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2011
12/9/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
11/18/11
Island Heat 3: Tha Comeback
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom,Waipahu)
11/11/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
11/5-6/11
Eternal
Submissions
(BJJ & Submission Grappling)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Kauai)
11/5/11
Hawaii Toughman
(Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic Ctr)
Chozun-1
(Kickboxing)
(The Waterfront, Aloha Tower Market Place)
10/22/11
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Radford H.S. Gym)
10/21/11
Destiny MMA
(MMA)
(The Waterfront, Aloha Tower Market Place)
10/15/11
Up N Up
(MMA)
(Kodak Room, Waikiki Shell)
10/7/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
9/24/11
Aloha
State of BJJ
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser HS)
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
( Palolo District Park Gym)
9/23/11
808 Battleground Presents: Unstoppable
(MMA)
(The Waterfront, Aloha Tower Market Place)
9/3/11
Australian Fighting Championship 2
(MMA)
Melbourne Aquatic & Sports Complex, Melbourne, Australia)
9/2/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
8/27/11
Pro
Elite MMA
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
Toughman Hawaii
(Boxing, Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic)
Add to events calendar
8/20/11
POSTPONED
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Open Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Neal Blaisdell Center
Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Maui)
8/13/11
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waterfront at Aloha Tower)
8/12/11
Up N Up: Waipahu Brawl
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
8/6/11
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
7/22/11
808 Battleground & X-1 World Events
Domination
(MMA)
(Waterfront at Aloha Tower)
Vendetta
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
7/16/11
2011 Sera's Kajukenbo Open Tournament
(Continuous Sparring, MMA (Controlled), and Submission Grappling)
(War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/8/11
Chozun 2
(Kickboxing)
(The Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace, Honolulu)
Rener Gracie Seminar
O2 Martial Arts Academy
$65
7-9PM
7/1/11
Mad Skills
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
6/25/11
Kauai Cage Fights
(MMA)
(Kilohana Estates)
6/17-19/11
Big Boys & MMA Hawaii Expo
Neal Blaisdell Center, Honolulu)
6/18-19/11
Hawaii
Triple Crown
“State Championships”
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Neal Blaisdell Center, Honolulu)
6/18/11
Destiny: Fury II
(MMA)
(Neal Blaisdell Center, Honolulu)
6/17/11
UpNUp: On The Rise
(MMA)
(Neal Blaisdell Center, Honolulu)
6/10/11
Genesis “76 South Showdown Kickboxing”
(Kickboxing)
(Campbell H.S. Gym, Ewa Beach)
6/2-5/11
World
Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(California)
5/28/11
HUAWA Grappling Tournament 2011
Grappling Series II
(Submission grappling)
(Mililani H.S. Gym, Mililani)
Cancelled
Battleground 808
(MMA)
(The Waterfront, Aloha Tower)
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
5/21/11
Scraplafest 3
(BJJ & Submission Grappling)
(Island School, Puhi, Kauai, behind Kauai Commuity College)
5/20/11
Kauai Knockout Championship II: Mortal Combat
(MMA)
(Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, Lihue)
5/14/11
Boxing Smoker
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Gym)
5/6/11
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
4/28/11
Destiny: Fury II
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/23/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Gladiators for God
(Amateur Muay Thai)
(Wet&Wild Water Park)
4/16/11
Hawaiian
Championship of BJJ
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
4/15/11
Destiny
& 808 Battleground presents "Supremacy"
(MMA)
(Aloha Tower Waterfront)
4/9/11
Fight Girls Hawaii
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
4/2/11
Toughman Hawaii
(Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic Ctr)
3/24-27/11
Pan
American Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA)
3/26/11
Mad Skills
(Kickboxing, Triple Threat)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
HUAWA Grappling Tourney
(Sub Grappling)
(Mililani HS Gym)
3/12/11
X-1:
Dylan Clay vs Niko Vitale
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/11/11
Chozun 1: "the Reckoning"
(Kickboxing)
(The Waterfront at Aloha Tower Marketplace, Honolulu)
3/5/11
Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Hilo Civic Auditorium, Hilo)
2/25/11
808
Battleground Presents
War of Warriors
(MMA)
(The Waterfront At Aloha Tower, Honolulu)
2/20/11
Pan
Kids Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(California State University, Carson, CA )
2/19/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
2/5/11
Garden Island Cage Match 10: Mayhem at the Mansion 2
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kilohana Carriage House, Lihue, Kauai)
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
2/4/11
Amateur Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
1/29/11
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Battle At The Barn
(MMA)
(Molokai H.S. Gym, Molokai)
1/8/11
Hawaii Toughman
(Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
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November
2011 News Part 2
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Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 7 days a week training!
We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday
nights with Ian Beltran & Erwin Legaspi.
Kickboxing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with Kaleo Kwan, PJ
Dean, & Chris Slavens!
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Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
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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
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He
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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!
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UFC
139 Results and Play-by-Play
Saturday,
November 19, 2011
H.P. Pavillion
Danny
Castillo vs. Shamar Bailey
Round
1
Castillo slips on a kick to the midsection and Bailey rushes
him. Castillo drives forward, though, and puts Bailey on his
back inside the first 30 seconds. Quickly scrambling to his feet,
Bailey puts his back on the fence as Castillo continues trying
for a double-leg. Castillo lifts Bailey into the air and slams
him to the mat; Bailey gets up and the sequence repeats, but
Bailey breaks the fall with his arm. Castillo works from tight
half-guard in the center of the cage midway through the opening
round. He nearly steps into mount, but Bailey turns, digs an
underhook and defends, absorbing some hard shots to the ribs
for his trouble. Bailey seems on the verge of escape a few times,
but Castillo is all over him, adjusting and keeping Bailey on
his back. Castillo is posturing up and breaking through Bailey’s
guard with punches in the last minute. He hops into full mount
with 30 seconds to go and Bailey hip-escapes. Castillo is unrelenting
as the clock ticks down, bashing Bailey with hard right hands
on the floor. Bailey begins to turns over and referee Jason McCoy
decides he’s seen enough. Danny Castillo takes the win via
technical knockout at 4:52 of the first round.
Matt
Brown vs. Seth Baczynski
Round
1
The welterweight righties both miss with lead left hooks to start,
then Baczynski gets through with a hard right. He dips low when
Brown comes inside and hustles “The Immortal” into
the fence. Brown lands a knee in the clinch and socks Baczynski
in the ear. Baczynski backs up and throws a level elbow, and
Brown answers with another hard knee. Brown weaves out of the
way of a Baczynski combination and the men clinch along the cage.
Baczynski dumps Brown to the floor with a double-leg and Brown
immediately wraps him up in full guard. Brown executes a hip
sweep and stands over Baczynski, who scoots away and hops to
his feet. Brown digs a left hand to Baczynski’s ribs and
the “Polish Pistola” answers with a right to the face.
Baczynski puts Brown on the fence again and Brown goes back to
drilling knees inside. Baczynski throws a few knees of his own
in return, though they’re not as effective. Baczynski grabs
a guillotine choke with 10 seconds left and finishes the round
with a knee to Brown’s face.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Baczynski
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Brown
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-10
Round
2
Baczynski slaps on an arm-in guillotine as he’s driven to
the ground by Brown. The choke is very, very tight, but Brown
keeps trying to posture and resist. Baczynski loses the arm,
but keeps wrenching the choke and eventually gets the tap. Brown
is frustrated, but he had nowhere to go. The end comes officially
at 42 seconds of round two.
Nick
Pace vs. Miguel Torres
Round
1
The rangy Torres lands long leg kicks to open, pawing with his
jab while Pace tries to close the range with big overhand rights.
Pace circles away, then stands in front of Torres, waiting to
counterstrike. Torres goes high and low with kicks, cracks Pace
with a right hook. He nearly chops the back leg out from beneath
pace, waits a moment, then rushes Pace with a speedy combination.
Pace puts a hard, step-in knee on Torres’ body, then another.
He clinches the former WEC champ into the cage and Torres widens
his base to stay up. With 90 seconds to go, Torres grabs a guillotine
with his right arm, but Pace quickly extracts his head and continues
leaning against his man. Torres turns for a kimura, tumbles to
the ground with Pace and loses it. They’re back on the feet
with 30 ticks left and the bantamweights exchange combos. Torres
slugs Pace with a big right and just misses with another overhand
haymaker.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Torres
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Torres
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Torres
Round
2
Torres is mixing up his kicks to begin the second, going to the
legs, body and head. He snipes at Pace with jabs and left hooks
while Pace sits back, whiffing on leg kicks and punches. Pace
charges forward and drives Torres to the floor. Torres uses butterfly
hooks as he isolates Pace’s arms, negating any chance at
offense. Pace advances to side control on Torres’ right
with two minutes remaining in the round, then briefly goes to
north-south as Torres scrambles to his feet. Torres puts Pace
on the fence now, popping him with short lefts and knees to the
body and thighs. Pace snakes his left arm around Torres’
head, doesn’t get anywhere with the guillotine try. Torres
stays busy with knees and punches in the clinch to the horn.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Torres
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Torres
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Torres
Round
3
Torres backs Pace up with punching-leg kick combinations early
in the last frame, keeping the shorter man at bay with feints
and twitches. Pace is air-mailing his punches, but gets inside
with a solid knee to the guts. Torres’ volume continues
to win the day, however, as he piles on the jabs and evades almost
all of Pace’s offensive maneuvers. Pace ties up and Torres
reverses him into the fence, working the face and body with knees,
punches, elbows, even shoulder shrugs. Pace looks spent, bloodied
at the nose as the fight enters its final 120 seconds. They break
off and Pace walks Torres down with his hands at his waist. Torres
is still bouncing, circling, sticking Pace with jabs and then
side-stepping. Pace tries to tie up again, and again Torres takes
the dominant position on the fence. The vet splits off, but keeps
applying pressure as the clock winds down, pushing forward with
punches and doing a front flip toward Pace at the final horn.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Torres (30-27 Torres)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Torres (30-27 Torres)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Torres (30-27 Torres)
Official
result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for the winner
by unanimous decision, Miguel Torres.
Gleison
Tibau vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Round
1
The lightweight southpaws feel one another out in the opening
minute, dos Anjos circling the perimeter to his left, Tibau stalking
the center. Dos Anjos tries to load up on a big right hand while
Tibau is more successful pushing forward with combinations. Dos
Anjos tries mixing up his angles now, flicking out leg kicks
sporadically. Tibau puts a three-piece combo on dos Anjos and
drives him to the ground in the middle of the cage. Dos Anjos
nearly sweeps but winds up on bottom in the scramble, though
he’s not there long. Back on the feet with two minutes to
go, the round is still very much up for grabs. Dos Anjos gets
inside with a combination and puts Tibau on the ground at the
base of the cage with a double-leg. Tibau soon posts and pops
back up, and the Brazilians go back to circling. Tibau goes low
for a single-leg, then stands back up and tags the backpedaling
dos Anjos with some hard shots. Dos Anjos tries for another takedown
before the horn, but Tibau stays on his feet this time.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-10
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Tibau
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 dos Anjos
Round
2
Referee Jason McCoy pauses the action early in the second to
have a piece of tape cut from Tibau’s glove, but they’re
soon back to business. Dos Anjos lands a solid right hook as
Tibau ducks inside for a single-leg, and Tibau backs out. Another
nice lead uppercut from dos Anjos has Tibau shooting again. Dos
Anjos easily steps out of the way, circles and peppers with another
combo. Now it’s dos Anjos shooting against the cage and
Tibau defending to a stalemate. Halfway through the fight, they’re
back to trading. Dos Anjos backs Tibau into the fence, timing
a punch to get inside and clinch. Tibau reverses and the pair
jockeys for position with over-unders. They split and dos Anjos
begins firing off one-twos. Tibau rushes with a flurry and a
right hand buckles the knees of dos Anjos. Tibau smells blood
and stands back, picking his shots and putting hard hands on
dos Anjos at will. Dos Anjos looks out on his feet, just barely
clinging to consciousness as he leans on the cage. He regains
his wits enough to circle out and avoid more punishment from
Tibau.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-8 Tibau
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Tibau
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Tibau
Round
3
Dos Anjos appears to have recovered well between rounds, as he’s
the more active fighter early in the third frame, keeping Tibau
guessing with combos and kicks. Tibau shoots a telegraphed shot
and misses with a murderous left hook. Dos Anjos keeps the leg
kicks coming and the combinations in Tibau’s face. Tibau
hasn’t mounted much offense midway through the final round,
seemingly content to sit back. Finally, he rushes forward and
puts dos Anjos on his back at the base of the fence. Dos Anjos
gets to his feet and turns the position, pinning Tibau on the
cage with a single-leg. They clinch with over-unders now, exchanging
position on the fence. Dos Anjos struggles to finish a single-leg
in the last 30 seconds and finally gives it up. Tibau gets the
last word, socking dos Anjos with a left hook.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Tibau (30-27 Tibau)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 dos Anjos (29-28 Tibau)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 dos Anjos (29-28 dos Anjos)
Official
result: One judge scores the bout 29-28 for dos Anjos, while
another has the same score for Tibau. The third and deciding
judge scores the bout 30-27 for the winner by split decision,
Gleison Tibau.
Chris
Weidman vs. Tom Lawlor
Round
1
Lawlor comes straight forward to put hands on Weidman, and Weidman
creates some space. He soon closes that space, though, placing
Lawlor on his seat against the fence. Weidman tries to keep Lawlor
down with a single-leg while Lawlor attempts to use the fence
to stand. Weidman pulls his man away from the cage and puts Lawlor
on his side, setting up a brabo choke. Lawlor leaves his head
in perfect position for Weidman and the choke is extremely deep
when Weidman rolls it over. Lawlor has no escape and no time
to tap; he goes to sleep and is rescued by referee Dan Stell
at the 2:07 mark.
Michael
McDonald vs. Alex Soto
Round
1
The bantamweights touch gloves and McDonald flurries. Soto tries
to leap in with a knee and McDonald fends him off with punches.
A right hand down the pipe lands for McDonald, then a two-piece
combo. McDonald times a leg kick and comes over the top with
a nasty right hand which puts Soto on the floor. McDonald goes
wild and gives chase as Soto scrambles to his feet and tries
to recover on the fence. Soto can’t evade the punishment
for long and a big right uppercut sends him down again. McDonald
turns out Soto’s lights with a few more right hands and
referee Josh Rosenthal jumps in. The impressive knockout victory
for Michael McDonald comes after just 56 seconds.
Ryan
Bader vs. Jason Brilz
Round
1
The wrestlers box stiffly around the cage, Bader getting inside
to pop Brilz with a hard right uppercut. They circle some more
and Bader walks Brilz into the fence, then clips him with a straight
right on the temple. The punch doesn’t look like much, but
Brilz goes down like a heap of bricks, flat on his face, and
Bader pounces. Referee Jason McCoy saves the helpless Brilz,
awarding Bader the knockout win at the 1:17 mark.
Stephan
Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Round
1
Bonnar takes the outside while Kingsbury pushes out from the
center with tight combinations. Kingsbury muscles Bonnar into
the fence and the 205’ers trade rough knees and punches
in the over-under position. Bonnar zaps Kingsbury with a hard
punch at range, but soon after clips him with a kick to the groin.
Kingsbury recovers quickly and turns Bonnar’s head with
a left hand in an exchange. They tie up, trade knees, and Kingsbury
walks Bonnar into the fence for some more clinch work. Kingsbury
gets Bonnar to the mat, but Bonnar pops back up, turning his
back to create space. Kingsbury chases him down, Bonnar shoots
a knee to the midsection. They clinch once more, Bonnar taking
the outside now and looking for a single-leg. He backs Kingsbury
up with punches and changes to the left leg, finally spinning
Kingsbury down with a minute to go. Bonnar moves to side control
on Kingsbury’s left, drops a few punches and hooks the leg
to keep him in place. With 20 seconds left, Bonnar takes full
mount and throws punches, pinning down Kingsbury’s right
arm at the horn.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Bonnar
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bonnar
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Bonnar
Round
2
The start of the second is delayed a few moments as Bonnar has
some stray tape clipped from his glove. When they go, it’s
Kingsbury getting busy with combos, punches and kicks to the
body. Bonnar catches a middle kick and takes Kingsbury’s
back standing, hustling him into the cage. Kingsbury turns and
Bonnar spins him down with a single-leg. Nearly having his back
taken in the process, Kingsbury puts his back on the mat. Bonnar
tries to extract his leg to move to side control, and he does.
He lays across Kingsbury’s shoulders and drills him with
sideways elbows, short punches. He’s looking for the crucifix,
but Kingsbury is defending well. Bonnar moves to north-south,
then side control on the left, keeping busy with punches the
whole way. He nearly isolates the arm on this side, considers
a north-south choke, then goes back to pounding with two minutes
still to go. Bonnar traps the arm for a split-second and Kingsbury
takes it back. Bonnar switches to a topside guillotine with a
minute to go and Kingsbury slips out of this as well. Back in
Kingsbury’s half-guard, the offense of Bonnar slows, but
the “American Psycho” postures up and explodes just
before the horn.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Bonnar
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bonnar
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Bonnar
Round
3
Kingsbury comes out looking to establish his jab, but it’s
not long before Bonnar has his back standing again. Bonnar wrests
him to the ground and Kingsbury gets his back to the canvas as
Bonnar passes to the side. It’s back to north-south position
for Bonnar, and now he appears to be framing up the choke with
more intent. Kingsbury blocks it with his hand and shrimps to
his side, and Bonnar instead goes to side control on the left.
Bonnar hunts for a kimura, can’t find it, goes back to trying
for the crucifix. He’s got Kingsbury’s far-side arm
pinned as he drops partially blocked right hands. Bonnar is transitioning
at will with 90 seconds to go, elbowing the body of Kingsbury
and keeping him locked on the ground. Kingsbury nearly picks
the ankle and slides out, but Bonnar stays heavy and works slowly
from north-south again. At the 10-second clapper, Bonnar postures
up and finishes strong with ground-and-pound. The San Jose crowd
boos at the finish and a visibly upset Bonnar mouths the words
“I’m sorry.”
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Bonnar (30-27 Bonnar)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bonnar (30-27 Bonnar)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Bonnar (30-27 Bonnar)
Official
result: Two judges score the bout 30-27, while one submits a
lopsided 30-25 card, all for the winner by unanimous decision,
Stephan Bonnar.
Rick
Story vs. Martin Kampmann
Round
1
Story rushes straight ahead, winging heavy punches while Kampmann
circles away against the fence. Story keeps the combos coming,
putting hard shots on Kampmann’s body and nose. Both men
come out of the skirmish bleeding on the eyebrow and Kampmann
sticks Story with a speedy hook, then steps off. Story is relentless
in his attack on the body, continually digging into the Dane
with punches. Story slips a punch and slugs Kampmann behind the
ear with a wide left. A few rights get through for Kampmann,
but he misses with the step-in knee. Story’s face is showing
the worse damage as the round enters its final minute, red blood
streaking the right side of his face. He tries for a takedown,
comes up with nothing. Story backs out and does more damage to
Kampmann’s body before the frame finishes.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Story
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Story
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Story
Round
2
The welterweights feint and feel the distance in close quarters
early in round two, neither man really letting go. Story goes
to the body again, but Kampmann strings together a nice combination
and piles on with some crisp right hands. Kampmann lands the
straight right again and then shakes out his hand. Story’s
punches are growing increasingly wild while Kampmann’s strikes
are becoming more accurate. Story rips another punch to the body,
circles away and paws at the blood around his eye. They tie up
and Kampmann whips Story to the floor. Kampmann looks for an
arm-triangle setup from half-guard and Story defends ably. Still
a minute to go in the round and Kampmann is heavy atop Story,
popping him with right hands as he works for mount. Kampmann
goes for the arm-triangle again and Story clasps his hands in
defense. Kampmann finishes out the round on top.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Kampmann
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Kampmann
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Kampmann
Round
3
Story is right in Kampmann’s face to begin the final frame,
punching the body and spinning him around against the fence.
Kampmann backs out, puts some punches in Story’s face and
takes the outside with a double-leg shot on the cage. Story walks
him along the outside and keeps a wide base, but Kampmann pulls
him down anyhow. Story hops to his feet instantly, giving his
back as he does so. Story breaks away from Kampmann’s clutches
and they’re back to slugging. Kampmann shoots, gets stuffed,
then gets taken down on the cage. He pops back up and walks inside
on Story, cracking him with a hard right straight and a knee
to the body. Kampmann gets a waistlock on the fence, then they
go to over-unders. Kampmann takes Story’s back standing
with a rear-waistlock and nearly ragdolls him to the floor. Story
is back up instantly, only to be shoved into the fence again.
They work off the cage and Kampmann trips Story down in the middle.
Story hops up and drives straight forward, dumping Kampmann at
the base of the fence. Kampmann is quickly vertical and again
latches onto Story’s back standing. Story gives up his back
and Kampmann locks up a body triangle, working for a rear-naked
choke to the final horn.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Kampmann (29-28 Kampmann)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Kampmann (29-28 Kampmann)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Kampmann (29-28 Kampmann)
Official
result: One judge scores the bout 29-28 Kampmann; a second has
it 29-28 Story. The third judge sees it 30-27 for the winner
by split decision, Martin Kampmann.
Urijah
Faber vs. Brian Bowles
Round
1
Faber ducks under hard punches from Bowles to punch at the body.
He tries to rush Bowles into the fence and Bowles steps away.
Bowles lands a hard right, but a combo from Faber has him covering
and backing up on the fence. Faber’s speed is getting the
better in the early going, as the “California Kid”
is able to pop in and out with punches while eluding Bowles’
long strikes. Faber lights him up with a combo and Bowles is
covering. Another flurry comes from Faber, but Bowles is off
the cage and looking recovered now. Faber crouches low and comes
inside for a shot behind a forearm to the throat. Bowles avoids
this takedown, but not the next one, which sees him planted at
the base of the fence with Faber in his closed guard. Bowles
grabs a guillotine on the way down and soon releases it, instead
defending against the hard ground-and-pound. Faber stands up
with 30 seconds left and dodges upkicks to bust through Bowles’
guard with a big shot.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Faber
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Faber
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Faber
Round
2
Bowles snipes at Faber with a few long jabs, a four-punch combo,
but all of them miss. A massive lead uppercut from Faber has
Bowles in deep trouble, staggering backward into the fence, and
Faber is all over him. Faber mauls with punches, knees to the
body, vicious elbows, but Bowles survives the onslaught. Faber
grabs a guillotine and rolls Bowles over, and it’s elementary
from here. Bowles resists for a moment before he’s forced
to capitulate, referee Jason McCoy officially waving the contest
off at 1:27 of the second round.
Wanderlei
Silva vs. Cung Le
Round
1
Le takes the center of the Octagon and immediately begins pushing
outward with range-finding punches and side-kicks. Silva, meanwhile,
hops around the perimeter, staying out of Le’s range. Le
wades into an exchange and moves backward for the first time
after eating a punch. He clips Silva with a spinning back-fist
and goes sky high with a turning kick which misses Silva’s
face. Le is back on his forward trajectory, and another spinning
back-fist puts Silva on his knees. The Brazilian pops back up
and is met by more lightning fast punches from Le, then a spinning
kick which lands on his shoulder. Silva plays possum but Le doesn’t
bite, instead steadily walking “The Axe Murderer” down.
Le feints and Silva flinches, leaping backward. Le is still moving
forward with 90 seconds left in the period, and whips a turning
heel kick into Silva’s body. Silva comes forward now and
socks Le with a pair of punches. Le is swiping at his own right
eye, which is cut and dripping blood. Silva has a high kick just
blocked, but he keeps the pressure on, swarming Le with punches.
The barrage stops by the end of the round, but the momentum clearly
swung in Silva’s direction.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Le
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Le
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Le
Round
2
The pace slows considerably at the start of the second, neither
man committing to moving forward. Le takes the reins about 70
seconds in as he begins finding his range with punches and thudding
kicks to the body. Midway through the round, Silva circles the
outside, waiting to counter, and does find an opening to tag
Le with a left. Le begins kicking at the legs of Silva, but stays
in the pocket too long and eats a right hand. Silva chases Le
down with another combination, then gets backed up by a side-kick.
Silva checks a leg kick and backs out of the way as Le feints
side-kicks. The Brazilian rushes Le on the fence and puts him
in dire straits again with a right high kick, a vicious right
hand and follow-up knees to the guts. Le survives on rubber legs
and Silva grabs the Thai plum, busting Le’s nose with a
knee to the face. Le bounces off the cage and drives forward
for a single-leg, and Silva socks him with a few hammerfists
before referee Dan Stell steps in for the TKO stoppage. Le’s
nose is absolutely destroyed. Wanderlei Silva wins his first
fight in 21 months at 4:49 of the second round.
Dan
Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua
Round
1
The light heavyweight legends inch toward one another in the
middle of the cage, Rua swinging a right hand just over Henderson’s
head. Rua shoots in and gets stuffed by Henderson, who grabs
a front headlock and seems near to submitting the Brazilian.
Rua survives, only to be bombarded by a flurry from Henderson
against the cage. Shogun emerges steady but bloodied, walking
Henderson to the other side of the cage, where he’s dropped
again. Henderson shoves Rua to the ground from the clinch and
walks off. Henderson is loading up on his right hand, waiting
for Rua to walk into his range. Rua is bloodied around the left
eye, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting him midway through
the round. Rua shoots again and Henderson shuts it down, making
Rua pay with punches as he exits. An overhand right-left uppercut
gets through for Henderson and Rua moves forward on him. Henderson
is in trouble after taking a right hook behind the ear, on his
knees, defending an onslaught from Rua. He gets to his feet and
goes back to looking for the right hand while Rua begins stringing
combinations together. Rua comes inside with a flurry and clinches
Henderson into the cage with 30 seconds to go, then finishes
the round kneeing at the American’s legs.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round
2
Henderson begins pumping his jab while Rua goes low with leg
kicks. They tie up and Rua gets the outside position as he shoves
Hendo into a cage post. Rua tries to exit with a big shot and
leaves himself open to a Henderson flurry. An uppercut has Rua
covering up on the fence while Henderson rips away with punches
to the body and arms. Rua escapes with a nice left hand of his
own and shows his freshness by dancing away from Henderson. Rua
blitzes with long punches which don’t land but allow him
to tie up again. Henderson reverses the position, though, and
bloodies Rua’s nose further with punches. Henderson slows
down for a moment as he holds Rua to the cage with underhooks,
90 seconds to go in the second. Henderson works short knees to
Rua’s legs as referee Josh Rosenthal implores the light
heavyweights to work. Rosenthal splits them up with 40 seconds
left and Rua tags Hendo with a wide right. Henderson replies
with a combo to the head and body, and that’s where the
round ends.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round
3
Getting the third underway, referee Rosenthal tells the fighters
it’s the “last round,” but Henderson corrects
him. Hendo gets right inside on Shogun and unloads a few uppercuts
in the clinch. He’s soon backed up by a body kick and punches
from Rua, and Henderson shoots unsuccessfully. A massive right
hand from Henderson lands on Rua’s temple and the Brazilians
falls to his side. Henderson goes absolutely wild with punches,
trying to stop the turtling Rua as Rosenthal hovers nearby, but
he can’t geet the stop. Rua rolls for a leglock and he’s
got Henderson’s left leg in his grasps. Henderson slips
out and back to his feet, where he’s hugged against the
fence by a grisly Rua. Shogun looks absolutely exhausted as he
tries for a single-leg and absorbs elbows with 90 seconds left
in the third. Henderson keeps the elbows coming until Rua angrily
dumps him to the mat. Shogun tees off with punches but Henderson
easily pops back up. Pinning Hendo on the fence, Rua connects
with another pair of punches before the end of the round.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-8 Henderson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Henderson
Round
4
Shogun gets a takedown along the fence, but Henderson gets on
top and traps Shogun’s arm, rolling him over. They get back
to the feet and Henderson gets the takedown this time, latching
on a topside guillotine. Rua doesn’t appear to be in serious
trouble and pops his badly swollen head out from under Hendo’s
arm after a moment. Henderson raises up and slugs Rua with a
right hand, then stands and comes crashing down with more punishment.
Rua somehow gets to his feet, stumbles, falls and gets up again.
His nose is a bloodied mess, his eyes swollen, but Rua keeps
pushing forward on Henderson, who’s looking equally spent
now. A right hand from Shogun has Henderson looking for escape
and Rua gives chase. Henderson can barely punch now, his head
hanging low and his hands by his waist. Rua gets a takedown in
the middle of the cage and mounts Henderson, then takes his back.
Henderson twists around to top position and can muster only one
elbow before the horn. Henderson staggers to his feet, unsteady
on his way back to the corner.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-9 Rua
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rua
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rua
Round
5
Henderson tries to tie up and gets whirled to the floor by Shogun,
who moves straight into side control. Rua is on Henderson’s
right with the cage on the other side. Shogun jumps into mount
and drops tired punches while Henderson tries to push off the
fence with his feet. Rua postures up to punch and loses the mount
as Hendo stuff him back to half-guard. Rua gets back to mount
with 2:45 left on the clock and Henderson rolls, giving up his
back. Rua struggles to set up an arm-triangle choke, can’t
get it and takes mount again when Henderson flips over. Rua puts
a pair of punches directly on the back of Henderson’s head
and is warned by Rosenthal. Henderson has nothing to offer from
the bottom, just surviving as the fight goes to its last 60 seconds.
Rua finishes the fight in full mount and the San Jose crowd goes
wild for the first non-title UFC fight to go five rounds, an
instant classic.
Freddie
DeFreitas scores the round 10-8 Rua (47-46 Henderson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Rua (47-47 Draw)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-8 Rua (47-47 Draw)
Official
result: All three judges score the bout 48-47 for the winner
by unanimous decision, Dan Henderson.
Source: Sherdog
|
Bellator
58 Results and Play-by-Play
Saturday,
November 19, 2011
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
Farkhad
Sharipov vs. Fabio Mello
Round
1
Sharipov stays on the outside and chops the southpaw Mello with
a crisp leg kick. Mello wades inside with a flurry and tags Sharipov,
and moments later sends him stumbling to the mat with another
punch. Mello gives chase to his opponent’s guard and quickly
passes to side control on Sharipov’s left. After taking
a couple knees to the ribs, Sharipov stuffs him back to half-guard.
Mello lays his forearm on Sharipov’s throat and mashes with
short punches while the wrestler tries to mount some offense
from his back. Mello again passes to side control with two minutes
remaining in the round. Hard, grinding forearms and elbows drop
on Sharipov from above, forcing him to shrimp. Mello bashes him
with a few punches and puts Sharipov on his back again. He nearly
loses top position when Sharipov sweeps nicely out of an arm-triangle
choke attempt. Sharipov gets to his feet and digs for a single-leg,
finally getting Mello to the ground at the bell.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Mello
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Mello
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mello
Round
2
Sharipov snaps off quick front kicks to try and keep Mello at
range, misses with a few long punches and rushes the Brazilian
into the fence with a double-leg. Mello defends and grabs for
a guillotine as Sharipov spins him to the canvas. Sharipov extracts
his head, but allows Mello back to his feet in the process. He
shoots again, a single-leg this time, and Mello defends ably
by widening his base against the cage. Sharipov gives up and
backs out, and the bantamweights get back to slugging. A strong
knee in the clinch from Mello has Sharipov shooting again, but
it’s Mello who puts Sharipov on his back. Mello gets to
work with more ground-and-pound, occasionally stacking up for
more power. Mello nearly takes Sharipov’s back in a scramble
before Sharipov twists around and gets on top, then drives for
another takedown when Mello stands up. Mello lands a few elbows
while defending the try before the bell. Sherdog.com scores the
round 10-9 Mello.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Mello
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Mello
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mello
Round
3
Mello dominated Sharipov.Mello backs Sharipov off with sharp
kicks and Sharipov looks for an angle to get inside with punches.
Sharipov shoots again and this time he’s met with a jumping
knee. Mello wards off another takedown and drops Sharipov with
a leg kick shortly after. Crashing through Sharipov’s guard,
Mello lands big punches and elbows before moving into side control.
Sharipov tries to squirm out as Mello smothers him and lays a
few knees on his ribs. Framing up another arm-triangle, Mello
tries to step into mount and stalls out midway. He gets to the
other side eventually and wrenches the choke. Sharipov gives
a thumbs-up to referee Troy Waugh, but the choke looks deep and
there’s more than a minute left in the fight. Sharipov rides
it out and gets his head free, and Mello stays heavy on top,
posturing up before the final bell to drop punches.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Mello (30-27 Mello)
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Mello (30-27 Mello)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mello (30-27 Mello)
Official
result: All three judges -- Hector Gomez, Barry Luxenberg and
Eliseo Rodriguez -- score the bout 30-27 for the winner by unanimous
decision, Fabio Mello.
Jonas
Billstein vs. Herbert Goodman
Round
1
Billstein attacks the body of Goodman. "Whisper"automatically
clinches with the German and attempts a takedown, but can’t
secure the position. They separate and circle. Billstein lands
a crushing right that wobbles Goodman. Whisper clinches and recovers.
Both men content to strike at distance with Billstein getting
the better of the exchanges. Billstein pushes Goodman against
the cage. The two separate and the ten-second warning prompts
Billstein to turn up the heat as he attacks Goodman landing a
stiff combination followed by a body kick.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Billstein
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Billstein
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Billstein
Round
2
The bell rings and Billstein comes out firing leg kicks. He’s
now landing the left hook seemingly at will. After some circling,
Billstein connects on Goodman, dropping the American to his knees.
Billstein then inexplicably fires off an illegal soccer kick,
prompting referee Frank Gentile to deduct a point. Well after
five minutes passes, Goodman is still clearly feeling the effects
of the illegal kick and remains on his knees as the ringside
doctors attend to him, giving him oxygen. Frank Gentile calls
the bout at 3:21 of the second stanza, as Billstein apologizes
to the crowd.
Cosmo
Alexandre vs. Avery McPhatter
Round
1
Alexandre comes in quickly and lands a massive right, dropping
McPhatter. The American attempts a takedown but is stuffed by
the muay Thai specialist. Both men against the cage, a brutal
knee drops McPhatter and Alexandre follows with another, but
the fight is called by referee Troy Waugh at the 20-second mark.
Sensational knockout.
Ailton
Barbosa vs. Valdir Araujo
Round
1
Both men circle and feint at the start. Araujo looks to chop
at the legs of Barbosa. Barbosa catches his leg but is unable
to take the fight to the ground. The action starts to pick up
as Barbosa finds his range and begins to land punches. Araujo
continues to kick to the legs and body. Barbosa begins getting
the better of the exchanges. Araujo has had enough; he shoots
and pushes the fight against the cage. Araujo finally turns the
corner and completes the takedown but has little time to work
as the round comes an end.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Barbosa
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Barbosa
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Barbosa
Round
2
Barbosa is throwing wide punches that are connection to the head
of Araujo, who looks to clinch. Barbosa shucks Araujo and begins
to throw bombs. Barbosa connects with a right, stunning Araujo.
Araujo desperately covers, circling away from Barbosa. Araujo
shoots and successfully takes the fight to the ground. Barbosa
seems content to play guard and strike from the bottom. Remaining
largely inactive, with the exception of occasional body blows,
Araujo looks to pass. Barbosa seizes the opportunity and gets
back to his feet after pushing his opponent away. The round comes
to a close with Araujo looking for yet another takedown.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Araujo
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Barbosa
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Araujo
Round
3
Barbosa attempts to work his jab but can’t put anything
solid together. Araujo shoots and scores a takedown. Barbosa
attempts to play rubber guard but is stacked. Araujo finally
passes to side control, where he begins kneeing the body of his
opponent. After taking a series of short punches and elbows,
Barbosa attempts to regain guard and stand. Now in guard, Araujo
begins to stack his opponent, Barbosa manages to escape and get
to his feet, which proves to be fleeting as his opponent uses
a rear waist lock to slam him to the ground. The bout comes to
an end with Araujo striking at at the head of his opponent, who
is in the turtle position at the bell.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Araujo (29-28 Araujo)
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Araujo (29-28 Barbosa)
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Araujo (29-28 Araujo)
Official
result: All three judges -- Hector Gomez, Barry Luxenberg, and
Eliseo Rodriguez -- all score the bout 29-28 for the winner by
unanimous decision, Valdir Araujo.
Jared
Hess vs. Brett Cooper
Round
1
Both men looking to strike, Hess is throwing big overhand rights
whole Cooper looks to work his uppercut. Hess is getting the
better of the striking, with his back to the cage. Cooper works
for a takedown and eventually completes. Hess doesn’t spend
much time on his back and returns to his feet. The Oklahoma City
native levels Cooper with a hard right, and then another. Cooper
is in the turtle position and Hess is punching under the armpit
looking to finish. He takes the back and flattens cooper but
is unable to finish.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Hess
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Hess
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Hess
Round
2
Hess comes out aggressively in the second, landing an overhand
right an elbow in close. Hess continues to get the better of
the striking exchanges. Cooper shoots and takes Hess to the ground.
Hess stands is pushed against the cage. Cooper has over-under
position along the fence. Hess finally gets the better of the
positioning and shoots, Cooper stuffs him. Both men are exchanging
wildly with Cooper landing stiff uppercuts. Hess is hurt; he
once again looks to shoot. Cooper once again defends and closes
the round by teeing off on Hess, who once again looks to shoot.
Great action through two rounds.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Cooper
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Cooper
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Cooper
Round 3
Cooper has finally found his rhythm. He lands a big elbow as
Hess attempts to work the body. Both separate and circle. Cooper
continues to outland Hess. "Fudoshin" scores a takedown
and works to pass. Now in side control, Cooper begins to land
short punches. He locks in a kimura and steps over his foe's
head, but Hess manages to escape. Cooper maintains the position.
He now traps Hess in a brabo choke. Hess escapes and both men
return to their feet. Cooper continues to land uppercuts. Hess
looks to shoot as the round closes. Cooper defends and lands
hammerfists to head of the Oklahoman as the bell rings.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Cooper (29-28 Cooper)
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Cooper (29-28 Cooper)
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Cooper (29-28 Cooper)
Official
result: All three judges -- Hector Gomez, Barry Luxenberg and
Eliseo Rodriguez -- score the fight 29-28 for the winner by unanimous
decision, Brett Cooper.
Marlon
Sandro vs. Rafael Dias
Sandro stalks Dias, landing a leg kick. The Nova Uniao product
throws a big right hook that fails to connect clean, poking Dias
in the eye. Both men pause for a second and resume fighting.
Dias drops Sandro with stiff overhand right and swarms. Sandro
takes advantage of Dias’ recklessness and switches. Sandro
is working from the top position. Dias manages to stand, but
Sandro keeps the fight in close quarters. Sandro locks in a standing
arm-triangle against the cage and pulls the Pompano, Fla., resident
to the ground. The choke is in tight. Dias is forced to tap at
the 3:56 mark. Impressive submission by Marlon Sandro.
Jessica
Aguilar vs. Lisa Ellis-Ward
Round
1
Both women feinting and trying to exchange hands early, but neither
can land clean. Aguilar is in the middle of the cage and continues
to bob and weave in at Ellis with her left hook. Ellis throws
an overhand right that lands, but Aguilar smacks her with a knee.
Ellis begins to circle the outside, trying to kick Aguilar from
distance, but the Floridian is starting to touch her with the
overhand right. The pace slows as the women try to trade punch
for punch, but can't land clean. Finally, a pair of Aguilar right
hands breaks the dry spell with just over a minute to go in the
round. Left hook-right hook for "Jag" lands. At the
10-second clapper, Ellis punches her way into the clinch but
can't get a takedown before the horn.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Aguilar
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Aguilar
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Aguilar
Round
2
Ellis stalks Aguilar in the second's opening moments, pumping
her jab while Aguilar looks to wing overhand rights as a counter.
An Ellis low kick is caught and answered with a straight right
from Aguilar, sending Ellis backpedalling momentarily, and Aguilar
is now finding regular success countering Ellis kick attempts.
Ellis leaps forward with a flying knee, but loses her footing
,ending up on her back with Aguilar raining down right hands
from her feet. Ellis attempts to drive forward for a takedown,
but Aguilar locks up a an anaconda choke grip, and begins driving
knees into Ellis' head as she attempts to stand. Aguilar scores
a takedown with an outside trip, and again begins raining punches
down through Ellis' guard as Ellis' flails her legs upward. Ellis
stands back up looking the worse for wear, and the two trade
strikes as the time winds down.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Aguilar
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Aguilar
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Aguilar
Round
3
Ellis lands a solid one-two to open the final stanza, again coming
forward as Aguilar circles and through the occasional overhand
right hand. Aguilar begins setting up with a left jab, and the
change pays immediate dividends as she lands a pair of right
hands. An Ellis body kick is caught, and Aguilar trips her to
the mat briefly before Ellis pops back to her feet. Aguilar scores
with a left jab and straight right to the body, while Ellis'
output has slowed significantly. It's now Aguilar pumping a jab
in her opponent's face, as Ellis resorts to single kick and punch
attempts before launching a multiple kick combinations and following
up with a rushing punch combination, driving Aguilar into the
cage.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Aguilar (30-27 Aguilar)
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Aguilar (30-27 Aguilar)
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Aguilar (30-27 Aguilar)
Official
result: All three rounds -- Chris Lee, Barry Luxenberg and Eliseo
Rodriguez -- all see it 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision,
Jessica Aguilar.
Hector
Lombard vs. Trevor Prangley
Round
1
Lombard and Prangley lock up quickly, with Lombard getting Prangley
pressed agains the cage. Little action as the two jockey for
position, but a glancing Prnagley punch on the break has Lombard
slipping to the mat for a split second. Lombard lands a left
hook that hurts Prangley, and begins winging left and right hooks
at the South African before Prangley changes level and scores
a double leg takedown. Prnagley attempts to land a few blows,
but Lombard kicks away and gets back to his feet, and Prangley
begins backing away. Lombard scores with inside leg kicks as
Prangley attempts to counter from the back foot, but can't seem
to find Lombard's head. An inside low kick scores for Prangley,
and Lombard answers with right hook before the horn.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Lombard
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Lombard
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Lombard
Round
2
Lombard comes out strong in the second frame, landing hard body
shots on the South African. Prangley continues to circle away
from Lombard and kick the legs of the Cuban as the crowd begins
to get restless. Lombard levels Prangley with vicious right hook
that can be heard throughout the arena. Prangley is laid out,
defenseless as Lombard tees off on him. The South African is
done in this fight. Referee Frank Gentile steps in and saves
Prangley from more punishment at 1:06 of the second frame.
Bellator
Lightweight Championship
Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler
Round
1
Chandler comes out firing huge shots, dropping Alvarez with a
Superman punch, and following up with an unending salvo of punches,
dropping the champ again near the cage. Alvarez fires back heavy
punches of his own before Chandler scores a takedown. This seems
to give Alvarez a chance to regain his senses, and he quickly
gets back to his feet and begins potshotting Chandler. Chandler
continues stalking Alvarez, leaping in with left hooks and diving
with takedowns behind them, as Alvarez patiently counters everything
thrown at him. Alvarez sprawls on a double leg attempt and tries
to take Chandler's back, but fails to get his hooks in and slips
over the top, and Chandler dives for a low double as Alvarez
scoots away. They continue trading, and Alvarez lands a hopping
switch knee, and Chandler comes right back with a right hand.
Incredible action as the round wears down. A right hand lands
for Chandler, and a third drops Alvarez again, and Chandler tries
to pounce as the round comes to end, with the crowd going nuts.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Chandler
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Chandler
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Chandler
Round
2
Chandler lands a one-two to open the second round, and follows
up with a low left leg kick. The Mizzou alum grabs a bodylock
against the fence, and trips Alvarez to the mat, who gets back
to his feet, but is quickly dumped again. Chandler spins to Alavarez'
back, but Eddie stands and spins away. Eddie trying to pop in
with jabs and straight right hands, but can't land as cleanly
as Chandler thus far. Chandler shoots in, but Alvarez sprawls
and grabs a front headlock, and Chandler drops down to avoid
any incoming knees.Alvarez seems to be searching for an anaconda
choke, but Chandler recognizes it and stands, only to eat an
Alvarez knee. Chandler pops Alvarez with a jab, and Alvarez answers
in kind, and goes to the body with a straight right. Alvarez
lands a right kick to the body, and tries to follow up with a
leaping left knee, but gets tagged by a Chandler left hook for
his trouble. Alvarez scores with a straight right of his own
as the bell sounds.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Alvarez
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Chandler
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-9 Alvarez
Round
3
Both fighters are showing damage on their left eyes at the opening
of the third round. Chandler still pumping his jab, and Alvarez
coming forward, micing up his punching combinations to the head
and body. The champion lands a right over Chandler's jab, and
then a right to the body underneath it. Chandler changes level,
but Alvarez quickly jumps onto a front headlock. Chandler escapes,
but is under assault now, as Alvarez begins landing in combination
as Chandler unsuccessfully tries to circle away from the cage.
Chandler with a desperate shot, but Alvarez sprawls on it easily
and hammerfists at Chandler's head before standing up and teeing
off some more on a clearly spent Chandler. A huge right uppercut
misses for the challenger, and Alvarez lands a straight right
through it in a counter. Chandler shoots again, and manages to
pin Alvarez on his knees against the fence. Alvarez looks for
a switch, but instead gets back to his feet as the round comes
to a close. Outstanding fight so far.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-8 Alvarez
Jesse Denis scores the round 10-9 Alvarez
Ryan O'Leary scores the round 10-8 Alvarez
Round
4
Chandler
upset Alvarez.Chandler looks to have recovered a bit in between
rounds, as he's back to pumping his jab, but Alvarez is much
fresher, popping in and out with potshotting rights to the body
and lefts to the head. Chandler pops Alvarez with a left jab,
and just misses on a follow-up right straight. Now Alvarez is
looking a little lethargic, as Chandler is doing the stalking.
A Chandler shot is defended, but Alvarez loses his balance, and
Chandler capitalizes with a right hand. A second right hand sends
Alvarez to the fence, and Chandler pounces. Alvarez eats more
punishment as Chandler gets to side control, and soon has mount.
A dazed Alvarez gives his back, and Chandler immediately grabs
the rear-naked choke for the tap. Michael Chandler is the new
Bellator lightweight champion at 3:06 of the fourth round. Incredible
fight, and quite possibly 2011's "Fight of the Year."
Source: Sherdog
|
Dos
Santos win buoys UFC in Brazil
By Sergio
Non, USA TODAY
ANAHEIM,
Calif. -- Almost half of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's
gold now belongs to Brazil.
With
heavyweight Junior Dos Santos' knockout of Cain Velasquez on
Saturday in Anaheim, Brazilians now hold three of UFC's seven
belts, including middleweight champion Anderson Silva and featherweight
champ Jose Aldo. The result could help drive the sport's growth
even further in a market that has quickly risen in UFC's estimation.
"Brazil
is becoming our new Canada," said UFC President Dana White,
citing the country he considers the brand's best market on a
per-capita basis. "We're going to be doing a lot of stuff
in Brazil. ... It's crazy down there."
The
timing of Dos Santos' ascension couldn't be better for UFC, which
just started airing live on Brazil's largest TV network, Globo.
An estimated 60 million viewers in Brazil watched Saturday's
bout, White said.
"Wow,
thank you, Brazil -- I'm famous," Dos Santos joked afterward.
"I want to go back to Brazil and make a big, big barbecue
for all my family and my partners."
He
follows in the footsteps of his mentor, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira,
a cornerman of Dos Santos on Saturday. Nogueira is the only other
Brazilian to win a major title in his Dos Santos' weight class;
he was the first titleholder of Pride Fighting Championships'
heavyweight division and later won an interim belt for UFC.
Dos
Santos 'arrival at the top of his division gives UFC a new anchor
for the Brazilian market even as the extremely popular Silva
enters his late 30s. The new heavyweight champion is 27, which
suggests he has several years left in his athletic prime.
Near-term
plans for Brazil include the first non-U.S. version of The Ultimate
Fighter "very soon," White said.
"Wait
till you see the talent that comes out of this country over the
next two years," he said. "It's going to be crazy.
Look at the talent that's here now."
UFC
has another live event scheduled less than five months after
a sold-out Aug. 27 show that was the promotion's return to the
country after a 13-year absence. UFC 142 will take place Jan.
14 in Brazil with a card that includes Aldo vs. Chad Mendes and
Brazilian ex-champion Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson.
That
card won't include Dos Santos. He won't know his next challenger
until a Dec. 30 title eliminator bout in Las Vegas between former
titleholder Brock Lesnar and ex-Strikeforce champion Alistair
Overeem.
Saturday's
main event ended just 64 seconds into the fight when referee
John McCarthy stepped in to halt the ground-and-pound attack
launched by Dos Santos after he knocked down Velasquez with an
overhand right. Velasquez said he remained aware of his surroundings
as he fell to the mat, but his body would not react.
"It
was a great stoppage," Velasquez said.
UFC
officials awarded Dos Santos a $65,000 award for the card's Knockout
of the Night.
Dos
Santos smashed Velasquez despite an injury that left him barely
able to walk and hardly able to train 10 days before the bout.
After the fight, the new champion confirmed that he injured the
meniscus in his left knee during jiu-jitsu training. But shots
of medicine and physical therapy such as training in a pool helped
him recover well enough to make it for Saturday's bout, he said.
"I
can't miss that fight, because it's the fight of my life,"
Dos Santos said.
Source:
USA Today
|
MMA
Top 10 Rankings: dos Santos Takes Top Spot
The updated MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings were released on
Wednesday, Nov. 16. This system ranks the Top 10 MMA fighters
from across the world in each of the seven most widely accepted
men’s weight classes and the Top 10 pound-for-pound women
fighters.
Taken
into consideration are a fighter’s performance in addition
to win-loss record, head-to-head and common opponents, difficulty
of opponents, and numerous other factors in what is the most
comprehensive rankings system in the sport.
Fighters
who are currently serving drug-related suspensions are not eligible
for Top 10 consideration until they have fought one time after
the completion of their suspension.
Fighters
must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to
be eligible for Top 10 consideration unless they have a bout
scheduled within a reasonable time frame.
(NEW
FEATURE! Fighter’s previous ranking is in parenthesis.)
Below
are the current MMAWeekly.com World MMA Rankings:
WOMEN’S
POUND-FOR-POUND (all weight classes)
1. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (1)
2. Megumi Fujii (2)
3. Sarah Kaufman (3)
4. Miesha Tate (4)
5. Marloes Coenen (5)
6. Zoila Gurgel (6)
7. Tara LaRosa (7)
8. Rosi Sexton (8)
9. Alexis Davis (9)
10. Hiroko Yamanaka (10)
HEAVYWEIGHT
DIVISION (over 205 pounds)
1. Junior Dos Santos (2)
2. Alistair Overeem (3)
3. Cain Velasquez (1)
4. Josh Barnett (4)
5. Brock Lesnar (5)
6. Fabricio Werdum (6)
7. Shane Carwin (7)
8. Frank Mir (8)
9. Daniel Cormier (9)
10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (10)
LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)
1. Jon Jones (1)
2. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (2)
3. Rashad Evans (3)
4. Quinton Jackson (4)
5. Lyoto Machida (5)
6. Dan Henderson (6)
7. Phil Davis (7)
8. Gegard Mousasi (8)
9. Alexander Gustafsson (9)
10. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (10)
MIDDLEWEIGHT
DIVISION (185-pound limit)
1. Anderson Silva (1)
2. Chael Sonnen (2)
3. Yushin Okami (3)
4. Nathan Marquardt (4)
5. Michael Bisping (5)
6. Mark Munoz (6)
7. Demian Maia (7)
8. Vitor Belfort (8)
9. Brian Stann (9)
10. Alan Belcher (10)
WELTERWEIGHT
DIVISION (170-pound limit)
1. Georges St-Pierre (1)
2. Jon Fitch (2)
3. Nick Diaz (3)
4. Carlos Condit (4)
5. Jake Ellenberger (5)
6. Josh Koscheck (6)
7. Jake Shields (7)
8. Thiago Alves (8)
9. Diego Sanchez (9)
10. Ben Askren (10)
LIGHTWEIGHT
DIVISION (155-pound limit)
1. Frankie Edgar (1)
2. Gilbert Melendez (2)
3. Benson Henderson (7)
4. Gray Maynard (3)
5. Shinya Aoki (4)
6. Eddie Alvarez (5)
7. Clay Guida (6)
8. Jim Miller (8)
9. Anthony Pettis (9)
10. Donald Cerrone (10)
FEATHERWEIGHT
DIVISION (145 pound-limit)
1. Jose Aldo (1)
2. Chad Mendes (2)
3. Hatsu Hioki (3)
4. Mark Hominick (4)
5. Dustin Poirier (5)
6. Erik Koch (6)
7. Kenny Florian (7)
8. Pat Curran (8)
9. Diego Nunes (9)
10. Marlon Sandro (10)
BANTAMWEIGHT
DIVISION (135 pounds or less)
1. Dominick Cruz (1)
2. Brian Bowles (2)
3. Joseph Benavidez (3)
4. Scott Jorgensen (4)
5. Urijah Faber (5)
6. Renan Barao (6)
7. Demetrious Johnson (7)
8. Brad Pickett (8)
9. Masakatsu Ueda (9)
10. Michael McDonald (10)
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Hector
Lombard vs. The World
By Tristen
Critchfield
It
was meant as a compliment of the highest order, a boss praising
his employee as one of the best in the world at his craft.
Bjorn
Rebney never definitively said UFC middleweight champion Anderson
Silva would beat Hector Lombard. The Bellator Fighting Championships
CEO merely suggested “The Spider,” among all fighters
at 185 pounds, was the one man he could envision being able to
defeat Lombard, and that, at best, was only a maybe.
“I
think there’s one guy on earth right now that I would look
at and say to myself, ‘He could beat Hector.’ His name
is Anderson Silva,” Rebney said following Bellator 54. “I
don’t know that I would pick Anderson to beat Hector, but
it would be one heck of a fight.”
Lombard
bristles at those words. To say the hard-hitting Cuban might
lose a fight to a man considered to be the world’s pound-for-pound
best is to damn him with faint praise.
“To
be honest, I didn’t like it at all,” Lombard told Sherdog.com.
“I don’t consider -- myself [being] a fighter -- that
anybody can beat me. If somebody can beat me, they have to do
it; they have to prove it. [Rebney is] my boss, and I’ll
fight for him, [but] just giving out credit to a guy that doesn’t
even fight for him -- that’s not nice at all. That’s
the way it goes, you know?”
Lombard’s
world is full of perceived slights, from fans, his homeland and,
apparently, his employer. A 19-fight winning streak that dates
back to 2007 has not been enough to silence the critics. Those
who are not impressed by Lombard’s highlight reel of finishes
and his current reign as Bellator middleweight champion point
to a lack of quality opposition. Lombard is aware of this because
he reads the comments and forums that litter the Internet.
"I’m
always gonna be hated by everybody. I don’t really care
if people like me at all, to be honest,” he said.
The
former judo Olympian owns notable victories over UFC veterans
Joe Doerksen, Kalib Starnes, Brian Ebersole, Jesse Taylor and
James Te Huna, as well as Bellator Season 2 and Season 5 middleweight
tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko.
At
Bellator 58 on Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
in Hollywood, Fla., he will attempt to add to his record in a
195-pound catchweight bout against South African wrestler Trevor
Prangley. Prangley has competed for the UFC, Strikeforce and
Dream promotions in a 32-fight career but, with three losses
in his last four fights, fits the profile of the type of opponent
many fans do not want to see Lombard face. For the American Top
Team product, the motivation remains the same regardless of the
foe.
“The
most important thing is to keep active and fighting,” Lombard
said. “My mentality as a fighter is every fight for me is
a title fight. It doesn’t matter if the belt is on the line
or not. It’s just get the win and come home; that’s
the most important thing.”
Silva
has a streak of his own.
Home
can be a touchy subject for Lombard, who feels his native Cuba
has never given him proper recognition for his accomplishments
in the cage. The lack of support confuses Lombard, as he points
to Silva’s following in Brazil and boxing champion Manny
Pacquiao’s legion of fans in the Philippines as examples
of fighters having unwavering fan bases in their places of birth.
“I’m
from Cuba, and I should have more fans. I should have people
from there that [support] me more, and I don’t,” Lombard
said.
Conversely,
since his days as an Olympian at the Sydney Games in 2000, Lombard’s
relationship with the land Down Under has been considerably more
warm and fuzzy.
“I
had been treated better there than in my own country,” he
said. “I started fighting up there, and I love that place.”
Twenty
one of the judoka’s 33 professional fights have taken place
in Australia, and he captured the Cage Fighting Championships’
185-pound belt there in 2007; it is a belt he still owns after
seven successful title defenses. Continuing to fight for such
a smaller promotion would seem to be detrimental to the advancement
of his stateside career, but, for Lombard, the reward is well
worth it.
“The
place is packed, no matter where I fight. If I fight in Melbourne,
if I fight in Sydney, if I fight anywhere, they love me,”
he said. “I’m very happy that Australians take me as
one of them. I have a lot of great people behind me.”
At
this point, Lombard’s record (30-2-1, 1 NC) speaks for itself.
A man can only beat the competition placed in front of him, and
he has been successful in that regard. Though his winning streak
is longer than that of any fighter in the UFC -- including Silva
-- it is not something that usually crosses Lombard’s mind.
“I
focus on one fight at a time. I don’t worry about the record
or anything like that. My mind is just, ‘Don’t lose.
Keep winning,’” he said.
Do
not expect Lombard to be in awe of an opponent anytime soon.
While many of today’s mixed martial artists are fans of
their peers and some even grew up idolizing the same guys they
eventually battle in the cage, Lombard does not particularly
care to emulate anyone.
“I
don’t really have a hero. I just want to train and continue
to fight,” he said. “No offense to anybody, but I don’t
admire anyone in the game. I watch all the fights. I watch UFC
fights. I watch Bellator fights. I watch them all, but I don’t
have, like, a hero or anything like that.”
He
does have one fight at the top of his wish list, however. When
Rebney proposed that Silva was the only man in MMA with the potential
to beat Lombard, he echoed a variation of a sentiment the Cuban
has heard often over the years as the wins mount. For now, a
Lombard-Silva battle lives only in the minds of fantasy matchmakers,
but the Bellator middleweight champion would like to see it happen
eventually.
“You
gotta go to the best, right? Everybody says they would like to
see a fight between me and Anderson Silva, so, yeah, I would
love to fight him,” Lombard said. “I believe my game
is more complete. Time will tell; talking doesn’t do it.
You have to do it and let the actions speak. When you do something,
it’s what really matters.”
Source:
Sherdog
|
Shane
Carwin will be out 10 weeks after back surgery
By Zach
Arnold
KENNY
RICE: “How are you doing right now? Getting ready for this
surgery, what kind of surgery is this going to be on your back?”
SHANE
CARWIN: “You know, right now I’m doing all right. I’ve
got to get up early, I’ve got to get up about 3:30 AM in
the morning to go have surgery. But it’s T-10 through T-12,
so it’s basically the middle of my back. I’ve got a
disc that’s pressing into my spinal cord and it’s basically
removed all the spinal fluid around the area, so the first time
something really happened bad I was doing a seminar and just
drilling takedowns and I got taken down and both of my legs froze
up and I actually thought I was paralyzed and it lasted about
10 or 15 seconds and I wasn’t able to move. Finally, I was
able to recover after that, you know, your spinal cord gets rid
of that initial impact. I also noticed that when I started jumping
and stuff, I’d get a tremendous amount of pain throughout
my legs. So, I’m going to go in and have that done and what
they’re going to do is actually drill out the bone in my
spine to give that spinal cord some room in there.”
RICH
FRANKLIN: “What’s your down time, Shane?”
SHANE
CARWIN: “I think I’m probably only looking at about
10 weeks with that, similar to the neck injury that I had. …
This is the third time my back’s been operated on.”
(later
on…)
“I
love to fight and I’m passionate about it and, you know,
any time you’re passionate about something and you love
to do it it’s easy to go to work and that’s what I
love to do. So, the doctor told me that I could either have this
surgery and be able to train and do all the things that I need
to do be, you know, a complete athlete or we could fore-go the
surgery and I could quit, I would be done because I wouldn’t
be able to do a lot of the athletic moves and stuff like that
but probably would be looking at surgery down the road, any way.”
(On
when he lost feeling in his legs temporarily…)
“It
was tremendously scary. I still remember the guy looking at my
eyes when it happened and they got extremely big.”
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
UFC
on FX Debut Card Set for January; Two Bouts Announced (UPDATE)
The
first ever UFC on FX event will kick off in Jan 2012 and two
bouts have already been added to the card.
While
no date or venue have been secured for the event, MMAWeekly.com
had sources that said a Jan 20 date was rumored for the show,
but nothing has been determined yet.
The
two fights that UFC officials announced for the event include
a welterweight bout between Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig and
Josh Neer, as well as a heavyweight tilt between Pat Barry and
Christian Morecraft.
Ludwig
returns in January after a successful performance at his last
fight where he took out former ‘Ultimate Fighter’ winner
Amir Sadollah. It was Ludwig’s second win in a row in the
Octagon after dealing with ankle surgery in 2010.
Josh
Neer comes back to face Ludwig after first returning to the Octagon
in October with a rousing performance over Keith Wisniewski.
Neer busted up his opponent using short elbows from inside the
clinch, and picked up his first win in the UFC since a 2009 victory
over former ‘Ultimate Fighter’ winner Mac Danzig.
Also
added to the UFC on FX card is a heavyweight match-up where Pat
Barry will look to get on a winning track after two losses in
a row.
Barry
lost his last two fights, but not without a lot of excitement
in both of them. In his fight with Cheick Kongo, Barry had the
Frenchman hurt and seemingly out of it, but a quick hail mary
punch from Kongo ended Barry’s night. Barry followed that
up with a submission loss to Stefan Struve, but again came close
to ending that fight as well with a pro wrestling style ‘power
bomb’ but couldn’t get out of the Dutchman’s triangle
choke.
Facing
Barry in January will be Christian Morecraft, who looks to bounce
back from a loss of his own in his last fight to Matt Mitrione.
Morecraft
previously defeated Mitrione’s teammate and friend Sean
McCorkle in his last fight, before suffering the defeat in June.
The
two bouts announced for the card mark the inaugural event for
the UFC on FX. While no name has been giving to the show, the
debut will kick off in January for six slated live events to
take place on the network in 2012.
UPDATE:
As originally reported by MMAWeekly.com the debut card for UFC
on FX was rumored to take place on Jan 20 and now more confirmation
has come to support that. Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig’s
manager posted on Twitter that the fight will take place Jan
20 in Nashville, Tenn. No further reports have been confirmed
for the location however.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Toquinho
on card for UFC Rio; first-timer Lula likely
Junior
Samurai
Today
official announcement was made that Rousimar Toquinho’s
name has been added to the card for the January 14 UFC show in
Rio, where he will take on Mike Massenzio.
Toquinho
is coming off an August win over Dan Miller on the UFC’s
last trip to Rio. On the occasion, the black belt came close
to cinching the win by knockout but stopped short for a premature
victory celebration, without the referee having called an end
to the bout. “He yelled, so I thought it was over,”
he later explained. After starting up again, Toquinho continued
to dictate the pace and, despite getting put through the wringer
in the third round, held out for the unanimous decision.
Now
Massenzio is on his second tour of the UFC, holding two wins
and two losses overall under the promotional banner.
According
to website MMABay.com, another matchup that has been verbally
agreed to pits Rob Broughton against promotional-first-timer
Ednaldo Oliveira. Rob is coming off back to back losses in the
UFC heavyweight division, while Lula has amassed 15 wins, eight
knockouts and no losses.
Check
out the provisional card for the second UFC in Rio de Janeiro:
UFC
Rio 142
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Saturday, January 14, 2012
José
Aldo vs Chad Mendes
Vitor Belfort vs Anthony Johnson
Terry Etim vs Edson Junior
Rousimar Toquinho vs Mike Massenzio
Stanislav Nedkov vs Fabio Maldonado
Erick Silva vs Siyar Bahadurzada
Sam Stout vs Thiago Tavares
Rob Broughton vs Ednaldo Lula
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Semerzier
Appeals UFC on Fox Loss, Wants Peralta Rematch
By Mike
Whitman
The
management team of UFC featherweight Mackens Semerzier has filed
an appeal with the California State Athletic Commission following
Semerzier’s controversial loss to Robert Peralta at UFC
on Fox 1 last Saturday.
SuckerPunch
Entertainment Managing Partner Brian Butler-Au confirmed Tuesday
to Sherdog.com that an appeal has been filed.
Semerzier
was defeated by Peralta at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
After two hard-fought rounds saw both men hit the canvas, the
145-pounders exchanged hard shots in the third frame. During
a flurry, the top of Peralta’s head accidentally struck
Semerzier on the temple, buckling Semerzier’s legs and allowing
his foe to finish him off.
In
real time, it looked as though Semerzier was simply felled by
one of Peralta’s punches. However, upon review using instant
replay, it appeared it was actually Peralta’s head which
caused the knockdown. As referee John McCarthy did not see the
accidental collision of heads, the fight was ruled as a technical
knockout victory for Peralta.
Butler
told Sherdog.com that the CSAC confirmed it has received the
appeal. Additionally, Butler asserted that he plans to follow
up with CSAC Director George Dodd.
“What
happened to Mackens was a very unfortunate accident,” said
Butler. “We hope the CSAC sees how clear this case is and
does what is right. I don't think you can have a stronger case
to show that the end of this fight was caused by the foul. We
would like this turned into a no-contest, and then aim for a
rematch as soon as possible. We think Mackens and the fans deserve
to see how this fight would have ended without the foul.”
Source:
Sherdog
|
Bellator's
Eddie Alvarez seeks busier schedule
By Sergio
Non, USA TODAY
The
top-rated American lightweight in mixed martial arts outside
of Zuffa wants to double his workload.
"I'd
like to get in there four and five times a year and mix it up
and be able to get a lot of fights," says Eddie Alvarez,
lightweight titleholder of Bellator Fighting Championships. "I'm
young so I think it's important for me to do that."
After
fighting at least three times annually from 2005 through 2009,
the schedule has slowed for the 27-year-old Alvarez, who had
only two bouts last year. Saturday's title defense against Season
4 tournament winner Michael Chandler at Bellator 58 (9 p.m. ET,
MTV2 and Epix) in Hollywood, Fla. will be just the second time
this year that the champion competes in the cage.
Even
that fight was delayed. Alvarez was supposed to face Chandler
last month, but had to postpone the matter because of a training
injury.
"It's
been tough for me to sit this long without actually getting in
the cage and proving myself and showing what I'm able to do on
a big stage," says Alvarez, who trains at the Fight Factory
in Philadelphia with Bellator bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky,
and also works frequently with UFC lightweight titlist Frankie
Edgar.
USA
TODAY spoke to Alvarez recently about this weekend's fight with
Chandler. Excerpts from the conversation:
Q:
Your fight was delayed because of your injury. How are you doing
physically these days?
Alvarez:
I'm 100%. The rest was well needed. I'm excited to get in there
to be able to fight and to be healthy.
As
fighters, we have a lot of downtime and it's easy to take our
time for granted, but we fail to realize how lucky we are just
to be able to compete injury free. When something like that happens,
you get a reawakening and a new gratitude for what you're able
to do.
That
definitely happened to me and allowed me to push even harder
to go into this next title defense at a different level.
What
exactly was your injury?
I
didn't disclose anything in the press just because I didn't think
it would be beneficial to me for my opponent to know exactly
where I'm injured. Just that it was in the middle of wrestling
that the injury did happen.
Seems
like quite a few injuries in MMA training happen when guys are
wrestling. Why do you think that's the case?
The
reason being is that wrestling isn't necessarily a controlled
sport. It relies more on speed and strength than it does necessarily
technique.
There
is technique involved. I don't want people to get me wrong.
But
it relies a lot on speed and strength at a certain point, so
it's not as controlled as something like jiu-jitsu would be,
where you can rely more on your technique. A lot of guys rely
on speed and strength, so with that sort of uncontrollable nature,
people get injured.
How
much pent-up anticipation do you have after being out for a lengthy
period, at least by your standards?
For
me, I've just been sitting so long. I'm a fighter's fighter.
I'd like to get in there four and five times a year and mix it
up and be able to get a lot of fights. I'm young so I think it's
important for me to do that.
It's
been tough for me to sit this long without actually getting in
the cage and proving myself and showing what I'm able to do on
a big stage.
Bellator
has said that if you beat Chandler, you get a rematch next year
with the last man to beat you, Shinya Aoki. Does that give you
any added motivation against Chandler?
No.
I'm a very focused person. I'm very focused on the present. I'm
a huge believer in that's what got me where I am here as champion.
I
don't look any further than what's in front of me. The Chandler
fight doesn't even mean anything to me right now. My practice
tonight means more than me than the Chandler fight. I'll deal
with the Chandler fight the night of the fight.
I'm
very focused on what's in front of me. I've got to get past Mike
Chandler; then I'll worry about what comes after that.
But
I can't say that I'm not excited about (Bellator CEO) Bjorn (Rebney)
being able to get me that rematch.
What
did you think of Chandler's run through the tournament?
He
had a pretty dominant run through the tournament. A lot of people
didn't think he'd be able to pull off that final win, and he
not only pulled it off, but he did it in a dominant fashion.
He surprised a lot of people, including myself.
I
have a lot of respect for the guy. I can't wait to get in there.
I think just training for this fight has pushed me to another
level. I wanted to improve a skillset that I believed I need
improvement upon for a long time, and this camp allowed me to
do that and forced me to do that. It's just going to make me
a more dominant fighter at the end of the day.
What's
his biggest asset as a fighter?
Of
course, he's an All-American wrestler. I think his biggest asset
is his ability to work at a high rate throughout the whole fight.
He has a good pace and he has a way of being able to turn the
fight into a war of attrition. That being said, the more technical
fighters and the better fighters don't always win when you're
able to turn it into a war of attrition.
I'm
known to do that, as well, so I don't see how it could be a boring
fight. It's going to be two people who are in the most phenomenal
shape you'll ever see going after each other. The best athlete
will win that night. I'm excited to get in there and get after
it.
In
the fights that he fought, he pushed the pace and he was able
to dominate. It's very easy to not get winded and to dominate
a fight when you're the one winning all the time.
We're
definitely going to change the pace up when I get in there Nov.
19 and I get in his face. It's going to be something he never
felt before and something he never dealt with. We're really going
to test him and see where his heart's at.
When
was the last time you fought someone with wrestling at Chandler's
level?
I
fought (Tatsuya) Kawajiri (in 2008 for Dream) but he didn't use
his wrestling as good as he normally does. He's a short, stocky,
wrestler, ground-and-pound type guy, just like Chandler, but
a lot more experience than Chandler.
I
think this is probably the best wrestler I've fought to date.
Wrestling by far needs to be respected. It's a very tough sport.
A lot of the things that you do in wrestling correlate over to
MMA.
But
this isn't wrestling, and people have got to understand that.
This isn't a wrestling match, and we're going to make sure it
don't turn into one.
You've
won quite a few fights by outstrking or outboxing opponents.
How much of an edge do you think you have in that department
against Chandler?
I
like to believe I have an edge in every aspect of fighting before
I go into a fight with a guy. With Chandler it should be no different.
Although
he has All-American attributes as far as wrestling, I train with
top-level wrestlers and I know what I'm able to do on a wrestling
mat. Although I haven't gotten a medal or gotten a trophy as
far as All-American status, I believe I can hang with some of
the top wrestlers in the country.
People
will see that (when we fight). Just tune in. That's all. Don't
miss this fight, because it'll be a different showing of myself
than people have ever seen.
Your
training partners have been doing well lately. Zach Makovsky
won recently. Frankie Edgar won last month. How much inspiration
do you draw from their success?
I
think we all draw inspiration from each other. I look at what
Zach does and I see how dominant of a champion he is and the
things he's able to do, as well as Frankie.
We
go after each other as hard as we can to make each other better
and it's all paying off. Our investment and time that we put
in with each other is all paying off. It's all paying us back.
I'm
just happy for all of us. We want keep this ball rolling and
just go out there and separate ourselves from the rest of the
pack.
The
last time we spoke, you mentioned the Fight Factory doesn't have
a cage. Is that just a matter of space?
Yeah,
it is a matter of space. Our gym isn't very big.
I
think the Fight Factory is a place that's a real fighter's fighters
gym. We're not into the kettle bells. We're not into the 30-foot
cages with the oxygen mask and all that stuff.
I
think Fight Factory is a place where if you want to learn to
fight and learn the art of fight and skip all the other (baloney),
that's where you go.
Some
guy said, "My place has flags of all the countries in them.
And it's real clean." And this and that.
I
told the guy, "We did have flags, but we took them down
and we replaced them with champions." (chuckles) So I think
it's more important (to have) the quality of fighters. The people
in the room are what makes a gym, not the things that are in
the gym, whether it be a cage or weights or whatever else it
is.
Source:
USA Today
|
Joe
Rogan says Velasquez overestimated his own striking, excited
to go to UFC Rio
By Eduardo
Ferreira, from Califronia
Color
commentator of UFC since 1997, Joe Rogan debuted watching Vitor
Belfort smashing his opponent on the 12th edition of the event,
when the Brazilian won the heavyweight Grand Prix. Fourteen years
later, more precisely last weekend, Rogan watched another Brazilian’s
victory: Junior dos Santos, the new UFC heavyweight champion.
“It
was an amazing fight”, said Joe, on a chat with TATAME on
the backstage of the event. “Well, you know, he has briliant
timing. He has great timing and great knockout power and he did
exactly what he wanted to do. For him, it was the win with a
perfect fight. He picked a spot, find an opening, landed and
boom: that was it”.
With
thousands of bouts commented though the years, Rogan points out
the “mistakes” of Cain Velasquez, knocked out in 64
seconds.
“I
think if i was Cain Velasquez’s coach, if I would say, if
he need some area, he should’ve tried to take Junior down,
he should try to tire Junior out. But to try to stand with him...
I think he overestimated his striking and Junior is one of the
best, if not the best boxer in Mixed Martial Arts”, analyzes.
Rogan
didn’t want to bet on who will be the next on the line to
fight Junior, a challenger that will be defined after the bout
between Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar, but warned: he’ll
be in Rio to comment on UFC 142, on January 14th, at HSBC Arena.
“I couldn’t do the last one but I’ll be there
on this one”, warns.
Source:
Tatame
|
Wanderlei
Silva Never Contemplated Retirement
by Damon
Martin
Win,
lose or draw at UFC 139, Wanderlei Silva isn’t going anywhere,
any time soon.
The
former Pride champion had to deal with a swarm of retirement
rumors after his knockout loss to Chris Leben in July. UFC President
Dana White remarked at the time that Silva’s time in the
UFC may have come to a close after the devastating first round
knockout.
While
the loss to Leben was tough, Silva had just defeated Michael
Bisping one fight prior to that, and also had a three round war
with former middleweight champion Rich Franklin before that.
Despite
White’s comments about Silva’s future, the Brazilian
says he never contemplated retirement after that fight.
“I
never give up. I’m fighting for 20 years in my life right
now, and I’m healthy, I make all tests with the doctors.
I’m too good and great condition and I’m going to prove
that on Saturday,” Silva said on Wednesday.
The
term legend doesn’t get tossed around very much in MMA,
but Wanderlei Silva has absolutely earned legendary status that
also includes his unprecedented 15-fight win streak and title
run while fighting under the Pride banner.
Since
coming to the UFC, Silva has gone just 2-4, but also faced some
of the stiffest competition the promotion had to offer.
As
he heads into his fight this weekend against former Strikeforce
middleweight champion Cung Le, retirement talk is the last thing
that’s creeping into Silva’s mind.
He
reminds everyone that one fight can’t define a fighter’s
career, good or bad, and Silva has no plans of going anywhere
except back into the cage after this bout at UFC 139.
“I
have a lot of fans in the world that want to watch my fight.
What happened in the last fight can happen with anybody. The
first three minutes were strong and one punch finished the fight.
You can’t tell Cain Velasquez he’s going to retire
right now because he lost in one minute. This can happen with
everybody,” Silva said.
“One
fight can’t tell about a fighter. I know I’m going
to fight again, again and again.”
From
the sound of things, the retirement talk has sparked a new fire
inside of Wanderlei Silva. Now it’s up to him to unleash
it on Cung Le at UFC 139 and prove that he can still be the ‘Axe
Murderer’ of old.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
Lawsuit Challenges Constitutionality of New York MMA Ban
By Mike
Whitman
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship Tuesday announced that the promotion,
along with a group of plaintiffs from the mixed martial arts
community, has filed a lawsuit in New York in an attempt to overturn
the state’s ban on MMA.
According
an official release from the Las Vegas-based organization, the
lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of a New York state
law banning the sport. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of New York, alleges that the MMA ban
infringes on the rights of fighters who want equal opportunity
to showcase their abilities in the Empire State, as well as on
the rights of fans and MMA supporters in New York.
“It
is unfortunate that we were forced to take the step of filing
a lawsuit to overturn this senseless law, but the ban on live,
professional MMA infringes on the rights of countless New Yorkers,”
stated Barry Friedman, a constitutional law professor at New
York University School of Law and co-counsel with Morrison &
Foerster, LLP, for the plaintiffs. “Despite sincere legislative
efforts, the ban remains in place based on a flawed assessment
of the sport’s supposedly ‘violent message.’ This
rationale is a patent violation of the First Amendment.”
For
years, the UFC has pushed to legalize MMA in New York, but state
officials have yet to regulate the sport. The proposed bill died
in the State Assembly once again this year, though it appeared
to gain momentum in 2011, passing through the state’s Tourism,
Parks, Arts and Sports Development Committee and the Codes Committee
before stalling in Ways and Means.
When
the bill failed to be placed on the Ways and Means committee’s
agenda in June, it prevented members of the committee from voting
on the proposal. Without the approval of the committee, the bill
could not be brought to the floor of the State Assembly for a
full vote, and the bill was set aside until next year.
Source
Sherdog
|
Searchable
text of UFC’s lawsuit against New York
By Zach
Arnold
Judge
Wood, November 15th, 2011
UNITED
STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
Plaintiffs:
Jon Jones, Gina Carano, Frankie Edgar, Matt Hamill, Brian Stann,
Zuffa LLC d/b/a Ultimate Fighting Championship, Danielle Hobeika,
Beth Hurrle, Donna Hurrle, Steve Kardian, Joseph Lozito, Erik
Owings, Chris Reitz, and Jennifer Santiago
-against-
Defendants:
Eric T. Schneiderman, in his official capacity as Attorney General
of the State of New York, and Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. in his official
capacity as District Attorney for the County of New York
Plaintiffs,
on knowledge with respect to their own acts, and on information
and belief with respect to all other matters, challenge the constitutionality
of New York’s ban on the performance of professional mixed
martial arts before live audiences.
FIRST
CAUSE OF ACTION
THE
LIVE PROFESSIONAL MMA BAN IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS APPLIED TO PLAINTIFFS
(First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States)
Plaintiffs
repeat and reallege each and every allegation contained in paragraphs
1 through 234 as if fully set forth herein.
At
all times relevant herein, Defendants have acted, and are acting,
under color of state law.
The
First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States states,
in relevant part, that “Congress shall make no law.. . abridging
the freedom of speech ….” U.S. Const. amend. I. By
operation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of
the United States, the First Amendment applies equally to laws
passed by the several states, including the State of New York.
The
Live Professional MMA Ban bars professional MMA in front of live
audiences based on its content. The legislative history of the
Ban, including innumerable statements by legislators and other
public officials before and since the Ban took effect, make plain
that the Ban was adopted in response to what was perceived to
be the violent message of MMA. As such, the Ban is a content-based
restriction on constitutionally protected speech.
As
set out in great detail above, live professional MMA—and
all of the related aspects before and after a fight itself—has
an expressive content that fighters intend to convey and that
fans understand and perceive. This unique communicative process
cannot happen live in New York because of the Live Professional
MMA Ban.
Live
professional MMA is clearly intended and understood as public
entertainment and, as such, is expressive activity protected
by the First Amendment. That the real purpose of the Ban on live
professional MMA was to squelch its expressive element is evident
throughout the legislative history, during which legislators
and other public officials repeatedly made clear that the purpose
of the Ban was to prevent what they perceived as the violent
message of MMA.
But
for the Ban, promoters such as Plaintiff UFC would produce live
MMA events; operators of venues in New York, such as Madison
Square Garden, would host live professional MMA events; Plaintiff
fighters would fight in them; Plaintiff fans would attend them;
and members of the media, would broadcast those events or broadcast,
print, and distribute news and stories about those events.
The
Live Professional MMA Ban is a content-based restriction on speech
and expressive conduct aimed directly at prohibiting the message
the State of New York believes is conveyed by the expressive
conduct of professional MMA fighters. As the foregoing makes
clear, New York misperceives the proper message of MMA. Nonetheless,
live professional MMA as described above constitutes entertainment
and expressive conduct. Plaintiffs challenge the Ban as applied
to them.
New
York remains free to regulate live professional MMA, as have
most other states. It is the complete ban on professional MMA
before live audiences that is unconstitutional.
SECOND
CAUSE OF ACTION
THE LIVE PROFESSIONAL MMA BAN IS UNCONSTITUTIONALLY OVERBROAD
AND FACIALLY INVALID
(First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States)
Plaintiffs
repeat and reallege each and every allegation contained in paragraphs
1 through 243 as if fully set forth herein.
At
all times relevant herein, Defendants have acted, and are acting,
under color of state law.
The
Live Professional MMA Ban is written so broadly that, in addition
to prohibiting the constitutionally protected activity of professional
MMA fighters and fans, it also prohibits myriad other forms of
speech and expression that are protected by the First Amendment,
both inside and outside of New York.
The
Live Professional MMA Ban broadly prohibits: (1) any professional
MMA matches from being “conducted, held or given” within
New York, (2) “advancing” professional MMA in New York,
or (3) “profiting from” professional MMA in New York.
A person who violates the Live Professional MMA Ban is subject
to criminal and/or civil penalties. N.Y. Unconsol. Law §
8905-a(2), (3). 248. Section 3(a) of the Live Professional MMA
Ban makes it a crime if a person “knowingly advances or
profits from a combative sport activity [i.e., MMA]….”
Id. § 8905-a(3)(a).
As
to “advances,” Section 3(b) states that “[a] person
advances a combative sport activity when, acting other than as
a spectator, he or she engages in conduct which materially aids
any combative sport.” Id. § 8905-a(3)(b) (emphasis
added). “Materially aids,” in turn is defined in extraordinarily
sweeping terms. Such conduct:
[IJncludes
but is not limited to conduct directed toward the creation, establishment
or performance of a combative sport, toward the acquisition or
maintenance of premises, paraphernalia, equipment or apparatus
therefor, toward the solicitation or inducement of persons to
attend or participate therein, toward the actual conduct of the
performance thereof, toward the arrangement of any of its financial
or promotional phases, or toward any other phase of a combative
sport.
Id.
(emphasis added).
The
Live Professional MMA Ban also prohibits any person from "profiting"
from a combative sport activity. In Section 3(c), the Live Professional
MMA Ban states that a person "profits" from a combative
sport activity "when he or she accepts or receives money
or other property with intent to participate in the proceeds
of a combative sport activity, or pursuant to an agreement or
understanding with any person whereby he or she participates
or is to participate in the proceeds of a combative sport activity."
Id. § 8905-a(3)(c).
It
is a violation of the First Amendment to criminalize protected
speech. Given the Ban's sweeping prohibition, it reaches, and
has the likelihood of chilling, protected speech and conduct.
The Ban is substantially overbroad and facially invalid.
The
following are just some examples of conduct and speech that appear
to fall within the broad language of the Ban, yet clearly are
protected by the First Amendment:
•
Writing to state officials asking them to repeal the Live Professional
MMA Ban because they want live professional MMA events to be
lawful in New York.
•
Lecturing at a New York college or university, speaking about
the long tradition of MMA and its effect on modem culture, such
as the lecture given in 2008 at New York University's Stem School
of Business by alumnus and CEO and Chairman of Plaintiff Zuffa,
Lorenzo Fertitta, regardinn MMA, UFC, The Ultimate Fighter, and
the growth of MMA worldwide.
•
A local artist selling t-shirts emblazoned with pro-MMA slogans.
•
Producing video of out-of-state professional MMA bouts in New
York.
•
An MMA fan printing a newspaper for distribution in New York,
or writing for a blog available in New York, regarding upcoming
professional fights and encouraging readers to attend them, such
as the Gals Guide to MMA blog founded, written, and maintained
by Plaintiffs Beth Hurrle and Donna Hurrle, or The Fight Lawyer
blog founded and written by a New York attorney.
•
A writer for a New York newspaper who, through his/her descriptive
prose, motivates readers to watch and attend professional MMA
matches, such as Michael Brick and Justin Porter of The New York
Times, and George Willis of the New York Post."
A
musician who advocates for the repeal of the Live Professional
MMA Ban during a concert at Madison Square Garden, such as James
Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, who stated at a live show in Madison
Square Garden: "Hey, New York, why don't you allow mixed
martial arts?
•
A bar or restaurant holding a "UFC Fight Night" for
its patrons to come watch MMA, including Manhattan's Playwright
Tavern, The House of Brews, Third & Long, Jack Demsey's,
Legends Bar & Grill, and many other New York bars that show
UFC matches for their patrons.
•
UFC "viewing parties" at Madison Square Garden.
•
Professional MMA fighters holding autograph sessions for fans
within New York.
•
Litigating this lawsuit.
•
Broadcasting PPV professional MMA events held outside the State
on New York television channels, or showing The Ultimate Fighter
on Spike TV within New York. PPV professional MMA matches are
shown regularly by cable and satellite television providers in
New York, including Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, DirecTV,
Dish Network, and Verizon FiOS.
•
Handing out promotional flyers encouraging fans to go to an out-of-state
professional MMA fight.
•
Advertising professional MMA events that will be held out-of-state,
such as the UFC's billboard advertisements in Times Square.
•
The "MMA World Expo" hosted by Manhattan's Jacob Javits
Convention Center.
The
above list of constitutionally protected activities identifies
just a few of the many activities that the broad Live Professional
MMA Ban impermissibly restrains.
Because
of the Live Professional MMA Ban's gross overbreadth, individuals
and entities engaging in protected conduct are liable for prosecution
and may be chilled from engaging in such protected conduct.
THIRD
CAUSE OF ACTION
THE LIVE PROFESSIONAL MMA BAN IS UNCONSTITUTIONALLY VAGUE
(Due Process Clause of the Constitution of the United States)
Plaintiffs
repeat and reallege each and every allegation contained in paragraphs
1 through 254 as if fully set forth herein.
At
all times relevant herein, Defendants have acted, and are acting,
under color of state law.
The
Due Process Clause of the Constitution of the United States prohibits
the imposition of sanctions, or threat of imposing those sanctions,
if the law is so unclear that a person of ordinary intelligence
cannot know what is prohibited. Sufficient notice of what the
law prohibits is particularly required where, as with the Live
Professional MMA Ban, the sanctions imposed are criminal.
The
Live Professional MMA Ban is written with such breadth and lack
of clarity that citizens of New York, including a number of the
Plaintiffs, are unable to tell what is illegal in New York, what
is permitted, what they have the liberty to do, and what they
may not do.
Thus,
the Live Professional MMA Ban is unconstitutionally vague on
its face.
Section
2 of the Ban states that "[n]o combative sport shall be
conducted, held or given within the state of New York.”
N.Y. Unconsol. Law § 8905-a(2). Both criminal penalties
and civil liability are imposed upon “a person who knowingly
advances or profits from a combative sport activity.” Id.
§ 8905-a(3).
What
constitutes a “combative sport” is vague. Section 1
of the Ban states that “[a] `combative sport’ shall
mean any professional match or exhibition other than boxing,
sparring, wrestling or martial arts wherein the contestants deliver,
or are not forbidden by the applicable rules thereof from delivering
kicks, punches or blows of any kind to the body of an opponent
or opponents.” Id. § 8905-a(1). The statute then lists
certain organizations whose “professional match[es] or exhibition[s]”
are permitted martial arts.
As
its legislative history suggests, the Live Professional MMA Ban
traps within it numerous forms and exercises of martial arts,
in addition to MMA. Senator Franz Leichter of Manhattan tried
to make this problem clear to the bill’s sponsor, Senator
Goodman, during debate: “I think some of our schools have
martial arts exhibits. Clubs have martial arts exhibits that
in no way have any relationship or reference to these particular
[statutorily-identified] organizations, and it would seem to
me that you’re now raising a question whether these martial
arts activities can proceed. ,89 Senator Goodman responded by
pointing to the statutory exemptions for some martial arts groups.
But Senator Leichter understood what the bill’s sponsor
apparently did not: this provision of the Ban does nothing to
address any confusion regarding martial arts not under the auspices
of the organizations enumerated in the statute, such as school
or other club martial arts. Senator Leichter was prescient when
he said: “I think that this bill may come back to create
some problems for us…. I think that we ought to be more
careful, frankly, than we are in this bill.”
Neither
the statute nor the NY Athletic Commission’s extensive regulations
define the term “professional match or exhibition,”
although this is the triggering provision for the Ban. The “combative
sport activity” that is the target of the Ban is defined
with respect to “professional match or exhibition.”
New
York State officials are unable to shed clarity on the Ban’s
breadth, taking the position—seemingly contrary to the plain
language of the statute—that the Ban applies to all performances
of MMA, even by amateurs in venues where no alcohol is served,
and for which there is no compensation for the fighters. For
instance, in a July 18, 2011 article in The Wall Street Journal
describing underground MMA in New York, one MMA promoter claimed
that because “the fighters aren’t paid and alcohol
isn’t served,” his lawyers assured him that his events
were legal.91 As reported in the article, however, Lisa MacSpadden,
Deputy Secretary of State for Communications and Community Affairs,
said via email that “paid or unpaid, and regardless of whether
alcohol is served, mixed martial arts exhibitions and matches
are illegal in the state of New York.” She added that if
the state “is tipped off far enough in advance of a planned
match or exhibition, then legal counsel will investigate the
matter and issue a `cease and desist’ letter informing the
involved parties that the activity is illegal.”
Further
confusing matters is the stance taken by the NY Athletic Commission:
that even amateur MMA competitions are prohibited. When asked
to comment on the unpaid amateur MMA bouts produced by the same
promoter noted above, a spokesperson for the NY Athletic Commission
“responded by referring to the [Ban] and saying that it
would track down and close the show if it knew about it in advance.”
And
in 2007, Ron Scott Stevens, then-Chair of the NY Athletic Commission
said that MMA fights, regardless of whether the fighters are
paid or not, are “most likely illegal” and “if
[the Athletic Commission] find[s] out about them, then [the Athletic
Commission] move[s] to stop them.”93 The phrase “most
likely illegal” is in and of itself telling. If the NY Athletic
Commission does not know what the Ban covers, how is anyone else
supposed to?
It
is unclear what the position taken by the NY Athletic Commission
actually means. Does the Ban apply to an exposition of martial
arts during a show at the Javits Center, where the fighters are
not paid for that exposition? Does the Ban include a match in
which the athletes and promoters are paid but agree to donate
their winnings to charity? Does the Ban apply to contestants
who are only compensated for “winning” a match and
not their “participation” in the match? What if a fighter
who fights for free is paid by an advertiser for wearing its
brand of clothing or its insignia during a fight? Some of these
have occurred already in New York.
Because
of the vagueness of the Ban, MMA promoters who would otherwise
produce amateur MMA matches in New York, where the fighters are
not paid and no alcohol is served, are unable to do so for fear
of being shut down by the NY Athletic Commission and facing civil
liability and/or criminal prosecution. For example, NINA promoters
do not promote even amateur fights in New York because of the
lack of clarity in Live Professional MMA Ban and positions taken
by the NY Athletic Commission on the issue.
Similarly,
amateur MMA fighters, including Plaintiffs Hobeika and Reitz,
would compete in amateur MMA bouts in New York but for the Ban
and the fear that they will face civil liability and/or criminal
prosecution.
In
another example of the Ban’s facial vagueness, Section 3(c)
states that a person “profits” from a combative sport
activity if that person shares in the proceeds of such activity.
N.Y. Unconsol. Law § 8905-a(3)(c). Under this section, does
a New York company, or a company with offices in New York, violate
the Ban by televising or otherwise portraying in New York live
professional MMA matches that do not occur in New York? This
occurs with regard to many national MMA promotions.
Most
vague are the statutory prohibitions in Section 3(a) that make
it criminal for a person to “knowingly advance[] or profit[]
from a combative sport activity.” Id. § 8905- a(3)(a).
The statute contains a laundry list of such conduct, which “includes
but is not limited to conduct directed toward the creation, establishment
or performance of a combative sport” and numerous other
activities. Id. § 8905-a(3)(b). The following are just a
sample of activities that either occur in New York or in which
parties would like to engage, but that arguably are covered by
the Ban:
•
Amateur athletes training in New York to become professional
MMA fighters, and their trainers.
• Professional fighters training in New York for out-of-state
matches.
• Gym owners in New York who profit from training professional
MMA fighters. • Selling tickets online to out-of-state professional
MMA bouts.
• Advertising in New York a professional match held out-of-state.
Selling any professional MMA paraphernalia, including T-shirts,
onesies for babies, and action figures, toys, or games.
There
is nothing ephemeral about these questions. Countless businesses
and individual proprietors currently do these things in New York.
All are arguably within the ambit of the Ban and, thus, all are
potentially subject to civil and criminal liability.
Indeed,
a number of these questions surfaced but were not resolved during
legislative consideration of the Live Professional MMA Ban. Senator
Richard Dollinger of Rochester, for example, highlighted the
vagueness of the statute, saying that he was concerned by “the
issue is that Pay Per View, the television implications and the
question of to what extent you can be a promoter in New York
State even though the fight occurs some place else. Senator Dollinger
expressed willingness “to give the final punch to ultimate
fighting” but expressed doubt whether the bill was clear
enough: “this bill could use a little further drafting to
better define exactly what we’re trying to weed out of the
process.”95 Similarly, Senator Leichter said, “[I]t’s
not a carefully drafted bill because certainly your reading of
this bill would seem to imply that any activity in this state
related to ultimate fighting, wherever, in Alabama, New Jersey,
and so on, could be a criminal act.”
If
the legislators who enacted the Ban—some of whom fully supported
the elimination of MMA—do not know what the Ban means, the
public cannot be expected to know. If the statute is so unclear
that even the NY Athletic Commission’s interpretations of
it differ, people cannot know if their conduct is criminal or
not.
The
Ban is thus unconstitutionally vague.
FOURTH
CAUSE OF ACTION
THE LIVE PROFESSIONAL MMA BAN VIOLATES PLAINTIFFS’ RIGHTS
TO EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAWS
(Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States)
Plaintiffs
repeat and reallege each and every allegation contained in paragraphs
1 through 275 as if fully set forth herein.
At
all times relevant herein, Defendants have acted, and are acting,
under color of state law.
But
for the Live Professional MMA Ban, Plaintiff fighters would fight
in New York, Plaintiff UFC would promote live events in New York,
Plaintiff fans would come watch live professional events in New
York, and Plaintiffs in media would cover and/or work on media
of live professional fights in New York.
MMA
is as safe as, or safer than, a variety of other sporting events
and inherently dangerous activities that are permissible in New
York, yet the live performance of MMA is singled out and treated
differently than those sports, events, and activities.
The
Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
provides that “no state shall deny to any person …
the equal protection of the laws.” U.S. Const. amend. XIV
(the “Equal Protection Clause”). This provision has
been held to protect individuals and corporate entities alike.
The
essential mandate of the Equal Protection Clause is that “likes”
shall be treated alike. Although as a general matter courts are
deferential to legislative judgments in the economic sphere,
still those judgments must be rational and based in actual facts.
As
discussed above, at the time the Live Professional MMA Ban was
enacted, MMA was unregulated and in its infancy. Even so, the
legislative history is virtually devoid of information regarding
the safety of professional MMA relative to other activities that
are perfectly legal in New York, some of them sporting events
and some of them not.
More
important, the testimony of medical professionals before the
state legislature indicated that boxing—which was and remains
entirely legal in New York—was more dangerous than MMA.
The hearing at which these medical professionals testified was
the sole evidence-gathering event of the legislature’s consideration
of the Ban.
Since
the time of the Ban’s enactment, and certainly now, there
has been ample medical and scientific evidence that other activities
and sporting events, such as boxing, football, ice hockey, downhill
skiing, equestrian activities and sports, rodeos, and walking
on a tightrope over Niagara Falls, are as or more dangerous than
MMA.
Any
claim that MMA is so dangerous that it requires banning, rather
than regulating, is belied by the Ban itself—and, in particular,
what the Ban does not say. The practice of MMA is widespread
in New York. Countless gyms offer MMA training, to individuals
from the very young to the adult. Undoubtedly, MMA matches occur
every day in the state. Yet, none of this is illegal. If MMA
is so dangerous, then certainly the Ban could have been drafted
so as to prohibit all MMA activities. Yet, the Ban prohibits
only live professional MMA. Moreover, it is unclear whether amateur
matches are entirely legal under the Ban. Although the Ban, by
its plain words, does not appear to cover amateur MMA, the NY
Athletic Commission and some State officials—in clear demonstration
of the Ban’s vagueness—have taken a contrary position.
Thus, arguably, matches by complete amateurs with no requisites
of training or safety are entirely lawful, while the matches
of professionals—attendant with numerous rules and safeguards—are
not.
Further,
the Ban explicitly exempts a variety of martial arts, including
judo, tae kwon do, karate, and kenpo. There is no basis whatsoever
in the legislative history for discriminating between these sports
and MMA, and the medical evidence supports no such discrimination.
Indeed, MMA essentially is a combination of martial arts, all
of which are allowed and regulated in New York. Individually,
they are all legal; together, they are banned.
It
is simply irrational to ban only live professional MMA which
is regulated throughout the United States—on safety grounds,
and yet permit MMA’s component martial arts, as well as
many other sporting events and other activities far more dangerous
than professional MMA.
The
Live Professional MMA Ban violates the Equal Protection Clause
in that it discriminates for no rational reason.
It
is also irrational under the Equal Protection Clause to ban live
professional MMA because of its perceived message. Even assuming
the message of MMA is solely one of violence, which it is not,
and even assuming that banning it because of this message is
lawful under the First Amendment, which it is not, still there
are numerous other activities neither regulated by nor banned
by New York that send blatant messages of violence.
In
fact, during the Senate debate over the Live Professional MMA
Ban, the bill’s sponsor was explicitly asked about professional
wrestling, which operates without rules. Senator Goodman responded
that “[t]he whole thing is obviously a sham for entertainment
purposes and what seems to be happening is not happening at all.
It’s an illusion, a chimera.i97 But not everyone watching
professional wrestling—particularly the children on whom
the opponents of MMA focus so heavily—know it is “a
sham for entertainment purposes.” Nor is it clear why that
matters: viewers watch professional wrestling for violence that
exceeds that of MMA, while lacking much of the professional restraint
and skillful competition of MMA. Professional wrestling both
appears to be more violent, and is in fact more dangerous, than
MMA. According to Professor Cheever, even though professional
wrestling is “entertainment,” its message of brutality
is targeted and marketed to kids, who, developmentally, do not
understand the differences between real violence and fake violence.
Numerous
activities and materials in New York State are drenched in messages
of violence—from first-person shooter video games, to violent
movies and lyrics in pop music, to graphic network news—yet,
the New York legislature singled out live professional MMA as
the one activity sending an impermissible message.
Thus,
on grounds of message as well, the Live Professional MMA Ban
violates the Equal Protection Clause in that it discriminates
for no rational reason.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
UFC
139 Today
Venue: HP Pavilion (San Jose Arena)
11/19/11
TV: PPV (9 PM EST/6 PM PST)
Hawaii
Air Times:
Prelims 3PM-4PM Channel 559
UFC 139 4PM-7PM Channel 701
Dark matches
Lightweights: Shamar Bailey vs. Danny Castillo
Welterweights: Matt Brown vs. Seth Baczynski
Bantamweights: Miguel Torres vs. Nick Pace
Lightweights: Gleison Tibau vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Middleweights: Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Weidman
Light Heavyweights: Ryan Bader vs. Jason Brilz
Main card
Light Heavyweights: Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Welterweights: Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story
Bantamweights: Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles
Middleweights: Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le
Light Heavyweight eliminator: Mauricio Shogun vs. Dan Henderson
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
139 Preview: The Main Card
By Tristen
Critchfield
Mixed
martial arts’ bountiful November marches steadily along,
as UFC 139 “Shogun vs. Hendo” offers up plenty of intrigue
on Saturday from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
Having
captured the Strikeforce light heavyweight strap, Dan Henderson
returns to the Octagon to battle Mauricio Rua in what figures
to be an explosive bout with potential title implications. As
former stalwarts of Pride Fighting Championships, Henderson and
Rua know what it means to put on a crowd-pleasing performance.
The
co-main event features a potential slugfest between Wanderlei
Silva and Cung Le, while Urijah Faber must get past talented
bantamweight Brian Bowles in order to set up a potential third
showdown with current 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz. Without
further adieu, the UFC 139 preview, with analysis and picks.
Light
Heavyweights
Mauricio Rua (20-5, 4-3 UFC) vs. Dan Henderson (28-8, 3-2 UFC)
The
Matchup: There has been some mystery surrounding Rua’s camp
ever since the former light heavyweight champion’s manager
announced he would be training in Sao Paulo, Brazil, instead
of at Kings MMA, where he worked under the guidance of longtime
Chute Boxe coach Rafael Cordeiro. The move to Brazil has paid
dividends before, such as when Rua knocked out Chuck Liddell
at UFC 97. Rua’s dominant victory in his rematch with Forrest
Griffin at UFC 134 came on the heels of a camp with Cordeiro,
however, so it will be interesting to see if the relocation has
any tangible effect on his performance.
No
matter what part of the globe he chooses to call home base, “Shogun”
fans know that for the Pride veteran to be at his best, he must
be healthy, motivated and in shape. Rua was clearly all of the
above in dispatching Griffin, getting the best of an exchange
with “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 winner in the
center of the Octagon before sealing the deal with punches and
hammerfists with Griffin on all fours.
Such
a finish in the standup game will prove more difficult against
the 41-year-old Henderson, who has one of the most durable chins
in all of MMA. Henderson packs a serious wallop, as well, and
the legend of his powerful right hand has only grown since he
turned out Michael Bisping’s lights in his last UFC appearance.
After
being outgrappled in his Strikeforce debut against Jake Shields,
Henderson’s weapon of choice has spelled the end for three
straight opponents: Renato Sobral, Rafael Cavalcante and Fedor
Emelianenko. A former two-division title holder in Pride, Henderson
has expressed little interest in returning to middleweight outside
of a rematch with Anderson Silva, so his best path to UFC gold
rests with his ability to connect with that right hand against
a fellow accomplished knockout artist.
Rua
has great power, technique and countering ability, and if he
can lure Henderson into a prolonged exchange in the center of
the cage, the advantage will be his. Should Shogun choose to
rush forward in a nod to his Chute Boxe background, he must be
wary that a counter from Henderson could end his night at a moment’s
notice.
In
terms of sheer volume, Henderson cannot win a standup war with
the quick-handed Rua. He must be patient and pick his spots,
using the threat of the knockout punch to set up takedowns and
put Shogun on his back. The Greco-Roman specialist can do his
best work from top position, raining down punches and wearing
down Rua as the bout approaches the later rounds. Henderson will
be susceptible to damage in tie-ups, as Rua is proficient at
landing knees and punches from that position.
Conversely,
Rua must utilize his outstanding kicks to limit the threat of
a “Hendo” double-leg. Rua’s submission game is
underrated, but he will need to put it to use if Henderson winds
up inside of his guard. Henderson struggled against Shields,
a noted jiu-jitsu specialist, but much of the difficulties came
as a result of a difficult weight cut. That should not be an
issue here.
The
Rua that battled Lyoto Machida for five rounds before losing
a controversial decision at UFC 104 needs to show up against
Henderson. Though he is not nearly the puzzle that Machida is,
Henderson has never been finished with strikes, and Rua’s
only submission victory came in 2006 against Kevin Randleman.
There is a good chance this fight makes it to the fourth and
fifth frames, and at that point, Rua will need to summon a second
wind and finish with a flurry.
The
Pick: Henderson will have to weather an early barrage from Rua,
and his history suggests that he can. As the fight wears on,
Henderson asserts himself with wrestling and grinds out a late
stoppage with punches or takes home a decision.
Middleweights
Wanderlei Silva (33-11-1, 3-6 UFC) vs. Cung Le (7-1, 0-0 UFC)
The
Matchup: Some might say that Le was fortunate when Vitor Belfort
withdrew from this bout and Silva stepped in to take his place,
but even the current incarnation of “The Axe Murderer”
represents as serious a challenge as the former Strikeforce champion
has faced in his MMA career.
The
39-year-old San Shou master has been away from the game for nearly
a year and a half, choosing to focus his energies on a film career.
Extensive layoffs are nothing new for Le, who has competed just
three times since 2008. Given his advanced age and relative inactivity,
questions regarding his desire to fight are certainly relevant.
The
same claims cannot be made regarding Silva, even though a brutal
knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 -- his sixth defeat in
eight appearances -- had some, including UFC President Dana White,
hinting at the Brazilian’s impending retirement. Those close
to Silva say the fire to compete still burns, and a match against
Le represents a great opportunity to get back on track.
At
his best, the former Pride standout comes on like a buzz saw,
swarming his opponents with roundhouse strikes and ill intentions.
At 35, with wear and tear that likely makes him feel years older,
Silva’s knockout power is not what it used to be. Still,
an aggressive approach would benefit Silva against Le, who favors
a high-volume, accurate striking style.
Le
possesses a plethora of kicks with which to keep Silva at bay
and is adept at changing levels with his attack. It will benefit
Le to stay on the outside as much as possible, creating distance
to land attacks, like the spinning back kick that hurt Scott
Smith at Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Werdum.”
The
X-factor could prove to be Lee’s hands, which generally
are not nearly as dangerous as his feet. A solid jab like the
one he displayed against Smith will be an asset.
Silva
will want to fight at close range, where his dangerous hands
will be effective and his muay Thai prowess can punish his foe
in the clinch. Silva can make this happen by slowing Le’s
movement with his still-dangerous leg kicks. How Le responds
to a firefight in close quarters with Silva will speak volumes
about his will to compete.
The
Pick: The ground game figures to be an afterthought, as this
bout will be a striker’s delight. It is hard to imagine
the judges playing a role in the outcome given the histories
of these two men in the cage. Le is flashy, but his conditioning
has proven suspect in the past. Silva, with something to prove,
brutalizes his opponent in the clinch and begins his farewell
tour with a second-round technical knockout.
Bantamweights
Urijah Faber (25-5, 1-1 UFC) vs. Brian Bowles (10-1, 2-0 UFC)
The
Matchup: Faber would like nothing better than to set up a third
meeting with current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, and
it would not hurt the UFC’s feelings to put together a lucrative
trilogy featuring the promotion’s most bankable 135-pound
commodity, either. First there is the task at hand for “The
California Kid,” which is getting past a game, if underappreciated,
opponent in Bowles.
A
former World Extreme Cagefighting champion, Bowles has flown
under the radar because injuries have shelved him for extended
periods of time. Still, his upset of Miguel Torres remains a
crowning achievement, and, when healthy, the Georgia native is
a dangerous offensive talent.
Broken
hands against both Torres and Cruz have hindered Bowles’
progress, but he insists that brittle fists will not continue
to be a problem. Bowles thought he suffered a similar injury
in his most recent victory over Takeya Mizugaki, so it will be
interesting to see if it alters his strategy while standing.
At 100 percent, Bowles owns a stiff right hand and solid wrestling.
He will need both to succeed against Faber, who, at 135 pounds,
would appear to have the number of most everyone in the division
but Cruz. Bowles needs to take good angles, using his quickness
to move in and out while striking with the Team Alpha Male representative.
Faber has competent standup, and he rocked Cruz with a couple
of straight right hands, but it is no secret that fighting Bowles
at close range would be his ultimate goal.
Bowles
is a superior athlete to most of his opponents, but that will
not be the case here. Faber’s quickness in forcing tie-ups
and securing takedowns is without peer. In either of these positions,
Faber should hold a distinct strength advantage. Bowles must
use his wrestling to sprawl and keep the battle upright. On the
ground, Faber forces his opponents to work constantly while in
the guard. If Bowles does escape Faber’s overwhelming top
game, the former WEC featherweight champion is also relentless
when it comes to scrambles.
Winning
a decision will be a tall order for Bowles; his best chance is
to stun Faber with one of his lethal right hands and attack from
there.
The
Pick: Faber’s superior size and strength at bantamweight
will ultimately win the day here. His striking is competent enough
to allow him to get close to Bowles, and he will bully the Hardcore
Gym representative against the cage and on the mat. Faber wins
by unanimous decision.
Welterweights
Martin Kampmann (17-5, 8-4 UFC) vs. Rick Story (13-4, 6-2 UFC)
The
Matchup: In terms of the welterweight landscape, plenty is riding
on this fight for both men. While neither Kampmann nor Story
is closer than a couple of fights to title contention, the loser
will find himself relegated to middle-of-the-pack status.
Story
is the perfect example of the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately
attitude that permeates mixed martial arts. Touted as one of
the new breed of contenders at 170 pounds following a six-fight
winning streak, Story’s time in the limelight ended quickly
when he suffered an upset loss to Charlie Brenneman at UFC Live
4. It should not have, because the Washington native remains
someone to watch given his aggressive wrestling and willingness
to trade with accomplished strikers.
Kampmann
has had his share of hard luck, dropping controversial decisions
to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez in his last two bouts. “The
Hitman” has crisp kickboxing skills and is an accomplished
jiu-jitsu player on the ground, so it will be up to Story to
outwork his foe over the course of the fight. Kampmann has an
excellent sprawl, as he stuffed 14 takedown attempts from Sanchez
in their UFC Live 3 tussle. That should not deter Story, who
is physically strong and will want to pressure the Dane to set
up clinches and takedowns.
Kampmann
can be very aggressive on the feet, so if Story can counter and
change levels, he will be able to put the Xtreme Couture Mixed
Martial Arts standout on his back. If Kampmann finds himself
in this position, he must fight to get back to his feet rather
than being content to work from his guard, where Story can score
points via control and positioning.
As
he demonstrated against Thiago Alves, Story is not afraid to
stand in the pocket. He has a solid one-two combination, and
he absorbed some significant shots from the Brazilian in their
UFC 130 meeting. Kampmann is comfortable using smooth combinations
and fighting from distance, but he often prefers to rush his
opponents to display his considerable power at close range.
The
Pick: This should be a back-and-forth battle between two fighters
with plenty to gain. If Story struggles in standup exchanges,
he will find that Kampmann is no easy mark when it comes to securing
the takedown. He is also capable of rocking Story with knees
and short punches in the clinch. The fight comes down to Story’s
ability use his wrestling and how Kampmann responds if he finds
himself in Story’s comfort zone. In a close decision, the
judges’ sympathy will lie with Kampmann, who will eventually
land enough on the feet to get the nod on the scorecards.
Light
Heayweights
Stephan Bonnar (13-7, 7-6 UFC) vs. Kyle Kingsbury (11-2, 4-1
UFC)
The
Matchup: Kingsbury is riding a four-fight winning streak in the
UFC, and a victory over Bonnar would further bolster his career
credentials. Bonnar, meanwhile, has righted his ship, closing
out 2010 with consecutive triumphs after a three-fight drought
had some questioning whether “The American Psycho”
still deserved a spot on the promotion’s roster.
The
potential for fireworks exists here, as Bonnar has never been
one to turn down a slugfest, and Kingsbury exhibited tremendous
toughness battling through a broken left orbital bone in his
win over Fabiano Maldonado at “The Ultimate Fighter 14”
Finale.
A
former college football player, Kingsbury has continued to improve
since falling to Tom Lawlor in his Octagon debut. His athleticism
could give Bonnar fits as the two exchange punches on the feet.
It is up to Bonnar to utilize movement and a stiff jab to control
the American Kickboxing Academy product in that area. “The
Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 finalist has a strong chin that
can handle the best of what Kingsbury has to offer, but with
Bonnar’s tendency to bleed easily, the possibility for a
doctor stoppage looms.
Bonnar
did a good job controlling Igor Pokrajac on the ground at the
“The Ultimate Fighter 13” Finale, but Kingsbury has
the edge when it comes to wrestling. It is critical that the
Illinois native adhere to his game plan and fight carefully in
this bout, because Kingsbury’s physical tools are greater
if the contest deteriorates into a not-so-technical war.
The
Pick: This will be a good litmus test for Kingsbury to see if
he is ready to move a step up in competition. Expect some solid
exchanges on the feet, with Kingsbury getting the best of them
before connecting with some knees against the cage. Bonnar will
battle back as he usually does, but Kingsbury clinches the decision
on the strength of takedowns in the final two rounds.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Rousimar
Palhares Fights in Brazil at UFC 142
A
middleweight bout has been added to UFC 142 in Brazil with leg-lock
master Rousimar Palhares facing wrestler Mike Massenzio on the
card.
UFC officials announced the new bout on Tuesday.
Known as one of the most dangerous grapplers in the UFC, Rousimar
Palhares will look for his fifth win via submission when he returns
to fight in his home country of Brazil for the second time in
a row.
Palhares defeated New Jersey native Dan Miller by decision in
his last fight at UFC 134, and now he faces one of Miller’s
teammates for his next fight at home in Brazil.
Mike Massenzio will try to gain a touch of revenge when he travels
to Brazil to face Palhares on the UFC 142 card.
Massenzio returned to the UFC on short notice back at UFC 131
where he fought at light heavyweight and lost a tough bout against
Krzysztof Soszynski. Back at his natural weight class of 185lbs,
Massenzio took out former WEC champion Steve Cantwell in his
last fight at UFC 136 in early October.
Massenzio will definitely have his hands full when he travels
to Brazil to face Palhares on his home turf.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Showtime
Names Espinoza as New Head of Sports Programming
Showtime Networks, Inc. has a new man in charge of its sports
programming, but how long the channel’s schedule will continue
to include mixed martial arts remains unclear.
On
Monday, Showtime Chairman and CEO Matthew C. Blank announced
the hiring of Stephen Espinoza (Pictured) as its new head of
Showtime Sports. Espinoza is responsible for managing the day-to-day
activities of the sports and event group, which includes the
acquisition and licensing of Showtime pay-per-view sports and
event programming. He succeeds Ken Hershman, who left the company
in October to take a job as president of HBO Sports.
“Stephen
has had a great career that spans sports, entertainment, television
and film,” Blank said in a release. “His deep experience
in a variety of fields and incredible knowledge and contacts
within the boxing and mixed martial arts communities will be
an asset to Showtime as we continue to expand our offerings.
I am confident that he will be a great leader to our already
all-star sports group.”
Before
joining Showtime, Espinoza specialized in representing athletes
and sports personalities as a partner in the firm of Ziffren
Brittenham, LLP. Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and Gina Carano
were among his most prominent clients.
Showtime’s
sports lineup currently includes the Zuffa, LLC-owned Strikeforce
promotion. The parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
purchased Strikeforce in March, and has gradually begun moving
the San Jose, Calif.-based company’s talent to the Octagon.
Three of the promotion’s former champions -- Nick Diaz,
Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem -- have since signed with
the UFC.
Since
the purchase, fans and pundits have speculated that the Strikeforce
roster could ultimately be absorbed by the UFC, much like what
happened to World Extreme Cagefighting at the beginning of 2011.
Strikeforce signed a five-year broadcast deal with Showtime in
February 2009 which called for as many as 16 yearly events; in
February 2012, the network can decide whether it wants to continue
the current deal.
Strikeforce
is scheduled to stage two more events in 2011: Friday’s
Strikeforce Challengers 20 in Las Vegas, as well as Strikeforce
“Melendez vs. Masvidal” on Dec. 17 in San Diego. CEO
Scott Coker has stated that the company’s next major event
is planned for some time in January.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Media/insider
fallout from UFC’s debut on Fox
By Zach
Arnold
Kevin Haggarty (MMA Mania): Why UFC was a big winner on Saturday
night
As an organization, this was a HUGE night. The coverage was sensational.
If you have Fuel TV, you were privileged to enjoy insightful
and entertaining pre- and post-fight shows, which were unlike
anything we’ve really ever seen before as fans. Anybody
who is anybody in Hollywood was in attendance. Many new fans
tuned in to see just what the UFC is all about and they were
treated to a thrilling heavyweight knockout. By most methods
of measurement, this was a massive success for an organization
that has come a long way since its inaugural foray just a short
18 years ago.
Bruce Dowbiggin (The Globe and Mail): Saturday night showed that
UFC proves it’s here to stay
Saturday night was the end-game made real for White as Fox, never
a network to let questionable taste get in the way of a good
time, brought mixed martial arts out of the fringes and into
the network spotlight. Still, Fox Sports president Eric Shanks
was taking no chances on making the sport too cool for the room
when he told USA Today that “We have to make sure it’s
being produced for Martians.”
Richard Sandomir (NY Times): Fox’s UFC broadcast a hit with
viewers (5.7 million), especially in 18-34 demographic
Tom Jones (St. Petersburg Times): UFC’s Fox debut was decent
on Saturday night
Fox had a decent night Saturday with its first prime-time broadcast
of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It seemed like a risk
to have only one fight, and as it turned out, the heavyweight
title bout lasted less than one round. But at least the fight
ended in a knockout, which is better than watching two guys exchange
boring holds for a half-hour.
In the end, however, I still think UFC is going to have a difficult
time going mainstream, simply because too many folks think it’s
just too violent.
Michael Nunez (IBT): UFC was never meant for network television
The flaws of the extreme nature of the sport are only compounded
by the quick turnover of UFC champions. The most prominent fighters
in the sport haven’t been able to defend their championships
more than just a few times. Of course, there are a few exceptions
to the rule, such as Anderson Silva or George St. Pierre, but
for the most part, flash knockdowns and the unpredictable nature
of mixed-martial arts make it hard for any fan to keep up. Look
at Velasquez, who had won his UFC Heavyweight Championship just
one fight before losing it to Dos Santos in 64 seconds.
Gary Poole (Esquire): At the Tropicana in Las Vegas, nobody paid
attention to UFC on Fox
It should be said that when Dana White convinced Fox to pay him
$100 million a year to put his badass jujitsu on national television
for the next seven years, boxing people noticed. It should also
be said that Manny Pacquiao did not knock anyone out in the first
round on Saturday, nor did he look like the best pound-for-pound
fighter in the world, or even the 10-to-1 favorite. No one dropped
to the canvas, and the 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez was the
one landing the heavy punches. But they were beautiful punches,
and even the jabs looked years in the making. This was not Jon
Jones, the UFC light-heavyweight who played his badass jujitsu
for four months and then signed up for Dana White’s badass
jujitsu parade and then became its youngest champion. This was
not Rampage Jackson.
Josh Gross (ESPN): After 18 years, MMA reaches adulthood
The notion that a 64-second knockout is somehow bad reeks of
a mentality that for so long permeated thinking among this sport’s
inner circles. It’s the kind of thought process that prompted
workers to step in the Octagon and spray paint over bloodstains
prior to the start of the network broadcast on Saturday. It’s
this idea that while nothing will satisfy the detractors, every
effort must be made to try. That the innumerable reasons so many
people love the sport aren’t good enough for those who don’t
yet.
So, wait a second — when PRIDE was drawing 20 million viewers
on Fuji TV and getting paid a lot a money last decade, that didn’t
qualify MMA reaching ‘adulthood’ status because it
happened in Japan instead of America? Don’t get me wrong
— I’m not someone who thinks that UFC ‘failed’
with the Fox showing on Saturday night. However, it really is
incredible to see how major financial MMA benchmarks were accomplished
long ago in Japan and it’s not even viewed on the same level
as what we’re slowing starting to see develop now outside
Asia.
TV By the Numbers: Biggest markets for UFC on Fox debut were
Las Vegas, Dallas, Phoenix
Fascinating takeaway is that the biggest markets in support were
not New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Tampa/Orlando, or
Chicago. A heavy amount of UFC’s support remains on the
West Coast and Midwest. It’s still “a West Coast sport”
in the eyes of people in the Eastern part of the States.
Take note in that TBTN release about the impact of college football
on TV ratings in America. I’ve been stating this year that
college football is proving to be a formidable challenge for
anyone trying to push a PPV or a show on TV against that sport,
especially if it involves SEC football.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Wanderlei
Silva: 10 Defining Moments
by Todd
Martin
Few
fighters in mixed martial arts history have created as many enduring
memories as the Brazilian muay Thai wrecking machine Wanderlei
Silva. His ferocious attacking style has made for classic fights
in victory and defeat. As such, picking out Silva’s most
memorable bouts is no easy task. Some of his lesser fights would
be career highlights for many.
Sadly,
the career of the man known as “The Axe Murderer” is
coming to its close. UFC President Dana White has made it clear
he wants Silva to retire, but has continued to give him fights
because of the respect he has for the Brazilian’s stature
in the sport. It is the same conundrum he faced with Chuck Liddell.
Silva’s bout against Cung Le at UFC 139 on Saturday at the
HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., has all the makings of an exciting
contest while it lasts -- far from an anomaly in Silva’s
illustrious career. These are the fights, good and bad, that
best define his legacy.
Inauspicious
Start
UFC 17.5 “Ultimate Brazil”
Oct. 16, 1998 -- Sao Paulo, Brazil
Coming
off a series of brutal victories in the International Vale Tudo
Championship, Silva was expected to present a serious challenge
for Vitor Belfort in what was then the most high profile bout
of the former’s career. Instead, Silva became a lasting
mainstay in the highlight reel for “The Phenom.” Belfort
caught Silva with a punch early and rocketed across the cage,
firing power punches that overwhelmed him. Silva dropped to the
canvas, the fight was stopped and his UFC debut was an ignominious
one.
Silva
would not establish himself as a feared competitor to UFC fans
during the Semaphore Entertainment Group era, but it would not
take long for him to make his name on the international stage.
That opportunity would come in a young MMA organization in Japan:
Pride Fighting Championships.
War
Pride 12 “Cold Fury”
Dec. 9, 2000 -- Saitama, Japan
In
1999 and 2000, Pride was targeting many of the world’s top
fighters for contracts. Two of its top signings were Silva and
the American Olympic wrestler Dan Henderson. Henderson was undefeated
and coming off winning the prestigious Rings “King of Kings
1999” tournament. When Silva and Henderson were matched
up at Pride 12, it was expected to be a memorable battle. The
fight delivered.
Henderson
showed no intimidation in the face of the dangerous Silva. When
Silva did his patented staredown prior to the fight, Henderson
simply smiled. Henderson proceeded to drop Silva with heavy right
punches in the first round, busting open Silva’s eye and
leaving him with a sizeable hematoma on his face. However, Silva
showed he would not back down from a fight.
Silva
took over with his own strikes as the fight progressed. Henderson
slowed down, and Silva landed the better blows and even matched
wrestling with the American. In the end, Silva scored the unanimous
decision victory. Silva’s face showed the perils of battle,
but he came out on top against an elite opponent. What’s
more, he was just getting started.
Dethroning
Royalty
Pride 13 “Collision Course”
March 25, 2001 -- Saitama, Japan
Sakuraba
lost to Silva three times.
Pride’s
initial run of moderate success was built around Japanese pro
wrestler Nobuhiko Takada. Unfortunately, Takada was not much
of a factor in a sport without predetermined results. Luckily
for Pride, a young Japanese preliminary wrestler would step into
the void that was left following repeated Takada losses. Kazushi
Sakuraba, a submission wiz with charisma to spare, became Pride’s
biggest star. He was not only one of the world’s elite fighters
but also the sport’s top drawing card, with wins over four
members of the Gracie family.
Following
his wins over the Gracies, Sakuraba needed new challenges. Silva
had scored a series of wins in Pride, and he was given a fight
with Sakuraba. It was not a particularly big fight at the time,
as Silva was not well known to Japanese fans, even if those who
followed the sport closely knew what a dangerous fighter he was.
It was a high-risk, low-reward challenge for Sakuraba, and Silva
did what nobody had been able to do to that point, brutalizing
the Japanese standout in quick fashion.
Sakuraba
had fought competitively with high-level strikers such as Igor
Vovchanchyn, Guy Mezger and Belfort, so it came as a surprise
to many when he buckled quickly under Silva’s barrage of
knees. Silva followed with a brutal soccer kick on the ground,
and the fight was stopped in just 98 seconds. Sakuraba was 12-2-1
and on top of the world heading into his first bout with Silva.
He would go 14-14 in MMA competition from then on.
Superstardom
Pride 17 “Championship Chaos”
Nov. 3, 2001 -- Tokyo
After
Silva took out Sakuraba, the onus was on Sakuraba to avenge the
loss. The win over Sakuraba made Silva a star in Japan, and the
rematch was held at the Tokyo Dome in front of 53,246 fans. With
a gate bringing in more than $5 million, Silva-Sakuraba 2 was
a legitimate big-money draw. It was one of the most hotly anticipated
bouts in Pride history.
While
Sakuraba did not show much in his first bout with Silva, he showed
the skills that made him one of the world’s most respected
fighters in their second contest. He got Silva to the ground
and did well in his domain there, while also landing some shots
in the standup. Unfortunately for Sakuraba, he suffered a shoulder
injury trying for a guillotine choke and could not continue in
the second round. Silva was crowned the first Pride middleweight
champion and would prove to be much more than simply the great
Sakuraba’s nemesis.
Grand
Prix Champion
Pride “Final Conflict 2003”
Nov. 9, 2003 -- Tokyo
Pride
ran a number of major tournaments throughout its history, but
arguably the best of them all was the 2003 middleweight grand
prix. An eight-man field featured Chuck Liddell, Alistair Overeem,
Quinton Jackson, Murilo Bustamante, Sakuraba, Kiyoshi Tamura,
Hidehiko Yoshida and Silva.
The
culmination of the tournament came at Pride Final Conflict 2003.
Silva started the night by defeating Hidehiko Yoshida in a classic
confrontation. The proud judoka Yoshida took the fight to Silva
and delivered a surprisingly strong showing, but the Brazilian
simply had too much of an advantage standing and took the judges’
decision. Silva then finished Jackson later in the night with
knees to win the tournament. Silva was already Pride’s top
205-pound fighter, and he only cemented his reputation by taking
the prestigious tournament.
Grudge
Showdown
Pride 28 “High Octane”
Oct. 31, 2004 -- Saitama, Japan
While
Silva had no shortage of major rivalries over the years, perhaps
his greatest feud came against “Rampage” Jackson. Silva
and Jackson simply did not like each other, and Jackson was consumed
with unseating Silva from his throne as Pride middleweight champion.
Silva defeated Jackson at Pride “Final Conflict 2003,”
but both men had already fought earlier that same evening, and
Jackson protested a questionable standup on the part of the referee
that led to the finish. A rematch for the title seemed a natural
to resolve who the better man was.
When
Jackson and Silva fought again at Pride 28, they delivered arguably
the greatest bout in the history of MMA. After an epic staredown,
the fighters engaged in an exciting, back-and-forth war. The
winner was in doubt until the very end, when Silva began unloading
on Jackson with knees. It was similar to their first fight, when
the referee eventually had to step in. The referee was not needed
the second time, as Silva knocked Jackson unconscious and Rampage
tumbled through the Pride ropes.
Jackson
would defeat a faded Silva via knockout in the third bout of
their trilogy years later. It would provide a measure of revenge
in one of the sport’s all-time great rivalries, but when
they met at their peaks, Silva was the better man.
End
of an Era
Pride 33 “Second Coming”
Feb. 24, 2007 -- Las Vegas
Pride
had only featured one middleweight champion for most of its history.
Silva won the title in his second bout with Sakuraba and retained
it for more than five years. Silva was not undefeated during
that period, but he came out on top every time the title was
on the line -- until he faced Henderson again.
Henderson-Silva
2 was not originally supposed to be a title match. Henderson
had been competing at a lower weight class, but Pride wanted
an American to fight Silva in Las Vegas. Henderson insisted on
it being for the Pride middleweight championship. He had wanted
a rematch with Silva for years and would get the chance to avenge
that loss and capture the middleweight title on the same night.
The
second fight between Henderson and Silva would go much different
than the first. Silva looked completely out of sorts, and Henderson
dominated the bout from the beginning. A left hook knocked Silva
out cold, and he was no longer the Pride middleweight champion.
Pride itself would soon no longer exist, and the apex of Silva’s
career would pass.
Liddell
and Silva had a war.
Dream
Match
UFC 79 “Nemesis”
Dec. 29, 2007 -- Las Vegas
For
years, the top dream match in MMA was Silva vs. Liddell. Both
were feared strikers. Silva was the 205-pound champion of Pride,
and Liddell was the 205-pound champion of the UFC.
Fans
of Liddell and fans of Silva were convinced their man was the
best. Silva himself made it clear that he wanted to, ahem, “fight”
Chuck.
When
the UFC purchased Pride, it finally opened up the opportunity
to make the fight. Unfortunately, the luster was off slightly.
Silva had lost his Pride title to Henderson, and Liddell then
lost his UFC title to Jackson. Liddell was matched with Keith
Jardine in what was supposed to be a tune-up for Silva at UFC
76, but Liddell lost the bout. White decided to stop stalling
and just make Silva-Liddell, even though each man was coming
off two straight losses.
The
buildup to Silva-Liddell could have gone better, but the fight
delivered everything that was expected of it and more. Silva
and Liddell exchanged power punches, and neither man would back
down. At one point, Liddell had Silva rocked, but the Brazilian
refused to go for a takedown and instead just started throwing
back wild punches of his own. In front of one of the hottest
crowds in UFC history, Silva and Liddell delivered on the years
of anticipation. Liddell took the judges’ decision, but
there were no losers.
Axe
Murderer Redux
UFC 84 “Ill Will”
May 24, 2008 -- Las Vegas
With
three consecutive losses, Silva was widely considered a spent
force when he fought Jardine at UFC 84. Jardine bristled prior
to the fight about the fact that he was a narrow betting underdog,
feeling he ought to have been favored against the declining Silva.
Jardine’s
self-confidence proved to be misplaced, as he would provide the
most spectacular knockout of Silva’s UFC career. Silva charged
forward with his typical aggressive style and hurt Jardine with
heavy punches to the side of the head and the ear. Silva swarmed,
holding Jardine’s head down and landing additional punches
until “The Dean of Mean” lay unconscious. As Silva
jumped on top of the Octagon and the crowd erupted, he provided
a throwback to the era when he ran through opponents in devastating
fashion. The sport’s biggest stage had shifted from Japan
to the United States, as had Silva’s style and electric
energy.
A
Sad Night
UFC 132 “Cruz vs. Faber 2”
July 2, 2011 -- Las Vegas
Going
into UFC 132, Silva had lost five of his previous seven fights.
However, every one of those losses came to a former UFC or Pride
champion and legend of the sport: Jackson, Henderson, Liddell,
Mirko Filipovic and Rich Franklin. This was not the case with
his next loss to Chris Leben. No disrespect to Leben, a tough
competitor with a fighter’s heart, but he is a lot closer
to a journeyman fighter than the perennial champions that previously
bested Silva.
What
was worse was the way Silva lost. He landed a big hook on Leben
early and immediately moved to finish. Leben’s chin withstood
the shot, and he fired back a counter. Silva’s ability to
take a punch, worn down from years of punishment, was gone. Leben
dropped Silva and quickly finished the fight with additional
punches. Silva’s fighting spirit and offensive ability were
still there, but there is not much of a future in fighting for
a man who can no longer withstand a punch.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Lauzon
vs. Pettis Shifted to UFC 144 in Japan
Anthony
Pettis and Joe Lauzon will indeed meet in the Octagon, but the
fight has been shifted to UFC 144 in Japan.
MMAWeekly.com
first reported the fight booking earlier this month, but the
bout was originally rumored to take place on the UFC 143 card
Super Bowl weekend.
Now
UFC officials have confirmed the bout will take place at UFC
144 in Japan instead.
Following
his win at UFC 136 over Jeremy Stephens, Anthony Pettis mentioned
that he would like to fight Lauzon next, and after hearing about
the news Lauzon was happy to oblige.
The
lightweights will square off in a main card bout on a card that
also features a main event for the 155lb title between champion
Frankie Edgar and challenger Benson Henderson.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Ben
Henderson tells the secret to becoming UFC champion
Former WEC champion Ben Henderson will now get his shot at Frankie
Edgar’s UFC lightweight belt. The bout was announced just
after he beat Clay Guida at UFC on Fox, and the promotion’s
February return to Japan will be the occasion. Edgar has been
leaving audiences in awe, even UFC president Dana White picks
him as the second-best fighter around at the moment, just behind
Anderson Silva. However, as Ben told our reporter Deb Blyth in
GRACIEMAG 176, when you believe, you can do anything.
“Having
faith is what helps me. How I walk around, how I act, how I conduct
myself is all a part of that faith. Some guys are afraid to lose.
I don’t have that fear. I can open my heart and lay it out
on the line.”
And
that was just how the fighter born in Washington state blazed
his trail to 15 career wins and one loss.
“We
were all sitting around talking, and they said I’d never
get in the cage. I was like, ‘Oh really?’
“I
talked a big game and had to back it up, and I won the fight
on a TKO ref stoppage. I took him down and threw some ugly hammer
fists. I had no idea what I was doing. You should have seen my
jab… it was pretty atrocious! But afterwards I thought,
‘Okay, I think I’m going to try this as a career.’”
Since
that first fight, Ben went on to dedicate himself to learning
other styles and developed tremendous Jiu-Jitsu skills. Henderson,
now a brown belt, is a regular at gi Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and
even won bronze at this year’s World Championship. Does
he have what it takes to stop Edgar?
“Plain
and simple, I want to be the best UFC fighter on the planet,
period. Most people haven’t seen how good I can be.”
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Wanderlei
Silva talks pressure, training with Anderson Silva for UFC 139
Interview
by Eduardo Ferreira, from California
Wanderlei
Silva will do the most important fight of his life Saturday,
at UFC 139, against Cung Le, and he did a great training preparation
for it. On an exclusive chat with TATAME TV, in California, the
former Pride champion commented the trainings at Kings MMA and
the “tips” given by Anderson Silva, the day they trained
together.
“Anderson
is a really nice guy, a great friend. He’s got a pretty
evolved way of seeing martial arts. His coaches must be congratulated,
they’ve built a super athlete”, compliments Wanderlei,
who also commented on the evolution of the UFC champ since the
time they used to train together at Chute Boxe. “Back there
we noticed his potential, but he overcame himself and became
one of the best of all times”.
Check
below the exclusive interview with Wanderlei Silva, who’s
this month’s cover of TATAME Magazine, and find out what
are his expectations for the bout against Cung Le, the pressure
for coming from losses, his game plan for the bout, the growth
of MMA in Brazil and, among other subjects, and why his disaffection,
Chael Sonnen, deserves a rematch with Anderson Silva.
Apparently
you’ve already loss some weight, right?
I’m
doing good. There’re still some pounds left for me to lose,
but those are the ones we lose when he get dehydrated before
the fight. I’m on a diet for two months. They’ve told
me about this fight a little bit too close from it, because they
usually give me like, three, four, or even five months to get
prepared for a fight, for this one I had to do it quicker, in
two months. I’m prepared, I feel fine and, God bless me,
I’d do a good presentation.
How
long are your here at Los Angeles?
I
come here on Mondays and leave on Fridays. I spend the week here.
Sometimes Friday or Saturday I go to Vegas to stay with my family,
my son and wife, and that’s what I’m doing.
How
are the trainings? Are there good training partners here? Mark
Munoz was here, Werdum came down here, Anderson also came here...
How was it to train with him?
It
was really nice. Anderson is a really nice guy. We’ve trained
together a lot some time ago. He’s a good friend. He abdicated
his free time to train with me. He’s got a pretty evolved
way of seeing martial arts. His coaches must be congratulated,
they’ve built a super athlete. Back there we noticed his
potential, he knew great Boxing and how to move, but he overcame
himself and became one of the best of all times.
Do
you believe there’s anyone who can beat him on this weight
division? It’s seems that he’s really fighting Sonnen
on February. Sonnen has talked a lot about him, you, Vitor and
all Brazilians.
I
guess it’s a fight everyone, me including, want to see.
I guess Anderson won that fight but Sonnen was the only one who
had a better presentation while fighting the champion, so it’s
a really interesting fight. Everyone wants to see it again, but
I guess it’ll be easier on Anderson to beat him this time.
I guess he’ll let his game go and probably will knock him
out.
You’ll
fight Cung Le, having only two months to get ready for it. Dana
White wanted you to retire, but you always said there’s
no pressure about it. One week before the fight, has it changed?
I’m
ok. I’m training a lot. The trainings make you more confident,
so I’m feeling fine. It’s normal to be under pressure.
I guess all athletes are always under pressure and it’s
not new to me. I’m fighting professionally for 15 years,
and it’s always been like that.
He
really likes to kick. How will this fight be like?
It’s
a good question. Let’s find it out. We plan some things
we think about doing some things but when it comes, it’s
always a surprise. We’re setting a route to follow and we
hope to do it to get the win.
Will
we see a strategic Wanderlei or the striker?
We’ll
only know it when the time comes. I guess after this last fight
I trained my defenses better. My attack is good, but my defenses
weren’t that good, so I focused on that and I hope to win.
It doesn’t matter if it’s by points or KO. What I want
is the win.
Were
living a special moment of MMA in Brazil, now Globo is broadcasting
UFC. How do you see this growth?
I
think it’s fantastic. Not me, but we, as Brazilians, create
the sport, Gracie family. I guess finally the sport has come
to the level it deserves to be at. It’s that same old thing:
things need to be a success outside Brazil for us to recognize
it. But, better late then never. It’s really interesting.
For you, that train martial arts, that trains Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing,
Muay Thai: open your eyes to MMA. Everything that happened to
MMA what good and everything else, but it’s only beginning.
Everything is beginning now. I really wanted to be 15 now and
to star my career at this moment. Much more opportunities will
come. It’s a little harder now because everybody knows about
everything. The space is for the professionals. If you want to
fight, be a professional. Believe, train, go the gym, don’t
lose focus, because it’s getting bigger and bigger and the
good ones will have their chance to live of the sport, just like
I did.
There’s
UFC in Brazil on January 14th. Do you want to fight for a spot
there?
Let’s
see. I dream about fighting in Brazil again. I wanted to congratulate
everyone who went to the arena. The Brazilian fans set an example
of cheering, of a good audience, of organization. I’d really
like to feel that vibe sent to the fighters on the last edition
in Brazil. I’d really like to fight for you and feel that
vibe.
Send
a message for your fans who support you...
I
want to thank you for cheering for me, that follow my work for
so long. There’re many people, not just me, but athletes
from all levels, we can cheer, we can say our opinion, but the
least the fans can be is respectful. I guess that, in my case,
it doesn’t get to me, but sometimes a wrong criticism brings
him down, he gets blue. So let’s respect our athlete. We
have great talents, newcomers who deserve a chance to compete,
and you comments can either cheer someone up or get them down.
So, be careful about what you say. Let’s support the Brazilian
fighters, who have to go though many things to get here, because
the equipments in Brazil are more expensive, the supplements
too.
There’re
many aspects that, here, it’s easier for them. The least
Brazilian fighters need is the support of the fans and that you
be there. Let’s support them. Brazil has always been, and
I don’t have any doubts it’ll still be a place where
many champions are born at. This new generation is coming with
great power, they’re competitive and I hope that, with God’s
bless and your help, Brazil reveals many Andersons, many Shoguns,
many Wanderleis, many Ciganos. I hope Brazil keep bringing these
new champions like we’ve always done. It’s important
that you cheer for them. So, let’s back up a little on the
criticism and let’s support the sport more. Let’s use
our champions as an inspiration for our athletes and make the
sport grow and grow. A big hug for you all. On the 19th there’s
a Silva on the area, and I hope to represent you well. I’ll
do my best, like always, and I hope to smash the hell out of
him (laughs). Thank you all. God bless you.
Source:
Tatame
|
Critics
Baffle Bellator Champion Lombard
By Sam
Genovese
Bellator
Fighting Championships middleweight titleholder Hector Lombard
feels the sting of criticism, from his reputation as a brute
in the gym to his perceived lack of competition. However, he
cannot understand the motives behind his detractors.
“Everyone
criticizes me all the time,” Lombard said. “I don’t
know why. I haven’t been getting caught with drug tests
like all these guys.”
Lombard
holds particular disdain for peers he views as “cheaters”:
fighter hoping to gain a competitive edge through performance-enhancing
drugs. Having faced many adverse situations in life and during
his career, the onetime Olympic judoka maintains he has never
resorted to steroid use, no matter the obstacle in front of him.
“The
Alexander Shlemenko fight [at Bellator 34] was good for me,”
Lombard said. “I was sick. I had the flu. I knew if he connected
with me he would put me to sleep. I didn’t want to take
that risk because I was sick. No excuses.”
After
reaching the Olympics, Lombard immigrated to Australia from Cuba
in order to pursue his MMA career. Two lackluster performances
in Pride Fighting Championships followed, as he lost decisions
to Akihiro Gono and Gegard Mousasi. Lombard acknowledges his
training at that time left something to be desired.
“When
I fought in Pride, yeah, I didn’t train,” he said.
“Yeah, even you, if you go into the ring and you don’t
train, you’re gonna get tired. Now if you train and you
train hard enough, you won’t get tired.”
After
visa issues nixed a proposed bout with Karo Parisyan in the UFC,
Lombard signed with Bellator. He became the promotion’s
first 185-pound champion, defeating Jared Hess by fourth-round
technical knockout in Bellator’s inaugural middleweight
tournament final. With that, Lombard had answered the lingering
questions surrounding his conditioning and established himself
as one of the world’s top middleweights.
“Once
again, I proved I can fight five rounds. It wasn’t the first
time,” Lombard said. “I finished Brian Ebersole in
the fourth round [at Cage Fighting Championships 5]. People say
I can’t last four or more rounds. I don’t know why.”
Lombard
has not lost since those two decisions in Pride. He will carry
a 19-fight winning streak into a non-title 195-pound catchweight
bout with Trevor Prangley at Bellator 58 on Saturday at the Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Despite his success
or perhaps in light of it, Lombard claims he has been the subject
of constant finger pointing. Because of his muscular physique,
many, he says, have questioned whether or not he built his body
naturally. In response, Lombard points to his clean testing record
-- as an Olympian and as a professional mixed martial artist.
“Trust
me, there is a lot of guys using and abusing [steroids],”
he said. “I know I don’t take anything. That’s
why I want to fight all the time. Most of the fighters don’t
fight all the time because they’ll juice up for three or
four months, clean up and fight. I’m fighting all the time,
and when I fight in Australia, they do drug tests, too.”
Lombard
has difficulty understanding why he has been subjected to criticism
when he believes he approaches his career in the right manner.
“Fighters
act like real d---heads,” he said. “Tito Ortiz gives
everyone the finger in public. They love these guys; or like
Brock Lesnar, who gave everyone the finger and said, ‘I
don’t care if everyone paid. F--- you.’ He says things
like that, and everybody loves that guy. Me, I’m a cool
guy. I’ve never taken any steroids. They always criticize
me. Don’t know why.”
Source
Sherdog
|
Featherweight
Contender Bout Added to UFC 143
The featherweight division may get a new No. 1 contender at UFC
143 on Super Bowl weekend as Dustin Poirier meets Erik Koch.
UFC
officials announced the new bout on Tuesday.
Dustin
Poirier made his return to action just last weekend where he
submitted Pablo Garza with a D’arce choke at UFC on Fox
1 to move to 3-0 in the featherweight division.
The
Tim Credeur disciple has been steadily improving and climbing
up the featherweight rankings, and now he may get the chance
to earn a title shot with his next win.
Hoping
to earn a title shot of his own is Duke Roufus trained fighter
Erik Koch, who is looking to make it five wins in a row when
he returns in February.
Most
recently, Koch won a decision over former Ultimate Fighter winner
Jonathan Brookins. Prior to that decision, Koch had finished
his last three opponents and also managed to pick up a couple
of post fight bonuses along the way.
Koch
and Poirier meet in a bout that could determine the next contender
at featherweight to face the winner of the UFC 142 bout between
champion Jose Aldo and challenger Chad Mendes.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Island
Heat 3: Tha Comeback
Waipahu Filcom,Waipahu, Hawaii
November 18, 2011
|
UFC
139 Tomorrow
Venue: HP Pavilion (San Jose Arena)
11/19/11
TV: PPV (9 PM EST/6 PM PST)
Hawaii
Air Times:
Prelims 3PM-4PM Channel 559
UFC 139 4PM-7PM Channel 701
Dark matches
Lightweights: Shamar Bailey vs. Danny Castillo
Welterweights: Matt Brown vs. Seth Baczynski
Bantamweights: Miguel Torres vs. Nick Pace
Lightweights: Gleison Tibau vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Middleweights: Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Weidman
Light Heavyweights: Ryan Bader vs. Jason Brilz
Main card
Light Heavyweights: Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Welterweights: Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story
Bantamweights: Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles
Middleweights: Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le
Light Heavyweight eliminator: Mauricio Shogun vs. Dan Henderson
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Alistair
Overeem on Brock Lesnar: ‘I’m Gonna Knock Him Out in
the First Round’
by Erik
Fontanez
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Alistair Overeem has found success
in several places outside of the UFC.
Titles from Strikeforce, Dream, and K-1 either wrap around his
waist or hang from his shoulders as signs of his dominance over
heavyweights in combat sports.
“The Reem” most recently spent time in Southern California,
where he participated in a press conference with Brock Lensar
to talk about their upcoming fight at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem.
MMAWeekly.com caught up with Overeem in Santa Monica at Dynamix
MMA, where he talked about Lesnar, training at Xtreme Couture,
and considering himself the best striker.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Matches
to Make After UFC on Fox 1
By Brian
Knapp
A
single clubbing right hand from Junior dos Santos shifted the
balance of heavyweight power from San Jose, Calif., to Salvador,
Bahia, Brazil. Power and technique can move figurative mountains
in the cage.
The
27-year-old dos Santos blitzed Cain Velasquez in a first-round
technical knockout, as he captured the heavyweight crown in the
UFC on Fox 1 main event on Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim,
Calif. An overhand right sent Velasquez to the canvas with dos
Santos in pursuit and promotional gold hanging in the balance.
Follow-up blows from the Brazilian ended the battle just 64 seconds
after it began.
Undefeated
inside the Octagon, dos Santos has won nine consecutive fights.
His ascent to the top of the heavyweight division complete, he
has finished five of his eight UFC wins inside one round.
In
wake of UFC on Fox 1 “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos,” here
are seven fights we want to see made:
Junior
dos Santos vs. Brock Lesnar-Alistair Overeem winner: By throttling
the previously unbeaten Velasquez, dos Santos had to have given
pause to anyone thinking about standing and exchanging with him.
A 6-foot-4, 239-pound juggernaut of power, technique and timing,
he has ripped through the heavyweight division since arriving
on the scene at UFC 90 in October 2008 with a first-round TKO
over two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World
Championships gold medalist Fabricio Werdum. One-sided wins against
Stefan Struve, Mirko Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel, Gabriel Gonzaga,
Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin followed, setting up his showdown
with Velasquez. Barring injury, dos Santos will next face the
victor of the Lesnar-Overeem matchup at UFC 141 on Dec. 30. No
matter who emerges, dos Santos figures to be heavily favored
to retain his title.
Cain
Velasquez vs. Overeem-Lesnar loser: Velasquez will face a myriad
of questions following his first professional defeat, some of
them inward and some of them from the public. However, he will
not fall far in a division that has become decidedly top heavy,
especially with Carwin injured and sidelined again. Velasquez
remains in his prime at 29 and will have the chance to put himself
in position for a rematch with dos Santos. The two-time NCAA
All-American’s road back could begin with the Lesnar-Overeem
loser sometime in early 2012. Another option would be to pit
Velasquez against former heavyweight champion Frank Mir, provided
he takes care of business in his rematch with Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira at UFC 140 on Dec. 10.
Ben
Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar: Many already view the Edgar-Henderson
lightweight title tilt, ticketed for Feb. 26 in Japan, as a frontrunner
for “Fight of the Year” in 2012. Henderson, a John
Crouch protégé who seems to improve with each outing,
denied Clay Guida in a riveting three-round encounter, earning
a unanimous decision and the right to challenge for 155-pound
gold. Armed with perhaps the game’s best guillotine choke,
Henderson has become one of the most consistently entertaining
competitors in the sport, as he blends otherworldly athleticism
and resilience with exceptional all-around skills and a willingness
to take risks. Edgar’s lateral movement, boxing ability
and indomitable fighting spirit, showcased in his two scintillating
fights with Gray Maynard, make a matchup with Henderson a must-see
event.
Clay
Guida vs. Gray Maynard: Following his loss to Henderson, one
has to wonder if Guida will ever clear the final hurdle standing
between him and title contention. Heart, desire and conditioning
have carried him to the brink, but he was at times physically
overmatched against Henderson, who bullied him in the clinch,
powered out of his submission attempts and generally made life
difficult for him. Guida may opt for a move to 145 pounds, a
much shallower division where new opportunities would abound.
Until then, he figures to hover between the middle and upper
tiers of the lightweight ranks, providing worthy tests for up-and-comers
and veterans who wish to rejoin the circle of contenders. After
his knockout loss to Edgar at UFC 136, Maynard fits the latter
mold.
Dustin
Poirier vs. Mark Hominick-Chan Sung Jung winner: At 22, Poirier
can only be described as a rising star at featherweight. The
once-beaten Louisianan was utterly brilliant in dispatching Pablo
Garza with a slick second-round brabo choke. It was the fourth
submission of his career but his first under the Zuffa banner.
Poirier, who trains under “The Ultimate Fighter” Season
7 alum Tim Credeur, wields a potent, well-rounded skill set,
and he has never tasted defeat at 145 pounds. The only real hole
in his game seems to be in the defensive wrestling department,
a weakness only a handful of featherweights figure to probe.
Poirier will carry a four-fight winning streak into his next
appearance, which will almost certainly come against someone
much higher up on the totem pole. Give him the winner of the
Mark Hominick-Chan Sung Jung bout at UFC 140 next month.
Mike
Pierce vs. Rory MacDonald: Pierce’s approach may not be
aesthetically pleasing, but he gets the job done. Now 5-2 inside
the UFC, he took a split decision from two-time NCAA All-American
wrestler Paul Bradley, a man he had already defeated in regional
competition back in 2009. Pierce, 31, an experienced and intelligent
fighter with few weaknesses, will provide a stern test for any
rising contender at 170 pounds. No one fits that mold better
than MacDonald, a superstar in the making who was forced to withdraw
from his UFC 140 bout with Brian Ebersole with an undisclosed
injury. Once he heals, let the 22-year-old have a go at Pierce,
who, in 17 professional appearances, has never been finished.
Ricardo
Lamas vs. Darren Elkins: Quietly a winner in five of his past
six fights, Lamas continues to fly under the radar at 145 pounds.
Considering the effort he put forth against Cub Swanson, that
relative anonymity may not last much longer. Lamas overcame a
slow start to submit the Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative
with a second-round arm-triangle choke. An accomplished wrestler
with a developing standup game, he has finished consecutive opponents
since dropping anchor in the featherweight division. A matchup
with Elkins, another rising threat, seems appropriate. Elkins,
who trains alongside former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland,
has also posted five wins in six outings, including a unanimous
decision over Chinese import Tiequan Zhang at UFC 136.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Joe
Rogan: Cain Velasquez sprained his knee in training & needed
cortisone shots
By Zach
Arnold
JOE ROGAN: “Well, you could definitely feel the tension.
Everybody was worried it wasn’t going to come off well and
there was a lot of behind-the-scenes clamoring. There’s
a lot of people that were really uptight about it. I think it
all came together nicely. It was a great event, you know, the
overall fights were great. I thought it would have been nice
if they had showed the Henderson/Guida fight as well. That would
have been a really good introduction to Mixed Martial Arts to
people who hadn’t see nit before. The main event was really
a perfect result for Junior dos Santos, exactly what he wanted
to do — connect, land, hurt him bad, and finish him off.
That’s what his game plan was, that’s what he did.
I was surprised that Cain Velasquez didn’t try to either
take him down or force him immediately into some sort of a grappling
contest, force him to work hard and tire him out but… you
know, who knows what the game plan was. There was a lot of rumblings
about Cain Velasquez having a knee sprain, that he got shot with
cortisone before the fight, so… who knows if that played
a part in it, you know?”
ARIEL HELWANI: “Everyone in Cain’s camp was denying
that but I’m wondering if you found out any more information,
if that was in fact true.”
JOE ROGAN: “Oh, it is true, yeah, it is true. Yeah, I mean,
I’m sure they denied it before the fight but I know for
a fact it was true.”
ARIEL HELWANI: “So, when you were watching him, did you
get the sense that this wasn’t the Cain Velasquez who beat
Brock Lesnar 13 months ago?”
JOE ROGAN: “Well, you know, first of all, you know, he’s
not fighting Brock Lesnar. Second of fall, he had a shoulder
surgery that took him out for over a year, right? So, there’s
that. And then on top of that, there was this knee issue and
he came in at 249 pounds, which is heavy for him. I believe he’s
usually around 240ish, somewhere around that. He looked a little
soft. So, it could be that he has had issues training. It could
be, you know, shoulder surgeries are very difficult, you know.
The joint is an unusual joint. It moves all sorts of different
directions and it’s notoriously hard to repair 100%. So,
who knows if that was good. I mean, who knows what issues he
had and who knows if Junior dos Santos would have done to a perfectly
in-shape, perfectly healthy Cain anyway. Junior… if he hits
him with that punch any time in Cain’s life, Cain’s
going to be in big, big, big, big trouble, you know. It doesn’t
matter if he’s in great shape or not, it’s the punch
that landed. It’s why the punch landed. Did it land because
Cain overestimates his chin? Did it land because Junior’s
just that good? Did it land because of ring rust? Did it land
because of knee problems or shoulder? Who knows. But for Junior,
perfect result.”
ARIEL HELWANI: “What did you think of the stoppage?”
JOE ROGAN: “Perfect stoppage. Yeah, I mean, he was hurt.
He was hurt bad. He went face down. When, you know, when he went
down with the first punch you could tell his eyes were scrambled
and then a couple of punches in, his face was down and perfect
stoppage.”
ARIEL HELWANI: “A lot of talk online and in the media that
this wasn’t what the UFC wanted. They would have rather
it go a little bit longer. Do you share that sentiment or is
this part of what makes MMA so great?”
JOE ROGAN: “Well, you know, if you want… every show
to be the perfect show, it’s never really going to happen.
What Mixed Martial Arts is is unpredictable and this sort of
showcased that tonight. It wasn’t the best result in terms
of getting the most viewers to watch. You know, if there was
some crazy four-round war where eventually one man, you know,
overcame the other one and he had to come through adversity to
get there, then maybe that would have brought more viewers. But,
I think ultimately Mixed Martial Arts is pretty much unstoppable.
it’s too exciting, it’s too good, and it doesn’t
matter if, you know, 1,000 or 100,000 less people tune into the
next one because of tonight. Ultimately, it’s going to be
gigantic, it’s going to be much bigger than it is. The fact
that it’s now on broadcast television, the fact that it’s
now available for free to millions of people that would have
never watched it, the door’s open and the floodgates are
open and it’s just a matter of time now.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Okami
Draws Boetsch, Home Field Advantage for UFC 144
By Mike
Whitman
Yushin Okami will fight on Japanese soil for the first time since
2006 when he squares off against Tim Boetsch at UFC 144, promotion
officials announced Tuesday.
Headlined
by a lightweight title clash between Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson,
UFC 144 goes down Feb. 26 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama,
Japan. The UFC’s first foray into the Land of the Rising
Sun since 2000, the event is also expected to feature former
Pride Fighting Championships star Quinton Jackson.
Widely
regarded as one of the world’s top middleweights, Okami
(Pictured) has won six of his last eight and holds an overall
UFC record of 10-3. “Thunder” recently had a three-fight
winning streak snapped when he challenged longtime middleweight
king Anderson Silva at UFC 134 in August in a rematch of their
2006 Rumble on the Rock clash. Silva avenged his disqualification
defeat and defended his belt in spectacular fashion, knocking
out Okami midway through the second round.
Known
as “The Barbarian,” Boetsch has gone undefeated since
dropping to middleweight, outpointing Kendall Grove and Nick
Ring in 2011. The 30-year-old is in his second run with the world’s
largest MMA promotion, previously competing as a light heavyweight.
Boetsch returned to the promotion last year, earning a unanimous
decision over Todd Brown before submitting to Phil Davis’
one-armed kimura at UFC 123.
Source:
Sherdog
|
UFC
Champ Junior dos Santos Headed for Surgery
Junior dos Santos, fresh off capturing the UFC heavyweight title
from Cain Velasquez, is headed to the sidelines.
Although he injured his knee just 11 days prior to the UFC on
Fox main event, he stuck it out, capturing the belt in the process.
But he won’t be seeing the inside of the Octagon again anytime
soon, as he is instead headed for the operating table.
“He’s gonna make the surgery soon,” Brazilian
journalist Marcelo Alonso said on Monday’s edition of The
MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo. “He didn’t say exactly
when, but he’s gonna make the surgery.”
That’s not really a surprise, considering dos Santos was
on crutches a mere 11 days prior to the fight with Velasquez.
“When Cain was throwing some kicks, I was worried about
that because Junior tore his meniscus before the fight, 11 days
ago,” the new champ’s training partner, Antonio Rodrigo
Nogueira, told MMAWeekly.com after the fight. “So he was
on crutches for a while.”
Depending upon the extent of the injury and the duration of the
recovery time, the surgery shouldn’t interfere all that
much with the timeline for dos Santos’ first defense, anyway.
It would be ideal for him to defend the belt on his home turf
when UFC 142 lands in Brazil in January, but that wouldn’t
have happened even if dos Santos were healthy. UFC president
Dana White has declared that the Dec. 30 fight between former
UFC champion Brock Lesnar and former Strikeforce champion Alistair
Overeem at UFC 141 will determine the first challenger to dos
Santos’ belt.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Cigano
a black belt?
Junior
Samurai
In
a recent interview on Brazil’s “Sensei SporTV”
martial arts show, Yuri Carlton, new UFC heavyweight champion
Junior Cigano’s first grappling coach, stated that, with
the title belt in his hands, Junior is worthy of a promotion
to black belt.
A natural born knockout artist, for anyone who doesn’t know,
Cigano got his start in the martial arts through Jiu-Jitsu. And
anyone thinking the champion doesn’t know his way around
on the ground couldn’t be more wrong. For example, during
a friendly sparring session before Cigano had even made it into
the UFC, he completely annihilated this reporter!
“I always trained a lot of Jiu-Jitsu, but playing guard
really was one of my weaknesses. These days things are quite
different. I’m much better at the guard and I attack a lot,
when before I’d just defend. I always pick up pointers from
people proven in this area. The more information the better.
This way my game keeps getting better and better,” said
the fighter in a recent GRACIEMAG interview.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
142: Etim bets on the ground game to defeat Barboza, ready to
stand and bang too
By Guilherme
Cruz
Undefeated in MMA, Edson Junior showed his sharpen Muay Thai
on his three wins in UFC, and wants to do it again on January
14th, in Rio de Janeiro, but the English Terry Etim wants to
prevent him from it.
Coming from a quick win by submission (17 seconds) at his hometown,
at UFC 138, Terry sees the ground game as the best way to get
a win. And who guarantees it is Marcelo Brigadeiro, his Wrestling
coach.
“I believe Terry’s ground game might be better and
that he can finish the fight by using it”, said, without
discarding the stand-up game. “Terry’s strike power
is underestimates... The kid was an European champion of Muay
Thai a few times and he’s one of the best strikers in England.
I guess he’ll show it this time”.
“The game plan remains a secret, but Brigadeiro warns: Dana
White will write Etim’s name on the check for the best fight
of the night. “I’m guessing this fight against Edson
Jr. will be the fight of the night... Both are really aggressive
and have an interesting style”, states.
Source:
Tatame
|
Akiyama
Drops to Welterweight, Faces Shields at UFC 144 in Japan
By Chris
Nelson
After
three consecutive defeats at middleweight, Japanese star Yoshihiro
Akiyama will make a long-awaited move down the scale in February,
and he’ll do so before a hometown crowd.
UFC
officials announced Monday that Akiyama and welterweight contender
Jake Shields have verbally agreed to square off in a 170-pound
bout at UFC 144. While not formally announced by the promotion,
the event is expected to take place Feb. 26 at Saitama Super
Arena in Saitama, Japan, and will likely feature a lightweight
title bout between champion Frankie Edgar and former WEC titleholder
Ben Henderson.
Akiyama,
36, has fallen on hard times since entering the UFC in July 2009
on a 13-fight unbeaten streak.
Since
winning his Octagon debut by narrowly outpointing Alan Belcher,
“Sexyama” has been submitted by Chris Leben, decisioned
by Michael Bisping and, most recently, served a brutal knockout
from Vitor Belfort in August. The skid marks the first losing
streak of the decorated judoka’s MMA career, his only other
defeat coming in 2005 against K-1 legend Jerome Le Banner.
Shields
also enters the bout on his first losing streak, having dropped
back-to-back bouts in 2011.
The
32-year-old Cesar Gracie pupil won 15 straight bouts between
2005 and 2010, including a split-decision win over Martin Kampmann
in Shields’ October 2010 UFC debut. After losing a lopsided,
five-round bid to dethrone Georges St. Pierre in April, Shields
was knocked out for only the second time in September by heavy-handed
contender Jake Ellenberger.
Source
Sherdog
|
UFC
Broadcaster Joe Rogan Returns to Fear Factor
It’s not MMA, but UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan appears to have
a knack for the extreme. Hence his return as the host of NBC’s
Fear Factor, a show known for extreme stunts and creepily insane
challenges. Fear Factor went off the air six years ago, but my,
what six years of stunt technology development can do.
Same crazy stunts? Check. Gross, disgusting challenges? Check.
Joe Rogan? Check.
Fear Factor is back times 1,000. Don’t believe it? Then
check out the insane preview video. (www.mmaweekly.com)
The new Fear Factor returns to NBC on Dec. 12.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Sonnen
considering other fights if Silva stays out with injury
Sonnen
considering other fights if Silva stays out with injury We heard
Dana White say Chael Sonnen would in fact be next in line for
Anderson Silva, but is Silva next for Sonnen? According to Chael,
he would like to take a fight in the interim should Silva stay
out of the sport for a long period due to his shoulder injury.
“As
it played that through my head, I saw a lot of different outcomes,
but not in a million years did I think this would happen,”
Sonnen told ESPN1100/98.9 FM in Las Vegas (2:35 mark).
No
shock that Sonnen then went on to sling insults at the ‘Brazilian’
fighter.
“That
is not the heritage of a Brazilian fighter or a Brazilian man
in general. Brazilians will fight. Brazilians will come forward
with courage. If you challenge them, they will step forward.
That’s not in his culture or his heritage to just sit there
and get clowned in front of the world, but he did it.”
“The
fight’s going to happen for sure. I’ll be Anderson’s
next fight. I don’t know that he’ll be mine,”
said Sonnen.
“I’m
not going to sit around and wait for him. [...] I don’t
just need the title, I need to be the best fighter in the world.
If there’s someone who can knock me off and beat me then
I don’t deserve to be there. So god bless them and let that
guy have his shot,” said Sonnen.
Will
Sonnen really risk a title shot to stay active in the Octagon.
We’ve seen that the long layoff did not seem to cause ring
rust for Sonnen in his recent bout with Brian Stann. Either Sonnen
is looking to make-up for lost income in the past year, or perhaps
he is really as valiant as he insinuates. Either way at this
point they’re only words.
Source: Caged Insider
|
White
Confirms: Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen II happening
White
Confirms: Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen II happeningChael Sonnen
has done it again. “The Oregon Gangster” has been verified
as the next challenger to Anderson Silva’s belt by Dana
White during yesterdays interview on “The Jim Rome Show.”
“It’s
the fight everyone wants to see,” said White on Wednesday’s
edition of “The Jim Rome Show.” “People want to
see Chael vs. Anderson. Anderson is in this position where he
feels this guy is so disrespectful he doesn’t want to give
him a shot and everything else, but Anderson will end up fighting
Chael Sonnen.”
Sonnen
has been the most successful challenger to Anderson Silva’s
belt, yet it was tarnished by a failed drug test following the
fight which coupled with legal problems in his home state caused
Sonnen’s removal from the sport for over a year. Sonnen
did his off-time and returned in top shape defeating top middleweight
Brian Stann with ease in October.
In
Sonnen’s year layoff, Silva finished two top contenders
in Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami, continuing his lengthy championship
reign in the UFC while receiving the unanimous nod as the pound-for-pound
best mixed martial artist in the world from top analyst in the
sport.
The
scheduling of the fight is still in the air due to Silva’s
shoulder injury, currently in the healing process. Once Silva
returns to training the bout will have a tentative date. We will
continue to cover the story as it develops.
Source: Caged Insider
|
GSP
says he makes $4-5 million a fight
Everybody
is struggling during these hard economic times right? Wrong…
Apparently current UFC welterweight champion Georges St.Pierre
makes 4 to 5 million dollars a fight, this is according to him
of course. But, Dana White did state that GSP is definitely his
shining star when it comes to pay-per-view numbers.
Here’s
what Georges told the Agence France-Presse recently:
“I
learned that the UFC makes the most money on pay-per-view when
I am fighting. That made me smile. For me, a fight is (worth)
$4 to $5 million, and in the city where the UFC holds its events,
there are economic benefits of between $15 to $20 million. It’s
huge!”
So
it’s that easy, just beat GSP and you’ll be earning
millions too! Good luck…
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Fox’s
UFC debut is White’s dream come true
After
more than 10 years of working 18- and 20-hour days, after racking
up enough air miles to circle the globe many times over, after
telling anyone who would listen that mixed martial arts would
one day surpass soccer as the world’s most popular sport,
UFC president Dana White has finally gotten to the starting line.
The
UFC, the major league of MMA, will debut on network television
on Saturday when Fox airs the heavyweight title bout between
champion Cain Velasquez and No. 1 contender Junior dos Santos
live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from the Honda Center in Anaheim,
Calif.
Cain
Velasquez headlines the first-ever UFC event on Fox when he defends
his heavyweight title against Junior dos Santos.
The
seven-year deal between the UFC and Fox, which runs through 2018,
is an affirmation of the brilliant work done in the last decade
by White and UFC co-founders Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta in building
a sport from a pile of rubble.
The
Velasquez-dos Santos bout is an intriguing clash of styles, pitting
Velasquez’s elite wrestling and tremendous conditioning
against dos Santos’ terrific boxing and underrated jiu jitsu.
The
match would have been a massive pay-per-view headliner, but when
he finally landed the network deal, White never hesitated to
offer it as the first Fox main event. He was going to come with
his best. The show will essentially serve as a one-hour commercial
for the UFC, and there could be no better way to showcase the
sport at its best than by putting the two top fighters in the
sport’s marquee division on network television in front
of the largest possible audience.
“This
is a throwback to the old days of boxing,” White said. “We
are putting a big fight – a huge fight – on free TV
to expose this thing to a new audience. Our goal has always been
to bring big fights back to network television. We are thinking
long-term for the future of this sport. It is an investment in
the future of the UFC. Fans that have never seen the UFC before
will see this show, and that’s why we decided to put Cain
and Junior in this position.
“I
know for a fact this is going to be an awesome fight. I know
it is going to be great. That’s why it was these two [fighters]
in this position. I have no worries at all this is going to be
a great fight.”
As
its popularity has grown, the UFC has added ancillary businesses.
There is now a UFC video game, a UFC magazine and UFC-branded
gyms. There are DVDs, trading cards, action figures, fan festivals
and all manner of clothing.
The
turnaround that White and the Fertittas engineered with the UFC,
which they bought for $2 million in Jan. 2001, is every bit as
remarkable as that which the late Steve Jobs did upon his return
to Apple in 1997.
Apple
was a floundering company only 90 days from bankruptcy when Jobs,
its co-founder, returned to the rescue in 1997 after having been
ousted as CEO 11 years earlier. He shepherded development of
the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad and solutions for Apple to
sell music, movies, television shows, applications and books
en route to becoming the world’s second-most valuable company
behind Exxon at the time of his death on Oct. 5.
White
and the Fertitta brothers engineered a similar turnaround with
the UFC. Less than five years into their ownership, they were
$44 million in debt and on the verge of selling the company.
White,
though, believed deeply in the sport and in putting on the best,
most evenly matched fights he could. Then, he encouraged his
fighters to compete in a fan-friendly style, awarding cash bonuses
for Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night and Submission
of the Night. In addition, White often pays fighters locker-room
bonuses, which are above and beyond what fighters are contracted
to earn, if he likes their matches. Those bonuses have gone in
excess of $1 million at times.
Making
the best fights he could and rewarding the fighters who delivered
entertaining bouts are the primary reasons for the UFC’s
skyrocketing popularity and is largely what made the Fox deal
possible.
The
UFC flourished on cable. Its deal with Spike saved the company
and helped it to get to the point where every major broadcast
network had some degree of interest.
It’s
still far, though, from having reached the promised land. UFC
fighters aren’t nearly as well known as stars in other sports.
No UFC fighter is remotely close to the NFL’s Tom Brady
or NBA’s Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
White
is banking on the Fox deal to help bring the UFC into the mainstream.
Lightweight contender Joe Lauzon, who fought on “The Ultimate
Fighter” reality show on Spike, is convinced Fox will propel
the sport to the next level.
“This
is just the beginning,” Lauzon said. “The UFC took
a huge jump when they got on TV with ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’
[though] no one really understood how big of a deal it was until
after the fact. Look how far the UFC has come with just Spike,
basically.
“Now
that they have Fox, and it’s going to take another tremendous
jump. I think that Lorenzo Fertitta was saying it’s a commercial
for the UFC. They’re going to use these Fox shows to get
attention and funnel people into the pay-per-view.”
Prior
to this deal, Velasquez would be preparing to defend his belt
on pay-per-view. But White, 42, grew up in an era when there
was still plenty of live boxing on television. He religiously
watched fights on the weekends on ABC’s “Wide World
of Sports” and during the week on USA Network’s “Tuesday
Night Fights.”
The
biggest stars in the sport competed in those fights. But when
pay-per-view came along, boxing promoters took their stars off
network television and put them on PPV, where they were fighting
in front of a significantly smaller audience.
White
never forgot that, and when he took over the UFC, he vowed that
he would honor the “Wide World of Sports” tradition
and put big fights on free television when he got the chance.
There
are few bigger bouts than a heavyweight championship match. Velasquez,
who defeated Brock Lesnar 13 months ago to win the belt, is an
unlikely star in many ways.
A
two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State, he is soft-spoken
and polite and not the kind of person to draw attention to himself.
But he’s a fierce fighter who has become a fan favorite
because of his aggressive, entertaining style.
He
was on the set of Fox’s NFL pre-game show and has made dozens
of appearances as he’s prepared to face dos Santos. Seeing
the growth of the sport up-close has been mind-boggling to him.
“I
saw it growing because it’s a very fun sport to watch, and
it appeals to a young audience,” Velasquez said. “I
never saw this, though. This is well beyond what I thought would
ever be possible.”
And
it’s only going to get bigger. The Fox contract will expose
the sport to many who haven’t given it a chance and will
help White cultivate an entirely new segment of fans.
The
UFC may never become bigger worldwide than soccer, as White boldly
predicts, but that’s hardly a problem.
The
combination of a network TV deal and White’s firm commitment
to putting first-rate fights consistently on Fox will guarantee
that the UFC’s growth spurt is nowhere close to being finished.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
The
Public Perception of Paul Daley
“What
kind of a person is Paul Daley?”
A
few weeks back, prior to an interview with British fighter Paul
Daley, a call was sent out over social networking feeds requesting
fan questions for the British slugger.
Of
all of them, this one seemed to be the most interesting because
in addition to the question, there was an additional comment.
The statement said to the effect “seems like he’d be
a jerk.”
In
the past, Daley has been called outspoken, cocky, brash, never
apologetic, and that’s gained him a rabid fan base, especially
in his home country of Great Britain. But for all those fans
that love him, Daley has also become somewhat of a villain in
MMA, especially after his sucker punch of opponent Josh Koscheck
following their fight at UFC 113 in May 2010.
Daley
was ousted from the UFC after the incident and has been black
balled from the organization ever since.
In
person, Daley has always garnered a huge fan response for signings,
and always appears cordial and makes sure to take pictures or
whatever he can do to accommodate supporters. He regularly posts
on his Facebook page and routinely answers questions and comments,
even some that are no so friendly that come towards him.
So
is Paul Daley misunderstood or does he purposefully give off
a certain demeanor that makes him a villain in many MMA circles?
“I
have no idea really,” Daley answered when asked why people
think that about him. “I don’t know if it’s some
things that I say, when you read them, they can be taken out
of context. When you can hear the way I speak or I talk about
certain topics, you can see that I’m not that guy.”
Daley
has heard that kind of response before, and unlike some fighters
who welcome the roll of a villain like Josh Koscheck or Chael
Sonnen, he’s just simply himself.
“I’ve
heard that a lot and I’m quite shocked that that’s
the perception people have of me,” said Daley. “It’d
be nice to meet a few more of these fans and it would be nice
for a few of these fans to meet people who have actually spoken
to me cause I’m not that guy.
“I’m
someone that speaks their mind and I like to have my opinion
out there, but I’m open to hearing the criticisms as well
as long as people are willing to accept mine, and my opinions,
and that’s just the character that I am.”
When
Daley made that ill fated decision to punch Josh Koscheck after
the final bell had sounded on their fight in Montreal, he knew
he had done wrong. Since that time, Daley has made apology after
apology, and for a fighter who doesn’t live with much regret,
that’s one moment he’ll always wish he could take back.
“After
the incident with Koscheck, I made an apology immediately. I
made a public apology, so everybody knows I’m not proud
of what I’ve done, and I don’t take any pride in what
I did,” Daley said. “I think purely based on fighting,
I’ve proven myself as a fighter even though I’ve taken
those two losses from (Nick) Diaz and (Tyron) Woodley. I’ve
figured in all of those fights, I’ve entertained, and I’ve
shown a constant development since leaving the UFC.”
Over
the weekend with the UFC in England, British reporters once again
took up Daley’s cause and asked UFC president Dana White
if he had softened on his stance to allow the knockout artist
back into the promotion.
While
White didn’t seem quite as rigid as he once did whenever
Daley’s name came up, he still bristled when talking about
him.
“I
just have a hard time with what Daley did. It’s not like
Daley’s been so friendly since that happened either, plus
he hasn’t won. The guy’s got to win some fights. Any
guy who loses in the UFC or other promotions, you go get some
wins and you come back,” White stated.
“I’m
not a fan to be honest.”
While
Daley and White may never be best friends, they certainly could
work together again in the future. Daley says that he’ll
always be himself, but that doesn’t mean he’s not capable
of change.
He’s
even hopeful that eventually more fans will get the chance to
see the real Paul Daley, and they’ll come around too.
“I’m
aware of that perception, but there’s nothing I can really
do apart from meeting more fans, and when I do meet them showing
them the real character that I am, because I’m a fan of
the sport and I think the fans make this sport. I’m no celebrity.
I’m not one of these guys that has an ego. I’m just
a really normal guy and people that meet me will say that,”
Daley commented.
“I
figure if I stay loyal to my fans, I’m always going to have
a career somewhere within the sport. I don’t want to be
a sellout. I just want to be me.”
Deep
down inside, however, there is still a fire burning for Daley
to get back to the UFC and prove himself on the largest stage
in the world. Daley knows he messed up in the past, but he’s
not sweeping that under the rug like it never happened.
He
talks openly and honestly about it whenever the subject comes
up. He doesn’t shut down the question or avoid giving an
answer. Daley knows he screwed up, but like anybody who’s
made a mistake in the past, he’s just looking for a second
chance.
“It
would be good to be back on the biggest stage and see the Semtex
that messed up with the Koscheck fight, and the Semtex that I
am now,” Daley stated.
Whether
he gets that chance or not remains to be seen.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
on FOX Debut a Rollercoaster Ride
At the first event of the promotion that would come to be known
as the UFC, things did not get off to a particularly promising
start. In introducing the night's action, play-by-play commentator
Bill Wallace incorrectly referred to it as the "Ultimate
Fighting Challenge" twice within 10 seconds.
Eighteen
years to the day later, UFC on FOX marked the promotion's debut
on network television, with a single fight broadcast around the
nation. Like UFC 1, it was essentially an informercial, designed
to pull in sports enthusiasts and channel surfers in hopes of
creating new fans.
As
a general broadcast, UFC on FOX was a success. The production
was slick, the spirited crowd gave it a big-show feel, and it
came across as a major event. On the flipside, the heavyweight
championship match between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos
went just 64 seconds, robbing the UFC of a chance to give new
viewers a deeper look at a textured sport.
9
pm ET: FOX opens the show with a black and white card which reads,
"The following might be the most exciting live sporting
event in the history of television, and it's our duty to say:
Viewer discretion advised." Cool.
9
pm: The FOX Sports theme music kicks off as host Curt Menefee
announces the UFC is part of the FOX family. A nice touch, and
for football fans especially, a clear signal that this is going
to be a big deal.
9:01
pm: FOX shows a quick montage with a brief history of the promotion,
and introduces Velasquez and dos Santos. A good idea, but not
in-depth enough to offer any real insight into the UFC's wild
ride.
9:03
pm: Menefee and UFC president Dana White are at the FOX Sports
anchor desk inside the arena to discuss the significance of the
fight and the event. I have no problem with White having a presence
and speaking about the company's rise. But to have the company
president as the fight analyst doesn't make for optimal presentation.
It would be a much better idea to have a retired fighter giving
unbiased analysis without a promoter's slant.
9:09
pm: Brock Lesnar joins White and Menefee to discuss the fight.
Lesnar mentions he'll fight the winner of Velasquez-dos Santos,
getting in a nice plug. Given Lesnar's status as perhaps the
most well-known UFC fighter, his presence was practically mandatory.
Lesnar wasted no time doing some verbal sparring with White,
though he incorrectly predicted Velasquez would be able to take
dos Santos down and keep him there. He wasn't the only one.
9:13
pm: FOX shows a segment on dos Santos that describes his early
life, including an interview with his mother in which she tells
a story of when as a youth, he refused to fight back against
a bully because he didn't like to fight. This was a good, humanizing
piece for those people who still insist fighters are thugs.
9:20
pm: A similar segment on Velasquez airs, detailing his father's
sacrifices as a manual laborer to build a better life for his
family, and how Cain learned his work ethic from him. Although
this is a story many of us have heard before, it's important
for the rest of the world tuning in to gain a little personal
knowledge of the fighters.
9:25
pm: Menefee throws the fight to Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan for
more analysis. Rogan describes dos Santos as sort of a throwback
to the early days of the UFC for his reliance on one art: boxing.
It's not too far off, but it downplayed dos Santos' wrestling
brilliance, the fact that he's a jiu-jitsu brown belt, and that
he's extremely athletic.
9:29
pm: dos Santos makes his way to the cage to the "Rocky"
theme song and a chorus of boos. A great walkout song, but have
fighters forgotten he loses? Rogan presciently asks, "The
big question for him in this fight is, can he land the big shot
standing up?"
9:33
pm: Velasquez makes his walk to the cage. At this point we're
over a half-hour in and haven't seen a punch, so most people
are probably getting a bit edgy. I understand the need for a
pre-fight show but this is on the longish side. Hopefully that's
because it's the first one, and in the future we can cut it down.
9:36
pm: Bruce Buffer begins introductions. Now we're in business.
dos Santos looks calm and composed. Velasquez's body language
isn't great. His gaze is downward as he walks side to side.
9:39
pm: Ref John McCarthy gives the "Let's get it on" opener.
Let's.
9:40
pm: It's over. What? Look, many mainstream media members and
other sports fans took shots at the UFC after dos Santos needed
just 64 seconds to beat Velasquez, but those numbskulls should
know that sports are unpredictable. There were three big sports
events last night. This was one. In the second, Juan Manuel Marquez
was robbed by the ringside judges in a loss to Manny Pacquiao.
In the third, No. 4 Stanford was blown out by Oregon by 23 points
in college football. Sports are unpredictable. We can't control
that. That said, it clearly would have been beneficial for UFC
to have a longer, technical fight that showcased more of the
"mixed" part of MMA. But that's life.
9:54
pm: After post-fight interviews and some Rogan/Goldberg banter,
we're back at the FOX Sports desk. White immediately questions
Velasquez's strategy, asking why he didn't go for the takedown.
This is a good question. But the entire post-fight analysis between
the two is spent criticizing Velasquez while no credit is given
to dos Santos for executing his plan. In essence, White acted
more like an analyst than a promoter here, because he probably
should have spent the time pumping up his new champion. That's
good and bad, and it's another example of why White shouldn't
be in the role. He can't serve the audience and his company,
and he shouldn't have to. Just to be clear, it wasn't his idea.
FOX Sports requested him there, but the network would do better
to bring in their own analyst for these situations.
UFC
1 didn't exactly get off to a great start and things worked out
OK. UFC on FOX had its issues, from timing to analysis. The fact
that we only got 64 seconds of action in 60 minutes probably
left a few hungry for more, but hopefully that just means they'll
be back for another bite. With a seven-year FOX deal, there will
be plenty more shows to choose from.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Updated
Ratings: UFC Pulls in 5.7 Million Viewers to FOX Debut
Saturday night's UFC on FOX debut drew in an average of 5.7 million
viewers during the one-hour show in adjusted ratings released
Sunday afternoon by Nielsen Media Research through FOX.
Preliminary
overnights initially suggested an average of 4.6 million viewers
for the event, which saw Junior dos Santos knock out Cain Velasquez
in the first round, but those estimates were expected to change
as more information became available. The final number suggests
an audience that was around 20 percent larger than originally
thought.
According
to FOX, it was the most watched professional fight since boxing
heavyweights Lennox Lewis and Vladimir Klitschko drew 7 million
viewers to their HBO fight in 2003. The network also says it
projects the hour to win its key demographics, including the
coveted 18-to-34-year old age group.
While
the event was the first time ever for the UFC on broadcast television,
it wasn't the first time for MMA on a network platform. In 2008,
an EliteXC event was the first to pull off the feat, airing an
event featuring Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson that drew an average
of 4.3 million viewers. That event, which lasted more than two
hours, peaked with over 6.5 million viewers to watch Slice knock
out Thompson. The match went into the third round, likely helping
the broadcast draw viewers as it went along. That's a stark contrast
to dos Santos-Velasquez, which lasted just 64 seconds.
The
one-hour special was extremely strong among the male 18-34 demographic,
as it out-rated every college football game this year with the
exception of November 5's LSU vs. Alabama game, a matchup that
featured No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the national rankings.
Among
local markets, Las Vegas led the nation in ratings. Dallas, Phoenix,
San Antonio, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma rounded out the top five.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
In
Fitting Twist, Ben Henderson and Clay Guida Stole the Show on
Saturday
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ben Henderson said before Saturday's fight
that his goal was to make UFC president Dana White feel like
he absolutely had to get the bout on primetime TV "some
how, some way." With his Fight of the Night performance
in a winning effort against fellow lightweight Clay Guida, he
may have done even better than that.
As
Henderson and Guida hurled themselves across every square inch
of the Octagon in a thrilling three-round battle before the main
event, it was hard not to feel like the UFC was going to regret
not getting this fight on live network. But then, there were
network obligations to meet. FOX wanted the UFC to do just one
fight -- the heavyweight championship of the world -- and so
all the eggs were placed delicately in that one basket.
64
seconds after the start of the main event, well, you already
know the fate of that particular basket.
We
could argue about whether having a title fight that was over
quicker than viewers could microwave their popcorn was a good
thing for the sport and for the UFC, and I'm sure we will. What
seems less debatable, at least to those of us who saw the Henderson-Guida
bout, is that it was the lightweights who stole the show on Saturday
night, even if they did it in the relative shadows of a live
web stream.
White,
somewhat understandably, was in no mood for criticism of the
way the FOX broadcast was structured to focus only on the title
fight.
"For
anybody to bitch about this fight and how they didn't get to
see that fight -- shut up," he said in the post-fight press
conference. "You should have bought tickets if you wanted
to see all the fights and you don't like to watch it on Facebook.
Seriously, shut up. I don't even want to hear it."
In
a way, he has a point. It's not like the fight wasn't available
at all. If you have internet access and a Facebook account, you
had every opportunity to watch Henderson and Guida beat the follicles
off of one another for the full 15 minutes. If you were technologically
incapable or simply felt like you couldn't be bothered to sit
down and watch a fight on a different glowing screen, you only
have yourself to blame for missing a great fight.
But
hindsight being what it is, one can imagine White waking up on
Sunday morning and wondering, what if?
What
if they'd decided to kick things off with the Henderson-Guida
bout? What if they'd given the nation's network TV audience a
chance to flip out over the two high-energy lightweights, and
given ratings a chance to build along with the intensity in the
cage? What if Guida and Henderson had served as the night's dramatic
appetizer, and Junior dos Santos' TKO of Cain Velasquez had been
the swift and definitive grand finale?
It
would have necessitated a very different broadcast, but it also
would have resulted in a more successful one. Then again, it's
easy to be genius on Sunday morning, once you know the ratings
and the results.
At
the post-fight press conference a disappointed Guida had trouble
finding much consolation in the fact that his was the most exciting
fight on the card, and even the $65,000 bonus for Fight of the
Night didn't appear to cheer him up all the much after the decision
loss.
However,
he noted, "The reason I fight is to put smiles on people's
faces and get people cheering. I feel my fans with every punch
I throw, and every time I get punched in the face I feel my fans."
On
Saturday night he gave his fans plenty to cheer about, even if
they had to do it in front of a computer screen.
In
a way, that's almost fitting for MMA and the UFC. After getting
kicked off TV the sport and the company survived largely thanks
to a small but passionate fan base on the internet. Those message-board
fans helped keep the sport alive until it could get back in the
public eye, and the UFC has since embraced every conceivable
platform for getting as many fights to as many fans as possible.
On
Saturday night the big story might have been network TV and the
heavyweight championship, but it was the little guys on an internet
stream that delivered the real bang for the buck. The good news
is, once the UFC's deal with FOX begins in earnest in 2012, it
can give the mainstream a chance to find out that in MMA, unlike
in boxing, it isn't just the main event that matters.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
on Fox: Judging the first network broadcast
With
the UFC's first broadcast on Fox over and a new heavyweight champion
in place, everyone involved with the show will likely relax over
the weekend and enjoy the spoils of this massive event. On Monday,
they'll sit down and look at what worked and what didn't.
The
one-hour broadcast was well-paced and informative, but far from
perfect. There were elements that the UFC and Fox should definitely
do again, and a few they need to change.
The
let's-do-this-again:
--
The use of the NFL on Fox music: Hearing the opening strains
of the "NFL on Fox" music gave me goosebumps, and it
sent a clear message from the start that the UFC on Fox would
get the same big game treatment that the NFL gets every Sunday.
--
The history montage: UFC on Fox took place 18 years to the date
after UFC 1, and the broadcast started with a pitch-perfect montage
to show how far the promotion has come. Not only did it nod to
hardcore and longtime fans, it also showed off some of the UFC's
best-known stars.
--
The Dana White/Brock Lesnar segments: Lesnar was not afraid to
verbally spar with his boss, and that made the segments more
fun. Lesnar made it a little bit too much about himself, but
White going back and forth with an intelligent fighter who knows
how to speak on camera should be repeated.
--
Primetime, and the Primetime segments repeated: The Primetime
special that aired on Fox to introduce viewers to dos Santos
and Velasquez was smart, emotional, and fleshed out two men who
were capable of such violence as real people. Not surprisingly,
segments from those Primetimes were woven into the UFC on Fox
broadcast and reminded new viewers that Velasquez is a doting
father and dos Santos is a smiling mama's boy.
--
Introduction and rules from Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan: This
was very well-done. It's clear that Goldberg and Rogan were well-rehearsed
and prepared for this segment. They didn't belabor the rules,
and gave viewers things to look out for from each fighter.
The
let's-make-some-changes:
--
Identify people on the red carpet: This was a chance for both
the UFC and Fox to push their stars, but they whiffed by not
identifying who each person was. I watch plenty of television,
but didn't recognize many of the non-athletes on the red carpet.
--
Remind Dana White to take a breath: He was excited and nervous,
but my Twitter timeline was filled with people who don't usually
watch MMA saying that they didn't understand White. Perhaps he
can use the advice Mrs. Excell gave me in sixth grade about speaking
into a microphone: If you think you're talking too slowly, you're
just about perfect.
--
Make room for another fight, or at least show a highlight reel
of the undercard: Something that the UFC has done much better
than boxing is build up stars by stacking an undercard. It was
Fox's decision to have just one fight, but they had a prime opportunity
to highlight the exciting Benson Henderson win over Clay Guida,
DaMarques Johnson's knockout or Ricardo Lamas' submission. With
not so much as a highlight montage, they whiffed on that.
Afterwards,
White said that the production went perfectly. On the flip side,
CNBC sports business Darren Rovell did an unscientific Twitter
poll to ask non-MMA fans if they would watch again based on Saturday
night's broadcast. He has nearly 20,000 followers, and 46.2 percent
of those who replied said that they are less likely to watch.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
on Fox 1 Fighter Bonuses Net $65,000
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship reached a milestone with its first
major event on network television on Saturday night in Anaheim,
Calif. Several fighters delivered at UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez
vs. dos Santos, earning $65,000 post-fight bonuses for their
efforts.
Not
surprisingly, the UFC on Fox Knockout of the Night award went
to Junior dos Santos. The Brazilian heavyweight crushed Cain
Velasquez in little more than a minute of their main event on
Fox, dropping the now-former champ to the mat and swarming him
with punches to end the fight.
The
fight that seemingly all hardcore fans wanted to see on Fox,
Benson Henderson vs. Clay Guida, did not fail to deliver. The
two fighters in the UFC most known for their bombastic, energetic
styles, came through and went toe-to-toe, submission-for-submission,
and punch-for-punch for 15 minutes. Their efforts scored both
fighters a $65,000 bonus for Fight of the Night.
Chicagoan
Ricardo Lamas has now strung together back-to-back victories
in his new home of the featherweight division. His second-round
submission of Cub Swanson also scored him the UFC on Fox Submission
of the Night bonus.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Fox:
5.7 Million Watched UFC Heavyweight Title Fight
The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first live bout on
network television lasted only 64 seconds, but nonetheless managed
to become one of the most-watched fights of the new millennium.
Junior
dos Santos and Cain Velasquez’s heavyweight title fight
attracted 5.7 million viewers and a 3.1/5 household rating to
Fox on Saturday night, according to figures released Sunday by
Fox Sports Media Group. The statistic makes UFC on Fox 1 the
most-watched event in the 18-year history of the UFC, as well
as the most-watched professional fight since 2003, when 7 million
viewers tuned in to watch Lennox Lewis defeat Vitali Klitschko
on HBO.
The
UFC on Fox rating also eclipsed the 4.9 million viewers which
EliteXC drew to CBS in May 2008 with a heavyweight bout between
Kimbo Slice and James Thompson.
In
an official release, Fox projected the UFC event to win its 9:00-10:00
p.m. time slot for Saturday, despite heavy competition from a
trio of college football games on ABC, NBC and ESPN. UFC on Fox
pulled strong numbers in key demographics, including 4.3 and
4.0 in Men 18-34 and Men 18-49, respectively. According to Fox
officials, the Men 18-34 rating was higher than all but one college
football game thus far this season, bested only by the Nov. 5
showdown between top-ranked Louisiana State and No. 2 Alabama.
The
show, which took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.,
was highest-rated in the UFC’s hometown of Las Vegas, where
it earned a 5.3/9. Other successful local markets included Dallas
(5.1/10), Phoenix (5.1/9) and San Antonio (5.1/8).
Source: Sherdog
|
Ben
Henderson defeats Clay Guida at UFC on Fox – Play by Play
Henderson
defeats Guida Ben Henderson defeats Clay Guida at UFC on Fox
Play by PlayBen “Smooth” Henderson (15-2 in MMA, 3-0
in UFC) moves up top contender status defeating the wild man,
Clay “The Carpenter” Guida (29-12 in MMA, 9-6 in UFC)
at the UFC on Fox in Anaheim, CA. Benson used his superior grappling
and striking to stop the manic style of Clay Guida. Here is the
live play-by-play.
Round
One:
Guida comes out bouncing quickly as usual. Guida lands first
with a low leg kick. An exchange starts and Henderson catches
Guida with a clean hook that drops Guida. Henderson quickly tries
to capitalize but Guida bounces right back up but into anaconda
position. Clay works his way out but Henderson gets Guida to
the cage. Henderson lands two knees from the clinch. Guida scrambles
to the center of the Octagon. Guida lands a flying knee, and
follows up with his own hook that rocks Henderson. Guida attempts
a guillotine. Henderson recovers with great grappling to finish
out an exciting round.
Round
Two:
The two start exchanging again and Henderson gets the best of
it. Henderson takes it to the mat as Guida attempts another guillotine.
The two slowly scramble up as Henderson again gets Guida to the
cage and works the knees into the stomach of Clay. Guida goes
for the guillotine and drops to the mat. Henderson gets out and
takes the back of Guida. Henderson is going for the RNC with
20 seconds left. The round ends with Henderson locking the body
triangle. Guida runs to his corner clapping to show his stamina.
Round
Three:
Guida bounces quickly to start. Henderson just misses an Ax kick.
The two come in swinging and Guida lands a knee to the body.
Henderson drives it to the cage and Guida responds with a rushing
shot that takes it to the other side of the Octagon. Henderson
impressively stops the takedown. Henderson reverses again. Henderson
ducks a kick and catches it for a takedown. Henderson in side
control works for wrist control. Guida scrambles and Henderson
takes the back. The two scramble up and Guida wildly rushes and
grabs a Guillotine. Henderson scrambles to the top and drops
some bombs with one shot to the back of the head as the fight
ends.
Official
Results: Ben Henderson defeats Clay Guida via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Former
WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson will now likely be next
in line for the UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Henderson
has won 13 of his last 14 fights with most by finishes.
Source: Caged Insider |
UFC’s
Fox debut delivers a ratings knockout
While
there was some concern after a one-hour television show that
contained only 64 seconds of actual fighting, the debut of UFC
on Fox on Saturday night drew strong numbers, particularly in
the company’s target demographics.
UFC
on Fox did a 3.1 rating and 5.7 million viewers for the one-hour
broadcast, based on the fast national Nielsen numbers. It was
the largest audience ever to watch an MMA television show in
the United States, breaking the record of 5.3 million set on
Sept. 30, 2009, for an episode of “The Ultimate Fighter”
reality show on Spike TV featuring a taped match of Kimbo Slice
vs. Roy Nelson.
Ratings
for the main event match itself, where Junior dos Santos quickly
dispatched Cain Velasquez to win the UFC heavyweight title, won’t
be available until early in the week.
Junior
dos Santos' title win over Cain Velasquez was the most watched
fight in North American MMA history.
“I’m
pumped,” said UFC president Dana White when he got the numbers
Sunday. “I wouldn’t change a thing. We had to introduce
the sport to a bunch of people who had never been it before.
“It
would have been great to have had a three-round war, but we can’t
control how the fight is going to go.”
Aside
from the Slice fight on “TUF,” the UFC had twice done
3.1 ratings on Spike before but with fewer total viewers due
to the difference between the reach of a network television and
basic cable.
The
Oct. 10, 2006, live fight special featuring the third Ken Shamrock
vs. Tito Ortiz grudge match did a 3.1, which amounted to 4.3
million viewers. And a Sept. 8, 2007, fight on Spike – a
unification of the UFC and PRIDE light heavyweight titles –
with Quinton Jackson beating Dan Henderson, drew that same rating
and amounted to 4.7 million viewers.
The
previous high for a live network mixed MMA fight was the May
31, 2008, Elite XC show on CBS featuring Slice vs. James Thompson,
which did a 3.0 rating and drew 4.85 million viewers.
While
Fox executives would not predict a rating ahead of time, reports
in the business press were that the network was selling ads based
on predictions of 4.5 million viewers, so even with the short
fight, they easily beat their goal.
All
of the aforementioned shows had the advantage of being longer
broadcasts with more fight minutes, also giving more time to
build the audience as the bouts progress. Also, detailed ratings
from previous fight shows have proven that significantly more
viewers tune in for the actual fights than for pre- and post-fight
segments and analysis, so it is fair to assume Saturday night’s
ratings would have been significantly higher with a longer main
event.
The
show was an even bigger success in the target demographics, doing
a 4.3 among males aged 18-34 and 4.0 in males 18-49. Both numbers
are 3- percent and 33-percent higher than Slice vs. Thompson
on CBS.
Perhaps
most impressive, the show drew 1.7 million women over the age
of 18.
“Aren’t
you amazed by the number of women who were watching?” White
asked. “When the earlier numbers came in and it looked low,
we were still No. 1 [in the time slot] with women. That’s
crazy.”
White
also said it was the most-watched fight broadcast on U.S. television
since the 2003 HBO special featuring the boxing heavyweight bout
between Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko, and largest on network
television since 1998.
The
UFC president continued to defend against criticism of the fact
only one bout aired live, particularly when the Clay Guida vs.
Ben Henderson fight, which was shown instead on FOX Deportes,
was one of the year’s most exciting matches.
“It
was an introduction to the sport for Fox,” White said. “We
had two guys out there to introduce to the audience.”
The
strongest markets for the show were, in order, Las Vegas (with
a national-best 5.3), Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, Tulsa, San
Diego, Greensboro (N.C.), New Orleans and Los Angeles. Most impressive
are the West Coast results, as Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles
aired from 6-7 p.m. locally, out of prime time.
Earlier
in the week, Fox Sports Media Group Chairman David Hill noted
that plans going forward for four Fox specials per year are set
to include two or three fights per special, which would air on
Saturday nights in a 90-minute window from 8:30-10 p.m. ET and
5:30-8 p.m. PT. When CBS and Spike broadcasted major MMA events,
the company tape-delayed the events for the West Coast so they
would air in prime time, when a larger audience would be watching.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Didn’t
Like One Fight on Fox? Dana White Says Too Bad
For weeks, UFC President Dana White has said that the first ever
main event for their debut on Fox could go ’10 seconds or
25 minutes’.
It
took Junior dos Santos only 64 seconds to put away UFC heavyweight
champion Cain Velasquez on Saturday night to cap off the promotion’s
network television debut.
Following
the event, White says that while the fight was fast, it wasn’t
unexpected.
“Well,
I said at the first press conference this thing can go 30 seconds
or this thing can go 25 minutes. We’ll see. Either way it’s
going to be a great fight and it was. That’s what happens
when you put two heavyweights in there who bang. Anything can
happen,” White stated.
The
biggest concern for White and the UFC staff heading into Saturday
night was pulling off a show of this magnitude with no production
issues along the way. It was the first time the UFC had worked
with Fox, and also the first time in a very long time the promotion
was dealing with a new television partner.
As
far as that part of the night goes, White says mission accomplished.
“Listen,
what I was worried about was getting this show off flawless without
a hitch and it happened tonight. When you blend two productions
together, we had Fox Sports and the UFC, going through the production
and trying to work out all the kinks and make this thing smooth
and seemless, that’s what I was worried about,” said
White.
“As
soon as those fights start, what happens, happens. There’s
nothing you can do about that, we can’t control the fights.”
Prior
to Saturday night ever happening, everyone continuously hounded
White about the set up for the debut show on Fox.
Slated
for a one hour special event, UFC officials had planned all along
to go with one marquee fight and they focused on the heavyweight
title fight between dos Santos and Velasquez.
The
co-main event fight between Benson Henderson and Clay Guida went
down prior to the headline contest, and the two lightweights
ended up putting on an instant classic. A three round war that
will likely garner some votes for ‘Fight of the Year’
when 2011 is over.
Because
of that fact, critics in all forms from media to fans took to
social networking platforms like Twitter, saying that the Henderson
vs. Guida fight should have been shown on air as well.
“For
anybody to bitch about this fight and they didn’t get to
see that fight, shut up. You should have bought tickets then
if you wanted to see all the fights, and you don’t like
to watch it on Facebook. Seriously, shut up,” White said
with conviction.
“I
don’t even want to hear it.”
Plans
going forward are for the UFC on Fox shows to generally peak
at about 90 minutes with 2 to 3 fights in the broadcast, but
as of last week Fox executives were still mulling over final
decisions in regards to future shows.
The
UFC on Fox show Saturday night was simply a bonus card that the
promotion and network decided to do to kick off their new partnership.
The actual deal picks up in Jan 2012.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC:
How would you “cover” Cain?
Press
conferences with heavyweights are usually like this. Anxious
to get to the moment of truth, the banter gives way to cliches:
“We’ll see who falls first.” “We’ll
stand and bang till there’s only one standing.” “The
one who hits the target the hardest will win…”
But
the showdown between champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior
Cigano, as clever readers know, involves a lot more than throwing
bombs, even if they and up dictating the pace. Boxing for boxing,
Junior Cigano is better, the one who “hits the hardest.”
But the champion has his own set of weapons, like his speed and
wrestling, to take the Brazilian down and keep him there.
In
December 2010, your GRACIE magazine put Saturday’s matchup
under the microscope – further proof how GRACIE readers
are ahead of the game. If you’re a collector, grab the issue
off the shelf and give it a full read. GRACIEMAG.com the website
will take the opportunity to remind you of the fight predictions
and post some of the better snippets from the article.
Cain
is the hero of the world's greatest striker, Real Madrid's Cristiano
Ronaldo. How do you cover the champion? GRACIEMAG provided a
lead, in December 2010.
“How
do you stop ‘El Paredón’ Velasquez?”
After
nine-straight MMA wins, eight of them by knockout, Cain Velasquez
reached the pinnacle of the sport, becoming undisputed UFC heavyweight
champion. Along the way he toppled established athletes like
Rodrigo Minotauro and solved some truly daunting dilemmas, as
he did with the stunning win over the bigger Brock Lesnar that
conquered him the belt.
At
twenty-eight years of age, Velasquez’s mission is to stay
on top, putting an end to the round-robin of champions in the
heavyweight division. Lesnar, Frank Mir, and Minotauro, for instance,
were unable to hold on to the title for long. It’s hard
work, but of the recent champions, none has garnered such praise.
Cain seems to be a unanimous favorite. “He’s complete,”
they say. His results and performances confirm it: six wins while
still in the first round, like the one over Lesnar.
With
enviable physical conditioning, first-rate wrestling, brutal
boxing and, perhaps most significant of all, his coolheadedness,
some might feel there’s no answer to this labyrinth. Even
more so when we recall how Cain is well versed in Jiu-Jitsu,
too. This American-born son of Mexican immigrants has been training
with Dave Camarillo for four years and won the 2007 No- Gi World
Championship as a blue belt. With no apparent holes in his game,
beating him is a tricky puzzle indeed.
What
would be the right strategy specifically for Junior Cigano to
take out a force like Cain Velasquez? Can he hold out for five
rounds with the UFC champ, a monster whose coaches guarantee
he is one of the best conditioned fighters in the organization’s
ranks? Well, Cain has only ever gone a whole three rounds once
How would he do in a 25-minute fight? And what do you do to get
a guy like that down to use your Jiu-Jitsu on him? The experts
interviewed for this article do their best to answer these questions.
(Watch the following video game simulation of Cain vs. Cigano.)
RODRIGO
COMPRIDO (two-time absolute world champion and coach to Brock
Lesnar, Cain’s last opponent)
I
truly believe Jiu-Jitsu is the most complete martial artin existence
and that a good black belt with the right strategy can beat anyone
out there. Cain does indeed have good base and a very offensive,
non-stop style of punching. Nevertheless, from what I saw of
him in his prior fights, he opens up when he
attacks,
which makes it possible to replace guard. We should also note
how fighters who punch a lot extend their arm, and a good Jiu-Jitsu
player can take advantage of that. Another possibility is going
for his back immediately following a sweep, because the champion
will probably turn to all fours to avoid being on bottom. I’m
not saying it will be easy, but I see these openings in his game.
I
feel pulling guard could be a good option. I know most folks
will say it’s ugly or that it doesn’t work in MMA,
but the reality is that if Minotauro had pulled guard, there’d
have been a different outcome to the fight. A good Jiu-Jitsu
fighter should never be afraid of pulling guard. There’s
Demian Maia as an example for anyone who cares to see. Like I
said, putting a wrestler of Velasquez’s level with his back
to the ground is really hard to do, but each fighter has his
own characteristics. If he’s good at armbars, perhaps it
would be good to try for the finish that way. But if he has a
good sweep, why wouldn’t he try that? I, in particular,
learned a lot from his fight against Lesnar, and I’m going
to be sure that next time I’m in the corner opposite him
my fighter’s arm will be the one raised.
FABRICIO
WERDUM (two-time Jiu-Jitsu World and ADCC champion)
The
right tactic for facing Velasquez is doing what we call here
at our team the “progressive guard.” Or in other words,
attacking from the bottom with triangles, kimura locks, omoplatas,
armbars, and at the same time, knowing how to defend against
strikes. After all, he has really powerful ground and pound.
Aside from that, there are several ways to get him to the ground
and, believe it or not, I don’t feel trying to take him
down is a crazy idea. Nobody has tried it and it’s something
he won’t expect. A well-placed move may catch him by surprise.
Jiu-Jitsu produces a series of possibilities and is always an
efficient
weapon. In a fight, opportunities arise all the time and there’s
a Jiu-Jitsu technique for every situation. All you need to know
how to do is apply it.
RENZO
GRACIE (UFC and Pride FC STAR, coach to GSP and Ricardo Cachorrão)
The
truth is that Cain is good at Jiu-Jitsu too. When Lesnar took
him down, he was perfectly comfortable. I feel that to beat Velasquez
the opponent has to be good at all the essentials. Cain can take
the fight where he wants it, like he did against Brock and Ben
Rothwell. He did to Rothwell what no one had ever done before.
The Jiu-Jitsu fighter who faces him will have to strengthen his
standup to be able to use his ground game. Who knows? There’s
always a chance in Jiu-Jitsu, something always comes up. But
you have to be ready and in great shape, especially against Cain.
Getting
him to the ground is a problem. Pulling guard in MMA is no easy
task because the guy gets up and out of it. From the bottom the
fighter has to play open guard to defend the strikes and, when
the strikes come in, escape. Everything was easy when opponents
didn’t know anything. These days, though, you have to know
how to box, kick, and do takedowns.
I
don’t know how great an idea it would be to go all out and
try and finish it quickly. There are a lot of factors in a fight.
In the case of Werdum against Fedor, for instance, you have to
take into account how Fabrício is a big guy with great
Jiu-Jitsu. Fedor accepted going to the ground because he thought
Werdum was dazed from strikes. Everyone thought the fight was
over. But there aren’t many heavyweights with that kind
of ability. Gabriel Gonzaga’s Jiu-Jitsu is out of this world
as well, but he couldn’t get his game to click on a number
of occasions. Look, I believe Cain is going to be the champion
for a long time. At heavyweight, I don’t see many with his
kind of pace.
MURILO
BUSTAMANTE (Former UFC middleweight champion)
You
have to know the right way to block, getting the takedown. If
you do that with the right timing, anyone will go down; that’s
been proven. The guy could be a wrestling champion, time it right
and he’ll go down. Another way is to shoot for his legs
and, when Cain sprawls, take the chance to pull guard.
Ideally
you would put Velasquez with his back to the ground either by
takedown or sweep. But if you’re the one who ends up on
the bottom, the important thing is to move a lot to not give
him room to punch. You can’t let someone who hits hard punch.
You need to go for omoplatas, armbars, sweeps… You can’t
stop, and you have to have a really good defensive guard with
good blocking to avoid the ground and pound. You can even close
guard, but only to quickly attack. If you wait around things
will get ugly. To sink a triangle, for example, you have to have
long legs because Cain has broad shoulders. Now an armbar would
be effective against him.
DEMIAN
MAIA (UFC fighter, ADCC 2007 champion)
I’d
work a lot on the guard and ways to stay safe on the bottom to
defend the strikes and launch attacks. As he’s good at takedowns,
being prepared in that department is key, which isn’t a
problem – he’s got really dangerous ground and pound,
but he throws his weight forward. That opens up possibilities.
If you end up on the bottom, I feel the thing that would work
best is to go for the submission or sweep from half-guard.
Velasquez
can be taken down, namely by judo throws we call sacrifices,
when you pull guard going for the throw. Wrestlers are used to
throwing their weight forward, and that makes these types of
throws easier to perform. When I took down Chael Sonnen, another
wrestling specialist, that’s how I did it. But I also fooled
him. I pulled guard at the start of the fight. After that he
didn’t expect me to try and take him down, and I made a
meal of it.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
In
Fitting Twist, Ben Henderson and Clay Guida Stole the Show on
Saturday
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ben Henderson said before Saturday's fight
that his goal was to make UFC president Dana White feel like
he absolutely had to get the bout on primetime TV "some
how, some way." With his Fight of the Night performance
in a winning effort against fellow lightweight Clay Guida, he
may have done even better than that.
As
Henderson and Guida hurled themselves across every square inch
of the Octagon in a thrilling three-round battle before the main
event, it was hard not to feel like the UFC was going to regret
not getting this fight on live network. But then, there were
network obligations to meet. FOX wanted the UFC to do just one
fight -- the heavyweight championship of the world -- and so
all the eggs were placed delicately in that one basket.
64
seconds after the start of the main event, well, you already
know the fate of that particular basket.
We
could argue about whether having a title fight that was over
quicker than viewers could microwave their popcorn was a good
thing for the sport and for the UFC, and I'm sure we will. What
seems less debatable, at least to those of us who saw the Henderson-Guida
bout, is that it was the lightweights who stole the show on Saturday
night, even if they did it in the relative shadows of a live
web stream.
White,
somewhat understandably, was in no mood for criticism of the
way the FOX broadcast was structured to focus only on the title
fight.
"For
anybody to bitch about this fight and how they didn't get to
see that fight -- shut up," he said in the post-fight press
conference. "You should have bought tickets if you wanted
to see all the fights and you don't like to watch it on Facebook.
Seriously, shut up. I don't even want to hear it."
In
a way, he has a point. It's not like the fight wasn't available
at all. If you have internet access and a Facebook account, you
had every opportunity to watch Henderson and Guida beat the follicles
off of one another for the full 15 minutes. If you were technologically
incapable or simply felt like you couldn't be bothered to sit
down and watch a fight on a different glowing screen, you only
have yourself to blame for missing a great fight.
But
hindsight being what it is, one can imagine White waking up on
Sunday morning and wondering, what if?
What
if they'd decided to kick things off with the Henderson-Guida
bout? What if they'd given the nation's network TV audience a
chance to flip out over the two high-energy lightweights, and
given ratings a chance to build along with the intensity in the
cage? What if Guida and Henderson had served as the night's dramatic
appetizer, and Junior dos Santos' TKO of Cain Velasquez had been
the swift and definitive grand finale?
It
would have necessitated a very different broadcast, but it also
would have resulted in a more successful one. Then again, it's
easy to be genius on Sunday morning, once you know the ratings
and the results.
At
the post-fight press conference a disappointed Guida had trouble
finding much consolation in the fact that his was the most exciting
fight on the card, and even the $65,000 bonus for Fight of the
Night didn't appear to cheer him up all the much after the decision
loss.
However,
he noted, "The reason I fight is to put smiles on people's
faces and get people cheering. I feel my fans with every punch
I throw, and every time I get punched in the face I feel my fans."
On
Saturday night he gave his fans plenty to cheer about, even if
they had to do it in front of a computer screen.
In
a way, that's almost fitting for MMA and the UFC. After getting
kicked off TV the sport and the company survived largely thanks
to a small but passionate fan base on the internet. Those message-board
fans helped keep the sport alive until it could get back in the
public eye, and the UFC has since embraced every conceivable
platform for getting as many fights to as many fans as possible.
On
Saturday night the big story might have been network TV and the
heavyweight championship, but it was the little guys on an internet
stream that delivered the real bang for the buck. The good news
is, once the UFC's deal with FOX begins in earnest in 2012, it
can give the mainstream a chance to find out that in MMA, unlike
in boxing, it isn't just the main event that matters.
Source: MMA Fighting |
Jumped
and Beaten, KOTC Champ Jared Papazian Found MMA
BURBANK,
Calif. – Fighters have different reasons for being fighters.
Some were always the fighting type; others were athletes from
other sports who found an exciting new rush by doing MMA.
King
of the Cage bantamweight champion Jared Papazian got beaten into
the sport… literally.
A
few years ago, a 16-year-old Papazian decided to go hang out
with his brother by the AMC Theaters in Woodland Hills, Calif.
While there, the high school student was approached by approximately
10 older males, some of which looked like adults.
One
of the guys that approached Papazian had a face that was strikingly
familiar. That face belonged to the older brother of a football
teammate he fought a month earlier.
“I
always got in fights in high school,” Papazian told MMAWeekly.com.
“One-on-one, I was always good.”
The
teammate of Papazian’s allegedly went through the Armenian
teenager’s locker and was subsequently approached about
it. At that point, an intense scuffle began and the result saw
Papazian coming out less scathed than his teammate.
Defeated,
the teammate then went to his older brother and informed him
of the melee.
Surrounded
by more than 10 people, Papazian’s twin brother was taken
and locked in a store room to prevent him from coming to his
sibling’s aid. The fighter currently known as “The
Jackhammer” was made to look like a punching bag as he was
beaten by the group of 10.
From
what he can remember, kicks and punches were thrown from all
directions. The assault took place in a public setting and, unfortunately,
the spectating crowd didn’t help. In fact, some of them
joined in on the assault like it was a free-for-all.
“People
from the crowd were helping,” he recalled. “I was fighting
for my life.”
When
the assaulters fled the scene, Papazian tried to get up, but
crumbled to the ground with bruises, a broken nose, and a concussion.
After Papazian spent a stint in the hospital, his mother, worried
sick, pulled him out of school for the rest of the semester in
an effort to protect her son from further harm.
What’s
one to do in a situation like this? Well, Papazian looked to
mixed martial arts as a way of improving his defense in situations
like the one at the AMC Theaters.
“I
got jumped… and that kind of led me into MMA,” he said.
Beginning
at age 18, Papazian competed professionally in the sport. He
had a tough start, going 4-3 in his first seven fights. According
to the Southern California native, poor management kept him from
realizing his true potential.
This
is where Darin Harvey came to the rescue.
Since
bringing on Harvey, Papazian’s career has done a 180. He’s
gone 10-3 since the management change and better business results
have come from it, according to the 23-year-old fighter.
In
addition to Harvey, Papazian found Brazilian jiu-jitsu master
Alberto Crane to help him with this ground game. With little
grappling knowledge, the young Armenian yearned for the tools
that would make him a better practitioner of ground fighting.
“He
was eager to learn,” Crane told MMAWeekly.com.
The
Crane-Papazian partnership began in late 2010 and has translated
to gold. Papazian won the King of the Cage title earlier this
year and most recently defended it against Marvin Garcia in September.
Like
most mixed martial artists, Papazian wants to make it to the
big show. The UFC 135-pound division is a place he wants to be
and is working hard to make sure he soon sees the bright lights
of MMA’s Broadway.
If
things work out like his coach predicts, “The Jackhammer”
will be pounding pavement on his way to the Octagon.
“It’s
just a matter of time,” said Crane of Papazian. “The
UFC would be crazy not to have this guy on their show.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Bellator
57 Results: Douglas Lima and Alexander Shlemenko Earn Title Shots
Douglas
Lima and Alexander Shlemenko both were the big tournament winners
at Bellator 57 in front of a soldout crowd at Casino Rama. It
was just the second time Bellator Fighting Championships had
visited Canada and everyone in attendance was treated to a show
as they witnessed a pair of action packed tournament final fights,
one of which ended by second round knockout.
While
Ben Saunders may have entered the fight as a slight favorite
over the challenger Douglas Lima, “The Phenom” put
this theory to rest in the second round when he ducked under
a lead left from Saunders and knocked him out with solid right
hand.
“I
knew it was there. We worked on that a lot last week; duck the
left hook, come back with the right straight. It worked out great,”
Lima said. “‘I’mm glad I got the win. It was hard
but it paid off. Hats off to Ben. He’s the greatest guy.
He’s a great fighter.”
Lima
earns a title shot with the win, and will meet Bellator Welterweight
Champion Ben Askren in Bellator’s sixth season.
Also
ready for a rematch with the middleweight champion, Hector Lombard,
is Alexander Shlemenko who won his second tournament final with
a unanimous decision over Vitor Vianna. Shlemenko threw at least
a half dozen spinning back fists and while nearly none of them
landed they kept Vianna on his toes and left Shelemenko dictating
the pace of the fight. “Storm” landed plenty of body
shots and stayed the aggressor for the entire fight. It was an
easy decision for judges after three rounds.
Possibly
auditioning for a place in the next Bellator Light Heavyweight
Tournament were John Hawk and Canadian Roger Hollet who was eager
to earn a knockout for his fans at Casino Rama. Hollett tried
to trade shots with Hawk in the center of the cage but had trouble
getting past Hawk’s jab. Hawk was also hell bent on holding
him against the cage and slowing down the action. Whenever Hawk
would let Hollett off the cage, he’d land a leg kick or
a big punch and then get clinched on again. Hawk attacked his
opponent with knees and foot stomps against the cage to the boos
of the crowd, but in the end the judges awarded the win to Hollett
by split decision not necessarily for landing the most punches
but inflicting the most damage on the ones he did.
At
the top of the night, Alexandre Bezerra defeated Doug Evans in
an exciting matchup where Bezerra applied multiple submissions
to Evans, but Evans always managed to escape with a big slam.
Eventually Bezerra caught Evans in a submission he had no answer
for and at 4:04 of the first round forced a verbal submission
due to heel hook.
Bezerra
said before the fight, “His first mistake was signing the
contract for this fight,” also saying, “I will become
the Bellator Featherweight Champion. It’s just a matter
of time.”
“It
was another spectacular, sold out night at Casino Rama. Shlemenko’s
game continues to evolve in a dominate win over Vitor Vianna.
Lima, with one strong right hand, went from being the world’s
best welterweight prospect to being one of the best 170 lbs.
in the world,” said Bellator CEO & Chairman Bjorn Rebney.
Next
week on November 19, the Bellator Lightweight Championship is
on the line as champion Eddie Alvarez takes on Michael Chandler,
the Season 4 Lightweight Tournament Champion. This is Alvarez’
first title defense since he defeated Pat Curran at Mohegan Sun
for Bellator 39. Also on the fight card will be champion Hector
Lombard, who is set to take on former Trevor Prangley in a non-title
Super Fight at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. Fla.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fox quick results
The
Saturday evening was dedicated to the UFC on Fox, at the Honda
Center, in Ananheim, california. In an historic event, Junior
“Cigano” dos Santos became the new heavyweight champion.
The Brazilian defeated Cain Velasquez by TKO early in the first
round. Here is the complete results.
UFC
on FOX
Anaheim, California, USA
Saturday, November 12th, 2011
Junior
Cigano defeated Cain Velasquez by TKO in R1
Ben Henderson beat Clay Guida by unanimous decision
Dustin Poirier submitted Pablo Garza with a hand triangle in
R2
Ricardo Lama submitted Cub Swanson with a katagatami in R2
DaMarques Johnson beat Clay Harvison by KO in R1
Darren Uyenoyama beat Kid Yamamoto by unanimous decision
Robert Peralta defeated Mackens Semerzier by TKO in R3
Alex Caceres beat Cole Escovedo by unanimous decision
Mike Pierce defeated Paul Bradley by split decision
Aaron Rosa beat Matt Lucas by split decision
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
on Fox Post: Benson Henderson Not Satisfied with Performance
Despite a three round unanimous decision victory, Benson Henderson
was his own worst critic following his win over Clay Guida Saturday
night.
While
ecstatic that the win earned him a shot at the UFC lightweight
title, Henderson was still critical about some of the mistakes
he believes he made, and some areas of his game that he needs
to polish up.
Regardless
of his thoughts, Henderson still gets a smile on his face after
the fight because now he gets his chance to reach the pinnacle
of the sport in just a few months.
Henderson
will now face UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in the main
event of the UFC’s return to Japan, and he also gives his
thoughts on that match-up.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fox Post Fight Presser: Junior dos Santos on Winning and Who
is Next
Junior
dos Santos kept quiet heading into his UFC on Fox showdown with
Cain Velasquez. Everybody wondered what the UFC would do if either
of the main eventers had to drop out of the fight. dos Santos,
however, wasn’t going to let such a thing happen on his
end.
He
went into the fight with a fairly serious knee injury. According
to training partner Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the new champion
was on crutches less than two weeks out from the fight.
It
didn’t matter to dos Santos, he wouldn’t remove himself
from the fight.
The
new UFC heavyweight champion talked about his struggles in making
it to the UFC on Fox main event, what it means to him to be the
champ, and who he thinks he’ll be fighting after Brock Lesnar
and Alistair Overeem fight at UFC 141.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Junior
dos Santos Has Place for UFC Belt in Brazil
Junior
dos Santos admits that he was scared going into his UFC on Fox
1 fight with Cain Velasquez. He had reason to be. His knee was
much less than 100-percent healthy, but he wasn’t going
to back down from the fight.
It
proved to be a good decision for JDS to go through with the fight.
He defeated Velasquez barely after the fight had begun.
He
had faith coming into the fight that he would prevail. dos Santos
says he already has a place in his home in Brazil picked out
for the belt.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Thiago
Tavares vs. Sam Stout, Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim set to UFC
142, in Rio
Victorious
at UFC Rio, Thiago Tavares and Edson Barboza Junior will have
another chance to fight in Ultimate in Brazil, on January 14th.
The first faces Sam Stout, while the second will host Terry Erim,
both lightweight bouts. Little by little, the card of UFC 142,
which also has names like Jose Aldo and Vitor Belfort on it,
is taking shape.
Manager
of Tavares and Edson Junior, Alex Davis confirms both athletes
on the card, since they’ve defeated Spencer Fisher and Ross
Pearson, respectively, earlier on August, at Rio de Janeiro’s
HSBC Arena.
“It’s
a tough fight for Thiago, but I guess he’ll win it. Thiago
is going through a great moment and I guess he finish this guy,”
Alex said. “Edson Junior’s bout is a great one. Etim
is a good striker, but I don’t see him being as good as
Junior is. We can’t forget he (Etim) has just got a quick
win, with a guillotine choke in England, but I’m guessing
Edson Junior will knock him out”.
Terry
Erim has 15 wins and three losses on his career. In his last
appointment, last Saturday, he got a guillotine choke on Edward
Faalotoo and finished the fight in 17 seconds. Sam Stout, on
the other hand, has 17 wins and six losses. He hasn’t fight
since he knocked out Yves Edwards, last June.
Source: Tatame |
Diego
Nunes wants to “humiliate and KO” Manny Gamburyan at
UFC 141
Diego
Nunes wants to fight really badly, and he wants to fight Manny
Gamburyan. Featherweight fighter of Nova Uniao team, Diego will
return to the cage at UFC 141, on December 30th, and he talked
to TATAME about the fight, sending a message to his opponent.
“I want to put an end to Gamburyan’s attitude... Cocky
people belong to the slag, humiliated, knocked out”, shoot
Nunes, explaining the reasons for the rivalry against the Armenian,
commenting on the trainings at Nova Uniao and the dream of becoming
a UFC champion.
You
were expected to fight him a long time ago… What are your
expectations?
It
took a long time to happen, but now he can’t escape: we’ll
be facing each other, and we’re going to fight hard. I really
wanted to fight him, to put an end to that attitude of his…
The castle of Prince of Persia will fall apart.
Where
did this rivalry come from?
It’s
not just me that don’t like his attitude, everybody don’t
really like it. He and his team are cocky, they talk bullshit.
Cocky people belong to the slag, humiliated, knocked down!
Do
you believe there’s going to be a knockout?
I’m
positive. That’s my goal, and I can’t see it ending
any other way. I keep that in mind during my training, I want
the KO or the submission too, because I’m working harder
on my ground game than I was doing before. I’m working harder
than ever, in all areas.
Where
are you training at? You said maybe you’d go to the United
States…
At
Nova Uniao. The trainings here are only getting better and better
and I’m adjusting it. From now until the fight day, I’ll
invest on my techniques, I’ll hire someone to push me because
there’re still some aspect of my game I feel like I need
to improve, to focus in some areas... Maybe it’s too close
for me to go to the United States, so I’ll do my best here,
because there’s a big structure and many bodies at the gym.
What
will you do differently from your last bout, when you were defeated
by Florian?
I’m
more mature now, I have other goals in mind. I’m seeing
things differently, I’m learning how to take advantage of
situations and how to be bold, impose myself in all senses. This
time I bet on me more, which is something I should’ve done
a long time ago, I’m taking more care of myself and investing
more. I want to make worth the talent God gave me and become
the best of the world in what I do. I owe it to God, bro. He
bets on me, he took me away from a dead end alley, and he changed
my future.
Nova
União is doing great in UFC among the light divisions,
with Jose Aldo and Renan Barao. Do you hope to figure among the
tops in 2012?
That’s
my destiny, it’s been set and it only depends on me to put
much more effort to get there. I was a little tired of this life,
this profession… I fight since I’m 13 and I’m
training hard ever since, but I have many goals in life and I
won’t be done until I make all of them come true. It’s
not about money of fame, it’s for a greater reason than
money or fame, that’s why I want to be there among the tops
and make room for myself. Until the end of 2012, I want to be
one of the two best fighters of the division, that’s my
goal and I’ll reach it.
Is
your dream to become a UFC champion? How will you proceed in
case Aldo and Barao hold the titles when you get there?
I’ll
be always cheering for those who are there for me and that everyone’s
dream come true as they start deserving it due to their actions
and efforts, but I also have mine own and only God knows what
the future holds. I can’t talk about what I don’t know
yet, but it’s something that I didn’t come this far
to stop, I want to go all the way and be as successful as I can
be. I see where I was yesterday and where I am now. Tomorrow,
bro, you can be sure I’ll be even better and will have accomplished
many goals.
Source: Tatame |
UFC
on Fox 1 (JDS/Velasquez) Today
By Zach Arnold
Venue: Honda Center (The Pond) in Anaheim, California
TV: Fox (all broadcast networks)
Hawaii
Air Times
4:00-5:00PM Fox Channel 3
Dark matches
Light Heavyweights: Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Welterweights: Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Bantamweights: Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Featherweights: Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Bantamweights: Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Welterweights: Damarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Featherweights: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Featherweights: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Lightweight Eliminator: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Main event (TV)
UFC Heavyweight Title match: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Alistair
Overeem Files Lawsuit Against Golden Glory
UFC
heavyweight Alistair Overeem has been hesitant to say much about
the rift that caused him to split with former management team
Golden Glory, but after filing a lawsuit in California, the picture
is becoming pretty clear.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ.com, Overeem is
suing his former managers after signing a contract that paid
Golden Glory 35% of his pre-tax income for their services.
Overeem claims in the lawsuit filed to LA County Superior Court
that Golden Glory also duped him into signing a bogus MMA contract,
while also trying to book him into fights when he wasn’t
healthy enough to perform.
The lawsuit states that the managers at Golden Glory failed to
pay him more than $151,000 in earnings as well as a bonus he
received when signing with the UFC earlier this year.
Earlier this week, Overeem spoke out on his former team for the
first time since their split, but didn’t go into much more
detail other than saying he couldn’t trust them anymore.
“For me they’re not a good management, they’re
a bad management. They’re a harmful management,” said
Overeem. “I had some good periods with them as well, but
due to this issue I cannot continue to work with them.”
It appears that any future dealings between Overeem and Golden
Glory will involve lawyers and the court system.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Junior
dos Santos: I Will Be the Heavyweight Champion on Saturday
By Ben
Fowlkes
It's
difficult to tell whether Junior dos Santos truly appreciates
the magnitude of what's about to happen to him on Saturday night.
Though the Brazilian heavyweight has swiftly picked up the English
language like something out of a Rosetta Stone ad, his grasp
of American culture might still be a tad hazy.
After
all, if someone told you that you were about to appear on Brazil's
Globo network, would you have any idea what that meant? So it
is with dos Santos, who has heard enough by now to know that
his UFC heavyweight title fight against Cain Velasquez on FOX
is a very big deal, but still seems unclear about the exact ramifications
of it all.
"I
have no idea what that means for sure yet," dos Santos told
MMA Fighting on Tuesday afternoon. "I know it's going to
be huge for our sport, for all of MMA, and for the UFC. I'm just
happy to be here and I want to do my best to win this fight."
What
it means, of course, is that dos Santos is about to become a
significant part of MMA history. The sport has had primetime
network TV exposure in the past, but nothing like this. As if
fighting for a UFC title wasn't enough, dos Santos is about to
help the UFC expose its product to millions of viewers, many
of whom will likely have never watched an entire MMA bout before.
Talk about pressure.
Because
dos Santos' meeting with the champ is the only fight scheduled
for Saturday night's hour-long broadcast, the stakes couldn't
be higher for this fight. If it's a dud, the whole sport may
be judged by it. If it's a thriller, dos Santos and Velasquez
will likely be heroes not just to their bosses at the UFC, but
to the multitudes of other pro MMA fighters -- present and future
-- who are hoping that a successful debut on FOX will be the
rising tide that lifts all ships.
Just
thinking about it might be enough to give a normal person a panic
attack, but the nerve-wracking immensity of it all doesn't seem
capable of reaching dos Santos.
"I
know it's an important show, it's an important fight, for me
and the whole of MMA, but I'm feeling no pressure," he said.
"Actually, I'm feeling the same pressure that I had for
other fights. ... For me, it's going to be the same thing. I'm
really happy with where I am now, fighting for the title, and
it's more important than everything. I will keep my focus on
the fight, on Cain Velasquez, and I'll try not to think about
that other stuff."
It's
a smart approach, since Velasquez's non-stop motor will probably
provide dos Santos with plenty to think about once the cage door
closes. The champion is far from the biggest or strongest man
in the heavyweight division, but what he lacks in size he has
more than made up for with speed and pace.
Once
the former All-American wrestler gets started, he doesn't stop.
He hardly even slows down, and there aren't many big men in the
sport who can keep up with him. To make sure that he's one of
the few who can go step-for-step and blow-for-blow with the champ,
dos Santos had his conditioning coach adjust his training, he
said.
To
prepare for a fast-paced title fight that could, at least theoretically,
go five rounds, dos Santos never sparred less than six rounds
in training, he said. And while UFC president Dana White once
criticized him for beating up on opponents early and then coasting
in the later rounds, the Brazilian now says he's "more prepared
for this fight, and I train a lot to keep fighting like in the
first round for the whole [fight]."
"Cain
Velasquez has really good stamina. For the heavyweight division,
it's very different and that makes him very dangerous for this
division. But you know, he seems like an unstoppable guy, and
that's going to be my challenge. I'm going to do my best to stop
him."
And
how does he plan to do that, exactly? Fortunately for dos Santos
(or maybe unfortunately, depending on how you think about it),
he's not one of those fighters who needs to keep his game plan
much of a secret. He wants to stay off the mat against the decorated
wrestler and put his boxing skills to work, and he doesn't much
care who knows it.
"I
don't know how the fight will be, but I would love to fight standing
with him," dos Santos said. "I think he's going to
try and take me down and make his ground-and-pound. He's very
good at ground-and-pound and I think he will try to do that.
But I'm going to try very hard to keep this fight standing, because
I want to knock him out and I will try my best to knock him out
on Saturday."
It's
a feat that none of Velasquez's other opponents have accomplished,
but that doesn't mean it can't be done. Whether it ends via KO
or not, dos Santos insisted, "I will win the title. I'm
really confident [that] I will be the heavyweight champion on
Saturday."
He's
known nothing but success so far in the UFC, but a win would
vault him to heights that even dos Santos seems incapable of
imagining just yet.
As
he put it, "When I started, I had dreams to fight in the
UFC and be one of the best fighters in the world one day. But
I never thought I could be here at this point right now. I'm
just enjoying everything. I'm really prepared for this fight,
and for sure it's going to be huge."
How
huge? That's a question still waiting for an answer.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
A
Journey Not Without Hardship
Few Breakthroughs
By Tony
Loiseleur
Fate
has not often given Darren Uyenoyama the easiest of paths where
the fight game is concerned. As one of the last foreign nationals
trying to make a career in Japanese mixed martial arts, the miscommunications
and misconnections have outweighed what few in-ring breakthroughs
he has enjoyed in the Land of the Rising Sun. Although a veteran
of nine years, Uyenoyama’s record stands at a thin 6-3 --
not particularly noteworthy or flattering numbers, given his
tenure or his participation in some of the more notable MMA promotions
outside of the UFC.
Perhaps
fate has had a long-term plan of testing his commitment to MMA.
If so, then Uyenoyama’s last great trial was probably his
planned promotional debut at UFC 134 in August. The San Francisco
native was originally tabbed to face Raphael Assuncao in Rio
de Janeiro. Coming off a hand injury that kept him out of Dream’s
Japan bantamweight grand prix in February, an enthusiastic Uyenoyama
was eager to break an almost one-year layoff by participating
in the Octagon’s triumphant return to Brazil. In the end,
however, a persisting contractual obligation to major Shooto
promoter Sustain prevented it.
Though
his contract issues were soon resolved, it seemed too little
too late for his shot in the UFC. None would have faulted Uyenoyama
for thinking he had just missed his boat into the king of MMA
shows until, one day, fate finally smiled upon him.
“I
was driving to an amateur event [to support] one of my guys,
and I got an email saying, ‘Hey, this [Norifumi] ‘Kid’
Yamamoto fight came up. It’s on Nov. 12. Would you be willing
to fight him?’ Of course, I said yes,” says Uyenoyama,
who will face Yamamoto as part of the historic UFC on Fox 1 event
at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Being
offered a second chance at a UFC debut against the former Japanese
superstar was an interesting twist, considering Uyenoyama’s
last bout in Japan would have been against Kid’s understudy,
Atsushi Yamamoto, if injury had not taken him out of the Dream
tournament.
“Several
things went through my mind then,” says Uyenoyama. “Kid
and I have been pretty friendly, especially since we always tended
to bump into each other at events and since he sent one of his
fighters to the U.S. to train with us. Atsushi picked me during
the Dream tournament draw, too, probably because his team was
familiar with me. On the same weekend I was supposed to fight
Atsushi, Kid was supposed to fight my teammate, Chris Cariaso,
in the UFC, but Kid got injured and pulled out. It just seemed
that our two universes were always hovering around each other
and maybe it was just a matter of time until they collided.”
Yamamoto
has 13 wins by KO or TKO.
Coincidentally,
Uyenoyama was originally promised a fight with Yamamoto should
he win his 2008 Dream debut against Hideo Tokoro. Yamamoto’s
prospective opponent was a hot topic at the time, given then-WEC
featherweight champion Urijah Faber’s vocal campaigning
to face him, as well as the popular consensus that Dream unofficially
based an entire tournament on Kid the following year, creating
a weight class between featherweight and bantamweight to suit
potential opponents. Though Uyenoyama came out on the wrong end
of a decision in the bout with Tokoro at Dream 4 and Yamamoto
faltered in the first round of the Dream tournament against current
Bellator Fighting Championships featherweight titleholder Joe
Warren, neither fighter could have guessed that they would still
meet in the cage anyway, albeit several years later.
Foreign
Fighter in Japan: Bone Crusher Edition
“You
know, I’d say that most of my fight experiences in Japan
haven’t really been under ideal circumstances,” notes
Uyenoyama with a chuckle.
It
is a fair assessment, given his history as either a late replacement
or late addition to Japanese cards. Uyenoyama’s 2002 debut
came at Deep 5th Impact, where he replaced an injured Robson
Moura and faced future 114-pound Shooto world champion Rambaa
Somdet. Uyenoyama, then a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt with
only two years of training, had some big shoes to fill, given
Moura’s stature in the BJJ community and the fact that Deep
was billing the fight as a clash between the martial arts worlds
of jiu-jitsu and muay Thai.
Poor
and in need of the $3,000 purse offered by Deep to help cover
the cost his upcoming wedding, Uyenoyama accepted. With two weeks
of striking training, courtesy of late ISKA muay Thai champion
Alex Gong, Uyenoyama received just enough preparation to take
a decision over Somdet. While the fight paid his matrimonial
bills, Uyenoyama’s friendship with Gong led him to focus
more on helping the Fairtex fighter manage his gym, rather than
on continuing his MMA career. It was not until sometime after
Gong’s passing that Uyenoyama found himself back in MMA,
five years after his debut, and eventually back in Japan, as
well.
After
working his way through local Cage Combat and Strikeforce shows,
Uyenoyama received an urgent call to be a last-minute addition
to Dream’s fourth event, where he would face Tokoro.
“I
got about two weeks’ notice. I was literally sitting on
a barstool with a cigarette in my hand and was drinking a beer
when the call came in, just on a whim, saying, ‘Oh, would
you like to fight in two weeks against Tokoro?’ And, so,
I pretty much finished my cigarette and started training for
the fight right after,” recalls Uyenoyama.
Although
he was not in the best shape and did not have the optimal time
to prepare, he took Tokoro to task, resulting a high-energy back-and-forth
battle that was a “Fight of the Year” candidate in
2008 and an identifying, standout performance by Uyenyoyama for
Japanese MMA fans. Despite agreements with Dream for a quick
turnaround, Uyenoyama was unable to ride the momentum of the
Tokoro fight into another bout with the promotion, as his name
repeatedly fell through the matchmaking cracks.
“I
was back out there in August and December, and they kept saying
they’d talk to me about a fight, but every time I got out
there, they weren't able to put me on a card or were just too
busy to meet. It was rough, because it was like $1,000 per trip,”
says Uyenoyama, still wincing at the superfluous costs. Not all
was lost, however, as during these trips, the Californian serendipitously
connected with Hiroyuki Abe, who introduced Uyenoyama to his
extensive network. Uyenoyama has since dubbed his training facility
the Faito Tamashii Combat Club, in reference and homage to Abe
and his gym, the Abe Ani Combat Club.
“I’d
started my own gym and was getting a lot of help from Abe-san,
getting to meet and train with all the good people in his network,
like Rumina Sato, picking up a lot of techniques from them. Through
AACC, I also met Joachim [Hansen] and [Antonio Carvalho]. We
hung out together and we all kinda bonded out there -- just us
three foreigners in Japan -- and we’ve since stayed in contact,”
a reminiscent Uyenoyama says.
Uyenoyama’s
connections with “Hellboy” and “Pato” paid
dividends, particularly in regards to the advances made in his
fight style. “Bone Crusher” credits Hansen for giving
him his ground-and-pound ability and offensive skills from his
back, while Carvalho has offered his tactical knowledge and experienced
perspective on competing in Japan.
“There’s
not much I think I can offer those guys in return because they’re
so experienced, but they’ve helped me out so much. I’m
just so grateful,” says a humble Uyenoyama. “In all
my travels, I don’t think I’d ever found any two guys
in the sport as genuine, generous and experienced as them. I
wouldn’t be the fighter I am today or fight the way I do
without them.”
Doing
the Family Proud
Uyenoyama’s
next appearance at Dream would not be in the ring but rather
just outside of it as one of Hansen’s cornerman at Dream
13. Though Uyenoyama accompanied the Norwegian to Tokyo for his
March 2010 featherweight debut against Bibiano Fernandes, he
was given more than just his friend’s performance to think
about, as he was offered a fight while en route to the Yokohama
Arena.
Source:
Sherdog
|
What
should the realistic expectations for UFC on Fox 1 be?
By Zach
Arnold
Over
265,000 have watched this promotional video clip…
Saturday
night’s the big night on Fox network. Fox has pushed the
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos fight hard during both college
and football games on their various platforms. It’s a Heavyweight
title fight with two guys that we want to see fight, but are
we going to see the champion at 100%? Recovering from a torn
rotator cuff is no joke and Velasquez hasn’t fought in over
a year. He’ll be fighting JDS in the same building that
he beat Brock Lesnar in last year. However, Cain has largely
been off the radar in terms of making a splash in the media.
Yes, there have been conference calls a plenty and a few pressers
(including one on Wednesday at the Nokia Theatre), but I wouldn’t
exactly call his media presence ‘magnetic’ by any stretch
of the imagination.
Kelvin
Hunt (Pro MMA Now): Will UFC on Fox ratings be a true barometer
for future shows?
So,
what kind of rating should the fight draw? Elite XC drew, what,
3.6 million viewers on CBS? I would say that the over/under rating
here for the show would be a 4, given that it’s UFC, it’s
a heavyweight title fight, and people will be in ‘fight
fan mode’ because Manny Pacquiao is fighting late Saturday
night. The only real network competition the UFC show faces is
ABC airing Stanford vs. Oregon, a game that has big BCS implications
and also is headlined by ‘The Next Peyton Manning’
in Andrew Luck versus an Oregon team that always scores a lot
of points. There will be a smattering of other college football
games on ESPN, ESPN2, and various regional outlets… but
the competition, overall, is not particularly stiff for UFC in
terms of whether or not they can appeal to the masses.
Sergio
Non (USA Today): Junior dos Santos says that the world is ready
for mainstream MMA fights
My
biggest interest for this show is to see just how much Fox will
be helping out UFC in terms of adding additional heft to the
production values. If this show looks like the same ‘ol
vanilla cookie-cutter Zuffa production, I’ll be disappointed.
Fox likes to give bells & whistles with big sporting events,
so I’m expecting at least better video promos & backstage
access. I’d be interesting in some new camera shots as well.
As
for Fox choosing to air one fight on the card… I think it’s
a mistake. The network should have allowed UFC to put Clay Guida
vs. Ben Henderson on as an actual advertised TV fight. Two reasons:
first, it’s going to be a good fight with actual meaning
for the Lightweight division. Second, it would be the perfect
“TV opener” for people who forgot about the broadcast
or are watching for the first time to get pumped in preparation
for the Heavyweight title bout.
I
do not have high expectations in regards to this event being
the kind of ’statement show’ that will propel UFC to
super-duper business heights. I think it’s a good benchmark
for the organization and hopefully a much bigger preview of things
to come under the Fox banner. I’m still not sure what to
make of the Jon Anik hiring, even if he’s relocating to
Las Vegas and working closely with Zuffa.
As
for Fox Deportes, Fuel TV, so on and so forth… I don’t
get those channels and I’m not paying extra money to go
out of my way to get them. If Fox was smart, they’d allocate
Fuel and some of their smaller TV networks as digital subchannels
so that you can pick them up with rabbit ears (similar to what
NBC does in bigger markets with Universal Sports). Fox Deportes
will be airing the preliminary fights from Saturday night’s
Anaheim Pond event. As far as UFC’s continued push of Cain
Velasquez to the Mexican market, I don’t see it panning
out. He does appeal to English-speaking Mexican-American households
in the States but not to the public at large in Mexico (right
now).
Nate
Wilcox (SB Nation): Will UFC ever produce its own Smokin’
Joe Frazier?
I
want to hear from you in the comments section in regards to what
kind of rating you think the show will draw, how you think the
HW title fight will pan out, and what positive/negative influences
you see Fox adding to the UFC network broadcast (if any). I hope
the network doesn’t overload us with Jay Glazer 24/7…
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Anderson
Silva Miffed Over Mark Munoz's Challenge, but Story's Not Quite
So Simple
By Mike
Chiappetta
On
the surface, it seems that Anderson Silva is a very sensitive
fellow. Let's just examine the last couple years of drama so
that we have this straight. Silva was upset at Vitor Belfort's
"betrayal" for accepting a fight with him. He was incensed
by Demian Maia for some supposedly offensive comments. He thinks
Chael Sonnen is the most disrespectful guy in the sport. And
now, he seems a bit angered that Mark Munoz is interested in
fighting him.
During
a recent media day with Brazil's Globo TV, Silva was asked about
Munoz's post-UFC 138 request for a title fight with Silva. As
callouts go, it was among the tamest we've seen. Just moments
after his victory over Chris Leben, Munoz prefaced his appeal
by calling Silva "by far the best pound-for-pound fighter"
and then asking to face him. Silva responded that he had not
seen it, but it was clear he was miffed.
"For
me, Munoz was my friend, but that's okay," he said.
Reading
between the lines of a simple comment, Silva is suggesting betrayal
with the insinuation that Munoz is no longer his friend. The
two have spent time training together in the past, with Munoz
shoring up the Spider's wrestling, and the UFC middleweight champ
helping to tighten up Munoz's striking. They've worked and sweat
together, and in Silva's mind, that bond should not be broken
by the possibility of a payday.
Easy
for him to say. Silva has earned big money and big fame, but
if he were on the outside looking in, with a friend looking down
and wagging a finger in his face at his hopes and aspirations,
he might not feel quite the same way.
That's
the simple way of looking at this. But there is another way.
Michael
Jordan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
During his 22-minute acceptance speech -- usually a celebration
of achievement -- Jordan verbally lashed the doubters, haters
and foes that he'd already conquered years before. He derided
the coach that had famously cut him from his high school team,
players, executives, media, anyone who he felt had wronged or
underrated him during his career.
The
speech was panned as mean-spirited and cruel, but it was certainly
a window into Jordan's ultra-competitive nature. If you gave
him a reason -- or even if you didn't but he needed to invent
one -- Jordan would find a way to resent you, and use that as
motivation to push himself towards greatness.
I
suspect this is the same phenomenon we're seeing with Silva,
who by the time he is done with his career, may retire as this
sport's MJ.
The
greatest operate on a level most of us can never truly understand.
The drive, determination and motivation to push themselves to
a level that few possess comes from within, and is often powered
by what we'll call "alternative fuel sources." It's
not simply about proving you're the best, it's about shutting
up the challengers and making believers out of the skeptics.
There
is a story about Silva stemming from his 2006 knockout of Tony
Fryklund, the fight that led to his signing by the UFC, that
is telling in that regard.
Silva
has told the story a couple of times about the fact that he saw
the knockout strike -- a reverse uppercut elbow -- in a movie,
and decided to add it into his arsenal. For weeks leading up
to the fight, he practiced it hundreds of times a day in hopes
of perfecting it. But in his telling, he adds in the detail that
those around him warned him and pleaded with him against using
it. His wife told him he would get knocked out. His trainer and
one of his close friends advised him that it had no chance of
working. Despite the protestations -- or more likely, because
of them -- Silva could not keep himself from trying it and proving
them wrong. The way he tells the story, he closes it out by reminding
everyone, "And yes, it ended up working."
Some
of sport's greats have to invent personal wars to drive them
forward. Just the same way Jordan's legendary competitive streak
fueled him to out-work the NBA's best, Silva sees conflict where
there isn't any as a means of motivation. That's why he came
into the Belfort fight with a sneer, why he toyed with Maia,
why he can't bring himself to dignify Sonnen's challenge, and
even why he feels offended when an acquaintance wants to fight
him.
To
Silva, a fight isn't a simple sporting contest, it is a challenge
of personal wills. Whenever anyone says or does anything to threaten
his, an alarm bell goes off in his head. Statements get filed
away for future reference, and maybe even reinterpreted to be
something they are not. On the surface, it seems like he's simply
sensitive, but this is the way he sees things. This is the way
he's reached this level. Any perceived slight is a reason to
train harder. Any real insult is a declaration of war.
Munoz
may try to explain himself and offer a rational, reasoned case
for facing his friend, but as long as he wants the fight, it
will be an exercise in futility. Silva will feel the same way.
To us, Munoz is just a guy hoping to reach his full potential.
But to Silva, he has committed a personal betrayal of the highest
order. He is a friend turned foe. Whether right or wrong, his
perception becomes his reality, and motivation appears where
before there was none. Welcome to the "Spider's" web.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Is
Velasquez vs. dos Santos UFC’s Ali vs. Frazier?
by Ken
Pishna
Is
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos, which headlines Saturday
night’s UFC on Fox debut card, akin to the glory days of
boxing and fights like Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier? Is the UFC
on Fox ushering back the days when pugilistic sports were a fixture
of network television?
UFC
president Dana White and Fox Sports Media Group Chairman David
Hill think so.
“When
I was growing up, I was a huge boxing fan. I used to watch ABC’s
Wide World of Sports, the big fights were on, and then USA’s
Tuesday Night Fights when I was about 19. After the pay-per-view
model, (boxing) never put the big fights on free TV anymore,”
recounted White.
“Well,
we’re not only bringing big fights back to free TV, we’re
bringing the heavyweight championship of the world.”
There
are lots of hardcore MMA fans cat-calling the UFC and Fox for
airing only one fight for this re-introduction of combat sports
to broadcast TV. They are clamoring for the Benson Henderson
vs. Clay Guida fight, in particular, but Saturday night on Fox
is all about the big boys.
“It’s
gonna be about the heavyweight championship of the world, just
like Ali vs. Frazier, the big fights that happened back in the
glory days of boxing,” declared White, latching on to the
memory of days when fathers and sons would watch the greats go
toe-to-toe in their living room.
“When
we signed the deal, when we had our first press conference, what
we said was, ‘What boxing was to my generation, UFC is to
my son’s,’ added Hill. “I firmly believe that.
I believe in seven years, boxing will become even more of a niche
than it is, and the UFC will become mainstream.”
The
passing of Joe Frazier, one of boxing’s all-time greats,
earlier this week couldn’t have been more serendipitous
for UFC and Fox. Not to blithely disregard Frazier’s death
as a promotional opportunity, the timing of his death can almost
be viewed as a causeway from the old to the new.
“We’re
all huge boxing fans. I think that in a kind of a way with the
death of Joe Frazier that it made people realize what a great
boxer, what a great competitor, and the will to win that Frazier
had,” Hill remarked.
“Everyone
started talking about the golden age of boxing and where did
it go and what happened to it. For it to be coming back on prime
time with a fight like this, with Cain and Junior dos Santos,
it’s kind of like the dawn of a new era to me. I was just
thinking this morning, driving to work, that the death of one
of the truly great, great fighters in the history of the sport
in that same week, it’s like a phoenix coming from the ashes.”
Of
course, Velasquez and dos Santos will have to deliver the goods
on Saturday night for such lofty comparisons to hold water, but
if they do, could we really argue that the UFC on Fox isn’t
the changing of the guard in combat sports?
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Nick
Diaz: “You don’t always come off the way that you want
to”
By Zach
Arnold
NICK
DIAZ:“It’s been embarrassing, you don’t always
come off the way that you want to or look the way you want to.
I go out there and, you know, just act up and, you know, become
the evil villain and, you know, calling out guys and stuff and,
you know, but it seemed to have worked. I’m getting the
fights that I want. *laughs*
“Yeah,
so, you know… I can’t complain right now.”
KENNY
RICE:“Yeah, there’s no reason to. You know, I think
it’s turned out to be… I’ve said this, I think
you’re one of the most misunderstood guys out there. And
I mean that, as you know, we were talking about a lot of different
things backstage, had nothing to do with MMA fighting. You might
also be a master public relations guy, I think I just put this
together. You might be the king of PR, man, because you’ve
gone from leaving Strikeforce to be a boxer to now getting a
shot at GSP.”
NICK
DIAZ:“Yeah, I was going to go ahead and go down that road
with the boxing but uh… you know, they gave me that fight
and, you know, that’s the fight that I was asking for from
the beginning. But you know, I was here first, really. I’ve
been a UFC fighter for longer than Georges St. Pierre has. Not
a lot of people realize that. I’ve been fighting in the
UFC, you know, before all them so I’ve been here first.
I’ve had more fights and, you know, I’ve fought the
bigger names. You know, I don’t have nothing against Georges
personally but for him not to, you know, want the harder fight
and to expect to really just, you know, think Carlos Condit is
a hard fight is just… it may be the case but, you know,
not on paper. So, got to recognize that.
“It’s
all about how you come out and fight. It’s a little bit
different. I can go out on bottom a lot but are going to be able
to advance position? Are you going to be able to do damage from
there? You going to stall or are you going to fight, you know,
there’s a lot… you know, a lot of different stuff can
happen and it’s up to me to try to kind of make some stuff
happen and five rounds is a lot of time work with him in this
one and I enjoy fighting five rounds. I work hard to be in good
condition to fight for five rounds. Going back to three rounds
was kind of an obstacle, you know, changing your plan up for
three rounds instead of five rounds just a little bit, you know,
make sure you come out on top in that first round is really important
in three rounds, you know, five rounds fight…”
BAS
RUTTEN:“You a game planner? You really work and look at
this fighting?”
NICK
DIAZ:“You know, I think it’s important to, you know,
to plan everything, you know, and… my plan is to, yeah,
plan for everything and that’s always… I think that’s
what I’m good at, that’s what I bring to the table
here so we’ll see how that goes. Now he’s fighting
somebody that does everything.
“You
see either GSP go out there and finish this fight, you know,
go for the finish or you’re going to see me have an answer
for this stalling and laying around. But, you know, I’m
the one that’s in this division that’s mouthing off
and talking the most… so if anybody’s, you know, in
for a good whooping or it’s time for a good whupping I’m
probably that guy. So, who better at, you know, not to be than
the UFC champion? So, I’m ready to get this show on the
road. I’m not getting any younger, yeah, right?”
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Every
UFC Fight Will Be Televised in 2012, With FUEL Hosting 2,000
Program Hours
By Mike
Chiappetta
Since
signing a deal to bring programming to FOX networks for seven
years starting in 2012, UFC president Dana White has repeatedly
said that if you're an MMA fan, you're going to want to make
sure you have access to the FUEL cable station. Until now though,
the scope of FUEL's devotion to the UFC has been somewhat unclear.
No
longer. On a Wednesday teleconference featuring executives of
both FOX Sports and the UFC, it was revealed that FUEL will broadcast
over 2,000 hours of UFC programming in 2012, devoting about 25
percent of their entire schedule to all things octagon.
It
was just one of several details released regarding the future
plans between the new partners. Among the other major revelations
is that starting in January, every UFC fight that takes place
anywhere around the world will be televised. In the recent past,
most undercard fights have only been available online on Facebook.com.
Using
the multiple platforms available, the UFC plans to broadcast
most live preliminaries on FUEL before the main card begins on
pay-per-view, FOX or FX, depending on the specific event. Under
the terms of their deal, in 2012, FOX will broadcast four events
while FX will host six.
While
Saturday night's UFC on FOX: Velasquez vs. dos Santos event will
only be one hour, future network television broadcasts will likely
increase and feature more than one fight, according to FOX Sports
co-president Eric Shanks, who said the network is leaning towards
90-minute blocks and two or three fights per broadcast.
"It's
going to be an incredible night, and we just want to make sure
we have the time to tell the story about this [Velasquez vs.
dos Santos] fight, but going forward you can look forward to
longer fight nights on FOX," he said.
White
said that he was happy with the time slot and promotion, and
noted that complaints about only one fight airing on Saturday
night should be muted by promise of the future exposure on multiple
platforms.
"We
couldn't ask for anything more," he said. "This is
like a dream come true. No matter how many fights it is, it's
a damn good thing."
While
the FOX fights will no doubt gain UFC their biggest audiences
and the move to FX is expected to inject new life into The Ultimate
Fighter, it seems clear that UFC executives are just as excited
about being the anchor programming for FUEL. According to last
estimates provided by TV By the Numbers, FUEL is currently available
in just over 32 million households, less than a third the number
of households that can watch FX. Yet the hope amongst both sides
is that UFC programming will help the channel grow and gain wider
clearance.
Aside
from broadcasting prelim fights, FUEL will air all UFC shoulder
programming including Countdown, Primetime, Unleashed, Best of
PRIDE, The Ultimate Insider and more.
Asked
if the proliferation of UFC programming on the channel would
eventually result in it being rebranded as the "UFC channel,"
White said he was pulling for the possibility. FOX Sports Media
Group chairman David Hill said that while FUEL's target demographic
would change slightly with the explosion of UFC programming,
it would maintain its current name.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Glover
Teixeira, Ricco Rodriguez set to battle in Rio
By Guilherme
Cruz
Coming
from a 13-win streak, Glover Teixeira was called in to be the
main star of “MMA against dengue”, event organized
by Rio de Janeiro’s government, on November 27th, against
the veteran Ricco Rodriguez, a former UFC champion, sources close
to the situation told TATAME today.
The
event will take place at Pacificador’s Square (“Praça
do Pacificador”), in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro.
Holding
a professional record of 15 wins and 17 losses, Glover is ruling
his weight division in Brazil. Shooto Brazil champion, he haven’t
loss since 2005, with ten KOs and two submissions ever since,
leaving only one bout for the judges to decide based on the score
cards.
Ricco
is a former heavyweight champion of UFC, and he was coming of
a good sequence until loss to Seth Petruzelli on his Bellator
debut. The American fighter had 12 wins in a row, being five
by knockout and three by submission.
Though
his career, with 47 triumphs and 12 losses, Rodriguez defeated
names like Randy Couture and Andrei Arlovski, both UFC former
champions, and fought in events like Pride, BAMMA, Bellator,
EliteXC, among others.
TATAME
learned that the event will be part of a program developed by
Rio’s government to make people aware of the dangers of
dengue, since an epidemic is predicted for the upcoming summer.
Source:
Tatame
|
Guida
Wants Henderson at His Best
Clay Guida could earn a lightweight title shot if he beats Ben
Henderson on Saturday at UFC on Fox 1.
Still,
he wants Henderson to be at his best for the bout. In Guida’s
view, that will make a victory over him all the more impressive.
“Ben
Henderson is a high-level competitor,” Guida told the Sherdog
Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “He’s
been on a tear as of late. That was the best Ben Henderson we’ve
seen that dominated Jim Miller. … I’m expecting another
great camp from Ben Henderson. I want him in tip-top shape. That
way, after I defeat him, the UFC can’t deny [me] a long-awaited
title shot.”
Guida
is coming off a win over Anthony Pettis, who had earned a title
shot by beating Henderson in the WEC. Pettis was bumped from
fighting for the belt, though, when a third bout between Frankie
Edgar and Gray Maynard was scheduled, and then Guida defeated
him via unanimous decision in June. Guida outgrappled Pettis
for the win, but some fans criticized the performance as less
than entertaining.
“People
can say what they want,” Guida said. “It’s impossible
to have a boring fight against Anthony Pettis. I was defending
submissions and ground-and-pounding him for 15 minutes and taking
him down at will. I think people that thought that was a boring
fight might be watching a different fight.”
Regardless,
Guida won. The victory was his fourth straight since losing to
Kenny Florian in December 2009.
“Kenny
Florian was a big day in my life,” Guida said. “It
was a turning point as far as, I learned a lesson fighting Kenny:
not to strike with a striker. I need to fight my fight, and that’s
been the [strategy] the past four or five fights.”
It
has worked too. Now, after five years and 14 fights in the UFC,
Guida is on the brink of a title bout.
“I’m
going to go out and prove that I’m the number one contender,”
Guida said. “There’s no clear-cut number one contender,
evidently, on paper, because Ben Henderson beat Jim Miller, who
was the number one contender and now we’re fighting. I’m
going to prove that I am the number one contender in the lightweight
division. I’m going to let people know that ‘The Carpenter’
is here to stay.”
Source
Sherdog
|
Dana
White Promises 'Biggest Fight in UFC History' for FOX Debut
By Ben
Fowlkes
Los
Angeles -- Despite the magnitude of the UFC on FOX event this
Saturday night in Anaheim, UFC president Dana White kept it simple
and direct at Wednesday afternoon's press conference to promote
the show. No supporting cast. No big procession to mark the big
occasion. Just the two people who mattered, and the one man willing
to shout from the rooftops about how important it all is.
Right
across the street from the Staples Center in downtown L.A., walled
in by the trendy bars and restaurants of the L.A. Live complex,
White stood flanked by a couple of men whose dented faces and
misshapen ears were enough to tell you that they hadn't come
down here for a screen test, and squinted into the sun as he
declared that what we were looking at was the ingredients for
"without a doubt, the biggest fight in UFC history."
At
least, that's what he's hoping for. It's what he's betting on,
and why, White said, he chose heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez
and Junior dos Santos to lead the charge in the UFC's network
TV debut.
"If
you're in this position where it is the biggest fight in UFC
history, the biggest moment for the sport of mixed martial arts,
these are the two guys you want to step in there and go out and
fight," said White.
Of
course, while Velasquez and dos Santos might make for a great
pairing in the cage, they don't seem to be the UFC's best and
brightest when it comes to selling a fight. Maybe it's that both
are just too easy-going, too agreeable. Neither is known as a
man of many words, and both are too respectful to reach into
the pro wrestling bag of tricks for snappy one-liners and stinging
insults.
Even
when dos Santos was reminded during the presser that he once
suggested that the champion in any given weight class isn't necessarily
the best fighter in that division, he owned up to the remark
before quickly adding that "in this case," Velasquez
is the current top dog at heavyweight, "but I'm going to
change this on Saturday."
For
his part, Velasquez was bolstered by the support of the Hispanic
fans who had come out for the event, drawing cheers when he thanked
"La Raza" for their support, but mostly relying on
White to play up that angle for him in typical fight promoter
fashion.
After
running down the bullet points of Velasquez rise to stardom,
White called his heavyweight champ "a testament to the American
dream...where somebody can go out there and work hard and focus
and he really is that story. I don't care if you're Mexican,
American, German, or Puerto Rican, man, I don't know how you
can't love Cain Velasquez and his story."
Velasquez,
not surprisingly, kept it slightly more low-key.
"I
represent hardworking people," he said. "That's what
my family is and that's what I've grown up around. Mexicans are
hardworking people. That's what it means to me."
Not
that dos Santos was without his supporters, however. Even after
it was suggested to him that he might find himself in unfriendly
territory inside the Honda Center, small, but passionate chants
of "Cigano! Cigano!" broke out among a few fans.
"I
think for sure there's going to be a lot of people rooting for
Cain on Saturday night, but I know I'm going to get a lot of
people rooting for me too, in the whole world," said dos
Santos. "That's the energy I will bring with me inside the
cage and use in the fight."
A
question from one enthusiastic fan about which hand dos Santos
planned to knock the champ out with drew boos from the mostly
pro-Velasquez crowd, but merely seemed to confuse dos Santos
at first, before he replied, "I have two hands for a reason...but
I like this one," as he held up his right.
Another
fan told Velasquez that his achievements made him proud to be
Mexican, which seemed genuinely touching before he quickly followed
it up with a slightly unreasonable request to walk to the cage
with the champ's entourage on Saturday night.
"I
don't think we can do that," said a visibly uncomfortable
Velasquez.
But
White, who'd already agreed to give another fan tickets to the
promotion's upcoming Toronto event immediately after telling
fans not to ask him for tickets, dismissed such practical concerns
easily.
"Yeah,
we'll do it, dude," he said.
Maybe
it was the sunshine getting to the UFC president. Maybe he's
just feeling so good about the upcoming network debut, he's become
a soft touch for increasingly demanding fans. Or maybe sometimes
all you have to do is ask and the rest takes care of itself.
As
for White, he's already made clear what he's hoping for out of
Velasquez and dos Santos when FOX pulls back the curtain on Saturday
night. Whether he too will get what he wants remains to be seen.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Anderson
Silva Will Face Chael Sonnen Next
by Damon
Martin
Anderson
Silva has his next opponent.
On
Wednesday, UFC President Dana White confirmed that the UFC’s
reigning middleweight champion will indeed face heated rival
Chael Sonnen in a rematch of their 2010 fight at UFC 117.
During
an appearance on Jim Rome’s nationally syndicated radio
show, White was asked point blank if Sonnen would indeed get
the rematch he’s been seeking for months.
“It’s
the fight that everybody wants to see, people want to see Chael
vs. Anderson. Anderson is in this position where he feels like
this guy is so disrespectful he doesn’t want to give him
a shot, but Anderson will end up fighting Chael Sonnen,”
White confirmed.
“The
answer is yes.”
That
puts any debate to rest about who will get the next crack at
Anderson Silva, once he’s healthy enough to return to action.
Silva’s
former training partner Mark Munoz was also calling for a shot
at the champion after his win in the main event of UFC 138 against
Chris Leben, but it appears he’ll have to wait a little
bit longer if he’s going to get a crack at the title.
Silva
and Sonnen has to be one of the most heated rivalries in UFC
history at this point, with the challenger continuously calling
out the champion every chance he gets.
Sonnen
was soundly beating Silva through four rounds in their title
fight last August, but a mental lapse and bad positioning found
the Oregon native stuck in a triangle choke late in the final
round that ended the fight.
Silva
locked up the submission and Sonnen tapped, ending his dream
of becoming the UFC middleweight champion. Finally returning
at UFC 136 last month, Sonnen finished Brian Stann with an arm
triangle choke in the second round to reestablish himself atop
the contender’s list at 185lbs.
While
no date has been set for the rematch, sources have indicated
to MMAWeekly.com that Silva vs. Sonnen 2 will not take place
on the Super Bowl 2012 card tentatively titled UFC 143. When
the fight is finally scheduled, it will be in 2012, but not in
the early part of February.
Silva
has been recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in his last
fight against Yushin Okami, and is still not ready to return
to action.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Man
Up & Stand Up Presents Vendetta
Waipahu
Filcom Center
November 11, 2011
Doors open at 6:00
TYLER LAUIFISHWMATT TUILESU
CHAMPIONSHIP
ANTHONY RIVERA155WALTER WALKER
CHAMPIONSHIP
LAWRENCE COLLINS180ALBERT
NAPOLEON
CHAMPIONSHIP
CHEZ CANTERA135EDDIE ROBINOL
CHAMPIONSHIP
TONY HERMAN160JOSPEH ENAENA
VINCE LEOPOLDO185ALFRED COFFIN
RANKIN LORICO155JAHRIN LINO
KENNY ANGLEMEYER205KOA KONDO
GUSTANO GONZALEZ170TAU VAESAU
JON AMU145JEFF LAGAMAN
NEVADA HARRISON140ANTHONY REYES
STUART KAMEMOTO200JON GALARZA
TOFI MIKA140POOKELA YAHIKU
TIFFANY WICKS190MEAGHAN
JULIUS AMISONE155ALLEN BROWN
ZANE WOOD175JAMES REYES
FREDDY RAMAYLA140KAYLEN STAFFORD
ABEL ROSESHWOTTO HOOPILI
CHRIS MIYOSE135JOE GOGO
KAI KUNIMOTO140LINK MERRIT
KAIMI PAKELE165JUSTIN
JONAVON MASON185KALEO KULANA
All matches & participants are subject to change.
Source: Derrick Bright
|
UFC
on Fox 1 (JDS/Velasquez) Tomorrow
By Zach Arnold
Venue: Honda Center (The Pond) in Anaheim, California
TV: Fox (all broadcast networks)
Hawaii
Air Times
4:00-5:00PM Fox Channel 3
Dark matches
Light Heavyweights: Aaron Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Welterweights: Mike Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Bantamweights: Alex Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Featherweights: Mackens Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Bantamweights: Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Welterweights: Damarques Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
Featherweights: Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Featherweights: Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Lightweight Eliminator: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson
Main event (TV)
UFC Heavyweight Title match: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Pressure
is on UFC, Not Fighters, to Deliver on Fox
by Damon
Martin
The UFC on Fox debut show is literally just a few days away from
now and the pressure to deliver is on more than ever.
UFC president Dana White has talked for weeks about all the hype
and work they have done as an organization to make sure this
debut show on Fox is everything hardcore fans, casual fans and
new fans could hope for in a single fight.
But despite the overwhelming magnitude of the inaugural UFC on
Fox show, White insists that none of that falls on the shoulders
of UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior
Dos Santos.
Prior to the fights, White always gives a speech to the competitors
and talks to them about performance as well as serving as a motivational
talk of sorts. Will that change with the pressure to deliver
for the first ever network TV broadcast for the UFC on Fox?
“This is just another fight. On the production side and
all the other stuff that we the UFC have to pull off, this is
just another fight for these two,” White said on Wednesday.
“Whether we’re doing this thing on Fox or on pay-per-view,
wherever we are, I’m going to talk to these guys just like
I do every Friday after the weigh-ins and then I will not talk
to them again until the press conference.”
Once all the bells and whistles are over with on the Fox pre-show,
red carpet events, and hype leading into the card, ultimately
the onus falls on Velasquez and Dos Santos to go out there and
fight.
While many believes that’s going to put a lot of extra pressure
on the fighters to perform, White insists the pressure really
falls on him, the UFC, and the production of the show to deliver.
“I talk to them Friday after the weigh-ins just like any
other fight. I’m not worried about putting any added pressure
or adding anything like that. The pressure’s on us. We’re
pulling off a show we’ve never done before with our new
partners that we’ve never worked with before. There’s
a lot of different moving parts and pieces to this thing. That’s
where the pressure is,” said White.
For Velasquez and Dos Santos, this fight will feel no different
than any other they’ve been involved in before.
“I’m going to talk to these guys Friday and then I
will leave them alone until after the fight,” White stated.
Both Velasquez and Dos Santos have performed at the highest levels
on the biggest stages to this point in their respective careers,
so it’s hard to imagine with the UFC heavyweight title on
the line that anything much will change. Everyone will find out
for sure on Saturday night on Fox.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
on Fox 1 Preview Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
By Tristen
Critchfield
On April 9, 2005, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar waged a
memorable three-round war at the “The Ultimate Fighter 1”
Finale and created a new legion of mixed martial arts fans. UFC
on Fox 1 “Velasquez vs. Dos Santos” on Saturday at
the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., has the potential to be
of similar significance, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship
makes its network television debut.
Considered
as something of a lead-in to the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez
boxing match on pay-per-view, the live broadcast is scheduled
to feature only one televised bout, but it is a big one. Nothing
captures the imagination of the public quite like a tilt between
two capable heavyweights, and the title clash between champion
Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior dos Santos certainly fits
that bill.
The
nine-fight undercard is set to be streamed on Facebook, as well
as FoxSports.com, and features a pivotal lightweight showdown
between Ben Henderson and Clay Guida. With an impressive performance,
the winner could secure the next shot at Frankie Edgar’s
155-pound belt. Here is a closer look at the main card matchups,
with analysis and picks.
UFC
Heavyweight Championship
Cain Velasquez (9-0, 7-0 UFC) vs. Junior dos Santos (13-1, 7-0
UFC)
The
Matchup: It was not long ago that massive heavyweights were all
the rage in the UFC. Brock Lesnar weighed in the ballpark of
290 pounds on fight night and looked to overwhelm opponents with
sheer size and strength. Fellow behemoth Shane Carwin possessed
the largest glove size in the promotion and had the knockout
power to go with it. Frank Mir packed on pounds of extra muscle
to keep up with the times.
That
perception quickly shifted, as Velasquez, an agile, 240-pound
heavyweight, dispatched Lesnar with relative ease at UFC 121.
Meanwhile, Dos Santos, another streamlined big man, ascended
the ranks of the division using a lethal combination of crisp
boxing and cardio. If ever a heavyweight contest was meant to
go five rounds, it is this one. Both Velasquez and Dos Santos
have the stamina to make the 25th minute of their bout every
bit as entertaining as the first.
More
than a year has passed since Velasquez weathered Lesnar’s
takedowns and battered the former University of Minnesota wrestler
with precision striking to capture the heavyweight strap. Even
though he has been sidelined since then due to a right shoulder
injury that required surgery, there is no reason to believe that
the American Kickboxing Academy product will not be 100 percent
in his return to the Octagon. Velasquez’s relentless work
rate alone is enough to wear down most challengers, but Dos Santos
is a different breed.
In
taking lopsided decision victories over Carwin and Roy Nelson,
the Brazilian displayed the type of stamina that should match
up well with the seemingly tireless Velasquez.
Dos
Santos’ heavy-handed boxing is arguably the best heavyweight
standup in MMA today, something Velasquez has yet to see during
his impressive run. While Cheick Kongo was rocked the former
Arizona State University All-American wrestler during their encounter
at UFC 99, Velasquez recovered and was able to take a decision,
still the only time the champion has gone the distance in his
professional career. Dos Santos possesses much more technical
skill than Kongo, however. His quick hands and ability to utilize
angles will come in handy against Velasquez. Dos Santos’
uppercut is also dangerous and, if it connects, has the potential
to swing the fight in his favor.
Velasquez
has the ability to seamlessly use punches and kicks to set up
takedowns, and that is what he will want to do here. An extended
standup battle will ultimately result in Dos Santos winning on
the judges’ scorecards. Velasquez will need to close the
distance, push the Brazilian against the cage and work to get
the fight to the canvas. Dos Santos stuffed Nelson’s takedown
attempts and used a stinging left jab to keep Carwin at bay,
but expect Velasquez to keep coming. Dos Santos has not had to
fight from his back for an extended period of time, and if Velasquez
can get the fight there, he can use positional control to work
some ground-and-pound. One has to believe that Dos Santos, who
trains with Team Nogueira, has a solid guard to neutralize Velasquez,
but he will also need to work to get up off the mat when he is
taken down.
It
will be interesting to see, if the fight reaches the championship
rounds, which man has the better gas tank. If Velasquez has been
able to impose his will through wrestling, perhaps Dos Santos’
combinations will not be quite as crisp in the fourth and fifth
frames. If Dos Santos can keep the majority of the fight upright,
he will remain fresh.
The
Pick: This bout has all the makings of a heavyweight classic,
with two well-rounded fighters who bring to the division the
best boxing and wrestling MMA has to offer. There is no clear-cut
favorite here, but Dos Santos has the necessary tools to combat
the champion’s strengths. He will win most of the exchanges
and stave off enough takedowns to take a closely contested decision
victory.
Lightweights
Ben Henderson (14-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Clay Guida (29-11, 9-5 UFC)
The
Matchup: With victories over Mark Bocek and Jim Miller upon his
arrival in the UFC, Henderson has dispelled the notion that World
Extreme Cagefighting’s finest cannot hold their own in the
Octagon. Since making Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts his home
base, Guida has gone from a mid-level fan favorite to a serious
contender at 155 pounds. The winner of this matchup will be on
the fast track to a lightweight title matchup with Frankie Edgar,
so there is plenty at stake for both men.
Guida’s
unique rhythm and movement will be seriously tested against the
former WEC champion, as Henderson is strong enough to stuff his
takedowns and competent enough on the feet to get the best of
exchanges. While many fans were unhappy with the method “The
Carpenter” used to dispatch Anthony Pettis at “The
Ultimate Fighter 13” Finale, it was a fine bit of strategy
that kept Pettis’ flashy array of strikes to a minimum.
The
Illinois native’s style will not favor him nearly as much
against Henderson, because the MMA Lab representative favors
the same rapid pace Guida does. No one can question Guida’s
heart and aggression, but in the many transitions and scrambles
that are sure to ensue in this bout, Henderson’s athleticism
gives him the edge. With his Gumby-like flexibility, Henderson
is nearly impossible to submit, as was evident in his first WEC
clash with Donald Cerrone.
When
Guida shoots for takedowns, he must be careful not to leave his
neck exposed, or Henderson will clamp on his dangerous guillotine
choke. Working with Greg Jackson has made Guida a much more difficult
foe to tap, but Henderson is among the best in the game at wearing
down an opponent and taking his back.
Guida
is as durable a fighter as there is in the sport today, and that
will serve him well in a contest where he will need to use his
striking as more than a precursor to getting his opponent to
the mat. Henderson is simply too dangerous there for Guida’s
usual suffocating pressure to control the bout.
The
Pick: Expect a wild, high-energy affair where Guida moves in
and out while attempting to score points on the feet. Henderson
eventually gets the fight to the mat, where he will control positioning
and threaten with submissions throughout. Guida will survive
the onslaught, but the judges give the nod to Henderson on points
Featherweights
Dustin Poirier (10-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Pablo Garza (11-1, 2-0 UFC)
The
Matchup: Poirier burst upon the scene at UFC 125, earning a unanimous
decision over the highly regarded Josh Grispi. He then proved
he was no one-hit wonder, taking another three-round verdict
over Jason Young at UFC 131.
With
an aggressive style and solid conditioning, Poirier is a rising
star at featherweight, and a win against Garza would further
solidify his status in the division. In his two UFC triumphs,
Poirier has shown an ability to mix effective kicks and knees
with wrestling. Those skills should come in handy against the
dangerous ground game of “The Scarecrow.”
At
6-foot-1, Garza can use his length to test Poirier with the same
creative submission ability that he used to finish Yves Jabouin
at UFC 129 in April. However, the lanky Garza presents a large
target for Poirier to connect with leg kicks, something Jabouin
did effectively in the early going of his bout with Garza.
“The
Diamond” can also mix in knees from the clinch, but he must
be wary of falling into Garza’s guard – “The Ultimate
Fighter 12” alum has finished seven of his 12 career victories
via submission. Despite the height discrepancy, Poirier and Garza
share an identical reach, so the 22-year-old should be able to
connect with timely punches without too much risk.
There
is always the chance that Garza can connect with a big knee or
kick, but his best shot at victory lies in baiting Poirier into
a grappling contest. Unless Poirier is careless early, that is
not likely to happen. The longer the fight lasts, the greater
the chances are that the Louisianan wears down Garza.
The
Pick: Garza will be hunting for submissions throughout and has
the potential to pull off an entertaining finish on the feet,
as well, but Poirier is the more well-rounded fighter. He eventually
catches Garza and wins via technical knockout in the third round.
Bantamweights
Norifumi Yamamoto (18-4, 0-1 UFC) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (6-3,
0-0 UFC)
The
Matchup: Like so many Japanese fighters who make the transition
to the Octagon, Yamamoto struggled in his UFC debut, dropping
a clear-cut decision to Demetrious Johnson. It was the third
loss in four outings for “Kid,” dating back to a split
decision defeat to current Bellator Fighting Championships featherweight
king Joe Warren at Dream 9.
Falling
to tough opposition such as Johnson, Warren and 2009 Sengoku
Raiden Championship featherweight grand prix winner Masanori
Kanehara is understandable, but a loss against UFC newcomer Uyenoyama
would be potentially damaging. As a star in Japan, Yamamoto blended
high-quality wrestling with dangerous hands nicely, often finishing
fights inside of a round. Johnson’s speed confounded the
former K-1 standout at UFC 126, but Yamamoto will not see anything
of that caliber very often.
Uyenoyama,
who was forced out Dream’s bantamweight grand prix in May
with a hand injury, is probably best known for his 2008 battle
against Hideo Tokoro at Dream 4, where he lost a spirited unanimous
decision. Most recently, he defeated then-Shooto 132-pound champion
Shuichiro Katsumura in September 2010.
In
his heyday, Yamamoto was known for the quick finish. He will
be looking to connect with something significant early against
Uyenoyama, so expect the Krazy Bee representative to come out
with guns blazing. Uyenoyama will not have much to offer Kid
on the feet, so look for him to try to take down his opponent
and hunt for a rear-naked choke or other submissions.
The
Pick: Yamamoto could be fighting for a spot on the UFC’s
upcoming Feb. 26 card in Japan, so he will have plenty of motivation.
Because Kid has already dealt with the whirlwind that is Johnson,
Uyenoyama will seem slow by comparison. In proving that the downside
of his career has not arrived just yet, Yamamoto unleashes the
type of assault that built his reputation and finishes Uyenoyama
with a first-round knockout or technical knockout.
Welterweights
Mike Pierce (12-4, 4-2 UFC) vs. Paul Bradley (18-3, 0-1 UFC)
The
Matchup: Pierce is an underrated performer who came up just short
against high-quality wrestlers in Jon Fitch and Johny Hendricks.
Pierce had Fitch in trouble late in the final stanza at UFC 107,
when the former title contender decided to exchange with him
in the bout’s final 30 seconds. Against Hendricks, many
thought Pierce could have won a hotly contested split decision
on the strength of a third-round takedown.
Those
disappointments aside, Pierce remains a solid performer who can
threaten the top tier of contenders and test the up-and-comers
in his weight class. Now, he faces Bradley, a man he defeated
on a regional card in 2009. “The Gentleman” was a two-time
All-American wrestler at the University of Iowa, so he matches
up well with Pierce in that area. Bradley’s wrestling was
negated thanks to a steady diet of leg kicks from Rafael Natal
in his UFC debut, but the greatest danger he faces against Pierce
comes from the power in the Oregon native’s overhand right
and left hook.
That
power can sometimes also hinder Pierce when he searches for one
big shot instead of stringing together combinations. With Pierce
the smaller man, Bradley needs to try to control positioning
in this fight in order to grind out a decision. It is a tall
task, considering the level of competition Pierce has faced at
welterweight and his ability to connect with punches in the clinch.
The
Pick: Against higher levels of competition, Bradley has shown
limited standup when his wrestling is stymied. That is bad news
against Pierce, who can cancel out his strength while mixing
in powerful strikes, as well. As the two men battle for position
throughout the bout, Pierce lands enough to get the nod from
the judges and take a second decision from Bradley.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Fedor
vs. Monson Fight Card
By Ray
Hui
Fedor
Emelianenko faces Jeff Monson in the main event of M-1 Global
Fedor vs. Monson on Nov. 20 from the Olympic Hall in Moscow,
Russia.
Fedor's
run with Strikeforce came to an end in July after losing by TKO
to Dan Henderson and suffering his third straight loss. This
will be Fedor's first fight in Russia in four years. He battles
a one-time UFC title challenger in Monson.
In
championship action, titleholder Jose Figueroa defends his M-1
lightweight strap against Daniel Welchel.
Check
out the current Fedor vs. Monson card below.
Pay-Per-View
Bouts - 7:30 a.m. ET
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Jeff Monson
Jose Figueroa vs. Daniel Weichel
Juan Manuel Suarez vs. Aleksander Yakoviev
Mairbek Taisumov vs. Josh Thorpe
Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Arthur Guseinov
Facebook
Preliminary Bouts
Alexander Volkov vs. Arsene Abdulkerimov
Nikolai Kaushansky vs. Alexander Vinogradov
Since
the event takes place in Russia, the main card will air live
beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET in the U.S. via pay-per-view.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Will
Fuel TV Become the UFC Channel?
by Ken
Pishna
\“You’re not gonna not be able to have Fuel if you’re
a UFC fan,” UFC president Dana White declared on Wednesday.
Fuel TV may not fully morph into “The UFC Channel,”
but it will give the extreme sports network a much needed shot
in the arm to kick start an aggressive push into a higher-profile
market.
“The theme has just moved from ‘Girls and Boys Come
Out and Play’ to ‘Enter Sandman,’” quipped
Fox Sports Media Chairman David Hill.
The UFC will be a cornerstone in Fox’s efforts to interject
life in Fuel TV, which has struggled to build its audience. UFC
programming, at a minimum, is slated to make up about 25-percent
of the network’s programming when the UFC and Fox television
partnership officially kicks off in January.
“We’re gonna have over north of 2,000 hours (of UFC
programming),” said George Greenberg, Fuel TV’s general
manager. “We’ll have at least 100 hours of live programming,
and it sounds like Dana is gonna heap a lot more on. We get all
the shoulder programming, whether it’s Primetime, Countdown,
UFC Replay, Unleashed, Best of annual specials, Ultimate Insider,
fighter profiles; we have access to the Pride library.”
The live programming will include preliminary bouts that are
currently shown on the UFC’s Facebook page, as well as many
UFC Fight Night events and international events that were formerly
broadcast on Spike TV or Versus.
“There is gonna be a ton of live fight programming on Fuel,”
stated White.
As much as the Fox deal marks a milestone in the UFC’s history
– giving it the sports broadcasting platform that company
president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta have long coveted
– it also gives Fox the building blocks it needs in the
extreme sports category to raise Fuel’s profile.
“To have 25-percent of our programming devoted to the UFC,
we can now cherry pick the premier action sports stuff,”
said Greenberg. “You’re gonna see live surfing that
you haven’t seen before on this network, key snowboarding
events, but we’ll just be more selective with the addition
of the UFC.”
“It’s a coming out party for the UFC on Fox and it’s
a coming out party for Fuel doing the UFC as well,” added
Fox Sports co-president Eric Shanks. “It’s a way to
raise awareness for Fuel.”
So while Fuel TV won’t be rebranded as UFC TV or the like,
it may soon feel like to MMA fans.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Mixed
signals of sportsmanship in Mixed Martial Arts
By Zach
Arnold
By Julien Solomita
The
fire in the eyes of two opponents standing toe-to-toe and flipping
through their arsenal of attacks to win a fight is the last place
for amiability. Of course, it’s only just a sport and once
the fight ends… the hostility usually does, too. For every
fighter touching gloves for a ‘touch of respect’, there
are fighters with smiles on their faces while trying to rip limbs
off in submission holds. It can be confusing sometimes. Has MMA
reached the crossroads when it comes to the age-old value of
sportsmanship?
The fight business is also an entertainment business and the
animosity between fighters is an unfailing approach in fight
promotion. In the UFC, there have been many wild personalities
that have clashed to produce some incredibly famous rivalries.
Some of these feuds have been genuine to the core (Tito Ortiz
and Frank Shamrock), and others resolve themselves once someone’s
hand is raised. While UFC president Dana White knows that such
drama can draw large crowds, sportsmanship is becoming increasingly
pivotal in people’s perception of the sport.
Fight fans love watching the competition and rooting on their
favorite athletes. They crave the energy inside the arena on
fight night and invest all kinds of emotion into supporting their
favorite fighters. Although there is pride in seeing two fighters
show respect after a match, the fans understand when the two
participants want nothing more to do with each other. On occasion,
it feels like the line gets blurred when two fighters are hugging
at the start of rounds and grinning between blows.
Welterweight Nick Diaz was unhappy with the entire situation
that transpired at UFC 137 despite putting a historic beating
on B.J. Penn. While venting at the post fight press conference
Diaz touches on the subject of his connection with Penn and generally
the nature of intra-fighter relationships.
”If were going to be fighting we aren’t friends. Next
thing you know Dana’s going to make us fight. That’s
not what I want. That’s not good for the fans, I don’t
want to see that either.”
These instances seem to upset many people and certain fighters
are uncomfortable with premature endearment. Nick Diaz vocalizes
on the topic as though he was thinking of these fights in particular.
“You make two guys that are friends fight and they go out
there and give each other a hug and then go into the third round.
What the hell is that? Nobody wants to see that.”
Diaz is an extremely emotional fighter who is often misunderstood,
but he has a valid point here. He feels like respect only goes
so far and that when the fight becomes too friendly, it impedes
his mindset and gives a mixed message. It isn’t that Nick
Diaz doesn’t want to be friends with these athletes similar
in status or tolerate a wide array of graphic personas his rivals
bring to the table… He just feels that the cage is not the
place for this type of curious camaraderie and the fact that
fighters “hug and then go into the third round” sends
a rather peculiar message to spectators.
At Ultimate Fight Night Live 24, there was a hot bantamweight
battle between Michael “Mayday” McDonald and Edwin
Figueroa which showcased both guys at battle for the full distance.
The non-stop action progressively drained both fighters until
their gas tanks were both empty. As the third and final round
started, they met at the center of the cage and hugged, then
starting fighting again. At UFC 115 a similar situation arose
when Mirko Cro Cop and Pat Barry lovingly embraced each other
after a wild exchange. This quick moment of awkward embrace forces
the audience to react to the blatant interruption. “What
is he doing? Where did that come from?” Without the disruption
of a hug, such great fights look a lot more like the TUF 1 finale
where both Griffin and Bonnar held back their affection until
after the final bell had resonated through the electric arena.
A pressing contributor to this growing issue of confusion in
MMA sportsmanship are the fabricated feuds. With so many reasons
for two fighters to dislike each other, the level of realism
in rivalries varies. You would never expect Brock Lesnar to hug
Frank Mir in the octagon nor would you Jon Jones and Rashad Evan
and, yet, somehow one of these rivalries is largely more competitive
than the other. When Rashad Evans hurt his hand and pulled out
of his title fight, he vowed to never fight his teammate Jon
Jones. Yet “Bones”, on a separate mission, earned the
title shot. Disregarding Evans’ plan to not fight friends
lit the fire between the Greg Jackson students. Jones did what
all fight promoters advocate competing teammates do in this situation.
First, he claimed he would [in a Sherdog Interview] “never
fight Rashad Evans”, then quickly changed his mind by implementing
the new mantra of just wanting to be the best. With such foggy
distinction of real versus fake, what can we really make of the
bickering between the two men?
Friendship is important for even the unlikeliest of fighters.
For Nick Diaz, apparently fighting B.J. Penn tarnished the prospect
of a companionship with the man. He released all of his pent-up
emotions at the UFC 137 post-fight press conference.
“I had to fight somebody I know. I had to fight somebody
who I might have been friends with some point in time. We could
have trained together.”
The UFC has been home to some of the most memorable characters
in sports. The electric, animated, and animalistic BJ Penn had
just choked out Joe Stevenson in one of the goriest brawls in
UFC history. Running around the cage on pure adrenaline, Penn
began to slobber his foe’s blood clean off his leather war
tools at the end of his fists, staking his claim as alpha male
of the lightweight division.
Chael Sonnen continues his diarrhea of the mouth, a mouth which
has no filter or shame in attacking anyone in the name of ‘entertainment.’
Claiming to be the people’s champion, declaring all Brazilians
are incompetent human beings, or disparagingly snubbing anyone
he pleases. Sonnen prides himself in using his wicked vocalization
to (try to) get a fight.
“I want an easy fight. Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva.
Either of the Silvas. Bigfoot Silva. They all suck.”
The mammoth heavyweight striker Junior Dos Santos is one of the
most physically imposing men to be standing across the cage from.
Outside the ring, Dos Santos’ true character manifests as
a warm and lighthearted individual with a contagious, euphoric
demeanor emanating that of a joyous 12-year-old boy. Which is,
naturally, why the media doesn’t talk about him as much
as they drool over Sonnen’s routine.
These emotionally entertaining humans that put on the gloves
and fight for our enjoyment possess an ability that most of us
don’t have. It is important for these crazy warriors to
remain combative and not let their guards down for kind regards
towards their opponent. Sure, the Nam Phan versus Leonard Garcia
fights were exciting… but also a slippery slope. It starts
as a high five and a smile, but soon enough becomes an awkward
and unprofessional fight that many people feel shouldn’t
take place on such a big stage. Leave the salutations out of
fights and let it flow naturally. This is an introspective sport
that delves into the raw emotions of the core of the participants.
The cage is simply an eight-sided inferno. No time for games
or stunts.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Barao
wants Cruz next in the UFC: “I’ll be prepared to bring
this belt to Brazil”
By Guilherme
Cruz
Renan Barao was perfect at UFC 138, submitting Brad Pickett and
winning the extra bônus for the best fight of the night,
and he wants more. On an exclusive interview to TATAME, right
after arriving in Brazil, Barao seemed excited about the possibility
of confronting Dominick Cruz, UFC bantamweight champion.
“I’m training with my team and, when I have the chance,
I’ll grab it with all I’ve got. I’ll be prepared
to do my best for the fans each time I go in there,” Renan
said.
“When the opportunity presents itself, I’ll be prepared
and focused to bring this belt to Brazil. I know he’s a
tough guy, he got a lot of stamina, but I’ll set a game
plan along with my coaches to bring the win”.
Representing Kimura team, where he trains with Jair Lourenco,
Renan is used to exchange with Nova Uniao, in Rio de Janeiro,
and he believes he’ll get the support of the team for setting
a good strategy for any bout he has in Ultimate, including the
one against Dominick Cruz, who moves really fast and has efficient
attacks.
“Andre (Pederneiras) and Jair will set a good strategy for
us to get there and make it hard on him”.
The “disobedience” at UFC 138
At UFC 138, however, Renan confesses to have “disobeyed”
some of the instructions of his coaches on the beginning of the
fight, when he just went for it.
“That wasn’t the idea, Dede told me not to get on the
‘in fight’, but I show I was doing good and better
on the stand-up and I decided to risk a little more”, reveals
the bantamweight fighter.
Better on the stand-up, Barao punished Pickett until he got the
knockdown, after a nice sequence of knees and punches, and then
grabbed his back to submit him with a rear naked choke.
“I’m a BJJ black belt and I feel comfortable on the
ground... Thanks’ God I submitted another one”, celebrates
Renan, who got 13 out of his 27 wins by submissions. “Jiu-Jitsu
never abandoned me, and I knew it wouldn’t let me down exactly
now”.
Renan was chanted at by the English people after his performance,
and comparisons to his friend Jose Aldo, UFC featherweight champion
were inevitable.
“Jose Aldo is an example to everyone at Kimura and Nova
Uniao, and I’m glad to be compared to a guy like him: humble,
cool, a nice guy”, thanks the fighter, promising to give
move reasons for future compliments: “I’ll show my
work the best possible way”.
Source:
Tatame
|
Return
of the King
By Brian
Knapp
He
was greeted like a king, and he fought like one.
Ushered
into the arena by a partisan Latino audience, Cain Velasquez
unleashed a crippling onslaught of power and technique, as he
dethroned former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Brock
Lesnar at UFC 121 on Oct. 23, 2010 to become heavyweight champion.
At 28, he was on top of the world. His coaches wept as the humble
Californian, born to Mexican immigrants, basked in the afterglow
of the most significant victory of his career.
Velasquez
has not fought since. He suffered a torn rotator cuff in his
right shoulder during his first-round technical knockout against
Lesnar and went under the knife in January after physical therapy
failed to heal the injury. Months of agonizing rehabilitation
followed, as Velasquez faded from public view.
As
he prepares for his first title defense at UFC on Fox 1 -- an
historic five-round bout with Junior dos Santos that will serve
as the centerpiece of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s
debut on network television this Saturday at the Honda Center
in Anaheim, Calif. -- Velasquez sounds relieved to have put his
injury woes behind him.
“It
went fine,” he said during a pre-fight teleconference. “The
doctors said that [with] this injury it takes a while for it
to heal. The whole rehab stuff in the beginning -- it’s
just letting it heal by itself and not really doing anything
to aggravate the shoulder. The first couple months it was tough
because that’s when I couldn’t really do anything.
“Once
I got the green light to start doing more extensive rehab, doing
stuff with range of motion, we started weight training light
to get the strength back into it slowly and just kind of built
up on it from there,” Velasquez added. “It just took
time for it to get better, but I’m happy I listened to the
doctor. I’m happy I went through it and didn’t rush
it. Now, it’s 100 percent.”
Velasquez,
a supremely conditioned heavyweight whose exploits in the gym
at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., have
become legendary, concedes the time away from training tested
his resolve more than the rehabilitation process itself.
Dos
Santos is 7-0 in the UFC.
“It was definitely frustrating at times,” he said.
“I’m a guy that likes to stay active. Getting that
taken away from you is definitely tough. I just tried to keep
my head in other things at that moment. I would try and do stuff
for the UFC: signing [autographs] ... just stuff that would keep
me busy. That kind of kept my head away from being hurt.”
In
his long-awaited return, Velasquez faces a standup juggernaut
in Dos Santos, an intimidating 6-foot-4 Brazilian with perhaps
the best boxing skills in the division. The 27-year-old challenger
remains unbeaten in seven trips inside the Octagon and has rattled
off eight consecutive wins overall, with victories over two-time
Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships
gold medalist Fabricio Werdum, 2006 Pride Fighting Championships
open weight grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
and former International Fight League heavyweight champion Roy
Nelson.
Dos
Santos last fought at UFC 131 in June, when he battered the monstrous
Shane Carwin for three rounds and captured a one-sided unanimous
decision at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada. Color Velasquez impressed.
“Junior
looked good in that fight,” he said. “Just like his
other fights, he’s impressive. He’s dangerous in all
areas. There’s not one aspect of the game that he’s
short on. His wrestling looked really good. He has great takedown
defense. He even took Carwin down a couple times. There’s
not any area that he lacks in. He’s going to be tough in
all areas. That’s what we expect from him.”
No
one in the UFC has put Dos Santos on his back and kept him there.
Velasquez, who won a junior college national wrestling championship
before becoming a two-time NCAA All-American at Arizona State
University, wants to succeed where others have failed. He has
studied Dos Santos extensively in the film room, surrounded by
acclaimed coaches Javier Mendez, Dave Camarillo and Bob Cook.
“I
like to see as much video and footage on my opponent as possible,”
said Velasquez, who has finished eight of his first nine foes
by knockout or technical knockout, including Dos Santos’
longtime teammate, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. “Every little
bit helps. A big part of the training camp was watching the film
and getting ready that way.”
As
he has not fought in more than a year, Velasquez expects nerves
to be part of the equation when he re-enters the Octagon in a
matter of days.
“There’s
always butterflies,” he said. “Right now, it’s
not going to be more than usual. When you get in the grind of
training and everything else, it kind of gets your mind ready
for what’s ahead. Yeah, there’s definitely butterflies
there, but that makes make me feel ready. It’s natural for
me to be a little nervous, but no more than usual.”
“I’m
not really thinking about the magnitude of the fight. I’m
just focused on training and the fight itself.”-- Cain Velasquez,
heavyweight champion
Velasquez was admittedly humbled by the chance to partake in
what will likely go down as one of the most significant fights
in UFC history. The promotion reached a landmark seven-year multi-media
rights agreement with the Fox Sports Media Group in August that
will provide the sport of mixed martial arts with unprecedented
visibility. The Velasquez-Dos Santos bout on Fox represents a
monumental first step in the relationship.
“For
me, it’s a great opportunity,” Velasquez said. “Just
for the UFC and Fox to choose our fight to headline [the event]
is just a great honor. It shows that they love the way you fight.
I’m hoping to make it an exciting fight for the fans. Dos
Santos is a great opponent. We’re definitely just going
to go out there and throw down.”
Despite
the historical significance of the match, Velasquez has tried
to focus on what he can control.
“I
pretty much treat it just like a regular fight that I’ve
had,” he said. “I don’t think about what’s
going on on the outside. I think about what’s going on in
the gym and studying my opponent. That’s pretty much it.
I’m not really thinking about the magnitude of the fight.
I’m just focused on training and the fight itself.”
Source
Sherdog
|
UFC
on FOX Predictions
By Michael
David Smith
Will
Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos deliver a classic fight
in the first-ever UFC broadcast on network television? Will they
put on the kind of performance that has the first-time UFC viewers
clamoring for more? Will the winner emerge as an American sports
star? And ultimately, who will get his hand raised and the UFC
heavyweight belt put around his waist on Saturday night?
I'll
attempt to answer those questions and more below.
What:
UFC on Fox 1: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos
When:
Saturday, the Facebook undercard stream begins at 4:45 p.m. ET
and the Fox broadcast begins at 9.
Where:
Honda Center, Anaheim
Predictions
on all the fights below.
Cain
Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos
From a business perspective, the big question is whether this
fight is going to turn new viewers who watch on Fox for the first
time into UFC fans. That's what the UFC is really hoping for
with the decision to put the heavyweight title on the line for
free on network television.
It's
probably too much to ask that we could get a classic battle along
the lines of Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar at the first
Ultimate Fighter Finale -- the gold standard for fights that
brought the UFC new fans. But I do believe this is going to be
a highly entertaining fight: Velasquez and Dos Santos are both
compelling figures who rarely look dull in the cage, and unlike
so many heavyweights, they both have the gas tank to keep this
fight explosive even if it goes into the fifth round.
So
who wins it? If I were certain that Velasquez is completely healthy,
I'd probably give him a slight edge, thanks to his wrestling:
We haven't yet seen Dos Santos tested on the ground, and Velasquez
might be the man to put him on his back and put him in trouble.
However, I have nagging questions about whether Velasquez's rotator
cuff surgery could affect him in this fight. Will he have the
same strength and movement that he had when he beat Brock Lesnar
a year ago?
And
because of those questions about Velasquez's shoulder, I'm going
to give a slight edge to Dos Santos, who I think will be able
to keep the fight standing most of the way and get the better
of the striking exchanges with Velasquez. Heavyweight fights
that go the full five rounds don't come along very often, but
I think we're going to see one here: Dos Santos wins by decision
and becomes the new UFC heavyweight champion.
Pick: Dos Santos
Clay
Guida vs. Ben Henderson
The most disappointing part of the UFC on Fox card is that this
fight -- which may determine the next contender for the UFC lightweight
title -- has been relegated to being shown on an online stream
on Facebook and FoxSports.com, and won't make it to TV. This
is a great fight that shouldn't be overlooked. Guida's path to
victory would be to take Henderson down, control him from the
top and grind out a decision, but I think Henderson is going
to be too strong for him and should take this one.
Pick: Henderson
Dustin
Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
At age 22, Poirier is one of the most promising young fighters
in the featherweight division, and a likely future title contender.
I like him to win by submission over Garza in what looks to me
like the Fight of the Night favorite.
Pick: Poirier
Cub
Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
In what should be another very exciting featherweight fight,
Swanson will have too much for Lamas and win a technical knockout.
Pick: Swanson
DaMarques
Johnson vs. Clay Harvison
In a battle of former Ultimate Fighter contestants, look for
Harvison to take control early and finish Johnson off by TKO.
Pick: Harvison
Norifumi
Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
There are a whole bunch of American fans these days who have
no idea that Kid Yamamoto was once considered among the To 10
pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Yamamoto has only won
one fight since New Year's Eve 2007, and the Japanese MMA scene
has fallen apart, and so Yamamoto feels like an ancient relic
to a lot of newer fans. But even if Yamamoto isn't what he once
was, he should still be good enough to beat Uyenoyama, a UFC
newcomer. Look for Yamamoto to pick up his first win inside the
Octagon.
Pick: Yamamoto
Mackens
Semerzier vs. Robert Peralta
Peralta is on an eight-fight winning streak which included a
victory over Dream featherweight champion Hiroyuki Takaya, a
victory for Peralta that opened a lot of eyes and got him his
shot in the UFC. I think he'll make it nine in a row against
Semerzier.
Pick: Peralta
Alex
Caceres vs. Cole Escovedo
Cacares, the former Ultimate Fighter bad boy, is moving down
to bantamweight in what looks like a final attempt to stay on
the UFC roster. I like Escovedo to put a beating on "Bruce
Leroy" and knock him out of the UFC.
Pick: Escovedo
Mike
Pierce vs. Paul Bradley
Pierce, who's 4-2 in the UFC, has already beaten Bradley once
before and should do it again in Bradley's second fight in the
Octagon. Look for a one-sided unanimous decision in Pierce's
favor.
Pick: Pierce
Aaron
Rosa vs. Matt Lucas
Lucas is getting his first shot in the UFC after fighting for
most of his career in Rage in the Cage. I like him to win his
debut and likely get Rosa sent packing from the UFC.
Pick: Lucas
Source:
MMA Fighting
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Sunday
reading: Jim Genia’s “Raw Combat”
By Zach
Arnold
We have been spoiled with some great MMA books this year, including
Jake Shannon’s book on Catch Wrestling, Blake Northcott’s
Vs. Reality eBook, and Loretta Hunt’s book on Big John McCarthy.
He, appropriately, will be the referee for the UFC on Fox title
fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
So, when Jim Genia approached me about sending me a copy of his
new MMA book Raw Combat, I was intrigued. Because of the rising
quality of books covering MMA, the standards have been raised.
I can honestly say that Jim’s book met and exceeded my personal
expectations. Anything that involves covering the history of
MMA, I’m all-in. Jonathan Snowden has also written some
great encyclopedic material.
Instead of me doing a hard-sell here for Jim’s book, I will
let him tell you what his book is all about and why you should
be interested in reading it. At $10 on Amazon, it’s a bargain.
If you’re looking for a Christmas stocking stuffer that’s
an MMA-related gift, you should definitely pick up a copy of
Jim’s book.
“It’s about the underground fight scene in New York
City. There is such a thing. New York doesn’t allow sanctioned
Mixed Martial Arts right now, so fighters either have to go New
Jersey to fight where it’s sanctioned or they have to do
it underground in New York City. And this book is an exploration
of that whole underground scene. It examines the fighters, the
fights, the denizens, the people who surround the whole scene
and, you know, an up-close look.”
THE FIGHT NERD: “What drove you to do this topic?”
JIM GENIA: “Well, I’ve been covering the underground
fight scene in New York since 2003 and, to me, it’s always
been extremely fascinating. I love sanctioned MMA, I love watching
the UFC, going to all the sanctioned shows in New Jersey, but…
whenever there’s an underground show in New York, I’m
there.”
THE FIGHT NERD: “These are kind of top-secret things. How
did you find out about these underground shows in the first place?”
JIM GENIA: “In 2003, a local fight coach named Steve Katz
had a bunch of fighters that were going to fight on an underground
show and he told me about it. He said, ‘Jim, you want to
come with us?” So I said, sure, and I paid the ticket at
the door and didn’t tell anyone that I was a journalist,
took secret notes, took secret pictures, and wrote about it.
Ever since then, I’ve been welcomed at these shows.”
THE FIGHT NERD: “What’s been the reaction so far to
this book? It’s a topic that’s a little bit controversial,
underground MMA, but how have fans and people reacted so far
to it?”
JIM GENIA: “People that have read advanced copies love it.
Surprisingly, people like Nick Lembo who’s the commissioner
in New Jersey… because the book isn’t just about the
underground fight scene in New York, it’s also about the
development of sanctioned MMA on the East Coast and, according
to Nick Lembo, this is a great historical text on the growth
of the sport here. So… so far, everyone’s loved it.
No one’s sent me death threats. Time will tell.”
THE FIGHT NERD: “As you mentioned, the story of underground
MMA and sanctioned MMA go kind of hand-to-hand together in this
book.”
JIM GENIA: “Yeah, in New Jersey there was a show called
bamma fight night which was run by Big Dan Miragliotta, who’s
a referee for the UFC and for the New Jersey commission right
now. And his show was the only show around for the longest time.
There weren’t sanctioned events in the Northeast. So, Big
Dan would hold these underground shows and people like Matt Serra,
Nick Serra, Phil Baroni, they had their first fights at these
events. So, there’s a great tradition of underground, unsanctioned
fighting in the area and… the scene evolved. Eventually,
New Jersey sanctioned MMA and New Jersey’s got one of the
most vibrant MMA scenes in the country and there are parallels
between that and New York. New York, right now, is where New
Jersey was back in 2001, 2002. So, hopefully, New York will get
on board and… you know, you’ll see an even further
evolution.”
THE FIGHT NERD: “Do you think that underground MMA hurts
MMA in New York getting legalized?”
JIM GENIA: “Absolutely not. I think people… the people
in charge, the legislators and the lobbyists… look at underground
MMA as an example of why it should be sanctioned. No one’s
really gotten hurt in the underground fight scene but… it
still should be regulated. It’s a viable sport. It’s
regulated just about everywhere else in the country. So, I don’t
think these underground shows hurt it. I think it helps the cause.”
THE FIGHT NERD: “What do you think is holding back MMA from
being legalized in New York?”
JIM GENIA: “Just politics. Stupid politics. I think it’s
inevitable, it’s a matter of time before it is sanctioned.”
THE FIGHT NERD: “Why should they check out this book?”
JIM GENIA: “Well, it’s not like they can check out
any other book on the topic. And also because, you know, it’s
a labor of love. It’s well-written and it provides insight
because I’ve had access that no one else has ever had. So,
if you’re curious about MMA, curious about the underground
fight scene, curious about a subculture that exists in New York,
this is it.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Joe
Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis Verbally Agreed for UFC Super Bowl
Card
by Damon
Martin
It
looks like Joe Lauzon is getting his wish.
All signs are pointing towards a Super Bowl weekend fight at
UFC 143 between Lauzon and former WEC champion Anthony Pettis.
Sources close to the match-up confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that
verbal agreements are in for the lightweight fights to place
on the Feb. 4 show. Bout agreements have not been issued for
the proposed fight yet however.
Fresh off his win over Melvin Guillard at UFC 136, Lauzon didn’t
have much time to celebrate before someone else was calling his
name and asking for a fight. Of course, Lauzon was more than
happy to oblige and told MMAWeekly Radio he welcomed a fight
with Pettis and was hopeful for a Super Bowl weekend showdown.
“I’m always down for whatever the UFC wants. It sounds
like that’s a fight that’s super exciting, so I’m
all about it. I talked to Joe Silva, he’s all about it,
Pettis seems to be about it, I’m about it, so I’m sure
it’s going to happen,” Lauzon revealed.
“I don’t know exactly when, I’m trying to get
on the Super Bowl card. I think that would be awesome.”
Former WEC champion Anthony Pettis actually fought on the same
night as Lauzon, picking up a win over Jeremy Stephens. Following
the fight, Pettis mentioned fighting Lauzon as his next opponent,
and he made matchmaker Joe Silva’s job pretty easy.
The fight between Lauzon and Pettis is expected to be a main
card bout on the UFC 143 card, currently headlined by UFC welterweight
champion Georges St-Pierre defending his title against former
Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz.
Source:
MMA Weekly
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