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2012
October
Aloha
State BJJ Championship
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
August
King of the Mat
(Submission Grappling)
7/14/12
King of the Cage
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
7/7/12
Warpath to Mayhem:
Rumble at the Resort
(MMA)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Lihue, Kauai)
6/16-17/12
State
of Hawaii BJJ Championship
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(Blaisdell Arena
5/26/12
Toughman Hawaii Presents; King Of The Ring
(Boxing)
(Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium, Hilo)
5/19/12
Scrappler's Fest
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kauai)
The Quest For Champions
Martial Arts Tournament 2012
(Sport-Pankration, Submission Grappling, Continuous Sparring)
(St. Louis High School Gym)
5/18/12
Vendetta 4
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
5/4/12
King of the Ring
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
Just Scrap XVI
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
4/28/12
Destiny
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(The Waterfront, Aloha Tower)
4/21/12
Amateur Boxing Event
Smoker Fundraiser
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
4/14/12
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom, Waipahu)
Hawaiian
Open Championship of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
3/29/12 - 4/1/12
Pan
Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(Irvine, CA)
3/3/12
Warpath to Mayhem:
Rumble at the Resort
(MMA)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Lihue, Kauai)
Vendetta 3
(Kickboxing, Triple Threat)
(Waipahu Filcom, Waipahu)
Toughman Hawaii: Challengers
(Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic, Hilo)
2/11/12
Amateur Boxing Event
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
2/4/12
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
1/21/12
ProElite
MMA
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/15/12
Polynesia
International BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(King Intermediate, Kaneohe)
1/7/12
Toughman Hawaii
(Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
|
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May
2012 News Part 1
|
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Nate
Diaz shines in UFC on Fox 3 main event; Johny Hendricks, Alan
Belcher and Lavar Johnson with big wins
Nate
Diaz became the first fighter to stop Jim Miller at UFC on Fox
3 in New Jersey Saturday with a guillotine choke in the second
round of the main event.
After
a tight first round, Diaz started to taunt Miller in the second
round. When Miller tried for the takedown, Diaz rolled into a
one-arm guillotine choke so tight that Miller's tongue was stuck
out. He was forced to tap at 4:09 in the second.
After
the bout, Diaz said he had a hard time with the bout because
he respected Miller.
"I'm
happy to come out to New Jersey and come out and perform. It
was hard to be motivated to train because he's a good guy."
With
the win, Diaz is expected to face Anthony Pettis in a title-eliminator
bout.
Hendricks
takes split-decision
Surprisingly,
the two Division I national champions stuck to striking for most
of the first round. Josh Koscheck got the better of exchanges
and avoided Johny Hendricks' takedowns. Hendricks did a better
job in the second, using lefts to beat up Koscheck's face and
knees to weaken his legs.
Koscheck
got the first takedown of the fight in the round, and used top
position to control the fight until the end but it was Hendricks
who came out with a 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 split-decision win.
For
Hendricks, the win is his fourth in a row and the key to a welterweight
title shot. UFC president Dana White hinted earlier this week
that with a win, Hendricks could be next in line, after interim
champ Carlos Condit challenges George St-Pierre.
Belcher, Johnson impress
Most
fighters cannot escape the Rousimar Palhares leg lock, but Alan
Belcher did and that was the key to his win. Belcher attempted
a leg lock of his own before Palhares put on the kneebar that
has broken many a fighter before him. When he escaped, he put
down ground and pound that stopped Palhares at 4:18 in the first
round.
Pat
Barry tried to use a ground game against Johnson early on, but
he couldn't keep Lavar Johnson down. With less than a minute
to go in the first round, Johnson wobbled Barry with a head kick,
then hemmed him in against the fence, landing a barrage of punches.
Barry didn't move and just absorbed Johnson's strikes until he
fell to the ground with 21 seconds left in the first round.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Nate
Diaz can burst out of his brother Nick’s shadow by beating
Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 3
Nate
Diaz doesn't have time for things that don't make him a better
fighter. Answering questions doesn't do much to improve his skills
as a mixed martial artist, so Diaz isn't eager to engage in lengthy
discussions with the media or adoring fans.
When
a question to him was prefaced with "I know you hate the
media," Diaz grabbed his microphone and said, drolly, "I
don't hate the media. You guys are doing a good job."
But
Diaz may have rethought that after he was asked later whether
he'd sit out to wait for a title shot. The lightweight title
picture is extraordinarily complicated and not even UFC president
Dana White is certain what is going to happen beyond the rematch
between champion Benson Henderson and ex-champion Frankie Edgar
at UFC 150 in the summer.
One
day after White said Diaz would earn a title shot against the
Henderson-Edgar winner should he beat Jim Miller on Saturday
at UFC 148, White hesitated.
Without
question, a victory over Miller in the main event of UFC on Fox
3 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., would carry significant
weight. But Anthony Pettis has also been promised the next crack
at the champion. Jim Miller may be the toughest test of Nate
Diaz's career. (MMA Weekly)
So,
while it makes sense that the Diaz-Miller winner would face Pettis
at UFC 150 with that winner becoming the No. 1 contender, Diaz
didn't want to consider it. He was asked if he'd sit out nine
months to await a title shot. Diaz scowled and shook his head.
"I
have a fight on Saturday," he said, incredulous at the questions.
Diaz
knows the pitfalls of looking ahead and he's not going to do
it. The winner of Season 5 of "The Ultimate Fighter,"
Diaz has come a long way in the last several years and is on
the verge of shedding the label as Nick Diaz's baby brother.
Nick
Diaz is one of the elite fighters in the world, though after
a loss in February to Carlos Condit for the UFC interim welterweight
title, he said he was probably going to retire. Not many took
that seriously, but Nate Diaz said it may be true.
"He
doesn't have an interest in fighting right now, so as of right
now, no [I don't think he'll come back]," Nate Diaz said.
And
that would automatically make him the family's best fighter.
But
Nate Diaz has grown enough that he no longer should be in anyone's
shadow. His accomplishments stand on their own merit.
[Kevin
Iole: Pat Barry just wants to put on a good show at UFC on Fox
3]
He
enters the fight with Miller on a two-bout winning streak and
is coming off an eye-opening victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC
141. At the time, Cerrone was the hottest fighter in the world
not named Jon Jones, and Diaz simply took him apart in shockingly
one-sided fashion.
The
win stunned the MMA community, not only because of how comprehensive
it was, but because Diaz had been similarly throttled earlier
in the year by Rory MacDonald.
But
what the MacDonald fight mostly proved was that Diaz is not a
welterweight. He's lean and lanky and, despite being tall enough
for the welterweights, he's not nearly strong or bulky enough.
The top guys can physically overwhelm him.
At
155, though, his reach makes his boxing skills that much more
formidable and he's great at jabbing and throwing combinations
to maintain the perfect distance.
If
he lacks anything, it's wrestling skills, but his vastly improved
striking makes him hard to take down. Miller is a wrestler with
great submission skills, so it would figure that he'll try to
take Diaz down.
Diaz
is smart enough to know what happened the last time out isn't
necessarily what is going to happen this time. Miller and Cerrone
are vastly different, so Diaz isn't about to predict a stand-up
slugfest.
"It
just depends on what type of fighter you're dealing with,"
Diaz said. "Cerrone was throwing punches at me, so that's
what happened.”
But
Diaz, who earned his black belt from Cesar Gracie earlier this
year, is prepared for anything. And, in typical Diaz fashion,
he's blunt when it comes to what he expects of his opponents.
Nick
Diaz was irate at the way Condit constantly circled the cage
and refused to engage. Some took it as a blueprint for handling
the Diaz style. Whenever one person has success with a particular
strategy, others eagerly adopt it.
"Maybe
[guys will try to fight me that way], but I don't know,"
Nate Diaz said. "But now, [if you do take that approach],
that doesn't make you much of a fighter, I think."
Nobody
would ever accuse Nate Diaz of not being much of a fighter. And
if he beats Miller on Saturday, his days of playing second fiddle
to his big brother are probably over, as well.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Urijah
Faber’s mom stops burglary
Urijah
Faber's mother showed her own brand of toughness when a robber
stopped by the place she was house-sitting. According to Faber,
who is currently coaching on "The Ultimate Fighter"
and preparing for a UFC 148 title bout with Dominick Cruz, Suzanne
Faber used a pellet gun to stop a burglar in the backyard. The
burglar thought she was using a real gun. She then held him off
until police arrived.
MMA
mothers regularly show their toughness. They watch their children
get pummeled, support them through their ups and downs, sometimes
even help with their careers. Is it a surprise that one of them
could stop a crime in its tracks?
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
‘I
Think a Fight with Hendricks vs. GSP is Pretty Interesting,”
Dana White
At
UFC on Fox 3 on Saturday night, Johny Hendricks moved his record
to 13-1 and solidified his spot amongst the welterweight elite
after winning a split decision over former no. 1 contender Josh
Koscheck.
Now,
Hendricks has defeated two former title challengers in Koscheck
and Jon Fitch on his way towards the top. UFC president Dana
White is impressed. Whether you agreed with the decision or
not, White believes that Hendricks’ skills are worthy of
a crack at Georges St-Pierre, if he is successful against Carlos
Condit.
“Josh
Koscheck, because he gets booed, may not get the respect that
he deserves, but he’s a great fighter and has been for a
long time and Johny Hendricks won tonight,” White said at
the UFC on Fox 3 press conference. “Whether you agree with
the decision or not, cause some people think that Koscheck won
or it should’ve been a draw, it was that close. I think
a fight with Hendricks vs. GSP is pretty interesting.”
As
for Hendricks, he feels truly blessed to be in title contention
and to have beaten such greats as Fitch and Koscheck. The 28-year-old
was once written off as a top contender by pundits after losing
to Rick Story. To have bounced back and climbed to the top of
the division is an impressive feat in and of itself.
“They’re
both great fighters. I feel blessed to be in the same Octagon
as them,” Hendricks said of Koscheck and Fitch. “Now
I just got to go home and see what they say and be prepared for
what they say and hopefully a title shot.”
Now
sitting as one of the sport’s elite, it’s a surreal
moment for the former four-time All-American wrestler. While
earning the top spot, Hendricks is going to have to take a breather
and let it all sink in because, unfortunately for him, he won’t
be able to fight for a title until at least 2013 due to St-Pierre
vs. Condit happening in November.
Hendricks,
though, remains positive and upbeat about it all. For now, he’s
looking forward to healing up and spending some time with his
family
“It
just depends what happens,” Hendricks continued. “Whenever
I get back home and when I heal up, we’ll talk from there,
but nothing really matters. I just want to go home and spend
some time with my wife.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Jon
Jones Has a Long Way to Go? How Good Can He Get?
Jon
Jones UFCMauricio “Shogun” Rua… check.
Quinton
“Rampage” Jackson… check.
Lyoto
Machida… check.
Rashad
Evans… check.
The
UFC keeps lining them up; Jon Jones keeps knocking ’em down.
Jones
dominated Shogun to capture the UFC light heavyweight championship,
and has defended it against three former champions, three of
the best 205-pounders in the world.
So
is it time for Jones to make the move to heavyweight?
Well,
he’s got Dan Henderson on tap first, and Henderson is not
a fighter to be overlooked.
But
Dan Henderson aside, UFC president Dana White says Jones still
has a long way to go before stepping in with the big boys.
“Have
you ever heard Jon Jones say this was a hard cut for me or seen
him go on the scales and have him look like a skeleton or anything?
He makes that cut easy,” said White.
“When
you talk about going to heavyweight, you talk about fighting
(expletive) Junior dos Santos, guys that are monsters, huge guys.”
When
Jones isn’t batting an eye making the cut to 205 pounds,
fighting the monsters that cut down to 265 pounds does sound
like a fairly daunting task.
It’s
one thing for a fighter to jump up a class that is only 10-15
pounds more than where he’s currently fighting, but when
you have a fighter with 60-plus pounds on you staring you down,
that’s surely an entirely different scenario altogether.
That’s
exactly where Jones would find himself.
“He’s
still got a long way to go,” White continued. “I know
that’s crazy saying that about the champ that just annihilated
every champ in the 205-pound division in UFC history, (but) he
still has a lot to learn.”
Thinking
about that – realizing how dominant Jon Jones has been –
is daunting in and of itself. Just how good can this guy get?
Source: MMA Weekly |
Dos
Santos has back up for bout against Mir
Less
than a month away for his first title defense against Frank Mir,
UFC heavyweight champion Junior “Cigano” dos Santos
welcomes reinforcements for his training camp at Bahia, Brazil.
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira came all the way
from Rio de Janeiro to help him pupil out on his prep for a fight
slatted for May 26th, in Las Vegas, United States. “Now
Junior Cigano’s training is complete. Minotauro arrives
in Salvador this Friday! I’m really glad”, wrote Luiz
Dorea on his Twitter account.
Minotauro
Nogueira fought Frank Mir last December and was submitted with
a kimura, which broke his upper arm. The American was also the
first one to knock Nogueira out. It’s worth reminding that
Cigano “revenged” his master’s loss as he defeated
Cain Velasquez and will have the chance to do it again now against
Mir. Repaired from the injury, Rodrigo is also training for his
next appointment. On July 21st he will fight the French Check
Kongo, at UFC 149, which will be disputed in Calgay, Canada.
Source: Tatame |
UFC
on Fox 3 Fighter Bonuses: Nate Diaz Wins Title Shot and $65,000
The
fighters at UFC on Fox 3 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford,
N.J., surely made the UFC brass’ job of handing out post-fight
awards and bonuses fun, but difficult on Saturday night.
There
were several exciting battles, and numerous finishes to choose
from, but in the end, UFC president Dana White and staff nailed
it down, issuing $65,000 fighter bonuses to four fighters.
Not
only did Nate Diaz secure a title shot with his guillotine choke
finish of Jim Miller, he also captured the UFC on Fox 3 Submission
of the Night honors. The finish was the first time in Miller’s
career that anyone was able to submit him.
Although
there were a couple fights to choose from, it was no surprise
that Knockout of the Night honors went to one of the big men.
Lavar Johnson, despite taking some heavy hits from Pat Barry,
turned the tide late in the fight, opening up a relentless onslaught
of punches that finished Barry, and secured a $65,000 bonus.
The
flyweight division had been one of the most highly anticipated
additions to the UFC’s weight classes in years, and Saturday
night’s fights proved why, particularly the fight between
Louis Gaudinot and John Lineker.
Gaudinot
and Lineker went head-on at each other, non-stop for 9:54, until
Gaudinot finally secured a fight-ending guillotine choke.
The
UFC awarded a total of $260,000 in official post-fight bonuses.
Source: MMA Weekly |
By
the Numbers: UFC on Fox 3
Meet
Nate Diaz, UFC lightweight title contender. In his third straight
impressive performance since returning to the 155-pound division
after a stint at welterweight, the Stockton, Calif., native outclassed
Jim Miller in the UFC on Fox 3 main event on Saturday night.
Diaz
punished his opponent from distance and in the clinch, and when
the fight went to the ground, “The Ultimate Fighter 5”
winner showed off his vaunted jiu-jitsu by submitting Miller
with a guillotine choke in the second round. Diaz has come a
long way since emerging from the reality show, and he may very
well be next in line for a lightweight championship fight.
With
his high-volume boxing and active submission game, Diaz also
fills up the MMA stat sheets. Not only is his evolution evident
in his Octagon performance, it is also easily recognizable in
post-fight analysis. Here is a by-the-numbers look at UFC on
Fox 3, with statistics courtesy of FightMetric.com.
1:
Opponents who have finished Jim Miller in 25 professional fights.
Nate Diaz became the first person to submit the AMA Fight Club
product when he locked in a guillotine choke at 4:09 of the second
round in the UFC on Fox 3 main event. Miller’s previous
three defeats -- Benson Henderson, Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar
-- had all come via decision.
9:
Post-fight bonuses for Diaz, who earned “Submission of the
Night” for his efforts versus Miller. All told Diaz has
won five “Fight of the Night” bonuses and four “Submission
of the Night” awards during his UFC tenure.
97:
Total strikes landed by Diaz in his victory over Miller -- 163
less than he landed in a unanimous decision victory against Donald
Cerrone at UFC 141 in December. In that win, Diaz set a UFC record
with 238 significant strikes landed. On Saturday, he connected
on 46 significant strikes in less than two rounds.
717:
Significant strikes landed in the 16-fight UFC career of Diaz,
ranking the Cesar Gracie protégé sixth all-time
in the promotion. Rich Franklin is No. 5 with 722.
19:
Submissions attempted by Diaz, the 10th highest total in UFC
history. Miller, who did not attempt a submission, is No. 2 with
27 submissions attempted in his career.
22:
Body punches landed by Josh Koscheck in his split-decision defeat
to Johny Hendricks. The former American Kickboxing Academy product
connected on 18 of those strikes in round three, his most dominant
frame of the fight. By comparison, Hendricks landed just three
body shots over the course of 15 minutes.
26:
Ground strikes landed by Koscheck in the final round, when he
scored his only takedown of the fight and punished Hendricks
with punches from half guard in the bout’s final minute.
40:
Low kicks landed by Hendricks. The former NCAA champion from
Oklahoma State University landed 16 leg strikes in round one
and 21 in round two. Meanwhile, Koscheck connected on just four
low kicks.
52:
Clinch strikes landed by Hendricks; Koscheck landed just eight
from that position.
.460:
Striking accuracy for Hendricks, who landed 55 of his 120 significant
strikes thrown against Koscheck. Coming into the bout, Hendricks
significant striking accuracy of 54.6 percent was good for No.
9 all-time in the UFC.
0:
Significant strikes landed by Rousimar Palhares in his first-round
technical knockout loss to Alan Belcher. Overall, the Brazilian
threw just two total strikes, while Belcher connected on 29 of
46 strikes, the majority of which came on the ground.
8: Finishes in nine career victories for Belcher. The Biloxi,
Miss., native has stopped Wilson Gouveia, Patrick Cote, Jason
MacDonald and Palhares in his last four Octagon appearances.
Only “Ultimate Fighter 3” competitor Ed Herman has
managed to go the distance in defeat against “The Talent.”
104:
Significant strikes landed in Lavar Johnson’s first two
UFC appearances -- victories over Pat Barry and Joey Beltran.
That total is just 15 less than the number of significant strikes
Johnson landed in his last five Strikeforce bouts combined.
67:
Significant strikes landed by Michael Johnson in his unanimous
decision triumph over Tony Ferguson. That total is the highest
of Johnson’s UFC career; his previous best of 64 came against
Shane Roller at UFC on Fox 2 in January.
14:
Significant strike advantage for John Dodson in the first two
frames of his flyweight encounter with Tim Elliott. The Jackson’s
Mixed Martial Arts representative outlanded Elliott 24 to 17
in round one and 25 to 18 in round two.
44:
Significant strikes landed by Elliott in the final stanza --
nine more than he landed in the first and second rounds combined.
By comparison, Dodson landed 31 significant strikes against Elliott
in the third period.
21:
Significant strike advantage for John Hathaway in the third round
of his unanimous decision victory over Pascal Krauss. The Englishman
connected on 55 of 96 total strikes thrown in the final frame
and also landed one of his two takedowns in the fight.
409:
Combined strikes thrown by Louis Gaudinot and John Lineker in
their flyweight showdown. While Lineker outlanded the “TUF
14” alum 121 strikes to 94, it was Gaudinot who secured
the victory with a guillotine choke at 4:54 of round two.
35:
Total strikes by which Lineker outlanded Gaudinot in round one,
when he displayed an aggressive offensive approach that included
multiple shots to the body. In round two, “Goodnight”
picked up the pace, outlanding his Brazilian opponent 50-42 before
ending the contest with a rear-naked choke.
23:
Significant strikes by which Danny Castillo outlanded John Cholish
in their featherweight bout. The Team Alpha Male product landed
only one takedown in the fight, his least in victory since a
first-round knockout victory over Will Kerr at WEC 53, when he
also had one takedown.
8:
Takedowns by Dennis Bermudez in his decision triumph against
Pablo Garza in a featherweight clash. The “TUF 14”
alumnus scored four takedowns in the opening frame, three in
round two and one in the final five minutes against “The
Scarecrow.”
Source: Sherdog |
UFC
on Fox 3 Draws Million Dollar Gate and Healthy Attendance
The
UFC was back in East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday night for
UFC on Fox 3: Diaz vs. Miller. It marked the first time the promotion
had been in East Rutherford since UFC 32, featuring Tito Ortiz
vs. Elvis Sinosic, more than a decade ago.
Nate
Diaz and Jim Miller wasn’t a championship fight, although
a title shot was on the line for Diaz, but it was a strong enough
main event to draw 10,788 fans for a live gate of $1.1 million,
according to UFC president Dana White.
Diaz
took the fight to Miller like no one had before. In fact, Diaz’s
fight finishing guillotine choke, was the first time the New
Jersey native had been finished in his professional career.
Welterweight
fighter Johny Hendricks also put himself somewhere at the top
of the list for a UFC lightweight title shot, depending upon
whether or not he’s willing to wait around for Benson Henderson
and Frankie Edgar to rematch later this year.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Nate
Diaz Will Wait for Title Shot, Faces Winner of Henderson vs.
Edgar II
Title shots don’t come along everyday so Nate Diaz will
wait for his chance to fight for a world title.
Following
a dominant finish over Jim Miller to cap off the UFC on Fox 3
card from New Jersey, Nate Diaz learned that he would indeed
be offered a title shot against the winner of Benson Henderson
vs. Frankie Edgar.
The
only problem is Henderson and Edgar won’t fight until sometime
around September, which means Diaz would likely be on the shelf
for the majority of the remainder of the year waiting to face
the winner should he choose to sit out.
Well,
waiting is exactly what he’ll do.
“I’m
just going to wait it out and see what happens,” Diaz said
after his win.
UFC
President Dana White confirmed it as well by saying that Diaz
would get the next crack at the belt, but would not have to fight
again if he didn’t choose to, and it appears he will sit
on the sidelines and await Henderson and Edgar to settle their
rematch, then he’ll face the winner.
This
also puts to rest earlier rumors that Diaz might instead opt
to face former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis later
this year and the winner of that fight would get the next shot
at the UFC lightweight strap.
“He’s
going to wait for the title shot,” White stated. “I
said if he won if he wanted to fight Pettis, he could fight Pettis.
If he wanted to wait, he could wait. He’s going to wait.”
When
asked about his decision, Diaz didn’t waiver from his choice.
The fact is he’s getting a title shot, and that’s what
why he’s in this sport.
To
become the best fighter in the world.
“I’m
down for whatever, whatever they say, but that sounded great
to me,” Diaz said about waiting for a title shot.
Diaz
will now celebrate his latest win as he awaits the date for Benson
Henderson to face Frankie Edgar, and then he’ll know exactly
who he’ll square off with the UFC lightweight title on the
line.
Source: MMA Weekly |
John
Dodson Suffers Broken Hand in First Round Against Tim Elliott
John
Dodson won a unanimous decision over a tough and game Timothy
Elliott on Saturday night, and he fought much of it one handed.
It
was noted during the fight that Dodson was favoring his left
hand, and by the third round he wasn’t throwing it much
at all.
Following
the fights in New Jersey, Dodson’s manager Jahani Curl of
Machi Sports and Entertainment confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that
his fighter’s hand was broken during the first round of
the fight.
Dodson
managed to outwork and still score the win over Elliott despite
losing one of his primary weapons in the first five minutes of
the fight.
The
Team Jackson fighter will visit with a doctor later tonight to
have his hand checked out for a final diagnosis.
Dodson
won the fight against Elliott 29-28 on all of the judges’
scorecards.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Josh
Koscheck Felt He Won Split Decision Against Johny Hendricks
Josh
Koscheck lost a razor-thin split decision to top welterweight
contender Johny Hendricks at UFC on Fox 3 on Saturday night.
The win furthered Hendricks up the ladder to be next in line
to potentially fight the winner of Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos
Condit, but Koscheck really didn’t feel like he lost the
fight.
Some
pundits felt that the 35-year-old’s age and number of wars
he’s been in would be a factor in New Jersey, but that wasn’t
the case. While Koscheck may not have gotten the judges’
nod, it was a very hard fight to score and that’s why the
fight ended with the judges in disagreement.
In
the first round, Koscheck had some strong moments early on landing
kicks and caused Hendricks to wince his right eye in pain. And
in the third round, clearly Koscheck scored the biggest takedown
of the fight, so he feels like he earned the decision over Hendricks.
“I’m
not one to ever (expletive) about decisions,” Koscheck said
at the UFC on Fox 3 post-fight press conference. “I thought
I won the first and the third, but apparently the judges saw
different. It was a good fight. I felt like I ended the fight
on top. It is what it is. I live to fight another day.”
Koscheck
is ready for whatever is next. He’s not going to sit here
and cry about a decision, when he knows he should’ve finished
the fight. And like the saying goes in combat sports, “you
can’t ever leave it to the judges.”
“He’s
a good fighter. He won tonight. I’m not going to sit here
and (expletive) and cry about a decision. I should’ve finished
the fight. When it goes to the judges, I guess you have to have
luck on your side, and I guess he had luck on his side. He won
the fight.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Dana
White Says Nate Diaz Awaits Winner of Henderson-Edgar UFC Lightweight
Title Rematch
Nate
Diaz appears to have solidified his position as No. 1 contender
to the UFC lightweight title.
UFC
President Dana White announced Saturday following UFC on Fox
3 that Diaz (Pictured, file photo) will next face the winner
of the Benson Henderson-Frankie Edgar championship rematch expected
to take place in August or September. White broke the news after
Diaz’s masterful headlining performance against Jim Miller
at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The
first moments of the main event were competitive, as Miller landed
leg kicks and closed the distance, attacking with elbows and
knees from the clinch. Diaz was unfazed by the New Jersey native’s
early offense and began to find a home for his jab as the round
wore on, eventually attacking with a sharp one-two which briefly
dropped Miller to the canvas.
“I
never know how the fight is going to go. I just train hard and
try to prepare for everything. I expect the worst,” Diaz
told Fox Sports after the bout. “I put the work in, man.
I’ve got the best team in the world, so I just went out
there and fought how I trained.”
The
highly regarded Miller managed little offense in the second frame,
as Diaz kept the hometown favorite on the end of his massive
reach. When Miller was able to close the distance, Diaz attacked
effectively from the clinch.
“Nate
controlled the fight from bell to bell,” Miller said at
the post-fight press conference. “He controlled the momentum
and never let me get any significant shots in there. He fought
a beautiful fight and had my number.”
As
Miller shot for a takedown in the bout’s final sequence,
Diaz quickly secured his opponent’s neck and locked up a
one-handed guillotine choke. The Cesar Gracie pupil managed to
adjust his grip, roll the AMA Fight Club representative onto
his back and force Miller to submit for the first time in his
career.
“He
kind of grabbed on me a little bit, and I just got [the guillotine]
in there. [How I did it] is top secret,” said Diaz. “He’s
tough, and it was [scheduled for] five rounds. It was going to
be him or me, so I’m glad it went the way it did. I guess
I got lucky. I guess it was my time to shine.”
As
for his impending title shot, Diaz is eager to take some time
off and then challenge for the gold.
“I
would like to get Ben Henderson. Let’s speed up the process
a little bit and make that title fight happen.” said Diaz.
“I don’t care what happens to me, man. I just need
a break. I want to sit down for a minute. I’ll be back training
tomorrow, and I’ll be ready to fight next week. But when
the fight [is over], after I trained for three months, I’m
f---ing burned out. I’ve been going hard for the last seven
years.
“I
think I [might] slow things down right now and kind of take a
little break. I’m not saying I’m going to wait out
some long, drawn-out s---; I’ll fight anybody, whenever.
But maybe I need a little sit-back session right now. I’m
going to talk to my people and let them talk about it. I’m
just going to wait it out and see what happens.”
Source: Sherdog |
Matches
to make after UFC on Fox 3: The Winners
Lavar
Johnson vs. Matt Mitrione
Lavar
looked great last night. Yes, he was taken down and mounted by
Barry, who is not known for his ground game, but he still pulled
off the win, and that’s what matters. with two wins in the
UFC, it’s time for a a step-up in competition. While Mitrione
is coming off a loss – he poses a lot more threats than
Barry or Beltran. Matt will be able to strike on his feet, and
will be able to test the ground game of Johnson further. His
ground game is not top notch, so it will be a good marker for
Lavar if it goes there. The match-up, stylistically spells out
fireworks, which is usually the deciding factor when it comes
to match-making for Joe Silva.
Alan
Belcher vs. Loser of Silva vs. Sonnen
The
middleweight division is kind of at a stand still. There are
more contenders than there has ever been, but most of them are
already locked up with opponents. You have Munoz vs. Weidman,
Bisping vs. Boestch, Stann vs. Lombard, and then Silva vs. Sonnen
for the title. It’s hard to say who deserves the next shot
until some of these matches play out. The most deserving fighter
out of the bunch may be Lombard, who has had a stellar career
outside the UFC, but if he flounders and Munoz gets past Weidman,
Munoz likely earns the shot. So it is logical that Belcher facing
the Sonnen and Silva loser would make the most sense. Giving
him a fighter at the top of the heap – plus, with a win
over either, no one could deny his top contender status.
Johnny
Hendricks vs. winner of Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann
Just
like the middleweight division, the welterweights are jammed
as well. With the champ out, in recovery, and the interim champ
Carlos Condit waiting to unify the belts, there is no title fights
likely till Dec. Beyond that, the division has some true contender
match-ups. If Ellenberger gets past Kampmann it’s hard to
say who deserves the shot at the title. Ellenberger would be
on a six fight win streak, and his only loss in the UFC was on
short notice to current interim champ Condit. Hendricks on the
other hand only has four wins in a row but has added wins over
Fitch and Koscheck in those. A match-up between the winner is
only logical as it creates a true contender to the belt, and
they will have to wait until end of the year for GSP’s return
anyhow.
Nate
Diaz vs. winner of Frankie Edgar vs Ben Henderson II
It’s
official. Nate Diaz is truly a different fighter. I do not know
when he turned the corner, but the Diaz who had losses to Maynard,
Stevenson, and Guida is gone. Now he truly is the number one
contender. People rumbled for Anthony Pettis to get a title shot
because he has a win over the current champ, but his UFC career
does not garner that much attention. A loss to the aforementioned
Guida and a two fight win streak over low contenders Jeremy Stephens
and Joe Lauzon do not merit a title shot. Diaz on a three fight
streak might not seem like much, but you have to consider how
he out-struck Gomi, gave Cerrone his first loss in the UFC when
he was on a five fight winning streak, and just finished Miller
– something no one has ever done. The UFC’s plan is
to let Diaz get his rest and watch the outcome of this rematch
closely.
Source: MMA Fighting |
Matches
to make after UFC on Fox 3: The Losers
Pat
Barry vs. Brendan Schaub
Both
these fighters may only have one shot left in the octagon, as
the division grows. Given, Schaub was recently in talks of title
contention before the loss to Big Nog - a second knockout by
Ben Rothwell may have sealed his fate as a ‘weak chin’.
Barry hasn’t had the best luck lately either. He is currently
on a 1-3 decline in his last four fights. Just like Schaub, Barry
has suffered to recent knockout losses as well. The UFC usually
matches fighters up like this in a loser leaves town match. With
a spectacular performance, the UFC could always hold on to the
loser for their entertainment value.
Rousimar
Palhares vs. winner of CB Dollaway and Jason Miller
Rousimar
continues to fail against strong strikers with a competent ground
game. With fighting either of these two suggested fighters, he
faces two big challenges. First with Dollaway he gets a competent
striker with great wrestling. He will have to prove the better
fighter to avoid problems on the feet and to get the fight to
the ground. With Miller he will face someone arguably, equally
as dangerous on the ground. Either way it will be a good way
for Rousimar to evolve his game.
Josh
Koscheck vs. B.J. Penn
Josh
did a lot of things right in this fight, but if he would have
played to his strengths and taken Johny down more, he would have
won the fight. It looked like Koscheck wanted to avenge his friend
Jon Fitch’s loss, but in doing so lost the fight for himself.
I would love to see Kos against Nick Diaz, but as he is currently
out of action, this fight will do. B.J. is set to return to the
octagon by the end of the year, and as Josh is currently not
near the title why not match him up with another fighter that
has no need to rematch GSP again.
Jim
Miller vs. Chad Mendes
Can
Jim Miller make 145 lbs.? In his last three fights he has been
shorter and smaller than his opponents. Most people thought he
would have the strength advantage against Nate, but clearly that
was not the case. Against Melvin Guillard he was out-muscled,
but caught Melvin, and with Benson he was clearly smaller and
out-muscled. While Jim is only 28, and has time to grow he has
been beat by many top fighters in his division. The climb back
may be a long one, and if he can try and cut to 145 he may have
an quicker path getting there after his current setback. A fight
with Mendes would put him in against the top 5 of the division,
and it would show how well he would do against a former number
one contender.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
on Fox 3 Results: Belcher Plays with Fire and Burns Palhares
on the Ground
They say you play with fire and you’ll get burned.
Well,
Alan Belcher stepped right into the fire on Saturday night in
New Jersey and came out unscathed and without a mark on him after
his fight with Rousimar Palhares at UFC on Fox 3.
The
story going into the fight was Belcher wanted no part of Palhares’
deadly ground game. A submission specialist, Palhares has been
known for his vicious techniques including a heel hook that has
kept more than a few orthopedic surgeons in business.
As
soon as the fight started, Palhares got his wish because he snatched
a single leg and put Belcher on the mat. There was a collective
gasp between the fans in the arena and the ones watching at home
because it was almost like everybody saw the end coming.
Everybody
didn’t include Alan Belcher.
Belcher
actually locked up Palhares’ leg at first looking for a
Twister submission, but then went into defense mode as the Brazilian
started clasping for his leg, looking for a knee bar or heel
hook. Either way, Palhares was hell bent on twisting Belcher’s
leg into a completely wrong direction.
He
got to do neither.
Belcher
scrambled and stayed calm and after a few back and forth moments,
he ended up on top of Palhares working inside his guard. From
there, the Mississippi native took over with a decimating ground
game that had nothing to do with submissions.
Belcher
absolutely unloaded on Palhares with punches and one big elbow
that was heard all the way back in his opponent’s native
Brazil. The barrage continued and with each punch landed, Belcher
felt the victory drawing closer and closer.
Finally,
with Palhares clearly dazed and not defending himself the referee
swooped in for the save. Belcher had won the fight in the unlikeliest
of positions against one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners
in the sport.
“Why
don’t you guys asked Toquinho who the baddest man on the
ground on MMA is? Not him no more,” Belcher shouted after
finishing Palhares on the mat.
The
win marks Belcher’s 4th in a row and sixth out of his last
seven. It’s clear the longtime UFC middleweight is gunning
for a title shot sooner rather than later, and it’s hard
to deny he made a strong statement with his performance on Saturday
night.
“I
just wanted to prove I could beat the best guy on the ground,
I can beat the best guy standing up,” said Belcher.
“Baby,
that belt is mine. I’m coming for it. I think you know it
now.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fox 3 Results: Following Split Decision Win Over Koscheck,
Hendricks Wants Title Shot
Johny
Hendricks at UFC 141In the co-main event of UFC on Fox 3, two
former four-time All-American wrestlers went to war, as Johny
Hendricks took on former no. 1 contender Josh Koscheck. After
a hard, grueling fight, Hendricks was awarded the split decision
over the veteran.
Round
one saw Koscheck opening with a front kick to the mid section
of Hendricks. Koscheck got the better of the strikes early against
Hendricks, who winced in pain in his right eye. Hendricks went
for a takedown against the fence and had Koscheck down, but couldn’t
get him flat on his back. Koscheck easily scrambled back to his
feet. For the duration of round one, Hendricks got the better
of Koscheck using his patented left hand.
Koscheck
got taken down briefly against the fence again in round two,
but scrambled back to his feet. Hendricks got the better of
the strikes once again and Koscheck’s right eye appeared
damaged, starting to swell up. Hendricks landed with a lead uppercut.
To Koscheck’s credit, he put Hendricks against the fence
and landed a sweeping elbow just as they broke apart. Hendricks
kept getting the better of the punches, however, and the round
closed with Hendricks attempting another takedown.
The
third round started with Koscheck going for a takedown, but they
end up on the fence. The referee separated them again, and Koscheck
tries to back up Hendricks with a right hand, but Hendricks would
have none of it and started swinging for the fences. From there,
Hendricks landed a solid knee, but Koscheck landed a clean takedown,
putting Hendricks on his back. For the duration of the round,
Hendricks worked from half guard to get back to his feet, but
Koscheck stayed busy grounding and pounding him.
The
judges scored the bout (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) for the winner,
Johny Hendricks. Hendricks was surprised that Koscheck never
really went down at all during the fight, but at the end of the
day, Hendricks admires Koscheck’s ability to march forward.
“That’s
one tough dude man,” Hendricks said post-fight. “I
hit him with everything I got and I did everything I could.
Hats off to goes to that dude, man; he’s a real fighter.”
Now
with victories over former no.1 welterweight contenders Jon Fitch
and Josh Koscheck, Hendricks believes he is next in line for
a shot at the title.
“Give
me that that title baby, I want to bring it home to Texas.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fox 3 Results: Nate Diaz Steam Rolls Jim Miller; Proclaims
Teammate True No. 1 Lightweight
Since returning to the lightweight division in 2011, Nate Diaz
hasn’t just been reborn. He’s become the Terminator.
A
mixed bag of results happened with Diaz both at lightweight and
during his brief stint at welterweight, but over his last few
fights, the Stockton, Calif. native has come into his own.
Once
known simply as the little brother of UFC welterweight Nick Diaz,
Nate has now blazed a path of his own, and he burned a fiery
trail through New Jersey on Saturday night as he put away native
son Jim Miller in his most impressive performance to date.
Coming
into the fight, Diaz admitted it was hard to be motivated to
face Miller, who was a nice guy and a very respectful martial
artist. He obviously found a way however because Diaz was at
his best during his UFC on Fox 3 bout against Miller, where he
dominated every aspect of the fight.
It
wasn’t even the typical Diaz style fight because he wasn’t
able to walk Miller down with jabs and trap him against the cage,
but he did blast away at his fellow lightweight with good strikes,
and showed off his power as he avoided takedowns every time they
were attempted.
Miller
tried as best he could to put pressure on Diaz and stay away
from his length, but with every step forward Diaz made him take
two steps back with punishing blows each and every time.
The
second round saw Miller finally try to scramble for a takedown,
but that was ultimately his undoing. Diaz was able to get an
arm under Miller’s chin and secure a power guillotine choke.
Diaz,
who just recently received his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
under trainer Cesar Gracie, showed off his grappling chops as
he locked up the maneuver and no matter where Miller rolled,
he wasn’t getting away.
With
the choke locked up tight, Miller had no choice but to give into
the submission, handing Diaz his third win in a row.
Following
what has to be considered the biggest win of his career, a humble
Nate Diaz didn’t talk about title shots, or who he wanted
next. He touted his good friend and teammate as the true top
155lb fighter in the world.
“I’m
trying to be No. 1 in this world,” said Diaz. “There’s
only one person above all of us and that’s Gilbert ‘El
Nino’ Melendez, the true world champion lightweight. He’s
fighting in two weeks against Josh Thomson.”
Melendez,
who has been a teammate of Diaz’s for several years, has
continued to battle for his place as the top lightweight in the
world despite not fighting in the UFC. If Diaz’s proclamation
means it anything, it certainly helped boost the upcoming Strikeforce
card that Melendez fights on in two weeks.
Meanwhile,
Jim Miller deals with a defeat, but more specifically the first
time he’s ever been finished in his 20+ career fights. It’s
a tough pill to swallow, but humility has never been a problem
for the hard working Miller family.
“He
had my number,” said Miller. “Nate is a tough fight.”
While
a guaranteed shot at the title seemed set in stone for Diaz,
the problem that arises with that is the timeline in which it
could conceivably happen. With champion Benson Henderson not
scheduled to face former champion Frankie Edgar until September
most likely, Diaz would have to sit out the majority of the rest
of the year if he was going to wait for a title shot.
What’s
more likely to happen is Diaz will rest and recover and then
face former WEC champion Anthony Pettis later this year to determine
the true No. 1 contender in the UFC lightweight division.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Viewpoint:
Forging an Identity
Watch
Nate Diaz compete in the Octagon, and it is nearly impossible
not to think of his brother: same lanky build, same fighting
style, same volatile demeanor. Until recently, that is where
the similarities ended. While Nick Diaz was busy establishing
himself as one of the top welterweights outside of the UFC over
the last few years, his younger sibling was struggling to find
an identity.
After
a successful beginning to his UFC career that saw him emerge
from “The Ultimate Fighter 5” with five consecutive
wins, Nate hit a rough patch. He would lose five of his next
eight bouts, often struggling when matched against suffocating
wrestlers. A brief run as a welterweight did little to alter
his fortunes. It was not until past September that he began to
step out from behind the considerable shadow of his brother.
A
one-sided thrashing of Takanori Gomi at UFC 135 marked Nate’s
return to 155 pounds and set the stage for his arrival as a serious
championship contender. By itself, it was little more than a
nice win against an opponent who had peaked during the heyday
of the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championships. However, Nate
was not done proving himself. In December, he overwhelmed Top
10 lightweight Donald Cerrone, shattering the promotional record
-- previously held by his brother -- for significant strikes
landed in a single bout.
His
transformation from talented kid brother to viable title contender
was completed in the UFC on Fox 3 main event on Saturday. In
front of national television audience, as well as plenty of Jim
Miller supporters at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J.,
Diaz became the first person to finish the AMA Fight Club representative.
By eliciting a tapout from Miller with a guillotine choke at
4:09 of round two, Nate accomplished what Frankie Edgar, Gray
Maynard and Benson Henderson could not.
That
Diaz was able to get the tough-as-nails New Jersey native to
submit is a testament to his rapid improvement. As recently as
April 2011 -- when he was getting suplexed into oblivion by Rory
MacDonald -- the Stockton, Calif., native looked nothing like
a man who was on the verge of a breakthrough. One moment illustrates
how far he has come since then: at the UFC on Fox 3 post-fight
press conference, UFC President Dana White was asked if Nate
was a fighting genius.
Nick
Diaz paved the way for his younger brother Nate.
“I think that the Diaz brothers both have a very unique
style,” White responded. “I’ll be sitting out
there with other fighters, and they’ll be, like, ‘God,
he looks slow’ or ‘They don’t look like they hit
hard.’ As soon as he said it, he dropped Miller. The Diaz
brothers have a very unique fighting style that is very effective
and unlike anybody else in the sport.”
White’s
comment demonstrates how difficult it can be to separate the
two brothers. Nick did not fight on Saturday, but when asked
specifically about the fighting prowess of the UFC on Fox 3 main
event winner, White could not help but mention the former Strikeforce
champion.
Perhaps
it is because Nick’s path to stardom is quite similar to
Nate’s. He joined the UFC in 2003 and won four of his first
five fights. However, consecutive losses to Diego Sanchez, Joe
Riggs and Sean Sherk had him firmly entrenched in the middle
of the promotion’s welterweight pack. Back then, Nick struggled
with same type of top control and pressure that would eventually
plague Nate.
Nick
left the UFC in late 2006 and evolved to a point where no particular
style could hinder his multi-faceted attack. Strikers could not
solve by his death-by-a-thousand-cuts punching style, while wrestlers
were wary of his dangerous guard. Nick returned to the Las Vegas-based
promotion in 2011 as the owner of a 10-fight unbeaten streak
and as one of the most feared welterweights in the world. In
less than six months, he was fighting for the interim 170-pound
title.
Now
it is Nate’s time to shine. His entertaining offense and
polarizing personality made him a perfect fit to market to the
casual UFC on Fox crowd. Miller was just the right type of opponent
-- an aggressive fighter capable of turning their bout into a
grinding affair that would neutralize Nate’s strengths.
Instead, the Cesar Gracie pupil beat Miller everywhere: from
distance, in the clinch and on the mat. At the end of the night,
Miller had a bloody nose, a swollen ankle and a new level of
respect for the first man to put him away.
“Nate
controlled the fight from bell to bell. He took the momentum
and never let me get any significant shots in there,” Miller
said. “He rearranged my nose a little bit and that always
sucks. He fought a beautiful fight and had my number.”
Others
are taking notice, as well. Former Bellator Fighting Championships
lightweight king Eddie Alvarez sat next to White at the event
and marveled at Nate’s finishing ability: of his 11 UFC
victories, nine have ended by submission or technical knockout.
Meanwhile, UFC champion Ben Henderson reflected on his potential
adversary’s formula for success from the UFC on Fuel TV
studio.
“He
mixes it up great. He takes his opponent’s will away from
them. At the end of the fight, they don't want to be there in
anymore,” Henderson said. “He does a lot of things
great, but more than anything else is his attitude. He is a fighter.
He wanted to fight. He makes it emotional.”
Nobody
would ever accuse a Diaz of not wanting to fight, but it appears
that Nate will now wait for his shot at the belt.
“I’m
down for whatever. Whatever they say, but [waiting] sounds great
for me,” said Diaz, typically a man of few words when it
comes to interviews.
Henderson
and Frankie Edgar are expected to rematch sometime in August
or September. Whoever comes out on top will have a formidable
obstacle in front of them. While Nate Diaz is still very much
the brother of Nick Diaz, he is now finally coming into his own.
Yet, in forging his own identity inside the cage, Nate is still
following his brother’s lead. Based on the results they
have both achieved, it is not a bad route to take.
Source: Sherdog |
UFC
on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller Results
UFC
on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller will take place Saturday, May 5 from
the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The promotion
returns to broadcast television for its third installment. A
top contender fight between lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller
is set to headline the card with top welterweights Josh Koscheck
vs. Johnny Hendricks as the co-headliner. Live results to the
event will be published live along with in-depth play-by-play
of main card bouts.
Main card
Lightweight
bout: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Nate Diaz defeats Jim Miller via submission (guillotine) –
Round 2, 0:51
Welterweight
bout: Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Johny Hendricks defeats Josh Koscheck via split-decision (29-28,
28-29, 29-28)
Middleweight
bout: Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher
Alan Belcher defeats Rousimar Palhares via TKO – Round 1,
4:18
Heavyweight
bout: Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson
Lavar Johnson def. Pat Barry via TKO (punches) – Round 1,
4:38
Preliminary card (Fuel TV)
Lightweight
bout: Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson defeats Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision
(30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Flyweight
bout: John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott
John Dodson defeats Tim Elliott via unanimous decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)
Welterweight
bout: John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss
John Hathaway defeats Pascal Krauss via unanimous decision (29-28,
30-27, 30-27)
Flyweight
bout: Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
Louis Gaudinot defeats John Lineker via submission (guillotine
choke) – Round 2, 4:54
Lightweight
bout: Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish
Danny Castillo defeats John Cholish via unanimous decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight
bout: Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza
Dennis Bermudez defeats Pablo Garza via unanimous decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary card
Bantamweight
bout: Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis
Roland Delorme defeats Nick Denis via submission (rear-naked
choke) -Round 1, 4:59
Middleweight
bout: Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola
Karlos Vemola defeats Mike Massenzio via submission (rear-naked
choke) – Round 2, 1:07
Source: MMA Fighting |
Mir:
‘He’s one of the most dangerous strikers I’ve
ever fought’
The
American Francisco Santos Miranda, known as Frank Mir, is excited
about his second chance at the title, which happens on May 26th,
against Junior dos Santos, in Las Vegas. On an exclusive interview
with TATAME, he talked about his expectations for fighting the
Brazilian and remind some important facts in his career and denies
his fame of being arrogant.
“Sometimes
I think people rather see a fighter saying ‘oh Jesus, I’m
so glad, I can’t believe I won, I’ve never been that
good, I’m not that good...”
Check
below the complete interview:
Were
you surprised to be chosen as the next contender at Junior’s
title replacing Overeem?
To
be honest, I wasn’t surprised at all. Obviously I heard
Dana’s version and in my mind I don’t think they’d
put another person instead of me to fight Junior dos Santos.
However, I thought that, maybe, Cigano wanted to wait until the
trial to understand if Overeem would be able to fight and, putting
it all together, I thought there would be a great chance I wouldn’t
fight for the title, but it never happened and here I am.
Were
were getting prepared to fight Cain Velasquez and now will have
at chance at the title. How does it change your prep and game
plan?
It
does change things a little, but not everything. I don’t
think I have to worry about Cain’s punches, because like
he knows Boxing I know takedowns and I can submitt opponents
on the floor. Junior dos Santos is always submitting people on
their feet and he’s a better boxer, but that’s all
he brings to this scenario. He may be good at Jiu-Jitsu, he can
be a great wrestler, but his strongest point is Boxing, so his
game plan is not to be on his punching zone so he won’t
find me. To me Velasquez was more deceiving because he might
try to knock you down like he did with Nogueira or he would be
able to take you down and submit you like a striker, like he’s
done with other fighters before.
Do
you think Junior dos Santos will try to revenge Nogueira’s
defeat when fighting you?
I
guess he’s only fighting me because I’m trying to take
that belt off him. I guess it means much more than trying to
revenge Nogueira’s loss to me. I know it would be nice for
him if he could win this fight and come back having revenged
his friend’s loss, but in the end of the say he will be
more focused on fighting me for his own reasons, afterall, he
wants to remain as the champion.
Do
you believe it’s the toughest fight in your career?
It’s
hard to say because I only started studying Dos Santos a week
ago. But I guess so. It’s our first fight and I guess he’s
one of the most dangerous strikers I’ve ever fought.
You
are a black belt gradutated by Sergio Penha. How did you guys
meet?
He’s
a great friend of mine and was the first guy to ever teach me
Jiu-Jitsu. I looked for his gym to try to learn the sport and
he was living in Las Vegas for a while.
After
becoming UFC champion you had to take a break due to a bike accident.
Even though you turned it around and started fighting again.
Do you remember that time?
I
remember trying to come back and overcome the injury and all
a fighter does is trying to deal with everyday’s obstacles.
I remember how I got my leg broken, it was a pretty ugly accident,
and I could only think about my healing process. Hard moments.
There were many fights on which I couldn’t really punch
the guys and I end up losing – if I was healthy I could
have a better performance. Most times I felt like if I had been
hit in the face, but I had the support and the guts to keep on
going. Now I’m going for my second title shot even after
I had my leg broken.
Have
you considered stop fighting for good?
Yeah.
When I returned to the octagon, the first fights I felt very
stressed out, especially because my family was going there and
watching me trying to get back in my feet – and it seems
I was able to keep on going because I was healed from the injuries.
To me it’s very important the father-husband role and it
comes first. So, since I was dedicating my life to fighting and
I didn’t have so much time to perform m other roles I really
focused on fighting. And I would’ve stopped if it wasn’t
my wife and my family backing me up.
Many
fans say you seem arrogant, mainly Brazilians. What do you think
about that?
I
guess they say it because I’m so self-confident. Sometimes
I think people rather see a fighter saying ‘oh Jesus, I’m
so glad, I can’t believe I won, I’ve never been that
good, I’m not that good’. I never had that kinda thought,
especially because I was always so focused in getting into the
octagon and compete. I fought many guys who think like that and
due to my self-confidence I get to their nerves. But those who
are arrogant can’t understand themselves, they think their
qualities are bigger than they really are. I, on the other hand,
am only confident about what I know I can really do.
Have
you been to Brazil? What are your thoughts?
Yes.
It’s very beautiful over there. I loved the weather, the
humidity, people were friendly, nice and it seemed like a family
giving their welcome to me. I loved the country and even told
my wife we could take the kids there someday.
If
you could say something to Junior dos Santos right now, what
would it be?
Nothing.
I guess we’re having our private chat on the octagon on
May 26th.
Source: Tatame |
UFC
on Fox 3 Results: Lavar Johnson Upsets Pat Barry with TKO Win
It
didn’t take long for the big boys at UFC on Fox 3 –
Lavar “Big” Johnson and Pat “HD” Barry –
to get to work. On this night, it was Johnson earning a first
round TKO victory in New Jersey.
When
the opening bell rang, Barry started working his patented leg
kicks on Johnson, but Johnson made it clear he didn’t want
to stay on the outside. Johnson immediately pushed forward and
clinched with Barry against the fence, throwing heavy leather.
Barry
broke out of the clinch and surprisingly shot for a takedown.
Johnson stuffed it, but lost position, Barry moving from full
mount to side control. Barry had the advantage grappling, but
Johnson got an underhook and worked back to his feet.
Johnson
felt another leg kick, but then fired off a kick of his own that
backed Barry up against the fence. From there, Johnson pressured
Barry against the cage with a barrage of punches. This time Barry
went down and looked out against the cage, as Johnson was awarded
the TKO victory at the 4:38 mark.
With
the win over Barry, Johnson moves his UFC record to an impressive
2-0 with both of his fights being finished in the first round.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fox 3 Results: Ultimate Fighter Veterans Steal the Show During
Fuel Prelims
A
group of Ultimate Fighter veterans shined during the UFC on Fox
3 prelims on Fuel TV, with two flyweight fights stealing the
show.
Tony
Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson
Michael
Johnson told MMAWeekly Radio prior to facing Tony Ferguson that
he believed the former Ultimate Fighter winner was talented,
but was also the product of a weaker season of the reality show
than the one he was on just two sessions earlier.
Johnson
backed up his claim with a very strong performance as he defeated
Ferguson to cap off the UFC on Fox 3 prelims on Fuel TV.
Showing
off his striking acumen, Johnson put Ferguson on his heels multiple
times throughout their 15-minute war, and showed his punching
power as he popped his fellow Ultimate Fighter alum right in
the mush without fear of reprival.
Johnson’s
footwork and hand speed kept Ferguson guessing and it appeared
he just couldn’t get his timing down because his normal
attack of moving forward with aggressive power wasn’t working
this time around.
The
judges agreed and gave Johnson the unanimous decision victory,
his second in a row. Meanwhile, Ferguson drops his first fight
since winning the 14th season of the reality show.
John
Dodson vs. Tim Elliott
For
his first bout after winning the Ultimate Fighter season 14,
John Dodson had no easy task in UFC newcomer Tim Elliott.
Some
said Elliott was just a late replacement, but to those in the
know, he was a tough as nails fighter who had just recently knocked
out former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver.
Elliott
showed why he belongs in the UFC’s flyweight division as
he was immediately gunning for Dodson and showing no fear attacking
the long time Team Greg Jackson fighter. Looking like the bigger
and taller fighter, Elliott pawed at Dodson with his jab and
kept the former TUF competitor backing up for much of the fight.
Where
Dodson excelled however were those moments when Elliott got too
aggressive or a little too fancy for his own good. Dodson cracked
Elliott with a number of jumping knees, and straight punches
that gave him the edge throughout the fight.
The
downside for Dodson was the loss of his left hand because it
appeared somewhere in the middle of the first round he broke
it, and that left him down one limb for much of the fight.
Still,
Dodson persevered and did enough to out point and avoid Elliot’s
unorthodox attacks to win a unanimous decision. John Dodson will
be a force in the UFC’s flyweight division, and probably
won’t have to wait long to be considered one of the top
contenders at 125lbs, while Tim Elliott showed he belongs in
the UFC and will match-up well with many of the top competitors
in the weight class.
John
Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss
In
a battle of two up and coming welterweights out of Europe, England’s
John Hathaway got the best of German Pascal Krauss by unanimous
decision.
Hathaway
bloodied up Krauss by the third round, but landed his biggest
shot of the night in the opening stanza. As Krauss slipped away
from a clinch, it was Hathaway who rocketed a knee straight up
the middle and connected flush with the chin of his opponent.
That
became a common theme throughout the night as Krauss just had
no answer to the knee strikes from Hathaway, who landed them
time and time again.
When
it was over, Krauss was wearing a mask of crimson and Hathaway
walked away with his sixth win in the UFC.
Louis
Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
The
flyweights are certainly doing their part to show UFC President
Dana White why it was a good idea to introduce the weight class
earlier this year.
The
latest sterling example of that happened on Saturday as Louis
Gaudinot defeated John Lineker by guillotine choke, but not before
an absolute slugfest happened first.
As
soon as the fight started, Gaudinot and Lineker abandoned all
game plans and instead employed the ‘Rock ‘em, Sock
‘em’ robot strategy. Both 125lbers were gunning for
a knockout and throwing hands as fast and as furiously as possible.
In
the second round, Lineker was able to back Gaudinot off with
some of his heavy punches, but after rushing in against the cage
the green-haired former Ultimate Fighter saw an opening.
Gaudinot
grabbed for a guillotine choke and as Lineker lifted him in the
air, you could see a smile creep across his face as he knew the
end was near.
“Once
I’m under the chin, they’re done,” said Gaudinot.
Done
he was as Lineker refused to tap, but instead went to sleep.
Gaudinot, now successful in his flyweight debut, showed once
again just how good the UFC’s newest division is capable
of being.
Danny
Castillo vs. John Cholish
Sometimes
when you match-up two fighters of the same discipline, it’s
like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going
to get.
Such
was the case with wrestler vs. wrestler when Danny Castillo met
New Jersey native John Cholish on Saturday night. With both fighters
coming from grappling roots, neither wanted to give up an inch
on the ground.
The
experience edge landed in Castillo’s corner however and
he seemed to know how to play the game a bit better than his
opponent. Castillo landed a couple of good takedowns, but it
looked like it was most for scoring purposes, not to put Cholish
on his back to do damage.
On
the feet, Castillo was a bit more crisp with his strikes and
a little quicker moving in and out while tagging Cholish.
When
it was all said and done, Castillo walked away with a victory,
his third in a row inside the Octagon.
Dennis
Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza
He
was seconds away from becoming the Ultimate Fighter season 14
champion, but Dennis Bermudez came up just short after a comeback
of epic proportions courtesy of former housemate Diego Brandao.
For
his first fight since the show ended, Bermudez wanted to leave
nothing to chance this time so he put on a methodical and explosive
performance to defeat Pablo Garza at UFC on Fox 3 Saturday night.
Bermudez
literally tossed Garza around the cage at will landing all of
his takedown attempts, while also throwing his opponent like
a rag doll. The powerful wrestler unleashed powerful strikes,
and outside of a series of upkicks in the first round that dazed
Bermudez, Garza just had no answers.
Slam
after slam just put Garza down and by round three it may have
broken his will a bit as Bermudez’s dominance just overwhelmed
him. The judges saw the fight the same way and gave Bermudez
the unanimous decision victory.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fox 3 Results: Facebook Prelims Result in Two Comeback Finishes
A
pair of come from behind victories kicked off the UFC on Fox
3 card on Facebook with two exhilarating finishes to start the
show.
Nick
Denis vs. Roland Delorme
Don’t
call it a comeback…
Apparently,
Roland Delorme has been listening to his L.L. Cool J because
just when it looked like hew as down and out against fellow Canadian
Nick Denis, he came back with a vengeance to get a late first
round submission.
As
the fight started, Denis came out like a storm once again landing
a barrage of strikes, most notably a knee strike that blasted
Delorme right on the side of his head. Denis followed up with
a big right hand, and looked to finish but Delorme somehow kept
his composure and was able to battle back.
With
time ticking away in the first round, Delorme opened up with
his own boxing and connected with a series of big punches that
put Denis on his heels. Once they got in the clinch, Delorme
finally got Denis to the ground where he was able to apply his
ground game.
Delorme
wrapped up a rear naked choke with less than 10 seconds remaining,
and the vice grip wasn’t getting any looser so with one
second to go, Denis tapped out.
Despite
almost being finished in the early part of the fight, there was
no giving up for Roland Delorme who now moves to 2-0 inside the
Octagon.
“I
never quit,” said Delorme after the come from behind victory.
“Whether it’s 1 second or two rounds left, I never
quit.”
Karlos
Vemola vs. Mike Massenzio
When
Karlos Vemola made his UFC debut he came in as a heavyweight
and now three fights later he’s down to 185lbs and it looks
like he may have found his permanent home.
Taking
on New Jersey native Mike Massenzio, Vemola looked like a completely
different fighter with a slimmed down frame but still a lot of
power behind every punch and move he made in the Octagon.
Massenzio
didn’t back down in the early going though, connecting with
solid punches and using his dominant wrestling to take control
As
the 2nd round began though, Vemola was on the attack and once
he got Massenzio turtled up after looking for a Peruvian necktie,
the fight was all but over. Vemola spun around to take Massenzio’s
back and blasted away with heavy left hands.
Seeing
his opponent in trouble, Vemola quickly sunk in a rear naked
choke and squeezed like an anaconda to choke the life out of
Massenzio. It didn’t take long for Massenzio to realize
it was either tap or go to sleep, so he signaled the end of the
fight giving Karlos Vemola a successful debut at 185lbs.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fox 3 Live Results & Play-by-Play
Izod Center,
East Rutherford, N.J
May 5, 2012
Karlos
Vemola vs. Mike Massenzio
Round
1
Vemola rushes with punches on Massenzio, who drops for a single-leg
takedown but can’t get it. Massenzio shoots again and Vemola
grabs a front headlock, loses it, and they clinch on the fence
briefly. Vemola lands a hard inside leg kick and ties up again,
only to be met by a knee from Massenzio. Now it’s Massenzio
stringing together punches as he backs Vemola into the fence.
Vemola grabs another guillotine and pulls guard to try and finish.
Massenzio looks to be in trouble momentarily but extracts his
head and works to pass half-guard on Vemola’s right side
with two minutes left in the round. Vemola scrambles up, takes
a knee on his way. Massenzio scores with more stiff punches that
send Vemola shooting, and now it’s Massenzio trying a guillotine.
He gives it up for side control with just under a minute to go.
Massenzio tries a north-south choke but Vemola rolls out and
gets to his feet. Vemola misses with some arm punches but scores
a big slam takedown just before the horn.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Massenzio
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Massenzio
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Massenzio
Round
2
Massenzio immediately zaps Vemola with a combination and Vemola
wants to bring this to the ground. He manages to get Massenzio
down at the base of the fence and looks for a choke from the
front. Vemola spins to back control and softens up Massenzio
with punches before latching on a rear-naked choke with no hooks.
It’s deep and Massenzio taps out at 1:07 of the second round,
giving Karlos Vemola the win in his middleweight debut.
Roland
Delorme vs. Nick Denis
Round
1
Denis comes out throwing hands but Delorme quickly ties up and
tries to trip him to the ground. Denis stays vertical and begins
punishing Delorme with stiff punches in the pocket. Delorme goes
to his back and grabs for an armbar, but Denis slams loose and
punishes with some ground-and-pound. Delorme drives forward on
a single-leg, putting Denis on the fence and switching to double
underhooks. They disengage and Denis goes back to popping Delorme
with straight right hands. Delorme is on wobbly legs as Denis
keeps the pressure on with knees to the body and head. Ref Keith
Peterson is hovering nearby as Delorme struggles to stay on his
feet. Denis gets a rear waistlock but Delorme goes down willingly
before Denis can slam him. Delorme tries to stay active off his
back but Denis wants him back on the feet. Delorme connects with
a left hook, an inside leg kick and another left, and now it’s
Denis moving backward with 40 seconds left. Delorme gets a trip
takedown along the cage with 20 seconds to go and moves into
full mount. He catches Denis trying to escape and locks on a
rear-naked choke, and Denis taps with just one second left on
the clock. Roland Delorme gets the comeback victory at 4:59 of
the first round.
Pablo
Garzavs. Dennis Bermudez
Round
1
Bermudez misses with a wild overhand right and comes in behind
it for a takedown. Garza grabs a guillotine on his way down,
but Bermudez gets a headlock of his own as they scramble back
to their feet. Bermudez lets it go and takes a couple knees to
the body before he can press the taller man into the fence with
an underhook. Garza goes for a ride and Bermudez finishes the
slam in side control. Garza throws up his legs for a reverse
triangle choke, but he can’t find the angle and Bermudez
pops loose. Bermudez works from Garza’s closed guard now.
Bermudez gets off some ground-and-pound before posturing up and
eating a couple big upkicks from Garza, one of which appeared
to land while Bermudez had his knees on the canvas. Garza throws
up another triangle, can’t get it. Bermudez stays busy with
punches on the floor until Garza works his way back up with 50
seconds left. Bermudez gets another high single-leg and hurls
Garza to the ground, finishing the frame on top.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Round
2
Bermudez ties up right away, pressing Garza into the cage while“The
Scarecrow” tries to counter with knees to his smaller opponent.
Bermudez slams Garza down again and gets wrapped up in closed
guard. Bermudez postures up again, this time dodging Garza’s
upkicks as he looks to pass. Garza puts him back in closed guard
but Bermudez sits up to get some good power behind his punches.
Garza throws elbows off his back as the pace slows a bit. Bermudez
gives him some elbows in return as he scoots Garza into the cage.
Garza pushes Bermudez away and gets to his feet, but Bermudez
hurls him down again seconds later. Garza wraps up from underneath
until he can get back to his feet. Bermudez clinches him into
the cage and trips him down just before the horn.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Bermudez
Round
3
Bermudez comes out throwing hands and tries a jumping knee, but
it doesn’t get anywhere near Garza’s chin. Garza throws
up a triangle as he’s taken down again, can’t get anything
on it and winds up with Bermudez in his full guard again. Bermudez
stands and stacks up, dodges an upkick and moves to half-guard
on Garza’s right side. Garza regains full guard, throws
some elbows from the bottom while he swings his legs up, hunting
for a submission. Referee Kevin Mulhall wants the featherweights
back on their feet with 2:30 left in the round. Bermudez has
Garza down with a single-leg within 10 seconds. He lets Garza
back up, takes him down again and nearly takes his back. Instead,
Bermudez winds up in Garza’s guard again. He stands and
dives back down, nearly moving to side control. Bermudez catches
Garza sleeping and hops into full mount, where he begins dropping
punches until Garza turns over. Bermudez is working for a rear-naked
choke with 30 seconds left, but his back is to the fence and
he doesn’t have a lot of space to work. Garza defends with
two-on-one, not letting the arm under his throat, and he survives
to hear the final horn.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Bermudez (30-27 Bermudez)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Bermudez (30-27 Bermudez)
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Bermudez (30-27 Bermudez)
Official
result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for the winner
by unanimous decision, Dennis Bermudez.
John
Cholish vs. Danny Castillo
Round
1
Cholish takes the outside, cutting angles and dipping in on Castillo,
who looks to pump his jab. After 45 seconds, Cholish comes in
to tie up and gets pushed into the fence. Castillo can’t
get an angle for the takedown and they break off. Cholish whiffs
on a switch kick and falls to his posterior, and Castillo tries
to capitalize with a guillotine. It doesn’t go and Cholish
gets back to his feet to push Castillo into the cage. Castillo
reverses and drills Cholish with a knee to the gut, causing Cholish
to try a trip. Castillo stays upright and they split midway through
the round. Both men are feinting strikes but neither is throwing
much and the round is still very much up for grabs with 90 seconds
left. Castillo scores with a nice hook in the clinch; Cholish
gets some space and paws with his jab. Castillo comes in behind
a right hand, lands a knee to the body and gets Cholish to the
ground for a split-second. Cholish hops back up and the lightweights
exchange leg kicks in the closing seconds.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Castillo
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Castillo
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Cholish
Round
2
Cholish hits a takedown 30 seconds into round two. Castillo is
immediately busy off his back with elbows, and he’s back
on his feet a few seconds later. Cholish continues to circle
the perimeter while Castillo hunts for big punches, finding a
home for his straight right. Cholish ducks the next right hand
and brings Castillo down, but they’re quickly back up. Boos
begin to rain down from the New Jersey crowd as the fight hits
the midway point. Cholish shoots and gets caught in a headlock;
he extracts himself and gets back up with 90 seconds left in
the round. Cholish is looking to stick and move with his single
jabs but Castillo’s punches seem to be landing harder and
with more frequency. Castillo ducks a punch and slams Cholish
to the ground hard before the horn.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Castillo
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Castillo
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Castillo
Round
3
Castillo gets a takedown but can’t hold Cholish there, defending
against a guillotine as Cholish tries to get back to his feet.
Cholish rolls for a leglock now, but Castillo gets his limb free
and puts Cholish’s back against the fence. Cholish stands
and Castillo keeps on the pressure for a few seconds. They split
and Cholish starts getting busy with his jab as he switches back
and forth between stances. Castillo is coming up short on his
punches now, though they still look to have some zip behind them.
Cholish peppers with the jab, waiting for Castillo to wade into
the pocket before throwing a rare combination. Castillo throws
one to the body. Cholish comes inside, faking a clinch and instead
dropping for a last-ditch leglock. Castillo isn’t having
it and he finishes the fight in top position.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Castillo (30-27 Castillo)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Castillo (30-27 Castillo)
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Castillo (29-28 Castillo)
Official
result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for the winner
by unanimous decision, Danny Castillo.
Louis
Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
Round
1
It’s a flurry of activity in the opening seconds with both
flyweights standing in the pocket and bombing away. Lineker scores
with punches to the body and inside leg kicks, and he’s
beginning to find his range with blistering hooks to the face
of the American. Gaudinot’s long green hair has come undone
and is completely covering his face less than halfway into the
first round. Lineker keeps coming forward, throwing tight combinations
to the body and head while mixing in leg kicks. Gaudinot tries
to push forward and walks into another storm of punches. With
90 seconds left in the round, Gaudinot brings Lineker down and
gets a respite from the strikes. It doesn’t last long, however,
as Lineker gets active with horizontal elbows from his back.
Gaudinot retaliates with some ground-and-pound and Lineker rolls
underneath for a heel hook. It’s deep, but Gaudinot is in
a good position to extract his leg with his back against the
fence. Gaudinot tries to close out the frame pounding from side
control but Lineker gets to his feet before the end.
Mike
Fridley scores the round 10-9 Lineker
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Lineker
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Lineker
Round
2
Gaudinot emerges for round two with his hair partially tied back
up, at least enough that it won’t obscure his vision as
badly as it did in the first frame. Gaudinot is pushing the pace
now, staying busy with punching combos and high kicks. Lineker
slugs him with a heavy left hand, then comes forward and unleashes
a barrage of hooks and uppercuts against the fence. Gaudinot
presses Lineker into the cage to slow the Brazilian’s momentum,
but Lineker breaks out and walks him down. Big uppercuts and
hooks to the body from Lineker, now a knee to the breadbasket,
and Gaudinot replies with a spinning backfist which grazes. Gaudinot
drives on a takedown and puts Lineker at the base of the fence.
Gaudinot drops elbows from the open guard of Lineker. The American
complains to ref Keith Peterson that Lineker is hitting him on
the back of the head; Peterson tells him the strikes were connecting
on the top of the head. Lineker rolls under for another leglock
attempt, but he gets caught and eats some peppering left hands
from Gaudinot, then a few elbows. Lineker shoves Gaudinot away
and tries to stand, and Gaudinot charges forward to grab a guillotine.
Gaudinot jumps guard to finish and the choke looks very deep.
Lineker tilts over to his side and referee Peterson recognizes
that the Brazilian has gone out cold. The technical submission
finish comes officially at 4:54 of the second round.
Pascal
Krauss vs. John Hathaway
Round
1
Hathaway takes the outside, trying to back Krauss away with a
push kick. Krauss goes low, Hathaway scores with a big knee and
takes top position on Krauss, with “Panzer” keeping
a tight open guard. Hathaway stacks up with a few punches, tries
to pass but can’t advance. Hathaway lets him back up and
measures another takedown. He can’t get it, and Kraus instead
puts Hathaway on his back with 45 seconds to go in the round.
Hathaway stays active with elbows from his back while Krauss
works to pass to side control with punches.
Mike
Fridley scores the round 10-9 Hathaway
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hathaway
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hathaway
Round
2
Hathaway puts Krauss on the ground less than 30 seconds into
the frame and flattens him out from open guard. The Englishman
keeps the punches coming as he works to advance past half-guard,
but he stalls out with Krauss’ left side flush to the fence.
A hard right hand finds Krauss’ face as he tries to sit
up. Krauss gets back to his feet, takes a right hand from Hathaway
and replies with a left of his own. Inside leg kick from Hathaway
and Krauss tries to push him into the fence, to no avail. Hathaway
comes over the top with a right hand but Krauss pushes for a
single-leg on the cage.
Mike
Fridley scores the round 10-9 Krauss
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hathaway
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hathaway
Round
3
Krauss is finding his distance with some good shots in the third
frame until Hathaway puts him on the floor with another single-leg.
Hathaway takes a knee in Krauss’ open guard and puts some
middling punches on his man’s face and body. Hathaway frames
up a choke, can’t find it and lets Krauss to his feet. Krauss
leaps in with a flying knee that misses. They trade swiping punches
and Hathaway gives Krauss a grin. Body-head combination from
Hathaway, then a glancing left hand over the top. A spinning
back-fist lands flush for Hathaway, but it doesn’t have
a lot behind it. Leaping knee from Hathaway connects and Krauss
pushes him into the cage, working for a last-minute takedown
as the fight enters its final 30 seconds. Hathaway turns away
and cracks the already-bloodied nose of Krauss with a hard knee.
A left hook catches Krauss behind the ear. Hathaway misses with
a jumping knee but the punch behind it connects.
Mike
Fridley scores the round 10-9 Hathaway (29-28 Hathaway)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hathaway (30-27 Hathaway)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hathaway (30-27 Hathaway)
Official
result: The judges score it 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 for the winner
by unanimous decision, John Hathaway.
John
Dodson vs. Timothy Elliott
Round
1
Elliott comes out flashing some spinning kicks, none of which
connects. He latches onto Dodson’s left leg and tries to
drag him down, but “The Magician” stays upright and
gets some space from his taller opponent. Elliott gets sloppy
while rushing forward with a combination and nearly has his back
taken in a scramble. Dodson is sidestepping punches from Elliott
and countering with a nice right hook, and now the Greg Jackson
charge starts mixing in combinations. Elliott is crouching low,
bombing overhand strikes. He throws a body kick which Dodson
catches and uses to trip Elliott down. Elliott throws his legs
up for an armbar and Dodson lets him back up. Dodson misses with
a flying knee, connects with the right hand behind it, but Elliott
keeps pushing forward. With 45 seconds left in the round, Elliott
takes a finger in the eye and ref Keith Peterson calls for the
doctor. Elliott tells the physician he can see and the fight
continues. More wild punches from Elliott and Dodson lights him
up with a hard combination.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Dodson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dodson
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Dodson
Round
2
Elliott, still looking like he’s having difficulty with
his left eye, tries a cartwheel kick early in the second frame.
Dodson stays out of the way and jumps in with a knee. Elliott
lands an overhand left but gets tagged with a counter as he continues
pressing forward. Dodson lands a good combo to the body, finishing
off with a leg kick. Elliott replies with an outside leg kick,
misses with the right hand. Left hand scores for Elliott but
Dodson comes cleaner with the right hand counter. Dodson feints
right hooks, steps in with a knee to the body. Elliott wants
the big left hand but Dodson is doing well to stay out of the
way with two minutes remaining. Elliott tries some more wild
kicks, then a single-leg; Dodson escapes again. Dodson steps
off with a hard right hook, takes a grazing left from Elliott,
and then catches Elliott below the belt with a low punch. Elliott
quickly recovers and Dodson slams him to the ground with 30 seconds
left. Elliott gets right back up and attacks with knees in the
clinch, then finishes the round with more flailing arm-punches.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Dodson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Dodson
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Dodson
Round
3
Dodson gets hold of Elliott during an exchange and hurls him
to the ground. Elliott pops back up, comes forward with more
strikes and takes a counter elbow in the mush. Dodson is mixing
in low kicks as he sidesteps around the outside to move away
from the attacking Elliott. A nice left hand scores for Elliott.
Dodson ducks the next one but Elliott throws a straight that
lands. Elliott looks to be taking control as he stuffs a takedown
from Dodson with half the round remaining. Dodson thuds a kick
to the body and shuts down a single-leg. Elliott lands another
left; Dodson retaliates with a grazing right hook and a step-in
knee. Leg kicks on the inside and outside from Dodson now, and
Elliott snaps his head back with a right hand. Elliott catches
a kick from Dodson and swarms the smaller man with punches against
the fence, but he lets Dodson out. Elliott catches another kick
from Dodson and scores with more punches over the top. Dodson
closes out the bout with a jumping knee that connects to Elliott’s
body.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Elliott (29-28 Dodson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Elliott (29-28 Dodson)
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Elliott (29-28 Dodson)
Official
result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner
by unanimous decision, John Dodson.
Michael
Johnson vs. Tony Ferguson
Round
1
There’s not much offense of note between the lightweights
in the opening 90 seconds, though both are throwing and trying
to gauge the range with combinations and high kicks. Ferguson
slips on a kick, stands back up and misses with a big uppercut
as he tries to catch Johnson coming inside. Johnson lands a kick
to the body then rushes forward and drops Ferguson with an overhand
left. Ferguson stands and recovers, but Johnson tags him with
another left and an outside leg kick. A slapping head kick finds
its mark for Johnson and Ferguson fakes a single-leg shot. Johnson
is doing well to stay out of the way of the taller Ferguson’s
strikes, much to the displeasure of the crowd. Another left hand
and a body kick from Johnson, and he adds some outside leg kicks
as he circles away. Ferguson swarms with a body kicks and punches
against the cage just before the horn.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Ferguson
Round
2
It’s another tentative start to the second round with both
men throwing but neither landing big in the first minute and
a half. Ferguson begins to string together some leg kicks, comes
inside with a nice uppercut and gets countered by a Johnson left.
Another big left from Johnson snaps Ferguson’s head back
with two minutes left in the round. Ferguson tries to establish
his jab while Johnson keeps throwing power shots which mostly
miss. Ferguson snaps off a good right hand and steps out of the
way of Johnson’s counter. Johnson puts his head down to
throw and takes a combo from Ferguson. Flying knee misses for
Johnson and Ferguson snuffs out a takedown attempt soon after.
Ferguson misses with a spinning back-fist at the end of the period.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Johnson
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Ferguson
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Ferguson
Round
3
The lightweights come out firing this time, straight inside with
combinations, though neither lands anything clean. Johnson catches
a kick but can’t capitalize. He catches another and Ferguson
spins out of the way of Johnson’s follow-up strikes. Johnson
throws punches in bunches when Ferguson steps into his range.
A right hook buckles the legs of Johnson, but he doesn’t
go down. Ferguson digs a right hand to the breadbasket of Johnson,
who circles away and scores with another left hand up top. Ferguson
lands an outside leg kick but eats another left for his trouble.
Johnson misses wide with a high kick, scores with a left hand
to the chest. Another left to the face sends Ferguson backward.
Johnson tries to follow up but finds air. One minute to go now
and Johnson tries to bring the fight to the floor. Ferguson stuffs
it, takes another right hand and blocks a flying knee. Johnson
socks Ferguson with the left hand two, three, four more times
in the closing seconds of the round.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Johnson (30-27 Johnson)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Johnson)
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Johnson (29-28 Ferguson)
Official
result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for the winner
by unanimous decision, Michael Johnson.
Lavar
Johnson vs. Pat Barry
Round
1
Johnson lands a short left hand and Barry counters with a leg
kick inside. Johnson pushes him into the cage and Barry comes
off with a head kick. Barry scores with another hard leg kick
and again Johnson ties up. Hard knees scoring inside for Johnson
as he works Barry on the fence. Barry drives forward for a takedown
and gets sprawled on by Johnson, but Barry stays on it takes
full mount. He gives up mount for side control on Johnson’s
left side and leans across to the right, staying heavy on top.
Barry cranks a keylock on Johnson’s right arm and Johnson’s
face says it’s tight. Barry gives it up but keeps side control
with two minutes left in the round. He drops some elbows and
short punches on Johnson, who tries to throw knees to the body
from his back. Knee-on-belly for Barry now and Johnson scrambles
to his feet. The big men resume throwing and Johnson hurts Barry
with a knee and a head kick. Johnson is teeing off with punches
against the fence and Barry is offering nothing in return with
30 seconds left on the clock. Barry finally goes down and referee
Dan Miragliotta steps in to rescue him from any further punishment
at 4:38 of the opening round.
Rousimar
Palhares vs. Alan Belcher
Round
1
Palhares stands outside with Belcher pumping his jab from the
center. Toquinho pushes Belcher away with a front kick but Belcher
keeps sticking the jab in Palhares’ face, just out of range.
Palhares drops for a leg and Belcher gets tangled up. He’s
got Palhares’ left leg trapped between his own legs and
is working to isolate the Brazilian’s arms. Now Belcher
has the right arm of Palhares trapped, making a very awkward
position, but Palhares seems unconcerned. Belcher tries to take
Palhares’ back and Palhares rolls through for a heel hook.
Belcher rolls on top but Palhares keeps hold of the leg, adjusting
for a heel hook or a toe hold. They’re all tangled up in
the center of the cage now, with neither man in position to finish.
Palhares has Belcher’s right foot under his right arm but
Belcher again twists loose and extracts the limb. Belcher is
out of trouble for the moment as he sits in Palhares’ open
guard. Palhares throws up his legs for an armbar that doesn’t
go. Belcher slugs the Brazilian with a couple hard right hands
and stacks up. Belcher is unloading with punches and elbows and
Palhares isn’t giving anything back. Ref Dan Miragliotta
is watching closely from inches away, and he decides Palhares
isn’t doing enough to continue. Alan Belcher gets the TKO
victory at 4:18 of round one.
Josh
Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks
Round
1
Koscheck opens with a push kick; Hendricks goes high and has
one deflect off Kos’ shoulder. Hendricks misses with a left
over the top and Koscheck counters with a right. Koscheck walks
Hendricks into the fence and unloads with a pair of right hands,
misses with a head kick. More right hands from Koscheck and Hendricks
circles away clockwise. Hendricks slugs back with an uppercut,
takes another right from Koscheck for the effort. Koscheck easily
denies a shot from Hendricks, who pushes forward again and drags
Koscheck down at the base of the fence. Koscheck is warned not
to grab the fence by ref Kevin Mulhall as Hendricks tries to
tenderize his thighs with knee strikes. There’s not enough
going on and ref Mulhall splits them up with just over two minutes
left in the opening round. Hendricks swings a left-handed haymaker,
misses and takes a right from Koscheck. Another takedown try
from Hendricks is shut down by Koscheck, who puts Hendricks on
the cage and socks him with more heavy shots. Koscheck ducks
a right hand, then a left and snipes back with a right hook.
Heavy body kick lands for Koscheck but he misses with the spinning
back-fist behind it.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Koscheck
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Koscheck
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Koscheck
Round
2
Hendricks is coming up short on his punches and he rushes Koscheck
into the fence. Koscheck turns the corner and takes Hendricks’back.
Hendricks is kneeling at the base of the cage while Koscheck
tries to sink a hook in. Kos can’t find the space and Hendricks
gets back to his feet. Double-leg from Hendricks puts Koscheck
down, but the AKA product gets to his knees and they stall out.
Hendricks stays glued to Koscheck’s back as they rise to
their feet, kneeing Koscheck’s thighs. Ref Mulhall splits
them up again with two minutes to go. Koscheck misses with a
big right hand and Hendricks misses with a left. An uppercut
and a left score for Hendricks and they tie up on the fence again.
They break off. Koscheck has a high kick blocked and Hendricks
tags him with an uppercut. Hendricks misses with a right uppercut,
drives the follow-up left into Koscheck’s solar plexus.
A left hand lands for Hendricks and he finishes the round working
for a single-leg on the fence.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Hendricks
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hendricks
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Hendricks
Round
3
Hendricks misses with a sweeping left, slaps the body of Koscheck
with a kick. Hendricks is looking for the homerun shot while
Koscheck stays out of range. Koscheck ducks a punch and tries
a single-leg, switches to a waistlock and presses Hendricks into
the cage. Hendricks lands a short elbow and shrugs, unable to
do much with the position, and ref Mulhall breaks them up. They’re
swinging wild, both men landing big shots in the pocket. Hendricks
gets the better of the exchange with a murderous left hook, but
now Koscheck comes forward to pin Hendricks on the fence. Hendricks
gets double underhooks and reverses the position but doesn’t
stay there long, as Mulhall splits them again. Two minutes to
go now and Koscheck is walking Hendricks down. Hendricks lands
a knee that sends Koscheck shooting for and finally completing
a takedown. Kos is framing up an arm-triangle choke from half-guard,
working to extract his left leg from half-guard. He gets the
leg free, but Hendricks denies the pass and keeps Koscheck in
half. Down the final minute now and Koscheck is heavy on top,
throwing punches to the body and head of Hendricks, who’s
just wrapping up from the bottom.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Koscheck (29-28 Koscheck)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hendricks (29-28 Hendricks)
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Koscheck (29-28 Koscheck)
Official
result: One judge scores the bout 29-28 Hendricks, while a seconds
scores it 29-28 Koscheck. The third and final judge scores the
bout 29-28 for the winner by split decision, Johny Hendricks.
Nate
Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Round
1
No touch of gloves between the lightweights and the main event
is underway. Miller throws a leg kick first and Diaz swipes with
long right hooks. Diaz gets the Thai plum but gets shoved into
the fence by Miller with an underhook. Miller sends a right hand
over the top, a knee to the thigh as Diaz tries to work out of
the situation. Miller slips throwing a knee and Diaz breaks away.
Diaz throws a straight right and Miller counters with an outside
leg kick. A solid left connects for Diaz, then a right. They
trade right hands, Diaz tries to clinch and Miller steps away.
Underhooks for Miller now and he shoves Diaz into the cage again.
Miller changes to a single-leg, socks Diaz with a short left.
He lets go and Diaz grabs a front headlock, throws a knee. They
break off and Diaz starts pouring on the slapping shots, then
drops Miller with a straight left. Diaz tries to take the back
of the kneeling Miller, but Miller almost takes Diaz’s back
instead. They finish with a scramble and Diaz stays on top. Miller’s
nose is bloodied as he walks back to his corner.
TJ
De Santis scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Lutfi Sariahmed scores the round 10-9 Diaz
Round
2
Outside leg kick lands for Miller and then a short right over
the top. They clinch up and Diaz pushes the New Jerseyan into
the fence, with Miller throwing knees up the middle and Diaz
punching to the body. Diaz sticks a jab, ducks a punch and ties
up with Miller again. Diaz lures Miller in by dropping his hands
and counters a combination with a nice right. Solid knees in
the clinch from Diaz and now he taunts Miller into throwing a
flying knee. He walks Miller down, throwing up his hands before
pushing Miller into the cage. Diaz scores a few knees and Miller
drops to a knee to avoid any more. Miller stands back up and
rips a wobbly punch. Diaz is just mocking Miller now, throwing
a lazy front kick while walking him into the fence. Miller drives
forward for a takedown and Diaz snares him with a modified guillotine
choke. The arm is in but Diaz has it deep. Miller spits out his
mouthguard, but it’s not enough; his tongue is gruesomely
sticking out of his bloodied mouth and he’s got no choice
but to tap. Nate Diaz becomes the first man to finish Jim Miller
at 4:09 of the second round.
Source: Sherdog
|
Vendetta 4
Friday May 18
Waipahu Filcom Center
Doors Open at 6:00
Source: Derrick Bright
|
Scrappler's
Fest is Set for May 19!
Kauai's premier BJJ and Submission Grappling tournament.
Scrappler's Fest
Island School, Lihue, Kauai
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Kids start at 10AM
Island School (behind Kauai Community College)
Weigh ins - Friday, May 18
Registration fees:
$45 Women and kids
$65 Men
Late registration (registration on Saturday)
$10 extra
Start preparing your team and start saving up for the trip to
compete against Kauai's best grapplers from Kauai Technical Institute
(KTI), Powerhouse, Longman, New Breed, Kamole, amongst others.
|
Toughman
Hawaii Presents; King Of The Ring
Edith Kanakaole
Tennis Stadium, Hilo, Hawaii
May 26, 2012
|
HECTOR
LOMBARD COULD BE FAST-TRACKED TO TITLE SHOT WITH WIN OVER BRIAN
STANN
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
NEW
YORK -- The stakes for Hector Lombard's debut have just gone
up significantly.
The
Cuban-born fighter was recently signed to the UFC and announced
as Brian Stann's opponent for the UFC on FOX 4 show in August.
His debut comes against a top 10 middleweight for a very specific
reason. If he wins, he'll likely vault to the front of the line
and become the middleweight division's top contender, UFC president
Dana White said.
"Yeah,
it would make sense," White said on Thursday from the Beacon
Theatre after a UFC on FOX 3 press conference. "The guy
has won, I think it’s 25 fights in a row or something like
that. If he comes right into the UFC, main events and knocks
out Stann, it makes sense."
Stann
could move into such a position so quickly particularly if current
champ Anderson Silva beats Chael Sonnen for a second time when
the true square off at UFC 148 in July. Silva has already beaten
several top middleweights, including Sonnen, Vitor Belfort and
Yushin Okami, so Lombard would offer a fresh challenger.
Lombard
is 31-2-1 with 1 no contest in his career, and hasn't tasted
defeat since a November 2006 split decision loss to Gegard Mousasi.
In fact both of his career losses have come in close split decisions
(the other is to Akihiro Gono).
Though
some have been critical of his list of opponents, there's no
arguing with the results, as Lombard has finished 24 of his 31
wins. His last fight came in November, when he knocked out veteran
Trevor Prangley in the second round of their Bellator 58 fight.
Lombard
was the reigning champion of Bellator's middleweight division
when his contract expired.
The
UFC had previously tried to sign Lombard to their roster, but
that deal in the fall of 2007 came undone due to visa issues.
Ironically,
if Lombard catapults to a title shot in only his second fight,
he will pull off the same trick done by Silva in 2006 when he
beat Chris Leben to advance to a championship bout with Rich
Franklin.
While
Lombard comes in on an impressive run, Silva boasts the longest
winning streak in UFC history, having won 14 straight.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
‘Old
Man’ Akihiro Gono Ready to Pull Off Major Upset by Beating
Michael Chandler
by Damon
Martin
When
Bellator Fighting Championships was looking for an opponent for
new lightweight champion Michael Chandler, the list was long.
Soon
enough, however, it got whittled down to one because no one was
jumping at the chance to face Chandler after his “Fight
of the Year” performance over former champ Eddie Alvarez.
The
one name that accepted the fight, without hesitation: former
UFC and Pride fighter Akihiro Gono.
A
mainstay of the Japanese fight scene for more than 15 years,
Gono is a veteran fighter who has faced some of the stiffest
competition anyone could throw at him and when Michael Chandler’s
name was attached to his next bout, there really wasn’t
much thought into what to say.
Gono
just said yes.
“I
have never rejected any fight offer,” Gono told MMAWeekly.com.
“Now, I understand why a veteran, perhaps an old man like
myself, was chosen to fight Chandler.”
Gono’s
manager, Shu Hirata from Suckerpunch Entertainment, said the
fight was a no-brainer for the 37-year-old veteran of nearly
50 professional fights. The opportunity was great, and with no
risk comes no reward.
“We’ve
been looking for an opportunities outside Japan for maybe about
a year or so. There were a few possibilities, but none of them
were quite right for him at the moment. Then the offer from Bellator
actually came in the day before his last fight (vs. Daisuke Nakamura).
So I spoke to him the day after that fight and he basically said,
‘I have no injury whatsoever, healthy as ever, so I would
like to fight.’ Really, it took less than two minutes to
accept the offer to fight Michael Chandler,” Hirata told
MMAWeekly.com.
“Gono
is one of the smartest individuals I ever met and he has an ability
to look at the entire situation in an objective manner. So he
knows his place in the business, where he is at in terms of his
career. And that means he knows this is more than just an opportunity.
It maybe the chance of a lifetime. He can turn everything around
with one punch, so to speak. So I am sure he would do whatever
it takes to create, perhaps, one of the biggest upsets in the
history of MMA on this Friday night.”
Despite
his relative youth when it comes to experience level, Chandler
has looked like an unstoppable force throughout his career thus
far. Already a high level wrestler, Chandler has added heavy
hands and a dangerous submission game to his arsenal.
There
just aren’t a lot of weaknesses in Chandler’s game.
If you know of any, however, Gono will be happy to take your
call.
“If
there is any weakness of Michael Chandler, then will you please
teach me about that?” Gono joked.
Gono
is realistic about the situation he’s heading into and he
knows that the world is probably picking against him to win.
Still, everybody loves a good underdog story and what better
way for Gono to re-emerge on the MMA scene than to hand Michael
Chandler his first loss.
“An
old man, at 37 years old, will cause a huge upset,” said
Gono. “I am going to fight hard to create that kind of result.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
ace visits Vasco dressing room and tells of what he learned in
soccer
Marcelo
Dunlop
At
the invitation of his tour guide, Jiu-Jitsu black belt Diego
Moraes, top UFC bantamweight Scott Jorgensen showed up at São
Januário stadium in Rio de Janeiro to catch the game between
Vasco da Gama and Lanus in the Libertadores Cup round of 16.
He
left the stadium drenched and with player of the game Diego Souza’s
jersey.
“It
was fantastic. The crowd went wild when Diego Souza made a goal.
It was insane. I got stoked by the energy of the crowd, and the
fact that they were there in the rain singing the whole time
was inspiring,” said Scott, who at the players’ request
visited the dressing room to speak with them. He shot the breeze
some and was then given the game jersey by the Vasco number 10.
“I’ve
got a new favorite team for the Fifa game on Xbox,” said
the UFC star. “When I come back to Rio I want to go to another
game. I found the crowd to be totally different from the ones
at NFL and NBA games, where the crowd is more reserved. The noise
and energy of the Rio fans is incredible.”
The
purple belt, who has a fight with Eddie Wineland coming up on
June 8 under the UFC banner, has a meeting scheduled with another
ace in Rio de Janeiro, but this time it’s a star from the
ranks of Vasco’s cross-town rival team Flamengo. On the
5th, he and UFC featherweight champion José Aldo will
be doing a seminar at Team Moraes. More on this in the following
video.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Bellator
67: What to Watch For
By Mike
Whitman
After
taking a week off, Bellator Fighting Championships returns to
MTV2 on Friday withBellator 67. Emanating from Casino Rama in
Rama, Ontario, the event marks the Chicago-based promotion’s
second trip to Canada during its ongoing sixth season. While
this card does not hold the same promise on paper as its predecessor,
it still has the potential to please.
Here
is what to watch for at Bellator 67:
Chandler
the Champ
Bellator
lightweight champion Michael Chandler has one hell of an act
to follow.
The
Season 4 tournament winner’s last in-cage appearance came
in November, when he submitted Eddie Alvarez to capture the world
title in a “Fight of the Year”contender at Bellator
58. Now, Chandler returns to the Bellator cage for a non-title
contest against 37-year-old UFC and Pride Fighting Championships
veteran Akihiro Gono.
While
it may appear Chandler has little pressure on him leading up
to this non-title affair, the perceived lack of heat could work
against the American if he is not careful, despite Gono being
regarded by most as a clear drop off in competition in comparison
to Alvarez. It appears the odds are long against the respected
Japanese veteran pulling off an upset against the hard-punching
wrestler, which could provide him with some opportunities to
be effective if the champion relaxes.
Will
Chandler walk into the cage with the same killer instinct he
used to defeat Alvarez and win the title, or will Gono take advantage
of his underdog status and catch the titleholder off guard?
Saunders’
Second Chance Continues
Ben
Saunders’ second attempt at qualifying for a welterweight
title shot will be a challenging one if his quarterfinal contest
withRaul Amaya is a sign of things to come.
After
fighting his way to the final of Bellator’s Season 5 tournament,
Saunders found himself on the receiving end of Douglas Lima’s
power punching at Bellator 57, falling by knockout to“The
Phenom” and failing in his inaugural effort to capture Bellator
gold.
Back
for another taste in Season 6, “Killa B” took control
of his quarterfinal bout with Amaya in the early going, but “Smash
Mode”proved resilient, fighting tooth-and-nail until the
final bell. While Saunders was awarded a well-deserved unanimous
decision, one must wonder how much that bout took out of him,
especially when considering the man he faces in the semifinals.
Welterweight
Beast or Burden?
Brian
Baker may have earned a win in his welterweight debut, but it
was not pretty.
Taking
on hard-hitting Brazilian CarlosAlexandre Pereira, neither “The
Beast” nor “Indio” lived up to the fight’s
buildup as a probable slugfest. At a listed 6-foot-3, Baker was
already lanky for a middleweight, and the cut to 170 pounds has
only emphasized that trait. He appeared to have a difficult time
in gauging his range for much of his bout with Pereira and was
unable to let his hands fly.
Now
facing an equally wiry opponent, will Baker look more comfortable
at welterweight in his second go-around, or will Saunders’
wealth of experience in the weight class prove too much for “The
Beast” to overcome?
‘The
Real Deal’
Ryan
Ford could prove to be a valuable commodity for Bellator depending
on how he performs in his promotional debut. Ford is well-known
in his home country of Canada but has received limited exposure
in the United States due to travel restraints placed on him related
to a 2003 arrest.
Despite
appearing on HDNet as a Maximum Fighting Championship talent,
Ford will likely be an unfamiliar face for many tuning in to
MTV2. Ford should seize the opportunity to make a good first
impression in his inaugural effort with an American organization.
While it is unclear if Ford will ever compete in a Bellator tournament
due to his aforementioned travel limitations, he could become
a main card staple for the promotion as a steady draw north of
the U.S. border.
Currently
standing in the way of that potential situation isLuis Santos,
a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who fought his way to the semifinals
of Bellator’s fifth-season tournament, only to be submitted
by Saunders and have his path to a title shot derailed.“Sapo”
possesses solid takedowns and a potent top game but should be
at a disadvantage if he spends too much time in Ford’s range
while standing.
Will
Ford impress in his Bellator debut, or will Santos make a case
for his inclusion in Bellator’s next welterweight tournament?
Source: Sherdog
|
RAMPAGE
JACKSON'S ANTI-UFC CAMPAIGN WEARING THIN WITH DANA WHITE
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
NEW
YORK -- Quinton "Rampage" Jackson wants out of the
UFC. At this point, everybody that follows mixed martial arts
is aware of that. All you have to do is follow him on Twitter
to know that he's had it with the Las Vegas-based fight promotion.
Earlier
this week, he expanded upon his feelings again while on HDNet's
"Inside MMA." The UFC has repeatedly said that they
will give Jackson the last fight on his current contract, but
on Thursday, UFC president Dana White acknowledged that his frustration
with Jackson has hit a new high.
That
stems at least partially from the communication issues between
the two, which have left White scratching his head in confusion.
According to him, he'll have what he considers to be a positive
conversation with Jackson, only to see or hear him continue on
his anti-UFC slant.
Because
of that, White's apparently reached a point where it's no longer
worth the effort to try and placate Jackson, as he explained
on Thursday following a UFC on FOX 3 press conference at the
Beacon Theater.
"Rampage
is obviously not happy with the UFC," he said. "No
big deal brother, you don’t want to be here anymore. The
way I always look at it is, we have this mutual relationship
with the fighters. Do we always see eye to eye? Do we always
get along? Whatever the deal might be. As far as money goes,
everybody needs to make more money ... That’s human nature.
What we do is we go in and we negotiate deals that work for everybody.
We’ve been good to everybody that we’ve ever dealt
with. We’ve never screwed anybody over, including Rampage.
And you want to talk about a guy that we went to bat for? We’ve
gone to bat for him many times. I feel like f----- [Derek] Jeter
when it comes to Rampage, OK? If he’s unhappy with us, doesn’t
like us, and doesn’t want to be with us anymore, then the
feeling is mutual."
Jackson
is currently on the mend from a series of injuries sustained
prior to his UFC 144 loss to Ryan Bader. Those issues forced
him out of a proposed bout with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua,
but when he gets back, it appears it will be one and done for
Rampage and the UFC.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Aldo
compliments Erik Koch: ‘A great opponent’
by Eduardo
Ferreira
Jose Aldo’s presence at UFC 149, on July 21st, in Canada,
was confirmed last week. Although they haven’t set his opponent
yet, the expectations is for him to fight the contender Erik
Koch.
On an interview with TATAME, the Nova Uniao athlete complimented
his possible opponent, who is coming from four consecutive wins
and has been defeated only once.
“If it’s actually against Erik, I see him as a great
opponent. Let’s wait, let’s find it out. I’ll
train for it as soon as I sign the contract”, affirmed the
Brazilian.
UFC featherweight champion, Jose Aldo is defending his title
for the fourth time. The Brazilian also has been defeated only
once, and has beat up names like Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian
and Chad Mendes.
Source: Tatame
|
JON
JONES VS. DAN HENDERSON TITLE FIGHT TARGETED FOR SEPTEMBER 1
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
NEW
YORK -- Jon Jones' murderer's row of opponents looks like it
will resume again during the dog days of summer.
On
Thursday afternoon, UFC president Dana White said that the organization
was targeting an early September date for the UFC light-heavyweight
champion's next title defense, likely on Labor Day weekend.
The
UFC currently has no September 1 show on its official schedule,
but if and when it gets added, future Hall of Famer Dan Henderson
is on deck in the challenger's role.
Jones
(16-1) has so far successfully run the gauntlet of former champions
thrown his way, smashing through Mauricio Rua, Quinton Jackson,
Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans consecutively. Add in his February
2011 win over Ryan Bader, and he defeated five top 10 opponents
in the span of 14 months.
Jones'
manager Malki Kawa recently told MMA Fighting that Jones preferred
to take some time off after his recent stretch of activity, and
that he was likely to be ready to fight again in August or September.
Meanwhile,
Henderson (29-8) hasn't fought since last November, when he beat
Rua in a fight many have called the greatest bout in MMA history.
He's won seven of his last eight.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Pros
Pick: Diaz vs. Miller
By Mike
Sloan
Hawaii
Air Times Today!
UFC On Fox Miller vs Diaz
12:00-3:00PM Fuel 241
2:00-5:00PM KHON 3
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the Garden State on
Saturday for its third event on the Fox network. UFC on Fox 3
“Miller vs. Diaz” features a terrific main event between
two world-ranked lightweights in “The Ultimate Fighter”Season
5 winner Nate Diaz andAMA Fight Club ace Jim Miller. It should
make for an explosive, entertaining fight inside the Izod Center
in East Rutherford, N.J.
Diaz
has won back-to-back fights since returning to the lightweight
division, having submitted former Pride Fighting Championships
titleholder Takanori Gomi and outpointed Jackson’s Mixed
Martial Arts standout Donald Cerrone. Miller, meanwhile, has
won eight of his last nine bouts, losing only to reigning UFC
lightweight champion Benson Henderson in that span.
Sherdog.com
caught up with a number of professional fighters and trainers
to gauge their opinions on the UFC on Fox 3 headliner:
Michael
McDonald: I’m going to go with Diaz. I think his range is
going to play a factor. They are both really good on the ground,
and I don’t see Nate getting submitted at all. Miller might
be able to take him down and control him, but he’s going
to have to get into that range first. I think Nate might have
the advantage based on that, being able to keep him out at range
and land those long shots.
Cung
Le: Nate wins this by decision.
Jeff
Hougland: I’m going with Diaz by decision or submission.
I think he’ll pick apart Miller on the feet using his reach.
That will force Miller to take him down. Miller is a great black
belt, but I believe Diaz will catch him or it will go to a split
decision in Diaz’s favor.
Bryan
Caraway: Miller is a beast: great cardio, awesome grappling and
scrambling, effective striking. Future champion.
Joe
Duarte: After watching Nate beast through Cerrone, I have a hard
time seeing how Miller could beat him. “Power ’stache”vs.
“209.” I’m going with Diaz via “I ain’t
scared, homie!”
Zach
Makovsky: I think Diaz fought the best fight of his career in
his last bout with Cerrone. He will come out and pressure Miller
the same way. Miller, however, will be able to use this against
Diaz and take him down at will, beating Diaz up on the ground
and grinding out a tough decision win.
John
Gunderson: Both of these lightweights bring it each and every
time they fight and are fan favorites. In the past fights, Nate
has had trouble against other 55ers that outwrestle him to a
decision. Jim is a complete fighter, and I believe [he] will
try to take Nate down and control him. But I’m a Nate fan
and I’m picking Nate, even though these guys could fight
10 times and each when five.
Travis
Lutter: Tough fight, but I’m going to go with Nate; can’t
wait to see this one.
Johny
Hendricks: I’m guessing Miller [wins].
Robert
Drysdale: Diaz.
Travis
Wiuff: Diaz has looked great lately. I’m taking him by decision.
Kyle
Kingsbury: I’m on the fence with this one -- have been since
they announced it -- but I’m leaning towards the middle
of the fence on this one. Still can’t decide. I’m thinking
the top of the Octagon. That’s a nice place to sit and think.
Jacob
Volkmann: Miller by unanimous decision.
Nam
Phan: Diaz all the way.
Shane
Roller: I got Miller by decision.
Mark
Bocek: Miller [by] decision.
Yves
Edwards: I’m taking Nate in that one. Neither one [of them]
will get tired, and Jim will have to take him down so he stops
getting punched in the face. When he does, I think Nate will
still be too dangerous off his back. Nate [wins] by late sub
or decision.
Travis
Browne: I think Miller’s gonna take it. His wrestling is
[great]. I think he’ll be able to close the gap on the striking,
and I think his submission defense is good enough to where he
can kind of stay on top and grind one out.
Pros
Picking Diaz: 10
Pros Picking Miller: 6
No Pick: 2
Source: Sherdog
|
Dana
White Teases Major Show Possibly Landing in a Stadium in January
2013
by Damon
Martin
The UFC is committed to doing big fights on the biggest stages,
including more stadium shows in the next year.
While
their plans to host a soccer stadium show in Brazil for UFC 147
fell by the wayside after a United Nations conference interfered
with their ability to take over an 80,000-seat venue, the UFC
isn’t giving up on huge shows in huge venues.
As
a matter of fact, if things work out the way they are hoping,
January 2013 could bring one of the biggest cards in UFC history
into play.
According
to UFC president Dana White, they are already looking into a
major venue and show to kick off the New Year. Details are sketchy
at this time, but the fact that the promotion is even thinking
that far ahead means something monstrous could be in the works.
“We’re
talking about doing some big fights, if things work out the way
they could, we’d end up doing a big fight probably in January,”
White said on Thursday.
“If
that fight happens, we’re looking at three venues: obviously
Las Vegas is always a venue; Dallas, Texas Stadium; and Toronto
again.”
The
UFC has long toyed with going to Dallas and bringing a show to
the massive Cowboys Stadium. The stadium serves as the home to
the Dallas Cowboys and is built to hold over 110,000 people at
full capacity.
While
White wouldn’t reveal what fight they are potentially looking
at for the January card, there would seemingly only be a few
names that would attract the kind of numbers needed to fill a
stadium of that size.
UFC
welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre comes to mind first and
foremost, but there are a few other possibilities as well. Whoever
it is, White made it sound like this ambitious endeavor could
be one of the biggest UFC shows ever.
“If
things go the way that they could go, by January we’re already
talking about Dallas, Texas Stadium, Cowboys Stadium,” said
White.
Now
it’s just a matter of “wait and see” if the pieces
fall in place so the UFC can pull off this mega-show teased for
January 2013.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
MORNING
REPORT: JOSH KOSCHECK IS WEALTHY, TIM SYLVIA STILL BEGGING
By Luke
Thomas - Senior Editor
UFC
fighter pay is a constant issue. Why shouldn't it be? Professional
athlete salaries are typically treated as public knowledge and
are in any case interesting. Zuffa's choice to keep matters private
(except official fight purses declared by commissions) only increases
fan interest. If things are a secret, you want to find out what
the secret is. That impulse will never wane.
That's
especially true in light of FUEL TV's recent trip to UFC welterweight
Josh Koscheck's home in Fresno, California. For a guy who has
to fight to earn money, he seems to be earning quite a bit. 'Seems'
being the operative word. Koscheck is a college graduate and
obviously a very intelligent guy, so we have reason to believe
his own personal financial management is in order. Still, wait
until you see this place and all the toys he has. I'll admit
I never pegged him to live that large. If he's been getting bonus
checks, those are mighty hefty.
Be
sure to check out the FUEL TV piece linked in our top 5 stories
section. Also of note: former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia
is still out there asking for a return to the UFC. How long do
you think he has to ask before he either gets an opportunity
or realizes that's never coming? I say at least another six months.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Stay
calm and focused in BJJ, preaches American Cup champion
Junior
Samurai
Jiu-Jitsu
brown belt Inácio Neto of team Gracie Barra snapped up
gold in the medium heavyweight division at last weekend’s
American Cup. The Piauí, Brazil-Omaha, Nebraska transplant
had three matches at the Claudio França-promoted, San
Jose, California-based event, and he got the tapout in every
one of them.
“I’m
fulfilled here carrying on the work of my teacher Marcelo Castro.
I’ve taught and trained with great wrestlers and MMA fighters.
They have really great base and phenomenal endurance, and I have
to make the most of that by improving my bottom game,” Inácio
told GRACIEMAG.com.
The
fighter exuded calm and patience in the American Cup final until
he’d made it to where he wanted to be against John Garcia
of Cassio Werneck team. Three minutes-twenty seconds into the
match he took the back and attempted a choke, before sinking
the decisive armbar.
“I’m
the kind of athlete who always goes for the finish. I think the
main pointer I can offer regarding that is to keep your level
of concentration at max to not let any opportunities that may
arise in the match go to waste,” he teaches.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Manager
wants Shogun to get a title shot
By Eduardo
Ferreira
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua returns to the octagon on July
21st, at UFC 149, in Calgary, Canada. The former UFC light heavyweight
champion’s opponent is Thiago Silva, whom Shogun trained
with in the past at Chute Boxe and bonded. However, Shogun’s
manager Julio Heller, who started working at MMA business with
Wanderlei Silva and Shogun almost 10 years ago highlighted the
professional side.
“They trained together at Chute Boxe, but it was a long
time ago. Nobody likes to fight a countryman, but they are UFC
employees and professionals. There’s no room left for amateurism,
now MMA is very professional”, explains Heller, who guaranteed
Shogun to be focused and excited about this match-up.
“Shogun is excited, focused. It’s a good match-up for
him. It’s going to be a good Shogun fight for the fans.
We hope him to win this and get another chance at the title this
year” tells his manager, who revealed that Shogun’s
first offer was to fight Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
“We went to Las Vegas and came back home with Rampage’s
fight scheduled for July 7th, but then Rampage got injured. Shogun
wanted to fight in Brazil and we talked to UFC guys and it would
be a good co-main event for Brazil’s card, but since they
took a long time to set the place we got this Canada fight, where
Shogun has millions of fans too”, concluded Heller.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion, Shogun Rua hasn’t
fought since November 2011, when was defeated by Dan Henderson
at UFC 139 by points. Thiago Silva fought after a year suspended
because of a positive doping test result against Alexander Gustafsson
at UFC Sweeden, but was defeated on a unanimous decision of the
judges.
Source: Tatame
|
According
to Jim
By Brian
Knapp
Jim
Miller embodies blue-collar living: hard-nosed, rugged, no-nonsense
and focused. Those traits have served him well during an outstanding
mixed martial arts career that has seen him lose just three times,
all decisions, in 24 professional appearances. Now 28 and in
the heart of his competitive prime, Miller finds himself with
a secure place at the Top 10 table at 155 pounds, “The Ultimate
Fighter” Season 5 winner Nate Diazseated across from him.
The
AMA Fight Club ace will lock horns with Diaz in the UFC on Fox
3 headliner on Saturday at the Izod Arena in East Rutherford,
N.J., a little more than 30 miles from where he was raised. The
benefit of fighting close to home, while tangible, is not a crutch
upon which Miller wishes to lean.
“For
me, personally, I don’t really care where I’m fighting,”
he said during a pre-fight teleconference. “I’m still
fighting a tough, world-class opponent. It really doesn’t
matter if we were fighting here in Jersey or in his hometown.
It is a little bit of an advantage not having to travel. Not
having to deal with that is always nice. When it comes down to
really the meat of it, it doesn’t matter. I’m still
fighting Nate and would be excited to fight him anywhere in the
world.
“I’ll
have a pretty decent crowd there for me,” Miller added.
“I definitely feed off the energy. If they give me a good
cheer as I make my way to the Octagon, I’ll definitely get
goose bumps and hopefully ride that energy to a victory if I
can.”
The
paths of Miller and Diaz intersect at an interesting stage in
the careers of both men. Should he win, Diaz appears to be in
prime position for a crack at the lightweight crown. Miller --
who has already lost to the top three 155ers in the UFC, including
reigning champion Benson Henderson and former titleholder Frankie
Edgar -- concedes his road may be a bit more uncertain. Much
hinges on his forthcoming performance.
“It
really depends on how the fight goes,” he said. “I’m
just focused on this fight, and whatever happens after that is
of no concern to me right now. If I can win impressively, then,
really, who else are they going to put in there [to fight for
the belt]? I’m not even focused on it. It’s really
the last thing on my mind right now. I’m just focused on
Nate and getting the win.”
Still,
Miller would relish an opportunity at a rematch with either Henderson
or Edgar after they collide for a second time at UFC 150 on Aug.
11 in Denver.
“I’m
a different fighter than when I fought each of them,” he
said.“They’re both really talented guys. I have a lot
of respect for [both] of them.”
First,
he must deal with Diaz.
“It’s
going to take the best of everything I have to beat him,”Miller
said. “That’s what’s got me so excited and so
fired up for this fight. It’s a tough challenge, and I’ve
trained harder than I ever have in my career and feel better
than I’ve ever felt.”
Diaz
has looked like a million bucks since returning to the lightweight
division after a brief tour at 170 pounds. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu
black belt under Cesar Gracie, he battered and submitted former
Pride Fighting Championships titleholder Takanori Gomi at UFC
135 in September and then ran circles aroundJackson’s Mixed
Martial Arts standout Donald Cerrone at UFC 141 three months
later. Cerrone played right into his foe’s capable hands,
as he was lured into the infamous Diaz bravado and found himself
on the wrong end of a ruthless beating for three rounds. Miller
has no plans to share in such a fate.
“When
we’re in there, I’m trying to fight my fight, and that’s
it,”he said. “If he’s trying to push the pace
or trying to use his length, then, obviously, I’m not going
to want to do that. There are things that I’m good at, so
that’s where I’m going to try to keep the fight --
just go out there and fight and not let any emotion or any of
the outside stuff get into the fight. I think that’s what
happened to Donald. He kind of got caught up in it a little bit
leading up to the fight, and Nate punished him for it.”
Miller,
who has never fought beyond three rounds, does not believe conditioning
will be a factor for either man in a scheduled 25-minute main
event.
“He’s
shown he’s got great cardio,” Miller said. “[The
game plan is] not necessarily just to wear him down; it’s
to keep the pressure on him and fight like I always fight. I
know that if I control the fight I’m going to win, and if
I let him control the fight he’s going beat me. It’s
doing things my way and fighting my way that’s going to
get my hand raised.
“I’m
prepared for a 25-minute fight,” he added. “I’m
capable of doing it and ready to do it if I have to, but, of
course, I’m looking for that impressive sub finish or knockout
finish. That’s what drives every fighter that steps inside
there. They want to hear the roar of the crowd when they finish
somebody. That’s what I’ve been training to do -- to
be dangerous -- but I’ll be just as good in the 24th minute
of the fight.”
Diaz’s
past issues with hearty wrestlers has been well-chronicled, as
evidenced by decision losses to Clay Guida,Joe Stevenson, Gray
Maynard, Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. Miller averages better
than two successful takedowns every 15 minutes, according to
Fight Metric figures. While he fits the mold of previous Diaz
nemeses, he anticipates the need to call upon all of his weapons.
“They
guys that have been able to beat him have used their wrestling,
but I expect him to have gotten better and learned from those
defeats, just like I learn from my defeats,” Miller said.“It’s
just one aspect of the game, and it’s all how I end up using
it. Really, it’s using everything to beat him, using strikes,
wrestling and the grappling. It’s going to be a tough fight.
“I’m
training to be able to stop him anywhere, whether it be on the
feet or on the mat,” he added. “A majority of my wins
have come by sub, so if I can create the opportunity to lock
something up, I’m sure I’m going to try my damndest
to finish him with it. He’s a tough guy. It’s not an
easy task. We’ll just see how it goes.”
Source: Sherdog
|
ROUSIMAR
PALHARES SAYS SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST WILL MAKE DIFFERENCE AGAINST
ALAN BELCHER
By Dave
Doyle
NEW
YORK -- There's no doubt Rousimar Palhares possesses the tools
to become a title contender in the UFC's middleweight division.
But
can the world-class jiu-jitsu ace from Brazil put them all together
and make good on his potential? That's the question that's followed
him since a bizarre series of incidents in the Octagon.
In
2010, Palhares took his eyes off a fight with Nate Marquardt
to complain to a referee, and was TKOd for his troubles. Last
year, Palhares thought his fight with Dan Miller was waved off,
and he scaled the Octagon to celebrate his apparent victory.
The problem? The fight, which he ultimately won via decision,
was still going.
Following
the Miller incident, Palhares began seeing a sports psychologist.
And heading into his UFC on FOX 3 main-card bout with Alan Belcher
on Saturday night at the Izod Center in New Jersey, Palhares
believes the results are going to pay off.
"Yeah
he's helped me," Palhares said through interpreter and manager
Alex David. "He's helped so that when I get into a fight,
I get focused on the fight and I don't get distracted by anything
else."
If
the sports psychology sessions pay off, it could be bad news
for the rest of the middleweight division. Palhares, a silver
medalist at last year's ADCC world championships, has claimed
four of his past five UFC wins via forms of leg locks. He's won
six of his past seven bouts overall, with his mental hiccup against
Marquardt his only loss in that span.
Belcher,
for his part, isn't buying into the notion Palhares doesn't have
his act together.
"He's
hardcore, man," said Belcher. "He's an amazing grappler,
one of the best of the world. ... If I don't keep my focus, if
I get lazy or something, that's how he's going to beat me."
As
far as UFC boss Dana White is concerned, Palhares has tremendous
upside, comparing him to some of the greatest jiu-jitsu practitioners
MMA has ever seen.
"It
seems like as soon as the fight gets to the ground, he submits
guys," White said. "You talk about some of the best
submission guys in the UFC, Frank Mir, [Antonio Rodrigo] Nogueira,
the list goes on and on. [Demian] Maia, everyone was saying how
awesome Maia was on the ground. There's never been another guy
since the early days when nobody knew jiu-jitsu and Royce Gracie
was around that, no matter what, when it goes to the ground,
you're getting submitted."
That's
the type of praise that can add pressure to a fighter. But Palhares
continues to see his sports psychologist, and he's gotten comfortable
enough with the situation to joke about it.
"My
head's right here on my shoulders, thank god."
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Previously
Scheduled UFC on Fox 3 Dark Matches See the Light; Will Air on
Facebook
The
UFC originally had no plans of broadcasting the first two UFC
on Fox 3 preliminary bouts… not on Fuel TV and not on Facebook.
“That
was a time issue,” UFC president Dana White said on Wednesday
when asked about why the first two fights were going dark, adding
that the bouts could end up on Fuel TV or Fox if time permitted.
The
two bouts in question are Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis and Mike
Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola.
“We’re
always trying to cram more matches in,” White continued.
“We’re always trying to give you as many fights as
we can give you.”
The
UFC has always tried to be responsive to fans, and it appears
that there was enough of an outcry about the dark matches that
White made the call to drag them into the light.
The
UFC on Thursday announced that the first two UFC on Fox 3 preliminary
bouts would be streamed live on Facebook at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m.
PT on Saturday.
The
remainder of the preliminary bouts – six in total –
will be telecast on Fuel TV at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, with the
four-fight main card airing live on Fox at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
NATE
DIAZ: DESPITE NSAC LAWSUIT, BROTHER NICK DIAZ 'NOT INTERESTED'
IN FIGHTING
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
NEW
YORK -- It's been three months since Nick Diaz fought, three
months since his forced exile from MMA following a UFC 143 post-fight
drug test that came back positive for marijuana metabolites.
While
Diaz's legal team is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with the
Nevada state athletic commission regarding a suspension, he's
back home in Stockton enjoying some of his other athletic passions,
including jiu-jitsu and triathlons. And judging from the comments
of his brother Nate, he's not spending much time pining for a
return to the octagon.
"The
way things have been going since forever, I don’t think
he’s interested," Nate said. "He’s not interested
in fighting, but who knows what’s going to happen in the
future."
Nick
(26-8, 1 no contest) moved to the UFC in mid-2011 and was expected
to face welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre for the title before
skipping two press conferences and being yanked from the bout
by UFC president Dana White. Diaz's actions were costly, because
though he beat BJ Penn at UFC 137, he dropped a close unanimous
decision to Carlos Condit just three months later, moving him
out of top contender status.
That's
a spot his brother could reach this weekend with a win.
While
Nate continues making final preparations for his UFC on FOX 3
main event matchup with Jim Miller, Nick has been training for
a jiu-jitsu superfight with vaunted grappler Braulio Estima at
the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo on May 12 in Lon Beach, California.
Nick
also helped Nate prepare for this fight. As of Wednesday afternoon,
Nate was not sure if Nick would make it to East Rutherford, New
Jersey to support him on fight night, but if he makes it, he
will be one of his cornermen for the bout.
It's
just one of the many things Nick has going on right now. Far
from missing fighting, Nick might make fighting miss him.
"Most
people retire but they don’t got s--- to do," Nate
said. "They’re going to get fat, they’re going
to get bored, they’re going to sit at home. Nick’s
competing in a jiu-jitsu tournament next weekend. He just did
four triathlons in the last two months, and he’s having
fun, man. Staying busy."
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
King
of the Ring Today
Filipino Community Center (Filcom), Waipahu
May 4, 2012
Doors open at 6:00 PM
Event starts at 7:00PM
King
of the Cage Hawaii is preparing for their first of many Mixed
Martial Art’s Event’s. King Of The Ring will have some
of Hawaii’s top Mixed Martial Art’s Fighter’s
from 11 different Schools, and a total of 11 Fight’s all
under one roof. In the night’s Main Event 808 Top Team’s
Bronson Mohika will be taking on 02 Martial Arts Academy’s
Issac Hopps. In the Co-Main Event it will Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Black Belt Desi Minor taking on K-Pal’s Mahiai Naihe, and
these are just two of the night’s fight’s. Other fighter
that will be in action that night will be Toby Misech, Bradda
Copper, Kalai Kwan, Brianne Jhun, Tristin Kamaka, Ola Lum, Tofi
Mika, and many more of Hawaii’s Rising Stars. This event
will take place at the Waipahu Filcom, Doors open at 6:00 PM,
and fight’s starts at 7:00 PM. King of the Cage Hawaii is
dedicated to helping out Hawaii Fighter’s showcase their
talent in a safe and well run event. All fight’s are tentative
and subject to change.
MAIN
EVENT
BRONSON MOHIKA (808 TT) VS ISAAC HOPPS (O2MAA)
(SEMI
MAIN)
DESI MINOR (TRILOGY) VS MAHIAI NAIHE (K-PAL)
(125LBS
WOMENS)
WANDA WERNER (SOMMA) VS JOREEN MARU (HOLY FIRE)
(175LBS)
DUKE SARAGOSA (808TT) VS ROBERT BANIS (TCK)
(155LBS)
BRADDA COOPER (808FF) VS JAMES REYES (BHB)
(135LBS)
JOEY SCHIPPER (808 FF) VS STU JONES (TCK)
(135LBS)
BRENON NASH (FIVE-0) VS ANTHONY REYES (BHB)
(125LBS)
RANSON RANCHEZ (808TT) VS KALAI KWAN (O2MAA)
(125LBS
WOMENS)
BRIANNE JHUN (808TT) VS MYSHA MONTIRA(BHB)
(125LBS)
ALPHOSO MARTINEZ (808TT) VS ANU SAPLA (SOMMA)
(155LBS)
CODY YOUNG (K-PAL) VS DARIUS LANDO (O2MAA)
(145LBS
TT)
JACOB LEE (808FF) VS JAMES TRUMAN (TCK)
(135LBS)
KAI KAMAKA (808FF) VS THOMAS REYES (BHB)
(HVY
TT)
ALVIN KANEHAILUA (FREE) VS ERIC GONSALVES (HMC)
(215LBS
TT)
NATE HENDERSON (808FF) VS KALAI IRVINE (HMC)
(160LBS)
CRANSTON TAKIYAMA (FIVE-O) VS JOSEPH HOPPS (O2MAA)
65lbs
RAVEN TAMPOS (FIVE-O) VS. CHANCE CENO (TCK)
(KIDS
65LBS 1 KICK)
GODDHEY JACALNE (FIVE-O) VS LOPAKA CENO (TCK)
(KIDS
45LBS)
DANTEN KAHEAKU (FIVE-0) VS DESI FIATOA (FREELANCE)
|
Just
Scrap XVI Today
Maui War
Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui
Friday May 4, 2012
Main
Event Pro MMA
1) Lolohea Mahe HW 270lbs Vs Chad Thomas HW 252.5lbs
Co-Main
Event Pro MMA
2) Adam Akau 207.9lbs Vs Scott Junk 205.7lbs
Amateur
MMA
3) Geno Mc Carthy 205.2lbs Vs Walter Stetzko 196.3lbs
4) Edison Hidalgo 126.2lbs Vs Noah Hill 131.2lbs
5) Daisel Escobar 142.2lbs Vs Rory Parker 139.7lbs
6) Justin Aruda 146.3lbs Vs Tyler Hilsabeck 145.5lbs
7) Zach Zane 148.0lbs Vs Louis Pauole 146.0lbs
8) Adrian Paleo 153.5lbs Vs Brad Gross 159.0lbs
|
THE
ULTIMATE FIGHTER® LIVE ON FX
WRAPS UP FIRST ROUND WITH “BECOME THAT HERO”
TEAM CRUZ’S MIKE RIO vs. TEAM FABER’S ANDY OGLE
Friday, May 4, LIVE on FX at 10 p.m. ET/PT
The Ultimate Fighter® Live on FX wraps up the preliminary
round of competition tomorrow/Friday, May 4, live on FX at 10
p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) when Team Cruz’s
Mike Rio (8-1), of Miami, Fla., takes on Team Faber’s Andy
Ogle (8-1), of Tynemouth, England, for the last spot in the quarterfinals.
Team Faber’s Chris Saunders scored an upset victory over
Team Cruz’s Sam Sicilia as a massive underdog last week.
Now, Faber’s squad holds a 4-3 lead over his bitter rival
with just one fight to go until the quarterfinals.
Rio and Ogle are looking to advance and move one step closer
to a six-figure UFC contract alongside previous winners James
Vick, Justin Lawrence, Al Iaquinta, Michael Chiesa, Joe Proctor,
Vinc Pichel and Saunders.
Below is a description of the upcoming “BECOME THAT HERO”
episode:
“Both teams head to a desert shooting range for an explosive
Coaches Challenge. Andy Ogle takes on Mike Rio in the last preliminary
fight, then Dana announces the first two quarterfinal matchups.”
The 13-week season will culminate with a championship fight and
three-hour finale on June 1 at the Pearl Palms Concert Theater
in Las Vegas. The coaches will then meet on July 7 at UFC 148,
when Cruz defends his title against Faber in the rubber match
of their epic rivalry.
Below are select quotes from Rio and Ogle.
MIKE RIO:
It's the final preliminary fight this Friday. Team Cruz is down
4-3. Is there any added pressure to even the series? Or is it
just another fight?
“There's always pressure in a situation like this but the
wonderful thing about our sport is that we don't have to worry
about the teams. You just focus on yourself and the better you
do, the team just ends up benefitting from it. So as long as
I just focus on what I have to do and not worry about the team
or what's best for the team, everyone will benefit. That takes
a lot of the pressure off when you focus on what you're supposed
to focus on and not the outside distractions.”
What is your mood going into the fight and what do you have to
do to win?
“I'm always relaxed. I'm one of those guys that never gets
over-anxious, nervous or gets butterflies. I've been in competition
a long time. I'm very relaxed until the time of the fight and
then I get very energetic and very aggressive.
“What I need to do to win the fight? I need to push the
pace. Ogle is by no means an easy fight. He's not just going
to lay down for me. I just have to make sure I stay focused and
take the fight to him and do what I need to do to win. I'm not
going to focus on what he's going to do to me, just what I'm
going to do to him.”
How difficult is it to sit and watch during the weeks you weren't
fighting? Is it a relief to actually be fighting?
“That was a double-edged sword. First off, I'm sitting there
watching and waiting, seeing all my teammates fight, watching
everybody fight. I came here to fight, and was just sitting on
the sidelines every week, waiting, waiting, waiting. On the positive
side of this though, I literally just got a month and a half
training camp with the champ, Dominick Cruz, and the champ's
personal coaching squad. I've gotten in the best shape of my
life for my first preliminary fight. “
Is there anything that's happened in the first seven weeks that's
surprised you?
“Every fight has been a war. I've been really impressed
by the level of talent in our season. We're a great group of
16 guys and we deserve to be here. Everyone is serious as hell
and there's really no one who is here just to be a TV star.”
ANDY OGLE:
It's the final preliminary fight this Friday. Team Faber is up
4-3. Is there any added pressure to keep the series lead? Or
is it just another fight?
“It's not a fight for the Team, it's a fight for myself.
Because at the end of the day, I'm the one who's trying to get
that glass plate. I'm the one that is trying to get that W. It's
all about me thinking about myself. At the end of the day, two
guys are going to go in there and the cage door is going to close
and for 10, possibly 15, minutes I've got to kick somebody's
ass to secure myself into the next round.”
What is your mood going into the fight and what do you have to
do to win?
“I feel confident. I feel strong. I feel as if I've trained
a long time for this fight and I've developed as a fighter as
well as a person and become a hell of a lot more patient. In
this fight, I'm going to have to be very patient and defend his
takedowns a lot. I feel as if I can kill his spirit by doing
so and lighting him up with my shoots and hitting him a lot in
the face. Basically, just not making him want to come in and
attempt a takedown.”
How difficult is it to sit and watch during the weeks you weren't
fighting? Is it a relief to actually be fighting?
“Since I've been in the house, I've had to think about everything
in two ways. It was killing me not fighting for the first seven
fights. But at the same time, I'm getting more time to develop
as a fighter, which means [Rio]'s going to get the best version
of me because I'm last. I've now built up a relationship with
the coaching staff and a great relationship with my team and
gotten a whole lot stronger.”
Is there anything that's happened in the first eight weeks that's
surprised you?
“I did not expect to get ill! I very rarely get ill. I'm
the 'one more round' guy. I'm always happy to keep pushing. If
I'm done training but someone wants to go another round, I'll
jump up, I'll do that round. When my lungs were closing up and
I felt as if I couldn't breathe, I didn't feel like the 'one
more round' guy. But when I went to the doctor and they did an
X-ray, the doctor said, ‘Wow, you've got a large heart’
and I said tell me something I don't know. That's something that
Rio, or any opponent, won't ever have larger than me. It's impossible,
I want it too much.”
CONTACTS:
FX: Dominic Pagone UFC: Isabelle Hodge
Dominic.Pagone@fxnetwork.com ihodge@ufc.com
(310) 369-0937 (702) 221-4790
|
UFC
on Fox 3 ‘Diaz vs. Miller’ Preview
By Tristen
Critchfield
Hawaii
Air Times Tomorrow
UFC On Fox Miller vs Diaz
12:00-3:00PM Fuel 241
2:00-5:00PM KHON 3
UFC
on Fox 2 featured No. 1 contender bouts at middleweight and light
heavyweight, as well as a third affair featuring an up-and-coming
prospect against a Top 10 staple at 185 pounds. To the displeasure
of more than a few fans, all three fights went the distance.
For UFC on Fox 3, the Las Vegas-based promotion attempts to appease
the masses by offering an all-action main event on Saturday at
the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. While it is certainly
possible the lightweight headliner between Jim Millerand Nate
Diaz goes the distance, it is highly unlikely that anyone will
be bored watching them do it.
If
that was not enough, the main card also includes a welterweight
showdown with serious pecking order implications, one of the
sport’s most dangerous limb collectors and a potential heavyweight
slugfest. In short, there is a little something for everyone.
Here is a closer look at UFC on Fox 3 “Diaz vs. Miller,”
with analysis and picks.
Lightweights
Jim
Miller (21-3, 10-2 UFC) vs. Nate Diaz(15-7, 10-5 UFC)
The
Matchup: Miller and Diaz favor aggressive offensive attacks but
implement them in different ways. Diaz likes to bait his opponents
into trading on the feet, where he can score points in bunches
with his high-volume boxing. A sturdy chin allows him to absorb
the occasional strike in order to deal out combinations of his
own, and his ground game is dangerous enough to discourage many
frustrated foes from taking him down.
Miller’s
standup is better than he gets credit for, but he uses it mainly
to set up clinches and takedown attempts. There, the New Jersey
native’s conditioning pays off, as he applies tremendous
pressure while transitioning from one submission attempt to another.
Miller is good at remaining composed in the face of adversity,
as he demonstrated against Melvin Guillard in his most recent
bout. Miller was floored early by a left hook from “The
Young Assassin,” but he kept his cool and eventually recovered
to earn a first-round submission victory.
It
is likely the AMA Fight Club representative will take some shots
against Diaz; the Stockton, Calif., native landed 238 significant
strikes against Donald Cerrone at UFC 141, shattering the previous
record of 178 held by his brother, Nick Diaz. Cerrone was seemingly
mesmerized by Diaz’s striking, as he remained willing to
trade with the Cesar Gracie pupil throughout the contest, despite
losing nearly every exchange.
Miller
will not play the same type of game, however. He has a solid
one-two that he uses effectively, but a prolonged battle on the
feet is something he cannot win. In the past, wrestlers with
the type of top control capable of nullifying Diaz’s jiu-jitsu
have experienced the most success against him. Miller has the
type of skill set to make this game plan work: he is a jiu-jitsu
black belt who is skilled at avoiding submission attempts while
advancing his position from the top.
This
fight figures to have a tremendous pace throughout, as both men
are known for their deep gas tanks. Miller will pressure Diaz
early and often, looking to close the distance. Much of the direction
of this fight depends on Diaz’s takedown defense. In the
past, opponents have had little trouble taking him to the mat,
but he will regret it if he makes it too easy for Miller.
For
Diaz to become a title contender at lightweight, this is the
type of matchup he will have to prove he can win. While the Stockton,
Calif., native works well off his back, Miller is not the type
to fall into a triangle or guillotine choke due to careless aggression.
The
durability of both fighters is not in question; in a combined
46 professional fights, Diaz has been finished once, while Miller
has never been stopped. Neither man has experienced a fourth
or fifth round, however, so that becomes the unknown variable.
If Miller is drained from shooting for takedown after takedown
during the first 15 minutes, Diaz could very well outpoint him
and steal the final two frames. However, if Miller has been successful
implementing top control in the early going, it might just be
a case of rinse and repeat.
The
Pick: Expect some serious action, especially early, as Miller
attempts to close the distance and impose his will on Diaz. “The
Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner will look good early,
but Miller is tenacious and he will gradually sway the momentum
in his favor. This fight could be decided by a takedown or two
in the later rounds. Miller makes it happen and takes a razor-thin
decision.
Welterweights
Josh
Koscheck (17-5, 15-5 UFC) vs. Johny Hendricks (12-1, 7-1 UFC)
The
Matchup: Hendricks shocked the world when his left hook dropped
Jon Fitch at UFC 141, setting up a 12-second finish of one of
the most consistent competitors in the sport today. While it
is unreasonable to expect a similar result against Koscheck,
the knockout demonstrated the explosiveness of Hendricks, who
is the type of athlete that makes the welterweight division so
competitive.
Meanwhile,
Koscheck struggled in a closely contested split decision triumph
over Mike Piercein February. Pierce does not make life easy for
anyone, however, but “Kos” won the takedown battle
and did just enough to influence the judges. Koscheck’s
20 fights of Octagon experience should not be discounted; the
man knows what it takes to win. “The Ultimate Fighter 1”
alum has officially parted ways with the American Kickboxing
Academy and will have to prove himself without the backing of
one of the world’s strongest camps.
The
wrestling credentials of Hendricks, a two-time national champion
at Oklahoma State University, and Koscheck, an NCAA champion
at Edinboro University, should cancel each other out. Koscheck
shoots for takedowns as quickly as anyone in the sport, but Hendricks
can counter that with an equally quick sprawl followed by solid
dirty boxing in the clinch. Likewise, Koscheck’s overall
athleticism makes him an extremely difficult target for takedowns.
Hendricks
has gradually shown more prowess in his standup, even before
the Fitch fight, which was more a matter of well-timed aggression
than anything else. He has demonstrated fight-ending power before,
finishing the likes of T.J. Waldburger, Charlie Brenneman and
Amir Sadollah earlier in his career. When Koscheck connects with
his weapon of choice -- the overhand right -- he can do plenty
of damage, as well. His technique is not always a thing of beauty;
if he misfires, he will leave himself open to a counter from
Hendricks, who excels at getting inside and can unleash a right
hook-left uppercut combo with great effectiveness.
Overall,
Hendricks is the more accurate puncher, and he might be able
to steal a takedown or two by preceding his shot with a solid
combination. Koscheck tends to wing his strikes one at a time,
making it more difficult to catch Hendricks off-guard.
The
Pick: Hendricks is a star on the rise, but not every fight is
of the highlight-reel variety. He will need to capitalize on
openings in what should be a grinding affair: landing punches
in the clinch, countering on the feet and being opportunistic
with his wrestling. Hendricks’ standup is not so advanced
that this will be a blowout, but he has the ability to frustrate
Koscheck. Unless “Kos” can find a home for his overhand
right, Hendricks takes a decision.
Middleweights
Rousimar
Palhares (14-3, 7-2 UFC) vs. Alan Belcher (17-6, 8-4 UFC)
The
Matchup: Palhares is quickly becoming one of the most feared
middleweights in the promotion, thanks to his physicality and
penchant for gruesome leg locks. “Toquinho” was in
top form at UFC 142, cracking Mike Massenzio with leg kicks before
finishing the contest with his patented heel hook in just 63
seconds. It was the third straight win for the Brazilian since
a disappointing loss to Nate Marquardt, and one more solid performance
figures to give Palhares a Top 10 opponent in his next outing.
After
more than a year away from the cage due to a career-threatening
eye injury, Belcher returned to action with a first-round triumph
over Jason MacDonald in September. “The Talent” did
a good job stuffing the takedowns of MacDonald, but fending off
the powerful Palhares is another thing entirely.
Palhares
likes to move forward and dictate the action, throwing authoritative
punches and shooting for takedowns. On the mat, he is at his
best, as he will mix heavy ground-and-pound with a variety of
guard passes and submission attempts. While primarily known as
a kickboxer, Belcher also possesses an underrated jiu-jitsu game.
He takes risks when creating scrambles on the ground, however,
and Palhares is just the type of opponent who can capitalize
if Belcher becomes careless.
Belcher
will need to create space, which is easier said than done against
the hard-charging Brazilian Top Team export. The Mississippi
native mixes his strikes well, using solid boxing and kicks to
the legs and body to rack up points. He will need to keep his
hands up when throwing kicks or risk being caught by Palhares,
who makes up for his lack of striking diversity with sheer force.
Utilizing
movement and angles will help Belcher extend the fight and test
Palhares’ gas tank. It is going to be a difficult task against
the all-out blitz he is going to face, and Belcher might very
well decide to throw caution to the wind and engage in a slugfest.
The problem is he lacks the defensive wrestling to overcome someone
with the overall strength of Palhares.
The
Pick: Palhares has the look of a fighter on a roll. If Belcher
cannot land something significant early, he will find himself
in the unenviable position of having to defend against one of
the most dangerous submission artists in the sport. While scrambling
to avoid some vicious ground-and-pound, Belcher leaves himself
exposed, and Palhares capitalizes via first-round submission.
Heavyweights
Pat
Barry (7-4, 4-4 UFC) vs. Lavar Johnson (16-5, 1-0 UFC)
The
Matchup: In a nod to all the viewers who were unhappy with the
decision-heavy fare offered by UFC on Fox 2, the promotion presents
a heavyweight battle that is sure to provide plenty of frenetic
action -- however long it may last.
Following
his victory against Christian Morecraft in January, Barry has
promised that one day he will unleash a double-leg takedown on
an unsuspecting opponent. It might be worth trying against Johnson,
a big puncher who has fallen prey to submissions in four of his
five defeats. Barry means well, but, in reality, he is going
to want to put on a show against the heavy-handed former Strikeforcetalent.
Johnson’s
recovery from multiple gunshot wounds in 2009 is amazing enough
by itself, but his UFC debut showed just what he can do given
the right matchup. The California native unleashed a series of
ferocious uppercuts onJoey Beltran in the clinch, handing the
“Mexicutioner” the first knockout defeat of his 20-fight
career. The right hand of “Big” is a dangerous weapon,
as evidenced by his 14 knockout and technical knockout wins among
his 16 career victories.
Barry
is a world-class kickboxer who can give Johnson a little more
diverse look than he saw against Beltran. The leg kicks of “HD”
can slow down most anyone’s forward motion, and Barry figures
to use them judiciously as Johnson presses forward. Barry will
be at an eight-inch reach disadvantage here, but that is nothing
new for the Louisiana native. Barry has proven time and time
again that he is not afraid to stand in the pocket with larger
foes, so why should this matchup be any different? Without the
threat of a submission from Johnson, Barry can be as aggressive
as he pleases, though he might want to avoid getting pressed
against the fence by his 34-year-old opponent.
The
Pick: Someone is going out here -- it is just a matter of how
soon. Look for Barry to mix it up on the feet and put doubt in
Johnson’s mind by starching him with some hard kicks. From
there, “HD” puts on the pressure and gets a second-round
TKO.
Lightweights
Tony
Ferguson (13-2, 3-0 UFC) vs. Michael Johnson (10-6, 2-2 UFC):
Ferguson is a solid boxer with dangerous counterpunching skills,
and his wrestling is good enough to allow him to dictate the
location of his fights. Johnson, a late replacement for Thiago
Tavares, was solid in a decision victory over Shane Roller at
UFC on Fox 2. While Johnson has good hand speed, Ferguson hits
harder and is more comfortable in the pocket. Ferguson wins by
decision.
Flyweights
John
Dodson(12-5, 1-0 UFC) vs. Timothy Elliott (8-2-1, 0-0 UFC): Despite
looking dominant in a first-round TKO triumph against T.J. Dillashaw
at bantamweight, “The Magician” has elected to test
the waters at 125 pounds, his natural weight class. Once regarded
as one the Top 10 flyweights in the world, Dodson has all the
tools to be a legitimate title contender. After a rough start
to his career, Elliot has reeled off eight consecutive victories,
finishing Josh Rave in just 28 seconds in his last outing. Dodson
has faced the tougher competition over the course of his career,
and he stops Elliott with strikes in round two.
Welterweights
John
Hathaway (15-1, 5-1 UFC) vs. Pascal Krauss (10-0, 1-0 UFC): These
two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 138, but injuries
forced both men from the November card. In fact, Krauss has not
competed since November 2010, when he defeated Mark Scanlon via
unanimous decision at UFC 122. This one comes down to who can
impose his will on the ground. Look for Hathaway to land the
heavier shots from top position and take a decision.
Flyweights
Louis
Gaudinot (5-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. John Lineker (19-5, 0-0 UFC): Gaudinot
looked badly overmatched against Johnny Bedford at “The
Ultimate Fighter 14” Finale, but that was at bantamweight.
As a flyweight, “Goodnight” should be much more effective.
A veteran of Jungle Fight and Shooto, Lineker has won his last
13 fights. Gaudinot wins by decision.
Lightweights
Danny
Castillo (13-4, 3-1 UFC) vs. John Cholish (8-1, 1-0 UFC): Castillo,
a Team Alpha Male product, has won five of his last six and knows
how to use his wrestling to control the tempo of a fight. Cholish
displayed solid striking in his UFC debut against Mitch Clarke,
and the Renzo Graciepupil is even more dangerous on the ground.
Cholish will be able to respond if Castillo chooses a conservative
approach; the formerRing of Combat champion wins by decision.
Featherweights
Dennis
Bermudez (7-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Pablo Garza(11-2, 2-1 UFC): Things
were going well for Bermudez at the “The Ultimate Fighter
14” Finale, but his aggression would eventually prove to
be his undoing against Diego Brandao. Still, “The Menace”
has decent power and a solid wrestling base with which to work.
Expect him to use the latter to keep Garza on his back for a
late stoppage or decision victory.
Middleweights
Mike
Massenzio (13-6, 2-4 UFC) vs. Karlos Vemola (8-2, 1-2 UFC): A
decorated wrestler with a decent gas tank, Massenzio fell victim
to Rousimar Palhares in his most recent appearance at UFC 142.
Vemola is physically strong at 205 pounds, and his aggressive
approach will put Massenzio’s defensive wrestling to the
test. If Massenzio cannot get back on his feet after being taken
down, it could be a long night. Vemola takes it by second-round
TKO.
Bantamweights
Roland
Delorme (7-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Nick Denis(11-2, 1-0 UFC): Delorme
was opportunistic in his Octagon debut, dropping Josh Ferguson
with a left hand before pouncing for the rear-naked choke at
the “The Ultimate Fighter 14” Finale. Denis was even
more impressive in his initial UFC appearance, smashing Joseph
Sandoval with elbows from the clinch at UFC on FX 1. Of course,
anyone who witnessed Denis’ slam knockout of Nick Mamalis
in October knows the “Ninja of Love” is capable of
violent exploits in the cage. Denis avoids Delorme’s submissions
and wins by TKO in round two or three.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Fox
Executive Calls UFC Programming a ‘Powerhouse’ Across
All Their Networks
by Damon
Martin
Everyone can talk about expectations when it comes to ratings
for the UFC’s programming on the Fox family of networks,
but ultimately it comes down to how the people who make the decisions
are feeling about it.
Well,
it’s safe to say that just over four months into their seven-year
deal with the UFC, the executives at Fox Sports couldn’t
be happier with their latest acquisition.
“I
continue to be amazed at a sport that really 10 years ago, you
guys all know where it came from 10 years ago, and the fact that
the first time on broadcast television almost six million viewers,
the second one in that demo of 18-49 we beat all three networks
combined,” said Eric Shanks, Co-President at Fox Sports.
“The prelims on FX have already beaten 25 out of the 26
prelims on Spike, so it’s amazing.”
The
UFC explosion has especially boosted the once woefully low rated
cable network Fuel TV. The last two UFC on Fuel TV live events
have shattered any previously broadcast show on the network,
and they don’t expect anything to change in the coming years.
The
other goal of course is to make Fuel TV available to more households
in the United States.
“Fuel
is an even bigger story obviously. Ratings every week, every
month, the UFC content sets ratings records; we’ve doubled
the ratings on Fuel since UFC’s been on it. What you’ll
see on Fuel and a big reason for the partnership is the UFC will
be the reason Fuel is available to more people. That’s the
goal,” said Shanks.
The
UFC programming has been a true success for Fox, FX, and Fuel
TV. According to the executive from Fox, it has even reached
over into their Latin American station.
“(Fox)
Deportes for that first fight for (Junior) dos Santos, it set
a record for the highest rated Spanish language fight –
boxing, UFC, wrestling, anything – on Deportes that night,”
Shanks revealed.
The
executives at Fox and the executives at the UFC have continually
stayed mum on what they expect or what they hope for when it
comes to ratings for any original programming.
The
results are paying off, however because, Fox executives are getting
everything they hoped for out of this UFC deal thus far.
“We
don’t make ratings predictions ever, that’s a tough
one to do, but this is a powerhouse across everything,”
Shanks said.
“There’s
nothing bad to say about the UFC’s performance on any of
the channels.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
WITH
BROTHER NICK SIDELINED, NATE DIAZ FLIES THE FAMILY FLAG
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
NEW
YORK -- One of the biggest misconceptions in MMA is that there
is no depth to the Diaz brothers. They've been mistakenly characterized
as thugs, brawlers and misanthropes, when the reality is that
both are motivated, diligent workers who hold their inner circle
as family, and have little need for those on the outside.
While
welterweight Nick Diaz is the bigger star of the two, he's also
sidelined due to a suspension handed down by the Nevada state
athletic commission. That leaves 27-year-old Nate Diaz as the
flag-bearer of the family.
There
are many similarities between them. They look alike. Both are
southpaws. They speak in a similar style and cadence. Neither
is particularly comfortable in front of a bank of cameras, either.
Indeed, it seems as if the Diaz brothers are at their best while
competing.
But
there is also evidence that both are at least slightly warming
up to their public roles. Say what you will about Nick, but he's
an absolutely riveting interview when he chooses to engage the
media. And now, so too is Nate coming into his own in public
speaking.
On
Wednesday at the Church Street Boxing Gym in downtown Manhattan,
Diaz was in many ways just what we have come to expect, but in
other ways completely different.
He
showed up over one hour past his scheduled workout time, which
was perfectly Diaz of him. But then he threw a couple of curveballs.
At one point, he asked the assembled media if they would stop
filming the last part of his workout, the words "please"
and "thank you" punctuating his request. Later, he
apologized for being late and for making the media wait for him.
And
in between, he was genuinely engaged.
Without
question, there was media in that room who had previously been
wondering if the wait was worth it. He's going to show up.
Nate
Diaz gets ready for his session at the UFC on FOX 3 open workouts
at the Church Street gym in New York, N.Y. on Wednesday, May
2, 2012.
But
that wasn't the case at all. Diaz (15-7) stood in front of the
horde and thoughtfully answered every question that came his
way.
One
thing he made clear: he respects his Saturday night UFC on FOX
3 opponent Jim Miller. The Diaz boys have been vocal in the past
about their dislike of conservative fighting styles. They come
to scrap, and they expect the same of whoever steps in the cage
with them. When he looks at Miller, he sees someone who brings
the same kind of intensity he does.
"Yeah,
I can respect that he fights people," he said. "There’s
these guys who come out and do a lot of boring s---. I’m
like, 'What are we watching here?' I think they favor the wrestler
a lot in this sport. And I think that anybody who comes down,
throws some punches, does some jiu-jitsu ... I’m not hating
on anyone though. You’ve got to do what you've got to do
to win. If you have to hold on tight for your life or run around
the ring, that’s what you've got to do. You’ve got
to get paid, but I can respect a guy who’s going to come
in there and fight with you a little bit."
That's
the Diaz way, with engaging a must, and going for the finish
a cardinal rule.
For
this camp, he had Nick alongside of him everyday in practice,
looking over him, evaluating, adjusting. In fact, he said the
best part of Nick's retirement is the fact that there is more
time to spend with him, saying he was receiving extra attention
from "the best fighter in the world."
But
he also shows plenty of thought past the obvious. Like when he
noted that this break was good for Nick in "letting him
have some spare time to just think about other stuff, other than
fighting."
Nate,
though, hasn't reached the point yet where he needs a similar
break. Indeed, UFC president Dana White said on Wednesday that
if Diaz won, he would find himself in line for a crack at the
UFC lightweight championship after Ben Henderson and Frankie
Edgar settle their newfound rivalry.
That's
just fine with Diaz, who feels long ready for the opportunity.
"I
think that I can keep up with probably anybody in the UFC, titleholder
or not," he said. "I think it’s just how you’re
going to perform on the day. But on my best day, I think I could
beat anybody in the division."
He
may soon get the chance. Miller (21-3) is a venerable opponent,
having gone 10-2 during his octagon run. All three of his career
losses are to either former UFC lightweight champs (Edgar and
Henderson) or No. 1 contenders (Gray Maynard).
Diaz
hopes to make it four, because that will mean that he gets to
the level where he can challenge for a championship. The Diaz
brothers may not voice their feelings very often, but this one
comes down to family pride.
"I
hope I can perform well because I feel like I perform for both
of us," he said. "I don’t want to let my team
down, my brother down. He helps coach me, and I hope I can go
out there and do good, and make everyone look good."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Nogueira
brothers in new extra-UFC adventures
The
twins Rodrigo “Minotauro” and Rogério “Minotouro”
Nogueira will be starring in a new show on cable television,
the theme of which will be the lifestyle and travels of the two
Jiu-Jitsu black belts in the UFC. The announcement was made last
Monday at a press conference held by Fox International Channels
at Unique Hotel in São Paulo.
The
program will involve travel, culture and martial arts, and it’s
for precisely that reason that it will not show on Fox Sports
channel in Brazil, but on Nat Geo, a channel that broadcast educational
documentaries and programs.
“To
study the martial arts, it’s wise to look at the culture
of their country of origin. We travel to several countries and
get to know a bit more about their culture through the martial
arts. We study a bit of Buddhism in Thailand through Thai boxing,
for example,” explained Minotauro. “We’re also
going to show what our training camps are like, when we travel
to get prepared for our fights. We’re far from our family,
living in another country, speaking another language. The program
will explore MMA’s cultural side,” he added.
In
all, the Nogueira brothers should take eight trips during the
second half of the year in shooting the show. The premiere date
is so far undetermined.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
MFC
33: Collision Course Weigh-in Results
The
Maximum Fighting Championship’s welterweight title bout
set for MFC 33: Collision Course has been secured after both
combatants stepped off the scale at the official weigh-in.
Nathan
Coy (10-4), who fights out of American Top Team’s camp in
Coconut Creek, Florida, hit the scale at 169.4 pounds, while
rival Ryan McGillivray, fighting in his home town of Edmonton,
Alberta, registered in at 169.6 pounds.
The
MFC welterweight title match-up headlines Friday night’s
card airing live on HDNet Fights from the Mayfield Conference
Centre beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
In
a featured lightweight tilt, former U.S. Marine Adam Lynn (17-8),
holder of the MFC’s 2011 Knockout of the Year award, weighed
in at 154.2 pounds, and his opponent, Mukai Maromo (6-2), who
captured the MFC’s 2011 Fight of the Year honor, stepped
off at 155.6 pounds. The battle between Lynn and Maromo marks
the first time in MFC history that back-to-back winners of the
MFC’s Knockout of the Night will face each other.
UFC
veteran Edwin Dewees came in 13 pounds overweight for his 195-pound
catchweight bout with Luke Harris. He forfeits 20 percent of
his fight purse. Andrew Buckland missed weight by two pounds
for his 175-pound catchweight bout with Jamie Toney. He also
forfeits 20 percent of his purse.
Diego
Bautista was still en route to Edmonton, but will weigh-in before
5 p.m. MT.
MFC
33 Official Weigh-In Results:
Nathan
Coy – 169.4 vs. Ryan McGillivray – 169.6
Adam Lynn – 154.2 vs. Mukai Maromo – 155.6
Edwin Dewees – 208.0* vs. Luke Harris – 195.2
Jamie Toney – 174.0 vs. Andrew Buckland – 177.4**
Diego Bautista – TBA vs. Sabah Fadai – 155.2***
Derek Parker – 184.4 vs. Jared McComb – 186.0
Matt Jelly – 155.6 vs. Garrett Nybakken – 156.0
Josh Kitchen – 170.2 vs. Mike Scarcello – 170.4
*Edwin
Dewees missed catchweight by 13 pounds; forfeits 20% of purse
**Andrew Buckland missed catchweight by 2 pounds; forfeits 20%
of purse
***Diego Bautista en route to Edmonton will weigh-in before 5
p.m. MT
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Hacran
debuts against Alcantara at UFC BH
by Erik
Engelhart
Hacran Dias knows when he will have his UFC debut. According
to what safe sources informed TATAME this Tuesday (1st), the
Nova Uniao fighter will debut on Dana White’s organization,
against Iuri “Marajo” Alcantara, at UFC 147, which
takes place in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on June
23rd. The 147th edition of the show has on its fighting card
the rematch between Vitor Belfort vs. Wanderlei Silva, besides
the finals of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil.
Hacran has fought in South Korean and Japanese events, besides
building a big career at South American Shooto, where he became
the champion on the 66kg division. The athlete holds a professional
record of 20 fights and only one loss. Iuri Alcantara, on the
other hand, was the champion at Jungle Fight and has a couple
of wins in the UFC, one over Felipe Arantes and the last one
against Michihiro Omigawa. Check below the current fighting card
of UFC 147.
COMPLETE CARD (it can be changed):
UFC
147
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Saturday, June 23rd of 2012
-
Vitor Belfort VS. Wanderlei Silva;
- Fabrício Werdum VS. Mike Russow;
- Final peso médio do TUF;
- Final peso pena do TUF;
- Milton Vieira VS. Felipe Sertanejo;
- Iuri Marajó VS. Hacran Dias.
Source: Tatame
|
DANA
WHITE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE EX-FIGHTERS BECOME OFFICIALS
By Dave
Doyle
NEW
YORK -- Former UFC, PRIDE and Pancrase fighter Ricardo Almeida
will make his major-event debut as a judge at Saturday night's
UFC on FOX 3 card at the Izod Center in E. Rutherford, N.J.
And
UFC president Dana White hopes Almeida will start a trend.
Speaking
to reporters Thursday at the Beacon Theatre on Manhattan's Upper
West Side, the UFC boss said that having those who have experienced
what it's like to be in a fight would be ideally suited to take
MMA officiating to the next level.
"I
would like to see the fighters ref and judge," said White.
"It makes all the sense in the world."
He
used the man he considers the best referee in the business, Herb
Dean, as an example. Dean has several pro MMA fights to his credit.
"The
guy trains, he knows the sport," White said. "You see
guys out there like [Steve] Mazzagatti, he's sitting there, he's
thinking, ‘I gotta get some milk and eggs after the fight.'
I don't know what the [expletive] this guy's looking at, what
he's thinking. Meanwhile this fighter's getting elbows dropped
on his [expletive] head for 2 1/2 minutes, the fight should have
been stopped 2 1/2 minutes ago. Herb Dean knows what its like
to have an elbow dropped on your head."
There
would, of course, be potential conflict-of-interest issues to
deal with when former fighters become officials. Almeida, who
is slated to judge the Josh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks co-feature
bout Saturday, won't be judging any fighters with whom he trains,
for example. But as far as White is concerned, the positives
of involving former fighters outweigh such potential negatives.
"This
isn't like other sports," said White. "You have a bad
call in a baseball game and they have 100 more games left. You
make a bad call in this sport and it affects his entire career."
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Louis
Gaudinot Believes Drop to Flyweight Could Put Him 2 to 3 Wins
From a Title Shot
by Andrew
Gladstone
Flyweight Louis “Goodnight” Gaudinot (7-2) is fired
up and has his eyes on one day having UFC gold.
While
cutting his teeth on TUF 14 at 135 pounds, the 27-year-old realized
in order to compete at the highest levels, he needed to drop
back down to flyweight. At UFC on FOX 3, Gaudinot will get that
chance against highly touted Brazilian John Lineker.
The
Team Tiger Schulmann protégé believes that the
UFC tried to feed him to the lions as Lineker rides a 13-fight
winning streak, and has achieved some notoriety from being on
TUF. But Gaudinot refuses to be a stepping-stone for anyone and
looks to give Lineker a rude welcoming in his UFC debut.
“He’s
been fighting over in Brazil at 135, and everybody was saying
when he drops down to flyweight he would be in the UFC,”
Gaudinot told MMAWeekly Radio.
“He’s
on a 13-fight win streak, so he’s a tough opponent. I don’t
think the fans know about him, but after the first round, I think
the fans are going to be excited about the fight,” continued
Gaudinot.
“He’s
a very tough opponent and a lot of people are picking him for
the fight because of his impressive win streak and what he was
able to do at 135 in Brazil. I don’t think the casual fan
knows too much about him, but I think if other people read up
about him, they’ll know that he’s a very dangerous
opponent. I don’t know if the UFC is trying to establish
him by beating me, who’s a known guy on TUF, but I’m
nobody’s stepping stone and come Saturday everyone is going
to see that.”
Gaudinot
wants to tell the casual fans to study Lineker just as he has,
because he’s about to end the Brazilian’s impressive
run. He believes that fighting on TUF and gaining notoriety doesn’t
mean that the UFC is going to throw you unknown softballs to
pad your career.
In
the end, Gaudinot knows he needs an impressive performance at
UFC on FOX 3. The flyweight division contains very few title
challengers and if the 27-year-old is successful, he can be a
fight or two away from being no. 1 contender.
“The
flyweight division is wide open right now, there’s only
eight or nine guys in there. If you make a statement with an
impressive fight, in two or three fights, you could be fighting
for the title. That’s definitely something that you look
at, but no way am I looking past Lineker.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Anderson
Silva admits to coming close to shooting coach Cordeiro
UFC
middleweight champion, Anderson Silva has released a ‘tell-all’
biography in Rio de Janeiro this week regarding his trials and
tribulations on the road to becoming the superstar he is today.
In the book Silva touches on a dark time in his life that he
now regrets. Silva recalls teaching jiu-jitsu at the famed Chute
Boxe Academy in Curtiba, Brazil for famed coach Rafael Cordeiro
while struggling with finances. Following a heated dispute that
ended with Silva being slapped by his then employer, Silva took
to drastic measures.
Silva
admits that while accompanied by two friends, he armed himself
with a shotgun and went to a location where Cordeiro was expected
to be. Luckily Silva’s consorts lost their nerves and talked
Silva out of his rash plot.
Today
the two are great friends as Silva can be found training in Long
Beach at Cordeiro’s Kings MMA gym.
Silva
recently had been confronted by his son regarding his actions,
as the news hit the internet.
“I
didn’t tell him. I think he will have to read the book.
I ended up visiting some website because my son said: ‘Dad,
did you see what is on the internet? They are saying that you
tried to kill Rafael!’ I said, ‘Calm, let me see what
is it about and then I will call you back!’” he related.
“But
I speak the truth in the book. That was a phase in my life in
which I had nothing but the gift God gave me to give classes
and I almost did a foolishness.”
Summarizing
the book , Silva explained, “The biography says the truth
of everything that happened since my childhood until this moment.
It documents day-to-day frustrations, what is good, what is bad,
and how is bad to stay away from the family. The book tells my
life.”
Source:
Caged Fighter
|
State
of Nevada Rebuts Nick Diaz Lawsuit
Apr
30, 2012 - Last Tuesday, UFC welterweight Nick Diaz filed a lawsuit
against the Nevada state athletic commission, claiming that the
state regulation agency violated his right to due process by
declining to grant him a hearing on the status of his fighter's
license within 45 days of his suspension.
According
to the state of Nevada's office of the attorney general, the
legal move is misguided. That is because Diaz's legal team, headed
by Ross C. Goodman, cited a "summary suspension" of
Diaz's license in his court filing. According to Nevada's state
codes, a summary suspension can be ordered if an agency finds
that "public health, safety or welfare imperatively require
emergency action."
But
in a written response from Nevada attorney general Catherine
Cortez Masto to Goodman and forwarded to MMA Fighting, the state
of Nevada asserts that Diaz's legal team misunderstood the suspension.
"No
Notice of Summary Suspension was ever served on your client,"
Masto wrote. "In this matter, Mr. Diaz was properly served
with a 'Notice of Hearing on Temporary Suspension' and he failed
to appear at the hearing. The Commission temporarily suspended
Mr. Diaz’s license at the hearing. Neither Mr. Diaz nor
you objected in any manner to the temporary suspension."
The
letter effectively indicates that because Diaz was not given
a "summary suspension," his case does not fall under
Nevada code NRS 233B.127, which requires a hearing within 45
days. A separate code, NRS 467.117, indicates that the commission
can " continue the suspension until it makes a final determination
of any disciplinary action to be taken against the licensee or
holder of the permit."
The
letter also indicates that the NSAC delay in scheduling Diaz's
hearing was partially his fault, caused while waiting for him
to produce his medical marijuana card.
"I've
waited for more than a month for the card," Masto wrote.
Diaz
tested positive for marijuana metabolites on February 4, shortly
after losing a UFC 143 match against Carlos Condit. On a pre-fight
medical questionnaire, he denied taking any "prescribed
medications" in the last two weeks.
On
April 4, Nevada sent Goodman a letter asking him to produce Diaz's
medical marijuana card. Goodman later produced a letter from
Diaz's doctor, Robert E. Sullivan, who said he had first issued
a physician's statement in June 2009 which noted that Diaz had
a 'serious medical condition" which would, in his professional
opinion, "benefit from the use of medical cannabis."
He issued a follow-up statement on Feb. 28, 2012, re-affirming
the same.
The
Nevada attorney general's office said that they are moving forward
with their complaint against Diaz, and that they would still
attempt to hold a disciplinary hearing on the matter.
Meanwhile,
Nevada's Clark County District Court has set a May 14 hearing
at 10:30 am on Goodman's request for an injunction against the
suspension on Diaz's license.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
State
of Nevada Rebuts Nick Diaz Lawsuit
Apr
30, 2012 - Last Tuesday, UFC welterweight Nick Diaz filed a lawsuit
against the Nevada state athletic commission, claiming that the
state regulation agency violated his right to due process by
declining to grant him a hearing on the status of his fighter's
license within 45 days of his suspension.
According
to the state of Nevada's office of the attorney general, the
legal move is misguided. That is because Diaz's legal team, headed
by Ross C. Goodman, cited a "summary suspension" of
Diaz's license in his court filing. According to Nevada's state
codes, a summary suspension can be ordered if an agency finds
that "public health, safety or welfare imperatively require
emergency action."
But
in a written response from Nevada attorney general Catherine
Cortez Masto to Goodman and forwarded to MMA Fighting, the state
of Nevada asserts that Diaz's legal team misunderstood the suspension.
"No
Notice of Summary Suspension was ever served on your client,"
Masto wrote. "In this matter, Mr. Diaz was properly served
with a 'Notice of Hearing on Temporary Suspension' and he failed
to appear at the hearing. The Commission temporarily suspended
Mr. Diaz’s license at the hearing. Neither Mr. Diaz nor
you objected in any manner to the temporary suspension."
The
letter effectively indicates that because Diaz was not given
a "summary suspension," his case does not fall under
Nevada code NRS 233B.127, which requires a hearing within 45
days. A separate code, NRS 467.117, indicates that the commission
can " continue the suspension until it makes a final determination
of any disciplinary action to be taken against the licensee or
holder of the permit."
The
letter also indicates that the NSAC delay in scheduling Diaz's
hearing was partially his fault, caused while waiting for him
to produce his medical marijuana card.
"I've
waited for more than a month for the card," Masto wrote.
Diaz
tested positive for marijuana metabolites on February 4, shortly
after losing a UFC 143 match against Carlos Condit. On a pre-fight
medical questionnaire, he denied taking any "prescribed
medications" in the last two weeks.
On
April 4, Nevada sent Goodman a letter asking him to produce Diaz's
medical marijuana card. Goodman later produced a letter from
Diaz's doctor, Robert E. Sullivan, who said he had first issued
a physician's statement in June 2009 which noted that Diaz had
a 'serious medical condition" which would, in his professional
opinion, "benefit from the use of medical cannabis."
He issued a follow-up statement on Feb. 28, 2012, re-affirming
the same.
The
Nevada attorney general's office said that they are moving forward
with their complaint against Diaz, and that they would still
attempt to hold a disciplinary hearing on the matter.
Meanwhile,
Nevada's Clark County District Court has set a May 14 hearing
at 10:30 am on Goodman's request for an injunction against the
suspension on Diaz's license.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
|
Anheuser-Busch
unhappy with remarks made by UFC fighters
(Getty)The
UFC's marquee sponsor is not happy with the actions of some their
athletes, and they spoke up about it in Advertising Age. Anheuser-Busch,
the parent company of the Bud Light brands that are featured
prominently in the Octagon, talked about their displeasure.
"We've
communicated to the UFC our displeasure with certain remarks
made by some of its fighters, and they have promised to address
this. If the incidents continue, we will act," the brewer
said in a statement. A-B, which did not elaborate on potential
actions, also stated that it "embraces diversity and does
not condone insensitive and derogatory comments rooted in ethnicity,
race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability,
etc."
The
UFC responded to Ad Age:
"Unlike
most other sports leagues, we encourage our athletes to engage
online. It is part of our company culture, and whenever you are
at the forefront of a trend or initiative, it comes with its
own pitfalls. We will continue to embrace social media while
looking for better ways to stay in front of the issues. This
includes a mandate for our athletes to attend sensitivity training
and a seminar on proper use of social media."
The
problem is not that the UFC has athletes who say and do stupid
things. Every organization -- from a small family-run business
to the largest multi-national conglomerates -- has people who
do and say stupid things. The problem is with how the UFC has
(or hasn't) dealt with the issues.
There
is little consistency with how the UFC has dealt with the dumb
things said by their athletes. Some, like Miguel Torres, were
cut. Some, like Rashad Evans, were rebuked privately. Some, like
Quinton Jackson, were ignored.
A
comprehensive code of conduct for athletes, including clear examples
of crossing the line and fair punishments for such actions, would
not just be the fair thing for UFC fighters, but would also prevent
them from getting a public rebuke from their biggest sponsor.
It's just good business.
Source:
Yahoo Sports |
TUF
Live Episode 8 Marks a New Low in TV Ratings
TUF
Live LogoWhile UFC president Dana White insists that Fox execs
are more than happy with the TV ratings that The Ultimate Fighter:
Live is drawing on Friday night’s, the series continues
to sag in comparison with its tenure on Spike TV.
Episode
8 of TUF: Live this past Friday drew just 929,000 viewers, a
new series low. It marks the second time this season, and in
the series’ history, that TUF has dipped below one million
viewers for an episode.
“As
far as the show goes, it’s a (expletive) home run for FX,”
said White recently. “It’s on Friday nights. Friday
nights they do movies and reruns. We’re the No. 1 thing
in males 18-34 every Friday night. If not, we’re No. 2 if
they pull something off that beats us. (FX is) happy as a pig
in (expletive).
“For
me, I want to pull 3 million viewers on FX. We’re No. 1
on Friday nights every week, which they’ve never had. The
(UFC 145) prelims on Saturday on FX were No. 1. It’s a home
run for them, but it’s not necessarily a home run for me.”
Episode
8 saw Team Faber take the lead once more as Chris Saunders nabbed
a split decision win over Sam Sicilia. They now lead the series
4-3.
This
is The Ultimate Fighter’s first season on FX, which happened
as part of the UFC’s new television deal with the Fox family
of networks, of which FX is a part. Friday night is also a departure
from the show’s run on Spike TV.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
|
Joinha:
‘Anderson will have more fans rooting for him’
The
UFC negotiations to transfer the rematch Anderson Silva-Chael
Sonnen to the United States wereclosely watched by Jorge Guimaraes,
known as “Joinha”, the middleweight champion’s
manager.
On
an interview with TATAME, Joinha affirmed that the organization
did their best efforts to keep it in Brazil, talked about how
the Americans see Sonnen and the possibility of Lyoto Machida,
also managed by him, and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua being
the next coaches of The Ultimate Fighter.
How
was this negotiation to replace the fight?
I
had a meeting with Ed Soares, Dana and Lorenzo (Fertitta) a couple
of weeks ago and it was a sure thing it would happen at Engenhao.
They were apprehensive wondering if it would be crowded. Big
investments… Everything was fine, everybody was excited
about it happening in Rio. We were caught by surprise too, they
had to logistic problems. It’s not happening in Rio de Janeiro,
but it’s happening in Las Vegas, which is the biggest fighting
place in the planet.
What
was Anderson’s reaction towards this transfer?
Obviously
Anderson wanted to teach Chael a lesson in front of Brazilian
fans. He told me: “I owe it to them. This guy disrespected
me, disrespected my wife, my family, my people and my country.
I wanna teach him a lesson in front of the Brazilian people”.
Since it’s no longer possible, he’s doing it in Las
Vegas, at Sonnen’s house, on the 4th of the July week.
You
live on the United States. How Americans see Sonnen?
Chael
Sonnen is a guy who came from the shadows using that marketing
thing. He was unknown and then started talking about everyone,
he’s talked about Lance Armstrong. He’s a bully, but
got the promotion he needed. He’s not a complete MMA fighter.
In matters of resources, Anderson has plenty more resources than
him. As Dana White said, this sport has transpassed all limits
and there’s no such thing, this kind of feeling. Here in
Brazil we have that Latin blood, there’s this fanaticism,
but on the United States they really admire Anderson as the best
MMA fighter ever and I guarantee you 80 percent of the fans will
be rooting for Anderson Silva.
You’re
also Lyoto’s manager and many people want him fighting Shogun
again. Jose Aldo is confirmed on Brazil’s card. Do you think
about matching them up?
No.
Not for Brazil’s card. Everything is possible, but it’s
already being built. I guess Lyoto will fight soon. I can tell
you about Shogun, but Shogun is on a great place now and I’m
sure that the two of them, as mentioned by Dana, would be great
coaches at TUF, but I believe they will fight before that.
Source:
Tatame |
Brian
Stann vs. Hector Lombard on tap for UFC on Fox 4
The
All-American, Brian Stann (12-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will look to welcome
the vacating Bellator middleweight champion, Hector Lombard (31-2-1
MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the UFC. The bout has been said by UFC officials
to be targeted for UFC on Fox 4 on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles, CA.
For
the MMA hardcores, Hector Lombard needs no introduction, as he
has been a dominating, undefeated multi-promotion champion with
an astounding 24-0-1 streak, spanning back to 2006. With 17 KO
finishes and 7 submissions, Lombard is not known for leaving
his bouts in the hands of the judges.
Stann
may look to have his hands full, but is no push-over in the stand-up
department as well. After recently making quick work of Alessio
Sakara at UFC on Fuel as the co-headliner, the former WEC light
heavyweight champion said that he is looking towards a title
run now. Stann may in fact be close, going 4-1 against top opponents,
only losing to current top contender Chael Sonnen at UFC 136
in Oct. 2011.
Source:
Caged Fighter
|
Shogun
Rua vs. Thiago Silva agreed for UFC 149
Sometimes
stepping up on short notice in the UFC will garner you a reward,
even if it’s in a losing fashion. After taking over main
event duties for ‘Lil’ Nog’ against Alexander
Gustafsson in Sweden recently, Thiago Silva (14-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
will have a chance for redemption on the main card against former
UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua
(20-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC). The two have verbally agreed to a bout at
UFC 149.
The
stacked card will take place on July 21 in Calgary, Canada at
the Scotiabank Saddledome. Headlining the event will be a featherweight
title fight between champion Jose Aldo (21-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and
top contender Erik Koch (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC).
Shogun
has not had the best of luck this past year, losing the the title,
defeating Griffin, then in a losing effort putting out a “Fight
of the Year” performance against Dan Henderson in November
of 2011. Rua was recently linked to a fight against former Pride
FC foe Rampage Jackson, but with double knee surgeries keeping
Jackson out of the cage – he is now faced with a new opponent.
Thiago
will look for his first win since returning from suspension,
which would also be his first victory in three years as well.
Plagued with injuries and being short on money, Thiago made the
unwise decision to take a banned substances which caused a suspension
of his fight license for one year. His recent comeback fight
came against rising star Gustafsson did not end in his favor
as he was out-striked by the lengthier fighter on the feet for
three rounds.
Source:
Caged Fighter
|
Jake
Shields Returns to Middleweight and Faces Ed Herman at UFC 150
It
looks like Jake Shields has made his decision and will move back
to middleweight as he faces Ed Herman at UFC 150 in Denver, CO
on Aug 11.
UFC
President Dana White announced the new fight via Twitter on Monday.
Following
a win over Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144 in Japan, Shields stated
that he was contemplating a move back to middleweight, where
he spent just under a year of his career between 2009 and 2010.
During
that time while in Strikeforce, Shields went 3-0 picking up wins
over Robbie Lawler, Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller and most
notably a victory over Dan Henderson in 2010.
Now
the Cesar Gracie black belt will move back to middleweight after
spending his last four fights at 170lbs where he went 2-2 in
the UFC.
Welcoming
Shields back to the middleweight division will be former Team
Quest fighter and Ultimate Fighter alum Ed Herman.
After
suffering serious injuries that sidelined Herman for all of 2010,
he returned with a vengeance in 2011 and has now reeled off three
wins in a row.
Most
recently, Herman stopped former Arizona State wrestler Clifford
Starks with a rear naked choke to mark his third win in a row,
while also notching his third finish in a row.
Now
Herman will face Shields in what should be a main card bout for
the UFC 150 card headed to Denver’s Pepsi Center in August.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Michael
Bisping vs. Tim Boestch Moved Off UFC 148 Fight Card
Michael
Bisping vs Tim BoetschA stacked UFC 148 fight card will be less
one major fight come July 7.
A
middleweight showdown between Michael Bisping and Tim Boetsch
has been shifted off the UFC 148 card and will be moved to a
future show.
Sources
close to the fight confirmed the move to MMAWeekly.com on Monday.
The reason for the shift is unknown at this time.
According
to current rumors, the Bisping vs. Boetsch fight could be rescheduled
as early as July 21 as part of the UFC 149 fight card in Calgary.
Michael
Bisping meets Tim Boetsch in a pivotal match-up in the UFC’s
middleweight division with both fighters currently sitting in
the top ten.
Most
recently, Bisping lost a razor close decision to current No.
1 contender Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2 in January, while Boetsch
had one of the most compelling comebacks in UFC history as he
knocked out former title contender Yushin Okami at UFC 144 in
February.
With
the title fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen being
moved to UFC 148, the card had become one of the most stacked
in UFC history.
The
move of Bisping and Boetsch to a later card could simply be the
product of too many great fights on one card, while leaving others
somewhat depleted.
As
it stands, UFC 148 will already feature two title fights with
the previously mentioned Silva vs. Sonnen grudge match, as well
as the bantamweight title being up for grabs as Dominick Cruz
meets Urijah Faber.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
|
Renan
Barao promeses to ‘go for it’ at UFC 148
Renan
Barao is another Brazilian on the explosive UFC 148 card, which
also brings five other Brazilian athletes, including Anderson
Silva, who has an awaited rematch with Chal Sonnen, and Renan
is one victory away from a title shot at the bantamweight division.
To reach his biggest goal, Barao needs to defeat the Canadian
Ivan Menjivar, who’s coming from three consecutive wins.
Renan
is “thrilled” for being matched up for such a good
card as UFC 148. “I was really glad. My dream has come true.
For many years, I guess it’s been ten years we are working
for this, working hard to get to a great fighting card like this.
Thank God I have this chance and I’m training to put on
a great show”, celebrated.
Barao,
who despite being only 25 has a huge experience, haven’t
loss any of his 28 last bouts and guaranteed he will need a couple
more fights to get a chance at the title, and he explains another
fight won’t bother him on his journey for the belt.
“UFC
has announced that depending on who wins this one this person
can get a chance at the title, but meanwhile I’m cool. If
I have to fight one more time, no problem. My goal is to get
the title and I’ll get there”, said Renan, studying
his opponent, thinking on moving forwards all the time.
“I
checked him out, watched his tapes. I know he’s a good striker,
sometimes take guys down, but I’m cool with that, I’m
training my stand-up, which is something I always train, I’m
training my Jiu-Jitsu. God bless me, I’ll put on a great
show there, that’s the goal: go for it. I’ll finish
him or submit him”, concluded.
COMPLETE
CARD (it can be changed):
UFC
148
Las
Vegas, Nevada, United States
Saturday,
July 7th of 2012
Main
card:
-
Anderson Silva VS. Chael Sonnen;
-
Dominick Cruz VS. Urijah Faber;
-
Tito Ortiz VS. Forrest Griffin;
-
Michael Bisping VS. Tim Boetsch;
-
Renan Barao VS. Ivan Menjivar;
-
Rich Franklin VS. Cung Le.
Preliminary
card:
-
Demian Maia VS. Dong Hyun Kim;
-
Riki Fukuda VS. Costa Philippou;
-
Gleison Tibau VS. Khabib Nurmagomedov;
-
Fabrício Camoes VS. Melvin Guillard.
Source:
Tatame |
|
Five
UFC belts up for grabs this summer
(Getty)Over
the weekend, two more UFC championship bouts were finalized for
the summer, and it's clear that the UFC wants to keep those championship
belts moving. Every belt, except for the welterweight belt that
is in limbo because of Georges St-Pierre's injured knee and the
just-contested light heavyweight belt, will be on the line between
Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.
--
Bantamweight: Champion Dominick Cruz will rematch Urijah Faber
at UFC 148 on July 7 in Las Vegas
--
Featherweight: Champion Jose Aldo will fight Erik Koch at UFC
149 on July 21 in Calgary
--
Lightweight: Champion Benson Henderson will rematch with Frankie
Edgar at UFC 150 on Aug. 11 in Denver
--
Middleweight: Champion Anderson Silva will rematch with Chael
Sonnen at UFC 148, which is the most stacked UFC event since
UFC 129 last April.
--
Heavyweight: Champion Junior dos Santos will fight Frank Mir
at UFC 146 on May 26 in Las Vegas.
Throw
in a free on Fox show, a Fuel and an FX show and UFC 147 with
Wanderlei Silva fighting Vitor Belfort, it's going to be a ...
wait for it ... hot summer of MMA. Which belt is most likely
to have a new owner by Labor Day?
Source:
Yahoo Sports |
Fight
Alert: Ryan Bader vs Lyoto Machida
The
UFC on FOX 4 card continues to grow. The Ultimate Fighter 8 winner
Ryan Bader will be taking on former 205lbs. kingpin Lyoto Machida.
This fight was not announced as the main event, but a fight of
this caliber will most likely end up on the main card, if not
the co-main event. UFC on FOX 4 takes place on August 8th, at
the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will also feature the promotional
debut of Hector Lombard vs. Brian Stann.
Ryan
Bader is coming off the biggest win of his career over another
former champion in Rampage Jackson. Bader will look for his third
win in a row against Machida after coming off an abysmal year
where he went 1-2. He lost to current champion Jon Jones by submission,
and then lost again by submission to Tito Ortiz. If he is able
to beat Lyoto, Bader will be one step closer to a rematch with
Jones.
Lyoto
on the other hand, will come into this match with something to
prove after his latest defeat. At one time Lyoto was thought
to be unbeatable, until he ran into Shogun Rua. In the last three
years he has went 1-3 with his only win coming over an aging
Randy Couture. A win over Bader will put some legitimacy to his
career, but the question is will he be able to beat the powerhouse
from Arizona.
Source:
Caged Fighter
|
Dana
White: We’re going to fix TUF
This
season the UFC decided to switch things up with “The Ultimate
Fighter”, no longer airing on Spike TV, but on FX and even
more importantly, all the fights are now live instead of pre-recorded.
Sounds like a good idea right? Oddly enough though, this season
of TUF has had the lowest ratings of all 15 seasons. With this
past episode being the lowest at just 947,000 viewers. Although
the show is still one of the highest rated Friday night shows,
Dana White is not pleased and plans to make some changes,
“It’s
not that I’m not happy, I said it’s a home run for
them … since they’re dominating Friday nights with
18- to 34-year-old males. It’s not the best position for
me, though.”
Friday
nights in the past have been known not to have to best TV shows
on for younger male viewers, but White and FX know this and are
using it to their advantage for seasons in the future.
“I
have – let me tell you – the best f***ing relationship
with FUEL, FX and big FOX. I couldn’t be happier. I wish
I was here for 17 years instead of seven. Everything that’s
ever come up – every problem – they’re just as
passionate and crazy about my business as I am. They give a crap.
They care.
This
is a team effort. We’re doing what we’re doing this
season, and then we’re going to switch some things up. We’re
going to make this thing work and make it great – if it’s
Friday night or it’s whatever. Believe me.”
Luckily
for FX, White has total faith in them, and feels they know exactly
what’s best for the coming seasons of TUF.
“As
far as I’m concerned, FX is better than f***ing HBO,”
he said. “You’re paying extra money to have HBO when
the programming on FX smokes HBO right now. HBO’s known
for all its great shows. I’ve heard ‘Game of Thrones’
is awesome, but if you look at the overall network and what FX
is doing and HBO is doing, FX blows them away. And that’s
on regular cable that you can watch everyday.”
Although
White still feels that TUF hasn’t reached it’s full
potential yet, and hopes to make it better than just ‘good.’
“We’re
going to fix it,” he said. “I read all the s**t from
people who have no f***ing clue what they’re talking about.
We’re with guys who are the best in the business. We will
get this thing dialed in and make it great.”
Source:
Caged Fighter
|
Flourishing
in Lightweight Return, Nate Diaz Fighting for Title Shot at UFC
on Fox 3
Nate
Diaz UFC 125Nate Diaz looks to put himself at the top of the
heap in the lightweight division when he meets Jim Miller in
the UFC on FOX 3 main event. The fight will be a five rounder
near Miller’s backyard in East Rutherford, N.J.
It
wasn’t all smooth sailing for Diaz getting here though.
After having mixed success and going 2-2 at welterweight, Diaz
has returned to his more natural weight class and has been on
an absolute tear back at lightweight, scoring victories over
Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone.
Diaz
believes that his inconsistent performances had to do with a
lack of motivation. Back at lightweight, he was fighting the
toughest fighters and the biggest names, while at welterweight
he was fighting tough guys with less name value.
“I
don’t know. I mean, more guys maybe and those were some
of them and that was one point in my life I didn’t plan
on leaving 170,” Diaz said during the UFC on Fox 3 media
conference call. “I left the lightweight contender in the
weight division to fight guys nobody knew. When I was fighting
at lightweight, I was fighting guys who had big names at lightweight,
so that’s why I came back.”
The
return to 155 pounds was an easy decision for the 27-year-old,
as he got to fight the big name, top ranked fighters once again.
While he certainly fought stiff opposition at welterweight, Diaz
felt unappreciated there, like he wasn’t taken as serious
at 170 pounds.
“I
was fighting with guys that didn’t have big names like Dong
Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. So it’s kind of rough. I was
like, if I’m going to be fighting people with names at lightweight,
I might as well go back there and instead of sitting here and
jumping all over the place.”
Now,
on May 5, Diaz gets his wish when he gets a top lightweight contender
in Miller, with a shot at the lightweight title on line. And
if the Cesar Gracie black belt shows us that same type of motivation
as he did in his last two outings, Miller will be in store for
one long, difficult night.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
146 Doesn’t Have All the Big Men; UFC on Fox 4 Gets Browne
vs. Rothwell
UFC
146 may be the fight card of heavyweights, but not all the big
men are fighting on May 26 in Las Vegas. Travis Browne and Ben
Rothwell, both just coming off of victories, will square off
at UFC on Fox 4 in August in Los Angeles.
UFC
officials announced the bout late Monday evening.
Browne
(13-0-1) has continued to impress, fight after fight. He’s
now 4-0-1 in the Octagon, coming off of an impressive submission
win over former Strikeforce fighter Chad Griggs at UFC 145 in
Atlanta.
The
big Hawaiian had been keeping himself ready following the win
over Griggs, just in case the UFC had any more problems with
its UFC 146 fight card. His manager, John Fosco of VF Elite Sports
Management, told MMAWeekly.com earlier in the day that Browne
was already back in the gym, staying ready.
He
won’t be called into action at UFC 146, but will instead
step onto the UFC on Fox 4 fight card against Rothwell, who now
holds a record of 32-8.
Rothwell
fought on the same UFC 145 card as Browne, knocking out Brendan
Schaub a little more than a minute into their fight. He has been
alternating between wins and losses in the Octagon, so he’ll
be looking to put together his first back-to-back wins under
the Zuffa banner.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Pioneer,
Eduardo Dantas tries to keep title in Brazil
Eduardo
Dantas made history. First Brazilian to conquer a Bellator belt,
the bantamweight reached one of the biggest goals in his career.
The fighter, who defeated Zach Makovsky via submission, lived
the best day of his life as earned the title of the second biggest
MMA event of the world.
On
an interview with TATAME, the Nova Uniao athlete talked about
his happiness, commented on his next goals, his plans on helping
his mother in Rio de Janeiro, and the fans recognition.
Check
below the complete interview:
How
does it feel when your dreams come true?
It
was really good. Since the first time I fought I had the dream
of becoming a champion and raising the belt up high. Thank God
I did it step by step. When I earned the title I couldn’t
believe it. It was the happiest day ever, especially on an international
event. Since I was the first Brazilian to do it, I was even happier.
Now I’m training to keep this title for as long as I can,
until I reach my ultimate goal, which is to become the best fighter
of the world in my division.
Besides
keeping the belt, what are your plans now?
I
think about training a lot more and don’t let my fights
go to the judges’ score card. I want to knockout or submit.
I’m focused on that. That’s my goal. Since now I have
time between my fights I wanna improve even more.
What
changed since you became a Bellator champion?
A
lot changed. People’s recognition, especially since I fought
on the United States and then stayed there for four days, so
people recognized me on the streets. It’s pretty cool. Esporte
Interativo (Brazilian TV channel) is broadcasting Bellator, so
our recognition is bigger. On the internet there’re thousands
of comments. My fight was watched by 3,9 million people on Esporte
Interativo. I’m really glad to hear that.
Now
you have the belt people will start to know you better…
Absolutely.
Now people will want what is mine, so it’s a big incentive
to have this title kept here and put on a great show. I like
moving forwards, being aggressive. That’s what the fans
like. I’ll try to work on my flaws and my skills.
You
said you live with your mother and wants to help her to retire.
Is this dream closer now?
Sure,
absolutely. My dream is to give my mom a better life. My dream
is to say “mom, you don’t need to work anymore”.
I want to help and pay her back for everything she gave me.
What
will you do with this money you got now?
A
little is invested in me and I don’t touch it. It’s
in the bank, safe.
How
are your English classes going?
I’ve
been doing it for a month now. I have to speak English. Bellator
guys pressured me. It’s gonna be awesome. I was taking classes
before and stopped. I’m in the middle, but I stopped, so
they pushed me since I’m the champion. They really liked
my fight and it’s going to be great communicating with the
guys abroad.
Bellator
plans a Brazilian edition of the show. Did they tell you anything
about it?
Yeah.
Bjorn (Redney), the event owner, said that in 2013 they’ll
come to Brazil.
Do
you want to be in this card?
Absolutely.
If they really come to Brazil I’ll be there. In 2013 Bellator
is signing a deal with Spike TV and it’s going to be even
better. I’m sure the event will come to Brazil early in
2013.
Source:
Tatame
|
Why
are Jiu-Jitsu and sport fighting synonymous with peace?
When
you practice Jiu-Jitsu, a slew of questions enter your mind.
What’s this pleasant feeling? Why am I feeling so good?
Why can’t I stop thinking about Jiu-Jitsu? Where’d
those 20 kilos go?
Another
recurring question, almost always coming from someone who doesn’t
practice Jiu-Jitsu is: How can you talk about peace if you practice
a martial art?
The
most beautiful answer to this sort of “universal question”
about the martial arts slapped me in the face earlier today,
in a copy of “Trip” magazine lying on the counter at
Bibi Sucos juice bar in a rain-drenched Leblon neighborhood of
Rio de Janeiro. The issue is from March, and the article by journalist
from Minas Gerais State Lauro Henriques Jr.
starts out like this:
“One
day, a wise emperor called on the world’s most talented
painters and issued them a challenge: He would award a fabulous
prize to the one to produce the finest portrait of peace. They
set to work, and the result was a series of the most incredible
paintings ever seen. From those, the monarch selected two finalists.
“The
first of them was of a crystalline lake reflecting the verdant
mountains that circled it and the birds soaring in the blue sky
above. Now in the second, a cliff pierces a black sky, crisscrossed
by lightning, while a waterfall cascades down the hillside along
with the storm. Everyone was taken with awe when they caught
sight of the first piece of art, already predicting it would
be the winner; after all, the other was the opposite of peace.
“However,
to everyone’s dismay, it was precisely the second one that
was picked by the emperor, who explained his decision like so:
‘You didn’t notice the most important detail in the
painting. Look for it.’ And at last, they all found it:
behind the waterfall, peeking out from the grooves in the boulder,
there is a tiny bush and, in it, a bird’s nest—in this
nest, foreign to the reigning chaos, the mother bird sits atop
her eggs in peace. ‘To be in peace doesn’t mean to
be exempt from confusion or hardship,’ said the emperor.
‘True peace happens when, amid it all, you remain calm in
your heart.’
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Scrappler's
Fest is Set for May 19!
Kauai's premier BJJ and Submission Grappling tournament has secured
a date for its next event.
Scrappler's Fest
Kauai
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Start preparing your team and start saving up for the trip to
compete against Kauai's best grapplers from Kauai Technical Institute
(KTI), Powerhouse, Longman, New Breed, Kamole, amongst others.
|
The
Quest For Champions Martial Arts Tournament 2012
Featuring:
Sport-Pankration * Submission Grappling * Continuous Sparring
Saturday, May 19, 2012
St. Louis High School Gym
9:00am
For more Information, please contact Kempo Unlimited Hawaii
kunltd@hotmail.com or 808-778-3601
Source:
Tommy Lam
|
|