MMA-URLS

“Rampage” Jackson says respect at root of fallout with the UFC

UFC light heavyweight Quinton Jackson will be the first to tell you money is important to him as a father wanting to provide the best life possible for his family. However, it’s not the only key to maintaining his happiness and not necessarily even the most important thing in that regard. Like most people, “Rampage” simply wants to feel appreciated by his employers, so while a raise from the UFC would certainly be welcomed it’s not the money he’s after. It’s the respect. Jackson feels that component has been lacking on the UFC’s part for years and has become the core issue causing his recent fallout with the world’s foremost MMA promotion. “I’m gonna go to an organization that gives me a little clout…anywhere, as long as I’ve got a little clout and I can control it a little bit and the guys appreciate me for putting on a good show. Just say thank you at the end of the show. I don’t care if I make $500 again,” said the 33-year old in an interview with Inside MMA. Citing the lackluster matchmaking he’s dealt with as of late, where he feels he’s being fed to wrestlers who are interested in earning decisions rather than entertaining fans, Jackson went off on his bosses, saying matchmaker Joe Silva should be “slapped” and then mentioning another situation that rubbed him the wrong way. “After my fight with Jon Jones they told my manager that I was losing my appeal – that rappers don’t come and watch me fight no more, that the fans really don’t like me no more. Cause it was getting close to time for me to renegotiate and PRIDE did the same thing to me,” Jackson explained. “To me my respect is more than money so I’ll go fight for some other show for free and I’ll prove it to fans that I’m not all about money.” Jackson Feels He is Underpromoted, Underpaid Currently Jackson is still seeking to split with the UFC and hopes to do so as soon as possible even if it means being handed his immediate release. Check out the full interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ufc, jackson, money, world ’s, i ’ll

Wait, Chael Sonnen apologized to Anderson Silva? Something is not right here...

For years, I thought my grandfather was lying to me when he told me his birthday was on April 1st. Shortly after I turned fifteen, I saw his driver’s license and realized he wasn’t kidding. I still feel like a moron for not being able to tell lies from the truth on or around April Fool's day. For all I know, he might still be playing some sort of elaborate joke on me; a hoax thirty years in the making. Subsequently, I’ll continue to refuse wishing him a happy birthday for the rest of his life. In fact, if this was April Fool's day, I’d bet you’d probably just roll right past this article and move onto whatever other gag we have in store, but rest assured that your calendar is not deceiving you. Chael Sonnen has just issued an apology to Anderson Silva, and we have video evidence this actually happened so you can’t call us liars. [Source]

Posted in: wasn ’t, chael sonnen, i ’ll, video evidence, april

Shogun and Rampage will not retire until they fight each other one last time

Ariel Helwani confirmed that the UFC plans to return to Asia sometime in November of this year, but he failed to confirm exactly where in Asia they’ll go. It’s cool… We still appreciate that he got half the pertinent information about something we all care so deeply about, which is better than getting no details at all. If I was near Ariel Helwani right now, I’d give him half of a pat on the back for the half-amazing job he did. I might even take him out for half a cup of coffee if there’s time. I know he’s busy… If Rampage & Shogun headlined any card in Asia, the UFC is all but guaranteed to sell out the entire host country; as this is a fight MMA fans have wanted to see re-contested for the past seven years. There are some rematches I could live without. Shogun vs. Rampage is not one of them; and with the possibility of this fight happening in Asia, it makes for an expensive plane ticket I can’t afford not to buy. Luckily, neither Rampage nor Shogun plan on retiring before their inevitable rematch. In an interview with Tatame, shogun says so himself. What’s next? They’ve talked about Phil Davis and Rampage Jackson… I guess it could be one of these guys. I don’t discard Ryan Bader nor Rampage, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin… I guess there are many guys I could fight. Actually, soon I’ll know more about it and I’ll keep you posted. I’m sure I’ll train focused on my opponent and he’s going to be a hard one. Rampage was defeated last Saturday (25th) at UFC Japan. Did you want to fight there? Absolutely. It was in Japan where I appeared to the world. I missed it there. I like the Japanese people, I really like Japan. So, talking about the old days…. Would you like to rematch Rampage? Absolutely. The fight against Rampage will happen eventually. It’s inevitable and UFC knows it. He won’t retire before fighting me and neither am I (laughs). In the modern world of computers and technology, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where you haven’t seen their original fight, so I’ll assume you have and move on about the rest of my day. However, if you haven’t and you want to… You’ll have to look deeply into this paragraph to find where I’ve concealed the link. This is not a trick, somewhere in these five sentences is a link that will teleport you across the interwebs directly onto a page where Shogun & Rampage are already fighting again. They’ll live and fight there for eternity, every time you press the play button (until the UFC discovers that someone is violating their copyright policies and has the video removed). Props to MMAWeekly for the picture.

Posted in: fight, rampage, shogun, i ’ll, ’ll

Stitch Duran tells us that Dana White won’t release the video of the bloodiest fight he’s ever worked

The only fighter in MMA history who consistently wore sunglasses indoors and continued unequivocal dominance was Cyborg Santos, but her career has been overshadowed by drug tests that yielded results positive for anabolic steroids. King Mo is in the exact same position in addition to succumbing to a staph infection that nearly led to the amputation of one of his legs. Even Melvin Guillard’s dominance over the 155lb division has caught up with him as he lost to two sequential fights where he was the betting favorite with the exact same rear naked choke submission. Perhaps people will continue to insist that these things are just some sort of funky coincidence; that the sunglasses had nothing to do with it, but you would be naive to think that. Wearing sunglasses indoors ends careers in MMA. At this point, it’s not a hypothesis. You can try to argue a case for why any man, woman, or cyborg would need to wear sunglasses indoors, but I’ll just turn my back and walk away while you’re mid-sentence. I don’t care why you do it, it’s silly, and it makes you look as foolish as this guy interviewing “Stitch” Duran – one of the best cut-men in the industry while he discusses the bloodiest fight he has ever worked, and how Dana White refuses to release the video.

Posted in: i ’ll, staph infection, man woman, sunglasses indoors, sunglasses

ROXY FIGHT ALERT!!!

Our favorite American Fightgirl in Japan, Roxanne Modafferi, is back in action next month! I’m fighting Takayo Hashi in Jewels 18, on March 3rd, in Shin Kiba.She’s fighting out of the Keishukai gym Akza. I did not know that a new gym opened. I found Koizumi’s Facebook page and pictures and looks like him, her, Sugi Rock (Sugiyama), Nishumura, and a bunch of other guys train there.Yeah, I know them. Koizumi is her trainer. They were my family for the first four years I lived in Japan. If there was anyone who loved Keishukai, it was me. I miss them. I used to train with Hashi every day I went to the gym, like 5 days a week. We always went back and forth in sparring. She can submit me, I can out-Ground-and-pound her, my reach is longer but when she makes contact, it feels like a ton of bricks. This fight will be a war. I know I’ll have to win decisively because there’s no way I’m going to win a decision in Japan. That’s going to be a problem since we’re so well matched. But I’ll try. Wait no, do or do not- there IS NO TRYYYYYYYYYY! Hashi and Roxy have been circling each other for a while now and it's exciting that they're finally going to face off against eachother. Plus it's cool that Roxy is fighting for Jewels! She used to be a Smackgirl regular but when that promotion died and women were spread out across two leagues she was with Valkyrie. Here's hoping this turns into a regular fight gig that doesn't involve 20 hours of flying to get to. WAR ROXY! Kick her butt!

Posted in: japan, i ’ll, roxy, valkyrie heres, hashi

Read the full article at Fightlinker

Even Fedor can enjoy himself at a Russian indoor water park

If I were considered the greatest heavyweight mixed martial artist of the past decade, I’d have a statue erected in my honor somewhere in my hometown like the Rocky monument in Philadelphia. However, I would insist to be cast in bronze eating a taco and holding a Playstation controller while frowning to exude an image of frustration & determination. By society’s standards, that would be a pretty silly statue, so you should all be thankful I’ll never be considered the greatest heavyweight mixed martial artist of the past decade. That honor forever belongs to Fedor, and while he contemplates how his shrine should look, he’s having entirely too much fun at this indoor waterpark in the middle of winter. Props to Fraser for the find.

Posted in: heavyweight, i ’ll, playstation controller, water park, winter props

WWE RAW Review: SLY-2J

Last night’s show featured far more misfires than bulls-eyes with things starting off on a sour note in the form of HHH once again stealing the spotlight from more-active competitors, talking about how he felt bad for the Undertaker after the beatdown he’d laid on him at last year’s Wrestlemania. By that logic Kevin Nash should have turned down his eventual bout with HHH out of pity since he also sent him off with medical personnel. The reality is the WWE should have actually shown HHH as being a bit intimidated, seeing that he hadn’t intimidated Undertaker to the point of picking a new adversary. After all, Taker did beat HHH (something Hunter’s promo failed to mention). Even worse was the video clip from Taker as a response to HHH’s actions. There’s nothing wrong with putting together a package like that and as a stand-alone piece it was entertaining. However, having him take that route rather than make his comments in person was silly and did nothing to elevate what is supposed to be one of the biggest angles of this year’s big show. By the way, hearing that Shawn Michaels will be at RAW next week was affirmation to me he may be involved in the Wrestlemania bout. Why not do a Triple Threat with three of the company’s icons, plus what more impressive way to have Taker go 20-0 and retire? Big Show-Daniel Bryan remains a strange storyline to me and I’m not sure what the payoff will be. Bryan’s heelishness seems forced and let’s be honest – is AJ supposed to be the least intelligent Diva on the roster? The way her cluelessness is being sold to viewers implies a bottle of Jim Ross’ BBQ sauce has more intellectual prowess than Bryan’s girlfriend. Having Sheamus beat David Otunga, not to mention sell to the point of only finishing the bow-tied brawler based on his overconfidence, made little sense to me. If they’re trying to get Otunga over as a worker the WWE should reconsider. He looked stiff in there and way too stunt-oriented as opposed to being able to flow. Also, was it me, or did it seem like both men were working a little rough against each other? Some of the execution had a shootish feel. I was more disappointed in CM Punk’s silent response to Chris Jericho’s behavior than I was by the weeks of Y2J not talking. As long as they eventually start going at each other verbally I’ll be happy, as it will highlight two of the best talkers in the business, and I understand the reason Punk let his belt send the message. It frustrated Jericho, was great for the storyline, and was unique so WIN X 3 on that front. The tag-team bout between Khali-Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes-Wade Barrett could have been much better, giving Rhodes-Barrett a chance to shine instead of focusing fully on the simmering feud between Khali and RKO. Who isn’t drooling over that one, right? Sarcasm aside, Orton was left looking like a golden boy, i.e. business as usual. Nothing much to be said about the Divas’ tag-teamer other than that I don’t understand why Tamina doesn’t work barefoot to get over the “Superfly” angle and the Bella Twins’ outfits would make Attack of the Show’s Candace Bailey proud based on glitter and a certain animal’s toe. I enjoyed the Six Pack Challenge without question and thought the end went over well. Jericho vs. Punk is clearly being built for Wrestlemania and I for one can’t wait to watch it develop. The show ended with Kane stalking Eve Torres. All I’ll say is the “Big Red Meh-Chine” has done his job by bringing out the hate. Not John Cena’s, mind you, but mine in terms of how much I despise this angle. It’s ridiculous on so many levels it isn’t funny and does nothing for either man other than to show Cena knows how to do a psychotic smile while dishing out damage. PHOTO CREDIT – WWE Tweet

Posted in: show, ’t, hhh, wwe, i ’ll

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: “Fans dig the knockouts.”

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira has had an up and down UFC career since debuting in November 2009. He posted a highlight reel KO victory over Luiz Cane but then delivered underwhelming performances against wrestlers Jason Brilz, Ryan Bader, and Phil Davis before returning to form this past December when he finished former champion Tito Ortiz in the first round. Despite holding a black belt in jiu-jitsu, the younger Nogueira brother prefers to stand and trade with his opponents. In an interview with Tatame.com, “Lil Nog” said, “I guess I can fight anywhere, but I rather stand-up because fans dig the knockouts and I’m a fighter who likes giving the KO to the fans.” Next up for Nogueira is Alexander Gustafsson, in the main event of UFC on FuelTV 2, which happens to be taking place in Gustafsson’s home country of Sweden. Much to the Brazilian’s delight, his opponent is also known for his striking. “I train harder when I’m fighting a striker, I really like training Muay Thai, Boxing. I guess I can do a good fight,” said Nogueira. “Tito Ortiz came to strike against me, and I got the knockout. Cane tried to stand-up and I got to knock him out. I can do a good fight against striker.” Where does a win put Nogueira in a deep light heavyweight division, well according to the man himself, that depends on how the victory comes. “I really want to get a knockout to be in a good position,” stated “Lil Nog”. “I’m a fighter who doesn’t like to get stuck during the fight. It’s hard to see me doing that. If I take someone down, I’ll try to use the ground and pound until the end. If I’m standing up I’ll go for the knockout.” PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: nogueira, i ’m, knockout, ’m, i ’ll

Junior Dos Santos Near 100%

UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos is still recovering, but is reportedly close to 100% healthy. Here is what he had to say recently: “I’m feeling great about my knee already. I think another 10 days I’ll be 100-percent. “I’m training boxing, I’m lifting weights, but I can’t train jiu-jitsu yet. But I think another 10 days and I’ll be training normally again.” Dos Santos hopes to return sometime this spring/summer, when he’ll meet kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, Alistair Overeem. Dos Santos captured the HW title by demolishing Cain Velasquez, while Overeem earned a shot when he destroyed former champion Brock Lesnar.

Posted in: do, ’m, i ’ll, hw title, ” dos

Read the full article at MMA Opinion

Junior dos Santos says his knee is soon to be "100 percent"

“I’m feeling great about my knee already. I think another 10 days I’ll be 100-percent,” dos Santos told Jon Anik on the UFC 142 Rio post-fight show on Fuel TV on Saturday night. “I’m training boxing, I’m lifting weights, but I can’t train jiu-jitsu yet. But I think another 10 days and I’ll be training normally again.” - via MMAWeekly.com Newly-crowned UFC Heavyweight champion Junior "Cigano" dos Santos will have a mountain to climb when he fully

Posted in: do, ’m, jon anik, i ’ll, cigano dos

Read the full article at Low Kick

Fabricio Werdum blames loss to Alistair Overeem on “overtraining”

The last time fans saw Fabricio Werdum inside the ring it resulted in a lackluster, at times confusing, performance against Alistair Overeem in the semifinal round of the Strikeforce World Grand Prix. During the bout Werdum repeatedly pulled guard rather than engage the hard-hitting Dutchman and never truly tried to force the issue through grappling. When Werdum steps into the Octagon at UFC 143 against Roy Nelson he will attempt to erase memories of the match-up from the public’s conscience by turning in a far better showing. And, according to the 34-year old submission-specialist, he’s confident in his ability to do so based on some adjustments to his training schedule since then. Werdum Lobbies for UFC Return “Back then I was training too much and I suffered from overtraining,” Werdum revealed in a conversation with TATAME. “The fight was cancelled twice. I don’t give excuses when I lose, but it was different this time. I went through the line. Now I got in my mind I gotta speak less and do more. UFC and the fans want shows. I’ll get in the ring to knockout or be knocked out, there’s no other way. I’ll do my best in there.” “After my last defeat I focused on weight lifting and conditioning trainings because I guess I lacked strength against Overeem,” he continued. “I’m training Jiu-Jitsu with the gi again, which is very important. Joao Assis is helping me a lot.” Werdum also explained he understand putting away a tricky opponent like Nelson is easier said than done, stating, “There’s no easy fight anymore. Everybody knows a little bit of everything: Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Boxing, Muay Thai. It’s a different time we’re living in. Nelson knocked Mirko Filipovic out, he has a very strong right hand, sharp Boxing, but I’ll impose my rhythm and play by my game plan until I tire him out. Knocking out or submitting, I want to make it a good show.” Fans can catch the two big men battle it out on February 4 as part of a card featuring Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit in the main event with an interim welterweight title on the line. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: time, alistair overeem, werdum, fabricio werdum, i ’ll

Cole Miller intent on move to featherweight for next fight

Typically, when a Mixed Martial Artist discusses the probability of dipping down divisionally the decision stems from having struggled to succeed at the higher weight. However, American Top Team’s Cole Miller plans on competing at 145 pounds in his next Octagon outing despite being 3-1 in his last four including a trio of submission stoppages. The Ultimate Fighter 5 alumnus recently spoke about fighting as a featherweight as he plans to do as soon as he heals up from a broken hand he sustained in a bout with TJ O’Brien this past August at UFC Live 5, acknowledging the potential risks involved by making the move while maintaining confidence in his ability to live up to his own high expectations once things are said and done. A Closer Look at Miller vs. O’Brien “I think the challenges that I’ll have won’t be the challenges that I’ll have the entire time at featherweight, it will just be that initial thing,” Miller explained to MMAWeekly. “Obviously, the weight cut, but I don’t think it will be a tough cut. The other thing is the speed at 145 pounds. That first fight when I get in there, no matter how many sparring partners I’ll be sparring with that are 145ers, when you go in there for that fight everything is much faster.” Miller hopes to find out exactly how much either will affect him as soon as Spring 2012, updating his injury-status by saying, “I got cleared to train finally, the bone is completely healed. It took ten weeks, but I’m back in the gym now…I think I’ll be ready to be able to spar in about a month, (and) then I’ll need ten to twelve weeks to prepare for an opponent.” As far as who the 27-year old wants to fight, “Magrinho” avoided calling out any of his peers specifically, only saying he hoped for a stiff test rather than a warm-up bout. “I’m prepared to jump in the deep end, but I don’t always get what I want.” The 18-5 Miller has finished sixteen of the opponents he’s beaten including thirteen by way of submission. He holds past victories over Leonard Garcia, Jorge Gurgel, and Ross Pearson. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: fight, miller, thing, i ’ll, ’ll

BJ Penn, ‘If I Ever Feel it Again, I’ll Come Back’

BJ Penn decided to step away from MMA after his UFC 137 loss to Nick Diaz. Will he ever come back? He talked about that and more with HDNet's "Inside MMA."

Posted in: nick diaz, mma, penn, bj, i ’ll

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Anderson Silva sticking around longer than originally anticipated

Anderson Silva is finally starting to speak for himself, and the words do not sync up with what his manager has had to say. Silva, the awe-inspiring UFC middleweight champ, is working his way back from a shoulder injury requiring rest and rehab for several months. “The Spider” was last in action defeating Yushin Okami this past summer at UFC Rio. Ed Soares, Silva’s manager, has made comments about the pound-for-pound king having only three or four fights left before he retires from the sport. Silva, however, denied those claims while appearing on a Brazilian television show recently. “I’ll fight for another six or seven years and then I’ll stop. I stopped to think about it and I’ll postpone my retirement for a little longer. Then I’ll think about TV,” said Silva (thanks to Tatame for transcribing the television interview). Silva also discussed the possibility of a rematch with Chael Sonnen, who has made it his life-long goal of getting another shot at Silva. “He doesn’t deserve to fight me,” Silva plainly stated. “I believe he shouldn’t be in the sport because he has no emotional control. While trying to provoke me, he makes the sport look bad. He made bad comments, offended me and my wife. Sonnen tried calling out Silva after defeating Brian Stann. The champion, however, has remained mostly quiet in regards to any possible rematch though UFC President Dana White has said he will likely try to get the bout signed. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, silva, anderson silva, i ’ll, ’ll

Anderson Silva isn't going anywhere

Anderson Silva's manager has been making the rounds, saying a lot of interesting stuff about the Spider's future. That he'd be retiring in three or four fights. That they didn't want to fight Chael Sonnen. Now Anderson has come out and personally addressed the situation: “I’ll fight for another six or seven years and then I’ll stop. I stopped to think about it and I’ll postpone my retirement for a little longer. Then I’ll think about TV. I guess it’s interesting”, said Anderson, who recently had a documentary launched and stared on a soap opera.On the interview, Anderson also commented on a possibility of fighting Chael Sonnen again.“He doesn’t deserve to fight me. The most important thing he didn’t do: defeating me. He was caught on the drug test, which was the worse,” Anderson said, making hard critics towards the American.“I believe he shouldn’t be on the sport, because he has no emotional control. While trying to provoke me, he makes the sport looks bad. He made bad comments, offended me and my wife”, he said. If only someone could teach him a lesson. Maybe punch him in the face or kick his ass or something. That would be awesome.

Posted in: fight, ’t, anderson, i ’ll, ’ll

Read the full article at Fightlinker

Anderson Silva wants to fight beyond 40

It appears Dana White is guaranteed to flash at least one of his trademark grins at some point today when he hears UFC middleweight Anderson Silva’s latest statements. In fact, you might be hard-pressed to find anyone who won’t be smiling given the glorious information, at least outside of every 185 or 205 pound fighter on the UFC’s roster. Believed to be retiring after four more fights it appears “The Spider” has had a change of heart and is now interested in continuing to spin the story of his transcendent career for at least five more years. “I’ll fight for another six or seven years and then I’ll stop. I stopped to think about it and I’ll postpone my retirement for a little longer,” said Silva in an interview on Brazilian talk-show De Frente com Gabi before hinting at what he might do after fighting, revealing, “Then I’ll think about TV.” (props to Tatame for the translation) Silva also reiterated his stance surrounding Chael Sonnen’s status as a top contender, explaining, ““He doesn’t deserve to fight me. The most important thing he didn’t do: defeating me. He was caught on the drug test, which was the worse. I believe he shouldn’t be on the sport, because he has no emotional control. While trying to provoke me, he makes the sport looks bad. He made bad comments, offended me and my wife.” Sonnen Says he is MMA’s Only Respectful Fighter Regardless of whom Silva fights next it appears the bout will no longer represent one of the final few footsteps in an incredible journey but rather the next stop in what seems to be a rejuvenated run at further solidifying his status as the best fighter MMA has seen thus far and may see for the foreseeable future. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: fight, ’t, silva, i ’ll, ’ll

Jose Aldo says fight with Frankie Edgar is possible but only at featherweight

UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo has heard the recent chatter concerning a fight between himself and current UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar. “Scarface,” however, has no desire to move up to 155 pounds and would only take the “superfight” if it was set for his own weight class. Aldo’s talk of wanting to meet Edgar at 145 pounds is something that could work out in the future, as even UFC President Dana White believes “The Answer” would be better suited for the featherweight division because of his size. The odds of Aldo facing Edgar are slim-to-none for now, as both men have plenty of challengers left in front of them. For Aldo, many feel like he needs to move up from featherweight because of the drastic weight-cut he takes on before fights. But, with his talk of wanting to face Edgar there, that would seem to be something that hasn’t crossed his mind yet. “Man, I think it’s great. Frankie is the lightweight champion, so if he moves down, no problem,” said Aldo, in a recent interview with Tatame. “Just like Kenny Florian did, and others are doing…to me, it’s okay. I’ll always fight the guys they point out for me to fight. Move up is (expletive). If someone’s deciding it someday, it’s (coach) Andre Pederneiras.” Aldo and Edgar each competed on UFC 136, with Aldo defeating Florian and Edgar finishing off his trilogy of fights with Gray Maynard by knockout. As for potential opponents, Aldo looks to be on track to defend against Chad Mendes, with Edgar awaiting either Gilbert Melendez or the winner of Ben Henderson-Clay Guida. Melendez is the current Strikeforce lightweight champ but looks to be coming to the UFC as soon as possible. “Now, I’m just taking (a vacation), so I’m not worried about that,” Aldo said. “I’m spending a few days in the United States. Then, I’ll go back to Brazil, I’ll return to the trainings, and in, the future, I’ll think about it (my next opponent). I’ll fight whoever they tell me to.” PHOTO CREDIT – ZUFFA

Posted in: fight, edgar, i ’ll, aldo, ’ll

Gilbert Melendez discusses Jorge Masvidal, Frankie Edgar, and possible move to welterweight

Coming off of a five-fight win streak, and looking to make his third defense of the Strikeforce lightweight title, Gilbert Melendez is said by some to be the last bastion of legitimate pound for pound talent outside of the UFC (for now). Holding notable victories over Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri, Melendez’s official record is 19-2 and includes him having avenged both of his losses (to Josh Thomson and Mitsuhiro Ishida respectively). Melendez’s next opponent has been officially announced as Jorge Masvidal, thus dispelling rumours of Melendez defecting to the UFC, Masivdal is coming off of an impressive decision win over former welterweight contender KJ Noons and should be looking to impress in his first major title fight. In a recent interview with MMAWeekly, Melendez commented on his upcoming opponent, as well as a few other topics, saying, “He’s definitely a very talented fighter, he has a very good reach, he uses it well, he has a good jab and some really good straight punches, he knows how to get back to his feet, he knows how to use the cage real well.” “He’s become a well rounded Mixed Martial Artist. So he definitely poses a threat and should be a good challenge for me,” he concluded. He also talked about the UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar, explaining the New Jersey native needs to drop down in weight to confirm his newfound pound-for-pound stature. On the subject, Melendez stated, “Frankie is very well deserving of being a pound for pound guy, but until he goes to 145lb and takes care of business, I don’t know how he’s going to be a pound-for-pound (great).” Afterwards, he hinted at increasing his own P4P status by moving up again for a second time after an earlier run in his career at featherweight. “I’ve done it in two weight-classes, I’m on my second weight-class, and if things go well here then maybe I’ll go to (welterweight).” Melendez will look to extend his unbeaten streak once more against Masvidal on Decmeber 17 at Strikeforce’s show in San Diego, California. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE Tweet

Posted in: pound, jorge masvidal, gilbert melendez, melendez, i ’ll

Cris "Cyborg" Santos ready to sharpen skills for bout with Hiroko Yamanaka

Strikeforce recently announced a female featherweight title-fight between Cristiane Santos and Japanese grappler Hiroko Yamanaka, set to take place on December 17 in San Diego, California. Of course, “Cyborg” hasn’t fought since June 26 of last year when she dominated and defeated Jan Finney, finally ending the fight with a knee to the body that sealed the deal on the American’s night. However, since then Strikeforce has had difficulty finding another contender for ’Cyborg’. She has not dropped a fight since her first fight back in 2005, and hasn’t gone to a decision since her fight with Yoko Takahashi in October of 2008. Strikeforce Dropped the Ball on Handing of Santos’ Career The struggle to procure a contender has left the champion in a state of limbo with her spending the last few months training hard for a mystery opponent. When asked in a recent interview with TATAME, she talked about her progress, Santos responded, “I was training, but not that committed, but I tried to get better and better on striking, boxing, I fought World of Jiu-Jitsu…Each day I look for something to inspire me, so I become better and better. Now, for this fight, we’ll set a goal. Actually, I’ll start my diet, so I can’t train like I was doing. I’ll just get sharpened.” Yamanaka’s latest fight was a submission victory via armbar, over Mongolian fighter Esui at Jewels 15th Rings back in July. For the 32 year old JEWELS veteran, also known as ‘Cat’s Eye’, this will be the first time she has fought outside of her native Japan. After the announcement only a week or two ago, ‘Cyborg’ was asked what she knew about her upcoming opponent. She said, “I know she’s fought a lot (thirteen times), and I guess she won most of the times via points. She has been defeated only once, by a girl I’ve fought. I guess she’s a good opponent, a good fight.” While Santos may not know what’s to come after December 17 given the shaky nature of Strikeforce she at least knows who she’ll be facing at the event, and after such a long break from action that fact alone is no doubt good enough for her. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE Tweet

Posted in: fight, strikeforce, “ i, i ’ll, cyborg

Lyoto Machida motivated by status as an underdog against Jon Jones

Former UFC light heavyweight title-holder Lyoto Machida is used to being the favorite whenever he steps into the ring. A 17-2 competitor, the Brazilian has beaten a number of apt adversaries and has a unique style often making him nearly impossible to hit cleanly. However, when it comes to his upcoming fight against current champion Jon Jones there’s no doubt the odds will be against “The Dragon” pulling out a win. While the situation may be new to Machida it’s certainly not one affecting him in a negative way. In fact, he actually plans to use it to his advantage. “The fight will be decided in the Octagon,” Machida explained in an interview with Sherdog. “Let him be the favorite. He’ll enter with the label of being a prodigy, but I’ll be stronger because of that. Since I’m the underdog, I will enter the fight even more motivated to show that I deserve to be here and to show why they offered me the chance.” That isn’t to say Machida is looking past the challenges “Bones” is sure to offer. In fact, he’s still unsure of exactly what it will take to beat the dynamic 205-pound champion even though he’s confident in his ability to do so. “It’s hard to say what the perfect style is to stop Jones,” said Machida on the subject. “I have a lot of trust in my skills against any fighter. I won’t change what people have seen, and I’d rather show them in the Octagon instead of talking about it beforehand. Jones wasn’t my problem until the UFC booked the fight. I’ll spend a lot of time studying him and find the best way to stop him. I know he’s versatile, but I have my own talents and know what it takes to win.” Machida may also have a secret weapon in his corner to assist in the task at hand – Anderson Silva. The 33-year old revealed he had already reached out to the pound-for-pound great in hopes “The Spider” might be able to fit it into his schedule though he’s not relying on Silva’s assistance. “I can’t count on that because he has so many obligations, and I respect that. He’s the biggest name in MMA. I would love to have him beside me for this camp and he will be welcomed if he joins us, but I don’t want to count on him and not have it happen.” Jones and Machida will meet on December 10 in Toronto as the main event of UFC 140. Other match-ups on the card include Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Canadians Mark Bocek, Mark Hominick, and Rory MacDonald are also booked for action at the show. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: jone, ’t, “ i, machida, i ’ll

Frankie Edgar is looking for an answer against Gray Maynard tomorrow night

Frankie Edgar’s nickname is “The Answer,” and Saturday night against Gray Maynard, he hopes to have just that when his war with “The Bully” is over. Edgar and Maynard fought to a draw this past January, leaving no one feeling happy about the result. Now, after having a match postponed due to injuries suffered by both men, they prepare to enter the Octagon to square off in the main event of UFC 136. After being battered and bruised over the opening round, Edgar fought back to nearly finish Maynard. But, when the scorecards were read by Bruce Buffer and a Draw was announced, Edgar knew a rematch would be planned. However, professional rivalry aside, there hasn’t been much in terms of trash talk between the two fighters, instead, they have let their past fights – the draw, and a win by Maynard over Edgar in 2008 – do the talking. “That (trash talk) always get the people going and it sells fights, but for myself, and being the kind of person I am, I’d rather do my work in the cage,” Edgar explained in a conversation with the UFC’s website. “Gray’s a pretty reserved dude, and so am I, and I think our fight will speak for itself.” While many have Edgar as the favorite heading into the fight, it is Maynard that owns the win in the series, something that has been on Edgar’s mind for quite some time. “I think I’m on the right track,” said Edgar on preparing for a successful showing against Maynard. “Nothing changes in between my fights. I just try to become a better fighter than I was the last time. If I know that I’m a better fighter than I was my last time out, I did my job and I improved in all areas. And again, I felt like I accomplished that. I feel like I’m better at Jiu-Jitsu, better at boxing, better at Muay Thai, better at wrestling, and I’m better at putting it all together. It’s showing in the room and showing in my confidence.” “I feel like I am closing the gap,” Edgar said. “So hopefully, I’ll keep closing the gap and I’ll be on top this time around.”

Posted in: fight, i ’m, edgar, maynard, i ’ll

Fabricio Werdum eyes December return to the ring

Coming off a disappointing loss to Alistair Overeem last June, Strikeforce heavyweight Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) will likely be returning to action in December. Whether his next bout will take place in the Strikeforce cage or UFC Octagon however, remains unclear. The highly decorated grappler, who finished second in the 2011 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, is bidding to rebound from a lackluster performance against Overeem in the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix; a bout the Brazilian views as a learning experience. “I still have some fights under my Strikeforce contract and I don’t know yet if my fight in December will be for them or for UFC,” Werdum told Sherdog. “What I can say is that I learned a lot after the Overeem fight and I saw some things I needed to fix. I had a lot of strength and brutal power training, and I’m feeling much stronger. I’m sure I’ll have a great victory and I’ll dominate in 2012.” “Vai Cavalo” has competed in the biggest MMA promotions in the world, enjoying stints in PRIDE, the UFC and Strikeforce, where he handed the legendary Fedor Emelianenko his first legitimate defeat. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCESimilar Posts: Strikeforce heavyweight Fabricio Werdum ready for return Fabricio Werdum: ‘I will choke Fedor in the first round’ Fedor Emelianenko hoping for rematch with Fabricio Werdum in September or October Fabricio Werdum eyeing UFC title-shot after Strikeforce Grand Prix Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum for Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship Tweetgovernment,politics news,politics news,politics

Posted in: overeem, strikeforce, werdum, fabricio, i ’ll