Upcoming
Events
Do you
want to list an event on Onzuka.com?
Contact
Us
(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2010
11/27/10
Aloha
State BJJ
Championships: Final Conflict
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
11/6/10
X-1
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Man Up & Stand Up Kickboxing Championship
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
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)
|
|
September
2010 News Part 3
|
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
nights with Ian Beltran & Erwin Legaspi and Kickboxing Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday with Kaleo Kwan, PJ Dean, & Chris
Slavens!
Kids Classes are also
available!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from
the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
|
Want
to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
Click here for pricing and more
information!
Short term and long term advertising available.
More than
1 million hits and counting!
|
O2
Martial Arts Academy
Your Complete Martial Arts School!
Click here for pricing and more
information!
O2 Martial Arts features Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu taught by Relson
Gracie Black Belts Chris and Mike Onzuka and Shane Agena as well
as a number of brown and purple belts.
We also offer Boxing and Kickboxing classes with a staff that
is unmatched. Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA champions Kaleo Kwan
and PJ Dean as well as master boxing instructor Chris Slavens
provide incredibly detailed instruction of the sweet science.
To top it off, Ian Beltran & Erwin Legaspi heads our Kali-Escrima
classes (Filipino Knife & Stickfighting) who were directly
trained under the legendary Snookie Sanchez.
Just a beginner with no background? Perfect! We teach you from
the ground up!
Experienced martial artist that wants to fine tune your skill?
Our school is for you!
If you want to learn martial arts by masters of their trade in
a friendly and family environment, O2 Martial Arts Academy is
the place for you!
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Follow O2 Martial Arts news via Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/O2MAA
MAD
SKILLS
SAT OCT 2
WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
PELETI
FAUMUINA
160
HAYZON LINKEE
VINNIE FOWLER
185
FRANK LUCERO
ROBBIE OSTAVICH
155
PETER VIERRA
MARLEY TAU
200
AARON PUAHALA
ISRAEL LOVELACE
120
ELIAS VELASCO
MIKE ELI
185
GAVIN PAGUYO
JOEY BALAI
135
CODY FABINAL
KAYLEN STAFFORD
140
LYNO ORTIZ
KALAI MCSHANE
125
JAN QUIMOYOG
MATT SABALA
120
JAIREN LONGBOY
KEVIN GUINA
200
KALA HONDA
VINCE LAGUANA
145
CODY SANTOS
LAWRENCE COLLINS
175
ROB JOSEPH
TBA
170
MICHAEL EGUIRES
WAYAN JOSUE
130
JOEY SCHIPPER
ROB BAKER
140
ROBERT PEREZ
JARED FERREIRA
170
KEO ALO
KEKE KEALOHA
155
SHAWN CHEVEZ
MAKANA WIGGLESWORTH
145
KEONI KINOWIN
BRANDON CARVALHO
155
PAUL BOTER
CHANTE STAFFORD
115
MATT AUSTIN
VAL SCHMIDT
145
JOHN CABASAG
LINK MERRITT
135
EDDIE ROBINOL
JESSIE LINDLEY
190
KAAHU ALO
ALIKA KUMUKOA
115
DONOVAN CALLURUDA
JENNIFER SYLVA
125
LENA COOK
DUSTIN SCHELMMER
165
ETHAN KERFOOT
SOFA TAISALI
220
CARLOS PEREZ
TONY LASSIT
185
ROBERT
ANDREW QUIZON
160
ERIC CHUCK
All
matches & participants are subject to change.
Source: Derrick Bright
|
IS
JOSE ALDO IN FOR HIS TOUGHEST TEST YET?
Cub Swanson? Knocked out in eight seconds of the opening round.
Mike
Brown? Stopped by TKO at 1:20 of round two.
Urijah
Faber? Battered and bruised, leg about to fall off, dropped a
five-round unanimous decision.
Jose
Aldo? Seven WEC fights and seven victories, never once in danger
of losing.
Does
this constitute cleaning out a division? Not by a long shot.
But it is a pretty good indicator of dominance.
Still,
all the talk of cleaning out divisions, moving up, moving down,
securing a legacy, doesn’t mean much when there is a dangerous
opponent standing across the cage.
Aldo
will find himself in just such a position on Thursday night when
he steps in the cage at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo.,
where former UFC lightweight contender Manny Gamburyan will be
staring him down.
Gamburyan
only made the move down to featherweight when he realized his
five-foot-five-inch frame wouldn’t support the size that
his much taller lightweight counterparts could maintain. That
move immediately makes the bulldog-built Armenian one of the
strongest fighters in the 145-pound class.
He
has racked up three-straight victories since making the drop.
All three are top-flight featherweights: John Franchi, Leonard
Garcia, and former champion Mike Brown, whom Aldo dropped to
clinch the crown.
His
aggressive style and ever expanding skill set has made Gamburyan
the top contender to Aldo’s throne.
The
question now is whether or not he has what no other fighter has
shown lately: the skills, ability, and heart to topple the Brazilian.
Many
write Gamburyan off as too similar to Brown, whom Aldo had little
trouble with. He is similar on the surface, relying on strong
wrestling ability and heavy hands, but Gamburyan is also a much
more aggressive fighter than Brown.
Although
that may be something that Aldo is actually counting on, perhaps
relishing, as a strong counter-fighter.
“Manny
(should be) aggressive because I’m going to come in just
as aggressive and it’s going to be a great fight for the
fans to watch, two very aggressive guys going at it,” said
Aldo recently.
Could
it be he’s trying to lead Gamburyan into aggression, so
he can take advantage?
Much
like his teammate, Anderson Silva, Aldo has a vast arsenal of
offensive weapons to draw upon, but he is typically at his best
when his opponent moves forward into his line of fire.
At
five-foot-seven-inches tall, he has a two-inch height advantage,
but more importantly, he has a three-inch reach advantage. That
may not sound like much, but it can mean a world of difference
when the man with that advantage is one of the most technically
proficient strikers in the game.
If
Gamburyan comes rushing in, showing the aggression that he promises,
Aldo could have another first-rounder on his hands. Ten of his
17 victories have come in the first round, mostly because opponents
have walked into his web.
Gamburyan
has shown a much more restrained aggression since dropping down
to featherweight, something that has born results for him, which
is apparent in his 3-0 record at 145 pounds.
Whether
or not he can remain unblemished will be the toughest test since
he has dropped into the class. Likewise, he hopes to be the toughest
test of Aldo’s successful run at featherweight, and very
well could be, especially if he can put Aldo on his back and
unleash his brutal brand of ground and pound.
Their
fight on Thursday night will determine if Gamburyan’s destiny
is to rise to the top of his new home, or if Aldo will continue
to run rough shod through the division, maintaining his hold
as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Shogun:
“I’m just getting chubby”
Light
heavyweight champion of UFC, Maurício Shogun has not come
back for the hard trainings yet on Fighting College, the gym
which he leads in Curitiba. On an interview for the TV show UFC
Sem Limites (UFC No Limits), of the channel Rede TV, the champion
talked about his injury and did not confirmed the fight against
Rashad Evans. “My project is to fight again in February,
but there’s no date set yet, specially an opponent”,
said, only thinking about his rest. “I’m just getting
chubby now, getting a few extra pounds (laughs). I’m cool
with fighting in February, around that time”. Check below
some highlights of the interview.
Injury:
“On
my last fight I injured my knee. If I’m not mistaken, I
think when it was about 2 minutes of fight. Now there’re
two months and a half since I had the surgery and I’m in
another stage, during physiotherapy, recovering myself well,
thanks God, and next month I’ll start the fighting trainings,
so I’m cool with that… I’m just getting chubby
now, getting a few extra pounds (laughs). I’m cool with
fighting in February, around that time”.
UFC
growth:
“Yeah,
indeed. On the United States, Asia and Europe the media is much
closer. In Brazil things have changed a lot, but it’s different…
I usually say to the guys, joking, that if you got in the United
States, you become a pop star (laughs)”.
Anderson
Silva vs. Chael Sonnen:
“I
thought the fight was good, Sonnen managed to neutralize Anderson’s
game and Anderson showed heart, proved to be a warrior and the
spirit of a champion. It really was a tough fight, Sonnen is
a great guy from Wrestling, he’s been champion many times,
so I don’t believe that he’s one of the greatest representatives
of Wrestling on MMA and, for sure, Anderson has a great heart
for not having given up”.
Rashad
Evans:
“There’s
nothing confirmed. I had a meeting with Dana White and Lorenzo
on the United States last month, but actually my project is to
fight again in February, but there’s no date set yet, specially
an opponent. I’ll come back to the United States next month
for a medical appointment, my knee is 100% now, so if the doctor
say I’m released, I can schedule my next fight”.
Source: Tatame
|
American
Nationals: Caio does it again, wins absolute
After
winning the absolute division at the Las Vegas Open in August,
roosterweight Caio Terra showed his winning the open weight class
was no fluke.
Yesterday,
the opening day of the IBJJF’s American Nationals in California,
the Cesar Gracie student struck again, and looked down on his
opponents from atop the winners’ podium. Check out the official
results from the open weight class of the gi tourney below, and
check back later for all the news from this Sunday from your
most reliable source, GRACIEMAG.com.
Absolute:
1-
Caio Terra – Gracie Fighter
2- Bruno Bastos – Nova União
3- Marcelo Mafra – Checkmat
3- Léo Santos – Ribeiro JJ
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Mir
and Cro Cop Could Learn a Thing or Two from Lytle and Serra
Here
are two things we know about Chris Lytle: 1) he's one of the
only fighters in the UFC who will tell you straight-up that he
isn't necessarily trying to earn a title shot, and 2) he's won
more end of the night bonuses than any other fighter
After
watching him in yet another slugfest against Matt Serra at UFC
119 on Saturday night, it's hard not to think that those two
points are related.
It's
not that Lytle is unambitious. It's more that he just happens
to have different ambitions these days, and those ambitions lead
him into the kind of fights where a regard for his own body seems
to be the last thing on his mind. In Serra, he found an opponent
equally as willing to trade pain for applause, and the result
was bloody, messy, and wonderful.
That's
why their fight might have been the perfect counterbalance to
the night's most disappointing bout, a three-round staring contest
between Frank Mir and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic that
came to a merciful end just a minute before the final horn.
We
can't say for sure exactly what blend of styles and motivations
made the main event scrap so yawn-inducing for the first fourteen
minutes. Maybe that's just what happens when you get two guys
who are both a little too concerned about their opponent's weapons.
But
the fight felt at least partially like a contest between two
men who were trying not to lose, and as a result neither emerged
with any career momentum when it was over.
If
you want to know what the UFC brass thought of the fight, you
need look no further than the bonuses. Though Mir was the only
fighter on the card to score a knockout, he didn't get the Knockout
of the Night award. No one did. Since two Fight of the Night
bonuses were handed out, we can't even chalk it up to a cost-saving
measure. It was a very deliberate gesture, and one that probably
got the point across better than any stern lectures ever could.
Serra
and Lytle had their own moment like that when they met the first
time in the finale of season four of "The Ultimate Fighter."
They both wanted to win so bad – and feared losing so much
– that they completely forgot why the fans were there. For
Lytle, it was a career-altering event, and not just because he
lost the split decision.
The
Lytle who emerged from that snoozer was a completely different
fighter, an all-or-nothing kind of guy who sometimes cost himself
victories in his pursuit of thrilling fights. Instead of putting
his submissions skills to work in a bout with Marcus Davis at
UFC 93, for instance, he entered into a sort of gentleman's agreement
to stand and bang all night. He lost the decision, but won another
Fight of the Night award – his fourth.
With
the win over Serra, Lytle now has won four straight, and all
against top-notch welterweights. Yet you still don't hear him
begging for a title shot. All he wants are good fights, the kinds
fans will remember, and he does his part every time out to make
sure that's what they get.
I
realize not everyone can fight that way. Mir may have felt that
he needed to win at all costs in order to preserve his hopes
of one day strapping on a championship belt again, and it's difficult
to tell him he's wrong to think that way. It's also difficult
to tell him he should be more reckless against such a dangerous
striker, especially when it's his face in the cage and not yours.
But
it's a Pyrrhic victory when you win in a fashion that leaves
both your boss and the fans feeling unsatisfied. Lytle and Serra
both discovered that the hard way. Maybe Mir just needed to go
through the same thing to find out that a loss isn't always the
worst possible outcome, and a win isn't always worth the price
you pay to get it.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Dream
16 Notebook: Attention Shifts to ‘Dynamite’
NAGOYA,
Japan -- With Dream’s final event of the 2010 calendar year
in the books, Japan’s premier mixed martial arts promotion
now sets its sights on preparing for “Dynamite,” the
upcoming New Year’s Eve mega show. Dream Event Producer
Keiichi Sasahara indicated that winners from Dream 16 on Saturday
at Nippon Gaishi Hall likely sealed their places at the Dec.
31 event.
Takaya-Omigawa-Fernandes
Plot Thickens
Of
particular note heading towards New Year’s Eve will be the
ongoing story between featherweight contenders Hiroyuki Takaya
and Michihiro Omigawa and incumbent champion Bibiano Fernandes.
After a scintillating knockout of former Dream lightweight titleholder
Joachim Hansen in Dream 15 and an equally charged TKO of former
World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Chase Beebe
at Dream 16, Takaya finds himself on track for a rematch against
Fernandes. The fight was originally planned for Dream 16, but
Beebe replaced Fernandes at the last minute. Dream officials
claimed the champion declined the fight for “family reasons.”
Takaya
admitted he was surprised his bout with Beebe unfolded the way
that it did, but he seemed content with the result considering
his impending title shot. Takaya reiterated his belief that he
was the “center of the featherweight world,” despite
Omigawa staking that claim during the event.
With
Fernandes’ still uncertain, a rematch between Takaya and
Omigawa is brewing. As the last man to defeat the “Streetfight
Bancho” by TKO -- he did so at “Dynamite” in 2009
– Omigawa, who dislocated Cole Escovedo’s right arm
with a straight armbar at Dream 16, seemed to take exception
to Takaya’s title contender status.
“I
will say it again,” Omigawa said. “I am the center
of the featherweight division, and we only need one center.”
Aoki
bested Aurelio at Dream 16.
Aoki Eyes Oct. 23 Deep Event
The
fight went according to plan for Dream lightweight champion Shinya
Aoki, who dominated Marcus Aurelio en route to a unanimous decision
in a non-title matchup.
“I
wanted to submit him, but I think I was ‘safe driving,’”
said Aoki, one of several fighters decrying wrestling in MMA
in the past. “I wanted to win, but maybe it was slightly
on the boring side. However, I think I was still able to show
my strength to the fans.”
However,
Aoki took a somewhat cynical view of the victory and referred
partly to the reaction he received after dispatching Vitor Ribeiro
at Dream 10.
“It’s
difficult,” Aoki said. “If I decided to strike against
a grappler, I’d have been called boring, and even if I overwhelmed
him with grappling, I’d have been called boring. I suppose
that, in the end, that’s just how things go.”
A
father to be, Aoki expects his first child in March or April.
He has no plans for New Year’s Eve yet, as more immediate
concerns lay ahead in October.
“There’s
a significance for me to fight in Deep’s 10th anniversary
[show on Oct. 23],” Aoki said, “so I want to get home
and train as soon as possible.”
Kickboxing,
Pro Wrestling Next for Ishii?
Satoshi
Ishii, the 2008 Olympic judo gold medalist and neophyte mixed
martial artist, named Pride Fighting Championships veteran Naoya
Ogawa as the person he wants to fight next in Japan. However,
it appears that “fighting,” in this instance, means
that Ishii will face Ogawa in professional wrestling. Ogawa currently
wrestles in Antonio Inoki’s Inoki Genome Federation promotion,
which has extended an offer to Ishii to wrestle at its Dec. 3
event.
It
gets wilder, however, as Ishii also seems to be eying K-1.
“I
wanted to do better in the striking, but it was a challenge for
me,” Ishii said after his decision victory over Ikuhisa
Minowa at Dream 16. “In order for me to grow, I want to
fight in kickboxing, like K-1.”
Despite
Ishii’s aspirations, Sasahara clearly has his own hopes
and plans for the judoka.
“The
most important thing for Ishii is to fight a lot,” said
Sasahara, who wants Ishii to compete at “Dynamite”
on Dec. 31. “I will talk to him again when the time is right,
and I hope that he’ll fight again in a Japanese promotion.
I think it’s best for him to fight in Japan. I’m sure
Ishii has his own vision and plans, but I want to talk to him
about Dynamite.”
Given
World Victory Road President Toru Mukai’s statements regarding
plans to ease Ishii’s contractual commitments to Sengoku
Raiden Championship, future appearances from the judoka at Dream
events and Dynamite seem much more likely. However, Ishii harbors
hopes to compete abroad and claims to grow nervous at the prospect
of fighting in Japan. Ishii also revealed that he has entertained
advances from promotions outside of Japan that have offered him
bouts at light heavyweight.
“He’s
a heavyweight, but he’s very agile on the ground,”
Sasahara said. “I don’t think there’s anybody
else that’s that quick. I guess he could be even more agile
than Fedor [Emelianenko]. Of course, he has a lot to learn, but
I think what he needs to do first is improve his ground techniques.”
Sakuraba
was shocked by Miller.
Sakuraba Plans to Keep Fighting
Though
Kazushi Sakuraba admitted to regret over the outcome of their
fight, he praised Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s decisiveness
and ability as a fighter. Miller submitted Sakuraba with a first-round
arm-triangle choke. In his self assessment, however, Sakuraba
expressed a dissatisfaction that fuels to remain active in the
sport, this despite earlier claims that he would quit if left
“heartbroken” by a fight.
“With
this regret, I still want to fight, even tomorrow,” said
Sakuraba, who envisions himself competing for five to 10 more
years. “I’d even fight in Dynamite if it was tomorrow.”
The
41-year-old has lost four of his last six bouts, including two
in a row. His submission defeat to Miller was his first since
his professional debut against Kimo Leopoldo in July 1996.
Mousasi
Aims for Titles in Strikeforce, at Heavyweight
With
the Dream light heavyweight title now around his waist, former
Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi aims to
not only recapture the belt Muhammed Lawal took from him in April
but also to make a run at heavyweight.
“I
think in two or three years, I want to go to heavyweight and
fight for two years, and I think at 30, I want to stop fighting,”
Mousasi said. “If I win the heavyweight belt, I think I’ll
have achieved all my goals. Of course, I want to prove myself
in the U.S., so if I get an opportunity to fight in Strikeforce
for the light heavyweight belt, I’ll do my best to win that
belt, too.”
Sasahara
acknowledged the dearth of available talent at light heavyweight,
which leaves noticeable voids in who could step in to challenge
Mousasi next.
“I
don’t think I can find anyone to challenge Mousasi,”
Sasahara said. “If anyone wants to cut from heavyweight,
that’s one possibility, but Mousasi at 93 kilos is almost
impossible to defeat. I hope there will be a courageous fighter
that steps forward to challenge him, but I think that’ll
be next year.”
Source: Sherdog
|
FRANK
MIR NOT HAPPY, DESPITE KO OF CRO COP
Considering Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is one of the
most feared strikers in the history of mixed martial arts, it
may sound surprising that Frank Mir isn’t very happy with
his win over the former Pride Openweight Grand Prix champion.
But that’s exactly where he finds himself.
“I
thought on my part, no disrespect to Mirko, a pretty (expletive)
performance as far as, I could have probably pushed the pace
a little bit more,” Mir said later in assessing his performance.
The
critique of his fight with Cro Cop didn’t stem for the finish,
which would typically be described as “highlight reel”
in nature, but from the guts of the bout.
The
fight topped 14 minutes before Mir pulled the Croatian’s
head down into a solid knee backed by 252 pounds of former UFC
heavyweight champion. Those 14 minutes plodded along at the pace
of a sparring session, neither fighter fully committing to any
sort of aggressive offensive tactics, both hesitating to commit
to any striking combinations.
Mir
continually pressed Cro Cop into the cage, holding him there
until referee Herb Dean was forced to restart them in the center
of the Octagon. This would happen several times over the course
of the fight.
“I
got really frustrated, pushing him against the cage, because
I had drilled it so much on what to do from there,” Mir
explained. “I was making mistakes that I wasn't making a
month ago that I thought I had corrected.”
Couple
that with the fact that it was Mirko “Cro Cop” throwing
punches at him, and it is understandable that Mir wouldn’t
necessarily just want to stand there and trade blows.
“To
be honest with you though, while he's swinging those punches
at you it's not as easy to want to throw a lot of strikes. He
caught my attention pretty early as far as the velocity of how
hard he was throwing that left hook,” he admitted.
But
for Mir, and evidently UFC president Dana White who declined
to issue the typical Knockout of the Night bonus to Mir regardless
of it being the only knockout finish at UFC 119, there was little
solace in the finish of a fight that took longtime fans back
to the days of the “Detroit Dance” between Ken Shamrock
and Dan Severn.
A
last minute rules change at UFC 9 barred Shamrock and Severn
from throwing closed fisted punches to the head, leading to a
fight that lulled most fans into a semi-conscious state.
“At
least I can take a breath easier that it didn't go to a judges'
decision,” said Mir, before declaring, “I'll make the
statement that a (expletive) win is better than a (expletive)
loss. That being said, I guess that's the only highlight. Other
than that, no, I'm completely pissed off about my performance.
I'm not happy at all.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Penn
wants to continue double duty
ROSEMEAD,
Calif. – BJ Penn (15-7-1) is, arguably, one of the greatest
mixed martial artists ever to compete in the sport. The majority
of his career has been spent inside the Octagon, where he’s
won two world titles in two different divisions.
The
Hawaiian fighter is no stranger to jumping weight classes, and,
at this point in his career, he doesn’t intend on stopping.
“I
think that’s the best thing for me, to dabble,” Penn
told MMAWeekly.com at the recent UFC Gym grand opening in Los
Angeles. “The best thing for me is to fight as many good
fighters as there are out there. And there’s good fighters
at 155 and there’s good fighters at 170.”
For
now, the road Penn walks is that of welterweight. In that road
is another former champion in Matt Hughes (45-7), whom he is
scheduled to compete against at UFC 123 on Nov. 20 in Detroit.
The
fight will be the third between the two UFC veterans and will
decide who gets the edge in the saga, as they split the first
two encounters.
A
win for Penn would likely shoot him down a specific path, so
the future of the two-time UFC champ may very well depend on
how he does against Hughes.
“I
just want to fight and be as active as I can,” said Penn.
“If I start getting… a lot of wins in one of those
directions, then maybe I will look for a title shot.”
Penn
was last seen at UFC 118 dropping his second straight bout to
the current UFC lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar. Just before
their two bouts, Edgar was widely considered an underdog to Penn,
but proved he can trade shots with “The Prodigy,” grabbing
unanimous decisions in both contests.
Hughes
is on a three-fight win streak and last competed at UFC 117,
where he scored a submission win over jiu-jitsu expert Ricardo
Almeida. The fight with Penn will be Hughes’ fourth consecutive
contest against a seasoned jiu-jitsu practitioner and, arguably,
his toughest opponent in that streak.
While
Penn has accomplished a great deal throughout his nine-year career,
he feels that he has some unfinished business to handle. Growth
as a mixed martial artist is still in the 32-year-old’s
focus going into his fight against Hughes.
“I
want to master this sport. I’m not there yet and I’m
still trying to figure it out,” Penn said.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MIR
KO'S CRO COP AT END OF LACKLUSTER BOUT
Frank Mir is considered one of the best heavyweight grappler’s
in the sport of mixed martial arts, Mirko “Cro Cop”
Filipovic one of the best strikers.
You’d
never have known it at UFC 119 on Saturday night in Indianapolis
where Mir was the one to knock Cro Cop out.
Mir
had intended to him to the mat and put his jiu-jitsu skills to
work, but every time he tried to put the Croatian on the mat,
he was stymied.
“My
wrestling needs to improve, and his takedown defense is good,”
Mir admitted after the fight.
Mir
trying to take Cro Cop down, having no success, and neither fully
engaging in the striking game, is how the fight went for about
14 minutes. Then the universe turned inside out.
Cro
Cop came charging towards Mir, landing an overhand left to his
jaw, but Mir pulled Cro Cop’s head down and drove his right
knee up to meet his face. A moment later and the former Pride
Openweight Grand Prix champion was laid out cold on his back
in the Octagon.
“Hell,
I just pulled a victory over Mirko with no jiu-jitsu,” said
Mir after the bout. “It was kind of ugly, to be honest,
but it’s better to pull off an ugly win than an ugly loss.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
119 NETS $70,000 BONUSES, BUT NO KO AWARD
The Ultimate Fighting Championship made it’s way to the
Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday night. UFC president
Dana White proclaimed UFC 119 the third biggest event ever in
Indiana, so the company rewarded the post-fight award winners
with $70,000 bonuses.
There
were several fights that went the distance on Saturday night,
but a decision isn’t always indicative of a boring fight.
The
UFC was impressed enough with two bouts that went the duration
that they issued two Fight of the Night bonuses.
Former
UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk used his patented ground
and pound attack and much improved stand-up game to finally put
a blemish on Evan Dunham’s formerly spotless record with
a split decision victory.
Matt
Mitrione, a former NFL player, continues to improve by leaps
and bounds, but had no easy go of it against Joey Beltran in
one of the UFC 119 preliminary bouts that aired on Spike TV.
He displayed a much better striking attack than he has thus far
in his career to get the win by unanimous decision.
Sherk,
Dunham, Mitrione, and Beltran will all go home with $70,000 bonus
checks for their efforts in co-Fight of the Nights.
C.B.
Dollaway completely shucked off any misconceptions that he was
just another wrestler making the transition to mixed martial
arts on Saturday night. He pulled off an impressive guillotine
on Joe Doerksen, a fighter that has garnered 33 of his 46 victories
by submission.
Dollaway
missed the finish on an arm-in guillotine choke, but as Doerksen
tried to escape, he rolled with the Canadian, and adjusted to
slip the arm out and finish with a straight guillotine, nabbing
a bonus check.
The
UFC did not issue a Knockout of the Night bonus. Frank Mir KO’d
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic with a knee to the face,
but it came on the end of a rather lackluster affair that left
even Mir being very critical of the bout and his performance.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
119 THIRD BIGGEST EVENT EVER IN INDIANA
The Ultimate Fighting Championship made its Indiana debut on
Saturday night at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
UFC
119 featured former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir knocking
out former Pride Openweight Grand Prix champion Mirko “Cro
Cop” Filipovic in the main event.
Local
area fighters Chris Lytle, Sean McCorkle, and Matt Mitrione dotted
the card as part of the supporting cast.
The
event drew 15,811 fans for a total gate of $1,613,337, according
to UFC officials. It was successful enough to land among the
top three events ever in Indiana.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Sherk
takes controversial decision for win at UFC 119
It
was a big step up the UFC lightweight ladder for Evan Dunham.
He slipped off a few rungs along the way but it looked like he'd
done enough to pass Sean Sherk with a big win. But the two of
the three judges didn't see it that way. Dunham closed the final
two minutes of the fight in very strong fashion. The crowd was
amped and ready to cheer a Dunham win but Sherk was given a split
decision victory, 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28, at UFC 119 in Indianapolis.
Sherk
(34-4-1, 8-4 UFC) went back to his bread and butter wrestling
game. He worked for takedowns throughout the first and second
round. He scored four of them but was also in several submission
predicaments. A gracious Dunham (11-1) questioned his execution.
"Coming
into this fight it was my goal not to go for those just cause
I know he's a really tough guy. I've seen lots of guys threaten
that and never finish," Dunham told UFC analyst Joe Rogan.
"I think I made a mistake by even going for them. I think
I should've just tried to just stuff the shots a little more.
I think I could've done better in that first round. It is what
it is and I'll improve."
Sherk
was able to steal the first round when he ripped open a nasty
cut over Dunham's right eye with 44 seconds left. The blood poured
from Dunham's head all over his chest and the mat. It had to
leave a big impression on the judges.
But
it didn't deter Dunham who kept coming at Sherk the rest of the
way. The fight seemed to turn in the middle of the second. Dunham's
length was a huge advantage against the 5-foot-6 Sherk. He landed
three-punch combinations, kicks and a few big knees. At the end
of the second, the 37-year-old Sherk appeared to be tiring. A
rarity for a guy who's got a reputation as a cardio machine.
It
got worse for him in the third round. Sherk was dropped to a
knee after absorbing a nasty head kick at the start of the round.
In the final two minutes, Sherk had the snot beaten out him.
He absorbed combos and some more knees.
Two
judges thought Sherk did enough to win. Kelvin Caldwell had it
29-28 for Dunham while veteran judges Cecil Peoples and Glenn
Trowbridge each scored it 29-28 for Sherk. The guess here is
that Peoples will be a punching bag this week on MMA message
boards. He's been on the wrong side of a few controversial decisions.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Pettis
gets shot at Henderson’s crown
Ben
Henderson has been waiting to find out who the next challenger
for his WEC lightweight title would be, and the wait is officially
over. Anthony Pettis has signed on to face the reigning champion
on Dec. 16 in Arizona in the main event with the lightweight
belt on the line.
The
news was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight
on Thursday, with bout agreements already issued and signed for
the WEC 53 showdown.
Over
the last couple of years, Henderson (12-1) has rocketed up the
lightweight division with his standout performances and never
say die attitude. Defeating Donald Cerrone to win an interim
belt, he went on to beat incumbent champion Jamie Varner, as
well to solidify his place as the undisputed 155-pound king in
the WEC.
Henderson
defeated Cerrone for a second time in April, and will now return
to action against possibly his toughest challenger to date.
Pettis
(12-1) has the exact same record as the champion he will challenge
in December, and hopes to extend his three-fight win streak to
four when he takes on Henderson.
A
product of Duke Roufus’ team in Milwaukee, Wisc., Pettis
is known as a dangerous striker, but he’s also developed
a slick jiu-jitsu game to accompany his strong wrestling defense.
Pettis earned the shot by submitting Shane Roller in his last
fight.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BAMMA
4: WATSON AND REID GO THE DISTANCE
BIRMINGHAM, England – Filling the national Indoor Arena,
BAMMA 4 featured a war of attrition between middleweight champion
Tom Watson and current media target Alex Reid. Whilst the fight
more than fulfilled the hype, helped by the challenger’s
gutsy, aggressive game plan, the implications were huge. Reid
proved that he was more than just a name from a reality TV show
and the fight showed the tremendous heart and conditioning of
both men.
Watson
found himself on the back foot from the opening bell as Reid
stalked forward throwing vicious combinations, cutting his opponent
early. Setting the tone for the fight, both athletes engaged
in a gruelling battle, played out on the feet and in the clinch
as they traded blow for blow in a back and forth battle.
Whilst
Reid began to look tired in the third round, he continued his
forward motion, easily stuffing his opponent’s takedowns.
Watson began to up the pressure in the fourth and with both heavily
marked up, the fight went to the last round. Landing big combinations
and trading submissions on the mat, Reid and Watson fought to
the bell. Going to the judges, Watson retained his title by unanimous
decision.
John
Phillips might have missed weight by a few pounds, but in the
ring it translated to a huge advantage as he accomplished something
few men have been able to, stopping the ever tough James Zikic
after just a minute and a half of the first round. Phillips threw
every punch with bad intentions. Landing some vicious combinations,
he gave Zikic no space to move, dropping him to the mat and forcing
the ref to stop the action.
Undefeated
prospects Eugene Fadiora and Gunnar Nelson put their skills to
the test but it was the grappling wizard who quickly came out
on top. Wasting little time, Nelson shot in and though Brit Fadiora
struggled in to stay on his feet, he eventually found himself
trapped in side control. Reading his opponent, Nelson soon wrapped
up his opponent and after softening up Fadiora with hammerfists,
sunk in the choke for the win.
Simeon
Thorensen rocked Marco Santi early on the feet before taking
his opponent to the mat and taking the submission win in the
first round, continuing to make his mark in the welterweight
division.
A.J.
Wenn overcame a tough first round against Welshman Tim Newman
in a back and forth battle before sinking in a slick triangle
choke in the second to take the hard fought victory. Fellow lightweight
Stuart Davis broke his bad luck defeating debuting 155-pounder
Scott Jansen with a well set up armbar in the first.
FULL
RESULTS
-Tom Watson def. Alex Reid by Unanimous Decision
-John Phillips def. James Zikic by TKO at 1:34, R1
-Gunnar Nelson def. Eugene Fadiora by Submission (Rear Naked
Choke) at 3:51, R1
-Simeon Thoresen def. Marco Santi by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 3:59, R1
-A.J. Wenn def. Tim Newman by Submission (Triangle Choke) at
1:21, R2
-Stuart Davies def. Scott Jansen by Submission (Armbar) at 2:31,
R1
-Harvey Harra def. David Round by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 1:18, R2
-Tom Breese def. Shahid Hussain by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 2:57, R2
-Robert Devanne def. Colin Lewis by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 1:02, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
|
No
one happy with Mir’s knockout win
UFC
119's main event didn't exactly put the "art" in "mixed
martial arts." But Frank Mir got a win.
(Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS
– About the only solace Frank Mir took out of Saturday night’s
UFC 119 match with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, is that
he won via late knockout and would have likely won had the fight
gone to a decision.
A
loss for the former UFC heavyweight champion at this point, coming
off losing two of his three previous fights, would have been
devastating.
“At
least I can take a breath easy that it didn’t go to a judges
decision,” said Mir (14-5), following a fight that was mostly
comprised of Mir pushing Filipovic against the cage and little
else. “An [expletive] win is better than an [expletive]
loss. [The knockout is] the only highlight. Other than that I’m
completely pissed off about my performance.”
Mir
used a Muay Thai technique late in Round 3, pushing Filipovic’s
head down and nailing him with a knee to the face coming up at
the same time. Filipovic’s eyes were blank as he fell to
the ground, and Herb Dean waved it off after Mir had landed one
last punch at 4:02.
To
say the fight was a disappointment would be an understatement,
as the crowd of 15,881 fans at the Conseco Fieldhouse booed it
much of the way, leaving a damper on what had been a strong live
show up to that point.
Without
saying a word, UFC president Dana White made a statement about
his feelings on the fight. Mir had the only knockout of the 11-fight
card, and White gave two fight of the night bonuses and a submission
of the night bonus but skipped the usual knockout of the night
award.
The
fans evidently had similar feelings, as Mir was booed even after
scoring a devastating knockout.
Regardless,
the win will allow Mir to be put in a significant next fight
against one of the major heavyweight names.
Mir’s
strategy was to take Filipovic down and go to his strength, the
submission game, and stay away from Filipovic’s stand-up.
But while Filipovic seems to have lost something in his once-lethal
stand-up game, his takedown defense was strong enough that Mir
never came close to putting him on his back.
But
it did the Croatian little good. Mir was able to power him into
the cage at will, and he was never able to hurt Mir standing.
Filipovic
(27-8-2, 1 no contest) came in at 227 pounds on five weeks notice
as a late replacement. He didn’t appear to be in his best
condition, although conditioning didn’t appear to be an
issue. Filipovic looked small next to Mir, who was 252 pounds.
And Mir is hardly a monster in today’s heavyweight division.
“I
thought on my part, no disrespect to Mirko, it was a pretty bad
performance,” Mir said. “I could have pushed the pace
more. While he’s throwing those strikes, he caught my attention
early with how hard he threw that left hook. As far as striking,
I could have been more busy. I got really frustrated pushing
him against the cage. I was making mistakes that I wasn’t
making a few weeks ago, lifting my arms in the clinch and letting
him get underhooks. That’s the negative aspect, but without
a single takedown, I stood for two-and-a-half rounds with Mirko
and won with a knockout.” Mir, who has never been known
for his conditioning, didn’t tire during the 14-minute match,
something that may be partially attributed to his new vegetarian
lifestyle.
“Maybe
if I was in worse shape, I wouldn’t have been thinking so
much,” he said. “I didn’t huff and puff one time.
I’ve never been known for conditioning. It wasn’t even
a factor. I felt in great shape. Now I have to break old habits
and not fight like a guy who is going to get tired.”
White
gave two fight-of-the-night bonuses, both $70,000, to two slugfests
that saw local fighters win. Matt Mitrione (3-0), a former football
star at Purdue who briefly played in the NFL, won a decision
over Joey Beltran (12- 4). The other was former lightweight champion
Sean Sherk’s controversial split decision win over Evan
Dunham.
The
undercard featured two fighters coming in undefeated who were
going to get the real test of whether they belonged at the top
level. While on paper, the results were split, the reality was
both Dunham (11-1) and light heavyweight Ryan Bader (13-0) seemed
to pass the test against established stars of the sport.
Dunham’s
loss to Sherk (38-4-1) was a decision few seemed to agree with,
including White, who immediately after the fight used an expletive
to describe his reaction to the judging. The key was the second
round, as virtually everyone agreed Sherk won the first round,
and Dunham won Round 3 strong. The Yahoo! Sports card was 29-28
for Dunham.
Sherk
got a takedown early in the round and landed some punches. Dunham
had two guillotine attempts, and late in the round, landed a
hard knee to the chin and followed with punches and knees that
were the most powerful blows of the round.
“I
didn’t implement my game plan and I didn’t do what
I needed to do in the first round,” said Dunham, who Sherk
praised as a future lightweight champion after the fight. “I
wanted to stand with him and when he came in for the shot, stuff
the shot and frustrate him. If he got me down, I didn’t
want him being able to hold me down. Finally, when I made the
decision to stand up, I was just being too complacent and that’s
a lesson learned.
Bader,
a two-time All-American at Arizona State, used his wrestling
to win a straight 30-27 decision over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
(19-4), a win that puts him in the elite class in the division.
Bader, a former “Ultimate Fighter” winner who was coached
by Nogueira’s twin brother, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira during
that season two years ago, was able to get six takedowns in the
three rounds. Nogueira never got his standup game on track and
never threatened with a submission on the ground.
“I
think I’m close,” said Bader, when asked about a potential
title shot at champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. “It’s
my goal. I’m pretty young in the sport and I have a lot
to learn. Ultimately my goal is to have the belt some day. It’s
up to the UFC who they want to put me against. Whoever’s
next, it’s going to be a tough fight, no matter what.”
Nogueira
was able to block several of Bader’s takedowns, but the
constant threat kept him from committing to his stand-up game.
Bader didn’t cut a lot of weight to make 205, so he physically
looked small next to Nogueira and couldn’t overpower him
down, instead having to time when he was off balance.
Bader
was able to follow the game plan that Jason Brilz used in Nogueira’s
last fight on May 29 in Las Vegas, a fight in which many felt
Brilz was robbed of the decision.
But
Bader at this point also doesn’t have the level of stand-up
as most of the light heavyweight division’s top contenders,
and the division includes fighters like Rashad Evans, Jon Jones
and Lyoto Machida who have far stronger wrestling games than
Nogueira.
Source: Sherdog
|
MORE
MATURE GUILLARD BESTS STEPHENS AT UFC 119
It wasn’t the fight full of fireworks that most expected
at UFC 119 on Saturday night, but Jeremy Stephens and Melvin
Guillard opened the main card with three solid rounds, neither
fully taking the upper hand.
Stephens
caught Guillard with a counter right hook that put him to the
mat in the opening seconds of the fight, but Stephens wasn’t
able to capitalize then or recreate his initial success later
in the fight.
Guillard
threw explosive strikes as he usually does, but with a more thoughtful
approach than in the past. This was Guillard’s third bout
under the tutelage of Greg Jackson, who has molded him into a
much less reckless fighter than he used to be.
Guillard
settled into a rhythm early in the fight, using good head and
foot movement to dart in and out on Stephens, utilizing his reach
advantage to outstrike the “Li’l Heathen” for
the better part of the fight.
In
the end, Guillard did enough to earn a split decision from the
judges.
The
loss killed the momentum that Stephens had going after back-to-back
victories, while Guillard increased his success rate to three
out of three since making the move to Albuquerque, N.M.
Source: MMA Weekly |
SHERK
TAKES THE SPLIT DECISION FROM DUNHAM
Two fights into the UFC 119 main card in Indianapolis on Saturday
night and two split decisions.
Melvin
Guillard bested Jeremy Stephens in the night’s opener, but
it was Sean Sherk and Evan Dunham that lit up the crowd.
Dunham
started out strong, sinking two deep guillotine chokes in the
opening round as Sherk shot in for takedowns, but Sherk slipped
out of both.
“I
was breathing. All the chokes were very tight. I have a big neck.
I’m very hard to choke, ask all my training partners,”
said Sherk after the fight.
“The
Muscle Shark” finished strong in the opening stanza, however,
putting Dunham on his back, and opening up a huge gash over his
right eye with a sharp elbow.
Sherk
continued shooting the takedown in rounds two and three, successful
numerous times in round two, but not as much in the third, but
it was Dunham using his distinct reach advantage to outbox Sherk.
The Oregonian also mixed in an assortment of knees – especially
in round three – and an array of kicks to keep Sherk from
gaining any momentum on his feet.
Dunham
pressed especially hard in the latter half of round three, leaving
Sherk on wobbly legs for the last part of the round, but it wasn’t
enough in the eyes of the judges.
Two
of the judges scored it 29-28 for Sherk, and one scored it 29-28
for Dunham. The former UFC lightweight champion gets the win
and Dunham gets the first loss of his professional career.
“I
knew I had the first round, second was close, third round was
close. I thought it could have went either way,” Sherk later
admitted.
Dunham
felt the same, “You never can tell what the judges are thinking.
I really didn’t know. I was having fun, but I didn’t
know.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
LYTLE
BOXES HIS WAY TO VICTORY OVER SERRA
It showed on Matt Serra’s face, it showed by the crowd’s
applause, and it showed on the judges’ scorecards at UFC
119 in Indianapolis. Chris Lytle had won the rematch between
the two “Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback” finalists.
Serra
won their first match-up, going on to capture the UFC welterweight
title for a brief time, but they both hung everything on the
line Saturday night with Lytle taking advantage of the second
chance.
“I
just wanted to do the fight different than the last time,”
said Lytle after the fight. “I gotta give it to Matt Serra,
he went for it the whole time.”
Serra
did go for it for the duration. He put his head down, driving
in, trying to work the body of the lankier Lytle. He had spurts
of success, even rocking Lytle on occasion, but overall it was
Lytle, the hometown boy, that was able to implement his game.
A
former professional boxer, Lytle did a great job not only picking
away at Serra with his boxing, but really won the fight by making
him pay dearly when the Renzo Gracie black belt came bull-rushing
in. Lytle landed flush counter punches throughout the fight,
staggering Serra over and over, and cutting him over the left
eye.
“Let
me ask you, what kind of idiot wants to box with the Indiana
boxing champion? What the hell is the matter with me? I’m
a jiu-jitsu guy,” Serra quipped to interviewer Joe Rogan.
He
would not back down, and he paid for it, but Serra went the distance,
however, Lytle walked away with a unanimous decision victory.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Terry
Etim: “I don`t like to pick opponents”
With
four consecutive wins, the English Terry Etim was chosen to be
part of a duel between Wrestling VS. Jiu-JItsu on UFC 112, which
happened in Abu Ghabi in April, against the Brazilian black-belt
Rafael dos Anjos. And the fight starts the best possible way
for the English, who fit a tight guillotine on the first round.
“It was a tough fight, I got close to submit him, but due
to some details I couldn’t”, reminds the athlete, who
was submitted on the second round. Recovering from injuries since
then, Terry talked to TATAME and, with no date set to come back
to the cage, he says he is anxious. “I don`t like to pick
opponents, i will fight who UFC gives to me and try to do my
best against them”, guarantees. Check below the check with
the athlete, who wants to train in Brazil again to sharp his
ground game.
You
were coming from great victories, but then lost to Rafael dos
Anjos. What do you think about that fight?
It
was a hard fight, i was very close to submit but because of a
detail i could not finish it. Anyway, Rafael is a great fighter
and things like this happen in any fighter`s career.
You
almost submitted him, a BJJ black belt, but then tapped in the
second round. Were you surprised by his toughness to resist to
that guillotine?
I
was not surprised because i could expect nothing but a top level
ground game from Rafael. He probably was already a Black Belt
when i started training for MMA.
What
do you expect for your future in the UFC?
I
expect to keep the good performances and keep winning. I am very
happy in UFC and want to keep my fans and the UFC happy with
my performances.
Why
are you away from the octagon since April?
I
had a couple of injuries before April`s fight and it just got
worse after in a way it was impossible to train so, i had to
take some time to heal the injuries.
Marcelo
Brigadeiro said you’ll probably be back in November. Who
will be your opponent and when will the fight happen?
I
am still waiting for my coaches to tell me, i don`t really know
yet.
If
you could choose, who would you point as your next opponent and
why?
I
don`t like to pick opponents, i will fight who UFC gives to me
and try to do my best against them.
How
are the training with Marcelo Brigadeiro and the guys from RFT?
Train
with Marcelo Brigadeiro is amazing, i have another conception
of ground game now because of him. He made me realize that i
could become a great grappler too and made me focus on submissions,
it made me more confident and a lot more technical.
Do
you think about coming to Brazil to train one day?
I
have been twice to RFT in Rio to train, before Brigadeiro move
to England, that`s where i met him. The guys there are really
nice, Cromado is a very nice guy too. Also, Brazil is one of
the best places i have been to, everything is great there. I
am planning to go back soon, there`s been a while since the last
time.
Source: Tatame
|
Moraes
to teach BJJ at Team Nogueira
Two-time
world champion of Jiu-Jitsu, Sérgio Moraes called TATAME
directly from Finland, where he is ministering a series of seminars,
full of good news to tell us. “(Rodrigo) Minotauro called
me and said he’d like me to teach on the gym he’ll
open in San Diego… I’m thrilled with the invitation”,
celebrates Sérgio, excited with the opportunity.
“Rodrigo
is giving me a unique opportunity, of coaching the best teams
of MMA and Jiu-Jitsu of the world”, said, making it clear
that he still is an Alliance athlete. “I’ll go there
in three weeks, but I’ll still represent Alliance…
Many people from Alliance will want to train with me and they’ll
have a place to stay… They won a new headquarters on the
United States”, guarantees, revealing that the brown belt
Dimitri Souza will replace Sérgio on theclasses he used
to give on Cohab, Sao Paulo.
The
change, besides the chance of training with some of the best
athletes of MMA world, brings him one step away of the main competitions
of the mat. “World and Pan will be like our backyard (laughs)”,
jokes. Sérgio’s smile only changes when he realized
he will have to leave his daughter and girlfriend, pregnant of
3 months, in Brazil. “It’s sad because my girl and
daughter will stay in Brazil… I’ll miss my child, but
it’s the best for her future”, explains.
NEW
HORIZONS ON MMA
With
six wins in seven MMA fights, Moraes believes that this new training
phase on the United States will bring great results on his future.
“I’ll train with the best in the world and I hope to
have new opportunities”, said, telling us he postponed his
next fight due to the invitation made by Minotauro. “I’d
fight on Jungle Fight in the end of the year, but I’ve talked
to Wallid (Ismail) and he was thrilled too”, concluded,
focused on the recover from an injury on his wrist, which will
force him to stay out of World No-Gi.
Source: Tatame
|
Is
UFC 119 the End for Mirko Cro Cop?
INDIANAPOLIS
-- Mirko Cro Cop wasn't planning on fighting anytime soon until
the emergency phone rang. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was out of
UFC 119 and they needed him. Cro Cop of course said yes. One
legend out, another in.
Cro
Cop said no debate was necessary. After all, he's a fighter.
It's in his blood. He loves to fight, to compete, to test himself.
But before agreeing, Team Cro Cop asked the UFC to do him a favor
in return; if he lost, they could not cut him from his newly
extended contract. The deal was made, and Cro Cop competed against
Frank Mir, ultimately getting knocked out in the third round.
Over
his last 10 fights, the Croatian striker has five wins, four
losses and one no contest. He's been knocked unconscious twice.
And his best win has come against a relative MMA neophyte, Pat
Barry. And so with all this, perhaps it's time to ask a sad but
relevant question: Is it time for Cro Cop to call it quits?
Let's
get one thing straight off the bat: legends get to call their
own shots. Michael Jordan gets to clank bricks with the Wizards
if he wants. Emmitt Smith gets to run on fumes for a couple years
without the blue star on his helmet. Willie Mays gets to bumble
around the outfield a little too long.
Why
is this? First of all, success breeds respect, and respect breeds
opportunities. When you're so good for so long, the rest of the
world has to continually wonder if you can turn it around. And
for the athlete, there's little doubt they can. In their mind,
they still see things the same. It's the body that doesn't respond
the way it once did. But some days, those same flashes of brilliance
that brought them to greatness are still there. That alone makes
it worth the risk of failure.
For
years, Cro Cop's star shined brightly in Japan. He beat Kazushi
Sakuraba and Mark Coleman. He fought a war with Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira, and took Fedor Emelianenko to a decision when it seemed
like nobody but Nogueira could give the Russian a real fight.
And on one fall night in 2006, he steamrolled through Wanderlei
Silva and Josh Barnett on the same night.
His
signature left high kick became the stuff of nightmares for opponents.
It was always a threat, an unfired bullet in the chamber that
would quickly settle turf disputes.
But
the once-mighty weapon is practically holstered now. According
to Compustrike, over his last 10 fights before facing Mir, he'd
only averaged eight leg strike attempts per fight, and that includes
knees. Against Mir, it did little but collect dust. Cro Cop threw
only one left high kick in the entire fight. It came at the end
of the second round, and it seemed to be fired off only to stop
the boos, as Mir was hardly within striking distance. He did
try a right high kick in the first, but that was the extent of
using his best known weapon.
Instead,
it seemed that Cro Cop was focused on playing defense, defending
Mir's takedown tries and looking to counter during whatever prolonged
periods of standup existed.
There's
no shame for Cro Cop in losing to Frank Mir, a former UFC heavyweight
champion. But the way in which he lost has to give some around
him cause for alarm. Getting knocked unconscious is unfortunately
part of the collateral damage involved with our sport. You fight
long enough, and it's certainly possible it will happen to you.
Mir's knee was no grazing shot; it landed hard and clean, and
was a legitimate knockout blow.
More
alarming is Cro Cop's inability to pull the trigger and fire
his offense as he once did. Once one of the most feared strikers
in MMA, he's no longer the knockout artist that sent a buzz into
the crowd anytime he even lifted that left leg in the direction
of his opponent.
Endings
in our sport are not often happy. Cro Cop, or any other fighter
for that matter, would rather not call it quits following a loss.
The UFC promised him at least one more fight after facing Mir,
so Cro Cop gets to call his own shot here. He's still competitive
among mid-tier guys, and maybe it's unfair to judge him against
a younger version of himself. Maybe we should just appreciate
him for what he is today. After all, if he continues to fight
on, we'll probably be right there watching. But this isn't out
of left field. He's talked about the possibility of retiring
after at least two recent fights, and some of us would probably
appreciate it just as much if the legend perfectly timed one
last shot: his exit.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
MOUSASI
TAKES TITLE; MILLER SUBS SAKURABA
It took twice as long as the betting lines indicated, but Gegard
Mousasi was crowned the first ever Dream light heavyweight champion
on Saturday night at Dream 16 in Nagoya, Japan.
Mousasi
stymied nearly every attempt by Tatsuya Mizuno to mount any offense,
taking him down at will and ground and pounding him, but Mizuno
never made it easy. The Japanese underdog came out trying to
fire up a striking attack, and when Mousasi put him on the mat,
he continually searched for submissions or reversed position,
only to keep returning to his back with Mousasi on top of him.
Following
a final flurry of reversals, Mousasi slipped onto Mizuno’s
back and quickly sank in the fight-ending rear naked choke just
past the midway point of the opening round.
“I
feel like Dream is my home, so I’m very glad to accomplish
my goals, and that is to win the second belt,” said Mousasi
after the fight.
The
light heavyweight title was the Armenian’s second under
the Dream banner. He also held the middleweight championship
briefly before declaring that he could no longer make the weight,
moving up to the 205-pound division.
Jason
“Mayhem” Miller on Saturday night did what four different
members of the Gracie family, including Royce and Renzo, could
not do. He submitted Japanese mixed martial arts demigod Kazushi
Sakuraba... and he made it look easy.
Miller
did a good job sprawling on Sakuraba’s takedown attempts.
When Sakuraba, who found himself on his back with Miller towering
over him, attacked one of the “Bully Beatdown” host’s
legs, Miller dropped down on top of Sakuraba in a sort of half-mount
position. He tagged Sakuraba with a few punches before slipping
off into an arm triangle choke that left the legendary fighter
with no choice but to submit.
Obviously
emotional after the fight, Miller apologized. “I’m
sorry for punching you older brother Sakuraba,” who is someone
that Miller has looked up to.
“This
has been my dream, my whole life. And I say to everyone believe
in yourself because you can live the dream.”
In
what easily ranks among Shinya Aoki’s least entertaining
victories, the Dream lightweight champion still walked away with
a win. Known for his unique and bone-breaking submissions, Aoki
instead took Pride and UFC veteran Marcus Aurelio to the mat
and used his legs to lock a triangle hold around the Brazilian’s
legs. The majority of the fight was spent in this position with
Aoki peppering Aurelio with punches and walking away with a clear
unanimous decision.
Aoki
may have been playing it safe against Aurelio, who is a high-level
submission specialist himself. There has been much speculation
that Aoki is on tap for a New Year’s Eve rematch with Strikeforce
champion Gilbert Melendez, whom Aoki lost to earlier this year.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker was ringside at Dream 16, adding
fuel to the fire.
Despite
being a last minute swap-in, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist in judo
Satoshi Ishii took full advantage of his opportunity – 40
pound weight advantage – against crowd favorite Ikuhisa
Minowa. Ishii used his judo and grappling skills to nullify Minowa’s
striking attack and submissions, dominating where the fight went
with his takedowns and positioning on the mat.
Ishii
didn’t make it an exciting bout, but he did overcome Minowa’s
vast advantage in experience to earn his second mixed martial
arts victory in three attempts.
Hiroyuki
Takaya followed up a win over Joachim Hansen earlier this year
with a quick finish of former WEC bantamweight champion Chase
Beebe. Beebe looked good early, nearly landing two high knees
to Takaya’s chin, but it was Takaya that stepped in with
a left hook that floored Beebe. Takaya followed him to the mat
and quickly followed up with several more punches that finished
the fight.
Michihiro
Omigawa ate knee early from WEC veteran Cole Escovedo, but quickly
wrestled him to the mat and never looked back. Omigawa attempted
a topside choke from side control, but Escovedo reversed position
and escaped. From his back with Escovedo in his guard, Omigawa
then secured a reverse armbar that may have popped Escovedo’s
elbow out of place.
Omigawa
proclaimed himself “the center of the featherweight world”
after his win over Escovedo, but Takaya begged to differ, saying
he was the true center of the featherweight universe.
Takaya
lost by TKO to Omigawa at last year’s Dynamite!! New Year’s
Eve event. Sounds as if a rematch may be in the works for this
year’s New Years extravaganza.
Former
Dream lightweight champion Joachim Hansen earned his twentieth
professional victory, ending a three-fight skid, by submitting
Hideo Tokoro. Hansen was headed down the wrong track early, landing
two low kicks to Tokoro’s groin, garnering Hansen a yellow
card penalty that is accompanied by a 10-percent deduction from
his pay.
Tokoro
fired back after the timeout with an impressive flurry of punches
and kicks that had Hansen off balance, but the Norwegian rushed
Tokoro to the mat, eventually securing a triangle choke from
top mount. Tokoro turned Hansen over, picking him up and slamming
him back to the mat, but Hansen only re-locked the triangle choke
in textbook fashion for the submission.
Kazuyuki
“Little Hercules” Miyata set the tone early in his
fight with “Lion” Takeshi Inoue, scoring with two huge
belly-to-back suplexes. Miyata continued to control the fight
with numerous takedowns that kept Inoue from finding any sort
of rhythm in his striking attack. Inoue used a strong butterfly
guard to stave off any damage once on the mat, but he couldn’t
find a way to stop the takedowns in the first place, Miyata walking
away with the unanimous decision.
Save
for an early flurry of punches and a flying knee coupled with
a last minute flurry that bloodied Mitsuhiro Ishida’s face,
Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura had no answer for Ishida’s
far superior wrestling game. Try as he might to mount his aggressive
offensive attack, Wicky couldn’t stop Ishida’s takedowns
and positional control.
The
split decision victory marked Ishida’s second straight win
since dropping down to featherweight.
In
a fight that literally came together at the last minute –
just prior to weigh-ins in fact – British heavyweight James
Thompson showed marked improvement against DEEP Megaton champion
Yusuke Kawaguchi, but it wasn’t enough for the judges. Kawaguchi
dropped Thompson once in the opening round and rocked him on
a couple other occasions, which is likely what swayed two of
the judges to choose him over Thompson, who had Kawaguchi grounded
and pounded at the end of both rounds.
-Gegard
Mousasi def. Tatsuya Mizuno by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
at 6:10, R1
-Jason "Mayhem" Miller def. Kazushi Sakuraba by Submission
(Arm Triangle) at 2:09, R1
-Shinya Aoki def. Marcus Aurelio by Unanimous Decision, R2
-Satoshi Ishii def. Ikuhisa Minowa by Unanimous Decision, R2
-Hiroyuki Takaya def. Chase Beebe by TKO (Strikes) at 1:45, R1
-Michihiro Omigawa def. Cole Escovedo by Submission (Reverse
Armbar) at 2:30, R1
-Joachim Hansen def. Hideo Tokoro by Submission (Triangle Choke)
at 2:48, R1
-Kazuyuki Miyata def. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue by Unanimous
Decision, R2
-Mitsuhiro Ishida def. Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura by Split
Decision, R2
-Yusuke Kawaguchi def. James Thompson by Split Decision, R2
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
119: LIVE RESULTS AND PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Ultimate Fighting Championship descended upon Indianapolis
this week for UFC 119. The promotion’s debut in the Midwestern
metropolis features former UFC champion Frank Mir versus former
Pride champion Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic in the main
event, as well as a light heavyweight contenders’ showdown
between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ryan Bader.
MMAWeekly.com
is live cageside bringing you full blow-by-blow coverage from
the Conseco Fieldhouse.
UFC
119 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
FRANK
MIR VS. MIRKO CROCOP
R1
– Brief exchanges to open, as Mir rushes in looking for
a takedown. The fighters are exchanging shots against the cage,
and CroCop throws an accidental low blow. Mir recovers and it's
back to action. Mir staying aggressive, moving forward with punches,
but not landing much. CroCop fires a head kick but misses. Back
in the clinch, Mir starts to work his dirty boxing. CroCop is
able to slip out and it's back to the stand-up. CroCop fires
a nice leg kick, and Mir comes back with a short punch that lands
flush before the round ends.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 Frank Mir
R2
– Mir pushes forward and CroCop is able to circle away,
but neither fighter is landing anything effectively. Mir gets
back in the clinch against the cage, but isn't able to work CroCop
to the mat. Referee Herb Dead separates the fighters, and after
a few more exchanges, Mir pushes the action back against the
cage again. The referee steps in again after a lull in action.
The fighters stop to look at each other, as the crowd boos in
disapproval.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 Frank Mir
R3
– Slow moving in the final round as well, but CroCop is
a little more aggressive, but still nothing landing solid. Mir
gets the clinch again, presses the action against the cage, and
it's more of the same from the previous two rounds. Herb Dean
separates them again, and it's back to the center. Another quick
exchange, and after a brief clinch, Mir connects with a huge
knee that drops CroCop, knocking him completely out.
Frank
Mir def. Mirko CroCop by knockout at 4:02, R3
ANTONIO
ROGERIO NOGUEIRA VS. RYAN BADER
R1
– Bader on the move early, looking to connect with his stand-up.
Nogueira counter fighting, and doing a good job of keeping Bader
away. Bader lands a nice takedown and opens up a flurry on the
ground as Nogueira defends. Bader lands in Nogueira's guard,
and starts to work from the top. Bader hammering away with body
shots, and keeping Nogueira pinned against the cage before standing
back up. Nogueira catches Bader with a good punch that backs
him up, but Bader is able to score another quick takedown before
the round ends.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 Ryan Bader
R2
– Nogueira a little more aggressive to start round 2, moving
forward and keeping Bader on his heels. Bader shoots for a takedown,
but Nogueira shrugs it off. Nogueira goes for a kick, and Bader
takes advantage, grabbing the leg and getting the takedown. Nogueira
pushes Bader away, and they are back to the feet. Bader gets
a nice toss on Nogueira, and comes in firing punches, but the
Brazilian evades any serious damage.
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 Ryan Bader
R3
– The fighters exchange on the feet, and Bader gets a poke
to the eye and the fight is paused briefly. Back in action, Bader
connects with a solid body kick and then a right hand. Nogueira
fires back with a right hook of his own that lands on Bader's
jaw. Nogueira keeps pushing forward, and it lands him in a takedown
from Bader, but he works his way back to the feet in just moments.
Bader connects with a nice left, and Nogeira fires back as well.
With just over a minute to go, Bader gets another takedown, landing
in half guard.
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 Ryan Bader
Ryan
Bader def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by unanimous decision (30-27
on all cards)
MATT
SERRA VS. CHRIS LYTLE
R1
– Serra and Lytle are throwing down early, huge punches
from both fighters. Big shots going back and forth, Lytle looking
for a huge uppercut, but misses. Neither fighter has landed anything
huge with just over a minute to go, but they are both swinging
for the fences. Lytle lands a few nice shots with the round coming
to a close.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 Chris Lytle
R2
– Lytle connects with a big shot to open the 2nd round,
and rushes in to follow up, but Serra recovers nicely. Lytle
lands a couple more clubbing shots with overhand punches landing
on Serra's head. Lytle keeps moving forward, hitting Serra, but
the New Yorker fires back with some good shots of his own. Lytle
connects and Serra backs off, and Lytle charges in for an attack.
Serra survives, but Lytle is surging.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 Chris Lytle
R3
– Same type of action in the final round, Lytle and Serra
just lighting each other up on the feet. Serra ducking his head
looking for body shots, and Lytle is head hunting. After a brief
exchange, Lytle tags Serra with a nice right hand on the exit.
Lytle connects with a good series of punches when they engage
again.
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 Chris Lytle
Chris
Lytle def. Matt Serra by unanimous decision (30-27 on all cards)
SEAN
SHERK VS. EVAN DUNHAM
R1
– Sherk using his boxing early, goes for a takedown and
Dunham snatches a guillotine choke. It looks deep, but Sherk
gets free and maintains top position. Dunham using a butterfly
guard, looking for an elevator or a sweep, but Sherk stays busy
and works into half guard instead. They work their way back up,
but Sherk gets another big slam takedown to bring it back to
the mat. Dunham locks up another guillotine choke, but Sherk
gets out and this time Dunham tries to go for his back, but eventually
Sherk reverses and ends up in his full guard. Sherk opens up
a big cut on the side of Dunham's face. The referee pauses the
fight to check the cut. Dunham is good to go, and the round comes
to a close.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 Sean Sherk
R2
– Sherk goes for a takedown and gets caught in another guillotine
from Dunham, and again he pops out. Back to the feet, Sherk again
pushes for a takedown and scores with a single leg to get it
back to the mat. Dunham works his way back to the feet and they
start to trade. Dunham getting more aggressive, moving forward
with punches and launches a head kick as well. Dunham fires a
big knee that lands flush, but Sherk seems okay. Dunham closes
the round with another quick combination.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 Evan Dunham
R3
– Dunham hurts Sherk early, but he recovers well and pushes
for the clinch against the cage looking for a takedown. Sherk
keeps at it and gets Dunham down, but he's back to his feet just
as quick. Dunham firing short elbows from the clinch, and the
fighters separate. Both fighters are starting to fire back at
each other, but not much is landing and Sherk again goes for
a takedown. Dunham resists, and back to exchanging before Dunham
fires two big knees that connect. Sherk is okay but seems to
be losing steam. Another big knee from Dunham and with seconds
left the two lightweights start unloading on each other as the
final bell sounds.
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 Evan Dunham
Sean
Sherk def. Evan Dunham by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
MELVIN
GUILLARD VS. JEREMY STEPHENS
R1
– Guillard swing huge to open the fight and gets clocked
by Stephens instead, but bounces back to his feet quick. Guillard
lunges forward and lands a nasty body shot, before a quick exchange.
Stephens throws a leg kick and gets a punch right down the middle
from Guillard for his trouble. Guillard connects again with a
nice short right. Stephens swings big but misses, and Guillard
shakes his head. Guillard lands a nice body kick, Stephens fires
back one of his own, but Guillard catches it. A few more exchanges
before the round comes to a close.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 Melvin Guillard
R2
– Both fighters just throwing huge shots back and forth,
but not much has landed. Guillard clips Stephens, and rushes
forward, looking for a big knee, but Stephens defends well and
moves back out. Guillard throws a low kick and tags Stephens
below the belt, and the fight is paused. Stephens is okay, and
they restart. Stephens and Guillard swing, and Stephens throws
a big kick but this time he clips Guillard in the bad place.
Guillard moving fast, lands a quick combination and then he's
out again.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 Melvin Guillard
R3
– Guillard and Stephens firing randomly to open the round
with the crowd in Indy starting to get a little restless with
the lack of action. Guillard content to throw his jab, before
landing a nice body kick. Stephens continues to move forward,
but just can't seem to find Guillard with any of his power shots.
Guillard slips up and Stephen jumps forward with a big knee,
but Guillard moves out of the way.
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 Jeremy Stephens
Melvin
Guillard def. Jeremy Stephens by split decision (30-27, 29-28,
28-29)
C.B.
DOLLAWAY VS. JOE DOERKSEN
R1
– Dollaway goes for a kick, and Doerksen grabs the leg and
looks for a takedown. Dollaway reverses and ends up grabbing
a guillotine, and pulls guard. Doerksen appears to be okay, but
still struggles to get out. Doerksen is able to roll away, but
Dollaway isn't letting go and after a brief scramble, Dollaway
lands on top sinking the guillotine in even deeper, and Doerksen
is forced to tap.
C.B.
Dollaway def. Joe Doerksen by submission (guillotine choke) at
2:13, R1
MATT
MITRIONE VS. JOEY BELTRAN
R1
– Mitrione comes out firing right away, keeping Beltran
on the defensive. Mitrione fires a head kick, and stays after
Beltran, constantly moving forward. Beltran catches Mitrione
coming in, rocking the big man, and he ends up landing a big
double leg takedown. Mitrione staying busy from the bottom, looking
for a triangle choke, but Beltran slips out and starts hammering
from the top. Beltran continues to move and ends up in the north-south
position. Beltran starts throwing shots again, and Mitrione moves,
goes for a triangle again, but Beltran eludes and ends up in
side control when the round ends.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 Joey Beltran
R2
– Beltran shoots in early for a takedown, but Mitrione is
able to slip away. Beltran wings a couple of big punches at Mitrione,
but he comes back with a couple of his own. Mitrione tags Beltran
and stuns him, he rushes forward, but Beltran recovers. Beltran
then clips Mitrione with a big shot of his own, before clinching
against the cage. Fight is paused to remove a piece of hanging
tape from Beltran's glove. Back against the cage, both fighters
start to just unload on each other with punch after punch until
Beltran moves in for a clinch. As they separate, Mitrione fires
quick and tags Beltran again before the round ends.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 Matt Mitrione
R3
– Mitrione pushing forward again to start the third, winging
big punches at Beltran's head. Mitrione throws a nice body kick,
before landing a nice overhand punch as well. Mitrione tags Beltran
coming in with a stiff jab that backs him up again. Mitrione
constantly moving forward as Beltran seems to be losing steam.
Mitrione fires another head kick, looking for the finish. Beltran
finally lunges forward and connects with a good combination,
and then looks for a takedown before the fighters decide to blast
each other with a few more punches before the final horn sounds.
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 Matt Mitrione
Matt
Mitrione def. Joey Beltran by unanimous decision (29-28 on all
cards)
THIAGO
TAVARES VS. PAT AUDINWOOD
R1
– Tavares stalking Audinwood early, swinging big punches,
and then shoots in for a nice takedown. Tavares landing some
big shots from the top. Audinwood is able to work back to his
feet for only a moment before Tavares elevates him and slams
him down on the mat again. Tavares extremely active, throwing
punches, hammer fists, and working to pass guard. Audinwood tries
to stand up again, but Tavares snatches a guillotine choke, wraps
him up and while still standing, Audinwood taps out.
Thiago
Tavares def. Pat Audinwood by submission (guillotine choke) at
3:47, R1
WAYLON
LOWE VS. STEVE LOPEZ
R1
– Lowe and Lopez are somewhat cautious early, but firing
a few punches back and forth. Lowe shoots for a takedown and
Lopez throws heavy leather trying to tag him on the way in, but
Lowe is able to get the fight to the mat. Lowe stands up and
is unable to control Lopez's legs, and he hops back up as well.
Not much action on the feet again, but Lowe swoops in and grabs
another quick takedown before the round ends.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 Waylon Lowe
R2
– Slow moving to start round 2. Lopez starts moving forward,
but he's obviously cautious about the takedown. Lowe shoots in
looking for another takedown, but Lopez is able to back out this
time and avoid. A few more exchanges on the feet, and Lowe grabs
a single leg to take Lopez back down again. Working from side
control, Lowe throws some knees to the body, and Lopez rolls
to try and avoid damage. Lopez gets back to full guard, staying
aggressive with punches and elbows from the bottom.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 Waylon Lowe
R3
– Lopez comes out firing in the final round, and goes for
a big knee to the body, but gets taken down instead. Lowe working
from the top in half guard, throwing a few hammer fists trying
to stay busy. Lopez grabs an arm from the bottom and works for
a kimura, but Lowe wiggles out. Lowe working a little bit more
now, throwing punches and he opens a massive cut on Lopez's head.
Herb Dean steps in to have the cut checked out, and the fight
continues. Lopez fires a few strikes, but Lowe lands one more
takedown before the fight ends.
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 Waylon Lowe
Waylon
Lowe def. Steve Lopez by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
JULIO
PAULINO VS. T.J. GRANT
R1
– Trading early, Paulino tags Grant with a couple solid
punches before the Canadian grabs him in a Muay Thai plum and
looks for a knee. Grant eventually gets a front headlock, and
drags Paulino to the mat and starts to work from the top. Grant
continues to work and gets Paulino's back, starting to work for
a choke. Grant slips around and goes for an armbar, but Paulino
works out and ends up on top, working from Grant's guard before
quickly being reversed. The fighters get back to the feet for
a quick flurry and the round ends.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 T.J. Grant
R2
– Grant controls the round again, lands multiple takedowns
and works for submissions, but doesn't land anything. Paulino
is hanging on, but not getting any kind of offense.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 T.J. Grant
R3
– Much the same in the 3rd round with Grant landing takedowns
and working the submission game, almost landing a reverse triangle
choke at one point, but Paulino was able to slip out. Grant just
relentless on the ground, but can't finish before the final horn
T.J.
Grant def. Julio Paulino by unanimous decision (30-27 on all
cards)
MARK
HUNT VS. SEAN MCCORKLE
R1
– Hunt aggressive early, gunning for McCorkle, and eventually
the fight hits the mat. McCorkle works for a kimura from the
bottom, and continues to crank the arm, until Hunt has no choice
but to tap out.
Sean
McCorkle def. Mark Hunt by submission (kimura/armbar) at 1:03,
R1
UFC
119 RESULTS:
Main
Bouts (On Pay-Per-View / 10 p.m. ET):
-Frank Mir def. Mirko CroCop by knockout at 4:02, R3
-Ryan Bader def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by unanimous decision
(30-27 on all cards)
-Chris Lytle def. Matt Serra by unanimous decision (30-27 on
all cards)
-Sean Sherk def. Evan Dunham by split decision (29-28, 29-28,
28-29)
-Melvin Guillard def. Jeremy Stephens by split decision (30-27,
29-28, 28-29)
Preliminary
Bouts (On Spike TV / 9 p.m. ET):
-C.B. Dollaway def. Joe Doerksen by submission (guillotine choke)
at 2:13, R1
-Matt Mitrione def. Joey Beltran by unanimous decision (29-28
on all cards)
Preliminary
Bouts (Non-Televised / 7 p.m. ET):
-Thiago Tavares def. Pat Audinwood by submission (guillotine
choke) at 3:47, R1
-Waylon Lowe def. Steve Lopez by split decision (29-28, 29-28,
28-29)
-T.J. Grant def. Julio Paulino by unanimous decision (30-27 on
all cards)
-Sean McCorkle def. Mark Hunt by submission (kimura/armbar) at
1:03, R1
Source: MMA Weekly |
DOLLAWAY
LIGHTS UP UFC 119 PRELIMS ON SPIKE TV
C.B. Dollaway may have come out of the Arizona State wrestling
class that produced the likes of Ryan Bader and Cain Velasquez,
but at UFC 119 on Saturday night, he showed that, like his compatriots,
he is growing far away from being just a wrestler that can throw
punches.
His
task was Joe Doerksen, a fighter with four times as many fights
as he has had in his career. But Dollaway didn’t back away
from the challenge, himself looking like the seasoned veteran
in the bout.
Doerksen
caught an early kick from Dollaway and rushed him to the mat,
but that was the last inkling of offense that he would mount.
Dollaway immediately locked on an arm-in guillotine, patiently
waiting for Doerksen to make a move. When he did, the two scrambled,
Dollaway slipped past the arm for a straight guillotine choke,
rolled with Doerksen, and sank it in for the submission.
“I
can’t believe I even got that,” said Dollaway, now
11-2, after the fight. “Joe’s got 33 submissions out
of 46 wins. I was worried about his submission game.”
Former
NFL player Matt Mitrione, in just his third professional fight,
continues to show marked improvement.
His
opponent, Joey Beltran, has five times his experience, but that
wasn’t enough to overcome Mitrione’s striking attack,
which is being fine tuned by former world champion kickboxer
Jeff “Duke” Roufus.
Mitrione
used a distinct reach advantage; patiently mixing up straight,
crisp punches with an assortment of high and low kicks to control
the majority of the fight. Each fighter had his moments where
he stung the other, but neither could do significant damage.
It came down to Mitrione outstriking Beltran for the better part
of the fight, earning a unanimous decision victory.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Lyoto
requests 3rd fight with Shogun: “It would be fair”
Former
UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida received the crew
from Brazil’s Sensei SporTV television program into his
home in Belém, Brazil, to shoot a program that will air
across the country on Saturday the 25th. Machida discussed his
loss to Maurício Shogun, addressing from the first knockout
suffered in his career to his loss of the UFC light heavyweight
title. He also argued that it would only be fair to have a third
encounter between the two, a rubber-match.
The
fighter also told of how he is going about preparing for his
upcoming challenge, his matchup with Quinton Jackson in November.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Diego
Nunes
With
14 wins on the 15 fights of his career, Diego Nunes is sharper
than ever for his next fight on WEC, which happens Thursday (30)
on the United States. Feeling at home with the guys from Nova
União, Diego talked to TATAME directly from Colorado,
on the United States, commenting about his combat against Tyler
Toner. “I’m going to do it all: I’ll exchange,
I’ll take him down, I’ll do the ground game… I’m
going to win this fight. MMA is like chess and I’ll need
many things to win this game”, said confident of a win of
José Aldo, training partner and champion of the division
on WEC. “My brother, I’ll be pretty honest with you,
he’s flying… I think this fight will end before the
five rounds, for sure”, bets, commenting his growth since
he joined the team of André Pederneiras and a lot more.
What
are your expectations for your next fight on WEC?
My
expectation is always good, every fight is a fresh start, a new
possibility. I’m much more mature, confident, doing a training
like this so, man, there’s no bad timing. I’m prepared,
my head is good and I have faith in God.
What
did you feel different since you started training on Nova União?
What do you think evolved on your game?
There
was a great change on my game, there was maturation… Sometimes
I trained alone, on the country. No one knows about it, but I
used to train by myself and now I have this whole structure,
many other guys are better than me, so I’m much more confident
and I’m training more, learning more. For sure, the difference
of the trainings will be shown on this fight.
Even
when you trained by yourself, you manage to be unbeaten for 13
fights, only losing to LC Davis... What do you expect for you
future, now that you are training with the tops of your division?
Almost
no one knows it, but I did it like a promise in my life, I was
getting there… If it depended exclusively on me, I’d
never get to where I’ve got. It was my father’s fault,
he put me on the right place. He watched my fight, saw I had
this difficulties on training and gifted me as he put me on a
team like this. I don’t have much to say, I can only say:
look at the results. I think that in Brazil, maybe on the world,
there’s no better training on the lightweight division.
There’s the champion of WEC, of Shooto, of Sendoku, there’re
many champions, the guys fight in high level… I know that
the guy I’ll confront aren’t on the same level these
guys I train with are.
What
do you think of your next opponent?
He’s
a tough guy, a striker, exchanger, and for what I’ve seen,
a complete dude… I’m going to do it all: I’ll
exchange, I’ll take him down, I’ll do the ground game…
I’m going to win this fight. MMA is like chess and I’ll
need many things to win this game, and the guys here is in the
mood and, for sure, it’ll work out just fine.
How
did you adapt to the height on the United States?
We
can feel that the air is a little dry. Today I ran and I felt
like the air is heavier than usual, but I just have to get used
to it… I’m getting used to it, I’m training more
because of that because I’m more focused on my trainings
due to that.
What
do you expect of this fight between José Aldo and Manny
Gamburyam on the same night you will fight?
Well,
I’m one of those guy who don’t like to say much and
rather wait for the day and see what happens. My brother, I’ll
be pretty honest with you, he’s flying… I think this
fight will end before the five rounds, for sure, and the guys
will see the result. For what I know, he’s on a great shape
and I get tired just to watch him (laughs).
Source: Tatame |
Jucão
vs Beição set to Glory GP first round
At
the end of August, we revealed first-hand that the Brazilians
Luis Beição and Roan Jucão had been chosen
for the welterweight GP of Glory 12, event that will happen in
Holland in October 13. On a chat with TATAME, Beição
revealed that the event chose Jucão to be his opponent
on the first round of the event, and that he is training for
the fight on the United States, along with Marlon Sandro and
José Aldo. “I’ll train a lot of boxing and wrestling
so I can defend Jucão’s takedowns, but I can also
take him down and punch him from the top. I want to win this
fight and conquest this GP”, affirmed the world champion
of Shooto. The tournament will also have great fighters like
Siyar Baharduzada, Nick Thompson and David Bielkheden.
Source: Tatame
|
LINDLAND
TO RETURN DEC. 4, OPPONENT TBA
Matt "The Law" Lindland isn’t one to wait around
unnecessarily.
When
his Oct. 9 Strikeforce bout with Luke Rockhold was cancelled
due to Rockhold sustaining a shoulder injury, Lindland quickly
jumped at an opportunity to be part of a soon to be announced
event taking place later this year.
“I
did a contract amendment to extend my contract a little longer
so I’ll fight Dec. 4 in St. Louis,” Lindland told MMAWeekly.com.
“I don’t know if they’ve solidified my opponent
yet."
With
Rockhold due to be shelved for the next several weeks, it doesn’t
appear as if he will be facing Lindland in December.
“It
sounds like Luke came up injured, so I’m sure we’ll
get a chance to do that fight again down the road,” commented
Lindland. “I think Strikeforce has moved on and they’re
looking for a different opponent, that’s what it sounds
like to me.”
For
Lindland, not facing Rockhold in December is no big deal, as
he looks to taking more well-known opposition.
“The
hardcore fans definitely know who (Rockhold) is, but I don’t
think the general public does,” stated Lindland. “Strikeforce
has a lot of big names in the middleweight division, so I could
fight one of those bigger name guys and probably do a little
more for me, a little more intriguing fight.
“I
know Luke’s tough and how good he is, and I was looking
forward to competing against him, but I want to fight top level
guys. I’m not saying Luke is not a top level guy, he’s
very talented, but he’s just not a recognized name in the
industry.”
Since
Lindland last competed in Strikeforce this past May, the promotion
has crowned a new middleweight champion in Ronaldo “Jacare”
Souza.
When
asked if he’d like another shot at Souza since losing to
him last December, Lindland replied, “Jacare is definitely
the top guy in the division and for a reason, nobody else wanted
to fight him. If they want to give me another shot at him right
away, I’d be honored and I’d take the fight.
“I’d
approach it a little bit differently, because I certainly know
how talented he is and what he’s capable of. There are definitely
other name guys in the division, so at least I’d like to
get another win or two and hopefully get an opportunity to rematch
him for sure.”
Having
suffered a temporary setback, Lindland is full-steam ahead towards
a December return, and a return to the type of fights that will
take him to the top of the middleweight division again.
“Keep
your eyes peeled because I’m sure we’ll get announcement
from Strikeforce and confirm everything as far as an opponent
soon,” said Lindland. “I want to work with Strikeforce,
so I signed an extension to stay with them longer and be with
the organization.
“I’ll
be in really, really great shape. I already started a really
serious camp for the fight in October, so I’m just going
to keep that training regimen going through to December. I’m
going to come forward, put a lot of pressure on my opponent and
make it the worst night of their life.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Mir
Knee KOs Cro Cop at UFC 119
by Brian
Knapp
Mark
Hunt vs. Sean McCorkle
Round 1
Hunt fends off a McCorkle takedown and then gets on top himself.
From guard Hunt is nearly swept by and is forced to fight off
a kimura. McCorkle has it deep and finishes the fight off of
his back with the hold. The Indiana crowd loves the tap, which
comes at 1:03 of the opening period.
T.J.
Grant vs. Julio Paulino
Round 1
On the feet Paulino switches back and fourth from orthodox and
southpaw. Grant grabs a Thai clinch and lands some knees to the
head of Paulino. Grant drags him to the floor. The Canadian is
riding the side of tbe based out Paulino. "The Dominican
Demon" wiggles to a single leg attempt but Grant is wise
and spins to take the back. With 90 seconds remaining Grant attempts
an armbar but Paulino gets out and settles in to Grant's guard.
A moment later Grant spins out from bottom and gets the back
again. Paulino stays out of danger and gets to his feet. The
round ends. 10-9 Grant.
Round
2
Paulino starts the round with a jab from an orthodox stance.
Grant rushes in and secures a takedown. Paulino has a guillotine,
but Grant isn't in danger as he works out if it in side mount.
Grant spins to north-south position and then back to side. Grant
decides to move and let Paulino back up. The fighters are back
on the feet for a brief moment until Grant shoots and secures
another takedown. Paulino cinches up half but Grant is back to
side control a second later. The crowd is growing tired of Grant's
grappling clinic. The Canadian looks for a kimura but is turned
away by Paulino, who manages to get on top. Paulino stands and
tags Grant with a left-right combination but he is forced to
the mat again off of a Grant double leg. Grant takes mount and
lands some strikes. With 10 seconds left Grant spins for an armbar
and misses. 10-9 Grant.
Round
3
The final frame starts with a high standing knee from Grant,
who slips to the mat. Paulino isn't interest in floor fighting
and tells Grant to stand. Grant does and drags his foe to the
mat again. The Canadian has the back but is too high and gets
shrugged off. Paulino fails to get away, but he gets his guard
back. Grant stacks and grazes Paulino with some strikes to the
head. The allows the Nova Scotian to pass to side. Paulino tries
to get free and has to fight off a kimura, which turns in to
an inverted triangle attempt and ends in a scramble with Paulino
in the guard of Grant. Time is running out for Paulino, who ends
up on his back again after another scramble. The round ends.
10-9 Grant.
All
three official judges see it the same: 30-27 for TJ Grant.
Waylon
Lowe vs. Steve Lopez
Round 1
Lowe takes the center of the cage and fends off Lopez's pawing
jab. Lopez throws a looping right hook that misses twice. The
southpawed Lowe fires back with a jab that misses but the cross
finds its mark. A leg kick finds the thigh of Lowe. After a successful
double-leg attempt, Lowe finds himself in his opponent's guard.
Not much action ensues and Lowe stands. Lopez follows him up
and the two southpaws look to exchange. A straight right finds
the chin of Lowe. The lackluster frame ends with another Lowe
takedown. 10-9 Lowe.
Round
2
Lopez fires a jab to start the middle frame. Lowe strikes back
with a jab of his own. Another punch lands for Lowe and Lopez
eats a right hook. Lopez answers with a combination that Lowe
takes in stride. Another jab finds the chin of Lopez. A left
low kick crashes in to the lead leg of Lowe. Lopez sprawls out
of a Lowe takedown, but ends up on his back anyway. Lowe moves
to side controll off of a triangle attempt and lands some knees
to the ribs. Lopez shrimps back to guard and bashes his elbow
in to the top of his opponent's head. Lowe is unfazed and finishes
the round on top. 10-9 Lowe.
Round
3
The fighters touch gloves to start the final period. Lopez jumps
forward with a flurry and eats a Lowe uppercut that prompts the
crowd to cheer. Lowe gets inside on his foe and gets a takedown.
On the floor, Lowe works from half guard. Lopez has control of
Lowe's body which cause the pace to slow. Lopez fishes for the
arm and tries to frame up a kimura. Lowe is wise to the move
and is in no harm. Lopez however gets his guard back. The crowd
gasps as a cut on the top of Lopez's head is gushing. Lowe fires
some shots to the head of Lopez. Referee Herb Dean steps in to
check the wound. The doctor says it's fine and the action starts
again. However the bout continues on the floor and not the feet,
where it was stopped. The referee mishap results in little action
as the round expires. 10-9 Lowe.
The
judges are split as it goes 29-28 Lopez and 29-28 twice for Lowe,
the winner by split decision.
Thiago
Tavares vs. Pat Audinwood
Round 1
Rob Hinds starts the lightweight contest. Audinwood eats a Tavares
right that lands flush to the face. The Brazilian gets inside
with a clinch and gets the fight to the floor. Against the cage,
Audinwood stands but is elevated and slammed to the mat. From
the guard of Audinwood, Tavares stacks and lands a few good strikes.
The New Yorker spins for an arm but can't secure anything as
he eats some strikes. Audinwood settles for guard. With his back
against the fence Audinwood wall walks back to his feet. Tavares
wastes little time in jumping to guard with a guillotine while
standing. Audinwood succumbs at 3:47 of round one.
Matt
Mitrione vs. Joey Beltran
Round 1
Herb Dean starts the contest, and Mitrione immediately presses
the action, forcing Beltran up against the cage. Mitrione lands
a high kick and a straight left, continuing to press. Beltran
circles away, looking for a counter right. Mitrione lands a hard
inside leg kick and follows up with a pretty combination upstairs.
Beltran lands a big right and then follows up with more rights
from the clinch. Beltran takes the fight to the floor, but he's
cut. From top position, Beltran avoids Mitrione's work from the
guard and is landing decent ground-and-pound. “The Mexicutioner”
passes to side control and then north-south, finding a home for
heavy body shots. Beltran avoids a triangle attempt, and ends
the round in side mount.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Beltran
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Beltran
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Beltran
Round
2
The fighters touch gloves as round two begins. Mitrione is again
the aggressor, throwing hard kicks to the body and lead leg on
Beltran. Mitrione takes the center of the cage and is trying
to work his jab. Both fighters look a little weary, and they're
starting to throw with wreckless abandon. Mitrione lands a beautiful
counter left hand that buckles Beltran, but Beltran land a big
shot of his own before closing the distance and pinning the Boilermaker
up against the fence. Both men are content to trade with little
regard for their own chins. After a brief pause in the action
to adjust Beltran's glove, the fight resumes. Mitrione has gone
back to the leg kicks, but Beltran is having none of it, and
he starts throwing haymakers. Mitrione reciprocates, but somehow
neither man finds the other's chin. Mitrione lands two head kicks
and a push kick as the round ends.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Mitrione
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mitrione
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Mitrione
Round
3
The fighters again touch gloves to bein the third stanza. Both
heavyweights seem to have caught a second wind, and Mitrione
is working quick combinations from the outside. Mitrone throws
another head kick, but it's blocked solidly by Beltran. The action
has slowed, save for an occasional leg kick from Mitrione. Beltran
is still bleeding from his left eye, and Mitrione is doing him
no favors as he pumps his right jab into Beltran's face.Beltran
looks to be fading fast, and Mitrione is gaining confidence and
throwing punches in bunches. Mitrone is moving well, but somehow
Beltran is still wading forward with haymakers. He gets a piece
of Mitrione with a big shot, but it's not enough to win the round.
Both fighters throw as the round ends.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Mitrione (29-28 Mitrione)
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mitrione (29-28 Mitrione)
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Mitrione (29-28 Mitrione)
All
three official judges agree and see the bout 29-28 for Mitrione,
the winner by unanimous decision.
C.B.
Dollaway vs. Joe Doerksen
Round 1
The fighters touch gloves to start the fight. Dollaway is looking
for an inside leg kick early, then throws a big body kick which
is caught by Doerksen. After an impressive front-headlock takedown,
Dollaway cinches up an arm-in guillotine and closes his guard.
Doerksen seems calm while caught in the submission. After a beautiful
scramble, Dollaway keeps track of El Dirte's neck and locks up
a modified guillotine, forcing Doerksen to tap out at 2:47 of
round one.
Jeremy
Stephens vs. Melvin Guillard
Round 1
Guillard swings with a wild overhand right to start the round,
but Stephens ducks and counters with a right hook of his own,
dropping Guillard to his butt, but not hurting “The Young
Assassin.” Guillard pops right back up, and after a few
moments charges Stephens, throwing lots of punches but landing
none of them. Back in the center of the cage, Guillard is now
finding the range with his overhand right. Guillard is light
on his feet and now throwing nice one-twos. In contrast Stephens
looks stiff, though landing body kicks here and there. As the
round comes to a close, Guillard continues to dart in and out
with strikes and Stephens continues to try to counter, but neither
man lands anything significant.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Guillard
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Guillard
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Stephens
Round
2
Stephens lands a stinging leg kick to start the second frame.
Guillard continues to use the push kick to set up his heavy right
hand. Guillard lands a left kick to the body and presses the
action. “Lil' Heathen” lands a nice right uppercut
– left hook counter combination. Now Stephens is the one
moving forward. Guillard catches Stephens with a low kick to
the cup, and referee Josh Rosenthal stops the action briefly.
Stephens recovers fast and lands another hard kick to Guillard's
lead leg. Stephens catches Guillard with an accidental eye poke,
but Guillard is not fazed. Within seconds, Stephens catches Guillard
with what appeared initially to be a low blow, but upon further
investigation, it appears the kick was clean. As action resumes,
Stephens counters another Guillard right hand with a pretty uppercut.
Now Stephens is landing cleanly, first with a leg kick and then
with a kick to the body. Stephens continues to press forward,
and lands another body kick as the round ends.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Stephens
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Stephens
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-10
Round
3
Guillard starts the round with combinations, but Stephens counters
with that same stinging leg kick. He lands two more. Guillard
lands a left hook flush to the cheek of Stephens. Guillard is
using his speed advantage to land straights to the head and body.
Now Guillard is increasing his work-rate but landing nothing
meaningful. Both men look content to stay on the outside and
not risk an exchange in tight. Stephens lands a big left uppercut
to Guillard's torso, but Guillard isn't hurt. The crowd boos
the lack of action. As the horn sounds, it's Stephens moving
forward and landing a body kick.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Stephens (29-28 Stephens)
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Stephens (29-28 Stephens)
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Stephens (30-28 Stephens)
Official
scores: 29-28 Stephens, 29-28 Guillard and 30-27 Guillard. Melvin
Guillard takes the split decision.
Evan
Dunham vs. Sean Sherk
Round 1
The lightweights touch gloves as the round begins, and Dunhan
is feinting with his jab early on. Sherk lands a short leg kick,
but Dunham is doing an excellent job of keeping his distance
until Sherk closes and slams Dunham to the mat. Dunham has a
tight guillotine locked up, but Sherk stays calm and wiggles
his way out of the submission attempt. Now Dunham is working
from the butterfly guard, trying to land short elbows, but Sherk
is in control. Dunham scrambles to his feet, using the cage to
regain his base. Sherk immediately locks his hands in a double-leg
and once again slams Dunham on his back. Dunham again scrambles
to his feet and nearly catches Sherk in a guillotine before gaining
back control. Sherk escapes quickly and cuts Dunham with a nasty
elbow from Dunham's guard. Dunham's cut is gushing blood, and
referee Rob Hinds calls the doctor over. Dunahm is given the
OK to continue, and the round ends.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Sherk
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Sherk
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Sherk
Round
2
The cut over Dunahm's right eye is massive. Sherk starts the
second stanza by getting his shot stuffed, but the stocky lightweight
is relentless, again digging for a double-leg. Dunham locks up
a tight guillotine yet again, but someone Sherk escapes defeat.
Back on their feet, Sherk presses Dunham against the cage, and
is content to give up his neck once again to a guillotine choke.
After another scramble, Sherk is controlling Dunham with a front
headlock. Back in the center of the Octagon, Dunham is once again
trying to use his reach, despite wearing a crimson mask over
the right side of his face. Dunham is really turning it up now,
landing punches and kicks from the outside and two flying knees
to end the round.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Dunham
Round
3
After a brief exchange, Dunham lands a right high kick that wobbles
Sherk, who immediately shoots for a takedown. Dunham pummels
for an underhook, but Sherk manages to complete the single-leg.
Dunham pops right back up and is landing short elbows and hammer
fists while his back is against the fence. Now he gets an underhook
and shoves off the Muscle Shark. Dunham looks confident with
his strikes, and Sherk's reach disadvantage is glaring. Again
Sherk digs for a takedown and again Dunham looks for a guillotine.
Back in the center of the cage, Dunham is now landing his overhand
left regularly. He follows up with two beautifully timed flying
knees that stagger the former champion. Sherk is trying desperately
to counter, but he has no answer for Dunham's length as the round
comes to a close.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Dunham (29-28 Dunham)
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Dunham (29-28 Dunham)
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Dunham (29-28 Dunham)
Official
scores: 29-28 (twice) and 28-29 for the winner by split decision,
Sean Sherk. The crowd boos the decision loudly.
Matt
Serra vs. Chris Lytle
Round 1
As the fight begins, both fighters are throwing with bad intentions,
with Lytle targeting the stocky Serra's head, while Serra goes
after Lytle's ribs with short hooks. Lytle is finding a home
for his jab, and Serra's left eye is cut. After a slip and an
awkward scramble, Serra lands a solid overhand right. It's a
tough round to score so far, as both men are throwing at about
the same clip. However, Lytle seems to be getting the better
of it, as evidenced by Serra's left eye. Lytle lands two nice
right hands, and follows up with a beautiful one-two combo.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Lytle
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Lytle
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Lytle
Round
2
Now Lytle is really looking to land that right hand, and finally
does so, staggering Serra. But the Terror isn't deterred, landing
a nice left hook of his own. Like Sherk in the previous fight,
Serra is suffering from a significant reach disadvantage, and
Lytle is taking advantage, flailing away with haymakers at the
round's midpoint. Lytle lands a crisp right hand followed by
an uppercut, wobbling Serra once again. Lytle lands more heavy
shots, but somehow Serra battles back, landing several blows
of his own and bulling Lytle up against the fence. Lytle is on
fire now, landing bombs on Serra's face, but somehow the New
Yorker stays on his feet. The crowd cheers both fighters as the
horn blows to end the round.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Lytle
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Lytle
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Lytle
Round
3
The friends-turned-foes embrace as the third round begins, and
Serra goes back to work with the body shots. Lytle catches Serra
with a short uppercut as the Renzo Gracie black belt rushes in
after a Lytle slip. Serra looks for an ankle pick, but Lytle
slips out of it easily. Serra looks exhausted, landing a leg
kick with no snap to it. Serra throws another leg kick, but Lytle
catches it and lands more shots. Serra is throwing everything
he has into each shot now, but Lytle is the much fresher man.
“Lights Out” is keeping Serra on the outside by using
his jab, then follows up with several fierce hooks on the inside.
Serra throws a high kick, but his leg isn't long enough to reach
Lytle's head. The fighters again embrace as the round ends.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Lytle (30-27 Lytle)
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Lytle (30-26 Lytle
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Lytle (30-27 Lytle)
Official
scores: 30-27 across the board for Chris Lytle, who takes the
unanimous decision.
Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader
Round 1
Bader presses forward as athe fight begins, and Nogueira circles
away from the fence. Nogueira is measuring Bader, and lands an
overhand left. Minotoro is circling away and looking to counter
against the younger fighter. Bader scores a takedown and starts
landing devastating ground-and-pound before Nog can push him
off and recover guard. Bader is doing nothing spectacular but
continues to maul Nogueria with short punches and elbows from
top position. Rogerio manages to wall walk and regain a standing
base. Nogueira lands a nice kick to Bader's liver and stuff's
a takedown. Nog lands a big right hook, but Bader scores a quick
takedown. Nog escapes the position and the round ends with both
men standing.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Bader
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bader
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Bader
Round
2
Bader lands a body kick to start round two. Nog lands a glancing
left straight, but Bader comes back with a superman punch. Both
men are now feeling each other out at a distance, with neither
committing to their strikes. Halfway through the round, Bader
counters a Nogueira leg kick with a takedown. Nog lands punches
off his back from half-guard and regains his feet. Nog lands
a knee as Bader dips his head, but Bader pushes the former Pride
star away. Both men throw shots, and Bader connects with a solid
right to Nogueira's jaw.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-10
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-10
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Bader
Round
3
The fighters touch gloves to start the round. Both men are standing
in the pocket now, and Nogueira catches Bader with an accidental
eye poke. Josh Rosenthal halts the action, and Bader recovers
quickly, landing a body kick as the fight resumes. Both fighters
land shots, and Bader is twice stuffed when trying to take Nog
down. Rogerio lands a couple of sharp left hands, and Bader scores
a takedown. Nogueira immediately escapes and lands a knee after
getting to his feet. Now Nogueira is stalking Bader, looking
for an opening. Both men look winded. Neither man can land the
big shot they're looking for. Suddenly, they both cut loose and
land big shots before Bader scores a takedown. Bader is inactive
from Nog's guard as the round ends.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Nogueira (29-29 Draw)
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Bader (30-28 Bader)
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Bader (30-27 Bader)
All
three official judges see the bout 30-27 for Ryan Bader.
Frank
Mir vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
Round 1
The main event begins with both men showing controlled aggression,
followed by a feeling out process. Mir rushes forward and tries
for a takedown. Cro Cop stuffs it, but is still being pinned
against the fence. Filopovic hits Mir with an accidental knee
to the groin and Herb Dean halts the fight to allow Mir to recover.
As the fight resumes, Mir is aggressive immediately, and Cro
Cop circles away. With both men measuring the distance, Cro Cop
throws a lead-leg high kick, but it doesn't connect. Mir lands
a body kick and presses Cro Cop against the fence before the
Croatian shrugs him off. Mir is tenacious, however, and presses
Cro Cop against the fence yet again after an exchange standing.
Herb Dean has seen enough and restarts the men in the center
of the cage. Cro Cop lands a low kick with the round winding
down, but Mir counters with an uppercut.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Mir
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-10
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-9 Mir
Round
2
As round two begins, both men begin to throw standing, but neither
can land. The crowd boos the inactivity of the heavyweights as
Mir forces the clinch. Mir lands a short knee, but Herb Dean
is not impressed, and the fight is restarted. Mir presses forward
and clinches once more, and the crowd isn't happy. Cro Cop secures
double underhooks, but can't shake off the former UFC champion.
Herb Dean restarts the fight yet again. Cro Cop lands a leg kick,
but doesn't follow up. Cro Cop whiffs with his patented high
kick. Both fighters smile. The crowd boos.
Mike
Whitman scores the round 10-9 Mir
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-10
Tomas Rios scores the round 10-10
Round
3
Mir engages to start round three, but Cro Cop counters with a
knee to the body. Mir clinches again and tries an outside leg
trip unsuccessfully. Neither man is making a strong case for
why they deserve to win. Mir ties him up again, but can't score
a takedown. Herb Dean restarts the fight again. Both men are
refusing to open up, until Mir lands an unbelievable standing
knee, knocking Cro Cop out instantly. Mir lands a couple of extra
punches for good measure before Herb Dean pulls him off the defeated
former Pride star. The official time is 4:02 of round three.
Source: Sherdog
|
ROUNDTABLE
(pt. 1 of 2):
How does Strikeforce's heavyweight division match up with the
UFC's after the signing of Josh Barnett? Matthew, Lee, Hyden,
Hobaugh, Leet and Hansen
With the signing of Josh Barnett, how does Strikeforce's heavyweight
division match up with the UFC's?
SAM
MATTHEW, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Even
with Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum and Fedor, Strikeforce’s
Heavyweight division looks good, but it still doesn’t compare
to the UFC, which undoubtedly has the Top 4 guys in the world
in Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.
The one Strikeforce fighter I can see besting any of those four
is the current champ, Alistair Overeem, because his size puts
him on an even playing field with the UFC’s big boys and
his striking game is light years ahead of anyone else in either
promotion. Overeem’s wrestling is the big question mark
at this point as he hasn’t been tested by any legitimate
competition; so Lesnar, Carwin and Velasquez could give the Dutchman
problems by keeping him on his back.
ERIC
LEE, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Strikeforce's
heavyweight division is definitely their most stacked division
compared to the UFC. But it's still lacking the huge names that
the UFC has. If they start to lose their heavyweights to the
UFC they will be probably eventually die out. That will probably
be accelerated if they lose Fedor.
FRANK
HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Signing
Barnett helps, but it's not near enough to topple UFC's Heavyweight
division. One of the reasons is the inconsistency of Alistair
Overeem fighting in Strikeforce. If he fought more for them,
I'd say that their division stacks up a lot better with UFC's.
It's a process to build a division, I think Strikeforce gets
there eventually, but not right now. Barnett bumps them up a
bit, though, and accelerates the process.
ERIC
HOBAUGH, MMATORCH SPECIALIST
This
is my list of top five fighters in each organization right now.
It is pretty close.
Top
5 Strikeforce Heavyweights: Top 5 UFC Heavyweights:
5. Josh Barnett 5. Junior Dos Santos
4. Brett Rogers 4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria
3. Fedor Emelianenko 3. Frank Mir
2. Fabricio Werdum 2. Cain Velasquez
1. Alistair Overeem 1. Brock Lesnar
When
I look at these right next to each other, I think it is very
close. After the top five the UFC is much, much stronger. To
me, I think that Brock Lesnar beats every fighter in the top
five of Strikeforce, and Overeem is only able to beat Mir and
Nogeria on the other side.
LARAMEY
LEET, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Strikeforce's
HW division is still behind the UFC giants. While Strikeforce
does have Overeem, Fedor, and Werdum that is all that they have
for interesting match-ups. UFC just has a stacked division and
they have the giants of the land in HW; the only real giant that
they are missing is Overeem and I think as soon as his contract
is up in Strikeforce you will see him in the UFC. He has already
expressed his feelings in the past that he wants to fight there
and I think that he will soon. I know people do not see it, but
Fedor could easily make light heavyweight, so he is not a huge
HW either. To quote Frank Mir "He is a light heavyweight
with a gut!" The UFC is just too stacked in that division,
its not even near comparable to the smaller promotion.
RICH
HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
UFC's
top 10 HWs, and Strikeforce's top 10 HWs, as defined by the BloodyElbow/USA
Today Consensus Rankings:
Brock,
Cain, JDS, Carwin, Mir, Nogueira, Gonzaga, Kongo, Cro Cop, Nelson.
Fedor,
Werdum, Overeem, Big Foot, Barnett, Rogers, Arlovski, ___, ___,
and ___.
7
on 7, it's very competitive. But after #7 in Strikeforce, you're
looking at Kharitonov, Valentijn Overeem, and maybe Shane del
Rosario. And two of those guys have yet to get their first fight
with the promotion (calling Jay Hieron!). And it only gets thinner
from there. So while Strikeforce currently has a very marketable
HW picture, they're in deep trouble 2 years from now, as they
have no depth to replace the older HWs who rule the roost there.
Source: MMA Torch
|
What
can you learn from Rolls?
by Graciemag
Newsroom
Rolls Gracie departed us twenty-eight years ago. The lessons
passed on by the mythological teacher, however, remain ever more
up to date, as GRACIEMAG readers now have the opportunity to
find out in the latest issue’s cover story.
A
number of readers have already remarked on the issue, of which
the enthralling cover, with an until-then-unreleased photo of
the Gracie, is just the beginning.
Check
out the comments, and leave yours, too, after securing a copy
of your own. Purchase the new GRACIEMAG today, at bookstores
across the USA or get it at home anywhere in the planet by clicking
here.
“This
time you outdid yourselves with the cover. The photo is simply
marvelous, tasteful, and is reminiscent of the cover of Veja
magazine after Frank Sinatra passed away, highlighting Sinatra’s
blue eyes. Very comely cover.” Felipe Amorim
“All
we can do is salute the GRACIEMAG team for the marvelous cover!”
Bruno P.
“Truly,
the cover is excellent, but even better still is the content.
Rolls, even after passing away, teaches us a lot; we owe a lot
to him for the Jiu-Jitsu we live and practice. Thank you for
existing, GRACIEMAG!” Eric O.
“Excellent
article. I remember how Master Rolls preached integrating other
styles, which is a lesson to us all, even to the magazine”
Isaías BSB
“Rolls
the great! I believe he was the wisest and most technical of
the whole family!” Egon
“I
get the magazine at home and I liked the cover, too. What would
it be like if Rolls were still around?” Little Dog
“I
witnessed Rolls doing MMA in 1974, or 1975. The man is a myth.
He was quick as a cat, while his technique was beyond refined,
and the way he would look at you with those blue eyes would intimidate
anybody. It was an irreparable loss for Jiu-Jitsu, in the 1980’s.
The great master is sorely missed!” Professor Peixotinho
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
HENDO
VS BABALU IN DECEMBER; WALKER RETURNS
by Ken
Pishna
Renato “Babalu” Sobral asked for it and he’s going
to get it... a fight with UFC and Pride veteran Dan Henderson
that is.
MMAWeekly.com
confirmed with multiple sources that the bout will take place
on Dec. 4 when the promotion returns to the Scottrade Center
in St. Louis, Mo. MMAJunkie.com first reported the bout.
After
Sobral defeated Robbie Lawler at a Strikeforce show in June in
Los Angeles, he was asked if he would fight Muhammad “King
Mo” Lawal, who happens to be one of his training partners.
King Mo held the Strikeforce light heavyweight title at the time.
"I
won't never punch and try to hurt my friends, but I would like
to ask for a fight, and all the respect that I have, in the beginning
of my career I fought Dan Henderson in Japan and lost to him,"
said Sobral, referring to the finals of the Rings King of Kings
tournament.
The
victory was Henderson’s third of the night. It also marked
the Brazilian’s first loss as a professional fighter.
"I
don't want to disrespect, but I would like to fight him. It's
going to be 11 years since I fought him. It's a long time, and
please, it would be an honor to fight him again, to have the
chance to fight Dan Henderson," said Sobral.
Each
fighter has gone on to greater glory since they first fought
in 1999. Sobral (36-8) has held both the Strikeforce and IFC
light heavyweight belts, while Henderson (25-8) held both the
185-pound and 205-pound divisional titles for Pride Fighting
Championships.
They
are expected to headline the Dec. 4 card on Showtime, which sources
say will also feature the return of former Heisman Trophy winner
and NFL star Herschel Walker.
The
48-year-old Walker made his mixed martial arts debut at Strikeforce:
Miami in January of this year, defeating Greg Nagy midway through
the final round. An opponent for Walker has yet to be finalized.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Falcão
wants to KO Gerald Harris in the UFC
By Guilherme
Cruz
Twenty-five wins, twenty-one by knockout. That’s the professional
record that Maiquel Falcão brings to UFC, getting on the
event been respected and representing Chute Boxe against the
tough Gerald Harris. On an interview given to TATAME, Maiquel
talked about the emotion he felt as he signed the contract with
UFC and provoked his opponent, considered to be a great striker
by the critics and American fans. “I don’t think he’s
been knocking much people out, because he has eight knockouts
while I have 21”, commented Maiquel, with no pressure on
putting the team back on the biggest event on earth.
How did you feel when you got the news you would sign with UFC?
I was chocked, I couldn’t sleep for many days, because I
was waiting for this chance for ten years.
How are the trainings for your debut going? What is the focus
of your preparation?
The trainings are very hard like I do for every fight I’ll
have. The focus of my preparation is the game plan, and the best
strategy is to be good in all aspects.
What do you know about Gerald Harris, who is growing a lot on
UFC? He’s been knocking a lot of people out…
I just follow him on the media. I don’t think he’s
been knocking much people out, because he has eight knockouts
while I have 21.
You did great fights in Brazil, but it is not always that the
fighters manage to keep up the good rhythm on UFC. How will you
work in order to keep winning on the biggest event of the world?
I’ve always done good fights in Brazil, but now, facing
a high level opponent, I’ll give 100%. To keep you there,
you have to keep your head down and train hard.
What do you think of your division? To you, what are the strongest
names?
This division is perfect for me, and for sure the strongest one
on the division is Anderson Silva.
How do you feel since you are bringing Chute Boxe back to the
biggest event? Do you feel any pressure because of that?
First of all, the life of an athlete in Brazil is always a pressure.
Chute Boxe is one of the biggest MMA schools of the world and
deserves to be back to UFC.
What can the fans expect of you on UFC?
A
lot of determination, and who watched my fights in Brazil knows
how it works. Besides the good strategy, you have to go in there
and really hurt the guy. I have to thank my masters, Rudimar
Fedrigo, Nilson de Castro, Christopher Led and Roberto Castro
Batata, my physical trainers João Ferreira and Madison,
my sparrings Thiago Bel, Doug, Alisson and Anderson Teacher.
And to my sponsors Nitrix Energy Drink, in the name of Marcelo
Salles, and Prime Fighters.
Source: Tatame
|
St.
Pierre torn between mainstream aspirations and reluctance
Recommend Meet Georges St. Pierre, Ultimate Fighting Championship
welterweight titleholder, mixed martial arts' reigning man of
style and the sport's would-be ambassador to mainstream America.
Today's
"Up Close" feature in The New York Times takes a closer
look at St. Pierre and his management team's efforts to build
him up as an endorser for high-end companies and mainstream brands.
He
wants "to be the guy that made the difference" in bringing
MMA to a mass audience. Yet he recoils from the politicking that
the role requires.
If
Mr. St. Pierre, a 29-year-old Quebec native, really wants to
become a face that sells mixed martial arts to the mainstream,
he'll need to embrace the A-listers as enthusiastically as they
seem to want to embrace him. ...
...his
manager — a former investment-banking consultant in her
40s who speaks in a pillowy Georgia lilt — seems to envision
the fighter, who already has endorsement deals with Gatorade
and Under Armour, as a marketing force that transcends his sport.
That's why she arranged his New York media tour to include television
interviews outside his sport's orbit, a meet-and-greet with editors
from Details and GQ and a press conference with Serena Williams
to announce a new charitable foundation...
"We
want people to think of him as Georges St. Pierre first, then
athlete, then fighter," she said in (an) Escalade as it
lurched from party to party.
But
for that to work, Mr. St. Pierre will have to steel himself for
the tireless salesmanship it takes to become a celebrity. That
night, he seemed about five-ninths committed to the prospect.
Slouched in the darkened Cadillac, he batted away questions about
ambitions with single-word responses.
The
first stop that night was a party for the designers Viktor &
Rolf at Saks Fifth Avenue for the citywide Fashion's Night Out
event. Emerging from the elevator on the seventh floor of Saks,
he carried himself with the heavy gait of a child being dragged
to the orthodontist.
"I
hate it," he said of the process of glad-handing potential
sponsors at parties. "They come at me, it's all right, but
me going after them? No, no, no. Not my thing."
St.
Pierre isn't the only MMA figure with qualms about reaching out
to the wider world. In some ways, his ambivalence reflects the
dilemma confronting many professionals and fans of the sport:
Is wider recognition worth the cost? Do you smooth the sport's
rough edges to triple the size of the audience? What happens
if the surrounding culture changes?
Mixed
martial arts wouldn't be the first sport to go through a cultural
change as it grows. NASCAR gradually evolved over decades from
its roots in the South, to the point where its championship has
been won by a Southerner only three times since 1995. On the
other hand, the sport has also stagnated recently -- NASCAR attendance
has fallen each of the last four years despite changes meant
to increase competition and drama, such as the Chase for the
Cup playoff and the Car of Tomorrow design.
It
might be a cautionary note for anyone who envisions an upscale
version of MMA. Will the current audience stick with fighters
who ditch logo-covered T-shirts and start dressing like St. Pierre?
When they ride in luxury sedans instead of driving SUVs and monster
pick-up trucks? When they're sipping pinot gris instead of downing
tequila shots?
Maybe
it won't matter as long as the action in the ring and cage remains
the same. But it's hard to see much crossover between Tapout's
audience and Armani's.
Source: USA Today
|
Ken
Shamrock vs. Johnathan Ivey headlines USA MMA card in Louisiana
For
the first time since being suspended for steroids by the California
State Athletic Commission, Ken Shamrock (27-14-2) returns to
US soil to compete in the cage. Shamrock headlines a card in
Lafayette, Louisiana opposite Johnathan Ivey (29-42) for USA
MMA's Return of Champions event.
After
a February 2009 win over Ross Clifton, Shamrock tested positive
for the steroid Stanozolol. Out of action since the suspension,
Shamrock recently returned to action overseas with a first round
loss to Pedro Rizzo. The Cajundome will host the 10 fight card
on Saturday October 16.
Dating
back to 2002 Shamrock has lost 8 of his past 10 bouts. The 46
year old UFC hall of famer has competed professionally in MMA
since September 1993.
A
12 year journeyman of the sport Ivey last stepped in the cage
in May 2010 versus recent UFC signee Sean McCorkle. The second
round TKO loss was Ivey's fourth loss in five fights.
Press
release
We
are bringing in two former UFC World Champions to the Cajundome
for a night of fantastic MMA action.
First,
to start of the night, former UFC World Champion, Ricco Rodriguez,
continues his assault on the Heavyweight division as he is our
co-main event and battles tough veteran Mike Perez.
Then,
to top it all off, former UFC World Champion, former WWE superstar
and "World's Most Dangerous Man", Ken Shamrock, will
be in our main event. That's right, Ken Shamrock will be fighting
at the Cajundome on October 16. Ken's opponent for this fight
is established pro Johnathan Ivey, who has over 80 professional
fights.
Fighters
from Gladiator Academy, Gracie Barra and Cajun Karate will also
be participating in this world class event.
In
our continued efforts to bring you, the fans, the very best in
MMA entertainment, we've put together this awesome event.
Sponsorship
is available by calling 337-501-1819.
VIP
Cageside and VIP Tables are going fast and can be purchased by
emailing gil_guillory@yahoo.com or calling 337-501-1819.
All
general admission tickets can be purchased at the Cajundome box
office, any ticketmaster outlet or by clicking www.ticketmaster.com.
Tickets are $20, $35 and $50 for this Return of the Champions
MMA Event. See you at the dome!
Source: Ult MMA
|
Burkman
Explains Steroid Usage from a Fighter’s Perspective
by Joe
Myers
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in MMA is always a hot
topic of discussion, and it was made even more so with the recent
report that UFC 117 headliner Chael Sonnen tested positive for
a steroid substance.
UFC
veteran Josh Burkman has a unique perspective on the subject,
both from training with Sonnen at Team Quest and having taken
steroids himself.
“The
reason why I wasn't on the first season (of “The Ultimate
Fighter”) was that I didn't pass my (steroid) test,”
Burkman said Monday during an appearance on the Sherdog Radio
Network's “Beatdown” show. “I learned my lesson
early on and I'm glad for that. Guys are training so hard that
they are (using performance-enhancing drugs). They're taking
things for injuries and they're just trying to stay healthy and
stay strong. It's a rough sport, and guys are going to do what
they have to do. There's more money on the line now. There's
more riches. It's a deep-rooted problem in athletics and it has
been for 100 years, and I don't see it going anywhere and I don't
see a way of fixing it either."
Burkman
said he took the steroid Winstrol to prepare for the first season
of the reality show. Though he competes now as a welterweight,
Burkman -- who cuts to 170 from the 200-pound range -- was slated
to compete in the show's 205-pound division.
"My
thing was that I was out of shape," Burkman said. "Before
I went on 'The Ultimate Fighter,' I wanted to get my weight down
and my buddy said, 'Hey, you should try Winstrol.' I didn't think
that they were going to test us and so I took it. I started taking
it three weeks out, and they called me up four days before ‘The
Ultimate Fighter’ and wanted me to take a test and I thought,
'Aw, sh-t. I don't think I'm going to pass this.'"
However,
Burkman said the positive test caused him to make some major
changes in his life.
"I
was out of shape because I was in Scottsdale and I was drinking
and I was partying and I wanted to take the steroids so I could
get in shape faster," Burkman said. "I cut out the
drinking and the partying, and I started to develop a more healthy
lifestyle and stayed in shape so that I didn't need (PEDs) to
cheat to get ahead. As the competition gets more fierce, people
are going to look for an edge and that's what I was trying to
do. I was trying to get that edge."
Having
to tell the football players he coached about his positive steroid
test was another experience that hit home for Burkman.
"I
was coaching high school football and told my kids, 'Hey, I'm
not going to be around this season. I'm going on ‘The Ultimate
Fighter,’ and two weeks later, I showed back up and the
kids asked what happened," Burkman said. "I had to
sit the kids down and tell them what happened. It was embarrassing,
but it helped me teach them a good lesson in life and it taught
me a good lesson in life. I've become a better person, a stronger
person and a better influence. Sometimes the worst things that
can happen to you, you learn from them. They make you better
and stronger, and I'm just lucky that happened for me."
Burkman
was able to compete on the second season of “The Ultimate
Fighter,” earning a unanimous decision over Melvin Guillard
in the quarterfinals before bowing out of the competition due
to a broken arm. He went on to have a 5-5 record in the UFC against
some of the top names at 170 pounds, including Jon Fitch, Karo
Parisyan and Mike Swick.
As
for Sonnen and his positive test, Burkman said it was just another
indicator of how MMA is becoming more and more mainstream with
its problems with performance-enhancing drugs.
"I
think a lot of guys in professional sports take performance-enhancing
drugs, whether they're doing it legally or doing it illegally,"
Burkman said. "I would've had no clue that (Sonnen) was
taking what he was taking. Some people take them, some people
don't. That's the way it is in all sports. I've known Chael for
a long time … and when I trained with Chael, he wasn't doing
anything. Guys get bigger opportunities, and maybe they feel
like they need more things. One thing you can't take away from
Chael Sonnen is that he's in the gym all the time busting his
ass working hard trying to get better. It's too bad that athletes
are getting put under this microscope now because whether it's
steroids or whatever it is, athletes have been trying to get
an edge one way or another for years and years and years. You
can't take away how hard these athletes work and how hard they
train, no matter what they're doing."
Long
removed from his steroid use, Burkman is now trying to fight
his way back to the UFC. He has gone 2-0 since being trimmed
from the UFC roster following a unanimous decision loss to Pete
Sell at UFC 90 in October 2008. The Sell loss was his third straight
in the Octagon, but after taking time off to heal up from several
injuries, Burkman rebounded with a first-round knockout of Brandon
Melendez in November 2009 and followed that up with a unanimous
decision over Jake Paul in April.
He
looks to continue his resurgence Friday when he takes on Jordan
Smith in the main event of the "Showdown Fights: Respect"
event in Orem, Utah. Another win could see him return to the
Octagon sooner rather than later.
"I've
talked to Dana White and I've talked to (UFC matchmaker) Joe
Silva, and they knew where I was when I left the UFC," Burkman
said. "They knew about my back and me being injured. Joe
told me to just go get a couple of wins. Joe told me, 'We've
always been happy with the way you fight. You've always put on
a good show, and we'd be glad to have you back.' After this fight,
I might take one more outside of the UFC. As long as things go
well, I'll be back in the UFC. There's no doubt about that."
Source: Sherdog
|
Will
UFC be pressured into doing their own supplemental drug testing
program?
By Zach
Arnold
Update:
Josh Gross reports that Sonnen tested with elevated levels of
testosterone — and that he reportedly told the commission
ahead of time.
On
the back-drop of two (recent) major UFC main-eventers on PPV
being in the public eye regarding the issue of alleged drug usage
(Shane Carwin & Chael Sonnen), Dave Meltzer says it’s
time for UFC to step up and do what the athletic commissions
can’t financially do and that’s fund an aggressive
drug testing program to try to help clean up Mixed Martial Arts:
“But
I mean the whole thing is that the drug testing system that we
have in place right now is a complete joke. I mean, that’s
a big part of this story is that when you know the date of your
test and because of funding issues, you know you’ve got,
one of the big issues right here to me is that for this sport
UFC should be doing the testing and they should be testing similar
to, you know, what a regular sport would do. I mean, like, you
know they’re sitting there doing, well we’ll do what
boxing does which is leave it to the commissions. But, number
one, the number of drug test failures in MMA is significantly
bigger than boxing, so it’s a bigger problem. The other
issue is that it’s an organizational thing and the organization
should be stepping up and not leaving it to these commissions
that are financially strapped because California does allow out-of-competition
testing, Nevada does allow out-of-competition testing, but given
the budget restraints (it) ain’t going to happen for these
commissions. They’re going to do (the least), you know,
they don’t have the funding to do I’m sure they would
like to do. It’s just not happening right now and I think
that for this business, UFC should do more than just day-of-event
testing because, again, you’ve got guys, a lot of guys,
who are doing it cycling, cycling off, getting the benefits of
increased training, they may also be getting the detriments of
getting off at the wrong time and going into fights kind of lulling
which sometimes gives you bad fights because guys didn’t
get their cycle properly and they may be at a down point of their
actual testosterone kicking in and the drugs that they’re
taking to do that, you know, you can’t take too many of
them because they may show up on a test. It’s a really weird
deal here.”
Regarding
what a failed drug test means for Sonnen and for UFC…
“You
know, I mean, to me one of the things that UFC needs to do and
UFC has the money to do it, the commissions don’t and UFC
needs to have a thing where they can test guys at any time they
say that, they do it, they have an outside agency doing it, and
again, you know, I don’t expect that to happen. You know
I mean it’s been talked about with Dana White and his thing
is that it’s the commission’s job is to do this but
the reality is, again like we’ve said, if you want a clean
sport the commissions do not have the funding to keep this a
clean sport so what we’re going to do is we’re going
to have really unlucky guys or stupid guys fail and, again, it’s
just a kind of a weird thing. I mean it’s not a defense
of the guy for doing it and again, reputation-wise, you know
it’s a real killer for him in the sense that you know he
was onto something if he had won the championship in his next
match, he would have gotten tremendous endorsements because of
how much he could talk. I mean, he could have been really one
of the biggest stars and as far as that kind of endorsements,
this does effect you. I mean this is why like everyone’s
you know, GSP gets so much more money in endorsements than anyone
else because he’s got that squeaky-clean character and people
are very confident that if they have GSP that they’re going
to have a guy who’s not going to make headlines the wrong
way and embarrass the company, that’s why other fighters,
you know, people are a little bit more leery of as far as like
giving them that kind of level of endorsements.”
We
know why Dana White leaves it up to “the government”
when it comes to drug testing and that’s the issue of liability.
If drug testing sucks in Nevada, the heat goes on Keith Kizer
and not on Dana White. For the European events, UFC does their
own drug testing but you rarely hear much discussed about it
in the media. (Except for when Chris Leben tested positive after
facing Michael Bisping.)
Lance
Pugmire of The LA Times says that the commissioner told him that
Sonnen tested positive for a steroid in a pre-fight drug test.
Jordan
Breen introduces a second layer to the story…
Possible
Sonnen-flu med angle is interesting. People seem willing to forgive
if it’s true; serves to reinforce hypocrisy of anti-roid
ideas.
People
okay with Sonnen possibly using flu meds with banned substances
to “get better”. What about injured fighters roiding
to heal? Tsk tsk.
Depends
on what meds he was taking, if he really was .Could be prednisone
or another corticosteroid.
Slippery
slope. If you’re sick, use corticosteroids, you aren’t
doing it to get stronger? It’s more complicated than acknowledged.
If
you’re wondering what Jordan is alluding to, he’s alluding
to the fact that Sonnen had been sick with a bad case of the
flu about a week before the fight with Anderson Silva in Oakland.
Sonnen talked about having the flu in an MMA Fighting interview
with Ariel Helwani on the Wednesday before the UFC event. In
the interview with Ariel in Concord, California at the UFC-branded
gym there, Sonnen talked about spending the week before the fight
resting up and trying to break out of whatever he had.
Either
he was telling the truth or he was laying the foundation for
what was coming down the road.
The
third layer to this story is the fact that Sonnen drew national
heat for his comments about Lance Armstrong, cancer, and allegations
of steroid usage. Remember this?
The
fourth layer to this story is that a rematch between Sonnen and
Anderson Silva seems unlikely now. If the drug Sonnen was busted
for is found in flu medicine, then let the public spectacle begin
for an appeals hearing in California. (The irony of this is that
a recent UFC PPV top guy had the ultimate spectacle of an appeals
in California and that’s James Toney.) If Sonnen can minimize
the damage of the failed drug test, perhaps he can get the rematch
and Dana White will go with the “I believe him” tact
that he used to similarly back Sean Sherk.
Look
on the bright side, Dana… Yushin Okami is one win away from
the title match we’ve all waited to see on Super Bowl weekend.
On
the other hand, look at what’s going on in the UFC Middleweight
division. Chael Sonnen, Chris Leben, Nate Marquardt, and Vitor
Belfort all have issues regarding the taint of PEDs in MMA (or
at least allegations levied at them by commissions for it.) These
guys are all right at the top of the mix in the UFC Middleweight
division to challenge Anderson Silva. What a mess.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
119 Betting Odds Preview
Just
a few days from UFC 119, here’s a look at some of our best
bets for the card.
::
Frank Mir vs. Cro Cop - Man, we just don’t get how Mir isn’t
more heavily favored in this one. He’s -220 to -235 on all
of the major betting sites. Given we like him–a lot–in
this one, grab the -220 at Bodog here.
::
Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle - Serra is the underdog, and should
be. But with Lytle listed at -145 to Serra’s +115, if you
think it’s going to be close, definitely worth grabbing
Serra at +115 here.
::
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader - There’s been a
lot of line movement on this one, with all of the money going
towards Bader. On BetUs, Nogueira has moved from +130 to +145
in under a week, so if you like him, take those odds here.
Source: MMA Fix
|
UFC
119: Mir vs. CroCop Preview and Picks
By Josh
Stein
Hawaii
Air Times:
SPIKE Channel 559
3:00-4:00PM UFC 119 Preliminaries
Channel 701
3:00-4:00PM Countdown
4:00-7:00PM UFC 119
The
UFC will be visiting the home of the Indiana Pacers on Saturday
with an event that became somewhat less interesting after the
removal of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC, #9
IWMMAR) from a card that otherwise would have proved an interesting,
if Nogueira-centric event.
That’s
not to say that the card is uninteresting, just that knowing
what we could have had in Minotauro makes this event somehow
lacking. But moving into the substance of the card, there’s
a lot of interesting stuff going on in the event.
I’ve
waffled a lot on the fight between Mark Hunt (5-6 MMA) and Sean
McCorkle (9-0 MMA). There was a period where Hunt looked, simply,
too easy to beat, but as I revisit the opponents who have beaten
him on his five fight slide, where Melvin Manhoef (24-8-1 MMA)
is the least impressive, and the way that Manhoef won is a way
that, simply, Manhoef can beat anyone, on any given Saturday.
McCorkle may very well be the x-factor in this fight, as it’s
he may be a world beater. It’s hard to find much information
on the guy, and it’s hard to find comparable, notable fighters
on his record without stretching it a little bit. Jonathan Ivey
(29-42 MMA) is comparable, since he’s fought some good guys,
but Ivey loses badly to plenty of weak fighters, so even that’s
a stretch. For me, what has swayed me back to Hunt is what I’m
hearing about his conditioning. People are saying that he’s
lost a ton of weight, he’s looking great and he’s trying
to bring a late game to this bout. If he can weather whatever
McCorkle brings, I think Hunt can definitely win. If he can stay
off of the ground and use his hands, he’s definitely the
better striker and can either put McCorkle out late, or win on
scorecards by delivering a late beating.
Julio
Paulino (17-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is trying to get his first win in
the UFC, taking on Canadian T.J. Grant (15-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC). Paulino
has an interesting record in the small circuit, but not particularly
impressive. There are a few wins over UFC veterans, like Terry
Martin (20-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC), but I think Grant is a more interesting
fighter. He’s had a couple of tough UFC losses, going to
the scorecards, but his wins are solid. He may not have substantially
beaten Ryo Chonan (17-11 MMA, 1-3 UFC) in his UFC debut, but
his stoppage of Kevin Burns (8-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) was really impressive.
I’ve been leaning towards Grant in this bout, and that’s
where the smart call is.
Waylon
Lowe (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is going to try to recover from a brutal
knockout in the hands of Melvin Guillard (24-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
in his UFC debut and Steve Lopez (12-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will try
and recover from an injury loss against Jim Miller (18-2 MMA,
7-1 UFC). Lopez is the veteran, though not by much, and Lowe
has more experience fighting in the AAA levels of MMA (as a veteran
of both Bellator and King of the Cage). I like Lowe to win this
one, though it’s hard to tell with guys who have given very
little indication as to their skill level in their UFC careers.
Thiago
Tavares (14-3-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) is the easiest pick on this card
for me. Pat Audinwood (9-0-1 MMA) will be making his UFC debut,
and it’s hard to see him taking on a veteran of eight UFC
fights in his first appearance in the UFC. Also, it’s not
as though Tavares is some middle-of-the-field guy. He’s
got a skill set that makes him respectable in a bout with any
fighter outside of the contender ladder. His standup is still
coming along, but his ground game is solid, and he has some good
skills.
Matt
Mitrione (2-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Joey Beltran (12-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
are both two fights into UFC careers, still, it’s hard for
me to look at the two as equal in terms of stature in the UFC
heavyweight division. Mitrione is, physically, much larger than
Beltran, and while his technical skills aren’t all there,
he seems to be picking things up, and the power in his hands
is really impressive. Beltran has good cardio, and managed to
beat down Rolles Gracie (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), but he hasn’t
dominated anyone the way that Mitrione has, and he doesn’t
seem to have the power that Mitrione does in his hands. If Beltran
can get Mitrione down and hold him there, he might be in good
shape, but it’s hard to see Mitrione getting stopped, and
similarly difficult to see this one going the distance.
C.B.
Dollaway (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has become much less interesting
since his fight with Tom Lawlor (6-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), since it
seems more and more that he may just be a conventional wrestler.
If he is, Joe Doerksen (45-12 MMA, 2-5 UFC) will make short work
if him. Doerksen is a dramatically underrated fighter, as I think
than many have actually factored him out of the fight with Dollaway.
Still, Doerksen eats conventional wrestlers for lunch. Much of
his career has been spent submitting wrestlers who have not yet
developed solid submission defense. Many of the fighters he’s
beaten have gone on to fight in the UFC, but Doerksen establishes
that they lack a ground game, and forces them to get one in order
to progress. Dollaway should definitely be able to win this fight,
but if he slips up, Doerksen is one of those guys who can get
the back and submit him, as he has a very serious no-gi Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu background.
To
start off the main card, we have one of my favorite fighters
to watch, Melvin Guillard (24-8-2 MMA, 7-4 UFC), taking on the
ever exciting Jeremy Stephens (18-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC). It’s
hard to see this fight going the full fifteen minutes. I suppose
anything is possible, but both of them are going to show up looking
to prove how good their standup is. If Stephens decides he wants
to work the ground-and-pound that seems like a reasonable gameplan,
but I can’t imagine him keeping good control of Guillard
on the ground. The guys who have beaten Melvin on the mat have
all been better with submissions than Stephens is. When Melvin
is given the opportunity to throw hands, I expect to see him
put people to sleep, and this fight is no exception. I have Guillard
taking home the win with an exciting KO.
For
a lot of fans, the bout between Sean Sherk (33-4-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
and Evan Dunham (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC, #9 IWMMAR) really hinges
on whether you think Sherk is past his prime. Personally, I think
that Sherk is winding down his career, but that’s not why
I’m picking Dunham in this fight. Evan Dunham is a versatile
and explosive lightweight, and his standup in his fight with
Per Eklund (15-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) impressed a lot of people. His
jiu-jitsu in the fight with Efrain Escudero (13-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
was even more impressive. While he’s gone to decision twice,
both of those decisions were razor sharp and with tough lightweight
fighters. While I’m not sure that Dunham will be looking
at a title shot for less than sixteen or eighteen months, Sherk
is often the gateway to a title shot, and if he finishes the
former lightweight champion, that’d definitely be impressive.
I’m not sure he can put Sherk down, but he can definitely
beat Sherk, perhaps very badly if the fight stays on the feet.
The
Ultimate Fighter 4 finale rematch between Matt Serra (11-6 MMA,
7-6 UFC) and Chris Lytle (29-17-5 MMA, 9-9 UFC) will be exciting
as all hell, and if Lytle wins big, he can be in a serious conversation
for taking on some welterweight contenders. Both are coming off
of solid wins, and Lytle has rattled off three straight. Lytle
is, perhaps, the most exciting fighter in the history of the
UFC, with four Fight of the Night awards, two Submission of the
Night and a KO of the Night, for seven total honors; contrast
that to guys with a lot, like Clay Guida (27-11 MMA, 7-5 UFC)
or Alan Belcher (16-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) who each have four. Matt
Serra’s win over Frank Trigg (19-8 MMA, 2-5 UFC) impressed
a lot of people, including me, but the Chris Lytle we’ve
seen in his last few fights has really been the best version
of the fighter that I’ve ever seen. I actually scored the
original fight for Lytle, though I realize that I’m in a
minority in that respect, but either way, I think the improvement
shown by Lytle is more impressive than the improvement shown
by Serra.
Some
thought Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC, #6 IWMMAR)
was pretty much done after he got knocked out by Rameau Thierry
Sokoudjou (9-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC), but he has roared back in his last
few fights, and though the win over Jason Brilz (18-3 MMA, 3-2
UFC) was exciting and razor-thin, it’s really the fights
leading up to it that showcased Nogueira’s aggression and
power, especially on the feet. I was in the crowd when he demolished
Vladimir Matyushenko (24-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) fully expecting Matyushenko
to control the fight, but the Janitor was never in it, and as
soon as those first knees landed, we all knew it was over. The
win over Luiz Arthur Cane (10-3-0-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC), while not
the most impressive win over the Brazilian in recent memory,
was show-stopping. Ryan Bader (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is a perpetual
threat, and the immovable object to Nogueira’s unstoppable
force, but I think that Nogueira takes this one. Bader’s
power is well documented, but I’m not convinced that he’ll
be able to land a big shot on this new machine and I’m not
sure that he’s any better off on the ground. Certainly,
the longer that this fight goes, the more it favors Bader, the
powerful and athletic wrestler, but Nogueira has fifteen minutes
to stop the bout, and I expect him to be looking to it every
second.
Frank
Mir (13-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC, #8 IWMMAR) vs. Mirko “CroCop”
Filipovic (27-7-2-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) really is a no-brainer for
me. I have a ton of respect for Mirko’s striking, but the
reality is that this fight will hit the mat. I don’t care
if Frank has to jump guard, he will. He’s not an idiot.
And when the fight hits the mat, I full expect Frank to do what
we all know can be done: I expect him to submit CroCop. If Frank
decides he wants to showcase his hands, he’s going to sleep,
but if he fights smart, and he is a smart fighter, if a bit talkative,
he’ll get CroCop to the mat and put on the grappling clinic
he’s been drilling everyday in camp.
Overall,
it should be a solid event. I expect Serra vs. Lytle and Guillard
vs. Stephens to be the two primary contenders for Fight of the
Night, though with a card like this, anything can come out of
the undercard with an awesome performance. It’ll be a night
worth turning into, if a little less impressive than it might
have been.
Source: MMA Opinion
|
CSAC
Suspends Chael Sonnen for One Year
By Mike
Chiappetta
Four days after California state athletic commission executive
officer George Dodd broke the news that UFC middleweight contender
Chael Sonnen had failed his UFC 117 drug test, the commission
has finally released an official statement on their findings.
The
statement is below.
The
California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has suspended the
license of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Chael Sonnen, after
Sonnen tested positive for steroids, a banned substance.
A
sample from Sonnen's August 6 drug test came back with a high
T/E (testosterone-to-estrogen) level, which is indicative of
anaboloic steroid use. CSAC learned of the results September
2 and ordered a second test, which also came back positive for
steroid use. CSAC received test results from the second sample
on September 14 and suspended Sonnen two days later. He is suspended
for one year. Sonnen has 30 days to appeal the decision.
"The
use of anabolic steroids and other banned substances are not
tolerated by the commission," said CSAC Executive Officer
George Dodd. "Anabolic agents put the health and safety
of both the user and his opponents at risk."
Sonnen's
test was observed in the presence of a CSAC representative and
the sample was sent to the World Anti-doping Agency test facility
at the University of California, Los Angeles on August 6, 2010
for processing.
MMA Fighting contacted the CSAC with follow-up questions regarding
the exact findings on Sonnen's testosterone-to-estrogen level,
but a commission representative declined to immediately answer,
saying the commission was still waiting to get confirmation from
their lawyers about releasing that more specific information.
According
to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), a T/E ratio of greater
than 4-to-1 indicates steroid use. CSAC testing is done through
the UCLA Olympic Analytical Lab, a WADA-accredited facility.
Meanwhile,
Sonnen's manager Mike Roberts confirmed to MMA Fighting yesterday
that Sonnen will appeal the findings. Sonnen is expected to make
his first public statements about the issue on Thursday's edition
of ESPN's MMA Live.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Chad
Griggs Says Bobby Lashley's Excuses Are 'Bad Sportsmanship'
By Ben
Fowlkes
Ever since Chad Griggs defeated former pro wrestler Bobby Lashley
at Strikeforce: Houston, things in his life have been, as he
puts it, "pretty crazy, but good crazy." The calls
have come in a steady stream. His website traffic has jumped
tremendously. Suddenly people in the MMA world know his name.
That'll happen when you beat an 8-1 favorite on national TV.
But
recently Lashley appeared on "The MMA Hour" and offered
a handful of reasons why he wasn't at his best on that particular
night, even claiming at one point that had he been completely
healthy, he would have notched "a pretty quick win"
over Griggs in Houston.
Not
surprisingly, this is the kind of thing that rubs Griggs the
wrong way.
"Everybody
can kind of take it however they want. It's an excuse,"
Griggs told MMA Fighting. "I know a couple days before he
said he was 100% and he was going to smash me and all that. I've
never been much of a trash talker and I'm not going to talk any
now, but I would have hoped that he would have given me a little
credit and said he made a few mistakes or would have done things
different or it just wasn't his night, but I guess he's trying
to find a reason why he lost. It is what it is, but I feel like
it's a little bit of bad sportsmanship."
The
way Lashley tells it, he was suffering from mono and dehydration
going into the fight, and that's why he couldn't maintain the
pace he set in the first round.
While
Griggs admits he has no way of knowing how much of that is legitimate
and how much is a comforting tale for Lashley to tell himself,
he points out that Lashley didn't start the fight like a man
with health issues, though he did end it more or less exactly
how Griggs hoped he would.
"The
first round I'd say he was pretty dang explosive, pretty powerful.
Then he got tired. He used a lot of energy. That's pretty much
what we counted on the whole training. He's carrying so much
muscle mass, [the game plan] was to survive that first round,
make him work and make him tired, and then take advantage of
him being tired in the second part of the fight. That's what
happened."
And
though Lashley claimed that the cut he suffered near the end
of the first round didn't affect his mental state, Griggs still
sees it differently.
"No
question at all [the cut] affected him. Like I said before, he
hadn't really been in a fight up to that point. He hadn't really
been hit by anyone. He was in fights where he would take guys
down and they would lay there and let him punch them out."
Lashley
said he's already asked Strikeforce for a rematch with Griggs
because, as he put it, "when you have certain events like
I did that sort of hindered me from being able to open up and
fight, I've got to go back."
But
according to Griggs, Strikeforce officials have not mentioned
the possibility of a rematch, though they have suggested other
potential opponents.
"They
have not said anything to me [about a rematch]. I know they promised
me another big fight. I want to keep moving up, so I'm pushing
for another big name. We've heard Brett Rogers, and there's been
a few times thrown out there. I'd prefer not to fight Bobby again
because I feel like we've already done that. ... If he comes
in and wins then it's like, okay, he was sick and that was a
fluke. If I win again, then I'm in the same place I'm already
at."
For
now Griggs is content to return to his normal life as a firefighter
and paramedic in Tucson, Arizona while he waits to hear what
Strikeforce has planned for him next. He knows the organization
wasn't planning on him winning that fight, he said, but none
of that mattered once the cage door closed. The aftermath of
his victory has been an education unto itself.
"It's
funny how the fight world works," said Griggs. "You're
nobody and then you have a big fight and all of a sudden you're
somebody. Then you can't stay off the phone. But it fizzles out,
and if you lose then you're nobody again. They're quick to throw
you off to the side. It's an interesting sport."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Golden
Boy/HBO builds on a strategy for PPV promotion
By Zach
Arnold
If
you have had an opportunity to watch Fox Sports Net/Comcast Sportsnet
in your area, you may have seen a paid infomercial running to
promote the Sergio Mora/Shane Mosley PPV fight. It’s done
in a similar style to the April/May UFC Countdown shows that
Zuffa (reportedly/allegedly) paid to have run on CSN and Versus.
The
30-minute infomercial is produced by HBO & Golden Boy Promotions.
Interestingly, a few newspaper writers were shown praising the
PPV during the show. There was focus on Mora/Mosley but there
was a clear focus on trying to push Victor Ortiz/Vivian Harris
and the undercard for the fight, pushing the theme of ‘the
young bucks’ coming up to eventually replace the bigger
names in boxing.
I
don’t know if enough people saw the infomercial to make
a difference in PPV buys, but it was certainly interesting to
see Golden Boy and HBO up their promotional game to try to sell
tonight’s fight. Interestingly enough, Google News is absolutely
littered with web links touting “free live streams”
of the show online.
Boxing
Scene has undercard coverage right here of tonight’s event
at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
On
a side note, as of yesterday CSN is still airing PPV barker ads
for next week’s UFC Indianapolis show and the barker is
largely promoting Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (a fight
that isn’t happening). Then again, after all the reports
about Mirko Cro Cop getting poked in the eye during training,
who knows if he will be healthy enough (despite what Dana White
says) to fight Mir in seven days.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Babalu
and Henderson to revisit days of Rings
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
Renato Babalu will face Dan Henderson at the December 4 Strikeforce
show in St. Louis, Missouri, according to an article on MMAJunkie.com.
Henderson is coming off a loss to Jake Shields last April, on
his organizational debut. Now Babalu, the former light heavyweight
champion of the event, is coming off a win over Robbie Lawler
in June.
And
there’s history to the bout. Henderson beat the Gracie Barra
black belt in February 2000 at Japan’s now-defunct Rings
promotion.
On
a single evening, Babalu submitted Russia’s Mikhail Illoukhine
with an armbar and then went past Japan’s Kiyoshi Tamura
via majority decision. At the other end of the tournament bracket,
Henderson beat Dutch bruiser Gilbert Yvel via unanimous decision
and then went past no less than Rodrigo Minotauro by split decision.
In the grand finale, Hendo again eked out a win, this time by
majority decision.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Demian
Maia
By Guilherme Cruz
Few days after beating Mário Miranda, the Brazilian Demian
Maia already has a date set to come back to UFC’s octagon.
On an interview given to TATAME, Demian commented the fight against
the “giant” Kendall Grove, who is almost 6,5 feet tall,
on TUF 12 Finale, on December 4. “His stand-up game is complicated
because of his high, it’s a weird game. Being or not on
the ground, it’s hard to be used to that reach. On the ground,
he’s won for submissions many times, so he’s also dangerous
on that area. I have to have a great game plan for this fight”,
analyzes Demian. On the chat, Demian talked about his trainings,
telling us about the backup of Edinaldo Lula, champion o WFE
and is 6,59 feet tall, and analyzed the division, commenting
the recent loss of Rousimar Palhares to Nate Marquardt and the
possible rematch with the American, who has knocked him out in
2009.
How is your preparation for your next fight on UFC going?
I’m starting it now, it’s been three weeks since I
fought and I came back slowly, Wednesday… I took two and
a half weeks off, a larger time, usually I stop the trainings
for about 10 days to recover myself. Now I’m doing some
workouts, Jiu-Jitsu and I’ll start the boxing and Muay Thau
training again.
What calls your attention on Kendall Grove’s game?
Man, his stand-up game is complicated because of his high, it’s
a weird game. Being or not on the ground, it’s hard to be
used to that reach. On the ground, he’s won for submissions
many times, so he’s also dangerous on that area… He’s
dangerous on the ground and weird and dangerous standing up because
of his high. He’s a tough opponent and I have to have a
great game plan for this fight.
How will you find a guy of that size to train with you for this
guy?
Edinaldo Lula, who’s champion of WFE, he’s a guy who
helped me a lot for my last fight and will help me now again,
he’s 6,59 feet tall, if I’m not mistaken… There’re
others here in Sao Paulo who’ll help me too, and in Salvador
there’s Lula, so it won’t be a great surprise.
Being huge also means he has long arms and legs… Do your
eyes shine just thinking about this opportunity (laughs)?
It’s true (laughs)… This is the good side, but the
bad one is to get there.
You come from Jiu-Jitsu and know the complications of greasing
on the ground game. Rousimar Palhares made a mistake and loss
to Nate Marquardt. What did you think of this mess?
Man, I don’t you, you can’t tell. You can’t tell
whether he had it or not, but later I heard he didn’t, but
there’re athletes who do that indeed. I don’t know
if Nate would do something like it, I don’t believe so,
but there’re athletes who do and it’s obviously wrong,
they’re cheating, especially with Palhares, who has a great
foot-lock. Rousimar himself later said the guy really didn’t
have it, so it really was a mistake.
How do you see your division currently?
I think it’s the most complicated and busy division, there’re
lots of great guys… Sometimes you think of the light heavyweight
division, which has Quinton (Rampage), Rogério (Minotouro),
Lyoto (Machida) and (Maurício) Shogun, people who already
had a great name when they came here from Pride, but we have
the same technical quality in my division and on the division
above mine, despite the guys on my divisions are younger and
starting to be known now.
Nate is coming from a great win and asked for great fights, probably
Belfort. Would you like to fight him again on the future and
revenge that loss?
Man,
you always want to fight those who have beaten you. I want to
fight Nate, Anderson, but it’s not a thing I’m dying
because of that. I want to do my fights relaxed, I don’t
worry about revenge.
Source: Tatame
|
Anderson
Silva and the Contender Void
By Josh
Stein
Who's
next?
Vitor Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC, #4 IWMMAR) will take on Yushin
Okami (25-5 MMA, 9-2 UFC, #9 IWMMAR) next month to determine
who will take over the spot vacated by Chael Sonnen following
his positive test for performance enhancing drugs.
The
role of top contender will, inevitably, be filled by a figure
with less charisma and appeal than Sonnen, who may have played
the role of the heel, but played it well. Still, whether it is
Belfort or Okami, there is one loss that has to be recognized:
that of a deep contender ladder.
Anderson
Silva (27-4 MMA, 12-0 UFC, #1 IWMMAR) hasn’t met an opponent
who has given him a rough time in the way that Sonnen did in
Oakland, and it’s hard for me to look at Belfort and Okami
and feel that they provide the same issues that Sonnen did, even
if Sonnen had to be on drugs to put on that kind of performance.
So,
the question returns again: who will push Silva next? That doesn’t
strictly mean beating the seven time UFC middleweight champion.
It means giving him a battle.
Belfort,
a solid boxer with a good jiu-jitsu game, could definitely be
that guy. He has great hands and is certainly the best striker
Anderson has fought in his stint in the UFC. It’s hard to
see anyone challenging Anderson on his feet, the way that he
has competed in the UFC, but if anyone can, it will be Belfort.
He brings the pain and if there’s someone at middleweight
who can put Anderson out standing up, it would definitely be
the guy who put a young Wanderlei Silva and Tank Abbott to sleep,
in a combined time of less than two minutes.
Okami
is not as good a stylistic matchup, and it’s hard to see
him beating Belfort anyone. If he does, it’s hard to see
Okami replicating the performance of Chael Sonnen, as Okami’s
wrestling is definitely of an inferior caliber. I like Okami,
but he has never given the impression of being a serious contender
to take the belt away from Anderson. He almost submitted Rich
Franklin (28-5-0-1 MMA, 11-4 UFC), but dropped that fight, and
lost to Sonnen. It’s just hard to see Okami having the game
to get Anderson to the mat and hold him there.
But
after this contender, who’s next. Usually there’s a
line of interesting contenders two or three fighters deep, at
least, but I don’t see any interesting contenders for Anderson.
Does Demian Maia (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC, #5 IWMMAR) bring anything
new to a title fight? Does Nate Marquardt (30-9-2 MMA, 9-3 UFC,
#3 IWMMAR)? Based on their recent performances, as impressive
as they were, the answer seems to be, “No.”
So,
who’s next?
I
honestly don’t know who the UFC will try to put up. Will
they try and clean up Sonnen and have him fight Anderson for
his redemption? That seems a bit of a jump, and I’d imagine
that they’d necessitate at least one fight off the juice
before they put him in a position to fight for a title again,
but I’m never really sure how the UFC is going to work out
those decisions. Still, unless someone from outside the organization
comes in, or they bring up another stellar and interesting contender,
it’s hard to see the UFC middleweight picture doing something
other than progressing back into the state of Anderson-centric
dominance that characterized it before the Sonnen fight. And
that’s a little disappointing, since I was kind of enjoying
the idea of serious competition in those bouts.
Source: MMA Opinion
|
Belfort
Sees Cracks in Silva Facade
by Marcelo
Alonso
Resurgent former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort will
meet Yushin Okami in the UFC 122 main event on Nov. 13 at the
Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. Still, he has UFC
middleweight king Anderson Silva in his sights.
Promised
a crack at Silva after he dismantled Rich Franklin at UFC 103
in September 2009, Belfort has instead spent the last year on
the sidelines with a shoulder injury. He sees chinks in Silva’s
armor.
“I
know his whole game,” Belfort said in a recent interview
with the Brazilian television station Rede TV. “I know his
jiu-jitsu game. I know his stand-up game. I know he likes spinning
kicks and loves to use elbows, but if I put my hands on a man,
he will fall down.”
Silva
looked mortal in victories over Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Demian
Maia at UFC 112 and Team Quest standout Chael Sonnen at UFC 117.
Belfort was watching.
“If
I hit him like Demian and Sonnen did, it’s going to be different
because I have much more firepower,” he said. “Still,
a fight is a fight, and we know we’re two well-conditioned
champions. The most important thing is to be well-trained and
focused on each second of that fight.
“I
know Anderson knows that if my hands hit him, he will not be
able to stand on his feet,” Belfort added. “No matter
who’s on the other side of the cage, whether it’s Anderson
or someone else, I’m going forward. If you look at my last
fights, you’re going to see how focused I am. I know what
I want. I have no doubt about what I want or what I’m able
to do, so I’m very motivated.”
Belfort’s
first-round technical knockout victory over Franklin at UFC 103
was his first inside the Octagon in more than five years. It
was supposed to set up his showdown with Silva for the promotion’s
middleweight crown in April, but the aforementioned injury forced
Belfort to withdraw. He has lost none of his hunger since.
“I
really want this belt,” Belfort said. “I want to face
whoever has the belt. Today, it’s Anderson, so I really
want to face him. He can’t fight this year, and I won’t
wait for him until next year. They gave me a fight [against Okami]
in November, and I’m really happy and anxious for that fight.”
Belfort
-- who has won five consecutive fights, four of them by knockout
-- also addressed the growing trend in MMA in which friends and
teammates have shown a reluctance to fight one another.
“I
can’t see MMA as a personal sport,” he said. “I
don’t hate anyone, but it’s my job. There are a lot
of people who make up fake friendships to avoid fighting someone.
If I fight someone, it doesn’t mean we’re enemies.
There’s nothing personal in wanting the belt. I have nothing
against Anderson, but I want his belt, and we will fight for
that.
“If
he wins, congratulations to him, but we have to stop this bulls--t
with some fighters wanting to solver their problems in the Octagon,”
Belfort added. “My problems aren’t inside the Octagon.
I solve my problems when I have someone step in there to fight
me and we make money as professionals. Fighters have to understand
that the more we respect each other the more the fans will admire
us and respect our sport.”
Source: Sherdog
|
K-1
makes official announcement on Andrei Arlovski
By Zach
Arnold
Both Remy Bonjasky and Badr Hari are off of the card that takes
place on 10/2 in Seoul, South Korea at the Olympic Gym. So, here
is the World GP 2010 Final 16 card line-up:
¦Alistair
Overeem (Holland) vs. Ben Edwards (Australia)
¦Jerome Le Banner (France) vs. Kyotaro (Japan)
¦Semmy Schilt (Holland) vs. Hesdy Gerges (Egypt)
¦Ewerton Teixeira (Brazil) vs. Peter Aerts (Holland)
¦Errol Zimmerman (Curacao) vs. Daniel Ghita (Romania)
¦Gohkan Saki (Turkey) vs. Freddy Kemayo (France)
¦Andrei Arlovski (Belarus) vs. Raul Catinas (Romania)
¦Ruslan Karaev (Russia) vs. Tyrone Spong (Suriname)
Plus these others fights:
¦Chalid
“Die Faust” Arrab (Germany) vs. Dzevas Poturak (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
¦Sergey Kharitonov (Russia) vs. Takumi Sano (Japan)
¦Min Ho Song (South Korea) vs. Hyun Man Myung (South Korea)
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Werdum
Predicts March Return, Comments on Barnett Signing
by Marcelo
Alonso
Fabricio
Werdum file photo: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com
After
a career-changing win against Fedor Emelianenko on June 26 in
Strikeforce and a mid August surgery that removed 27 bone fragments
in his elbow, Fabricio Werdum’s life has markedly changed.
"I’m
really happy. The surgery was such a success and I’ve been
working so hard with the physical therapy that I’ve already
made some movement on the ground a few days ago using 70 percent
of my power,” said the Brazilian heavyweight, who couldn’t
fully extend his arm for the last two years. "My main goal
is to work on my shrunken tendon. Besides physical therapy, I’m
using a ‘Dim Fist’ machine overnight. That machine
works on extending my tendon."
While
his elbow mends, Werdum -- who earned a shot at Strikeforce heavyweight
champion Alistair Overeem by handing the Russian legend his first
loss in nearly a decade -- will embark on a seminar tour around
the world.
"On
October 16, I’m going to Madrid (Spain) where I have more
than 200 students. My brother said that we must have more than
a 100 people in that seminar,” he said. “On the 17th
and 18th, I’ll teach a seminar in Bordeaux (France). On
October 22nd, I’m going to Abu Dhabi to see Marcus Oliveira
in the finals of the ADFC tournament. On the 23rd, I’m doing
a seminar in Seville (Spain), then on the 30th, I’ll be
in a seminar in Croatia. By November 4, I have to return to U.S.
to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. On November 5, I’m
going to Tokyo, Japan and right after that I return to California
to start my MMA training. I believe that by March, I’ll
be back to the ring.”
The
33-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt knows he’ll have
an expanding field of heavyweights to return to, which was recently
strengthened with the signing of former UFC champion Josh Barnett.
"I
thought it was a great acquisition to the event. Barnett is a
really tough heavyweight,” said Werdum. “ I haven’t
thought about facing him yet. My goal now is either a rematch
with Fedor or (one) with Overeem for the belt. But actually the
most important thing for me is not who they will choose, but
that my body is 100 percent recovered, so I can show to the ones
who thought I was lucky that I was actually ready and pretty
well-trained to fight Fedor.”
Source: Sherdog
|
UFC
119: Mir vs. CroCop Tomorrow
Hawaii
Air Times:
SPIKE Channel 559
3:00-4:00PM UFC 119 Preliminaries
Channel 701
3:00-4:00PM Countdown
4:00-7:00PM UFC 119
UFC
119 Preview: The Main Card
by Tomas
Rios
I
don’t much care for main events. They’re often overhyped
and anticlimactic, which essentially defeats the purpose of a
main event.
UFC
119 has been batted around a bit because a headliner between
Frank Mir and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic isn’t
all that relevant in the current heavyweight division, and there
is no argument to be made against that stance.
Then
again, the main card has five fights any fan worth his or her
salt wants to see whether it be for nostalgic thrill or stylistic
gold. Here to cut through all the nonsense and deliver the goods
is the same guy coming off a disastrous night of picks for UFC
Fight Night 22.
Of
course, that means only one thing … I’m due for a good
performance, right?
Frank
Mir vs. Mirko Filipovic
Considering
that both Mir and Filipovic are notorious frontrunners, there
are only two realistic outcomes for this fight. Either one of
them puts together some big offense early and ends the fight
right there or it turns into an ugly game of survival between
two men who are fighting a fair bit heavier than they should
be.
While
the publicized dynamic of this fight is one of striker vs. grappler,
it actually goes much deeper than that given the intellectual
bent in Mir’s fighting style. Against Cheick Kongo he had
the foresight to know he could get off some offense on the feet
if Kongo came out too concerned with defending his takedowns.
That’s a level of strategy that Filipovic has never embraced,
and with time he has only become more prone to fighting to his
own detriment.
After
all, it took some desperate pleading from his corner for Filipovic
to throw his vaunted left high kick at Pat Barry. Sure enough,
the fight turned around as soon as he did. Of course, that was
preceded by five minutes of unvarnished beatdown. Mir may occasionally
overthink his approach and fall flat on his face, but if Filipovic
comes out flat, he’s not going to last long enough to put
together a rally.
Way
back in the day, Filipovic’s sprawl was enough to stuff
most any takedown. The level of wrestling even in the thin heavyweight
division has increased dramatically since then, though, and his
athleticism hasn’t held up over time. That pancake sprawl
was a function of his now faded athleticism, and he doesn’t
have the technique to make up for it. Further complicating matters
is that he doesn’t use his boxing as well as he used to.
When
Filipovic is putting his hands together it becomes very clear
very fast that he still has the timing and technique to beat
someone of Mir’s caliber. However, much like his kicks,
his boxing is a weapon he doesn’t use anywhere near enough.
If Filipovic does come out committed to throwing strikes, there
is a great chance he lands one cleanly and Mir falls apart as
he so often does when he gets hit hard.
Then
again, should Mir get his hands on Filipovic and drag him down,
the fight basically turns even more one-sided than it is on the
feet. Because of the striker-heavy nature of the heavyweight
division, Filipovic has only had to work on the floor a few times.
Against anyone with real skill he has struggled mightily. Given
Mir’s penchant for locking up submissions early, a single
first-round takedown is likely all that separates him from a
no-fuss win.
However,
just as Filipovic so often fails to let his limbs do what they
do best, Mir often fails to realize he is and always will be
a grappler first. That wouldn’t be such a problem if Mir
had the ability to absorb punishment, but that’s just not
the case. Granted, most anyone would fall apart if Shane Carwin
hit them clean even once, but Mir also got tagged up by Marcio
Cruz. Even imagining what would happen if Filipovic hit him has
the feel of a Clive Barker novel.
For
all the attempts at technical insight out there on this bout,
there is simply no way anyone can have a real feel for how this
fight will go. Both fighters are too prone to either fighting
to their own detriment or simply fighting with some terrible
excuse for strategy. Keeping that in mind, I think Mir will test
his luck on the feet for a bit and end up splayed out on the
canvas. Just by thinking that, I think I may have guaranteed
Mir a first-round submission win, but I’m sticking by the
Croatian Jack Bauer for once.
Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader
This
fight is being billed as a sort of title eliminator match in
the absurdly competitive light heavyweight division, but more
than anything it’s a chance for both the UFC and fans to
figure out exactly how good Bader and Nogueira really are. Both
are coming off so-so performances that raised real questions
about just how long either man can be expected to last in the
grueling marathon that is earning a title shot.
For
Nogueira the most obvious concern is his tendency to sleepwalk
through long stretches of fights. It nearly cost him his fight
with Jason Brilz, and Bader poses many of the same issues with
the added dimension of being more athletic and a heavier hitter.
For all the talk of Nogueira’s amateur wrestling background,
his actual boxing skill is overrated and it’s his knee to
the midsection that Bader needs to watch out for.
While
Nogueira isn’t going to effortlessly 1-2 Bader out of the
cage, it was troubling to see Bader struggle at times against
Keith Jardine’s shopworn boxing game. The deciding factor
in how he fares this time around basically comes down to who
controls the distance. As long as Nogueira can work from afar
and back Bader off with knees when he comes inside, the fight
is a pretty straightforward proposition for him.
It’s
if and when “Darth” closes the pocket that all of Nogueira’s
flaws come into play. His timing in close quarters is mediocre,
which results in lots of arm punches with no pop behind them.
Even though Bader’s defense isn’t the best, as long
as he doesn’t eat any clean counters on the way inside,
he’ll win the exchanges based on power alone. This also
leads to the other obvious advantage he holds over Nogueira --
his wrestling.
Brilz
was hardly the first man to show some of the limitations inherent
in Nogueira’s grappling. This is after all the light heavyweight
division, which is known for as much as anything else the quality
of capable wrestlers populating the division. Bader has a stout
base and has shown flashes of ground-and-pound savvy that belie
his youth in the sport.
Playing
a deep half guard and working front headlock chokes has worked
for Nogueira in the past because he’s mostly been spared
taking on the very best the division has to offer. Despite being
a behemoth of a light heavyweight, Bader is shockingly fluid
on the mat and holds position with ease. When Nogueira does try
to work a sweep or scramble for a submission, he’s going
to find Bader difficult to move and far more willing to drop
a fist in his face.
While
the Nogueira brothers are revered for their toughness, Bader
isn’t a guy you want taking clean shots at your chin. With
the exception of sub-UFC competition and the notoriously southpaw
vulnerable Luis Arthur Cane, it’s been a long while since
Nogueira actually outclassed a world-class caliber fighter. The
other factor to keep in mind is that Bader is still improving,
and that’s something Nogueira can’t account for in
training camp.
Beyond
any expectations for improvement, the fact remains that Bader
can easily take control of this fight as long as he fights with
the slightest bit of strategy. I don’t expect him to come
out throwing counter left hooks or hitting side control passes
-- both techniques Nogueira leaves himself open to -- but he
can use his power and top control in equal measure far easier
than Nogueira can get any real offense going. There will be plenty
of difficult moments on the way and some hearty post-fight debate
is undoubtedly looming, but Bader will do just enough to take
a decision win.
Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle
Usually,
a fight between two 36-year-olds with UFC records hovering around
the .500 mark means someone is being lined up for a pink slip.
Then again, there aren’t many 36-year-olds as popular as
Serra and Lytle. Besides the cache these two hold with fans both
committed and casual, this match is an opportunity for them to
resolve once and for all the disputed decision Serra took over
Lytle at “The Ultimate Fighter 4” finale.
That
fight is undoubtedly best remembered for the chain reaction it
set off that culminated with Serra having his own Buster Douglas
moment and briefly holding the UFC welterweight title. However,
the decision he took over Lytle to set that table was marred
by controversy, as many observers scored it in favor of “Lights
Out.” While some of those same observers are expecting a
replay of that first bout, the truth is that we are dealing with
two very different fighters than the ones who locked horns in
Las Vegas nearly four years ago.
Talent
and skill were never problems for Lytle, but his willingness
to use them was often erratic at best. Since then he’s turned
into a bonus check regular with daring performances that disregard
strategy in favor of all-out offense. That sort of go-for-broke
style got him into some bad situations with Kevin Burns and Matt
Brown, forcing come-from-behind rallies out of the native Hoosier.
Against
Serra the mistakes Lytle has been making of late will likely
get him knocked out well before he has a chance to cash a bonus
check. Despite being the first American black belt under Renzo
Gracie, Serra was never a dominant grappler in MMA. He has finally
embraced his greatest weapon, though: an atomic rear right hook.
It’s an unusual punch from the orthodox stance, but Serra
knows how to set it up, as evidenced by his surprisingly patient
dissection of Frank Trigg.
Of
course, Lytle poses a great many more problems than Trigg. A
close watching of his recent bouts reveals some bad habits on
defense, however, that could cost him against any breed of power
puncher. The most obvious of which being his tendency to carry
his hands low and lunge in for body shots. Now, working the body
is something that simply isn’t done enough in MMA, but it
does require a certain level of technique to do so without leaving
yourself wide open for counters.
More
often than not, Lytle just reaches in with a combination to the
body and then pulls straight back out with his head exposed the
whole time. It takes uncommon reflexes to get away with that,
and Lytle just doesn’t have them. Should Lytle pursue a
striking match with Serra, those defensive issues combined with
his fading hand speed and power put him at a serious disadvantage
no matter how much the booth makes of his marginal boxing experience.
It
may sound like an odd conclusion, but any mixed martial artist
with a big punch and the patience to set it up properly is going
to give Lytle fits. While he has always been a predominantly
stand-up fighter, Lytle does have a funky submission game that
has netted him many an unusual submission win. Unfortunately
for him, Serra isn’t the guy to try and hit a mounted triangle
kimura on.
You’re
not going to see him bust out much in the way of high-level MMA
grappling, but Serra is still incredibly difficult to work against
on the mat. His defense is tight, and he’s very difficult
to get down in the first place. After all this is the same guy
that bullied Matt Hughes to the floor, and Lytle has never been
a particularly good wrestler -- if anything, it’s always
been his biggest weakness.
No
one should be surprised if Serra hits outside leg trips from
the body lock on a consistent basis and Lytle fails to get his
guard game working against him. However, Serra isn’t going
to give up on the chance to work his hands against a willing
opponent. As tough and durable as Lytle is, I struggle to think
of any welterweight who can eat Serra’s right hand on a
regular basis.
The
fact of the matter is that Serra is a much tougher style clash
for Lytle than anyone seems to be giving him credit for. It would
take an unusually disciplined approach for Lytle to win this
fight, and he’d still have to be careful to not cross into
the outright conservatism that cost him the first match. Much
more likely is him coming right at Serra and getting the worst
of a wild fight that ends with a Fight of the Night bonus but
no winner’s purse.
Sean Sherk vs. Evan Dunham
Fifteen
months ago Sherk lost a lopsided unanimous decision to underdog
Frank Edgar and things went from being bad to being a psychotic
dystopia designed entirely for him. The native Minnesotan was
forced to pull out of three separate UFC bouts thanks to injuries,
and his strained reputation with fans turned into a compound
fracture. His oft-delayed return to the Octagon won’t be
a soft landing either, as his opponent may yet turn out to be
the breakout star of 2010.
Already
the owner of wins over Efrain Escudero and Tyson Griffin this
year alone, Dunham is a problematic opponent in that he poses
problems for both versions of Sherk. While most fighters will
try to marry their best skills in a sort of fistic alchemy, Sherk
has all but abandoned his smothering top-control game in favor
of a striking style that emphasizes getting inside and hitting
Gatling gun combinations. However, he doesn’t have the physical
tools to make that approach work against anyone who won’t
stay in the pocket with him.
Sherk
has no reach. It’s when he’s getting hit from range
and whiffing on his own punches that he gets into trouble --
a scenario that played out ad infinitum in bouts with B.J. Penn
and Frankie Edgar. A bad trend for Sherk since Dunham not only
has a massive reach advantage on him, but unlike so many of his
contemporaries, he knows how to use his reach correctly. The
jab and left cross form the backbone of his striking, and that
sort of down-the-pipe punching style combined with Dunham’s
reach will be poisonous to Sherk.
Of
course, should Sherk get inside on Dunham, he’ll have a
marked hand speed advantage and few put together proper boxing
combinations as well as he does. However, Sherk often struggles
to get inside because his movement is so flatfooted. Compare
that to Dunham, who moves in and out of range fluidly, which
leads to his opponents coming up just short on their strikes.
Inconsistency
is what to watch for from Dunham’s feet movement since it
wasn’t until his match with Griffin that he showed the discipline
to use it for a full 15 minutes. The other way to look at that
is as evidence of Dunham’s ongoing improvement. While there
have been some issues with Dunham’s conditioning and defense,
both against takedowns and strikes, he has shown fight to fight
improvement in those areas and further developed his offensive
repertoire.
At
37 years of age with nearly 40 professional bouts to his name,
Sherk is well past the point of making the kinds of quantum leaps
that Dunham is becoming known for. The more worrying aspect for
Sherk, though, is that he’s coming off a 15-month layoff
marred by injury troubles. Cage rust, especially when caused
by injuries, has been unkind to a great many returning fighter.
There is no reason to believe Sherk will pull a Randy Couture
and defy Father Time come Saturday night.
What
many are expecting Sherk to do is revert back to his wrestling
roots and grind out a vintage top control-fueled decision win.
This blatantly ignores the fact that Sherk hasn’t relied
on his wrestling to win a fight in more than three years. Also,
we’re not jumping into a time machine and going back to
2004 for this fight. Sherk’s shot is undeniably explosive,
but takedown defense at this level of MMA has improved dramatically
in the years since he was double legging people through the canvas.
Chasing
takedowns on Dunham is a dangerous game anyway since he’s
unnaturally good at grabbing hold of the front headlock, where
he can either threaten with chokes or step around into back control.
If Sherk shoots in and doesn’t hit an instantaneous takedown,
he’s going to find Dunham to be the vastly superior grappler
in a scramble. Even if Sherk does get top control, Dunham is
skilled at using the butterfly guard and deep half guard to disrupt
his opponent’s base while shifting his own hips to escape
to the feet or assume top control.
If
there was some way of knowing that Sherk is absolutely injury
free and prepared to use both his wrestling and striking in concert,
this would be the most compelling fight on the card. As is, it’s
a great bit of matchmaking that will almost certainly serve to
further Dunham’s resume for title contention. Stopping Sherk
is borderline impossible, but Dunham will beat him to the punch
standing and get the better of him on the mat en route to a competitive
but easy-to-score decision win.
Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens
Both
Guillard and Stephens have been in this spot before -- on the
main card with a nice win streak going and the chance to graduate
from gatekeeper to contender. The difference this time around
is that they don’t have to worry about any of that annoying
grappling business.
The
best laid plans of mice and matchmakers go awry faster than a
season of “Celebrity Rehab,” but Stephens and Guillard
have never been the sort to pass up on a game of Find the Chin.
Ironically, finding the chin is often their biggest problem,
as they don’t use the jab with any semblance of regularity.
A problem exacerbated by a raging desire to land kill-shots from
the opening bell.
However,
Stephens does use the outside leg kick and lead left hook surprisingly
well to find his range. In his bout with Sam Stout, he circumvented
the Canadian’s technical advantage by using those strikes
early to set the table for his vaunted overhand right. While
that’s been his modus operandi for some time now, he did
show a marked improvement in his defense as manifested in the
form of more varied and intelligent movement.
How
Stephens moves his feet in this fight will be of the utmost importance.
Guillard is nothing short of devastating in the pocket. Dennis
Siver is one of the more respected strikers in the lightweight
division, and he lasted all of 36 seconds with Guillard because
he stood right in front of him. The flip side is that any movement
seems to befuddle “The Young Assassin” -- a fact driven
home in his loss to Nate Diaz, which saw his dominance in the
pocket fade into nothingness the second Diaz started circling
away from him.
The
influence of Greg Jackson will weigh in heavily on this fight,
as Guillard has become a surprisingly willing pupil despite a
history of substandard training camps. By the same token, Jackson’s
influence should not be overstated since his disciplined approach
to MMA has served mostly to keep his latest protégé
from making the boneheaded mistakes that have cost him many a
fight before. Actual improvements in his striking have yet to
materialize beyond some decent work with the jab against Ronny
Torres, who had nothing to offer Guillard on the feet.
Given
their well-documented nuclear-grade power, either man can end
this fight with a blitz of ground strikes. With that said, Stephens
is more likely to try that tact since Guillard seems to have
stopped chasing ill-advised double legs and judo throws. Unfortunately
for Stephens, Guillard’s takedown defense is nothing short
of stellar both in terms of stuffing takedowns and recovering
back to his feet. If anything, watch for the aftermath of the
inevitable knockdowns since both fighters rack them up with unusual
regularity.
Should
the fight come down to a battle of the beards, the smart money
is on Stephens. It’s hard to shake the image of Guillard
getting wobbled by a Joe Stevenson jab, and it’s not like
he’s made any obvious defensive improvements since then.
Stephens’ varied offense and gradually improving technique
wins the day in this one.
Source: Sherdog
|
TUF
12 EP 2 RECAP: TEAM PICKS & GSP TRICKERY
by Jeff
Cain
In Episode 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team
Koscheck,” the fighters moved into their new residence,
team selections took place, and the season’s first fight
ended in a submission.
Earning
their tenancy in the fighter house, the competitors got their
first glimpse of the sprawling Las Vegas mansion they’d
call home. They burst through the front door and raced to stake
claim to their beds and rooms.
Personalities
began to come out.
Jeffrey
Lentz smokes cigarettes and Alex Caceres plays a mean harmonica.
The
athletes were brought to the UFC gym for team selections and
the mind games and strategy by the coaches immediately took hold.
St-Pierre
knew that Koscheck coached Marc Stevens in college at the University
at Buffalo and would likely want his old pupil on his team. So
he decided to hatch a plot to sway the first team picks in his
favor no matter how the coin toss went.
St-Pierre
made a fake list placing Stevens at the top and made sure Koscheck
was able to get a good look at it. The hope was that Koscheck
would pick Stevens first giving St-Pierre the opportunity to
get the fighter he wanted.
“What
I did is I put him in big characters in my fake list at number
one and by doing so it would lose one of his chances,” explained
St-Pierre.
“As
we go in to the team picks, I noticed that Georges St-Pierre
is holding his team picks in his hand and it’s facing me
and Koscheck,” said UFC president Dana White.
White
alerted St-Pierre to be more guarded of his list and St-Pierre
whispered in response, “It’s a strategy.”
A
coin was tossed to determine which coach would be granted the
decision of picking the first fighter or playing matchmaker for
the first bout. Koscheck won the toss, but lost the first strategic
battle to St-Pierre.
Team
Koscheck had ranked all the fighters placing Michael Johnson
at the top, but after getting a glimpse of St-Pierre’s list
opted to select Stevens instead, falling for the deception.
A
smile emerged on St-Pierre’s face and he chose Michael Johnson
to be his first team member.
“He
made Koscheck go after Stevens first so he could get Michael
Johnson,” explained White. “Well-played Georges St-Pierre,
well-played.”
Koscheck’s
second selection was Sevak Magakian. St-Pierre decided on Jonathan
Brookins.
Coach
Koscheck handed his next team jersey to Sako Chivitchian, while
St-Pierre welcomed Spencer Paige.
With
eight fighters to choose from, Koscheck selected Andy Main next.
St-Pierre picked Alex Caceres. Koscheck followed by naming Nam
Phan. St-Pierre opted for Kyle Watson.
With
the choices dissolving, Koscheck chose Aaron Wilkins and Coach
St-Pierre chose Cody McKenzie. Koscheck’s final selection
was Jeffrey Lentz, leaving only Dane Sayers standing to become
the final member of Team GSP.
Marc
Stevens, Sevak Magakian, Sako Chivitchian, Andy Main, Nam Phan,
Aaron Wilkins, and Jeffrey Lentz make up Team Koscheck.
Michael
Johnson, Jonathan Brookins, Spencer Paige, Alex Caceres, Kyle
Watson, Cody McKenzie, and Dane Sayers make up Team GSP.
The
Teams worked out for the first time and the fighters got to experience
their coach’s style.
St-Pierre
is leaving the coaching up to his team of assistants and becoming
a training partner of his seven fighters.
“I’m
the coach on the season, but I think I would be of better use
for these guys as a training partner than a coach,” said
the welterweight titleholder. “I let my coach, coach my
team, and I’m more of like a training partner with these
guys.”
Koscheck
was confident he had the coaching advantage over his Canadian
adversary having been a contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter”
and having coaching experience.
“I
think I have the edge versus Georges St-Pierre because I’ve
been here. I spent a long time here on Season One,” commented
Koscheck. “It’s been over six years and I’m back.
“I
believe in mindless training,” said the American Kickboxing
Academy trained Koscheck. “Mindless training is, guess what,
you guys just show up and train. I’ll tell you what to do,
and if you listen to me you’ll achieve your goals.”
Coach
St-Pierre announced the first pairing. He allowed his fighters
to decide the match-up and Alex Caceres asked to fight Jeffery
Lentz, so the match was made.
ALEX
CACERES “BRUCE LEE ROY” VS. JEFFREY LENTZ
Caceres
came out throwing kicks: front kicks, high kicks, spinning back
kicks. But Lentz landed first with a glancing kick off of Caceres’
jaw. Lentz used his size and strength to press “Bruce Lee
Roy” against the cage and controlled him most of the round.
The Team Koscheck member took Caceres down in the round and in
the closing seconds executed a judo throw, sealing the round
on MMAWeekly.com’s scorecard.
Lentz
pushed forward in the second round looking for the knockout.
In a scramble from the clinch position, Caceres secured a takedown,
but Lentz ended up in top position. Lentz began a ground and
pound attack and Caceres went for a triangle choke. Lentz picked
him up, elevated him, and slammed Caceres to the canvas, but
the submission only locked on tighter. Lentz was forced to tap
despite proclaiming on the first night in the house that he wouldn’t
tap out to a choke.
Alex
“Bruce Lee Roy” Caceres advances in the competition.
Lentz can only hope he’ll receive a wild card slot or replace
an injured fighter for a birth back in.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
LEBEN
VS. STANN IN THE WORKS FOR UFC 125
by Damon
Martin
A fight is in the works for UFC 125 on New Year's Day that will
pit "Ultimate Fighter Season 1” competitor Chris Leben
against former Marine officer Brian Stann in a middleweight contest.
The
news of the fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close
to the match-up that stated the bout has been offered and agreed
to by both fighters, but bout agreements have not been issued
at this point.
While
his nickname is "The Crippler," Chris Leben (25-6)
recently also earned the moniker of "The Marathon Man,"
as the former Team Quest fighter took two fights in a two-weeks
span. After handing Aaron Simpson the first loss of his career,
Leben got the call to replace Wanderlei Silva on short notice
against Yoshihiro Akiyama.
Leben
went in and put on a career performance against the tough Japanese
fighter, submitting Akiyama with a triangle choke late in the
third round. Taking some much needed time off after the fight,
which included a trip to Thailand to train, Leben is ready to
get back in action in January.
Trying
to halt Leben's current run is former WEC light heavyweight champion
Brian Stann (9-3), who looks to keep his middleweight record
flawless. Dropping down to 185 pounds for his last fight, Stann
picked up his first submission win as he finished Mike Massenzio
with a triangle choke. The finish earned him "Submission
of the Night" honors.
Stann
has spent the majority of his time training at Greg Jackson's
gym in New Mexico lately. He has stated that 185 pounds will
be a much better weight class for his future.
There
has been no official word if the bout between Leben and Stann
will make the main card of the pay-per-view, but the fight should
be all but a lock for television.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Belfort
vs. Okami Confirmed for UFC 122
By FCF Staff
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has confirmed, that as expected,
Vitor Belfort will face Yushin Okami in the main event of the
promotion’s upcoming November 13th event in Oberhausen,
Germany. The middleweight bout was referred to in the official
press release announcing the event as a "title eliminator."
Belfort
(19-8) will be competing for the first time in 2010, as a shoulder
injury and subsequent surgery prevented him from fighting champion
Anderson Silva in April. Belfort (pictured above) last fought
in September, 2009, when he stopped Rich Franklin in the first
round.
“The
German fans will see a 100% performance from me against Okami,”
Belfort was quoted saying. “I am looking for the knockout,
I always look for the knockout. I know Okami is the type of guy
who can bang a little and also has that judo style, but I am
on a mission to be the UFC Champion once again.”
Okami (25-5) has won back-to-back bouts over Lucio Linhares and
more recently Mark Munoz, after he lost by Unanimous Decision
to Chael Sonnen last October.
“I’m
looking forward to the opportunity to fight a great like Vitor
Belfort in the main event of a big card,” said Okami. “Vitor
Belfort is still kind of my idol, so I am very excited. He will
bring out the very best in me. Belfort is a great fighter but
I feel I have certain advantages I can use in the fight. I will
shock MMA fans around the world with my performance.”
No
other bouts were announced for UFC 122, which will be hosted
by Oberhausen's König-Pilsener-Arena.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Josh
Thomson on fight with JZ Calvacante:
Hey, it’s just another fight
By Zach
Arnold
INTERVIEWER:
“How have you been since we last saw you in the cage?”
JOSH
THOMSON: “I’ve been good. Taking my dog for a walk,
you know, eating a lot and putting some weight on, getting fat,
that kind of thing. So, by October 9th I’ll be ready.”
INTERVIEWER:
“So you have a huge fight on October 9th against JZ Calvacante.
How do you feel like you match up against him?”
JOSH
THOMSON: “Um, you know, I think we’re just completely
different fighters. I mean, he’s shorter, he’s stalkier,
he’s probably going to be stronger than me but you know
I mean I’ve dealt with everybody that’s always been
stronger than me, I’m not a strong Lightweight. I’m
not really too concerned, it’s just another fight and I
think he’s a great fighter and he’s beaten all the
best guys, you know, and his only losses have come to like the
best guys so and… it’s just another fight, you know,
it’s going to be a good fight, though, I’ll tell you
that.
“Two
totally different styles are going to clash and we’re just
going to see what happens. Flip a coin, we’ll see.”
INTERVIEWER:
“Do you think this is a #1 contender’s match?”
(for Gilbert Melendez’s Strikeforce Lightweight title championship)
JOSH
THOMSON: “Uh, you know… I don’t really know, I
mean… Really, I mean, I don’t think there’s any
other two other Lightweights better than us in Strikeforce. I
mean, there’s Gil, you know the three of us are the three
best guys and I think that’s why they matched us. I would
have liked to have seen a little buildup from JZ in Strikeforce,
you know maybe have him fight Gurgel, which you know he just
fought KJ, but you know somebody else I mean, but whatever. I’m
down to fight him and like I said I only want the best fights
so they threw a line out at me, you know, I was like a fish and
just took it. A stupid fish, but hey, I took it.”
INTERVIEWER:
“So the main event, KJ Noons vs. Nick Diaz. What’s
your prediction for that fight?”
JOSH
THOMSON: “Who freaking knows? You know, I mean KJ’s
fighting at Lightweight, you know the first time they fought
people shouldn’t forget that the first time they thought
it was at 160, it wasn’t at 170, I don’t know if they
even have a catch weight for this fight. Yeah, see it’s
170, that’s for the title so… you know, Nick’s
going to be a little bit bigger and Nick’s been fighting
bigger guys and I don’t k now, man, it’s going to be
really hard to tell but I’m only going to go with Nick because
he’s been fighting the bigger guys lately and he’s
really looked good his last couple of fights. But it’s going
to be interesting to see, too, he’s coming off a layoff.
He’s not used to coming off of a layoff like this, you know,
he fought Sakurai but I mean you know he’s been suspended
and now I mean I don’t know what he’s been doing and
doing the normal but hey whatever he’s doing is working,
so you can’t underestimate him, man. I got to say Nick right
now is probably one of the best at Welterweight in the world.
If not, you know, the Top 3 or 4 you know so but KJ, KJ’s
he’s a little bit smaller, they’re not fighting at
160 this time, that’s probably the only reason I’m
going to take Nick is that I think KJ is a little smaller, he’s
been trying to fight Lightweights and trying to keep his weight
down, you know, I think the weight might end up being a problem
and if they get in the mix up as far as like in the clinch and
stuff like that.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
California
MMA has a farm system
By CARLOS
ARIAS
Every sport needs a farm system to develop young talent.
California mixed martial artists now have a farm league of their
own with the formation of the California Amateur Mixed Martial
Arts Organization.
•Warren with dramatic KO over Soto at Bellator 27CAMO has
big plans, launching the first ever California State Championships,
a statewide bracket-format tournament, culminating with state
championship title bouts in eight weight classes on Dec. 4. CAMO
has broken the state into eight regions and there will be 37
events over the next three months. Orange County is one of those
regions.
Turi Altavilla, who has worked with King of the cage, Pride Fighting
Championships and EliteXC, has turned his attention to amateur
MMA and will co-promote the Orange County region with first-round
matches on Saturday night at the Irvine Marriott. Battle in the
Ballroom veteran Roy Englebrecht and former WEC lightweight champion
"Razor" Rob McCullough are also involved with promoting
the event.
"These guys are really excited to live their dreams,"
Altavilla said. "This is going to be the kind of farm league
where the fighters can hone their skills. This is the place to
see the champions of tomorrow."
Altavilla said Saturday's card will features 8-10 bouts. Doors
open at 5 p.m. and the first bout is scheduled for 6 p.m. Call
(949) 760-3131 for tickets ($30-$65).
NOTES
Donald Cerrone's tirade during a recent interview with TapouT
Radio got the lightweight contender into some trouble with WEC
officials.
Cerrone and Varner have been engaged in a war of words since
their first fight in January 2009. Varner ended up winning a
split decision in a fight that was cut short due to an illegal
knee by Cerrone.
Cerrone, who faces Jamie Varner in a rematch at WEC 51 on Sept.
30 in Broomfield, Colo., used a homosexual slur to refer to Varner,
said he wanted to "kill this dude" and hoped he was
"the first death in MMA."
Cerrone issued a public apology shortly after the interview,
but WEC officials denounced Cerrone's words with a public statement
on Wednesday.
"Donald Cerrone went too far in talking about his upcoming
fight with Jamie Varner, and we believe he crossed a line of
decency in doing so," WEC Vice President Peter Dropick said.
"We will not tolerate a fighter who makes comments that
are not consistent with our company values, nor will we tolerate
the use of slurs that may offend any segment of the public.
"We are aware Donald issued his own immediate apology on
Twitter. but we still needed to speak with him about it and to
issue our own statement making our position known." ...
The UFC is unveiling its second UFC Gym in Rosemead with a grand
opening on Saturday at 10 a.m. UFC president Dana White, Chuck
Liddell, Bruce Buffer, B.J. Penn, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort,
Jon Fitch, Jon Jones, Gray Maynard, Dominick Cruz, Arianny Celeste
and Kenda Perez will make appearances throughout the day. The
UFC Gym is located at 3672 Rosemead Blvd. in Rosemead. ...
The So Cal Youth Cage Grappling Championships, which features
competitors from 6-17 years of age, will be held on Sunday at
Lightning MMA in Laguna Hills. The event is designed for intermediate
to advanced level youth grapplers. Weight classes will be pooled
and determined after the weigh-ins, which begin at 9 a.m. The
competitor entry fee is $20 (cash only). Registration is at the
weigh-ins. Lightning MMA, which is owned by "The Ultimate
Fighter 9" winner James Wilks, is located at 23211 Del Lago
Dr. Unit B in Laguna Hills. ...
Source: Orange County Register/Fight Opinion
|
Ryan
Gracie academy back to its origins
by Marcelo
Dunlop
Celsinho
on top at last South American Championship. Photo: Hugo Valente.
Current world runner-up in the thorny lightweight division Celsinho
Venícius is relieved that a long, drawn-out soap opera
has come to an end: team Ryan Gracie’s home base in the
city of São Paulo has finally been moved.
“Now
it’s settled, which will allow me to organize things for
my return to competition as quickly as possible,” Celso
told GRACIEMAG.com this Wednesday.
The
Ryan Gracie team home base returns to its original location in
the Itaim Bibi neighborhood. “Now training is taking place
at Training Gym at the corner of Rua Clodomiro Amazonas and Horácio
Lafer. The big advantage is that we put together a really strong
team of teachers in one location. Classes are being taught by
Celso Russo, Gabriel Vella, me and our student Luis Felipe Melo,”
reported the three-time black belt world champion.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Thiago
Tavares
By Guilherme Cruz
Without fighting since January, Thiago Tavares wants to leave
all the troubles behind him and come back in great style on UFC
119, which happens next Saturday (25), against PAt Audinwood.
Without knowing much about his opponent, who will make his own
debut on the event, Thiago promises a great fight. “Finally
my bad luck phase has gone, I have no injuries, anything, everything’s
great... I’ll beat this American up, I’ll come back
to UFC at my best”, guarantees the lightweight, on an exclusive
interview to TATAME, commenting on his opponent’s game,
the bad luck with injuries and revealing that he earned some
money by betting on Charles do Bronx’s. “I was one
of the few who believed that Charles do Bronx’s would win.
Escudero has a good spinning, is fast and it’s exactly what
Charles wants. He’s very good, fast... I accessed a betting
website and I earned money because of Charles do Bronx’s
(laughs)”, jokes.
How was your preparation for this comeback to UFC?
I kept the rhythm of my trainings, just like I did for my last
fight, the one that would happen in August, until they confirmed
anything. On this fight I did things based on what I was already
doing for my last fight.
What do you know about your opponent?
Nothing (laughs). I’ve watched one of his fights. On this
one, he kicked the head of the guy, the guy took him down and
then he submitted the guy with a triangle, so it doesn’t
mean a thing (laughs). What I know about him is that he knows
how to kick and can fit a triangle, nothing else. There’s
nothing on the internet about him, only some videos of him saying
things or giving interviews, but of fights there only this one
I told you about. He won most of his fights by submission, so
if he wants to fight on the ground, I’m pretty comfortable
with that. But since I was training to face a striker, I was
training a lot my stand-up game because I”d face (Willamy)
Chiquerim, so I kept that training. Since my base is Jiu-Jitsu,
anything he want to do with me on this fight, it’s ok by
me.
You were supposed to face Chiquerim, but he got injured, and
before the same has happened to you. Is this storm over?
Exactly. Finally my bad luck phase has gone, I have no injuries,
anything, everything’s great. I can do the whole training
every single day and that’s what was schedules, I’d
win with no injuries. I did my teamwork, my conditioning training...
Everything was great.
How do you see your division currently?
There’re new promises coming up. In January I fought and
had a draw with Nik Lentz, but I hit this guy a lot and he claimed
it was a low blow and I know it wasn’t, but whatever...
There’re new great guys getting here, Charles do Bronx’s
is one of them, he has a great star, is good in Jiu-Jitsu and
Muay Thai... There’re others too, but I’m not too concerned
about it, I want to know what I can do. It’s normal the
division to change, there’re always new names coming up,
the great names also fall... I want to do my job and I’m
not worried about everybody else.
What did you think of Charles do Bronx’s’ performance
on UFN 22, when he beat the winner of TUF, Efrain Escudero?
Man, I was one of the few who believed that Charles do Bronx’s
would win. Escudero has a good spinning, is fast and it’s
exactly what Charles wants. He’s very good, fast... He wants
exactly a guy who plays his game, a guy who likes to play it
rough. I betted on him... I accessed a betting website and I
earned money because of Charles do Bronx’s (laughs). I betted
and I won. They were paying like 2,6 to Charles and I made some
money because of him (laughs).
So you, more than everybody else, was there cheering for him,
right?
Actually, for me it doesn’t change anything. I won’t
cheer for him when he face each other (laughs). Against others,
I want Brazilians to win, I want the Brazilian team to be much
stronger. I’ve always cheered for Tibau, Rafael dos Anjos...
If I have to face one of them, I want to win, but I really cheered
for him, and I betted on him (Laughs) and earned a significant
amount of money because of him.
Do you want to send a message to the guys who will cheer for
you on UFC 119?
For
the guys who follow me, know my work and the twenty fights I
did all around the world, I’d like to ask so that all of
them cheer for me on this fight. I’ll beat this American
up, I’ll come back to UFC at my best, Tavares is back and
I’ll represent them the best possible way. I’ll bring
this win home, always looking forward because that’s what
people like, and so that’s what I’ll give them. Above
all, I want to bring this win. If you want to follow my career
and my life, access my Twitter too, it’s @tavaresmma. Follow
me there and see nice photos, my trainings, the guys who train
with me... On September 25, watch on UFC 119, Thiago Tavares
comeback.
Source: Tatame
|
Lindland-Rockhold
Match Scratched Due to Injury; Woodley-Galvao Added
By Mike
Chiappetta
An Oct. 9 middleweight clash between Matt Lindland and Luke Rockhold
has been scratched from the Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II card
after Rockhold suffered a shoulder injury in training and was
forced out of the bout, the promotion confirmed in a press release
on Wednesday.
In
its place, a welterweight bout pitting surging contenders Tyron
Woodley and Andre Galvao has been added.
Rockhold
is a 25-year-old product of the San Jose, California American
Kickboxing Academy who has made waves with a six-fight win streak
since joining Strikeforce. He's 7-1 overall. According to the
press release, the extent of his shoulder injury is yet unknown.
The bout would have represented a major step up in competition
for the young fighter, who was taking on the decorated 40-year-old
veteran with a 22-7 career record.
The
promotion gave no indication if the fight would be rescheduled
in the future.
Meanwhile,
the addition of Woodley-Galvao should make for a strong replacement.
Woodley
is currently unbeaten, with a 6-0 mark after a recent decision
win over Nathan Coy in May. Galvao is 5-1 during his young career,
losing only a split decision to Jason High. He's 2-0 in Strikeforce,
most recently defeating Jorge Patino via TKO.
The
Oct. 9 card will take place in San Jose, California, and feature
a welterweight title main event with champion Nick Diaz defending
his belt against KJ Noons, along with a co-main event of women's
135-pound champ Sarah Kaufman facing challenger Marloes Coenen.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Welcome
to 'Brocktober'-fest
By Jake Rossen
Ric Fogel for ESPN.com
October is the season for getting up close and personal with
UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar.
At
the grocery store? Pick up the latest issue of the UFC's branded
magazine, featuring Brock Lesnar on the cover. At home in front
of the television? Tune in to "UFC Unleashed" for Lesnar's
career highlights. Want to see him get agitated at a camera crew?
"UFC Primetime" airs weekly beginning Oct. 6.
You
do not need a flow chart and financials to understand why the
UFC will, for the foreseeable future, remain MMA's strongest
(and possibly only viable) brand. The promotion's media reach
has been perfectly structured to marinate the ages 18-34 demographic
in whatever it chooses to promote. It has become virtually impossible
to visit a supermarket, toy store, website or cable box without
getting the message. It is literally a perfect assembly of awareness,
and it has reached a pitch with "Brocktober," four
weeks designed to maximize anticipation for Lesnar's title defense
against Cain Velasquez. The UFC has commandeered an entire calendar
month for the occasion.
If
you're a promotion looking to edge out even a single percentage
point of market share, how do you compete with this? If you're
smart, you don't try. Don't do something the UFC does well and
do it poorly by comparison. Instead, do something it doesn't
do: network television (Strikeforce), gimmicks (celebrity fights,
tournaments) or create your own avenues of marketing (aside from
Kimbo Slice, Bellator is the only company that truly "gets"
the viral video market).
It's
still an uphill climb, but at least you're not in a head-on collision.
As for "Brocktober," although Lesnar remains the UFC's
biggest draw and its most intriguing personality, the promotion
may be only two fights away from needing to get creative with
its matchmaking.
That's
a concern for 2011, though, if ever. But if Lesnar winds up running
through the UFC's toughest heavyweight division in its 17-year
existence, he deserves at least two months named after him.
Source: ESPN
|
DREAM
16: OLYMPIC MEDALIST ISHII IN; THOMPSON OUT
by Ken
Pishna
Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii, who was once a hot prospect
on the UFC’s radar, was slotted in to a bout against Ikuhisa
Minowa at Dream 16, kicking British fighter James Thompson to
the curb.
Dream
announced the Sept. 25 bout at a last-minute press conference
on Wednesday.
Ishii,
who won his a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing,
has just two bouts on his professional record. He lost his MMA
debut to fellow Olympic Gold Medal Judoka Hidehiko Yoshida in
late 2009 before getting his first win on a non-descript event
in New Zealand earlier this year.
Minowa
by contract has a professional record of 46-30-8, facing some
of the biggest names, and literally, biggest fighters in mixed
martial arts. Besides fighting the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba,
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, and Ricardo Almeida, the
195-pound Minowa has defeated gargantuan fighters such as Hong
Man Choi, Bob Sapp, and Eric “Butterbean” Esch.
Thompson,
another rather large fighter, had originally been slotted in
to face Minowa, but was apparently the bout wasn’t appealing
enough to Dream’s TV network in Japan.
Thompson’s
camp told MMAWeekly.com that their fighter learned of the change
upon landing in Japan, following travel time of roughly 24 hours.
They were told that Dream officials were still searching for
a suitable opponent, but weren’t confident that there was
enough time for that to happen.
Dream
did promise Thompson that they would cover his fight purse whether
or not a suitable replacement could be found.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Independent
World MMA Rankings
September 17, 2010
By Zach
Arnold
From
the office of the Independent World MMA Rankings
September
17, 2010 – The September 2010 Men’s Independent World
MMA Rankings have been released. These rankings are independent
of any single MMA media outlet or sanctioning body, and are published
on multiple MMA web sites, as well as www.IndependentWorldMMARankings.com.
Some
of the best and most knowledgeable MMA writers from across the
MMA media landscape have come together to form an independent
voting panel. These voting panel members are, in alphabetical
order: Zach Arnold (Fight Opinion); Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings);
Jared Barnes (Freelance); Jordan Breen (Sherdog); Jim Genia (Full
Contact Fighter and MMA Journalist Blog); Jesse Holland (MMA
Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Todd Martin (Los Angeles Times
and Sherdog); Jim Murphy (The Savage Science); Zac Robinson (Sports
by the Numbers MMA); Leland Roling (Bloody Elbow); Michael David
Smith (AOL Fanhouse); Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion); and Dave Walsh
(Head Kick Legend).
Note:
Jake Shields, Jason Miller, and Paul Daley have each regained
their eligibility to be ranked, because all of their disciplinary
suspensions have expired.
Note:
Nick Diaz is still not eligible to be ranked because his disciplinary
suspension does not expire until September 23 (which is because
it did not begin until June 23).
Note:
Gilbert Melendez is still not eligible to be ranked because his
disciplinary suspension does not expire until October 13 (which
is because it did not begin until July 13).
Note:
Due to the fact that his recent fights have been in the middleweight
division, Jake Shields is eligible to be ranked exclusively in
the middleweight division until he makes his return to welterweight.
However, several individual voters chose not to rank Shields
at middleweight because of the fact that his return to the welterweight
division is just one month away.
September
2010 Men’s Independent World MMA Rankings
Ballots collected on September 14, 2010
Heavyweight
Rankings (206 to 265 lbs.)
1. Brock Lesnar (5-1)
2. Fedor Emelianenko (31-2, 1 No Contest)
3. Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1)
4. Cain Velasquez (8-0)
5. Shane Carwin (12-1)
6. Junior dos Santos (12-1)
7. Alistair Overeem (33-11, 1 No Contest)
8. Frank Mir (13-5)
9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1, 1 No Contest)
10. Antonio Silva (14-2)
Light
Heavyweight Rankings (186 to 205 lbs.)
1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-4)
2. Lyoto Machida (16-1)
3. Rashad Evans (15-1-1)
4. Quinton Jackson (30-8)
5. Forrest Griffin (17-6)
6. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-3)
7. Jon Jones (11-1)
8. Thiago Silva (14-2)
9. Gegard Mousasi (29-3-1)
10. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (10-2)
Middleweight
Rankings (171 to 185 lbs.)
1. Anderson Silva (27-4)
2. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1)
3. Nathan Marquardt (30-9-2)
4. Vitor Belfort (19-8)
5. Demian Maia (13-2)
6. Jake Shields (25-4-1)
7. Dan Henderson (25-8)
8. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (13-2, 1 No Contest)
9. Yushin Okami (25-5)
10. Jorge Santiago (23-8)
Welterweight
Rankings (156 to 170 lbs.)
1. Georges St. Pierre (20-2)
2. Jon Fitch (23-3, 1 No Contest)
3. Josh Koscheck (15-4)
4. Thiago Alves (17-7)
5. Dan Hardy (23-7, 1 No Contest)
6. Martin Kampmann (17-3)
7. Matt Hughes (45-7)
8. Paulo Thiago (13-2)
9. Paul Daley (25-9-2)
10. John Hathaway (14-0)
Lightweight
Rankings (146 to 155 lbs.)
1. Frankie Edgar (13-1)
2. B.J. Penn (15-7-1)
3. Gray Maynard (10-0, 1 No Contest)
4. Eddie Alvarez (20-2)
5. Shinya Aoki (24-5, 1 No Contest)
6. Kenny Florian (13-5)
7. Tatsuya Kawajiri (26-6-2)
8. George Sotiropoulos (13-2)
9. Evan Dunham (11-0)
10. Ben Henderson (12-1)
Featherweight
Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)
1. Jose Aldo (17-1)
2. Manny Gamburyan (11-4)
3. Urijah Faber (23-4)
4. Mike Brown (23-6)
5. Bibiano Fernandes (8-2)
6. Hatsu Hioki (22-4-2)
7. Marlon Sandro (17-1)
8. Josh Grispi (14-1)
9. Michihiro Omigawa (11-8-1)
10. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue (18-4)
Bantamweight
Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)
1. Dominick Cruz (16-1)
2. Brian Bowles (8-1)
3. Joseph Benavidez (12-2)
4. Scott Jorgensen (11-3)
5. Miguel Torres (37-3)
6. Takeya Mizugaki (13-4-2)
7. Damacio Page (15-4)
8. Masakatsu Ueda (11-1-2)
9. Wagnney Fabiano (14-2)
10. Shuichiro Katsumura (11-7-3)
The
Men’s Independent World MMA Rankings are tabulated on a
monthly basis in each of the top seven weight classes of MMA,
from heavyweight to bantamweight, with fighters receiving ten
points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place
vote, and so on.
The
rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the
voting panel, with nobody’s vote counting more than anybody
else’s vote, and no computerized voting.
The
voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters’
actual accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition
that they’ve actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective
perception of which fighters would theoretically win hypothetical
match-ups.
Inactivity:
Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not eligible
to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time
they fight.
Disciplinary
Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving disciplinary
suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug test
or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.
Changing
Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that he is leaving one
weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the fighter
is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class until his
first fight in the new weight class has taken place.
Catch
Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are
in between the limits of the various weight classes, they are
considered to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits
for each weight class are listed at the top of the rankings for
each weight class.
Special
thanks to Eric Kamander, Zach Arnold, and Joshua Stein for their
invaluable help with this project, and special thanks to Garrett
Bailey for designing our logo.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Hughes-Penn
trilogy fight set for UFC 123
Trilogies
have become a part of great film series and great fights.
The
next trilogy in MMA will take place at UFC 123 when former welterweight
champions B.J. Penn and Matt Hughes settle the score in the co-main
event of the Nov. 20 event in Detroit.
Rumors
about the bout began to circulate on Monday when Hughes posted
on his official website that UFC president Dana White had contacted
him with an interesting proposal for the November card.
Penn
previously stated on his website that he had also been contacted
about a potential return in November.
The
pieces started falling together and the two legends were put
together for a third fight. MMAWeekly.com sources on Monday confirmed
the rumors that Penn and Hughes had agreed to meet. MMAFighting.com
was the first to officially report the bout.
Penn
originally met Hughes in January 2004, when the former lightweight
decided to make the trip to 170 pounds to face one of the most
dominant champions the weight class had ever seen. While Penn
went into the bout as an underdog, he was more than happy to
shock the world. He submitted Hughes with a rear naked choke
in the first round.
The
two met again in September 2006, and after a back and forth war
early, Hughes eventually got Penn down, trapping him in a crucifix
position and hammered the Hawaiian with punches until the fight
was stopped.
Now,
in November, the pair will finally put their rivalry to rest.
Hughes
had stated after his August win over Ricardo Almeida that he
intended to take some time off and return in 2011, but he’s
also said numerous times that he doesn’t turn down the UFC
when they come calling. This appears to be one such instance.
This
will be the first trip back to 170 pounds for Penn since he lost
to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 94 in January 2009.
The
bout between Penn and Hughes will serve as the co-main event
on the card headlined by former light heavyweight champions Lyoto
Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Source: MMA Weekly |
TAPOUT
& SILVER STAR STILL COMPETITORS
TapouT and Silver Star have been rival clothing brands in the
mixed martial arts industry nearly since Silver Star emerged.
Now under the same ownership umbrella the two companies will
remain separate and competitors.
“Luke
(Burrett) will continue to run Silver Star. I will be running
TapouT,” stated Dan Caldwell (also known as Punkass), the
former owner and now president of TapouT.
“It’s
still run as two separate entities. It’s not like we’re
moving in together,” commented Caldwell to MMAWeekly.com
content partner TapouT Radio.
“They
(Authentic Brands Group LLC) are going to maximize our distribution
and that’s where, yeah, you’ll probably see Silver
Star hanging next to TapouT in certain stores where it makes
sense, but they also see the two different brands for what they
are. I mean they’re two different brands,” said Caldwell.
“They
have an overlap of customers but they also have segmented customers.
There’s customers that would buy Silver Star that wouldn’t
buy TapouT, and there’s TapouT customers that wouldn’t
buy Silver Star. They understand that and they want to continue
in that same direction. It’s not like Luke is moving into
our building next door. But as far as the sales side and some
of the things they can do that they can overlap, they will just
to conserve money and manpower.”
Caldwell’s
partner, Tim “Skrape” Katz, was more direct with his
analysis of TapouT’s relationship with Silver Star.
“We’re
still going to be trying to out compete with them in everything
we do. It’s still competitive. Just because we’re owned
by the same company now, it’s still competitive,” said
Katz.
“We’re
still going to go after fighters that we want, and try to steal
fighters if they have them and if we want them. It’s still
going to be run totally separate.”
The
environment may be competitive between the two companies, but
there’s a mutual respect shared between the two brands.
“We
both understood what was going on. I got on the phone with Luke
several times. We both understood this was a great thing for
the sport, and a great thing for the both brands,” said
Caldwell.
“I’ve
known Luke for a long time, even before he was in the MMA space,
or I was. I think maybe right around when we got started here.
He’s been around for a long time. We’ve been around
a long time. There’s some mutual respect there,” added
the new TapouT president.
“At
the end of the day we’re both out there to do business,
and we go out there and act like competitors.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
TUF
SEASON 12 PREMIER DRAWS 1.6 MILLION VIEWERS
“The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck,”
the series’ twelfth season, opened to an average of 1.6
million viewers on Wednesday night, according to Spike TV officials.
That
number is well below the 4.1 million that tuned in for the premier
of “The Ultimate Fighter: The Heavyweights,” which
featured Kimbo Slice. It is also slightly below the 1.9 million
viewers Season 10’s premier drew.
The
premier was still strong enough to land “Team GSP vs. Team
Koscheck” as the number one ranked show in the key advertiser
demographic of Men 18-49 on Wednesday night.
UFC
welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and number one contender
Josh Koscheck serve as coaches on Season 12 and will square off
in the main event of UFC 124 on Dec. 11 in Montreal.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
FIGHT NIGHT 22 AVERAGES 1.2 MILLION ON SPIKE
UFC Fight Night 22, featuring a main event between Nate Marquardt
and Rousimar Palhares, pulled in an average of 1.2 million viewers
on Wednesday night. The main event peaked at 1.6 million viewers.
The
viewership was slightly below Spike’s last couple of UFC
Fight Night telecasts. UFC Fight Night 21, featuring a main event
between Kenny Florian and Takanori Gomi, pulled in an average
of 1.6 million viewers, while UFC Fight Night 20, headlined by
Nate Diaz and Gray Maynard, recorded an average of 1.7 million
viewers.
The
UFC Fight Night telecasts on Spike TV topped out at a high point
of 3.1 million viewers for UFC middleweight champion Anderson
Silva’s light heavyweight debut against James Irvin at UFC
Fight Night 14 in July 2008.
Source: MMA Weekly |
FALSE
ALARM: CRO COP UNINJURED, STILL FACING MIR
Rumors started flying fast and furious on Friday when a report
out of Croatia, from index.hr, said that Mirko “Cro Cop”
Filipovic suffered an eye injury in his final training session
that put his UFC 119 headline bout with Frank Mir in jeopardy.
The
calls immediately went out and all indications are that the report
was a false alarm.
Everyone
from Cro Cop’s new best buddy, Pat Barry, to his boss, UFC
president Dana White, say that there is nothing wrong with the
Croatian and that he is planning on fighting Mir in Indianapolis
as planned.
White
shot the rumor down via his Twitter account on Friday, saying,
“Cro cop is fine. Rumor is not true.”
Barry
told MMAWeekly.com that he spoke to Cro Cop on the phone on Friday
and was reassured that everything was fine.
“He’s
cool,” said Barry.
So
as of Friday afternoon, everything is still a go for former UFC
heavyweight champion Frank Mir and former Pride Openweight Grand
Prix champ Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic to headline UFC
119 next Saturday night.
Source: MMA Weekly |
ANTONIO
SILVA FED UP WITH POLITICS, WANTS FIGHT
A fighter's job usually starts and stops with training and then
walking into a cage or ring, putting in a night's work, and then
going back home again. A fighter is usually not pulled into the
world of promotional politics, but that's exactly where Antonio
"Bigfoot" Silva is stuck right now as he waits to hear
word about his next fight.
The
Brazilian fighter who recently picked up a one-sided win over
former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski has heard all
the same rumors that the fans have heard about. Fedor Emelianenko
wants to fight Alistair Overeem or Fabricio Werdum. Alistair
Overeem wants to fight Fabricio Werdum or Fedor Emelianenko,
and the list goes on and on.
The
frustration has reached a boiling point with Silva, who believes
fighters should fight whoever is put in front of them, and nobody
gets to hand pick any opponent.
"A
professional athlete should fight whoever they put in front (of
them). That's how real fighters react," Silva said recently
when appearing on MMAWeekly Radio.
There
are of course inner workings at Strikeforce, as they try to hammer
out a new deal with M-1 Global to extend Fedor Emelianenko's
services beyond the final fight he has on his current contract.
Add to that heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem's desire to
continue his K-1 kickboxing career, and Fabricio Werdum is on
the sideline following surgery. Everyone can start to understand
why Silva is getting a little hot under the collar.
Still,
Bigfoot believes it's up to the higher ups at Strikeforce and
Showtime to lay down the law to say who fights whom.
"The
president of Strikeforce should have the last word of it, and
dictate who fights who, and if you don't like it you can lump
it," Silva stated.
The
biggest factor for Silva is simply putting food on the table.
As a professional fighter, this is his only job and sitting out
for several months starts to lessen the amount of steaks in the
freezer. The American Top Team fighter wants to fight, he wants
to fight soon, and he will fight whomever they put in front of
him.
"It's
always hard for a pro to not know when he's fighting next,"
Silva said. "It's training, it's supplements, it's a bunch
of stuff, and I hope to fight as soon as possible. Maybe here,
maybe in Japan, I really want to fight as soon as possible."
Going
to Dream is a distinct possibility for Silva, who has fought
in Japan before. The promotion actually had the offer on the
table for a major heavyweight fight involving Silva, but Strikeforce
didn't allow it to happen.
"We
actually had an offer to fight Overeem in Dream, but Strikeforce
didn't let that happen because he's obviously the champion. So
they didn't want that fight to happen in Dream," Silva explained.
"I want to keep on fighting. I'm among the ten best in the
world and I want to go 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."
Silva
doesn't stop short of saying that he'd love a shot at the heavyweight
title, but he feels that's a long shot right now. Not because
he doesn't deserve it, but because the champion wants no part
of it.
"If
Overeem doesn't keep on picking opponents, I'd love to fight
him," he said.
Silva's
manager, Alex Davis, explains that there are always many working
parts to putting a fight together, but it's also sometimes just
a matter of the promoter telling someone what to do, and at the
end of the day they have to do it.
"There's
a financial side, the guy has to pay his bills. I've been doing
this a long time, I've been doing this over a decade, and I know
the characteristics of our sport is uncertainty," Davis
explained. "It takes a little while to get the fights lined
up, and you've got to be a little bit patient, but at the same
time I do think the Strikeforce situation has to be straightened
out in the politics department.
"Because
it's not fair to one fighter if other fighters don't agree to
fight. I don't want to point fingers at Strikeforce, but in the
UFC you don't have that opportunity. You can't go denying fights,
and I agree with Antonio that Strikeforce has to have a stronger
hold on the way they match make."
Davis
doesn't say Strikeforce is at fault with situations like the
one with Fedor Emelianenko, but ultimately he believes the fighters
are there to fight, not play games.
"They
should have more of a say than the athletes," Davis commented
about Strikeforce.
Time
will tell what's next for Antonio Silva, but the big Brazilian
is starting to get angry, and his next opponent will face the
brunt of that anger whenever his next fight finally happens.
Source: MMA Weekly |
JOSH
BARNETT EXPLAINS WHY HE CHOSE STRIKEFORCE
The announcement was made earlier this week that former UFC champion
and Pride stand-out Josh Barnett had signed a multi-fight contract
with Strikeforce, and would jump right in the middle of a stacked
heavyweight division. With several fight companies vying for
his services all over the world, Barnett said the deal with Strikeforce
just made sense, and now he's ready to get to work.
Barnett
has fought twice already in 2010, with a win in Dream as well
as a victory while competing in Australia. When Strikeforce came
along with a deal, Barnett admits it didn't get done quickly,
but ultimately, when the details were hammered out, he was happy
with his decision.
"I
spoke with several other companies prior to this, and what kind
of visibility they were able to offer, and what they could offer
in terms of opponents, and just keeping me active, my ability
to do work outside of fighting, or even just fighting outside
of that company, or professional wrestling work, or if I wanted
to do any TV or movie work," Barnett said about why he signed
with Strikeforce.
"When
it comes down to it, the thing that matters most to me is being
able to fight. I just want to make sure I can get out there and
crack as many heads as possible."
Barnett
is currently only under a fight contract to Strikeforce. He cleared
up an earlier rumor from 2010 that he was signed to a long-term
deal with Dream as well.
"First
off, I'd like to say that I'm not signed with Dream, that was
just a single fight," Barnett stated. "It's not as
if I harbor any ill will towards Dream at all, and given the
right circumstances I have absolutely no problem fighting for
them, but at the same time I didn't want to limit myself to anybody
at any one point until I was sure I was at some place that would
have terms that were agreeable to me, or if it was just monetarily
worth my while.
"It
took a while before getting to a point like that with Strikeforce,
but we came to terms and worked it all out."
Barnett
admits that if he signed a long-term deal with Dream that it
would limit the possibility of going back to Pancrase or Sengoku.
He would like the option to fight for both of them in the future
if opportunities arise.
Right
now though, Barnett is focused on his career with Strikeforce.
He also talked about the exposure that working with a group like
Strikeforce gives him, and fighting on Showtime and possibly
CBS definitely played a big part in his decision.
"It
matters big time," Barnett commented about the visibility
of his fights. "Cause when I dislocate and tear somebody's
head completely off their shoulders and spew blood all over the
ring, and then drink it, I want the whole world to see it.
"I'd
love to fight on CBS. Punch somebody so hard that their eyeballs
pop out of their head."
As
far as timing, nothing has been discussed as of yet for Barnett's
debut, although the "Baby Faced Assassin" would likely
end up fighting before the end of 2010. He's got plenty on his
plate to keep him busy until then, and he also believes it's
going to take some convincing by Strikeforce to find anyone willing
to step in the cage with him.
"We
haven't really hit on any solid dates yet or anything like that,
or even opponents. For me right now, I'm getting ready for my
pro wrestling match. I'm training and staying healthy and focusing
on that. Then I've get Megumi Fujii's fight at the end of this
month, Sept. 30 in the semifinal round of Bellator. So I've definitely
got plenty of stuff to keep me busy right now," said Barnett.
"In
due time. There's not too many people all that chomping at the
bit and so ready to meet their death."
Several
sources have stated Strikeforce has plans of a major show this
year in December. Whether Barnett ends up being a part of that
remains to be seen, but he will definitely be a major edition
to the growing Strikeforce line-up.
Source: MMA Weekly |
MITRIONE:
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO HANDS & HEART
Matt Mitrione, or "Meat Head," depending on who you
ask, is nothing but colorful. And while his sometimes eccentric,
but enigmatic personality hasn't completely translated into the
cage yet, he's getting there.
The
Season 10 veteran of "The Ultimate Fighter," was last
seen in action against YouTube phenom and former castmate Kimbo
Slice at UFC 115, where Mitrione displayed an expanded arsenal
of skills that left many wanting to see more. After successfully
dispatching the former backyard brawler inside of the second
round, the 32-year-old will now be taking on a whole new animal
when he fights before a familiar crowd on Sept. 25 at UFC 119
in Indianapolis.
Mitrione
will lock horns with Joey Beltran, who's 2-0 in the world's largest
MMA organization, in a heavyweight tilt on the Spike TV one-hour
"UFC Prelims" special.
A
long with his ties in Milwaukee, Wisc., with Duke Roufus' camp,
Mitrione splits his time with the Integrated Fighting Academy
out of Indiana alongside UFC veteran Chris Lytle.
"I'm
excited. You always want to be able to put on a show for the
people you love, for your friends and family," Mitrione
told MMAWeekly.com.
"It's
going to be great, I'm really excited about it. I think Joey
is going to be game, he's going to just go in there and stand
in the hole and trade up with me a little bit. If it ends up
going to the ground, we'll see who has the better ground game.
It should be a great time. It should be a real exciting fight.”
While
his performance against the aforementioned EliteXC veteran was
impressive, Mitrione was a little surprised when he got word
that his bout with Beltran was going to be featured on the Spike
TV special. Both humbled and flattered, he's well aware that
his antics on TUF didn't hurt.
"I
couldn't complain," he said of the decision from the Spike
execs to have his bout featured to potentially millions of viewers
at home, serving as the lead-in to the pay-per-view portion of
UFC 119.
"I'm
so accessible to so many other people, this is just basic cable
that they'll be able to get me on versus fighting on pay-per-view.
So I'm flattered and I really look forward to getting out there
and landing my spot on there. I'm flattered that they even had
any interest.
"You
act like a jerk on TV, you might get a shot too, buddy."
While
the Springfield, Ill., native is improving fast, he's not disillusioned
with the fact that a 2-0 record hardly screams experience. Mitrione
is making strides to progress his career from a throw-at-the-hip
striker to a more well rounded fighter.
"I
don't want to be the 'cliche' guy, but I think that my game keeps
developing," said Mitrione.
"I
had a pretty huge learning curve that I had to catch up on, and
I still do, but I feel like I'm really trying to maximize my
time in the gym, and I feel like I'm athletic and I'm intelligent.
So I'm able to pick things up. I learn pretty quickly."
With
the aid of Tom Erikson, a Pride veteran in his hay day, who is
helping to develop Mitrione's wrestling, the former NFL defensive
tackle is hoping to emulate the style of one UFC Hall of Famer
in order to deliver the signature knockout victory that he's
been searching for.
"I
think if it goes to the ground, I have a wider variety of submissions
than Joey has submissions to work on, and not only that, but
I've been blessed where I've been able to get up from the ground
pretty easily no matter who I work with," said Mitrione.
"I've
been working with 'Big Cat' Erikson, who's from back in the Pride
days. He's my wrestling coach. I've been working a lot with him
about being able to completely avoid the ground, and if it all
possible, I'd love to be Chuck Liddell, who can sprawl-and-brawl."
Mitrione
feels the fight will be decided in two areas, both of which he
and Beltran strive in.
"I
think Joey's biggest strength is his takedown defense. I think
he's phenomenal at takedown defense. He has good hands. I would
say a pretty good chin, but I don't know what kind of power he's
seen, and I think he has real good cardio. So, I think that since
I'm not looking to take down anyone at this point in my career...
then it kind of leaves hands and heart. I think that both of
us have that, for sure.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
FORMER
KOTC CHAMP TONY LOPEZ WANTS VERA, UFC
Tony
“Kryptonite” Lopez wants to make a statement, unfortunately
for Alliance team member Jason Lambert, he had to find that out
the hard way what that statement is.
Lopez
agreed to fight Lambert with less than one week’s notice.
He received a phone call from his manager on a Monday telling
him that there was a chance to fight the upcoming Saturday. The
fight wasn’t officially confirmed until Wednesday. Fortunately
for Lopez he had lost ten pounds since he first heard of the
opportunity.
Due
to bulking up for his last fight at heavyweight the cut to light
heavyweight became an issue. Being the professional that he is,
Lopez not only made weight, he came in one pound under. In a
five-day span Lopez lost 26 pounds and regained most of it back
by fight time.
A
big knee to Lambert’s chin in the second round resulted
in Lopez gaining the victory.
Now
he has his sights set on the future and one fighter in particular.
That man is Brandon Vera.
“Vera’s
coach, Manny Rodriguez, has already sent two of his guys to me,
(Joey) Beltran and Lambert. Why not a third? Isn’t it three
strikes and you’re out? So why not another team member?
Maybe then he’ll stop sending his guys to get their asses
beat.
“At
one time Vera said he wanted to be the light heavyweight and
heavyweight champion at the same time. Since that’s never
going to happen, how about fighting someone that has?”
Lopez
added, “There is only one champ and I’m him, send me
to any organization and I will take the belt.”
After
holding both the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles simultaneously
for King of the Cage and appearing on “Bully Beatdown,”
Lopez wants his shot at the elite.
“I
want to fight the best… (Brock) Lesnar, Anderson Silva.
I want to prove myself to be the best. I applied to be on UFC
4 when I only weighed 178 pounds and I’m six-foot-five.
They said I was too skinny. I’d take on heavyweights even
if I weighed 170. I like the old school rules. It tested your
skills more and it’s more like a real street fight.
“Dana
White, give me a chance and put me in the UFC.”
Tony
Lopez is a man on a mission and he hopes that mission will start
with Brandon Vera.
Source: MMA Weekly |
MARQUARDT
SAYS HE'S ONE GOOD WIN FROM TITLE
Nate Marquardt came to the Octagon highly touted, an immediate
contender in the UFC middleweight division since he arrived in
2005.
The
former King of Pancrase reeled off four-straight UFC wins and
was granted a title shot at UFC 73 in July 2007. He was defeated
by Anderson Silva that night and has been working his way back
to top contender status.
His
road to the top was detoured at UFC 85 in June of 2008 when he
dropped a split decision to Thales Leites. He had dominated the
bout, but was penalized two points, resulting in the split decision
loss.
After
three finishes in a row by strikes – over Martin Kampmann,
Wilson Gouveia, and Demian Maia – Marquardt was poised for
a rematch with Anderson Silva. He was the favorite heading into
the UFC 109 No. 1 contender match-up with Chael Sonnen in February.
Sonnen, however, grounded and pounded Marquardt on his way to
a unanimous decision victory, delivering another setback to the
Team Jackson trained fighter.
Fresh
off a technical knockout win over Rousimar Palhares in the UFC
Fight Night 22 main event on Sept. 15, Marquardt feels he’s
one good win away from being back in a title bout.
“I
feel like I’m still at the top of the division,” said
Marquardt following his win over Palhares. “I want to earn
the title shot and what I believe is that one fight with a top
contender and I should be there.
“I’d
like to turn around probably in the next three or four months
if possible. I think the most important thing is that it’s
the right opponent,” added Marquardt. “I don’t
just want to fight anybody. I want to fight one of the top guys
and solidify myself as the contender.”
Silva
and Sonnen will rematch for the title in early 2011, but there’s
no shortage of opponents for Marquardt.
“I
kind of expected the Chael rematch to be honest, especially with
the way the fight went. I think a guy like Vitor (Belfort), a
guy like Wanderlei (Silva) or anyone else at the top would be
a great match, a guy like (Michael) Bisping or (Yushin) Okami,
too,” stated the 31-year-old athlete.
“I
want the title. I want the belt,” he stated, citing no preference
in opponent. Marquardt feels a rematch with either Silva or Sonnen
would be very different the second time around.
“I
think they’re both tough fighters, but they both have big
holes in their games, and they can be exploited.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
BADER
IS HAPPY TO FACE JON JONES AFTER NOGUEIRA
The plan for Ryan Bader is pretty clear. He wants to get to the
UFC light heavyweight title, and he'll go through anyone to get
there.
The
next step for that goal comes at UFC 119 where the former "Ultimate
Fighter" winner takes on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the
night's co-main event. UFC president Dana White has hinted that
the winner of their bout could be the next person to face phenom
Jon Jones.
If
that's the path the UFC has laid out for him, Bader is more than
okay with that, because it's not about who, it's about how. How
he gets a shot at the 205-pound divisional title.
"With
that being said, not looking past Nogueira, yeah I'm absolutely
fine with that," Bader told MMAWeekly Radio about facing
Jones. "All I want is to get to my ultimate goal, which
is to win that belt."
The
205-pound division in the UFC is arguably one of the deepest
and most dangerous divisions in the sport. The championship has
floated around between several fighters, with no one defending
the belt more than one time since Chuck Liddell was champion.
Bader's
opinion of facing Jones is like that of facing any top-level
fighter: he's going to have to face them eventually, so why avoid
it?
"Whoever
I have to go through that's fine with me," Bader said. "Whether
it's Jon Jones, whether it's somebody else, it doesn't matter.
I'm getting to that point right now where I'm fighting tough
guys every single time. You're just going to trade one tough
guy for another. It really doesn't matter."
The
choice is what Bader is happy to surrender if the pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow is a crack at the title. If the UFC
says fight Jon Jones, guess what? Ryan Bader will happily fight
Jon Jones.
"If
the UFC says 'hey, you've got to fight him to get a fight for
the title, for No. 1 contendership' of course you're going to
take that," Bader commented.
With the test of Nogueira standing directly in his way next weekend,
Bader is focused on beating him, or whoever else the UFC throws
at him.
In
his mind, Bader believes he's no more than a couple of fights
away from a title shot, and that makes him more motivated to
win than anything else.
"I'm
leaving it up to them," he said. "I've just got to
go out, win this fight, after that I assume I win one more, I
get a title shot, or at the most two more."
Ryan
Bader will look to take that next step at UFC 119 in Indianapolis
next Saturday night.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Marquardt
capitalizes on Palhares’ mistake
The
referee’s final instructions are usually a mere formality,
allowing the tension to build just that much longer before a
fight begins. But they are significant and they mean something,
as Rousimar Palhares sadly found out at Ultimate Fight Night
22.
Nate Marquardt is back in the UFC middleweight title picture
after Wednesday night's win.
Getty Images
Palhares
looked away from Nate Marquardt to complain to referee Herb Dean
late in the first round of their middleweight fight on Wednesday
at the Erwin Events Center in Austin, Texas. And when he looked
away, Marquardt clocked Palhares with a powerful right from the
top that was the beginning of the end.
Marquardt
quickly finished the fight with a series of punches on the ground
before Dean stopped it at 3:28 of the first round, giving Marquardt
a victory he absolutely had to have to keep any hope of getting
another middleweight title shot alive.
The
victory was made that much easier by a huge mental gaffe by Palhares.
The men were grappling on the ground when Palhares grabbed Marquardt’s
leg. Marquardt easily pulled out of it and quickly scrambled
to his feet.
As
Marquardt got up, Palhares, flat on his back, diverted his attention
from Marquardt to look to his right to complain to Dean that
Marquardt’s leg had excessive grease on it. As he was complaining
to Dean for that split-second, Marquardt came down from the top
with a thudding right hand that, in essence, ended the fight.
Marquardt finished it off with a flurry off shots on the ground
before Dean halted the assault.
“He
went for an ankle lock, I spun out and kicked off his butt, and
when I turned around, he kind of was waving at the ref and pointing
at me,” Marquardt told Yahoo! Sports. “I jumped down
into guard and punched him. It knocked him out and eventually
the referee stopped the fight.
“When
the fight was over, he said I had grease on my foot or my leg.
The referee took a white paper towel and wiped my leg and then
waited a bit. He finally said there was no grease. Then, the
[Texas] commission checked my legs, my foot and my shin and they
found nothing. They said I was clean.”
Marquardt
said he had had a very good warm-up and had a good sweat going
in the locker room and suspected the sweat is what Palhares assumed
was too much Vaseline.
Even
if Marquardt had two jars of Vaseline on his legs, though, it
wouldn’t matter. Palhares has the right to complain when
it’s safe to do so. In the middle of the action with an
opponent standing over you ready to punch isn’t particularly
safe.
This,
though, isn’t just a combat sports issue. In any sport,
athletes are advised to keep playing until the referee orders
a stop. And the rule of thumb has to be, if in doubt, keep going.
It’s why you routinely see defensive players in the NFL
race to the end zone with fumble recoveries, even when it seemed
pretty clear that the runner was already down.
In
combat sports, the admonition from the referee is particularly
critical, because stopping before the referee calls time can
be physically dangerous. And while Palhares is healthy, you can
be certain he won’t make the same mistake again.
There
was no grease, fortunately, so we’ll be spared a drawn-out
complaint from Palhares. Marquardt got the victory he so desperately
needed in a card that didn’t get a lot of attention but
which carried great significance for him.
Marquardt
entered 2010 as the unquestioned top contender for the Ultimate
Fighting Championship middleweight title, held by Anderson Silva.
But at UFC 109, Marquardt was upset by Chael Sonnen, who then
went on to do so well in a loss to Silva that the UFC ordered
a rematch. With the winner of the Vitor Belfort-Yushin Okami
bout at UFC 123 in November being given a title shot against
the Silva-Sonnen II winner, it’s going to be a long time
in any event for Marquardt to move back into championship contention.
Another
loss, though, would have been devastating. Marquardt, though,
said he didn’t place any extra significance on the match.
“Honestly,
every fight in your career is critical,” he said. “The
next fight is always the most important one. That wasn’t
that big of an issue to me. Even though I lost to Chael, I was
still at the top of the division.”
He
cemented that with a victory that came in large part due to his
diligence of preparing to defend ankle locks. He spent time during
camp in Albuquerque, N.M., working with trainer Greg Jackson
on it, as well as working with Tyrone Glover in Denver.
Though
Marquardt entered the fight with a healthy respect for Palhares’
leg locks, he said he was confident he was up to the task.
“Once
I learned the defenses I would use, I used them against high-level
guys,” Marquardt said. “I put myself in situations,
too, rather than having them work for it, and that made it easier
in the fight. He’s good, but he never had it set or never
had a grip on my leg to really get close to anything.”
So
shocked was Palhares that Marquardt was able to slide out of
the final attempt that he diverted his attention from the fight
itself. And for that, he has no one to blame but himself.
The
next time out, bet on Palhares listening to the final instructions
as if it were the president’s State of the Union speech.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
WEC
51 FIGHT CARD OFFIICIALLY FINALIZED
World
Extreme Cagefighting on Thursday confirmed the remainder of one
of its deepest cards of the year, adding six additional bouts
for its debut at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo., on
Sept. 30.
WEC
General Manager Reed Harris confirmed the following bouts: Jason
Reinhardt vs. Tiequan Zhang, Cole Province vs. Mike Brown, Ed
Ratcliff vs. Chris Horodecki, Diego Nunes vs. Tyler Toner, Chad
George vs. Antonio Banuelos, and Nick Pace vs. Demetrious Johnson.
“The
UFC has put on some very successful events in Broomfield and
we are hoping to duplicate their success,” Harris said.
“This card is absolutely loaded with tremendous fights.
In addition to the main card bouts, fans are in store for the
return of former featherweight champ Mike Brown and the debut
of our first Chinese fighter, Tiequan Zhang. Plus, hometown fighter
Tyler Toner competes in his own backyard against a very dangerous
Diego Nunes. We are extremely excited to bring this event to
Colorado.”
WEC 51: SEPTEMBER 30, 2010
venue: 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado
Main
Bouts (On Versus):
-Jose Aldo (17-1; #1 Featherweight)* vs. Manny Gamburyan (11-4;
#2 Featherweight)*†
-Donald Cerrone (11-3) vs. Jamie Varner (16-3-1)
-Miguel Torres (37-3; #4 Bantamweight)* vs. Charlie Valencia
(12-5; #10 Bantamweight)*
-Chan Sung Jung (10-2) vs. George Roop (10-6-1)
-Mark Hominick (18-8) vs. Leonard Garcia (14-5-1)
Preliminary
Bouts (Non-Televised):
-Mike Brown (23-6; #3 Featherweight)* vs. Cole Province (6-1)
-Chris Horodecki (15-2) vs. Ed Ratcliffe (7-2)
-Diego Nunes (14-1; #7 Featherweight)* vs. Tyler Toner (10-1)
-Antonio Banuelos (17-6) vs. Chad George (11-5)
-Demetrious Johnson (5-1) vs. Nick Pace (5-0)
-Tiequan Zhang (16-0) vs. Jason Reinhardt (21-0)
Source: MMA Weekly |
JIM
MILLER IN NO RUSH FOR TITLE SHOT
Jim Miller defeated Gleison Tibau at UFC Fight Night 22 in Austin,
Texas, on Wednesday night, cementing his status as a UFC lightweight
contender, but he isn’t calling for a title shot just yet.
“I
think I’m a couple of wins away (from a title shot),”
Miller told the media after the fight. “There are still
a couple of guys that have the recognition at the top of the
division even with a couple of losses lately.”
The
landscape of the 155-pound division has been through a major
shuffling of the deck recently. Former titleholder B.J. Penn
has lost back-to-back fights to current champion Frankie Edgar.
Kenny Florian was defeated by UFC lightweight No. 1 contender
Gray Maynard.
Jim
Miller, George Sotiropoulos, and Evan Dunham are all title shot
worthy, depending on the outcomes of upcoming fights, but with
the win over Tibau, Miller claimed his foothold as a contender.
Miller
improved his UFC record to 7-1 and extended his win streak to
five in a row. He wants to continue fighting and if a title shot
arises, he’ll gladly accept it.
“I’ve
just got to keep fighting. It hasn’t even been two years
since I’ve been with the UFC so far. I’m just trying
to fight as often as I can and fight the toughest guys I can,”
said Miller.
“If
(a title shot) is there, it’s there. It’s not my style
to start calling anybody out. I just have a ton of respect for
my peers, and guys that train their asses off to step in the
Octagon with me. I just try to keep it at that and respect them
and not talk (expletive).”
Miller
doesn’t have to smack talk. His in-Octagon performances
speak for themselves. His record speaks for itself.
He
may be closer to a title shot than he realizes.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Chute
Boxe happy with new UFC fighters
Rudimar Fedrigo
Leader
of Chute Boxe team, Rudimar Fedrigo saw his team’s reformulation
happening. After shinning on Pride, he saw his great stars leaving
the team heading to new projects, but it’s taking a fine
shape again. With Cris Cyborg and Fabrício Werdum on the
spotlights on the United States, Rudimar celebrates the hiring
of two of his fighters by UFC, Maiquel Falcão and Vinícius
Spartan. “The team is glad. Maiquel Falcão is a fighter
who has a great power in fitting the coups, I believe he’ll
start a wonderful journey in there… “Vina” is
also an athlete who’s been being prepared, he’s preparing
himself a lot for the combats, he’s strong”, tells.
On an exclusive interview given to TATAME, the big master talked
about the current situation of Alexandre Cacareco and revealed
that Evangelista Cyborg will confront the former UFC fighter
Paul Daley in November, on Strikeforce.
How
do you see this new phase of the team, with two athletes ready
to debut on UFC?
The
expectations are high, the team is very glad. Maiquel Falcão
is a fighter who has a great power in fitting the coups, I believe
he’ll start a wonderful journey in there, and everybody
is celebrating it, it’s huge. Besides there’s Vinícius
Spartan, who will debut against Rob Broughton.
How
are the expectations for his debut?
“Vina”
is also an athlete who’s been being prepared, he’s
preparing himself a lot for the combats, he’s strong…
The expectations are great, and we’re working so that another
athlete debuts on an international event, and it’s Cacareco.
How
are the things with Cacareco? Is there something planed?
There’s
the possibility and we’re focused on putting him on an event
which can be announced soon… I can’t say anything right
now. When it was released that Chute Boxe was close to UFC, everybody
thought it was about Cacareco.
What
happened that he end up not being hired along with the other
athletes of Chute Boxe by UFC?
The
athletes that signed with them weren’t chose by us. Actually,
we offered some of our athletes and the event picked the ones
they wanted for the divisions they lacked fighters. Cacareco
can get there any moment from now, it’s all about having
a vacancy in his division so they have to chose another new athlete.
It depends only on a vacancy, that’s all. He’s a top
fighter, we’re working and fighting for a long time and
we’ll make it. He deserves this opportunity for what he’s
done on MMA. It wasn’t our choice but a need of UFC of athletes
for those divisions.
Maiquel
Falcão will debut against a tough one, Gerald Harris.
What are the expectations for this fight?
It’s
like I told you, Maiquel is a great catcher, a top boxer, and
I believe that when he lays his hands on Harris, he’ll knock
him out. He’ll knockout the guy.
What
are the expectations for the future of the guys on Strikeforce,
like Fabrício Werdum, Cris and Cyborg?
Cyborg
fights in November, probably against Paul Daley. Cris is waiting,
as the champion, for a new challenge. She’s keeping herself
in shape, waiting for the next combat. Luiz Azeredo fought on
the United States and will fight in Finland now. The guys are
fighting, doing the trainings, the school is renewing itself,
with new students, new opportunities…
Source: Tatame
|
Paul
Sass
Undefeated
after ten fights, being nine of them by submissions, the English
Paul Sass will have the chance to shine on the biggest event
of the world, the UFC. Set to face Mark Holst at UFC 120, which
happens on October 16, Paul talked to TATAME and showed extra
confidence for his debut on the event, promising to keep the
excellent sequence of wins. “He has a dangerous ground game,
but I’m confident I can deal with it. Many people with whom
I fought had never been submitted before me and I submitted them”,
affirmed the English, who submitted his seven first fights with
a triangle choke. Click here to read the exclusive interview
with the fighter.
You
built an impressive record. What’s the expectation for your
UFC debut?
The
expectations are great. I am very excited and sure that i will
carry my impressive record on. I expect a very good fight and
i see myself the winner by a 1 round submission.
How
are the training for this fight?
Training
is going very well. I have the best training partners and coaches
in Europe so I could not be more confident.
What
do you know about Mark Holst?
I
know he got a good stand up and is a purple belt in BJJ. To be
honest that`s all I know. I let my coaches work the strategy
and I just follow it.
Mark
has never been submitted, and won four this way. How do you see
his ground game?
He
got a dangerous ground game but I am very confident that i will
be able to deal with it. A lot of people that i fought have never
been submitted before our fight and at the end I tapped them.
When
did you start training with Marcelo Brigadeiro and the Luta Livre
coaches? How does it help in your game?
Marcelo
Brigadeiro is my only grappling coach and I have been training
with him since last year. It has helped my game a lot. Marcelo
is a great coach and I feel like I am starting all over again
because the Luta Livre I have been learning had just gave me
a completely new insight of the ground game. Brigadeiro has shown
me submissions from places that I thought were impossible to
get it from.
Do
you think about coming to Brazil to train one day?
Yes,
I have thought about coming for a while, but on holidays as I
already train a lot here (laughs). Hopefully after this fight
I will be able to go. It will be great.
How
do you see your division today?
The
lightweight division is probably the strongest out of the lot.
I think it has a lot of new talents and great veterans in it.
England
never had a UFC champion. Do you dream about changing this story?
I
dream about it everyday and hopefully one day it will come true.
What
do you think you have to do to change that?
I
think I am in the right track, i got a good gym, the best coaches
and great team mates behind me to get there.
Source: Tatame |
Despite
fast-changing life, UFC’s Charles Oliveira promises to remain
the same
AUSTIN,
Texas - When undefeated UFC lightweight prospect Charles Oliveira
(14-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) returns home after his UFC Fight Night 22
victory, he'll do so with his second $40,000 bonus check earned
in just under seven weeks' time.
So
what does a 20-year-old Brazilian do with two fat "Submission
of the Night" hauls? Well, if you're "do Bronx,"
the answer is simple.
"I'm
hoping to soon buy a new house for my family," Oliveira
told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) through his interpreter
and trainer, Jorge "Macaco" Patino. "We have a
large family of eight people, including my grandmother, and I
want to make sure and take care of them."
You
see, just two fights into his UFC career, Oliveira already shows
a maturity beyond his age.
In
much the same way his lanky body and boyish looks seem to contradict
his 14-0 cagefighting record (complete with 13 finishes), Oliveira's
relaxed presence and humble answers at his first-ever UFC post-event
press conference seem as if they should come from someone other
than the promotion's youngest fighter.
Go
ahead. Just try and get Oliveira to talk trash about his dispatched
opponent, Efrain Escudero. After all, "Hecho en Mexico"
couldn't even make weight for the fight. Surely that led to some
dislike for "The Ultimate Fighter 8" winner.
"First,
I'm a professional," Oliveira said. "I came here ready
to fight. It doesn't matter if he makes the weight or not. I
do my job. I'm ready to fight regardless."
OK,
fine. Sidestep it then. But how about the way Escudero pumped
up the crowd while Oliveira was slouched against the cage after
catching a direct knee strike to the groin? Surely that had to
fire up the Brazilian youngster.
"Again,
I'm a professional," Oliveira said. "He hit me with
the knee, and I felt it very much. Efrain made a mistake, but
it doesn't matter to me. I just want to fight.
"I
was very focused on my trainers, who told me to take it easy
and recover. When I felt good, I started again. I did the right
thing. I waited, I recovered, and I returned to the fight. Everything
was good."
Well,
if badmouthing an opponent isn't Oliveira's thing, maybe a little
braggadocio is more his style. Oliveira's powerbomb off the fence
followed by a standing rear-naked choke in which he appeared
as much gymnast as fighter, that was highlight-reel material.
Go on Oliveira, share with us the genius inside you that made
that slick transition possible.
"The
last day before the fight, I trained in the hotel for when he
defends to go to his back," Oliveira said. "I'm just
a boy, and I never invent anything. I just do everything I know
and that my teachers teach me.
"I
have been training jiu-jitsu since I was 12 years old. This was
something I have worked on for some time."
Just
two months ago, Oliveira was a relative unknown to most American
fans. But after dispatching of Darren Elkins at UFC on Versus
2 with an unbelievably slick armbar and now finishing Escudero
with another amazing grappling display that came only after a
stunning display of striking prowess, Oliveira appears primed
to emerge as the UFC's next lightweight star.
Just
two-and-a-half years after turning pro, Oliveira says he's up
to the challenge.
"I
want to show everybody that my group, this Gold Team, is a complete
school," Oliveira said. "It's not only submissions
and jiu-jitsu. I have striking, too. I can fight standup.
"I
know I made a lot of mistakes standing up, but I tried to do
my best. I kept moving forward. I'm training hard, I'm getting
better, and I want to fight with the best fighters."
Of
course, it's a long road from bright prospect to bona fide superstar.
But with his physical talents already prominently on display,
the only question seems to be the psychological rigors of life
as a pro fighter, especially one who skyrockets from unknown
to superstar in rapid fashion.
Spend
just a few minutes talking to the youngster - watch the way he
looks you in the eye as he talks and observe the graciousness
with which he shakes your hand - and the likelihood of him making
the adjustment seems painfully obvious.
"I
want to say thanks to my God, Jesus Christ," Oliveira said.
"I came here wanting to get my victory, and God gave me
the bonus. I just say, 'Thank you. Thank you so much.' Jesus
is doing marvelous work in my life.
"I'm
thankful to be undefeated and to be 2-0 in the UFC, but I'm not
changing anything. I just want to be the same guy. Maybe one
day I'll start to change, but my teachers will then tell me immediately
when I'm doing something the wrong way and will tell me to come
back to the right way. It's a humility that I will have forever."
Source: MMA Junkie
|
WATERSON
TAKING A BREAK TO START HER FAMILY
Michelle Waterson got some very big news recently.
No,
she didn't get a new fight, and she didn't sign with a new promotion.
She got the news that she was going to be a mother. The "Karate
Hottie" will soon be the "Karate Mommy".
"I
just recently got engaged, and deciding to start a family, and
I'm having a baby," Waterson told MMAWeekly on Thursday.
Waterson,
who is 8-3 in her MMA career, has decided to take a temporary
leave of action to concentrate on her new family, but that doesn't
mean she's walking away from the sport all together.
"I
kind of have to take a step back, and understand that I can't
do any sparring right now, and I'm going to be out of the scene
for a good six months, or maybe a little longer, I'm three months
along," Waterson commented. "I just have to accept
that, and also enjoy this new little creature that's going to
be coming into my life, and let that be my motivation for when
I do get back in."
Having
a baby and starting a family are very important to Waterson,
but she's still got goals in the world of MMA as well, they are
just going to be put on hold for the time being.
Training
out of Greg Jackson's gym in New Mexico, Waterson said she was
happy to share the news with her coaches and teammates, and will
continue to work out there to stay in shape during her pregnancy.
After
having her baby, Waterson plans on getting back in the gym and
training just as hard as ever to get back to the pinnacle of
the sport, and the top of the women's division.
"That's
always been my intention," Waterson explained about coming
back to MMA. "Fighting is a passion of mine, something that
I plan on doing for years to come. If anything this is a personal
choice I've made for myself, and nothing at all that's going
to stop me from pursuing my dreams. I just decided I wanted to
start my family at this time in my life."
Having
faced tough competitors in the cage and ring, Waterson admits
that parenthood is a little big scarier than taking on a fierce
striker or a submission expert, but just like the mixed martial
arts world, she looks forward to figuring it all out.
"I'm
more nervous to be a mom than when I have to fight," Waterson
joked. "I'm really excited, and I know it's going to bring
new challenges to my life, and I'm very excited to see a little
creature that has a little piece of me, and I'm excited to raise
them with as much passion as I've put into fighting, I intend
to put that much into my baby."
Waterson
also explained that much like when she's getting ready for an
opponent, she is going to avoid any big surprises with her baby
and plans on finding out if she's having a boy or a girl as soon
as she can.
"I
have to find out. I can't do the whole surprise thing, I have
to find out," Waterson said. "I'll find out in November
if it's a boy or a girl. Either way it's going to be a fighter."
Source: MMA Weekly |
Sonnen’s
failure shows PEDs still a problem
I
have no idea of the actual percentage of mixed martial arts fighters
who are using anabolic steroids. Dennis Hallman, an Ultimate
Fighting Championship welterweight, estimated during an appearance
on HDNet’s “Inside MMA” in June that 50 percent
“easy” of all fighters in the sport are using steroids.
UFC president Dana White disputed Hallman’s contention and
suggested the real figure is far lower.
Hallman
apologized for his words while still in the cage after a win
over Ben Saunders at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Aug.
7 in an undercard fight at UFC 117, undoubtedly after having
received significant peer pressure to do so.
The
industry-leading Ultimate Fighting Championship spends literally
millions of dollars a year to try to prevent the steroid problem
and hosts a mandatory annual fighter summit in Las Vegas in which
Drug Enforcement Agency officials speak to the fighters about
the ramification of performance enhancing drugs usage.
Yet,
despite the UFC’s attempts to educate and the various state
athletic commissions’ rigorous testing procedures, fighters
continue to use, clearly because they believe the reward outweighs
the risk.
On
Saturday, Sherdog.com reported that UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen
flunked a post-fight urinalysis after his loss to Anderson Silva
in the middleweight title fight that was the main event of UFC
117.
George
Dodd, executive officer of the California State Athletic Commission,
told reporter Greg Savage that Sonnen received notice of the
failed test on Friday. Dodd did not specify to Savage what substance
was detected in Sonnen’s urine, though he did say that all
fighters tested on the card passed their tests for drugs of abuse.
Sonnen
is the second prominent UFC fighter in the last month to be tied
to steroids. An assistant U.S. attorney in Alabama mentioned
heavyweight contender Shane Carwin’s name as a recipient
of steroids shipments during the Aug. 13 sentencing of a Mobile,
Ala., pharmacist who was found guilty of participating in a nationwide
conspiracy to distribute steroids.
It’s
a serious problem with no easy solution. If the California commission
concludes that Sonnen did use a performance-enhancing drug prior
to his fight with Silva, it will fine him and suspend him, likely
for nine months to a year.
That
will mean no lucrative championship rematch with Silva in January
or February, which in and of itself will cost Sonnen hundreds
of thousands of dollars. When you add in the fine and the loss
of a fight, plus what likely will be a drop in endorsement income,
it will probably wind up costing Sonnen in excess of $1 million.
White,
who said he does not know the particulars of Sonnen’s situation,
was exasperated on Sunday. He wants to eradicate steroids from
the sport, but is realistic enough to know how difficult it is
and is compassionate enough that he doesn’t want to bury
someone further.
“What
else do I do?” White said. “We’ve spent millions
of dollars – literally, millions of dollars – to try
to get this thing regulated so they can be tested by the government.
Do you know how much it costs us to put on that fighter seminar
every year? Let me tell you, we’re bringing guys in from
all over the world. We have guys from England, Germany, Croatia,
Australia, Korea. We have 350 guys under contract and they’re
coming from all over the world. It costs us a (expletive) ton,
but we do it because it’s important.
“When
one of them fails a test, the government is going to fine them
and suspend them and tell them they can’t make a living
for a year. So should I come in after they’ve already lost
the ability to make a living for a year and been fined all this
money and, in the worst economic disaster in the history of the
world, fine them another huge amount and take away their ability
to make a living even longer?
“These
are guys with homes and families and personal lives and bills
and debts and obligations, just like me and you,” White
said. “After they lost all this money already, money that,
A, they’ve probably already spent and B, which they owe
taxes, do I fine them another huge amount? What else do you do
to a human being?”
White’s
point is valid, but the problem arises if a fighter is seriously
injured by an opponent who was enhanced by steroids. At that
stage, the very foundation of the sport will be threatened.
Sonnen
was considered nothing more than a journeyman until a surprisingly
dominant victory over Yushin Okami at UFC 104 last year. He followed
that up with an extraordinary performance in a win over Nate
Marquardt at UFC 109 that earned him the title shot against Silva.
He then pummeled Silva for the better part of four rounds, handling
Silva like no one in the UFC had ever done so before, until Silva’s
late triangle choke decided the fight.
MMA
doesn’t have the public and political acceptance that football
and baseball do. A steroids-aided linebacker who drills a running
back and gives him a concussion won’t do much to enrage
the public or garner the attention of lawmakers.
Let
that happen in MMA, however, and there could be all sorts of
government inquiries.
More
pre-fight testing would help, but state athletic commissions
are working with drastically reduced budgets and can’t afford
to expand pre-fight testing significantly.
Part
of the solution should be a public-private partnership in which
promoters contribute a fee per ticket sold to states for more
frequent testing and to help fund development of superior testing
methods.
In
the long run, though, it will be up to the fighters to eradicate
steroids from the sport. They need to understand the risks of
usage, to themselves, to their opponents and to their sport.
If a push to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from MMA doesn’t
come from the fighters, it will never be truly effective.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Report:
Chael Sonnen Failed UFC 117 Drug Test
Chael
SonnenIn a blockbuster development that will have far-reaching
ramifications for both the way we view one of the biggest fights
of 2010 and the potential for a rematch of that fight in 2011,
Chael Sonnen has reportedly been informed that he tested positive
for performance-enhancing drugs after his loss to Anderson Silva
at UFC 117.
Sonnen
will presumably be suspended, and a second middleweight title
fight between Sonnen and Silva -- which undoubtedly would have
been among the biggest fights for the UFC next year -- may need
to be scrapped.
"[Sonnen]
received his notice yesterday," California State Athletic
Commission Executive Officer George Dodd told Sherdog.com.
There
is no word on which banned substance Sonnen took, but it was
reportedly a performance-enhancing substance and not a drug of
abuse.
Sonnen,
who gained widespread attention for his constant trash talk leading
up to the fight with Silva, has not commented on the story. But
there's no doubt that this will change his reputation among MMA
fans. Sonnen was viewed after fighting Silva as the hard-nosed
fighter who took it to the UFC's most unbeatable champion for
five rounds, and even though Sonnen did tap out in the fifth
round, he was widely acclaimed for the way he dominated Silva
for 22 minutes leading up to that submission. Now he'll be viewed
as a cheater.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
CSAC:
Sonnen Positive for PEDs at UFC 117
According to California State Athletic Commission Executive Officer
George Dodd, Chael Sonnen has been notified that he failed post-fight
drug screening following his loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 117,
which was held Aug. 7 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.
“[Sonnen]
received his notice yesterday,” Dodd told Sherdog.com shortly
after the Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora boxing match ended Saturday
night in Los Angeles.
In
a conversation the day before, Dodd declined to comment on the
situation, other than answering that all fighters from UFC 117
had passed drugs-of-abuse scans, but that the commission was
still waiting on performance-enhancing drug screens from the
event.
Dodd
did not state which banned substance was red-flagged, but with
a clean drugs-of-abuse scan it is clear the positive test was
for a performance-enhancing substance.
The
last major UFC banned-substance case in the state centered on
UFC 73’s lightweight title match, which saw both competitors
-- Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca -- test positive for PEDs. Both
fighters were suspended for one year and fined, though Sherk
appealed and had his suspension shortened to six months.
Sonnen
is staring at a long layoff if he elects not to appeal or is
denied. He was scheduled to rematch Silva Feb. 6 in Las Vegas,
but that fight may be delayed or scrapped in light of these allegations.
Text
messages to Sonnen went unreturned.
His
manager Matt Lindland told Sherdog.com that he was cornering
a fighter on the East Coast and had no knowledge of the positive
test results.
Silva’s
manager Ed Soares, who engaged in some heated exchanges via the
media in the build up to the fight, was stunned when asked for
his reaction.
“If
it’s true, I feel really bad for him,” said Soares.
“I know he did it to himself but it is really sad, he put
on such a great performance that night. It is just a shame it
will be tarnished.”
Source: Sherdog
|
REPORT:
CHAEL SONNEN FAILS UFC 117 DRUG TEST
It appears Chael Sonnen’s immediate rematch with UFC middleweight
champion Anderson Silva is soon to be off the table. Sonnen reportedly
has failed his post-fight drug screening from his fight with
Silva at UFC 117 in Oakland, Calif., according to a report from
Greg Savage of Sherdog.com.
The
report states that George Dodd, the California State Athletic
Commission’s Executive Officer, told Sherdog.com Saturday
night after the Shane Mosley vs. Sergio Mora boxing match that,
“(Sonnen) received his notice yesterday,” regarding
the positive test result.
Dodd
had indicated on Friday that all UFC 117 fighters had passed
the testing for drugs of abuse (such as marijuana, cocaine, and
the like), indicating the Sonnen likely tested positive for a
performance enhancing substance.
A
suspension for performance enhancing substances in California
typically draws a one-year duration. If Sonnen has tested positive,
and receives such a suspension, it would obviously derail plans
for the rematch, which was penciled in for the UFC’s annual
Super Bowl weekend event.
MMAWeekly.com
had not received independent verification of the report at the
time of publication.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Sonnen
tests positive; path cleared for Belfort
After
a hard-fought title fight at the August 7 UFC 117 event, where
Anderson Silva pulled off a come-from-behind win over Chael Sonnen,
a rematch was almost immediately scheduled for 2011. Now, though,
those plans may be scrapped altogether.
With
the recent revelation that Sonnen has failed the California Athletic
Commission’s mandatory performance-enhancing-substances
test, the future of the matchup is uncertain. So far, though,
neither the fighter in question nor UFC president Dana White
have addressed the matter.
Sonnen’s
punishment should be announced in the days to come, and the fight
with Silva will likely not happen too soon. This clears the way
for a possible fight with Vitor Belfort, who is scheduled to
face Yushin Okami on November 13, or perhaps a rematch with Nate
Marquardt, who is coming off a win over Rousimar Toquinho.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Mariusz
Pudzianowski TKOs Butterbean at KSW 14
Former
World's Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski beat up the 450-pound
former boxer Eric "Butterbean" Esch Saturday in a freak
show fight in Poland's KSW mixed martial arts organization.
Pudzianowski
went for a takedown early in the first round and got Butterbean
on his back, and from there he went straight into side control
and just landed punches to Butterbean's enormous head until the
referee stopped the fight. Butterbean looked like a fish out
of water -- or a beached whale -- and really looked like he didn't
feel like fighting at all.
The
fight was the main event of the 14th fight card produced by KSW,
a burgeoning promotion that is doing relatively big business
in Poland. Pudzianowski is one of Poland's most popular athletes,
and his involvement in MMA has coincided with something of a
boom for the sport in his homeland.
But
it wasn't a good fight by any stretch of the imagination. Butterbean
was once at least a competent boxer, but that was many years
and many pounds ago. Now he's 44 years old and so fat he can
hardly throw a punch. The only person who looked worse than Butterbean
on the KSW card was the hapless Polish singer who attempted to
sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" but quit halfway through
because he couldn't remember the words.
Pudzianowski
says he's serious about MMA. If that's true, he should fight
serious opponents.
In
other KSW action:
* Jan Blachowicz, regarded as one of Poland's most talented fighters,
beat Daniel Tabera by second-round TKO to win KSW's light heavyweight
tournament. It was a solid showing, although the Polish TV announcers
who suggested afterward that UFC President Dana White should
offer Blachowicz a contract may have been overstating how ready
Blachowicz is to compete at the highest level.
*
Krzysztof Kulak beat Daniel Dowda by unanimous decision in an
entertaining fight that was preceded by an even more entertaining
ring entrance from the always creative Kulak.
*
In a grudge match between two former heavyweight boxers, Przemyslaw
Saleta beat Marcin Najman by first-round submission, applying
a forearm choke that Najman couldn't answer. It wasn't good MMA,
but it was a fast-paced and short fight that got the fans in
Poland in a lather.
*
Niko Puhakka and Maciej Gorski won two fights apiece Saturday
to advance to the finals of KSW's eight-man lightweight tournament;
Puhakka will fight Gorski in the final at KSW 15.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
CHAEL
SONNEN: I'M AN ATTENTION WHORE
It's been proven over the last several months that Chael Sonnen
is not only one of the top middleweights on the planet, but he's
also one of the most magnetic characters mixed martial arts has
ever produced.
Add
to that, his lengthy time working alongside legends like Randy
Couture and Matt Lindland, and you have a recipe for a pretty
good coach.
That's
why Sonnen believes that “The Ultimate Fighter" will
soon be his home for at least a season, maybe as soon as Season
13. Many wondered following the announcement that Sonnen would
get a rematch with Anderson Silva after their last fight, if
the two would end up as coaches on the next season of “The
Ultimate Fighter."
Sonnen
says it may just become a reality for the reality show.
"I
think that, that may happen," Sonnen said about coaching
on the show. "Whether it's Anderson and I, or GSP and I,
I think that will happen eventually."
Georges
St-Pierre is the latest fighter to catch the ire of the Team
Quest fighter, and he believes that if the two of them do a season
of “The Ultimate Fighter" together, and then face each
other in the ring, it could break box office records.
"If
we do the GSP fight, we're going to have to do it in Cowboy Stadium,
because there are going to be a lot of people to show up,"
Sonnen commented.
Prior
to his August fight with Silva, Sonnen was featured in a series
of commercials put together by the UFC declaring him the "Most
Interesting Man in the World." He's happy to take the spotlight
from that ad campaign, or a turn as coach on “The Ultimate
Fighter" because he relishes his moment in the sun.
"Yeah,
I'm an attention whore," said Sonnen. "That's the business
that I'm in. I'd love to be on TV once a week."
The
UFC has made no official announcement about the timing of the
rematch between Silva and Sonnen, although all signs have pointed
towards a New Year’s Day fight in Las Vegas. If Silva is
not recovered from a rib injury he suffered prior to their first
showdown, the timing could work out to have the two rivals face
off in the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter."
The
next season of the reality show has not been planned as of yet,
but it will start filming in early 2011.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
|