MMA-URLS

submitted by tekprodfx16 [link] [17 comments]

Posted in: ufc, tekprodfx, man

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [14 comments]

Posted in: fight, mma, triangle, man, mattyblayze

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Today I'm going to teach you guys something shocking about those little pink and blue birth control pills your girlfiriend pops every morning before she begrudgingly has three minutes of sexual relations with you. Its probably going to be way more than you ever wanted to know about the little hormone filled pharmaceuticals. All you know is they are keeping you from driving a mini van and working a second shift at the plastic bottle factory just to pay for the second mortgage like cost of monthly similac and diapers. What you probably don't know is these little hormones are not only preventing you and your girl from creating your own personal 'mini-me's' but the hormones in these things might also the reason your girl stopped liking your scruffy beard and musty pre-shower man smell. According to some scientific studies, the hormones in our favorite child support prevention pills could be the cause of women migrating towards a preference for the more hairless, manscaped and feminine faced man over the old battle beard square jawwed manly man. So if you are wondering why your girl keeps buying you nose hair trimmers, gift certificates for wax hair removal and pink t-shirts there's your potential culprit.  Anderson Silva has been aware of this pheromonal hormonal phenomenon for quite sometime and has whole-heartedly embraced it. According to a recent interview with "F5" and reported on Yahoo esportes Brasil, Anderson admitted he is a bit feminine but he just does it for the ladies. Here's the original text in Portuguese: "Sou meio afeminado. Não falo do timbre de voz (...) O que digo é que todo homem é meio ‘afeminado’, e eu sou mais que os outros”, disse ele, que confessou: “passo creminho Victoria's Secret, uso perfume e máscara antes de dormir. Não tem nada de boiolagem nisso. Mulher gosta de homem cheiroso!" Here's a loose translation from the UG (which is much better than the results Google Translate comes up with) "I'm a bit effeminate, and I'm not talking about my voice. What I'm saying is every man is, but I'm more than others. I use face cream from Victoria's Secret, perfurma and mask before I go to sleep. I don't shave my head, I lost my hair when I was using a product to straighten curly hair...there's nothing gay in that at all, women love men that smell good." Until women decide to stop putting these hormones in our bodies, this is just something guys are going to have to learn to deal with. Besides, you all know you've secretly used your girl's Victoria Secret lotion before. You have to admit you rather enjoyed the fruity aromatics it added to your private solitary bathroom extracurricular activities. [source]

Posted in: man, girl, im, victoria, hormone

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When news broke that Alistair Overeem had elevated testosterone levels discovered during a surprise drug test after the UFC 146 press conference back on March 27, 2012, fans feared that the much anticipated title fight between two of the best strikers in mixed martial arts (MMA) today in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and "The Demolition Man," would more than likely be scrapped. Frank Mir, for one, probably didn't shed any tears at the news. In fact, before Overeem was even pulled, Mir volunteered himself as an eager replacement. So when UFC officials confirmed fans fears by making the the decision over the weekend to take him up on his offer as "The Reem's" replacement for the event that is set to go down on May 26, 2012, Mir more than likely grinned ear-to-ear. With the change, Mir will have to now shift his training to focus on facing a very accomplished and dangerous striker in "Cigano" rather than his original opponent -- a very accomplished and dangerous wrestler in Cain Velasquez -- at the Memorial Day weekend event. However, when it comes to the striking department, Mir is no spring chicken. Mir became the first man to ever hand MMA veteran, and overall legend, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, his first knockout loss at UFC 92 in 2008. More recently at UFC 119, the Las Vegas native knocked out one of the men who was widely considered to be the best striker in the sport during his heyday in Mirko Filipovic. But will the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt stand and swing leather with one of the most heavy handed hitters in the game today? Perhaps ... check out what Mir had to say earlier today (April 23, 2012) on "The MMA Hour:" "Obviously his strongest, I don't think it's a secret, is his boxing skill sets. I don't want to fight him in that area, and will as little as possible. I'm not going to do something silly and stupid to try and rush out of the boxing range. There will be times when have to box with each other, because we start at opposite ends of the cage, we have to move through that level of the game, but if given a choice, If for whatever reason he slips and falls, I'm going to get on top of him and not let him back up. He is going to have to work his way back up to his feet." Mir was last in action at UFC 140 where he faced off, once again, against Nogueira. This time, he became the first man to ever submit the submission specialist with a gruesome arm-shattering kimura. Ironically enough, "Nog" served as "Cigano's" mentor and jiu-jitsu instructor during his rise to stardom. So how does Mir feel Junior will feel like knowing he is stepping in against the last man to defeat his mentor? "I'm sure he fights for his own reasons. I mean, if he says that to sell pay-per-views, I'm sure it might be thrown out there. But as far as deep down inside, when he's in the locker room getting ready to walk out to face me, when you're a fierce competitor like that, you don't really do it for outside sources. If you do it for any other reason other than what's inside you, the internal drive that you have to want to conquer this, it'll fall apart. I think it will be a nice feather in his cap if he wins to say, 'Oh I got one for my master,' type scenario. I do think it has to be a little nerve-racking that the guy you roll with as a coach got submitted by the guy you're about to face. That has to be a little bit in the back of your mind." Winning his last three in a row, Mir was undoubtedly the best option to step up and fill the vacant slot left by Overeem, despite the Army of Doom's best efforts to convince UFC President Dana White to give Mark Hunt the bid, which White, of course, quickly dismissed. Mir's original opponent, Velasquez, will now face Antonio Silva on the same card and will serve as co-main event. The UFC 146 fight card switch-a-roo is already sparking several hot topics and flashpoints. However, none might be more volatile -- and personal -- than the "revenge" or "pay back" angle. Mir, one of the more cerebral fighters in the sport, is not afraid to ruffle feathers or go agains the grain to promote a fight. While dos Santos has, until now, taken the less personal "high road" Mir is sparking the tinder. Game on.

Posted in: ufc, fight, mir, man, im

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UFC bantamweight Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto may be on a personal three-fight losing streak, but he’s a hero to at least one person in Japan. Recently, Yamamoto saved a man that had fall on a subway track in Tokyo. The man was unconscious and bleeding from his head when he fell on the Gotana Station track. [...]

Posted in: japan, man, kid yamamoto, yamamoto, subway track

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When not searching for his first win inside the Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight Norifumi Yamamoto is saving lives in his native Japan. According to a report from Yahoo! Japan (via MMA Fighting), "Kid" ran to the rescue of an elderly man who has lying unconscious on a railroad track at Gotanda Station. After being unable to lift the man on his own, other bystanders assisted the 135-pound Yamamoto in carrying the man to safety before the next train pulled up for boarding. The man, who was also found bleeding from his head upon arrival, is said to now be in stable condition. Well done "Kid," well done. With his latest heroics, Yamamoto's star in Japan will undoubtedly shine a little brighter. Yamamoto, once regarded as the top-ranked fighter in his division not too long ago, is currently winless (0-3) during his recent tenure with the UFC. His is most recent loss came at the hands of Vaughan Lee at UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, losing via submission (armbar) in the very first round. On the bright side, "Kid" has yet to be handed his walking papers following his three consecutive defeats and will likely get another chance to prove himself inside the Octagon; however, he doesn't have a fight lined up at the moment.

Posted in: ufc, kid, japan, man, yamamoto

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Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto may be on a losing streak in the UFC, but he made one new fan in Tokyo this week when he lept onto a subway track to pull an injured man out of the path of oncoming trains. Yahoo! Japan was the first to report on the incident. Ariel Helwani at MMA Fighting summarized the story: The bantamweight fighter noticed that an older man was unconscious and bleeding from his head on the Gotanda Station track. While he was the first to jump onto the track to help him, the man was too heavy to lift on his own, so other bystanders assisted Yamamoto in getting him off the track. Yamamoto and others were successful in rescuing the man before the next train arrived at the station. Yamamoto is 0-3 since coming to the UFC. Once considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, the 35-year-old "KId" has struggled since a series of knee injuries and an ill-advised attempt to make the Japanese Olympic wrestling team.

Posted in: man, yamamoto, track, subway track, track yamamoto

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UFC fighter KID Yamamoto risked his life to save a man who fell on a subway track in Tokyo last Thursday, according to a Yahoo! Japan report. The bantamweight fighter noticed that an older man was unconscious and bleeding from his head on the Gotanda Station track. While he was the first to jump onto the track to help him, the man was too heavy to lift on his own, so other bystanders assisted Yamamoto in getting him off the track. Yamamoto and others were successful in rescuing the man before the next train arrived at the station. According to the report, the injured man is currently in stable condition at a local hospital. Yamamoto (18-6-1) recently lost his third fight in a row at UFC 144 to Vaughan Lee via first-round submission.

Posted in: man, yamamoto, track, station, subway track

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I’ve always been afraid of the alternate reality that The Terminator proposed; with the rise of autonomous machines enslaving the human population and all. People tell me 'stop worrying, we control the technology and nothing bad can come of it,' but they obviously never spent their lives reading Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov in perpetual fear of technological singularity and the development of global computer networks which are structurally influenced by neuroscience. The one glimmer of hope for us is that we are programming these machines and we obviously can’t design a machine to do something we don’t yet fully understand, such as the intricacies of human language. The one thing I’m holding on to right now is how poor Google Translate can be in relation to human translation. For example, in the Google translation of a news report about Kid Yamamoto saving a man who had fallen on to train tracks in Tokyo, you can get the general gist of what happened but a serious story about an MMA legend and current UFC fighter saving a man from being hit by a train turns into unintentional hilarity. Marvel at this quote from the machine translated article. “When they see as a package method that train is coming," I do not come, beauty, What "If you do not go, it was just. After having seen the actual men who had fallen, but limp in a faint together when I thought What ... "trying to do ... Wow." without Mochiagara only slightly heavier Te, life in humans., as trying to help I was glad a little time loss. Who helped me get off other people Even I have my best people become” I have no idea what any of that means but the story I can decipher is thus: Upon seeing a man had fallen on to the tracks and injured himself in the process Yamamoto 'in fast motion' jumped from the platform in front of an oncoming train and pulled the man to safety. The rest of the article seems to focus on a beautiful woman named Becky who may or may not be just a friend but let’s just pay attention to the fact that Kid Yamamoto saved a man’s life and can be classed as a hero. When the machines rise up, men like Kid will save us all. [Source]

Posted in: machine, man, kid yamamoto, train, yamamoto

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submitted by tekprodfx16 [link] [6 comments]

Posted in: tekprodfx, man, article, track, subway

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Jon Jones is humble enough to admit that there were days Rashad Evans got the best of him in training, but that was in 2010. Is Evans ready to deal with the new machine that Jones is in 2012?

Posted in: jon, jone, rashad, evan, man

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Before Super Fight League was a budding MMA promotion from India, it was an underground organization where all of Mega Man's super villains would go to test out their primary weapon. In fact, it's well known that 'Bubble Lead' was created one Tuesday night in Super Fight League back in the late 80s. Flash Man should sue those guys for copyright infringement. In reality, it would be impossible for Flash Man to sign any contract since he has one over-sized gun blaster as an arm. Jeez, what was his parents thinking? They should have known he would be made fun of the rest of his life with those things. If I were them, I would have opted for surgery when he was a kid and give him an actual arm. What a sad life, this Flash Man. Dana White doesn't care if you want to be an [expletive] Mega Man super villain. He could care less that Super Fight League exists in India, actually. Dana White wants to bring UFC to India and nothing on this planet will stop him -- not even a cannon armed by a strangely named robot. Check out this video from WHOA! TV of Dana talking about his plans for expansion into India.

Posted in: fight, fight league, man, doesnt care, india

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Don Frye famously said the following about Russian men a few years ago on Inside MMA: 'God damn Russians are the last men on the planet. Everybody in the US has been feminized so bad that we should all be carrying a purse and high heels. Those are the last men, we need a Putin. Where's our Putin? We need someone that's going to kick ass and not run around apologizing for it.' I pretty much live my life by that quote except for one amendment: Don Frye + Russian men are the last men in the world. So it surprised me a bit to see Don Frye willing to sing his heart out in front of a crowd of people. That just doesn't seem like an act a man with his caliber of testosterone would perform (granted he had a beer in hand, so that adds man points). Was this something a Russian man would do? I searched the internet up and down for 'Russian Karaoke' and a near seven minute search yielded only this happy gathering around a table. It's OK though, we don't think any less of Don Frye for grunting his way through this Karaoke performance for Karyn Bryant, we know he could make our heads explode with a twitch of his mustache...Actually grunting is a nice way of putting it, and I lied in the headline to be funny: Don Frye's singing voice sounds like the sun dying. [Source]

Posted in: men, man, frye, russian, russian men

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Make no bones about it, Dan Henderson wants the winner of Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans, but there is one man that could draw him back to middleweight.

Posted in: silva, henderson, dan henderson, dan, man

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Ryan Hall Uses BJJ in Self-Defense when a man becomes aggressive. Major props to Hall for keeping his cool and handling the situation safely, keeping the man from hurting himself or anyone else. In the first scuffle Hall controls him with the mount, in the second Hall chokes him out to end the conflict until the police arrive. At the end the guy actually apologizes to Hall and pays for everyone's dinner.

Posted in: end, man, hall, ryan hall, hall chokes

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With Manchester United going up 2-0 on West Brom 10 minutes earlier, Man City fans immediately knew what Luke Moore's 83rd-minute goal to put Swansea up 1-0 on their side meant. And so, at least a few of them started crying. Both scorelines ended the way they were in that moment, allowing Man United to hop over City in the table. And though there's still a significant chunk of the season left to be played, the man pictured above knows it won't be easy. The fact that he was on camera at this moment will probably come as a surprise to him, though.

Posted in: fan, goal, man, city, swansea

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Mark Hunt was once the unwanted man, but has now rebounded to a three-fight victory streak, adding Cheick Kongo to his hit list at UFC 144.

Posted in: ufc, mark, hunt, cheick kongo, man

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submitted by red1392 [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: fan, thread, man, mma fan, deal breakers

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MiddleEasy is clearly the Family Guy of the MMA blogosphere: when they decide to write something, they flap their fins until they pick some random idea balls from the tank, throw in an MMA link, say “baller” several times, and boom, it’s a post. So imagine my surprise when I came across their post on the Joe Lozito story, and the introductory idea ball actually related to the rest of the story. Bauzen from MiddleEasy likes chicken sandwiches, AND he had a chicken sandwich with Joe Lozito! After cleaning my pants and recovering from the shock of seeing a logical connection in a MiddleEasy article for the first time ever, I discovered that the rest of their article on the Joe Lozito story is actually pretty awesome too. About a year ago, Lozito was just minding his own business while taking the New York subway to work when he inadvertently became a hero by stopping psychopath Maksim Gelman, who had killed four people on a murderous rampage because a hot girl didn’t like him: There was a delay as an ‘emotionally disturbed person’ boarded the same car and proceeded to pound on the operator’s door. If you’ve spent any extended time in New York City, none of this would seem out of the ordinary. In fact, I would venture to say I’ve never experienced a completely “normal” subway ride getting anywhere in the 25+ years I’ve lived in this city. Unbeknownst to Joe, this particular unhinged man was the focus of a city-wide manhunt following four consecutive murders stemming from the night before. When the conductor essentially told the man to get lost, he turned his eyes to Joe, the person geographically nearest to him at that very moment. He reached to his belt line and retrieved an eight-inch chef’s knife, the kind you’re probably accustomed to seeing in a kitchen, stared directly into Joe’s eyes and muttered “You are going to die”. Within seconds, the knife traveled into & out of Joe’s arms, shoulders, and head; a total of seven times. Joe immediately planted his legs on the vinyl-coated floor and shot for the most important single-leg takedown of his life while the train came to a screeching halt. A passenger must have triggered the subway’s emergency brake lever upon seeing the savage attack commence. Bleeding profusely, Joe wrestled the man to the ground, disarmed him, and more or less single-handedly brought an end to the Maxim Gelman 24-hour killing spree, while the rest of the subway’s patrons resisted getting their hands dirty. Several moments later, two New York police officers emerged from the conductor’s cabin, where they had resided for the duration of the train’s course. They immediately arrested Gelman and graciously accepted credit for apprehending NYC’s most wanted man while Joe continued to bleed out onto the dirty floor of the subway car. Nobody knows exactly what prompted two armed personnel sworn to protect and serve the people of New York to wait as long as they did to come out and pick up the suspect they were specifically stationed to look out for that day. It was nearly 25 minutes after the attack began when the train proceeded to the next station and Joe finally made it into an ambulance where his bleeding cuts were tended-to. To date, he credits his survival to a single compassionate passenger, Alfred Douglas, who found some clean napkins to compress his most critical wounds and kept him alive long enough for medics to take control of the situation. Even with long-lasting emotional and physical scars, Joe managed to sneak some humor into his allocution at one of the nutcase’s sentencing hearings, which happened on February 15 (after da jump): read more

Posted in: joe, man, york, lozito, subway

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Recently on twitter there has been a discussion of the recent health issues of former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion "King" Muhammed Lawal. Following his fight with Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs Jardine, Lawal removed himself from twitter and the public eye due to a positive test for a substance called Drostanolone. It was on Sunday that several people on twitter started to talk about the whereabouts of Lawal and the rumored health issues he was dealing with prior to his fight with Larkin. Luke Thomas and R.J. Clifford of SiriusXM's Fight Club had the opportunity to speak with Lawal on their show on Monday to try and get the Strikeforce star to open up about his medical issues. Lawal addressed the rumors and confirmed that he had been dealing with not just another ACL tear but a dangerous bout with staph. The staph had spread to a point that it was amputation was discussed as a way to treat the infection. Below is a transcript: Alright here's the thing. All this happened like three weeks ago but I didn't tell nobody. I was in the hospital with people texting me and I was trying to keep it like nothing was going on so there wouldn't be any red flags. But what happened was I had surgery after the fight. I had ACL and macrofracture (?). The ACL wasn't a big deal but the macrofracture was a bigger deal in my cartilage. One of the sutures got infected and I had to go to the hospital the day after the Rashad Evans/Phil Davis fight. I got blood taken out of my knee and taken to a lab. I was at my manager's crib...Mike Kogan's crib and all of the sudden my doctor's like 'hey, you've gotta come to the hospital right now'. And this is right after Chael won. So I went to the hospital before the Rashad Evans/Phil Davis fight and I watched the fight at the hospital. Then went into the surgery spot and woke up with the pick line in my arm and they were telling me I would be in there till Monday. I figured I'd go in there and clear my knee out and I'd be out the same night or the next night but I was in there till Monday. Then they checked out my knee again and took the temperature and the knee was still hot and swelling up. They decided to take me back into surgery to do another flush procedure to get the staph infection out. In twelve days I had five procedures to remove the staph and I'm staph free now. But now they've pushed IV medicine through my pick line that's connected to my heart through my arm every day for six weeks. This is the toughest thing I've ever experienced in my life. The harded that I've experienced in my life. Spiritually and emotionally, man I'll put it like this. I'm not religious at all. I was born to a Muslim family. Man this had me thinking I had to purchase the Quran and get back to my faith and start having more talks with Allah. Seeing my teammates come see me, it broke me down a few times man. Coach Mendez came and saw me a lot. Coach Bob, Paul Buentello, Dan Cormier...people on the team. Jermain Ramsey and Jenna...Phil. I just had so many people contact me and come through it was tough man. It pushed me. Mentally I'll be a stronger person. I know I'll be stronger and I'll be a better fighter. King Mo has experienced one of the scariest moments of his life when he could have lost much more than just his career. Listening to him speak, his voice and words were that of a man with a different outlook on life and one that recognizes how fragile life truly is. I hope that he uses this as a way to motivated himself to be the best person that he could possibly be, not just as a fighter, but also as a man. He has an opportunity to become something much more than an entertaining fighter and hopefully he realizes his potential. I know I speak for the staff at Bloody Elbow when I say that I hope that Lawal has a speedy recovery.

Posted in: fight, man, lawal, hospital, staph

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This is a revised version of a post that appeared in Bloody Elbow last year. Every 3rd Monday of February we here in the United States of America celebrate Presidents’ Day to honor those that have occupied the highest office in the land. To mark this day I thought it would be fitting to rank the Presidents. Not by their achievements in office, nor by any great leadership they may have shown in troubled times, but instead by their ability to kick ass. An ability that was not uncommon amongst our former heads of state, many of whom were quit adept in the art of unarmed combat. For example, our 38th president, Gerald R. Ford, was not only a tremendous athlete who excelled in football at the University of Michigan, but he also excelled in boxing, coaching it first at Yale and then in the Navy during his service in the second World War. Dwight Eisenhower too was a standout in football, during a time when many wanted to ban the sport for its brutality, and also boxed and wrestled, with his instructor at West Point being none other than former American Heavyweight Champion and master catch-as-catch-can wrestler Tom Jenkins. Amongst our Commander-in-Chiefs wrestling has easily been the most popular martial art. James Garfield, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Chester Arthur were all ardent wrestlers. Sometimes so much so that it would interfere with their political lives: Pierce wrestled in the New Hampshire House of Representatives building while he was the house speaker, and Grant famously apologized to a surrendering General Robert E. Lee at Appomatox for the mess at his campsite, a result of Grant and "some of the boys" having a wrestling match the previous night. Some of our former Presidents didn’t merely practice the craft, but actually excelled in it. Zachary Taylor was well known for his "scuffling" abilities amongst the Illinois Volunteers during the Black Hawk uprising, while William Taft was a fourth generation wrestler under the collar and elbow style, and was famed for his mastery of the "flying mare". "Big Bill", as the 225 lb. William was known during his youth, would twice win the intramural heavyweight championships at Yale. Not all though were of Taylor’s or Taft’s level: Calvin Coolidge was described by his father as being only "tolerable good" until age 14 when he quit, focusing instead on "duding around and daydreaming about being a big-city lawyer". Amongst all these fighting Presidents three clearly stand above their peers and are truly worthy of consideration as being the toughest men to hold the office of Commander-in-Chief. 3. George Washington Originally today’s Holiday was simply known as Washington’s Day in honor of our very fist president George Washington whose birthday in fact falls on February 22nd. All through his life Washington was renown for his toughness and bravery, almost to the point of foolhardiness. "I heard the bullets whistle and, believe me, there is something charming to the sound of bullets" was how he described his feelings on the battlefield in a letter to his bother. He was a man that led from the front and gave himself no advantage or luxury accorded by his position or rank as Commander of the Continental Army, suffering the same hardships as the men that served beneath him. He was also one hell of a wrestler. As a youth Washington attended Rev. Maury's Academy at Fredericksburg, Virginia, a finishing school which had a well deserved reputation as a fine place to learn how to grapple. Having no experience with the sport when he first arrived at age 15, young Washington found himself bullied by the sons of the widow he boarded with. Quickly he set himself to learning all he could of "collar-and-elbow" and soon had the "satisfaction of throwing the widow's sons with ease, grace, and celerity." [EN1] By age 18 Washington's became renown as the best "tosser" in Northern Virginia, and would find himself challenged by the wresting champion of Virginia. On a Saturday the two faced off in a collar-and-elbow contest. Washington would prove victorious, gaining the title of champion of the Colony, with his defeated opponent describing the match thus: "After a short, fierce struggle, I felt myself grasped and hurled upon the ground with a jar that shook the marrow in my bones." [EN2] Washington’s skills remained with him as he grew older, as evident by the stories told. "On one occasion, when he was Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary forces at Boston" he broke up a fight between two soldiers of the colonies by "seizing them one after another by the collar, tossed them into separate, writhing heaps, hurling them in all directions as if they had been ten-pins." In late 1776 at the age of 46 (and in the midst of waging war against the English crown), he demonstrated his old champion caliber abilities when he accepted a challenge from seven members of the Massachusetts Volunteer Guard, agreeing to face each of them in succession. "The Commander of the Continental Armies summoned enough of his old form to deal flying mares to seven saucy volunteers from Massachusetts." [EN3] 2. Theodore Roosevelt Teddy Roosevelt grew up a sickly and asthmatic child, who took up rigorous exercise to combat his numerous ailments. One of the first sports he studied. with his father’s hearty encouragement, was boxing and his first boxing-master was an ex-prize-fighter named John Long. Long grew confident enough in the young Roosevelt’s progress that eventually he entered him into a lightweight tournament with the prize being a pewter mug. To everyone’s surprise, including Roosevelt’s, he won the tournament and the trophy. [EN4] Teddy would go on to box while at Yale, although he never won any championships while there, and would continue with his pugilistic practices until a sparring session detached his retina and almost left him blind while Governor of New York, forcing him to focus solely on grappling for the remainder of his years. Roosevelt had begun wrestling at a young age as well, and even competed in it at Harvard, reaching the finals in a championship tournament one year under the catch-catch-can rules. Roosevelt continued wrestling late into life, describing in his autobiography how, while serving as the Governor of New York, he had a wrestling mat purchased by the state Comptroller so that the Middleweight Champion of America could stop by three or four afternoons a week to grapple with him. The final martial art he took up was Judo, which he learned from a visiting Yamashita Yoshiaki while Roosevelt was serving as President. [EN5] He described his White House practices in the exotic Japanese fighting style in letters he wrote to his son Kermit: I am wrestling with two Japanese wrestlers three times a week. I am not the age or the build one would think to be whirled lightly over an opponent's head and batted down on a mattress without damage. But they are so skilful that I have not been hurt at all. My throat is a little sore, because once when one of them had a strangle hold I also got hold of his windpipe and thought I could perhaps choke him off before he could choke me. However, he got ahead. [EN6] For two years, Roosevelt studied Kodokan Judo with Yamashita, eventually attaining the rank of 3rd degree brown belt and the title of most well rounded of all the fighting presidents. 1. Abraham Lincoln There can be little doubt that there was no tougher President than Abraham Lincoln. While his gaunt and lanky appearance fooled many, the 6’4" 214 lb man who would go down as perhaps our nation’s greatest leader, was a splendid athlete, whose strength was legendary in the Kentucky and Illinois backwoods. Often he was described as a "Hercules", a "Samson". or simply the "strongest man I ever knew" and the testimony of many reinforces that impression. Numerous stories exist detailing how "He could strike with a maul a heavier blow - could sink an axe deeper into wood than any man I ever saw", how his strength was so great that "he was equal to three men, having on a certain occasion carried a load of six hundred pounds", or how on another occasion "he walked away with a pair of logs which three robust men were skeptical of their ability to carry. " [EN7] One particularly incident at the Old Mill in Salem is worth repeating, where according to William Herndon: "By an arrangement of ropes and straps, harnessed about his hips, he was enabled one day at the mill to astonish a crowd of village celebrities by lifting a box of stones weighing near a thousand pounds." Before one discards this tale outright, others describe they witnessed Lincoln "lift betwen 1000 and 1300 lbs of rock waid in a Boxx ..." and still others reported that they saw him "in the old mill on the river bank to lift a box of stones weighing from one thousand to twelve hundred pounds." [EN8] Besides his prodigious strength, Lincoln was a phenomenal wrestler in both American collar-and-elbow (which included ground grappling unlike the version practiced in the old country) and the brutal backwoods catch style of rough-and-ready, a skill he aptly demonstrated at age 19 when he defended his stepbrother John Johnston's river barge from highjackers by throwing the seven thugs overboard in a wild skirmish. Soon after he tangled with the king of the creole roughnecks in New Orleans, using a hammerlock to get his opponent to apologize for insulting him. He would also break up a bare-knuckle fight between Johnston and William Grigsby, throwing Grigsby out of the center of the ring and challenging the enraged crowd that "if any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns." No one took him up on the offer. [EN9] Back home in Coles Country Illinois in 1830, the now 21 year-old Lincoln encountered Daniel Needham, the self proclaimed "best man in the county" . Abe would win the match in two straight falls, but his opponent, his pride hurt, then challenged him to a "rough-and-tumble" fight. "Needham", drawled Lincoln, "are you satisfied that I can throw you? If you are not, and must be convinced through a thrashing, I will do that, too, for your sake." Needham wisely shook hands and made his peace with Lincoln who was now proclaimed the wrestling champion of his county and soon the whole of Southern Illinois and Northern Kentucky. [EN10] In 1831 Lincoln would engage in his most celebrated wrestling match against the local leader of the Clary Grove boys, a group of bullies who terrorized the residences of New Salem, named Jack Armstrong and who was described by Daniel Green Burner as being "considered the best man in all this country for a scuffle" and by Lincoln himself as being as "strong as a Russian bear". After a brief skirmish Lincoln took "the great bully by the throat and shook him like a rag…" before slamming him to the ground and rendering him unconscious. [EN11] While serving as a militia officer in the Sangamon Country Volunteers during the Black Hawk War, Mr. Lincoln took a "prominent part" in wrestling matches. One fellow soldier recalled that "Very few men in the army could successfully complete with Mr. Lincoln, either in wrestling or swimming; he well understood both arts." ." Others testified that "His Specialty was Side holds; he threw down all men." And that Lincoln would often be found "wrestling for the Company against every Bully Brought up". [EN12] Lincoln quarreled not only with outside companies, but sometime his own as well, according to his longtime friend William G. Green. When his men threatened to kill an old Indian who stumbled into their camp, Captain Lincoln blocked the soldiers' path and stated that any who wished to kill their visitor had best "choose your weapon." Again, no one took him up on his offer. [EN13] Lincoln found much success while wrestling during the War, and after disposing of seven opponents he found himself one win away from the regimental championship. Lincoln’s opponent for the title would be Private Nathan Dow Thompson, a fellow soldier from his home state and who was well known as the champion of Northern Illinois. The two men clashed, and after taking a respite since neither man had gained the advantage, Lincoln remarked that Thompson was "the most powerful man I ever had hold of." Upon resuming the match Lincoln would finally taste defeat as Thompson would throw him twice. [EN14] It was a remarkable feat by Thompson, for while Lincoln is thought to have competed in some 300 wrestling matches during his life, according to Bob Dellinger, director emeritus of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. "we can only find one recorded defeat of Lincoln in 12 years", Lincoln would proudly declare himself the second best wrestler in Illinois, behind only Thompson, for years to come. And Tyler Durden. Lincoln would kick your ass. ENDNOTES EN 1: From Milos to Londos by Nat Fliescher (Ring Magazine, 1936) EN 2: ibid. EN 3: Charles Wilson detailed it in his book, The Magnificent Scuttlers (Brattleboro: Stephen Greene Press, 1959) EN 4: Roosevelt describes with some detail his interest and experiences in combat sports in Chapter 2: The Vigors of Life of his autobiography, Theodore Roosevelt - An Autobiograph (The MacMillan Company 1913) EN 5: Yamashita Yoshiaki was one of the "Four Guardians of the Kodokan", and an important figure in the development and rise of Kodokan Judo. Yamashita visited America in an attempt to spread Kano Jigoro's art around the world, and in 1904 met and began instructing the President in the "Gentle-way'. The President was so enamored with the Japanese sport that he had Yoshiaki assigned to the position of wrestling instructor at the Naval Academy. Yamashita would hold that position for almost two years before returning to his native Japan. EN 6: In a letter dated March 5, 1904 to his son Kermit Roosevelt. In another letter to Kermit he describes Yamashita working off his back against his other son, Grant. EN 7: The quotes are from Daniel Green Burner, John Gillespie, and Eliot Herndon and can be found in Herndon's Informants. EN 8: Herndon's story of Lincoln's feats at the old mill can be be found in Herndon's informants. The other two witnesses where Ward. H. Lamon and J. Rowan Herndon. EN 9: All of these encounters are described in much greater detail in Nat Fleischer's From Milos to Londos (Ring Magazine, 1936) EN 10: The Needman encounter at "Wabash Point" is taken from Abraham Lincoln, The Physical Man by Albert Kaplan. EN 11: There are many versions of his encounter with Jack Armstrong. The one I used is an amalgamation of the most common elements. Other descriptions of the encounter can be found at here and here. EN 12: The various statements are from Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis, Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements about Abraham Lincoln. EN 13: Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis, Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements about Abraham Lincoln. Letter from Jason Duncan to William Hi. Herndon, May 28, 1865 EN 14: Thompson was the Champion of St. Clair County. A more thorough description of their encounter can be found in David Herbert Donald's Abraham We are Lincoln Men: Abraham Lincoln and Friends as well as here.

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UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre is finally speaking out on the fallout from last weekend’s main event match-up at UFC 143 between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. As has been beaten to death, Condit narrowly outpointed Diaz in the bout with many feeling the wrong outcome had been rendered. Plans for a rematch were in the works but quickly scrapped after Diaz tested positive for marijuana use, potentially putting him on the sidelines for a year. Now that St. Pierre has had some time to reflect on things he has re-evaluated how interested he actually is in fighting Diaz, at least when it comes to an expected defense of his title in November. “I want to fight the best man, and the best man is Condit,” said the 22-2 champion in an interview on Bruce Buffer‘s Sherdog show , adding emotion had clouded his judgment beforehand. Still, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t mind settling the score with Diaz at some point down the road. “As far as Diaz, of course I would like to fight him because he thinks he’s better than me (and) I think I’m better than him,” explained St. Pierre before turning talk to the controversial Californian’s future. “But I think he should not retire. He did all of the sacrifice in his life to be where he’s at right now. He’s at the highest point of his career, and if he retires now, he’s left a lot of money on the table that could pay for all of the sacrifices he has made during all those years. I think the sport of mixed martial arts needs a guy like him.” Diaz has not commented since saying he was retiring from MMA after his disgust with the judges’ decision in his fight with Condit. The 28-year old was the more aggressive, less technical of the two this past Saturday night and paid for it with the defeat. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: diaz, pierre, condit, man, st pierre

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A Reuters report states that the US Government shut down 16 web sites related to the illegal streaming of live sports. The sites provided links to pirated sites where viewers could watch sports including NBA, NFL, WWE and TNA pro wrestling for free. The sweep of illegal sites is in preparation for Super Bowl Sunday. Who watches the Super Bowl via illegal streaming? The article reports that Tom Brady actually used an illegal web site last year in Costa Rica to watch the Packers-Steelers Super Bowl. The feds arrested a Michigan man who was charged with one count of criminal copyright infringement. Its alleged that he ran several of the pirate sites receiving $13,000 from online merchants who advertised with him. The man was caught as a federal agent posed as a WWE representative seeking to buy a domain from the man. Payout Perspective: The crackdown on illegal sites should appease the WWE and the UFC in its constant effort to curb piracy. The article provides some interesting insight on the business behind illegal streaming. The ad revenue seems small considering the risk one may take for running such a site.

Posted in: wwe, site, man, bowl, article reports

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Fans and media have been celebrating since Dana White and the UFC announced that with the new Fox deal the Gladiator Man intro will retired. Good news is that UFC 143 will be the first time that people will be able to see the updated intro and it is fantastic. The working title of the opener is 'Evolution' because it follows the evolution of the sport from the days of Royce Gracie vs Ken Shamrock all the way through the Zuffa Era. Featuring highlights with the likes of Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, and Chuck Liddell, the UFC has decided to showcase the fighters that helped build the sport and promotion to the power house that it is today. The footage was cut by Digital Domain, James Cameron's production company. A lot of the footage required digital updating since much of the video was originally not shot in high definition. The music was scored by Hans Zimmer, the man who wrote the music for Inception and Gladiator. Dana White wouldn't give an exact figure but did say that the new opener cost the UFC an 'obscene' amount of money. The UFC did contract another production company as well. Dana said that elements of their video would be used in other television spots. Full list of highlights after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit Gracie Shamrock UFC 1 Ortiz Tanner UFC 30 Hughes Trigg UFC 52 Liddell Ortiz UFC 47 Penn Sherk 84 GSP Hughes 65 Couture Sylvia 68 Jackson Wanderlei 92 Coleman hero shot, no fight listed Lesnar Herring 87 Franklin Quarry 56 Junior dos Santos Gilbert Yvel 108 Cruz Demetrious Johnson UFC on VS Griffin Bonnar TUF 1 Cain Lesnar 121 Liddell hero shot Edgar Maynard 125 Aldo Hominick 129 Jones Bonnar 94 Silva Belfort 126

Posted in: ufc, fox deal, chuck liddell, man, power house

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When Carlos Condit steps into the Octagon, it becomes kill or be killed, every man for himself, and he plans on being the last man standing in his fight at UFC 143 against Nick Diaz.

Posted in: ufc, condit, man, step, carlo

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It wasn't long ago that I was touting Chael Sonnen for his "pro wrestling genius." And at the time I wrote that piece, I had a good reason to feel that way. He was at the height of his game, having just delivered a promo that became an instant classic. Now? Not so much. It's not that he's all that different than he was before. Quite the opposite, in fact. He's just as wily and eager to please as ever. But it would seem that he's gotten a little too into his own character. In pro wrestling speak, since that's the parallel we're drawing here (because it's the one that applies best), he's become a bit of a mark for himself. At the UFC on Fox 2 pre-fight press conference, as well as in interviews with various members of the mixed martial arts (MMA) media, Sonnen would go off on tangents, seemingly out of nowhere. It's not even that he was answering questions with quick-witted responses that made fans chuckle. He carefully scripted spots that he was going to deliver come hell or high water, even if that meant cutting people off to shout his message into the microphone. As my esteemed colleague Jesse Holland noted here yesterday, Sonnen jumped the shark. He became a parody of himself in one press conference. On top of his usual schtick (which badly needs to be updated with some new material, by the way), Chael literally turned into a rapper. This man sat at the podium and spit rhymes like they were hot fire in an attempt to ... well ... I'm not sure why he did it. And that's the problem. I'm as big a fan of a good promo as any but if you don't have a good reason to say what you're saying, then you shouldn't open your mouth. Sonnen seems to have lost touch with that. Essentially, he stopped promoting the fight and made himself a spectacle. Let's break down what a good promo should be and how Sonnen has gone away from that. (I'm going to add a disclaimer here just because this subject matter seems to piss off a great deal of MMA fans. Here's the thing: When Sonnen is cutting pro wrestling style promos and he's admitting to doing as much -- and even trying to walk out to the cage with a famous pro wrestler -- I'm going to analyze him through that lens.) Pro wrestling is built on the premise that two guys are going to have a match at a show and you should pay to watch it. Simple enough, right? That's no different than MMA, really. Chael Sonnen is going to fight Michael Bisping and you should pay to see it. But why should you pay for it? What reason do you have? That's where pro wrestling got creative and eventually developed into what most of you have seen at some time or another throughout your lives. Someone comes out to the ring, picks up a microphone and cuts a promo designed to get you to care about his match against so-and-so, who also gets his chance to cut a promo to accomplish the same goal. When it works, everyone makes a lot of money and everybody wins. So what constitutes a good promo? The best will find a way to work in the four W's -- the who, what, when and the where, while also giving you, the fan, a reason to care about why the match is taking place. I'll give you a recent example in video form. Here's Triple H cutting a great promo on CM Punk (there's some fluff before and after it but the part I'm referring to starts at 11:34 and ends at 12:13): Here's the text from the vid that I'm referring to: "This isn't business, it's personal. You made it personal. I tried to keep it business, you made it into a personal issue. That's why this Sunday, you are going to step into the ring -- no disqualification, anything goes -- with me. Not the business man, not the COO, not the multiple time world champion, not 'The Game;' quite frankly and quite simply, just a man. A man you insulted and a man that is going to kick your ass." Those lines, delivered with the necessary passion and emphasis, really drove home why the ensuing match was something we should care about. Triple H tried to keep things business but CM Punk made it personal and insulted him. Because of this, Triple H is going to kick Punk's ass this Sunday. The message was built to and delivered in a manner so as to make it nearly impossible not to have an emotional reaction and attachment to it. That's why it works. That's why it makes money. Sonnen on the other hand, while making sure at times to let folks know when the fight is, would simply hijack the microphone and deliver some terribly cheesy lines that were scripted to sound a lot better than they did: "You're looking at the reflection of perfection, the one that gets all your attention.You're looking at the man with the biggest arms, the man with the greatest charm,And the man who came to Chicago to do a lot of harm to the guy three doors down." "Maybe I can ask a question, maybe I can ask three of Michael Bisping,First, what are going to do when you know who?How are you gonna deal with the man of steel?And how will you react to Sonnen's attack?" He did this while screaming into the microphone like he was Hulk Hogan circa 1987. It wasn't a coherent promo designed to get us to care about the fight this Saturday night. It was Sonnen trying to figure out the best way to play to the crowd. And they reacted like marks, too, cheering on the ridiculous drivel that was spewing from his mouth. To make matters worse, he did all this after bringing a replica UFC championship belt with him to the press conference and propped it up in front of him. In pro wrestling, they can get away with all the theatrics and goofy storylines. Because you're already being asked to accept a match for it is -- an athletic exhibition between two guys who are putting on a show -- they can stretch the boundaries of what's acceptable. It's not rooted in reality. With MMA, however, that's where it draws its larger adult audience from. The folks who grew out of the campy storylines pro wrestling offered and graduated to the visceral world of MMA, where you can watch two men climb inside a cage and spend 15 to 25 minutes doing their best to physically harm the other. The fights themselves, though, are not enough to draw significant interest. Just like the wrestling matches aren't. Just like anything isn't, really. We, as human beings, have to always have a reason to feel invested in something, or it will never catch and keep our attention. The fights are great, sure, but we still need a reason to feel connected to a fight one way or the other. Watching two strangers fight is a lot different than watching your friend fight your enemy. When I was touting Sonnen's pro wrestling style genius, I was doing so because he was manipulating the masses with a message they either did or did not approve of but one that was rooted in reality. He relentlessly called out Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva for being phony and harped on actual issues that many fans were already having, like the fact that Silva rarely does interviews in English, despite the fact that he can speak the language. To hear Sonnen riff on that is to connect with something real. To watch him trot out to a press conference with a fake title belt calling himself the real champion and randomly busting out raps about how he has the biggest arms and the most charm is to watch him turn into a parody of himself. Somewhere down the line, it stopped being about Chael's quest to be both the middleweight champion and the "People's Champion." He first came to fame by trash-talking, yeah, but he did so with a clear message that had a purpose and was rooted in the truth. Now he's talking just to talk. He's either trying to outdo himself or he likes the attention it brings him. Are his antics ultimately promoting the fight? At this point, the answer has to be no. There are still quite a few folks who think he's brilliant and will hang on his every word like it's gospel. Hell, there are members of the MMA media who do that. But there is also a growing legion of folks who see and hear him do and say these things and simply shake their heads before finding something better to do with their time. I liked it when Sonnen was calling out fighters for their faults. I liked when he was the no-nonsense guy who would say what no one else would because they didn't want to rock the boat. I don't like the Sonnen who busts out silly raps and tries to be a modern day Hulk Hogan screaming into the microphone about how big his arms are and how charming he is. Why? Because it doesn't make me want to watch him fight, which is the point of all this in the first place. If you want to cut pro wrestling style promos, at least do it right.

Posted in: fight, promo, sonnen, man, that

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Dana White sat down with the media following today’s UFC on FOX 2 pre-fight press conference to talk about all the hot topics in MMA. We’ve got a rundown of news and notes coming out of that Q&A session along with Ariel Helwani’s interview with Dana and some other notes from the press conference below. — As you would expect, Chael Sonnen garnered most of the attention at today’s press conference with his fake UFC championship belt. While it’s hard to fathom that he actually believes it’s the real belt, he certainly played it off like it was. “This is the world championship title of which I took from Anderson Silva,” Sonnen explained of the belt in front of him. “In this country, possession is nine-tenths of the law. Finders keepers, losers weepers, and if he wants it back, he knows where to find me.” “I believe that I am the true champion,” Sonnen said. “This is the true UFC belt. This was Anderson Silva’s belt. I took his belt like a gangster in the night … If he wants his belt back, he can come and get it. But as far as I’m concerned, he’s as irrelevant as Mike Tyson. The only thing he hasn’t done is announce his retirement. He sound paint his face, gain a hundred pounds, sit in the third row and hope somebody remembers who they are because neither of those guys matter anymore.” Dana of course had to chime in and set the record straight for anyone who didn’t know any better. “Chael’s nuts,” White said. “He says all kinds of crazy things. He’s [claims he's] champion … Listen to me. Okay? Listen to me. He’s not the champion. He will fight Anderson Silva if he wins. He will not fight for the heavyweight championship or Jon Bones Jones.” Some other choice quotes from Sonnen: “You’re looking at the reflection of perfection. You’re looking at the man who gets all your attention. You’re looking at the man with the biggest arm. At the man, with the greatest charm, the man in Chicago who will do harm to the guy three doors down.” “Whatcha gonna do, when you know who? Howya gonna deal, with the man of steel? How ya gonna react to Sonnen’s attack? Tune in on the 28th! 8 p.m. Eastern Time! You’ll find out who the real champion is.” Michael Bisping tried to spark a litlle back-and-forth between him and Chael with this, but Sonnen never bit. “He can keep his fake belt and shove it up his ass,” Bisping said. “He ain’t fighting Anderson Silva.” — Sonnen and Bisping may not have got into it too much, but Rashad Evans and Phil Davis definitely did. They went at it several times, but this was the highlight. “If I wrestled you in college, I guarantee I would have beaten you,” Evans said. “If you wrestled right now, I guarantee I’d beat you right now.” “That’s interesting. … How many years were you an All-American?” Davis pondered. “You used trash to win,” Evans shot back. “You could not win a world competition, man. You could not win on an international stage because you have trash technique.” “Really? You are believing your own hype, my friend,” said Davis. “Who tells you these stories?” “I watch the way you move,” said Evans. “You have trash technique.” “What have you been watching?” an incredulous Davis asked. Evans later capped it off with perhaps the funniest statement of the day, saying “Phil lookin’ like Arsenio Hall and John Salley had a baby.” Davis even laughed at that one, probably because it’s kinda true. — Dana White finally commented on the UFC.com hacking from last weekend beyond the “I don’t give a sh*t” that he put out on Twitter. Staying true to himself, Dana basically challenged hackers to try it again. Is SOPA the perfect bill? No, it’s not. The only thing that we’re focused on is piracy. Piracy is stealing. You walk into a store and you steal a (freaking) gold watch, it’s the same as stealing a pay-per-view. I don’t care what your twisted, demented idea of stealing is. These kids that grew upon the Internet have never had to pay for anything, so they think you shouldn’t have to. Keep hacking our site. Do it again. Do it tonight. You know what’s happening is? These guys look like terrorists now, and a bill that was about to die is about to come back. … I’m not afraid of the Internet. I love the Internet. It’s fun to get on there and cruise around and stuff. I’m not afraid of you. You want to keep hacking our site, go for it. Watch what happens. You’re hurting yourself. Call me crazy, but taunting a community of anonymous hackers is probably not the smartest idea when you have people’s credit card information stored for online pay-per-views and merchandise. Just saying. — Dana White confirmed again that Anthony Johnson is no longer with the UFC, but he at least left the door open for him to return if he can start acting like a professional. “He needs to go fight somewhere else, get some wins, come in on weight,” White said of Johnson. “He needs to prove to me that he can be a professional, show up on weight and do the things he needs to do. If he does, we can talk.” Interestingly enough, Dana did ease up on his stance on Nate Marquardt, saying “I don’t dislike Nate. I like Nate very much. We’ll see what happens.” Marquardt has not fought since Dana booted him out for screwing up the UFC on Versus 4 main event last year. Perhaps his next fight will be in the UFC after all. — It sounds like Dana White is as sick of the tainted supplement excuse as everyone else. In response to a question about King Mo claiming his positive test was the result of a bad supplement, Dana says he doesn’t buy it. “If you get caught doing something, admit you did it,” White said. “The whole ‘Somebody put something in my system that I didn’t know about?’ I mean, who here lets someone put s–t inside them that you don’t know what it is? If you go to the doctor and he gives you a pill, ‘Doc, what am I taking this for?’” “I don’t buy that s–t,” White said. “Own up to what you did. Listen, it’s out there, it happens, and sometimes everybody makes mistakes.” “I don’t buy it,” White said. “Anybody that’s ever said that they didn’t know what’s being put in their body is full of s–t.” — Photos of the face-offs from the press conference below via Dana’s Twitter.

Posted in: ufc, belt, dana, sonnen, man

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It's official: Chael Sonnen has jumped the shark. Once considered outspoken and witty, the former UFC middleweight number one contender has now become a parody of himself, regurgitating the same tired pro wrestling shtick he employed since returning to the Octagon back in 2011. And now he's rapping. Sonnen hijacked the microphone on multiple occasions at the UFC on Fox 2 pre-fight press conference earlier today (Jan. 26, 2012), in an attempt to hype his Saturday night fight against fellow 185-pound hopeful Michael Bisping. The rhymin' and stealin' begins after the jump. "You're looking at the reflection of perfection, the one that gets all your attention.You're looking at the man with the biggest arms, the man with the greatest charm,And the man who came to Chicago to do a lot of harm to the guy three doors down." "Maybe I can ask a question, maybe I can ask three of Michael Bisping,First, what are going to do when you know who?How are you gonna deal with the man of steel?And how will you react to Sonnen's attack?" Gong! The good news is there's only two days left before Sonnen and Bisping hook 'em up at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. After that, things should return to normal, at least for a little while. Anyone suddenly find themselves rooting for Michael Bisping just to keep Sonnen out of the limelight? See the freestylin' middleweight do his thang right here.

Posted in: ufc, michael bisping, sonnen, man, bisping hook

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]

Posted in: ufc, man, mattyblayze, scene, mattyblayze link

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New to MMA? Just watched the UFC on FX and looking forward to the UFC on Fox 2? Think you might be getting hooked? Well you've come to the right place! Here at Bloody Elbow we are breaking down the various phases and techniques in an MMA match; Starting with the striking and then moving on to the clinch. Now we come to the aspect that makes MMA unique to almost any other combat sport, ground grappling which allows striking. The ground game is often a mystery to those fans who have practice a grappling art, and can be divisive aspect of the sport. Some fans decry ground work as boring while others get absorbed in the minuet details, and I fall squarely into the latter category. Let start with the basics, any time when two fighters are grappling one fighter will be on the top and the other on the bottom. There are a variety of positions, differentiated by the amount of control and danger the top fighter can impose on the bottom fighter. In general, the fighter on top is considered to have the advantage but some positions offer more advantage than other. Positions in which the bottom fighter has no offensive options are referred to as "dominant positions" because the top fighter is in complete control. We will start with the position which offers the bottom fighter the most offensive options, the guard. The guard position originated in Judo, but it was in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that the guard really blossomed. The guard can be loosely defined as any time the bottom fighter has both his legs free and between himself and the top fighter. The closed, or full, guard the bottom fighter wraps his legs around the top man and locks his ankles. This limits the movement of the top man and provides the bottom fighter a variety of sweeps or submissions. gifs after the jump... (gif from Iron Forges Iron) Carlos Condit made excellent use of the guard at UFC 132. Condit had been taken down by Dong Hyun Kim, very strong top position grappler, and the defensive aspect of the guard is very useful against fighters like that. The guard provides good defense against striking and once off balanced the top fighter can be rolled over. Known as a sweep, Condit executes this move to perfection as he pulls Kim forward and uses a leg to lift Kim's hips and roll him over. Sweeps from the guard work on the basic principle of off balancing the top man and taking away their ability to catch their balance by blocking one of their arms or legs, and then applying a little force to cause them to fall. Now for the top man he must either establish a strong base of balance or attempt to pass the guard. Passing means working around the legs of the bottom man and taking them out of play. During a pass the bottom man may entrap one leg in what is refereed as the halfguard. (pic via bjjr.ru) The half guard is a position that can favor either fighter. Elite half gaurd players like Demian Maia prefers to use the half guard to quickly turn the tables on fighters with his array of sweeps. But it takes an elite bottom player to operate with real success from the half guard. Wrestlers, like the recently retired Brock Lesnar or Randy Couture, like to use the half guard as a controlling position that they can strike from effectively. Brock Lesnar used the half guard to punish Frank Mir at the UFC 100. Once a top man escapes the half guard he enters into the dominant positions. Side control is the first dominant position, in which the top man lays across the chest of the bottom fighter. As the name suggests, this position offers excellent control, openings for strikes or submissions. The bottom man can defend himself from strikes or submissions but he cannot mount any real offense, the bottom man's focus normally is either to escape to standing or reestablish the guard. Now some times the bottom man prefers to go to his knees in a position known as the turtle position. While the rules of MMA protect the bottom fighter to some degree because they disallow kicks to the head and strikes to the spine, this is still a position fighters look to exit from quickly by either standing or going for takedowns. Even with rules limiting strikes from this position, it is a very dangerous position for the bottom man to linger. (via img291.imageshack.us) A fighter can advance from side control to another dominant position, refereed to as the mount. The mount is where basically the top man sits on the bottom man's chest. From this position the top man can strike the bottom man to the head but the bottom man cannot strike back. It not only offers position for power strikes but also an array of submissions. The mount is an excellent offensive position and in the old days of MMA it was cause enough for a referee to stop a fight. But modern MMA fighters have learned the knee-to-elbow and upa escapes, the most basic escapes from the position. Now fighters will sometimes panic when mounted and they roll over, surrendering their back. The back mount is possibly the most dominate position. A death sentence on the streets, the back mount is limited by the rules of MMA making strikes to the back of the head illegal, but it is an ideal position for submission attacks. Submissions though are a subject for another article.

Posted in: fighter, guard, man, position, bottom

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Posted in: man, edson, edson barbosa, barbosa

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Before I wrote this article, I ensured the term 'hype man' was actually in the English lexicon and not just something my friends and I use to describe every supporting cast member in a James Toney YouTube video. If you temporarily redirect your browser to the Wikipedia entry for 'hype man', not only will you get a concrete list of the services a hype man can offer, but they also have a list of notable 'hype men' that have appeared throughout history including the alleged first hype man, Kool Moe Dee. If you've actually visited the previously mentioned Wikipedia entry, then you'll notice that among notables like Freaky Tah of The Lost Boyz, Memphis Bleek of Jay-Z and Proof of D12 -- Dana White also made the cut. Now it's time to add UFC's Burt Watson to that coveted list. Check out this brief interview WHOA! TV grabbed of UFC's official 'babysitter to the fighters.'

Posted in: man, hype, hype man, wikipedia entry, hype men

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submitted by locoyandel [link] [comment]

Posted in: demolition man, man, locoyandel link, locoyandel, demolition

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For he shall be called Epic Wheelchair Man, and he will save us all. It is he who will roll out from the shadows and bring the rear naked choke to criminals everywhere. The power of a thousand underworld henchman will not be able to escape his superior upper body strength and industrial clamp like grip. Modified collar chokes on winter jackets will be utilized while children and shopkeepers cry out and rejoice in his glory. He is a hero, he is the one to bring us out of the darkness... He is Epic Wheelchair Man. [Source]

Posted in: man, epic, wheelchair, body strength, shopkeepers cry

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Earlier this month, we here at MMAmania.com embarked on a quest to determine the best of the best in the year 2011. Naturally, that means we had to find the man (or woman) who rose above the rest to earn the distinction of "Fighter of the Year." And that honor belongs to UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. Because who else? Really, there was no other viable option and the voting reflected as much. "Bones" kicked the year off by defeating Ryan Bader to earn a 205-pound title shot against Mauricio Rua. Just six weeks later, he made the most of his opportunity by dominating "Shogun" in a way not seen before. That right there warrants consideration. What he did next was downright astonishing. His first title defense came against Quinton Jackson and Jones once again dominated, becoming just the second man in the history of MMA to submit "Rampage." Less than three months later, the Greg Jackson trained phenom became the first man to submit Lyoto Machida, putting him out cold with a standing guillotine choke. That's 4-0, two title defenses, all finishes, against the best competition available, namely three of the four opponents being former champions. All in one year, folks. Get some. It wasn't even close but there others who received votes. Check out the full results of our poll for the best fighter of 2011 after the jump. Poll results: Jon Jones -- 772 votes Dan Henderson -- 150 votes Junior dos Santos -- 115 votes Nick Diaz -- 97 votes Donald Cerrone -- 67 votes Other -- 26 votes Remember to check out winners in other categories including "Fight of the Year," "Knockout of the Year" and "Submission of the Year" by clicking here, here and here.

Posted in: jone, champion, vote, year, man

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Jason Miller spent an entire season on Spike TV as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 telling anyone who would listen, including the man himself, that he was going to brutalize Michael Bisping at the Finale on Dec. 3 in Las Vegas. Never mind the fact that "Mayhem" had gone an entire year without fighting. Oh and this was his reintroduction to the UFC audience, a group of fans he hadn't competed in front of since a lopsided decision loss to reigning Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre back in 2005. By the time the fight came, Miller was on edge. His nerves were undeniable and the pressure he felt was crushing. What if he failed? What if he came up short after talking all that noise about beating down the British bully? Fast forward 15 minutes and Bisping was walking around the Octagon with his chest pumped out having triumphed over Miller, who lay battered and broken. His worst fears had been realized. He worked his way back to the big show and he laid the proverbial egg once he got there. Now, in an interview with our friends at MMAFighting.com, Miller admits to "freaking out" once he got to the cage. "I'll admit that. It felt weird walking out there. I didn't feel like my normal self, and it really showed. I couldn't get relaxed, couldn't perform to my potential. And I'm not taking anything from Bisping, but it was definitely not my best performance. I didn't think that that layoff would do anything to me. But man, it was apparent that it did. I kind of freaked out in there. I've got to admit it. I usually sit down on the [stool] and get a burst of energy back. But man, I sat down and I was sucking wind. I didn't feel like myself. I was like, man, what's going on with me here? I just couldn't get back refocused. In the training room, I did it just fine. But inside the Octagon, I didn't come back like I do. I was going, where am I? Usually, by the end of the 60 seconds I'm recharged. I wasn't recharged at all. I was more tired than when I sat down." After the fight was over, UFC President Dana White, the man who controls Miller's future, called it "the most lopsided fight" he had ever seen. And considering the many times the Octagon boss has sat cageside with the best seat in the house, that's saying something. Miller says he has yet to hear from White, too, leaving him in limbo, suspended in time and awaiting his marching orders. That could mean another fight and a chance to redeem himself or it could mean a pink slip. Hell, he could even get sent back down to Strikeforce. And after a performance like this one, it might be where he belongs. Anyone think "Mayhem" deserves one more chance in the UFC? Or should White send him on his merry way? Maybe Strikeforce is a better landing spot? Opinions, please.

Posted in: fight, miller, bisping, man, didnt

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Thank whatever higher power you believe in that we've all lived to see the day in which an internet meme is turned into a feature length movie. For those that are unfamiliar with the legend that is 'Epic Beard Man,' then you obviously have not been living anywhere close to this planet for the past eleven months. It's the classic story of an unassuming man simply not taking anymore nonsense. On the AC transit bus in California, Epic Beard Man fought back -- and he won the hearts of many. That's the abridged version, but I suggest all of you revisit the classic video that now has over 5,000,000 views. Now it appears Silver Nitrate Entertainment is making a feature length film starring Machete's Danny Trejo as Epic Beard Man and they even released this nifty trailer for it on Christmas Eve. Props to Justin W. for the equally epic find.

Posted in: man, epic, beard, danny trejo, trejo

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A few observations from UFC 140: “Jones vs. Machida”: -You know what the coolest thing about John Cholish is?  His day job is on Wall Street, so the money he got for kicking Mitch Clarke’s ass probably paid for one suit, one pair of shoes and a shoe shine. -Man, Jake Hecht elbowed the “hecht” out of Rich Attonito.  Yuk-yuk-yuk. -John Makdessi may have mounted zero offense and was easily handled by Dennis Hallman, but at the end of the day he was at least thrilled that Hallman did it all while not wearing a thong. -Costa Philippou is to punching to the face what pepper spray is to an Occupy Wall Streeter.  Which is to say, Jared Hamman was doomed from the start. -Yes!  Krzysztof Soszynski lost!  A few more of those and he’ll be booted from the UFC and we’ll never have to spell out his name again! -The Korean Zombie put away Mark Hominick in seven seconds when champ Jose Aldo couldn’t do it in five rounds?  Giddyup!  However, I hope this doesn’t mean Chan Sung Jung is next in line for a title shot.  The dude needs a few more wins. -Brian Ebersole put forth an uninspired performance and got a gift decision.  The man is still an enigma, though.  Where does he fit in in the grand scheme of things?  Is he a future title contender or will he assume the role of Chris Lytle and be there to (hopefully) provide us with entertaining fights? -I would say Tito Ortiz is just a shadow of his former self, but at this point it seems like his shadow has more durability than his fragile body. -Is “Big Nog” a legend?  Yes.  Does Frank Mir have his number?  Clearly.  Now about that horrific arm break… man, if that isn’t a lesson in why you should tap out when a submission is definitely on, I don’t know what is. -For one round it seemed as if Lyoto Machida actually had a chance.  One round.  Then Jon Jones deemed the sparring session was over and really began fighting, at which point Machida was left a bloody and unconscious sack of human flesh and bones quivering on the canvas.  Folks, that’s not just a champ right there, that’s one of the greatest mixed martial artists the sport has ever seen.

Posted in: ufc, round, ’t, man, wall streeter  

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The date was Dec. 27, 2008. The venue was the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was UFC 92: "The Ultimate 2008" and it featured a match-up of Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 coaches, who would fight for the Interim heavyweight championship. Former champion Frank Mir vs. then champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. The two had plenty of time and opportunity to hype their fight, what with their being rival coaches on a reality show. Mir spoke of an improved stand-up game that he would use to avoid Nogueira's deadly submissions. In fact, he promised to become the first man to knock the Brazilian out, he of the legendary chin who had never had it cracked. "Minotauro" was going to do what he always does; take a beating to give one and while he may get in trouble early, he would eventually emerge victorious. But as the fight drew closer and closer, there were rumblings that something wasn't quite right with the champion. By the time fight night came, the pre-fight hoopla no longer mattered. It was time to settle up inside the cage and forget about all that. Except it was impossible to ignore what was so painfully obvious. Something was wrong with Nogueira. He looked slightly off and sense of timing was nonexistent. He was slow. Not that "Big Nog" has ever been known for his speed, but it was like he was moving in slow motion. Mir took advantage, too, by overwhelming his opponent. In fact, there has never been a time Mir has looked any better. He dominated straight from the start, knocking Nogueira down several times before finally finishing him off in the second frame. He barely broke a sweat. Because it was impossible to ignore how uncharacteristically bad his performance was, questions were immediately asked of Nogueira. What was wrong? How could this fight have gone the way it did and been that uncompetitive? And that's when it came out that Nogueira had been suffering from staph infection leading up to the bout. So bad was it, that "Minotauro" spent time in the hospital recovering. All this while Mir was training and getting stronger. Once he heard this, Mir was enraged. After all, he had just put in the performance of his life against a legend of the sport, a man he idolized and looked up to. Now that same man is throwing dirt on his triumph, claiming he defeated a sick and weakened man. Claiming he wasn't the better man. Nogueira eventually relented and admitted that Mir was the better man. That night, at least. But he doesn't believe he's the better man overall and tonight, when he steps back inside the Octagon with Mir at UFC 140 in Toronto, he's going to prove it. For his part, Mir wants to win even more impressively than he did last time. He's got something to prove as well. That the first fight wasn't a fluke and he didn't win because Nogueira was sick but because he's a better fighter. This is the rematch. Time to settle up.

Posted in: fight, time, nogueira, mir, man

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Last week we reported that Jeff Monson beat up a couple of Russian policemen to save a helpless old bum. And by 'report' I mean we just repeated the same story everyone else repeated while oh so subtly going *cough* bullshit *cough*. Because if Monson had actually kicked a copski's ass in Moscow, he'd be coming home with much worse than the broken leg he got from Fedor. Actually, he probably wouldn't be coming home for a really long time. But now Jeff is back in America and telling the world via his blog what really happened: There’s a big rumor reported by the media that I beat up two police officers to help a homeless man. The truth is a homeless man was being assaulted by police in the subway. I grabbed his hand and pulled him up and walked with him for a bit but I never talked to or touched the officers. Well, at least the part where Monson saved the homeless man was legit. Sure, some fisticuffs and good triumphing over evil would have been nice, but this isn't Seagal-Land. You don't fuck with the law, especially not in Russia. I kinda like the story more this way. It shows you don't have to be a 230 pound martial artist to do the right thing. Although it's probably a bit less scary when you are.

Posted in: jeff monson, jeff, man, monson, subway i

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In the moment after Mauricio Rua and Dan Henderson put on one of the greatest MMA fights of all-time, most of us were basking in the glow of 25 minutes of unbridled ultra-violence, having born witness to the greatest example of the indomitable human spirit. "Shogun" weathered a brutal assault from "Hendo" in the early rounds, including several "H-bombs" that have flattened lesser fighters, to come back in the fourth and fifth rounds to lay a savage beating on his foe. The heart required for both fighters to go through five rounds of that exhausting match cannot be easily imagined. And yet, after those moments had dissipated and the scorecards were being arranged, that magic disappeared and all we cared about was the numbers? Who, among these two heroic men, had won in some arbitrary ranking system compiled by three people of all the people who watched the fight? The answer, as we know, was Dan Henderson via scores of 48-47 across the board. Which doesn't do a lick of justice for that epic battle. And it's not a matter or arguing the score, since that's not the point I'm making. Nick Diaz once said that he felt he'd never lost a fight because he didn't understand the scoring system, and at the end of every fight, he was always standing, ready to go one more. He's right (and he proved it in the hospital with Joe Riggs). Although we've modified the rules of combat for MMA to make for a scoring system — although what it's based on seems completely arbitrary and unexplainable as evidenced by inconsistent judging — and limited rounds to between three and five, five-minute segments, I think we're missing the basic point of a fight. The objective isn't to win on points, although unexciting fighters like Georges St-Pierre and Jon Fitch have made a career out of that. The point is to defeat the other man or, failing that, to impose your will on the man until you're the one standing at the end. By that criteria, "Shogun" was clearly the winner of the UFC 139 main event. Although he lost the early rounds, he took control in the final two, and it would be silly to suggest that Henderson was anything but utterly and wholly defeated at the end of the fight. Sure, he won on points. Sure, he won on "damage." But at the end, one man was on top of the other, and that man was "Shogun." Some people would suggest that it doesn't matter, since that's not how MMA works. Fights are broken into rounds and "Hendo" clearly won the early rounds, in dominating fashion. And that's true, if all you care about are the rules of MMA. But I suspect we don't all watch MMA for the sole reason of counting 10-9 rounds. Fighting, in and of itself, is one of the last true, raw, primitive displays of man against man, and MMA is one of its most unadulterated forms without the risk of death or permanent injury. We watch the fights to see who can withstand the most punishment, mete it out in kind, and dominate his opponent in the cage, both physically and mentally. We watch for the moment when the proverbial immovable object meets an unstoppable force and one man breaks mentally, surrenders, and submits to the power of the other. We don't, or shouldn't, care whether some judge felt it was worth 48-47. Do I care that Rua "lost" his fight against Henderson? No. I think both men gained respect for each other, showed their mettle and bravery and heart to the MMA world, and in the end they stood as equal champion combatants at the end, war weary as they both were. Those are the fights I live for. That's why I watch MMA. That's why I don't care who won.

Posted in: fight, mma, round, end, man

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To be the man, you gotta beat the man. Throughout his combat sports career, Alistair Overeem has beaten a lot of men. He's held world titles, won kickboxing tournaments, the full nine. He just hasn't managed to win the most coveted prize in MMA -- the UFC heavyweight championship. To accomplish this feat, he'll have to get through a former champion, Brock Lesnar, on Dec. 30, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at UFC 141. As he writes in his blog at Yahoo! Sports, "The Reem" has uprooted his life to make it happen: I feel like I am the last one on the boat. Every major mixed martial arts fighter is here in Las Vegas or at least trains in Vegas some of the time. But I'm always either the first one or the last one on the boat, and now I have committed myself 100 percent to fighting for and winning the UFC heavyweight title in 2012. And that means I have uprooted my career and my life and - at least for the foreseeable future - and am now living in a house in Vegas. Winning the UFC heavyweight title, and defending it for years to come, is the biggest goal in my life right now. There's an awful lot on the line in "Sin City" this winter. If Overeem defeats Lesnar, his prize is a 2012 heavyweight title showdown against freshly crowned champion Junior dos Santos. So how does he plan on going about getting it? Simple. I don't underestimate this man. Winning UFC belt from Randy Couture in his fourth pro MMA fight and defending it against Frank Mir and Shane Carwin was very impressive. I am also impressed by Lesnar's fighting spirit; he has twice come back from a very serious illness and fought very tough opposition right away. He obviously has a lot of confidence in himself in fighting me after more than a year out and surgery on his stomach, and I admire that about him, but I am even more confident in myself. I will knock this guy out. He is great at takedowns and controlling people on the ground, but he I can stop his takedowns and he is no match for me on the feet. I am going to rip Brock Lesnar apart, piece by piece. That's an ambitious goal, but based on Lesnar's past couple fights, we know it's an attainable one. Brock was bested by Cain Velasquez back in Oct. 2010 in an embarrassing performance that we later turned could, at least partially, be attributed to his diverticulitis not quite having cleared up yet. He finally got that fixed this past May with invasive surgery that removed an entire foot of his intestines. The good news, for Lesnar anyway, is he's recovered with no issues. He's at 278-pounds and looking as fit and mean as ever. That may or may not be bad news for Overeem, who says he wants the biggest and baddest Brockness Monster he can possibly fight. Because, once again, to be the man, you gotta beat the man. Anyone picking against "Demolition Man" in this one?

Posted in: ufc, overeem, brock lesnar, lesnar, man

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The UFC 137: "Penn vs. Diaz" pay-per-view main card kicks off tonight (Oct. 29, 2011) with a match-up pitting a man you may know, George Roop, against a man you likely don't know, Hatsu Hioki. And what better night than tonight for your introduction to one of the top featherweights in the world. Hioki has spent nearly the entirety of his career fighting abroad. Of his 30 career mixed martial arts fights, just three of them have been anywhere but Japan, all three taking place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His record (24-4-2) is stellar, his list of victims (Marlon Sandro, Jeff Curran, Mark Hominick x2) is impressive and his ranking (number three in the world at 145-pounds) has reached incredible heights despite a general lack of fame. In short, this man is one dangerous son of a gun, something his opponent -- and the rest of us -- will finally get to see inside the Octagon. Roop will enter the cage with a heavy heart. Just a few short months ago, his trainer and friend, Shawn Tompkins, died in his sleep. It was a devastating loss for the mixed martial arts community but especially for all those under his tutelage. That included Roop, who has vowed to earn his respect the hard way with Tompkins as "the angel on my shoulder." How can you root against that? On top of fighting for his fallen comrade, Roop is jockeying for position in the featherweight division, which is light on contenders to Jose Aldo's title. Stringing together a few wins would be more than enough to make legitimate case for a shot at the throne. Oh and did I mention Hioki is ranked number three in the world? With Chad Mendes, ranked number two, likely getting the next shot against Aldo, ranked one, a win over Hioki would catapult Roop right into the thick of the action. Hello, contenders. Nice to meet you.

Posted in: man, chad mendes, george roop, roop, hioki

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Yes, I'm doing it again: A top 10 rankings list of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world today.  It's a daunting undertaking. After all, what good can come of this? Spirited discussion, I hope, at the very least. That and a better appreciation for the elite fighters in the sport we know and love. A comprehensive listing of the USA Today/SB Nation consensus rankings can be found here. Comprised of some of the top MMA sites on the Internet, it's a rather informative rankings list of the top seven weight classes in MMA today. But it doesn't venture into the dreaded "pound-for-pound" waters. That's what I'll do here. I haven't ventured into these waters since all the way back on May 7 and a whole lot has happened since then. Click here to check out how my list looked five months ago. Of course, any rankings list is highly subjective and up for debate. You know the drill; don't hold back one bit if you disagree. In we go. Yes, I'm doing it again: A top 10 rankings list of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world today.  It's a daunting undertaking. After all, what good can come of this? Spirited discussion, I hope, at the very least. That and a better appreciation for the elite fighters in the sport we know and love. A comprehensive listing of the USA Today/SB Nation consensus rankings can be found here. Comprised of some of the top MMA sites on the Internet, it's a rather informative rankings list of the top seven weight classes in MMA today. But it doesn't venture into the dreaded "pound-for-pound" waters. That's what I'll do here. I haven't ventured into these waters since all the way back on May 7 and a whole lot has happened since then. Click here to check out how my list looked five months ago. Of course, any rankings list is highly subjective and up for debate. You know the drill; don't hold back one bit if you disagree. In we go. 10. Alistair Overeem That's right. This is my list and I can do what I want with it, even if that means being a mark for "The Demolition Man." His credentials are solid if unspectacular. Hasn't lost since 2007 and is the current Strikeforce heavyweight champion (hey, that's still good for something). Has he been running through a who's who of the heavyweight division? Admittedly enough, the answer is no, but his accomplishments over the past few years are good enough to get him here. When he beats Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 on Dec. 30, it will only solidify his placement. 9. Rashad Evans If there's an argument against Evans making the list it's that people just hate his guts. Here's the thing, though -- that line of thinking is stupid. "Suga" Rashad has all the right skills to go along with a brilliant mind for fighting to make up one tough Blackzilian. It is my firm belief that there is no light heavyweight in the UFC right now that he could not beat ... including his arch nemesis and the man that will show up later in this list, Jon Jones. 8. Gilbert Melendez We're slowly starting to see his name pop up more and more often now that UFC President Dana White has stated his intention of bringing him to the UFC at all cost but Melendez is still somewhat of a forgotten man. He's looked all but unbeatable since 2008 and, much like Georges St. Pierre, has avenged both of his career defeats. The lightweight division is loaded, so we'll know a lot more about exactly how good he is once he finally does jump into the shark tank in the UFC but he looks like he could be at the top of the weight class already. 7. Cain Velasquez His body of work is stellar, although short like his stature. He's undefeated in his career, which includes winning the heavyweight championship in spectacular fashion late last year, but he has yet to cross the double digit fight threshold. Yet, he gives off a sort of aura of invincibility. Crisp, technical striking to go along with champion wrestling makes for a complete package that the best of the best will have trouble dealing with. Junior dos Santos will take his crack at UFC on FOX 1 on Nov. 12. 6. Jose Aldo This man is a bit of an oddity. We know he's a killer, an absolute destroyer of men. Yet, in his first two title defenses inside the Octagon, he's looked distinctly human. Sure, the competition has gone up but and it's nothing less than unfair to ask "Scarface" to murder everyone, all the time. Despite his inability to finish either of his UFC fights, he's inching closer and closer to cleaning out the featherweight division, which is the mark of a truly dominant champion. Next up: Chad Mendes and his relentless wrestling. 5. Dominick Cruz Cruz is in a similar position to Aldo right now; he's so damn good it looks pedestrian but he's faced increasingly difficult competition, so his cloak of invincibility looks damaged and fragile. This is simply not the case, though. Each of the men vying for a shot at his bantamweight championship have all already had their chance and are coming back for seconds because they couldn't get it done upon their first helpings. And none of them looked particularly proficient, save for Urijah Faber. If "The California Kid" defeats Brian Bowles at UFC 139 on Nov. 19, a third and final fight between he and Cruz will basically determine who will rule the roost at 135-pounds for now and into the foreseeable future. There's no reason to think that man won't be "The Dominator." 4. Frankie Edgar Because of his size, fighting style and personality type, Edgar will likely never get the credit he deserves. Indeed, Dana White has taken it upon himself to start screaming hyperbole just to sell his lightweight champion as the dominant force he actually is. The problem is that it's still not taking. We're talking about a guy who beat B.J. Penn twice ... in a row, the second time more dominant than the first. It's odd, too, because the transfer of power never seemed to take place. Even after two straight wins, many in the mixed martial arts community refused to acknowledge the accomplishment, instead lamenting the fall of "The Prodigy." But, after squashing "The Bully" at UFC 136, the doubts are slowly but surely trickling away. A title defense over Gilbert Melendez might make them disappear altogether. 3. Jon Jones I don't want to say that I ever doubted Jon Jones and his so obvious otherworldly abilities. But he certainly evokes a sort of cold curiosity. He's an unbelievable physical specimen, as long as he is large, as fast as he is quick. But there have been more than a few times that he's shown every bit of his age, just 24-years-old. While that may seem like an odd factor when considering a fighters aptitude, it certainly plays a huge factor in any martial artists rate of success. Essentially what I'm saying is he's too easily rattled, too quick to get defensive at verbal confrontation. However, as long as he can handle himself as well as he has so far in physical confrontations, he'll be a mainstay on this list for years to come. 2. Georges St. Pierre There isn't much to say about "GSP" that hasn't already been discussed at great length. He is, quite simply, the greatest welterweight to ever lace up a pair of four-ounce gloves. There are many reasons for this, none more prevalent than his wrestling, which he has adapted to mixed martial arts better than anyone in the history of the fight game. He may not be the best striker nor the best jiu-jitsu player but he's figured out a way to blend each one of his skill sets to make himself into possibly the greatest all-around fighter in the world. His track record speaks for itself, as he's defeated every man he has ever gone up against. There isn't much to add outside of that. 1. Anderson Silva This position was his the last time I made this list and it will remain his until someone takes it from him, which doesn't look likely to happen anytime soon. His credentials are unheard of. This man has won 14 consecutive fights inside the Octagon. Think about that for a second. Silva has never lost a fight in the UFC. What really puts it over the top is not that he's winning; it's how he's winning. The knock against St. Pierre will always be his penchant for choosing the path of least resistance. "The Spider," on the other hand, is steady knocking fools out with front kicks to the face. You're not supposed to be able to pull off feats like that at this high a level. Yet Silva makes it look ordinary. That's usually the mark of true greatness. When a man can make the impossible look downright routine. That's my list, Maniacs. What's yours?

Posted in: ufc, ranking, list, man, he

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In 2005, Ricardo Arona became the first man to defeat Wanderlei Silva in Pride Fighting Championships’ middleweight division.

Posted in: wanderlei, pride, man, arona rivalry, arona

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FanPost edited and promoted by MMAmania.com Some people call him a genius, a master in the art of baiting opponents and engaging fans to either watch him win or watch him get his comeuppance, but most people watch him. That was until he fought Brian Stann and the long-term fans of MMA remembered that without the insults and controversy, Chael Sonnen is just a wrestler who trains his strengths and makes strides towards becoming a well-rounded fighter. No more, no less. Sonnen turned in a dominant performance at UFC 136 against what I believe was a mediocre fighter with heavy hands, but that wasn't enough. What separates MMA from other sports is the sportsmanship. It's the respect that a fighter who dedicates his life to stepping in a cage in front of millions of people and fighting another man one-on-one has for the man who has done the same thing to get in there and do the same thing. Chael Sonnen has thrown that out to talk his way into another title shot It is one thing to appear racist, it's another thing to be convicted of a felony then brag "that's all i got caught for," or to test positive for performance enhancers and then get caught in a web of lies afterwards. Sonnen decided that wasn't enough and he was going to talk about putting his hands on Anderson Silva's wife, doing what no man, competitive or not, should ever do. I keep reading these pieces online about Silva ducking Sonnen, a man he beat at UFC 117 on what could have been his worst day, and Sonnen's best day. I think Silva knows one thing through all of this, nobody cares about Chael Sonnen unless Silva is involved. There was little fanfare when Sonnen fought ANYONE else, with perhaps the exception of Paulo Filho, only because Sonnen's controversy about phantom tapping in the first match and the then-unstoppable Filho seemingly checked out of reality for the second. Silva owes Sonnen nothing. For the lines he has crossed both professionally and personally, Silva doesn't owe him another fight or even an acknowledgement of his existence. Anderson Silva is a fighter who fights the best in the world. Regardless of what his record is, that's what he does. He has the quality that makes an MMA fighter an MMA fighter, the lack of fear to fight another man. He did not get to where he is just by hand picking opponents and having fear in him that someone might beat him up. Fear has nothing to do with this equation, power does. When Anderson eventually accepts the fight with Sonnen, he will be doing him an enormous favor, both financially and professionally, and he knows it. I, for one, hope he makes Chael earn his title shot like everyone else, because if threats against spouses and testosterone injections are what it takes to earn a title shot, MMA is headed in a direction that will alienate a lot of its original fans.

Posted in: sonnen, silva, fighter, man, mma

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Chael Sonnen: The Most Interesting Man in the World

Posted in: &nbsp, chael sonnen, sonnen, man, chael

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: ufc, return, man, mattyblayze, man returns

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Dhiego Lima has a very bright future. At just 21 years old, he's quickly become one of the fastest rising welterweight prospects in MMA and he's got some great genetics on his side. His older brother, Douglas Lima, was the welterweight champion of Canada's Maximum Fighting Championships before the bright lights of Bellator beckoned him, but Dhiego stayed behind to allow himself further time to develop. With a 6-0 record overall (all stoppages) and a 3-0 record in MFC, he's quickly building up some steam to potentially challenge for the vacated welterweight title that big brother left behind. But first, he'll be fighting "Dangerous" Terry Martin, a UFC veteran who most recently came up short while challenging for the elder Lima's title. Dhiego Lima spoke with MMAmania.com during an appearance on The Verbal Submission this Sunday night and discussed his upcoming fight, his relationship with MFC president Mark Pavelich and even his first fight in elementary school.  Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): How pumped are you for this upcoming fight at MFC 31? This is your fourth fight in the MFC and they're really building you as this next big guy. Dhiego Lima: I wake up smiling every morning man. To fight a guy like that [Terry Martin] who's been everywhere including the UFC, it's almost like a dream come true man. I'm so excited man. This guy is really tough and this is where I can show people what I can do. This is the fight I've been waiting for. I know my brother beat him in a minute but this guy he had a four fight winning streak and look at the guys he's beat already. I'm ready. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): That was actually something I was going to ask you about. basically, all the guys that you fought before, they were prospects or guys without a ton of experience yet and now you're stepping in there against a really experienced veteran. This is a big step up for you. Dhiego Lima: When I won the fight in Ontario, I pretty much knew that was the last least-experienced guy I was ever gonna fight  and after that when I had Jamie Toney, he was a veteran as well, he'd won against some better guys and was a brown belt so it started with that one and after I finished him quick, a guy with experience like that I was like, "Alright man! Now you know. Now I've gotta get ready for the big show because they're gonna send in experienced guys." After that fight in Ontario, I kinda knew already so I've been preparing myself, preparing extra for that. I'm more motivated than ever, I'm excited and I'm ready to go. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Yeah, and you mentioned that your brother beat Terry Martin when they met for the MFC welterweight title a couple months ago. I've gotta know, did he give you any tips on how to beat this guy? Dhiego Lima: Yeah, for sure man. I trained with him for that fight, for Terry. We were preparing together because I was fighting a short, stocky guy too so we pretty much had the same preparation. I know how to beat him for sure. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I've gotta ask. You and your brother probably compare your skills every once in a while. Who do you think hits harder between you and your brother? Dhiego Lima: Oh I definitely hit harder (laughs). That's no question. He's got the better ground of course but I definitely hit harder. You can ask him, he'll tell you. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Oh, I'd believe it. I saw what you did in that last fight. It was close for the first minute or two but you just started unleashing this ground and pound assault. Dhiego Lima: Yeah, nobody can really see but it was a right hand standing that caught him. He came in and I threw a short right hand and that was the one that hurt him. The knee didn't even land and on the ground he was dazed already. It was really a right hand that nobody saw. I'm like, "Yeah, just keep thinking it was only the ground." Nobody saw that right hand that went in and that's been my favorite punch. I throw it really short and straight and it lands but people don't even see it. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I'm interested in getting to know what makes you tick, Dhiego, what makes you who you are. I read that one of your earliest memories was beating up the school bully when you were in 5th grade. I've got to hear this story. Dhiego Lima: I'm a calm guy, I'm really calm. When you see me, nobody thinks I'm a fighter because of how nice I am. I was just heading down to lunch and this kid was always making fun of me and whatever 'cuz I used to be a fat kid. I was always a fat shit that people made fun of so this guy was pushing me down the stairs and I'm like, "Stop, stop!" and finally when we got down the stairs I had it and I just pushed him and the guy fell on his mouth and broke his two front teeth and I was like, "I'm sorry man but I told you!" That was like one of the only fights I ever had growing up. We're too nice, me and my brother. We never really got into fights or anything like that. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I know that you didn't always take your training seriously. What really was it that kind of clicked with you that made you realize this was what you truly wanted to do? Dhiego Lima: Well, all my amateurs fights, I fought for belts and everything but I just did it to be cool. Everybody was doing it and I was like, "Yeah, I'll do it." I didn't really take it serious and then on my first pro fight was when I really saw it. My first pro fight I got taken down and just got beat up that whole first round man. The second round started the same and then in the middle of that second round something just hit me. I had a kid on the way and everything just clicked on. I was like, "Listen, this is what you're gonna do for a living," and I just came back in the third round and beat this guy up and finished him with 20 seconds left in the fight I tapped him out with a triangle. After that fight, I was like, "Alright man, this is what I've got to do. I've got to take it seriously," and that switch turned on and I haven't looked back since. Ben Thapa: With the recent debacle with Nick Diaz and the press conferences, is he still your favorite fighter? Is he still somebody you look up to? Dhiego Lima: As a fighter, yes, not as a person though. I like his fighting style. That's about all man. You can be a badass and of course we all know he's a badass but once it's on for business, then it's business. You've got to do your job. It's part of your job. That's part of your pay, showing up for all these things. You've got your fans waiting to see how your training camp is going so that's kind of stupid, man. I'm a badass too but listen, man, it's professional and I'm a professional. Like Terry Martin wanted a catchweight at 175 and I'm like, "Listen, dude. You're a veteran man. You've been in the UFC. I fight at 170. I'm not a fucking clown. I'm not gonna take a catchweight fight. You be a professional and you make your weight. It's all part of the game man. It's part of the job." I like him [Diaz] as a fighter but that is unprofessional man. It's unprofessional. Gerry Rodriguez: I know you have a contract with MFC, but say you fight through your contract with MFC and your brother wins the 170 title at Bellator. Would you listen if Bellator comes knocking? Dhiego Lima: No, not at all. For me, I already told my manager man. After my MFC contract is up, I will be 9-0 and I it's either UFC or MFC. I will either resign with them or if the UFC's looking, I'll go there. I won't go anywhere else. I will have enough experience. I'm fighting a guy like Terry and if I beat him I'll be close to a title shot which they'll probably give me somebody tougher and tougher and I know from that experience I'll be ready for the big show. It's either the MFC or the UFC. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): How's the relationship been with [MFC President] Mark Pavelich? I know he was pretty mad at first when Douglas left the MFC but he kinda softened his stance on that now. Dhiego Lima: That was kinda crazy at first because I almost got caught up in all that because me and Douglas have the same manager and I almost got caught in it. I called my manager and I called Mark and put them on the phone and I was like, "Listen, this is my career man and my brother's career is a whole different thing. I don't want you guys getting mad at each other and it's gonna affect my career," so we put that straight and then that was it man. I love Mark, man. He's a really nice guy. He texts me every week to see how training's going. He cares man. That's what I love about him, man. They take care of us. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): That's wonderful and my last question which I ask to all our guests is how do you see the fight playing out next Friday night against Terry Martin? Dhiego Lima: It's gonna be a finish. I'll tell you that. It's not gonna go the distance. I don't know what's gonna happen but I feel great, man. It's not gonna go the distance. I'm ready to go in there and throw down, man. He better be ready. I hope he's not taking me lightly because if he's taking me lightly, he's gonna pay for it in the first minute. I'm hoping he comes at his best because I don't want know, "AHHHH!!!" man I'm telling you I'm riled up already. You're gonna see a great Dhiego Lima in there. It's gonna be a finish.  Dhiego would like to thank his coach, his brother, and his family for staying with him. For the complete audio of our interview with Dhiego Lima, click here.

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It's not the size of the man in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the man. That's why Demetrious Johnson isn't afraid to go for the title at 135lbs then conquer the 125lb division.

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