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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2011
2/5/11
Garden Island Cage Match 10: Mayhem at the Mansion 2
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kilohana Carriage House, Lihue, Kauai)
2010
12/17/10
Destiny & 808 Battleground
All or Nothing - Champion vs Champion
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
12/3/10
Mad Skills
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
11/27/10
Aloha
State BJJ Championships: Final Conflict
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
11/6/10
X-1 Island Pride
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Man Up & Stand Up Kickboxing Championship
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
10/30/10
6th Annual Clinton A.J. Shelton Memorial Match Event
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym, Honolulu)
10/29/10
808Battleground
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu)
10/23/10
NAGA
Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Radford H.S. Gym)
10/15-17/10
ETERNAL SUBMISSIONS: GI/NO-GI tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Kauai)
10/16/10
DESTINY: Undisputed
Beyer vs Manners II
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
10/2/10
Mad Skills
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
9/11/10
X-1: Heroes
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
9/10/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
9/4/10
DESTINY:New Era
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
8/28/10
Big
Island Open
(BJJ)
(Hilo Armory, Hilo)
8/14/10
Hawaiian
Open Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & No Gi)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
USA Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Lihue Convention Hall, Lihue, Kauai)
8/13/10
Battleground Challenge 2
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
8/7/10
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
8/6/10
Mad Skills
(Triple Threat/Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
7/24/10
The Quest for Champions 2010 Martial Arts Tournament
(Sport-Pankration, Submission Grappling & Continuous Sparring)
(St. Louis High School Gym)
7/17/10
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Open
(BJJ & No Gi)
(Maui War Memorial, Wailuku, Maui)
Mad Skillz
(Kickboxing, Triple Threat)
(99 Market Shopping Center, Mapunapuna)
7/9/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
7/3/10
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
6/26/10
Kauai Cage Match 9
(MMA)
(Kilohana, Gaylords Mansion, Kauai)
6/25-26/10
50th
State BJJ Championships
(BJJ)
(50th State Fair,
Aloha Stadium)
6/24/10
Quest for Champions
(Kumite/Grappling)
(St. Louis High School Gym)
6/19/10
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
6/18-19/10
Select
Combat
(Triple Threat)
(50th State Fair,
Aloha Stadium)
6/12/10
Destiny: Fury
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Center)
6/11-13/10
MMA Hawaii Expo
(Blaisdell Ballroom)
6/11-12/10
3rd
Annual Pacific Submission Championships
(BJJ & Submission Grappling)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
6/11/10
Legacy Combat MMA
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
6/4/10
X-1:
Nations Collide
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
6/3-6/10
World
Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(The Pyramid, University of California at Long Beach, Long Beach,
CA)
5/22/10
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waiphau Filcom Center)
5/15/10
Scrappla Fest 2
Relson Gracie KTI Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Island School, Kauai)
X-1 World Events
(MMA)
(Waipahu HS Gym)
Mad Skills
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
Boxing Event
(Boxing)
(Evolution Training Center, Waipio Industrial Court #110)
5/1/10
Galaxy
MMA: Worlds Collide
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/28/10
Chris Smith BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(Hilo)
4/23/10
2010 Hawaii State/Regional Junior Olympic Boxing Championships
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
4/17/10
Hawaiian
Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser
H.S. Gym)
Strikeforce:
Shields vs Henderson
(CBS)
4/16/10
808 Battleground
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
4/8-11/10
Pan
Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(University California Irvine, Irvine, CA)
4/3/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
Amateur Boxing Smoker
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
3/27/10
DESTINY: No Ka Oi 2: Oahu vs Maui
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
3/20/10
X-1: Champions 2
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/20/10
Hawaiian Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
3/14/10
Hawaiian Kimono Combat
(BJJ)
(PCHS Gym)
3/10/10
Sera's Kajukenbo Tournament
(Kumite, Katas, Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
3/6/10
Destiny Fast N Furious
(MMA)
(Level 4 RHSC)
2/19/10
808 Battleground
(MMA)
(Filcom, Waipahu)
2/6/10
UpNUp 6: Unstoppable
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
2/5/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
1/30/10
Destiny
(Level 4,
Royal HI Shopping Ctr)
(MMA)
Quest for Champions
(Pankration/Sub Grappling)
(Kalani HS)
1/23/10
Kauai Knockout Championship Total Domination
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Kauai War Memorial Convention Center, Lihue, Kauai)
1/17/10
X1: Showdown In Waipahu
(Boxing, Kickboxing, MMA)
(Waipahu H.S. Gym)
|
|
December
2010 News Part 2
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Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 7 days a week training!
We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday
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O2 Martial Arts features Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu taught by Relson
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WEC
53 ‘Henderson vs. Pettis’ Analysis: The Main Card
After
53 events and 576 fights, World Extreme Cagefighting took down
its cage and rolled up its blue carpet forever.
The
time has come for the lighter weight classes, which were featured
prominently under the WEC banner, to get their time to shine
inside the world’s most prominent MMA organization. Featherweight
king Jose Aldo was already crowned as the UFC’s first 145-pound
champion, and Dominick Cruz and Scott Jorgensen fought it out
for the inaugural UFC bantamweight title at the WEC’s farewell,
WEC 53 “Henderson vs. Pettis,” on Thursday at the Jobing.com
Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
Analysis
follows for the four main card bouts at WEC 53.
Kamal
Shalorus def. Bart Palaszewski -- Decision (Split)
What
happened: Shalorus, an Iranian-born wrestler, had his way with
Palaszewski for much of the fight. Only his maligned conditioning
and Palaszewski’s toughness prevented an early stoppage.
The “Prince of Persia” came out of the gates like a
raging bull and planted his opponent on the mat with an awesome
arm-drag takedown. Shalorus then proceeded to beat on Palaszewski
with some vicious ground-and-pound.
As
the fight wore on, Shalorus did not exclusively look to wrestle
Palaszewski, even though such a strategy figured to work in his
favor. On the feet, his opponent had the advantage. Palaszewski
also did a better job of defending the takedowns. The former
International Fight League mainstay landed the majority of good
strikes during the stand-up exchanges but lacked the volume necessary
to really do damage. Palaszewski landed a big knee in the final
seconds of the final round but eventually dropped a split decision.
Forecast
for Shalorus: His wrestling pedigree and power will pose problems
for many opponents in the UFC, as well. However, his lack of
striking technique and questionable conditioning will be exposed
much more brutally in what has become the shark tank division
in MMA. Interesting challenges for Shalorus could come from Tyson
Griffin, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 finalist
Michael Johnson or fellow former WEC fighter Shane Roller.
Forecast
for Palaszewski: At 4-3 in the WEC, his draft into the UFC seems
far from assured. However, he remains the only man to defeat
newly crowned WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Due to
his experience and balanced skill set, Palaszewski would match
up well with “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 6 winner
Mac Danzig, Aaron Riley or former UFC lightweight title contender
Joe Stevenson.
Donald
Cerrone def. Chris Horodecki -- Submission (Triangle Choke) 2:43
R2
What
happened: The story of the fight between Horodecki, the 2007
IFL lightweight grand prix finalist, and Cerrone, a three-time
WEC title contender, was the latter’s three-and-a-half-inch
reach advantage. Cerrone used it cleverly. The two men exchanged
takedowns in the opening round, but neither of them could keep
the other down, let alone exact much damage. Horodecki ate a
knee, as he moved in with a reckless takedown attempt. Cerrone,
who had the much stronger grappling credentials, ended round
one on the Canadian’s back.
Horodecki
took down Cerrone again in the second but landed in an omoplata.
After the two lightweights jockeyed for position, Cerrone slapped
on the patented triangle choke that had won him five of his first
seven bouts. Horodecki defended well for more than a minute but
tapped out after being struck by a couple of Cerrone elbow strikes.
Forecast
for Cerrone: “Cowboy” called out American Top Team’s
Cole Miller following his victory. That fight will take some
time to materialize, as Miller has a stiff test of his own on
the horizon. He will meet Matt Wiman at UFC “Fight for the
Troops 2” on Jan. 22 in Texas. In the meantime, Cerrone
could take on with Joe Lauzon or Terry Etim.
Forecast
for Horodecki: The Shawn Tompkins protégé holds
a 2-2 mark in the WEC. Entering the UFC, the question now arises
as to whether or not the young Canadian would perhaps be better
suited competing in the 145-pound division. There, Horodecki
could match up with Leonard Garcia, Chan Sung Jung or Nam Phan
in fun fights.
Dominick
Cruz def. Scott Jorgensen -- Decision (Unanimous)
File Photo
Cruz
wants Urijah Faber.
What
happened: Entering the fight, there were a couple of question
marks surrounding Cruz. Was he really worthy of holding a UFC
belt? If so, did he deserve to be mentioned in the same breath
with great champions like Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva
and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua? The 25-year-old Californian
removed those doubts, as he turned in a dominating performance
against Jorgensen, a three-time Pac-10 Conference wrestling champion
who carried a five-fight winning streak into their match.
Cruz’s
vast arsenal of weaponry proved too much for Jorgensen to handle.
The Alliance MMA rep played off his reach advantage and landed
crisp punch-kick combinations at the start. Later, he turned
to a counter boxing style and kept Jorgensen guessing with his
speed. Finally, in the championship rounds, the Lloyd Irvin understudy
took down the more experienced wrestler at well, to the surprise
of many pundits. Cruz swept all five rounds on all three scorecards,
retaining his belt.
Forecast
for Cruz: After the fight, he called for a rematch with former
featherweight champion Urijah Faber, the only man to defeat him.
That would certainly garner plenty of interest. Besides a potential
showdown with “The California Kid,” smaller featherweights
like Manny Gamburyan or even Mike Thomas Brown could choose to
drop to 135 pounds to challenge Cruz.
Forecast
for Jorgensen: At 7-3 inside the WEC, including solid wins over
Brad Pickett, Antonio Banuelos and Takeya Mizugaki, “Young
Guns” deserves his spot on the UFC’s bantamweight roster.
A duel with Nick Pace, a rubber match with Banuelos or even a
showdown with former divisional ruler Miguel Torres could await
Jorgensen.
Anthony
Pettis def. Benson Henderson -- Decision (Unanimous)
What
happened: “Showtime” and “Smooth” were featured
in a fight that proved to be a worthy swansong for the promotion.
The two lightweights punched, kicked, wrestled, grappled and
tried to finish one another. Henderson had the better start,
bullying the challenger with his wrestling in round one. Pettis
answered, as he dropped the defending champion with a left-right
combination early in the second stanza, took his back and worked
for the rear-naked choke. Henderson defended well.
Back
control was also the name of the game in the third round, as
Pettis rode a standing Henderson’s back for the majority
of the five minutes. While he failed to cinch the rear-naked
choke, he did plenty of damage with punches to the ribcage. Round
four saw both men let loose on the feet and exchange “Mata
Leao” attempts on the mat. In addition, Pettis attempted
a guillotine choke with one minute left in the round. Heading
into a decisive round five, the fight was tied on two of the
three judges’ scorecards.
In
that last round, Henderson attacked with kicks, while Pettis
answered with crisp punching combinations. The challenger landed
a flying knee, but Henderson scored with another takedown. After
some more ground action and with time running out, Pettis took
a risk and attempted a surreal move that won him the round and
ultimately the fight. In true ninja fashion, he took a running
start, jumped off the cage and delivered a well-timed flying
kick to the face that knocked down Henderson. While it did not
knock out the champion, it proved to be the decisive moment in
the fight.
Forecast
for Pettis: “Showtime” will take on the winner of the
UFC 125 showdown between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard to unify
the UFC and WEC championship belts. That fight could take place
as early as UFC 129 in April, when it would serve as one of the
headlining bouts at the first UFC event in Toronto. It is also
possible that Pettis and the Edgar-Maynard winner will serve
as coaches for the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter”
reality series. If that scenario plays out, Pettis would not
see action until June.
Forecast
for Henderson: The exciting former champion figures to return
to action much earlier than Pettis. In fact, he could become
an option for the the UFC’s return to the Versus network
on March 3 against Rafael dos Anjos, Charles Oliveira or even
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins.
Source: Sherdog
|
‘Crocota’
and ‘Sergio Junior’ Draw, Prospects Shine at Jungle
Fight
RIO
DE JANEIRO -- Two weeks ago, Bitetti Combat promoted an event
with Sao Paulo soccer giants Corinthians. Saturday night in Rio,
Jungle Fight teamed up with Brazil’s most popular club,
Flamengo, for its 24th edition at the Flamengo Rowing Club Gymnasium
in Rio’s Gavea district.
The
small gymnasium was packed with just under 600 spectators. However,
the Rio crowd witnessed a main event showing the ongoing emergence
of northeastern Brazil’s fight scene, as Salvador’s
Edilberto "Crocota" de Oliveira and Natal’s Sergio
"Junior" Melo fought to a hotly-contested draw in their
welterweight affair.
As
usual, “Crocota” baited the crowd with his bad boy
antics, while Melo, who now trains in Rio with Renovacao Fight
Team, cemented himself as the crowd favorite an amusing rendition
of the motorcycle dance, a typical northeastern dance, as he
entered the ring.
“Crocota”
started more aggressively, winning the first round with cleaner,
harder punching. However, Melo recovered in the second round,
using strong low kicks to disrupt the balance of his aggressive
foe, who seemed confused by his attack. At the end of two rounds,
all three judges had the bout 19-19.
'Crocota'
cracked Melo early but couldn't earn the decision win.
It was the third round that would decide the fight, and it was
as equal as it gets, with both fighters aggressively trading
blow-for-blow, but unable to land one hard shot to gain the upper
hand. Sherdog.com scored the round 10-10, for a 29-29 scorecard.
Two of the ringside judges agreed, declaring the fight a majority
draw.
“You
made a mistake,” Oliveira lectured after the fight. “I
broke my hand in the first round, but I didn’t lose that
fight.”
A
more contemplative “Junior” put the bout in perspective.
“This
was a victory for the northeast of Brazil,” said Melo. “He
is from Bahia, I’m from Natal. Tonight we showed that northeastern
fighters deserve more opportunities in big events.”
It
was a great night for a pair of prospects from Brasilia’s
Constrictor Team, as Francisco "Massaranduba" Drinaldo
and Renato Moicano each picked up impressive victories, showing
that Paulo Thiago and Rani Yahya aren’t the only tough guys
produced by trainer Ataide Junior.
After
wins over Pride veteran Luiz Firmino and tough journeyman Flavio
Alvaro, Drinaldo was the favorite to win Jungle Fight’s
inaugural lightweight title in September. In fact, in the tournament
semi-final, Drinaldo dominated eventual champ Yuri Alcantara
for the better part of two rounds until he was armbarred.
In
his return to action, “Massaranduba” had absolutely
no trouble tapping out an overmatched Bruno "Cro Cop"
Lobato with an anaconda choke at 2:24 of the first round.
'Massaranduba'
had no trouble at all.
“I know I have to start everything again, but I love to
fight. I really want to beat the toughest guys in Brazil, and
show that I deserve my revenge against ‘Marajo’, maybe
in the UFC,” said Drinaldo after the fight.
Drinaldo’s
teammate, the 19-year-old Moicano, mixed aggressive stand-up
with a great offensive ground game to dominate the tough and
experienced Eduardo "Kiko" Felipe. After working “Kiko”
over on the feet and the ground in round one, Moicano continued
his non-stop rhythm in the second, tiring Felipe out and submitting
him via rear-naked choke at 2:49 of the frame.
Two
nights after his older brother Yuri made a successful WEC debut
by knocking out Ricardo Lamas in Glendale, Ariz., middleweight
Ildemar Alcantara stopped Peru’s Jackson Mora.
Both
fighters spilled over the ropes when Alcantara stopped a Moura
throw attempt, and shortly after, “Marajo” was dropped
by an accidental kick to the groin and stayed down for several
minutes. Once he recovered, Alcantara mounted Moura and punished
him to earn the stoppage at 4:37 of the first round.
Middleweight
up-and-comer and Santa Catarina native Gilberto 'Giba' Galvao
made sure southern Brazil was well-represented, taking a dominant
first-round submission over Rio Grande do Sul’s Dimitri
Burgo.
Having
spent the last month training with Rio’s Renovacao Fight
Team, the top luta-livre team in the country, “Giba”
had no problem taking Burgo down, passing his guard and cranking
a nasty kimura. Burgo prevented his shoulder from being dislocated
by tapping at 3:02 of the first round.
M.
Alonso
'Giba'
dominated with his grappling.
Light heavyweight Nelson Martins took a disqualification win
over Bruno Capelosa when Capelosa rocked Martins, but followed
up with several punches to the back of the head that left Martins
unable to continue. The official time was 1:58 of round one.
In
the opening bout of the evening, welterweight Wendell Oliveira
pounded out late replacement Tadeu Mendonca 3:05 into the first
frame.
“This
year I produced eight editions and decided two champions, Yuri
‘Marajo’ [Alcantara] and Erick Silva. Yuri is already
in UFC, Erick is very close to that,” promoter Wallid Ismail
told Sherdog.com after the event.
“Next
year I want to have three more GPs to decide champions at 83
and 93 kilos, and heavyweight,” Ismail continued. “The
next edition will be February, in Espirito Santo. Probably in
March, we’ll have another one in Belem, and I just signed
with Flamengo to have four more editions here in Rio.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Gegard
Mousasi Fighting in K-1 Kickboxing Bout at Dynamite!!
Gegard
Mousasi is returning to Japan for a New Year’s Eve fight
on Dream’s year-end Dynamite!! 2010 fight card. The former
Strikeforce and Dream mixed martial arts champion, however, will
fight in a K-1 kickboxing rules bout.
Dream
recently announced several additions to its New Year’s Eve
extravaganza, including Mousasi’s bout against Kyotaro.
Mousasi
has fought in kickboxing bouts before. In fact, he is undefeated
with a 4-0 record, which includes K-1 rules and Muay Thai rules
bouts. He last fought under K-1 rules at Dynamite!! 2008, where
he defeated famed Japanese kickboxer Musashi by TKO.
Kyotaro
is a decorated kickboxer with an 18-4 record. Although he is
2-3 in his last five bouts, Kyotaro has defeated the likes of
Melvin Manhoef, Peter Aerts, and Jerome LeBanner, whom Mousasi
had originally expected to face this New Year’s Eve.
Also
added to Dynamite!! 2010 are bouts pitting Ikuhisa Minowa against
Izumi Hiroshi, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai versus Jason High,
and Hideo Tokoro against Watanabe Kazuhisa.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Eddie
Wineland Happy With Progression, Eyeing Return to Title in 2011
Eddie
Wineland was the first WEC bantamweight champion, earning that
designation with a stunning head kick on Anthony Banuelos midway
through 2006.
Thursday
night was the final World Extreme Cagefighting event ever, and
while Wineland didn’t walk away from WEC 53 with a belt
in hand, he is well on his way to putting himself back in contention
for the now-UFC bantamweight title.
And
make no mistake about it, that belt is where Wineland’s
laser-beam focus is aimed.
“The
ultimate goal is that hardware,” he said at the WEC 53 post-fight
press conference. “Congrats to Dominick. He performed top-notch.
My eyes are on that prize.”
Since
losing the bantamweight belt to Chase Beebe in 2007, Wineland
has lost only one other fight, to top-notch ground stylist Rani
Yahya. Including that loss, he is 6-1 after dropping the belt.
His current streak sits at four-straight victories.
“I
think had I not had to pull out of the Damacio (Page) fight,
that maybe would have pushed me a little bit closer,” said
Wineland. “As long as I keep winning and I keep doing what
I’m doing, they can’t really deny me the push.”
Wineland
was scheduled to face Page, another Top 10 fighter, in November,
but had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury. Had he fought and
won that bout, as he said, he probably would have been a fight
or two away from a title shot.
He’s
still probably not far off from a shot, at least, not far according
to WEC general manager Reed Harris, who is expected to continue
with the UFC in an as of yet unannounced role.
“Hey,
he’s been on a good run. That win that he got tonight, that
guy that he fought was tough,” said Harris after the fight.
“We’ll talk about it Monday, but I think we have big
plans for Mr. Wineland. He’s been getting better and better.
Every time I watch him, he seems to be growing as a fighter.”
Current
UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is likely to face Urijah
Faber if everything falls into place, but Wineland shouldn’t
be far behind, eyeing a title shot some time in 2011.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Strikeforce
planning heavyweight tournament for 2011
Striekforce
had great achievements in 2010, growing its label worldwide and
becoming everyday more a rival to the UFC in the United States.
And 2011 promises more surprises for the fans. Sources close
to the event informed TATAME that Strikeforce is planning a heavyweight
GP for the next year, and it’ll bring the top eight contenders
in the division, including the reining champion Alistair Overeem,
who recently won K-1 World GP title.
Along
with Overeem, names like Fedor Emelianenko, Fabrício Werdum,
Josh Barnett, Antônio Silva, Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski
and Sergei Kharitonov are also in talks to participate in the
tournament.
The
fight between Fedor and Silva, which has been rumored on the
past days, is agreed to happen in February, and other match-ups
are in works. Werdum, who comes from a first-round submission
victory over Fedor, will probably fight Kharitonov in March,
and Barnett vs Rogers, Overeem vs Arlovski might happen as well.
The
heavyweight tournament, which will happen in three events, will
probably mark the first two Strikeforce pay-per-view events,
at GP’s semifinals and final. Stay tuned on TATAME.com for
more news on the tournament.
Source: Tatame
|
Anderson
and Belfort speak of expectations for fight
One
of the most heavily-anticipated fights among fans coming up in
the not-so-distant future, Anderson Silva will put his UFC middleweight
title on the line come February 5 in Las Vegas.
At
the press conference officially announcing the August 27 UFC
Rio event, the fighters were face to face once again. Inevitably,
besides the traditional staredown photo shoot, they addressed
the impending matchup.
“The
one thing I can guarantee is that a Brazilian be champion! The
other thing we can promise is the work we do every day. It’s
a sacrifice but it’s worth it. It’s our job and we
do it with a lot of pleasure,” said the “Phenom”,
who requested Dana White let him participate at UFC Rio, which
the promotional king pin said he would evaluate.
“Before
I started fighting he was the champion, he started really young.
My mind is focused on using all the powers God has endowed me
with to change things outside the ring. I want to be a role model,”
said Anderson.
Check
out the rest of what the fighters had to say and statements from
Royce Gracie and Dana White to boot in the video below:
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Marcelo
Pereira Seminar
HMC Academy
December 19 (Sunday)
Starts 1:00 PM
Cost: $60 at the door ($15 extra for videocam)
Email or call 393-7653 Leandro Nyza
for more info!
Source: Kyle Takao
|
The
Ultimate Fighter Brazil Likely Coming Soon
by Jeff
Cain
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Wednesday announced its
return to Brazil after nearly 12 years with “UFC Rio”
on Aug. 27, 2011. South America’s largest country will also
likely play host to a season of “The Ultimate Fighter”
in the future.
“Obviously
it makes sense for Brazil. Imagine the talent that would come
off that show. It would be incredible, so yeah, we want to do
it,” said UFC president Dana White during a press conference
announcing “UFC Rio.”
“The
Ultimate Fighter” is heading into it’s thirteenth season,
but White gave no indication of when the popular Spike TV reality
series would transition to other countries.
“I
don’t know how fast it would be that we could get it done,
but trust me, we’re moving pretty quickly, and we want to
get it done as fast as possible.
“We
want to take ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ everywhere,”
added the UFC president. “All these places and all these
different countries that we’re going, we want to take ‘The
Ultimate Fighter’ to these places. We have big plans for
’The Ultimate Fighter.’”
There’s
been talk of taking the reality show to Canada, the United Kingdom,
Australia, the Middle East, and now Brazil that already has 36
countrymen on the UFC roster, including three titleholders: Anderson
Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and Jose Aldo, as well
as two No. 1 contenders scheduled to compete for titles in Junior
Dos Santos and Vitor Belfort.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Jason
High vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai Booked for Dynamite!!;
Fights Added to Soul of Fight
By Daniel
Herbertson
K-1 and DREAM promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group and Sengoku
promoter World Victory Road continue to build towards Dyanmite!!
and Soul of Fight this week as a host of bouts have been added
to the end of year events
UFC
veteran and DREAM Welterweight GP Finalist Jason High this week
announced via Twitter that he will be facing former pound-for-pound
great Hayato "Mach" Sakurai under the Dynamite!! banner.
High had his only fight in the UFC against Charlie Brenneman
back at UFC Fight Night 21 but after dropping a decision was
cut from the Zuffa roster. Sakurai is currently on a three fight
slide and has been lacking motivation over the past year as he
talks more and more of retirement.
K-1
legend Jerome Le Banner had agreed to fight DREAM Light- Heavyweight
GP Finalist Tasuya Mizuno, but has now been offered a fight with
Beijing Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii. Le Banner's management
are currently considering which opponent to choose but have been
advised by French media to choose Ishii and will likely go down
that route.
Details
on new bouts for Soul of Fight and the current line up for both
end of year events after the break.
FEG
President Sadaharu Tanigawa will be announcing five fights this
Friday, among which will likely include the Sakurai vs. High
bout as well as Jerome Le Banner versus his elected opponent.
World
Victory Road's Soul of Fight now features 23 bouts in a variety
of disciplines with 30 bouts total being targeted. Recently added
bouts include undefeated Valkyrie Open-Weight Champion Rin Nakai
vs. Mika "Hari" Harigai and Sakaguchi Dojo boss Yukio
Sakaguchi coming out of retirement to take on Jung Jin Suk.
Dynamite!!
2010 - Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
MMA
Rules
DREAM Featherweight Title Match
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
DREAM
Welterweight Title Match
Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
Caol
Uno vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Jason High
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Josh Thomson
Special
Rules Match
Shinya Aoki vs. Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima
K-1
Rules
Tetsuya Yamato vs. Akiyo "Wicky" Nishiura
Planned
Participants
Alistair Overeem
Jerome Le Bannaer
Satoshi Ishii
Tatsuya Mizuno
Sengoku
- Soul of Fight, December 30th, 2010 at Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo,
Japan
MMA
Rules
Featherweight Title Fight
Marlon Sandro vs. Hatsu Hioki
SRC
Welterweight GP Series 2010 Final
Yasubey Enomoto vs. Keita "K-Taro" Nakamura
SRC
Bantamweight Asia Tournament Semifinals
Manabu Inoue vs. Shunichi Shimizu
Akitoshi Tamura vs. Taiyo Nakahara
Kazuo
Misaki vs. Mike Seal
Kazunori Yokota vs. Jadamba Narantungalag
Yoshihiro "KISS" Nakao vs. Dave Herman
Mamed Khalidov vs. Yuki Sasaki
Yukio Sakaguchi vs. Jung Jin Suk
Rin Nakai vs. Mika "Hari" Harigai
Sengoku
Kickboxing Rules
Buakaw Por. Pramuk vs. Hiroki Nakajima
Yutaro Yamauchi vs. Go Yokoyama
Shintaro Matsukura vs. Yusuke Ikei
Kazuki Osawa vs. Chang Seob Lee
Hironobu Ikegami vs. Yuji Tanaka
Muay
Thai Rules
Fabiano Cyclone vs. Ryuta Noji
Arashi Fujiwara vs. Mutsuki Ebata
Kanongsuk Weerasakreck vs. Genki Yamamoto
Norihiro "Musashi" Miyamoto vs. Hiroki Komata
Erika Kamimura vs. Chiharu
SRC
"Jacket" Rules
Sotaro Yamada vs. Lee Sak Kim
Kiyotaka Shimizu vs. Ichiro Sugita
Yukio Sakaguchi vs. Jin Suk Jung
Planned
Participants
Akihiro Gono
Hiroshi Izumi
Masanori Kanehara
Maximo Blanco
Yuji Tanaka
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Fedor
Emelianenko: "When My Career Ends, and I Don't Fight in
the UFC, the UFC Will Be Sorry"
by Anton
Tabuena
Fedor Emelianenko isn't in a rush to sign with the UFC.
UFC heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez is currently preparing
for his first title defense against Junior Dos Santos, but when
asked who his ideal opponent is, he says it would be against
the long time top heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko:
"For
me, I think Fedor. I've always watched him as a fighter. I've
always looked up to him. His overall size compared to the other
guys, it seems he's always mismatched, but he always has a lot
of power, he has good technique on the ground, so I would definitely
love to fight him. I'm in this sport to fight the best. I want
to fight the best guys in the UFC and the best guys everywhere
else."
A
bout against Velasquez may leave people salivating, but as you
might already know, Fedor signing with the world's top promotion
remains to be a pipe dream. There's also increasing talk about
"The Last Emperor" retiring after a few more fights,
making that dream even less likely. If he doesn't join the UFC
before he hangs up the gloves though, Emelianenko says it won't
be his loss. Fedor talked to FightHubTV about it:
"When
my career ends, and I don't fight in the UFC, the UFC will be
sorry, not me"
Source: Bloody Elbow
|
UFC
will not have Wanderlei Silva & Chael Sonnen as TUF 13 coaches
By Zach
Arnold
Which
is a smart move. As much leverage as they have over the relatively
politically weak Keith Kizer, it would have been a bad move to
have Sonnen on TUF so soon after what happened in California
during his appeals hearing. It would have sent a horrible message
for the company’s credibility to ‘reward’ him
so soon after everything that has gone down.
Besides,
there are bigger fish to fry. Like running in Brazil on 8/27
at HSBC Arena and opening up the floodgates for a natural marketplace
for their product. This is big news on a lot of levels. Historically,
UFC is now pulling off what PRIDE always said they would do but
never actually did, which is run a major MMA show in the country
with a rich Brazilian roster of talent. PRIDE had Brazilian Top
Team and Chute Boxe in their corner and didn’t pull it off.
So, for UFC to make the move now is big.
Dana
White is promising that all the major Brazilian names will be
on the HSBC Arena card including Anderson Silva. In hindsight,
he’s in a no-lose situation regarding the outcome of Silva/Belfort
given that the champion will probably defend the title in Brazil.
And imagine Mr. Silva against the aforementioned Mr. Sonnen.
On
a selfish level, I am fascinated to see how this development
plays out in the Brazilian fight media. Who will be pro-UFC,
anti-UFC, etc. Will it turn out in similar fashion to the current
political climate for writers in the States?
What
are some of the fights you would book for the Brazil show that
would draw the most interest from the local fans?
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Saying
Goodbye To The WEC
by Damon
Martin
Little
did Reed Harris know when he started World Extreme Cagefighting
back in 2001, that less than 10 years later they’d be just
one event away from being absorbed into the UFC, the biggest
mixed martial arts promotion in the world.
From
day one, the WEC was a top-notch organization that attracted
talent from all over the world, many who graduated to fight in
the UFC, Strikeforce, and other major promotions. Many of the
fighters that competed on those early WEC cards are still at
the top of the ranks now, headlining cards and involved in some
of the biggest bouts in the sport.
Originally
based out of Lemoore, Calif., the WEC brought in young talent,
veterans, and everything in between to fill out the roster. From
the classic bouts fought between John Polakowski and Olaf Alfonso,
to the light heavyweight tournament that saw the careers of fighters
like Scott Smith, Tim McKenzie, and Justin Levens launched.
On the same night as that tournament, future UFC heavyweight
champion Shane Carwin made his professional MMA debut. The list
of names that fought in the WEC over the years is staggering.
From Gilbert Melendez to Yves Edwards to Chris Lytle to James
Irvin, some of the best fighters in the world competed in the
WEC at one time or another.
MMAWeekly.com
founder Ryan Bennett even worked as commentator for the WEC for
many shows, and covered them while the fledgling promotion started
to get its wings.
Now,
on the eve of the final WEC show ever, many of the fighters competing
on Thursday night’s show in Phoenix admit that they will
carry a heavy heart with them into the cage as they say goodbye
to one of the best promotions MMA has ever known.
Heading
up the card, WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson pays credit
to the promotion for taking a chance on him, giving him an avenue
to build a career.
“I’ll
always have a special place in my heart for the WEC,” Henderson
told MMAWeekly.com. “They’re the ones who kind of gave
me a shot, got my national and international attention while
with the WEC, and just with all that, it’s kind of a bittersweet
moment to see the WEC go, but excited for the move on.”
Fellow
champion Dominick Cruz has been with the WEC for the past few
years and rising from a title fight in his debut bout, he will
go out the same way with a gold belt on the line.
“I
started with them, I think they had one show (under Zuffa) before
I came on with them, so I’ve been with them for a little
over three years,” Cruz commented. “It doesn’t
seem that long, it flew by, so I’ve been with the WEC pretty
much since the beginning when they got their TV deal. It’s
been a heck of a ride, and I’ve learned so, so much by fighting
with the WEC. I’ve learned a lot about myself, I’ve
learned a lot about this business.”
The
sentiment is felt across the board by the fighters. With only
five fights under his belt when he made his debut in the WEC,
Danny Castillo has spent more time with the promotion than he
has outside of it. It’s the opportunity that Castillo will
never forget.
“I’m
kind of sad cause I pretty much started my career there,”
said Castillo. “I was only at seven months of training,
and I got the call on short notice, like five days notice to
take the fight against Donald Cerrone. I took the fight, so I
don’t really know anything else. I see some of the guys
in the gym talking about their hardships of finding opponents,
and an opponent pulling out, or the promoter not getting them
money, but I’ve been in the WEC almost more than half of
my career, so I’ve been kind of spoiled.
“Sean
Shelby and Reed Harris they took the chance on me and I went
through a rough patch where I dropped two straight, and MMA’s
a tough business, a competitive business, and they had the power
to rip up my contract if they wanted to. I feel like they believed
in my abilities and I feel like I owe them a huge, exciting fight.”
Former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland is a fighter
who first appeared in the promotion back in 2006. It was before
Zuffa purchased the promotion, but he stuck around and will close
out the WEC as one of the last fighters to perform for them.
“Without
the WEC, who’s Eddie Wineland? That’s kind of what
got me my name and got me where I am, and that’s helped
me pave the road that I’ve been driving down,” Wineland
said.
For
his sixth fight in the WEC, Anthony Pettis will be going for
the lightweight title and a chance to battle for the UFC championship
on Thursday night. While he may not have spent as much time there
as some others, Pettis will always appreciate what the WEC has
meant to him.
“The
WEC for me was a home and it made me who I am today,” said
Pettis. “I’m just so thankful that the WEC gave me
a chance to show my skills on a huge level like that.”
The
staff of the WEC will transition over to new jobs with the UFC,
and the fighters will switch the colors and logos on their gloves,
but the promotion will live on in those who fought there, bled
there, and built their careers there.
WEC
General Manager and founder Reed Harris looks back with fond
memories of the promotion he helped start, and will say goodbye
Thursday night with nothing but positive experiences that led
the way.
“We
never anticipated or even thought it would grow to the way it
has grown,” Harris told MMAWeekly.com. “It’s a
testament to everyone that worked hard on it. There were a lot
of people that worked hard on the WEC and including Ryan (Bennett),
who helped us out a lot when we were growing.”
The
WEC may say goodbye on Thursday night, but the legacy of the
little promotion that could will live on in every fan that experienced
their special brand of MMA over the years. That can never be
forgotten.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Chinzo
Machida returns to MMA competiton tomorrow, aims for UFC slot
eventually
Chinzo Machida is today coming back to MMA action at WFE Platinum
tomorrow in Salvador, Bahia, after a four-year layoff.
Chinzo
is Lyoto Machida’s coach is 1-1 in the sport and faces off
with Leonardo Laiola (4-1 tonight. He spoke with Fighters Only’s
friend in Brasil, Blog Mano a Mano.
Enjoy
this English-language interview courtesy of Eduardo Cruz, in
which Chinzo Machida speaks about the focus on his brother and
karate and admiration he feels for UFC heavyweight Cain Velasquez.
Blog
Mano a Mano: Why did you stay away from the rings in latest years?
Chinzo
Machida: I was dedicating so much to Lyoto and karate. At the
same time, I was training jiu-jitsu to fix some holes in my game.
I’m brown belt today. As the sport develops, I had to recicle.
I spent some time preparing me more.
When
did you notice it was time to return?
I
perceived my evolution. I’ve been training with people who
have fought in high-level events and I’ve faced them in
the same level. Then I noticed that it’s time to test myself
again in MMA.
What’s
the danger to square off Leonardo Laiola?
Every
opponent is dangerous. Just the fact he is there shows that is
dangerous. My adversary owns five bouts and four wins. I know
he is black belt. His fights go on standing many times. He likes
this but he might take me down. For me standing is better.
Have
you got the mission of fighting at UFC one day?
I
have of course. It’s the biggest event in the world. There
are the best. I don’t know the criteria to fight there but
I have already spoken with my manager [Jorge Guimarães]
and he told me I have to put on some fights before. First in
Brazil, after we will see. It’s a dream I long for but I
have to improve my scorecard.
If
the chance to fight at UFC doesn’t come up will you stop
performing again?
I’m
fighting for pleasure. Have been non-stop training and the match-up
is a consequence of this. I don’t think about stopping even
without UFC. I’ve got to walk a step a time. My turn will
arrive.
Besides
your brother, what fighter inspires you?
Cain
Velasquez is a man who I admire for his determination, energy
and preparation. He’s a focused guy and has all the makings
to stay as the heavyweight champion for a long time.
WFE
card highlights:
Middleweight
title fight: Bruno Carioca (7-0) x Daniel Acacio (22-10)
Lightweight title fight: Erick Parrudo (6-2) x Jorjão
Rodrigues (21-5)
Chinzo Machida (1-1) x Leonardo Laiola (4-1)
Ednaldo Lula (7-0-1) x Gerônimo Mondragon (19-11)
Source: Fighters Only
|
UFC's
Abu Dhabi Return Scrapped; Newark Likely for March Event
By Mike
Chiappetta
An expected March 2011 return trip to Abu Dhabi in the United
Arab Emirates has been scrapped by the UFC, a source from the
company confirmed to MMA Fighting.
The
UFC had initially planned to host an event there in the first
quarter of 2011, but last week, company president Dana White
admitted it was no lock.
Now,
the UAE trip is off the radar for the time being, although the
source said the company will examine a return there later in
the year.
The
UFC made its maiden voyage there on April 10, 2010, seeing Frankie
Edgar capture the lightweight title in an upset over BJ Penn,
while Anderson Silva retained his middleweight crown with a decision
over Demian Maia.
The
region is known for its hot climate, and temperatures can climb
as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Because the
city has outdoor-only arenas, the timing of athletic events requires
extra consideration.
Abu
Dhabi became a target destination for the UFC just recently.
In early January 2010, the UFC announced that Flash Entertainment,
a subsidiary of the government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, had
purchased a 10 percent stage in Zuffa, the UFC's parent company.
It
is expected that the March 19 date targeted for Abu Dhabi will
be moved to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Memories
from the WEC
Jeff Sherwood
Thursday
night in Glendale, Ariz., what started nine years ago at the
humble Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif., will
come to a bittersweet end in the Jobing.com Arena, when the final
chapter of World Extreme Cagefighting is written.
In
its infancy, it was an entertaining promotion in California's
Central Valley that helped launch the careers of Gilbert Melendez,
Nick and Nate Diaz, Chris Leben, Mike Swick, Brandon Vera, Scott
Smith, "Razor" Rob McCullough, Joe Riggs and others.
It made the jump from a DVD-only pleasure to live broadcasts
on the then-fledgling HDNet, a major move for a regional MMA
promotion at the time.
When
UFC parent company Zuffa purchased the promotion in December
2006, WEC's place in the hearts and minds of the MMA public was
radically transformed.
WEC
was the launching pad for the career of Gilbert Melendez.Under
Zuffa's ownership, WEC quickly became the nexus of the bantamweight
and featherweight divisions, bringing the 135- and 145-pound
divisions to the masses and cementing the likes of Urijah Faber,
Jose Aldo, Miguel Torres and Dominick Cruz among others as budding
stars.
From
the pentagon to the Octagon, Olaf Alfonso-John Polakowski to
Henderson-Cerrone, Heavyweight Explosion to bantamweight exposure,
it's been a thrilling ride. Now, on the eve of WEC 53, Sherdog.com's
staff recall their fondest and favorite WEC memories.
Memories
from the Tachi
TJ
De Santis: The one thing I will always remember about the WEC
was its accessibility -- or lack thereof -- pre-Zuffa. I avidly
listened to Ryan Bennett's show on MMAWeekly to get the breakdown
of the latest upcoming card. Then, I would have to search out
a place that had HDNet, which was obscure and hard to find back
then. People might not think that is a big deal now, but in 2003
there weren't fights on Spike and HDNet was almost impossible
to find.
Greg
Savage: It was Oct. 18, 2002, in Lemoore, Calif. I had little
inkling that I was about to witness something historic that night,
but I was lucky enough to be on hand for the professional debut
of one of the best lightweight fighters in the world. Before
the show got underway, a young kid approached Jeff Sherwood and
myself during fighter check-in. This mop-topped adolescent had
recognized Sherwood as the proprietor of Sherdog.com and informed
us that he was a big fan of the site. As fate would have it,
one of the fighters who was scheduled to compete that evening
suddenly dropped out -- a common occurrence in those days --
and in stepped our new friend. When ring announced Jeff Weller
screamed "Gilbert Melendez" into the microphone, it
was the first time I'd heard the name. After his impressive outing
against a wildly aggressive Gary Quan, I knew it wouldn’t
be the last. The 20-year-old kid went on to become the WEC’s
very first lightweight champion in 2004 and has gone on to even
greater heights as the sport has grown up alongside him.
Tim
Leidecker: My fondest WEC memory an old one: Frank Shamrock’s
return to action after being away from the game for over two
years. After a dominating stint in the UFC, everybody was really
curious whether “The Legend” still had it in him when
he stepped into the cage against Bryan Pardoe at WEC 6. Frank
was a little rusty, but still only needed a little less than
two minutes to submit the “Pain Inducer.”
Keith
Mills: Kneeling on the floor of a large tent on a chilly late
winter evening is not the ideal shooting situation, but WEC 6
in March 2003 was worth it. Future UFC vets Chris Sanford, Tim
McKenzie, Brandon Wolff, Brodie Farber, Mike Swick, Jeremy Jackson,
and Gil Castillo fought on this card, not to mention Shonie Carter
and future Strikeforce ace Gil Melendez. But it was another future
Strikeforce champ, a 19-year-old Nick Diaz, who lived up to the
hype as he destroyed 11-2 former KOTC champion (back when that
still meant something) Joe Hurley. Diaz rocked him with a right
before pinning him to the cage for a takedown and a quick kimura,
all in 1:55. The two were positioned just right for a photo of
Hurley’s elbow popping out of the socket as he screamed
in pain. This photo became my first cover shot for Full Contact
Fighter; every day I wake up and see the framed cover on my wall.
Jordan
Breen: Admittedly, I’ll remember WEC for legitimizing the
bantamweight and featherweight divisions and turning the world
on to sub-lightweight fighting. However, the first WEC moment
that truly gripped me was the nuclear war between Olaf Alfonso
and John Polakowski at WEC 9. Polakowski, a kickboxer by trade,
took the fight -- his first in MMA -- on just hours notice, and
started his MMA career by nearly decapitating Olaf’s in
the first 10 seconds. The level of violence that erupted over
15 minutes was positively bananas, a once-in-a-lifetime smash-up
that prompted a trilogy between the two. Most importantly, the
war they waged was one of the most crucial fights in convincing
fans that there was a thrilling, provocative world of MMA beyond
the UFC and Pride. By brilliantly demonstrating the value of
keeping an eye on regional MMA, Alfonso-Polakowski 1 helped establish
the robust climate of MMA we now enjoy, and that the Zuffa-led
WEC would capitalize on so richly.
Daniel
Archuleta: My favorite WEC memory had to be at WEC 19 when "Razor"
Rob McCullough KO'ed Olaf and sent his mouthpiece flying. It
was a sweet combination of a kick to the midsection, a crisp
right hand to the jaw that sent Olaf's mouthguard into orbit,
then one of the most vicious beatings on the ground I've ever
seen. I could watch that clip over and over.
Wes
Sims dedicated his dropkick to the memory of Ryan Bennett.Dave
Mandel: The one night that will always resonate with me is the
WEC 22 Ryan Bennett Memorial. The image of Herb Dean smacking
Jason Guida’s hands as Guida attempted an atomic wedgie
was unforgettable, as was Wes Sims' failed dropkick on Joel Suprenant,
a move the late Bennett had always told Wes he wanted to see
him pull off. Knowing that Sims had turned down a handsome payday
to fight on the card kind of summed it up. Fight nights come
and go, but Scott Adams and Reed Harris did something special
that night in honoring a friend and colleague, proving that MMA
isn't always about gate receipts and PPV buys.
Everybody
Loves WEC 36
Ryan
O'Leary: WEC 36 is the card that I'll remember the most for its
highlight-reel knockouts and unexpected wackiness. The event,
already pushed back due to a hurricane, dragged an uninterested
and seven-pound overweight Paulo Filho back into the cage against
Chael Sonnen. Seeing the end of Filho's undefeated streak couldn't
have come in a more unspectacular fashion.
This
memorable "fight" was contrasted by some vicious beatdowns,
including Leonard Garcia's pummeling of Jens Pulver, Aaron Simpson's
18-second KO of David Avellan, and Mike Thomas Brown's shocking
right-hand bomb on the chin of Urijah Faber.
Brian
Knapp: The WEC 36 bout between “Razor” Rob McCullough
and Donald Cerrone continues to hold a prominent place in my
memory bank, perhaps because I had the good fortune of being
in Hollywood, Fla., to see it in the flesh. It was an epic encounter,
ignited by a blistering first round -- Sherdog’s Round of
the Year in 2008 -- that featured five knockdowns, ridiculous
momentum swings and the kind of palpable drama that leaves one
gasping for air and begging for more. Cerrone ultimately won
a unanimous decision from the WEC’s former lightweight king.
That they endured to fight a second and third round was nothing
short of remarkable.
Tristen
Critchfield: My fondest WEC memory comes not from a live event,
but from a fight I watched after the fact. In December 2008 I
received a DVD in the mail -- unsolicited -- from the WEC with
just one bout on the disc: Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone
vs. "Razor" Rob McCullough. At this point you could
call me a casual WEC observer at best -- I watched the events
when I could, but I didn't clear my calendar for any of them.
After I watched Cerrone and McCullough go at it, I was hooked.
Their three-round slugfest epitomizes what the WEC is all about.
Since then, any fight involving Cerrone has been must-see TV.
Chris
Nelson: When it comes to memorable WEC moments, the one that
immediately springs to mind is the first meeting between Urijah
Faber and Mike Thomas Brown in November 2008. After watching
Paulo Filho’s bizarre bout with Chael Sonnen in the co-main
event slot, it was tough to imagine that WEC 36 could get any
more shocking and bizarre. But when Brown -- whom I then knew
mainly as a guy who'd once lost to Genki Sudo -- landed that
big right hand counter to Faber’s ill-conceived elbow strike
and took the California Kid’s title, my jaw dropped. At
the time, Brown's win was a hugely shocking upset. In hindsight,
it changed the course of featherweight -- and probably even Zuffa
-- history.
No Wonder They Put These Two on Pay-Per-View
Rodney
Dean: My first introduction to WEC headliner Urijah Faber was
during an MSNBC documentary on MMA. The fighter presented himself
as a true California Kid, complete with surfer attitude and hippie
parents. One scene stuck with me: before every fight, Faber shaves
his prodigious chin razor-smooth. He says this creates a frictionless
surface wherein his opponent’s hands will find no purchase.
I've always thought Kimbo Slice should have tried this trick.
Jack
Encarnacao: I can still picture Kimbo Slice’s portrait on
the spring 2008 cover of “ESPN: The Magazine.” With
EliteXC set for primetime network TV, the media declared that
Slice, with two pro fights on his record, represented the essence
of MMA. The day after that card, WEC, the little promotion that
could, smashed all of its prior records for a brilliantly-promoted
WEC 34, headlined by Urijah Faber-Jens Pulver. 12,682 fans packed
Arco Arena in Sacramento for the fight, a record WEC crowd. An
average of 1.54 million people tuned in on Versus, a level several
UFC events on Spike don’t reach. Faber-Pulver and the Miguel
Torres-Yoshiro Maeda fights were crackerjack affairs that exemplified
how dynamic the sport can be. Jose Aldo and Mike Thomas Brown
made their WEC debuts on the undercard. I loved the fights and
what they represented, the promise that this brand of MMA could
also move the needle, not just the dumbed-down version that fleetingly
had the nation’s attention the night before. That weekend,
it was WEC 34 that captured mixed martial arts’ essence.
Faber-Pulver
1 put the WEC 145-pound division on the global map.Tomasz Marciniak:
It was special to watch Urijah Faber try to get his title back
in his hometown of Sacramento against his conqueror Mike Thomas
Brown, who, at that point in time, really tore through the division.
The crowd reactions during the walkouts, the deafening cheers
before the showering boos; it had the atmosphere of an epic fight.
With two broken hands, Faber desperately tried to make something
happen, throwing elbows and refusing to give up. It was not unlike
Monty Python’s "Black Knight," to whom dismemberment
was merely a flesh wound. Unfortunately, as in the sketch, Faber
succumbed to Brown, who retained his title in an instant classic.
Jake
Rossen: The Mike Thomas Brown-Urijah Faber rematch stands out
to me. Faber's confidence was in question following the TKO loss
in their first fight, Brown was the worst possible match-up for
him, he broke his right hand in the first and dislocated his
left thumb ...but he still went five hard rounds, doing whatever
he could with the weapons he had left. I put off going to the
dentist; this is a level of attrition I don't understand. Faber's
best performance.
Mike
Sloan: One of my closest friends, Cathy DeShazer, was a huge
Urijah Faber fan. There was something about “The California
Kid” that that made him her absolute favorite fighter to
watch. As a member of the media, I never ask for autographs,
but I texted Urijah to see if he could hook Cathy up. Even though
he'd just lost his featherweight title to Mike Brown, Urijah
wasted no time in sending me a glossy photo of him signed to
Cathy. When she opened up the oversized envelope and saw what
was in it, the expression of joy on her face was priceless. It
was something simple yet so powerful and for that I always hold
Faber in much higher regard than 99 percent of the other fighters
out there. Cathy unfortunately lost her life in a tragic car
crash the following summer, but whenever I feel down in the dumps
or whenever I miss Cathy’s presence, I always think of how
Urijah Faber made her the happiest person on the planet that
morning and it changes my mood for the better.
Chris
Foster: The first memory that enters my mind was WEC 38. Greg
Savage and I went to the San Diego Sports Arena, and Jose Aldo
absolutely destroyed local favorite Rolando Perez. The entire
crowd was pro-Perez, the hometown fighter, and were against Aldo.
Yes, Aldo completely dominated him and it was exciting, but it
was him immediately jumping out of the cage and running 70 rows
up into the stands that makes the memory so great. I thought
the fans were going to jump him for beating their boy, and instead
he was on his way to becoming a star.
Jose
Aldo's title win against Mike Thomas Brown was an emotional one.Marcelo
Alonso: My favorite WEC moment was seeing Jose Aldo beat Mike
Thomas Brown for the featherweight title, then crying in the
cage. I've been following this guy since he was a purple belt;
I saw him sleeping in the Nova Uniao dojo after he came from
Manaus to Rio, and later living in a favela. But, that moment
when he won the belt, I could just remember his mother telling
me, “When he was a very young kid, he said, 'Mom, one day
I´ll see the ocean.'" For that poor woman, just seeing
the ocean was a huge dream to achieve, and there is her son with
a world title on his shoulder, recognized all over the world.
He's such a source of pride for his humble family.
Mike
Whitman: I didn't think Jose Aldo was going to beat Mike Thomas
Brown at WEC 44. Yes, "Junior" had ravaged every man
put in front of him since he joined the organization the year
before, but Brown was a different breed. Humongous for 145 and
strong as an ox, Brown had conquered one of the sports finest
competitors in Urijah Faber, and he did it twice. Aldo's jaw-dropping
destruction of Cub Swanson was impressive, but I didn't think
for one second that he'd repeat the trick against Brown.
And
yet, he did. Brown had nothing for the Brazilian. Aldo was too
fast, too strong, too accurate. What he did to the champion that
night made my eyes pop out of my skull. Aldo had his coming out
party that night, and I had my wake-up call. It will be a long,
long time before I ever make him an underdog again.
Gleidson
Venga: Jose Aldo's performance against Urijah Faber showed the
lessons of his teacher: Aldo is a declared fan of Pedro Rizzo,
and he always says in his interviews that Rizzo was one of his
first teachers and a great source of inspiration. But it's impossible
to watch that fight without remembering of the master of Rizzo,
the legendary Marco Ruas. 15 years ago, At UFC 7, Ruas destroyed
the legs of the giant Paul Varelans with strong kicks, showing
the strength of muay Thai. Against Faber, Aldo gave his own muay
Thai class, leaving the legs of his opponent destroyed and the
crowd in awe. Sure, it wasn't a knockout, but after a show like
that, who cares?
General
Loveliness and Nostalgia
Todd
Martin: When I look back at WEC, I think I’ll most fondly
remember the early Zuffa shows at the Hard Rock. Zuffa’s
lighter weight class oriented WEC shows had the appeal of an
underground record or cult movie. The excitement wasn’t
just that you were getting the best action shows in the world,
it was that you were in on a secret that most MMA fans weren’t
aware of. WEC’s formula would become more successful over
time, like a band or director that finally made it. The television
ratings rose, the promotion moved to much bigger buildings, and
Urijah Faber became a genuine star. But those early days, with
all the same action but none of the bells and whistles, felt
like a special little treat just for fans who really loved the
sport.
Lutfi
Sariahmed: When looking over all the different WEC moments over
the last decade, I can't really narrow it down to my one or two
favorites, which is what made WEC so great. We've seen the major
development of the featherweight and bantamweight divisions,
and the lightweights had their fair share of big fights too.
Each fight card offered us a potential title change we seemingly
never saw coming. There was never a dull moment and all of it
was on basic cable for the past few years.
Guilherme
Pinheiro: The thing I'm going to miss the most about WEC is that
certain feeling that a card would deliver. From Joe Martinez
in the cage to Sean Shelby behind-the-scenes, WEC events were
always action-packed and fun to watch from top to bottom. I feel
compelled to mention Shelby's body of work as the WEC matchmaker.
The promotion really hit its stride after he assumed matchmaking
duty. Part of the reason the WEC delivered so many fun fights
in the last few years is Shelby's skill at putting fights together
and helping drive the bantamweight and featherweight divisions
forward. Now everyone else will get to see those skills in the
UFC.
All the Other Magic
Jason
Probst: At an early 2007 show, Paris and Nicky Hilton materialized
out of nowhere during the prelims, sitting in comped front-row
seats. They were completely unseen for several minutes; it was
like I was the only person that noticed, which was surreal. I
contemplated approaching them and asking if they had any 20-sided
dice on them, but they probably hear that all the time. They
said nothing, merely preening and staring ahead. Nicky looked
like she was about to fall asleep. When someone did notice, and
the stampede ensued. Within a few minutes there was a motley
caste making a fuss over them. The ruckus lasted for a while
and then, finally, the group had to be cleared out because apparently
there was a fight or something in a cage nearby. When it died
down, they introduced the dudes kicking off the main card. I
looked again, and Nicky and Paris were gone before the televised
portion began. They were off to their next adventure, no doubt.
Late-arriving people that kept swinging by their empty seats,
only to miss them. I’m sure they scoured the clubs that
night hoping to make up for it. Suckers.
Cameron
Conaway: August 2007 was the first semester I spent across the
country from where my family lived. I was a young grad student
at the University of Arizona already itching to fly back to my
family in Pennsylvania for the holidays. I remember walking in
the door on Dec. 12, shedding tears while I hugged my mom and
sister, then settling into the couch with my stepdad to watch
Urijah Faber against Jeff Curran. Family, love and elite-level
fights on cable -- life was perfect.
D. Mandel
Leonard
Garcia's brawls became part and parcel of the WEC saga.
John
Evans: My fondest WEC memory is any fight with Leonard Garcia.
Skill and athleticism are one thing, but mediocrity with balls
is another, and you've got to admire a guy when you know he is
going to throw hard, gas out and dig deep as if it were all part
of the plan. He loops wild punches with death written all over
them, but when he smiles at an opponent it is out of respect,
or simply because he is having fun. His fights are pure humanity,
a tiny window into some hard, sharp facets of life that those
of us on the outside of the cage wouldn't recognize if he weren't
there to show them to us. That being said, if Jens Pulver would
have had better luck, I'd have found a way to pick him.
Tony
Loiseleur: Living in Japan, most local fighters are too light
to enter the UFC and saw WEC as their opportunity to live out
their dreams of becoming an international professional athlete.
It wasn't uncommon for Japanese featherweights and bantamweights
to ask me "how do I get into WEC?" at various local
events. Invariably, I'd always told them the truth as I knew
it: "just win fights and Zuffa will eventually come calling."
I'd enjoyed watching Takeya Mizugaki in Shooto and Cage Force
for years. After winning the Cage Force bantamweight title, he
reached out to me to do an interview in the hopes of catching
Zuffa's eye to get his shot in the little blue octagon. Two months
later, he got it, fighting then-bantamweight champion Torres
in the main event of WEC 40, where they turned in a five-round
war that one of the best fights of the year. Thanks for the memories,
WEC. It's been real.
Mike
Fridley: On an April night in 2009, Miguel Torres and Takeya
Mizugaki changed the way I will view mixed martial arts for the
rest of my life. As a connoisseur of quick finishes and “don’t
blink, or you’ll miss it” violence, I had long been
opposed to five-round fights, and often voiced this opinion to
my colleague Jordan Breen, a proponent of five-round bouts for
most (if not all) contests. Up until this memorable evening in
the Windy City, where the gutsy challenger gave a dominant champion
all he could handle in his own backyard, visions of excitement
in championship rounds were but a pipe dream. 25 minutes of back-and-forth
action at WEC 40 changed that forever. In one night an outlook
was changed from dreading a fourth round, to craving a sixth.
Rodolfo
Ramon: The first bout that comes to my mind is Donald Cerrone-Benson
Henderson at WEC 43. Both of these men proved to the sports world
the desire and hunger it takes to be a champion in mixed martial
arts. Henderson displayed a sense of perseverance, resilience
and heart in order to capture the gold. It was Sherdog.com's
2009 "Fight of the Year" for a reason. It will go down
in MMA history as one of the most exciting duels of all time.
D. Mandel
Miguel
Torres' wars proved the value in five-round fights.
J.R.
Riddell: Joseph Benavidez came into WEC 47 to face former champion
Miguel Torres, who was hungry coming off just the second loss
in his career at the hands of Brian Bowles. Although he was at
a severe reach disadvantage, Benavidez took Torres to the ground
and destroyed his forehead with an explosive elbow. As a blood-soaked
Torres struggled to get his bearings, Benavidez sunk in a trademark
Team Alpha Male guillotine to earn his biggest victory to date.
Rob
King: Living in Saskatchewan, Canada, I am thousands of miles
away from most big shows so I didn't get to attend a WEC until
WEC 49 in Edmonton. That show turned out to be one of those cards
that looked weak on paper and lacked the big names, but ended
up being an outstanding night of action in the cage. Seeing Mark
Hominick and Yves Jabouin trade in the middle of the blue cage
in person is the first thing I will think of whenever someone
says WEC to me.
Wojek
Rysiewski: My most memorable moment has to be Maciej Jewtuszko’s
debut at WEC 50 in August 2010. Since the moment his fight against
Anthony Njokuani was announced, I thought this was a really bad
stylistic match-up for the Polish lightweight standout. Not only
didn’t I pick my fellow Pole to win, but I predicted a quick
KO victory Njokuani. Imagine my surprise when I learned that
“Irokez” took him out with spinning back elbow in 95
seconds. During the telecast, I prayed for early finishes so
Jewtuszko’s KO would make the broadcast. It didn’t
happen, but they did post the fight on the WEC Web site. I sent
Jewtuszko a congratulatory text; he instantly replied, making
fun of my fight predicting skills. He admitted later that he
wasn’t even aware of Njokuani’s striking skills, and
that his plan was just to throw hands with him in order to earn
a bonus.
Jeff Sherwood: The city of Lemoore, Calif., is mostly military,
housing the Navy’s entire west coast fighter-attack capability.
In June 2001, it got a different kind of fighting profile when
the local Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino partnered with Reed Harris
and Scott Adams to launch World Extreme Cagefighting.
The
first ever WEC poster had a familiar face on it.
“Chuck
[Liddell] was supposed to headline the first show. He was coming
off the Randleman win. I guess Zuffa at that point realized what
they had, a cease and desist letter came in. A bit of ironic
foreshadowing,” former Tachi entertainment director Christian
Printup told me when I called him for this piece.
“There
are probably a few posters still out there somewhere that we
were not able to destroy,” Adams added.
I
drove from Huntington Beach to what seemed like the middle of
nowhere to watch a main event between Dan Severn and Travis Fulton.
If you told me WEC would go on to become one of the most important
parts of MMA over the next decade, and that I’d move to
Lemoore two years later, I would have told you that you were
crazy.
Frank
Shamrock's main eventing helped put WEC on the map.The event
took it to another level when they got Frank Shamrock to come
out of retirement. He had developed relationships in the entertainment
industry after his retirement, and he was going to use his name
and connections to help them run a successful pay-per-view.
He
was scheduled to fight Ricardo Almeida at WEC 4 at the Mohegan
Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. He even got a $25,000
advance. Then, he broke his leg in training, throwing a kick
at Bob Cook. Shamrock instead wound up facing Bryan Pardoe at
WEC 6 in Lemoore.
“I
thought, ‘I can’t fight in Lemoore,’” Shamrock
told me. “But I felt I had to make it right, so I did.”
I
remember how intense the staredown was; it looked like both guys’
muscles were going to explode. When Pardoe landed his right hand
to start the fight, I swear all the oxygen in the tent (yes,
it was in a tent) disappeared. Then, Shamrock calmly pulled off
an armbar in less than two minutes, instantly propelling the
WEC brand.
“After
that show, fighting in the WEC was a much bigger deal for guys,”
Printup told me.
But
even with Frank’s profile, so much was owed to the local
Native American fighters -- after all, this was at the Tachi.
At WEC 1, a local tough, Tony Alanis, was instrumental in bringing
out the Tachi crowd and getting others into training. “The
Tachi Kid” Poppies Martinez… the locals went crazy
when he fought.
WEC
9 in January 2004 took the promotion to another level. Nowadays,
we all know HDNet is a major MMA backer, but back then, MMA was
barely on TV, and HDNet was a new novelty.
“HDNet
was a game changer for the WEC,” Scott Adams told me when
we reminisced over the card.
It
was a crazy event. Mike Swick and Chris Leben, before the TUF
days, went to war. I saw Olaf Alfonso’s crooked nose get
even worse in his famous battle with John Polakowski. I remember
thinking I was going to run out of space on my memory card shooting
pictures of the fight because there was so much action.
Later,
I was in awe, in shock, as I watched Joe Riggs destroy Alex Stiebling.
I really thought Alex might die in the cage, but bloody as he
was, he came back to submit his opponent. Four months later,
he did the exact same thing to Tim McKenzie after another scary
beating. Alex Steibling was the real life Rocky for those two
fights.
Most
MMA fans would never have had the WEC 10 fight between Mike Serr
and Rafael Real on their radar, but it was huge for locals. There
wasn’t an empty seat; I’ve never felt so much pressure
in a venue and it was just two local tough guys fighting. It
was the first time I realized you didn’t need marquee names
if the matchmaking is done right.
A
pudgy 22-year-old Gilbert Melendez became the first WEC lightweight
champ that night. I saw his blue-and-yellow flower shorts, and
laughed with my buddy that he’d forgotten his fight shorts
at home. Even today, when I see him with the Strikeforce title,
I think of those shorts.
WEC
13 brought me back to the old school. I was hooked at UFC 1,
so of course I would be pumped about a heavyweight tournament.
It
was sloppy at times, but did I love it? Heck yes. The smallest
man, a kid named Brandon Vera, ended up taking the whole thing.
It
was always a treat to see -- and hear -- “Mr. International”
Shonie Carter fight. He had a speech after every fight, inviting
all the women to come to his afterparty, before afterparties
were even cool.
That
night, he fought a Brazilian kid, Jorge Oliveira, who was supposedly
making his debut. I remember Shonie walking to me after the fight,
beaten and bloody, and saying, “Hey Sherdog: first fight
my ass!”
The
late Justin Levens' rise in WEC was thrilling for all to watch.I
was excited for weeks before WEC 17 because of their four-man
light heavyweight tournament, which was set to feature Scott
Smith, Tim McKenzie, Justin Levens, Oliveira and alternates Vernon
White and Alex Stiebling. Then, injuries struck, and somehow
Tait Fletcher ended up in the finals against Scott Smith. It
all set up a major fight with Smith and Levens three months later.
“The
Smith- Levens fight on the next show, that was special. You could
see that the winner was going to get a big call-up,” Printup
recalled.
It
was the kind of fight Smith has become known for: in less than
two minutes, he got seriously hurt, only to come back and knock
Levens out. It only lasted 1:58.
Then,
“The California Kid” came to town.
I
had watched every one of Urijah Faber’s fights prior to
WEC except one. I knew he’d be something special. The night
he took the belt from Cole Escovedo, it really surprised a lot
of people, but I knew this kid had championship potential.
On
a sidenote, that was the same night that Rob McCullough nearly
killed poor Olaf, after Jon Schorle went to fetch his mouthpiece.
When
we showed up for WEC 24 in October 2006, we had no idea this
would be the last local WEC show, before they teamed up with
Zuffa. When I talked to Adams about it, he told me a great story
about the main event -- a lightweight title fight between Hermes
Franca and a 21-year-old Nate Diaz -- that he’d never told
anyone on the record before.
“I
made a little mistake,” he laughed. “I told Franca’s
camp it was going to be three five-minute rounds, and told Diaz’s
camp it would be five five-minute rounds. I had Dana White, Lorenzo
Fertitta and Kirk Hendrick coming to see the show, then I made
a mistake and my main event was about to fall apart.
Adams
said both sides refused to budge on what they’d agreed to.
Eventually, Cesar Gracie told him to talk to Nick Diaz one-on-one.
Nick told him that Nate would fight three five-minute rounds
if he got a flat purse of $12,000. Adams wrote him the check.
“I
didn’t tell anyone, not even Reed,” Adams remembered.
“He called me on it a month or so later.”
I
still always picture WEC here at The Palace. For a smaller organization
to be able to put together great fighters and fights in a small
town like Lemoore is a great feat. I made some special friends
during this time and covering WEC made some previous friendships
even stronger. My good friend, the late Ryan Bennett, was huge
in WEC’s success, and I was able to spend more time with
him because of those shows. I’ll never forget that.
Josh
Rosenthal might do main events in the UFC now, but he used to
have to listen to me complain about his refereeing all the time
(hey, he asked). But, to see that Josh took the criticism to
heart and worked hard to get better at an important, but thankless
job is something special.
I
can’t forget all the kids who fought there, just trying
to make a name for themselves. I remember watching Levens mature
as a fighter; his battles with Oliveira and Smith were a treat
to anyone. Though it’s still hard to reconcile the circumstances
of his death, I still smile when I think of getting a call from
him, hearing him crying on the phone, telling me he had made
it to the UFC.
Lemoore
is my home now; it makes me happy I made that four-hour drive
to WEC 1 almost 10 years ago. But, as I pack my bags to head
out to Glendale for the final WEC, I just can’t help but
feel sad, knowing it can’t be replaced.
Source: Sherdog
|
Kurt
Pellegrino Draws Gleison Tibau In New Jersey At UFC 129
by Damon
Martin
Kurt
Pellegrino will get to fight at home for his next bout in the
UFC as the New Jersey native announced on Twitter Wednesday that
he would face Gleison Tibau at UFC 129 in his home state in March.
The
March 19 card originally set for Abu Dhabi has since been moved
to the Prudential Center in New Jersey, which last hosted UFC
111 in March of this year with Georges St-Pierre facing Dan Hardy
in the main event.
Pellegrino
also fought on that card getting a submission win over Fabricio
Camoes, and looks to repeat that performance in March. The New
Jersey fighter last stepped into the Octagon in July losing a
unanimous decision to George Sotiropoulos.
Hoping
to derail Pellegrino in his home state will be American Top Team
fighter Gleison Tibau as he tries to rebound from a loss of his
own to Jim Miller back in September.
During
his UFC tenure, Tibau has gone 7-5 over his career with the promotion
and will look to avoid back-to-back losses when he faces Pellegrino
in March.
The
lightweight bout between Pellegrino and Tibau will likely end
up on the preliminary portion of the card, but no official word
has come from the UFC about the show or line-up for UFC 129.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
WEC
53 Results & Play-by-Play
SRenan "Barao" Pegado vs. Chris Cariaso
Round 1
Bantamweights start our night out in Phoenix. Overseeing this
contest is Neil Sarembock. The two men touch gloves to start
the bout. Cariaso fires a kick to the body but the Brazilian
answers with a stiff jab. Cariaso fires another kick to the body
but slips to the floor. Barao follows him to the floor and settles
in to the guard. Barao passes to side mount briefly before Cariaso
manages to regain half guard. In a scramble, Barao takes the
back of his opponent and locks in a body triangle. He fishes
for the rear-naked choke and quickly sinks it. Cariaso is forced
to tap at 3:37 of the first round.
Ricardo
Lamas vs. Yuri Alcantara
Round 1
Alcantara starts the action of the lightweight bout with a knee
to the body of Lamas, which initiates the clinch. The two men
separate and Lamas lands a stiff jab to the face. Lamas clinches
and pushes the Brazilian in to the fence. Lamas uses some dirty
boxing to pepper the side of his opponent. Lamas disengages and
the two men separate. From there, Alcantara puts an end to Lamas
night, landing a crushing overhand left to the jaw. Alcantara
walks away before referee Ron Nation can intervene to save the
unconscious Lamas. The end comes at 3:26 of the first round.
Danny
Castillo vs. Will Kerr
Round 1
Overseeing this lightweight tilt is referee Herb Dean. Kerr starts
aggressive with a flying knee that misses. Castillo gets a takedown
but fights off a guillotine. Kerr gives it up and tries for an
armbar. When that fails, he switches to a leglock. The Team Alpha
Male product fights it off. Castillo stands and rains down punches
while Kerr still attacks the leg. Kerr's sub attempt goes by
the wayside as Castillo knocks him cold with three vicious right
hands. Herb Dean stops the punishment at 1:25.
Eddie
Wineland vs. Ken Stone
Round 1
Referee Sarembock is overseeing the action. Wineland eats a Stone
low kick to the inner part of his lead leg. Stone fires another
and it finds the mark as well. Stone wings a spinning-back fist
that finds the face of the former champion. Wineland clinches
and Kerr frames up a guillotine. Jumping to guard Stone locks
up the body triangle but Wineland walks him to the fence. Wineland
gets his hands on the chest of his opponent and slams him violently
to the mat. The fight is over at 2:11 as Stone is out. The scene
is grim as Stone is put on a stretcher. He is put on a bed and
wheeled out.
Brad
Pickett vs. Ivan Menjivar
Round 1
Bantamweights are in the cage with the third man being Ron Nation.
The two fighters touch gloves to start the bout. A jab lands
for Menjivar but he misses with the right cross. Pickett shoots
in and take Menjivar to the floor. The Canadian makes space and
gets back to his feet. They clinch and Menjivar finds a home
to the side of Pickett's face for a left elbow. Pickett digs
a left to the body of Menjivar. A right lands by Menjivar. Picketts
tries to answer with a flying knee. The Englishman misses, and
he is cut. Menjivar misses a spinning-back fist and "One
Punch" ducks under and secures a takedown. The round ends.
10-9 Menjivar.
Round
2
Pickett starts the round with a left low kick that catches Menjivar
low. For a brief moment a respite is called, but Menjivar is
game quickly. In the break you can see Menjivar is the man with
a cut. Earlier in round one it appeared the Pickett was cut,
but it is not the case. Back at it, Pickett lands a combination
that staggers Menjivar. "The Pride of El Salvador"
responds with a flurry of punches that has Pickett on the run.
The crowd is oohing as Pickett is hurt. Wise to the situation,
he shoots and puts Menjivar on his back. Menjivar goes for an
armbar, but it fails. The attempt opens up a chance for Pickett
to take the back. From there he goes for an armbar on Menjivar
that is deep. However he gets free and the fight goes back to
the feet. The round ends. 10-9 Menjivar.
Round
3
The two men clinch to start the third round. Menjivar throws
some knees from the inside and Pickett gets free and circles.
The two fighters exchange jabs and circle. Pickett lands a low
kick to the lead leg of Menjivar. Pickett eats a jab but answers
with a left hook. Menjivar is on his heels for a moment and recovers.
Pickett launches a left uppercut that misses. Menjivar fires
a jab and Pickett answers with a jab of his own. The fight ends.
10-9 Pickett.
The
judges see 29-28 for Brad Pickett across the board. The crowd
is mixed in its opinion of the official decision.
Jamie
Varner vs. Shane Roller
Round 1
Herb Dean will officiate this lightweight tilt. Varner starts
the contest pawing the jab. A stiff one finds the face of Roller.
Another followed by a right cross lands for the former WEC champion.
Roller responds with a jab of his own. Varner goes high with
a right kick but Roller defends. A hard left drops Roller, but
he is coherent and shoots in on Varner. In the scramble, Roller
takes the back of his opponent. Varner is stands and is in no
danger. Varner then tries to slam Roller but it's to his detriment.
Roller secures the choke and Varner is forced to tap. The end
comes at 3:55 via rear-naked choke.
Tie
Quan Zhang vs. Daniel Downes
Round 1
Ron Nation starts our final preliminary bout of the evening.
Downes flips a lead left low kick out to the lead leg of Zhang.
"The Mongolian Wolf" shoots in and passes to side.
From there, he executes a straight armbar with his legs. Downes
yelps in pain but moves and is free. In a scramble, Zhang takes
the back and looks for a rear-naked choke. Zhang has the forearm
under the chin, but Downes will not go down without a fight.
After a few minutes of defending it, Downes is able to roll free
from the choke and into his opponent's guard. Downes stands and
the fight continues on the feet. It is only there for a moment
though, as Downes takes the fight back to the floor. Zhang shoots
his hips high and bellies out with the armbar. Downes is a warrior
and survives this attempt too. The round ends. 10-9 Zhang.
Round
2
Downes throws light punches and kicks at Zhang until the Chinese
fighter shoots in for a takedown. Downes sprawls and gets on
top of Zhang. Downes stands above the grounded Zhang, who looks
to be tired. Downes passes the legs and takes the back of Zhang.
With a body triangle locked in, Downes is fishing for the choke
but Zhang defends and is able to force "Danny Boy"
back to half. With a minute remaining in the frame, Zhang looks
to have little to nothing left in the gas tank. Downes finishes
the round landing a hard elbow from guard. Which has opened up
the face of Zhang. 10-9 Downes.
Round
3
The final frame sees Zhang throw a hard right hand that misses
and he flops to his back. Downes follows him to the floor and
a scramble ensues. Zhang is on top for a brief moment, but Downes
makes space and gets on top himself. Zhang locks up a full guard,
but Downes stacks. He passes the legs of Zhang, who turtles.
Downes takes the back and secures a body triangle. Ninety seconds
remain and Downes frames up an arm-triangle and tries to move
to side, but is forced to settle for half. He then loses the
choke but secures the back again. The round expires. 10-9 Downes.
The
judges see it 29-28 (twice) and 30-27, all for Danny Downes,
the winner by unanimous decision.
Bart
Palaszewski vs. Kamal Shalorus
Round 1
Neil Sarembock officiates the first televised bout of the evening.
Shalorus opens up with a big left hand, then puts Palaszewski
on his back as they tie up. Working from Palaszewski’s guard,
Shalorus slams hard right hands to the body and head. Palaszewski
is against the base of the cage and tries for an armbar, but
Shalorus stands and escapes danger. Shalorus stacks Palaszewski
up and wails away with powerful punches. Palaszewski covering
up well, but not offering much in return. Sarembock twice warns
Palaszewski for grabbing the cage to spin himself around as Shalorus
stands over him. Back into Palaszewski’s guard goes Shalorus
and Sarembock warns Palaszewski again. Palaszewski gets back
to his feet and lands a hard left, responding with some nice
leg kicks. The lightweights exchange low kicks to the end of
the round.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Round
2
Straight back to the kicking battle as the second round opens.
Palaszewski’s look to be more effective, though Shalorus
is not slowing down. Shalorus is maintaining the center of the
cage as Palaszewski circles right along the fence. Shalorus airmails
a murderous overhand right. Glancing head kick lands for Palaszewski,
who’s relocated to the middle now. Shalorus moves in for
a takedown, but eats a right hand and can’t finish the shot.
Shalorus picks Palaszewski’s left leg standing and brings
him down with ease. Butterfly guard for Palaszewski as Shalorus
lands short punches to the ribs. Shalorus scoots Palaszewski
against the base of the fence and tees off with punches as Palaszewski
gets to his feet. Palaszewski lands another glancing head kick
and taunts Shalorus to bring the fight as the round expires.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Shalorus
Round
3
Shalorus charges with a flurry and lands a hard, looping right.
He fakes a shot and Palaszewski steps backward. A few seconds
later, he shoots for real and dumps Palaszewski to the mat with
a single. Palaszewski is up against the fence, though, and pops
right back up. Now Palaszewski is finding his jab, coming forward
with two- and three-piece combos. Solid left hook connects for
Palaszewski and Shalorus replies by dumping him down with another
single-leg in the middle of the cage. Two minutes to go in the
fight and Shalorus is looking to pass to Palaszewski’s left.
Short punches from Shalorus and elbows from Palaszewski on the
bottom. Shalorus now landing some short, hard elbows from half-guard.
Palaszewski gets to his feet with a minute left and hits a head
kick, then a step-in knee. Right hand from Palaszewski finds
the jaw of a fatiguing Shalorus with ease before the fight ends.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Palaszewski (29-28 Shalorus)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Palaszewski (29-28 Shalorus)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Palaszewski (29-28 Shalorus)
Judge
Chris Flores scores the bout 30-27 Shalorus; Nelson “Doc”
Hamilton scores it 29-28 Palaszewski; and Craig Harmon scores
it 29-28 for Kamal Shalorus, the winner by split decision.
According
to data from CompuStrike, Shalorus out-landed Palaszewski 95-85
in total strikes, and 49-0 in power ground strikes.
Donald
Cerrone vs. Chris Horodecki
Round 1
Herb Dean is the ref for this lightweight contest. Horodecki
fires a head kick off the bat, then begins swinging away with
combinations as Cerrone looks to tie up. Horodecki steps in and
takes an inside thigh kick to the cup. Horodecki recovers quickly,
but he’s already cut around the inside of his right eye.
Cerrone catches Horodecki coming in, gets an underhook and bulls
Horodecki down. Cerrone looks to hop into mount, but Horodecki
escapes to his feet. Right hand from Horodecki lands over the
top. Cerrone going to work with kicks to the outside of Horodecki’s
left leg, then ties up and lands a knee to the breadbasket. Cerrone
steps in with an uppercut, eats a leg kick from Horodecki, then
hits the “Polish Hammer” with a stiff jab. Nice punch
to the body by Horodecki, who catches a telegraphed kick from
Cerrone. Horodecki trips Cerrone down with 90 seconds left in
the round, but “Cowboy” is quickly back on his feet.
Cerrone trips Horodecki now, but winds up on his back, where
he tries for an armbar that doesn’t come. Back on the feet,
Horodecki slaps a left kick to the ribs of Cerrone, who plows
Horodecki down and takes his back as the round ends.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cerrone
Round
2
Horodecki tries another head kick early, but this one is easily
blocked by Cerrone. Horodecki with a takedown and Cerrone quickly
gets an omoplata. “Cowboy” moves to the side briefly,
then back to guard. From there, he locks up a triangle, but it’s
not tight enough to force the tap. Nonetheless, Horodecki isn’t
going anywhere, even as Cerrone releases the hold, adjusts, and
reapplies it. Finally, after about a minute in the position,
Cerrone rolls to his left and squeezes, increasing the pressure
on Horodecki’s throat. Horodecki is forced to submit to
the triangle choke at the 2:43 mark.
WEC
Bantamweight Championship
Dominick Cruz vs. Scott Jorgensen
Round 1
Referee Neil Sarembock is in charge of the first of two title
bouts. Lots of feints and footwork from the champion early, then
lands a speedy three-piece to the body and head. Kick to the
body and two pawing right hands by Cruz. The champion’s
punches are coming right through Jorgensen’s low guard,
and Jorgensen’s counters aren’t landing. Jorgensen
goes for a takedown and winds up with a rear waistlock on Cruz,
kneeing to the legs. Cruz shucks him off and goes back to dancing,
making Jorgensen swing and miss. Cruz slams a few hard kicks
to Jorgensen’s lead leg. Cruz bobs and weaves, lights Jorgensen
up with an uppercut and another hard low kick. Jorgensen pushes
Cruz into the fence with underhooks, but soon disengages. Cruz
charges in with punches, sprawls on a shot, but is taken down
with Jorgensen powers through. Jorgensen takes the back of the
champion momentarily. He’s too high and Cruz slips out,
finishing the round on top.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round
2
Cruz pops Jorgensen with a stiff jab, then adds a follow-up three-punch
combo. The champ looks to have a small cut on the bridge of his
nose early in the round. Cruz shoots in for a takedown and gets
it with ease, straight into Jorgensen’s closed guard. Left
hands to the body by Cruz as Jorgensen ties up his right. Jorgensen’s
guard is opened up now and Cruz lands a few short elbows. Cruz
punching away with his head down and Jorgensen is warned about
his counters hitting the back of Cruz’s head. Jorgensen
uses the cage to get back to his feet with 30 seconds left. Solid
jumping knee by Cruz. Jorgensen misses with a head kick as the
round expires. According to CompuStrike, Cruz landed 71 total
strikes to Jorgensen’s eight in the second frame.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round
3
Cruz drops Jorgensen with a right straight, but the challenger
pops right back up. Now a wide right connects for Cruz, who follows
up with a three-punch combo and a kick to the right leg. Cruz
bounces a right high kick off Jorgensen’s dome and Jorgensen
doesn’t budge. Phenomenal job by Cruz of evading Jorgensen’s
every strike as the challenger tries to back the champ into the
fence. Low kicks from Cruz seem to be taking their toll on the
left leg of Jorgensen. Cruz picks the leg of Jorgensen in an
exchange and puts him on his back with a minute left. Short punches
to the body by Cruz, followed by hard elbows to the grill. Jorgensen
sweeps and takes Cruz’s back again, but Cruz escapes quickly
and the round ends.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round
4
Hard right hand from Cruz opens the championship rounds, followed
by another takedown. Cruz puts his head down and works from the
closed guard of Jorgensen, who sits up and tries to grab a guillotine.
Nothing doing for Jorgensen and he’s back on the defense,
being jammed up against the base of the cage while Cruz pours
on volume shots. Jorgensen escapes to his feet and chases Cruz
down. They clinch along the fence, jockeying for position. There’s
a good-sized mouse under the right eye of Jorgensen now. They
tie up in the center of the cage and Cruz once more taps the
knee to put Jorgensen on his back. Back on the feet, Cruz lands
a one-two and a knee to the body. Cruz with yet another takedown
to close out the round.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz
Round
5
Cruz sticking Jorgensen with jabs early in the last period. Credit
to Jorgensen, he still hasn’t stopped coming forward. The
champion is just piling on punch-kick-punch combinations through
the first half of the round. Jorgensen ties up and scores a trip
takedown, but can’t hold Cruz down for long. Cruz gets another
takedown of his own with two minutes left and keeps busy with
little shots to the body. Jorgensen doesn’t even close his
guard now, tries for a weak guillotine and abandons it almost
immediately. The fight ends on the feet with Cruz still punching
away, and it should be a clean sweep for the champ.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Cruz (50-45 Cruz)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Cruz (50-45 Cruz)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Cruz (50-45 Cruz)
All
three judges score the bout 50-45 for Dominick Cruz, the final
WEC and first ever UFC bantamweight champion.
Data
from CompuStrike illustrates the dominance of Cruz’s performance,
as the champion landed 104 power strikes to Jorgensen’s
14, out-striking him 283-55 in total.
WEC
Lightweight Championship
Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis
Round 1
Referee Herb Dean will oversee the final bout in WEC history.
Champion and challenger share an intense staredown as Dean gives
them their final instructions. No touch of gloves to start the
bout. Henderson assumes the center of the cage in a southpaw
stance. Flashy switch kick by Henderson lands on the arm of Pettis,
and Pettis fires off a high kick of his own. Both men are very
tentative through the opening two minutes. Finally, Henderson
rushes forward with a nice leg kick and two-punch combo. Henderson
muscles Pettis into the cage with double underhooks and knees
to the outside thigh. Pettis mimes a yawn, but is tripped to
the mat shortly thereafter. Pettis’ back is to the cage
and he throws up his legs, hunting for a triangle or armbar,
but Henderson steps back and slips loose. Back on the feet and
Pettis lands a solid leg kick, then a jab. Push kick by Pettis
sends Henderson stumbling backward. Henderson ties up and reaps
the leg of Pettis, tripping him to the mat and stacking him up
to land a few punches just before the round ends.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round
2
Pettis presses forward and seems to drop Henderson with a combination,
though it may have been a partial slip on Henderson’s part.
Henderson falls to the mat momentarily, stands back up, but is
tossed back down by Pettis. “Smooth” pops to his feet
again and clinches against the fence, landing more knees to the
legs of Pettis. Right high kick by Pettis is blocked, but he
connects with a straight left hand. Thudding left kick to the
body by Henderson. Pettis leaps in with a knee and gets muscled
into the fence for his trouble, Henderson landing a knee to the
body on the exit. Pettis lands a kick south of the border, but
Henderson says he’s fine and they restart straight away.
They trade leg kicks and stalk one another to the end of the
round.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-10
Round
3
Henderson grazes Pettis with hard overhand right and Pettis trips
the champ to the canvas in the center of the cage. Pettis takes
the back of Henderson and locks up a body triangle, looking for
the rear-naked choke. Henderson postures up and tries to slide
Pettis off, then moves to put the right side of his body against
the fence. Henderson now standing with Pettis on his back, body
triangle still in place. Pettis’ right arm is snaked over
Henderson’s shoulder and Henderson is controlling the wrist.
Pettis using his free left hand to punch away at the body of
the champion with 90 seconds on the clock, then begins sneaking
some shots under the arm. Henderson is doing well to defend the
choke, but Pettis isn’t going anywhere. Now Henderson begins
elbowing the inside right thigh of Pettis where he has the body
triangle. Pettis finally gets off Henderson’s back just
before the horn signals the end of the round.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pettis
Round
4
The challenger looking to be the aggressor in the opening minute
of the round until Henderson pushes forward with a combo. Pettis
snares a guillotine and spins to guard, but Henderson slips free
and stacks him up. Pettis gives up his back and Henderson jumps
on, sinking both hooks in with more than three minutes left on
the clock. Henderson puts his left arm under the chin of Pettis
and appears to have the choke, but Pettis breaks it off. Switching
arms, Henderson continues to hunt for the rear-naked choke. Pettis
twists around and into the guard of Henderson, then takes the
back of the champion once again. This time, he doesn’t stay
on as Henderson stands and the two go back to exchanging on the
feet. Body kick by Henderson is countered by a hard right from
Pettis. Now Pettis hits a left hook and Henderson shoots. Pettis
grabs a guillotine and pulls guard, but Henderson postures up
and doesn’t look to be in trouble. His head is still under
Pettis’ arm as the round expires.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round
5
Henderson slips on a combo and pops right back up, then slaps
with a leg kick. Pettis kicks to the inside thigh and instead
catches Henderson square in the cup. Again, Henderson recovers
quickly and they restart. Now Pettis offers up his glove for
a touch. Head kick connects for Henderson, but Pettis answers
with a heavy one-two punch combo. Henderson feints and slips,
and Pettis chases him down to take his back. Pettis is too high
and quickly slips off. Henderson shoots and Pettis times it perfectly
with a leaping knee, then sprawls as Henderson tries to finish
off the single-leg. The champion does get him down, however,
and now works from closed guard parallel to the base of the fence.
Henderson steps around and now takes the back of Pettis, but
Pettis twists free and wants the fight back on the feet. Ninety
seconds left and either man could still take this. Pettis charges
forward and launches himself off the cage with his right leg,
then uses the same foot to smack Henderson right in the face.
Henderson falls to the mat and Pettis punches away, trapping
the kneeling champion’s right arm and striking to the side
of his head. Henderson escapes just before the bell.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Pettis (48-47 Pettis)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Pettis (48-47 Pettis)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Pettis (48-48 Draw)
The
judges have it 48-47 (twice) and 49-46 for Anthony Pettis, the
winner by unanimous decision and new WEC lightweight champion.
Source: Sherdog
|
Assault
Charges Against Jason “Mayhem” Miller Simply Rumor,
Videographer Denies Claim
by Erik
Fontanez
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Recent reports indicated that Strikeforce
middleweight and MTV’s “Bully Beatdown” host Jason
“Mayhem” Miller may have assault charges filed against
him for a physical altercation involving a videographer named
Michael Mardones, otherwise known in the MMA industry as “Layzie
the Savage.”
Mardones
recently spoke about the situation and confirmed that no such
charges will be filed against the former middleweight title contender.
In addition, he explained that he never intended on filing said
charges.
“It
was all talk, it was all rumors,” Mardones told MMAWeekly.com.
“I didn’t have any idea what I wanted. I was still
in shock, to be honest.
“No
one is (expletive) pressing charges!”
The
rumored assault charges stemmed from a recent confrontation Miller
had with Mardones at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, Calif. Miller
was in attendance to receive his jiu-jitsu black belt from Master
Rafael Cordeiro, the owner of the mixed martial arts facility.
Footage of the altercation was circulated just days ago.
In
and around the time he was to receive his belt, Miller spotted
Mardones – an open supporter of Nick Diaz and other Team
Cesar Gracie members – and began to push the videographer
out the doors of the facility, telling him to “get the (expletive)
out” of the gym.
Mardones
had made comments to Miller via the popular social media outlet
Twitter, where he taunted the fighter about a fight with Strikeforce
welterweight champion Nick Diaz and how the contest will not
happen. Miller apparently didn’t find the taunting as humorous
as Mardones thought.
As
many may know, there has been a heated rivalry between “Mayhem”
Miller and the Cesar Gracie camp for some time now. The most
notable event between Miller and Team Cesar Gracie was in the
moments after Jake Shields defeated Dan Henderson at Strikeforce:
Nashville in April of this year. Miller entered the cage during
Shields’ post-fight interview and questioned the evening’s
victor about a rematch from their fight in November of 2009.
The interview quickly went from comical to disastrous when Miller
and several members of Shields’ corner, which included Nick
Diaz, began a physical altercation.
Miller
has openly talked about his ambition to fight Diaz, and while
a match-up in 2011 is a possibility, no solid plans have been
made to pair the two in the near future. While Miller feels he
deserves a shot at the Strikeforce welterweight champion, Team
Cesar Gracie adamantly disagrees with “Mayhem’s”
assessment of the situation.
In
a recent release, GracieFighter.com explained that, “as
the Strikeforce champion, Nick Diaz will fight at other weight
classes, but only against relevant contenders and champions not
irrelevant non-contenders.”
It
is clear this rivalry will continue to boil as time passes. Until
Nick Diaz and Jason Miller are paired for a sanctioned fight,
the verbal back and forth will likely continue.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Cain
Velasquez Prepares for Dos Santos, Names Fedor as Ideal Matchup
By Mike
Chiappetta
With an unbeaten record and a championship belt strapped around
his waist, Cain Velasquez is the primary target of nearly every
fighter who competes as a heavyweight fighter.
Velasquez
knows that Junior dos Santos is the first challenger heading
his direction, but when recently asked about his ideal matchup,
the UFC kingpin crossed promotional lines, naming one of the
sport's greatest fighters of all time: Fedor Emelianenko.
"For
me, I think Fedor," Velasquez said during question-and-answer
session with fans last week. "I've always watched him as
a fighter. I've always looked up to him. His overall size compared
to the other guys, it seems he's always mismatched, but he always
has a lot of power, he has good technique on the ground, so I
would definitely love to fight him. I'm in this sport to fight
the best. I want to fight the best guys in the UFC and the best
guys everywhere else."
That
matchup will of course not be likely anytime soon. Emelianenko
is signed to Strikeforce, and Velasquez has Brazilian slugger
Dos Santos prepping for his chance at gold.
Dos
Santos (12-1) has won all six of his fights since joining the
UFC, with four stoppages by KO or TKO, including one over Fabricio
Werdum, the man who finally snapped Emelianenko's unbeaten stretch
at 28 straight fights.
Considered
by many to be the best boxer in the heavyweight division, Dos
Santos presents a much different test than Velasquez's last opponent,
the wrestling-based Brock Lesnar.
"He's
got excellent stand-up, great boxing," Velasquez said. "The
guy's got power, good takedown defense also. He poses a lot of
threats."
That
doesn't mean Velasquez will avoid standing with Dos Santos. Saying
he has "the best coaches for stand-up," Velasquez said
he has enjoyed the transition from his wrestling roots to a full-fledged
mixed martial artist.
"I
definitely want to stand up with him, use punches and kicks,"
he said. "If takedowns are there, take it, but if it's not,
don't force it."
While
Velasquez's Fedor comments might have annoyed a few UFC executives,
they had to be smiling later on, when he admitted that he'd be
willing to fight a teammate if the situation ever arose. Many
others have flat-out refused the possibility, including his AKA
teammates Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck.
Meanwhile,
the champ continues to await his date with Dos Santos. He's still
missing a nickname, but when asked if he was now considered the
baddest man on the planet after beating Lesnar, he smiled and
turned down the offer.
"I
don't consider myself the baddest man on the planet," he
said. "That was Brock's name. We'll keep it with him."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Walker
Returns at Jan. 29 Strikeforce
by Mike
Whitman
Forced out of a matchup with Scott Carson earlier this month,
1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker will make his return
to the Strikeforce cage on Jan. 29 against an as-yet-unnamed
opponent.
Strikeforce
CEO Scott Coker made the announcement Wednesday morning on San
Jose’s KNBR 680 AM, and Sherdog.com has confirmed the news
with sources close to the promotion.
Walker
was forced to withdraw from his bout with Carson due to a facial
laceration only two weeks before “Henderson vs. Babalu II,”
which took place Dec. 4 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis,
Mo. The cut required seven stitches.
After
an impressive career at the University of Georgia, Walker was
voted to the Pro Bowl twice during his NFL career. A fifth-degree
black belt in tae kwon do, Walker made his MMA debut in January,
finishing unheralded Greg Nagy at Strikeforce “Miami.”
Strikeforce's
Jan. 29 event will go down at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
The event is rumored to be headlined by a bout between Jason
“Mayhem” Miller and Strikeforce welterweight champion
Nick Diaz, though that fight has not been confirmed.
Source: Sherdog
|
Antonio
Inoki as the front man for K-1’s 2010 Dynamite event; TBS
time frame set
By Zach
Arnold
Today,
we were supposed to get a 10-match card announced. Instead, we
know six of the fights:
¦Featherweights:
Kaoru Uno vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
¦Lightweights: Josh Thomson vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
¦DREAM/K-1 Mixed rules fight: Shinya Aoki vs. Yuichiro
Nagashima (the crazy okama)
¦Welterweights: Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
¦K-1 MAX Rules Lightweight fight: Akiyo “Wicky”
Nishiura vs. Tetsuya Yamato
¦DREAM Featherweight title match: Bibiano Fernandes vs.
Hiroyuki Takaya
The big development, if you want to call it that, today was the
announcement of Antonio Inoki as “executive producer”
of this year’s Dynamite event at Saitama Super Arena. If
you believe that Inoki would book the kind of fights listed up
above, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.
Any how, Inoki will play the Hulk Hogan role of being the face
for the event and promising some ‘big surprises’ for
the show.
The
news of K-1 & Kazuyoshi Ishii calling upon Antonio Inoki
to participate is interesting on a lot of political levels, but
fights move the needle for fans rather than politics. Politically-speaking,
the move to bring Inoki on board is a tacit acknowledgment by
K-1 that they needed more star power than they could produce
with the fights on their card. Inoki is a far bigger star than
anyone on the fight card. Here’s the problem — he can’t
fight. Sure, he may do a goofy wrestling exhibition match, but
you’ve seen that before. You’ve also seen Inoki-produced
events before (see: 8/8/03 at the Tokyo Dome for UFO when he
booked Matt Ghaffari vs. Naoya Ogawa and Sanae Kikuta was stretchered
out after a beating by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, plus the infamous
12/31/03 Kobe Wing Stadium show that later on would be a key
moment in the implosion of PRIDE.)
The
bigger political game here for K-1 is Satoshi Ishii. Inoki and
his power base (Tatsuo Kawamura) have the juice and hold the
cards. I would fully expect to see some of the IGF wrestlers,
like a Josh Barnett or Wakakirin the ex-Sumo fighter, get booked.
That could also mean a Mark Coleman sighting as well. Intriguingly,
a match between Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett would suddenly
turn a (largely) meaningless Dynamite event into a show where
Strikeforce would see two major matches taking place between
Barnett/Overeem and Thomson/Kawajiri. It would be funny to see
those fights happening in Japan as opposed to the States. Michael
Schiavello, the HDNet voice for K-1, says that Alistair Overeem
“would sodomize Barnett.” If they can’t book Barnett,
the other name being mentioned is Andrei Arlovski.
For
reference, Tatsuo Kawamura is a long-time power broker in the
entertainment scene in Japan. He went to school with the late
Hiromichi Momose. Momose was the founder of PRIDE (the former
yakuza boss who wore a ball cap and sat at ringside for all the
major PRIDE events.) It’s funny to see the whole New Year’s
Eve concept come full circle on the 10th anniversary event.
A
source with knowledge of the major television happenings in Japan
indicated to me today that Tokyo Broadcasting System will discuss
NYE plans for programming by this Friday. (More below.) The same
source also noted, when watching the K-1 World GP event from
over the weekend in Tokyo at Ariake Colosseum, that the promotion
had a lot of little sponsors supporting the show but no big heavyweight
companies showing up. Of note was a ring sponsorship by Fashion
TV.
Mr.
Schiavello, right after the World GP event was over, claimed
that he was told that K-1 found some new financial backing and
would be able to run shows in 2011. The sad thing is that, at
this point, it’s largely irrelevant because no matter how
much cash you have, you either have the ability to make new Japanese
stars or don’t. As I noted here over the weekend, Kazuyoshi
Ishii’s biggest strength is also his biggest weakness. He
knows how to build up foreigners and make them into stars in
Japan but has a much shakier track record when it comes to Japanese
native aces.
Whatever
opinions you have about the fights on this upcoming Dynamite
card, the truth is that for star power it really doesn’t
hold a candle to the recent World GP event. As for how the Fuji
TV event did ratings-wise, I would say the verdict is: OK, not
great, but steady. I think it probably helps give the promotion
a stay of execution by the channel. Here’s the report claiming
that this year’s show overall drew a 13.0% rating. The other
networks (N-TV, TBS, TV-Asahi) ran non-sports programming. Asahi
drew huge numbers for figure skating (22.9%) and for a taxi driver
show (15.8%). The K-1 show did beat the average of both N-TV
and TBS programming. In other words, a solid second place standing
for Saturday night. For reference, last year’s World GP
event drew a 15.3% rating.
As
for Mr. Inoki, he appeared today at the press conference for
Dynamite and said that he wanted the event to regain it’s
fighting spirit and pummel Kohaku (Red & White Music Festival
on NHK). Given that Mr. Inoki sold New Japan to Yukes and arranged
to have his appearances and licensing matters go through them,
I wonder if they gave the OK for being this event’s front
man or if he did it on his own accord…
TBS’s
kakutougi division has set up its own Twitter account. You can
follow them and Dan Herbertson and Tony Loiseleur and have a
good time doing it. On Twitter, TBS noted Inoki as the executive
producer for the Dynamite show. I would take this as a sign that
the Dynamite show will air on the network for NYE. What the specifics
are for a time frame are currently unknown. The promoter side,
not the TV side, announced that the show will air on all TBS
affiliates on NYE from 9 PM to 11:39 PM JST. TBS now confirms
the news on their Twitter account.
As
for Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, Mr. Tanigawa today stated
to the media that he talked to Kid’s manager. K-1 says that
Kid’s manager told them that he got an offer from the UFC
but has not signed a contract yet. Tanigawa believes Yamamoto
would be well-served to continue fighting in Japan.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
all grown up in return to Brazil
By Josh
Gross
The UFC, under the direction of Dana White, has come a long way
since its first Brazil event
When
the Ultimate Fighting Championship hits Brazil next summer, it
will be a wholly different experience than the company's first
and heretofore lone trip to the country 13 years ago.
Operated
by its original owner, Semaphore Entertainment Group, the UFC
-- then just in its fifth year of existence -- traveled to Sao
Paulo for a card featuring some of its biggest stars of the day,
while back home the promotion floundered under a suffocating
political and media environment.
"Ultimate
Brazil" -- sandwiched between UFCs 17 and 18 -- looks on
tape as if it took place in a high school gymnasium. And in several
ways, the card offered remnants of where the sport had been and
glimpses of where it was headed.
The
main event that night, a championship between Frank Shamrock
and John Lober, offered a brutal retelling of a fight that marked
that era as well as any other -- a 30-minute one-sided beating
perpetrated by Lober in Honolulu a year earlier. Prepared this
time for the rigors of closed-fist punching, Shamrock dialed
it up in the rematch and embarrassed Lober in just under eight
minutes to score his third consecutive defense of the UFC middleweight
championship (later renamed light heavyweight, as the sport immersed
itself in regulation). This was Shamrock at his best. Eleven
months later he stopped a 24-year-old Tito Ortiz for the biggest
win of his career, which also happened to be the last time he
graced the Octagon.
Shamrock,
Lober and all but a select few who competed in Brazil that night
in 1998 are retired. Tank Abbott. Pat Miletich. Mikey Burnett.
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. Pete Williams. They all left the sport behind
for the next generation. Only Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva,
who met in a classic Brazilian fireworks display, and the ever-ready
Jeremy Horn continue fighting to this day.
The
positive influence of Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White on the
growth of mixed martial arts is well documented, and the men
who purchased UFC from SEG for $2 million in late 2000 are the
reason why Belfort, two months away from another title shot,
sat in a posh hotel in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday flanked by
Anderson Silva (the great champion he will challenge Super Bowl
weekend in Las Vegas), Eduardo Paes (the city's mayor), legendary
fighter Royce Gracie, and current UFC champions Mauricio "Shogun"
Rua and Jose Aldo.
There
was a time when mixed martial arts -- otherwise known as "vale
tudo" (Portuguese for "anything goes") -- was
considered the pursuit of thugs, interesting only to gangs populating
favelas. That's how it was framed in the Brazilian media, at
least. Though one might think, based on an unending stream of
great fighters pouring from its borders, that Brazil must be
a hotbed of MMA, it's not true.
Thirteen
months before SEG promoted Ultimate Brazil, a rivalry between
Brazilian jiu-jitsu and luta livre loyalists sparked a riot in
Rio as Renzo Gracie fought Eugenio Tadeu in the main event of
a card that was intended to elevate the promotion of Brazilian
MMA to the world-class level. It's notable that Pentagon Combat
was funded in part by Sheik Tahnoon bin Zayed, the martial arts-loving
founder of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Grappling World
Championship and, as of last January, a 10-percent stakeholder
in the Zuffa-owned UFC.
These
things really do come full circle.
Speaking
before a collection of media Wednesday at the announcement for
UFC's return to Brazil on Aug. 27 at the HSBC Arena, Mayor Paes
made a point to dissociate vale tudo's wild early days from modern-day
mixed martial arts. There is, really, no resemblance between
the UFC that hit Brazil in 1998 and the version that should have
no problem attracting big business next summer in the largest
city of what is soon expected to be the world's fifth-largest
economy. UFC's status as a pariah sport in the U.S. is long gone,
and the company -- now estimated to be worth more than $1 billion
-- is well on its way to becoming a significant global sports
brand.
Wednesday's
news comes at a terrific time for suffering souls in the Brazilian
MMA community, which has long been forced to treat iconic fighters
as exportable goods to Japan or the U.S.
Not
anymore. And, presumably, it won't take another 13 years for
the UFC to return.
Source: ESPN
|
Coming
to a consensus regarding MMA terminology
by Elliot
Matheny
Hello
all, just finished up with my finals here at school, and so naturally
the 1'st thing i'll be doing is writing... MORE.
At
any rate, let's just jump right to the meat of this article-
coming to a general consensus about the terminology we use when
discussing the technical intricacies of our great and complex
sport of mixed martial arts. As a proud member of the intelligent
community as we have here at SBNation, I think it's important
in any kind of discussion to have a common agreement insofar
as vocabulary/ jargon/ vernacular is concerned.
From
the rudimentary amount of training that i've done, as well as
the excessive amounts of combat sports information I assimilate,
analyze, and digest on a regular basis, I find that certain terms
are used that cause a decent amount of confusion, or are unclear,
and I think we should take it upon ourselves to clarify these
misnomers. Especially when talking about an individual's particular
skills in an MMA context is when things become convoluted and
discombobulating.
It's
common knowledge that there are 3 phases in MMA- striking range,
clinch range, and ground work. So here's my attempt at defining
what terms are accurate and appropriate to use in context:
STRIKING
RANGE
1)
Abandoning terms like "boxing", "kickboxing,"
"Muay Thai", "Karate," etc to describe a
fighter's striking skills. Now, don't get me wrong- i'm aware
that many fighters have backgrounds in a variety of different
striking arts, and it's completely acceptable to mention the
striking style that influences a fighter's striking. However,
terms like "MMA boxing", "MMA Muay Thai",
"MMA Karate" etc are confusing and don't adequately
enumerate what we as fans are trying to say.
-Instead
of "Fighter X has great MMA boxing", I find it much
simpler to say that they have good hands/ are good punchers,
have good head movement, good footwork, good defense, etc.
-Instead
of "Fighter Y has great MMA Muay Thai/ kickboxing/ karate,"
it's better to say that they're very proficient with 8 points,
has good kicks/ knees/ elbows, has strong clinch strikes, etc.
Now,
this may seem nitpicky, but it's my contention that once grappling
becomes involved, you can't accurately call it Muay Thai or kickboxing;
once knees/ kicks/ elbows/ foot stomps become allowed, it can't
be called boxing, etc.
The
reason for this is that in MMA, since it's really an amalgamation
of such a myriad of different techniques, with different scoring
criteria and rules than the more specific striking arts, that
it's no longer pertinent to defer to those arts, but rather to
talk about MMA as it's own entity, with it's own techniques.
Of course, there will always be vernacular debates like Rogan
& Tomas Rios' "Brazilian kick/ Question mark kick"
exchange, but I find it far more accurate to refer to specific
techniques and details than it is to just defer to ambiguous
umbrella terms like "MMA boxing/ muay thai/ karate/ SAFTA".
Clinch
(something
tells me this isn't a traditional Greco- Roman clinch situation)
Using
terms like "Thai Plum" is fine, as it specifically
evokes images of a double collar tie used to throw knee strikes
from. However, saying something like "the Greco clinch"
is inaccurate, because tying isn't specific to Greco- Roman wrestling,
and especially since leg attacks are completely allowed in MMA,
a tie- up against the cage most certainly won't look like a greco-
roman match in the Olympics.
"Judo
Throw" is in the grey area, because most judo throws without
a gi have been adapted to and used by freestyle wrestlers, submission
grapplers, and MMAists for a while; however, naming the specific
throw, like Makikomi, Harai Goshi, Tai Otoshi, Kouchi Gari, Sumi
Gaeshi, etc are all perfectly fine to use, as are layman's terms
like Lateral Drop, hip throw, arm throw, etc. As are all the
specific names of takedowns in wrestling such as the double leg,
single leg, high crotch/ fireman's carry, suplay, and all the
vaious trips.
Ground
I'd
personally like to do away with "Fighter Z's BJJ/ Catch
Wrestling/ Sambo is so great", and supplant it with terms
such as "matwork", "ground work/ game" (which,
although generic and somewhat ambiguous terms, at least aren't
misnomers). Because not only have those styles all influenced
and exchanged with each other, but the use of ground strikes
impacts these in a way that they no longer closely resemble the
individual arts as we know them, much like how grappling indelibly
changes the striking game.
Referring
to the entirety of someone's skills, both on their back and on
top, is more accurately described by the term "ground game",
because it encompasses not just the grappling, but also the striking
that takes place from on top and on one's back.
Now,
as much flack as Rogan receives for using 10'th planet terminology,
the techniques and positions that 10th planet jiu jitsu emphasizes
and uses are unique and do accurately describe different transitions
that haven't really been explored by traditional BJJ. Thus, terms
like 'Mission Control', "twister side control/ the truck",
and "lockdown" have as much validity as terms such
as half guard, mount, butterfly guard, etc.
So,
in summation, maybe i'm just blowing smoke here, but I think
that what i've outlined here is a more clear, concise way of
describing the events & action of our great sport. Any feedback,
technical corrections/ suggestions, or any other kind of commentary
is greatly appreciated!
Source: Head Kick Legend
|
A
Love Letter to Joe Rogan
by Matthew
Polly
In
the post-fight medical light of Josh Koscheck’s potentially
career-ending broken orbital bone, there have been a few grumblings
and mumblings across the internets that Joe Rogan was irresponsible
to rail against the doctor potentially stopping the fight. (“Get
out of there, Kris Kringle.”) And in a perfect world they
have a strong point. A ringside doctor should have the freedom
to stop a fight without pressure from a glowering referee (e.g.
“Too much Herb” Dean) or a commentator insulting -
even amusingly - his snow-white facial hair.
However,
the point rests on the assumption that the doctor is qualified
to make such a decision. This is not a perfect world; it’s
the NSAC’s world and patronage is its game.
Rogan
must have taken one look at “that Kris Kringle dude”
and thought, “Oh shit, here we go again.” Not one week
earlier Joe had let blast a stem-winding rant against the NSAC’s
incompetence. It was the most important one since Dana’s
do-you-want-to-be-a-fucking-fighter? When Rogan called out Keith
Kizer by name, you could almost hear Goldberg’s intake of
breath. As we all know from Big John’s case, criticizing
the NSAC is a banish-able offense.
But
unlike Big John, who had left the UFC and thus become persona
non grata, Rogan is a friend of Dana, and FoDs can do no wrong.
This allows him to be the most honest guy in MMA today. Also,
unlike everyone else in the organization, he was famous before
the UFC blew up and could easily get a better paying gig watching
morons eat worms.
But
it’s not his bracing, stand-up-comedian bullshit-calling,
nor his passion for explaining the intricacies of the ground
game, that make me a Joe Rogan nuthugger. It was what happened
when I met him.
Last
year, I was at Tuff-N-Uff’s “Tuff Girls,” the
first all-women’s amateur MMA card. It was held the night
before UFC 100. That weekend Vegas was MMA insane. 7,000 fans
attended the weigh-ins. I couldn’t even get into the Expo
it was so full. In all this frenzy, Joe Rogan along with one
of the TapouT guys (Screech?—I can never remember which
clown is which) walked into The Orleans’ auditorium and
sat in the front row.
I
figured he was making an appearance and would soon leave. But
he sat there for fight after fight. And I must say, even though
I fully support WMMA, most of the matches were difficult to watch—barely
above catfight level. Even my wife, who is all for women breaking
into male-dominated worlds, said to me, “I don’t know
how much more of this I can take.”
As
the event wore on, it struck me: Joe Rogan could be at any number
of crazy Vegas club parties filled with smoking hot groupies,
free drinks, and MMA legends. And yet here he was spending the
biggest Friday evening in MMA history at this little show.
I
went over to the Tuff-N-Uff promoter, Jeff Meyer, and asked him
to introduce us.
“You
don’t need an introduction,” he said. “Joe’s
an open guy. He’ll talk to anyone.”
With
some trepidation, I went over and introduced myself. Sure enough
his smile was big and he moved over to offer me a seat.
“So
what do you think of the fights?” I asked.
“I’m
a big fan of women’s MMA,” he said. “But I like
the more technical fighters, like Gina Carano. Some of these
girls…it just seems like they need a hug.”
Dana
White loves the UFC. Joe Rogan loves MMA.
And
that’s why I love me some Joe Rogan.
Source: Fight Linker
|
Todd
Duffee, Drew McFedries Set for Titan FC 16 Fights
By Ray
Hui
Todd Duffee and Drew McFedries' first fights back to the smaller
leagues following UFC runs will be at Titan FC 16 on Jan. 28
in Kansas City.
Duffee
is set to face TUF 10's Abe Wagner in the main event, while McFedries
will take on Gary Tapasua in another televised bout on the card,
which will air live on HDNet at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Ever
since his release from the UFC in September, the big question
was where Duffee (6-1) would end up. Duffee, best known for holding
the fastest UFC knockout at seven seconds, remains a prospect
despite a recent loss to Mike Russow at UFC 114.
Wagner
(6-3) appeared on The Ultimate Fighter television show but was
passed up by the UFC after the show. His most recent fight was
in February in a KO loss to UFC veteran Travis Browne.
McFedries
(8-6), a fan favorite in the UFC for his knockout-chasing style,
last fought at UFC 103 in a submission loss to Tomasz Drwal in
September 2009. McFedries was 4-5 in the UFC with four (T)KO
victories, but also four submission losses.
Tapasua
(6-1), who fights out of the Kansas City area, is a one-time
Strikeforce Challengers competitor.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
‘UFC
Rio’ Official for August 2011
After months of speculation, it’s finally official: the
UFC is going back to Brazil.
“UFC
Rio” will take place Aug. 27, 2011, at the 18,000-seat HSBC
Arena in Rio de Janeiro, UFC President Dana White announced today
at a press conference inside Rio’s City Palace, the official
residence of Mayor Eduardo Paes.
“I’m
sure many of you have seen it on television,” White told
the assembled press. “But I’m telling you right now,
when we bring this live event down here to Rio, it is the most
exciting live sporting event you will ever see. I know, coming
from me, it sounds a little biased, but I’m telling you
-- when we get you inside that arena, what I call ‘the virus’
will spread.”
In
addition to White and UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta,
the panel for the press conference featured an all-star lineup
of Brazilian athletes: current UFC champions Anderson Silva,
Mauricio Rua and Jose Aldo were in attendance, as were former
champion Vitor Belfort and MMA godfather Royce Gracie. Mayor
Paes also appeared briefly and was awarded an honorary UFC title
belt for his support of the promotion.
While
no fights were announced for the still far-off engagement, spots
on the show’s roster are sure to be coveted amongst the
36 Brazilian fighters who the UFC currently has under contract.
“I’m
sure there’s a lot of Brazilians that are gonna wanna fight
on this card down in Rio, so we’ll see how it all plays
out,” White said. “Believe me when I tell you, we’re
gonna bring you a good card and you will have your Brazilian
favorites on the card, I guarantee you.”
White
said that tickets for the event will go on sale in May, though
prices were not yet undetermined. He also confirmed that the
UFC would not be bringing one of its popular fan expos to Brazil
this time around, though he stressed that he believes the timing
is right for the promotion’s first show in the country in
over a decade.
“I
think that coming to Brazil any earlier than this -- it just
wasn’t the time. Right now is the time for us to come to
Brazil,” White said.
“This
isn’t a test. This is gonna work in Brazil.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Bellator
signs 3-year TV deal with MTV2, not FX
By Zach
Arnold
Press
Release
MTV
2 AND BELLATOR AGREE TO 3-YEAR PARTNERSHIP
Rising
Mixed Martial Arts Organization Features Top Stars In Exciting
Tournament Format; MTV2 To Debut Live Matches in March 2011
New
York, NY, December 14, 2010 - Bellator Fighting Championships,
a growing force in the world of mixed martial arts, has a new
television home, MTV2. It was announced today jointly by Bellator
Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney and Eric Conte, SVP, Programming
and Production, MTV2. The three-year deal will commence in 2011.
Featuring
some of the sport’s top stars, Bellator brings a unique
format of world-class fighting to fans with 12-week, eight-man
tournaments in respective weight classes. MTV2, which features
the highest concentration of M12-24 and M12-34 in television,
will telecast two of these LIVE tournaments per year, plus a
collection of special feature events. The first tournament will
premiere in March 2011.
“MTV2
is the perfect home for the intense mixed martial arts action
of Bellator,” Eric Conte, SVP, Programming and Production,
MTV2. “MMA is at the top of our audience’s wish list,
and partnering with Bellator to bring live events and specials
to MTV2 made complete sense since our viewers are so hungry to
see more MMA on-air.”
“We
are thrilled to partner with MTV2 which has such a strong audience
of hard-to-reach young guys,” said Rebney. “With a
timeslot on a prominent nationally-distributed cable network
aimed at young men, we now have the perfect platform to showcase
our exciting, action-packed tournaments and fighters.”
Bellator
which is Latin for “Warrior,” is based in Chicago,
IL and was founded in 2008 by Rebney. The stable of fighters
include some of the most exciting in the sport including Eddie
Alvarez, Hector Lombard, Joe Warren, Ben Askren, Zoila Frausto
and Roger Huerta, once featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Bellator
events are held in venues all across the country. Their fights
have previously aired on Fox Sports Net, NBC, bi-lingual channel
Mun2, ESPN Deportes, and the Score.
About
Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator
Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company
headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s Founder/Chairman &
CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment
professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity
of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’
executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in
the areas of live event production, television production, fighter
relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development,
international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and
commission relations. For more information go to www.Bellator.com
About
MTV2
MTV2
is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes
and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on
TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports
programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young
people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks,
a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of
programming and content across all media platforms.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Destiny
& 808 Battleground
All or Nothing - Champion vs Champion
Today!
Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
December 17, 2010
|
UFC
127: Penn vs. Fitch, Rivera
vs. Bisping Official
By FCF Staff
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has officially announced the two
main bouts for the promotion’s upcoming February 27th event
in Sydney, Australia. As expected, BJ Penn will take on welterweight contender
Jon Fitch and Michael Bisping will face veteran middleweight
Jorge Rivera.
The
event will be hosted by Sydney’s Acer Arena.
Penn
(16-7-1) will be looking for another notable win at welterweight,
as the former champion is coming off a stunning 21 second knockout
of Matt Hughes, to take the rubber match series. Prior to that,
Penn dropped back-to-back decision losses to current lightweight
champ Frankie Edgar.
Fitch
(23-3) hasn’t fought since August when he worked his way
to a UD win over Thiago Alves at UFC 117. The win was Fitch’s
fifth unanimous decision victory in a row, after losing to reigning
champion Georges St.Pierre in August, 2008.
Bisping
(20-3) is coming off consecutive decision wins over Dan Miller
and Yoshihiro Akiyama, after losing by UD to former Pride champion
Wanderlei Silva in February.
Rivera
(19-7) is 4-1 in his last five fights and is coming off a second
round, TKO stoppage of Nate Quarry in March. The former “Ultimate
Fighter” competitor has lost just once since 2007; in June,
2008 he was tapped out by Martin Kampmann at UFC 85.
No
other bouts have been confirmed for UFC 127.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
UFC
Rio Announced for Brazil in August 2011
by Ken Pishna
It’s
been more than 12 years since its last event there, but the Ultimate
Fighting Championship is returning to its Brazilian roots.
The
UFC on Wednesday held a press conference at the Rio de Janeiro
City Hall to announce UFC Rio is set for Aug. 27, 2011, at the
HSBC Arena.
With
UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta on one side and Rio de Janeiro mayor
Eduardo Paes on the other, UFC president Dana White declared,
“Another historic day for the UFC. Basically a lot of big
events coming here. We have the Olympics, the World Cup, and
now the UFC.
“We
are coming to Rio with a UFC event. It will be Saturday, Aug.
27, at the HSBC Arena. Tickets will go on sale in May.”
White
lauded mixed martial arts’ roots in Brazil, noting the UFC
currently has 36 Brazilian fighters under contract, three of
them currently holding title belts for the promotion: Anderson
Silva at middleweight, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at light
heavyweight, and Jose Aldo at featherweight.
All
three of the Brazilian champions, alongside Vitor Belfort and
former UFC fighter Royce Gracie were in attendance.
“There’s
a lot of gold up here on this table,” quipped White, who
also called Gracie the father of the UFC.
No
fights have been made for the card yet, but White expects to
pack the HSBC Arena with more than 13,000 spectators for a fight
card that will be filled heavily by the company’s Brazilian
talent.
“It’s
too early to see what’s going to happen. A lot of fights
have to play out before (we know who’ll be on the card),”
he stated.
Regardless
of who fights on the UFC Rio event, the economic impact will
be significant.
“The
economic impact when we move into a city is 15 million dollars
to 50 million dollars,” stated White, who has noted that
the country’s economic turnaround and the decision to hold
the Olympics and World Cup in Brazil sped up his company’s
decision to return.
The
promotion last held an event in Brazil on Oct. 16, 1998, in São
Paulo. Known as UFC Brazil, held in between UFC 17 and UFC 18,
the event then featured the likes of Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei
Silva, both of whom fight for the promotion today.
Brazil
is also the homeland of the most famous pioneer of the Octagon,
Royce Gracie, whose family helped to create the original Ultimate
Fighting Championship.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
'Mayhem'-Diaz
Feud Escalates
by Mike
Whitman
The bad blood between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Team
Cesar Gracie has been well documented in the last few weeks,
but the feud escalated to new heights.
While
the war of words dates back over a year to Miller's 2009 clash
with Jake Shields, most of the current back-and-forth has been
inspired by a proposed fight between Miller and Shields' teammate,
Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz.
While
appearing on the Sherdog Radio Network, “Mayhem” speculated
as to why the fight has yet to take place.
“They’ve
started spitting out, ‘Oh, 178.’ Meanwhile back at
the ranch, Nick Diaz is saying, ‘I’ll fight middleweight.
I’ll fight middleweight.’ OK, well, just not against
me, right? That’s how it is,” said Miller. “He’s
bologna, this guy. These guys don’t want to fight me. He
doesn’t want to fight me, so now he’s like making it,
‘Oh, Mayhem turned down the fight.’ I didn’t turn
down a fight. I never got offered a fight.”
Miller
continued to insist that he was ready to make the fight a reality,
and that Diaz was to blame for the holdup.
“This
beef is brand-spanking-new. Let’s do it now. Let’s
do it now. Stockton is a bunch of sissies,” he said. “I’m
at the table. I’m at the table with a plate of yams, sitting
there ready to spank his ass, but he doesn’t want to come
to the table. He wants to sit in his bedroom with Cesar Gracie
and cuddle.”
On
Tuesday, Team Cesar Gracie responded with a statement of its
own, appearing on Graciefighter.com. The statement claimed that
Miller had done little to warrant a shot at the welterweight
champion, pointing out that he had lost to the only Team Gracie
fighter he had ever faced in Jake Shields.
This
rekindled the Twitter feud that Shields and Miller had participated
in last year following their November 2009 Strikeforce bout,
which was won by Shields. After some back-and-forth from both
sides, Shields tweeted this comment in November of last year:
“I’m
on to bigger & better fights like always. I mean ur last
real win was when you beat up your girlfriend and got arrested.”
Shields'
comment, which reappeared in today's Team Gracie statement, was
in reference to Miller's December 2005 arrest in Hawaii, where
he was charged with breaking into his girlfriend's residence
and physically assaulting her male friend. Miller was acquitted
of all charges later that month. In response to the comment,
Miller's manager Ryan Parsons sent Sherdog a statement of his
own:
“It's
unfortunate that GracieFighter.com and Jake Shields have resorted
to touting such an unfounded accusation against Jason Miller.
It's one thing to hype a fight, another to falsely accuse someone
of assaulting a woman, in our opinion one of the worst types
of violence.
“However,
coming from a team that seems to not only condone but brag about
violence outside of a professional bout, perhaps it shouldn't
be very surprising. Given the serious nature and implications
of the post fight brawl, I can imagine that these comments would
be highly offensive to Strikeforce, Showtime and especially CBS.”
Sherdog
contacted Shields for his take on Parson's comment. The Brazilian
jiu-jitsu black belt responded with this:
“I’m
not really bringing it back up, so I don't have many thoughts
on it. I think there's definitely some truth to those allegations,
but I’m not trying to re-bring that back up as long as 'Mayhem'
isn't talking s--t. So, I don't have too much to say.”
According
to Shields, both Miller and their feud is in his rear-view mirror.
“We
were talking crap back and forth on Twitter, so I’m not
too worried about it. I’m over the whole thing. I’m
not too interested in it. I’m past that in my career,”
said Shields. “As far as I’m concerned, he's just trying
to stir up the fight with Nick, which I have nothing to do with.
If they want to fight, that's fine. I'll help train Nick for
the fight, but I have no interest in 'Mayhem.'”
Sherdog
will stay current on the rumored fight between Miller and Diaz
and will report updates as they become available. Readers may
view the entire Team Gracie statement at Graciefighter.com.
Source: Sherdog
|
GSP/Shields
and Velasquez/dos Santos likely headliners for first Toronto
UFC show
By Zach
Arnold
Full
credit to MMA Fighting and Ariel Helwani
The
interview runs 10 and a half minutes long. Not the most newsworthy
interview, but certainly an intriguing one for the last three
minutes.
Before
we get to that part of the interview, the UFC President basically
said that as long as Georges St. Pierre continues to be in the
pound-for-pound best mix that he will never escape criticism.
(This was in response to whether or not St. Pierre will get criticism
for going the distance and not finishing off Josh Koscheck.)
“I thought he looked incredible tonight. He fought the perfect
fight.” The title of this post says it all as far as what
we will likely see in late April when UFC makes its debut at
the Sky Dome (Rogers Centre). Mr. White was asked why we wouldn’t
see GSP vs. Anderson Silva in Toronto and it was promptly pointed
out that it was Jake Shields’ turn to get a title shot.
Dana did admit that the reason he put off booking St. Pierre
vs. Anderson is because he expected Anderson to jump up to Light
Heavyweight but instead he remains at Middleweight and can make
the cut. If the fight does get it booked, the requirement would
be for Anderson to make the cut to 180 pounds. As for why the
Jim Miller/Charles Oliveira fight didn’t get more attention
from UFC’s marketing department, Mr. White bluntly stated
that the Countdown crew was not going to go down to Brazil to
film footage for a fight that wasn’t high-profile on the
card. As far as whether Joe Stevenson will keep his job in the
UFC, Dana played it coy but hinted that Stevenson would hang
around for at least one more fight.
And
then the interview got interesting when Ariel Helwani brought
up the name Alistair Overeem, referring to Overeem’s win
at Ariake Colosseum earlier in the day. Dana White made it a
point to clearly and repeatedly state that he has no heat with
Alistair Overeem and likes him but hates the fact that MMA web
sites rank him in Top 10 lists for best MMA Heavyweight fighters
in the world. He doesn’t understand how competing in kickboxing
fights can earn him support in MMA ratings lists. Furthermore,
Mr. White said that he would only hire Overeem if Overeem fought
more regularly in MMA fights and did so against higher-quality
competition. He went into a rant about Strikeforce’s booking
and called him the minor leagues. He trashed their St. Louis
event (from last weekend), saying that it was a card full of
mismatches and that UFC could do that all day long but they won’t
because their matchmaking treats MMA as if it’s a sport.
He buried Matt Lindland and Scott Smith, saying that Smith was
a guy who couldn’t win The Ultimate Fighter.
On
a side note, Mr. White acknowledged that he would like to put
together a fight between Kid Yamamoto and Urijah Faber.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Has
Keith Kizer suddenly seen the light regarding MMA judging changes?
by kjh
Hallelujah, Keith Kizer has seen the light!
A lot can change in a week given the right catalyst. The status
quo of the flawed application of the ten point must system in
MMA seemed set to stay indefinitely just seven days ago despite
a series of recent questionable judging decisions. That was until
The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale, which saw Joe Rogan, pissed off
by one judging robbery too many, cut a promo burying the NSAC
Executive Director Keith Kizer after two of his commission appointed
judges made an "unaccountably bad" decision to score
the Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Pham fight in favour of Garcia:
It's
gross. You should be able to leave it in the hands of the judges.
You should be able to just fight. And we should point out, that
is the situation because of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
It's got nothing to do with the UFC. People keep saying 'oh the
UFC!' We have no say whatsoever. And Keith Kizer has denied that
there's an issue. I think he needs to clean house. There's a
few very good judges surrounded by a bunch of incompetent morons,
who know nothing about the sport. They need to do something about
that, because it's ruining MMA. It's making people think that
this sport is corrupt. It has nothing to do with corruption.
It's sheer and total incompetence.
Two days after Rogan's rant, in an interview with MMAFA, Kizer,
perhaps not realising that Dana White and the Fertittas were
singing from the exact same hymn sheet as Rogan on this issue,
responded by stubbornly digging his heels in and aloofly dismissing
the valid, but unprofessionally voiced, criticisms Rogan had
made:
“If
Joe Rogan wants to get on the air and call people names, that’s
his business. I’m not going waste my time responding to
that.” says Keith Kizer, head of the NSAC.
Briefly
addressing Rogan’s criticism, Kizer points to hypocrisy
on Rogan and the UFC’s part:
“They
always say that ‘the UFC has nothing to do with judging.’
Well guess what, they’ve got a big fight coming up in Canada
called Koscheck vs. Georges St. Pierre - the UFC and Marc Ratner
are flying Tony Weeks up there as a judge. C’mon, Joe. How
about some honesty? They’ve taken 90% of our officials with
them overseas, as they should. That’s not a knock on Dana
[White] and Marc [Ratner]; they know what they’re doing.”
Kudos
should go to Zach Arnold of FightOpinion.com, who was the first
to spot that Kizer couldn't maintain such an intransigent position
for long and would have to give in and make concessions at some
point, as real power lies in the hands of the UFC owners who
can pick and choose where their biggest fights take place:
This
is not a winnable war for Keith Kizer, neither in public nor
in private. If the Fertitta family is angry, they have the financial
muscle to make a difference. If they’re not happy with the
ways things are run in Nevada, they can run shows elsewhere and
help other states make money while Nevada is on the sidelines.
Don’t think that the local politicians ignore this kind
of thing. Commissioners come and go. But UFC and their deep pockets
are not going anywhere. If you’re a betting person and had
to choose between who’s going to last longer in power, Keith
Kizer or the UFC in Nevada, Mr. Kizer’s drawing the short
end of that stick.
By
Thursday, after several hundred angry emails about MMA judging
in his state, Kizer spoke to Sherdog.com, which showed that his
stance was already beginning to soften, as gone was the aloof
attitude to Rogan and the attempt to deflect some of the heat
back onto UFC, replaced by a keen desire to show that he was
listening to their fans concerns:
Props
to Mr. Rogan. He’s definitely got quite a loyal following.
I’ve gotten more e-mails on this decision than any other
decision we’ve ever had. Probably about 700 total. You’ve
got to give him credit for that. Unfortunately, probably 90 percent
of those e-mails were just very rude and unprofessional, and
that’s too bad. I wish more people could argue or discuss
things in a more rational, legitimate, ethical way, which you
would think would perhaps be more effective as well. But nonetheless,
that’s OK. I don’t mind getting those as well.
First
off, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with someone’s
opinion, you want to listen to it if you’re a public official.
Even the e-mails with the curse words and the name calling, I
read those e-mails. I didn’t respond to them, but I read
those e-mails. I think it’s important no matter what.
However,
he was still trying to fight his corner:
While
Kizer is listening, he’s not necessarily agreeing. For instance,
he does not believe there has been a preponderance of bad decisions
lately in MMA.
“I
kind of almost think not the opposite but differently in the
sense that there’s always been -- I mean, I don’t know
a time when there hasn’t been somebody arguing about some
decision,” he said. “You look back at any year of MMA.
Let’s just stick to MMA. The last 10 years of MMA, you can
go to any calendar year and find people complaining about something
or another. And that’s understandable, especially at these
higher-level fights.
So
has Kizer's stance softened further since the Sherdog.com interview?
Has Keith Kizer already seen the light regarding MMA judging
changes? If Dave Meltzer, in his usual read between the lines
fashion, on his Dec. 11th (subscribers only) Observer Radio show
is anything to go by, then the answer to both questions seems
to be affirmative. He broke the news at the 21:22 mark that "there
may be changes in judging" coming eventually, as "people
in decision making are kind of aware that there’s something
wrong with the judging right now" and "there were people
who just thought the system was fine who no longer believe that
the system is fine". Hmm, I wonder who on earth Meltzer
could have been talking about? Let's just say you don't need
Sherlock Holmes to solve this mystery.
Source: Cage Seat
|
To
applause, Royce says he wants to fight at UFC Rio
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
Royce Gracie was one of Dana White’s guests at the event
promoting the UFC’s arrival in Brazil come August 27, in
Rio de Janeiro.
It
didn’t take long for the promotion’s first champion
to field the question, “Will you be fighting at UFC Rio?”
With
a smile, the veteran replied:
“We’re
negotiating. I’m always well trained!”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
MMA
Top 10 Rankings:
Jim Miller Working His Way Up At 155
The latest MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings were released on
Wednesday, December 15. This system ranks the Top 10 MMA fighters
from all across the world in each of the seven most widely accepted
weight classes.
Taken
into consideration are a fighter’s performance in addition
to his win-loss record, head-to-head and common opponents, difficulty
of opponents, and numerous other factors in what is the most
comprehensive rankings system in the sport.
Fighters
who are currently serving drug-related suspensions are not eligible
for Top 10 consideration until they have fought one time after
the completion of their suspension.
Fighters
must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to
be eligible for Top 10 consideration unless they have a bout
scheduled within a reasonable time frame.
Below
are the current MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings, which are up-to-date
as of December 15.
HEAVYWEIGHT
DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
1. Cain Velasquez
2. Fabricio Werdum
3. Fedor Emelianenko
4. Brock Lesnar
5. Junior Dos Santos
6. Shane Carwin
7. Alistair Overeem
8. Frank Mir
9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
10. Brett Rogers
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
2. Rashad Evans
3. Quinton Jackson
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Forrest Griffin
6. Ryan Bader
7. Jon Jones
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Thiago Silva
10. Randy Couture
MIDDLEWEIGHT
DIVISION (185-pound limit)
1. Anderson Silva
2. Yushin Okami
3. Nathan Marquardt
4. Demian Maia
5. Dan Henderson
6. Robbie Lawler
7. Jorge Santiago
8. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza
9. Michael Bisping
10. Hector Lombard
WELTERWEIGHT
DIVISION (170-pound limit)
1. Georges St-Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. Thiago Alves
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Paul Daley
7. Nick Diaz
8. Martin Kampmann
9. Carlos Condit
10. Chris Lytle
LIGHTWEIGHT
DIVISION (160-pound limit)
1. Frankie Edgar
2. Gilbert Melendez
3. Shinya Aoki
4. Gray Maynard
5. Eddie Alvarez
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri
7. Jim Miller
8. Kenny Florian
9. Ben Henderson
10. George Sotiropoulos
FEATHERWEIGHT
DIVISION (145 pound-limit)
1. Jose Aldo
2. Manny Gamburyan
3. Mike Brown
4. Josh Grispi
5. Marlon Sandro
6. Diego Nunes
7. Michihiro Omigawa
8. Bibiano Fernandes
9. Chad Mendes
10. Joe Warren
BANTAMWEIGHT
DIVISION (135 pounds or less)
1. Dominick Cruz
2. Brian Bowles
3. Scott Jorgensen
4. Joseph Benavidez
5. Miguel Torres
6. Urijah Faber
7. Brad Pickett
8. Demetrious Johnson
9. Masakatsu Ueda
10. Damacio Page
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Rua-Evans
Slated for UFC 129 in NJ
by Mike
Whitman
Rashad
Evans will finally get his shot at Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua's light heavyweight championship on March 19, when the two
clash at UFC 129 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
The
news was first reported by Sportsnet.ca on Tuesday, and Sherdog
confirmed the report with sources close to the bout. Also rumored
in the Sportsnet report is a light heavyweight confrontation
between Tito Ortiz and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Sherdog has
not yet confirmed the second matchup.
The
bout was originally expected to take place at UFC 128 on March
19 in the United Arab Emirates. Neither UFC 128 nor UFC 129 has
been officially announced by the promotion.
Evans
has won back-to-back contests inside the Octagon since losing
the light heavyweight championship to Lyoto Machida in 2009.
The Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts-product responded to that
loss with victories over Thiago Silva and Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson in 2010. His latter victory garnered Evans the No. 1
contender slot for the 205-pound title that now belongs to Rua.
“Shogun”
has battled knee problems for the last several years, and his
most recent injury has kept him sidelined since May. The Brazilian
has won three of his last four, and his lone loss was a controversial
unanimous decision to then-champion Lyoto Machida at UFC 104
in 2009. Rua avenged the defeat in the rematch the following
year, knocking Machida out in the first round of their UFC 113
contest to capture the title.
Source: Sherdog
|
Ten
Best Upsets of 2010
Thomas Gerbasi
It's Day Two of the Highly Unofficial 2010 awards season....today,
the biggest upsets of the year...
There’s nothing like a good upset to shake things up in
the world of mixed martial arts, and the UFC had its share of
interesting ones in 2010. And though the winners in the second
installment of the 2010 Highly Unofficial awards were underdogs
going into these defining bouts, it’s safe to say that they
won’t be sneaking up on anybody else anytime soon.
10
– “El Dirte” shows “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
some veteran tricks
Despite carrying a five fight winning streak and a boatload of
experience into his UFC return against Tom Lawlor, late replacement
Joe Doerksen was looked at by many as a mere hurdle for hot prospect
Lawlor to hop over on his way to the next level of the fight
game, especially considering that “Filthy” Tom was
coming off a 55 second submission win over CB Dollaway and a
controversial three round decision loss against Aaron Simpson.
And early on, the fight went according to plan, as Lawlor rocked
Doerksen standing and seemed to be one punch away from finishing
him. But hard-nosed vets like Doerksen don’t go away that
easily, and in round two, he roared back, catching Lawlor in
a rear naked choke that finished matters at the 2:10 mark.
9
– Sonnen decisions Marquardt
Everyone assumed that Chael Sonnen was going to be a stiff test
for Nate Marquardt at UFC 109 in February, but few believed that
the outspoken Oregonian was going to stop the streak that saw
Marquardt knock out Martin Kampmann, Wilson Gouveia, and Demian
Maia in consecutive bouts. But with an aggressive ground attack
and an inhuman pain tolerance, Sonnen kept pushing and pushing
for 15 minutes until the judges awarded him a well-earned unanimous
decision win that also put him the number one middleweight contender’s
spot.
8
– Dos Anjos surprises Etim
Terry Etim will never be confused with countrymen Michael Bisping
and Dan Hardy when it comes to dominating newspapers and websites
with quotes come fight week, but after four consecutive UFC wins
from October 2008 to November 2009, he had established himself
as one of the UK’s top exports. But at the same time, Rafael
dos Santos, in an even quieter manner, bounced back from an 0-2
UFC start to even his slate with wins against Rob Emerson and
Kyle Bradley. And when dos Anjos took Submission of the Night
honors with his UFC 112 armbar over Etim, it made a statement
that when it comes to lightweight prospects, you can’t overlook
this Brazilian up and comer.
7
– Pyle delivers career defining performance against Hathaway
When your first two professional fights are against Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson and Jon Fitch, it’s safe to assume that competing
against an undefeated young gun in hostile territory isn’t
going to rattle you too much. And that was the case when 11-year
vet Mike Pyle traveled to England to face John Hathaway in October.
In control from the opening bell to the end, Pyle never let Hathaway
get untracked, and the unanimous decision win – Pyle’s
biggest in the UFC – was a mere formality.
6
– Bader shows he’s big time with win over Lil’
Nog
Ryan Bader has all the tools to make it big in the talent-rich
light heavyweight division – physical gifts, heavy hands,
stellar wrestling, and competitive drive. The only thing missing
in his 12 pro fights was world-class experience. So when pitted
against legit 205-pound contender Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, many
expected that the experience gap would be too big for Bader to
leap this early in his career. Not so, said young Bader, and
though his three round win over the former PRIDE star won’t
hit any Fight of the Year lists, the victory was a solid one
that has propelled the former Ultimate Fighter winner into a
highly-anticipated February showdown against fellow rising star
Jon Jones.
5
– McCorkle shows more than internet savvy against veteran
Hunt
If you knew who Sean McCorkle was before his UFC 119 debut against
Mark Hunt, you were either the hardest of hardcore fans or a
member of the Underground forum. The rest of you were probably
wondering what the unbeaten Indiana heavyweight had done to get
UFC matchmaker Joe Silva angry, as there was simply no way he
matched up with former PRIDE and K-1 star Mark Hunt. Then the
bell rang, and the hometown hero fought like he had been in the
Octagon since birth as he submitted Hunt with ease in just 67
seconds. Add in his recent bout against Stefan Struve (albeit
a losing effort), and the notoriety of “The Big Sexy”
has extended far beyond the internet.
4
– Beltran spoils the return of the Gracies
The Gracie name is royalty in the UFC, and rightfully so. So
when unbeaten Rolles Gracie became the first member of MMA’s
first family to appear in the Octagon since his cousin Royce
did so in 2006, it was a big deal. And when Joey Beltran was
asked to come in on short notice to replace Mostapha Al Turk
against Gracie, no one blinked twice, despite the fact that “The
Mexecutioner” was coming off a second round TKO over Houston
Alexander a few weeks prior to the bout. But Beltran wasn’t
coming in to lose, and after weathering an early storm, he finished
Gracie with strikes at 1:31 of the second round, shocking the
MMA world in the process.
3
– Hathaway becomes Sanchez’ Nightmare
England’s John Hathaway was solid in his UFC victories against
Tom Egan, Rick Story, and Paul Taylor, but few thought the 22-year
old had the experience to deal with veteran Diego Sanchez, whose
previous three fights saw him in against BJ Penn, Clay Guida,
and Joe Stevenson. Hathaway was a revelation though, as he welcomed
Sanchez back to the welterweight division with a master class
that left no doubt who the winner was after three rounds. It
was ‘The Hitman’
2
– Russow KO’s Duffee
After a seven second KO of Tim Hague that set a UFC record for
fastest knockout, Todd Duffee was going to be a favorite over
a lot of people, including his second Octagon foe, Mike Russow.
And for much of their bout at UFC 114 in May, things went according
to plan for Duffee, who hit Russow with everything but the ring
stool while building up an insurmountable lead. Well, it was
insurmountable until Russow cracked Duffee with a right hand
that ended the bout at 2:35 of the final round, capping off one
of the more spectacular comebacks in recent history.
1
– Edgar Shocks Penn
No surprise when it comes to the fight at the top of the list
here, but it was a surprise at Abu Dhabi in April, when scrappy
New Jersey native Frankie Edgar put on a career-defining performance
by defeating BJ Penn for the UFC lightweight title. And while
the fight was competitive and close, there was little doubt that
Edgar’s crisp striking and effective movement, as well as
a couple points-scoring takedowns, solidified the new champ’s
unanimous decision win. And if that wasn’t enough, Edgar
repeated the feat in more dominant fashion four months later,
proving that the first win was no fluke.
Honorable Mention: Dave Branch- Tomasz Drwal, Chris Leben-Yoshihiro
Akiyama, Dennis Hallman-Ben Saunders, Frankie Edgar-BJ Penn II,
Yushin Okami-Nate Marquardt, Nik Lentz-Tyson Griffin, Charles
Oliveira-Efrain Escudero, Evan Dunham-Tyson Griffin
Source: UFC
|
Jongsanan
Fairtex vs Sakmongkol Sitchuchok
by tlele
2
comments Email Print.Think of this fight as Arturo Gatti vs Mickey
Ward III, except Gatti and Ward are explicitly breaking the rules
by slinging elbows and knees (with surprisingly good technique
for a couple of English rules boxers!). This is the fifth fight
of eight, with Jongsanan Fairtex taking five and Sakmongkol Sitchuchok
taking 3.
According
to an interview with Muay Thai Online, Jongsanan Fairtex earned
his nickname "The Wooden Man" from his training regimen
as a 16 year old. He would train like a demon for seven hours
and sleep. Apparently, kicking him was like kicking a tree. His
exceptional toughness in an already brutal sport helped make
him become something of a crossover name. He held belts from
both Lumpini and Rajadamnern stadium. Jongsanan now teaches Muay
Thai for Fairtex in California.
Sakmongkol
Sitchuchok is a fighter of rare intensity. His hallmark is a
brutal, whipping left kick, which you actually won't be seeing
much of here. A 1999 match with Perry Ubeda got his name out
internationally and he has fought the likes of John Wayne Parr,
Farid Villaume, and Jomhod Kiatadisak since leaving Thailand.
Like Jongsanan, Sakmongkol is a relatively heavy fighter for
the Thai circuit, which makes the damage in the below match even
more frightening. These two pack power!
Both
fighters ended their careers around the 70 kg mark. Sakmongkol
fought Dekkers in 1991 at around 135 lb and was fighting Wayne
Parr at 70 kg by 2004. Jongsanan retired before Sakmongkol, but
also competed some at higher weights. This match likely took
place in the early '90s, an era when Muay Thai was at peak popularity
in Thailand.
Thanks
to kasakee for this tremendous video. Because of the internet,
this match is renewed in notoriety. Contrast the general dynamic
of this fight to Neungthep Eminent Air vs Panumrunglek Kiatmuu9.
After an uppercut nearly downs Jongsanan early in the second,
they stop trading tactically altogether and instead wage a back
and forth war, taking turns flurrying on each other. The second
round is amazing, with Jongsanan taking a(n oddly short) count
early on before jarring Sakmongkol with enough right elbows to
slowly take over the round. The first two minutes of the round
were all Sak, though, and the amount of punishment he dropped
on Jongsanan was hellish. According to My Muay Thai, one of these
two usually ended up KOed when they met. Imagine why.... This
time, both seemed on the verge of dropping multiple times before
pulling together enough to put the other fighter on the defensive.
In
the third, after dishing out and absorbing enough elbows and
punches for three bouts, they transition to a clinch war. It's
not too sophisticated a battle, but more of a stubborn trading
of straight knees and knees to the side. Jongsanan is the aggressor
in the clinch, with Sakmongkol more willing to stand and launch
elbows. By carrying the clinch into the fifth round and landing
more hard knees, Jongsanan takes the decision.
Since
gambling became so pervasive in Muay Thai, many fighters have
taken to fighting just hard enough to nick rounds. Older fighters
often complain about this in interviews, saying, in effect, that
fighters of this generation don't "bring it" enough.
While fights like this still occur quite often, it does seem
that aggressive, advancing styles are not so ubiquitous as in
the '90s.
It
is hard to judge other matches using this bout as a standard,
though. Consider that even Jongsanan and Sakmongkol's other bouts
don't match up to this. This kind of encounter, like Ward/Gatti
III, stands out across fight sports.
Source: Head Kick Legend
|
Dana
White Expects to Know 'Ultimate Fighter' Coaches on Friday
By Michael
David Smith
In the week and a half since the Finale of The Ultimate Fighter
Season 12, speculation has run rampant about who the coaches
will be for the show's 13th season, which will begin taping in
early 2011. UFC President Dana White said on Wednesday that he's
about 48 hours away from knowing the coaches' identities.
"We
should have it done by Friday," White said at a press conference
in Rio de Janeiro, where he announced that the UFC would host
a fight card in Brazil in August.
So
who are the likely choices?
That
White said he'll know Friday suggests that some of the fighters
on Thursday night's WEC card are in the running as possible Ultimate
Fighter coaches. One option there would be the winner of Thursday's
bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and Scott Jorgensen
coaching against Urijah Faber, with the two coaches squaring
off in the first UFC bantamweight title fight at the end of the
season. Another option would be having the winner of the WEC
lightweight title fight between Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis
coach against the winner of the upcoming UFC lightweight title
fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.
Despite
some talk that Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen would be next
season's coaches, White said that won't happen. There's also
been talk that Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir could be the coaches,
but it would be awfully tough for the UFC to get the reclusive
Lesnar on board for that.
White
also said that just because he expects to know the coaches on
Friday, that doesn't mean fans will know that soon.
"We
won't announce it for a while anyway," White said.
It's
noteworthy that White was asked about The Ultimate Fighter by
a Brazilian reporter at a press conference in Brazil. That shows
that even after its 12th season, there's still interest in the
show -- and growing interest in having a season of the show outside
the United States. White said he likes the idea of doing a full
season of The Ultimate Fighter in Brazil.
"We
want to take The Ultimate Fighter everywhere," White said.
"It obviously makes sense in Brazil. Imagine the talent
that would come out of that show. It would be incredible, so
yeah, we want to do it. . . . I don't know how fast we could
get it done but we'll do it as soon as possible."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Overeem
does it! The massive MMA star crosses over to win K-1 WGP 2010
title
Alistair
Overeem passed up on some big MMA fights this year to add the
label of kickboxing champ to his resume. It paid off.
He
suffered some rough moments last year in K-1, but with more dedication
to his striking training in 2010, Overeem was a powerhouse in
Tokyo this morning.
The
Dutchman got better as the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 went along.
He won three fights in one night to take the WGP title and did
so by beating out several K-1 legends.
By
the time, he reached the final without a mark on his face, Peter
Aerts was in big trouble. A fellow Dutchman, Aerts traded shots
with the beast for about 35 seconds before Overeem overwhelmed
him.
"The
Reem" trapped Aerts in a corner and drilled him with a right
hand followed by a body shot. Aerts fells to his knees. The referee
jumped in to give Aerts a ten count, but the 40-year-old legend
said he couldn't go any longer. Overeem won the tournament as
a plus-205 choice.
The
6-foot-5, 261-pound, Overeem is unofficially the first heavyweight
fighter to hold a major MMA belt and win a K-1 WGP title. He's
also the Strikeforce MMA champ. The K-1 accolades only add to
his reputation as an MMA star.
One
downside of the win is the fact that Overeem is a virtual lock
to try and defend his K-1 honor in 2011, meaning he'll be locked
up for most of the November and December prepping if he can get
out of the first round.
Overeem's
toughest fight this morning actually came in the opening round.
Overeem
is far from slick. He walks straight forward, willing to eat
big shots so he can land his own bombs. That approach almost
cost him against Tyrone Spong.
Early
in the fight, the 231-pound Spong was too fast. Spong caught
Overeem with a great counter left hook as the big guy tried a
flying knee. It put the Dutchman on queer street. Spong wailed
away and landed four or five more huge left hands, and got Overeem
on the ropes with 1:45 left in the first. Overeem survived and
his power just sapped Spong the rest of the way.
That
career-high 231 pounds may have cost Spong in the long run.
Gohkan
Saki was the opponent in the semis, but much like Aerts, the
Turkish born fighter had to fight a war in his previous bout.
Saki and Daniel Ghita kicked the hell out of each for four rounds.
Saki won but his body was brutalized.
Overeem
looked slow and was easy to hit, but he just waited for the smaller
fighter to slow down, then he unleashed two vicious body kicks.
The second got Saki to quit. HDNet's Michael Schiavello reported
that Saki had broken his elbow and his right hand.
Aerts
was looking to become a four-time WGP champ. Unfortunately, the
old guy was also a mess by the time he faced Overeem. He ate
way too many punches from 6-11, 292-pound Semmy Schilt in the
semifinals. Aerts outlasted Schilt in that fight, but the damage
had been done. There were actually thoughts he may not be able
to fight in the final. Bettors pushed the line minus-450 to minus-645
on Overeem by the opening bell.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Duane
“Bang” Ludwig Signs New 4-Fight Deal With UFC, Hopes
For March Return
It’s
been a long, hard road back for Duane “Bang” Ludwig
but perseverance and hard work pays off and now the UFC has rewarded
the Colorado fighter a new four fight contract with the promotion.
Ludwig’s
manager Sven Bean confirmed the new contract with MMAWeekly.com
on Sunday.
It
looked like the darkest moment for Ludwig when in a fight against
Darren Elkins at the first UFC on Versus show, he snapped his
ankle in a gruesome injury. Ludwig underwent surgery and had
to sit out for an extended time, but returned at full strength
at UFC 122 in Germany and looked back to form.
Ludwig
defeated Nick Osipczak via split decision and got his career
back on track.
Now
with the injury long behind him, Ludwig hopes to make the most
out of this new four fight deal with the UFC, and according to
his camp he’s looking towards a March return to the Octagon.
There
are several rumored shows for March including another UFC on
Versus show as well as a potential card in Abu Dhabi, although
recently UFC president Dana White has seemed less than positive
about that card taking place.
Whatever
the case may be, Ludwig will continue to train and show the UFC
why he earned the new contract and plans to show it again in
2011.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fans
Voting for “Fight of the Night” A One-time Deal Says
Dana White
For
the first time since the UFC has been handing out post-fight
performance based fighter bonuses, the Las Vegas-based mixed
martial arts promotion let the fans decide who would receive
the “Fight of the Night” honors and $100,000 bonus
money for UFC 124… and that was that last time the fans
will get to make that choice.
The
fans voted for the one-sided main event between welterweight
titleholder Georges St-Pierre and challenger Josh Koscheck, and
UFC president Dana White was baffled by the decision.
“It’s
one of the hazards of letting the fans vote. They’re always
chirping about how we messed it up, and here we are,” said
White during the UFC 124 post-fight press conference.
Questioned
if it was a one-time deal letting the fans vote on the “Fight
of the Night,” White said, “Yes. They blew their chance.
That’s it. It’s over.”
White
felt, along with many others, that Sean Pierson’s unanimous
decision win over Matt Riddle in preliminary action deserved
to be named “Fight of the Night.”
“A
prelim fight was the ‘Fight of the Night’ in my book,”
said the UFC president. “And we’ll take care of those
guys.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Anderson
Silva Still Sits Atop Dana White’s Pound-For-Pound Rankings,
Edgar Above Aldo
Pound-for-pound
rankings in any sport are as subjective as they come. From arguments
that persist in boxing to the ever present debates in MMA, there
doesn’t seem to be one perfect answer.
That
is unless you ask UFC president Dana White, who stands by his
claims for the past couple of years that there is no question
Anderson Silva remains the top pound-for-pound fighter on the
planet.
Other
names get mentioned and after Saturday night it’s hard to
ignore the body of work of UFC welterweight champion Georges
St-Pierre, but White still believes it’s Silva at the top
of the sport.
“Anderson
Silva, not only has he wiped out the 85lb division, he also beat
a couple of guys at 205. This whole debate about pound-for-pound…love
Georges St-Pierre, Georges St-Pierre’s awesome, huge superstar
and everything, he lost not too long ago to Matt Serra by knockout.
This guy’s never lost in the UFC and he moved up another
weight division and beat two (expletive) tough guys at that weight,”
White told MMAWeekly.com following the UFC 124 event.
Backing
up his belief that Silva sits alone atop the pound-for-pound
rankings, White also points to his nearly 5 year long winning
streak that has seen him face some of the best in the world at
both 185lbs and even at 205lbs.
“This
guy’s knocked off all the best guys. He hasn’t lost
a fight since 2006, it’s almost 2011,” White stated.
There
are other names like St-Pierre that belong in the discussion
for the best pound-for-pound fighters just below Silva however.
One of them is the current UFC lightweight champion, and while
everyone has seemingly placed new UFC featherweight champion
Jose Aldo at No. 3, White disagrees.
“Frankie
Edgar, his only loss to Gray Maynard in his entire career, and
just beat B.J. Penn twice, and he really doesn’t (expletive)
belong at 55, he should be in a lighter weight division. That’s
what pound for pound means,” said White.
“I’d
put him above Jose Aldo. Jose Aldo’s incredibly, amazingly
talented, but he has not accomplished what Frankie Edgar has.”
Edgar
will even get the chance to erase the one loss on his record
when he rematches Maynard in Janaury in the headline fight for
the UFC’s next pay-per-view. Aldo however remains on the
shelf after an injury forced him off the same card, and will
not return until later in 2011 to try to stake his claim to the
spot.
As
for Anderson Silva, he will return in February at UFC 126 and
defend his title against fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort and look
to extend his improbable streak for another fight.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Overeem
ravages Aerts in K-1 final; find out about it
Strikeforce’s
heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem added another major title
to his mantle. At this Saturday’s K-1 World World GP in
Japan, the Dutchman put in an amazing performance, beating three
opponents on the same night.
In
the first of them, Overeem didn’t have much trouble beating
Tyrone Spong via judges’ decision. He ended the subsequent
two in the first round, beating Gokhan Saki and the legendary
Peter Aerts.
Check
out the final between Overeem and Aerts:
Check
out the results:
K-1
World Grand Prix
Tokyo, Japan
December 11, 2010
Quarterfinals
Peter
Aerts defeated Mighty Mo via KO in R1
Semmy
Schilt defeated Kyotaro via unanimous decision
Gokhan
Saki defeated Daniel Ghita via split decision
Alistair
Overeem defeated Tyrone Sprong via unanimous decision
Semifinals
Peter
Aerts defeated Semmy Schilt via majority decision
Alistair
Overeem defeated Gokhan Saki via TKO in R1
Final
Alistair
Overeem defeated Peter Aerts via TKO in R1
Reserve
bout
Ewerton
Teixeira defeated Errol Zimmerman via unanimous decision
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Mario
sets goals, praises Mendes, but warns: “I can be number
1”
Two-time
Jiu-Jitsu world champion featherweight Mario Reis is now regarded
as a veteran by the new generation coming up in competition.
But the leader of Gracie Barra Porto Alegre still has a lot of
fuel in his tank, he guarantees it. During a conversation with
GRACIEMAG.com, the black belt sets his goals for 2011, looking
forward to the European Open, and among other things, he analyzes
the current champion of his division, Rafael Mendes.
Check
it out:
What
are your plans for 2011?
My
goal for 2011 is to do the whole IBJJF calendar and compete in
other events, like the World Pro, for example. I feel it’s
a good time in my career, I’ve had time to train and focus
on competing. I want to explore all facets of Jiu-Jitsu and compete
at all the big tournaments. I’m fortunate not to have any
injuries, I’m prepared and I’m going to keep it up
till the end of the year. Competition is what motivates me to
further develop. I’ll probably be at the European Open competing
at featherweight, the division where I feel best. I’m focused
on the European Open and then I want to be at the Pan too.
Rafael
Mendes is the current featherweight world champion. A lot of
opponents criticize him for his style of fighting. What do you
think of him?
I
think he’s a really smart and, above all, strategic athlete.
He knows what game he’s going to bring against each fighter.
For each fighter, he changes his game and that intelligence of
his got him to where he is. He’s very effective in competition,
he’s a finisher but, above all, he’s strategic, and
he is to be congratulated because he knows the right way to deal
with each fighter.
You
won two IBJJF Worlds’ as well as a number of other major
titles. What motivates you to carry on competing?
What
motivates me is extracting as much as possible from Jiu-Jitsu,
like overcoming obstacles and controlling my emotions. I want
to push all the limits and make it to the top. What keeps me
going is seeing how I still perform well against the young guys
who are at the top. I can make it to number 1 in the IBJJF, that
motivates me, I want to keep getting better. This kids who are
on fire now are a lot of incentive to me.
This
year you had some exchanges and trained with the folks at Gracie
Barra America. Do you intend to continue doing this kind of prep
work?
The
best place to train, seek new information, work on my technique
and fix my mistakes is at Gracie Barra America with Master Carlos
Gracie and Marcio Feitosa, not to mention all the top guys who
train over there. I’m going to try and get closer to the
master. That’s where I’ll be able to grow to make it
to where I want to be.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Who
can possibly challenge GSP?
MONTREAL
– Ever since Georges St. Pierre lost to Matt Serra in 2007,
he’s dominated every opponent who has stood in his way.
He
has won a UFC-record 30 consecutive rounds, and of late, not
only does he not lose rounds, he doesn’t even have close
rounds.
In
short, St. Pierre has become the most physically dominant champion
in the sport, and he’s generally ranked as the best pound-for-pound
fighter in the world.
But
Saturday night’s welterweight championship fight against
challenger Josh Koscheck, in St. Pierre’s home city of Montreal,
closed the last remaining doubt. Opponent after opponent thought
that St. Pierre always looked to take the fight to the ground
– that he was afraid to stand and trade. Well, the fight
answered the question.
St.
Pierre (21-2) stood for most of five rounds, completely outclassing
Koscheck. St. Pierre jabbed effectively, avoided most of Koscheck’s
spots, dominated with speed and movement, and he was able to
fight five rounds at a hard pace.
We’ve
established that St. Pierre’s got wrestling, he’s got
boxing, he’s got kicks, he’s got speed, movement and
conditioning.
So,
then, the question is this: Who at 170 pounds is going to defeat
him? Who is the next fighter who can even be competitive with
him?
Koscheck,
Jon Fitch, Dan Hardy and Thiago Alves could only survive five
rounds, taking various levels of punishment. Serra, B.J. Penn,
and Matt Hughes couldn’t even survive, and all were finished.
Koscheck, Penn, Serra and Hughes have all lost rematches to the
champ.
So
who’s next?
“Jake
Shields is the No. 1 contender,” Dana White said late Saturday
night.
Shields
(26-4-1) is on a 15-fight winning streak. In recent years, he
held the Elite XC welterweight title and Strikeforce middleweight
title, never losing either title. When it comes to his strength,
using wrestling to set up submissions, he’s one of the best
in the world.
“He’s
one of my favorite guys I like to see fight,” St. Pierre
said minutes after his win Saturday. “He’s a very,
what you say, meticulous fighter, a very technical guy, a brilliant
submission artist. He’s one of the guys I like to see fight
the most. He beat everyone at 170 and 185. He’s amazing.”
Still,
Shields struggled in his UFC debut on Oct. 23 against Martin
Kampmann, winning a split decision that easily could have gone
the other way. He made a major tactical error, deciding to drop
20 pounds in one day to make weight. The end result was Shields
finding himself in a fight in which he struggled with fatigue
as much as with his opponent.
There
are two big issues going into promoting a St. Pierre vs. Shields
fight. First, there will be very few fans who believe Shields
has a chance to beat St. Pierre, simply because they’re
looking at each man’s most recent fight.
But
looking even deeper, when you try and scout the fight, while
it’s not impossible for Shields to win, it would require
a major tactical mistake by St. Pierre or a fluke for it to happen.
Shields’
strength is his takedown ability, and once he gets people on
the ground, he has a great arsenal of unique submissions. But
Koscheck is a better wrestler than Shields, and he only got St.
Pierre off his feet once in 25 minutes. And standing, St. Pierre
is really in a different league from Shields, who is the rare
top fighter whose stand-up is considered questionable. The strategy
for St. Pierre seems obvious in that fight, and he would have
to go in as a heavy favorite.
While
any fight with St. Pierre is going to draw well, there is a big
difference between Saturday’s blockbuster and a fight with
Shields. From a timing standpoint, it could wind up taking place
on April 30, when the UFC debuts at the Rogers Centre in Toronto
in what is expected to be the biggest live event in company history.
But that decision has not yet been made.
“I
would love that,” said St. Pierre, moments after his win.
“But it depends on the boss [UFC president Dana White].
It’s up to the UFC. I work for the UFC. I love my job. I
think I’m healthy. I have some little bruises, so far with
the adrenaline, I feel good. Hopefully I still will. I think
I can go back to training in two or three days.”
Koscheck
marketed himself in the fight as being the “bad guy,”
– people would want to pay to see him get beat up even if
they really didn’t believe he could win. Fans have no such
connection to Shields.
Once
you get past Shields, the next group of contenders is people
St. Pierre has already shut out: Penn and Fitch, who will fight
on Feb. 27 in Sydney, Australia. If Fitch wins, he will have
won six in a row since his 2008 loss to St. Pierre. In that scenario,
Fitch would have clearly earned a title shot with wins over Penn
and Alves.
If
Penn wins, he would have beaten Hughes and Fitch back to back,
and it could be argued that he also would have earned a title
shot.
Fitch
has said he’s found a weakness to exploit in GSP’s
game, but if there is one, his teammate Koscheck came nowhere
close to unlocking that mystery.
After
that, you’ve got Carlos Condit, who St. Pierre has never
faced. Condit will face Chris Lytle in Australia. Few would give
him much of a chance in that fight to do little more than survive.
And there’s always the specter of the most-talked about
opponent, Anderson Silva, the middleweight champion who has never
lost in the UFC. It would be a battle of the consensus top two
pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.
When
asked, St. Pierre gave basically the same answer he’s given
for years. He does not want to be a fighter who messes with his
weight. When he is big enough physically to move to middleweight,
he will make the move and stay there.
“I
don’t want to jump up and down weight classes,” said
St. Pierre, whose win on Saturday was his 15th in the UFC. “Right
now I’m 189-190 pounds [his natural body weight],”
he said. “About a year ago, I was 184. I’ve decided
to gain weight and to add muscle to get to 190. I need to be
at least 200 pounds to be a middleweight. The guys I train with
who are middleweights are all 215, 210 pounds. I haven’t
considered the question yet. A lot of people throw that question.
We’ll see.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Brock
Lesnar’s Return Date Undetermined, Won’t Appear In
WWE
Brock
Lesnar’s next fight in the UFC still has not been determined,
but one place he won’t be in 2011 is making a guest appearance
in the WWE come Wrestlemania time.
Following
his title loss to Cain Velasquez in October, Lesnar went on sabbatical
to go hunting and get away from the fight game for a little while
and also to spend time with his family. Since then, the questions
continuously come in about when Lesnar could return. While UFC
president Dana White has said nothing is on the table that might
soon change.
Speaking
to the media on Thursday, White plans on having a conversation
with Lesnar’s team next week to start ironing out some details.
“Brock’s
in the woods somewhere, in the middle of somewhere, and I haven’t
talked to him,” White said. “He gets back this week
or next week. I just talked to his guy when I was pulling in
here today and they’re going to call me on Monday and we’ll
figure out what’s next for Brock.”
AdChoices
No
names have been mentioned as far as potential opponents yet,
but despite a backlash from fans when the UFC suggested a third
fight between Lesnar and former champion Frank Mir, it still
may be in the cards.
“We
were going to do the Frank Mir fight and it wasn’t very
popular. We’ll see what happens; it could be Frank Mir,”
White said. “I don’t know, we’ll see what happens.”
From
real confrontations to scripted confrontations, Lesnar’s
former employers at the WWE are reportedly interested in having
him come back for an appearance at their annual show “Wrestlemania,”
but White says that is one thing he is sure is not going to happen.
“He
will not wrestle in Wrestlemania. Won’t happen, cause he’s
under contract with me,” he stated.
The
simple fact for the UFC president is having a former pro wrestler
in mixed martial arts brings up enough questions without that
person going back and doing more scripted performances for the
WWE. While Lesnar has been successful as a fighter, White doesn’t
want to take the chance that someone misconstrues his legitimacy
if he goes back to pro wrestling… even for one night.
“I
don’t want to blur those lines,” White commented. “First
of all, him coming over and making the choice to leave the WWE
and come here, we gave him that shot, which was a big risk on
our part, the guy was 1-0. He’s done incredibly well. I
don’t want him going back to the WWE, blurring the lines
between what’s real and what’s not.”
Lesnar
has posted pictures of his hunting trip online, but outside of
that, the former UFC heavyweight champion has made little comment
since his fight with Velasquez. He will likely return in the
first half of 2011, but until the UFC has the official announcement,
nothing is set in stone.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
124: Stefan Struve Motivated By The Talk, TKOs Sean Mccorkle
Stefan
Struve made sure Sean Mccorkle stopped talking in their UFC 124
fight. The Dutch heavyweight scored the first round TKO in Montreal.
There
was a lot of talk from Mccorkle leading into this fight. So many
things were said, but it appeared it did nothing but motivate
the 22-year-old Struve to finish the fight in dominant fashion.
After
eating a strong right hand from Struve, Mccorkle was able to
put his hands on his opponent and secure the strong takedown.
From there, he worked his way into Struve’s guard and peppered
the young mixed martial artist with shots, scoring points in
his favor.
Later,
a failed kimura attempt by Mccorkle seemed to exhaust him, and
his gas tank looked as though it was used up early in the fight.
The exhaustion continued to take it’s toll on Mccorkle as
Struve worked from his back and nearly sunk in two submissions
— an armbar then a kimura.
With
his opponent out of energy and sitting in his guard, Stefan Struve
pulled a textbook sweep from the back, rolling into full mount.
From that position, Struve rained down punches and all Mccorkle
could do was cover up and try to minimize the damage. There was
too much to defend, though, as the referee stepped in at 3:55
of the first round and put an end to the contest.
After
the fight, Struve talked with Joe Rogan about the trash talk
and if it motivated him in his win.
“Yeah,
of course,” he said. “He can dress up all he wants.”
Although
he shut the mouth that talked more trash leading into the fight,
Struve still showed the respect of a humble athlete when he spoke
of Mccorkle and said, “he’s a classy guy, man. Give
it up for Sean!”
With
the win, Struve improves to 21-4 (5-2 UFC). The UFC 124 loss
marks the first in Sean Mccorke’s 11-fight career.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
124: Attendance Record Set, Gate Pulls in Over $4.8 Million
UFC
124 was a success when it came to the fights, and it was a winner
when it came to the attendance and gate money as well.
UFC
president Dana White announced following the action in Montreal
that the Bell Centre packed in 23,152 for the largest audience
in North American history.
The
other goal that White predicted unfortunately came up just short.
The live gate of $4.586 million while very impressive, did not
break the record for the largest gate in history.
Still
the live audience and gate numbers showed once again why the
UFC will likely consider Montreal a home for their promotion
for many more shows in the future.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Dana
White: “We’ll See What Happens With Joe Stevenson”
Joe
Stevenson’s night at UFC 124 didn’t go at all how he
envisioned it.
A
quick punch from Mac Danzig left the former “Ultimate Fighter”
season 2 winner flat on his face, and the knockout was his 4th
in his last 6 fights. Prior to the fight, his opponent Mac Danzig
felt it was a “win or go home” type situation for their
match-up in Montreal.
Now
with Stevenson on the losing end will he get a pink slip for
Christmas from the UFC?
UFC
president Dana White says not so fast, but some tough decisions
have to be made.
“We
like guys that fight, we like guys that come in and lay it on
the line. Joe Stevenson’s had a bad run, it’s so tough
to cut a guy that comes in and does what he’s supposed to
do, and he’s one of those guys,” said White to MMAWeekly.com
following the event. “He got knocked out trying to knock
(Danzig) out tonight. That’s what happened.”
From
a promotional aspect, only two winners of the “Ultimate
Fighter” reality show have ever been cut. Travis Lutter,
who won his spot back in the company after the “comeback”
season of the show, and Efrain Escudero, who was released following
his last loss in the Octagon to Charles Oliveira.
If
Stevenson gets cut, he would be the third, but White isn’t
fast to react following a loss.
“We’ll
see what happens with Joe Stevenson,” White commented. “I
respect him, Joe (Silva) respects him, we like him and I wouldn’t
say he’s getting cut, no.”
Look
for more fighters from the UFC 124 card to face some releases
in the upcoming week however. Pat Audinwood and Dustin Hazelett
are almost sure to have to look for work after the UFC 124 weekend,
as well as Joe Doerksen, but official word won’t come for
a few days.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Manager
clears out the Falcão’s arresting
Friday
afternoon (3), TATAME was informed that the UFC fighter, Maiquel
Falcão, had been arrested in Pelotas, in Rio Grande do
Sul, Brazil, according to the news published on the newspaper
Diário Popular. The arrestment was done due to a warrant
related to physical injury. Falcão’s manager, Marcelo
Brigadeiro got in touch with TATAME to clear things out about
the case trying to put a final end on the speculations.
“In
2002, Maiquel got involved in a fight on a nightclub, between
two groups of people. People pressed charges against him and
he got an alternative penalty. After serving, still in 2002,
the athlete was informed that the case hasn’t been closed.
Believing it was all solved, Maiquel moved and because he did
so at that time and his lawyer didn’t add this information,
of his new home address, to his file, the judge saw it as if
he was trying to run away and told the cops to find him”,
explained the manager.
“After
almost nine years later, Maiquel didn’t have any news about
the lawsuit, so as he returned to his hometown, he gave an interview
to a local paper. As he finished that interview, the cops were
waiting for him and they took him to the police station. Currently
the fighter is now in prison and he’s definitely not in
jail as people are saying so, he’s just in custody so that
he gives his statement why he didn’t show up in 2002 like
he should have done. He’ll say that and he’ll be released
soon. Prime Fighters told its layers all about it and well keep
you people and the fans aware of what happens. I thank you all
for you support. God bless you”, concluded, Marcelo Brigadeiro.
Source: Tatame
|
Marcelo
Pereira Seminar
HMC Academy
December 19 (Sunday)
Starts 1:00 PM
Cost: $60 at the door ($15 extra for videocam)
Email or call 393-7653 Leandro Nyza
for more info!
Source: Kyle Takao
|
GSP
great, just not the best
MONTREAL
– Georges St. Pierre was brilliant Saturday. He closed Josh
Koscheck’s eye in the first round of their match for the
UFC welterweight title in front of 23,152 bloodthirsty fans in
the main event of UFC 124 at the Bell Centre. There was little
his coaches wanted him to do that he didn’t accomplish,
running the table by winning all five rounds and racking up a
one-sided unanimous decision victory.
By
the middle of the third round, Koscheck’s face looked like
a bag of ground chuck. He had welts up and down his leg from
the kicks that St. Pierre was landing.
When
the fifth round began, Koscheck’s right eye was grotesquely
swollen so much that he couldn’t see out of it. At that
point, as St. Pierre was closing out his eighth consecutive victory,
a thought occurred: What would have happened to the opponent
if he’d been fighting four full rounds with one eye against
champion Anderson Silva and not St. Pierre?
Believe
me, it wouldn’t have been pretty. And the judges wouldn’t
have had to render a verdict, either.
With
no one left in his division to measure him against, it’s
only fair to measure St. Pierre against the elite of the elite
in the game – men like Silva, the UFC middleweight champion,
and Jose Aldo, its dynamic young featherweight champ.
Silva
has had more than his share of lackluster performances, but when
he gets a chance to finish a fight, there is no more cold, calculating
or ruthless finisher in the sport.
But
St. Pierre’s victory, as technically brilliant as it was
Saturday, was little more than a missed opportunity. It was the
third fight in a row that St. Pierre has gone the distance, and
the fourth in his last five outings. Since regaining the welterweight
title by knocking out Matt Serra at UFC 83, St. Pierre has fought
24 of 25 possible rounds. The one fight he finished was against
B.J. Penn, a lightweight at the time, when Penn’s corner
threw in the towel at the end of the fourth.
From
the early moments Saturday, St. Pierre was pummeling Koscheck
and had him running for cover, unable to see anything coming
from his right side. And yet, St. Pierre never came close to
knocking him out and really was never close with a submission
attempt.
Asked
if he were satisfied with yet another victory by decision, St.
Pierre didn’t equivocate.
“No,”
he said, sharply. “No. I wanted to finish, with a knockout
or a submission. He’s very tough. I closed his right eye,
so I was doing a lot with the hook and the high left kick to
try to knock him out standing up, but he’s very good, you
know. He’s very tough. My punches didn’t land on the
chin as much, as I wanted to finish him off. It was a good fight,
entertaining, but I wanted to finish it. That was my goal.”
Of
course, there are two guys in there fighting, and Koscheck deserves
credit for hanging in and not surrendering. He didn’t show
up just to collect a paycheck. He took a beating and was still
firing haymakers in the waning seconds of the match.
He
wasn’t good enough to beat St. Pierre – who at 170
pounds is? – but he didn’t quit. St. Pierre coach Greg
Jackson wasn’t buying the argument that St. Pierre came
up short by not finishing his trash-talking rival.
“Praise
Koscheck for taking punch after punch and kick after kick,”
Jackson said. “If you get hit with some of those right hands
that would knock down a horse, credit goes to Koscheck for withstanding
that kind of a beating. His eye was closed because he kept getting
hit with left hooks, straight rights. He wasn’t able to
impose his game plan, because when he would sit down to get his
game plan going, he was eating right hands, head kicks. If any
credit should go anywhere, it should be to Koscheck’s toughness
for absorbing an amazing amount of damage.”
True
enough. But then, think of Silva and think of the killer instinct
he shows whenever he senses even the least little bit of an opening.
St. Pierre had his openings, but he chose to be wary, to think
of defense first, and he was unwilling to take even a little
risk.
That
will win him a lot of fights and keep him as the champion perhaps
for as long as he’s interested in holding the belt, but
it’s hard to make an argument that you’re the best
fighter in the world when you can’t put a one-eyed, beaten-up
opponent away.
“Josh
Koscheck throws his punches circular, and to beat him, I had
to stay on the outside behind my jab,” St. Pierre said.
“If I would have stood in the pocket with him and started
throwing circular, it would have been the same thing as if I
took a coin and flipped it and saw who landed first on the target.
It was a risk of getting knocked out.
“My
game doesn’t rely on chance. I don’t get bold when
I fight. I try to put all the odds on my side. That’s why
I tried to use my jab and stay on the outside.”
Thiago
Alves, who lost a five-round decision to St. Pierre at UFC 100,
raved about St. Pierre’s talent and wasn’t willing
to be critical of the lack of a finish. He said that sometimes,
the openings don’t appear.
He
said St. Pierre deserved to be praised for his dominance.
“Georges
has proven a lot that he’s the best in the weight division
for a long time,” said Alves, who won a unanimous decision
over John Howard in an entertaining scrap earlier on the card.
“When you’re inside of there, it’s a little different.
Sometimes things don’t go the way you want, but he still
put in a great performance. He won all five rounds, so I think
he did great.”
No
right-minded person could have watched St. Pierre pick apart
Koscheck and not leave thinking he is a magnificent fighting
machine.
The
best in the world, though, he is not. That honor should once
again belong to Silva, the oft-criticized middleweight who showed
his ability to close the show at UFC 117 against Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen pounded on Silva for 4 1/2 rounds and was on the verge
of a monumental upset when Silva seized the moment and locked
in a fight-ending triangle choke.
That’s
the kind of a move that the top fighter in the world makes. Fighters
aren’t going to get knockouts every time out, nor are they
going to be at their best each time.
But
St. Pierre was at his best Saturday. No less an authority than
Jackson, arguably the sport’s finest coach, said as much.
Asked how he rated St. Pierre’s performance, Jackson didn’t
hesitate.
“As
one of his highest,” Jackson said. “Here’s the
thing you don’t understand: Koscheck is not an easy man
to beat, first of all. When he’s in shape and focused and
ready to go, he’s the best in the world. There’s a
reason he’s the No. 1 contender. To be beaten, to be dominated
like that, I think is the height of martial arts.”
The
23,152 fans jammed into the Bell Centre watched a marvelous display
of mixed martial arts and saw one of the greatest fighters who
ever lived perform.
After
yet another fight without a finish, though, it’s clear there
should be no more debate.
George
St. Pierre is very good. Anderson Silva is the best in the world.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Shooto
Brazil ends year with one more title holder
André
Pederneiras, the president of the Shooto South America promotion,
closed out the year with the organization’s twentieth installment
in Brazil. And of the six bouts on the card, one featured an
inaugural title fight and the other a former UFC fighter.
In
the under 52 kg title fight, serving also as the final of the
divisional GP, Lincoln Sá took the glory by unanimous
decision over Maicon William. Sá started out behind in
the first, but got the better of the action in the two rounds
that followed. He landed solid takedowns and worked well from
the top, mainly form the half guard. Maicon threw caution to
the win throughout, always threatening with heel-hook attempts
that were snug but well defended, but it wasn’t enough.
Lincoln
de Sá celebrates.
Former
UFC fighter Antonio Samuray did a good job in the standup department.
He landed pain-inducing kicks, concussive knees, and was only
in any danger when Amenilson Negão shot for takedowns.
But after two rounds of punishment from Samuray, Negão
did not return for a third round.
Dudu
Dantas was supposed to have defended his bantamweight belt. However,
Carlos Betão suffered an injury the week of the fight.
So in came Samuel de Sousa, who took the initiative and attacked
launched a standup assault that ended when Dantas pulled guard
and promptly put an end to the action with an armbar, just twenty
seconds into the affair.
Samuray
high kick
Leandro
Sete Bala was getting the worst of his altercation with Revellis
Barcellos, who was winning by way of repeated takedowns. In the
third round, though, Sete Bala managed a takedown of his own,
mounted, got back mount and handily ended the action with a rear-naked
choke. In other fights, Jefferson connected in the opening seconds
with a resounding punch to D’Branco, following up with a
takedown, mount and barrage of strikes that ended the bout. Leandro
Batata landed powerful strikes in the standup action, with neatly-crafted
combinations, that resulted in a possible hand fracture, and
carried out repeated takedowns on his way to a unanimous decision
win over Edivaldo Oliveira.
Check
out the results:
Shooto
Brazil 20
December 11, 2011
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Eduardo
Dantas (Nova União) submits Samuel de Sousa via armbar
in R1
Leandro
Batata (Nova União) defeates Edivaldo Oliveira via unanimous
decision
Lincoln
de Sá (Art Combat) defeats Maicon Willian (Nocaute) via
unanimous decision
Leandro
Sete Bala (Nova União) submits Reveilis Barcellos (Peterson
Mello) via rear-naked choke in R3
Antonio
Samuray defeats Emenilson Negão (Nova União) via
TKO (desistance between rounds two and three)
Jefferson
(RVT) defeats Francisco D´Branco (Beto Padilha) via TKO
in R1
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Abmar
Barbosa trains with BJ Penn in Hawaii
After
putting away Matt Hughes is glorious fashion at UFC 123, BJ Penn
is on fire. And to keep up the momentum, he’s counting on
the help of Abmar Barbosa, who this year stood out for his performances
at events like the Pan, where he took second, and the Asian Open,
which he won. Abmar spoke a bit about what he’s doing in
Hawaii with GRACIEMAG.com:
So
what’s the news?
I’m
here in Honolulu, Hawaii, and I’m teaching a seminar this
weekend. Soon I’ll go spend a week or two training with
BJ Penn.
How
did this opportunity to train with BJ Penn come about?
We
spoke when Joe Lauzon introduced us, at UFC 123. I promised to
pay him a visit to train and here I am.
And
what’s on the schedule for after training with BJ?
I’ll
return to Virginia, because I’m going to lead the Fairfax
Jiu-Jitsu team in competition. There’s going to be a mega-training
camp in February of about ten days at my branch in Providence.
Besides that, there’s my DVD, which was launched in November
and is selling like mad. I hope everyone likes it, I dedicated
myself 100%. I’d also like to thank GRACIEMAG.com for the
space it’s given me.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
124: New And Improved Thiago Alves Cruises Past John Howard
A
new and improved Thiago Alves?
It
would appear UFC fans are in for exactly that after Alves put
on a masterful performance with a dominant striking game to out
work John Howard at UFC 124.
Alves’
weight cutting struggles were well documented prior to the weekend
in Montreal, so the Brazilian called on Mike Dolce to help him
with his nutrition and fight conditioning. After Saturday night,
it looks like Dolce is in for a big bonus.
Looking
as fresh as he ever has for a fight, Alves was quick to the punch
and absolutely demolished Howard’s lead leg with kicks.
The Brazilian even managed to mix in a couple takedowns during
the fight.
To
Howard’s credit he took some shots that would put most welterweights
away, but he felt the power and continued to move forward.
Alves
looked disciplined and crisp for all three rounds, while also
dropping Howard with a good punch in the third and final round.
The judges saw the same thing and awarded the American Top Team
fighter 30-27 scores across the board.
“I’m
really, really happy. I worked really, really hard to get here
today,” Alves professed after the fight. “John Howard’s
a really tough guy, I liked the match-up since the beginning.
I knew with the right training, the right preparation I could
out scheme him for any game.”
The
win puts Alves back on track after two losses and a pile of weight
cutting problems. With Mike Dolce on his side and American Top
Team in the gym, Alves will continue to be a force at 170lbs
in the UFC.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
124: Mac Danzig Retains Employment, Knocks Out Joe Stevenson
in the First
Mac
Danzig needed little time to make sure he kept his job as he
knocked out Joe Stevenson in the first round of their UFC 124
bout.
Prior
to their Saturday night showdown, the contest between Danzig
and Stevenson was massively speculated to be a “win or go
home” match between two fighters on the verge of getting
cut from the UFC. With the thought of unemployment being a reality,
Danzig countered Stevenson’s left uppercut with a precise
left hook, sending “Joe Daddy” crashing the the mat.
Moments
after his opponent hit the floor, Danzig followed through with
a couple of hammerfists to the left side of Stevenson’s
head. At that point, the referee stepped in to stop the fight
and Danzig celebrated with an extreme show of emotion.
Ecstatic
in victory, Danzig stood with Joe Rogan and talked about the
counter left hook that sealed the win and continuance of his
UFC career.
“I
knew he was [going to] come in,” he said. “I studied
tape on him. I just knew he was [going to] walk into that. The
whole thing is hitting the jaw.
“You
hit the jaw, the guy goes out. I’m here to stay!”
With
the win, Danzig gets back on a winning track and solidifies his
spot with the UFC. Leading into the fight, he was well aware
of probability of getting cut, but now, all that is in the past.
For
Stevenson, the loss is his second in a row and fourth in his
last six outings. Time will tell if Joe Stevenson will remain
in the UFC, but with his recent record, it doesn’t look
good.
Official
call of the fight was Mac Danzig defeats Joe Stevenson via knockout
at 1: 54 of the first round.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
124: Jim Miller Submits Charles Oliveira, Demands His Shot At
The Lightweight Title
Jim
Miller said he wanted to break Charles Oliveira in their fight
at UFC 124, and he literally almost did that with a nasty kneebar
forcing the tap out, and getting his sixth win in a row overall.
The
New Jersey native entered Montreal with a chip on his shoulder
simply because his name just wasn’t getting mentioned among
the top lightweights in the world, despite his immaculate record
and great record in the UFC. He apparently took out his frustrations
against Charles Oliveira.
A
swift takedown opened the fight for Miller, but he had to be
extra careful working in the guard of a very dangerous Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu practitioner in Oliveira. The patience paid off as
Miller scrambled and when the Brazilian went for a leg lock,
he went for one of his own.
Miller’s
leg lock proved to be the better of the two, going first for
a toe hold and then transitioning to a kneebar. The torque was
incredible and it didn’t take long for Oliveira was forced
to tap or go through months of rehab for an injured knee.
The
submission was devastating and why Miller believes Oliveira didn’t
have much time to react outside of tapping out.
“It
did, but it happened too fast,” Miller said when asked if
he was surprised Oliveira didn’t defend the move any differently.
Coming
into the fight, Miller was listed as a slight underdog by most
major sportsbooks despite his great record and resume in the
Octagon. He showed everyone he should have been the favorite.
“I
think a lot of people underestimated me coming into this fight.
Charles is a tough kid, got a ton of potential, but I’m
one of the best in the world,” said Miller.
Miller
has always been known as one of the hardest workers in the UFC’s
lightweight division, but somewhat soft spoken when it comes
to calling anyone out or proclaiming his own greatness. Saturday
night, Miller decided to play the game a bit more asking UFC
president Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva to recognize his
body of work.
“Joe,
Dana, I want my shot,” Miller shouted.
At
8-1 in the UFC, Miller has to be considered one of the top contenders
in the division and has to see a top ten opponent in his future.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Josh
Koscheck Suffers Broken Orbital Bone In Loss To St-Pierre
Josh
Koscheck had to deal with virtually no vision in his right eye
during his UFC 124 main event performance against Georges St-Pierre,
and now we know why.
The
former NCAA All-American suffered a broken orbital bone courtesy
of St-Pierre that will require surgery before any time line for
a return can be determined. ESPN.com confirmed the injury with
Koscheck’s trainer Bob Cook on Sunday.
According
to the report, Koscheck suffered the break during one of the
multitude of jabs that St-Pierre blasted the American Kickboxing
Academy fighter with during their 5-round fight. The swelling
around Koscheck’s eye started during the first round however,
and St-Pierre targeted that side throughout the bout.
Koscheck,
who is unable to fly due to the injury, will instead drive to
Boston and undergo surgery on Monday or Tuesday of the upcoming
week before returning home to San Jose.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
124: Bocek Makes His Case For “Submission Of The Night”,
Miller Defeats Doerksen
Mark
Bocek pleased his home country fans with the first and only finish
of all the preliminary fights at UFC 124 submitting Dustin Hazelett,
while Dan Miller stayed on track with his second win in a row
with a split decision over Joe Doerksen.
Dan
Miller went through a rough patch of fights recently, but has
now bounced back with two wins in a row, the second of which
ended in a split decision win over Joe Doerksen on Saturday night
in Montreal.
Miller
showed superior takedowns throughout the fight, taking Doerksen
to the mat at will. The 2nd round may have seen the closest to
a finish when Doerksen went for a kimura from the bottom, forcing
Miller to roll and maneuver to get out.
The
remainder of the 15 minutes was Miller on top, hitting some ground
and pound, and keeping Doerksen underneath him. The judges gave
Miller a scare with a split decision, but in the end he got the
nod.
Mark
Bocek showed off his grappling skills at UFC 124 as he put away
fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Dustin Hazelett with a
frontrunner for “Submission of the Night” with a beautiful
rolling triangle choke in the first round to get the victory.
Getting
a quick takedown to open the fight, Bocek seemed to have no problem
getting in and out of Hazelett’s rubber guard, and soon
had the Cincinnati based fighter mounted with just around two
minutes gone in the round. Instead of hammering away, Bocek seized
the moment with a lighting fast rolling triangle choke.
Hazelett
tried his best to get out of the position, but Bocek tightened
up his anaconda-like grip and within a few moments, his opponent
was tapping out. It was an exciting moment for the Canadian who
now wants to fight closer to his actual home up north, calling
for a fight in April when the UFC comes to Toronto in 2011.
“Let
me fight George Sotiropoulos in Toronto, and I’ll prove
it again,” Bocek shouted to the crowd’s approval.
Meanwhile,
Dustin Hazelett drops his third in a row in the Octagon and may
find himself out of the UFC after the defeat.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
124: Post Fight Bonuses Net Over $300K To The Fighters
UFC
124 went down as a huge success for the promotion, Montreal,
and the fighters. Over $300,000 was handed out after the event
to the post-fight award winners.
The
“Fight of the Night” was selected for the first time
ever by the fans. They voted for Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
for the winner and both will receive $100,000. Following the
event, UFC president Dana White admitted it wasn’t his choice
and it would be the last time the fans would have the opportunity
to vote for the award.
The
UFC president said he would be taking care of Sean Pierson and
Matt Riddle for their fight, which is what he voted for to get
the bonus.
“Knockout
of the Night” went to Mac Danzig, who pocketed $100,000
for his performance. Danzig dropped Joe Stevenson with a big
punch that put him face first on the canvas to get the win and
a bonus.
Mark
Bocek and Jim Miller both pulled off amazing submissions and
thus they will split the “Submission of the Night”
bonus, with each getting $50,000. Bocek landed a slick triangle
choke to finish Dustin Hazelett, and Miller cranked a nasty kneebar
to put away Charles Oliveira.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Dana
goes to Rio to announce UFC in Brazil
Away from the Brazilian lands since 1998, the UFC will return
to the birth land of MMA in 2011, just like TATAME Magazine informed
in last July. And the show will take place at Rio de Janeiro,
city that will host the Olympic Games in 2016 and the World Cup
in 2014. TATAME was informed this morning that UFC president
Dana White will host a press conference – which will air
live through the internet – at Palacio da Cidade, official
residence of Rio’s mayor, on December 15th, to announcer
UFC’s second edition in Brazil. Anderson Silva and Maurício
Shogun, UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champions, will
also participate at the press conference. Stay tuned for more
news.
UPDATE:
UFC's offical press media in Brazil confirmed the conference
on December 15. Jose Aldo, Royce Gracie and Vitor Belfort will
also participate on the press conference, just like Lorenzo Fertitta
and Rio de Janeiro's mayor, Eduardo Paes.
Source: Tatame
|
GSP
humble, Koscheck too
In
the lead up to UFC 124, during recording of the “The Ultimate
Fighter 12” reality show, where Georges Saint-Pierre and
Josh Koscheck were the coaches of the two teams, there was no
lack of provocation, mainly on the part of the challenger.
The
mood remained tense up until the moment of the fight this Saturday,
but following the bout, GSP once again showed why he is so beloved
among fans. He went out of his way to congratulate his provocateur
Koscheck, saying it was nothing more than promotion of the fight
and he requested the fans’ applause for his challenger,
for having faced him at home, in Canada.
“This
is MMA. If you want to watch a kickboxing match, go watch that.
Josh Koscheck is a true MMA fighter,” he said while still
in the octagon.
“I
didn’t reach my objective, which was to take him out. He’s
a really tough guy. I ask everyone’s forgiveness,”
he responded to the crowd in Montreal, also explaining part of
his strategy.
“I
know Koscheck likes to throw looping punches, and I’m a
straight puncher. My strategy was to keep him away and, when
he came in really strong, I’d try to take him down,”
said GSP, who thought Koscheck would try and take him down more.
Josh
too avoided controversy and changed his posture after the fight.
“I
have no excuse, Georges Saint-Pierre is the true champion. Montreal,
this was a fantastic event, regardless of the result,” he
said.
“I
hope to come back here some day and put on a better show. GSP
was the man today,” said Koscheck in finishing.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Pitbull’s
return
Thiago
“Pitbull” Alves in 2009 had his dreamed-of shot at
the belt. But after losing to Georges St.-Pierre, the fighter
suffered an arterial problem in his brain, postponing his March
bout with Jon Fitch.
Next,
the Brazilian again had problems making weight, in August. Besides
getting an earful from his boss, Dana White, the American Top
Team representative was thoroughly handled by Fitch in one of
the worst performances of his career.
This
Saturday night, though, what we saw in the octagon at UFC 124
was the old Pitbull in action, with plenty dominance and aggressiveness
in his fight with John Howard.
“I’m
happy because I worked really hard. I like his fights and I’ve
watched them before. I liked this fight from the beginning. I
knew that with the proper preparation, right training, I’d
bring him into my game,” he said.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
124 Results & Live Play-by-Play
Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
December 11, 2010
John
Makdessi vs. Pat Audinwood
Round 1
Makdessi gets a huge pop from the half-full Bell Centre. Hard
boos for Audinwood. Big cheers for referee Herb Dean. Audinwood
looks twice Makdessi's size. First action comes 45 seconds in
when Makdessi lands a hard side kick. Audinwood punches back
but misses. Each guy throwing kicks and missing. Audinwood has
another one-two head kick blocked. Makdessi grazes with a spinning-back
kick and the crowd roars. Makdessi lands short left hooks then
drops Audinwood with a left cross. Audinwood gets back to his
feet under fire, but he's outclassed standing. Spinning-back
kick by Makdessi and Audinwood shoots. Makdessi throws him off.
10-9 Makdessi.
Round
2
Makdessi lands another side kick. And another. Audinwood is just
circling. Audinwood's nose is bloodied. Makdessi lands a hook
kick and is starting to show he's technically way beyond Audinwood
standing. Spinning-back kick lands for Makdessi. Audinwood reaches
lazily and Makdessi clocks him with a four-punch combo. Audinwood
shoots and puts Makdessi down, but he shrimps and stands back
up. Makdessi lands a left book to the body, and then follows
it with one to the head. More left hooks pour in for Makdessi
until the bell. 10-9 Makdessi.
Round
3
Spinning-back kick and a hook kick from Makdessi miss. Audinwood
is circling still with no offense. Another weak one-two head
kick from Audinwood is blocked. Another spinning-back kick misses.
Left hook for the Canadian lands. Audinwood throws a "Superman"
punch that is nowhere near close. Hard left counter from Makdessi
when Audinwood throws a tame head kick. It is a point fighting
match and Makdessi is winning it easily. Right cross and a double
left for Makdessi in the last 10 seconds. All Makdessi. 10-9
and 30-27 overall on the Sherdog.com scorecard.
Official
scores: 30-27 (twice) and 30-26 for Makdessi, who takes the unanimous
decision.
Judging
note: Sherdog.com's Greg Savage reports that John Woodburn gave
Makdessi the second frame with a 10-8 score. Sal D'Amato and
David Therien went 10-9 in all rounds.
Ricardo
Almeida vs. T.J. Grant
Round 1
Philippe Chartier is the referee. They trade low kicks before
Almeida finishes a single-leg takedown. Almeida gets to half,
but can't advance past Grant's active butterfly guard. Grant
is punching and hammerfisting from the bottom. Almeida stands
and eats an upkick. He dives into Grant's guard with two hooks.
Grant scoots to the fence and gets up, but Almeida sucks him
back down. Almeida looks for his guillotine, but grant fights
off his wrists and escapes to guard. Good clean punches from
the Brazilian, who passes to half as the horn sounds. 10-9 Almeida.
Round
2
Grant stalks Almeida down to the fence, but when he attacks,
Almeida changes levels and slams him to the mat. Grant tries
to work double butterfly guard, and Almeida smoothly passes to
side mount. Grant regains half guard but Almeida is relentless
on top. Grant scrambles to his feet and Almeida drives him into
the fence and back down again. Grant is punching from the bottom
of half guard, but Almeida stacks him into the fence an looks
for a guillotine. Grant gets back to his feet and stuffs and
Almeida double. Grant briefly takes the top position and lands
hard punches, but it is too late to steal the round. 10-9 Almeida.
Round
3
Almeida looks winded as the final rind begins, but he still powers
Grant to the mat with a double-leg takedown. Grant tries to scramble
and briefly gives up his back, but is able to roll and push Almeida
back into the guard. Right hook and a right elbow land for Almeida.
Grant tries to snake his back up against the fence but he is
exhausted and Almeida passes over his knees to full mount. Hard
left from the Brazilian. Grant forces him back to half, but Almeida
regains the mount. Grant bridges and rolls with 30 seconds left
and he is back on the mat as soon as he gets up courtesy of another
Almeida takedown. 10-9 Almeida and 30-27 overall.
Official
scores: 30-27 across the board for Almeida, the winner by unanimous
decision.
Matt
Riddle vs. Sean Pierson
Round 1
Riddle takes best entrance track of the night thus far with Money
For Nothing by Dire Straits. Yves Lavigne is the referee. Riddle
launches haymakers at his fellow southpaw, but Pierson lands
a sharp jab and follows up with knees. Riddle keeps swinging
and gets raked with hooks. Pierson lands a hard two-punch combo
against the fence. Riddle tries a flying knee and Pierson smashed
him out of the air with a right hook. Riddle turtles and Pierson
adds some hard rights before getting waist control. Pierson elevates
him and slams him to the mat and takes his back with both hooks.
Riddle stands and Pierson sucks him to the mat. Riddle pries
himself free and gets to his feet. Riddle chases with winging
punches and kicks but can't land. 10-9 Pierson.
Round
2
Pierson is smashing Riddle with his jab and follows with a hard
left cross. Riddle shoots, but Pierson stonewalls him and shrugs
him off. Riddle is flicking punches but can't land anything.
Pierson sticks his jab in his face again. Big "Let's Go
Pierson!" chant erupts. Jab and another left cross for Pierson.
Riddle lands a winging shot that causes Pierson to slip, exposing
his neck. Riddle goes for a quick guillotine and jumps, but Pierson
escapes. Riddle gets a takedown and tiredly throws swimming punches
until the bell. 10-9 Pierson.
Round
3
Riddle is looking for a home run with right hooks, but he's missing.
He runs forward with a combo, but gets smacked with a left cross.
Three jabs land for Pierson. Three more. Pierson's jab is the
story of the fight. Jab and a left cross from Pierson. Riddle
keep swinging and going for broke, but a tired Pierson keeps
pumping his piston-like jab. Pierson is cut under his right eye.
More jabs from Pierson and Riddle shoots and gets denied. Pierson
is controlling the head and trying to take the back. The pair
get to their feet and throw wild punches until the bell, earning
a standing ovation from the Bell Center. 10-9 Pierson and 30-27
Pierson.
Official
scores: All three judges have it 30-27 Pierson, who gets another
standing ovation.
Jesse
Bongfeldt vs. Rafael Natal
Round 1
Dan Miragliotta is our referee. Natal catches a lazy Bongfeldt
kick and drives him to the mat but Bongfeldt won't stay down.
He chases Natal with a head kick as he gets to his feet, but
gets taken down once again. Natal passes to side and nearly takes
the back, but Bongfeldt fights back to his feet. Natal keeps
head control and rams him into the fence. Natal gets him down
again and gets his back with both hooks this time. Bongfeldt
fights the hands and is able to escape one of the hooks, and
roll into guard. They stand and Bongfeldt scores an outside trip
and nearly takes Natal's back. Some sloppy grappling marks the
end of the round. 10-9 Natal.
Round
2
The pair trade ugly hooks and an awkward right knocks Natal to
the floor. Bongfeldt attacks with punches and briefly gets to
the mount before Natal escapes. Bongfeldt tries to pull Natal
back down and the Brazilian grabs the fence, prompting a warning
from Miragliotta. On the restart, Natal slams Bongfeldt down
and takes his back again. No defensive grappling here at all.
Natal threatens the whole, barely keeping his hooks in as Bongfeldt
rolls around. Bongfeldt gets free and to his feet. The Canadian
shoots and Natal ends up with his back. Natal threatens with
the rear-naked choke again. 10-9 Natal in a sloppy grappling
match.
Round
3
Natal misses a lunging overhand right and Bongfeldt lands a knee
to the guts. Bongfeldt chops into Natal's lead leg with a low
kick. Natal is slipping all over the cage in exhaustion. Bongfeldt
catches his leg and smashes him with a right that puts him on
the floor. Bongfeldt easily gets to mount and rains punches on
the fatigued Brazilian. Natal reclaims half, but can offer nothing
on the bottom. He turtles and Bongfeldt punches away Natal rolls
to his back and the Canadian takes mount again, punishing Natal
to the bell. 10-9 Bongfeldt and 29-28 Natal overall.
Announcer
Bruce Buffer says all three judges have it a 30-30 draw. Those
scores are likely to be corrected in Montreal later, but the
bout is officially scored a draw.
Update:
Greg Savage reports that the actual Natal-Bongfeldt scores were
28-28 (twice) and 29-28 Natal, for a majority draw.
Dustin
Hazelett vs. Mark Bocek
Round 1
Philippe Chartier reffing. Bocek scores a quick trip takedown
against the fence. Hazelett moves quickly to rubber guard but
Bocek breaks his posture. Bocek passes to mount and deftly locks
up a topside triangle. Bocek rolls and elbows Hazeletts head.
Hazelett tries to keep tall posture but Bocek gets control of
his arm, torquing it back while pulling down on the head to get
the tap at 2:33 of the first round.
Dan
Miller vs. Joe Doerksen
Round 1
Marc-Andre Cote is the referee. Doerksen lands two overhand rights
to start the proceedings, but Miller quickly drives him to the
mat. Miller pushes his way to half guard. Doerksen elevates him
and in the ensuing scramble Miller look for his patented guillotine.
Doerksen rolls and escapes, but winds up back on his back. Doerksen
feebly punches from his back. Miller responds with two hard rights.
Miller trying to set up punches, but struggling to disentangle
himself from Doerksen. Miller with hammerfists at the horn. 10-9
Miller.
Round
2
Doerksen double jabs and Miller immediately changes levels. When
Miller puts Doerksen on the floor he is instantly swept and the
Canadian assumes top control. Miller throws up his hips and Doerksen
tries to pass under. Miller blocks it and forces a scramble in
which he puts Doerksen on his back again. Doerksen locks up a
kimura from the bottom and nearly sweeps miller to mount, but
miller tanks his arm out and keeps top position. Miller lunges
with punches and Doerksen lands an upkick. Miller struggles to
find offense on top in the last 30 seconds. 10-9 Doerksen.
Round
3
Doerksen lands a right and follows with a head kick, which Miller
blocks, and then drives Doerksen to the mat again. Doerksen nearly
hits a pendulum sweep on Miller but can't turn him over. Miller
with a volley of hammerfists that bloody up Doerksen's nose.
Miller pushes Doerksen against the fence and tears into him with
left elbows. Miller drives a series of rights into Doerksen's
bloodied face. The Canadian regains full guard but looks spent.
Miller idly pounds away for the last 60 seconds. 10-9 Miller,
and 29-28 Miller overall.
Official
scores: 29-28 Miller (twice) and 29-28 Doerksen. Dan Miller takes
the split decision.
Thiago
Alves vs. John Howard
Round 1
Yves Lavigne officiates the first match of the pay-per-view card.
Alves lands a low kick and a sharp right hand over the top, then
stuffs a takedown attempt from Howard. Another low kick-right
hand combo from Alves, and another takedown attempt from Howard
finds Alves on top in half-guard. Howard sits back for a leglock,
but Alves slips out. Low kick from Howard is countered by a left
hand from Alves. One-two lands from Alves lands flush, and then
a few hard jabs for good measure. A chopping leg kick from Alves
buckles the left leg of Howard and Alves pounces to deliver a
few knees and punches. Howard with a low kick of his own, but
Alves wins that contest. Howard catches a kick from Alves and
pushes the Brazilian into the fence with a minute left. High
kick from Alves slaps the face of Howard. Both men trading big
leg kicks and winging punches in the last 30 seconds.
Chris
Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alves
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Alves
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Alves
Round
2
Alves immediately goes back to work on the left leg of Howard
with a low kick inside. Another thigh kick glances Howard’s
cup, but Howard shakes it off, and the fighters slap gloves and
get back to work with no break. Howard counters another leg kick
with a flurry of punches, a few of which get through. Alves continuing
to work the leg of Howard, who’s now attempting to check
the kicks. Alves rushes in and grabs a waistlock, pushing Howard
into the fence before lifting him into the air and dumping “Doomsday”
onto the canvas. Alves works from half-guard, both men keeping
busy with short punches to the body. Stuffed back to full guard,
Alves postures up and momentarily pounds away with hammerfists,
landing a few elbows before the end of the round.
Chris
Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alves
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Alves
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Alves
Round
3
Alves is pacing in his corner before the final round. Overhand
right from Alves sends Howard stumbling backward, but he stays
up. Howard tries for a single-leg and holds Alves against the
fence momentarily. They split and stand toe-to-toe again, where
Howard lands a hard but singular leg kick. Alves connects with
a combo, and then floors Howard with a big punch, but Howard
pops right back up. More leg kicks and tight combinations from
Alves. Howard just can’t find his range, whiffing on kicks
and punches. Both men swinging away to the final horn, with Alves
scoring on the last exchange.
Chris
Nelson scores the round 10-9 Alves (30-27 Alves)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Alves (30-27 Alves)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Alves (30-27 Alves)
Official
scores: Three scorecards of 30-27 for the winner by unanimous
decision, Thiago Alves.
Joe
Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig
Round 1
Dan Miragliotta is in the cage to ref this clash of “Ultimate
Fighter” winners. Danzig lands a left on Stevenson as “Joe
Daddy” rushes in. Teep kick to the face of Stevenson, and
another left hook from Danzig. Stevenson pumps a few nice jabs,
then digs a right hand to the body. Overhand right from Stevenson
stumbles Danzig. Stevenson pushes forward on Danzig, who steps
back and simultaneously lands a perfectly-placed left hand. Stevenson
falls to the canvas face-first, and Danzig makes sure he stays
down with a few follow-up punches on the ground. Miragliotta
steps in at 1:54 to rescue the helpless Stevenson. A serious
highlight reel knockout for Mac Danzig.
Jim
Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
Round 1
Referee Dan Miragliotta returns for this lightweight bout. Oliveira
instantly throws a head kick, then shoots for a single-leg which
Miller easily stuffs. Another head kick from Oliveira, then a
clinch, and they wind up on the ground with Oliveira on his back.
Oliveira throwing his legs up, hunting for a triangle with Miller
in his full guard. Oliveira latches on to the right arm of Miller,
tries for an armbar, but Miller busts free. Miller stands and
stacks Oliveira up, and then drops back for a leglock. The New
Jersey native stretches out Oliveira’s leg with a kneebar,
and it’s a good one. Oliveira resists for a moment before
tapping at the 1:59 mark, the first loss of his career.
Stefan
Struve vs. Sean McCorkle
Round 1
Yves Lavigne referees this evening’s lone heavyweight affair.
The big men tentatively touch gloves to begin. Struve lobs a
right hand over the top and McCorkle immediately doubles over,
then plows Struve to the mat. McCorkle grabs hold of Struve’s
left arm and wrenches it behind his back. Struve gets his back
to the cage and defends the lock ably, but with the limb freed,
McCorkle winds up in side position. Struve rolls and puts McCorkle
back in his guard. McCorkle pins Struve’s head to the fence
with his left hand and whacks away with his right. McCorkle postures
up and Struve snares his left arm, looking for an armbar, but
McCorkle defends. Some hard shots by Struve from his back before
the Dutchman decides to control McCorkle’s wrists instead.
Struve postures up, framing a kimura on McCorkle’s left
arm, then sweeps beautifully right into mount. Struve unleashes
a torrent of punches on McCorkle, who rolls onto his side. The
punches keep coming, bloodying McCorkle’s nose, and Lavigne
waves it off at 3:55 of the opening round, giving Struve the
win by TKO.
Georges
St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
Round 1
Referee Herb Dean has officiating duties for this welterweight
title bout. St. Pierre pumps a left jab before taking Koscheck
down against the base of the fence. Koscheck cage-walks to his
feet. Double-jab and a right hand follow-up from St. Pierre.
Another takedown attempt from St. Pierre is stuffed by Koscheck,
who lands a grazing left hand on the exit. St. Pierre keeps the
jabs coming, ducking under a big right from Koscheck, whose face
is already showing damage. Left jab and a head kick by St. Pierre,
who’s moving around the perimeter of the cage. Koscheck
steps right into another stiff left jab before moving in for
a takedown. St. Pierre stuffs the attempt and finds his back
against the fence. Koscheck on his knees, working for a high
double, and he’s finally able to bring St. Pierre down with
20 seconds left in the round.
Chris
Nelson scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
Round
2
Koscheck’s right eye is already in rough shape, cut and
swollen at the start of the second frame. St. Pierre gets back
to work with left jabs and inside leg kicks. Koscheck’s
overhand rights are missing for the most part, with GSP often
ducking under them. St. Pierre lands another Superman left hand,
then a hard kick to the body. GSP keeps going back to his double-left
jab followed by a right hand, snapping Koscheck’s head back.
Koscheck puts together a solid combo that finishes with an uppercut,
but St. Pierre appears unfazed. GSP switch-kicks to Koscheck’s
body and comes forward with a few punches to end the round.
Chris
Nelson scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
Round
3
No surprise: more left jabs from GSP to begin the third. The
champ tries for a single-leg after about a minute, but Koscheck
puts his back to the cage and they clinch instead. Underhooks
for Koscheck, who reverses GSP into the fence, only to be quickly
reversed back. St. Pierre kneeing inside while Koscheck comes
over the top with a few punches, neither terribly effectively.
Referee Dean tells them to get busy and the fighters disengage.
GSP continues snapping Koscheck’s head back with the left
jab. They tie up and St. Pierre seems to say something to referee
Dean about his glove. A moment later, Dean cautions Koscheck,
“don’t hold the gloves,” as they clinch against
the fence. Leg kicks and left hands by St. Pierre for the final
minute of the round.
Chris
Nelson scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
Round
4
The ringside doctor can be overheard telling Herb Dean that Koscheck
can’t see out of his right eye in between rounds, but he
allows the fight to continue after protest from Koscheck. St.
Pierre scores a takedown early and takes Koscheck’s back,
but Koscheck stands and shakes him. Koscheck drops for a leglock
which GSP slips, and now St. Pierre has a waistlock, holding
Koscheck against the fence. St. Pierre lands a knee to the damaged
eye of the doubled-over Koscheck. Back in the center of the cage,
Koscheck is throwing one-twos, only to have GSP sidestep every
attempt. Koscheck now checking St. Pierre’s inside leg kicks.
GSP with a cracking left hook, followed by a few more stiff jabs.
According to CompuStrike, St. Pierre landed 24 strikes to Koscheck’s
three in the fourth frame.
Chris
Nelson scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre
Round
5
St. Pierre starts the final round with more kicks to the inside
of Koscheck’s left leg. Another jab snaps Koscheck’s
head back before he completely misses a single-leg attempt. Left
hook by St. Pierre, and then he’s back to pumping the jab.
Three minutes left for Koscheck to pull something off, or GSP
is keeping his title. St. Pierre ducks an overhand right and
ties Koscheck up against the fence with two minutes left. It
takes a moment and a few punches from Koscheck, but GSP brings
his man to the mat. Koscheck stands up, only to be dragged back
down. Koscheck stands again. Knees to the legs of Koscheck by
GSP. Short punches to the body by Koscheck. Thirty seconds left.
St. Pierre lands a body kick, another jab, and a one-two for
good measure at the close of the bout.
Chris
Nelson scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre (50-45 St. Pierre)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre (50-45 St. Pierre)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 St. Pierre (50-45 St. Pierre)
Official
scores: Judges Nelson Hamilton, David Therien and John Woodburn
all score the bout 50-45 in favor of Georges St. Pierre, the
winner by unanimous decision and still UFC welterweight champion.
Source: Sherdog
|
Destiny
& 808 Battleground
All or Nothing - Champion vs Champion
Dole Cannery Ballroom, Honolulu, Hawaii
December 17, 2010
|
WEC
12/16 Glendale, Arizona at Jobing.com (Glendale) Arena
By Zach
Arnold
Dark
matches
¦Bantamweights:
Renan Barao vs. Chris Cariaso
¦Lightweights: Ricardo Lamas vs. Yuri Alcantara
¦Lightweights: Danny Castillo vs. Will Kerr
¦Bantamweights: Eddie Wineland vs. Ken Stone
¦Bantamweights: Brad Pickett vs. Ivan Menjivar
¦Lightweights: Jamie Varner vs. Shane Roller
¦Lightweights: Tiequan Zhang vs. Danny Downes
¦Lightweights: Bart Palaszewski vs. Kamal Shalorus
Main card
¦Lightweights:
Donald Cerrone vs. Chris Horodecki
¦WEC Bantamweight title match: Dominick Cruz vs. Scott
Jorgensen
¦WEC Lightweight title match: Ben Henderson vs. Anthony
Pettis
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Brock
Lesnar’s Return Date Undetermined, Won’t Appear In
WWE
by Damon
Martin
Brock Lesnar’s next fight in the UFC still has not been
determined, but one place he won’t be in 2011 is making
a guest appearance in the WWE come Wrestlemania time.
Following
his title loss to Cain Velasquez in October, Lesnar went on sabbatical
to go hunting and get away from the fight game for a little while
and also to spend time with his family. Since then, the questions
continuously come in about when Lesnar could return. While UFC
president Dana White has said nothing is on the table that might
soon change.
Speaking
to the media on Thursday, White plans on having a conversation
with Lesnar’s team next week to start ironing out some details.
“Brock’s
in the woods somewhere, in the middle of somewhere, and I haven’t
talked to him,” White said. “He gets back this week
or next week. I just talked to his guy when I was pulling in
here today and they’re going to call me on Monday and we’ll
figure out what’s next for Brock.”
No
names have been mentioned as far as potential opponents yet,
but despite a backlash from fans when the UFC suggested a third
fight between Lesnar and former champion Frank Mir, it still
may be in the cards.
“We
were going to do the Frank Mir fight and it wasn’t very
popular. We’ll see what happens; it could be Frank Mir,”
White said. “I don’t know, we’ll see what happens.”
From
real confrontations to scripted confrontations, Lesnar’s
former employers at the WWE are reportedly interested in having
him come back for an appearance at their annual show “Wrestlemania,”
but White says that is one thing he is sure is not going to happen.
“He
will not wrestle in Wrestlemania. Won’t happen, cause he’s
under contract with me,” he stated.
The
simple fact for the UFC president is having a former pro wrestler
in mixed martial arts brings up enough questions without that
person going back and doing more scripted performances for the
WWE. While Lesnar has been successful as a fighter, White doesn’t
want to take the chance that someone misconstrues his legitimacy
if he goes back to pro wrestling… even for one night.
“I
don’t want to blur those lines,” White commented. “First
of all, him coming over and making the choice to leave the WWE
and come here, we gave him that shot, which was a big risk on
our part, the guy was 1-0. He’s done incredibly well. I
don’t want him going back to the WWE, blurring the lines
between what’s real and what’s not.”
Lesnar
has posted pictures of his hunting trip online, but outside of
that, the former UFC heavyweight champion has made little comment
since his fight with Velasquez. He will likely return in the
first half of 2011, but until the UFC has the official announcement,
nothing is set in stone.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Still
Recovering from Knee Surgery, Shogun Rua on Track for March Return
By Mike
Chiappetta
MONTREAL -- Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has been on the shelf
since shortly after capturing the UFC light-heavyweight championship
last May. But after going through another in a series of knee
surgeries and the subsequent rehabilitation process, Rua is healing
well and on track for a March 2011 return.
That's
the word from UFC president Dana White, who saw Rua just last
week and has been keeping tabs on his recovery.
"Rua
looks good," White said. "He was there at the [World
MMA Awards last week]. He's in great shape, walking up and down
the stairs really well. What happened with Shogun was, the last
couple times his knee went, he had surgery down in Brazil, didn't
do the proper rehab, started training too early, and ruined his
knee."
The
most recent procedure marked the third surgery Rua underwent
in three years.
At
UFC 76 in Sept. 2007, Rua faced Forrest Griffin while battling
a knee problem and underwent surgery shortly after losing the
bout. Months later, he withdrew from a scheduled bout with Chuck
Liddell to address a blown ACL.
Since
then, he's fought four times, but when he faced Lyoto Machida
earlier this year at UFC 113, he tore ligaments in his knee despite
winning in just 3:35. White says this time, though, the UFC and
Rua made sure to do everything possible to guarantee it would
be the last of his knee troubles.
"This
time, he had the best doctor in the United States do his knee,"
White said. "He went through an incredible rehab, a perfect
rehab. He took his time to rest and heal and do things the right
way, so this one should work, this one should last.
"He's
ready to get back in training now," White said.
Upon
returning, Rua will face No. 1 contender Rashad Evans, and though
a March fight is targeted, there's still no guarantee of exactly
when or where Rua's first title defense will take place.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Maurício
Shogun
By Erik Engelhart
Maurício Shogun has been rewarded for the best knockout
of the year, on a fight that he conquered the light heavyweight
belt, over Lyoto Machida. Despite only having done this bout
in 2010, due to a knee injury, the year was a good one for the
southern guy. On an interview with TATAME, the fighter talked
about his Oscar award, commented the possible confrontations
with Rashad Evans and Quinton Rampage Jackson, pointed out Rogério
Minotouro as the favorite for the duel with Tito Ortiz and promised
that he won’t lack motivation in 2011.
What’s the importance of this award after all you’ve
been through?
I went for it and so far no one has been able to find Lyoto on
the octagon, he was unbeaten at that time, so no one had come
close to defeat him, and I was glad I did it. The result of the
first fight was a good one after all because if it wasn’t
because of it, I wouldn’t have done the following bout and
I wouldn’t have won this award. This was a very glad with
this homage, it was very important to me, and I hope next year
I can be one of the finalists for the Oscar award again, right?
I’ll give my best so that I can be at this party again next
year.
How is your recovering process going?
I’m cool, I’ve recovered my injuries and I’m training
for a long time now. I’m in a good shape, so let’s
move on.
Do you have any idea of when will you put your belt in line?
Actually, I still don’t know when I’ll be back, I’m
waiting for it to be decided, but I hope I can return soon and
I can defend my belt.
How do you see your next bout, against Rashad Evans?
He’s a good guy, he’s tough, and it’ll be a great
satisfaction to fight him, he uses well his Wrestling game, he’s
a good opponent… I’m positive that we’ll do a
great fight.
Rashad earned the right for a title shot after beating Rampage…
What’s the difference of confronting Rashad and Rampage,
who you already has knocked out on Pride?
I think that Rampage would like to Exchange more with me because
it’s his strong point. Quinton is a guy who moves forward,
just like me, never looks back, while Rashad I believe he wouldn’t
try to exchange with me like that, he’s try to take me down
to use his strong point, which is the ground and pound…
They’re different opponents, each one of them in their own
style.
Other Brazilian in your division, Rogério Minotouro will
confront the former UFC champion Tito Ortiz. Would you bet on
any of them on this fight?
I believe that Rogério has great chances of winning by
knockout, but Tito Ortiz is a guy who deserves my respect for
all his history on UFC, where he used to be the champion. It’ll
be a good fight.
Minotouro said, on an interview given to TATAME, that he wants
to win again so that he can try to dispute the belt with you,
and that a rematch would be better for him than your that historical
combat on Pride. How would you feel fighting him again?
Minotouro is a top athlete, he’s a good fighter, he’ll
confront Tito Ortiz, a technical guy… It’ll be a great
fight, but I usually think only about my next opponent, otherwise
I lose my focus. I don’t think about the second or the third
on the line, and it’s Rashad’s moment. Minotouro is
a respectful guy, but I’m not thinking about it right now.
What do you expect for 2011? Do you think it can be even more
special than 2010 was?
I
hope so, my goal is to keep always evolving and try to be better
each time. 2010 was a very good year, but I’m already focused
in 2011, when I’ll still try to keep winning. My goal is
to keep the belt on this year that is coming. My fans can be
sure I’ll give my best and I won’t lack motivation.
Source: Tatame
|
Free
to fight in USA, Marlon bets on Jiu-Jitsu for Sengoku
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
Sengoku featherweight champion Marlon Sandro’s end of the
year will be a lively one. The fighter had previously confirmed
to GRACIEMAG.com that he would face Hatsu Hioki in September,
then October, but now it’s set for December 30, at the promotion’s
New Year’s event.
The
Jiu-Jitsu black belt has been turning heads for his knockouts
– four of them in his last five fights. This time, however,
he’s banking on Jiu-Jitsu to be his path to victory.
“I
have a feeling he’s going to want to take it to the ground.
I don’t believe he’s going to want to strike. I’m
prepared in every way. I’m from a Jiu-Jitsu background so
– not to underestimate his ground game, as he’s a finisher
– I’ll be ready. I’m training a lot on the ground
but my standup is really sharp too,” he tells GRACIEMAG.com.
“It’s
a title fight, so I can’t mess up. I have to put on a great
fight not just for me, but for the public and the event. I probably
won’t spend Christmas or New Year’s with the family,
but I’m looking at it in a positive light to try and make
me fight better,” he adds.
Another reason for celebration is his new contract, which now
leaves him free to fight in American promotions. As the UFC demands
exclusivity, that leaves the door open for Marlon to fight at
events like Strikeforce and Bellator.
“I
renewed my contract with Sengoku and now I can fight in the United
States. It’s exclusive to them and Pancrase in Japan; I’m
the champion at Pancrase too. I’m going to battle for yet
another win in Japan, but I can fight in U.S. Events too, which
a lot of folks have been pushing for. I’m happy because
the fans have given me a lot of support, they’re getting
to see what I can do and I want to keep having good fights to
keep pleasing everyone. I wish my fights were broadcast in Brazil
but, while that’s not happening, I’ll keep at it,”
says the Nova União featherweight juggernaut in closing.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
How
changes in California evaluating judges could negatively impact
scoring fights
By Zach
Arnold
New
update at the bottom of the article.
I
wanted to point out this discussion with Dave Meltzer, who takes
a look at how California’s commission will start evaluating
judges in 2011. Take note of what kind of changes are coming
and use that template to analyze the judges giving Leonard Garcia
a decision win over Nam Phan last Saturday in Las Vegas.
DAVE
MELTZER: “I don’t know. You know I mean, it’s
Tony Weeks and Adalaide Byrd who gave rounds one and three to
(Leonard) Garcia. The other judge, now this is another point,
actually, the other judge, the Japanese judge, gave all three
rounds to Nam Phan but the key is that, and this is not Nevada
so much, but California… this is the point… California’s
going to be evaluating judges based on, um, how they fare when
you score rounds as compared to the other judges.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “Oh God…”
DAVE
MELTZER: “So the Japanese judge who probably had it right
would actually, if this was California’s evaluation system,
he would look really bad because he missed on two of the three
rounds based on the consensus and so it would look like he was
the bad judge as opposed to the other two judges. So, that’s
one of the things where the way they are evaluating judges and
the way you evaluate judges’ consistency, it’s uh,
you know, compared to the other two judges…”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “Oh, this is great. So we got a bunch of stupid
judges and if the stupid ones are, uh, outnumbering the intelligent
ones then we’re just going to have more stupid judges.”
DAVE
MELTZER: “Not necessarily that, but in certain cases some
guys may look bad. But the point of the evaluation is is that
subconsciously what’s going to happen is no one’s going
to give 10-8 rounds.”
BRYAN
ALVAREZ: “Oh God…”
DAVE
MELTZER: “Because they know that the other judges aren’t
going to give 10-8 rounds so if they give a 10-8 and the other
judges give a 10-9, then it looks like that they were out of
sync with the scoring. So, that’s the, um… you know,
and this is again not in Nevada but it will be, it is how in
2011 the California judges will be evaluated and to me the end
result is is that we’re going to see a lot fewer 10-8 rounds
in California because the judges are going to know that I’ve
got to, instead of judging how I believe the fight goes, now
I have to judge based on how I believe the other judges are going
to judge the fight and not be off on that and that’s a completely
different mindset. I mean, again, when I, you know, and people
who follow my play-by-plays and everything, I always say you
know in a lot of these fights, you know, which is often the key
on these would be fights where a guy is on top, does nothing
on top, the guy on the bottom is threatening submissions, actually
gets near submissions and things like that, and I’ll go
like, the guy on the bottom won the round but I think the judges
are going to give it to the guy on the top. If you are now a
judge and you were, you know, wanting to protect your position,
if you thought that the guy on the bottom won you might give
it to the guy on the top based on the fact that that’s how
it’s usually judged, so it’s really um… There’s
a lot of issues with the judging, you know, it’s a bad system
to begin with and bad judges…”
(snipped
to discussion a few minutes later on in the discussion)
DAVE
MELTZER: “The problem is not the 10 point must system. The
problem is how judges are trained in that they’re going
to give everything a 10-9. They won’t give 10-10’s
because the commission frowns on 10-10’s which is ridiculous
because when no one does anything to either guy, you know, it’s
an even round! And someone shouldn’t get credit for, you
know, what I call a coin flip round and that’s what it is.
… I mean, when there are rounds when nobody does much of
anything, it is, you know, essentially a coin flip round, either
guy can get it and it creates a situation where, you know, and
it’s the same value of beating the [expletive] out of somebody
in the other round. So, it’s… and you get these decisions
like [Nam Phan losing to Leonard Garcia]. It really wasn’t…
uh, an outrageous decision yet I know the people in the UFC were
absolutely furious. I know (Joe) Rogan was furious and when Rogan
went off, UFC if Rogan had gone off and I can tell you this one,
if Rogan had gone off on that and UFC did not agree with it,
Rogan would be in hot water and he is not in hot water. In fact,
they were really glad he did, which just tells you where, you
know, their mentality was is that they believe that, you know,
Nam Phan got completely robbed and in a sense he did, but you
know again, it’s partially the system. Also at the end,
I mean when it was over though it was like you would really I
have to stretch I thought to get two rounds for Garcia but um…
it was a very good fight up until the decision. I mean, it was
what I expected, you know I mean Garcia just, Garcia goes all
out. He swings really hard until he gasses out. He gassed out
earlier in usual because he wasn’t in the shape he’s
usually in which is what happens when you’re called late.
Nam Phan, very disciplined, you know, pretty exciting fighter
and… in a sense, you know, at the end of the day my feeling
is that a lot of people are going to go, he got robbed, and he
did but… for your career, honestly, a lot of people don’t
realize this is but it’s like with Matt Hamill in a situation
or even Evan Dunham recently. It actually benefits you to get
robbed because what happens is so many people get behind you
for being robbed. Like if Nam Phan were to actually won this
decision, nobody would be talking about Nam Phan. They would
be a little bit and you know it still would have gotten Best
Fight and everything, but Nam Phan will gain a lot more popularity
for being robbed and UFC, which is the key to the whole thing,
is that the UFC matchmaking and the UFC hierarchy will not hold
this loss against him because they consider it a win. So, you
know, I mean who people analyze records and go, Oh my God, he’s
16-8 instead of 17-7, oh my God! You know what? It doesn’t
mean [expletive] and the reality is like when Matt Hamill lost
to (Michael) Bisping. Matt Hamill became so much more popular
for losing to Bisping because he got robbed than had he won the
fight justly.”
Update
(12/9): Eric Kamander has an absolutely must-read article on
the new scoring system in place, which includes a fourth judge
in case there is a tie. I strongly encourage you to read this
and give me your feedback.
Source: Fight Opinion
Will
Revised Scoring Resolve Issues With Judging
By Eric
Kamander
Lately
I've been thinking, and writing, about the current state of judging
and scoring in MMA quite a bit. One thing that I keep running
into is confusion between the two. While the two issues are certainly
related, and some proposed remedies may overlap, I've been insistent
that the two issue are fundamentally separate.
On
Tuesday's Jordan Breen show, after reading emails that incorrectly
attribute changes to the scoring system as solutions to judging,
he read an email from Josh from Illinois that really gets it:
"As
a person who has heard about the half-point scoring system a
lot recently I had no idea that it changed the judging criteria
and that it added a fourth judge in the event if a tie. I thought
it was simply allowing half-points at the scoring table. I have
a feeling several others feel the same way and don't know the
particulars. Also, for those who say the problem isn't the system,
but rather the uneducated judges, I have a question. Why is finding
a way to have better judges - a problem that can never be fully
corrected - a legit reason for opposing a system change? To me
they're apples and oranges. When discussing the merits of a scoring
system the competency of the judges should have no bearing on
the conversation. To me it would seem more appropriate if we
compared the two systems side by side and decided which is more
appropriate for MMA based on the criteria and structure used
to decide the winner. When you say 'it’s the judges,' that
does nothing to address the fact that another system could still
be beneficial and help change the perception of what it means
to win a fight."
Unfortunately
Jordan Breen then goes on to ignore the entire premise of the
email and replies "how does the a half-point system help
things like Pham/Garcia when judges are actually scoring it the
wrong way?" Its ironic that Jordan Breen, someone widely
considered one of the most knowledgeable people in MMA, doesn't
take a more nuanced stance on the issues.
Jordan
goes on to use the analogy "if your house is built lopsided,
its not because the hammer and the nail are a bad invention.
Likewise its not suitable to give the idiot who built it power
tools."
I
really like this analogy and I would take it a step further to
suggest that just because an idiot built a lopsided house with
a hammer and a nail does not mean that power tools are not better.
Regarding changes to the scoring criteria and improving the quality
of judges, to quote Josh, "they're apples and oranges."
Jordan
also criticizes the idea of having a fourth tie-breaker judge.
Specifically he says "if people see it a draw, I don't see
why it can't be a draw." There are two problems with this.
The first is that in both the 10 point must and half-point scoring
systems not every round with a given score is equal. Even with
half points, given the dynamic nature of fighting and MMA, not
every 10-9 (10-9.5) is going to be equal. Therefore it is fundamentally
possible that even though one fighter did more in a fight, given
the confines the scoring system the a fight is ruled a draw.
That however does not preclude the possibility that a fight could
actually result in a draw where neither fighter did more than
the other. And this is the second problem with the criticism.
The proposed half-point system does not preclude the possibility
of a fight being ruled a draw, it simply eliminates the possibility
based on the scoring system's limitations.
Later
a caller asks why scoring a take down in a close fight means
winning a round. This is in fact something that is indicated
in the rules. However, these types of scoring criteria questions,
as well as the explanations given by the judges in the Garcia/Pham
fight, actually reinforces my premise that the major problem
with the current system is that it is overly open to interpretation.
And this is where there is actually some overlap in revising
the scoring system and improving the quality of judging.
I
think it is undeniable that there are numerous problems with
judges. These include:
• knowledge of MMA scoring criteria
• an eye for distinguishing effective technique
• adequate visibility of the action
While
I do not believe changes to the scoring system are meant to resolve
problems with judging this is one of the areas in which a new
scoring system could potentially result in reducing that problem.
A proposed MMA scoring system has the opportunity to offer more
clarity than the current system, leaving less open to interpretation.
In addition while all the judges are *supposedly* already familiar
with the 10 point must system, they will need to be trained in
a new system, which can only help. Despite the fact that changes
to the scoring system aren't designed to fix the problem of incompetent
judges, the mere fact that there is a system overhaul requires
EVERY judge to be retrained, and possibly reassess his/her criteria
for judging fights. So-called "experienced judges"
won't lean on their supposed expertise, because everyone would
be back at square one. And people like Kizer don't need to call
anyone out, or throw them under the bus, because now ALL judges
are tasked with implementing the new system, and doing it competently.
So
of course revising the scoring system will not resolve the issues
with MMA judging, but it wasn't meant to. But only after you
improve the scoring system, which must include clarifying it,
can you begin to address any problems with judges.
Source: MMA Ratings
|
Thomson
vs. Kawajiri Confirmed for NYE Dynamite!
Strikeforce has confirmed that the promotion’s former lightweight
champ Josh Thomson will face highly regarded veteran Tatsuya
Kawajiri, at Dream’s New Year’s Eve Dynamite card in
Saitama, Japan. The card, which will be broadcast throughout
North America on HDNet, will also see Dream Featherweight Champion
Bibiano Fernandes look to defend his title against Hiroyuki Takaya.
(Pictured: Thomson hitting "JZ" Cavalcante)
Thomson
(18-3) will head into the bout having won back-to-back bouts
since failing to defeat Gilbert Melendez in their rematch last
December. Since the decision loss, Thomson has gone on to submit
Pat Healy in June, before earning a UD win over Gesias “JZ”
Cavalcante in October.
“I've
wanted this fight forever,’’ Thomson was quoted saying
in a press release from Strikeforce. “He’s somebody
that excites me.’’
Kawajiri
(26-6-2) has not competed since July, when he was submitted by
Dream champion Shinya Aoki with a first round Achilles Lock.
The loss ended Kawajiri’s four fight winning streak, which
included wins over Kazunori Yokota, Ross Ebanez and the aforementioned
Cavalcante.
The
NYE bout is a result of a continued cooperation between Dream
and Strikeforce, who have utilized fighters from each promotion’s
roster on several occasions.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Shinya
Aoki vs. Yuichiro 'Jienotsu' Nagashima Booked for Dynamite!
By Daniel
Herbertson
A mixed rules bout between DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya
Aoki and K-1 World MAX 2010 -70kg Japan tournament winner Yuichiro
"Jienotsu" Nagashima has been booked for Fighting and
Entertainment Group's end of year event, MMA Fighting has learned
from sources.
The
bout between two of Japan's most eccentric lightweights will
be contested under alternating rounds of MMA and K-1 rules as
we first saw at Dynamite!! 2004, when Jerome Le Banner and Bob
Sapp fought to a draw.
Le
Banner may have missed out on a K-1 Finals berth on Saturday
due to his temper tantrum against Kyotaro in Seoul, but the Frenchman
will instead be appearing at Dynamite!! 2010, Le Banner's management
has told French website Ikusa.fr. The K-1 veteran will take on
Dream light heavyweight GP finalist Tatsuya Mizuno in a mixed
martial arts rules bout. Le Banner has not fought MMA since a
2006 victory of Jimmy Ambriz and has a notable 2005 win over
current UFC standout Yoshihiro Akiyama.
K-1
Event Producer Sadaharu Tanigawa revealed this week via Twitter
that he would announce 10 fights for Dyanmite!! post-fight at
Saturday's K-1 World GP Finals.
Among
the 10 matches will be the previously mentioned fights, Tatsuya
Kawajiri vs. Josh Thomson and rumors are also circulating that
a bout between two-division DREAM Champion and former Strikeforce
light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi and disgraced sumo
Shinichi Suzukawa is in the works but sources have been unable
to confirm this.
Dynamite!!
2010 - Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
DREAM
Featherweight Title Match
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
MMA
Rules
Jerome Le Banner vs. Tatsuya Mizuno
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Josh Thomson
Special
Rules Match
Shinya Aoki vs. Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Sonnen
vs. Silva on TUF 13? White Says Not Yet, He’s Made No Coaching
Decisions
by Damon
Martin
Despite lingering rumors that Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva
are going to be the choices to coach “The Ultimate Fighter
Season 13,” UFC president Dana White insists no decisions
have been made.
Sonnen
and Silva have been going back and forth in a war of words on
Twitter, and it would seem the pair would be perfect to face
off on the reality show and then fight when it’s over.
After
his suspension was reduced from one year down to six months in
a hearing by the California State Athletic Commission, Sonnen
will be allowed to return to fighting as of March 2, 2011, but
before that time he can coach on the reality show if the UFC
chooses to go with that option.
Still,
White hasn’t made that decision as of yet, and with a March
30 date for the show’s debut, the clock is ticking.
“(Sonnen)
could coach ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ absolutely. He
can’t fight,” White said on Thursday. “But we
haven’t talked about coaches. We haven’t talked about
it, we’re late.”
White
mentioned in Detroit a few weeks back during the UFC 123 weekend
that he was going to sit down and start making those decisions
soon, but it looks like as of UFC 124 weekend, it’s still
up in the air.
Even
if Sonnen and Silva are the top choices, White isn’t ready
to name anyone on his radar just yet.
“I
have not come even anywhere close to picking the coaches of ‘The
Ultimate Fighter’ yet,” White admitted.
Other
names that have been mentioned by fans include former WEC featherweight
champion Urijah Faber, although White said it may be a while
before the 135 and 145 pounders make their way as coaches on
the reality show.
The
show is currently in the casting process with filming expected
to begin in early 2011 for the March 30 debut date on Spike TV.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
On
Brazilian TV: rear-naked choke saves the day once again
by Marcelo
Dunlop
This
one unfolded in Rio de Janeiro on May 22, 2009. A robber figured
he’d do his evil deed with a toy gun on a bus in the heart
of the city that is a breeding ground for good (and bad, but
leave them out of it, because they’re a minority) Jiu-Jitsu
practitioners.
Upon
discovery his weapon wasn’t real, the thug nearly succumbed
to a guard player, and in the end the melée ended with
a good old rear-naked choke delivering him safe and sound into
the hands of the authorities.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Decision
December for the two major promotions in UFC & K-1
By Zach
Arnold
This
weekend, the two major organizations that promote MMA will be
having critical shows. What’s at stake for each promotion,
however, varies greatly.
UFC
will break their all-time record for attendance with UFC 124
at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The fight card itself is nothing
special but the main event is red-hot and has been promoted amazingly
well. It’s a rare occasion in UFC for a big PPV where you
have a headlining fight featuring one champion (Georges St. Pierre)
who is so heavily favored to win over his challenger (Josh Koscheck)
and yet that is stopping absolutely no one from buying the show.
It truly is remarkable how I have not yet encountered a single
reader who believes Koscheck will win, yet everyone is adamant
that they will watch this show. If that’s not the definition
of doing an excellent job in promotion, I don’t know what
it is then.
The
sense of electricity for the show is huge and there will be a
lot of important people at the event, such as Ken Hayashi and
members of the Ontario Athletic Commission. With Montreal attracting
UFC’s big box offices in the past, everyone else in Canada
wanted to get in on the action. In a few years when we look back
at the major expansion UFC will undergo in the Canadian marketplace,
the past shows they’ve had in Montreal must never be forgotten
(especially when Shogun destroyed Liddell). If there is one clear
statement to make this week about UFC, it’s to say that
this has been a great week for the organization and they have
so much momentum on their side for business it’s really
incredible.
On
the other side of the globe and the other side of the momentum
equation, you have K-1. The promotion is on its last legs. Whether
or not the promotion collapses and goes into hibernation or dies,
one thing is for certain — this Saturday’s Ariake Colosseum
event in Tokyo is a make-or-break show. K-1 has this event airing
on Fuji TV. Fuji TV has been their long-time television partner.
If the show tanks in the ratings (a good possibility), how much
longer will Fuji TV stick with K-1?
And
then there’s Dynamite at the end of the month. It was announced
today that Fields will be the main sponsor of the show. In other
words, K-1 has not been able to attract any large-scale sponsors
for the Dynamite show. Entirely predictable but sad. It indicates
what I noted all along, which is that K-1 is leaning hard on
their current sponsors but not able to expand the sponsorship
pie. This is why you’ve heard no support publicly yet from
Tokyo Broadcasting System about the event. Whether or not the
show actually airs on New Year’s Eve is largely a moot point
now. The damage is done. The prestige is gone. The question is
all about finances now for K-1. Take a look at the leaked card
so far.
¦K-1
2010 World GP Final preview & predictions
Which leads me back to Saturday’s upcoming event at Ariake
Colosseum. I’ve had a few insiders note to me that this
show feels like ‘the last hurrah’ for K-1 on network
television. I’m not sure if this is the company’s last
television show, but I certainly feel that this event more so
than Dynamite will be the finale in terms of putting on a strong
display for a show. What’s amazed me so far in the media
reaction about the leak concerning Josh Thomson vs. Crusher Kawajiri
is how the same MMA writers who complain that fans don’t
understand the business of MMA are the first ones to mark out
about how ‘awesome’ Thomson vs. Kawajiri is when it’s
a fight that maybe 500 Japanese fans care about.
I
think the atmosphere at Ariake Colosseum for K-1 on Saturday
night will be strong because of a mixture of both good and bad
reasons. Good reasons because the World GP is historically the
promotion’s strongest. Good because we may end up seeing
Alistair Overeem vs. Semmy Schilt, two Golden Glory stars, in
the finals. Good because I expect some of the fights to have
highlight reel finishes. Bad, however, because there is such
a thing as a ‘this is the end’ effect on fans. You
can’t ignore it. I think there will definitely be some fans
at the show who wouldn’t have been there in the first place
because they want to see history and want to be a part of one
of the last major shows that the promotion is putting on. I’m
not suggesting that K-1 won’t have any shows in 2011, but
what I am suggesting is that they are going to be financially
in a bad place and the possibility of a promotional stoppage
is high. I think the Ariake Colosseum show will turn out to be
exciting but also sad in a way, too.
To
put the cherry on top of K-1’s collapse and UFC’s rise,
the story about Kid Yamamoto heading to UFC in 2011 makes a lot
of sense for all parties involved. Yamamoto could easily make
more money fighting for DREAM, but look at all of the financial
problems in Japan right now. Plus, to say that relations between
Yamamoto and K-1 are strained would be a great understatement.
Remember the stories in Shukan Gendai about Kid Yamamoto and
marijuana parties? So do I. As for what reason Yamamoto would
go to UFC, I think there are a couple of reasons. The primary
one is to get a Bantamweight fight against Urijah Faber. This
has been talked about for yeras in the Japanese press as a dream
fight. Now that the WEC merger will be soon complete, Kid can
get a fight with Faber in UFC. I also think it’s got a strong
chance of being on a main PPV card. I know it’s a fight
that only the hardcore fans would largely care about, but it
would be a hell of a fight to see in the UFC and one that I think
UFC’s matchmakers will be glad to book. If you book Yamamoto
in a showcase fight against a lesser opponent, you do risk having
him potentially lose and kill interest in a fight with Faber.
The secondary reason I think Yamamoto will be happy in UFC is
because he’ll get to fight in a cage and fight at the right
weight class for a guaranteed paycheck. In today’s Japanese
climate, there are no guaranteed paychecks any more.
How
much is Georges St. Pierre’s image as a legendary fighter
on the line at UFC 124?
This
isn’t much a question that I’ve spent much time thinking
about, but clearly it seems to be the one that everyone is asking
heading into this weekend’s fight. Everyone knows about
the ongoing debate between Dana White & Greg Jackson as to
whether or not Jackson is making his guys strictly into point
fighters. Jonathan Snowden has a look at GSP’s top 10 career
defining moments. St. Pierre’s last fight was against Dan
Hardy, who decided to play the role of gumby in their title match
and ridiculously not submit to some painful submission attempts.
I
will say that there will be a tremendous amount of pressure,
both internal and external for St. Pierre to get the job done
fast against Josh Koscheck and in painful or brutal fashion.
If Koscheck manages to frustrate St. Pierre and drag the fight
out to go the distance (Daniel Cormier thinks this is possible),
there will be a lot of impatient fans. Could St. Pierre make
a mental mistake due to putting too much pressure on himself
to finish off Koscheck early? He did admit that Koscheck gets
under his skin. He gets under mostly everyone’s skin, though.
Outside
of the main event, the fight I’m paying the most attention
to is Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira. Love the fight on paper.
Miller is one of those guys who is always in the -150 to -400
range each fight and just keeps winning. Always reliable, solid,
and with a win against an exciting prospect like Oliveira, he
will slowly elevate himself into title contention (or at least
main event status for a Fight Night level show).
On
a Canadian media note, the former boss of Canwest Global Communications
has purchased The Fight Network.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
124 Preview: The Main Card
Today!
by Jason Probst
Hawaii
Air Times:
UFC 124
Oceanic Channel 701
5:00 - 8:00PM
There’s nothing like a couple months’ worth of reality
television to build a rivalry, and in the case of UFC welterweight
champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Josh Koscheck, their
running duel on “The Ultimate Fighter 12” has supplied
adequate, if not overwhelming, pre-fight buzz.
That’s
because St. Pierre resides in the magical zone which few champions
ever reach, simultaneously at the top of his physical and mental
games. Meanwhile, Koscheck’s limited verbal repartee makes
one hope he’s done a lot more work coming up with new strategies
for the fight itself.
But,
hey, everybody likes a throwdown to settle some bad blood, right?
Not
every reality show finale can match the unabated hype of Tito
Ortiz and Ken Shamrock’s second meeting. Nor, thankfully,
does every finale lead to the dreadful letdown which that shameful
rematch eventually did.
Koscheck
is still an exceptionally gifted fighter with the right skill
set to pose problems for the dominant champ. There are a handful
of 170-pounders on the planet who could hope to outwrestle St.
Pierre in an MMA match, and right now, former NCAA champ Koscheck
is on the short list.
Here’s
a breakdown of the UFC 124 main event, as well as the rest of
the card.
Georges
St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
In
contemplating the possibilities of a rematch, I try and apply
the Nick Diaz-Jeremy Jackson Rule whenever possible.
The
Diaz-Jackson Rule is a handy reminder that anything is possible
in a fight -- so much so that one contest may not accurately
represent the relative skills and likely outcome of a bout. Both
fighters scored one-sided first-round stoppages in their first
two bouts. Diaz landed a third-round submission in the spirited
rubber match, a fight far more competitive than the two which
preceded it. Each fight, watched separately, would invalidate
the likelihood of the other two.
It’s
a pretty good rule, and one which you are welcome to invoke in
any argument when discussing rematches, MMA in general, climate
change, or whatever.
That’s
why I think Josh Koscheck could have a pretty good chance at
unseating Georges St. Pierre, despite all the indicators suggesting
otherwise. GSP has steadily improved since their first match,
which he won by one-sided decision, dominating Koscheck and outwrestling
him, to boot. Koscheck’s attempts at mind games while the
two coached “The Ultimate Fighter” fell flat. Despite
this, it seems too easy to simply check the box here and expect
more of the same.
To
pull off the upset, Koscheck will have to make something big
happen early. He can’t concede the first takedown, and has
to be more effective on the feet. While St. Pierre is a dynamic
striker with a ridiculously deep bag of tricks, Koscheck tends
to rely on a big overhand right as his bread and butter move.
The
problem with attacking St. Pierre is that his takedowns are the
best in the sport and he can knock you silly. As a result, opponents
get paralyzed contemplating all the terrible things he could
possibly do. Koscheck has to come out banging and aggressive,
and keep pushing forward. Standing around and waiting for something
to develop is almost always going to be a losing strategy against
St. Pierre, who has too many options against anyone at 170 pounds.
Koscheck
has to go for broke to win this one, pulling a page from the
Matt Serra playbook. He’s either going to land something
huge in the opening round, plant GSP on his back, and pound him
out, or not. If it’s the latter, look for GSP to craftily
pick his moment to take Koscheck down, at which point he’ll
thump him up, improve position, and plant all the ugly seeds
of doubt in Kos’ head. It’s a grim thing St. Pierre
does to opponents, and you can see it on their faces when everything
they try only makes things worse.
If
this goes past one round and Koscheck doesn’t land a big
punch for an early stoppage, I like St. Pierre by a fourth-round
win, mostly because he seems peeved and amused at Koscheck’s
attempts to rattle him. St. Pierre also probably wants to end
it inside the distance to quiet the critics knocking his string
of decisions in recent bouts.
If
“Kos” does pull the trick, I’ll be the first to
cite the Diaz-Jackson Rule.
Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
As
one of the more extreme weight-cutters in a sport dominated by
them, Alves vacillates between pushing himself to maximum gain
at fight time, and simply reducing too much and losing stamina.
The Brazilian walks around well over 190 pounds, and at times
the size and strength he brings into bouts can be accompanied
by a lethargic performance.
Granted,
Alves’ two worst showings -- decision losses to Georges
St. Pierre and Jon Fitch -- might have happened to just about
anyone, but the 27-year-old is so big for 170 at this point,
you wonder how long he can stay effective at the weight. The
problem is this: at five-foot-nine, he’d make for an exceptionally
short middleweight.
At
his best, Alves is an excellent striker, with thumping leg kicks
and creative combinations, along with good takedown defense.
Howard’s
task here is obvious: He’ll have to get Alves to the floor
and make that weight cut work against him. Fitch did it in both
of his wins against Alves, holding him down and grinding the
gas tank to empty. But Fitch is a master of that style, while
Howard will probably have to pay a stiff price to close the gap.
Alves
is dangerous from any position on his feet, using tie-ups and
exchanges to land big shots, and his upper-body strength is especially
imposing in the early going. Howard showed a lot of moxie in
his third-round technical knockout loss to tough Jake Ellenberger.
Howard
should be able to score some takedowns, but he’ll also be
baited into big exchanges. Look for Alves to close the show with
a barrage in the third round after a back-and-forth, fan-pleasing
match.
Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle
You
always have to respect fighters who’ve had more bouts than
birthdays. The Dutch youngster Struve has put together a decent
UFC body of work since his brutal debut, where he was starched
by Junior dos Santos in less than a minute. Since then, the six-foot-11-inch
Struve has notched four wins, his only other loss coming to Roy
Nelson. Scaling in the 240-pound range and just 22 years old,
Struve is both freakishly tall for the weight class and physically
undersized. He’s still filling out, and as such needs to
rely on his submissions and long limbs to be effective.
McCorkle,
meanwhile, is the physical opposite. After lobbying the UFC on
message boards and elsewhere, the unbeaten, six-foot-seven vet
of the Midwestern circuit got his chance against Mark Hunt at
UFC 119, and he came up big. Scoring a kimura from the bottom,
McCorkle did very well for an Octagon first-timer, especially
stepping in against a veteran slugger in Hunt.
That
said, I think Struve’s challenge with heavyweights will
be the strength factor. Given McCorkle’s massive frame,
it isn’t going to get any easier in this one. Struve’s
best chance is to grab a sneaky submission or land something
big on the feet. Either way, McCorkle may just be too strong
to be deterred.
Look
for McCorkle to pick his spot for a takedown, establish position,
and proceed to deliver some effective ground-and-pound en route
to a second-round stoppage. Size matters, and McCorkle will make
it eminently apparent.
Jim
Miller vs. Charles Oliveira
With
the incoming cadre of talented WEC lightweights, getting a title
shot in the UFC’s 155-pound division will require a string
of impressive wins. Thus, matchups such as this will become ever-more
the norm. The hard-charging Miller -- whose ledger of 18-2 includes
a solid 7-1 UFC record -- takes on the 14-0 Olivera, a dynamic
Brazilian with an exciting style that blends go-for-broke striking
and potent submissions.
Miller
is one of those guys that reminds you of athletes from other
sports, if only because MMA is still an emerging one. A blue-collar
type, Miller beats people on intensity, good wrestling, and simply
outworking them. He’s also tough as nails. If you saw his
sole loss in the UFC -- a decision defeat to Gray Maynard --
it was the rarest of one-sided fights, one where the guy on the
short end never gave up, even though he was mostly being dominated.
Miller could be the kind of guy to give the red-hot Olivera a
reality check, if for no other reason than he has the tools to
take him down and give him a long night.
Oliveira
had a very impressive third-round win over the touted Efrain
Escudero in his last outing at September’s UFC Fight Night.
Using aggressive striking and a willingness to go for takedowns,
he closed the deal with the Holy Grail of submissions: the standing
rear-naked choke. With such a great ground game, Oliveira is
free to launch flying knees and other wild strikes with confidence,
because opponents don’t want to take him down. However,
Miller might risk the ground battle, because that’s where
his best chance is to win the bout.
Look
for Miller to absorb some rough stuff standing before focusing
on getting the fight to the mat. There, he can grind and pound
on Oliveira, taking some of the shine off his game. This is the
kind of battle where you find out whether a hot prospect can
hang with a solid veteran, a la Jon Jones-Brandon Vera. Expect
Olivera to make some adjustments and set traps (which Miller
will avoid), and then ratchet his game up when Miller tries to
make it a trench war on the mat. I like Olivera to have some
big flurries and near-submissions en route to a definitive, exciting
decision win.
Joe Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig
When
allowed to dictate when a fight hits the ground, Stevenson sets
a tempo that is tough to counter. His blend of wrestling and
grind-‘em-down grappling runs opponents’ gas tanks
dry if they can’t stave him off. If opponents can turn the
tables on “Joe Daddy” -- as B.J. Penn, Kenny Florian
and George Sotiropoulos did -- it becomes easier to beat him.
Danzig
is a real wild card. He won the sixth season of “TUF,”
but he’s hit a losing skid of late, dropping four of his
last five. He’s probably as physically talented as Stevenson,
with equal or slightly better standup. Both are exceptionally
experienced, with a combined 70 bouts in their careers.
This
is one of the those lightweight matches were both men are likely
to negate one another for the first half of the match, and then
conditioning will come into play. Stevenson should have enough
of an edge to spend more time on top -- neither is a big knockout
threat to the other and both have good beards -- where he’ll
push the pace en route to a decision win. Expect to see some
intricate jiu-jitsu, sweeps and reversals. If we’re lucky,
Stevenson might even hit the epic banana split he did on Nate
Diaz.
Source: Sherdog
|
Daniel
Cormier on Koscheck-GSP: 'In Reality, Josh Is the Better Wrestler'
By Mike
Chiappetta
MONTREAL -- Like millions of others, Daniel Cormier has watched
in awe at the excellence of UFC welterweight champion Georges
St. Pierre. Unlike the masses, however, Cormier has earned the
right to either critique or praise perhaps the most lauded part
of GSP's game, his wrestling.
While
Cormier is known to some fans as a rising Strikeforce heavyweight,
he's also a two-time US Olympian in freestyle wrestling.
Count
him among the people that are stunned by St. Pierre's rapid wrestling
progression despite no background in the discipline, but he parts
ways with the group at the suggestion that GSP is a better wrestler
than his UFC 124 opponent, Josh Koscheck.
"In
reality, Josh is the better wrestler. That's just a fact,"
said Cormier, who is a teammate of Koscheck's at American Kickboxing
Academy. "People talk about Georges taking Josh down. What
if Josh takes Georges down? Josh is a better wrestler, so why
wouldn't he be looking to use his advantage there? He's got to
be looking to take him down at times, stand with him at times.
He's got to mix it up, and he's a better wrestler, so that's
an advantage for Josh. Josh is prepared to go everywhere. Like
going back to Cain Velasquez's fight [against Brock Lesnar],
he was ready to fight everywhere. Josh is ready for the same
thing."
The
first time Koscheck and St. Pierre fought, back in August 2007,
Koscheck took for granted that he could stop GSP's takedowns,
but St. Pierre landed both of his takedown attempts en route
to a unanimous decision win.
Koscheck
says today that the development served as a wakeup call for him,
and Cormier saw the effects of the memory on the welterweight
title challenger in the weeks leading up to UFC 124.
In
preparation, Koscheck brought in two-time NCAA champion Chris
Pendleton to mimic St. Pierre as he redoubled his focus on wrestling.
"He
took it very seriously this time around," Cormier said.
"Last time, he had an attitude about not being able to be
taken down by the guy, but it was an attitude that wasn't deserved
because he didn't train it. But now, he can say 'This guy can't
take me down,' because he's earned the right to have that attitude
by focusing on every aspect of the game. His wrestling's on par,
his striking's on par.
"He's
done it this time," he continued. "He's focused, he's
nursed it, he's gotten back to what's important. That's his wrestling
and standup, and now he can have the attitude of 'This guy's
not going to take me down,' because he's as prepared as he can
be. He's prepared to have that attitude."
Cormier
says that the AKA team put in time watching film of St. Pierre
and learning his tendencies, and Koscheck should have a much
better idea of what's to come this time around. And despite picking
his teammate to win, Cormier wasn't shy about praising St. Pierre
for his efforts in making wrestling such a vital part of his
game.
"It's
unbelievable. It really is unbelievable what he's accomplished
with his background," said Cormier, who returns to the Strikeforce
cage on Jan. 7 against Devin Cole. "He's been a karate guy
his whole life and he's taking down guys that have been NCAA
champions and wrestled at the highest level. I am really impressed
with him and I think his timing is as good as anybody in mixed
martial arts. And it's because of his dedication and commitment
to getting better that made him one of the best wrestlers in
mixed martial arts.
"That
said, Josh worked harder than anybody I've ever seen in my life,"
he continued. "He knows what it takes and put in a camp
to become a world champion."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
After
UFC 124, St-Pierre Says Koscheck Might Want To Reconsider His
Career
by Damon
Martin
Following
UFC 124 on Saturday night, UFC welterweight champion Georges
St-Pierre says Josh Koscheck might want to reconsider his career.
The
Canadian spoke very bluntly about his rivalry with Koscheck during
the UFC 124 pre-fight press conference, and about his goals as
a fighter and champion.
St-Pierre
has long talked about creating a legacy in the sport, and when
he’s done he wants his accomplishments to live on and be
remembered as the greatest fighter that ever put on gloves. That
goal hasn’t changed much, if anything it’s gotten stronger.
“I’m
doing this job because I want to be the best. I don’t want
to be No. 2, I want to be No. 1,” St-Pierre stated. “I’ve
always been like this in my life, and I don’t only want
to be No. 1, I want to be the greatest, that’s my main goal.
When I do something I want to be the best of the best.”
The
fight with Koscheck will be the second time the two welterweights
have squared off, and if St-Pierre has his way, and his hand
is raised at the end of the night, the rivalry will be over once
and for all. He also goes on to say that if No. 1 is something
Koscheck wants to attain for his career, he’ll have to take
a long hard look in the mirror with a second loss on his record
to the best fighter in the division.
“Now
I’m fighting Josh Koscheck, I fought him before and people
say ‘oh the pressure’s on you, you’re in Montreal’.
It’s true I’m in Montreal, but I’m at my best
when I’m fighting in my hometown. If I win against Josh
Koscheck, when I’m going to beat him, it’s going to
be the end of it,” said St-Pierre. “It’s going
to be two times that I beat him and if he has the same mentality
as me, Josh Koscheck, then he has to reconsider (his) career.
“Because
if he wants to be the best, he’s going to lose two times
to me, it’s going to take a long time again before he goes
to the title, and maybe never again. So he’s going to have
to climb up the ladder a long time.”
It’s
rare that St-Pierre speaks with such fire before a fight, but
it appears Koscheck is bringing out the best in the UFC’s
welterweight champion. While GSP down plays any amount of trash
talk before a fight, he seems like he’s really going to
enjoy a win over Koshceck at UFC 124.
“I’m
going to beat him Saturday night and that’s going to be
the end of it,” said St-Pierre. “I’m not going
to talk about him for a long, long time.”
Very
outspoken before the fight, Josh Koscheck had to get one last
jab to get in on St-Pierre after he essentially told him his
career might be over after Saturday night.
“You
like me that much, huh?” said Koscheck.
The
two fighters will settle the score in the main event of UFC 124
on Saturday night at the sold out Bell Centre in Montreal.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
In
the world of UFC fans, Josh Koscheck = villain & Chael Sonnen
= hero
By Zach
Arnold
On
Saturday night in Montreal at the Bell Centre, UFC will have
its largest crowd ever for an event and the event is appropriately
headlined by Georges St. Pierre defending his Welterweight crown
against Josh Koscheck. Koscheck is public enemy #1 in the eyes
of UFC fans. He relishes the heat he is getting and the fight
will draw really big numbers.
With
this in mind, I had a sit down conversation with a close friend
who is a semi-hardcore MMA observer and we started talking about
why Koscheck is so hated. It’s not as simple as saying that
he acts like the little snot-nosed brother you never had because
that shtick wouldn’t draw the fan reaction he’s getting
now. Certainly, a heavy element of the heat is based on the purely
emotional attachment that the fans have to St. Pierre who in
the eyes of many can do no wrong. However, that wouldn’t
equate the level of hatred and venom that Mr. Koscheck is attracting
at this moment.
So,
what is it? What is it about Koscheck that makes him hated to
the degree that he currently is in the eyes of the fans? He hasn’t
gotten into a stupid trash talking affair like Rashad Evans did
with Rampage Jackson in which some of the dumbest comments about
race were ever made. He doesn’t have a penis-looking tattoo
on his chest like the former UFC Heavyweight champion. He’s
definitely improved as a fighter. By all accounts, Josh Koscheck
is an incredibly hard worker who has managed to take the right
path in life and stay out of trouble.
This
season’s Ultimate Fighter show was largely pedestrian sans
some amusing segments between Koscheck and an EMT (aka ‘male
nurse.’) Realistically, that was the ‘worst offense’
Koscheck did on the show. He was largely on good behavior and
yet, if you listened to the audience at UFC 121 in Anaheim, they
treated him like he was in lower standing than a third-world
dictator. It’s fairly obvious that the marketing vehicle
of The Ultimate Fighter worked magnificently. The question: How
did everything come together perfectly to create this combustible
fan reaction?
What
I found most interesting about the fan reaction to Koscheck is
that it is largely the polar opposite to the fan reaction to
Chael Sonnen these days. Judging by the amount of feedback I’ve
gotten here, here, in e-mail, and offline, Sonnen is practically
viewed as a hero for standing up to THE MAN on Thursday when
he had his appeals meeting with the California State Athletic
Commission board.
The
comments I received ranged from “we don’t have any
right to judge him” to “you don’t understand his
personal situation” to “you guys are a bunch of keyboard
warriors and don’t have the balls to fight in the cage like
he does.” The arguments are virtually all emotional and
completely void of facts. And those who contacted me who did
know the facts of the case are largely upset — not at the
fact that Sonnen did what he did but the fact that he got caught
in the first place and that it delayed his rematch with Anderson
Silva.
The
disconnect between the fans, fighters, hanger-ons, etc. and the
media covering this issue based on the facts is enormous. It’s
as wide of a gap as I can possibly recall on an MMA ’scandal’
to this degree. I was struck by just how aggressive they were
in their defense of Sonnen. I truly believe that they view Sonnen
with admiration because he’s got the nerve to do something
that drug users in this sport don’t have, which is come
out and open up Pandora’s box about what he did while proclaiming
that it’s above board and necessary. Who would have ever
thought that a fighter’s counsel would make an argument
that he shouldn’t be suspended because it would be a violation
of the Americans with Disabilities Act? You want to talk about
bold!
There’s
plenty of fighters who are doping and testosterone replacement
therapy is a growing practice. (Just look at pro-wrestling.)
You damage your body by using anabolic steroids, you go see a
(mark) doctor when your testosterone level is low, you get a
prescription to use testosterone, and off you go. Because Chael
Sonnen’s defense has been so publicly blunt and aggressive,
will his story give legitimacy to this kind of activity in the
industry? Once the doors are open on this, who’s to say
we won’t see an even bigger increase in doping that’s
not detected by drug testing?
The
reason Sonnen tested positive is because he took testosterone
a couple of days before his fight. The idea of TRT in theory
is that you try to get your body up to its normal levels (1:1
to 3:1 range). He was at nearly a level of 17:1 for his fight.
That’s crazy. Anderson Silva and Ed Soares have every right
to be disappointed, if not angry. (For more on this issue, read
this comment.)
Sonnen
noted that he takes two testosterone dosages a week.
One
thing Chael Sonnen is telling the truth about is the overwhelming
positive support he is receiving. He’s absolutely 100% accurate
about that. For Mr. Sonnen, the California commission is a perfect
foil. It didn’t matter how brash, shameless, truthful or
untruthful he was last Thursday, he knew that image of California’s
commission is tarnished in the eyes of many as a disorganized
and ignorant bureaucratic operation. The more he pressed the
commission, the more public sympathy he would earn. What made
the hearing fascinating is that Sonnen claims that UFC physician
Dr. Jeff Davidson told the California commission before his fight
with Yushin Okami about TRT and had things cleared away. (This
is being disputed.) Under oath, Sonnen claimed that he talked
with Nevada State Athletic Commission boss Keith Kizer about
TRT. Kizer has told numerous media members after the hearing
that he did no such thing.
Which
leads us to the next step in this saga. Sonnen will have to re-apply
for a fighter’s license in Nevada because it expires on
the 31st. Mr. Kizer will face a predicament. As Kevin Iole recently
noted, the houses for big fighting events in Las Vegas are way
down. Scary numbers for the casino shows. We know that UFC generates
significant revenue for the local Vegas economy with their big
events there. The rematch between Sonnen and Silva will draw
big, big numbers if it’s done in Las Vegas. Will Keith Kizer
stand up to Chael Sonnen and help block Sonnen from getting licensed
again or will the economics of the situation alter the outcome
of the re-licensing hearing? After all, the Nevada commission
did reject a license request for Antonio Margarito after he got
caught with a plaster-like substance on his hand wraps in California.
The difference between Margarito and Sonnen, however, is that
Margarito is a reviled figure nationally and Sonnen has gained
fan support since the Silva fight.
And
I’m totally baffled as to why the more fans learn about
the case brought against Mr. Sonnen at the appeals hearing, the
more they seem to support him in the matter. I give Chael credit
for one thing — like a good magician, he pulls off a trick
and right as you figure out how he accomplished it, he’s
already onto something else.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Vadim
Finkelchtein comments Fedor’s future
By Guilherme Cruz
One of the most influent names in all history of MMA in Russia,
Vadim Finkelchtein is the almighty of the powerful M-1 Global
and manager of the idol Fedor Emelianenko, and he’s on December’s
edition of TATAME Magazine. On an exclusive interview, Vadim
talked about his projects of expanding his reality show of fighters
and the growth of M-1 around the globe.
“M-1
Global is producing and launching a new generation of fighters
and stars. The fans will be impressed with the last edition of
M-1 Challenge in San Petersburg, and we don’t stop growing
more and more”, celebrates the manager, who talked about
the participation of the Brazilian and former UFC fighter Vinicius
Big Foot on his event next Sunday, and also talked about the
future of Fedor on Strikeforce. “It all depends on them.
Fedor was ready to fight a long time ago and still is”,
said, commenting the possibility of the Russian confronting Josh
Barnett.
Source: Tatame
|
The
Cut List: Who Desperately Needs a Win at UFC 124?
By Ben
Fowlkes
If there's anything that impresses your girlfriend's parents
less than showing up for Christmas dinner and introducing yourself
as a professional cage fighter, it's showing up with a bunch
of bruises and introducing yourself as a recently unemployed
cage fighter.
And
yet, for several of the struggling fighters on the lineup for
UFC 124 in Montreal this Saturday night, unemployment is suddenly
a very real and very terrifying prospect.
So
who's facing a win-or-get-fired situation this time around? For
answers, analysis, and forecasts, let us consult the Cut List.
For tips on dealing with your girlfriend's parents during the
holiday season, the best we can do is suggest that you say as
little as possible and smile a lot. Even if this makes them regard
you as a happy idiot, it's probably better than the alternative.
Mac
Danzig (19-8-1, 3-4 UFC)
Who he's facing: Joe Stevenson
Why he's in danger: Since winning TUF 6 Danzig has, to put it
gently, underperformed. At the time he was arguably the most
accomplished fighter to come out of the reality show (barring
the "comeback" season), but that honeymoon is long
since over. He got a raw deal in his last loss thanks to some
inept refereeing, but it doesn't change the fact that his last
impressive win was in 2008. If he can't beat Stevenson, the UFC
might very well decide that Danzig is never going to live up
to the promise he showed three years ago.
Odds of getting cut: Even. Stevenson is a pretty heavy favorite,
and unless Danzig puts on a great show in the process, a loss
will almost certainly land him in the unemployment line.
Dustin
Hazelett (12-6, 5-4 UFC)
Who he's facing: Mark Bocek
Why he's in danger: His dual Submission of the Night wins were
soundly erased by a brutal knockout loss to Paul Daley and then
a vicious beating at the hands of Rick Story. What's worse, in
the loss to Story it almost seemed as if Hazelett folded up early
and waited for it to be over. Now he's dropping to lightweight,
apparently hoping that the smaller guys won't be able to bully
their way through his jiu-jitsu quite so easily. If it doesn't
work, it's hard to see what value he adds to the UFC roster.
And three losses in a row usually means only one thing...
Odds of getting cut: 3-1. Bocek is a very beatable opponent for
Hazelett, since this is likely to turn into a grappling match
almost immediately and stay that way. As long as he doesn't get
outwrestled, he should win this and stay alive in the UFC. For
now.
Dan
Miller (12-4, 4-3 UFC)
Who he's facing: Joe Doerksen
Why he's in danger: I hate to say it, but Miller's well-publicized
and utterly heartbreaking personal problems may have saved him
from the dreaded three-in-row cut after his loss to Michael Bisping
at UFC 114. The UFC just didn't want to appear to be that heartless,
and with good reason. Now, unfortunately, it might be another
story. Miller rebounded with a submission win over John Salter
in Boston, but if he loses this one he'll be 1-4 in his last
five fights. That's a bad place to be, no matter how much goodwill
you've built up with fans and the media.
Odds of getting cut: 2-1. If he plays it smart, he should be
able to grapple his way to a win over Doerksen, thus securing
his job. If he tries too hard to put on a show, he's just asking
for trouble.
Rafael
Natal (12-3, 0-1 UFC)
Who he's facing: Jesse "Water" Bongfeldt
Why he's in danger: If you come into the UFC after beating a
couple notable fighters in the minor leagues, as Natal did, you
can probably afford to lose a decision in your first fight in
the Octagon, which Natal also did. What you can't do, however,
is lose your first two fights, especially if the second comes
against a first-timer with a moniker like "Water" Bongfeldt.
That would be too notable for all the wrong reasons, and you'd
basically be asking for your walking papers. I mean, seriously.
"Water" Bongfeldt. If he'd gone with "Beer"
Bongfeldt, at least that would have showed some imagination.
Odds of getting cut: 3-1. Natal's the favorite here, and unlike
Bongfeldt he won't have the Octagon jitters to contend with this
time.
Pat
"Awesomely Awesome" Audinwood (9-1-1, 0-1 UFC)
Who he's facing: John Makdessi
Why he's in danger: Again with these nicknames? Okay, I guess
Audinwood's is so ridiculous that it's kind of fun, but he's
in the same position as Natal. He lost his first UFC fight via
submission at the hands of Thiago Tavares, and now he's facing
a Canadian making his Octagon debut. That's not a fight you want
to lose, unless you like the prospect of being awesomely out
of work come Monday morning.
Odds of getting cut: 2-1. Audinwood is also a favorite against
the undefeated but still untested Makdessi. Best to pounce on
him early while the lights of the big show are still in his eyes.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Carina
Damm Re-Staking Her Claim in Women’s 125-Pound Division
by Mick
Hammond
This past August was supposed to the breakthrough American performance
for top women’s fighter Carina Damm.
An
early favorite in the Strikeforce women’s 135-pound tournament,
Damm had a surprisingly disappointing performance against Hitomi
Akano, losing the bout via submission in the second round, derailing
her comeback run.
Eager
to prove her loss to Akano was only a temporary setback, Damm
now moves down to 125-pounds to take on Colorado rising star
Cat Albert at Winter Brawl in Grand Forks, N.D.
“I
believe that I lost a bit of focus on the second round and fell
into Hitomi’s game,” Damm told MMAWeekly.com of her
August loss. “For this next fight I’m training twice
as much as before so it doesn’t happen again.”
Prior
to her bout with Akano, Damm had issues gaining a visa to come
to the U.S., when asked if this distraction played a part in
her loss, she said, “I believe any problem in the preparation
for a fight will take away some of the focus from any fighter,
so it wouldn’t be different for me, but now its time to
think about the future and focus my energy to the bout on Dec.
10.”
Against
Albert Friday night, Damm will be faced with the prospect of
squaring off with a superior wrestler, but it’s a challenge
she feels she’s well prepared for.
“I
trained a lot for this match and my wrestling is better than
ever,” commented Damm. “This isn’t a straight
wrestling match, so I hope we can put on a great MMA fight for
the fans.”
While
she’s not sure where a win would place her in the eyes of
the powers that be in the women’s 125-pound division, Damm
does feel she’s ready for any challenge.
“I know my potential, and my record is one of the best at
125 pounds, (so) if it’s up to me, I will fight anyone in
my division,” stated Damm. “I believe I have the skills
to beat anyone at 125 pounds.”
One
thing Damm knows for certain, she intends to use what she learned
this year to springboard herself back to prominence in 2011.
“This
was a year of a lot of work and investment in my career,”
said Damm. “I believe that 2011 we will be able to harvest
the fruits of all our work and effort this year.
“I
would really like to fight on Strikeforce next year, but at 125
pounds if possible. 135 pounds isn’t a really good weight
for me. We (entered the 135-pound tournament) because it was
a good chance for me to get back in the U.S.; I am, and always
have been a (true) 125-pounder.”
After
trials and tribulations have marked her recent outings in the
U.S., Damm is looking to put a stamp on her bout Friday and lay
claim to the acknowledgement of being one of the best women’s
125-pound fighters in the world once again.
“I
would like to thank God for my health, and all my team in Ft.
Lauderdale,” concluded Damm. “Unfortunately my brother
Rodrigo won’t be able to corner me for this match, but I
will be as focused as ever.
“I
hope everyone in North Dakota is able to go see my fight at the
venue; big kisses to all my fans; thank you for the support!”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Keith
Kizer is fighting a losing P.R. & political battle with the
UFC
By Zach
Arnold
New
update at the bottom of the Mr. Kizer/Mr. Rogan portion of the
article.
For
the most part, Keith Kizer has largely been anything but bold
as the director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission during
his tenure in office. Other than not licensing Antonio Margarito,
it’s largely been business as usual in Las Vegas. The economy
has tanked in the States, especially in Nevada where jobs are
scarce and the foreclosure crisis has hit the state hard. At
this point, whoever brings money and business to the state is
lauded as heroic. Kizer, for the most part, has not done anything
to get in the way of UFC’s business affairs. In a sense,
you could say he’s been useful to them.
Well,
it looks like the sentiments have changed dramatically. If this
was a mafia movie, a consigliere would sit Mr. Kizer down and
read him the riot act. UFC is not happy with the way personnel
matters related to officiating are being handled in the state.
Joe Rogan, acting on his accord, is the perfect front man for
UFC to rip into officials and into Kizer. As long as it’s
Rogan and not Dana White or Marc Ratner doing the dirty work,
UFC can publicly say that their hands are clean of the criticism.
Rogan went on national television last Saturday and implored
with the fans to verbalize their disgusting with officiating.
He made the remark that the judging and officiating is so incompetent
that the public attacks UFC for being ‘corrupt’ when
they have nothing to do with bad referee work or judging whatsoever.
In other words, it undermines the credibility that the UFC has
with the public and that can alter the bottom line if people
view the sport your promoting as fixed or a work. We all know
UFC’s mentality is that their organization is the sport,
so anything that hurts them is a call to action.
This
is not a winnable war for Keith Kizer, neither in public nor
in private. If the Fertitta family is angry, they have the financial
muscle to make a difference. If they’re not happy with the
ways things are run in Nevada, they can run shows elsewhere and
help other states make money while Nevada is on the sidelines.
Don’t think that the local politicians ignore this kind
of thing. Commissioners come and go. but UFC and their deep pockets
are not going anywhere. If you’re a betting person and had
to choose between who’s going to last longer in power, Keith
Kizer or the UFC in Nevada, Mr. Kizer’s drawing the short
end of that stick.
In
perhaps the next step in what could end up being a bizarre proxy
war, there seems to be a heat-up in a war of words between Chael
Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva. How about that. These two have been
rumored for over a month now to be the next coaches on The Ultimate
Fighter. Sonnen coaching on a UFC program taped in Las Vegas
where Keith Kizer has to show up for weigh-ins. The amount of
messages that would be sent by the UFC for having Sonnen be a
coach on The Ultimate Fighter would be enormous. It would be
a total slap in the face to Kizer, given that Sonnen claimed
that Kizer approved of him using Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
Kizer completely denies this charge. Given this scenario, the
idea of UFC using Sonnen as a coach and rewarding his behavior
by putting him on national television week-after-week would speak
volumes about the seriousness in which UFC looks at the issue
of PED usage amongst fighters in MMA. It would all but eliminate
UFC from publicly ever taking the high road on the matter, but
of course the tradeoff would be significant short-term financial
gains for a PPV match between Wanderlei and Sonnen.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
After
Considering Retirement in 2009, St. Preux Looking to Build on
Break-Out Year
By Kelsey
Mowatt
One
year ago, few people would have likely predicted that by the
close of 2010, Ovince St. Preux would be considered one of Strikeforce’s
fastest rising light-heavyweights. After all, this time last
year, St. Preux’s MMA record was 3-4, and the former collegiate
line-backer was coming off back-to-back losses to Nik Fekete
and Virgil Swicker. Despite his impressive athletic abilities,
St. Preux was struggling at times early into his MMA career.
(Pictured: St. Preux hitting Radach from above)
2010,
however, has been a dramatically different story, and in this
year’s campaign St. Preux has not only won six straight,
he’s recorded victories over UFC vets in Jason Day and most
recently, Benji Radach. St. Preux is quickly improving and people
have been forced to take notice as a result.
“To
be perfectly honest, this time last year I was thinking to myself
that I almost wanted to quit fighting,” St. Preux told FCF
when asked to reflect on the past twelve months. “People
tell you when you first get into the sport that you’re going
to lose in order to gain, but when you continue to train, do
good shows, you’ll get back those losses. This year has
been such a blessing for me.”
While
a successful Strikeforce debut in April and St. Preux’s
eight second KO of Day in July created some buzz, earning back-to-back
decision wins over Antwain Britt and Radach in a span of two
weeks, was a great way to cap off the year.
“Those
wins were very important,” said St. Preux. “Every fight
I have now with Strikeforce is going to be the most important
fight of my career. When I fought Antwain two weeks ago that
was the most important fight of my career, and then when I fought
Benji it was the most important.”
After
working his way to a unanimous decision win over Britt on November
19th, it certainly appeared as though St. Preux’s would
close out 2010 having gone 5-0. But when a series of injuries
hit Strikeforce’s December 4th “Henderson vs. Babalu”
card, the promotion was left scrambling to find another compelling
fight.
“At
first I thought, if you don’t take the fight, when’s
the next time you’ll get an opportunity to fight a guy like
Benji on a big show,” said St. Preux. “So I thought
I might as well take it as I really had nothing to lose.”
Clearly
St. Preux made the right call, as he punished the veteran Radach
throughout the bout, landing some telling strikes when the two
were on their feet, but largely from the top position on the
ground.
“My
strategy was to stick and move, stick and move,” St. Preux
said, when asked about the game plan he looked to employ against
Radach. “My initial strategy was to just get him against
the cage and just kind of grind on him and take him down. He
kind of tried to force that situation on me, but I was able to
come out on top.”
“He
felt strong to me,” said St. Preux, when asked about the
fact that Radach moved up to 205lbs. from middleweight where
he usually competes. “I didn’t really have to lose
that much weight for this fight, I only had to cut six pounds
and that was it. So I didn’t think I looked bigger than
him; I thought at the weigh-ins he looked bigger than me.”
Having
put together a remarkable break-out campaign in 2010, St. Preux
is setting the bar even higher for himself in 2011.
“I
told myself that in 2010 I wanted to get my record up to par
and sign with a major organization,” St. Preux noted. “I
did that. I told myself in 2011 I want to get a title shot and
get my name out there; I want to get my name out to the MMA community,
not just in the U.S. but around the world.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Nevada
Commission Bombarded with E-mails About Phan-Garcia Decision
Nevada
State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer credits
UFC commentator Joe Rogan for the electronic response the commission
has received in regards to the split decision Leonard Garcia
won Saturday over Nam Phan at “The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale.”
The
majority of fans and media believe Phan deserved the nod. Judges
Adelaide Byrd and Tony Weeks gave Garcia the win, though, 29-28.
Junichiro Kamijo dissented, 30-27 for Phan.
In
response, Rogan ripped into the judges and has specifically called
out Kizer as ultimately responsible.
“Props
to Mr. Rogan. He’s definitely got quite a loyal following,”
Kizer said Wednesday during a “Savage Dog Show” interview
on the Sherdog Radio Network. “I’ve gotten more e-mails
on this decision than any other decision we’ve ever had.
Probably about 700 total. You’ve got to give him credit
for that. Unfortunately, probably 90 percent of those e-mails
were just very rude and unprofessional, and that’s too bad.
I wish more people could argue or discuss things in a more rational,
legitimate, ethical way, which you would think would perhaps
be more effective as well. But nonetheless, that’s OK. I
don’t mind getting those as well.”
Despite
the aggressive tone of some e-mails, Kizer said he’s listening.
“First
off, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with someone’s
opinion, you want to listen to it if you’re a public official,”
Kizer said. “Even the e-mails with the curse words and the
name calling, I read those e-mails. I didn’t respond to
them, but I read those e-mails. I think it’s important no
matter what.”
While
Kizer is listening, he’s not necessarily agreeing. For instance,
he does not believe there has been a preponderance of bad decisions
lately in MMA.
“I
kind of almost think not the opposite but differently in the
sense that there’s always been -- I mean, I don’t know
a time when there hasn’t been somebody arguing about some
decision,” he said. “You look back at any year of MMA.
Let’s just stick to MMA. The last 10 years of MMA, you can
go to any calendar year and find people complaining about something
or another. And that’s understandable, especially at these
higher-level fights.
“First
off, they’re seen by a lot of people. Even if only one percent
of the people complain -- I take it a lot more than 700 people
saw that [Garcia-Phan] fight -- so even if less than one percent
of the people complain, that’s still a lot of people. Secondly,
I think there’s just a lot more people on the message boards.
There’s a lot more people following the sport.”
Kizer
said there’s a much bigger response to decisions -- people
agreeing and disagreeing -- than ever before. Still, he acknowledged
that on first viewing, he was surprised Garcia was given the
decision over Phan.
“It
seems like a lot of people don’t have a problem with the
first round going to Garcia,” Kizer said. “I thought
it should have gone to Phan, but I could see it going to Garcia
and I don’t have a criticism on that round. All three judges
gave the second round to Phan, so obviously no criticism there.
But the third round, after the fight I had the judges explain
themselves. They gave their explanation as to why they gave that
third round to Garcia. I want to watch and see, and if I still
don’t get it, then I’m going to bring the judges in
and say, ‘Look, let’s just go through this.”
Kizer
explained it’s typical protocol to review footage of contentious
decisions he might not agree with, as he will with Garcia-Phan.
If needed, he also sits down with judges and reviews the fight,
pausing and discussing the action to understand how the fight
was scored.
It’s
not necessary to review the history of a judge’s scoring,
Kizer said, because he’s evaluating the judge every fight
card.
“Really
every round they officiate -- most of the time it makes no effect
because it’s an easy round or there’s no controversy
or it was simple, no real issue -- but there might be a situation
where the ref does a great job or makes a mistake or the same
with a judge where that will affect his or her rating as you
go forward for future assignments,” Kizer said.
No
official is promised future assignments, Kizer said, and it is
not difficult to remove those who have proven incapable.
“There’s
been a few occasions where it gets to the point where a judge
just isn’t working out and they need to move on,” Kizer
explained.
The
NSAC boss regularly gets inquiries about how to become a judge.
For the outraged fans out there, he suggests hitting the amateur
ranks.
“It’s
one thing to sit at your computer or sit in front of your TV
or sit in the crowd or even sit at the desk being their director
and decide who you think should win that round or not,”
Kizer said, “but at the end of the day, your decision’s
not going to affect this guy’s career. The pressure isn’t
there that is with an official judge. Sitting in that hot seat,
as I call it, at the amateurs gets you ready for sitting in the
hot seat in the pros.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Dana
White Stands By His Statement That St-Pierre Is The Most Famous
Athlete To Ever Come Out Of Canada
by Damon Martin
Georges
St-Pierre is the most famous athlete to ever come out of Canada.
UFC
president Dana White took more than his fair share of criticism
for that comment when the hockey gods of Canada reigned down
the name of Wayne Gretzky after that phrase was uttered. Still,
White stands by his proclamation about GSP and hopes Canada will
get behind the athlete that’s been awarded Canadian Athlete
of the Year 2 years in a row now.
“I
never said anything about (Wayne) Gretzky, everybody keeps talking
like I’m smashing Gretzky,” White commented. “I
didn’t say anything about Gretzky. I said (GSP) is the most
famous athlete to ever come out of Canada, and everybody’s
like ‘what about Wayne Gretzky?’ and I said Wayne Gretzky
too.”
White
says it simply comes down to numbers, and the UFC is just available
in more places and is liked by more people than hockey. St-Pierre
is one of the faces of mixed martial arts on a worldwide scale,
and that trumps anybody else.
“It’s
a fact, we’re in half a billion homes worldwide, this guy’s
a huge superstar. The PR guys were just telling me last night
they had him call into the ESPN radio show in Albuquerque and
the phones crashed, how many people were calling in to ask him
questions and talk to him,” said White. “It’s
a reality Canada, deal with it.”
St-Pierre
has become not only the face of MMA worldwide, but one of the
ambassadors of the sport. The Canadian fighter championed MMA’s
sanctioning in the province of Ontario, going as far as meeting
with the politicians there before the sport was officially legalized
earlier this year.
Just
this month, St-Pierre has been featured in two separate commercials
for ESPN, and is also a spokesman for brands like Gatorade and
Under Armour. His popularity just can’t be denied.
“He’s
been a great champion, he’s a nice guy, he’s an incredible
athlete, he represents the sport and the belt well. Be proud
of him Canada,” stated White.
Usually
a very soft spoken champion, St-Pierre grew up watching Gretzky
do amazing things on the ice, but he does point out that on a
worldwide scale MMA’s popularity is just too big to deny.
“Wayne
Gretzky growing up he’s my idol, for me Wayne Gretzky he’s
on top,” St-Pierre admitted. “For his sport, I believe
Wayne Gretzky has done more for hockey than I’ve done in
mixed martial arts. My goal is to reach that point, and maybe
pass that point if I can one day in my life.
“If
you talk about worldwide, the sport of mixed martial arts it’s
true, it’s a fact, it’s actually more popular than
ice hockey. Ice hockey it’s only in North America and some
countries in Europe, and outside of that it’s not very popular.
Mixed martial arts is worldwide.”
St-Pierre
points out that there are different areas in Canada where his
popularity soars and wanes, but nothing like the experiences
he’s had overseas in some foreign countries.
“The
place that is most popular where I’ve been it’s actually
in Asia and the Philippines. That is completely insane, it’s
crazy there,” St-Pierre said.
If
St-Pierre is successful on Saturday night in Montreal, it seems
almost a lock for the UFC’s welterweight champion to come
home with yet another Canadian Athlete of the Year award in 2010,
and many more to follow throughout his career.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
124: Bronx confident; coach hints at how to beat Jim Miller
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
Undefeated in fourteen fights, Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira
doesn’t get any rest in the UFC. With two finishes in his
first two fights for the promotion, the last against TUF champion
Efrain Escudero, Charles will now face Jim Miller next Saturday
in Canada, at UFC 124.
“I’m
really happy with the performances I’ve been having and
I want to close out the year with another win. I’m training
here in Canada with (Maurício, André Dida’s
brother ) Veio, who is helping us a lot. The city is marvelous,
we’re in a great hotel. I’m 100% for this fight, focused,
happy and when I’m like this it’s hard to beat me.
Ericson and Veio are passing me a lot of positive energy and
I’m ready for war. I want this win,” he tells GRACIEMAG.com.
Miller is coming off a five-fight win streak in the UFC and,
of the eighteen wins on his record (two losses), he has finished
in ten. Charles’s coach at Bronx’s Gold Team, Ericson
Cardoso, speaks of his pupil’s opponent.
“Jim
Miller has shown he’s a dangerous fighter, a south-paw.
We always pick up on the weak points and I feel Charles can make
use of his reach, seeing as he is taller. I also feel Charles
is better on the ground. Miller said in an interview that he’s
a Jiu-Jitsu black belt, that he should be respected. We never
respect anyone. We know he’s good on the ground, but I know
even more about my student. We’re ready to fight standing
or on the ground,” he says in analysis.
“Miller
is a well-rounded guy, tough standing and good on the ground.
I feel he’s more technical than Escudero, for example, and
he comes on strong. He’ll try to impose the pace, which
no one has managed to do with Charles in the UFC yet. That’s
what we expect from him and we trained based on that,” he
says in closing.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
2010
HAWAIIAN CHAMPIONSHIP OF BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU - PART 3 OF TRIPLE
CROWN SERIES
Kaiser
High School, Honolulu, Hawaii
November 27, 2010
NAME SCHOOL points
MEN'S GI WHITE BELT
SUPERFEATHER
1ST - Donavan
Parrilla Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND - Nicholas
Seu Brazilian Freestyle JJ 2
3RD- Kiley Momohara Nova Uniao 1
3RD- Abraham Pane Longman Kauai 1
FEATHER
1ST - Jordan Tanoue Leandro Nyza JJ 3
2ND - Devon Andrews Kendall Goo JJ 2
3RD - Cecilio Rosaga Maui Grappling Academy 1
3RD - Issac Ligsay Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kailua 1
LIGHT
1ST - Alik Kephas Brazilian Freestyle JJ 3
2ND - Dennis
Monahan Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
3RD - Gino
Teves Combat 50 Nova Uniao 1
3RD - Casey Choi Gracie Barra - Honolulu 1
MIDDLE
1ST - Will Torres Gracie Barra - Honolulu 3
2ND - Felipe Lapastora Nova Uniao 2
3RD - Paul
Cruz Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 1
3RD - Brent
Uyeno Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
MIDDLE HEAVY
1ST - Geoffry Lee Powerhouse JJ Kauai 3
2ND - Fred Salanoa Gracie Technics 2
3RD - John Pall Mad Tiger BJJ 1
3RD - Jason Conner Team Amil BJJ 1
ULTRA/SUPER HEAVY
1ST - Kaohilii Romualdo Hawaii Combative Arts 3
2ND - Abraham
Ruiz Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
MEN'S GI BLUE BELT
SUPERFEATHER
1ST - Edmund Li Leandro Nyza JJ 3
2ND - Toan Nguyen Team Amil BJJ 2
3RD - Joshua Martinez Maui Grappling Academy 1
FEATHER
1ST - Jay Oliveria Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team 3
2ND - Gary Hendrickson Grappling Unlimited 2
3RD - Dennis
Zaragoza Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 1
3RD - Matt
Aoki Grappling Unlimited 1
LIGHT
1ST - Jensen
Kona Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND - Michael Dorman Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
2
3RD - Ryan
Clay Leandro Nyza JJ 1
3RD - Lorrin Ishimine Maui Grappling Academy 1
MIDDLE
1ST - Tracy Tamondong Mad Tiger BJJ 3
2ND - DeJuan Hathaway Leandro Nyza JJ 2
3RD - Joey Atkinson Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
3RD - Aaron Terry Central Oahu BJJ 1
MIDDLE HEAVY
1ST - Christian Kennedy Mad Tiger BJJ 3
2ND- Nicholas Lee Relson Gracie - Ron Shiraki Academy 2
3RD- Chris Lum Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
ULTRA HEAVY
1ST - Troy Ribuca Brazilian Freestyle JJ 3
2ND - Romulo
Veroza Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
MEN'S GI PURPLE BELT
OPEN
1ST - John Hommel Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team 3
2ND - Kaula Watson Longman Kauai 2
3RD- Sy Kageyama Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
MEN'S
GI BROWN BELT
OPEN
1ST - Desi Minor Central Oahu BJJ 3
2ND - John Cho Alliance BJJ 2
3RD- Ahmed Diallo Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
3RD- Leandro Grando Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
MEN'S NO-GI NOVICE
SUPERFEATHER/ROOSTER
1ST - Donovan
Parrilla Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND - Abraham
Panes Longman Kauai 2
3RD- Kiley Momohara Nova Uniao 1
3RD- Nick Seu Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
FEATHER
1ST - Cecilio Rosaga Maui Grappling Academy 3
2ND - Devon Andrews Kendall Goo JJ 2
3RD - Pat Hong Relson Gracie - Ron Shiraki Academy 1
3RD - Quentin
Bolosan Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 1
LIGHT
1ST - Erik Alvarez Nova Uniao 3
2ND - Roddi Baker Gracie Barra - Honolulu 2
3RD - Travis Lum N/A 1
3RD - James Monro Ultimate Fight School 1
MIDDLE
1ST - Juan Diego Ultimate Fight School 3
2ND - Will Torres Gracie Barra - Honolulu 2
3RD - Rick Sagocio Mad Tiger BJJ 1
3RD - Brent Uyeno Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
MIDDLEHEAVY / HEAVY
1ST - Geoffrey Lee Powerhouse JJ Kauai 3
2ND - Juan Sorto Gracie Technics 2
3RD - Damien Bumm Ultimate Fight School 1
3RD - John Shintaku N/A 1
SUPER HEAVY / ULTRA HEAVY
1ST - Kaohili'I Romualdo Relson Gracie - Main Academy 3
2ND - Abraham
Ruiz Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
MEN'S NO-GI INTERMEDIATE
SUPERFEATHER
1ST - Edmund Li Leandro Nyza JJ 3
2ND - Toan Nguyen Team Amil BJJ 2
FEATHER
1ST - Gary Hendrickson Grappling Unlimited 3
2ND - Matt Aoki Grappling Unlimited 2
3RD - Bryce Shimabukuno Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team 1
3RD - Dennis
Zaragoza Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 1
LIGHT
1ST - Michael
Dorman Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND - Jensen Kona Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
3RD - Luis
Santos Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
3RD - Mike Cubillos Relson Gracie - Ron Shiraki Academy 1
MIDDLE
1ST - DeJuan Hathaway Leandro Nyza JJ 3
2ND - Tracy Tamondong Mad Tiger BJJ 2
3RD - Joey Atkinson Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
3RD - Aaron Terry Central Oahu BJJ 1
MIDDLE HEAVY
1ST - Christian Kennedy Mad Tiger BJJ 3
2ND - Nicholas Lee Relson Gracie - Ron Shiraki Academy 2
Raphael Nepomuceno Ultimate Fight School 1
MEN'S
NO-GI ADVANCED
FEATHER/ROOSTER
1ST- John Hommel Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team 3
2ND- Kaula Watson Longman Kauai 2
3RD - Joshua Martinez Maui Grappling Academy 1
OPEN
1ST - Desi Minor Central Oahu BJJ 3
2ND - Romulo
Veroza Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
KID'S GI WHITE BELT
6-8 yrs 44-47 lbs
1ST - Malia
Mason Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND - Skyler
Greg Gracie Barra - Honolulu 2
3RD - Raine Yosida Gracie Barra - Honolulu 1
3RD - Eamon
Jimenez Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 1
7-8 yrs 56-65 lbs
1ST - Zach
Kaina- Kokubun Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND - Laakea
Lapastora Nova Uniao 2
3RD- Nathan Gardner Longman Kauai 1
3RD- Keola Kaili Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
9-11 yrs 50-60 lbs
1ST - Braidyn Yosida Gracie Barra - Honolulu 3
2ND - Keneke
Rosa Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
3RD - Jace
Wataru Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
3RD - Devin Shimabukuro Gracie Barra - Honolulu 1
9-11 yrs 74-80lbs
1ST - Justin Niimi Gracie Barra - Honolulu 3
12-13 yrs 100-125 lbs
1ST - Makana
Indreginal Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND- Logan
Madrona Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team 2
15 yrs 130-145
1ST - Dennis Rull Jr Relson Gracie - Kauai Technical Institute
3
2ND - Curtis Palmeria Brazilian Freestyle JJ 2
3RD- Cory Scoggins Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kailua 1
KID'S GI COLOR BELT
9 yrs 64-75lbs
1ST - Liam
Mason Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND - Jeremy
Hirai Gracie Barra - Honolulu 2
3RD - Anjelyn Baron Central Oahu BJJ 1
3RD - Tristan Baron Central Oahu BJJ 1
9yrs 100lbs+
1ST - Marcus Noblisse Gracie Barra - University 3
2ND - Kennessy Manuel Gracie Barra - Honolulu 2
3RD- Dominic Boland Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kailua 1
12-14 YRS 110-120 LBS
1ST - Canaan Rabaino-Kawaihae Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kailua 3
2ND - Mykah
Kuratani Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
3RD- Tyler
Barros Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
KID'S
NO-GI NOVICE
6-8 YRS 44-47 lbs
1ST - Eamon
Jimenez Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND - Malia Mason Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
3RD - Raine
Yoshida Gracie Barra - Honolulu 1
3RD - Skylar Ucol Gracie Barra - Honolulu 1
7-8 yrs 56-65 lbs
1ST - Zach
Kaina-Kokubon Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 3
2ND - Nathan
Gardner Longman Kauai 2
3RD - Laakea Lapastora Nova Uniao 1
3RD - Keola Kaili Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
9-11 yrs 50-60
1ST - Braidyn Yosida Gracie Barra - Honolulu 3
2ND- Devin Shimabukuro Gracie Barra - Honolulu 2
3RD- Jessamine
Khan Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 1
3RD- Jace
Wataru Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
11-12 yrs 80-99 lbs
1ST - Logan Madrona Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team 3
2ND - Justin Niimi Gracie Barra - Honolulu 2
13-15 yrs 125-145 lbs
1ST - Dennis Rull Jr Relson Gracie - Kauai Technical Institute
3
2ND - Makana
Indreginal Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
KID'S NO-GI INTERMEDIATE
9-10 yrs 60-75lbs
1ST - Tristen Baron Central Oahu BJJ 3
2ND - Keneke
Rosa Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
3RD- Jeremy
Hirai Gracie Barra - Honolulu 1
3RD- Anjelynn Baron Central Oahu BJJ 1
9-10 yrs 100 lbs
1ST - Marcus Noblisse Gracie Barra - University 3
2ND - Dominick Boland Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kailua 2
3RD- Kennesy Manuel Gracie Barra - Honolulu 1
15 yrs 128-134
1ST - Curtis Palmeria Brazilian Freestyle JJ 3
2ND - JC Ferreira N/A 2
3RD- Tyler Barros Brazilian Freestyle JJ 1
KID'S NO-GI ADVANCED
12-13 yrs 110-118
1ST - Canaan Rabino-Kawaihae Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kailua 3
2ND - Mykah
Kuratani Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 2
Ultimate
Fight School 6
Alliance BJJ 2
Brazilian Freestyle JJ 29
Maui Grappling Academy 7
Relson
Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 62
Relson
Gracie - Kaneohe Team 15
Relson Gracie - Kauai Technical Institute 6
Relson Gracie - Main Academy 3
Relson Gracie - Ron Shiraki Academy 6
Central Oahu BJJ 14
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kailua 11
Longman Kauai 10
Powerhouse JJ Kauai 6
Mad Tiger BJJ 13
Gracie Barra - Honolulu 33
Gracie Barra - University 6
Gracie Technics 4
Grappling Unlimited 8
Hawaii Combative Arts 3
Kendall Goo JJ 4
Leandro Nyza JJ 12
Nova Uniao 13
Combat 50 Nova Uniao 1
N/A 4
Team Amil BJJ 5
283
TEAM POINTS SCHOOLS POINTS
1ST - Reslon
Gracie Association - O2 Martial Arts Academy, Kaneohe Team, 92
Main Academy, Kauai Technical Institute, Ron Shiraki Academy
2ND - Gracie Humaita - Central Oahu JJ, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kailua,
Longman Kauai 54
Powerhouse JJ Kauai, Mad Tiger BJJ
3RD - Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu and Maui Grappling Academy
36
TRIPLE
CROWN BELT WINNERS
WHITE Cecilio Rosaga Maui Grappling Academy
BLUE Jensen
Kona Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
PURPLE / BROWN Desi Minor Central Oahu BJJ
NOVICE Cecilio Rosaga Maui Grappling Academy
INTERMEDIATE DeJuan Hathaway Leandro Nyza JJ
ADVANCED Desi Minor Central Oahu BJJ
Source: Brazilian Freestyle JJ
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