MMA-URLS

Mike Thomas Brown may be nearing the end of his career, but the former WEC featherweight champion may also have another title run left in him.

Posted in: champion, end, retirement, mike, wec

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With Renan Barao moving up to face Urijah Faber for the interim bantamweight title at UFC 148, Mike Easton will step in to fight Ivan Menjivar.

Posted in: mike, renan barao, mike easton, bantamweight title, ivan menjivar

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Ivan Menjivar has a new opponent for UFC 148.

Posted in: ufc, opponent, mike, menjivar, ivan

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Avenging a loss from 2009, Rafael Feijao made short work of Mike Kyle at Strikeforce on Saturday night. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Posted in: strikeforce, mike, bull, mike kyle, feijao

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If you give Feijao thirty three seconds he will knee you in the face, punch you a dozen times then hop on your neck and make you tap for your life so he can get on with his day and do whatever a frightening light heavyweight named 'Bean' does on a Saturday evening in San Jose. This is the type of performance we have come to expect from the Black House pupil and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion - pure bean violence. '33' usually makes me think of the back of Rolling Rocks and Smashing Pumpkin songs, but tonight it will be all about Feijao. Thirty three seconds is all it took for Rafael Cavalcante to absolutely steamroll over Mike Kyle and earn his revenge for a 2009 loss. As soon as the bell rang the two light heavyweights sized each other up for about two seconds then Feijao exploded forward and landed a brutal knee to the dome of Mike Kyle, stunning him and rendering him to a punching bag. After a brief, wobbly scramble, they make their way to their feet and Feijao sinks in the guillotine like a boss and Mike Kyle taps. Wow. Check out all 33 seconds below from IronForgesIron.

Posted in: mike, second, kyle, mike kyle, feijao

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Montreal's Ivan Menjivar is set to fight Mike Easton at UFC 148, the UFC confirmed Saturday.

Posted in: ufc, fight, mike, easton, menjivar

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Giving up 44 pounds, Mike Kyle defied the odds when he put Brazilian heavyweight Antonio Silva down on the canvas seconds into their fight.

Posted in: fight, mike, kyle, breaks kyle, canvas seconds

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Posted in: ufc, wwe, mike, ufc event, noshow

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Two of the top-ranked light heavyweights in Strikeforce will have a rematch this Saturday night (May 19, 2012) as former Strikeforce 205 pound champion Rafael Cavalcante challenges American Kickboxing Academy big man Mike Kyle on the main card of Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier in San Jose. Cavalcante lost to Kyle in 2008, having his title aspirations delayed for two years by "Mak" although he would eventually claim the Strikeforce championship. Now, "Feijao" is looking to remove one of the dark marks on his record by avenging his first loss under the Strikeforce banner. Mike Kyle has looked terrific at light heavyweight in the last few years, only losing twice at heavyweight against current top big men Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Silva. Kyle has consistently handled everyone at 205 pounds and could be in line for a vacant title shot if he can beat "Feijao" again this weekend. Can Cavalcante finally right the biggest wrong on his current resume? Will Mike Kyle be able to repeat history on Saturday night with another knockout? What's the key to victory for both light heavyweights? Let's find out: Rafael Cavalcante Record: 11-3 overall, 4-1 in Strikeforce Key Wins: Muhammed Lawal (Strikeforce: Houston), Yoel Romero (Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov), Antwain Britt (Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery) Key Losses: Dan Henderson (Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson), Mike Kyle (Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields) How he got here: Rafael Cavalcante has been a highly touted Brazilian prospect for a long time. Training alongside Anderson Silva at Black House, "Feijao" was all set to work his way towards a Strikeforce light heavyweight title shot in 2008 before an injury forced then-champion "Babalu" Sobral off the card. In his place stepped American Kickboxing Academy's Mike Kyle, who pulled off a shocking upset, clipping Cavalcante and finishing him with heavy strikes on the ground which was shocking to many. Since that loss, Cavalcante bounced back with a trio of huge knockout victories, including a monumental third round finish of champion "King Mo" Muhammed Lawal in the main event of Strikeforce: Houston in 2010. Unfortunately, "Feijao" would not be able to successfully defend his title, losing via knockout to Dan Henderson last year to drop his belt, but he bounced back again, scoring a late second round victory over Yoel Romero last September. He'll likely have an opportunity to fight for the vacant title if he can avenge his prior loss to Kyle. How he gets it done: Cavalcante has some very nasty elbows, knees and a ground game. If he wants to avenge his loss to Kyle, I'd expect to see him close the distance, get in the clinch and start pounding away on "Mak" with his joints. If Cavalcante can drag Kyle to the ground, he definitely should. Kyle has some respectable ground striking, but he's far from accomplished in the grappling department and he could be prone to some serious guard passing, ground and pound and potentially even submissions. What Cavalcante doesn't want to do is stand in the pocket and trade strikes with Kyle. He can match the American Kickboxing Academy fighter with power, but he's susceptible to getting rocked on the feet and doesn't have the greatest ability to take big strikes. The clinch and ground are where Cavalcante will likely be most comfortable. Mike Kyle Record: 19-8-1 (1 no contest) overall, 3-3-1 in Strikeforce Key Wins: Rafael Cavalcante (Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields), Tony Lopez (KOTC: Honor), Marcos Rogerio de Lima (Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov) Key Losses: Antonio Silva (Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu), Fabricio Werdum (Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg) How he got here: Mike Kyle has had a very strange career arc. He stepped up and faced some very difficult opposition early in his career, losing bouts to the likes of Dan Bobish, Paul Buentello and Justin Eilers in his first 11 fights. He had a very difficult 0-3-1 stretch from 2006-2008, most notably his incredibly bizarre actions in a WEC title fight against Brian Olsen where he refused to quit attacking his opponent after the referee tried to pull him off and he was disqualified and suspended for an extended period of time. Since then, he's gone 8-2 with one no contest and his only losses have been when he stepped up to take on Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Silva at heavyweight. He nearly pulled off a huge upset against Silva, rocking "Bigfoot" on the feet early but failing to finish the big man on the ground. Kyle has looked very strong at 205 pounds, but has been plagued by injuries as of late. only fighting once in the last year and a half. He's hoping to get more active and become a contender if he can repeat history against Feijao. How he gets it done: Kyle doesn't have an advantage over Cavalcante on the ground or in the clinch, but he does have some serious power in both hands and has a better chin. If Kyle wants to score another victory over "Feijao" he's got to utilize his fast hands and crack Cavalcante on the chin. Kyle has fight-ending power as evidenced by his multiple knockouts and his ability to drop even Antonio Silva. Footwork will be key for Kyle to find an opening against Feijao. Perhaps he can take advantage lunging in if Cavalcante backs away straight as he's been prone to do on occasion. The one thing that's most important of all is if he hurts "Feijao" he can't let him off the hook. He has to aggressively attack and put him away as he might not get another opportunity. Fight X-Factor: The biggest X-Factor for this fight is Mike Kyle's health. The man has suffered a series of really bad injuries and hasn't been able to train like he'd like to in recent bouts, also being sidelined for extended periods with hand injuries. If he breaks his hand against Cavalcante, he could be in for a world of trouble as his power decreases drastically after hurting his fist, as evidenced by his inability to finish Antonio Silva after breaking his hand throwing hammer fists on the canvas. If he stays healthy, he's got a shot, but once you start breaking your hand consistently, it's not something that just gets better overnight. Bottom Line: Both of these men have history with each other and both are capable of finishing a fight on a moment's notice with their power on the feet. Mike Kyle has really had some entertaining fights in the last few years and "Feijao" always brings it. I expect these guys to go toe-to-toe and throw down for extended periods and the likelihood of a finish is extremely high whether it's submission or knockout. This should be very fun. Who will come out on top at Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier?" Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who could potentially earn a shot at the vacant Strikeforce light heavyweight title on Saturday night? Rafael Cavalcante Mike Kyle   3 votes | Results

Posted in: strikeforce, vs, mike, kyle, cavalcante

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High school anatomy is something that should really be taught in college. Once you get to the genitalia portion of the curriculum, teenagers become overwhelmed with laughter and focus too much on whose older brother is going to buy them cigarettes and beer later that week. UFC welterweight Mike Pyle was probably the exception. The dude didn’t need a PhD in science to tell him why he liked looking at Katerina’s butt. It’s the same reason millions of men around the world enjoy looking at Russian girls’ butts every day. In this scenario, the Russian girl didn’t turn around and smack Mike Pyle for being a pervert, but invited him to touch her budonkadonk, and a few months later, they were happily married. It just goes to show you that it pays to be persistent. Thank you, Mike Pyle, for this lesson in chivalry. [Source]

Posted in: mike, butt, mike pyle, pyle, ’t need

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Team Faber's Andy Ogle defeated Team Cruz's Mike Rio by submission on episode nine of The Ultimate Fighter Live.

Posted in: team, rio, mike, faber, ogle

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The co-main event of tonight's UFC on Fox 3 card will showcase the welterweight class's most decorated and accomplished collegiate wrestlers in Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks. The main card, which begins on the Fox Network at 8:00 p.m. ET, is captained by a lightweight tilt that pits Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz. Considering the heavy emphasis on the wrestling background of Josh Koscheck (17-5) and Johny Hendricks (12-1), I consulted with Mike Riordan, our resident expert on all things wrestling, to share his thoughts on the pair's past and present wrestling acumen. Mike Riordan: Hendricks is the most accomplished amateur wrestler in this weight class in the UFC and Koscheck is only slightly behind -- nobody else on the roster at Welterweight comes close. In their college days they both exhibited a physical and aggressive style combined with solid all-around technique. Koscheck was probably the more physical and athletic of the two and to this day is one of the meanest wrestlers I've ever seen. Hendricks possesses more finesse and technique than Koscheck, but he himself is not lacking in physical gifts. I find it interesting that, while Koscheck has fully embraced his role as a bad guy in the UFC, it is Hendricks who was one of the biggest heels in the history of NCAA wrestling; his antagonistic antics would earn him oodles of hatred and vitriol from opposing fans. More UFC on Fox 3 Dissections Palhares vs. Belcher | Barry vs. Johnson | Fuel TV Undercard | Facebook Undercard Mike Riordan (cont'd): Though their wrestling pedigrees are beyond reproach, I have been fascinated by the fact that, when placed in an MMA environment, both of these fighters are vulnerable to take downs from opponents who would never score an offensive point against them in a million years in an actual wrestling match. Kos becomes particularly vulnerable to takedowns when he himself is looking for one. He has gone from a one-mode fighter to a two-mode fighter. Along with his "takedown" mode he has developed a "sprawl and brawl" mode. You can see in his fight with Mike Pierce that he switched these modes in the second round, changing from sprawl and brawl to takedown mode, and he was in takedown mode when Pierce, in turn, was able to take him down. Kos's finishing ability once in on a shot is second to none and this is a clear carryover from his collegiate days. What has always perplexed me is his inability to adroitly integrate his shots into striking combinations and footwork. His typical set-up for a shot is a single jab or straight. While I don't envision much more progress in Kos's game in this area, the jury has yet to come back with a verdict on Hendricks as an MMA wrestler, but should be at a point where we can look forward to full striking/wrestling incorporation. Hendricks has the wrestling, has worked hard at his striking and should be poised to marry the two, something Koscheck has never done with great success. Dallas Winston: Big thanks to Mike for the stellar breakdown. Join me in the full entry for the match up analysis. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 3 As mentioned by Mike above, physical aggression and unforgiving churlishness are integral aspects to the way Koscheck and Hendricks conduct themselves. As MMA continues to evolve, we've seen wrestling-based fighters cement a few different options for how to build upon their foundation. Of course, becoming well-rounded and eliminating any glaring flaws is always a given, but it's wise to establish a secondary proficiency that stands out above all of the other new tools their learning. Bellator welterweight champion and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren has deviated from the more popular path by complementing his wrestling with BJJ and submission grappling. Striking, however, has been the more attractive choice, which does not often come easily nor naturally to a wrestler, as certain elements of the stance, balance and footwork in MMA contrast to what's been drilled into their reflexes through wrestling. A wrestler choosing to blossom his striking game typically fits into the "technical" or "brawling" categories. There is no better example for the effectiveness of a brawling wrestler than Dan Henderson, who's capitalized on the reality that all the finesse and technique in the world can be quickly compensated for by crushing the chin with a punch. Koscheck and Hendricks seem to have chosen different paths here, as Koscheck has maintained his rugged and primitive tendencies in the past by hurling the home-run swing where Hendricks has drifted more to the mechanics-side by developing a tight and crisp boxing game. I see this playing an important role between these two similarly accredited athletes. It's difficult to assess how they stack up in the wrestling department, as either have been susceptible to being taken down and also aren't guaranteed to take down lesser accomplished wrestlers in the Octagon. I believe that will be decided opportunistically through on-the-fly elements like fight I.Q., reaction and timing rather than credentials or technique. We can take a look at how their striking tendencies compare and how they employ it to complement their wrestling though Mike touched on the key factor of how Koscheck does not excel in setting up his takedowns. Another challenge for a wrestler is seamlessly blending all of MMA's dynamics together, and Koscheck seems distinctly rooted in either strike-mode or takedown-mode. Hendricks has been more fluid in tying his skills together, as he can launch a stiff volley of straight punches, carve out an angle from which to attack from -- for both his head (head movement) and his body (footwork) -- and pressure his opponent with a more unpredictable and diverse set of tools. Kos has shown a tendency for a more repetitive approach by winging a giant haymaker and then ducking his head down and shooting. The position of his head has been particularly traceable; something that champion Georges St. Pierre exploited with a precise and plunging jab. The act of dropping levels is imperative for a wrestler and the motion and position of the head dictates were the body goes. GSP took Koscheck completely out of his element by showering Koscheck's head with leather no matter where it was, which gave him no safe-zone or respite to gather himself. In fact, Koscheck's predictable head position played a role in almost every area where he's struggled in the past: it was why Paulo Thiago was able to catch him with a huge punch, why Drew Fickett was able to spark his comeback submission with a well-placed knee, why Thiago Alves was able to anticipate his takedown attempts and sight-in his Muay Thai, and why Koscheck was forced into 100% wrestling mode to defeat Paul Daley and Anthony Johnson. The way Hendricks uncorks his punches is much more composed and complete than Koscheck: he keeps his hands up and returns them to his directly back to his chin after he strikes, he keeps his elbows glued to his ribs when throwing punches and he maintains an excellent semblance of balance to avoid the perils of over-committing. Additionally, keeping his guard up, his hands front-and-center and maintaining good balance makes it easier to flow into another dimension, such as entering the clinch, defending a takedown or pursuing one. The subtle advantages that Hendricks gains from taking the more technical approach have (and could potentially again) emerge as flaws for Koscheck. Loading up that enormous right hand offers more punching power, but is also accompanied by the vulnerabilities of over-committing (a loss of balance to some degree and an unfavorable position or location) or defensive porosity (guard down, hands out of position, susceptible to counter-strikes or takedowns from side-angles). What I see as a big difference-maker is that Hendricks retains his polished technique but still has plenty of power on the end of his hands. With the wrestling battle feeling like a wash on paper and one that will likely be dictated opportunistically, the subtle mechanics of Hendrick's striking, the way he meshes his attributes together and the fact that he's never been finished give him the nod in my eyes. Though Koscheck has faced a greater number of higher-level opponents, Hendricks has displayed a style that more effectively minimizes risk and applies his strengths. My Prediction: Johny Hendricks by TKO.

Posted in: takedown, koscheck, mike, wrestler, hendrick

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On this fifth day of May, Mexicans celebrate their victory at the Battle of Puebla, Americans are drink cervezas and margaritas for no reason and Belgians commemorate the anniversary of the opening of the first Continental European railway between Brussels and Mechelen. No matter where you live, though, I’m glad you are taking the time out to read The Ultimate Recap: Live!After recapping last week’s fight between Sam Sicilia and Chris Saunders, we see the inside of the victorious Team Faber locker room. Saunders is obviously on an endorphin high because he calls himself a hero. A hero with pink hair? That would make for the worst superhero movie since Batman and Robin. Coach Faber then asks Andy Ogle if he’s ready for his upcoming fight against Mike Rio, and the Brit responds in a very half-hearted way. I haven’t heard that little enthusiasm from someone since I asked a girl to homecoming my sophomore year. Add that to the fact that on the day of the fight, he was sending tweets to his dad about buying watches, and I’m not feeling too good about his chances.In the Team Cruz locker room, Michael Chiesa goes in to comfort his “Team Purple” buddy and Dominick tries to get Sicilia to keep his head up and learn from his losses. Despite the defeat, Sicilia manages to keep some perspective saying, “I’d rather lose that fight than have a killer day at the office.” Plus, the free-wheeling striker cracks one of the better jokes of the season blaming his loss on “too much technique.” Team Cruz' Rio calls himself the “UK Hunter” since he’s facing Newcastle born Andy Ogle and eliminated another Brit to get into the TUF house. Heh, UK Hunter sounds like the worst action movie since....uh....Batman and Robin?Next up we get this season’s coaches challenge. This year it’s sponsored by the United States Marine Corps and pairs obstacle course elements with shooting challenges involving fully automatic rifles and grenade launchers. Is all this testosterone really necessary? We already have a show dedicated to guys fighting each other in a cage, do we need guns and explosions? If they give me the power to control next season’s challenge, I’m going to petition for poetry slams or who does the best duet with Sarah McLachlan.Anyway, Cruz takes an early lead on the rope climb and pistol shooting. Faber is able to gain some ground on the tire flip and automatic rifle, helping him catch up a little. It comes down to the wire with the M-32 Grenade Launcher, where Dom chokes and the “California Kid” wins, disappointing every pacifist vegan in his hometown. Dana White then walks out with a green bag, pulls $20,000 cash out of it and gives it to Urijah. You know, just his usual walking around money.The show returns with a Twitter promo that features Brittney holding an iPad and an egregious shot of Brittney. No complaints. Then we hear Andy Ogle’s story, complete with subtitles. He calls himself an “adrenaline junkie” and says he enjoys having “all eyes on me.” Coach Faber says that the gameplan for this fight is for Ogle to vary his attack and avoid the takedown. Apparently his biggest weakness is wrestling, which is something we rarely see from British fighters.Next up is Mike Rio’s story. An accomplished high school and college wrestler, Rio calls himself a “Boy Scout” who never really did bad things because he was too busy training.  If people are still worried about how his knee will affect him, Dominick puts that to rest saying that, “Personally, I think he’s 100%” It may be true, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Cruz this season, it’s that his coaching isn’t exactly the most sympathetic.Dana White and both coaches then deliberate on how to set up the quarterfinal matches. Cruz muses that although he'd like to see some good, exciting matchups, it's still a competition and he has to thinks strategically to advance his fighters. Faber counters with a solid  “Captain Obvious” slam. Weigh-ins come and go without issue and now it’s fight time.Round one begins and Rio takes control of the cage moving forward. Unfortunately, that’s about all he does. For the first 2.5 minutes he doesn’t block a single punch and throws as many punches as I can count on one hand. Finally, halfway through the round he shoots on Ogle, but isn’t able to secure position. Ogle gets loose and returns to the center of the cage. Rio continues his perfect streak of blocking 0% of strikes, but earns another takedown as time expires.Rio shows a bit more aggressiveness in round two and is able to land a few shots to get Ogle to backtrack. Ogle overcompensates for this slow start and begins to swing big which gives Rio an easy takedown. Rio advances position and take the back. Ogle reverses, gets top position, but doesn’t deliver any punishment worth of note. Amazingly, Rio then gives up his back and gets flattened out. Ogle softens him up with some ground and pound, sinks in a rear naked choke and Rio taps out.Andy Ogle pulls a Jose Aldo and runs out the cage hugging everyone in sight. Once he gets back in he realizes that he has to go watch shopping and yells, “5 G’s baby!” which I suppose is a lot cooler than yelling, “3096.74 British pounds sterling baby!” Then it’s time for my favorite part of the TUF season -- Jon Anik interviews. Ogle says some questionable things like, “Mike had good stand up,” and “Mike’s the nicest guy in the house, so if I could beat anyone in the house, I’m glad it was him.” Rio says that he ran his gas tank down, but I think having no punch defense was a bigger culprit.The two quarterfinal matches are set for next week: James Vick vs Joe Proctor and Justin Lawrence vs Michael Chiesa. Who advances to the semifinals and comes one step closer to that UFC contract? Now that the first round is over, will the eliminated fighters continue to train? Will the quarterfinal fights be more entertaining than the movie Batman and Robin? Find out this and more next week on The Ultimate Fighter: Live!In the meantime, follow me on Twitter @dannyboydownes, the show @InsideTUF and catch my blog here. Whether you’re celebrating military victories, eating fajitas for no reason or commemorating the opening of rail transportation, hopefully we can all unite under the fact that we want to see Josh Koscheck get punched in the face tonight.Season at glance -Team Cruz (3-5)Myles Jury - (0-1) lost a split decision to Al Iaquinta in episode 4Jeremy Larsen - (0-1) lost via unanimous decision to Mike Chiesa in episode 5Justin Lawrence - (1-0) won via KO over Cristiano Marcello in episode 3; scheduled to fight Mike Chiesa in the quarterfinals in episode 10Vinc Pichel - (1-0) submitted John Cofer in episode 7Mike Rio - (0-1) lost via submission to Andy Ogle in episode 9Sam Sicilia - (0-1) lost a split decision to Chris Saunders in episode 8 Chris Tickle - (0-1) lost via submission to Joe Proctor in episode 6James Vick - (1-0) won via KO over Daron Cruickshank in episode 2; scheduled to fight Joe Proctor in the quarterfinals in episode 10Team Faber (5-3)Mike Chiesa - (1-0) won a unanimous decision over Jeremy Larsen in episode 5; scheduled to fight Justin Lawrence in the quarterfinals in episode 10John Cofer - (0-1) lost to Vinc Pichel in episode 7Daron Cruickshank - (0-1) lost to James Vick in episode 2Al Iaquinta - (1-0) won a split decision over Myles Jury in episode 4Cristiano Marcello - (0-1) lost to Justin Lawrence in episode 3Andy Ogle - (1-0) submitted Mike Rio in episode 9Joe Proctor - (1-0) submitted Chris Tickle in episode 6; scheduled to fight James Vick in the quarterfinals in episode 10Chris Saunders - (1-0) beat Sam Sicilia by split decision in episode 8

Posted in: fight, rio, episode, mike, ogle

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]

Posted in: phil, mike, phil baroni, mike pyle, pyle

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This week marks a big point in this season of UFC The Ultimate Fighter Live. Because tonight's fight brings our opening round to a close with the winner joining the other seven fighters in the quarter-final round. Closing out this round will be Dominick Cruz #4 pick Mike Rio against Urijah Faber #7 pick Andy Ogle. The Ultimate Fighter airs live on FX Friday night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Perhaps it's because they have had a number of weeks, but I feel like both of these men have seen their personalities emerge on camera. Ogle is a tough but cerebral fighter who is struggling with the pressure of TUF and the distance from home. Meanwhile, Rio is the older, more world-weary wrestler who is taking this whole thing in stride. Their personalities form an interesting clash, but how will they match up inside the cage? Let's break it down, with some background and fight footage on each man. One other note for this week - the UFC announced that this episode will also include the announcement of next week's two quarter-final fights, so look forward to that. Breakdown of Rio and Ogle, plus fight video and prediction in the full entry. ANDY OGLE (8-1)5'8" | 22 years old | 71" reachTUF record: def. Brendan Weafer (UD) At only 22 years old, Ogle is one of the younger fighters in the house. The UK fighter trains at Yasamasu MMA - a small gym that shows his modest start in MMA. A 3 year pro, Ogle lost his 2nd pro fight, but has gone undefeated since. He's fought entirely in the UK and has never faced an opponent of particular note. He is more of a well-rounded fighter as opposed to a specialist, and is capable both on the feet and the ground. In the prelim round, Ogle honestly did not show much against Weafer. He spent a lot of the fight defending a triangle attempt, and overall, his offense was very limited. Rewatching, I'm not sure I would give him the decision. In the stand-up, Ogle tends to carry himself a bit stiff, with his shoulders too tight. He has a nice inside trip that he uses for takedowns. Once on the mat, he looks more comfortable. I would describe him as primarily a grappler who shows strong submission defense. The only downside to that defense is that he shows it a lot as he has a tendency to get himself into bad positions. For this fight, Ogle's best bet is to avoid the takedown and keep things standing, trying to outstrike the wrestler Rio. MIKE RIO (8-1)5'10" | 30 years old | 70" reachTUF record: def. Ali Maclean (Sub) Miami native Mike "The Wolverine" Rio is a four year veteran. He's put together a solid 8-1 record, with his only loss coming against former TUF champion Efrain Escudero. He was a state champion in wrestling in high school, and that wrestling background forms the basis of his MMA game. On the feet, Rio's skills are still in development. He has a nice jab, and a good chin, but has some defensive issues. Mainly, he tends to keep his hands out too long after throwing a punch, not bringing them back to protect his chin, which leaves him open. He also brings his head up when getting hit, and against a strong striker, this could cause problems. But where Rio really shines is on the mat. He has a fast double leg takedown, and once he has control on the ground, he really works for the finish. He's very controlling on the mat, using wrestling to keep his opponent down and move himself into dominant positions. Rio tends to work towards back control, where he will either look to sink in a rear naked choke, bring punches down for the stoppage, or throw his opponent back to the mat if he tries to regain his feet. This is a smart use of wrestling, and Rio is very good at it - once his opponent is down, Rio does not let up and almost inevitably he will get the stoppage. Against Ogle, I expect him to employ his strategy of choice - trade shots to get Ogle thinking stand-up, then shoot the double, take him down, and work to the finish. Prediction: Mike Rio, TKO, round 2 Rio may have the best ground game in the competition at this point, and that wrestling is going to be just too good for Ogle. Ogle's a decent grappler, but that tendency to get into bad positions is going to really hurt him here. Look for the Team Cruz fighter to control the ground game until he has a strong enough position to bring down the ground and pound for the stoppage. Video Footage: Andy Ogle vs. Phil FlynnSeptember 4, 2010Nice finish from Ogle, who shows good submission technique on the rear naked choke here. Mike Rio vs. Zach JuusolaOctober 9, 2011Dominant performance here from Rio Mike Rio vs. John OrtolaniDecember 17, 2011Another great performance from Rio here, using his wrestling to dominate Mike Rio Wrestling HighlightsSomething a bit different , but worth a look - this is a highlight reel of Rio in amateur wrestling. Poll Who will win this week? Mike Rio Andy Ogle   2 votes | Results

Posted in: fight, fighter, rio, mike, ogle

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Not everyone in Mike Richman’s camp wanted him to fight Chris Horodecki.

Posted in: mike, horodecki, chris horodecki, richman, mike richman

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Rematches are hit or miss. Sometimes you can't wait to see them, sometimes you want to scratch your eyes to save yourself from having to watch them. In the case of Mike Kyle vs. Rafael Cavalcante, it's definitely on my list of rematches that I want to see. Cavalcante has had some good fights since their first 2009 meeting, and Kyle has had a fantastic run over the last two years, with the only blemish during that time being a loss at heavyweight to Antonio Silva. In a recent TapouT Radio interview, MAK talks about his upcoming bout with Feijao and who he thinks has the tools to topple Jon Jones. *Note: Interviewer is either my co-host, Evan Shoman of TapouT Radio, or myself. When I don't conduct these interviews by myself, I just put "Interviewer" to eliminate having to bounce back and forth between three different names. Interviewer: You are a completely different fighter than you were five years ago. What prompted this evolution in your style? Mike Kyle: I had to. With the way this sport has changed, jiu jitsu and wrestling have really taken off, so with me being at AKA, I really had to work on all aspects of my game. Now, I can actually say that I'm comfortable in a fight, from any position. Interviewer: What are your thoughts on Feijao's striking? Mike Kyle: You know, his boxing has gotten a lot better since the first time I faced him in June of '09. I ended up knocking him out in mid second round. He's had some good fights since then, but it's not too smart to trade with me. It's only a matter of time before something hits, and I really don't believe that guy has a great chin. His leg kicks worked good for him in our first fight, so I know he might try to capitalize by using those leg kicks. He might try to take me down, but my wrestling really has evolved. I believe that we're pretty much equal as far as jiu jitsu on the ground. I think I have the slight edge in wrestling, and I'm positive that I have the better hands. Interviewer: How did this fight come about? Related: Daniel Cormier Talks Strikeforce Heavyweight GP Mike Kyle: I was getting ready for Mousasi but had to pull out two different times due to injury. One was a broken hand a week out, and the other was a recurring staph infection after a major surgery I had. I couldn't get into shape because I was always out of the gym trying to heal up from the surgery and the staph. After I healed up, I was hoping to fight Mousasi, with the winner getting a title shot, I was told. Then he wouldn't take the fight due to me pulling out from the other fights. He had his reasons, but I would never back out of a fight unless it was a last resort. I understood where he was coming from. Dana White, Joe Silva and those guys must have understood where he was coming from, because they were letting him dictate what he wanted to do. The opportunity came up with Feijao, and he jumped right on it. Most fighters want the opportunity to get back a fight that they lost. I know that he's going to be coming for me. He's training harder. I'm training harder. It looks like it's going to be some fireworks. Interviewer: You fought for some time at heavyweight, and now you're at light heavyweight. What do you walk around at when not in training camp? Mike Kyle: Right now I'm walking around between 218-222 pounds. Before camp, I was closer to 235. I try not get any higher than that. If I'm out of shape, I'm at 240. I took my time dropping my weight off slow, and now I'm walking around at about 218. After my workouts, I'm at 215. I'm in great shape right now. I've never been in as great shape as I am right now. I'm hitting the cardio and working out twice a day now. I use organic apple cider vinegar early in the morning to spike up my metabolism, and it works good for me. I did get away from the heavy lifting, because I can go lift two times a week and I'm back up to 225. I have to be careful with how I lift, so I'm doing a lot of airdyne bike and cardio. The other day, me and Todd Duffee went on a 38 mile bike ride, so you know, I'm really getting after it. Interviewer: This is your third time under the ZUFFA umbrella. Are you noticing a big difference in how things are run these days? Mike Kyle: I do notice a difference. Burt (Watson) taking control of all the hotel arrangements, and running guys around. They are more organized as far as all that. They're helping us out with getting the insurance benefits stuff going. They still don't have the retirement plan that us fighters deserve and need. There's a lot of money out there that they're making, and it's only a matter of time before they start giving it back to the fighters. I pray for that every night, that I'm not hung out to dry at the end of my career. I'm very happy to be back with ZUFFA. I see them constantly improving their organization, and they're doing good things for their fighters. I plan on being the top guy, and I believe that they have faith in me. I really believe that I'm going to go out there and beat Feijao. Who knows how long Strikeforce is going to be around. Hopefully long enough for me to get a title, and then I can step in and challenge Jon Jones. I don't like getting off the subject of Feijao, but I really believe that I have Jon Jones ticket, and that I can reach his chin. He has a huge reach advantage on everyone he faces, and on me, he has maybe three or four inches. He's really versatile, but he's young. I've got a lot of experience, and I've fought a lot of tough guys. I've never seen him get hit hard yet. He is a tough kid, and athletic as hell, and I don't want to take away anything from his victory against Rashad Evans. It was a great fight. He got a little out of synch in that first round with all Rashad's movement, but he came back, started working, and getting that range down. Rashad stopped moving his feet. That movement that he had going, slowed down, and playing patty-cake got him caught with those elbows. It just goes to show, if you get off your gameplan, even for a second, the other guy will capitalize on it, and it can throw off the whole fight for you. I've been working at this for a long time, and now I finally have my mindset right. I'm training hard, and my body is working well. I'm doing the things I'm supposed to be doing in life. Follow Mike via his Twitter, @MAK4afight

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In this video courtesy of fighthubtv.com, UFC Welterweight contender Mike Pierce talks growing up with Chael Sonnen, saying that he wasn't always so brash for the camera like he is today. He recounts a time that Chael showed him a thing or two in Oregon, and says that deep down, Sonnen is a good guy and not the enemy many think him to

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Mike Goldberg can't pronounce one of the easiest names in the UFC. He and Joe curse, though.

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ATLANTA -- Watch below as Mike Chiappetta and Luke Thomas break down all the storylines heading into Friday night's UFC 145 pay-per-view event.

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Today's most popular boxers, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., are talented beyond belief. However, neither of them -- or anyone else active in the sport for that matter -- strike pure fear in the hearts of their opponents. Not the way former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson did more than a quarter-century ago, anyway. Tyson was an absolute animal prior to his fall from grace. His troubles outside the ring marred an otherwise brilliant professional prized fighting career, but make no mistake, in his prime no one could touch him. Those, of course, who were brave enough to slip through the ropes and tempt fate. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) LIght Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin explains: "If you grew up in the 1980s like I did, Mike Tyson was just a legend, a myth. People today, they don't get it. But, if you were alive in that era and you saw the fights and you heard about them, everybody talked about it. He was a big deal. He was an icon." Our fast friends at Roots of Fight have partnered with Tyson to celebrate and memorialize his electrifying accomplishments as one of boxing's most legendary fighters. In addition to a new clothing collection (check out the first two pieces after the jump), Roots of Fight will explore his boxing roots in an upcoming short film. We've included the introduction teaser video after the jump, which includes interviews about Tyson's influence with mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters Randy Couture, Urijah Faber, Stephan Bonnar and the aforementioned Griffin. Check it out: Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates on the upcoming full-length mini feature film from Roots of Fight. In the meantime, check out the limited edition t-shirt and crew neck sweatshirt that pays homage to "Iron" Mike right here. We've also embedded images below:

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My childhood revolved around Mike Tyson dominating the heavyweight boxing scene like no other champion before him. Kids would often threaten to sign one another up to fight Mike Tyson as a defense mechanism when they ran out of relatives they could name who would have their back in a hypothetical suburban scuffle (we had vivid imaginations and some of us were fresh off of seeing Braveheart). None of us were boxing historians; Iron Mike was all we knew. Today, kids fear a heavyweight MMA fighter who’s 30-40 lbs bigger than Mike Tyson and packs the same amount of dynamite in his fists that structural engineers used to demolish large-scale suspension bridges. Anyone brave enough to fight Junior Dos Santos probably read the Darwin Awards and assumed it was fictional, but Frank Mir told MMA Uncensored that if he doesn’t get the chance to fight JDS while someone else does, he’ll be pissed… I feel that I have the most credentials, going into it. I think I have the longest winning streak of the heavyweights that were already posted on that card to fight. As far as what the rankings are, I feel I have the most credentials going in, and I'm motivated to do so. It was funny, a couple of months ago, when I was training for this, I had been training for a five-round fight to begin with. Reason being that Cain Velasquez is a cardio freak, and if something were to happen with the title shot, I wouldn't want it to be something where I had to turn it down because I wasn't prepared for it. I mean, obviously I'd feel a little slighted (if someone else were picked to fight dos Santos). But, both those guys (Hunt and Velasquez) are great fighters. I would never be mad at them for taking advantage of the situation. Would I be angry? Of course. I wouldn't wanna be at my house on the night that's announced. I would not be a happy individual. I would probably just stay away from my house for a couple of days. Frank Mir is still slated to fight Cain Velasquez at UFC 146 but the UFC is still reserving hope that Alistair Overeem will still be able to compete as scheduled, regardless of testing 14x higher levels of testosterone than the average man. Only the Mayans know if this fight was ever meant to go down, or if Frank Mir getting pissed is ultimately the reason the world came to an end on Dec. 21, 2012. [Source]

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Daniel Straus prefers to live in the moment.

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After reading a recent interview with Jackson's MMA head striking coach, Mike Winkeljohn, I still had some questions. There are so many rocks left unturned in the continuing saga of the clash of the number one and number two UFC light heavyweights, that I seriously doubt anyone will ever fully get to the bottom of it. Regardless of that fact, I went ahead and let my fingers do the dialing, and secured my own interview with Coach Wink. Stephie Daniels: You were quoted as saying that Rashad Evans was welcome back any time, but that you would prefer to work with Jones for the duration of his career. If Rashad pulls off the win, would your stance on career long coaching change? Mike Winkeljohn: You know, it all depends on how they handle the fight afterwards. If Rashad was to beat Jon, and he was respectful and courteous after the fight, then yeah, I'd have no problem, and I'd help Rashad in the future. I've always cared for Rashad, and I think I helped turn his striking around quite a bit, and I'd like the opportunity to go forward with that some more, but honestly, Jon Jones is my guy right now. I've been working with him all along, and he's come a long way. I figure I'll stay with Jon until the end of his career, but if Rashad wanted to come back, win or lose, I'd be more than happy to work with him. Related: UFC 145: Jon Jones' Coach Winkeljohn On Convincing Greg Jackson To Corner Against Rashad Evans Stephie Daniels: What is your overall opinion of this very personal feud that Jon and Rashad have engaged in? Mike Winkeljohn: My personal opinion is that Rashad is lost. He's in a place where he's not sure what he wants to do. I honestly think Jon has Rashad's number right now, and Rashad is using this feud to distract from the fact that he is worried about the fight. Stephie Daniels: Daniel Cormier recently commended Jon for finally settling into a comfort zone and properly using his height/reach advantage. How do you see Jon's transition into a more well rounded fighter that uses all the advantages he is equipped with? Mike Winkeljohn: I agree with that. With Machida, he was a little tentative, and had not fought a left hander, so he was a little uncomfortable, but very comfortable when he fought Rampage. If Jon fights long, he's pretty much unbeatable. Stephie Daniels: Rashad being the smaller guy still has it's advantages. He's very quick and can stick and move or get inside the pocket. Is this something that might present a real concern to Jon? Mike Winkeljohn: I wouldn't say it's easy for him to get in and get out. Rashad is very explosive. He can get in and he can move off at angles, but we kind of know what he's going to have to do to get there. There's no doubt he's going to be in tight. We expect to get taken down and maybe have to get up, and maybe even take some damage. With that being said, I have confidence that Jon can keep him at length, if he decides to, and make Rashad have to guess at what to do then. Stephie Daniels: What are your thoughts on the Blackzilians camp as a whole? SBN coverage of UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans Mike Winkeljohn: They seem to have some talented people down there. I'm not sure what their winning percentage is. I guess I don't pay attention to that. It's kind of a weird thing that they did. Rashad went down there, and people that are disgruntled with us have gone down there, but for the most part, we're just going to work every day and doing our thing, and if we've got to fight against them, then we've got no problem with that. Stephie Daniels: You recently were quoted as saying that you agree with the odds going into this fight (Jones is currently at -500). Do you really feel that Rashad is so outmatched? Mike Winkeljohn: Oh, I do believe so. I saw the last time Jon and Rashad sparred, and I feel that Jon has improved, many times, since then. Rashad has changed his game a little since then. He's gotten better at a few things, but I think he has gone backwards on a few other things, and I think we're going to see that in the fight. I do believe that Jon's at a whole different level. Stephie Daniels: What did you think of Rashad's fight with Phil Davis? Mike Winkeljohn: It was a great fight. I think as it wore on, after a little bit of time, Phil was real tentative with his stand-up. I think Rashad felt comfortable doing just about what he wanted to. Phil threw some kicks that he didn't mean to hurt Rashad with, and Rashad caught him and took him down, and they were probably the wrong kicks to throw, anyway. Phil was just not there that night. I think it's just one of those things that Phil is a better fighter than we saw that night. Stephie Daniels: When you convinced Greg to corner Jonny, was it an easy thing, or was it a difficult task? Mike Winkeljohn: I had been talking to him about it for quite a long time. It wasn't too hard. I think he was going to come to that on his own, anyway. I think Greg tried to take the high road, and he's great for doing that, but at some point in time, he's got to look, because Rashad left. Jon's here every day, helping everybody out. You've got to help your team out. If Rashad hadn't constantly put Greg down...you know, enough is enough. Stephie Daniels: How long do you think Jon has before he outgrows the light heavyweight division? Mike Winkeljohn: He's already increased his size quite a bit. He's having to cut a little bit more every camp, I'm noticing. When he first came to me, he was bones, and he had these little chicken legs, but he's starting to get some hamstrings on him. He's got so much more power than he had before, and that's why his striking is getting that much better. I'd like to see him stay at light heavyweight a little bit longer, because I'd like to work on his tools and take him to a whole new level with his striking before he goes to heavyweight. I wouldn't be able to tell you when that's going to happen, but I think maybe three more fights. Stephie Daniels: How does Jon handle negative fan comments, and does he still get affected by it or feel the sting from them? Mike Winkeljohn: It does affect him. He doesn't want anybody to not like him, I mean who really wants people to not like them? I think he's finally come to the realization that people that attack him are the weak ones, and they're going to be like that because he just beat the hell out of their favorite fighter, so they have nowhere else to go with it. The ones that speak the loudest are usually the dumb ones that are mad at him for some reason, but those are extreme guys on one side. Most of the people out there appreciate Jon, like what he does, and appreciate his character. I think Jon can become a legend in this sport. Stephie Daniels: Do you think now, winding down the last days before the fight, that Jon and Rashad will be able to put this whole mess to bed, once and for all? Mike Winkeljohn: I think they both want to put it to bed. I think they're both going to be men afterwards. Follow Mike via his Twitter @MMAcoachwink

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Check out the Bellator 64 main feature fight between Mike Richman and Chris Horodecki.

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Mike Richman KO's Chris Horodecki at Bellator 64

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From a guest appearance on season 12 of TUF, to sightings at UFC events, to an awkward conversation on Urijah Faber's 'cuteness' with Rosie O'Donnell recently; Mike Tyson sure does like the MMA. There's always been a sort of competitive rivalry between folks in the boxing world and MMA and many boxers just plain don't like or support MMA at all. Mike Tyson is not one of those guys though. He really digs MMA. He digs it a whole bunch. He digs it so much he took this picture with Scott Coker of Strikeforce this weekend to help promote the May 19th Strikeforce fight betwen Daniel Cormier and Josh Barnett.  

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The Team Faber coach instead chose Jeremy Larsen of Team Cruz to face his fighter, Mike Chiesa.

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The Team Faber coach instead chose Jeremy Larsen of Team Cruz to face his fighter, Mike Chiesa.

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A pivotal match-up in the Strikeforce light heavyweight division is headed towards their next show on May 19 as former champion Rafael 'Feijao' Cavalcante faces Mike Kyle.

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On this edition of The MMA (After) Hour, we spoke to Mike Kogan, Muhammed Lawal's manager, about his release from Strikeforce, today's hearing, the questions from the commissioner that led to Lawal's controversial tweet and what this means for Lawal going forward. Before listening, definitely check out the audio of today's exchange between Lawal and the NSAC's Pat Lundvall, courtesy of MMAWeekly.com. The most important part is at the 6:45 mark. Listen to the Kogan interview after the jump or download the audio here . The MMA (After) Hour: Mike Kogan Interview

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Mike Pyle takes on Josh Neer, Anthony Johnson returns to action, and find out what happened at Bellator 62.

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Continuing with the series of in-depth divisional breakdowns that started earlier today with a look at the Bantamweight division (read it here), the Featherweight division (read it here) and then the Lightweight division (read it here), we move on to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight division. With the world's leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the middle of one of its longest stretches of down time in months, (and with the summer season jam-packed with events), I thought now would be the perfect opportunity to take an in-depth look at all the divisions to clearly identify who is in the title picture, who isn't, who is building themselves into a contender and whose jobs are on the line. The UFC is essentially an endlessly on-going tournament, with two brackets: One for match winners and one for match losers. Just about the only time that Joe Silva and Dana White match up a guy coming off a win with a guy coming off a loss is if the guy coming off a loss was fighting for a title. Otherwise, it's almost always winner vs winner and loser vs loser. It's a pretty sensible way of doing things, ensuring that there will always be guys with a few wins in a row and others with a couple of losses in a row, opening up the chance for new blood to enter into the company. So anytime you are looking at a division and trying to see what the future will hold, it's mandatory to know who are the fighter's on win streaks and who are the fighters on losing streaks. As such, I've been organizing each division by wins and losses for a few months now and throughout today I'll be posting up my take on each division based on this data. I'm not going to be doing an in-depth feature on the flyweight division, as there has only been two fights in the division thus far. Therefore, we move on to the Welterweight division (170 pounds): Nine Wins: Georges St. PierreSix Wins: Jake EllenbergerFive Wins: Carlos ConditThree Wins: Brian Ebersole, Johny HendricksTwo Wins: Josh Koscheck, Rory MacDonald, T.J. Waldburger, Josh Neer, Martin KampmannOne Win: Jake Shields, Paulo Thiago, John Hathaway, Damarques Johnson, John Maguire, Mike Pyle, Dong Hyun Kim, Matt Riddle, Pascal Krauss, Che Mills, Matt Brown, Stephen Thompson, Lance Benoist, Charlie Brenneman Rookies: Siyar Bahadurzada, Simeon Thoresen, Besam Yousef, Dan Miller, Demian Maia, Chris Clements One Loss: Jon Fitch, Nick Diaz, Mike Pierce, Thiago Alves, Diego Sanchez, Ricardo Funch, Jorge Lopez, Claude Patrick, Papy Abedi, James Head, Rich Attonito, Dan Stittgen, Justin Edwards, Jake Hecht, Dwayne Ludwig, Luis Ramos, Erick Silva, Carlos Eduardo Rocha, Amir Sadollah, Mike Scanlon, Mike Stumpf, James Wilks, Keith WisniewskiTwo Losses: Matt Hughes, Rick Story, Mike Swick, Chris Cope, David Mitchell, Sean PiersonThree Losses: Daniel RobertsFour Losses: Dan Hardy, Yoshihiro Akiyama With six straight wins, Ellenberger is quickly approaching "best fighter to never win a championship" status, if he isn't already there. I know Fitch had that crown for awhile, but the way Ellenberger is beating his opponents is a lot more impressive and with the power that he has, he actually stands a chance of beating St. PIerre. Not to ignore Condit, who has also strung together a bunch of impressive wins. As far ahead of everyone else in the division as GSP is, Ellenberger and Condit are quickly approaching that same level, and it's too bad we didn't get to see them square off again for the chance to fight the champion. Nevertheless, if Ellenberger can get past Kampmann, he's almost surely going to be waiting for the winner of Condit/GSP. BOOKED FIGHTS: Paulo Thiago vs Siyar Bahadurzada, UFC on FUEL TV 2 Damarques Johnson vs John Maguire, UFC on FUEL TV 2 Simeon Thoresen vs Besam Yousef, UFC on FUEL TV 2 Papy Abedi vs James Head, UFC on FUEL TV 2 Rory Macdonald vs Che Mills, UFC 145 Keith Wisniewski vs Chris Clemets, UFC 145 Matt Brown vs Stephen Thompson, UFC 145 Josh Koscheck vs Johny Hendricks, UFC on FOX 3 John Hathaway vs Pascal Krauss, UFC on FOX 3 Amir Sadollah vs Jorge Lopez, UFC on FUEL 3 Dan Hardy vs Duane Ludwig, UFC 146 Jake Ellenberger vs Martin Kampmann, TUF 15 Finale Mike Pierce vs Carlos Eduardo Rocha, UFC on FX 3 Mike Pyle vs Josh Neer, UFC on FX 3 Brian Ebersole vs T.J. Waldburger, UFC on FX 4 Rick Story vs Rich Attonito, UFC on FX 4 Dan Miller vs Ricardo Funch, UFC on FX 4 Matt Riddle vs Luis Ramos, UFC on FX 4 Demian Maia vs Dong Hyun Kim, UFC 148 Carlos Condit vs Georges St. Pierre, Event Unknown I love where this division is sitting, with 20 fights booked and just about every single fighter from the winners bracket has a fight. Of these fights, Thiago/Bahadurzada will be a great chance for us to see what "Siyar the Killer" has to offer. Apparently he's the real deal, and a fight with Thiago is the definition of being dropped into the deep end. Of course the Koscheck/Hendricks fight has big time title contention implications, as does the Ellenberger/Kampmann match up. The best of the rest includes Macdonald/Mills, Pierce/Rocha and the welterweight debut of Demian Maia. All told, there has probably never been this many top welterweights in training camp, as you'll see in a moment. UNBOOKED WINNERS: Jake Shields, Charlie Brenneman, Lance Benoist Yep, that's it. Just three guys coming off wins who don't have an opponent and none of them are exactly on the same "level." I could see Brenneman and Benoist getting paired up just because, or I could see them getting one of the winners from the Sweden card (four welterweight bouts). As for Shields? He'll probably get the winner of Thiago/Bahadurzada, with an outside chance of getting Fitch or Erick Silva (who is coming off a loss that almost surely should have been a win) UNBOOKED LOSERS: Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, Diego Sanchez, Claude Patrick, Dan Stittgen, Justin Edwards, Jake Hecht, Erick Silva, Mark Scanlon, Mike Stumpf, James Wilks, Matt Hughes, Mike Swick, Chris Cope, David Mitchell, Sean Pierson, Daniel Roberts, Yoshihiro Akiyama Looking at that list, while Fitch, Alves, Sanchez and Hughes are the big names, the one I'm most interested in is the aforementioned Erick Silva. I'd love to see him get a big time fight, since he has done severe damage to his two opponents in less than two minutes of cage time. Once upon a time he was supposed to get a fight with Mike Swick, but who knows if Swick will ever fight again. What about Hughes in a classic "build a new star" match? I can't wait to see who he fights. As for the rest of these guys, what about Thiago Alves and Diego Sanchez? The fight makes a lot of sense right now and they are both free. The other big name on the list is Akiyama, who has managed to stick around despite a 1-4 record in the Octagon. He probably has one more chance before he loses his job, and a match with Fitch would be a good clash of styles and also has some name value. Everyone else is pretty new to the promotion or hasn't won much, so there isn't much to say about them. That wraps up the 170 pounders. Who do you guys want to see for Erick Silva? Fitch? Is it fair for Ellenberger to be putting his six-fight win streak on the line against a guy who has only won two in a row? What do think the division will look like at the end of the summer, as we prepare for St. Pierre and Condit to unify the titles? I didn't include him on the list, but Nick Diaz is somewhere out there, smoking weed and swimming, or biking, or running. Will he return sometime next year and if he does, who will be waiting for him? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Squee!

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A welterweight contest between Josh Neer and Mike Pyle is likely for UFC on FX 3 on June 8, according to Pyle.

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A new welterweight bout has been added to the upcoming UFC on FX 3 card with veterans Mike Pyle and Josh Neer set to square off. Pyle officially announced the match-up via Twitter on Friday. A true veteran of the sport, Mike Pyle has faced some of the stiffest competition of any welterweight in the UFC or anywhere else, for that matter. Currently holding a 5-3 record in the Octagon, Pyle most recently picked up a quick an impressive win over Ricardo Funch at UFC 142 in Brazil .

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A switch has been made to a couple of bantamweight bouts on upcoming UFC cards after an injury forced Mike Easton off the UFC on Fuel 3 show in May.

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A new welterweight bout has been added to the upcoming UFC on FX 3 card with welterweight veterans Mike Pyle and Josh Neer set to square off.

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Welcome, Maniacs, to the weekly series where we help you catch up on some of the original reporting done by other sites in the vast MMA landscape. Like Jay Hieron and Randy Couture pictured above, we can all "get along." Teaming up with MMA sites like Low Kick, Cage Potato, Fight Opinion and The Fight Nerd, we'll provide an opportunity for all MMA fans to read some fresh and original voices in the sport. This week, Bleacher Report speaks with Chris Horodecki about his cut to featherweight, Cage Potato interviews Mike Dolce and Fight Line interviews BAMMA middleweight champion Tom Watson. The full list of links is after the jump. - Sergei Kharitonov's Rocky-esque workout before Mark Miller fight (LowKick) PRIDE FC and Strikeforce veteran Sergei Kharitonov returns to kickboxing this Friday, when he meets Mark Miller in Moscow, Russia. Below is footage of Kharitonov's unorthodox preparation for the bout, during which he visits a local meat locker to batter some pig carcasses. - ‘Dolce Diet' founder Mike Dolce on weight-cuts, Roy Nelson's quest for 205 + more (Cage Potato) Though he first landed on our radars as a competitor on TUF 7, fighter/trainer Mike Dolce has become much more famous for The Dolce Diet - the health and nutrition system he employs to help MMA stars hit their weight limits while retaining peak performance on fight-day. Fresh off his wizard-like guidance of Thiago Alves earlier this month, we decided to get the Living Lean author on the phone to find out exactly how he does it. - You can now bet on fights for The Ultimate Fighter Live (MiddleEasy) "Go ahead, bet away your April month's rent on tomorrow's The Ultimate Fighter Live fight. I'm sure if you explain it to your landlord, he/she will understand. Don't worry, it's happened to me before. I ended up pawning my bass guitar only to use the money to bet on another fight. Fortunately I won, which enabled me to barely not get evicted from my apartment. Keep in mind, this was a different time in MMA." - How to avoid scam supplements (The Fight Nerd) "We all know this already about many things in life, but buyers continue to fall victim to sales tactics that promise to change us from meek to sleek overnight. If something was really that easy, why wouldn't everyone in the world be doing it? Certain products do deliver instantly, such as those dietary supplements that claim to shed pounds. Why? Because it's a diarrhetic, and will result in extremely unpleasant urination and discharge..." - Mike Kogen has had enough of Rampage's complaining with the UFC (Fight Opinion) "Rampage's comments have raised key issues regarding Testosterone usage in MMA and also the role of doctors and alleged relationships with the UFC. This is his own doing, for better or for worse, and Rampage clearly thinks he's on the right end of this PR battle. With that as the latest background, fighter agent Mike Kogan has had enough of Rampage's act. Here's what he posted on Twitter on Saturday night." - SEC files order against Pro Elite (MMA Payout) In terms of ProElite and the SEC filing, Stratus Media Group (parent group of ProElite) CEO Paul Feller told MMAPayout that this "does not impact the daily operations of ProElite", as it is a "total separate matter carried over from the old Pro Elite group." He went on to state that "We're doing all the necessary paperwork required to comply with the SEC and to lift the temporary hold placed on ProElite." Feller expects a resolution to the matter in a "very short time frame" - Chris Horodecki prepping for featherweight debut (BleacherReport.com/MMA) "All my fights have been at 155 but I need to make that transition, you know. I feel making 155 was too easy and, you know what, these guys at 155 are getting really, really big. There's no reason I shouldn't be a contender at 145." - Prindle - Santos pulled once again for Bellator 62 (MMA Convert) - Interview with BAMMA middleweight champion Tom Watson (Fightline) "After the last fight I had quite a bit of contact with Sean Shelby of Strikeforce. Everything is about timing in this business and the best thing that I can do is go out and win this fight against Marshman on March 24. The more I win, the more in demand I will be and from there I can negotiate and see what's next. Strikeforce has a couple quality middleweights to face: Luke Rockhold, Tim Kennedy and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza" - TUF Brazil debuts online this Sunday night (Five Ounces of Pain) - The Jon Bones Jones revolution - One year later (5thRound)

Posted in: fight, mma, rampage, proelite, mike

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UFC welterweight stalwart, Mike Pierce, issued a challenge via Twitter last week to any Brazilian 170-pounder, claiming that it would be an easy fight for him. Blue-chip prospect, Erick Silva, was the first to respond and ask for a bout with Pierce in Brazil, but it appears now that submission specialist, Carlos Eduardo Rocha, will heed the call instead and face Pierce in June. Rocha confirmed the booking on his Facebook page: Guys, I'm back June 8th against loudmouth Mike Pierce (considered the new Chael Sonnen). I count on your energy and voices to help me bring victory to Brazil. There hasn't been any event officially announced for June 8th, but it's been widely reported to be UFC on FX 3, and the location of the card will be announced shortly. In any event, "Ta Danado" returns after an extended absence due to injury, with his last fight taking place all the way back in February of 2011, when he lost a close split decision to Jake Ellenberger. Many fans have been clamoring for news about the return of Ta Danado as his aggressive BJJ game has proven to be highly exciting, even against stiff competition. Pierce will look to continue to build off a razor-thin split decision loss to Josh Koscheck last month, a bout that many fans and journalists scored for Pierce. Although it's a "L" on his record, Pierce nonetheless gained momentum and proved that he can hang with the UFC's elite welterweights. Now he's faced with the always challenging task of cashing a check written by his mouth, and dealing with what seems to be an angry Rocha. Although Pierce is fortunate not to be competing on this summer's Brazil card after the statements he made about Brazilian fighters, his opponent will nonetheless be very motivated. Mike Pierce (13-5)L Josh Koscheck (split decision) - UFC 143W Paul Bradley (split decision) - UFC on Fox 1L Johny Hendricks (split decision) - UFC 133 Carlos Eduardo "Ta Danado" Rocha (9-1)L Jake Ellenberger (split decision) - UFC 126W Kris McCray (submission - kneebar) - UFC 122W Fatih Balchi (submission - arm triangle choke) - GMC 1 UFC on FX 3 coverage

Posted in: ufc, decision, mike, split, rocha

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Mark Chiesa died of leukemia at 52, but not before his son reached his goal of getting on the UFC reality show.

Posted in: mike, reality, son, chiesa, mike chiesas

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MMAWeekly Radio Weekend Edition is back with TUF Live talk, a discussion on Ronda Rousey, UFC 146, along with special guests Mike Dolce and Brandon Vera.

Posted in: mmaweekly, mike, vera, brandon, guests mike

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A featherweight contest between former WEC champion Mike Brown and Daniel Pineda is official for UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Nevada this May.

Posted in: ufc, mike, featherweight contest, daniel pineda, pineda

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UFC 146's main card may be full of heavyweights, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for the smaller guys on the undercard.

Posted in: ufc, mike, room, daniel pineda, isnt room

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight Mike Pierce has apparently talked his way into a UFC 147 match up versus rising top prospect Erick Silva. Last week, Pierce, who lost his last fight in a close split decision to Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 on Feb. 4, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada, took to Twitter to try and stir up some action and get his name in the conversation: @MikePierce: WANTED: no work ethic, no cardio, terrible striking and limited ground game. Brazilians, please send fight applications to Joe Silva...Man I'm ready! Are there any Brazilians at 170 our did they all bump up to 185? Looking for an easy fight :) According to Tatame, Silva was more than happy to answer the call. Silva's manager, Wallid Ismail, responded to the rumored fight with the following: "They've asked Erick where he would like to fight at and he said Sao Paulo's edition of Ultimate Fighter (TUF). So, we're just waiting for them to match him up. He is indeed confirmed to fight in Brazil. UFC told us that and any opponent is welcome, but those who say bad things about Brazil should pay and that's Mike Pierce. It's a match-up that pleases us. We're waiting for UFC to say ‘ok.'" The fight card is shaping up nicely already, being said to feature a main event between Anderson Silva and his hated rival Chael Sonnen. Also on the card are bouts between Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort (the coaches for TUF: Brazil) as well as Fabricio Werdum vs. Mike Russow. Fans will remember that Silva's last fight ended in controversy, as what initially appeared to be a win over Carlo Prater at UFC 142 on Jan. 14, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was ruled a disqualification by referee Mario Yamasaki for illegal blows to the back of the head. Silva is one of the top young rising stars in the welterweight division and in mixed martial arts (MMA) as a whole. Meanwhile, the 31-year old Pierce has been around the block a few times. He has been battle tested and will give Silva a chance to see what he can do against the next tier of opponents. Should he get the win, "Índio" should get the chance to move up the ladder a bit and face a top level foe. What do you think Maniacs? Does Mike Pierce vs. Erick Silva sound like a good pairing to you? For more information on UFC 147: "Silva vs. Sonnen II," check out the event archive here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, silva, brazil, mike

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Posted in: mma, hour, episode, mike, chiappetta

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A grudge-match has been quietly brewing over the past week featuring UFC welterweights Erick Silva and Mike Pierce. Things kicked off on Twitter when Pierce began publicly lobbying for a Brazilian opponent, insulting the country’s competitors as a whole rather than calling any opponent out directly. “WANTED: No work ethic, no cardio, terrible striking, and limited ground game. Brazilians, please send fight applications to (matchmaker) Joe Silva,” stated Pierce, after having previously written, “Are there any Brazilians at 170 our did they all bump up to 185? Looking for an easy fight.” While Pierce didn’t target any specific individual through his insults, rising star Silva apparently was less than pleased by the remarks and is hoping to shut the 31-year old’s mouth this summer when the UFC heads to Sao Paolo. Silva, who recently said he wanted to knock a wrestler out (which Pierce is by trade), confirmed this weekend that he’ll be fighting on the June card. “UFC told us that and any opponent is welcome, but those who say bad things about Brazil should pay and that’s Mike Pierce. It’s a match-up that pleases us. We’re waiting for UFC to say ‘ok’,” said Silva’s manager, Walid Ismail, in a conversation with TATAME. Pierce holds an overall record of 13-5 and is coming off a Split Decision defeat to Josh Koscheck many felt he deserved the nod in. The 13-2 Silva was last seen taking part in an equally controversial ending after what appeared to be a TKO win at UFC 142 was turned into a disqualification loss based on strikes the referee felt were to the back of opponent Carlo Prater’s head. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, silva, opponent, mike, brazilian

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Peyton Manning was just released by a capricious owner who can't keep things to himself, and clearly wants to take over his team, despite the absence of any professional football acumen. If you're a fellow NFL owner, your best bet at landing a Manning visit to your facility is to avoid acting like Jim Irsay. Somehow, Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams didn't get the memo. In a story written by Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean , Adams came right out and said that he wants Manning on his team, and he really doesn't care what it takes to get it done. "He is the man I want. Period," Adams told Wyatt on Sunday. "And the people that work for me understand that. They know who I want. I want Mr. Manning with the Titans and I will be disappointed if it doesn't happen." Adams has spoken to Tom Condon, Manning's agent, and has tried to bridge any interest gap with the potential for a very attractive offer -- no matter what Chief Operating Officer Mike Reinfeldt, General Manager Ruston Webster, and Head Coach Mike Munchak might have to say on the subject. "[Condon] is all for having him come see me," Adams said of Manning. "He just wants to make sure my people in Tennessee want the same thing too — Ruston and Mike and Mike. I am 650 miles away [in Houston], but [they] will do what I say to do because that's the guy I want and I am going to make the decision. … I think I will be able to work it out myself as far as the money angle goes." In 2011, the Titans signed veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to a three-year, $20 million contract, and selected Washington quarterback Jake Locker with the eighth overall pick. There will be an open competition between the two quarterbacks this preseason -- at least, that's been the plan so far -- unless Adams is somehow able to upset the applecart by putting in a legit eleventh-hour bid for Manning's services.

Posted in: mike, adam, titans, owner, subject condon

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Fabricio Werdum is going to get the opportunity to fight in front of his countrymen when the UFC returns to Brazil this summer, according to reports today. MMA Fighting is reporting that Werdum and Mike Russow have verbally agreed to meet on the card, which is expected to be UFC 147. A heavyweight fight between Fabricio Werdum and Mike Russow is close to being finalized, according to sources close to both camps. Both fighters have already verbally agreed to the bout, which is expected to take place on the UFC’s return to Brazil later this year, which is slated for late June 2012. No exact date or location has been finalized just yet. The match-up seems a little odd considering Werdum is coming off a very impressive performance against Roy Nelson in his recent return to the UFC. No disrespect to Mike Russow, but he’s not typically thought of as one of the top tier heavyweights in the UFC which is who you would expect Werdum to fight next. Perhaps it was merely an availability issue as many of the UFC’s top heavyweights are already booked this summer. Regardless of Joe Silva’s reasoning though, Russow may prove to be a formidable challenge to Werdum considering he’s unbeaten in the UFC thus far with wins over Justin McCully, Todd Duffee, Jon Madsen and Jon Olav Einemo. Werdum is undoubtedly a big step up in competition for Russow, but it also presents him with a tremendous opportunity to put himself on the map if he can beat him in Brazil. Image via Esther Lin for Strikeforce/Showtime

Posted in: ufc, mike, werdum, mike russow, russow

Read the full article at MMA Convert

With the purchase of Strikeforce last year by Zuffa, Bellator Fighting Championship became the de facto number two mixed martial arts (MMA) organization in the world. While we don't expect Bellator to instantly be challenging the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in bidding wars for fighters or going head-to-head in big ratings battles, the promotion has been doing many very smart things like signing several top prospects still in the development stage who are turning into stars before our eyes. The shining example is Michael Chandler, a young man who had just three career fights when Bellator signed him in late 2010 and then went on to win the season four lightweight tournament and then submit champion Eddie Alvarez in the greatest fight in Bellator history last November. Now, Chandler is widely regarded as a top 10 lightweight in the world. The sixth season of the Bellator tournaments begins this Friday night (March 9, 2012) with Bellator 60 in Hammond, Ind., which features the featherweight tournament quarterfinals, as well as a Bellator featherweight championship fight between titleholder Joe Warren and another of Bellator's success stories, Pat Curran. In advance of the sixth season, Bellator CEO and founder Bjorn Rebney spoke with MMAmania.com about everything from the new night and start time, an upcoming TV deal in Brazil and an update on the status of the recently stabbed heavyweight Blagoi Ivanov in part one of this two-part interview. Check it out: Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): First thing's first, I'd like to ask about the change in start time, the move to Fridays at 8 p.m. Is that going to be consistant? Last season you had to move around a bit depending on what else was going on. Bjorn Rebney: Yeah, that was part of the reason for the move. TV lives and thrives on the concept of same time, same place, same channel. There's too many options out there for us as viewers. What we did last year on Saturday nights was we had to bump around a lot to get out of the way of major college football, get out of the way of major boxing pay-per-views, UFC shows. It was all kind of movement and we wanted to move to a night where we could get great consistency and always be in the same place at the same time and really kind of own the night from a live mixed martial arts world class MMA perspective, so what was the whole concept. We will be same time, same place, same channel for the next 25 events which will bring us right into our launch on Spike. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Speaking of that, what are some things, you guys are scheduled to launch on Spike in 2013, what are some goals that you want to hit in 2012 to spread the word on Bellator and grow as a promotion? Bjorn Rebney: Yeah, that's really it, just to keep growing. We want to keep putting on great event after great event, keep building stars, keep with the Mike Chandlers, the Doug Limas, the Patricio Pitbulls and continue to develop the next guys who will really be the cornerstone of this organization as we move into the new Bellator 2.0, the Spike years. As crazy as it sounds, we talk about 2013 but that's less than 10 months away now. It's shocking how quick this stuff happens but less than 10 months from now, we'll be full bore, pedal to the metal on Spike and we're really, really excited about it. This year we're going to be doing a bunch of great events and building out all the champions and challengers. We're gonna have a ton of world title fights as part of the free TV package this year and it's gonna be a lot of refining, a lot of building to create great content now and get ready for that launch 10 months from now. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): About this upcoming show on March 9th, your debut of season six, you've got four tournament fights and a title fight. Are all of those fights going to be televised or is one going to be pushed to the Spike prelims? Bjorn Rebney: Well it all depends on timing. The way we're gonna do it and that's a great question, a two hour show, you can't fit five fights onto a two hour show if the fights go the distance. If we get early stoppages, with the likes of Ronnie Mann, the likes of Marlon Sandro, Daniel Straus, the way Pat Curran's been finishing, you've got a lot of guys who can end fights quick so what we're gonna end up doing is, one of the four 145 pound tournament fights will be on the Spike.com show before we go to air. It will be world-wide free on Spike.com and then if there are any early stoppages, that will be the fight that fills. So for those fans watching on Spike.com, they'll see one of the four tournament fights on Spike.com and as you tune in on MTV2, if there's an early stoppage, you'll see that same tournament fight replayed on MTV2. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Your featherweight champion Joe Warren, he had a tough first round, getting knocked out in the quarterfinals of the bantamweight tournament last year. Do you think because of that, a lot of people are really underestimating him heading into this title defense against Pat Curran on Friday night? Bjorn Rebney: I'm sure there are some people underestimating Joe, but man, if there's one guy I would not bet against, it's Joe Warren. He has an unbelievable heart and he's furiously relentless. I think Pat's got his hands full. Anybody who faces Joe Warren, whether it be 145 or 135, they've got a night full of pain and discomfort that they should be looking forward to. He's got gas to spare, he's a two-time world champion wrestler and he's absolutely relentless. He will throw everything and anything at you. He's a tough fight. Warren is tough as nails. He's the champion of our organization for a reason. He beat Patricio Pitbull who's on many people's list as a top three in the world at 145, he beat Kid Yamamoto when Kid was still on the top of the world, the number one guy on Earth at the time. He beat Joe Soto when Soto was ranked number six in the world at 145. Joe Warren's the real deal. He may not be the flashiest striker that you've ever seen but he's a relentless monster. I said it when Chandler fought Alvarez, to anybody that would listen, do not count Mike Chandler out of this fight. If you do, you are making an enormous mistake, he is a monster, and nobody would listen. They were all like, "Oh, it's Eddie Alvarez, he's one of the top two lightweights in the world. It's gonna be a walk in the park, when are you gonna give him some competition?" I just kept saying, "Michael Chandler is a beast, do not count him out," and it was a fight of the year and Mike is now our world champion. I've got to be honest, I think the same thing for Joe Warren. Do not count this guy out. He is a monster. This should be a war. Nobody is more cognizant of what's on the line than Joe Warren. He knows what this fight means. He knows what he's coming back from, that vicious knockout at the hands of Alexis Vila. He gets it. He's an old warrior. He understands that these chances are not gonna come around that often. It's not like Joe Warren has got 10 years to build and maneuver and manipulate a career so be careful when you force a pitbull's back against a wall in a small room. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): About the tournament, Wagnney Fabiano was one of the guys that you were really pushing as one of the big signings and he got injured, so I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about Mike Corey, who stepped up from the undercard to take on Ronnie Mann? Bjorn Rebney: The funny thing about Mike is, he was our number nine in this tournament. He was our first alternate. Every time we do a tournament, there's a bout scheduled that includes the alternate so at any given moment, that alternate can step in from that number nine spot to the number eight spot if somebody bounces out. I was disappointed when Wagnney bounced out but I'll tell ya, Mike, you've go to know Mike's background and what he's been through. Mike was the guy who was supposed to be in the lightweight tournament that Pat Curran ended up getting the last spot for. Mike was supposed to be in that lightweight tournament a year and a half ago when Pat Curran knocked Mike Ricci with that crazy right hand, then eeked out that victory by the smallest of margins against Roger Huerta than Toby Imada and then he stood toe-to-toe with Ed Alvarez and now look at him. At 145, most people have got him ranked number six in the world. That was supposed to me Mike's spot and who knows, history's a wacky thing to try to gauge but had Mike followed the path that Pat Curran did. Mike's got wicked talent, he just hasn't been given the shot on the big stage and this is his shot. He was training like a crazed dog for the alternate spot in the hope that if he looked good as the alternate, he would get a shot in the upcoming fall tournament but now his shot is here and he's in against Ronnie Mann who's tough as nails and has looked really good inside our cage of late. This is a guy who watched someone else take his spot in a tournament a year and a half ago and now Pat Curran's made well over a quarter million dollars with us. This will be his second world title Pat's fighting for. He's been on national television seven times in a 15 month period and I'm sure Mike looks at that every single day and says to himself, "Man, that should have been my ride," so I think you're going to see a very aggressive, very angry Mike Corey when he gets into that cage. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): That's a great story. Something that I see you get asked about a lot lately is Brazil. Bellator features a ton of great Brazilian talent. I think you've got several tournaments that are almost 50 percent Brazilian fighters coming up and you've got a whole bunch of Brazilian title challengers. You've mentioned how close you are to a TV deal, how important is it for you guys to break into Brazil? Bjorn Rebney: Oh it's huge, it's absolutely huge. The proliferation of Brazilian talent underneath the Bellator banner speaks directly to who we are as an organization. Our reality is, it doesn't matter where you're from, it doesn't matter what language you speak, all that matters is how well you fight when that cage door locks behind you. You hit it right on the head. Whether you're talking about the Pitbull brothers or Doug Lima or Eduardo Dantas, the list just goes on and on of the wickedly deep talent pool that we've been able to cultivate in and through Brazil so the TV deal is major for us. I anticipate the announcement, obviously I'm pretty close to it, I anticipate the announcement is literally gonna be in position to happen in the next, probably 10-12 days. It's something that we've been working on with a huge diligence and focus with our partners and we're super close. It's incredibly important to this organization. That is a wildly explosive mixed martial arts market and it creates, per capita, many of the greatest fighters in the world so it's a seminal, seminal territory for us to get in and keep a presence in developing talent out of. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): One of the things people were getting on me about asking you was the women's 125 pound division and how close that is to potentially getting a tournament. That just seemed like the number one thing that people were reaching out about so can I get an update about that? Bjorn Rebney: Sure, it remains something that is top of mind for me as we move into the next incarnation of Bellator's development. We're going to be doing more tournaments per season and of course when we get to Spike, we're gonna be doing six tournaments per season every single season. I believe very strongly, and am focused with Sam Caplan and our creative development team on really developing some very talent ladies at 125 that we can funnel into that tournament. When exactly that can happen, I don't know. I hope that we can get it done in the next 12 month period and I believe we probably can. We've got Jessica Eye, who's looked great inside of our cage, will be fighting for us on the Aoki vs. Alvarez card in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio and what I think, a lot people are talking about what's going on this past weekend but the number one and number two in the world are going to face each other May 18th inside the Bellator cage in Lake Charles, Louisiana on MTV2 when Megumi Fujii fights Jessica Aguilar. That's the two best women on Earth today facing each other inside the cage on free TV so there's a lot of stuff in the works right now. It's really a matter of getting not just eight but 12-14 really talented women at 125 together, paring that list down to eight and giving it another roll and that's what I'd really like to get going. We're staying focused on it and we had that piece on it for MMA Uncensored Live on Spike which they talked to me about at great length. I believe in it and I think that women today in mixed martial arts have got an amazing amount to offer. We've been blessed with some of the fights that have been in our cage. The Lisa Ellis fight versus Jessica Aguilar in Florida was awesome and unfortunately for Jessica, it got overshadowed by the fight of the year, Alvarez vs. Chandler, but if Alvarez-Chandler hadn't been the unbelievable Rocky-esque type of fight it was, people would have been talking about Lisa versus Jessica which was an amazing fight but they got dwarfed by this epic performance by those two guys. We're focused on it, we're dedicated to it. Zoila Frausto-Gurgel is coming back and she's had about as bad a run with injuries as any human being in any sport I've ever seen but god-willing, hopefully she'll be able to heal and start hitting people in the face again which she does extremely well in short order. We're still on it and I hope we can get one done like I said within the next 12 months. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): I know some unfortunate news came out about one of your heavyweights Blagoi Ivanov getting critically injured with a knife wound. I heard you'd been in constant talks with his management team and was wondering if you had any updates on his status? Bjorn Rebney: I'm glad you asked because a lot of people haven't asked about that. It's something we've been tracking twice a day, every single day getting reports from the hospital. The status now is he has been upgraded, which is awesome, from critical to stable. He is still to this day, being kept in a medically induced coma in order to try to do everything humanly possible from a medical perspective to enhance the chances of his whole recovery but there was an upgrade in his status. It happened Thursday in Bulgaria time. We were extremely pleased to hear about the upgrade. He's still in a very guarded situation, still very dangerous, but nonetheless, there's an upgrade and any time you hear that, you've got to give thanks and hope that continues. He's strong as an ox, he's a young guy, an athlete and he's got the heart of a lion. We're just hoping against hope that he can continue to get out of the woods. And that's not all. Make sure to tune in tomorrow where the real hard-hitting questions come out for part two of our interview with the Bellator CEO where we talk about UFC interference, the drama with Eddie Alvarez and Hector Lombard, Spike counterprogramming and much, much more.

Posted in: fight, bellator, tournament, mike, he

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Though this clip may lack Vin Diesel or any high-end Japanese cars it could still be subtitled Fast and Furious based on the pace and energy the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mike Brown and Montreal Canadiens’ Brad Staubitz. Tweet

Posted in: mike, hockey fight, brad staubitz, vin diesel, day mike

Read the full article at Fighters.com

Thiago Alves credits former fighter Mike Dolce's nutrition program for his turnaround.

Posted in: mike, nutrition, alve, credit, turnaround

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Though it may not have been a knockdown, drag-out brawl, a recent scrap between the San Jose Sharks’ Jim Vandermeer and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mike Brown hit on all cylinders where turning in an entertaining brawl is concerned. It also features a veteran move from Vandermeer who shucks his sweater off an arm to free it up for doing even more damage. Tweet

Posted in: mike, jim, hockey fight, veteran move, vandermeer

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Mike Fagan talks about an event that took place five years ago... an event that became a PRIDE classic.

Posted in: event, pride, mike, fagan, mike fagan

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UFC 144 headliner Benson Henderson highlights MMAWeekly Radio for Tuesday along with Strikeforce contender Sarah Kaufman and manager Mike Roberts.

Posted in: mmaweekly radio, mmaweekly, robert, mike, sarah

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Sad news this week in the kickboxing world - K-1 great Mike Bernardo has passed away. The longtime K-1 veteran died in his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa at the age of 42. Further details on his death are not known at this time. Bernardo was a fixture of the early days of K-1 where he established a fearsome reputation as the heavy-hitting KO fighter. Standing in contrast to more technical fighters like Peter Aerts, Ernesto Hoost, and Andy Hug, Benardo was K-1's original heavy-handed brawler type of fighter, though he was also a very technically skilled competitor. Kid Nate summed him up well as "the scariest man in K-1. Not necessarily the best, but the scariest." But as is often the case, that scary fighter inside the ring was a kind man outside, dedicated to his faith. Bernardo debuted for K-1 in 1995, defeating the great Andy Hug in a huge upset to start his K-1 career with a bang. He competed from 1995 until 2004 when injury forced him into retirement. Along the way he faced all of the sport's best - Jerome Le Banner, Andy Hug, Peter Aerts, Ray Sefo, Mirko Cro Cop... all stepped into the ring opposite Bernardo, and at some point in their career, nearly all of them found themselves on the receiving end of a Bernardo KO. His greatest success came early in his career. In 1996, just one year into his K-1 run, Bernardo competed in the K-1 Grand Prix for the second time. After making it to the semi-finals in 1995, Bernardo faced a tough task in the 1996 quarter-finals, as he would meet 2 time defending champion Peter Aerts. Just as he did against Hug one year before, Bernardo pulled off the shocking win, defeating Aerts and moving on. Bernardo made it to the finals that year, ultimately losing to Hug in a great fight. Though he never did win the Grand Prix crown, Bernardo proved he could hang with the very best fighters the kickboxing world has ever seen. In addition to his K-1 career, Bernardo also had one MMA fight, battling Japanese legend Nobuhiko Takada to a draw, and had a sporadic boxing career that culminated in him winning the WBF Heavyweight Title. The best way to remember a legend like Bernardo is through his fights, and he leaves behind a formidable library of fights indeed. There are almost too many classics to name, but for my money, Benardo's best work came against his long-time rival Peter Aerts. From 1995 to 1998 these two men fought 6 times, ending their series deadlocked at 3-3. Their rivalry ranks up there with the all time great K-1 encounters, producing some of the best fights the sport has ever seen. I wrote about the entire 6 fight series back at Head Kick Legend, and I strongly encourage you to check it out here. I leave you with three classic Bernardo fights. First, his 1995 debut against the late Andy Hug, then his 1996 epic 4th fight with Aerts, and finally, his spectacular 3 minute war with Jerome Le Banner in 2001. On behalf of the entire staff here at Bloody Elbow, our condolences to the friends and family of the great Mike Bernardo. He will be missed. Fight videos in the full entry. Mike Bernardo vs. Andy Hug Mike Bernardo vs. Peter Aerts Mike Bernardo vs. Jerome Le Banner

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It's a big line-up to close out the week on MMAWeekly radio with UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, Mike Dolce and Titan Fighting headliner Jorge Santiago stopping by the show.

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Following the loss of Mike Kyle in his co-main event fight against Gegard Mousasi in Strikeforce on March 3 in Ohio, a different fight has been promoted to the main card.

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A bantamweight contest between Mike "The Hulk" Easton and Yves Jabouin is official for May 15 in Virginia at UFC on Fuel TV 3.

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submitted by rippedin4weeks [link] [comment]

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Mike Kyle's hope to secure a Strikeforce light heavyweight title shot will have to wait a little longer.

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As you might expect, Mike Pierce disagrees with the judges who awarded Josh Koscheck a split decision over him Saturday at UFC 143.

Posted in: loss, josh koscheck, koscheck, mike, split decision

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As you might expect, Mike Pierce disagrees with the judges who awarded Josh Koscheck a split decision over him Saturday at UFC 143.

Posted in: josh koscheck, koscheck, josh, mike, split decision

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They call him the train-ager. It's Charlie Brenneman's nickname for his coach/trainer Mike Constantino who leads up one of the top fight teams in the world, and also manages many of its fighters...

Posted in: guy, mike, constantino, fight teams, coachtrainer

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UFC President Dana White talks about former 'Ultimate Fighter' Mike Swick and his potential return to action.

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UFC welterweight Josh Koscheck earned the split-decision win over Mike Pierce on Saturday night at UFC 143, but the fans still don't love him.

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UFC 143 - Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce

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Love him or hate him, Josh Koscheck is a winner, but he had his hands full with Mike Pierce at UFC 143 on Saturday night.

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Josh Koscheck believes he's right there in the mix in the UFC's welterweight division – and that a dominant win over Mike Pierce at UFC 143 will prove it.

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

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Mike Pierce wore a curly blond wig while waiting to pose with opponent Josh Koscheck at Friday's weigh-in and Dana White had to intervene.

Posted in: mike, weighin, diaz condit, fridays weighin, wig

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When Josh Koscheck was left without an opponent for Saturday's UFC 143, Mike Pierce saw an opportunity for himself and the fans.

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Mike Pierce talks Josh Koscheck and being an underdog at the UFC 143 workouts.

Posted in: ufc, josh, workout, mike, underdog

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It seems that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight contender Josh Koscheck is finding it a little hard to get motivated for his upcoming opponent, Mike Pierce, who he battles at UFC 143 this weekend (Feb, 4, 2012) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Kos," who is coming off of a first round destruction of former UFC welterweight champion and UFC hall of Famer Matt Hughes at UFC 135 this past September, was originally set to take on Carlos Condit this weekend, but an injury to UFC Welterweight Champion George St. Pierre caused a reshuffling of the card and Condit was bumped to the main event slot opposite Nick Diaz, leaving Koscheck without an opponent. Pierce took advantage of the unfortunate circumstances and asked for -- and received -- a fight with the former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) contestant, a fight Koscheck feels he has trouble seeing as a big fight. Speaking to MMA Heat after the UFC 143 open workouts in "Sin City," the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)-trained fighter says that he is only interested in big fights at this point in his career, even if it's going up to middleweight and challenging a couple of legends of the sport. Check it out: "I'd like to take big fights. You know I think that's the biggest thing for me right now is taking big fights. This guy (Mike Pierce) isn't a big fight for me, but, I accepted the challenge. So guess what, inside my brain, I have to motivate myself to put him as a big fight. Because if I lose to him where does that put me in the division? Way at the back. I might as well think about retiring if I lose to this guy, or just take fights for money. Obviously I fight for money, I'm kind of a gold digger. So, show me the money. Regardless of the big I fight at 185, which I'd love to have, you know, I'd love to fight some of those guys. I think Vitor Belfort would be a great fight for me. I think Wanderlei (Silva) would be a fun fight for the fans. I just want to please people you know, put on good performances, have hype, and get excited about training because training sucks so bad. It's Ground hog day everyday you know. You want to have a purpose and a reason to go to that gym. At the end of the day, you get to slap somebody in the face." With an astounding 19 fights in his UFC career, Koscheck has received only one title shot against 170-pound kingpin Georges St. Pierre at UFC 124, which he lost via unanimous decision. He had previously suffered another decision lost to "Rush" at UFC 74, in what was not a title fight. However, before he can go up in weight to challenge the likes of Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, Koscheck still has business to tend to, and that is a very tough, Mike Pierce at UFC 143. That's no small task.

Posted in: ufc, fight, koscheck, vitor belfort, mike

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A middleweight bout between Mike Massenzio and Karlos Vemola is official for UFC on Fox 3 in May at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

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For once Josh Koscheck isn't doing all the talking. But as opponent Mike Pierce kept firing shots, the seasoned trash-talker had to respond.

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HeavyMMA's Megan Olivi chats with Mike Pierce about his UFC 143 main-card fight against former welterweight title challenger Josh Koscheck – and what he thinks of him.

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A self-described "battle troll," Mike Pierce is happy to play the role of spoiler against Josh Koscheck at UFC 143 on Saturday night.

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UFC 143 main card fighter Josh Koscheck talks with HeavyMMA's Megan Olivi about his fight against Mike Pierce – and what he thinks about Pierce calling him out.

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An upset-minded underdog battles a top ranked former title contender this Saturday night (Feb. 4, 2012) as short notice fighter Mike Pierce battles the vilified Josh Koscheck on the UFC 143 main card in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pierce has quietly gone 5-2 in his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) career, putting up very tough and close efforts in his two defeats to elite welterweights Jon Fitch and Johny Hendricks. He took this fight on late notice and is hoping that the third time's the charm when he battles his third elite UFC welterweight in Josh Koscheck. Koscheck is one of the biggest villains in mixed martial arts (MMA) today, embracing the role and trash talking his opponents to the best of his ability. The blonde-topped wrestler returned from his orbital fracture to smash Matt Hughes into semi-retirement late last year and was hoping to follow up with a strong showing against Carlos Condit, although he had to settle for Pierce after accepting a new opponent. Will Koscheck avoid looking past his opponent and take care of business? Will Pierce's constant pressure and scrappy style be the recipe for an upset? What's the best path to victory for both men on Saturday night? Let's find out: Mike Pierce Record: 13-4 overall, 5-2 in the UFCKey Wins: Paul Bradley ex (UFC on FOX, RIE 2), Amilcar Alves (UFC 118)Key Losses: Johny Hendricks (UFC 133), Jon Fitch (UFC 107) How he got here: Mike Pierce originally wrestled at Portaland State University before making the transition to mixed martial arts. He had a crazy start to his professional career, losing his second fight to Mark Munoz and his fifth to eventual Strikeforce standout and current MFC title challenger Nathan Coy. While still competing in the local northwest circuit, Pierce defeated the likes of UFC veterans Mike Dolce and Paul Bradley which earned him an invite to the big show. Once in the UFC, Pierce took a decision from highly regarded Brock Larson in his debut, and was rewarded with a shot against Jon Fitch. He put up a tough fight with him, even rocking Fitch badly in the third round, but was eventually on the bad side of a unanimous decision. Three straight victories over subpar UFC competition got him back on track and he again found himself against a top welterweight in Johny Hendricks. In the fight, Pierce put up a very strong effort, but his occasional takedowns was barely not enough as he lost a close split decision. He followed up the defeat by again beating Paul Bradley in a rematch this past November at the UFC on FOX show and then made the decision to accept a fight against former title challenger Josh Koscheck when his opponent got switched around on him. How he gets it done: Pierce has a very durable chin, is built like a tank and thrives on a pressure based striking and offensive grappling attack. Outwrestling Josh Koscheck is almost certainly out of the question but the Oregon based fighter is physically strong enough to potentially have some success if he were to put this fight in the clinch and keep "Kos" pressed against the fence. Once on the fence, Pierce must work some knees and elbows, make this fight dirty and close just like his other performances against the best in the division. The scrappy welterweight should keep his stance low, and constantly be moving forward. Matt Hughes had success against Koscheck by utilizing proper boxing technique and working quick straight strikes which got through the former All-American wrestlers's defenses. If Pierce can keep moving forward, put Koscheck on his heels and snap a nice jab, he could definitely score some points. The key thing for Pierce to avoid is Koscheck's wrestling, that's why the low stance is important. If he can stuff Koscheck's takedowns and outbox him in the stand-up or at least put some pressure on him and force him to fight defensively, we could be ripe for an upset. Josh Koscheck Record: 16-5 overall, 14-5 in the UFCKey Wins: Matt Hughes (UFC 135), Anthony Johnson (UFC 106), Paul Daley (UFC 113)Key Losses: Georges St. Pierre 2x (UFC 124, UFC 74), Paulo Thiago (UFC 95), Thiago Alves (UFC 90) How he got here: Josh Koscheck was a national champion Division I wrestler and four time All-American at Edinboru University in Pennsylvania. He was very inexperienced in MMA with just two career fights when he tried out for season one of The Ultimate Fighter. He was able to utilize his wrestling to handle rival Chris Leben but would fall short in a decision to Diego Sanchez. Koscheck would get off to a strong start in the UFC, winning seven of his first eight fights in the promotion including gaining his revenge against Diego Sanchez. This earned him an opportunity to face Georges St. Pierre, the former champion in the first fight after losing his title. GSP surprised "Kos" by wrestling with him and earning a unanimous decision. The TUF veteran bounced back with strong showings against Chris Lytle and Dustin Hazelett but would suffer a rough stretch of taking fights on short notice and losing to both Thiago Alves and Paulo Thiago. The former All-American got back on track against veteran Frank Trigg with a first round knockout and would defeat Anthony Johnson in one of the best performances of his career at UFC 106. He outwrestled Paul Daley at UFC 113 to earn a title shot, drawing the ire of the Brit. In his rematch against St. Pierre at UFC 124, Koscheck was dominated by GSP's jab, having his orbital bone broken badly and losing a five round decision. After an nine month layoff, he stepped in on short notice to fight Matt Hughes in the co-main event of UFC 135 and after a rough start, he knocked the UFC Hall of Famer out with some violent ground and pound. Originally scheduled to fight Carlos Condit at UFC 143, his opponent scored an interim title shot instead and Mike Pierce stepped up to take him on. How he gets it done: In the stand-up, Koscheck will likely do what he always does, look to land his big power strikes. He's got some lethal looping hooks that can put Matt Hughes' lights out if he can connect flush. Don't be surprised one bit to see Koscheck go back to his roots with his wrestling. He has the technique and skill to take Pierce down and go to work against the veteran on the ground. The key will be to not leave himself exposed in the process and give Pierce an opening to land a big power strike from short range on the way in. . Expect to see him really head hunt in the striking department as "Kos" loves the knockouts, almost to a fault. His best plan of attack would be to utilize his wrestling to put Pierce on his back and then go to work with heavy ground and pound like his last fight. Hopefully he listens. Fight X-Factor: The biggest X-Factor for this fight is whether or not Josh Koscheck has remained motivated despite the ranking of his opponent reducing drastically. Say what you want, but Mike Pierce is one of the toughest welterweights in the UFC and has always put up tough fights even against the best in the division. If Koscheck takes him lightly like he's taken some opponents in the past (ex. Paulo Thiago) we could be in serious position for an upset. This is a major trap fight for the former title challenger. Bottom Line: This bout is likely not going to be a finish. Mike Pierce has never been stopped in his MMA career which includes fights with a plethora of top opposition while Koscheck should be savvy enough to avoid getting clobbered with a big uppercut or hook in the stand-up department. I expect to see a bit of a sloppy kickboxing fight, but if either man starts to look the worse for wear, the man who's down on the cards will either shoot for the takedown or work their way into the clinch. There is some small potential that this fight turns into a clinch-fest, but it's not likely. Expect a grind it out decision victory earned with either wrestling or strong clinch work and forward pressure. Who will come out on top at UFC 143? Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who will score a major victory on the nation stage this weekend on the UFC 143 main card? Josh Koscheck Mike Pierce   3 votes | Results

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]

Posted in: welterweight, bisping, welterweight division, mike, mattyblayze

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Mike Tyson spoke to Inside MMA about boxing vs MMA and his theory that Fedor Emelianenko started losing because he couldn't keep up in the "era of PEDs".

Posted in: mma, mike, fedor, fedor emelianenko, mike tyson

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Mike Tyson once said that he wished he had a button to kill everyone on the planet. That's a novel thought coming from a guy that said he wanted to eat Lennox Lewis' kids. Fortunately at the time, Lennox Lewis didn't have any children. There would be no baby eating on behalf of Mike Tyson that day nor was there ever a button labeled 'push to kill everyone on earth'. In a perfect world, that same button would make every MMA event from now on governed under Pride FC rules. This button would also be retroactive, meaning it would navigate throughout history and include soccer kicks and head stomps in every MMA event that ever occurred since the sports' inception. One button would rewrite the history of mixed martial arts -- and Mike Tyson would be in possession of it. Amazing. Hopefully, this button would also control Tyson's perception of what the 'age of performance enhancing drugs' are and enable Fedor to fight against guys that aren't allegedly juicing. Check out this clip from Inside MMA of Mike Tyson talking about his favorite fighter, The Last Emperor and why he hit a losing streak in his career. [Source]

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It can be a blessing and a curse to fight in your hometown, and while Mike Russow felt the pressure, he was much more elated to perform for the Chicago crowd on Saturday night.

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Mike Russow defeats Jon Olav Einemo by Unanimous Decision. The judges scored the fight 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27. Mike Russow hit a single leg takedown to open the first round. Jon Olav Einemo locked him down to attempt a submission but Russow stood up. Russow attempted another takedown as Einemo stood up but was unsuccessful. He was able to land several lead right hands before another unsuccessful takedown. On his fourth attempt Einemo stepped aside and landed a combination. They exchanged knees to the body from the clinch. Russow pushed forward with punches before hitting another single leg. Russow is working from Einemo's guard and had to defend from a kimura when attempting to pass to half guard. The second round saw Russow hit an early takedown and then do just enough from guard to keep the fight on the ground. He did do enough damage to bloody up Einemo's face but nothing super significant that would stop the fight. The fight remained on the ground for the entirety of the round. The third round opened with another takedown from Mike Russow. Though he was put in several bad positions, he was able to defend the submissions well and maintain his posture. Herb Dean stood the fighters up after some inactivity but Russow against got the fight to the ground after eating several knees to the head from the clinch. The fight ended with Mike Russow standing over his bloodied opponent. Mike Russow entered the fight 3-0 in the UFC and 14-1 overall. This is the biggest win of his career. Jon Olav Einemo's signing was met with a lot of fanfare but he's been unable to showcase why he's such a great fighter. He is now 0-2 in the UFC and 6-3 in his career. SBN coverage of UFC on Fox 2

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Chael Sonnen compares Anderson Silva's mystique to that of former boxing champion Mike Tyson, and explains why he has such a dislike for the UFC's middleweight champion.

Posted in: champion, sonnen, mike, anderson, chael

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UFC heavyweight Mike Russow recently got a taste of what it would be like to not have a day job – as a cop, no less – and just focus on training. Needless to say, he liked it.

Posted in: ufc, mike, mike russow, russow, fulltime fighter

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [2 comments]

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Earlier in the week we had a chance to pay UFC welterweight Mike Pierce a visit at the Affliction Gym in Seal Beach, CA. Pierce was in town to do a bit of media and upon meeting him and speaking to him, came to a strong conclusion. Mike Pierce is perhaps one of the nicest [...]

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Mike Pyle fought Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in 1999.

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Gegard Mousasi and Mike Kyle will attempt to make Strikeforce's vacant light heavyweight title picture clearer when they meet March 3 in Columbus, Ohio.

Posted in: mousasi, mike, march, kyle, mike kyle

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Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, who failed a post-fight drug test after beating Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine, was a guest on today's MMA Hour and told Ariel Helwani that he had taken an over-the-counter supplement. The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced on January 17th that Lawal tested positive for Drostanolone after the Larkin bout. Lawal faces a suspension of up to one year and a fine. Lawal told Helwani he purchased a supplment called S-Mass "Lean Gainer" at Muscle Max. Here's the description of that product: S-Mass is the most powerful designer anabolic ever created and is probably the least expensive on the market. S-Mass represents a quality designer anabolic and an affordable price. S-Mass was designed to produce lean hard bodies. If you want t he lean hard look S-Mass is the product for you. Lawal's manager Mike Kogan Tweeted after the show: @Mike Kogan: not blaming just pointing out their lack of responsibility, accountability and malicious and intentional misguidence of consumers @Mike Kogan: just pointing out the uphill battle that any athlete faces. They rename, relabel and hide shit on purpose to turn $ someone needs to start paying attention to it

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Former Strikeforce light heavyweight titleholder Gegard Mousasi and UFC veteran Mike Kyle are set to square off as part of Strikeforce’s March 3 event in Columbus, Ohio.

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]

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A pivotal match-up in the Strikeforce light heavyweight division appears headed for March 3 in Ohio with Mike Kyle facing Gegard Mousasi.

Posted in: gegard mousasi, mousasi, mike, kyle, mike kyle

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - When it comes to pre-fight mean-mugging, bantamweight Mike Easton is among the pound-for-pound best in the sport. And while "The Hulk" is comfortable chalking up his motivational rage to a clear case of Napoleon complex, the 5-foot-6 scrapper doesn't let it control him at all times. Take for instance, his rivalry with Jared Papazian, which resulted in what what many think should have been UFC on FX 1's "Fight of the Night." Now that it's over, Easton said the respect can begin.

Posted in: ufc, mike, easton, jared papazian, motivational rage

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A decision win over Jared Papazian on the main card of UFC on FX on Friday in Nashville has Mike Easton 2-0 in the UFC – and ready to emerge in the bantamweight class.

Posted in: ufc, mike, mike easton, jared papazian, ufc –

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Mike Easton and Jared Papazian put on a great display, and entertained the fans watching the company's first show on the FOX cable channel.

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Mike Easton defeats Jared Papazian by majority decision. The judges scored the fight 29-28, 30-27, 29-29. Mike Easton entered the cage fired up and mean-mugging Jared Papazian from across the cage. To Papazian's credit, he didn't back down and mean-mugged right back. From then on the two fighters fought inside the pocket trading hooks and uppercuts. It was reminiscent of Don Frye vs Takayama back in PRIDE. Easton utilized a very tight defense and slipped multiple punches on the inside. Papazian held his ground landing several leg kicks and power punches that all did damage to the fighter from Washington, D.C. It was three rounds of stand-and-bang with no attempts at putting the fight on the ground. Mike Easton improves to 2-0 in the UFC and 12-1 in his career. Jared Papazian drops to 14-7 (1) and is now 0-1 in the UFC. He was making his UFC debut. SBN coverage of UFC on FX

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A pair of newer faces in the bantamweight class will adorn the main card of Friday night's UFC on FX show. Mike Easton, a training partner of divisional monarch Dominick Cruz, will collide with Jared Papazian, who's making his Octagon debut. Jared "The Jackhammer" Papazian (14-6) is a representative of California's Hayastan Top Team, which was founded by the great Gokor Chivichyan -- a virtual phenom in the arts of Sambo and Judo. The squad is well known for churning out a stable of fiercely aggressive Armenians with a Judo base, the most notable of which are Karo Parisyan, who still stands as MMA's best Judoka, and his cousin Manny Gamburyan. As many are unfamiliar with Papazian, here's a passage from an interview on RattlingTheCage.com about his very Daniel Larusso-like initiation to the sport. I was a sophomore playing football for El Camino Real high school. One day after practice I was taking a shower and I saw one of my teammates going through our lockers and stealing. I confronted him on the situation and he didn't like what I had to say. We got into a fight that day. About month later he was still upset about the fight, so he decided to get a bunch of his older brother's friends to jump me. I was at the AMC Promenade in Woodland Hills, California with my brother, waiting on some friends to arrive. Within 10 minutes I was approached by 12 guys that were much older than I was. They were about 17 to 19 years old. I was 15 years old at the time. I was fighting for my life. They threw my brother into a storage room so he couldn't help me. We were fighting for about 5 minutes and there was about 30 people watching this happen. People from the crowd were helping them jump me. After the fight I felt really embarrassed and felt like I was a bitch that couldn't fight. It really messed me up mentally. I decided I really wanted to do something about this. I walked in to a Muay Thai gym by my house and started training. My goal was to fight every one of the guys that who jumped me one on one. But after I started training I started learning that I was in love with the sport. The embryonic stage of Papazian's career was quite pedestrian. In his first twelve, he'd won half with one No Contest and five defeats. One of those losses was to future Hayastan compadre Karen Darabedyan and the last was to Felony Fights participant -- and genuine felon -- Shad Smith, who tapped him with a triangle. This sparked a noticeable turnaround for Papazian, who knocked out Smith in the rematch to ignite a nine-fight clip where he won eight and beat Abel Cullum to become the King of the Cage flyweight (135-pounds) champion. Touted as a member of Alliance MMA, Mike "The Hulk" Easton (11-1) led us to believe he was going to emulate teammate Dominick Cruz's signature hoppity-skippity style of striking in the opening moments of his debut at UFC Live 6. It was inevitably a false alarm, as the constant shift in stance and awkward head-bobbing that parallels intoxicated night-club dancing gave way to a more traditional offensive approach. After an understandably tentative first round showing, Easton overcame the Octagon jitters and pelted Byron Bloodworth with a set of knees and punches for a finish in the second. Despite coming off a two-year hiatus, the TKO was Easton's fourth strike-stoppage overall (2 subs, 5 decisions) and extended his streak, which is punctuated by wins over Chase Beebe and John Dodson, to six in a row. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC on FX Easton spent the majority of his time walking Bloodworth down and plugging in a stiff right counter. Lloyd Irvin has been overseeing Easton's martial arts training since the age of seventeen and the end result is a very diverse set of skills that's applied intelligently. Easton is a capable wrestler, he was a bronze medalist at the 2008 BJJ Mundials as a brown belt and he's a decent kickboxer. Most of his offerings on the feet are delivered with his crisp hands but Easton will also throw in an occasional low kick or spinning back-kick. Easton's predatory tactics finally paid off in the second when he cornered Bloodworth, tied him up in the clinch and unleashed a volley of knees to the melon. His finishing instincts were on-point and he pounced with some concluding strikes to cap off a successful UFC debut. In addition to his variety of well-layered skills, Easton is a physical specimen with considerable strength and explosiveness. This entire package plus his methodical intensity will make Easton quite a handful for the pack of UFC bantamweights. The highlight reel above is Papazian's career-defining victory over Cullum to win the King of the Cage strap, which he said was the one fight he wished all the fans could see. Fitting the mold for many of the Hayastan fighters, Papazian is highly aggressive and hurls a ruthless series of wide-arcing punches with constant forward movement. Though kicking off his training with Muay Thai, he's more of a high-paced brawler than a kickboxing technician. Like Easton, he's a strong bantamweight with a sturdy clinch who comes from a reputable team, and will be looking to make a lasting impression in his first foray on the big stage. I have to include a juicy snipped from the aforementioned interview with Papazian, which could be the source of some bad blood between the two. Papazian was asked, regardless of weight class, who he'd like to fight the most. Here's the applicable part of his answer: Dominick Cruz has amazing cardio and awkward style, but I'm not a big fan of his because I believe he could do more to be the champion. I find his fighting style and personality boring. I believe that as a champion you need to be exciting and demonstrate to the fans why you are the champion. I won't claim to have a firm grasp on the finite details of either fighter nor what their ceiling might be in the UFC. Papazian has reaped the benefits of tightening up his game, seems to be hitting his stride in the latter half of his career and, at only age twenty-three, has plenty of time to bloom. Easton, however, should take this one. Despite having fewer fights, his level of competition is superior and he's a bit more polished and mature. My Prediction: Mike Easton by submission. All gifs via Zombie Prophet of IronForgesIron.com Poll Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian Mike Easton Jared Papazian   9 votes | Results

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Ultimate Fighter alumnus Mike Whitehead on Thursday was sentenced for the attempted sexual assault.

Posted in: mike, whitehead, assault, assault case, mike whitehead

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Duane 'Bang' Ludwig can pinpoint why he's a better fighter these days and it all boils down to his move to welterweight and his work with nutrition guru Mike Dolce.

Posted in: mike, nutrition, bang, ludwig, bang ludwig

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Dolce talks about the principles behind his best-selling book As his athletes continued to hit the scales and perform in impressive fashion, the buzz surrounding Mike Dolce’s methods grew. While the...

Posted in: mike, fashion, life mike, ’s methods, part ii

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HeavyMMA's Duane Finley talks with Mike Dolce about the path that led him to prominence as MMA's most famous diet and nutrition coach in Part I of The Fighting Life.

Posted in: life, mike, part i, life mike, nutrition coach

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Rousimar Palhares defeats Mike Massenzio by sumission. The stoppage came at 1:03 in the first round. Rousimar Palhares landed several unanswered leg kicks before one went high and landed to Mike Massenzio's groin. Palhares snatches up a leg and gets the fight to the ground but Massenzio quickly stood up. Unfortunately for Mike Massenzio Palhares dove for a leg and forced the the fighter out of New Jersey to tap to a heel hook. Absolutely brutal submission and Massenzio was still on the ground just before the official result was read by Bruce Buffer. Rousimar Palhares picked up his seventh win in the UFC with this leg lock victory. He dedicated the fight to a recently passed training partner. He is quickly making a case for a title shot at Middleweight. Mike Massenzio entered the UFC with some fanfare but has not been able to perform up to the expectations. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

Posted in: leg, mike, palhare, massenzio, rousimar

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Mike Pyle defeats Ricardo Funch by TKO. The stoppage came at 1:22 in the first round. Mike Pyle pawed out several punches to try and find his range early. Funch clinches up and landed a huge punch on the exit. Straight right hand landed flush for Mike Pyle and he followed it up with punches that dropped Ricardo Funch. Several unanswered punches and referee Mario Yamasaki was forced to step in and stop the fight. Mike Pyle played up the role of the villain in his post fight celebration getting the Brazilian crowd to shower him with boos. Ricardo Funch took the fight on short notice when Paulo Thiago was forced to drop out after an injury. Mike Pyle entered the fight 5-3 in the UFC after a TKO loss to Rory McDonald at UFC 133. He improves to 6-3 in the Octagon. Ricardo Funch's last UFC appearance was at UFC 115 in 2010. He is now 0-3 in the organization. SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

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The UFC is back in Brazil with another title-fight and a main card full of interesting match-ups in the form of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes! Set to unfold tonight live from Rio de Janeiro, the show is headlined by phenomenal featherweight champion Jose Aldo defending his title against undefeated takedown-machine Chad Mendes and also features a co-headliner pitting popular regional star Vitor Belfort against hard-hitting wrestler Anthony Johnson. Other bouts highlighting the card include Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares, Mike Massenzio vs. Rousimar Palhares, and Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza. Check Out the UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes Countdown Special As always, Fighters.com will be tuned in as soon as the preliminary pairings start up while reporting outcomes back to our readers as they unfold in real time from Rio. Facebook will kick things off at 7:05 PM EST before action heads to FX an hour later and then to PPV at 10:00 PM EST. Read below for a full rundown of UFC 142 results: Antonio Carvalho vs. Felipe Arantes Mike Pyle vs. Ricardo Funch Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa Edinaldo Oliveira def. Gabriel Gonzaga Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares Terry Etim vs. Edson Barboza Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Tweet

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UFC 142 takes place later tonight at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event airs live on pay-per-view at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The pay-per-view broadcast will be preceded by a prelim special on FX at 8pm ET/5pm PT. In the main event, Jose Aldo puts his featherweight title on the line against Chad Mendes. Anthony Johnson meets Vitor Belfort in the co-main event. Rousimar Palhares takes on Mike Massenzio in a middleweight bout. Carlo Prater takes on Erick Silva in a welterweight match-up. Edson Barboza meets Terry Etim in a lightweight bout. Results, recap and bonuses after the jump. Results Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson Mike Massenzio vs. Rousimar Palhares Carlo Prater vs. Erick Silva Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim Sam Stout vs. Thiago Tavares Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo Oliveira Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio “Pato” Carvalho Recap & Thoughts Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim: Carlo Prater vs. Erick Silva: Mike Massenzio vs. Rousimar Palhares: Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes: Bonuses $??? Submission of the Night: Knockout of the Night: Fight of the Night:

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Mike Massenzio is finally leaving North America. UFC 142 will mark the first time the middleweight fights outside of the continent and he's doing it in his opponent's home country.

Posted in: ufc, mike, hometown, massenzio, middleweight fights

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Three newcomers have been added to the UFC's return to Nashville next week. Jared Papazian steps in to face Mike Easton, and Pat Schilling meets Daniel Pineda.

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An injury has forced a change to the UFC 143 card as Mike Stumpf is out, and Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson has been signed as his replacement.

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MMAWeekly Radio on Tuesday features UFC 142 fighters Vitor Belfort and Mike Massenzio and manager Malki Kawa joins the debate during 'The Sixth Round'

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On Jan. 14, Mike Pyle will be in Rio de Janeiro again, only this time he'll enter the arena looking to get back on the winning track through Ricardo Funch.

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In the UFC, a single month can change everything. On December 1st, this UFC 143 card looked nothing like it does now. UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre was forced off the card with a major knee injury, which caused a major shuffle. Now, Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit will meet for the interim welterweight belt on February 4th in Las Vegas, and Josh Koscheck will face Mike Pierce. In addition to that, Fabricio Werdum returns to the UFC to face Roy Nelson, and Renan Barao and Scott Jorgensen will face to see who gets the next shot at the UFC bantamweight title after Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber 3. The undercard will be shown in it's entirely on FX. Here's the current card (prelims after the jump): Feb 4th, live on pay-per-view from Las Vegas, NV: Main Card: Nick Diaz (26-7, 1 NC) vs. Carlos Condit (27-5) [Interim WW Title] Roy Nelson (16-6) vs. Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) Mike Pierce (13-4) vs. Josh Koscheck (16-5) Renan Barao (27-1, 1 NC) vs. Scott Jorgensen (13-4) Ed Herman (19-7) vs. Clifford Starks (8-0) More SBN coverage of UFC 143 Preliminary Card: Max Holloway (4-0) vs. Dustin Poirier (11-1) Edwin Figueroa (8-1) vs. Alex Caceres (6-4) Jorge Lopez (11-2) vs. Matt Riddle (5-3) Rafael Natal (13-3-1) vs. Michael Kuiper (11-0) Justin Edwards (7-2) vs. Mike Stumpf (11-3) Matt Brown (12-11) vs. Chris Cope (5-2)

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King of the Cage bantamweight champion Jared Papazian has stepped in to face Mike Easton at UFC on FX 1.

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Mike Thomas Brown and Ricardo Lamas have suffered undisclosed injuries and have been forced to withdraw from their respective bouts at UFC on FX 1 and UFC 143, promotion officials announced Thursday.

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It’s less than a month until fight time, but the inaugural UFC on FX fight card is the latest to be hit by the dreaded injury bug, losing former WEC champion Mike Brown.

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The injury bug has bitten two UFC fighters. Officials today announced that former WEC champ Mike Brown has been scratched from his UFC on FX 1 bout with featherweight Vagner Rocha. Additionally, featherweight Ricardo Lamas has been forced out of a UFC 143 matchup with Dustin Poirer.

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Mike Pierce doesn’t typically call out opponents.

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Another welterweight fight has been added to UFC 143 on Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas. Justin Edwards and Mike Stumpf will both look to get back in the win column on the prelims.

Posted in: mike, edward, bowl weekend, welterweight fight, mike stumpf

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The UFC confirmed a pair of welterweight fights today, that have been booked for the February 4th UFC 143 card in Las Vegas. TUF alums, Matt Brown and Chris Cope will square off, and another TUF'er, Justin Edwards, will meet Mike Stumpf: Despite welterweights Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Josh Koscheck, and Mike Pierce already topping the bill on February 4th's UFC 143 card in Las Vegas, there's always more room for top-notch 170-pounders, and that's what fans will get, as UFC President Dana White announced two more verbally agreed to bouts between Matt "The Immortal" Brown and Chris Cope, and Justin Edwards and Mike Stumpf. "Top-notch 170-pounders" might be a bit of a stretch here, as all four men are badly in need of a win to make a case for their continued employment by the UFC. Despite a decent fan-base and an exciting style, Matt Brown's 12-11 record speaks for itself, as does his predilection for getting caught in submissions, even from opponents who aren't particularly known for their grappling prowess. Cope competed on one of the more underwhelming season of TUF, talent-wise, and despite a win over Chuck O'Neill at the season finale, his inability to deal with more skilled fighters shown when he was brutally KOd by Che Mills in less than a minute at UFC 138. Edwards competed on the same TUF season as Cope, and after dropping a close split decision to Clay Harvison at the finale, rebounded by taking out the highly-touted Jorge Lopez in more clear-cut fashion back in September. Edwards then filled in on short notice against John Maguire at UFC 138, but fell victim to the Brit's grappling game and got dominated on the mat for a decision loss. Stumpf also made his UFC debut as a short-notice replacement against T.J. Waldburger at UFN 25, and the Jeff Curran-trained fighter quickly found himself ensnared in the buzz-saw submission game of Waldburger, tapping to a triangle choke in the first round. The UFC 143 card now includes: -Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit - UFC interim welterweight championship-Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum-Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce-Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen-Dustin Poirier vs. Ricardo Lamas-Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa-Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez-Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper-Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope-Justin Edwards vs. Mike Stumpf UFC 143 coverage

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The UFC 143 fight card continues to take shape as a pair of welterweight bouts were recently added to the Feb. 4, 2012, fight card slated for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC.com has it: Despite welterweights Nick Diaz, Carlos Condit, Josh Koscheck, and Mike Pierce already topping the bill on February 4th's UFC 143 card in Las Vegas, there's always more room for top-notch 170-pounders, and that's what fans will get, as UFC President Dana White announced two more verbally agreed to bouts between Matt "The Immortal" Brown and Chris Cope, and Justin Edwards and Mike Stumpf. Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope will feature two Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veterans trying to get back into the win column. "The Immortal" (12-11) was recently strangled by Seth Baczynski back at UFC 139 while "C-Murder" (5-2) was taken apart by Che Mills at UFC 138. Justin Edwards vs. Mike Stumpf will also give "Fast Eddy" (7-2) a chance to rebound from a loss at UFC 138, a decision to the always-game John Maguire while Stumpf (11-3) was choked out by T.J. Waldburger at UFC Fight Night 25. Here's what the rest of the UFC 143 fight card looks like: Main event: 170 lbs.: Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz Main card (pay-per-view): 170 lbs.: Josh Koscheck vs. Mike Pierce 155 lbs.: Ricardo Lamas vs. Dustin Poirier145 lbs.: Renan Barao vs. Scott Jorgensen 265 lbs.: Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum Preliminary card (FUEL TV): 170 lbs.: Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez 135 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Edwin Figueroa 185 lbs.: Rafael Natal vs. Michael Kuiper170 lbs.: Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope170 lbs.: Justin Edwards vs. Mike Stumpf For more on UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" be sure to hit up our event archive right here.

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Cris "Cyborg" Santos' 16-second destruction of Hiroko Yamanaka drew comparisons to boxing great "Iron" Mike Tyson.

Posted in: mike, hiroko yamanaka, cyborg, mike tyson, cris cyborg

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After her breeze-through win Saturday, Strikeforce is "scouring the earth" for someone to challenge "the Mike Tyson" of women's MMA.

Posted in: strikeforce, mike, mike tyson, saturday strikeforce, breezethrough

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While in attendance at the Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal post-fight press conference, Women's 145-pound Champion Cris "Cyborg" Santos reflects on her 16-second KO victory over Hiroko Yamanaka and discusses what may lie ahead in her fighting future. Also present was the promotion's CEO, Scott Coker, who assures that match-maker Sean Shelby is "scouring the Earth" to find credible opponents for the "female Mike Tyson."

Posted in: opponent, mike, hiroko yamanaka, earth, ko victory

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Ricardo Funch will get a second chance in the Octagon as he steps up on short notice to face Mike Pyle at UFC 142 in Brazil.

Posted in: ufc, face, mike, pyle, ricardo funch

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MMAWeekly Radio returns for Thursday's show with Jorge Masvida, Ovince St-Preux, Billy Evangelista and Mike Bronzoulis.

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With Carlos Condit's roller coaster ride toward a welterweight title shot taking another turn, Josh Koscheck will now face Mike Pierce at UFC 143 in February.

Posted in: ufc, josh koscheck, koscheck, josh, mike

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Filed under: UFC, NewsJosh Koscheck's new opponent at UFC 143 will be Mike Pierce. "With Carlos Condit moving to face Nick Diaz for the interim welterweight championship, it will be powerhouse wrestler vs. powerhouse wrestler as Mike Pierce takes on Josh Koscheck at UFC 143," UFC president Dana White stated recently on UFC.com. In September, Koscheck (16-5) recorded a knockout over UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes at UFC 135. That was Koscheck's first fight back after suffering an orbital bone injury in a loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 124 in December 2010. Pierce (13-4) went 2-1 this year with wins over Kenny Robertson and Paul Bradley and a loss to Johny Hendricks. Upon learning of the opening at UFC 143, Pierce went to the media and Twitter to ask for the Koscheck fight. UFC 143 takes place SuperBowl weekend on Feb. 4, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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Mike Pierce asked for it and now he's got it. He'll face Josh Ksocheck at UFC 143 in Las Vegas.

Posted in: ufc, josh koscheck, josh, mike, ksocheck

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Josh Koscheck is without an opponent at UFC 143. Mike Pierce has some free time and the desire to give fans what they want. And what do fans want? "For whatever reason - it's nothing personal - Josh Koscheck is just one of those guys that everybody loves to hate," Pierce today told MMAjunkie.com Radio. "They want to see Koscheck get his ass beat. I want to be his personal Dan Henderson."

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The official weigh-in for "Cotto vs. Margarito II" are all set to go down today (Fri., Dec. 2, 2011) at the Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City. MMAmania.com will have live coverage of the weigh-ins, as well as a recap of the event as soon as it concludes. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. ET. In addition to the titular scrap, "Cotto vs. Margarito II" will feature a lightweight title clash between incumbent champion Brandon Rios and British slugger John Murray. In addition, Pawel Wolak and Delvin Rodriguez will square off once again to try to top their spectacular Fight of the Year candidate that took place earlier this year. Finally, unbeaten Mike Jones and Argentina's Sebastian Lujan will go toe-to-toe in a title eliminator. Full weigh-in results, with streaming video, after the jump. Main Card 153 lbs.: Miguel Cotto () vs. Antonio Margarito ()135 lbs.: Brandon Rios () vs. John Murray ()147 lbs.: Mike Jones () vs. Sebastian Andres Lujan ()154 lbs.: Pawel Wolak () vs. Delvin Rodriguez () Undercard 154 lbs.: Glen Tapia () vs. Mike Ruiz ()175 lbs.: Mike Lee () vs. Allen Medina ()175 lbs.: Sean Monaghan () vs. Santos Martinez ()126 lbs.: Braulio Santos () vs. Tommy Garcia ()147 lbs.: Samuel Figueroa () vs. Latwon Halsey () MMAmania.com will have live results of the pay-per-view event tomorrow night. Remember to check back often for all the pre-, during-,and post-fight coverage you could ask for. More Cotto-Margarito Coverage From SBNBad Left Hook | MMA Mania | MMA Nation | Bloody Elbow

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Former WEC champion Mike Brown will return to action at UFC on FX1.Brown (25-8) faces Vagner Rocha (7-2), who is dropping to the featherweight division...

Posted in: ufc, fx, mike, rocha, vagner

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A welterweight fight between Paulo Thiago and Mike Pyle is now official for UFC 142.The match was previously reported by Fighters Only but were only confirmed...

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Knockout of the Night winner Mike Russow gets a hometown fight against Fight of the Night winner Jon Olav Einemo at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago.

Posted in: winner, mike, mike russow, chicago knockout, hometown fight

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UFC officials on Tuesday announced that former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown has been added to the inaugural UFC on FX fight card.

Posted in: ufc, fx, mike, official, wec

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [4 comments]

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Not bad. Him and Captain Kirk should get together and cut an album or something.

Posted in: mike, mike tyson, album, bossa nova, captain kirk

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A week after UFC welterweight Mike Pierce told a tale of Rick Story brutally beating an amateur sparring partner in practice, Story has decided to tell his side of the incident. Pierce, who trained alongside Story at Brave Legion Gym in Vancouver, Washington, under head trainer Pat White, recently claimed "The Horror" mercilessly beat up an aspiring mixed martial artist under the orders of White. The alleged victim was also known to be a sufferer of Vertigo, a type of dizziness dictated by a feeling of motion even when one is standing still. According to Pierce, the beat down was ordered because the rookie constantly backed away and covered up for protection, a classic mistake made by amateurs. Apparently, White ordered both Pierce and Story to just knock the kid out. Pierce refused, and the disturbing scene was enough for him to leave the gym and pursue training elsewhere. As usual, though, there are two sides to the story. Speaking via his personal blog, Story says that everything Pierce revealed is utter and complete bullsh*t: "What Mike Pierce said about me hitting Abel when he was on a knee saying stop is BULL SHIT. Abel wasn't some random person off the street either. At the time he was 1-1 as a professional and had been training with us for 3 months. He was a 4 time All-American for William Penn college in Iowa and actually beat me at nationals my first match my junior year at Southern Oregon University. What Mike also decided to forget to say is how many times Abel had tapped him that week in training (I think 2 by guillotine). What Mike also forgot to admit was how well Abel did in sparring against Brad Blackburn (at the time current UFC welterweight). Abel was new to our team but not new to the sport and not a poor defenseless kid. Abel did have Vertigo and had taken time off. Pat would not let him spar without a doctor's note saying he was cleared. I had talked with Abel before the session and asked him how his Vertigo was doing, he said he was cleared but to be safe I told him I would only throw body shots. We do spar hard at BRAVE LEGION but not stupid. I would never hit anyone that was telling me stop. Pat would never encourage the continuance of hitting someone that says stop. Anyone that has half a brain would realize this wouldn't be something that could be kept secret for very long. How come this sounds like an isolated incident? Probably because it's a lie. Anyone that knows me would agree that I am not that kind of a person. Mike and Pat were never friends, Mike had been kicked off our team before because he wasn't a team player and it was just a fact their personalities clashed. The only reason we let Mike back on the team is because I told Pat I wanted him as a practice partner. Pat is an awesome coach a great friend and only has our team's best interest in mind. I listen to Pats coaching and don't think listening to my coach is a bad thing. I am a college graduate, spent 8 years in the National Guard and was a Platoon Leader for almost two years. I make my own decisions but work as a teammate with my coach and business partner Pat White bottom line, and because Mike is not a team player he probably wouldn't understand this concept. Mike is obviously trying to maliciously affect our gym and my career by telling lies about Pat and Myself. He seems like a crazy ex-girlfriend that tries to make their ex-boyfriends life miserable. I don't intend on having an Internet battle just giving my side to everyone. I have read the forums and I am seriously amazed at some of the things people say only hearing one side." Story, who recently had reason to be thankful as he revealed he signed a new contract with the organization despite losing two consecutive fights, definitely got a buzz kill and negative press after Pierce's revelation just a few days after. Now that Story has revealed his side, maybe he can get some positive press. To read Story's full blog, which includes his own not so good tales of Pierce -- which include locking his girlfriend's kid in a room because he was annoying him -- click here.One thing is for sure: if UFC matchmaker Joe Silva ever decides to square these two off inside the Octagon, it's got a built in storyline with a ton of heat on both sides. Ready made. You've heard both sides of the story now, Maniacs. Who do you believe?

Posted in: team, story, mike, side, abel

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Mike Tyson singing ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ in Brazilian TV show Promoted to the Front Page by Anton Tabuena

Posted in: show, mike, front page, mike tyson, lsquothe girl

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submitted by AbeRudder [link] [2 comments]

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Still basking in the glow Bellator 58 as I’m sure you all understand. Michael Chandler showed everything about himself in that fight. He showed guts, his skills, his heart, and how far he’s come. He finished some one who people don’t finish. Mike and Eddie Alvarez ran into each other at the hotel and we didn’t think there was any bad blood or anything. Obviously they’re not friends, but they go about their business. So they weighed in, got interviewed, and faced off. Mike reached to shake Eddie’s hand and Eddie just looked at him, then disrespectfully turned away, which was a move upsetting Mike. It was kind of an embarrassing situation. Eddie said in his interview after the weigh-ins that he planned to knock Mike out and it wouldn’t go past two rounds. I told Mike to not let it bother him. He either wanted to get in his head or Mike was so far in Eddie’s head that it bothered him. So we left it as it was, went to eat, and I don’t think Mike thought about it again. The locker room was perfect. There was a great atmosphere and Mike was, like always, very confident and focused. We had a great warm up and with Mike it’s always a fun time. He’s not a guy who is too serious. That helps him stay relaxed and not get overwhelmed. If you think about a fight too much it could make you nervous, but Mike stays relaxed. We were joking around, having a good time, and I think that helped him not stress out about the fight. As a trainer you can tell when a fighter is nervous or confident or worried but with Mike he’s all about staying focused. We went over the game plan and in Mike’s mind there was no way he wasn’t leaving the ring with that belt. Losing isn’t something he thinks about. In his mind he’s going to win every single fight and if he keeps that mentality I don’t know if he will EVER lose. Eddie is a Top 5 fighter and Mike pretty much dominated a guy that nobody beats. I think Mike can go against any lightweight and I don’t see him losing the fight. The scary part is he’s still green. Give him another year, a little more experience, and he’s going to be a monster. Leading up to the fight I watched a lot of footage on Eddie and tried to break his game down to look for openings/mistakes. We wanted to pressure and make Eddie know that he was in a fight; that it wasn’t going to be easy. After that we wanted to throw combinations. Eddie makes mistakes when he moves to his right so we wanted to make him pay. We knew he likes the lead right and then steps to his left. That’s when worked on timing on the takedowns. What I love about Mike is that he follows the game plan and he listens during the fight. Eventually he’s going to have all that experience and get even better. He’s young, already well-rounded, and has a great head on his shoulders. He’s going to be around for a long time and be dangerous throughout his career. We knew that Mike could knock him down if he connected, but we also knew that Eddie gets up when he gets knocked down. He has a champion’s heart and won’t lay down for anybody. We knew it was gonna be a tough fight. We expected Eddie to get back up if Mike connected. I think people get discouraged when Eddie gets up after being knocked down, but Mike kept his composure and stuck to the game plan. He out-boxed him and knocked him down again at the end of the first round. If there had been another thirty seconds, I think he would have finished Alvarez off. I’m glad it went four rounds though because those extram frames are valuable. He showed he can out-strike the best and take anybody down. Plus he showed that he can go through adversity and he showed his heart. When he came back to the corner after the opening round I just reminded him of the game plan. I didn’t want him to get over confident but I didn’t want him to sit back either. After the second round, I thought we were up 2-0 but I told Mike that it was 1-1. The first round he definitely got, but the second round was close. I wanted to keep Mike aggressive and not comfortable. I wanted him to perform well and not let Eddie have any breaks. I was extremely worried in the third round. Mike came into the fight with a hurt right foot. So he threw a kick and re-injured his foot. He stepped back, did like a squat and reached down to check his foot. We lost some mobility because of that and Eddie picked up on it immediately jumping on him from that point on. Mike was in serious trouble because his foot was hurt so he couldn’t push off for takedowns, he couldn’t plant to punch, and he couldn’t move well. And Eddie was catching him with great shots. Eddie throws some of the best body shots in MMA and he hit Mike with a lot of them. So I was really worried. But I’ve seen Mike get out of so many things and I knew he wasn’t going to quit or stop unless he got knocked out. In the corner, we revived him, took care of some cuts, and reminded him of the game plan. I think the minute in the corner was enough for him to recover and clear his head. Then in the fourth he landed that wonderful overhand right, which we worked a lot on in camp, and Eddie went down. When Mike gets on top of you you’re in trouble because he has top level ground-and-pound. He’s a wrestler but when he gets you down he doesn’t want to hold you. He wants to punish you and that’s what he did. He started throwing elbows and Eddie gave up his back. As soon as he took the back, I had the perfect angle. I saw Mike squeeze with everything he had and I knew it was over. Point blank – When Mike has any submission, you’re done. Eddie had no choice but to tap or he was going to sleep. It was such an amazing feeling. It was incredible to finally get what he worked so hard for. Mike has a wonderful family and they have so much love for him. He had about thirty family members at the fight. It’s amazing the type of support that his family gives him, something I think helps him a lot. We were in the cage and the next thing I know, this old man is coming up the stairs and no one grabbed him. He just snuck in. It happened to be Mike’s grandfather, so I took him towards Mike, they embraced, and it was the best feeling. It’s tough to put into words. His grandfather was in tears and everything. Then the rest of the family was allowed to come in. Afterward we went to the press conferenc, which took about 45 minutes. Up next, we went to dinner and had a ton of people at the table. We ate and had a few drinks. His whole family was there. His dad, mom, grandfather, aunts, uncles, brothers, everyone. I think that was the best way to celebrate for Mike as far as just being around his family. I was happy to be apart of that. Then we hung out at the Hard Rock and a lot of people came up to Mike to shake his hand, ask for an autograph, and take pictures. He got a lot of attention and I’m very happy for him. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer, more deserving guy. He’s a great fighter and an amazing person. Before the tournament, on MMAJunkie, I told everyone I had a new kid with tons of potential. I told folks he was gonna win the tournament and beat whoever the champion was, but I don’t think they took it too serious because they didn’t know him, Now I think the whole world knows who he is. One of the neatest things was that I saw a Tweet for Joe Rogan congratulating Mike. That was amazing and goes to show how many people are hearing about him, respect his abilities. Overall it was an awesome time in Florida. I got to meet some new people and had some friends come to watch Mike to cheer him on. I plan on going back just to hang out and visit the people that I met. It was the first fight ever for a lot of my friends. They were a little iffy on it. One of the girls, who is a dance instructor, wasn’t used to fighting but she was impressed with the whole card including the Jessica Aguilar vs. Lisa Ward-Ellis fight. Now when she comes to Vegas she wants me to hold mitts for her. The ring girls are so busy and everything but they congratulated Mike on his win at dinner. I have to let the world know that Jade Bryce is one of the most amazing young women I’ve ever met. She’s done so many things like traveling and helping homeless kids. She’s put herself in a lot of dangerous positions and I think most guys wouldn’t do the things she does. She has a tremendous heart. I have a lot of respect for her. I think a lot more people should be like her, including myself. After talking to her, I learned a lot of things about myself that I want to change to be more like her. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. When people are that beautiful and have that much attention, usually they’re not so nice, but that’s not the case with her. I wish her the best of luck in everything she’s involved with. If I can help her with anything, I would love to. Maybe time for a “striking” segment with the ring-girls like they do with grappling? Truly, it was one of the best weekends of my life. Not only did Mike win the title but it was a great weekend for Xtreme Couture as Martin Kampmann picked up a victory at UFC 139 and, of course, the Raiders picked up a “W” as well. Life is extremely good right now and I’m just riding this high. Again, I want congratulate Martin and Ray Sefo, who has been doing an awesome job with him. We’re going to keep the ball rolling and keep working hard. That’s it for this week. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and until next time make sure to keep up with me on Twitter (@mastermitter). Tweet

Posted in: fight, ’t, eddie, lot, mike

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Mike Pierce grinded out another win over a tough opponent at UFC on Fox 1, but he doesn’t agree with how the fight was scored.

Posted in: ufc, decision, doesn ’t, mike, split decision

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Mike Pierce is baffled that his efforts on the UFC on Fox 1 undercard only earned him a split-decision win.His opponent Paul Bradley was by no means a...

Posted in: ufc, opponent, fitch, mike, footstep

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[div class="notice" class2="icon"]The following is from an article on LiverKick.com, part of the MiddleEasy Network.[/div] There are many gyms throughout the world of combat sports. Some fighters stay at the same gym with the same trainer for their entire careers. Some fighters switch from gym to gym. Some gyms are more than just a gym, displaying a true family-like bond between fighters and coaches. Mike's Gym is more than just a gym. The bond between trainer and fighter at Mike's Gym is a special one. Fighters like Melvin Manhoef and Badr Hari have rejuvenated their careers under the tutelage of Mike Passenier. Mike has taken fighters from deep struggles and they have risen to prominence with him by their side. The moments before the fight are intense. Most intense are right before the fighter makes his way to the ring. Mike reminds the fighter of everything they've been through, how they got to their current position and to go out there and leave it all in the ring. In a way, it unleashes the inner beast of a figure like Badr Hari or Melvin Manhoef. Badr went from a skinny Moroccan kid to an absolute monster of a man under Mike Passenier. Read More...

Posted in: fighter, mike, gym, badr hari, mikes gym

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Welterweights Mike Pyle and Paulo Thiago are on a collision course for UFC 142 in Brazil.

Posted in: ufc, mike, collision course, paulo thiago, pyle

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Mike Pyle will once again step into the lion's den when he travels to Brazil to face Paulo Thiago at UFC 142 in his home country.

Posted in: ufc, mike, mike pyle, lions den, paulo thiago

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Paulo Thiago’s return to the Octagon will be in his own territory - he is to fight Mike Pyle in Rio de Janeiro.The fight has been added to UFC 142,...

Posted in: ufc, fight, mike, paulo thiago, janeirothe fight

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If it was not for bad luck, Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Mike Swick might not have any luck at all

Posted in: mike, luck, luck ’, oftinjured swick, swick

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Anaheim and UFC on FOX were great! I had a blast and it was great to enjoy the fights and not have to work. I love my job and being with the guys but it was nice to enjoy all the fights. I expected that if Cain Velasquez tried to stand with Junior dos Santos that JDS would win. I thought it was a good back and forth while it lasted, I just expected Cain to take him down and use his ground and pound but I guess they had their own game plan. It’s a fight though and anything can happen in a fight. JDS is very well-rounded. He’s a very good striker. I just thought Cain would out work him and use his cardio to his advantage but JDS is legit. He beat the champ and his record shows that he’s the best. He’s fought tough guys, good guys, and he’s beat them all. He’s big enough to handle the big guys and maybe too big for the smaller guys. Clay Guida/Ben Henderson was a hell of a fight. We had about twenty people in our suite and everyone was on their feet and jumping and it was such an enjoyable fight. Both guys are tough. Guida always comes to fight and he’s like a ball of fire. He comes forward and doesn’t stop. Both guys left it all in the cage. It was great to see. Their striking was good, they hurt each other, they traded submissions, and their transitions were great. That’s what a UFC fight is all about. It might be the fight of the year so far. I wish they would have showed it on FOX because it’s probably one of the best fights I’ve seen in a long time. I hated to see one of those guys lose because it was such a good fight. I wish it would have been a draw because having a loss in that kind of fight is tough. This weekend is definitely a busy one. Mauricio Rua vs. Dan Henderson is gonna be a great fight. I have to give the edge to Henderson because of his right hand. I think he’ll end up stopping Shogun. Shogun is a good counter puncher but I think Henderson’s right hand will land a couple of times and he’ll win. I think Cung Le is going to be too fast for Wanderlei Silva. I think he’ll keep him away with his kicks. He’s so unconventional for a MMA fighter and I don’t know if Wanderlei will be able to get inside. If Cung sits and trades with him then Wand has a good chance of catching him and knocking him out but I think Cung is too smart for that. I think he’ll use his speed and kicks to keep him away and win. I favor Brian Bowles over Urijah Faber. I like Urijah but I think Bowles is tough enough to where he can grind it out. If Urijah tries to trade with him that benefits Bowles. I don’t know if he’s the underdog but I’m going with Bowles. I also want to send out best of luck to Martin Kampmann and Ray Sefo fighting this weekend as well. It’s good to have Xtreme Couture represented at UFC 139. Sefo is a great coach and Martin will do very well. Rick Story is a very good wrestler and it’ll be up to Martin to keep the fight where he wants it and set the pace of the fight. It won’t be a good idea to try and wrestle with Rick. Wednesday was the last taper down training session with Michael Chandler who fights Eddie Alvarez this weekend for the Bellator lightweight belt at Bellator 58. We are very focused and ready. Even though Mike doesn’t have the experience of Eddie, what I love about him is that he fights up to the challenge. He’s been the underdog in all his fights and he not only beat those guys, he beat them at their game. When he fought Marcin Held, his specialty was leg locks and he caught Mike in the first round. I thought it was over but Mike got out. I think most people would have tapped because the knee was in a bad spot and then he got a deep heel hook. Mike gutted it out and submitted him though. Against Patricky Freire, he was supposed to be the better striker but Mike executed the game plan and out-struck the striker while always mixing in his wrestling and ground and pound. Against Eddie, it won’t be an easy fight but we’re not going down there to lose. I’m very confident in Mike and we’re looking forward to a tough and exciting fight. The thing I love about Mike is that he sticks to the game plan and rises to the occasion. I’m excited for this weekend. I want to wish Martin and the boys good luck and I’m looking forward to next week because hopefully I’ll be talking about my first world champion! That’s it for this week. Enjoy the fights and until next time, make sure to keep up with me on Twitter (@mastermitter). Tweet

Posted in: fight, guy, ’t, mike, ’ll

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submitted by CuatroGuava [link] [comment]

Posted in: ufc, mike, massenzio, rousimar, cuatroguava link

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A middleweight fight between Brazilian Rousimar Palhares and American Mike Massenzio has been added to UFC 142, the promotion's second card in Rio in five months.

Posted in: mike, palhare, massenzio, rousimar, middleweight fight

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Rousimar Palhares has been added to the card for UFC 142, which takes place January 14th in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.His opponent will be Mike Massenzio,...

Posted in: ufc, january, mike, palhare, massenzio

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Herman Cain’s Campaign Promises with Mike Tyson from Mike Tyson Call me crazy, but that human batteries made out if illegal Mexicans idea sounds like it could gain more traction than the electrified murder-fence across all borders.

Posted in: mike, tyson, mike tyson, mexicans idea, ’s campaign

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UFC on Fox fighters Clay Guida and Darren Uyenoyama along with MMA manager Mike Roberts highlight Tuesday's edition of MMAWeekly Radio.

Posted in: mike, tuesday, darren uyenoyama, tuesdays edition, uyenoyama

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UFC on Fox 1 play-by-play of Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Anaheim, California.

Posted in: ufc, fox, mike, playbyplay, bradley

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There have been rumors for months about Bellator staging a rematch between their lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and the Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. Today, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney confirmed the rumors and said the bout was signed for February - on one condition (via MMA Weekly): The only hurdle left to go before the fight happens is Alvarez defending his Bellator lightweight title against tournament winner Mike Chandler in just over a week. That by no means is a gimmee. Rebney understands that and so does Alvarez. "To be completely honest, Ed has got his hands full against Mike Chandler. Mike Chandler is an absolute freak of nature in terms of his wrestling. His stand-up has really come around. Chandler’s a beast," said Rebney. The two men first met at Dynamite! 2008, and Aoki submitted Alvarez with a heel hook in just 92 seconds. Alvarez signed with Bellator shortly after and has won seven straight fights in the promotion. He'll hope to make it eight with a win over Chandler next weekend. Aoki last competed at Dream 17 in September, where he submitted Rob McCullough in the first round. Aoki has fought twice before in the US, both for Strikeforce.

Posted in: bellator, chandler, alvarez, aoki, mike

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After an impressive victory in his UFC debut, Nate Lawson talks to the powerful bantamweight about what he brings to the division and his plans for the future.

Posted in: ufc, division, debut, mike, smash

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Mike Massenzio is celebrating a much-needed win at UFC 136. The middleweight was coming off a loss when he faced Steven Cantwell on Saturday and was 1-3...

Posted in: ufc, mike massenzio, mike, massenzio, steven cantwell

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Mike Hayes has been forced out of Bellator’s Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament due to injury, according to a statement from Bellator officials on Monday.

Posted in: bellator, mike, bellator officials, mike hayes, thiago steps

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Mike Hayes has been forced out of Bellator’s Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament due to injury, according to a statement from Bellator officials on Monday.

Posted in: bellator, heavyweight, mike, bellator officials, mike hayes

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Thiago Santos, on the heels of an impressive performance and first-round submission win last Saturday night, will step in for the injured Mike “300”...

Posted in: night, saturday night, tournament, mike, first-round submission

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Thiago Santos, on the heels of an impressive performance and first-round submission win last Saturday night, will step in for the injured Mike “300”...

Posted in: saturday night, submission, mike, first-round submission, first-round

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Mike Goldberg discusses his career in the UFC and more on the previous episode of Fight Day.

Posted in: fight, fight day, mike, mike goldberg, goldberg

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In his heart, Mike Massenzio knows Saturday's UFC 136 bout could be his final opportunity in the octagon.

Posted in: ufc, mike massenzio, mike, massenzio, ufc caliber

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Mike Swick is fulfilling a longtime dream, and with fellow UFC vet Roger Huerta, he's opening an MMA gym in...

Posted in: roger huerta, mike, mma gym, mike swick, thailand gym

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It was a dream come true for Washington DC native Mike Easton to not only debut in the UFC, but to do it in his hometown.

Posted in: mike, mike easton, washington dc, hometown, ufc experience

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UFC on Versus 6: Cruz vs. Johnson play-by-play of Mike Easton vs. Byron Bloodworth on Saturday, Oct. 1, in Washington, DC.

Posted in: ufc, vs, mike, byron bloodworth, bloodworth

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In the world of MMA it's not very often where teammates will openly say they will fight each other.

Posted in: business, mike, cruz, mike easton, teammate

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Saturday’s UFC on Versus 6 fight card is again complete after an injured Jeff Hougland was replaced by Byron Bloodworth, who meets fellow Octagon newcomer Mike Easton in a bantamweight prelim at the Oct. 1 event in Washington, D.C., the UFC announced Tuesday. Bloodworth (6-1) has won three-straight since suffering his first career loss nearly two years ago, including a second-round KO win in August. Easton (10-1) hasn’t fought since earing a split decision over former WEC champion Chase Beebe in October 2009 for his fifth-straight win. UFC on Versus 6 is headlined by bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz vs. Demetrious Johnson and also features Charlie Brenneman vs. Anthony Johnson and Stefan Struve vs. Pat Barry. For complete UFC on Versus 6 coverage and UFC on Versus 6 results stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: Mike Easton

Posted in: ufc, vs, mike, bloodworth, easton

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