside is that I could barely hear the audio of the fights. Yes, I didn't have to listen to Mikg Goldberg Mike Goldberg his way through another event, but some of the intricacies may have been lost on me, and if it wasn't on the main or the Spike card, I didn't see it, and can't comment on it just yet. Perhaps the undercard had even more badonkas shiznit happen, I don't even know. Back to the topics at hand. I'm not sure how other people feel, but I think the stoppage was just a tad early. That said, I'd rather see early stoppages than late stoppages. Fitch went slack from a flush punch on the jaw and his head hit the canvas, so I'm not protesting too much, but I kind of want to give some more leeway to someone who's got a history of being notoriously tough and hard to finish. Pretty sure that attempting to control the ref from your guard means you're out of it, though, so whatever. Donald Cerrone fought one of the most maddeningly bizarre fights I've ever seen. Nate Diaz (and Nick) have had a long-standing problem with top-control grapplers. Now, I realize that Cerrone isn't exactly Gray Maynard, but why in the hell would you not attempt to wade down into the ground after you've just head kicked him into doing a little stanky leg? Don't just dive into his guard, no one's suggesting that, but posture, rain down some blows, and hell maybe you tag him real good with one and you can finish the fight. Or maybe win rounds 2 and 3. I'm not even sure what to say about Lesnar. I realize that he was trying to set up his takedowns and 'Reem was in a very low stance, but why would you not attempt to put your head into his chest, plow forward, and wrap that 81" wingspan around his legs until you've got him on the mat or against the other side of the cage? Not once? Your defensive standup looked a bit better, and you held up for a bit, but man. The last time someone was this tentative against Overeem, Brett Rogers got embarrassed on Showtime. Even Werdum went three rounds with him mainly because he kept pressuring him. This has been a fairly successful gameplan against him for years. Liddell, Kharitonov, Rua, Nogueira... Letting Overeem back you into the cage and pick shots at you is suicidal, and that's what happened. I will give props to Overeem for his gameplan, however. He stayed very low and when he saw the Brock's hands were high, he switched immediately from the big overhand and hooks to short knees and low kicks to the body. He was in a very low stance that made takedowns difficult, and stopped the one single-leg that Brock went for off of a caught kick. This has been one of the most confusing evenings of MMA I can recall in years, and it's set three divisions for loops. Please bring me sanity in Rio, my brain can't take this too often. I don't want to see Vitor Belfort try and take down Rumble for 2 rounds and tire out his arms. I don't want to see Chad Mendes not attempt takedowns. Gameplans are important in this sport, and tonight was a good example why.

Posted in: overeem, round, head, i dont, dont

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

By now, I would hope you know what happened at the UFC 141 pre-fight press conference yesterday. In case you don't, the short version is that Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone got into a minor altercation during their staredown. They exchanged words of some sort and Diaz knocked Cerrone's hat off his head before shoving him. He did so because "he's no punk" and he didn't like how "Cowboy" was getting all up in his grill. Now, Cerrone writes in his blog at MMAFighting.com that he is, in fact, punking Diaz out and he's inside the Stockton slugger's head: "What yesterday showed was that the bully is getting bullied. The Diaz brothers are bullies, all that street-thug stuff gets inside opponent's heads. They are the guys who punk everyone out and get in everyone else's heads, but what's happened now, tough guy? Now the tables have been turned on you and you are getting punked out, you are the guy freaking out and looking uncomfortable and your delusions of being this intimidating bad ass aren't working no more. It feels good to turn the tables, to see this (individual) get punked out. I'm in his head now, he looked uncomfortable when I worked out in front of him, and he freaked out yesterday." Maybe these two don't have the name value of the UFC 141 headliners, Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem, but they've done as good a job as anyone of selling their co-main event bout, which takes place tomorrow night (Fri., Dec. 30, 2011) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hell, they've single-handedly sold the weigh-ins, which take place later tonight. What's the over/under on the number of security guards hanging around the stage when they square off for the staredown tonight? Remember, MMAmania.com will have live coverage as it goes down, so stick around and we'll find out before long. Stay tuned.

Posted in: diaz, guy, head, cerrone, donald cerrone

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Filed under: UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, NewsThis is going to be a little on the short side because I'm in murder/death/kill mode right now after what happened at the press conference. I'm done talking and ready to fight this guy. What I can say is that Nate Diaz is a little (individual) who is going to get his ass kicked at UFC 141 tomorrow night. What happened yesterday when Dana White brought us together to do a pose-down? That was all Diaz. He came towards me, he was mumbling something stupid - who knows what, you can't tell a word of it and when you do it still makes no sense - and I said "let's bring it" and he swatted my cowboy hat and acted all tough guy. That's a $1000 hat he knocked on the ground. Yeah, I am pretty damn mad. But I'm not getting paid to fight at press conferences. I get paid to fight at UFC 141 on tomorrow night, co-main event, when it counts and where it counts: in the Octagon. More Coverage: UFC 141 Fight Card | UFC 141 Results Let's see if this little (individual) is brave and such a tough guy on Friday. Let's see if he gets in my face then. Let's see if he even has the balls to even come close. I acted like a professional yesterday, and I will act like one today at the weigh-in. Tomorrow night, I'm gonna make him pay. What yesterday showed was that the bully is getting bullied. The Diaz brothers are bullies, all that street-thug stuff gets inside opponent's heads. They are the guys who punk everyone out and get in everyone else's heads, but what's happened now, tough guy? Now the tables have been turned on you and you are getting punked out, you are the guy freaking out and looking uncomfortable and your delusions of being this intimidating bad ass aren't working no more. It feels good to turn the tables, to see this (individual) get punked out. I'm in his head now, he looked uncomfortable when I worked out in front of him, and he freaked out yesterday. He's worrying about me rather than on what he's doing. But I'm not underestimating him. Like I said all week, I respect the guy as a fighter. He will bring it tomorrow night. I know he will fight with everyone he's got. But that's not enough. Nowhere even close. That same dumb hands-up tough-guy pose he did at the press conference? He does that in the Octagon too. That's going to be his ticket to a world of hurt. That's going to get his head bashed in and his ribs cracked open. UFC 141 is live on Pay-Per-View Friday night at 10ET/7PT. Follow 'Cowboy' Cerrone on twitter @Cowboycerrone. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, night, guy, head, im

Read the full article at AOL Fanhouse

Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone openly admits to playing a few head games with Nate Diaz on Tuesday during the UFC 141 open workouts.

Posted in: head, nate diaz, game, donald cerrone, head games

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

God damn, this fight on paper is ridiculous. I'm just as excited for the weigh ins. How do you guys see this fight going. My head says Cerrone, but my heart is with Diaz. submitted by PartyxAnimal [link] [15 comments]

Posted in: fight, diaz, head, cerrone, heart

Read the full article at Reddit

Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem will headline the stacked UFC 141 fight card set to take place this Friday night from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. But, before the giants go to war, two Lightweight scrappers will go head to head in the co-main event...

Posted in: ufc, alistair overeem, head, friday night, garden arena

Read the full article at Low Kick

Former WEC champ Urijah Faber has cut his trademark locks in solidarity with his sister, who had her head shaved for brain surgery.

Posted in: head, faber, sister, trademark locks, solidarity

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Urijah Faber shaves his head to show support for his sister who now has the same hairstyle after undergoing brain surgery. Promoted to the Front Page by Anton Tabuena

Posted in: head, front page, urijah faber, show support, brain surgery

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Many fans (myself included) were frustrated with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 140 or giving up an an almost sure TKO stoppage in an attempt to drop down and submit Frank Mir with a guillotine choke. It was clearly the moment that cost Nogueira the victory and now he has talked to Tatame to explain his thinking. From the article: "Last Saturday I fought and lost via submission for the first time in my career, it was a bad feeling, but it's part of the sport. Everything that happens in a fight is quick and the fighter acts most based on his instincts and reflexes than on his mind. I knew I made a mistake as I tried to submit on a fight where I could have won by KO. But when Frank Mir was practically knocked out I heard the judge as me to stop punching him at the neck and that exactly when I tried to choke him. Mir put himself together and must be congratulated for submitting me. I checked the videos and I wasn't hitting him on the neck, but on Mir's side of the head, which is allowed" It's an issue that fighters deal with often. Referees are watching and waiting to jump in if repeated blows to the back of the head are utilized but it's hard to finish an opponent at times when they bury their head between their arms and push their face into the mat as it leaves very little "legal area" to strike. This is a good reason why knees to the body need to become more popular in situations where your opponent is turtled and covering up as they open up the head. SBN coverage of UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida

Posted in: nogueira, mir, head, i wasnt, fighter acts

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Junie Browning has been in the MMA news for a week now after his involvement in a brawl in Phuket. The initial report accused him of beating up a woman earlier in the day then then getting in a brawl in a bar and a second brawl in the hospital. Browning now gave his full account of the story to the Phuket Gazette. It's lengthy but a lot of it is important to get an overall layout of the situation. Junie's description of the brawl: I could tell from the moment he stepped in front of me, he was looking for a fight. At this point, it just involved me and Simon, my girlfriend was standing next to us. In only a few seconds, my girlfriend was thrown across the street and I had been hit from behind in the back of the head by a glass beer bottle. I stood up looking for my attacker and found myself surrounded by a mob of people. It was no longer a man on man "bar brawl" but a fight for my survival. I was trying to defend myself in the street when at some point I fell back to the ground. They [dragged] me back into the bar where they pummeled me with punches and kicks. It was me against everyone. For a second time I received a massive blow over the head with a thick glass mug that split my head open and made me fall to the floor. I curled up in the fetal position, submissive, and I continued to be kicked and hit. My arms up covering my face I felt a slice to my forearm and another stab to my neck. A Thai girl had a knife and was attacking my head with it. I must have lost consciousness from blood loss because the next thing I knew, my girlfriend had sprawled her body on top of mine to protect me from any more blows. She was screaming that it was "enough" and that the fight was over. Browning says he had to be revived twice in the ambulance and was taken to the hospital where the next part of the story and the "fight in the hospital took place." That and the tale of Junie going into hiding after the jump... Once at the hospital: They began to assess my wounds and stitch up the three large gashes on my head. Without any consideration to my safety or the events that had just occurred, they placed both Menzies accompanied by MJ Castro, and the man who had attacked me with a mug, in the beds right beside me. Needless to say, I became furious and again words were exchanged. As it escalated a second time into a physical fight, MJ attempted to intervene and was struck in the rumble. Security and Patong Police arrived and restrained all parties. I was taken into the waiting lobby on a stretcher in handcuffs in front of numerous people to finish giving me medical attention. Now, to interject for a moment here. This is one of the inconsistencies in Browning's story. Not that I don't believe him and I fully believe that the evening was probably an insane blur if his account is true. But earlier in the article, Browning says "All of my attackers remained standing in the bar unharmed" so I'm curious why two of them were suddenly brought to the hospital and placed in beds. Anyway, continuing: My intentions were to file a police report in the morning and deal with this in a civil manner. Hours later, my phone began to ring with numerous reliable sources stating that we were not safe and we needed to leave now! They said that local Thais and mafia had a price on my head and were headed to the hospital and both my girlfriend's and my life were at risk. We were told to trust or talk to no one and to just leave. We are aware that the mafia is a real thing and took this very seriously. We panicked and decided that our best option was to escape in the middle of the night and hope we could make it home. Our first thought was to get a hold of the police for protection, but were told that it was corrupt and that they would be of no assistance. My girlfriend pulled out my IV and jumped a fence to find a taxi to come pick me up. Browning ends his explanation by saying that they've been on the run from the attackers and the mafia, attempting to get the assistance from the US Embassy while still suffering badly from his injuries. It's a wild tale and at this point all you can hope is that, regardless of who started what, Browning is able to get medical help and the involvement of the Embassy to ensure safe and fair handling of the situation.

Posted in: fight, head, brawl, girlfriend, hospital

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

When the news broke that TUF's craziest crazy person Junie Browning had gotten into a bar / hospital brawl in Thailand with the mob, we all had some yucks while saying "Oh that Junie." We then went about the rest of our day, which for me involves eating pickles and trolling Sherdog.net. But Junie is still neck deep in the shit, and he's sharing his story with MMA Weekly in the hopes that it will help him secure aid from his government. Here's his take on the fight that started it all: “It was no longer a man on man ‘bar brawl’ but a fight for my survival. I was trying to defend myself in the street when at some point I fell back to the ground. They drug me back into the bar where they pummeled me with punches and kicks. It was me against everyone. For a second time I received a mass blow over the head with a thick glass mug that split my head open and made me fall to the floor. I curled up in the fetal position, submissive, and I continued to be kicked and hit. My arms up covering my face I felt a slice to my forearm and another stab to my neck,” Browning told MMAWeekly.com. This is slightly different from the original version told by Junie where he 'managed to break a few orbital bones, at least a couple jaws.' But I get it. This is a serious plea for potentially life-saving help, not your Facebook wall. I also have my doubts about Junie's "We have no idea why these people attacked me!" line. This is a guy who once used his post-fight victory speech in enemy territory to declare "LADIES, AFTER THIS I WANT TWO LINES, ONE FOR SUCKING, AND ONE FOR FUCKING."But whatever stupid crap comes out of your mouth, it doesn't make it okay for a dozen people to gang bang you with glass bottles. As for what went down in the hospital: “They began to assess my wounds and stitch up the three large gashes on my head. Without any consideration to my safety or the events that had just occurred, they placed both Menzies, accompanied by MJ Castro, and the man who had attacked me with a mug, in the beds right beside me. Needless to say, I became furious and again words were exchanged. As it escalated a second time into a physical fight… Security and Patong Police arrived and restrained all parties. I was taken into the waiting lobby on a stretcher in handcuffs in front of numerous people to finish giving me medical attention,” recounted Browning.“At no point was I rude or uncooperative with either the medical staff or the police. Taken into consideration the severity of my wounds and my demeanor and my girlfriend’s statement, the police officer removed my handcuffs. We were told by the officer that we should stay the night in the hospital to have my head monitored and would be able to go home with no charges the next morning. It was obvious to him that I was the victim.” There's way more info in the MMA Weekly article regarding the Thai mob coming after Junie and his escape into hiding. He's out of Thailand, but still somewhere in that sketchy pacific rim and apparently still all messed up from the ass kicking he received. “All we are asking for is help from people we can trust which brings us here now. We are victims of a viscous assault and attempt on our lives. We are seeking the assistance of the U.S. Embassy and want to clear my name of the wrong-doing I was accused of.” Good luck Junie! I hope your government gives a shit about your plight!

Posted in: people, head, police, bar, junie

Read the full article at Fightlinker

So I watch James Krause with the head kick knockout last night, hit level 50 in Red Dead Redemption multiplayer which successfully earned me my bull to ride around the digital southwest on. Now I wake up to another absolutely stunning head kick knockout brought to us by Cairo Rocha at Desafio Dos Imortais sometime yesterday. Life my friends, truly is good to us sometimes. Watch this .GIF brought to us by DamnSevern from the UG over and over until it's time for Strikeforce. [Source]

Posted in: head, kick, james krause, saturday afternoons, yesterday life

Read the full article at Middle Easy

In his UFC 141 official prefight video interview, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar says that Alistair Overeem is "in over his head."

Posted in: ufc, alistair overeem, lesnar, head, brock

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Mark Bocek wins by Unanimous Decision over Nik Lentz. All three judges scored the fight 30-27. The fighters traded on their feet working in the clinch, both trying to get the first takedown. It was Mark Bocek that was able to drag NiK Lentz to the ground. Nik Lentz quickly wrapped Bocek's neck and started to work for a tight guillotine choke. Lentz hung on while Bocek picked up him slammed him back to the mat. Bocek worked from the top but was unable to establish dominance with punches. Bocek worked his way to side control but Lentz quickly reestablished guard. The round ended with Mark Bocek landing hammerfists. Bocek opened the second round with a left hook but was countered by Lentz who landed a hook of his down. Bocek slipped on a head kick and Lentz quickly jumped on his back. Bocek created a scramble and ended up in Nik Lentz' guard. Bocek played in Nik Lentz' guard but was unable to pass to side control. Bocek stayed heavy on Lentz, keeping him from sweeping to top control. Lentz caught Bocek with a guillotine choke and Bocek survived after popping his head out. The rounded ended with the fighters on their feet trading punches. Mark Bocek opens the round with a driving shot but left his head open and he got caught in another guillotine. He popped his head out and started working from guard. Lentz used another guillotine to stand and landed a solid uppercut on the way up. Bocek got another takedown and Lentz grapped another guillotine. Bocek popped his head out and landed a big elbow. In the closing seconds of the fight Mark Bocek landed an ax kick. Nik Lentz entered the fight undefeated in the UFC. He leaves with his first UFC loss. SBN coverage of UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida

Posted in: mark, head, bocek, lentz, nik

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

submitted by zakik88 [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: tito, head, titos head, zakik

Read the full article at Reddit

"I have been training boxing intensely. My hands are fast. Dorea really liked our training session yesterday. He said that I'm able to maintain strong punches throughout the combos. When we train grappling and the arms get tired I'm still able to keep the power and speed. So the probabilities are high for a knockout in this fight. But Tito Ortiz has a hard head. Let's see if I can get a K.O. The intention is to keep the fight standing up, and knock him out." Breaking news: Tito Ortiz has a big head. Okay, that's not breaking news but Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, his opponent at UFC 140 tomorrow night (Dec. 10, 2011) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, recognizes knocking "The People's Champ" out will be a challenge. After all, of the nine losses Ortiz has suffered throughout his career, only three have come by way of knockout and each one of them was "technical." You know, as opposed to a legitimate naptime knockout. "Minotoro" thinks he can pull it off. Anyone agree with him?

Posted in: ortiz, tito, head, knockout, training boxing

Read the full article at MMA Mania

The Ultimate Fighting Championship once had no rules. Royce Gracie could pull on Kimo's beautiful, flowing ponytail to his hearts content. Keith Hackney could punch Joe Son in the balls endlessly and it was all good. Given events that went on outside the cage in the life of Random Task, perhaps Keith should have been given all the time he wanted to speedbag his balls into dust. Today, of course, there are rules. Sometimes. In the main event of The Ultimate Finale tonight, we saw Michael Bisping throw a head kick at his downed opponent, strike the back of the head repeatedly and throw repeated 12-6 elbows. This was all a non issue to Steve "Hot Tub" Mazzagatti. Steve is linked to 2 situations involving illegal strikes. He infamously deducted a point from Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 with no warning for strikes to the back of the head and disqualified Jon Jones for 12-6 elbowing Matt Hamill into another lifetime. The Steve Mazzagatti that occupied the cage tonight was cool with both of those things and more. Baffling. Vitor Belfort has two wins in his current UFC run. He defeated Rich Franklin at UFC 103 via illegal strikes to the back of the head. He then defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 via illegal strikes to the back of the head. These are devastating blows resulting in human unconsciousness and are against the rules. On both occasions, not a word was said about it. Not by Joe Rogan, not by Mike Goldberg or Dana White and not by the referee. I am aware that accidental illegal strikes can and will happen. But when Michael Bisping gets warned damn near half a dozen times for the same foul with no reprimand with other fouls being ignored entirely and Vitor Belfort is allowed to pound the back of his opponents head like a railroad spike something is wrong. Rules exist for a reason and if they are not going to be enforced consistently and across the board then they may as well not even exist in the first place.

Posted in: michael bisping, head, vitor belfort, strike, rule

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

Forget about the H-bomb, Dan Henderson is dropping the H-word. The former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion is pondering the long-term effects of his epic, five-round war of attrition against fellow MMA elder statesman Mauricio Rua, which took place at UFC 139 back on Nov. 19, 2011, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. "Shogun" was bloodied, battered and bruised, but never out of the fight, as evidenced by his gritty comeback in rounds four and five to nearly finish "Hendo" before throwing himself on the mercy of the judges. When the smoke cleared, Henderson squeaked by with a unanimous decision win. "Henderson vs. Shogun" earned "Fight of the Night" honors at the UFC 139 post-fight press conference... but at what cost? No one wants to play Buzz Killington, but it's also irresponsible to ignore a fighter who says he was dizzy, seeing stars and suffering from blood loss. And allowed to continue. Hear what Henderson said about the one question "better left to doctors" (via Sherdog.com): "It was a good one to watch, but I think the fans would have been talking quite a bit about it too if it ended after three rounds with him barely living through it. But yeah, I guess it made it more dramatic with him kind of coming back at the end of that fourth and fifth round. It could be good for the sport. I know there’s probably a lot more new fans that watched that fight that are hooked now. I think [the referee] could have stopped it and I don’t think anyone would have bitched. … Honestly I don’t know how good that was for [Shogun’s] head, to take that much beating and still take more after that. That’s more of a question for the doctors and the people that are doing the head scans on him. Maybe that took a toll on his chin and he won’t be able to do that again." Rua actually outlanded Henderson in total strikes by a margin of 191-113 and a staggering 161-73 to the head. But the bigger issue here is not volume, rather damage sustained. Is it better to take five rounds of Nick Diaz peppering you with a few hundred shots? Or go three rounds eating bombs from a guy like Paul Daley? Unlike boxing, we still don't have enough of a history to accurately determine the long-term consequences of punishment absorbed inside the cage, but one thing is for certain: Adding another two rounds to all main events certainly increases the likelihood of a negative outcome. Thoughts?

Posted in: fight, round, henderson, head, i donrsquot

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Could UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva head a giant stadium event in Brazil in June? UFC president Dana White has hinted at such a scenario.

Posted in: ufc, silva, head, anderson, june

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

News and notes from the international scene, including another Roger Huerta loss and a sweet somersault head kick video.

Posted in: huerta, head, zaromski, somersault, roundup

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

While UFC 144 is still a few months away, the promotion is wasting no time building the brand the Land of the Rising Sun.

Posted in: ufc, head, building, others head, time building

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Sweep the leg! Fresh off the recent announcement that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight prospect Rick Story signed a four-fight contract extension with the promotion, despite losing back-to-back fights, a former training partner has come forward with a chilling training tale that involved "The Horror." Mike Pierce, also a player in the UFC's loaded 170-pound division, trained alongside Story at Brave Legion Gym. That is until Pierce witnessed an incident so disturbing that he says it compelled him to train elsewhere. As a guest on Joe Show Radio, Pierce detailed an incident in training during which Story laid down a brutal beating on a mixed martial arts (MMA) amateur who apparently just wasn't doing it right. Read Pierce's detailed account after the jump (full audio is also included): "This kid drove all the way from Iowa. He was a wrestler, a wrestler looking to be an MMA guy, he hardly didn't have any experience, out to Vancouver, WA to learn how to fight. And you know, [the trainer] was getting frustrated with him because he was doing what beginners do when they get beat on by a guy that's really experienced, you know. He was covering up, backing away, putting his his head down. Typical beginner-like stuff. And he [the trainer] was getting frustrated, so he told myself and Ricky just to go in there and knock this guy out. That's not what you do to teammates, man. There's a time and a place for that, but in the training room? That's probably a little far.... I refused to do it, and I went in there and sparred like you're supposed to spar. And Ricky went in there and just starts wailing on the guy. And keep in mind that this kid had already had some sort of a head trauma anyway, where he was having vertigo issues. He would sleep and lay in his bed at night and look at the ceiling and it would spin. Okay, obviously there was some sort of a head trauma with the guy. And then, Ricky goes in there and starts wailing on this guy.... Now you know, we're just boxing. It's just boxing sparring. So the guy takes a knee after taking a few nasty shots. Takes a knee with one hand on his head and the other one waving off saying 'Hold on, hold on, my head', and then you know, [the trainer's] all over saying 'F**k it, keeping hitting him'. So Ricky grabs him by the back of the head and starts uppercutting him in the face, like that's okay?... I was just shaking my head, like, you gotta be f**king kidding me, man." Chilling to say the least if it is indeed entirely accurate. Story, who is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Martin Kampmann this past weekend at UFC 139: "Shogun vs. Henderson," or his head trainer at Brave Legion Gym in Vancouver, Wash., Pat White, have yet to comment on the incident. Either way, it probably wouldn't be the first, or the last, time an up-and-comer gets "taught a lesson" he will never forget in training. The old school famed Chute Boxe fight team, which housed fighters such as Mauricio Rua and Wanderlei Silva, had been known to have brutal training sessions and often times we here of tales of all out sparring sessions and training partners knocking each other out. The old Pat Miletich camp, which included former UFV welterweight champion Matt Hughes, were also known for their intense, relentless sessions. However, this incident appears to cross the line. Full audio below: Mike Pierce Tells about Rick Story Training Beatdown (via joeshowradio).

Posted in: guy, head, training, story, that

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Staying calm is the key for top British bantamweight Paul McVeigh as he heads into a clash with Greg Jackson product Erik Perez on the upcoming BAMMA 8...

Posted in: jackson, head, clash, bamma, mcveigh

Read the full article at Fighters Only

UFC welterweight Mike Pierce was a guest on Joe Show Radio recently and didn't have the nicest stuff to say about his former trainer Pat White, or his former training partner Rick Story. Pierce has been quite vocal about not being a fan of his former trainer for a long time, and has stated that Story, who just signed a four-fight contract extension with the UFC, just goes along with whatever White tells him to do. Pierce wasn't about to do that, and his decision to leave White's Brave Legion gym was made up after one particular brutal incident. Basically Story beat down a rookie, one who appeared to be suffering from head trauma already, for no good reason at all. Here is Pierce's version (full audio after the jump): "This kid drove all the way from Iowa. He was a wrestler, a wrestler looking to be an MMA guy, he hardly didn't have any experience, out to Vancouver, WA to learn how to fight. And you know, Pat was getting frustrated with him because he was doing what beginners do when they get beat on by a guy that's really experienced, you know. He was covering up, backing away, putting his his head down. Typical beginner-like stuff. And he was getting frustrated, so he told my self and Ricky just to go in there and knock this guy out. That's not what you do to teammates, man. There's a time and a place for that, but in the training room? That's probably a little far. ... I refused to do it, and I went in there and sparred like you're supposed to spar. And Ricky went in there and just starts whaling on the guy. And keep in mind that this kid had already had some sort of a head trauma anyway, where he was having vertigo issues. He would sleep and lay in his bed at night and look at the ceiling and it would spin.  Okay, obviously there was some sort of a head trauma with the guy. And then, Ricky goes in there and starts whaling on this guy. Now you know, we're just boxing. It's just boxing sparring. So the guy takes a knee after taking a few nasty shots. Takes a knee with one hand on his head and the other one waving off saying 'Hold on, hold on, my head', and then you know, Pat's all over saying 'F**k it, keeping hitting him'. So Ricky grabs him by the back of the head and starts uppercutting him in the face, like that's okay?...and I was just shaking my head, like, you gotta be f**king kidding me man." There's no way to say it without being direct, so I'll just say it - if that story is legit, Rick Story is a bully and a coward in my opinion for hitting a man that is asking for time just because his coach wants to make a ridiculous point. No wonder Pierce left. I'm sure many people have heard or seen similar things in the gym, but that doesn't make it right. I considered myself a big Rick Story fan up until I heard this. I'm reconsidering that right now.

Posted in: guy, head, story, rick, head trauma

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Cung Le took the beating of his life from Wanderlei Silva at UFC 139, and Silva mentioned earlier today that rearranging Le's face might have actually been good for Cung's movie career. Well, according to Mr. Le, the bruises on his face aren't the only painful thing he endured in the bout (from his facebook): The back of my head hurts more than my face. The Ref needs to watch the strikes to the back of the head more... He followed it up later with another comment: After my fight I told Wandy that it was an honor to fight him. I have no excuse for my lost. My comment about the back of my head "hurts more than my face" is because I get hit in the face during training...so my face is more conditioned. Le doesn't seem like the type for sour grapes, but I really don't remember any blatant shots to the back of the head in the bout. It certainly wasn't something that I've seen addressed by anyone since the bout (until now). Perhaps it's worth (another) re-watch. SBN coverage of UFC 139: Henderson vs. Rua

Posted in: bout, face, wanderlei silva, head, cung

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Cung Le is hurt. Not only because Wanderlei Silva turned his face into corned beef hash in the co-main event of UFC 139, but also because the referee did nothing to stop "The Axe Murderer" from landing strikes to the back of his head last Saturday night (Nov. 19, 2011) at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. That's according to Le, who vented earlier today on his official Facebook page: The back of my head hurts more than my face. The Ref needs to watch the strikes to the back of the head more... After a strong first round that saw Le rattle his Brazilian foe with an arsenal of flashy kicks, the former Strikeforce middleweight champion ran out of steam, allowing Silva to unleashed a flurry of knees and punches that forced the technical knockout stoppage at 4:49 of the second stanza. When the fight was called, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan expressed his dissatisfaction with the timing of the stoppage. Le, battered and bloodied, was clinging to a leg and trying to survive. The ref disagreed. Fans are likely to dispute the timing of the stoppage, but no one is disputing the fact that Le was in all kinds of trouble. But did the aforementioned strikes to the back of his head have anything to do with his downfall? Or just sour grapes? For complete UFC 139 results and a detailed recap of all the action click here. To check out a recap of the UFC 139 prelim fights that were seen Spike TV, click here and here. Want to know what happened with the UFC 139 Facebook Prelims portion of the card? To read a full recap click here. And just in case you want to get up to speed on the entire UFC 139 fight card from top to bottom click here.

Posted in: ufc, wanderlei silva, head, strike, landing strikes

Read the full article at MMA Mania

submitted by Fyuryus [link] [comment]

Posted in: head, force, fyuryu, california kid, fyuryus link

Read the full article at Reddit

We've posted previous fights from those on the upcoming UFC 139 card. So if you need to refresh your memory or your just not too familiar head over and give it a once over. Or feel free to post some of your own. submitted by xKrazExMNUx [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: ufc, xkrazexmnux, head, weve, rmmafights weve

Read the full article at Reddit

Today, Gabriel de Oliveira will leave his home in Brazil and head to Las Vegas, Nevada. When he arrives, he will commence training Vitor Belfort for his...

Posted in: head, belfort, brazil, nevada, belfort recruits

Read the full article at Fighters Only

Today, Gabriel de Oliveira will leave his home in Brazil and head to Las Vegas, Nevada. When he arrives, he will commence training Vitor Belfort for his...

Posted in: head, belfort, brazil, nevada, belfort recruits

Read the full article at Fighters Only

Showtime Networks, Inc. has a new man in charge of its sports programming, but how long the channel’s schedule will continue to include mixed martial arts remains unclear.

Posted in: sport, showtime, head, programming, sports programming

Read the full article at Sherdog

We're far removed from the days of watching a league like the NFL neglect concussions, in fact, interpreting them as an injury divorced from any long term or cumulative effects. Well, sort of. It took a veritable body count for them to take notice, but progress is progress. So how do we quantify that progress? Luckily it's not just being fought with science, but with legislation. In Canada, a youth concussion program is being implemented to establish baseline cognitive scores for students enrolling in athletic programs so that, should they suffer any sort of head trauma, coaches and officials now know what to test against, and what to look for thanks to quick and easy cognitive exams. Oregon has what is known as Max's Law, which requires coaches to be trained in concussion detection. Gone are the days of coaches telling the young athletes to shake off the sting of "getting your bell rung". Why? Because even "getting your bell rung" is a legitimate sign of head trauma.  The effects of brain injury are well known: vomiting, dizziness, sensitivity to light, and so forth. But more information continues to be unpacked. Recent studies expand on the long term of effects of TBI, such as how head trauma increases the risk of sleep disorder by 60%.  But when it comes to preventing these injuries, technology doesn't offer much in the way of solutions. "Mark Kelso, a former Bills safety, has spoken publicly about how the rubber Pro Cap he used over his helmet saved him from concussions. However, he appears to be unaware that the Pro Cap makes the helmet thicker, which creates a longer lever arm between the helmet surface and the neck, increasing the chance of serious neck injury", explained David Epstein in his curator's note at In Media Res.  He also notes the curious behavior of manufacturers unwilling to broadcast their support of these technologies. Perhaps they know something the public doesn't: which is that even a "leatherhead", football helmets of the early 1900's, are just as good at protecting against head injuries as modern day helmets. This was what Cleveland Clinic found in their biomechanics lab when comparing helmets of yesteryear with the helmets of today. While it's true modern day helmets are better at protecting against the more serious neck injuries, they do little to alleviate concussions, which at this point are unavoidable and not something technology can resolve.  But technology is not helpless. Modern day helmets can hold what a leatherhead can't: accelerometers. With the news that impact sensors can be placed in mouthpieces, MMA, should Zuffa lead the charge in this area (and for which to their credit they've been an active part of), can take part in these advancements. These are all significant breakthroughs. But they neglect the growing concern of concussions as they relate to youth. Why are teenagers so much more prone to long term effects? How does Jamie Wirth, a female high school basketball player, get sidelined for two years just from taking a stray basketball to the head? Understanding what puts teenagers at a unique risk of long term injury requires an understanding of the teenage brain itself. As teenagers, we rarely felt in control. We were slaves to our own hormones. But we were also slaves to a literal remodeling of the brain. As David Dobbs explained in a recent issue of National Geographic, on what makes the teenage brain so different: For starters, the brain's axons—the long nerve fibers that neurons use to send signals to other neurons—become gradually more insulated with a fatty substance called myelin (the brain's white matter), eventually boosting the axons' transmission speed up to a hundred times. Meanwhile, dendrites, the branchlike extensions that neurons use to receive signals from nearby axons, grow twiggier, and the most heavily used synapses—the little chemical junctures across which axons and dendrites pass notes—grow richer and stronger. At the same time, synapses that see little use begin to wither. This synaptic pruning, as it is called, causes the brain's cortex—the outer layer of gray matter where we do much of our conscious and complicated thinking—to become thinner but more efficient. Taken together, these changes make the entire brain a much faster and more sophisticated organ. If your teenage years seem chaotic, it's because the chaos is taking place within each neuron. The teenage brain is highly active, and is in a sense, immature itself. These changes explain why teenagers are so much more inclined to risk taking, and those risks in turn, explain the tragic statistics of when drug and alcohol abuse are more likely to begin (during adolescence). Most of us more or less understand this. The younger you are, the better you're able to learn a new language. Why? Because when you're young, your brain literally connects with more neurons per neuron (15 thousand connections as a child versus ten as an adult, to be exact). Perhaps this explains why Ms. Wirth, and other teenagers seem so prone to long term effects. A concussion interrupts the brain during a critical period. It's a banana peel thrown underneath the foot of a sprinter in the 100 meters.  I've said my piece on the issue before: sports promote healthy living. Participants are less likely to drink alcohol, smoke, or eat in the fashion that has led to American's growing obesity epidemic. And so while concussions challenge sports as a place for healthy living, they shouldn't discourage parents altogether. Now's the time for awareness: not protest.

Posted in: injury, brain, head, concussion, helmet

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

Ricky Lundell reminds me of the dude that sits behind you at an MMA fight and attempts to break down the bout with overly-simplistic terms like 'See, that's a head choke!' Yeah, a head choke. What the hell kind of other choke is there besides a 'head choke.' What part of the body can be choked? Your ankles? Yeah, Masakazu Imanari has made a career by 'choking ankles.' I can't believe I just spelled Masakazu Imanari's name right on the first try. I need to celebrate that somehow, most likely by playing Battlefield 3 until I get frustrated and throw the controller across the room in disgust. Here's a note: If you can't fly a helicopter in Battlefield 3, then get the [expletive] out the helicopter. There's no need to take down all your passengers in your fiery effigy of clumsiness. Joe Lauzon knows what I'm talking about since he's a well-known and avid gamer. The keyword here is 'knowing what they're talking about.' Actually, that's more of a 'keyphrase.' The point being, Ricky Lundell has no idea what he's talking about, as evidenced by this video. [Source]

Posted in: head, need, ricky lundell, overlysimplistic terms, ricky

Read the full article at Middle Easy

Fun Fact: Dos Caras Jr - aka the guy in a wrestling match who got his head kicked off by Mirko Crocop - is now better known as Alberto Del Rio, the current WWE champion.

Posted in: champion, do, head, mirko crocop, mirko

Read the full article at Fightlinker

submitted by ImaG [link] [6 comments]

Posted in: nick diaz, nick, head, imag, penns fist

Read the full article at Reddit

Former 'Ultimate Fighter' runner-up C.B. Dollaway is itching to get back into action, but will have to wait a few more months to do it.

Posted in: week, head, cb, dollaway, runnerup

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

40-year-old Taekwondo instruc­tor Sandy Bowman crushes Eric Esch, affectionately known as "Butterbean," via head kick at the Prestige FC III last Friday night (Oct. 21) in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Esch had actually tapped due to strikes in what is hopefully his finally mixed martial arts fight. Props: Top MMA News

Posted in: head kick, head, kick, eric esch, esch

Read the full article at MMA Mania

submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: head kick, head, mirko, cop, roy nelson

Read the full article at Reddit

As B.J. Penn continues on his road to UFC 137, "The Prodigy" heads back to Hilo, Hawaii for the final weeks of his preparation. Now promoted to the main event as a result of Georges St. Pierre's withdraw, Penn will go head to head with former Strikeforce Champion Nick Diaz in hopes of cementing his place as the division's top contender. UFC 137 takes place next Saturday, October 29th, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Posted in: bj penn, head, penn, hilo hawaii, prodigy heads

Read the full article at Low Kick

submitted by ialsolovebees [link] [comment]

Posted in: vs, gsp, condit, head, ialsolovebee

Read the full article at Reddit

Dan Hardy heads to the shooting range to train up for the coming zombie apocalypse. Courtesy of our friends at FightHubTv.

Posted in: zombie apocalypse, head, shooting range, .... dan, apocalypse

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

In the opening bout of UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III, former WEC champion Steve Cantwell suffered a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Mike Massenzio. This marks Cantwell's fourth straight loss in the Octagon, and will very likely result in his dismissal from the UFC. That's a shame, because for the opening minutes of the fight, Cantwell was landing some nice, slick striking that deserved attention.  In this Judo Chop, we break down one of Cantwell's most unique and impressive strikes in the fight - a fake push kick to head kick that connected beautifully to open round 2.  The head kick is one of the most devastating blows in MMA. When landed cleanly, it can end anyone's night - just ask the Pride-era opponents of Mirko CroCop. But a good, clean head kick requires a well thought out set-up. Because fighters keep their hands up by their heads, it's easy to block an incoming head kick. Fighters must somehow get their opponents to lower their defenses before hitting the kick. There are many ways to do this, and the strategy employed by Cantwell is an interesting variation. To start, we have to look back at round 1. Throughout the round, Cantwell used a variety of kicks, with an extra emphasis on the push kick. This is a pretty basic kick, though one that is somewhat underutililized in MMA. Let's break down the mechanics of the push kick. To start, a fighter brings his leg straight up, almost as if delivering a knee to the body. This is called "chambering" the kick. This can be done with either the lead or rear leg. With the leg off the ground, the attacker then pushes forward from the hips, sending his foot into his opponent. Typically, the abdomen is the desired target, though you can bring it higher or lower. Like the jab, the push kick can be used with different degrees of power for different purposes. Throw it with less power and it's a good way to gauge distance, push an opponent back, or set up another strike. Throw with more power and you can knock the wind out of your opponent.  Here's a nice, brief video demonstrating the mechanics of the push kick. Video plus full analysis in the complete article. In the Massenzio fight, Cantwell uses his rear leg (since Cantwell fights orthodox, that's the right leg) to land this push kick throughout round 1. He also uses some nice punches to the body. The end result is that Massenzio is thinking about protecting his body as he comes out for round 2. Which brings us to the kick itself. Let's take a look: Cantwell starts by bringing the right leg straight up as if he is chambering it for the push kick. Massenzio reads it as a push kick, and tries to protect his body by bringing his right arm down across his abdomen, and dropping his left elbow to cover the ribs. That leaves the head more exposed, and Cantwell switches from the push kick to the head kick, landing cleanly. A few specific aspects of Cantwell's kick are worth a mention here. First, this is an extremely rare set-up. Fighters will often fake a low kick or body kick to open up the head, then switch to a head kick. But to use a push kick is difficult because of the change in momentum. For the push kick, your energy is coming forward, while the head kick brings it around from the side. Making that kind of transition mid-kick is tricky, and Cantwell does an impressive job of it here. I also really like Cantwell's footwork to start things off. Watch his left foot - just before throwing the kick, he takes a small step to his left, putting his own lead foot to the outside of Massenzio's. Because Massenzio is a southpaw, the two men have opposite lead legs. In that case, you establish superior positioning by putting your lead foot to the outside of your opponent's - this gives you better angles. Cantwell takes that dominant position in anticipation of the kick. It's a small detail, but those details are what technique is all about. If there is a criticism for Cantwell here, it's in the way he pivots on that left foot during the kick. Watch how his left foot turns as he throws the kick. He's right to have that pivot, as it gives more torque to the kick, but he executes the pivot on his heel. Typically in Muay Thai, you pivot on the ball of your foot, lifting your heel off the ground. This adds a bit of extra power to the kick, which Cantwell sacrifices by remaining flat footed on the pivot. Finally, watch Cantwell's right hand. As he kicks, he throws the hand down and to his side. This small movement is always a subject of much debate in kickboxing and Muay Thai. By bringing the arm down, he adds more momentum to his kick, thus increasing the power. But he also leaves his head open on the right side. A skilled striker with good timing could make him pay dearly for that opening. So, power or defense? Cantwell opts for power, which is a good choice in this particular instance. But there is definitely a school of thought that would argue against his arm motion here. Unfortunately for Cantwell, this kick was the last real highlight of the fight, as Massenzio took over the striking shortly thereafter and never let up. Still, this shows that Cantwell has unique skills to bring to the table. Here's hoping he tightens up his overall game at the regional level and makes his way back to the UFC ready to capitalize on nice moves like this.

Posted in: head kick, head, kick, foot, cantwell

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

So what would you call that bit of hair on the back of Gray Maynard's head? Is that the remnants of a mullet that didn't fully develop at birth? Is it more like a mullet that was in the process of forming, but then was distracted by something glittery outside and stopped mid-way through? Perhaps it serves as an 'improvised lost item receptacle' for when Gray throws random objects in his hair and forgets about them the next day. I wouldn't tell any of this to Gray Maynard's face -- I would tell it to the back of his head. Check out this .gif by ZombieProphet of the UFC 136 face-off that could possibly go to a fourth bout and still be considered a rubber match.

Posted in: head, maynard, i wouldn, item  receptacle, hair

Read the full article at Middle Easy

There's a special place in hell for people that drink, drive and destroy a parked Daewoo Lanos and wherever that place is, Mariusz Pudzianowski will be there to greet you by squeezing your head until it pops like a grape. The penalty for destroying the Daewoo is death by The World's Strongest Man and humiliation by knowing that you no longer have a head. You will just wander the afterlife blindly trying to find your head and Mussolini will kick you in the butt at every available opportunity. The World's Strongest Man competition is the only place where it's socially acceptable to move a car you don't own with your arms. I don't think that would fly anywhere else unless you've been exposed to gamma radiation, in which case...it's cool. The only cars I've moved with my arms were a handful of Micro Machines from my friend's closet in 4th grade as payback for him ripping my 1991 Silver Surfer Marvel Hologram Card. I've never forgiven him to this day and he still doesn't know about his Micro Machines -- and will never know, because he's dead, seriously. KSW XVII goes down November 26th in Lodz, Poland and we no longer have to watch Polish Hip-Hop trailers of the event. We now have an English translated promo of KSW 17, and all of you should watch it while pondering the meaning of life. [Source]

Posted in: head, place, ksw, hip-hop trailers, man competition

Read the full article at Middle Easy

If it were up to me, every single person who clicked on this amazing Brock vs Reem trailer would have mandatory headphones cranked to full blast and would be forced to place their face two inches from whatever screen they are viewing. At the very least it would become some sort of weird MMA marketing/Clockwork Orange experiment in an attempt to explode heads. Now hopefully not too many heads pop Scanners style, most of us will need our gray matter inside our skulls so we can watch this fight go down December 30th, 2011, but some casualties are expected when there is a trailer of this caliber. Nevertheless, please open the viewing screen as large as you can, turn the volume up and enjoy. You might need something to bite down on. [source]

Posted in: vs, head, trailer, brock, screen

Read the full article at Middle Easy

Anthony Johnson may have went all wrestler on us as of late but he's still capable of taking heads off, as you can see in the video above when he decapitated Kevin Burns at the Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 Finale on Dec. 13, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Rumble" will try to do the same tonight (Oct. 1, 2011) when he takes on Charlie Brenneman on the main card of UFC on Versus 6: "Cruz vs. Johnson" in Washington D.C. Anyone predicting head kick knockout? Or are we in for another long decision?

Posted in: washington d.c, johnson, head, charlie brenneman, kevin burns

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Mixed Martial Arts is a complex sport that includes many different aspects. Here, I'm taking a look at a key upcoming fight and breaking down just one of those aspects - the stand-up.  THE FIGHT Dominick Cruz vs. Demetrious JohnsonUFC Bantamweight TitleUFC on Versus 6 DOMINICK CRUZ Strengths - Movement. Plain and simple. Dominick Cruz is an absolute master of movement in every aspect of his game. In particular, he uses footwork, body, and head movement to seamlessly flow between offense and defense when striking. Cruz's striking style is based around using his fast feet to quickly move inside an opponent's range. He then lands strikes, typically in a combo. Cruz's wide arsenal of strikes includes punches, kicks, and knees all delivered from either an orthodox or south paw stance. He uses his body well to get behind his shots and to chain them together nicely. After landing his own shots, Cruz uses head and body movement to slip any counter strikes, then once he sees an opening, either lands another combo, or uses his feet again to escape. Then he starts the sequence over again. In short, he gets in, does damage, takes none, and gets out. And that is almost exclusively due to his superior movement. One other way he uses movement to his great advantage is in his use of angles. One of the best ways to avoid being hit and maximize your own strikes is to strike your opponent while you are on an angle. Your body faces your opponent (maximizing your power), but theirs is turned slightly away from you (minimizing their power). Cruz does a very good job at landing while on angles. In particular, he has a great hook he hits while running diagonally past his opponent, making it very hard to counter. Weaknesses - Honestly, Cruz has one of the best stand-up games in the sport today, so it's hard to really call anything a weakness. If there's an area where he leaves an opening though it's in his style of defense. Cruz defends punches by slipping them - meaning he lowers his head and body and slides his head off to the side to avoid any incoming punches. It's a style of defense seen more in boxing than MMA, although Anderson Silva has been using it a lot lately. Because he defends with this head movement, Cruz keeps his hands low and does not use them to defend his chin and head at all. Normally, keeping the hands so low is a huge negative, but Cruz is so adept at his head movement that no one has yet been able to find that chin and exploit that defensive hole. But that doesn't mean it's not there. Analysis of Johnson and the head to head comparison in the full article. More SBN coverage of UFC on Versus 6 DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON Strengths - Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson has a great all around game, and as a result his striking is sometimes a bit overlooked. But he has very good skills on the feet. His greatest asset is definitely his speed - Johnson may be the fastest fighter in the history of the UFC. That speed is most pronounced in his movement around the cage, but you also see it in his hand speed and ability to quickly put together combinations. In addition to this speed, Johnson also has strengths in his game that extend beyond the basic fundamentals. Like Cruz, he uses angles well, and is comfortable in either stance and will switch between stances often. He also throws very nice hooks that are crisp and tight. It's a very different approach to hooks from Cruz, who throws them more looping on the outside. Weaknesses - That speed is a huge plus, but it also means that Johnson often gives up power, preferring to connect quickly instead of with maximum force. While he connects often, the times he has staggered an opponent with his strikes are few indeed. One area where you really see this is his kicks. He throws kicks very quickly, but he doesn't rotate the hips much. That gets the kick off faster at times, but it doesn't allow him to get his body behind the kick and really maximize its power. HEAD TO HEAD In addition to his excellent stand-up, Dominick Cruz also has a very good wrestling and submission game that is built around keeping himself out of trouble and keeping the fight standing when he wants it there. Because of this, I think the man to beat Cruz will need to beat him on his feet, taking advantage of that defensive style to find Cruz's chin and connect with some powerful punches. And unfortunately for Johnson, he's just not that kind of fighter. The big plus Johnson has in his corner is that speed - Cruz is used to being the faster fighter, and he'll be at a speed disadvantage here. But Johnson's speed is more in his movement than his reflexes (as we saw in the Brad Pickett fight when Pickett repeatedly caught Johnson's kicks). I suspect Cruz will make the needed adjustments and be able to connect on Johnson. It comes down to this: if Johnson hangs back, Cruz will push in and outstrike him. If Johnson comes forward, Cruz will use his counter-striking to hit 3 or 4 strikes on Johnson every time Mighty Mouse misses. And Dominick Cruz is an expert at making people miss. ADVANTAGE: DOMINICK CRUZ Poll Who has the better stand-up? Dominick Cruz Demetrious Johnson Even   9 votes | Results

Posted in: johnson, head, cruz, speed, movement

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

UFC 138 now has a completely new fight on its card after the withdrawal of two originally scheduled participants.First of all Mark Scanlon pulled out of...

Posted in: ufc, fight, head, mark scanlon, scanlon

Read the full article at Fighters Only

Justin Edwards has replaced the injured James Head and will face John Maguire at UFC 138 in November.

Posted in: ufc, head, james head, maguire, john maguire

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Perhaps the third time will be the charm for an injury-plagued booking. As MMAjunkie.com first reported this past week, promotional newcomer John Maguire recently replaced injured Mark Scanlon in a UFC 138 booking with welterweight James Head. Now, Head, too, is injured, and in his place steps Justin Edwards, officials today announced.

Posted in: officials today, head, james head, injury-plagued booking, justin edwards

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

submitted by col0rado [link] [comment]

Posted in: management, head, work, shaw, detail

Read the full article at Reddit

What's in Josh Koscheck's head going into UFC 135? Matt Hughes knows, and tells Luke Thomas at MMA Nation on how he can exploit it on fight night right here.

Posted in: mma nation, josh koscheck, head, luke thomas, mma ....

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Mark Scanlon has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled UFC 138 fight against James Head, but fellow English welterweight John Maguire has stepped in to make his Octagon debut against Head on the preliminary card of the November 5 event in Birmhingham, England, MMAjunkie reports. Maguire (16-3) has won his last five fights, including a notable win over TUF 9′s Dean Amasinger, to push his record to 16-3, while Head (7-2) dropped his UFC debut to Nick Ring in June after upsetting UFC vet Gerald Harris in his previous bout in February. UFC 138 airs via tape-delay on Spike TV and is headlined by the first five-round non-title fight between middleweights Chris Leben and Mark Munoz. For the latest UFC 138 news stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Posted in: ufc, fight, head, james head, dean amasinger

Read the full article at MMA Frenzy

The Worst Case Scenario Survival Manual insists that if you're in a situation where the probability of you getting punched in the head is at 100%, you should lean your head forward and take the blow directly just above your forehead, on the top of our noggin. There's a chance you can break the other person's barefist and in return, you receive little to no damage. I've never practiced this method, due to he fact that I avoid any scenario which involves me getting punched directly in the head. However, if you are presented with an opportunity to headbutt another person's head, just do it as hard as possible and chances are you will be the last man standing. David Haye doesn't have much to say about Victor Ortiz's blatant headbutt from last weekend's PPV fight against Floyd Mayweather, but he does have an opinion about UFC 135 and TUF in this AddictedMMA interview.

Posted in: floyd mayweather, victor ortiz, head, ppv fight, addictedmma interview

Read the full article at Middle Easy

v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} Normal 0 false false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Information on head injuries continue to inundate the sports world. A couple of weeks ago, sincere questions began to surround the link between brain trauma and addiction. And weeks before that, sincere questions have surrounded the link between brain trauma and Parkinson's. The sport's world has responded slowly, but pieces are being moved. In a study involving three Division 1 college teams, it was revealed that college players suffer more hits to the head during practice than during the games, leading the Ivy League to reduce the amount of full contact practices to 2 per week (the limit is five per N.C.A.A guidelines). As Purdue University notes, the changes are being written into law as well. A new Indiana law requires student-athletes to be removed immediately from athletic activities if it is suspected they have suffered a head injury. In order to return to play, injured athletes must be evaluated and cleared by a health-care provider trained in head injury assessment. In addition to Indiana, several states have passed laws governing the management of suspected head injury to school-aged athletes ranging from classes for coaches and referees to removal from play and evaluation by a physician trained in head injury assessment. In addition, new studies are looking to catch concussions early. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania think that a two minute reading test where numbers are arranged in zigzagging patterns read from left to right could be crucial for testing purposes. According to Dr. Laura Balcer in a brief piece for Scientific American by Erica Westly (it should be noted that mixed martial artists were involved in this study): 'Typically people can complete the test faster the more times they take it'...But the athletes who had experienced head trauma during their fights read the cards more than 11 seconds slower when they took the test a second time. Fighters who had lost consciousness fared especially poorly, worsening by 18 seconds on average. Now Balcer and her collaborators are studying the test’s ability to predict concussions in athletes who play football and other contact sports. What's interesting about Balcer's test is that it sounds eerily familiar to the sensory-motor tests used to measure the age of the brain, and how fast it is shrinking. After 30, the brain loses a quarter of a percent of its mass annually, and any shrinkage is exacerbated by alcohol, and even gender (a man's brain shrinks faster than a woman's). At least in those tests, the average time to complete them for ages 20-29 is 122 seconds. A scary thought is how many might be taking, say, 228 seconds to complete the tests, as that is the average amount of time it takes for a 60 year old to complete them. Beyond alcohol and gender, and just plain age as factors in brain tissue loss, so are head injuries. But the 'how' and the 'why' are complicated. To what extent are head impact exposure and injury linked? That's the question on Dr. Jospeh J. Crisco's mind, who is currently studying the relationship between head acceleration, and impact location (is one factor more critical than the other?). However, while the threat is real, how behavior is ultimately affected by brain trauma remains a tricky one. That was the topic raised by Dr. Robert Cantu in suggesting a link between brain trauma and addiction. Rather than articulate my own thoughts about the care required for such suggestions, I decided to ask David Epstein about the nature of causality between the brain and behavior. He was, as always, kind enough to provide more than just a few words (his quote in full after the jump). "I would just say that we should be careful about assuming the causality from cross-sectional observations, which are momentary snapshots, not longitudinal studies that track an illness over time. We just have to be careful, because it's clear, as with many illnesses, that some people who appear to suffer similar traumas have different results. So what factors go into pushing someone to the drastic and tragic point that some of these athletes have reached? Is it brain trauma alone? Is it brain trauma mostly? I don't really know, and I don't think anybody does with high confidence. We don't really know quite what those tau proteins do, but it certainly seems to be a bad sign when they show up. Think back to Owen Thomas, the Upenn football player who was found to have CTE after he took his own life and became, in Robert Cantu's words, "the most public exposure of this problem." Cantu also said of Thomas: "The CTE is never supposed to be there, but it was not at all dramatic in Owen ... Not enough was there to affect behavior." That's a pretty responsible statement on his part, if you ask me. I think the concern that some medical professionals have is that they don't went every athlete in a contact sport who has an addiction or depression issue to feel that their brain is damaged such that they're incurable and the only treatment is to end their life. I think most experts in this field would be quick to say these tragedies are likely multi-factorial. It seems pretty clear now that the vast majority, perhaps nearly all, NFL brains that are examined post-mortem will show CTE. Why are many ex-players apparently leading normal lives? I recall reading that Boogaard's family felt his painkiller addiction began with a 2009 shoulder surgery. It would seem that there is evidence both that brain injury can contribute to addiction and that addiction can contribute to brain injury. And, in many case, like Boogaard's, some persistent cause of physical pain may also be a cause of painkiller addiction. I had the pleasure of visiting with ex-NFL QB Ray Lucas when he was undergoing treatment for painkiller addiction, with the pro-bono help of a group of doctors called Pain Alternatives, Solutions and Treatments. Last I checked he was off painkillers, very much due to the fact that his pain was treated. He'd had plenty of concussions in his day, playing both special teams and QB, and it's anybody's guess whether some type of brain injury might have contributed to his addiction. But he's doing better now. It just seems like there's a mountain range of individual variation here, so we just need to be careful about assuming causality in any particular case, while at the same time staying really vigilant about covering the issue. It's that trick of medical writing, making sure you hammer home the importance, but not being overly conclusive prematurely." The Guardian's Moheb Constandi (and neurophilosophy blogger extraordinaire) was kind enough to provide a follow up response to Epstein's opinion via email: I agree with Epstein that we should be cautious about how to interpret Cantu's remarks. It's always hard establishing causal relationships, and I doubt that every athlete who sustains concussions will go on to develop an addiction or depression. It may well be the case that concussion contributes to, or increases the risk of, addiction and depression, but this remains to proven and it would be premature to reach such a conclusion.   The more important point in all this, which we musn't overlook, is that concussions sustained on the playing field are a real danger, and can lead to traumatic brain injury in the long-term. From what I understand, the NFL tried to deny these claims. They may even have tried to cover up scientific evidence backing them up, and tarnish the reputations of the researchers involved (this was revealed by Michael Silver for GQ Magazine, if I remember rightly). The NFL and NHL have finally acknowledged that there are real dangers associated with concussions on the playing field, and realize that they have some responsibility toward their players. They really need to provide equipment that minimizes the risks involved, and do what they can to provide the best possible treatment for players who do sustain concussions. We can only hope that they're not being disingenuous, and that they'll do everything they can to address these matters.

Posted in: injury, brain, addiction, head, test

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend